Demoness 3 - Chapter 15: ​Estate (Epilogue) (3,175 Words) (Patreon)

Destroying things was simple. It was rebuilding that was hard.

Even with Divine magic.

Elania watched as Yolani organized a group of workers to clear away the charred ground.

Nothing really remained of the city, except for the underground stores of the islands that hadn’t been destroyed.

They were lucky in that there were relatively few of those.

Even luckier that there hadn’t been any real populations on them.

The few airships they had left included the Heart and Gold, along with a dozen larger ones from the Contia air fleet.

They had been working tirelessly to haul up stockpiled supplies in Freyhoi for the reconstruction.

The wharfs were their first major project under way, after getting enough temporary shelters set up. The Neftasuians had experience with that, and that helped a great deal.

Elania hurried over to Yolani.

When she got close, the other girl looked up and smiled. “Did your session with Elysia go well?”

Elania nodded. “I can form a stub now, sometimes even a few feathers.”

Yolani’s smile widened. “That’s good.”

Elania frowned as she watched the progress of the debris clearing. “They come out purple, though.”

Yolani’s smile turned neutral, and she mumbled, “Sorry.”

Elania nodded, her gaze distant. “I wish Arlois was still here to help us.”

Yolani gestured to the ongoing work. “We’re making good progress.”

Elania’s frown deepened. “We need to do a lot more.” She turned to Yolani. “It’s time.”

Yolani met her gaze. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Elania nodded. “Yes.”

She picked up Yolani, and they flew back to the Celestial Engine.

The buildings there were more reconstructed, with masons busy patching the walls around it first.

The entire government of the city was forming in the few halls that remained, including the new Tower Council chamber, which was really just the open area beside the Engine.

They landed together.

A small crowd had gathered, and Elania spotted Elysia, Ember, and Lyra standing by a closed casket, adorned with purple cloth and lit candles below the Celestial Engine astrolabe.

Elania and Yolani joined them.

Ember took a deep breath, her voice solemn. “It is time to put our dear friend to rest.”

***

Elania held up her hand, a golden orb illuminating the cavern.

The sound of men grunting as they rolled the heavy crates deeper into the cave filled the air, but Elania was focused on the chamber’s size.

“I think this space will do for the colony,” Elania said, her voice echoing off the rocky walls.

Yolani looked at her, brows furrowed. “It’s a bit cramped.”

Elania nodded, surveying the area with a critical eye. “We’re going to need to do some work to make it workable, but from what I can tell, it’s the biggest section we’ll find.”

Yolani eyed her curiously. “Darkwalker telling you that?”

Elania grunted in affirmation. “I can smell it.”

“Really?” Yolani asked, surprise coloring her tone.

“I can just tell,” Elania replied, her voice firm.

“Alright,” Yolani said.

They got to work, Yolani unloading her own bag of tools. Elania approached the foreman. “We’ll be lining up the cargo containers in the chamber,” she informed him.

One of the men sighed in relief. “Thank the gods.”

Another worker snapped at him, “There’s one right there, watch your tongue.”

Elania ignored the exchange, her thoughts turning inward.

It was complicated being a Demi-Divine.

No one knew better than herself that she wasn’t a god.

She was certainly fallible, a fact that weighed heavily on her mind. Repeatedly.

She made her way back over to Yolani, who was unpacking a crate containing several artifice machines.

Yolani glanced up at her. “Can you charge the mana shards?” she asked, gesturing to the devices.

Elania nodded, placing her hand on top of each machine.

She focused, pouring some of her [Power] into the shards inside of them. They began to glow; the devices whirling to life as their fans stirred the air.

“How well will these keep the cavern atmosphere in spec?” Elania asked.

Yolani wiped her brow. “They can maintain it, but it’ll take weeks to get it where we want. So you’ll need to get things adjusted right manually.”

Elania grunted. “We need to widen the cavern first.”

“I’ll have to use my [Priestess of Artifice] powers for that,” Yolani said, stretching her arms.

Elania nodded, looping an arm around Yolani’s waist. “I’m all ready for it.”

Yolani eyed her suspiciously. “You’re just looking for an excuse to feel me up, aren’t you?”

“I’m all about multi-result solutions,” Elania replied with a grin.

Yolani groaned, rolling her eyes. “Let’s get started.”

As Yolani began, Elania felt the tug on her [Divine Power], flowing through their conduit.

The cavern walls and ceiling began to glow, slowly morphing and shrinking back as the stone melted away.

Yolani’s face tensed with concentration, smoothing imperfections in the rock.

One corner lowered slightly, rows inlaid for future crop beds.

Foundations for buildings branched out in an arranged pattern, with a central path network taking shape.

When Yolani finally stopped, she was panting heavily.

“Stonework really isn’t artifice,” she managed between breaths.

Elania supported her, gently wiping the sweat from Yolani’s forehead. “It’s close enough that you can do something this amazing.”

Yolani nodded, leaning into Elania’s embrace. “It’s your turn now.”

Elania glanced around the cavern, her brows furrowing. “What about the entrance seal?” she asked.

Yolani’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes, we need to machine the atmospheric field to the entrance or the thickened atmosphere will escape.”

Elania rolled her eyes, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “That’s a pretty big detail to forget.”

Yolani huffed, wiping her brow. “I did just lift a few tens of thousands of tons of stone, so give me a break.”

Elania chuckled, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on Yolani’s cheek. “Always,” she murmured.

They got to work setting up the condenser while the men continued to roll in the large crates. Yolani gestured to the far end of the cavern. “We can set up additional ones for the entry to the lower levels.”

Elania nodded, and they moved to install another machine at the designated spot.

A shimmering light filled the passage, indicating its functionality.

Elania passed her hand through it, feeling no sensation.

Yolani watched, then looked back at the crates. “What you do is pretty impressive too, using mending to change the atmosphere. It’s really on the edge of the concept of the skill.”

“That’s probably why it takes so much [Divine Power],” Elania replied.

“It’s a good thing you have plenty of followers now,” Yolani said.

Elania winced, a frown tugging at her lips. That was mostly because Arlois’ followers had become hers.

Yolani’s eyes widened, realizing the implication of her words. “Sorry,” she mumbled, “I wasn’t thinking.”

Elania nodded, closing her eyes and holding up her hand.

She focused, sifting through the atmosphere, warming it until it was toasty and then pulling liquid into the air, turning it as humid as possible without creating an underground rain cloud.

Yolani wiped her forehead, feeling the sudden change. “It’s always a bit of a shock when the air changes so suddenly.”

Elania laughed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “It’s like a reverse air conditioner.”

Yolani eyed her, shaking her head. “I still don’t know how it could be economical to power a million machines that pulled the heat from the air in every house.”

Elania grinned, and together they headed towards the crates. “Maybe we should look for uranium and try to figure out nuclear power.”

Yolani stared at her blankly, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Elania laughed, shaking her head. “Just kidding. But uhh, maybe some electricity would be good. We certainly could use windmills for things.”

Yolani’s eyes lit up. “We could use the air to spin the thing, instead of water!”

The foreman approached them, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “All the crates are ready,” he said, gesturing to the containers.

Elania nodded. “I hope our friends didn’t mind the bumpy ride.”

The foreman shrugged. “Do you need anything else?” he asked, his tone respectful.

Elania smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for all the work,” she said, her voice sincere. “We really appreciate it, but we can take it from here.”

The foreman grinned. “Don’t mention it. The crit is nice.”

Yolani nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. “It was pretty smart of the bank to back up all their records before the city was obliterated.”

Elania grunted, her brows furrowing. “I kinda wonder how many accounts... vanished.”

Yolani shrugged. “Probably a lot, but that might be a good thing.”

Elania raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“The bank likely lost a lot of assets, too. If they can’t process withdrawals… there would be a bank run, and it would collapse. All the crit would become worthless,” Yolani explained.

Elania held up her hand, a stern expression on her face. “We don’t need another problem right now. Economic collapse is banned.”

Yolani bowed, a playful smirk on her lips. “Yes, my goddess. No economic nightmares today.”

Elania rolled her eyes, turning her attention to the crate. “Let’s open it.”

Yolani pulled out a wand, activating the side of the crate.

The seal hissed, releasing a puff of air as the door levered down into a ramp.

Inside, a few Mushroohum tenders looked out, their appearance disheveled.

A dozen little mushroohums accompanied them, their tiny faces filled with curiosity.

The smell of rotten fungus and manure wafted out, causing Elania to hold her nose.

“I forgot about this part,” she muttered.

***

Elania sat at her makeshift desk, a burnt door balanced precariously on two rocks, poring over a stack of reports scrawled on the back of half-burnt papers that had been reused multiple times.

It was a mess, but it was the best they could do given the circumstances.

Her chair, a barrel, creaked as she shifted her weight, trying to make sense of the jumbled information before her.

A knock at the open doorframe drew her attention. “Come in,” she called, not looking up from the papers.

Darius entered, unfurling an actual parchment that, miraculously, wasn’t burned. “There’s been trouble with the meat shipment.”

Elania paused, her brow furrowing as she looked up at him. “What kind of trouble?”

“Your pet devoured all the prey animals before they could be butchered,” Darius explained. “They only brought back grain and vegetable supplies from the village.”

Elania grunted, glancing down at Shadow, who was curled up in a ball, fast asleep beside her desk.

“Which one?” she asked.

“You know which one,” Darius replied, a hint of exasperation in his tone. “The one that isn’t in the room.”

With a sigh, Elania stood, the barrel scraping against the floor.

“I’ll go talk to her,” she said, making her way towards the door.

As she passed Darius, Elania paused, fixing him with a stern look. “She isn’t a pet.”

Darius bowed his head, a gesture of deference. “As you command, my lady.”

Elania made her way out of the hall and onto a balcony, taking a moment to breathe in the cool air. The wind was strong enough that the smell of burnt char wasn’t that bad.

She reached out with her senses, picking through the threads connected to her until she found the one she wanted.

Her right wing shot out and pulled her up into the air.

She had gotten used to flying with one wing, but it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as flying normally.

For one thing, it felt like she was being tugged along on a bumpy rope.

Elania spotted her target at the edge of an abandoned island.

A little wooden building stood there, and chickens pecked at the debris, searching for bugs.

All at once, they raised their heads, blue orbs staring up at Elania.

With a thump, Elania landed and called out, “Tessa.”

Sitting on the edge of the island, feet dangling over the edge, Tessa turned and stood up.

She came forward, one blue eye and one golden one shining at Elania.

Elania raised her chin. “I’ve been told that you ate all the animals.”

Tessa looked away. “I was hungry.”

“You absorbed them all and didn’t leave any for the others. They were hungry too, and it was supposed to be enough meat for a lot of people,” Elania said.

Clenching her hands, Tessa looked at Elania. “You won’t let me go hunt big creatures, so I had to eat a lot of little ones.”

Elania crossed her arms. “I can tell your [Power], and you’re nowhere near being low. You didn’t need to take the entire harvest.”

Tessa growled. “I could have taken one big creature!”

Elania shook her head. “Angering the arcanes would cause them to become more active and harass the people more. We need everyone working on repairs.”

Hissing, Tessa said, “All you think about is repairs, repairs, repairs! Not about Tessa.”

Elania grunted and walked to the edge of the island, looking down at the green countryside far below. “You care about your babies.”

“Of course.” Tessa picked up one of the chickens and petted it.

“I have to think about all of Contia, and its people. I have to care for all of them,” Elania explained.

Tessa fell quiet for a minute, petting the chicken. After a few minutes of silence, she asked, “Do you want me to go hunt again?”

“Yes,” Elania said. “I’ll organize another hunt. This time, bring back the meat for the others.”

***

Elania squeezed Yolani’s hand as they walked through the Neftasu District, taking in the sight of the devastation left in the wake of the battle.

The road had been cleared, and the Guard and other workers toiled to remove the rubble, their efforts focused on rebuilding their shattered city.

Amidst the ruins, her Tower stood tall, the only building left relatively unscathed, save for minor damage.

The Council building and Guard building were under repair, their above-ground structures demolished, leaving only their underground shelters intact.

The Ironfist Depot had already been restored, thanks to Elania’s decision to build a special wharf there for the Heart and Gold, ensuring their airships had a secure place to dock.

As they passed by the burning pyres, Elania’s mood soured, the acrid smell of smoke a stark reminder of the lives lost.

Nearly a quarter of the Guards had fallen in the battle, a heavy toll, though it paled compared to the losses suffered by the Silvers.

Even so, the Neftasuians had already endured so much in their escape from Neftasu and the loss was felt heavily.

Yolani squeezed Elania’s hand.

Elania spotted Henri and Allie sitting on a stack of lumber near the tower, chatting amicably.

“They seem closer,” Yolani remarked, a hint of a smile in her voice.

Elania nodded, observing the pair. “They seem to be getting along great.”

Allie noticed their approach and hopped up, hurrying over to greet them with Henri following close behind.

“How are you?” Elania asked, concern evident in her tone.

“I’m fine,” Allie replied, while Henri added, “I’ve recovered.”

Yolani smiled warmly at Henri. “I’m happy to hear you’re doing well.”

Allie turned to Elania, her expression growing more serious. “Are the Mushroohums alright? Trey’gat’aru?”

Elania’s smile faltered, and she shook her head sadly. “There wasn’t much left of the village on the ground. Nothing survived, not even the crops. Trey… stayed with the village, I’m afraid. We should have evacuated more of them, but…”

Allie frowned, nodding in understanding as Henri put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Yolani shook her head. “We did our best. We didn’t know how much damage the city would take, and the Gold couldn’t carry more containers.”

Elania let out a sigh. “The ones we sent to the surface are doing fine, though. We set up a cave for them.”

At this, Allie perked up, her eyes shining with determination. “Can I help build an arboretum for them on the island? Or maybe I could go to the surface and help them get established?”

Elania smiled at Allie’s enthusiasm. “I’m not sure yet, but we will definitely be helping the Mushroohums and getting the healing potion production running again.”

***

Elania took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she stood in the alcove, out of sight from the thousands gathered in the Celestial Engine chamber.

The low drone of voices filled the air.

Yolani adjusted the ermine on Elania’s shoulders, the soft fur covering her yellow cloak.

“You’ll be fine,” Yolani reassured her, her voice gentle and encouraging.

Elania smiled at her, but it was hard to keep the exhaustion out of her eyes.

The ceremonial outfit felt heavy, not just physically, but emotionally as well.

It carried the weight of responsibility, of the expectations placed upon her. The ones she had taken upon herself.

Ember’s muffled voice filtered through the crowd, signaling that the ceremony had begun.

Elania tensed. A guard in the hall nodded to her, indicating it was time to make her entrance.

Yolani placed a comforting hand on Elania’s arm. “They love you. Don’t worry.”

“I love you too,” Elania replied. “Thank you.”

Yolani rolled her eyes and gave Elania a kiss on the cheek. “Go.”

With a deep breath, Elania stepped out into the hall, turning to walk across the yellow carpet that stretched all the way to the waiting Towers.

A hushed silence fell over the crowd as she made her solo procession, all eyes fixed on her.

As she reached the end, Elania felt a surge of confidence.

She stood before the three Tower boxes, their makeshift appearance in the Celestial Engine room slightly ridiculous.

It didn’t help that she knew they were built from wooden scaffolding, hastily painted to resemble the original stone boxes.

Ember banged the gavel, the sound echoing through the chamber. “A petition of the people is to be heard,” she announced.

Elysia held up a parchment, her voice clear and strong as she read, “By acclaim and deed, the people request the Towers acknowledge a new tower: Elania, a girl from Earth, first a lesser-demon, and then a Demi-Divine, also of Neftasu.”

Elania almost choked, and then she fought back tears. Had Arlois written that down somewhere?

Ember banged the gavel again, earning a dirty look from Lyra. “You like banging it too much,” Lyra muttered.

Ember ignored the comment. “I am calling the petition to a vote.”

“I vote in favor,” Elysia stated without hesitation.

Ember nodded. “I vote in favor as well.”

All eyes turned to Lyra, a slight tension filling the air as she remained silent for a moment. Then, with a smile, she said, “Of course I vote in favor.”

Ember banged the gavel once more, her voice ringing out, “To all present and to the world, I announce that a new Tower of Contia has arisen! Elania, the Yellow Tower!”