The dragon's harem

The priest lifted the pillow, reaching with it toward Arad and Isdis. “Sir Arad, Lady Isdis,” He said with a smile, “Please take the rings,”

The two rings were of simple design, one made of silver and the other of pure gold, glittering under the faint sunlight sneaking out of the church’s chiseled windows.

Arad took the gold ring, and Isdis took the silver one.

The priest looked around, and then whispered, pointing with one finger at the back of the alter, “It’s written there if you didn’t memorize it,”

Arad stole a glance. Amaterasu’s binding vow was clearly engraved on the stone altar.

“Tie now, the crimson thread,” Arad said.

“Tie now, the roots of our blood,” Isdis added.

“The rose, so that we may not be separated,” Arad closed his eyes.

“The Amaryllis, so that we may not come part,” Isdis closed her eyes, and the sun in the sky flashed brighter than ever.

“Dance around the sun, praying,” Arad and Isdis put the rings in each other fingers, chanting in one voice, “Until the day it implodes white,” .𝒎

The moon started bloating the sun, drowning its golden light, dying the sky crimson as the black dot in the horizon flashed red as if dripping blood. It sent terror into the people of the capital.

An Eclipse, a once in a hundred years event that’s linked to Amaterasu’s wrath and interest. Scholars suspect it’s the goddess’s way of nerfing her own powers with the help of the hare of the moon, in order to peak into the mortal world, whether it’s to kill or to bless.

Golden and black chains emerged from the ground beneath Arad and Isdis, [Child of nothing, spawn of the desolate space] A voice boomed across the church, and none could move a muscle.

They could feel her, sitting on top of the head of her own statue, glaring down. Arad tried to lift his head, but his neck refused to move.

[What could the sun grant the void around her?]

“You really like to waste time, don’t you?” Zephyr said, staring up with a tired face, “You’re hurting them, do your business and get out of my land,” She could see her as clear as the sun in the sky. A tall woman with fair skin, crimson red nails, and coal black hair twice as long as her body, most of it tied into a ball on her head with several pins and decorations. She wore a large Eastern dress, flailing open from above her knees and down. She smiled, her blood-red lips seeming to reach her ears as she glared down with her heterochromia eyes, one as black as the eclipse and one a blazing red sun.

[You’ve grown, great wind spirit Zephyr]

“Hurry and go!” She started hushing her, “Or I’ll tell grandma, she’ll get angry.”

[She’s dead drunk on in my heaven. Good luck contacting her,] Amaterasu giggled. [But you’re right, I’m only here to deliver a friend’s blessing, she doesn’t want to show up.] Amaterasu waved her foot, and the two rings in Arad and Isdis’s hands glowed.

[Jemima’s Blessing, as long as you wear those rings and there are plants in your vicinity, you’ll have a passive regeneration, and neither of you would die while the other is alive, and the rings aren’t destroyed.]

Amaterasu started floating up. [I’ll save my blessing for someone else.] Her eyes panned around the church, landing on Eris.

[I do not bless soft women. Take note from Lydia, child of blood.] .𝒎

CRACK! The ground beneath Arad’s feet cracked, and his right arm moved a hair strand. Veins bulged on his arms and neck, and the void inside his body boiled, raging to rush out.

Zephyr stared at him, a bit confused, but understanding, “How in the hell?”

[Void born are monsters] Amaterasu smiled, [First he almost barged into Sylph’s inner room, and now he’s trying to move in my presese. An impressive display of power and will, but for now, I’ll take my leave.]

She flew out like a bee, leaving a glowing trail behind as the eclipse instantly disappeared.

The people gasped, “What was that?” One gasped.

“I felt something. Did you feel it?” They looked at each other. To them, it was but a flash that their minds almost didn’t register, leaving only the faintest feeling of being in divine magic for a brief moment.

The priest started crying out of nowhere, “Even for a brief moment, I felt her presence. Our goddess has looked upon us,”

Isdis blinked twice, her hands shaking, “What happened to the rings?” She asked, looking at Arad to see him sweating with veins bulging on his face and neck, looking enraged. “Heh?” She gasped.

Arad took a deep breath, sighting, “Zephyr, you could move?” He glared at her.

“Of course, I could. I’m a great spirit, remember?” She flew to sit on his shoulder, “I’m more surprised you were conscious there and even managed to move a bit,” She looked back, “No one here beside you and me was present there. To them, it was a mere feeling, as fast as a flash and as gentle as the warmth of the sunlight.”

“Why was she here? I thought the gods never interacted with the world,” Arad growled.

“I won’t say never… But Amaterasu is more active. She sets the sun and raises it every day, after all.” Zephyr waved her hand, “You can see her like a pesky, cheeky, and haughty noble mom with a heart of gold. If you got her attention and are still alive, congratulations, you’ll only get benefits,”

“She wasn’t after me,” Arad looked back toward Eris, who stood there, her mind elsewhere. “Why do I feel like?” She mumbled, the purple plasma inside her chest burning like a star, “I need to ask Lydia something?” In the depth of her veins, and within her flowing, crimson vampiric blood. A holy spark flashed.

Zephyr stared at Eris with a worried face, “I heard stories from Grandma Mei that Amaterasu once created a holy devil. Don’t tell me she’s trying to make a holy vampire now.”