My Servant System

"They're certainly a bit heavier than the other weapons you've made for me, but that's not a bad thing. Just... going to take some getting used to is all."

Tightening the strap that was holding the Falcata on my back, I ignored the smirking gaze of both Anput and Jahi as they blatantly stared at the two things on either side of that strap, though as I gave the heavy War Pick a nice pat they both looked away and suddenly found their own gear more interesting.

"That's good to hear... ahem, we should get going soon! Don't want to waste daylight if we don't need to, right? Besides... I must admit I am a bit 'homesick' for the far more temperate life back at the Empire."

I just gave Anput a dry glare at that, my mate smiling wryly at me as she acknowledged who here was definitely far more homesick than the others, but sadly we weren't doing a straight shot back to the Empire from here.

Pulling up to our side was the Sultana, the larger Jackalkin resting atop a larger Jackal that befitted her station, and after a few seconds of looking us all over she gestured for us to go ahead and follow her as she rode on out of the city, leading us into the desert and towards the capital.

We had spent many days here, resting up and enjoying the last few days of peace before we were presumably sent into another string of events that would occupy all of our available time for the foreseeable future. Your next journey awaits at empire

Brewing potions, crafting weapons, enchanting them and then spending our nights and mornings - sometimes afternoons too - enjoying the flowers of youth as we indulged ourselves to keep ourselves content.

All of that happened in these last few days, but now it was time to return to the Empire and return to find one of the oldest people waiting for us, someone who has ties to all of our families in one way or another, and someone who was keen to meet all of us too.

First stop though was the Sultana's palace, where we needed to say our goodbyes for now to Anput's family and to receive some of our payment upfront for the things we had helped her with, as well as the finalize a deal that Anput had apparently made with her Mom during one of these days.

It took us a few hours to reach it, and upon arrival we had to deal with the battle between Anput's Mother and the Sla Fiend that refused to leave the palace since the Sultana had never told her to leave, the two women locked in a fight with one another as the Sla Fiend continued to... well, be a Sla Fiend.

The children didn't seem to care at all though, and they only cared to throw themselves at their Mom while staring warily at Anput as she approached them too, but after a few moments and a whisper from the Sultana they were hugging her too.

We had lunch, drank a little, received our payment, let Anput have her private discussion with her parents before saying goodbye and departing from the sands completely, traveling alongside some Death Jackals who would take our mounts back for us as soon as we reached the border, where we could take some horses from the garrison.

Hours flew by far too quickly compared to the time we had spent here, and suddenly having this chapter of our lives closed was rather intriguing all things considered, the battles and close calls we had from fighting here now over as we moved on to yet another chapter that would start within the Empire.

Where it would go was an entirely different question however, and none of us knew the answer to that question even as we rode on back, over the mountains and through the woods to Leone's - and technically our - home that resided atop the largest volcano inside of the Empire.

The shift in scenery and temperature was drastic, and I breathed one hell of a sigh of relief as soon as the cooler, more balanced temperature graced my skin, the sun no longer as harsh nor as brilliantly bright as it had been.

Then there was the abundance of not only green, but also blues as we rode atop grass and beside lakes or rivers, which were always home to many various settlements of differing sizes as they continued to act as the cradles for civilization no matter the world.

Finding the looming, fiery mountain getting ever closer was relieving, and the moment the faint scent of ash hit my nostrils I just felt fuzzy inside as the feeling of being home wrapped around me like a cozy blanket.

That was when time slowed to a crawl again, our destination slowly getting larger in front of us as we made our way home, but just as suddenly as this eternity descended upon us it was suddenly swiped away as we passed through the gates, the colorful and spacious city welcoming us with its familiar cacophony as the people went about their lives, unaware of our glorious return home.

Not that I wanted fanfare, but I received it anyways when we reached the Palace, those giant gates swinging open to reveal a parade of soldiers and Knights waiting for our return, and at their head was the all too unique figure of the Empress.

That towering, ashen haired futanari stole away all of the attention of anyone nearby, and all focus was completely on her that at first I missed the blue skinned Demoness standing right beside her with two adorable babies in her arms, or the elegant and refined Elf standing hand in hand with my very own Mother.

Just seeing them all there was enough to put my heart at ease, and the moment I slipped off my horse I was truly at ease as I wrapped my arms around them and snuggled into their warmth, their love washing over me in waves that I was more than willing to drown in.