"Come again? You want me to be... Yours? Like--like a wife?" Ruby stuttered as she tried to grip Martis's request.

"Well that is one thing, but I meant another. I want you to become my herra."

"Your herra? What is that, another term for concubine?" Ruby questioned, crossing her arms.

"It has nothing to do with courtship if that's what you're wondering about. The title Herron means hunter and you said that you are a huntress who has the misfortune of ending up in a place like this so, I want to give you the pleasure of serving under me as my companion huntress or herra. Plus I will take your offer on Dyrroth's treasury, let us settle the exact price once we've reached Devas." A weight seems to have been lifted from her chest due to the enlightening information.

"So you want me to hunt for you while you train me to become a demigod? Sounds like a great bargain." she summarized allowing a smile to decorate her lips.

"Oh, don't be too relieved. Your missions won't be so easy, that, I assure you. So if you're ready, let us return home."

"Now? Like right now?"

"Do you have something else to do? I only came out here to fetch you due to Terizla's persistence and his offer of a 20% discount on my next weapon repairs."

"He did that? How sweet." her smile softened in appreciation of the gesture.

Martis extended his arm towards the gate and soon enough colors swirled inside the arch. The two of them stepped into the portal although Ruby moved sluggishly, wary of where she might end up in. Walking inside a portal and passing into another realm feels a bit nauseous like her stomach twisted itself in the small journey. She even had to hold onto Martis due to the mild dizziness making the male frown at her in displeasure.

"Up on your toes and look alive. Weakness is not acceptable in the Ashura. Well, I might excuse it since you're a girl."

"Hey, girls are not weak! We may not be as physically strong as our male counterparts but we're still pretty capable in many fields. Even the Abyss has gender equality." Ruby rebutted with a cute pout.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion."

"What's with the sudden change in mood? Earlier you're stoic and a little flirty, why are you stern and sour all of a sudden?"

"Because we're in my domain. I should act like a king, firm and decisive and not 'flirty'."

Ruby ignored Martis's words and began looking around. She saw that they're no longer in the Abyss, instead, a jungle stretched from all sides except for ahead since a citadel stood where they are headed which she assumed is their destination. A huge smile also brightened her countenance as she saw the vast blue sky that roofs over her head giving her a sense of freedom that she's been longing for. She stretched her arms on her sides and did a little twirl to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors and the scent of the wild. The smell of the woods, the wind, and the dirt all seemed nostalgic as she basked in all their warmth and beauty.

"Life is so beautiful." she sighed with contentment while Martis only ignored her.

"We are entering the territory of my tribe. Do not make eye contact with the men."

"Why? Do they have pink eye?"

"No, just follow my orders and talk as little as possible. Speak unless spoken to."

"Sure thing, boss!" Ruby said cheerfully as they approached the arch of the entrance.

The massive Ashuras guarding the entrance saluted to their king and oddly stared at her, surprised to see someone quite unlike them but said nothing. Ruby proceeded inside the city where she saw many grand golden edifices and cheerful people. There were three ziggurats-like structures with intricate carvings which intrigued her. She knew from history books that things like that are for worship and ritual purposes which explains their grandeur.

She looked around and saw houses made of adobe and nipa roofs, the irrigation also seems pristine and the roads are all clean showing how much they value cleanliness for such tribal people. Devas is more of a civilization than just a tribe but Martis keeps on insisting that they're still a tribe even though the place is huge and prosperous.

The people seem happy and healthy. The men are mostly big and strong, ripped with muscles and abs while the women are all dazzling beauties. Such aesthetics is a welcoming sight after months of seeing the ugly faces of demons with the exception of demonesses and Dyrroth.

"Wow, your people are really beautiful! Oh, those abs are so great! And look at all those boobs and pretty faces. But, why are there only a few women? Are they doing some office jobs or something?"

"The women only make up 20% of the whole Ashura population that's why many females have multiple husbands for better fertility."

"Ohh, I see. Uhmm, why are the men staring at me weirdly? It's uncomfortable."

"It's because you are small and ugly." Martis replied with a stoic face.

"Ohh, I guess with all those beauties I'll only pale in comparison." Ruby mumbled a bit disheartened by his comment.

"I was joking. It's because you're blonde and pretty. As you can see no one else here has hair like gold and skin as white as the milk of the cow. They think you're beautiful but in truth, you're just novel so don't get your head big due to their wonder-filled stares."

"You think I'm pretty?! Aww, thank you! I love your abs too and all your muscles. It's like you don't even have a single fat in your body." Ruby praised making the Ashura frown in discomfort of her shining gaze.

"Get ahold of yourself, girl." He grumbled turning away from the maiden to hide his slightly flushed cheeks.

"Martis, who is your new friend?" inquired a woman who suddenly stepped in front of them. Her voice sounded soft and gentle like the chiming of bells.

Ruby stared at the woman. She is tall and voluptuous, clothed in a pure white sari dress which exposed a good portion of her skin and abundant bosom. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders like the waves of midnight while her face is defined by a strong pointy nose, arched brows, plump rosy lips, and a natural contour on her cheeks. In summary, she is extremely beautiful with her milky white skin with a slight blush of pink, indicating that she was sheltered from the sun and well-cared for compared to the other women in the tribe who are quite tanned.

"Shura this is Ruby, Ruby this is Lady Shura my sister and the high priestess of our tribe." Martis introduced.

"H-hello, I'm Ruby." she said, introducing herself while gawking at the woman. "Please tell me, how do I grow boobs as big as yours?" she blurted.

"Well, drinking and bathing in milk might help as well as sleeping early in the night. But in the end, it all comes from your bloodline." Lady Shura replied with an amused smile.

"Okay got it. Drink milk and sleep early while mommy's genes do the rest."

"What a beautiful young maiden. Have you picked her up to be your wife? She will make for a lovely queen." Shura said to her brother.

"No, she's here to train how to use her godly powers. In the meantime, have her cleaned thoroughly. The filth of the Abyss still reeks from her flesh."

"Hey, I had a bath before coming here!" Ruby complained feeling offended by the comment.

"Go with my sister and try not to give her a headache. Shura will take care of you for the duration of your stay so you better behave and stop asking her stupid questions." Martis reprimanded before turning to the priestess.

"I leave her in your hands now. I will have to orient my soldiers about an addition to our members and deal with tonight's hunt. Send her in my chambers at twilight. We'll have to discuss some terms regarding our contract. I'll be on my way now."

"Of course, my king." Lady Shura placed her fist on her chest before dipping her head forward in a small bow of respect as the male left them.

"Come on, Miss Ruby. Let's have you rested and cleaned. I'm sure you're exhausted from your journey."

Lady Shura led Ruby into a large house with a big steaming bath. A number of thinly clothed servants stood by the side waiting for orders. The female servants immediately went to the blonde's side and began stripping her naked earning protests from the maiden who wasn't accustomed to being handled this way.

"I-I can bathe myself thank you. You don't have to do it for me." she tried reasoning to the women who only ignored her words before ushering her to the pool of steaming hot water.

They scrubbed her skin intensely and washed her hair thoroughly like a dirty rag before rinsing her. They also massaged her body which immediately soothed her tired muscles. Ruby stopped protesting and only melted as the women groomed her body. They allowed her to stay in the bath of roses for a while, serving a sweet fruity drink that tasted ambrosial. Some servants also played a soft tune with a flute and a lyre adding to the calming atmosphere.

Ruby has no idea how long she's been in the bath as the handsome male servants around age feed her lovingly. She found that she's extremely attractive to the male Ashuras making a number of them pamper her with food and services. The huntress didn't refuse the luxury and indulged in the pleasure of being treated like royalty.

After a while, the female servants hoisted her from the bath and dried her skin with soft cotton towels before delivering her to a new room where they applied aromatic oils on her whole body. Ruby felt extremely embarrassed as the women touched her body more than Dyrroth did. They even trimmed her eyebrows and styled her hair to perfection before clothing her in a white chiton dress and applying some colors to her lips.

The servants left her after accomplishing their task, leaving her alone in a new room with bright cushions, a few pieces of furniture, and a queen-sized canopy bed. Ruby took a seat on one of the fluffy pillows and saw her golden heels and bracelets on the table.

"God, that felt like I was being prepared for sacrifice." Ruby sighed as she slumped against the pillows and sunk into their cushion.

"I'm sure it did. Do you want me to give you a tour of Devas? My brother said that you'll be staying here for a while so might as well get accustomed to the place while you're here. Additionally, I would love to show you around since I have a lot of free time right now." offered Lady Shura as she entered the double doors followed by her attendants.

"Sure thing!" Ruby cheerfully agreed before putting on the heels that Dyrroth bought for her.

"Will you be comfortable in that kind of footwear? It looks beautiful but it also seems quite painful and peculiar."

"It is, but it helps with my self-esteem so I like wearing it. Plus they're also very sturdy and surprisingly not a nuisance in combat."

"I see, very well. Let us go then."

🌹

Lady Shura guided Ruby through the paved streets of Devas and toured her into the most beautiful places their city has to offer. The people gathered around the streets to get a glimpse of the newcomer whose appearance stood out like gold among stones. The city appears to be very prosperous as trade and economy bustled in every corner. No one seems to be homeless or useless as everybody able or disabled found ways to bring profit for themselves and contribute to the community.

Children played merrily in the streets, merchants advertised their diverse and exotic products for fair prices, and everyone indulged in pleasure or accomplished their duty. The country of the Ashura sure is beautiful and independent, Ruby thought as she walked with Shura.

Currently, they are exploring the busy marketplace. Various things are being sold from the different stalls from food to poison, clothes, fabrics, perfumes, weapons, spices, and even people. There are also vendors who sell on their gondolas that float beautifully over the vast canals and their products are very interesting. Lady Shura had bought a few gifts for her saying that she never had a sister to pamper so buying things for Ruby was also enjoyable for her.

"Here Ruby you should try this." offered Lady Shura as she handed her a roll of aromatic leaves where small pieces of meat and vegetables can be found covered with different bright red spices. The dish smells incredibly delicious so the maiden thanked the priestess before digging in. Her eyes sparkled with stars as she tasted the savory meat. The spices frolicked with her tongue and brought different sensations to her senses.

"What is this?! I've never had something as delicious as this! It's so flavorful. Mmmhhh." she moaned as she took another bite of the dish.

"We call it shawarma. And here have some bibingka, the combination will be wonderful." Lady Shura gave Ruby a small circular cake and took a bite of it. As she said, the combination was magnificent making the girl squeal in delight.

"It's so good! Everything here tastes good!" Ruby praised happily as she drank some concoction that tasted like honey and a mixture of fruits.

"The bibingka didn't really originate from here because the recipe was brought by my brother when he visited the distant island of his friend, Chief Lapu-Lapu. It was his souvenir for me and I loved it so I shared it with the rest of our tribe."

"How thoughtful. So, can you tell me something about Devas besides the food? What about why there are only a few women around here? How did that happen?"

"Well, Devas has stood for thousands of years independent of foreign interaction until a few years ago when my brother made a pact with the Abyss to help subside the illness which attacked the women of our tribe making them infertile and die a terrible death. None of our healers, priestesses, nor doctors could pinpoint the cause of the disease so we sought help outside of our borders. Alice was the only blood witch capable of producing medicine for the illness. Her terms were for us to join her war against the Empire and to use our technology capable of crossing dimensions to retrieve a blacksmith named Terizla. He was said to make the finest weapons in the whole breadth of the land. By then only 10% of the women were left and our mother was included in the ones who died due to the illness so to ensure the survival of our race Martis agreed. He became one of Alice's on-call generals and he hated the job ever since." Lady Shura narrated with a solemn look.

"I'm sorry to hear that. That must have been very difficult for you." Ruby said sympathetically.

"It's quite alright. That is the past and what matters is that we move forward. Even though we haven't restored the equilibrium of the population, we are sure that everything will be alright because our leader is very capable. Ever since he defeated the three thousand hidden world and ascended the throne, Martis has brought nothing but hope and prosperity for our people. Now the 50 thousand Ashuras are aspiring to lift our nation higher and higher."

"Wow, I think Martis is pretty great. When I grow up I want to be strong and dependable like him. I'm not sure if I can ever catch up to his height though."

"You are most certainly adorable, Ruby. So, tell me a little about yourself. Have you had any romantic relations recently?"

"I do but it's kind of a sensitive topic for me right now and one that I've been trying to put out of mind."

"I apologize for intruding then. What about your contract with the Wolf god? How did you communicate with him? Does he send you messages through the stars and nature too?"

"No, he visits my dreams and gives me instructions or premonitions. If the place where I'm in is somewhere he has an anchor to or somewhere he has a history with then he can even produce a solid manifestation of his consciousness if he wants to."

"In the name of Ishtar! A true god directly speaks with you. How fascinating! You have the capacity to be a high priestess. I've worshipped the gods since my birth and sometimes I can hear their voices and see the future. These qualities made me eligible to be a priestess. Why don't you become one?"

"I don't want to be Fenrir's priestess although he calls me one. Fenrisulfr is a pure energy of destruction given form. His main purpose is to kill the gods and swallow the sun to bring winter to all the worlds for the rest of eternity. Basically, he's an asshole that's why he's imprisoned on a distant island where nobody knows. But, he said that he will break his chains on the day of Ragnarok and wreak havoc. I don't want to help that happen so I'm straying from the path of the faith. Plus I want to be a fighter and not a prayer. No offense though."

"None, taken. So, do you want to see the view on top of the wall? The view of the sunset is most perfect on elevated locations."

"Oh, yes! I would love that. I rarely see the sunset since I've been trapped in the Abyss for so long!" Ruby exclaimed with excitement making the priestess giggle due to her childishness.

"And we can also meet up with Martis afterward since his tent near the soldiers' training ground is quite close. He said that he wanted to meet you there at twilight so better hurry it up."

🌹

"Good evening, Martis." Ruby greeted as she entered his tent with Lady Shura behind her who immediately left after bowing to the king to give the two of them privacy.

"Take a seat and let us discuss the terms." Ruby complied and sat across from him on one of the soft cushions around the table.

"As we've discussed earlier, I will train you in exchange for your service as my huntress and a portion of Dyrroth's vast riches which I suppose includes you, since it appears that you are his most valuable possession."

"Do you really treat women like objects? Nobody possesses me. I may be his prisoner but I am still my own person and nothing he nor anyone else does will ever change that." Ruby scoffs feeling offended that this man in front of her aligned her with such objects.

"My apologies then. It wasn't my intention to offend you. I merely meant that you are very valuable to him that he treasures you so if such words offended you then... Suck. It. Up. I'm not here to pamper you or be your best friend. I'm here to train you and not be touchy feels and you should be more professional with me so cut all the crappy flirting and tantrums because I'm not interested in fucking a child." Martis said firmly with an absence of humor and friendliness. His stare was hard and cold like a giant iceberg crushing her to submission but Ruby didn't flinch nor felt any fear. Instead, she looked at him with a calm composure.

"Good to know that we're on the same page. I also have no interest in sexually associating myself with a fucking clump of rocks." Ruby replied fiercely with a challenging smirk. Martis noticed something dangerous dancing within her evergreen eyes making a grin spread across his lips. This girl would do well in the Ashura.

"We won't be having any problems then. Starting tomorrow you will be joining my men in their intensive training. You will be treated like one of us. And even with your small stature, I assume that you will be able to handle it. You are still a fighter after all and with the slumbering strength of a god nonetheless so given that, I won't go easy on you." Ruby prevented herself from gulping due to the ominous grin on Martis' face. He looked as if he was thinking of cooking her, making her feel like a chicken about to be butchered.

"Do we have something else to discuss or is that all?"

"No, we need to discuss your schedule. And please, just say 'Yes, sir.' unless instructed otherwise. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." Ruby replied sarcastically but the intimidating glare on Martis' eyes drained the fun from her face.

"You have 4 hours to be a huntress and the time frame for that might vary depending on the necessity. You have 8 hours for your training and your almost nonexistent breaks are not yet included. You will be living in my sister's house and sometimes camping with us when the need arises. I trust that she has already oriented you on some of our customs so that you won't make a fool of yourself."

"Yes, sir."

"You must already be awake at the first light of day because I will take you to hunt a wild Celestial bull."

"Yes, sir."

"Now I want you to tell me everything about Fenrir so I can properly create a training regimen especially to trigger your abilities."

"Yes, sir." Ruby merely replied, already dreading the events for tomorrow.

🌹

"Geez, he's so hot but he's as gentle as a rock. Talking to him makes me feel super exhausted." Ruby complained as she crashed on her bed, moaning in pleasure as the soft mattress accepted her in its warm embrace.

"Being with him makes Dyrroth appear so kind and soft." Ruby turned on her bed to stare up the canopy. "Well, he isn't completely kind and gentle but he is when it comes to me. I've seen how merciless he tortures people and sometimes he does it for fun. How can I even like such a man? Or demon rather."

"Nevertheless I still wonder what he's up to now. I wonder if he's okay. I guess the battle is over by now and he's probably resting. Maybe I should call him just to see if he's still alive." Ruby's mind wandered to the pendant Dyrroth had given her before he left.

"I'm going to war for a few days or maybe even weeks if things don't go too well. I still want to have contact with you though so I requested Sorca to find these from the treasury." Dyrroth said as he placed something in her hand. Ruby saw a small raven-shaped pendant attached to a simple silver chain.

"It's a necklace." Ruby replied skeptically as she observed the object and twirled it between her fingers.

"These are the Ravens of Xandros." He lifted another pendant that is the exact same replica as the one in Ruby's possession. Dyrroth chuckled, finding her puzzled look endearing.

"You just need to throw it in the water and call my name three times to activate it and my raven will receive your call. I can also do the same using my raven and to answer you need to clench your fist around it."

"You can contact me if you need anything or if you are feeling lonely and missing me. I won't be able to touch and feel you again nor smell your sweet scent but at least I get to see your face and hear your voice." Dyrroth whispered as he held her close, placing a chaste kiss on her hands.

"Okay, uhhmm. Take care and try not to die or else Alice will kill me."

"I won't." He smiled before cupping her cheeks and kissing her full on the lips. Ruby humored him since he's probably going to die and kissed him back making the prince smile as he ravished her lips.

Ruby scoffed at the memory. She stood up from her bed before rummaging through her bag to locate the object. When she finally found her pendant, Ruby threw it in a basin before calling out Dyrroth's name 3 times like he instructed.

"Dyrroth, Dyrroth, Dyrroth. Dumb demon answer my call." She chanted and the water rippled before shimmering to the image of the said demon barking orders to his minions.

"You dumbasses! Just follow the blueprints and do your fucking job! We don't have forever to do this! We must strike while they're still recuperating. Now get the FUCK out of here!" Dyrroth screamed, making Ruby winch due to his excruciating tone and ferocity. The demon finally noticed her and his features instantly softened and brightened at the sight of her. Excitement and joy immediately radiated from his countenance as he traced every line of her features.

"So you did miss me." He smirked while leaning his face on his fist. The rapid transition from raging to flirting almost amazed the maiden if she didn't already know that he's a bit bipolar.

"I was just checking if you're still alive. How disappointing. I thought those elves would be better warriors. Guess not."

"I'm invincible. None of these bastards can kill me. Earlier an elf tried to snipe me but then I grabbed a random spear and threw it at him. His death was so funny. I think that he even shit in his pants before falling off the battlement. I must have killed 50 or so of them because my weapons are thickly caked with their blood and guts which is completely annoying but I just love how terrible they scream when I finally flicker the life out of them." Dyrroth chuckled darkly making Ruby grimace due to the look of pleasure in his face.

"How long do you think you'll be gone for?"

"I can't say exactly but I'm rushing my legion to complete a little project for me with all the thought of you in making it since I really want to go home and cuddle with you. I'm even bringing back a gift which I'm sure you'd like to play with very much."

"Okay, have fun with that."

"Anyway, how have you been? You look beautiful as ever... Wait. Is that makeup? Why are you wearing makeup? Did you want to look pretty for me? I'm touched."

"No this is..." Ruby paused. She can't exactly tell him that she's in Devas and out of the Abyss or he'll freak out and drag her out of here. But she also can't agree with him, it will make her more suspicious.

"Why would I look pretty just for you? For your information, I'm doing this for myself and I'm just experimenting on what works better to compliment my natural beauty."

"Oh, I'm sure you did. So how is the Ashura tribe? Are they treating you well?" Dyrroth asked casually with an underlying danger in his tone. Ruby's heart instantly constricted in fear of what he's going to do due to her actions.

"How did you...?" she trailed before pursing her lips in a thin line.

"How did I find out?" he completed for her which she merely replied with a nod.

"Did Terizla tell you?"

"No. He seems to be loyal to his words to you because of his mundane human honor. But it was Martis who told me the truth." Dyrroth revealed astounding the maiden. When Ruby didn't reply he continued talking.

"I received a receipt earlier sent by a falcon from Devas. It was about the living and training expenses of a certain little huntress named Ruby. So imagine my surprise when my wife runs off to the arms of my friend, Martis." Ruby nearly squeaked like a mouse due to the terrifying aura the demon radiated. She can almost feel the malevolent intent wafting in the air as the demon subtly glared at her.

"Y-you know him? I thought you don't have friends." Ruby joked trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"He and I are friends. We are brothers in arms in taking over Solaria, the sun kingdom where we can retrieve an ingredient to cure his people. I came along because Alice sent me and that's how we knew each other. Don't worry I'm not mad." Okay, this is really weird. How can he be so bipolar? Why was he glaring at her like that earlier if he wasn't mad at her for going here?

"You're not mad at me for going here?" she asked, testing the waters.

"I'm not mad at you for going there and asking for Martis' help to train you since it was my idea to unlock your hidden powers like the wolf said."

"So you're mad because of... The money?"

"What? Do you think I'm that cheap? You're my wife of course you have the freedom to do whatever you want with my gold. I'm not stingy. I'm mad at you for flirting with Martis. He said that in his letter. Care to explain that little lady?"

"No, I don't really want to." she said plainly. Dyrroth merely sighed.

"It doesn't matter, he's not going to screw you anyway and he promised to keep you from committing infidelity and I trust him. We've performed the Ceremony of the 13 Darkness so I'm pretty confident in letting you wander."

"Ceremony of the 13 Darkness? I don't remember doing anything of the sort with you! What the hell does that even mean?"

"It's our spousal ritual. We slept in the same bed, ate the same food, and drank the same water for 13 moonless nights so we're bound together now by fate. It was the non-lavish ritual I was telling you about when you served me your delicious food which I still miss by the way."

"What?! Is that even a thing?! And you didn't even mention that it was called like that before. How do I know that you're not making it up?"

"Oh you can ask the priestesses there about it and they'll tell you the same thing. Anyway, I think that it's best that you're there right now instead of the Abyss. There's no telling what Alice will try without me or Sorca there to protect you."

"My lord, the craftsmen have finished the first prototype and the projectile matched your desired output. They asked if you would like to see it for yourself." Ruby heard Sorca report from the other side.

"Yes, I'll check it out in a minute." Dyrroth replied before turning back to Ruby.

"Wait is that Sorca? Let me say hello."

"I'm afraid that there's no time for that, my love. The connection is fading meaning that our call session is about to end. Anyways, I need to go now since I'm quite busy but it's nice hearing your voice and seeing you fail in lying. Always take care of yourself. I love you." Dyrroth said before his image disappeared making the water simmer back to normal. Silence lingered inside the room as Ruby stared at the basin.

"Well, I... Think I do too." Ruby mumbled before realizing her words and flushing. "I mean I'm busy too not that I love you or anything."

"I should go to sleep." she sighed. Ruby stripped naked and changed into a new set of clothes before washing her face on the basin and going to bed. She tucked herself in the covers and almost immediately felt drowsy. The darkness of slumber nearly conquered her mind however a thought came to her before she completely fell into its arms. Dyrroth's words echoed in her brain before turning into nothingness.

"I'm not mad at you for going there and asking for Martis' help to train you since it was my idea to unlock your hidden powers like the wolf said."

"...  it was my idea to unlock your hidden powers like the wolf said."

"...  it was my idea to unlock your hidden powers like the wolf said."

"... like the wolf said."

"... like the wolf said."

"... like the wolf said."