"Where am I?" Niara stammered, her voice lethargic as if waking from a deep dream.
The silence that followed was absolute. Except for Hannah, who looked at me with a mix of pride and relief, the rest of the Amazons were plunged into a reverential stupor. They had been witnesses to the impossible.
Niara sat up slowly, dazed by the intensity of the gazes surrounding her. The memory of the fight returned to her like a whiplash; she instinctively clutched the arm she remembered being charred and looked around for the din of battle, but found only a landscape of victory and ruin.
"Is the war over? Did we win?" she asked, attempting to stand. A brief discomfort shot through her body, but it dissipated as quickly as it had arrived, leaving an unexpected sensation of vitality.
No one answered. The warriors' attention was not on the survivor, but on the one who had performed a miracle… or perhaps something forbidden.
"Red..." the leader uttered, not daring to use any other title, fearing that any word would be insufficient.
"If you're wondering if I can do the same for the rest, the answer is no," I stated, anticipating her thoughts. "A perfect resurrection like this is extremely costly and is only viable moments after death. I did it for her out of pure whim."
"Resurrection?" Niara whispered, turning pale as she began to grasp the magnitude of what had occurred.
The Amazons fell silent. Though the desire to recover their fallen sisters was piercing, the fear of my power weighed heavier. Some stepped back, doubting if the woman before them was truly Niara or some malevolent ruse on my part.
"Of course, bringing back the dead in a less... complete way is possible," I added, glancing at Helena, who continued to orbit Niara like a scientist examining the results of an experiment. "Helena can attempt to reanimate a few more, but it won't be a perfect state. They will feel strange in their own bodies; life will weigh on them. You must ensure their passing within a year if you don't want their souls to suffer permanent repercussions, isn't that right?" I asked my spectral beloved.
"Eight months would be the safety limit," Helena replied with indifference, casting one last analytical look at Niara before drifting away.
The atmosphere immediately became heavy. The Amazons exchanged tense looks. This was not a simple decision, nor something to be treated lightly. Without wasting time, they began to summon the other leaders to discuss the possibility.
Meanwhile, Hannah and I stayed with Niara, explaining what had happened to her absolute incredulity. Thanks to Elise's divine power, she felt no trace of the grave; to her senses, it had merely been a deep nap. That was precisely the effect of using divine power in her resurrection. Without it, she would have immediately perceived that something inside her was… wrong.
Shortly after, the five remaining leaders approached me. After a brief but intense discussion, they accepted the deal. They were willing to pay the price for a few last words—for one final eight-month goodbye with their fallen heroes.
Helena and one of my clones moved away with the warriors to locate the remains of those who had left unfinished business or grieving families. As I warned, this was borrowed time; reanimation would only be performed on spirits who, contacted through Helena's magic, expressed a desire to walk the world of the living once more.
This also led to a vote among the Amazons. The mere idea of reviving the dead—even in this imperfect form—was practically unheard of in the modern world. I didn't need to demand it; the honor and loyalty of the Amazons were so deep that discretion was taken for granted.
In reality, this wasn't a purely charitable act. It also served as training for Helena in the art of returning life. Creating an undead was relatively simple; bringing someone back for real was a different matter entirely. Though Helena had developed her skills significantly, this was the first time she was doing it outside of an "adventure," a laboratory, or a controlled environment.
Furthermore, the Amazons recognized a great debt to me. I won't deny that the thought of an orgy with these fierce warriors crossed my mind; they have a coarse, rugged charm that is strangely alluring.
But anyway.
After scouring the area and ensuring no loose ends remained, we headed back toward the cave. It was then that the question they all seemed to be holding back surfaced.
"That matter… is it complete yet?" asked the Amazon leader.
The other leaders, waiting near the entrance, immediately paid attention. They looked at me with a mix of expectation and nervousness. They were referring, of course, to the Occamy. My sudden departure to join the fight had left them on edge: they didn't know if the prophecy had been fulfilled.
"No, I haven't done it... yet," I replied, rolling my eyes.
Hannah, beside me, blushed immediately at the reminder of the nature of the "task." With so many transcendental events, she had almost forgotten that the original purpose of our visit was for me to mate with that creature.
"We know we have no right to ask for more, Great Red," one of the leaders said, dropping to one knee, "but we implore you to bless us with this one last favor."
"We will do whatever it takes," another seconded, following her example. "If you need our bodies to stoke your lust, you have them right here."
Without hesitation, she tore open her leather bodice, baring her breasts. The rest of the Amazons, fearing that my lack of "enthusiasm" for the Occamy was the obstacle, imitated the gesture. They stripped off clothes and armor, kneeling in silent, naked supplication. Seeing that group of fierce, battle-hardened warriors showing their vulnerability just so I would accept "sacrificing" myself with the beast was a captivating image.
"Get dressed... I'm not in the mood to fuck you... for now," I said with a sigh, walking toward the darkness of the cave. "Come on, Hannah. The rest of you, wait here."
Hannah didn't know exactly what I had decided, but she followed me anyway. She turned her head one last time to see the Amazons: there they remained, kneeling and bowed under the jungle sun, watching our departure with expressions of devout plea.
...
Back in the depths of the cave, we observed the Occamy. The creature preened itself with an almost insulting parsimony, oblivious to the chaos that had just occurred outside. At its core, this specimen was quite childish, perhaps due to its youth or simply its silly nature; it had none of the imposing majesty of that giant Occamy we met in the past.
"What are you going to do?" Hannah asked, stepping closer to stroke the creature's iridescent feathers. "Are you really going to...?" She stopped, shame tinting her cheeks a deep red.
"I don't know, you tell me. You're my woman and, although we're no longer in the past and you've lost the privileges of 'primary wife,' I'll give you the deciding vote," I said with a mocking grin. "Do you want me to fuck this beast or not, you little pervert?"
Hannah pouted, annoyed by my words. She knew I was playing with her, but she still looked at the Occamy seriously.
"It's not that I want you to," she admitted with a grimace of distaste. "But... isn't this the prophecy? Isn't it necessary to save the jungle and the Amazons?"
"Well, prophecies can be broken... but the issue is whether you would accept it. I can hide it from the others, but you're here and you know exactly what this means. So, what's your verdict?"
"I... well... I suppose," she said with visible doubt. "You already have sex with Elise... Isn't it, technically, the same thing?" She posed the idea as if trying to convince herself. "It would only be once... for a good cause."
"Wow, I fuck an alicorn once and now I'm the degenerate who sleeps with any magical beast," I said, feigning deep offense. "Don't let Elise hear you, or she'll turn you into pasture."
"I didn't say that!" she protested.
I laughed and drew her to me in a possessive hug, letting my hands wander her curves with familiarity, patting her pussy a couple of times.
"Fine. Actually, this wouldn't be the first non-human creature on my list, besides Elise."
"You did it with others?!" she asked, caught between shock and incredulity.
"It's a long story. I know you still find it hard to accept, even the thing with Elise you only swallow because she's a goddess and you like her," I teased. "But yes, though it wasn't as animalistic as you think. I used some tricks to make the experience... different. And none were for blind pleasure; there was always a greater goal. Like now."
"Who... or what were they?" she asked, though her expression clearly said she'd rather not know.
"That doesn't matter now. You'll know when you get used to it and accept non-human sex and procreation. Spending time with Ruby or Ditto would help you open your mind," I said, calmly stroking her head. "Now, it's not that I want to add points to my magi-zoophile title, but I'm curious to see this 'Guardian of the Jungle' that will be born from this. And as you said yourself, it's my responsibility."
"Liar," Hannah grumbled, thumping my chest, though deep down she accepted the situation.
"For the record, for making me go through this, you'll owe me an unpayable debt. Not even your little ass will be enough to compensate for the trauma," I said, cloaking myself in false modesty.
"Shut up! And I already told you you're not touching me there!" she huffed, though a smile played on her lips. "I... I'll wait for you outside," she added, trying to slip away.
"Oh, no! None of that, young lady," I held her back with a soft thread of magic.
"What? But you're going to..."
"Yes, and since you're the one pushing me to fulfill my duty," I said, playing the victim before letting out a malicious laugh, "you're going to stay here and watch it all."
"No!" she denied quickly, horrified.
"It didn't cost you anything to watch me with other women before," I complained falsely.
"That was different!"
"Well, I'm not doing it without my woman for company," I declared, crossing my arms. "What if it turns out traumatic and I need your cuddles to get over it?"
Hannah denied it over and over, but after my exaggerated pleas and the firmness of my grip, she finally gave in. I even forced her to help me undress, extracting a promise that she would "wash away the taste of Occamy" with intense sex when I was finished. The idea left her visibly uneasy; being fucked after the Occamy was almost like indirectly participating in a trio... She went pale for an instant, but with some strategic kisses and expert caresses, I managed to dispel her doubts, replacing them with a lustful heat that flared up every time she remembered where we were and what was about to happen.