Chapter 481: Good Omen
"Wh-What did you expect?!" The woman, actually Khüch Khan, folded her arms, blushing adorably as she avoided Heka’s gaze. Her voice was gruff, defensive, utterly at odds with her delicate features. "It will tarnish my image as the capable leader of our tribe. And... my wives had been asking you to sleep with them for so long, you had to do it eventually. How do I tell them it wasn’t me doing the deed?! That said, I believe you understand the situation now, Heka."
"Eh? What am I supposed to do?" Heka asked, her brow furrowing with confusion as she looked between the two figures before her.
The revelation of their curse had been shocking enough, but now they were looking at her with such desperate hope that she felt a knot of anxiety forming in her stomach.
She had come here as a traveler, a companion to Benjamin on his journey, not as a savior or a cure for some ancient magical affliction.
Apparently, Amazon magic, one of the most aggressive and dangerous magic styles in the world, can help with curses of equal ferocity.
The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Heka knew that her people’s magic was feared and respected across Elyndor, its raw power capable of feats that other traditions could only dream of.
But she had never considered herself a master of that magic, never thought of herself as someone who could undo the work of a dangerous spell gone wrong.
Heka didn’t know much about magic like Lotus, Lulu, or some of the Amazon priestesses, however she understood it enough to be directed.
She could follow instructions, could perform the rituals if someone guided her through the steps. She was not useless, but she was also not the expert they seemed to believe her to be.
The man, Lei, pulled out an old book and ran through what Heka was supposed to do.
The tome was ancient, its leather cover cracked and worn, its pages yellowed with age. He flipped through it, his fingers tracing the faded text as he read aloud the various methods that had been recorded over the centuries.
Many of them were not viable, which included materials that getting would mean Heka spend years in the Khairkhan tribe.
The ingredients were rare, dangerous to acquire, or simply impossible to find in any reasonable timeframe.
Some required the blood of creatures that had not been seen in long years. Others demanded sacrifices that no one was willing to make. The list of impossibilities grew longer with each turn of the page.
But the ones that were viable were two: one of the two cursed individuals drinking the blood of Heka as she said the spell was one way to break a stubborn curse on BOTH of them, since they were connected.
The method was simple in theory but complex in practice, requiring precise timing and perfect execution.
Heka’s blood would serve as the catalyst, her voice as the channel for the magic that would shatter the curse.
But she refused and said she was extremely uncomfortable with her blood being drunk by anyone other than Benjamin. Her voice was firm, her expression unyielding.
The thought of someone else’s lips on her blood was deeply unsettling to her. She had given herself to Benjamin in ways she had never given herself to anyone, and she would not violate that trust.
Which left the last viable method: copulation with one of the two cursed individua—
"No, I refuse! I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!!"
We get it, Heka.
Her voice rose to a near shriek, her hands flying up in front of her as if to physically ward off the suggestion.
Her cheeks were burning, her eyes wide with horror and indignation.
She would not, could not, entertain the idea of being intimate with anyone other than Benjamin. The very thought made her skin crawl now.
She even interrupted the very narration to show her extreme uninterest for sleeping with anyone other than Benjamin.
So it was clear her refusal was absolute, her stance unyielding.
The man, Lei, bit his lip and closed his eyes in disappointment.
His shoulders sagged, his posture deflating as yet another hope was dashed.
He had been living in his uncle’s body for five years, trapped in a lie that grew heavier with each passing day. Each failed attempt at finding a cure was another blow to his spirit.
"I understand..." The woman, Khüch, brought her head down, sullen at another plan failed. Her voice was quiet and defeated with years of frustration. "I apologize if we asked too much, Heka. We did not mean to make you uncomfortable... That aside, allow us to host you both for the night. An Amazon did us good by helping defeat our enemies some time ago, and our tribe is an ally of yours by default. Please, accept our hospitality."
Heka nodded, but felt bad for the duo, so she made a proposal. Her mind was racing, searching for some alternative, some compromise that would not require her to betray her own boundaries.
She could not give them what they asked for, but perhaps there was another way.
***
And yes, it was an excuse to get Benjamin and everyone else out of the room, but the Chief had spoken and his words were absolute, so Benjamin was still going to fight him to prove strength.
The battle had been decreed, and the tribesmen were eager to see their leader test himself against a god-touched.
So Heka, Lei and Khüch soon came out for the battle.
The crowd had gathered in a large open area, torches flickering in the growing darkness, the air thick with anticipation. The warriors had formed a circle, their eyes fixed on the two figures who stood in the center.
Needless to say, poor Lei—in the body of her uncle—was defeated.
He fought valiantly, his movements powerful and practiced, but Benjamin was simply too strong, too fast, too skilled.
The battle was over in minutes, with Lei sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
But fortunately, Benjamin allowed the battle to drag on, giving the tribesmen the idea that their chief wasn’t a weakling.
He pulled his blows, extended the fight, made it look like a close contest rather than the one-sided defeat it truly was.
The crowd roared with approval, convinced that their leader had fought honorably against an impossible foe.
"Hmph. I would have done better if I was in control," the woman, Khüch, whispered to Heka as they watched the beat down.
Her arms were folded, her expression one of bitter frustration. Watching her own body lose so thoroughly was a special kind of torment.
No one was actually too surprised or disappointed: it was common knowledge that god-touched individuals were not easy targets, and only one in 170 million people can defeat a god-touched.
The odds were astronomical, the feat nearly impossible. Losing to Benjamin was no shame.
As the day stretched on, Renard was angry and yelling in his office. But Benjamin and Heka were eating and stuffing themselves full of meat and milk, enjoying the tribe music and watching girls dance around fires outside.
The celebration was lively, the food abundant, the atmosphere one of pure joy.
It was like a festival; to have a god-touched enter your home is an extremely good omen for good things to come.
The tribesmen believed that Benjamin’s presence would bring prosperity and protection, and they were determined to honor him properly.
And an Amazon was also a rarity. A seemingly chaste Amazon an even more rarity.
The women of the tribe whispered among themselves, marveling at Heka’s restraint, her refusal to indulge in the pleasures that were offered so freely.
Actually, she was very perverted and masochistic, but they don’t know that.
Heka kept her true nature hidden, her desires and fantasies locked away where no one could see them. She had her pride, and she would not let these strangers see the depths of her depravity.
When the night was far in, Heka took Benjamin’s hand and led him to a more secluded tent somewhere farther into the palace area.
The celebration continued behind them, the sounds of music and laughter fading as they walked into the darkness.
Her heart was pounding, her palms sweaty, but she knew what she wanted.