Three days after our victory we held a proper feast, it was meant to celebrate our victory and to honour the fallen. I had not known any of our losses personally but I still felt their loss. It was a reminder that the world was a harsh place and even victory had its cost. But while we mourned the dead we celebrated a brighter future.

  The celebration happened on both sides of the portal. I used my wealth to finance it, so all the food and drinks were free. Besides food there was also entertainment; a few mages showed off spells, bards provided music and some people set up stalls with games and prizes. The victory feast had turned into a fair, of sorts.

  I opened the feast, standing next to Lilith and Lucy. We were in hell with a magical projection of us being shown in the mortal realm.

  "Today we mourn the fallen, we shall always remember their sacrifice. They gave their lives so we could have a better future. Next to the portal, the symbol of our unity, we have placed a pillar with their names. But this is not just a day of sadness, this is also a day of celebration! We shall embrace the future those warriors have given us! We shall embrace the friendship between the mortal realm, the fairy realm and hell! We have won against the evil forces who came to destroy us!"

  The crowd cheered and I briefly paused my speech before continuing: "Lilith's city was destroyed, but we can rebuild it! The people survived and will return to a better place. I have committed my wealth and resources to help. This will no longer be a demonic city; Petunia will no longer be a mortal town. Together we shall create a better future, a united future!"

  After I had said my part Lilith stepped forward: "From the ashes of our fallen city we shall rise stronger! We have shown the world the might of our united forces! A demon lord, an archfey and a Kitsune fought side by side and crushed the ancient lords, whose powers had been feared for millennia. We are entering a new era, an era of unity and prosperity. We shall open our doors to those who come in peace, to those who seek trade, and we shall crush any who dare to threaten us."

  Her strong words resonated with the crowd. It was interesting how many of the elves, who had been afraid of the demons, had come around. There truly was a sense of unity, for now. We just had to make sure that when the memory of our battle faded there were other ties keeping us together.

  As Lilith finished her speech she motioned for Lucy to come forward. The kitsune's eyes widened as it seemed that she had not prepared anything.

  "Uh, I just wanted to say, good job everyone! We showed them! Now let's enjoy the food!"

  Lucy still got cheers, especially since people were eager to get the party started.

  Interlude: Liandra, First Shadow of High Queen Maeve

  Once again I found myself in Petunia, the city of the archfey Amaya. This time I was not here to spy, I had been invited. The High Queen had been aware of the battle between Amaya and the ancient lords. It was a fight beyond us, even with the ancient artefacts inside the vault. Our only hope would have been the Lady of the Forest, assuming she was not fighting on Amaya's side already.

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  I had been surprised that we did not get a call for help, or a demand for it, anyway. We did have a deal with Amaya that she could have leveraged. In the end it seemed that her alliance was stronger than anticipated. What a fool I had been to infiltrate her domain in the past.

  Now I stood here, openly, a drink in hand and watching the speech. I shuddered hearing Lilith's voice, I could still remember her power. I was in Petunia, so all I could see was a magical projection but I could still feel her magic.

  Interestingly Amaya had made no demands, or requests, from the Dominion. She had not asked for help to rebuild, or troops, or anything at all. It seemed that I had truly just been invited to a party, for no other reason than to join the party.

  After the speech I started to mingle and talk with the locals. They seemed surprisingly fond of demons. With a huge number of them temporarily staying in Petunia I had expected tensions, but it seemed that the dryads had no problem boosting the food production so no one went hungry. Temporary shelters had been erected with magic and Amaya's aura ensured good weather and localised rain when needed, apparently.

  The party had started in the evening and the trees began to glow as the sun began to set. Or more precisely, the leaves on the dryads' trees started to glow in different colours. After taking my time exploring I walked through the portal into hell.

  The portal plaza was now surrounded by ruins, although you could already spot some new construction. I spotted a curious stand with magical projections of homes.

  "Good evening." I greeted the succubus behind the counter.

  "Greetings! Are you here to settle in hell? Queen Lilith welcomes all mortals to our city! While the focus will be on rebuilding the homes of our own, you can enter a waiting list if you wish to live here." The friendly demon offered.

  "I was just curious about your magical projections." I pointed at the glowing illusion showing a house.

  "Oh. The idea came from Lady Amaya, she has suggested standard blueprints for homes. Any demon who has lost their house is entitled to a free rebuild of the same structure, or they can choose one of the new designs. We have created an illusion to help people with their decision! New homes will include access to the magical root system to power magical items!" She said.

  "A magical root system?" I asked.

  "Yes! The grove has a root network which can help to recharge magical devices. While there are not many compatible creations yet, the smiths are working on new and amazing things! And you can be part of this future!" The succubus said.

  "Thank you, but I am just here as a guest." I replied.

  "A shame but remember that hell's doors are always open!" She said.

  That statement would have caused a panic not too long ago. Now it was just a sales pitch. I left the stall and looked for a drink. I found a curious stand offering smoking green beverages.

  "Good evening, what do you have here?" I asked.

  "Ah, a mortal." The succubus said. "Our specialty is a green sour. It is a very acidic sort of beer, made from demonic barley. It is a three on the acidic scale and a two on the toxic scale. As a mortal you will need a certain level of resistance, or you will be dissolved from the inside. I am afraid I can only sell to you if you have a licence."

  "Oh, do you have anything you can sell me?" I wondered.

  "Sadly, no. But over there you will find some mortal grade shadow wine!" She said, while pointing to a different stall.

  I followed the recommendation and found myself enjoying a surprisingly fruity wine. It was dark red in color with some black swirls that looked ominous.

  "Ah, a fellow guest." I heard a familiar voice and turned around.

  "Lady Ivy." I gave her a courteous nod. "What is the Knight of the Forest doing here?"

  "Lady Izanami has sent me here to ensure our continued friendship with the Storm. It is remarkable, isn't it? Trees are not meant to belong to the Storm and here they are, embracing it. I can feel them, I can feel their power, I can feel her domain. The Storm is meant to roam, to punish, not to grow roots." Ivy mused.

  "Is Amaya that different from previous Storms?" I wondered. I knew very little about other archfey who had held that title in the past.

  Ivy looked at the tree, towering over the plaza. "Yes and no. The Storm judges, the Storm punishes, the Storm has cleansed the rot from Winter's halls. And now it settles and nurtures new life. What interesting times we live in."

  "Interesting times indeed." I agreed.