Corruption

Alyssia ShiRein leaped into the tree several feet from the nearby wall, a dark shadow in the light of the full moon. Her black hair was tied high with a black ribbon, with two thin strands of braids floating behind her in the wind. The two braids were black with a shine of silver in the moonlight and sat just behind her ears - ears sharpened to a tip. She paused a moment on her perch before taking a running jump and landing perfectly on the wall.


Moving silently towards the two story building, she quickly erased her presence as she slipped into the shadows once more. The wall gave her a good view into the windows of the building. She watched the man move about on the first floor from her perch and knew that she could easily kill him there, yet experience taught her to be careful.

'Aperio' - her soft voice whispered the spell to break illusions.

It was a good thing she did, the wall before her flickered as the spell revealed the truth for a brief moment. The man was on the second floor with the first being pitch black. She watched as the Veil of Illusion dropped back into place. It was no matter; she knew where her target was at. Another soundless leap took her to the balcony of the second floor

Alyssia crouched low in her petite frame with a hand on one of her twin swords. She used the other hand and withdrew a knife from her waist wrap. Slowly extending her hand forward she watched as the tip of the blade gradually passed through the illusion, watching for the telltale flash of light that indicated a trap. The blade disappeared and touched emptiness - there was no trap. Shoddy work she thought, did the elf put down an illusion and expect it to keep enemies at bay? She shrugged off the distaste - there was no need to curse the enemy for making her job easier.


She slowly stepped forward and emerged on the other side of the illusion. She paused a moment and allowed her eyes to adjust to the light, her ears picking up the sounds that the illusion had kept inside.

"My pet... my new little pet... who knew the soul rituals would be so... beautiful in their darkness... "

The crazed purr made her shudder. This mage had passed the point of no return, it would only be a matter of time before he became one of them - the Avernus, mages who were possessed by the soul consuming dark arts. She kept to the shadows knowing that the bright light of the room would make it harder for them to see anything outside as she took in the room of her target.

She eyed the wall of books - this elf was a re-known scholar. It was a pity he had also fallen to walk with the dark arts. She knew that those who had corrupted their souls for power would never be able to return to peace. She picked out the elf in the large room, his shadow dancing in the candle lights along with something else. Focusing on the mass of moving shadows in the center of a summoning circle, she realized the man had summoned a void-walker. It seemed it would be necessary to use more magic tonight to take care of her target.

She shifted her hold on the knife and moved. With her flash step, she appeared between master and demon, instantly covering the distance from the balcony to the center of the room.

"Catena!"

The low murmur triggered bright chains that appeared from her knife and encircled the demon even as she drew her sword and slashed the mage. She followed the slash with a kick to his throat. The elf backed up coughing as a hand touched the slash that extended from shoulder to waist in surprise. The cut wasn't deep but she knew she had to keep him from casting spells. She came down swiftly slashing his throat open and just to be safe, stabbed the heart to ensure his death. As the life drained from him, condensing in midair into a life crystal, a twisted smile crossed his face before death took him away.

From the corner of her eyes she watched as the demon screeched its demise and vanished. She turned, catching her knife as it fell and returned it to her waist wrap. Even as the knife returned to its place she felt the floor beneath her lurch and the walls tremble. She cursed beneath her breath, the house was keyed to the elf's death, and she had to get out before the building consumed her in its destruction. She grabbed the life crystal lying on the dead elf's body and rushed for the balcony where she had entered only to find the exit blocked off with magic. She had no time to search for another way out; chances are there would be none. Taking the sword in hand she swung it down at the shimmering barrier as the floor beneath her rolled in its demise.

"Diripio!"

The destruction spell sent her staggering backwards as the barrier shattered. The fragmented magic swept past her, shredding parts of her uniform as well as grazing her skin. With another flash step she was on the wall and on the tree just as the house crumbled and all its contents turned to ash. She breathed her relief, thanking the gods she had made it out in time. Sheathing her sword she lifted the two thin braids that fell on both sides. She noticed that a new lace of silver wound its way through the darkness of her hair and scowled. Use of magic hastened the aging process. The strand of silver hair was probably a mere decade, minute in comparison to the centuries in the elven lifespan, but it was better not to use magic wastefully when it wasn't necessary. She sighed, her mission was done, it was time to return to headquarters.

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The ten elders of Caelum had gathered once more, this time with the image of an eleventh person in their meeting. The atmosphere was tense as they discussed the next sacrifice to the Avernus.


"It has been a long century. I believe it is finally my turn to choose the sacrifice? My choice this century is the Assassination Division's first commander - Alyssia ShiRein. I'm sure you are all quite familiar with her deeds, if not here is a snippet of her image" The darker tone came from the image in the meeting room. The elders were solemn as they watched the large scrying glass.

A shimmering light blurred the glass and slowly focused on a woman in the black sleeveless uniform. Her raven black hair was swept back with a black ribbon and twin silvery braids trailed behind her. The black waist wrap and twin short swords told them that she had just returned from duty. The long black gloves that extended high up her arms had a thin white line, evidence of her status as first commander.

As the woman came into closer view, her gold flecked black eyes carried a feel of vitality despite the small scratches she had sustained. There was also a platinum pendant on a silver chain around her neck - she had dedicated herself to the goddess of purity. Several brows arched at the sight, it was uncommon for rogues to take up the charm that would suppress the desires of the flesh. The elders watched for a few seconds longer, enough to see Commander ShiRein report that her target had been vanquished and present the victim's life crystal before the scrying glass went black.

A murmur swept through their ranks as the image spoke again

"I will give you some time to consider my request. Remember what is on the line if you deny me." The image flickered and vanished.

Immediately the room went up in a roar of confusion as arguments began to fly.

"We can't hand Alyssia over to him for his soul rituals! She is immeasurable in what she's done for us! She's one of the best assassins we have!"

"She is young. You can't claim that a mere century maybe two of her years makes her the best."

"Alyssia is a prodigy in the assassination arts. She is the youngest to have taken the rank as first commander and she has not failed in the times she has served us. The number of life crystals she has added to the Caelum can't be counted! If she continues as she has been, we might even have enough energy in those life crystals to overpower the Avernus in the next two centuries"

"We don't have a choice! We can't afford to have the Avernus rise when we have so little to keep them at bay should they attack. You remember the Elven War ten centuries ago, we are barely recovering from that devastation!"

The reminder of the war brought silence to the room. They all remembered the war and its near destruction of the land. The Caelum elves had been gradually trying to restore the land, but the lifelessness outside of Caelum was a brutal reminder of what would happen should war break loose again. To keep the Avernus at bay, Alyssia ShiRein had to be sacrificed. The lives of the Caelum Elves were far more important than one assassin.

A man murmured a spell and the image flickered back inside the room.
"We will send her to you through an assassination assignment in five days time" The elder spoke curtly and wearily ended the spell

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OOC: Spot filled

Several clarifications for those who care to know -
flash step- a non magic trained ability that abruptly increases movement speed. It isn't something one can upkeep constantly so is usually used as an evasive or opening maneuver.
Aperio - (latin) to make clear, to reveal
Catena - (latin) chains
Deripio - (latin) Destruction, to ruin
(I just thought they were a pretty addition)

Darius ran a shaky hand through his platinum blonde hair as he regarded the ruins of a tower that belonged to the recently deceased. An old apprentice, the boy had been ambitious.....a factor that had no doubt led to his demise.

And yet, the more he examined, despite the absolute lack of sunlight.....night's embrace deeper and darker than it had been even during her visit......the more he learned about her and her methods. His desire for her growing even stronger with each bit of gleaned knowledge.

Alyssia ShiRien. This was no ordinary assassin....and certainly no demure little elf girl easily broken.

Darius Lavanthor chuckled to himself.....fingertips tracing a large block of shattered mortar. The trace movement of idle fingers bringing the golden swirl of the arcane to his touch. Yes.....the wall had been brought down.....and by much power as well. Not many assassins bothered to learn magic, it was mistrusted by many. Yet she wielded it with fierce command.....

Poor Avery hadn't had a chance.

A simple closing of the eyes, furrowing of the brow in concentration, told him all he needed to know. Avery was gone for good......the bitch had taken his soulstone with her to prevent not only any chance of resurrection, but any chance of him coming back in a state of undeath. Few could even see the stones without magic.....

It was just a matter of time now. Now that he was her next target. Darius couldn't help but wonder just how happy she would be to find out that she was being sent out again right away. Not that it mattered....the doppelganger he had in service would provide a meaningful distraction for her. And then when she thought her job done.....yet another weak mage in the bag, another day over.......then she would be his.

Yet he couldn't make this too easy, or she would suspect. And so he had laced his personal tower with traps not only magical, but of mundane nature as well. Never a real fan of illusion, he had never the less not wanted to disappoint, mixing imagination with reality until the line between the two blurred confusingly.

Yes.....yes she should be tested. Tested......and brought to her knees.

False stairs, greased stairs, the ascent to the top of his tower would be difficult, not to mention the usual and somewhat boring assortment of monsters he had allied with for the sole purpose of becoming fodder for her blade. Orcs? Hobgoblins? They probably wouldn't even slow her down. Only the doppelganger and his own personal pet would provide her any amusement at all.

Of course.....the incubus was given strict rules to not kill her......nor to fuck her into a mindless husk either. The assassin's soul was to be his, not that of his pet. And heaven help the damned creature should he disobey Darius......

Alyssia took the missive from the messenger and sent him away. The black seal told her that her next mission would be much more perilous. Black seals meant the target was highly dangerous and the chance of returning from such a mission was low. She grimaced and broke the seal. This was the second black seal she had received in the century of her service. She barely scraped out with her life the first time she took the black seal and knew it wouldn't be easy.

"Darius Lavanthor...full fledged warlock?"

Alyssia scanned the letter along with the information it contained before tucking it away. She had returned for less than a day and she was expected to go out into the field again. Glancing at her bag, she threw in a couple extra blades and rations before closing it. Dropping the bag to the foot of the bed, she rolled over and slept, she would need the rest if she were to handle her next target and return alive.

===========================

It had taken her two days of traveling out in the Barrens to reach the tower. She stopped far enough away to see the tower and the outskirts of its walls before climbing a tree to get a better view of the situation. How did the elders even miss this warlock?! Even if he was in the Barrens how could they miss such an ostentatious building?! She grumbled her complaints about their warped information sources as she settled down. She would rest till nightfall. Pulling out dry bread and water, she sat back to eat. She wasn't hungry, but it would be better to eat now then to faint later when she would need the energy.


Alyssia moved to the wall and quickly scaled it using the brittle edges of the brick as leverage. She kept her body down against the outer walls of the tower and looked over, a patrol of four guards passed under her. Arching her brow, she eyed the passing guards - they had the stench of demons. What were they... Orcs? Her eyes picked out the entrances to the tower that were within her field of view and noted the guards stationed there. Glancing up, she wondered if she could bypass the guards and scale the tower instead. She noticed a window set high over a less guarded area and made that her point of entry.

Soundlessly, she dropped to the floor. The two guards had only seen the silver sweep of her blade before they were killed. With some effort, Alyssia dragged the fallen guards into the shadows where they'd least likely be seen and started her ascent along the tower wall.

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Alyssia leaned against the door at the top of the tower, ears cocked for any sound as well as resting a moment to recover her energy. Her way to the top had been exasperating. The greased stairs and false steps were maddening. They were well concealed which served to frustate her all the more. She had ran into a handful of demons scattered here and there but she had managed to pick them off without getting too many scrapes. What was unnerving was the fact that so many demons were under the control of one man. It bothered her that the Elders had not known of this man's existance prior to this. She made a mental note to look into this issue when she returned - if she returned. Her breath eased and she turned to push the door open.

Slipping into the room, she found one side sectioned off with bars, and an elf on the other side. The remainder of the room was empty. Surprised she stepped forward with curiosity. Why would someone be caged here? He was handsome, she couldn't think of any that rivaled this one in appearances. Shrugging, she went to the cage door and pulled out her lock-picks hidden in her gloves. When the pick entered the lock, a light flashed and left her pick melted out of any useable shape.

She tucked the other picks away and looked up at the elf apologetically, "Looks like someone really wants to keep you in there. I'll see if I can get you out of there after I finish my mission. With those looks, I'm sure your lady will miss you if you stay in there too long"

Alyssia made her way across the room to the far door. Her instincts said that her target was in the next room, making her nerves hum with adrenaline. She nervously fingered her amulet for luck, sending a prayer to the goddess.

Darius slid unnoticed into the room she had left just moments ago....the soft uttering of arcane words tumbling from his lips as his body slowly took form once more from the shadow it had been. For a second, elf and demon locked gazes, the creature's illusions held no sway on his heart.

The amber eyes with their slitted pupil gazed back at him impassively from beneath the expanse of burned and blackened flesh that marked the demon as one from one of the lower levels of Hell. Though roughly, the same size as he, the muscles that worked beneath the creatures skin could crush the warlock before him in an instant. That is.....if he hadn't already been firmly bound the moment he had been brought into this plane.

"I must say.....I'm rather disappointed."

The incubus bowed his head passively, inwardly chagrined that he had to endure the scolding of a mere mortal.

"I apologize Master. The elf held interest in me, though only out of pity for my being imprisoned it seemed. My aura has no effect on her....most likely she carries some trinket or bauble that prevents me from gaining influence in her feeble mind."

Darius glanced upward. They didn't have much time. Already, he could feel the life energies of his body double waning. The doppelganger had been meant as a ruse to lower her guard....and its death would do just that. Though perhaps there was more to be gleaned here in the few precious seconds that remained before he had to take action.

"She even tried to free me. I had hoped that she would succeed, so that I could yet fulfill our bargain."

The warlock nodded thoughtfully, a thin hand running through his platinum blonde locks.

"You've done well."

The demon ceased its prattle almost instantly, completely unaccustomed to compliments, and not really sure how to react.

"A bauble or trinket you say? Most likely a piece of jewelry, something she can keep close to her body. Did you see anything like that? A ring perhaps....earrings would suffice......or a pendant or necklace?"

The demon shook his head slowly, pitiful in its uselessness.

"She wore gloves as dark as night. And her ears remained inviolate, with no piercings among them. I imagine it would be too easy for an opponent to rip one out in the heat of battle.....they wouldn't be something a veteran of her kind would wear."

He could sense Darius' displeasure, his frustration and ire rising. Frantically, the incubus searched for anything he could use to placate the tempestuous elf. He'd much rather see this thing through to the end than be cast back into the flames of his home once more....empty handed.

"A pendant! She laid her hands on her chest before she left this room, uttering a prayer to some holy goddess. I dare not speak her name, its utterance burned my ears. Perhaps that is the nature of the magic that protects her?"

The fanged creature breathed a sigh of relief, as he found himself once more locking gazes with the magic user before him, a much more thoughtful look on his face as his sudden chagrin faded away before this new revelation.

"A pendant, you say? You have done well indeed, even though our original plan was a failure. You may yet earn your reward.....and with that reward.....will come the eternal damnation of Alyssia ShiRien."

"Corpious"

Without sound, his body became intangible once more.....fading into the wispy world of the ethereal, a place between reality and mere shadow. Hopefully.....it would be enough to avoid her detection magics.....if she even bothered to use them now that "his" life had been ended. For now, he could wait for her return....

He had just the thing to test that pendant of hers, a counterspell capable of temporarily disabling almost any enchantment. And in this case.....even a temporary disabling could prove.....disastrous.

Intangible fingers swept through the murk of the plane he had shifted to, his concentration paramount as he focused on the various enchantments she had woven into her armors....her weapons.....seeking one out in particular.

The light coming from her ample bosom nearly burned his eyes to look at, easily blinding him from what would otherwise be an enticing sight. With an inaudible snarl, he began the words that would bind the holy magic from radiating outward from its vessel.

"Curio....thelanta....regaklira.....adoun!"

Squinting, he could feel as well as see the abrupt dimming of the blessed item, its magic sucking inward on itself, swallowed up by the pendant itself.

Now all he had to do was wait for her to rescue her "fellow elf." He had a feeling that the revelation of his survival would come as quite a shock to her....though not nearly as much as finding out just what kind of hell she'd walked into.....

Alyssia watched the life crystal condense over the dead warlock. This mission had been odd... She paused a moment now that the warlock was dead to reflect on her encounter. The number of demons she had ran into was astounding. Never had she encountered so many that were under the control of a single mind, yet his death had been... anti-climatic. Even the previous target keyed the building to self destruct upon his death, yet here - nothing. She had been expecting a bit more. Something was off - so many things just didn't seem to be adding up.

She sighed, she felt uneasy about walking away from a mission with only a few scrapes to show for it. She pushed aside the unease and returned to think about how to free the elf in the other room.

If the master was dead, the demons would return to the hell they were summoned from. At least that way she could blow the lock without worrying about others hearing. She could use one of her knives to channel the destruction spell and break the enchantment by brute force. The method was inelegant, but it was quick and it would save her the trouble of trying to figure out what sort of enchantments were on that lock. She picked up the crystal and tucked it away before heading back the way she came.

"Lets see if I can get you out of there... The enemy of my ene-" Alyssia's voice was cut short as she entered the room once more. Something was different this time. Was it the room?

No. it was her own body.

She was surprised to feel the rising heat from her loins. Her breast-band seemed uncomfortably tight and her clothing too warm. When had she felt this before?! As she scrambled to identify what was coming over her, she found herself face to face with a rising desire that had been contained for far too long. The novelty of that dark fire made it all the harder for her to control and contain it. Her body soon was trembling with a need she couldn't understand - a need that threatened to swamp her reasoning.

Angrily, she brought her left hand against the edge of her blade, gritting her teeth at the impending pain. The pain that flared in her palm forced the rising desire back enough to allow her mind to think. What was this feeling? this need... The answer came from the recesses of her mind - lust.

Why did her pendant fail her now? Her confused thoughts went into another uproar as her gaze lifted to the elf behind bars. Another wave of that same desire came crashing over her senses, making her body burn and eyes smolder with a feverish need. He seemed different now, darkly beautiful that it almost hurt to keep her gaze upon him, while the intoxicating vision made it impossible for her to look away.

Her left hand throbbed, giving her something to cling to so she could contain the lust. Taking that to her advantage, she forced herself to hold onto the throbbing pain. Her hands clenched, digging her nails farther into the wound to keep the pain fresh - the source of her remaining sanity.

Tearing her eyes away from him, she made a mad rush for the door - she had to get out of the room and get to a place where her mind could function again. She didn't know what she would do if he were free and she didn't want to stay long enough to find out.

The incubus watched her flee with an amused smile on his face. As the assassin's back turned, the demon took a step forward, the bars of the cage becoming intangible at his touch.....turning to smoke almost immediately before snapping back into reality as his passage completed.

After all.....the bars had never truly been meant to hold him.

Alyssia ShiRien.....the waifish little elf maiden was the only thing holding him back from his reward. And yet.....just how long could she last before she collapsed into a puddle of trembling desire? Fanged teeth flashed in the darkness as the image of her lithe body revealing itself as she practically tore her clothes from it to offer herself to him came to mind. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a weak little mortal had been overcome by his demonic aura, offering their soul to him willingly in exchange for a single moment of unparalleled bliss.

Yet this one was different. Clever....that was the word. Somehow, she had momentarily overcome her body's reaction with that of another. Pain. Yet if he failed at capturing her and delivering her to his Master, he could forget about his own true desire......one that Darius had seemed to guess with an unusual ease......

He could hear her.....the rapid beating of her heart as it drove adrenaline laced blood through her system. Smell her.....the sweet aroma of a woman's arousal, how confusing it must be to her! It was only a matter of time until he saw her as well, indeed, he doubted she'd even make it out of the tower.

He kept the malicious gleam in his eye well hidden as she finally came into view once more....obviously thinking herself free of this place......the tower's lone enterance open and in plain view. While she had to race down flight after flight of stairs, it had been a simple thing for him to simply drop from the upper levels to plummet to the carved stone floors below, their surface unmarred as he landed with an almost cat like grace......the only evidence of his passing her being a drastic quickening of her breath.....the barest taste of his dangerous aura.

He could almost make out the widening of her eyes as she skidded to a halt at the foot of the steps.....his aura enveloping her almost immediately as her eyes took in all his glory once more......

"Come love, don't leave me here, not when I've waited so long for you. You slew the wizard who imprisoned me.....don't you think you deserve some sort of reward?"

This time there was no pretense of enchanted bars to keep him from closing the distance between them, each step strengthening his hold on her until he could almost see her tawny thighs quivering beneath the blackened armor she wore.

"My hero..."

He wanted her, wanted to rape her body and mind senseless. And yet to do so would be to destroy everything he'd striven for so long. With a soft coo of sympathy, he reached instead for her injured hand, giving her what she would think was a truly concerned and caring look.

Just a little of his power flowed outward, a power he jealously horded above all else, power that he was loathe to use under any circumstance. And yet, as it flowed from his inner being, down through the very veins that carried his lifeblood, and to the tip of his fingers where he touched her.....the shorn skin that she had created, slowly mended itself with a gentle tingling that only further radiated throughout the rest of her body......his very touch making every nerve it stroked tingle with sensual excitement. To him....her entire body was an erogoneous zone.

"There......"

Alyssia fled the room, relieved that her body was under enough of her control to get away. She flew down the flights of stairs, clinging to the pain in her left hand as the overwhelming lust gradually diminished to a level where her mind could think once more. The dampness she felt on her inner thighs drew a flush as she ran. She was ill prepared for such a scene... why did her pendant fail her now?!

Was there something she missed? Why didn't the room affect her before? Did the warlock's death trigger something to suppress her pendant's wards? But why choose her pendant when there were thousands of other possibilities that could be used to kill? What was that room and that elf... was it the room that caused this... this reaction or was it the elf? But a fellow elf wouldn't have any reasons to do such a thing... unless he was on the enemy side...

She searched her memory for any spell that could cause lust and found none. Then what was it?!

She rounded the last flight of stairs. The entrance of the tower was in plain view, but her relief was short lived as a shadow dropped past her.

The mere passing of that silhouette brought a spike in that diminishing arousal. She skidded to a stop at the foot of the stairs, her eyes locked once more upon the darkly beautiful elf that stood between her and the doorway.

This was no elf she was up against - it was the last thought she could reasonably make before the tidal wave of desire crashed into her senses making her body betray her once more.

"Come love, don't leave me here, not when I've waited so long for you. You slew the wizard who imprisoned me.....don't you think you deserve some sort of reward?"

The sensual bass of his voice could not be ignored. Her ears begged to hear more of that sweet sensual music. The seduction of his words overwhelmed even the pain in her hand, pushing it away into a dull throb at the back of her mind. Her breath became ragged as he drew closer with every passing step. The soft look of concern and sympathy nearly made her melt. She could smell his scent, its masculinity making her heart pound in her ears. When his hand touched hers, a quiet moan escaped her lips while the wound mended. Every fiber of her being screamed for more of his intoxicating touch as the pain faded into a distant memory.

"There......"

Slowly she sunk to her knees, no longer able to support herself in that all consuming desire. Yet even as she fell, her knife lifted and with a soft trembling voice she whispered her mind's defiance, "Catena... Aperio."

Once more the chains burst forth from her blade, surrounding the elf in their sheen of light as his illusion dropped. A distant part of her mind registered him as an incubus, but even that knowledge did not change his affect upon her body. Her body unable to move and her eyes unable to look away, mesmerized, as the illusion settled back over him.

There he stood, the binding chain dancing in their barrier around him, unable to, or too amused to break her chains while she knelt subdued at his feet with only enough willpower to maintain the spell and keep their stalemate.

Silently, Darius watched in amusement the confrontation he knew had to occur if his "servant" wanted to complete their contract. It was truly inspiring, watching her wrestle hopelessly against the demon's nature, her tight and full body wanting nothing more than to give itself over to him even as her mind screamed against such action.

Yet that screaming was fading rapidly, a losing battle before one so powerful and so completely constructed to be the downfall of her entire gender. A thin eyebrow cocked once more, this time out of respect, as the air sharpened suddenly with the presence of arcane energy, spectral chains shooting forth from the tip of her dagger to encircle the incubus. He hadn't even heard her cast.....was she being secretive?

No, he supposed, she was just that far gone. A moment later and his suspicions were confirmed as the lovely assassin sagged to her feet, gaping at the brief sight of the demon's true form. And what a sight it had to have been....burned and blackened flesh, a twisted and toothy visage underneath ivory horns that twisted outward from his brow. As a male, the creature's enchantments held no sway on him, and so one of the first things he had done upon summoning such a dangerous demon......out of disgust mostly......had been to order it to at least wear a loincloth to cover its grotesquely huge manhood.

It was an order that he had hated to rescind, but given his prey, it was necessary. Even in that brief moment of clarity, Alyssia couldn't help but look down at the nearly fourteen inch cock that twitched every so often in its hardness, its length standing ludicrously at attention from the rest of the demon's body. A cock that would most likely split her in half if it were to ever find its way towards fulfilling the desires that filled her now. A god like cock....almost demanding her worship......

Darius' humor was short lived however, as he considered the current situation. It was true that his demon could easily shatter the girl's enchantment, strong as it was. But in doing so, the incubus would shed even more of the power it had collected from devouring souls for generations untold. And the cost of doing such a thing? It would no doubt demand Alyssia herself. A cost that Darius was hardly prepared to pay.

"Tempurio inflamata."

There was no secrecy this time.....the arcane syllables rolling with ease of his tongue. It was a useful enchant, one that he'd used many a time with the myriad of warriors and hunters that occasionally sought to run him through. Slowly, the metal of Alyssia's dagger began to heat....its temperature rapidly climbing to a dangerous level. Only when the weapon slipped from her fingers did his enchantment break.....but then......so did hers.

"You've done well."

The demon grinned as he moved towards her, his immense cock mere inches from her face, though the assassin would never know it now through the enchantment that cloaked him as an elf. If he didn't know better, he could swear that he saw her tremble slightly as the creature bent over her....whispering honeyed words in her ear.

"Come love, let me carry you across the threshold."

Thick arms reached for her then, tenderly sweeping her off of her feet to be cradled, her mind to enamored to even realize it when the demon leapt from the ground to begin a slow levitation upward, leaning forward as it moved to give her at least a taste of what she could have, kissing her tenderly.

For his part, Darius found teleportation much more preferable than climbing the numerous flights of stairs he usually reserved for tiring unwanted guests. There was much to be done, and it would begin as soon as the incubus arrived with his soon to be new pet.

As if on cue, thick and gnarled feet landed on the top landing, grunting softly with the impact more than the weight of the elf girl in his arms. Moving slowly, it continued to coo honeyed words to her even as it walked towards its original prison....the bars once more melting to mist around it.

It was truly sweet, one of the sweetest things the demon had the chance to taste from time to time in its long life. The look of betrayal mixed with overwhelming desire and need as it backed away after setting Alyssia down in the cell's simple cot. While the creature passed through the bars harmlessly enough, the enchanted metal had been magicked with the express purpose of keeping her inside.

"The bargain is met, warlock. I must humbly demand my reward."

Alyssia was too far lost in the siren's song over her body. Cradled as she was in pure bliss, her mind had been sealed by the desires that overwhelmed her body. Her entire being was awash with the pleasure of being touched by this elf-incubus as the tender kiss drew a soft moan from her lips.

When he finally set her down, her fingers held him in panic, not wanting the bliss to fade away. Yet he easily slipped by, leaving her alone in her prison. The pleasure of his presence made it all the more painful when he left, her entire body burning, aching for his touch - any touch.

Looking down at the cut fabric on her left hand, she slowly drew whirls where the incubus had healed her. The simple act of touching and remembering brought chills down her spine. Within seconds, her gloves were removed as her fingertips began to explore herself, drawn to the moisture between her thighs.

Slipping between the blackened leather of her uniform, she was thwarted by the drenched loincloth. The barrier was something her trembling fingers were not capable of undoing. Impulsively, she tore the softer fabric in order to satiate her bodily needs.

The rent cloth tickled her inner thighs and sex as her fingertips danced along her slit to find the glistening pearl of pleasure nestled deep within its mantle. The needs of her body driving her forward as her fingers dipped into the warmth of her sex, drawing forth a gasp from her lips.

Her gaze locked on the two elves outside of her cell, her eyes glazed over with her own arousal as her fingers worked. The mere presence of the incubus heightened any touch upon her skin and the rapidly rising tidal wave soon threatened to engulf her. She filled the room with the soft cries of her pleasure as the dark brilliance of her release danced tauntingly at her fingertips.

Just as she grasped that dark flash of brilliance, the wards of her pendant slammed back into place. The mounting tidal wave that broke over her crashed into a harsh wall, denying her the consuming release she had worked for. A strangled cry tore from her throat as the two opposing forces fought for control over her being. It was a cry of loss as her body was denied its climax, it was also a cry of triumph as the hold on her mind was broken.

Wrapping her arms around and curling into herself, she shuddered as the wards drove her desires away. Painfully the lust faded into a dull ache and then to nothingness, with only the dampness on her sex and thighs as a reminder of what had passed. Gradually she pulled herself up, her eyes taking in the two elves that now watched her with amusement. The smell of her prior arousal assaulted her nose, brought a flush to her face as she stood shakily.

She started to review her situation. Her mind ticked steadily as she leveled her cold eyes at the two outside her cell.

The presence of Darius Lavanthor explained why the incubus had not been returned to the Abyss, but... didn't she slay the warlock already? She reached instinctively for the life crystal she had tucked away. Did she kill a fake? a double? It would explain why the elf's death had been such a let down. Then the one before her now was her real target. He probably used the distraction of the double as a way to suppress her wards. It was a relief that it was only a temporary suppression.

She wasn't in the best of situations, but at least she was alive. Obviously, they did not plan on killing her. Using an incubus to stop her said that much. It also meant she had the chance of breaking out of the cell - should the chance arrive. Though what made her uneasy was the question... what did they plan on doing?

Her legs steadied and she started to pace the cell like a caged tigress. Her fingers brushed one of the bars only to withdraw quickly at the sharp pain the bars had caused. There was an oppressive feel in the cell. It was probably designed to negate any destructive spell she might try to channel. The reaction from the bars told her that the destruction spell would be useless against the lock. Turning her attention to the wall around her, she was grateful that they didn't shock her when she gingerly laid a finger on it. She made a mental note to check the wall for weaknesses later when the two outside weren't watching her so... carefully.

She paced watching them as she brooded... yes she would wait for them to make the first move and more importantly the chance for her escape.

---------------------------
OOC: Another sketch I did of Aly when I was bored in class.

It was such a beautiful sight.....

Darius watched in excited amusement of his own, as the object of his desire cried out, the crotch of her leathers bulging in the place where fingers worked feverishly over her tormented flesh. It seemed that Alyssia was not the only one who was getting a taste of what could very well be their future....

It was utterly delightful to watch her slender form quake and tremble beneath her mounting lust for climax. Yet it was even more delightful when at the last moment, he restored the enchantments of her pendant, denying her that which she sought most.

After all.....he'd not yet given his pet permission to cum.

Even better than watching her struggle with the abrupt halt of her most secret of desires, was the look of defiance she gave him when she realized her precious pendant was working again. It was a look made all the more ludicrous as he gazed downward, feeling her own eyes follow him for a moment.....to where her hands still lay imbedded firmly in her leggings. Just how much of a victory could she claim for the sake of her pride?

"You are to return to me with the sunset, Ixthizzix. I've much work to do until then.....in preparation for your reward.....and mine."

A puff of sulfur laden smoke, and the incubus was gone, its aura no longer a threat to his new and lovely prisoner. A casual glance in her direction showed her examining the walls of her cell just briefly, apparently haven given up on the bars already.

"You're no doubt wondering why I've brought you here."

The scent of her previous arousal did much to drown out the bite of her scowl as she turned to him once more. If his experiments were to succeed.....if she were to become the perfect slave to him.....Alyssia would have to be broken down slowly.....magicked until she was no longer the woman she is now......but something so much more. And the first step......was the loyalty she'd displayed over the last century.....an easy enough thing to break.

"Yes....brought you here. Though I did have some help."

From deep within his scarlet robes, he produced the missive.....tossing it casually between the bars of her prison. A duplicate of the same missive that had brought her here.....a decree for the ending of his own life......the seal of the Caelum Elders and the Assassins Guild still unbroken on its surface.

"Amazing how little they think of you. Perhaps its because you're a woman? And a beautiful one at that, I might add. Tell me.....is that why you wear your pendant? I'm sure more than one clever assassin from your own guild has tried to find his way into your bed, through toxin perhaps....or love philter?"

From the dangerous narrowing of her eyes, he could tell that he'd struck a nerve. Her pendant was most likely meant for mundane attacks just such as these, the fact that it had resisted an incubus made it ever more valuable.

"But still....you're a woman playing a man's game? Is that what they think to cast you away so easily? After all the Council got to choose the sacrifice....all I asked for was a delightfully attractive elf maiden.....and just look at what I've got."

Ok....so that last part was a lie, but a lie mixed so convincingly in with all the truths he was throwing at her. It was true he could have forged the documents, but forge the seals of both the Elders and her Guild? That concept alone lent his statements credence.

"I'm sure you're dying to know what I have planned here, so you can report back to your "loving" superiors when you escape."

He couldn't help but deliver the word with the appropriate amount of sarcasm it deserved.....even as the door swung open once more.....a full score of imps struggling beneath the weight of a massive stone table. With a huge crash, the monument settled back into its original place in against the tower wall....its edges curved to perfectly match the circular room's edge.

"There you go, Master! Just as you ordered!"

Darius smiled at his willing little servants, nodding with pleasure in their direction. He would have to teach them a new spell soon to keep them happy and loyal.....the greedy little creatures......but for now, things were shaping up well.

"Do tell them to begin bringing up our guests, one at a time please."

The miniature, grotesque creatures nodded quickly, chattering loudly to themselves as the scampered like a twisted tidal wave down the tower steps once more, rushing to do their master's bidding.

Darius could feel the assassin's gaze on him as he scurried to the room's myriad of cupboards. It was a shame that he had to turn his laboratory into a prison.....but hopefully it would only be for a short time.

Beakers, flasks, and vials soon cluttered the table, with crystalline tubing connecting more than a few of the vessels. The warlock had just finished with his preparations when the sturdy oaken door shook beneath a mighty blow.

"Come in, Thaddius."

Silently, the door swung in on its hinges, the hulking form of a minotaur blocking most of the doorway with its monstrous bulk. Stooping low enough that its horns cleared the stone doorjamb, the creature gave a harsh yank on the chain it held.....resulting in a sharp and feminine cry as a truly gorgeous creature was hauled into the room to fall prostrated at the wizard's feet.

Darius could hear the quickening of his prisoner's breath as the woman looked up with anger from the stone, an age and wisdom burning deep within emerald eyes barely seen from beneath hazel tresses.

"Release me! I demand it, warlock....before the druids of my grove come for me and tear this place of damnation apart!"

Darius smiled patiently, knowing full well that as long as the nymph kept her clothes on, she posed no threat to him. Stepping forward, he could hear Alyssia gasp as he produced the thin edge of her own dagger, the nature being's eyes widening suddenly in fear...

"Please.....no...."

Tears welled up in the nymph's eyes, their clarity closing in shame moments later to let the pearlescent teardrops flow down her dusty cheeks. The blade of the assassin's dagger cut easily through her feminine pride, long and flowing locks of chestnut hair dropping to the ground.

"......Why?......"

It was all she got out through her sobbing, her pristine beauty defiled at least for the time being. The hair of a nymph was instrumental in the brewing of love philters......a concoction that would be important if his experiment was to be a success. He could almost feel his fellow elf's rage at his actions, her anger and sympathy directed both at him and the still beautiful creature.

Not one to waste spell components, thin fingers tangled in the remaining mess of her hair, jerking her head upward violently as his free hand slid a crystal vial across her gloriously smooth cheeks......its fragile surface easily collecting the shimmering trail of her tears.....a cork stopper sealing the vessel as soon as the warlock felt enough had been collected.

The minotaur watched impassively, its great and beady eyes drifting ever so often towards the furious elven assassin imprisoned in the room. His job was to simply keep his charge docile for now.....neither of them knew what was to come.

"Essence of love......collected.......and now for essence of seduction?"

There were only a few creatures in existance that he could hope to collect what he wanted to instill in Alyssia. It wasn't enough that she be his slave.....good help was so hard to find these days......what Darius needed was a willing servant. A beautiful.....sensual.....

The warlock shivered for a moment at the thought, the room filling with the sound of his soon to be's gasp as the dagger drew sharply across the nymph's throat without warning.....the creature's eyes bugging slightly in surprise as it struggled suddenly for breath.....death claiming it with a speed unparalleled even as her warlock tormentor held another empty flask beneath the garish wound, collecting the living blood as it spilled across its surface to paint both hand and floor with its scarlet hue. The lifeblood spilled would provide him with the components he needed to further his enchantments.....enriched with the natural magicks of the nymph, a creature known to seduce wandering loggers and woodsmen.....ensuring those lucky men spent the rest of their days in bliss and rapture.

And this....was just the beginning.

A flash of relief passed through Alyssia's eyes when the incubus vanished. She didn't know when the next time her wards would be contained, and the absence of that disastrous aura meant that there would be less for her to worry about at a time.

"You're no doubt wondering why I've brought you here...Yes....brought you here. Though I did have some help."

She stopped her pacing at his words. It was as if he had expected her, as if he had orchestrated her arrival, as if... no.. it couldn't be! as if she were delivered to his doorstep. That wasn't possible! Even if her missions were 'orchestrated', to go so far as to assume her failure when she hadn't failed in... a century?!

The thought brought a note of distaste with it. Obviously she failed, she was inside a prison cell... but that was negligence on her part... She might've been able to prevent something had she checked the room for illusions to begin with... unless the bars were magicked to prevent that as well... Besides, who would help an elf that had fallen so far into the dark arts...? There was no single entity that had such a power to dictate her missions.

Her stance changed and a hand dropped instinctively to the hilt of her sword as he tossed the missive in between the bars. She might not be able to leave the cell, but she was still armed. She would at least make sure anything that tried to handle her while she was conscious would be skewered. Slowly she eased down to pick up the letter, her eyes never leaving the warlock's until the letter was in her hand.

Quickly and thoroughly, she checked the black seal, finding none of the telltale signs that indicated that the wax had been tampered with, heated and resealed. Remembering her past negligence, she also did a quick check for magic. She broke the seal and took a glance at the letter before returning to watch the warlock. It was all that she needed to confirm that its contents were the same as the one she had received. Her mind worked, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. It was coming together all too fast and creating a conclusion she wasn't ready to accept. The Caelum Elders...

"Amazing how little they think of you. Perhaps its because you're a woman? And a beautiful one at that, I might add. Tell me.....is that why you wear your pendant? I'm sure more than one clever assassin from your own guild has tried to find his way into your bed, through toxin perhaps....or love philter?"

She scowled at his barbed words, indignant at the suggestions he made. The pendant had proven its usefulness that night in her encounter with the incubus, though she chose to wear it for more personal reasons. She had wanted to become a priestess in the temple for the goddess of purity - Astraea. The amulet was a small token of memory from those days before she made the change to become an assassin.

She brought the anger down to a small burning flame in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't expect him to know such details, and she wasn't about to provide any for him. There was no use getting angry and worked up while locked in a cell. She'd save the energy for later, now she would watch him for any signs of lies. He was obviously trying to manipulate her to come to certain... conclusions. That in itself was good enough reason for her to not believe everything he said...

"But still....you're a woman playing a man's game? Is that what they think to cast you away so easily? After all the Council got to choose the sacrifice....all I asked for was a delightfully attractive elf maiden.....and just look at what I've got."

They... cast her away? No... she crushed the thought immediately when it rose in the back of her mind. This was what he wanted her to believe. They wouldn't throw her away after everything she had put through for them! Yet his suggestion planted seeds of doubt into her mind, and along with the missive... it was hard not to believe him - she couldn't keep those doubts from taking root. And what was this about a sacrifice?! Sacrificed for what? The word itself made her shudder. What sort of preparations did he have planned for her... It wouldn't happen to coincide with the incubus' reward... would it? If a sacrifice was at hand... she needed to get out soon. The incubus would return at sunset. She had to find a way out before then.

The gaggle of imps that entered the room brought a line of worry to her face. How many were there? None of her previous targets were able to summon more than a small handful of weak demons. Yet how many had she run into here?! Summoning and controlling the incubus itself was no small feat. The orc guards and the myriad of other demons she had ran into on her way up the tower spoke volumes...

As the imps scurried out of the room and the warlock returned to his business, Alyssia realized that he probably didn't plan on leaving her alone long enough to try anything. Needing something to do, she started fingering the hilt of one of her swords. The metal blade would be a conduit for the shock... but the wooden handle should provide some protection...

Her attention on the warlock and her sword was diverted when the... was that a minotaur?! By the gods... she had only read of such... things... in books! She stared wide eyed in amazement for a long moment before she managed to look away at the captive.

The nymph was... stunningly beautiful. There was something about the nymph that tugged on her heart strings and drew her sympathy. The rush of anger as those silken tresses fell to the floor at the edge of her own blade surprised Alyssia. The practical part of her mind logically kicked in and quipped that the nymph had not been harmed, but her heart still ached for the sobbing beauty.

It was when he drew the blade across her throat that Alyssia burst forth with her fury. The sword was unsheathed in the blink of an eye as it clashed against the bars of her cell.

"Why?... if you needed the blood of a nymph, it could've easily been taken from a wound, there was no need to kill her!"

Her words were punctuated with another clash of the sword against the bars. Alyssia had seen... no had killed countless as part of her duty, but to kill without any real need to... that was wrong. It was as if the nymph was only there to aid him as a resource... the hair of a nymph, the tears... the blood... and then it hit her.

"philter... By the gods... that's what you're trying to make isn't it..."

Her free hand covered her eyes as she shook and broke out with a hollow laugh. She was lost for words as the cold laughter rang in the room. When she was finally able to bring the laughter under her control, her eyes were filled with contempt.

"An incubus... philters... Is your ability to... arouse a woman so lacking that you need to depend on such fleeting tools?"

She dragged her blade across the bars, listening to the dull clack of metal against metal. She noted with some satisfaction the two notches her sword had made on impact. She might be able to weaken the bar enough if she were given the chance... Her eyes returned to meet his as she continued.

"If that were the case... I probably don't even need Astraea's pendant if I only had to deal with you... I suppose its my misfortune to have to keep that incubus.. and whatever else you have cooking up your sleeve in mind."

Now that she had his attention, her face became serious as she held his gaze for a moment longer.

"Also, that missive doesn't mean anything about me being 'cast away'. Black seals are given as a choice left for the receiver. They indicate that should the assassin take up the challenge, the chance for survival is low, and the rewards are immense. However, we aren't required to accept them. I could've very well rejected the mission on the basis that I had just returned from another. All that it means is that you have some double agents that are high enough in the hierarchy to get information - really good information"

Of course she didn't mention the point that it was unlike her to turn down any mission, especially a challenging one. And despite the indifference in her voice, her arguments didn't do anything to ease the doubt in her mind. A part of her really wanted to believe her comment about double agents, it would mean that she wasn't betrayed by her own people.

If anything, that was the only reason why she held onto the ridiculous notion - this wasn't something a double agent, or two could pull off.

"Why?... if you needed the blood of a nymph, it could've easily been taken from a wound, there was no need to kill her!"

Darius shot a sly smile towards, Alyssia.

"Blood has arcane qualities, yes. Yet its lifeblood that is truly powerful. You would know such things if you had decided your path lay in the arcane rather than skulking in shadows. Steel yourself, my dear Alyssia, there is so much more to be revealed to you yet."

"Philter... By the gods... that's what you're trying to make isn't it...An incubus... philters... Is your ability to... arouse a woman so lacking that you need to depend on such fleeting tools?"

The words stung his pride, just as he had known they would. How could she possibly understand what it was that he was trying to accomplish here? And more importantly, why did he feel the need to explain anything?

"A love philter? You mean like the kind your pendant would cancel out? I bet you'd love to drink something that simple, just so you can continue mocking me, wouldn't you? Partners are not something I have any trouble finding on my own, thank you...."

Yet none of them had been perfect. A man of power always attracted those who sought to feed off that very power.....any way they could. Every sexual encounter he could remember had come at a price, something that needed to be given in exchange for a brief satiation of his own desires. And when it was over....he always had found himself alone once more.....

"Also, that missive doesn't mean anything about me being 'cast away'. Black seals are given as a choice left for the receiver. They indicate that should the assassin take up the challenge, the chance for survival is low, and the rewards are immense. However, we aren't required to accept them. I could've very well rejected the mission on the basis that I had just returned from another. All that it means is that you have some double agents that are high enough in the hierarchy to get information - really good information"

The elf was rapidly becoming annoyed at her defiant chatter. Perhaps this was the chance he needed to shut her up, just a little.....to prove just how wrong she was.

"Fine!"

Spinning from the crystalline mess of his table, he strode once more to the other side of the room, a large foot locker opening with a simple snap of his fingers. Stooping, Darius slowly eased a cloth wrapped bundle gently from its confines.....returning to his proper height a moment later with his precious package well secured in sturdy arms.

He could feel her eyes upon him as he set the weighty bundle down on the table, well away from anything that might break or spill. As velvet rag after rag was peeled away, the room's light seemed to brighten in the presence of an absolutely perfectly shaped crystal sphere.

It didn't take much to concentrate his will into the ball, he'd been doing this for years after all.....until slowly the well weathered face of a greying, aged elf appeared in full view of them both.

"We meet again, Espeon."

The Elder winced slightly at the callous use of his name.

"Darius Lavanthor.....you contact me so soon. Has our contract been fulfilled? ShiRien has been delivered to you as promised?"

An oily smile shivered its way across his face, the elder clearly having no idea that the assassin was even now in this very room.

"She suits my needs perfectly."

A simple nod and a sigh of relief.

"Then the bargain is met."

The smile never wavered.

"Indeed. One hundred years of peace for the Caelum. I believe its Raliven's turn to demand sacrifice at that point....if you've not managed to kill him by then."

His smile turned just a little more wicked.

"Don't you want to hear what I'm going to do to the lovely little assassin? What I've already done?"

The elf's visage grew stern, almost angry, at the thought of being needled by such a man.

"She is lost to us, Darius. Her name was stricken from our annuls the moment she accepted the mission she was given. From this day forward, Alyssia ShiRien never existed. A farce you'll turn to reality soon enough, I'm sure."

Eyebrows raised. That was unexpectedly cold for a Caelum. Not even Darius had been expecting that.

"Our time of peace is at hand. I'll not speak to you any more of this."

The image in the crystal winked out, Darius still looking a little shaken at the final revelation. Stricken from the annuls? Is that how it always was with elves selected for his kind? Sure he'd had the chance to demand sacrifice before, but until now, he'd really not had the heart for it. While evil was a relevant term....the warlock could at least honestly say that he had yet to harm one of his fae brethren.

"Still having doubts?"

Thin fingers dipping deep into a fold in his robes, he produced a small pouch, pouring its familiar contents into a pestle.....soulstones.

The room filled with the sound of shattering crystal, the souls imprisoned within never to find the peace of burial, instead being absorbed by the foul mixture he had already concocted and poured the dust of their soulstones into moments later.

"The souls of a full score of paladins. Noble men who died to protect the life of their leader. It cost me quite a sum to acquire these."

Another flask was filled with the strange mixture almost an hour later when the warlock finally decided it had reached the correct boiling point.

"Ahh....and that essence is complete."

It was the most important one of them all, and without it, his experiment would be nothing. To that end, he had payed almost any cost....going so far as to give a cursed spellbook to a rather ambitious necromancer in exchange for the stones.

Essence of loyalty.

No... no... no... This couldn't be happening. This had to be some sort of joke, some nightmare and any minute she'd wake up... The shock of the disclosure hit her as she dropped to her knees, her sword clattered to the floor by her side.

The ground that she had stood so firmly upon, now crumbled beneath her. There was no questioning in the truth of Darius' words... Espeon Noitra...Those cold impassive words... Her name was stricken from our annuls the moment she accepted the mission she was given. From this day forward, Alyssia ShiRein never existed....!!!

She... was sent on a mission destined to fail... and was left for dead..?! no... at least the dead were remembered. She... Stricken from the annuls?
What of the work she had done for the Caelum? Was she so insignificant to them that they could... throw her away like this? To be forgotten like this... was worse than death.

Time stopped for her inside that cell as she grappled with what was left of her reality. The world she knew had crashed to pieces around her as she was forced to face the dark truth of the Caelum. The discussion played over and over in her mind... The loss, the betrayal, each agonizing in their own right, assaulted the crumbling foundation of the world she had loved and defended for so long.

There was a faint keening in the air... the cry of souls never to find peace. Its mournful cry an austere requiem for the loss of her past... and her future. Slowly, the shock of the betrayal and loss boiled away, leaving behind a harsh icy fury mixed with bitter unreasonable vengeance. Her hand gripped the sword as she drew the soulstone she had taken from Darius' double. There was no need to keep the life crystal now that she had nothing to return to... No she would put the stone to better use.

The Caelum Elders... She would kill every last one of them... those sanctimonious bastards that had seen fit to crush the life she had built. With their deaths, she would show that Alyssia ShiRein still existed and was not one to be trifled with! But before that... she would dispose of this warlock who was the start of it all... Darius Lavanthor.

She rose from the floor with the bone chilling anger rolling off of her in waves. Drawing on the stored power in the soulstone, she struck out against the bars of her cell. The anger made her reckless as she spurned the need to be subtle. Again and again, the bars rang with the strengthened impact of her blade. The confines of her prison visibly weakening with each blow. It didn't take long and it wouldn't be much longer... another two blows maybe three and the bar would break... then... she could get to the warlock...

Darius watched, perplexed for a moment as his caged assassin threw herself at the bars of her cage with a renewed and definately pained vengeance. There was a bloodlust in her eyes....a darker side of her that he had never seen before, nor imagined existed. And yet, it wasn't enough to distract his thought process as he determined just how to handle this new situation.

On one hand, it would be a simple matter to simply restore the wards he had placed on the bars.....the same magics that had been the end of her lock pick. He'd let them fall dormant since her arrival, thinking her helpless as it is....

The warlock's chest puffed suddenly with pride at what a strong and vibrant young elf woman he'd managed to capture, his look of smugness no doubt only furthering Alyssia's frenzy.

To restore the wards was to risk harming her however, the sword she banged away at her prison with, an astounding disregard for its keen edge that dulled just a little more with every strike, would provide an excellent conductor for the lightning magics should he decide they were needed again. Such a blast would no doubt leave her senseless......but burned in a most painful manner.

With a soft smile, the warlock reached for the solution to his problem, almost forgotten in the clutter of the room. He could see her eyes widen suddenly as rage easily gave way to alarm and despair as she found herself gazing at the blood soaked surface of her own dagger.

"Now let's see.....how did you work this?"

He had been there, after all, his wraithform spell well in place to avoid her detection magics. It had been his spell that had forced her to drop the damnable knife to begin with.

"Catena Aperio."

Though he was only guessing at the command words, mirroring her own actions from earlier, the words were delivered with authority. The warlock knew too well how magic failed at the slightest discrepancy in intonation. The elf smiled as spectral chains shot from the tip of the blade to bind his prisoner properly. Of course....as she had shown him, the spell would only hold as long as he held the blade, a most vexing situation seeing as he still had much work to do.

"You seem upset, my dear. I can't imagine why, at least in this tower....you're still remembered for who you are."

He could feel her burning gaze upon him as she struggled helplessly, bound by a magic that had been hers just hours ago. She remained defiant....even now. There was no mistaking the fact that he would have to restore the wards or risk dying by her hand yet.

"Draeth lipistalius anum."

For just a second, her attention wavered as the surface of the bars where their hidden runes had been cut glowed a silvery bluish color before fading once more into nonexistance.

"I believe you triggered the wards earlier, yes? Though it would vex me to have to heal you before my little experiment, you can continue to throw yourself against the bars if you'd like. I guarantee you that it will be a lot less fun for you this time."

Ultimately, he gave her a stern look as he set the dagger aside.....the chains disappearing as the blade left his fingers and his concentration drifted elsewhere.

Honestly, he wished he could make her drop the sword as he had the dagger, but that spell had been used....its knowledge lost to him until such a time as he could rememorize it. Darius wasn't exactly sure why he'd thought the assassin would give up, be broken so easily. And while he was happy she hadn't, Alyssia had proved her strength of will, he was also chagrined with himself for not having taken better precautions. The warlock fairly winced as she returned to her bashing of the iron with her oddly shaped blade. If he had any doubts to his safety, they were abruptly reinforced when she shattered the length of metal she'd been working so furiously on.....the room filling with a deafening explosion as the magics he'd placed on her prison coalesced into the one focal point she had created and rushed to disperse.....channeling through the blade she so recklessly had used, and blasting her backward.

Such a nuisance. Dropping everything he was doing, he rushed immediately to her.....resisting the urge to take advantage of her in any way right now.....lying there in a senseless heap. Her safety was first and foremost on his mind....and as diligent hands worked over her prone form for long minutes, he was relieved to find her hands not terribly burnt.....her chest still rising and falling in a natural rhythm. She would be sore when she woke up.....

Time dragged on as the warlock returned to his mixings of gruesome components, even as the sun began to sink low in the sky. Time was growing short and there was much yet to do.....even more so now that he had to erect yet another barrier to keep his annoying guest from slaughtering him like a side of beef.....a shimmering wall of force seperating the two of them....visible only to him for now.....at least until she tried again to kill him. If she got the chance.....

Now that her current loyalty was shattered, she could be bound to a new one, that annoying obstacle finally overcome. The warlock chuckled softly at the unwitting pawn Espeon had been. Slowly, he turned at the sound of a low and feminine moan....pain lacing the undertones of the sound. Darius quite happily began the finishing touches of the circle, glancing up at Alyssia every so often to gauge her recovery......and the potential threat that came with it.

"For someone so....unable to arouse a woman, you're no doubt wondering why I've allowed you to keep your pendant despite the problems its caused for me already."

As the last bloody rune was traced, Darius looked up, pinning her with his ambitious stare....the brightness in his own gaze a match for hers for once.

"It's provided me with the perfect solution ironically. It must be hard to see your own precious magics used against you. In truth, few could go through what you are about to, and remain sane. Its my belief....that the pendant will help with that.....though that's about all it will do. Such an enchant seems strained at best to deal with Ixthizzix.....I'm afraid you're in for quite a night, my love."

There....he had said it. A word that sent chills down his own spine as he let his gaze linger upon her for the first time, admiring how she filled out her leathers. His memory drifted back to just hours ago when both hands had been buried in their depths....her cute voice filling the room with frenzied passion.

By the end of it all.....he had collected over 8 "essences", some prepared well in advance of her arrival.....but the most grisly of the eight prepared right there in front of her. Still....the time to infuse her being with them would be later.....for now.....

The incubus reappeared in a cloud of brackish yellow smoke, thick arms crossed impatiently, even as his eyes drifted to the circle on the floor appraisingly.

"You are prepared then?"

Darius nodded, a lone eye cocked towards the demon as he prepared to begin the spell.

"You are not to begin until I have left the room, understood?"

A fanged grin.

"Then flee little elf....and let me have my fun."

Darius scowled at the demon's impertinance, the room filling with the sound of arcane and twisting syllables as he began the summoning ritual. He wondered just how Alyssia would react to seeing such a thing.....the room filling with the dark power of his compelling magic.

The circle he had created on the floor cast an eerie glow throughout the room, as the demon waited patiently at a distance. Slowly, a figure began to phase into the midst of the murk.....

Panting softly, the warlock did his best to remain strong as he glanced up at the beautiful creature before him. Glorious perfection, pale alabaster skin shone in the room's dim light, shadowed only by the proud and full breasts that curved away from her nude body. Seven foot tall, buxom and curvaceous....the creature looked almost exactly like an angel, complete to the pristine and beautiful white feathered wings that sprouted from her perfectly sculpted back.

That is....until her lips peeled back to snarl at him.....revealing more than one row of razor sharp, flesh rending teeth.

An erinyes. A flying devil.

"Why have you summoned me here, wizard! Do you think yourself powerful enough to take me to your bed as so many others have tried? I think not. Come close so I can tear the flesh from your bones!"

Smiling, the wizard simply shook his head as he backed towards the doorway. Amongst the runes that entrapped the devil was one that prevented mind altering magics to harm him.....a trick very necessary when dealing with a seductress such as this.

"That's right....run you little worm. And when I free myself...."

"You'll do what?"

The voice was too close.....too strong......and too male. Her sudden attempt to spin towards the speaker was abruptly halted by strong hands on her shoulders, inexorable strength forcing her downwards painfully as she cried out in response, sinking to her knees.

"What?!"

Even then, she could turn enough to glance over her shoulder at the monstrosity that had her, the door slamming shut seconds later, though her attention was far from the wizard now.

Holy hell....an incubus....and her on her knees and half spread before it.

"NO!"

The erinyes howled in fear and aggravation as Ixthizzix stepped into the circle of his own accord, ruining its protective magics even as the head of his fourteen inch cock poised at the "angel's" trembling enterance.

"You'll never win! I'll kill you!"

Her bluster and bravado was stolen moments later by a mighty thrust that buried his ludicrous length to the hilt in her tight, pale body, eliciting a sharp and strangled cry.

The effect it had on the room however....was immediate. Two masters of lust and seduction now locked in a heated battle for dominance with the price being most likely....the other's soul. The aura of the incubus had been strong before....but now in the act of brutally mating, it was all consuming.

And like Darius had said.....the pendant was just enough to provide Alyssia with her sanity so she didn't break into a mindless fuck husk.

Gasping and panting, the erinyes fought back, her hips undulating....insides milking frantically at the enormous cock that had impaled her, threatened to churn her insides to butter. Groaning, the devil forced herself tightly around her assailant as he pummeled her, even going so far as to toss a saucy look over her shoulder at him....

"Do you like it? Do you like the feel of my tight little pussy around you? Is this what you've been dreaming of at night? Unngh."

Yet for her bluster and bravado, her own breath was racing, her perfect body covering itself with a sheen of sweat. Time dragged as her "lover" assailed her in similar ways, his tongue sliding the length of her sensuous neck even as clawed hands slide slowly up from where they had been holding her hips....encouraging her to arch upwards against him and let him cup her glorious breasts.....

The sound of flesh meeting flesh over and over again filled the room, the elven assassin caught in the middle of it all.....the demonic aura created by the act she was witnessing......permeating her very soul.

The winged creature shuddered suddenly, crying out in surprise and alarm, even as the demon behind her grinned in triumph and increased his speed even further.

Turning towards the imprisoned elf, Alyssia could see clearly the fear and anguish in the devil's eyes just as the creature seemed to notice her for the first time.....as seconds later, the air exploded from her lungs in a keening climax that ripped through her body......its explosive force similarly ripping through Alyssia.....the culmination of her Abyssal desire......

The brightness.....the vitality of the gaze dimmed to almost nothingness.....

With a grunt, Ixthizzix pulled his head back, his fangs bloodied from where they had sunk into her neck. Even now, his consort moved against him....still doing her best to coax him towards his own fulfillment, though now it was as if it was her duty.....not something she feared or had to resist.

With a loud cry of his own, the erinyes cooed suddenly, happy at the feel of her new master's cum flooding her now willing cunt. Without even disengaging from him, she struggled to turn around....pressing herself tightly against him as she continued to grind his rock hard fuckpole.

"That's enough."

Instantly she stopped, slowly retreating from him with a juicy pop to settle on her knees expectantly before him.

"DARIUS!"

The wizard popped into the room, teleporting almost instantly at the call.

"You're pleased with your reward, I take it?"

The warlock's eyes shifted from the grinning incubus to the state of his own desire, eager to see the effect that witnessing such a thing would have on a mortal. If he were correct.....the taint on her soul from feeling such lust might very well be permanent.

"Indeed. She will make a fine trophy. You've done me a service, warlock. Now I bid you take what you need before I return home. Part your legs for the elf, whore."

Instantly, flawless thighs spread wide for Darius inspection. Moving quickly to his table for one last flask, a soft and pleasurable whimper escaped the devil as its cool surface pressed against her burning flesh.....capturing the essence of both entities' lust as the poor creature gave up just a little of the fluids she had been given to mix with her own.

The first step of the experiment had been completed, now to see about the next.

"Catena Aperio."

Alyssia was caught mid strike when her own chains bound her. She glared angrily at the warlock that held her in place. How did he know the commands... then it hit her - He didn't. He had called both chains and visions with those words. He was simply mimicking what she had done at the bottom of the tower... It would explain why he didn't make the change to cause the spell to be free standing when he obviously had the willpower to enforce it.

She tugged against the chains that held her in place as she watched the magic on her cell revealed itself. The barrier beyond the bars that she could barely see earlier now shimmered with a pale glow. The runes on the bars and around the room also emerged briefly before everything faded away. What purpose did those runes have...?

"I believe you triggered the wards earlier, yes? Though it would vex me to have to heal you before my little experiment, you can continue to throw yourself against the bars if you'd like. I guarantee you that it will be a lot less fun for you this time."

Her attention returned to the warlock at his words. What did he do now... She was so close to breaking that one bar... the notches bore heavily on bar's limits... she had been working with high and low strikes alternatively... it was all she needed to get by.

The chains vanished as he turned about his work once more. Gingerly, Alyssia lifted her sword to touch the bar she had been pounding against and arched a brow at the spark of lightning. She gave an inward smile... the warlock was... overconfident. She fingered the wooden handle for a moment longer before striking out once again. She felt the handle heat up rapidly from the charge that rushed through the sword, but it was bearable. She also noted with satisfaction that the bar was still taking the same amounts of damage and she was... so close... She could see the cracks along the other side. One more blow. There was a faint humming in the air... almost ominous but she disregarded it. She was so close! She would not back down now.

Hefting the sword, Alyssia made another rush at the bar. As the bar broke upon impact, the lightning that had used the metal as their channeling path now weaved together into a net of charge. The shock held her there for a brief moment. That moment was an unbearable eternity as her hands cramped around the handle unable to get away until the ward gave out explosively. The explosion threw her hard against the wall of her cell. She had only enough time to see the blinding light before darkness claimed her.

=================================

Alyssia's eyes slowly fluttered open, her entire body ached from the shock and impact. How long had she been out cold? She could smell a large variety of arcanic substances... none of which was strong enough for her to identify... but overriding all of that was the permeating smell of blood. What had happened...? Gradually her eyes came into focus on the warlock still busy with his work. The blood runes he began to draw on the floor reminded her of what her body had recently sustained.

The impact had hurt... but it also knocked the anger out from under her. Her mind ticked back into motion as she flexed her hands, feeling them creak. She lifted the sword with a groan, the once bright metal was blackened though the edge was still sharp. Her fingers traced the waist wrap and noted that her knives were still in place and hidden. She had been unreasonable and stupid, lashing out like that. She berated herself for disregarding the fact that this warlock was packing some real power... She should've known that when wards were forcefully broken there'd be a backlash depending on how much will was instated behind each spell.

"For someone so....unable to arouse a woman, you're no doubt wondering why I've allowed you to keep your pendant despite the problems its caused for me already."

She leveled her attention back to the warlock. This elf seemed full of surprises... and they just kept coming... She would've thrown a knife at the damned warlock a long time ago had not that barrier been sitting between them. Alyssia watched the summoning circle come to completion as the warlock finished tracing the last blood rune on the stony floor. The ambition in his eyes... were so familiar... so like her own. She pushed the thought away instantly. There was nothing in common between them. It would be treasonous to even consider it... but... what was the point of such loyalties now... now that her own people had thrown her away?

"It's provided me with the perfect solution ironically. It must be hard to see your own precious magics used against you. In truth, few could go through what you are about to, and remain sane. Its my belief....that the pendant will help with that.....though that's about all it will do. Such an enchant seems strained at best to deal with Ixthizzix.....I'm afraid you're in for quite a night, my love."

Alyssia's eyes narrowed, what would be so dangerous that she'd need more than the pendant to protect herself? Darius obviously had to be present during the summoning and if he could endure it, she should be able to as well... and what was with that last... word... there was almost a tint of sincerity... the word was the same but it was completely different from the honeyed poison the incubus had dripped down her ears... and as if on cue, the incubus reappeared once more.

"You are not to begin until I have left the room, understood?"

Alyssia blanched at his words - Wait wait wait... the damned elf was going to leave her after summoning whatever monstrosity he had in mind?! With the incubus?! She didn't have the time to break the last barrier, and she wasn't sure if that was the only ward left. Given the backlash she had taken, she wasn't too keen on trying to crack another ward. Instead she backed up to the farthest corner of her cell to watch as the room filled with the dark power of his compelling magic.

The circle he had created on the floor cast an eerie glow throughout the room, as the demon waited patiently at a distance. Slowly, a figure began to phase into the midst of the murk... while Alyssia sat in awe at the... angel that had been summoned... it had to be an angel complete to the pristine and beautiful white feathered wings that sprouted from her perfectly sculpted back. Even the snarl from her lips could not change the awe Alyssia felt at seeing such a creature.

The door slammed, heralding the dawn of her hell as the incubus stepped forth and broke the protective magic amongst the runes. Alyssia was brutally unprepared for the two auras that assaulted her senses - never had she experienced anything remotely close to what she felt now. The angelic howl and the wave of their supreme lust and seduction tore through her mortal frame. Demon and angel locked in the battle for dominance, their auras rising to an all consuming pitch.

Alyssia's pendant was not nearly enough to stave off the full blown effect of their battle. The pendant nullified what it could and then matched the remaining desire with icy pain. Wave after wave of lust assaulted her body, each matched with the holy pain that came with the pendant as it tried to bring her back to her senses. Alyssia curled in on herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees as her fingers gripped her leggings. Her nails dug into the leggings as she tried to fend off the concentrated aura that was mounting to unbearable heights with each gasp and groan. Her pendant quickly reached a limit as the demonic coupling brought the auras in the room to a feverish resonance.

Alyssia gasped at the pain and desire as the primal need rose to take up the pain and channel it towards the inferno of her lust. Her hands began to tear at her leggings as she cried out from the anguishing need that now burned her sex. Tearing the leggings from her skin, her fingers went forth to appease her body. She howled from the pain and the twisted pleasure that flowed into the dam that would be her release, mounting all the higher as the sharp dance of agony blurred with pleasure.

Moans of her pleasure rolled through her in time with the sound of flesh meeting flesh as the pain faded to a low hum against the dance of elation. The hand that worked the pearl of her pleasure easily slipped into her soft folds, pausing just before the barrier she had kept for so long. Her other hand disappeared into the fold of her tunic and found her breast, gently caressing and bringing her a few steps closer to the promise of release. The steady strokes in and out of her sex was an undertone that rapidly mounting to a crashing wave, and the caress of her pearl brought sharp staccato steps of pleasure that coursed through her body. The depth of the build up contrasted with the cursory dance of pleasure brought her within view of the blinding light.

She shuddered with the winged creature, crying out with the angel's surprise and alarm. Alyssia's soft folds clenched her fingers, a warning of the impending release as the air exploded from the angel's lungs in a keening climax that ripped through her body... its explosive force similarly ripped through Alyssia...the culmination of her Abyssal desire broke over her mortal frame. She wanted to scream but with the crescendo of her ecstasy... she probably already was screaming.

Wave after wave of that consuming pleasure crashed into her being, leaving her blinded in the pinnacle of that dark brilliance as it's darkness etched the first line of corruption into her soul. Slowly, the brightness... the vitality of the blaze dimmed to almost nothingness...

In the afterglow of her pleasure, the pain returned with a vengeance as the aura's intensity faded to a level her pendant could control. The searing pain ripped through every fiber of her being as she filled the room with her scream, not registering the screams as her own.

Tears stung her eyes from the icy pain as the pendant tried to burn away the carnal pleasures she had felt... and then that too faded away as the aura dropped to a level her pendant could once more nullify. But even as the pain dulled to nothingness, there was a faint lingering that her pendant did not- could not negate. Even now, it sparked a faint desire on her spent body, it was the first glimmering of the stain upon her innocence.

Her hand dropped away from her sex. Her leggings hung in useless shreds around her boots and waist, while her thighs were drenched in the essence of her own release. Her tunic loosened enough to show the inner margins of her breast as one hand was still caught in its folds. The length of the tunic was now the only thing that covered her mons as Alyssia laid in the disarray of her shredded clothing. There was a fine sheen of sweat over her and her breath was heavy as she slipped in and out of consciousness - the pain and pleasure had been overwhelming.

He felt drained......exhausted.....

Not only had he summoned a devil to this plane of existance, a further taxation on his will and reserves of magic, but he had not loitered any while the incubus had enjoyed himself.

Darius dared not even scry into the room, well aware of the consequences of such actions. What happened in his laboratory was best not seen by mortal eyes.....

And so he had spent his time executing his half of the bargain. Deep intonations brought a wave of power far more massive than what Alyssia had seen so far....probably even more than she suspected him capable of. As the last of the suns rays dipped below the horizon, the night split asunder by his deafening shout.....rippling waves of arcane energy radiating from his tower.....

The Caelum sheild was restored, their blessed protection from the Avernus' magick's once more in place. For a moment, his weary smile took an ironic turn. Protected by the very magics they abhored.....and all the while selling the elven people on the dream that it was the goddess who watched over them all.....

It was all he could do just to teleport and collect the last precious ingredients he would need......he could feel the departure of Ixthizzix without having to turn around, already moving towards the prone elf woman he had imprisoned. Who was he to care? Their contract had been fulfilled....the incubus....a useful tool, just as he no doubt considered Darius to be. It was with a vigor that he was surprised he had, that he raced the last few steps to her cage to throw open the door once more.....concerned more for her now than anything else.

A soft and pained moan brought his attention to her prone form immediately, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of her.....pale thighs spread shamelessly wide while their apex stayed concealed by only the barest edge of her tunic. It was enough to make the wizard blush....for the first time in years.

Still....it was enough to nearly break his heart. Perhaps he was being a little careless....but he genuinely cared for her. Sandaled feet rang on the stone floor as he advanced....kneeling softly at her side only after kicking her blade a safe distance away. Being this close to her, he could see the bulge of concealed weapons that he hadn't noticed before....not that he cared about them right now. All that he could think of was her.....and if.....if the first stages of her crafting had worked.

Her eyes clenched slightly as if wracked by another sudden wave of pain....or something else, her resulting moan making him stiffen beneath his robes. How sweet and musical was her voice when used in such a manner!

Pulling her close, he cradled her gently....going so far as to even rock her slightly on his lap. Looking down, the warlock swallowed hard as the view presented him with perhaps the best look at her breasts that he'd had to date, her tunic having been forced down probably by herself.....

Another loud moan brought his gaze back to her, and with a start, he realized she was awake. Though upon closer examination, he realized that while no longer comatose, she was far from lucid as she gazed right at him with unseeing....almost tormented eyes that made his heart sink.

The pendant hadn't been enough.....had she truly been shattered?

No. Were that the case, Alyssia would no doubt be crawling over him in an all out need for frenzied fucking. This was something else.....a bruise on her soul.....the result of her stubborn will taking a heavy and indomitable blow. With a sigh....Darius reached down slowly for the delicate platinum pendant she wore....watching almost entranced as it slid upward from the very beginnings of her breast's valley.....to lift gently over her soft raven locks.

"This has served its purpose, love. Thank you again for bringing it to me.....you won't be needing it any more."

And just like that, the pendant's magic was gone....leaving her to deal with the lusts and desires that her body recalled all too well. Glancing down once more, Darius frowned slightly....watching as the assassin's eyes closed once more as the darkness claimed her again.

The imps came at his command....an entourage of security, just in case she woke again and posed a threat. One by one at his command, the little nuisances plucked the daggers from her belt, each one joyous with the gift their master bestowed upon them even as he groaned wearily, sturdy arms sliding under her, lifting her up.....generously allowing her shame to be concealed once more as her legs were cradled shut.

Fortunately, it was a short walk, just one flight of stairs before he came to the next room he had prepared. Twenty five steps later....each one seeming like an insurmountable obstacle to his aching body, he arrived.....an oaken door similar to the one to his laboratory sliding wide open as he was ushered in by the imps.

The entire floor glimmered with runes and glyphs. Were Alyssia to see it, what would she think of his magic circle? Of the altar at its very center where she was to be placed? He could feel her squirming against him once more even as he neared its surface, depositing her quickly on the cold stone as his servants rushed to claim her limbs and clamp them inside of the magicked manacles he had prepared just for her years ago.....

The pitiful creatures had managed just one wrist before her eyes shot open once more.....

This time....there was no mistaking the clarity in them.

The lingering lust - a remnant of the demonic coupling she had witnessed - flared in and out of clarity. Each time it stirred more than its due, the pendant would clamp down to crush it, drawing another pained moan from her lips.

Somewhere in her stupor, she registered the tender hands that cradled her. The soft warmth that held her calmed the faint tremors of pain. The simple touch of another being soothed the memory of the pained pleasure and eased the icy burn on her body. For a moment, her breath steadied at the secure arms that cradled her. But along with that touch... was the bittersweet smell of the archaic, a scent that promised passion, security and now comfort ... along with a rolling undertone of sensuality and darkness, bringing another rise from her lust. Again it drew a tortuous cry as the icy pain bore down once more. Her eyes flew open, glazed with the torment from the burden around her neck.

Then... the weight on her lust lifted, the blissful release from the agony sent her careening into darkness once more.

=================

Consciousness slowly ebbed back into her being. Her eyes were too weary to open, her mind ticked slowly as she simply laid in the sway of her body being carried... There was less weight around her sides... her weapons.... gone... That same scent ... the same warmth that brought a blossoming fire across her body... No... she shouldn't be stoking that fire... a part of her mind slowly responded, weakly trying to fend off the rising desire.

Her brows furrowed at the touch of the cold stone... what now...? Then came the metallic click of cold irons around her right wrist.

NO! Panic instantly drove her eyes open as she yanked her left wrist away from the gnarled hands that tried to hold her. The free hand struck with a harsh vengeance against the nearest imp. She pulled her feet in and kicked, forcing a surprised imp to release her right foot. Immediately the released foot came down with a sickening crack across the imp that had managed to be more stubborn. She tucked her feet in and noted that the two knives in her boots were untouched. Instantly, the knives were in her hands as she rolled to her feet in a crouch. A silver sweep was all she needed to keep the imps at a distance, especially when one of their slower comrades connected with her blade.

Alyssia turned desperately on the alter as her right hand tugged on the chain. The rush of adrenaline had brought her out of their pesky grasp within seconds... but with her weary body.... she couldn't keep up the speed or impact of her blows for long. She needed a wall to her back, she couldn't keep spinning like this... She stepped off over the right side of the alter, using the stone as protection. Her assailants circled around her as she moved. The imps had obviously figured out her range as they danced in and out of her reach.

There was no way she could deal with so many of them... Her hands trembled as they held the blade - her adrenaline was fading... Her attention flicked to the watching warlock and her hands instinctively threw a knife at him with deadly accuracy. If she could kill him... these imps would.. should return to the Abyss...

In that moment of inattention, something hit her other hand knocking her last blade from her grasp. She cursed as the knife clattered to the floor. The imps surged towards her now that she was without the edge of a blade. She pulled the black ribbon from her hair, and took it deftly between her two hands. Her loose hair fell like a black halo that framed her weary face. The first imp that made it past her kicks was immediately strangled by the makeshift black silk garrote as her fist connected with a second. Once more they retreated, realizing that she obviously was still capable of defending herself without a blade. But as they backed away, her strength flagged as she crumpled to the floor, too spent to fight anymore.
.

It had all happened so quickly.

In less time then it would take to tell, three of his imps were dispatched, all that remained of their passage back home was an acrid puff of foul air. The pesky little creatures were helpful to have around.....but they were extremely fragile when encountered with close combat. Fortunately, what they lacked in strength, the abyssal underlings more than made up for in wicked cunning.

Alyssia spun and danced as best as she was able with one wrist bound as it was....its short length of chain swirling around in a serpentine fashion as she struggled to keep not only her breath and her footing, but her meddlesome opponents in view as well. Back and forth they danced, each won taunting her in the most wicked manenr possible.....the echoes of their voices only spurring her frenzy to even greater lengths. And yet when she struck, they were never there.....as fleeting as smoke.....

"Poor little elf."

"Yes, poor child. All alone....nobody wants her. Nobody has ever wanted her."

"Used...like a tool....just like us."

"Maybe she's one of us.....an elven imp!"

That brought a cacophony of shrieking laughter and an amused smile on Darius face, one that was abruptly erased as the raven haired assassin spun to fix him with her furious gaze, one blade already whistling end over end through the air towards him.....the other knocked harmlessly away as an earth imp seized the opening that distraction presented, instantly summoning the magics needed to call a large earthen fist into being....its solidly balled surface striking her wrist squarely.....

The whole room seemed to freeze as Darius twisted slightly....knowing all too well that the throw was all too accurate.....

With a pained grunt, the knife clattered to the floor, spinning to the far reaches of the room....droplets of crimson rainbowing to splash their brightly colored heat across the bare floor. He had barely avoided death....sweeping the blade to one side with a forearm, it had to have almost looked casual, if not for the deep gouge that he now bled profusely from. Nervously, the imps chattered as the failure of Alyssia's last attack finally sank in.....the elf girl sinking to the floor with a moan as her strength finally gave out.

"BIND HER!"

As one, the remaining monstrosities moved, silent for a change beneath his now palpable wrath. Two....sometimes three on a limb.....the slowly forced Alyssia's tired flesh into the manacles that had been prepared just for her, a final imp relishing the job of closing the cold metal around her tender flesh.

He let it bleed. He was far to angry now to acknowledge such a wound, much less let her feel proud of it by showing how inconvenienced it made him. Striding forward, he plucked the dagger that she had been forced to drop from the floor....hovering above her momentarily, the chains that bound her already drawing tighter by the second as the imps hastened to immobilize her for good.

"I had thought to get some rest.....thought to let you rest. But for this...."

Darius trembled with anger, his fury clouding his otherwise good looks as his face flushed a deep hue. The blade dipped slightly as he watched her tense in anticipation of her own death......

Slowly, the blade's edge drew beneath her tunic.....a simple flick of the wrist splitting the fabric easily. He could see her eyes widening at the implications as from there he slowly and patiently continued the rending of her last vestiges of humility.

He would have liked to reached down at some point, loved to have seen the look on her face as he sundered the garment, forcing her heaving breasts into view. Yet with the wound she had scored, it was all but impossible to do. Still....the slit steadily climbed higher until the soft swells of her feminine body threatened to come into view.

"The first thing that will go is your shame."

With a last little shnick, the collar of the tunic severed clean....the open and clean cut edges falling away from her to reveal her firm yet full flesh to all. Yet for now, the sight wasn't pleasing to him.....for now....there was work to be done.

She wasn't the only one who had caught a second wind. Fuck tomorrow....it was time to start the experiment tonight.

"Watch her. You can touch her, can cause minor pain if you'd like....but so help your little souls if you mar her body in any way. I will return shortly."

He had all the components that he needed.....and he had her....prone.....and stripped of any vestiges of modesty she might have had. All he had to do.....was go get them.

The imps, for their part, were even more wicked than usual. It wasn't hard to tell just how disgusted she was by their presence, even more so by their touch....as gnarled and twisted hands began to grope her lewdly, sometimes almost painfully, tweaking and pinching the more sensitive parts of her taut frame. All the while chattering softly about how beautiful she was.....and how much they wanted to finish what the incubus had started....each little ugly sack of damnation fully aware now of the taint on her soul.

And just when it seemed that they had begun to go to far....one particularly ugly imp with a finger shoved up to the knuckle inside of her, grinning to his companions at the discovery of Alyssia's little secret......the Master returned......a full dozen flasks and vials in tow.

Her spent body was hauled back to the stone table, no longer physically capable of resisting the demons that whirled around her. The click of the irons around her wrist and ankles were a dull note that rang in her head and quickly tightened her frame uncomfortably across the stone. She had been too overwhelmed earlier to notice that her knife had hit her mark but now... She could feel his wrath... that couldn't be good when she was in such a state... though for the moment, she felt too drained to care.

"I had thought to get some rest.....thought to let you rest. But for this...."

Her eyes watched him with weary resignation, almost too exhausted to be angry. She was too tired to fight, not that she was in any position to do so anymore. The blade lifted and dipped down below her vision... Death... and then she would be forgotten, not even remembered by her own people. The imps were right... never wanted... and now never remembered. Her eyes closed and body tensed expecting the pain that never came. Instead she heard the whisper of leather and cloth as the dagger split the fabric. Her eyes flew open in horror at what the warlock was about to do. Somewhere she found the strength to be alarmed. Her hands pulled uselessly against the chains as she tried to do something, anything to get away from the blade that was robbing the last remains of her modesty.

"The first thing that will go is your shame."

Her body quivered against the cold blade that touched her skin as it flicked in its methodical destruction across her uniform. The cold touch of steel tapped against her newly discovered sensuality, drawing once more on the heat of her lust. Her mind howled its fury and tried to crush the rising fire. It was shameful, to be thus stripped before another... a part of her cried out wanting her voice to beg for him to stop, but her pride silenced that cry. The flush of her shame tinged her body as the open and clean cut edges fell away from her to reveal her firm yet full flesh to all. She turned her face from him to hide the humiliation of being bared and vulnerable, almost hating herself for not having pleaded for him to stop.

"Watch her. You can touch her, can cause minor pain if you'd like....but so help your little souls if you mar her body in any way. I will return shortly."

Her face went pale at his words and a desperate NO echoed the room as he swept out in his anger. Immediately the gnarled hands reached to grope and fondle her.

"Bright Astraea! Get your filthy hands off of me!" she yelled as she lifted her head to glare at the imps that surrounded her, both of which were ignored.

She knew not where she found the reserves of energy to struggle or yell at the pesky nuisances but somewhere driven by the disgust, she strained once more against her chains, unable to move a hair on the stone alter as twisted hands wandered, tweaking and pinching the more sensitive parts of her taut frame. Their touch bringing a wave of revulsion and their chatter added insult to injury. Even with the revulsion, her inner lustful fire did not abate... kept alive by the same repulsive touch that crawled over her. She retreated inside of herself, fighting to block off the feeling of disgust and almost succeeded until a gnarled finger forced its way inside of her. She came out of with an angry snarl - she had allowed no one to do so and now, this- this imp had the audacity to ...

Her attention snapped back at the warlock's return, almost relieved as the imps backed away from her. The respite brought the aching exhaustion back as the reserves of energy she miraculously stumbled across vanished. The bitter fury and humiliation now dulled to a low roar in the face of her exhaustion, though it did nothing to assuage the mounting fear of what 'experiment' he now had in store. The vibrance and luster in her eyes rapidly dulled, she was too spent... too thirsty, too hungry, too tired for this...

"What... will happen now? " her voice cracked in her throat as she grimaced at the sound, she had had more than her share of screams for the night, and this... was just the beginning.

He had certainly let them have their time. Not only had he collected the myriad collection of ingredients he had painstakingly gathered, but thanks to her, he had made a special trip to seek out his healing unguents and potions as well. Gazing down, the wound had been deep, he had been reckless. Still....the knife wasn't sticking out of his breastbone as she had intended it to.

"BE GONE!"

The imps scattered as the door burst open once more, one such little monstrosity lingering behind, trembling beneath his withering gaze. It was the first time the little creature had disobeyed an order.

"What is your name?"

The imp shrank beneath his furious gaze.

"Y..you know I dare not give you my name, Master. Please don't be angry with me! I have something of importance to tell you!"

The fury in his eyes never dimmed, his arms full of the ingredients he would need in the moments to come.

"Importance? What could you possibly tell me that I don't already know, imp?"

The minor demon slowly shrank back towards the door, cowering beneath the growing aura of arcane rage its kind could feel all too well.

"The....girl.....the elf.....is....."

His voice lowered to a deadly level as he regarded the stammering creature.

"Is...WHAT?"

The imp sank to his knees, trembling fearfully as it gazed up at Darius with pleading eyes.

"A virgin, master! The elf girl is a virgin! Please don't kill me or send me home! I only thought you would like to know! PLEASE!"

The creature's grovelling was pathetic, but its news left Darius thunderstruck. A virgin? HER? One of the strongest of her kind? Why on earth....what reason did she have to keep herself pure? He'd thought her the sort to have taken at least a couple of lovers by now.....she certainly was beautiful enough to attract attention.

When he turned back to the demon, his eyes held a cold and calculated look as he nodded softly.

"My apologies, little one. It seems you DID know something I wasn't aware of."

The trembling stopped the moment it became clear there was a chance he might live through this encounter, instead flooding the warlock with a tirade of begging and pleading.

"Enough. I'm not going to take your soul, or send you home. It seems I've wronged you, little one......perhaps its time for you to be rewarded. Tonight, I will teach you a new spell....one suited for the earth magics you seem to resonate well to."

The imp rocketed back to its feet, chattering wildly and doing its best to make the warlock give his oath to do just that.....an oath Darius was all too happy to give. His word given, the creature fairly screamed its happiness as it raced back down the tower stairs to join its brethren.

"A virgin."

His eyes held her own as she watched him move about. There was no table in this room other than the one she was chained to, though the room had already begun to fill with the scent of feminine arousal. Moving to the farthest end of the room, Darius patiently began setting bottles and flasks aside.

"What... will happen now?"

The warlock stiffened at the hoarse sound of her voice. She was badly in need of sustenance no doubt, though to give her such things would greatly help her in recovering. What he needed right now if he was to succeed was Alyssia in a state of weakness....both physically and mentally.....and at least for the moment it seemed he had just that.

Darius took a long moment to simply look at her.....admire the body that lay sprawled before him.....her tunic now useless, the boots on her feet her last true bit of clothing. Glancing down, he could see the moisture of her sex, spread wantonly as it was before him. It must kill her to know he was looking at her in such a manner, though he doubted truely that Alyssia had much fight left in the state she was in currently. Still....he could answer this one question for her........

"You were given to me, Alyssia. No doubt the Caelum expect me to rip the soul from your body in use to summon some greater demon of the Abyss. Yet unlike some of my more....ambitiously foolish brethren, I know better than to truck with beings of such power unless situations absolutely call for it."

His fingers gently touched her knee....and only her knee.....admiring the skin tone.....the healthiness of her flesh as she lay there bound and spread.

"Your soul is yours to have, Alyssia. I have no desire with it other than to subjugate it and make it serve me....to love me....a perfect and deadly little pet with which I can exact bloody and swift vengeance with....against any who'd strike against me."

A tired smile as his fingers gently and slowly slid upwards....kneading the smooth flesh of her inner thigh tenderly.

"You've no idea how much I've gone through to get you, Alyssia. How many assassination attempts I've survived.....and not just from your people either.....but from the Avernus as well. You see.....they all know it was my turn to be given a sacrifice this year. Yet....if I die.....another can rise to claim it in my place."

A lone and long fingertip teased the edges of her moist folds....the first touching of feminine sex he'd had in years. Such things led to destruction considering the past lovers he'd had.....temptresses.....wicked women who would use the wiles they possessed to see him dead.

"I'm sure you're wondering how I'm going to do this."

With a single, simple dragging of a finger across her tight little button....his touch slowly slipped away from her.

"You claimed me capable of creating a love philter, yes? You're very correct, I am capable.....and I've completed its mixture as well. I've been very busy since you arrived, Alyssia. I'm sure you noticed the magic circle while you were busy being subdued? Its unlike any circle you've ever seen I'm sure....even your Elders would be hard pressed to figure its purpose.....but I'll tell it to you."

All of a sudden he was close again....hovering above one shapely tipped ear, his voice thick and husky.

"Love philters are effective, especially with your pendant gone. You'd rise up from that table and we could make such sweet love, couldn't we? But there is one problem.....their duration. Sooner or later it would wear off, I'd be dead, and you'd be wondering if you'd have the rest of your career and life to deal with any repercussions from our tryst."

His voice was like honey, the syllables tumbling like oil from between taut lips.

"The circle is an amplifier for magic.....though its use won't effect anything I do to you.....until of course.....I cast a final spell. That spell....along with the magics already imbued into the circle you lie at the center of.....will lend permanency to anything I do to you today."

Returning to his flasks and bottles, Darius began the interesting task of mixing the few he had to. Nymph's blood poured in easily with the bodily fluids he'd collected from the now departed demons, the simple concoction swirling within the vial as Darius restoppered it before shaking violently and ensuring the two mixed well.

There were few obstacles left to overcome.....none of which was he going to allow her to trouble him any further with.

"Now, are you going to open your mouth? Or am I going to have to force you to do that too?"

Not all of his myriad of concoctions required her to imbibe them.....but just a few did. He could see that usual wicked look in her eye as her mouth opened willingly, no doubt planning to spit anything he poured in there right back at him in defiance.....and where would he find such rare components a second time?

Instead, he felt her tense as he moved with speed that belied his thin frame, the cold bite of a small metal funnel sliding past her blind spot to slip between her lips and teeth before Alyssia had much of a chance to even react. Struggling weakly, the smallish leather thong strap attached to the simple device slid easily over her head to hold it in place as his free hand prevented the crafty assassin from forcing it back out with her tongue. Now all it would take is a soft massaging of her throat.....

First.....the philter.....no....that could wait for last. He wanted her to know what was happening to her.....to watch it all without sudden love clouding her eyes. Dipping his fingers into the mixture he'd created moments ago, he could feel her shudder helplessly against the first eldritch rune he drew upon her body.....its sticky blood hued substance leaving her right breast feeling warm beneath its wetness.

Her inner thighs....the very beginning of her mound.....and lastly.....a smallish rune drawn directly on her forehead. This last one was the most difficult, requiring him to actually climb up on the alter with her and pin her head between his knees to still her frightened thrashing. It was exciting....knowing that soon he may very well find himself in the same position with the lovely elf.....with amazingly different results.

"Essence of Seduction and Essence of Lust. When my spell triggers, you'll know exactly how to get that which you will want.....how to keep my interest at all times. I'll never grow tired of you, will I, Alyssia?"

He had left her left breast untouched, unlike the right, which was a myriad of markings and runes. With a soft chuckle, Darius placed a small rectangle of papyrus paper over the glorious mound of flesh....covering much of it.

Darius smeared a strange fluid over the thick paper....strangely smelling of glue.....mixed with something else. It almost tickled her flesh when the warlock leaned over her again seconds later to sprinkle the soulshard dust he'd collected....its sparkling substance adhering almost immediately to whatever he'd dampened the paper talisman with.

"Essence of Loyalty. You shouldn't object to that one now should you? After all, the loyalty you had was betrayed....and I promise to treat you so much better than they did."

Glancing down at another fragile vial, he could feel see her discomfort as he sprinkled yet another foreign substance across her brow....its golden hue dusting the bloody mark he'd already added there....its substance much more fine than the crushed soulstones he'd treated her with already.....sliding easily across her brow to adhere to sweat....spilling down into her hair.....

"Magically treated dust.....dust obtained from a wingless fairy......the perfect Essence of Submission. Your days of resisting me have come to an end, my beautiful Alyssia. From here on, you should be happy to obey the commands of the Master you love."

Moving once more over her, she could feel another slimy substance being added to her slight frame....though this one only seemed to target the scars she'd accumulated from over a century of bloody killing. Each one fading away from her skin easily. This...unlike the rest...was a common magic, though a normally fleeting one. It certainly hadn't taken much to procure it.

"Essence of Beauty? Surely laughable. You're already a prize for any man, Alyssia. How could I possibly change you any more than to take such simple marrings away?"

Looking down at her.....his eyes turned just a little sad as he knelt for her discarded blade once more....this time his intent just a little more sinister. He could feel her tense and cry out through the metal object in her mouth as the sharp point drove into her palm just enough to release the wellspring of her blood. He eyes wide and wild with fear, Alyssia could only watch as he held up his own hand....pressing it with a grimace against the knife's point before holding its edge to the lip of the funnel.

"Essence of the Master."

True to his word, he reached out and massaged her throat just a little as the gruesome liquid slipped past her defenses unhindered....their blood bound together in its short trip to being consumed.

"And lastly....."

Her fear was tangible at this point, overpowering all else....even the scent of her arousal fading in its place. A last simply stoppered flask upending on to her flat and unmarked belly.....filling her with a coldness unlike anything she'd ever felt as her warlock tormentor began drawing runes in the thick and viscous substance. The more he worked on her, the tighter she felt deep within her core....an almost painful tightness.....as if everything were grinding to a halt.....

"The feather of a cockatrice.....a single strand of snake hair from a medusa......the blood of a gorgon.....and the scale of a basilisk. All creatures known for their petrification properties.....known for halting their enemies just as I've halted your reproductive process, Alyssia. You're now....for the most part.....until my command word states otherwise and releases you.....infertile."

He could hear the agonized groan as it reverberated through the funnel....he wasn't in the least surprised to find that she had finally succumbed to her fatigue.....passing out in the midst of her fear and anguish. It made it all the easier to finally administer the final philter.

"Essence of Infertility.....and Essence of Love.......rest my love.....for when you awaken, you'll be in a happier place."

Darius moved quickly, his wearied body aching, yet his very spirit exultant. He couldn't rest now....not when he was so close....not now and let the elf he'd prepared for so long to have be given another chance at escape! He'd not let her ruin everything he'd toiled so long for!

"Dethirou dyrrinae cumuti....."

The spell tumbled from his lips.....word after lengthy and difficult word, yet his pronounciation was perfect. There would be no error on his part. Slowly the room began to fill with a shimmering luminescence as the circle around them glowed with a flaring light. Still he chanted on.....

Alyssia's body burst suddenly into a kaleidoscope of color.....greens, ambers, blues and silvers as the runes he had drawn each reacted in their own way, the assassin's elven body arching hard off of the altar as if in some final feeble resistance. The dark resonance of he lust runes burned everywhere, though dwarfed in magnificence by their brighter cousins. It would steal a person's breath away just to watch.....and watch Darius did, though he could ill afford to cease his chanting just to be amazed at what he'd wrought.

There was plenty of time to be amazed later.

The room filled with a bright flash, and a thunderous boom that left him deafened for long moments afterward, the very stone of the chamber cracked in places. And yet, Darius had little patience to survey the damage.....instead turning his eyes to.....her.

Manacles fell away from her beneath his touch as he hurried to her side....peeling the blackened tunic away from her as he cradled her in her arms once more. His legs wobbled unsteadily......he had been far too ambitions tonight....and he was going to pay the price for it. But for now.....

As expected, there were footsteps, and hushed whispers as the denizens of his tower muttered from behind the locked door, the explosion having attracted there attention as surely as anything would.

"Come in."

His words were barely enough to reach them, yet the door did open....and thankfully....only one person entered. The darkness of her skin tone was rivalled only by that of her eyes.....yet in this tower, only one other was more feared than she was. The dark elf's eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded her lighter skinned kin still prone and helpless on the alter.

"Is it done, Master?"

Darius nodded at his apprentice, the girl sidling in close for a better look. She was somewhat jealous of the girl....and it wasn't because she wanted to take her place as Darius' fucktoy. Still....it was a slap in the face to find out her elven master didn't think her as worthy or as beautiful as the pale skinned assassin before her.

"Tamara....take her to the room we've prepared. It's there that she will awaken."

The dark elf winced at the thought of visiting that room again, with all its plush pillows and hidden comforts. Nodding slowly, the apprentice girl scooped up Alyssia....and began descending flights of stairs.

After all, she thought, it remained to be seen if the spell actually worked. But knowing her master....and the years it had taken him of research and preperation for this.....

It most likely had. And if it had.....Tamara had all the notes and memorandums on how to create her own little harem some day.

Essence of Dreams

Alyssia closed her eyes and waited for his answer. She could feel him beside her, no doubt savoring the vulnerable state he had placed her in, but now... she was too far gone to care.

She listened, lulled by the voice that took the time to explain what he desired and what he wanted. Her body shivered and drew a sharp gasp as fingers began to knead her inner thigh. She could smell the musk of her arousal but she was no longer able to crush it. The only thing that kept the low moan from her lips was her parched throat as his fingertip teased the edges of her moist folds. Then... it was gone...

"Now, are you going to open your mouth? Or am I going to have to force you to do that too?"

Her eyes slowly opened at the question - she was given the choice? Her lips opened, knowing that she could always ruin his plans by simply spitting whatever concoction back out... Though she was wearily disappointed when the taste of metal came between her teeth as she struggled weakly and uselessly to expell it.

In spite of the fear that was mounting with each passing second, she endured his administrations with a sense of resignation. Her body reacted and shuddered instinctively to each foreign touch against her skin. Then came the icy coldness... that froze everything within her, an almost painful tightness.....as if everything were grinding to a halt... and then darkness... blissfully sweet darkness.

Alyssia slept, her soul lost in the deepest of dreams. The Essence of beauty and the Essence of Infertility had been tangible, but it was the others that bore into her dreams - dreams of each essence permeating and warping her being.

~~~~​

She stood... once more behind those prison gates, once more those cold doors would not open for her and once more demon and angel rose in their mating of dominance. This time she was without her pendant and as their surmounting aura crashed over her she dropped to her hands and knees, crawling to some corner, some sanctuary that would protect her from the onslaught of lust.

And even then, all she could think of was him as if she could reach for him and he would become her sanctuary. She looked up wide eyed and terrified of the four walls that closed around her as the lust once more rose to a feverish resonance. The lust consumed her being and shattered, the iron bars doing nothing to hold her soul in.

And even then, a part of her called to him, as if he would be all she needed to hold her together. Her mouth opened to call for him, to scream his name but no sound came out as she fell... fell... fell... the essence of seduction and the essence of lust, coming to become part of her being.

~~~~​

She stood... once more in the temple of Astraea, once more repeating the vows of her chastity that was her pride, once more watching the spectral wings rise from her own body, open and enfold her as the spell came to completion with her vows. Her dreams showed her, reminded her of what it was like inside the empty temple, where she was the last one standing, the only one that decade who had remained to take that pledge.

She knelt in the hallowed grounds where she was taught wrong from right. In her moment of submission to the goddess, the world around her changed, the ground trembled and the statue of the goddess crumbled away revealing the runic circle and He-Who-Was-Her-Master. Still kneeling, she lowered her head in allegiance as she showed him, pledged to him everything that she could be.

Her ears listened only for his voice, his desire, his words of instruction, where his wish was her command. As the blissfully sweet words came forth, those spectral wings shattered for she had left her previous life behind her... for the Master who had deemed it worth saving her. The change of masters, slowly sank into her soul, bound by blood to her being and completing the Essence of Submission to the Essence of the Master.

~~~~​

She stood... once more before the gates of the Caelum, the gates of her haven. This time, the gates of her heaven would not open for her. As if the judges of those gates saw the broken spectral wings and condemned her to fail, to fall. As if they knew that in her heart there was only him and no one else. Those city walls remained cold despite the devotion she had expended for their people, despite the love that she had sacrificed for them, despite the loyalty she had given.

She stood... on the ledge that was her loyalty, watching as each of the ten elders and the remaining eight division commanders come together. She listened to each inaudible story that said they could not save her, that said that she was not important enough, that said they had made the best decision. As the eighteenth story came to an end, the ledge crumbled beneath her. A silent scream tore from her lips as she called his name, as she pleaded for the one that would be everything to her, as she cried out for the one that she needed for life to have meaning, as she fell... fell... fell... into his arms. In his arms she found acceptance, in his arms, she was important, and with all she had, she would serve him.

Her body... every fiber of her being breathed his name, longed for his approval, lusted for his touch, thirsted for his voice, his smell, him. She saw no one else, there could be no one else. She lived only to be his, Darius... Darius Lavanthor... the sweetest of names. Her body and soul sank into the name of her love, Darius Lavanthor, enraptured by the Essence of Loyalty and consumed by the Essence of Love.


Alyssia was cradled in softness when consciousness slowly swept back over her. She woke with an overwhelming desire. Her eyes blinked open and focused on the rich cloths that strung from ceiling to walls, decked elegantly in all their splendor. Yet, the lavish room and its comforts were meaningless to her when she rose and did not find him. She donned the silken midnight blue robe she had found laying beside her on the four poster bed and after a moments thought, wrapped a blanket over her shoulders as well.

A small part of her mind registered that her knives and swords were laid out before her on the dark redwood table and instinctively picked up a knife as she padded out softly in her bare feet. The tower was strangely quiet as she made her way up in search of Darius. Once more at the top of the tower, she pushed the heavy oaken door open with a shudder, remembering the pain that she tasted in the room. Her body was still weary, but she would not find rest in her sleep should she be without Darius, her lover, her master. It was there that she found her beloved, left in the turmoil of his loneliness, asleep on the cot of his laboratory.

Alyssia made her way to him, with a silence that she knew only too well. Kneeling beside him, she sadly and tenderly brushed the shadows under his eyes that seemed to torment him with dreams of his own. Assured that he was safe and now beside her, she softly covered him with the blanket that was over her shoulders, brushed his forehead with a light kiss and laid down by his feet on the floor. She kept the knife within her reach along the wall as she curled into herself, letting the warmth of her silken robe, and the scent of her lover lull her back into the arms of sleep.

________________
OOC: Caelum: (latin) heaven

How long he had laid there remained unknown, an otherwise still body twitching every so often, a low and agonized moan escaping him.....or perhaps it was only heard in his dreams.....

Books. Piles and piles of books, their volumes aged and dusty, their bindings work and cracked where they rested upon their seperate shelves. Why here? What good would remembering such things bring him? Glancing down, Darius was not surprised to see the pristine silver limned blue robes of a Caelum mage. This was where it had all begun after all.....

He knew what awaited him as he walked down the long aisle of weary shelving, knew it as clearly as if this were more than a simple memory. Angelic blonde hair piled high, yet neatly, on her head......Darius peered from around the corner at the delicate looking elf of his desires. Full bodied, and possessing of a wicked confidence, he could feel his face burn as she turned suddenly....catching him looking with a soft smile of understanding.

The peaceful scene evaporated as boyish infatuation was swiftly replaced by loathing, and hatred stemming from knowing what was to come. As if shifting in response to his darker thoughts, the elf woman turned suddenly, her robes opening willingly.....her delightful body bared for him even as her whispers reached his ears to make his heart stutter slightly despite his resolve.

You want me, don't you, Darius?

The scene shifted again, as she reached for him.....he could feel her.....his hands on his face, caressing softly and smoothening any stray hair from his face. Only now it wasn't her at all.....her skin much too dark, though her nakedness remained.....a sultry look on her dark skinned face as she pressed herself in close for a kiss, her body tight against his own. It was his apprentice.....Tamara.....

The kiss turned passionate.....almost violent. And as he pulled away to look at her once more, he found himself gazing at the sharpened teeth of the erinyes, strong feathered wings enfolding around him....pulling him to within striking range as she clamped down on his flesh. The sound of its rending, along with imagined agony had him screaming......yet it wouldn't stop......piece by piece was ripped from him by the most beautiful woman he had ever beheld...yet somehow his soul remained...

With a sharp cry, Darius shuddered in his bed, his eyes rolling open for just a moment yet seeing nothing. Images, scenes from his life tormented him to no end now, threatening to drag him back into oblivion. The cot where he lay reeked of fresh sweat, his scarlet hued robes nearly sticking to his body with persperation. With another loud cry, the warlock railed against his own subconscious......

A soft scent.....feminine in nature, and yet.....not totally unfamiliar. Unlike the women who flooded his dreams, for some reason, he was not alarmed. Tender arms held him as the fever ran its course.....his tortured body bearing the strain of the wieldy magics he had commanded. No matter how he thrashed, no matter how much his mind screamed at him to resist that gentle touch, Darius found himself yearning for it more and more.....

Slowly, his breathing became more regular.....his eyes regaining some of their clarity as he shifted his focus to something much more familiar. Pain. His left arm throbbed where she had gashed it with her knife.....the same arm he had offered up for his own blood.....

Her.

As reality slowly encroached up him, the warlock came to slowly realize that the arms around him were more than a simple malady clouded mind could create.....there was something.....tangible to their presence. Blinking slowly, Darius got the first good look at his surroundings in hours.......

A blanket by the foot of the cot.....a knife lying by the very edge of the wall......such a familiar looking weapon......

With a start, he glanced up.....his actions already earning him a soft coo from the raven haired elf that held him tenderly, murmuring soft words to him as if doing so would drive away all of his pain.

"A....Al....Alyssia?"

It was too much to hope for.....too much to swallow right away upon waking. The warlock's mind was a mess as he raced through the possibilities.....and what they could potentially mean. She had a weapon after all.....and he had been helpless.....hell, he still was. He might be awake and lucid now, but it would probably be days before he could move on his own again, his body ravaged by weakness caused from the overuse of his magics. Healing magics might help....if he could get to them without the assassin killing him.....

Killing him? Why hadn't she killed him? The weapon....he had been helpless....it would have been so....

The expiriment. It all came crashing down on his head.....all at about the same time she reacted to the sound of her name.....

Alyssia's sleep was broken by her master's thrashing. Startled and worried by his erratic movements, she rose to his side and pulled him into her arms. She wiped the sweat from his brow with the edge of her sleeve, knowing that she could do nothing for him to ease his passage. She had seen this before in priests and mages, having run the limits of their magic, fall into the deepest recesses of sleep to be tormented by the darkness of their worst nightmare, some never to wake from that darkness.

Her heart broke for him at the cry that tore from his lips as she watched his eyes open, glazed with pain, a pain that threatened to drag him back into oblivion. Gently she cradled him, hoping, praying that he would find respite from the torments of his mind. She held him close, whispering her love into his ears, softly calling him by name as if her words could bring him out of the darkness.

Slowly his breath eased and his eyes came back into focus. Was the pain etched in his face... a part of his dreams or was there something more?

When he glanced up at her, she saw the dread fill his eyes even as he called her name in surprise. It was so sweet... to hear his voice say her name. His voice brought a smile to her face but the dread she saw made it pained as she remembered... of course he would dread seeing her... she had tried to kill her Master.

"shh... rest... I'll be here to watch over you..."

Her whispered voice had a slight rasp, but she ignored it and reached for his left arm. She pulled back the sleeves of his robe and drew a sharp breath seeing the bandages tainted red. The wound had bled through...

"I- I trained in the cloisters long enough to heal... barely. Please bear with me, this comes much slower to me but I think I can do something about the wound... Please don't fight the healing... I'm not very good with this, but its the least I can do... "

Her voice quavered, knowing that she had caused him the pain as she slowly peeled the bandages away. She bent over him, the loose front of her robe as well as her hair fell forward, the coolness brushing the heated skin of her Master.

"...Sanare..."

Slowly she focused her will over his wound and stepped into the trance like state of healing as she pooled her magic into one focal point. Gradually, she seared any signs of infection from its depths, burning it away without mercy, then she started the agonizing process of weaving torn flesh back together. The sheer will of her love made up for the experience she was lacking.

A strand of silver shone from her thin braids, its soft glow illuminating the beads of sweat that formed across her brow as she tried to maintain her concentration. The single strand became two and then three before she broke out of her state of healing, her breath heavy from the exertion. She opened her eyes to inspect the gash, noting with weary satisfaction that she had closed the wound.

"I-Its a good thing that muscles weren't torn... I wouldn't know how to heal that... If I had stayed longer training as a priest... this would've been easier and less taxing, the masters of the temple could do something like this effortlessly... "

Her voice was hoarse with the effort of her magic but her eyes were brighter with her success. A low growl came from her stomach, bringing a faint flush to her face. Defiantly, she pushed the hunger away - her Master's needs came first.

"You... need to rest... I don't know where your room is at, but surely that would be a better place to rest than on this cot... "

Her eyes had a tinge of sadness, expecting to be sent away should he return to his room, but knowing that it would be a better for him to rest in a place of comfort. She lifted her fingertips and gingerly brushed aside a stray strand of his platinum blonde hair, then follow the curve of his ear to brush its tip.

"Though... if it's too far... You could rest in the room I woke up in...? Can you stand?"

Her voice was hopeful, anxiously hoping that he would overlook the pain she had caused him and choose her bed.

Darius moaned softly at her touch, feeling a bright flare of pain for the most fleeting of moments as she undid the bandages that swathed his left arm. For the most part, the fever in his mind was fading fast, the warlock finding an anchor in the gentle touch that sought to ease his few physical pains.

Glancing down, he swallowed hard suddenly, not missing the full swells of her body as her robe fell open amidst her concern for him, her raven locks doing little to hide her modesty....a modesty that she seemed to not mind letting go of as she tended to him.

Darius sucked in a deep breath as she pressed a little more insistantly into his wound, doing his best to not alarm her despite a sudden need to emit a hiss of pain. His arm tingled in response to her command word, and as he finally tore his gaze back upward from her body to stare in wonder.....her eyes were closed in fierce and determined concentration.

It was an interesting feeling.....the warmth of her life force.....her soul as it reached out to him, adding its vitality to his in an attempt to mend what she had torn. It was almost as if for a brief moment....they were one.....a gentle, sensual coupling of spirits that mixed the pain he felt with the most exquisitely pleasurable sensations he had ever experienced.

The warlock watched in amazement as several strands of her hair brightened to an amazing shade of silver, testament to the power of the magic she worked on him. So distracted was he by it, that he almost failed to notice as the contact with her faded....her fingers lingering on him for perhaps a second longer than a normal healer's would before retreating.....obviously tired and struggling just a little for breath.

Lifting his arm still took a concentrated effort, his body magic ravaged and weakened. Yet when he looked at her....Alyssia....the woman of his deepest fantasies.....he knew right then that any pain he suffered now had been worth it. He couldn't have waited another day for her......not for her......

Fingers flexed normally, and without pain. As he glanced at her, he smiled thankfully, surprised at the gentle blush that spread across her face as she retreated from him. A hint of worry still remained deep within those brilliant eyes of hers....

"You... need to rest... I don't know where your room is at, but surely that would be a better place to rest than on this cot... "

Her stomach growled, bringing another cute blush to her face, as she looked away in shame for just a moment.

"Though... if it's too far... You could rest in the room I woke up in...? Can you stand?"

For the first time in centuries, he.....felt sorry for someone.....other than himself. With all he had put her through, her voice no doubt hoarse from the screams she had commited to just the evening prior, and her stomach growling from well over a day without any sustanance....Alyssia still put his needs first? There was no doubt in his mind that his experiment was a success. This was not the cold blooded killer that had been blindsided by himself and the ones that had betrayed her.

He wouldn't stand for it. Certainly not as this unusual aching in his very core continued to throb painfully in her presence....a pain he'd not felt since his days with the Caelum....

Weary legs swung over the edge of the cot, as he struggled to stand. He could hear her soft cry of surprise as he did his best to rise without her, aching and trembling legs protesting almost immediately as his weight settled upon them.

"It wouldn't be good to let Tamara see me like this. She'll no doubt take my weakness as the opportunity she needs...."

He didn't elaborate any further than that....didn't bother to mention that the dark elf would most likely challenge and kill him if she knew he was in this state. Only the fear of his true power had kept her cowed so far.....the bitch was useful....and in the beginning had provided an adequate solution to his loneliness, and so he had kept her around.

But now, he had Alyssia.....someone who genuinely cared for him as she had already proven. Without question. Without cost.

The time of Tamara had nearly drawn to a close.

"For now, we should get you something to eat, my love. I've neglected you for too long.....and you suffer because of it."

Often were the days where he worked late into the night, and sometimes even into the following day. He was not one that appreciated interruption, especially not lately as he had finished the formulae and notes needed for Alyssia's wonderful subjugation.

"We'll not go far, I promise."

He could feel her near, hovering as if offering her support should he need it. And yet, Darius too was prideful in some things. She had done plenty for him....he could do this for her. Moving to a chest on the far side of the laboratory, each step was slow and painful, taken with care beneath her watchful eyes. With a groan, Darius sank to his knees before it.....nimble fingers already working the simple latch.

A blast of cold struck him as the lid lifted.....its contents still preserved within the magically created ice box.....its temperature just enough to chill his skin the slightest bit, keeping food and drink pleasantly chilled.

"Here....please eat. If you wish to care for me any further, Alyssia, you must first regain your own strength."

Succulent fruit, apples picked from the groves surrounding his tower, a robust cheese....a simple knife produced from the chest as well to carve thick chunks of the substance away from its larger wheel.....as well as healthy slices of whole grain bread carved from a loaf his apprentice had bartered for in town. A long necked pitcher was lifted from the chest's innards.....the warlock offering to her immediately.....the sweet and cool water reflecting back at her from within its crystalline confines.

He joined her, it having been far too long since he himself had eaten as well. Just watching her obediently accept his offerings had made his own hunger flare violently.....he could feel her eyes lift to him as he chuckled softly.....thankfully he had enough for two.

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The stairs were another matter entirely, however.....each weighted step bringing a grimace to his face even with her to lean on......her arms wrapped tightly about him for support.

"Alyssia......I.....won't make it......to my room. Not...as weak as....I am....."

His breath was labored, the muscles of his body trembling with exertion, a trembling he was shamefully sure she could feel as well. She had spoken of her own room, the room he had prepared for her in all its majestic glory. He had avoided the pinks and pastels of feminine nature....they didn't seem to suit her nearly as much as the various shades of blues and silvers that colored the room. Yes.....he could rest there.....and not lose a shred of dignity while doing so.

As they finally reached the next landing, he nudged her gently in that direction, knowing full well she would comprehend his intent. Her offer had been accepted....

He could go no further.

His words about this Tamara woman brought a bit of worry across her brow, who was she? what was she to her Master? The questions were pushed aside for the moment when her Master offered to take care of her hunger. A rise of euphoria washed over her when he called her his love and overflowed when he went further to offer her food and water. The food was blessedly needed, and made blissfully sweet since her Master had shared it with her.

Their hunger and thirst sated, they proceeded to make their way down the stairs. She could feel his body tremble against hers as she supported him... how much farther was his room from here? His labored words brought another line of worry to her face and when he motioned towards her room she knew where he would rest.

"Would you be able to make it to the bath...? You'll feel a lot better after... "

She turned to ring the small bell above the large claw footed bath. Returning to his side, she gingerly began to undo the clasps of his robe. Her faint blush grew all the more as she methodically stripped him down. The lust that she had managed to suppress to a dull roar now returned with vengeance as her fingers tarried a bit too long upon his heated skin. She turned when the door opened, quite surprised to see no one there as a bucket drifted over to the bath and emptied the hot water into the tub, followed by another bucket... and another. Who was doing this? Was this some other form of magic...?

"umm... thank you for the hot water..." It took a few seconds to overcome her surprise and she felt silly thanking something or someone she couldn't see, but decided that it would be better to say her thanks to empty air than it would to not say such things and offend should someone be there.

"I don't suppose you could leave me a bucket of cold water as well...? I'd really appreciate it please? and thank you regardless of whether you leave one for me."

She watched as one of the buckets of water paused, as if a person or being were considering her request. Not really getting an answer, she turned to her Master, tugging the soft soled slippers from his feet. With the bath filled and door closed, she gently brushed the side of his cheek to rouse him and coax him to his feet. She watched as he stepped into the bath, sighing into the steamy water and visibly relax as the heat blanketed over him.

Alyssia noticed that the invisible servants had indeed left her a bucket of icy water and smiled. The lust had been with her since she woke, but it was when she was with him that it rose to higher thresholds. She scolded herself quietly, that this was not the time for such desires and splashed some of the cold water over her face, letting the cold water force down her arousal.

Making her way out of his field of view, she slipped off the silk robe and picked up the washcloth and soap. Starting from his back, she began to gently wash him, fighting to keep her touch chaste. It was impossible to not notice his lithe and sinuous body, and as she progressed she could feel the tips of her ears burn with her flush and her loins ache with her lust. It was a furious battle to not think about what it would be like to be taken by her Master like the incubus had taken the angel. Over and over she willed herself to crush the rising need, and over and over it rose again as she touched him.

When she was satisfied, she stepped back and again doused her face in cold water. She made her way to the table, noticing the oils available there. Recalling the uses of each oil from the days she spent in the temple, she picked out sandalwood for a base tone to mix with jasmine, both were known for their soothing and relaxing properties.

Returning to his side, she allowed the water to drain half way and settled behind him. She warmed the oils in the palm of her hand before she began to knead his shoulders, working the oil into his skin as well as dispelling any knots she found along the way. She slowly worked her way down with smooth long strokes, relaxing the tension she found in his muscles and allowing the scent to permeate the room.

She bit her lower lip as she worked, she had forgotten that sandalwood also was an aphrodisiac.... and now its scent and the feel of her Master... made the time she massaged his back seem like an aching eternity. Over and over she berated herself that he was too tired, that he had not the energy, and most importantly that she still had her chastity...

When she could take no more of the tortuous work, she touched his shoulder and helped him to his feet. Supporting him, she helped him to the bed, her body was uncomfortably close to his as his arm brushed the swell of her breast. Settling him comfortably into the soft bed, she pulled the sheets over his body.

Alyssia returned to the bath and used the remaining water to clean up. Frustrated with her own body, she picked up the bucket and poured the cold water over her body. She drew a sharp gasp from the icy water, but was satisfied when the aching need fled to a level she could control. Toweling dry, she slipped on the robe and made her way into the bed to curl up beside her Master.

"You've... done so much for me... rest please... Master" Her whispered voice was slightly husky from her own arousal as she left a chaste kiss on his forehead.