TITLE    : Demonic Submission Ch. 31
STORYID  : demonic-submission-ch-31
SUMMARY  : Celestine and Markus learn what they've gotten into.
AUTHOR   : TheLastChaosLord@lit
DATE     : 2013-11-10
CATEGORY : non-erotic-stories
FLAGS    : h
TAGS     : |demon|incubus|red head|horror|


<em>Hello all.</em>



<em>Like to start off with saying thanks to WanderingMindGames for proofing this chapter for me. She's always a bit help and I'd recommend looking over her work as well.</em>



<em>Additionally, I wanted to thank everyone who has been patiently waiting for this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it. Not much erotica in this one, but a fair amount of plot progression.</em>



<em>Cheers!</em>



~~~~~~



Celestine moved to sit down in a chair after helping Markus lie down in his simple bed. Thankfully he only winced once or twice as she laid him down, but otherwise the fact that he was alive at all seemed like a small miracle to her. Rena had laid into him, and pretty badly from what she could see, yet somehow he was still alive. That said, he was a menagerie of cuts, bruises and she was fairly certain several broken bones.



"You know, you don't have to look so concerned Celestine, I'll be fine." Markus said simply, looking up to her from where he lay. Yet despite his reassuring words, his easiness only aggravated Celestine.



"Bullshit." Celestine replied back bluntly. "Look at you Markus, you can hardly move on your own, and all these injuries are going to take months to heal."



Markus smiled lightly, which might have reassured her if face hadn't been so heavily bandaged. "Nah." He replied. "I just need some of my tools and I'll be up on my feet again in no time. Once I have them, I can start going to work repairing the runes that were damaged. They in turn will help my body heal quickly." Markus explained.



Celestine frowned lightly. "If you say so... What do you need me to do? I'll try and help however I can."



Markus's visible eyebrow rose lightly. "I'm surprised. I figured you'd ask how it worked."



Celestine's frown deepened. "I can't ask you that Markus, and you can't explain it either." Celestine replied.



"And why not? I thought you wan-"



But Celestine cut him off, her voice gentle, but unyielding. "Not anymore. You heard Tristan just as well as I did. He doesn't want you teaching me anything about your runes, so you won't." She ordered simply.



Markus blinked lightly, clearly surprised. "What? So just because he doesn't want it, it won't happen? Come on Celestine, we can figure a way around him."



Celestine sighed lightly. "No we won't, and we won't for several reasons. Reason number one: Doing so will get you killed. Tristan said as much, and frankly, I think you're underestimating exactly how skilled he actually is. Chances are he'd figure it out long before I actually accomplished anything in terms of learning. Reason number two: We don't have the time. Tristan will be expecting you to work on that sword, and taking time to teach me would only take away from that. I'm responsible for seeing that the sword be completed, so that's exactly what I'm going to do." Celestine explained simply. "If we deviate from that, it'll only end up costing you, which is something we're going to work together to avoid."



Markus cocked his head curiously, his brow furrowing lightly. "So what? I'm going to be a slave, working myself to death for him?" Markus asked bluntly, trying not to be too harsh with her.



Celestine shook her head quickly. "That's not what I meant!" She replied firmly. "It's just... I don't know okay? Tristan ditched out before we had a chance to hammer out the details, so I'm just trying to make sure we don't overstep ourselves. Especially if doing so means you end up dead. Or worse..." Celestine finished quietly.



Markus let out a slow sigh. "Look Celestine, I sorry I jumped to conclusions like that. It's just hard to get over the deal you made for me, even if it probably saved my life... For now, let's focus on getting my tools together so I can get back on my feet. If I leave these runes busted up as they are, they'll eventually degrade to the point where I'd be better off starting from scratch."



Celestine nodded. "What do they look like? Are they in some sort of kit?"



"Yea. There was a green case with the other luggage, a little smaller than a suitcase. It has two combination locks keeping it closed, but instead of numbers, the locks show approximately a hundred runes each." Markus explained easily.



Celestine nodded and glanced towards the door into Markus's room. "Rena, could you come in here please?" Celestine asked gently.



To Markus's surprise, Rena poked her head around the door frame, apparently a bit sheepishly. "...How long have you known I've been here?" The small demon asked, a bit abashed.



"I suspect you've been following us ever since Markus and I left the meeting room. So I suppose it's fair to say you've been there the whole time." Celestine explained before continuing. "Though I'm not entirely sure why you're listening in on us. You're not planning on attacking Markus again are you?" Celestine asked, her voice becoming a bit firmer.



Yet again Celestine amazed Markus with what appeared to be insane confidence. As far as he was aware, she only bore the second Demonic Mark, and while that made her a match for almost any mortal, even a lesser demon should have been able to kill her, so what hope did she have against a beast like Rena? Yet he only found himself stunned further, as Rena seemed to wince and almost retreat a little bit more into the hallway, as if Celestine's firm words held some dire threat.



"No, I won't do that again unless you or Master ask me to." Rena replied a bit meekly. "I'm just here to protect you is all. In case Mr. Wizard there tries something stupid..." Rena explained, glaring at Markus for a moment before looking back to Celestine.



"I don't think you have to worry about that Rena, given that he can barely move. But you heard him describing the case he needs right? Could you go get it for me?" Celestine asked gently, her voice softening at Rena's protectiveness, a thankful smile forming on her lips.



Rena nodded. "I'll go make sure it gets here." Rena seemed to hesitate for a moment, glancing to Markus for only a second before she seemed to take off again.



After a moment of her being gone Markus began to speak up. "She... isn't terribly bri-" But he was cut off by Celestine placing her finger upon his lips.



"Careful." She warned lightly. "Rena's senses are terrifyingly acute. She could probably hear you clear as a bell from more than forty yards, even if you were whispering." Celestine warned calmly.



Markus nodded slowly and eventually Celestine withdrew her finger. "It's kind of strange though, she seems so afraid of you..." He said, hoping that Celestine might explain why that was the case.



Celestine shook her head. "She isn't afraid of me so much as she's worried that I'll be upset with her. Rena isn't great when it comes to understanding other people's feelings and emotions. Given that she's a demon that normally doesn't matter to her, but she would rather see me happy than angry or sad, because when I am, she feels guilty. Not that she fully understands guilt like a human might. She doesn't know why she feels it exactly, but she does know it has to do with us being close friends." Celestine said with a light smile, as if pleased that Rena could feel such things, even if it was only for her.



"Huh..." Was all Markus could think of in terms of response right away. It was so bizarre to hear about a demon that cared how a mortal felt... "Well that's good to know I suppose. It gives me a means to protect myself if I piss her off." Markus explained, clearly amused. However a sharp gasp escaped his lips as hot pain shot up his leg. Looking down, he found Celestine's hand squeezing his leg hard where Rena had taken a chunk out of him through the bandages. "What are you doing?!" Markus gasped out, trying to deal with the pain.



"I don't like being used as a shield." Celestine replied coldly. Markus looked away from her hand and met her gaze, realizing exactly how big of a landmine he had just stepped on.



"Shit! I'm sorry okay!?" he rasped out, hoping she would let go. It took a few moments more but Celestine did eventually let go, and when he looked back to her, he found her looking away; apparently a little ashamed for how she reacted.



"...Sorry about that." Celestine began. "It's just... I'm frustrated! If nothing else, you and Rena share at least the ability to infuriate me. Neither of you seems willing to accept the fact that I want more than just one person in my life." Celestine looked back to him, eyes firm, even if saying this to him hurt her. "She thinks I'd be better off without you, and that I don't need you. The ironic thing is that you feel exactly the same about her. Neither of you are willing to accept the other, or even try tolerating each other's presence. Both of you immediately presume you know what's best for me, and try to impose your wills on me. But who are either of you to make that decision for me?!" Celestine asked sharply, voice striking Markus's ears like flint. "If either of you want to be part of my life, than you'll cut that shit out." Celestine warned.



Markus sat a bit floored by her response. Even as the pain in his leg waned and eventually faded, he still felt like she had punched him with her words. "I... I was just trying to help." Markus managed to mumble out.



"I know that!" Celestine almost snapped back. "But that doesn't justify you trying to run my fucking life! And I know Rena would have replied just like you had... I know it!" Celestine accented, making it clear that it wasn't just him she was frustrated with.



"But Celestine, Rena... She's a demon for god's sake!" Markus tried.



"And so what of it? You're a fucking Runesmith." Celestine shot back, clearly not being wholly rational.



"Well, one of those things is inherently evil. The other is not." Markus tried gently.



"Do I look like I fucking care right now!?" Celestine barked at him. "I know what Rena is. I know better than you can possibly imagine. I've seen her cruelty and violent tendencies with my own eyes. I've seen her covered in gore all the while smiling like a girl who didn't have a care in the world. I know she has a demon, and is perfectly willing to kill and murder for her own gain. But I also know that Rena is noble, and can be surprisingly kind to those she cares for. She isn't all murder and bloodshed, even if she would love to have almost everyone believe that. But she is my friend! And the closest one I've ever had. And I won't let you tear us apart! No more than I will let her tear you and I apart." Celestine finished, breathing hard as she kept her own anger in check.



Markus didn't want to upset her further. Hell, he was desperate not to, but he knew he was right about this. He couldn't just let her throw herself into the fire like this. "Celestine... I want to believe you... I really do. But she attacked me completely unprovoked. What more proof do you need for it to be obvious that she doesn't really care about how you feel or the things you want? If she were a true friend she wouldn't have attacked me." Markus tried to reason.



But his attempts to sooth her with reason only seemed to have the opposite effect, as Celestine scoffed at his argument. "Your pride is blinding you to the truth." Celestine shot out.



"If I'm blind, then tell me what I'm not seeing." Markus replied, unwilling to accept that he had missed something.



"The things you said to me when you got here Markus. You told me that I wouldn't need her. That once <em>you</em> taught me how to use <em>your</em> runes, I wouldn't need her any more." Celestine outlined. "How exactly would you feel if you heard someone else explain how unneeded you were? How would you feel if someone labeled you with a stereotype because of being a runesmith? I'm sorry, but if you call that unprovoked, then you aren't as smart as I gave you credit for." Celestine explained coldly. A large part of her was desperately hoping he would realize his error and apologize, while at the same time, another part of her kept getting angrier and angrier at his reluctance to realize his mistake. "Sure, Rena might have gone too far, but she's a fucking wrath demon, what did you expect her to do? Hurl strong words at you?" Celestine didn't think Rena was blameless of course, but Markus's words were the spark that ignited Rena's powder keg...



Markus just lay there for a moment, unsure of how to reply. If Celestine was right, he had called this down on himself, at least partially. He hadn't seen Rena anywhere when he had first arrived, but that didn't mean she was hidden away in a nearby hallway or something to listen in on any conversation going on. Hell, if she was a proper guardian, like Celestine had said, that was probably exactly what she was doing, just in case Celestine was ever in danger. With her keen senses she could have heard him from anywhere nearby. It was hard to admit though, that he did bear some of the blame here. Still, he eventually replied. "... Shit. You're right Celestine." Markus admitted, even though it almost made him sick to do so.



Celestine's anger began to wane and eventually she smiled lightly, letting him know that she understood what he was staying, though she hid her smile away quickly again, not wanting to seem overly relieved by his response. "Good." She said firmly before continuing. "It's not like I'm asking either of you to like each other. You just have to accept that I want each of you in my life. And not try and kill each other again because of that fact. Understood?" Celestine demanded frankly.



"Understood." Markus allowed. Despite himself, he found himself smiling at Celestine's unyielding nature. "But as inappropriate as it is, I'd like to comment on how it's kinda hot when you get all demanding and forceful." Markus added playfully, smiling wider as he saw Celestine blush at his words.



"S-Shut up!" Celestine replied, suddenly embarrassed.



"And you're even cuter when you're embarrassed." Markus teased a bit more, unable to keep himself from laughing, right up to the point where Celestine squeezed his leg again. Thankfully, it wasn't right on top of an injury and she wasn't squeezing so hard this time. Still, it stung painfully. "Okay okay! Uncle!" Markus cried out, holding his hands up in surrender.



Celestine let go and gave a huff. "Serves you right for being an ass." She chided, though he could see the corners of her mouth fighting to keep from curling up in a smile.



"Yea, I suppose so." Markus agreed. However after a few moments, Markus let out a sigh. "Look, and I'm not trying to piss you off by bringing this up, but... What about Rena? What if she doesn't agree to this?" Markus asked, clearly not believing she would.



Celestine looked to Markus, and he was surprised to see her smile ever so lightly, though he could tell it wasn't a smile for him. "I don't know... but let's hear what she has to say first hum? So how about it Rena?" Celestine asked as she glanced over her shoulder to the doorway.



A moment later, Markus saw Rena step in again. "It's getting harder and harder to sneak up on you." Rena complimented Celestine. A part of Markus suspected the small demoness had never in fact left at all, but he was surprised that this was in fact the third time he had missed her presence. Worries that there was something disrupting his senses began to form in the back of Markus's mind. It could have been the fact that the damaged runes were causing some sort of interference, and that Rena had simply snuck up on him last time. Yet despite being wholly plausible, that idea didn't sit well with him.



"Thank you for the compliment." Celestine said turning to her friend completely. "But what say you? I know you overheard all that, so I suppose the question falls to you now. Will you tolerate him, for me?" Celestine asked, voice hopeful but still firm.



Rena let out a frustrated growl as she glanced to Markus but eventually she stepped up to Celestine and nodded. "I'll do it, but only because it's you asking me to." Rena mumbled out, even as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.



Celestine stood and quickly hugged her smaller friend. "Thank you Rena. It means a lot to me." Celestine explained warmly.



Markus saw Rena's features shift from frustration to blissful happiness as she hugged Celestine back, burying her face in the curve of Celestine's neck and shoulder. Eventually their embrace separated and Rena glanced to Markus before whispering up to Celestine, even though it was clear that Rena was keeping it loud enough so Markus could hear. "I still don't like him though... That's okay, right?"



Celestine shook her head, amused but ready to give up on convincing the two of them to get along. "I suppose it is. It's not like I can dictate who either of you do or do not like. So long as you don't try and rip his head off or anything fatal like that, I suppose I'm happy." Celestine said with a pleasant smile.



"Don't you mean to say that she doesn't try anything <em>else</em> that could be fatal? Cause you know... kinda in rough shape here." Markus said indicating himself. "And I didn't beat myself up." He added, giving Rena an annoyed look.



"You make too much noise to be dead, so that means you're fine." Rena replied easily, dismissing Markus' complaints like they were utterly unimportant, all the while sticking close to Celestine, even going so far as to hold gently onto her arm.



"Speaking of being fine," Celestine began, cutting off Markus's retort, "weren't you going to get Markus's kit for him? I don't see it with you." Despite her earlier anger, Celestine's voice was calm and relaxed again, happy with just the fact that the two of them weren't trying to kill each other any more.



"I've got it handled. I sent someone to get it." Rena replied.



"And what makes you think another demon is going to listen to you?" Markus asked, annoyed that she shirked her responsibilities onto someone else. Even worse was the complete lack of guarantee that the job would actually get done...



Rena cocked her head, as if she were listening for something, and a moment later running steps began to be heard coming down the hall. Everyone turned to see one of the butlers run past the doorway, only to hear him skidding to a stop and rushing back into the room, offering a green case to Rena. "Is this what you were looking for Miss Rena?" The butler asked, bowing his head lightly. "If it isn't I'll return to searching for the case in question." Rena simply looked to Markus and gave a cocky grin.



Markus, despite seeing his case, had to fight the urge to tell Rena and the butler that they had it wrong. "That's it... but just because he brought it doesn't mean you shouldn't have gone to get it yourself. How do you know he would have listened to you?" Markus asked, annoyance staining his voice.



Rena surprised him though when she giggled pleasantly. A moment later she turned to the butler and spoke up, clearly amused. "Tell him why I can trust you to do what I tell you to. Go on, tell him." She finished with a voice that was almost chipper in its excitement.



The butler looked to Markus, eyes damming him for ever asking the question. "I am one of the many demons that serve Lord Durial. Miss Rena is one of his closest companions and easily one of the most powerful demons in this facility. It only makes sense that I do as she wishes... If I didn't, I'm sure I'd displease her. And from what I understand, individuals that displease Miss Rena tend to have a remarkably short lifespan..." The butler concluded as he placed the case on the floor. He then turned to Rena and bowed his head. "If I might be excused to return to my normal duties?"



Rena grinned wide as she heard his explanation and shoed him away once he was done. Once he was gone, Rena turned to Markus. "See? That's why I knew he would do it. Demons have a pretty strict hierarchy, and I'm near the top of that hierarchy, in this place at least. But then, even if I wasn't he'd probably do it anyway given that I'd paint the corridor with him if he didn't." Rena explained, clearly proud of her murderous reputation.

<hr pg="2" />Markus looked to Celestine. "You're... okay with that?"



Celestine shrugged lightly. "I don't pretend to completely understand their society, but I do know Rena has kept me safe. If she has to turn another demon into a bloody mural to help me out, who am I to complain? Besides, I don't know or care about the demons that she usually ends up butchering, so why should I give it a second thought?" Celestine asked, clearly not against the idea, even as she gave him his case.



"I... I suppose you shouldn't." Markus eventually allowed when he started to look through his things, trying to distract himself from Celestine's surprisingly remorseless tone. Yet even as he tried to focus on getting himself patched up, he couldn't push the sight of Celestine smiling, with a strange mix of excitement and pride, as Rena described what she'd do to those that crossed her...



~~~~



The sound of heavy painful breathing filled the chamber as she sat in the darkness, trying to make sense of all the memories that weren't her own. Lavanna had spent hours beyond her recollection putting Odeon's memories back into order, and found herself profoundly thankful that Odeon had been relatively short lived. He had been hardly more than four decades old, and his memories were wonderfully few compared to a demon with a century old lifespan.



Yet despite that, the work was hard, and agonizingly painful. When she had first consumed his soul and memories, she knew the process of putting his memories back together into a coherent flow would be time consuming, but the pain was not something she expected. Every memory was like jagged shards of glass, covered in filth that seared the mind. Worse, was that Lavanna was beginning to fear for her own sanity. She hadn't even come across what had driven Odeon mad, but then she was nearly finished piecing it all together, and could feel herself getting closer. Yet as she did the pain grew worse and worse.



Yet it was not all bad news. Lavanna had learned who had hired Odeon to buy information about Durial, and while she hadn't suspected the culprit, she couldn't say she was surprised either, given the mutual hate between the two Demonic Lords.



Barathax.



Lavanna knew that Barathax had long since resented losing his prized pit fighter, the female demon of wrath, to Durial. True to form and to his nature, Barathax neither forgot nor forgave, and instead allowed his rage and resentment to grow and fester. Odeon didn't know much, but he did know that Barathax hated Durial more than any other that walked this world. Still, it was a bit startling to know that Barathax had conceived of such a tactic: using another to gather intelligence and information. It was a very obtuse method, for what most demons considered a painfully straight forward demon. This either indicated that Barathax was actually much wiser than almost everyone in court thought, or that other tactics had already proven ineffective. Still, even with that taken into account, Lavanna had trouble believing Barathax capable of this, being fully aware that Barathax usually charged straight in, utterly heedless of losses for either side.



Lavanna felt a new shot of pain rip through her consciences, and quickly felt herself laying out on the floor. Even as she had been considering Barathax, she had been putting Odeon's memories back in order, and she realized she was nearly there... She had nearly found the source of Odeon's madness. She watched as the memories played out in her mind, clear as when Odeon had experienced them himself. Lavanna saw her... Durial's pet mortal, Celestine... Lavanna felt Odeon pressing his powers against her, trying to make her bend to his will during their hallway encounter.



Oh how he desired her... Lavanna could feel what he felt, and heard the mortal's soul sing to Odeon, demanding that he consume it. Each note of its song driving him to press her even harder with his influence, yet still somehow the mortal didn't even seem to notice. It only took a few moments before her soul's song took on a new tone: one of mourning, as if it lamented Odeon's failure. Lavanna shuddered not in pain, but in remorse as she heard its song. For whatever reason, Lavanna longed to satisfy its desires, and felt so desperate to do something... She wanted to satisfy that sad soul's request, and consume it.



As she watched the memories, Odeon pressed harder, even as his thoughts shifted and began to break down. Lavanna, hissed in annoyance at Odeon's failures, and pressed by her own desires, Lavanna began to push her own influence, her mind forgetting that the mortal was in a memory...



How he wanted her... no... it wasn't want. It was <em>NEED</em>. Odeon needed that woman. Why and for what purpose beyond consuming her soul was lost on him... All he knew was that he needed her. And that Durial didn't deserve her. Odeon realized he would steal her away, claim her and defile and destroy her, all the while basking in the song of her soul...



Odeon's memories just barely recognized the shift within him... That sort of mental slumping signaled the beginning of his madness. He never consciously noted it though, and that merely allowed that insanity to run rampant and grow beyond control. But Lavanna saw it, and learned of its source. Somehow that mortal had broken Odeon's mind. Yet Odeon never sensed any power from her, and Lavanna knew she was nothing more than a marked servant... So how? What secret did she have?



Lavanna's world suddenly became focused. She shoved all of Odeon's other memories aside, uncaring that the rest were not yet sorted. Instead she focused on that one point over and over again, listening to the song of the girl's soul as she desperately looked for answers... Oh how Lavanna envied the answers, the truths that would ease all her confusion. And yet every time she watched it over again, those same answers only seemed to get farther away...



Lavanna, somehow, miraculously noticed her own mind beginning to creek and slump, even though the mortal was miles and miles away. Lavanna instantly leapt away from the memories, hurling them away from the core of her mind. Yet even as she lay motionless in the dark room, she felt the world spinning, and her own mind beginning to be dragged into focus again... All revolving around the question of how... Lavanna needed to know the girls secret. She just had to know... she <em>needed</em> to know! How she longed for the mortal's secrets... how she envied them.



Again Lavanna tore herself away from the shard of a memory, desperate to be free of its pull. But even as she pushed it away, the song of the girl's soul still echoed in her mind, and tormented Lavanna with emotions she barely understood... Yet even as it haunted her thoughts, Lavanna somehow managed to push Odeon's memories away. She hated simply dumping them, but she was quickly realizing that she had no choice. Whatever madness the girl had inflicted upon Odeon was somehow contagious, hidden like a terrible plague in his memories.



After a few moments Lavanna purged Odeon's memories from the core of her mind, and collected them all into one of the hundreds of small bundles of nerves and neural tissue that were scattered throughout her strange and alien body. Unlike a mortal's body, and indeed unique even amongst demons, Lavanna's true form did not have a single 'brain'. Rather it had dozens of nodules of nerves and her equivalent of brain matter, working like a network of computers, perfectly able to survive losing several components of her network without any ill effects. Because of that fact, Lavanna reached into her own robes and tore the bundle of chitin plated flesh away from the greater mass of her body without hesitation. Instantly the pain and clawing madness waned and guttered out, leaving her mind clear and calm again, despite the mild discomfort of losing her flesh.



Lavanna glared at the hunk of meat, even as she poured her power into the limbs that held it, searing it out existence. The pale blue light that coalesced around the malformed and ugly flesh held her gaze for a moment, even as uncertainty gripped Lavanna. The light did in fact destroy the flesh, but even as it did, Lavanna saw wisps of black flames hissing out of the lump of meat in question... They never grew large enough to touch her, or even pose any threat, but the fact that they were there was worrisome. She had never seen that before, and she wondered if it was her own power that was responsible, or if it was the disease she had locked away...



No answer came to her by the time the bundle of raw flesh disintegrated and turned to dust. She let the particles slip through the gloves she wore before getting up and stepping out of the dark chamber. Looking down the hallway, her guards stood ever watchful, but as one of them turned to face her, his fast twisted into one of horror and disgust. So vile was what he saw, that the demon literally began to vomit, as if the sight of such an abomination was too much, even for his demonic mind.



Lavanna stood confused by what could be causing such a reaction, until she realized that she wasn't wearing her mask... She had taken it off when she began putting Odeon's memories back together, as she often did during such tasks. But it was strange that she forgot to put it back on. Lavanna turned and retrieved the silvered mask, slipping it over her unsightly features to save the world from having to look upon her. It was a beautiful mask, and a gift from Lord Durial, but despite its importance, Lavanna hated having to wear it. She hated that almost everything in the world was more bearable to look upon than she was in her demonic form. How she envied her own kind, who largely took their human forms for granted. They could hide their ugliness behind beautiful or at least humanoid flesh. But Lavanna couldn't... She never could, as she simply did not have that power.



Lavanna stepped out of the room again and looked to her wards, who had reclaimed control of their faculties. "I will be leaving by first light. Make sure all the preparations are complete for my travel before then." Lavanna ordered, before one of the wrath demons who guarded her trotted off to carry out her commands.



Even before she was three steps down the hall, her aide approached from behind, sheepish and quiet. "Where will my Lady be going?" She asked, voice shuddering lightly. Lavanna paused and looked back to the demonic woman, who caste her eyes down worriedly. The demoness of who acted as Lavanna's aide wasn't ugly per say, rather it was more accurate to say she was completely and utterly unremarkable. She bore a simple face, an unimpressive figure, and wasn't particularly tall or short... She was, in essence, someone who no one would be envious of, and who could be envious of everyone else. And yet even as Lavanna looked upon her, thick bitter jealousy boiled inside her.



"I will be going to Lord Durial's estate." Lavanna replied, her voice hiding how she truly felt. The idea of consuming her servant ran through her mind, but Lavanna pushed it away. There would be no point... She wasn't powerful enough to be worth the trouble of replacing her, and it wasn't like Lavanna could claim the power to put on a human guise anyway. She had tried in the past of course, over and over again with demons of a wide range of breeds. But it never helped. Instead she was cursed to remain in her horrid form forever.



The aide nodded and bowed. "I will call immediately and try and set up an appointment with the Lord."



"Don't bother. He'll set aside anything he has going on to make time for the information I have." Lavanna explained, turning away and continuing to walk.



Her aide just stood there stunned for a moment. One didn't just drop in on Demonic Lords, unannounced. To say that it could get you killed was an understatement, and having been on Durial's property before, the aide knew perfectly well that trespassers were not even given a chance to explain themselves... "O-of course my L-lady." She eventually stammered out, following Lavanna as she tried desperately to formulate some sort of plan.



Even as they walked the aide made the appropriate orders and set other servants and vassals to work to ensure their lady's safe travels. Yet even as she carried out her duties, the aide couldn't help but overhear the hypnotic humming that seemed to come from Lavanna. She did not recognize the song, yet somehow felt lightly drawn to it. "That is a beautiful melody my Lady... Might I ask what song it's from?" The aide asked boldly, higher thought functions being numbed by the soothing strange tune.



"What? I wasn't singing anything..." Lavanna replied, annoyance beginning to taint her tone.



"Huh? But... but I heard you humming my Lady..." The aide replied, backing up and realizing her error too late.



Lavanna scoffed and snapped out. "Hearing things at your young age? Stop wasting my time with your nonsense or you will be replaced. Now get back to work!" Lavanna demanded angrily.



The aide of course bowed and went right back to her duties, fully aware that Lavanna had been humming, no matter what she might have said. Still, it was enough to excuse herself from Lavanna's side and hide herself away to contact Claude, the seneschal of Durial's estates, and inform him of Lady Lavanna's coming. To say he was annoyed by the short notice was an understatement, yet he seemed to have some measure of understanding when it came to whimsical masters. Still, the young demoness got an earful from him, and felt like she was utter garbage by the time he was done, while envying Claude for having a more understanding and less excitable master.



Still, all the preparations were complete soon enough, and by first light Lady Lavanna was prepared to leave. Yet even as they began to get into the vehicles, Lavanna didn't seem to notice she had begun to hum again, along to a tempo that no one seemed able to hear...



~~~~~



Celestine watched as Markus did all he could to repair the damages to the many runes he bore. After helping him remove his shirt, Celestine realized that Markus wore a light under vest covered in thin metal plates reminiscent of some form of scaled armor, though the plates looked to thin to provide actual protection on their own. Many of the plates bore runes and patterns that Celestine didn't even begin to understand, but she did understand that many of them looked burnt out or broken. "Damn it all to hell... This is even worse than I thought." Markus grumbled as he began to look over the damaged runes.



Rena however only giggled from his plight. "Oh come on, it can't be that bad. You're still alive aren't you?"



"Through no lack of trying from you." Markus replied bluntly as he held each item close for inspection. Celestine sat and helped where she could, being sure not to observe too closely. She knew that while it wasn't likely, Tristan might construe her watching Markus work at all as evidence of Markus trying to teach her about runes. Then again, she had no clue whatsoever as to what he was doing or how he was doing it, so she wasn't too worried.



Markus would go through each plate and inspect it at length. Many of them he simply passed over, but a few of them he would pause and try and use his tools to make some repairs. The odd thing was, his tools were not what Celestine expected when it came to etching metal. Yes, there were files and punches and similar tools, but there were also small rods and, as clichéd as it sounded, wands that didn't seem to have any sharp edges at all. Yet despite that, Markus took the greatest care with these ancient looking devices while conducting his work. Yet despite his attempts to repair several of the small plates, it was clear he couldn't save them all. Further, some of the plates Markus simply replaced entirely, starting from scratch as he rebuilt the ruined runes. Celestine didn't understand why, but apparently some of them were quite important, and not something he could just go without.



Not that the small plates were the only things that Markus worked on. Much of the simple jewelry that he wore also seemed to provide a basis for his runes. The rings on his middle fingers, the pendant on his necklace, and similar items seemed to be of greater importance, and Markus took more than a little time examining them closely for any faults or damages.



Hours passed, and strangely enough, Celestine could see much of Markus's strength returning to him, and smaller injuries were already healing. As he worked and completed or repaired other runes, Celestine noticed his healing seemed to accelerate.



"That is more than a little amazing." Celestine eventually commented, even as she looked at where Rena had taken a bite out of him. The wound had already scabbed over, and looked to be a week old already, with new flesh filling in.



"Runesmiths do a lot of upfront fighting, so most of us learn how to heal ourselves from an early age. Though I got to say, without my runes, I probably would have died of blood loss." Markus explained, glancing over to Rena, long having nodded off in the corner out of sheer boredom. "Not that I'll be a hundred percent any time soon. A lot of the damage is stuff that would take months to heal normally, so I'll probably be hobbling around for a few days at least." Markus elaborated.



Celestine nodded. "I'm sorry about that, but hopefully you'll be able to make due."



"I should be able to." Markus responded easily, though he glanced up to the overhead lights. "It would be better if I had a room with more space and better light, never mind a proper workbench."



Celestine cocked her head. "I'll see what I can do alright? Maybe Tristan can put you somewhere that'll work better than in here." Markus looked to her, clearly worried about sending her to help in tasks that should have been his responsibility. "Oh don't look at me like that." Celestine said frowning lightly. "Tristan won't try anything. He wants you working at peak efficiency after all." Celestine reasoned.



Markus didn't seem sold on the idea though. "Still, if he asks for something in return, tell him 'no' and that I'll make due without it."



Celestine frowned. "I'm going to do what it takes to get you the best working conditions possible Markus. I don't know much about runes, but from what I've gathered, they are freakishly complex things, and working in a dimly lit room will only hinder your work." Celestine pressed firmly.



Yet as she turned to leave Markus reached out and caught her wrist. "Celestine... For the love of god don't give him anything more." Markus implored.



Celestine smiled to him lightly, and leaned over him, gently pulling her wrist free. "Thank you for your concern Markus... But I'm not going to risk your safety for the sake of my own skin. I'll be fine, I promise. I know how to handle Tristan." She assured, before leaning a bit further forwards and kissing him gently upon the brow. "Now, stay here and get some rest." Celestine finished before she turned away and headed for the door.



"Rena." Celestine called firmly, making the demoness awaken quickly. "We're going." Celestine finished, prompting Rena to stretch before the demoness followed her out the door.



Markus watched the two of them go. He wasn't worried so much that Tristan was going to hurt Celestine if she asked for something. Rather, he was worried because of what Celestine said: that she knew how to handle him. Against his will, Markus's imagination began to fill in worst case scenarios as to how exactly she would 'handle' a Demonic Lord of lust...



~~~~~



Celestine had dropped Rena off back at her room before heading to Tristan's chambers, yet when she found herself at his door, uneasiness began to settle in on her. She reached out to knock several times, only to pull back and rethink what she was doing. She knew he was in there though, she could sense his presence beyond the door, apparently just lounging the late evening away. Despite her assurances to the otherwise, Markus's words had gotten to her. She honestly had no real idea how to handle Tristan, and was fully aware of the fact that he'd probably want something in return for a proper workspace for Markus, and given that it was Tristan, Celestine knew that it would likely be something erotic in nature.

<hr pg="3" />Her imagination began to swim with ideas about what he would want... Knowing him it wouldn't be something small or insignificant either, especially if he didn't particularly think that Markus needed a proper place to work. She pictured her demanding to get on her knees and suck him off, which immediately made her throat begin to go dry, but she quickly pushed that idea aside. Tristan enjoyed such things, but it wasn't something that she'd expect him to demand for payment. If he were to demand for something it would have to be something he didn't do often...



She shifted on her feet as she continued to think, causing the muscles in her bottom to flex lightly and draw her attention. It dawned on her then that he might want to fuck her up the ass again. Instantly memories of the first and only time he had taken her anally filled her mind, and how much it hurt at first, only for pain to be washed away by strange and foreign euphoria. The idea continued to permeate her mind as she pictured herself on all fours with her ass in the air presented to him, waiting for him to drive into her...



Celestine shook such thoughts away for a moment, realizing that if he did that again, she'd probably wouldn't be able to move for a day or so... Tristan was too big for her to take easily, and both of them were to rough for her to come out unscathed... Would he really risk hurting her again over a workspace? The last time he had taken her ass was as a punishment, not because she had asked for something.



"Damn it all." Celestine mumbled to herself, fighting the urge to pace while she tried to prepare herself. Pushing it all aside, she raised her hand to knock on his door again. It was silly trying to think of what he would do after all. It wasn't like there was a lot he could do that would be a big surprise. He'd screwed her mouth, ass and pussy all before, so what did she have to be afraid of?



But just as her fist was about to come down on the door, the last voice in the world she wanted to hear filled her thoughts.



<em>He could cum inside us...</em> Her inner voice mused. <em>Oh god would that be fantastic!</em> She continued, her tone addled with hopeful desire.



Celestine snorted; annoyed that it chose this most inopportune time to speak up. "It isn't like he hasn't done that before."



<em>Not in our pussy he hasn't...</em> She teased, even as Celestine could feel its spectral hands wrap around her gently. One hand slid up and cupped one of Celestine's breasts; the other slipped down between her legs and began to massage her clit. <em>I can imagine it... him pumping his thick cum into us, marking our cunt forever as his...</em> Celestine shuddered along with her inner voice at the thought, the sheer animal perversion striking Celestine like a hammer. It didn't help that her invisible partner's touch seemed to pass right through her clothes...



Celestine was about to argue, but the thoughts the sultry voice painted were quickly forming in her mind, and she inevitably began to imagine the feeling of Tristan letting loose and emptying himself inside her... A man had never cum inside her before after all, and she had no idea what it would feel like. Yet somehow, she found herself almost panting at the thought of him doing exactly that.



"N-... No that's... that's too much. He can't ask for that." Celestine replied to herself, even as her voice sounded like a pleading whimper to her own ears.



<em>And why not?</em> The invisible voice replied, even as Celestine's hips began to rock against its invisible touch. Her invisible partner continued to whisper its naughty ideas into her ear, its invisible lips brushing Celestine's earlobe. <em>Just imagine how it would feel, his wonderful cock slamming into us before dumping his load in us. I can only begin to conceive how it would feel as each jet of his cum splashed against our insides...</em>



"Stop it." Celestine shuddered once as she couldn't help but think of such things. "I'm... I'm doing this for... for Markus, not for my your perverse fantasies."



<em>Don't you mean</em> <strong><em>our</em></strong> <em>perverse fantasies?</em> She asked teasingly, even as she nipped at Celestine's ear. <em>Besides, how better to secure what we want? Hell, if we really needed to, we could even offer to let him cum inside us if he gives us what we want.</em>



Celestine couldn't help but ponder her other side's words... It took only moments for her imagination to come up with the image of herself offering to let him blow his load inside her, in return for what she wanted... But just the thought of it felt filthy, and more than a little degrading, but the idea of Tristan fucking her until he came deep inside her was something that made her pussy ooze. Still, Celestine fought against such a deep level of depravity... She wasn't a whore, and she wouldn't sell herself, no matter the situation. She was here to get Markus a proper workplace, and that was it. "No. I won't do it." Celestine said finally, perhaps surprising her spectral companion. "Besides, that would only end up ruining everything between me and Tristan. Tristan doesn't want a cock hungry whore, and I'd rather die than become one."



However to her surprise, her inner voice only seemed to laugh and giggle at her words as its hands pulled away from Celestine's sensitive flesh and instead wrapped around her, embracing Celestine almost lovingly. <em>Perfect! An absolutely perfect answer!</em>



"Wait... Huh?" Celestine asked, suddenly very confused.



Her inner voice seemed to sigh happily before explaining. <em>I was a little worried you wouldn't get it and run away instead when we imagined offering ourselves like that. But obviously you do understand, hence why we're still here.</em>



"You're not making any sense. What exactly did I just get?" Celestine asked, growing annoyed with her inner voice as it seemed to love leaving out real details.



<em>That we don't really want to be that sort of person... That in reality, we couldn't be. It's just like you said, we aren't a whore or a prostitute, and no matter how depraved our desires may become, we will never be such a person. It's one thing to be conquered, as we both know, but it's something else entirely too simply give up without a fight and beg for a cock. Conquest isn't just something that Tristan desires after all.</em>



Celestine stood there trying to adsorb the spectral voice's words. It was hard to convince herself to look for fault in her words, because quite frankly, Celestine agreed with them. It was obvious that she couldn't be someone like that, and despite wanting too, Celestine couldn't exactly deny that the idea of someone seizing total control over her was something that got her more than a little horny.



"Strange." Celestine began, a slight smile beginning to form upon her lips. "I can't say this very often, but honestly, I think you're right. And I'm actually glad you are." Celestine admitted.



<em>Good. But before we go patting ourselves on the back, I think you missed something you said a moment ago that was pretty important.</em> The spectral voice teased.



"Oh?" Celestine asked, still smiling.



<em>Yes. That little bit about how if we did follow through with my crazy suggestion, we'd end up 'ruining everything between me and Tristan'.</em> Her tone suggested there was more meaning behind it than what Celestine originally intended, like there was something between her and Tristan.



Celestine felt a bit of a blush come to her cheeks as she stood there embarrassed at her own words. "I didn't mean it like that!" She replied quickly.



Her spectral partner gave a sultry chuckle and hugged Celestine a bit tighter. <em>Maybe you didn't intentionally mean it like that, but that's how it came out. Remember, I am you, you are me. I know what we meant, even if you don't.</em>



"That doesn't make any sense." Celestine retorted, even as she blushed harder. "I meant... I meant that it would ruin all the work I've done to get the third mark!"



The same chuckle sounded in Celestine's mind and she ground her teeth trying not to freak out. <em>You do realize that you're a terrible liar, right?</em>



"Now you're just trying to piss me off." Celestine grumbled back, still feeling the heat in her cheeks from her embarrassment.



<em>Now now, no need to be angry.</em> She began cheerily, right up until her voice dropped low, dripping with desire and want. <em>How about we just contemplate Tristan pumping us full of his hot thick cum instead?</em> The invisible voice whispered, making the both of them shudder as Celestine's imagination began to rev up again.



Before she knew it, Celestine was beginning to pant slightly, and she could feel her pussy begin to go damp. "D-Damn you..." She eventually managed, though she surprised herself, with how alike in tone her voice had become to her invisible partners.



<em>Hey, if you damn me, then you damn yourself too.</em> She replied, before chuckling lightly. <em>But for now, I think you should focus on your surroundings.</em> She suggested, even as her presence began to fade from Celestine's perception.



"What? Why?" Celestine asked confused, even as her brain was addled with perverse images and desires.



Yet a moment later, Celestine got her answer like a bucket of cold water thrown in her face, as Tristan's door opened. She stood stunned for a moment as she found him standing in the doorway, stripped down to a pair of simple boxers, probably meant for sleeping in. "Celestine?" Tristan asked curiously, looking down at her with the same easy confident smile he usually wore.



Yet Celestine found herself unable to answer at first, still too flustered by her own imagination to come up with the words she needed. It hardly helped that the single most handsome man she had ever seen was standing in front of her, practically naked. It dawned on her then how she must have looked, standing there silently at his door. She still wore her conservative yet suggestive dress, and she knew her cheeks were flushed while her pussy was already half flooded.



"I... I uh..." Celestine shook her head to try and force rational thought back to the forefront, even as the idea of him forcefully taking her right there in the hallway suddenly tried to invade her thoughts. "I'd like you to provide something for Markus." She eventually managed, trying desperately to find anywhere to look but at Tristan. Unfortunately, her eyes seemed to disagree with her brain, and her gaze always eventually fell back on him.



"Oh? And what is that?" Tristan asked, though from how he seemed to be looking her over, Celestine got the impression that whatever Markus wanted, was quite possibly the farthest thing from Tristan's mind right now.



Without even thinking about it, Celestine reached out through the demonic mark and began to explore Tristan's emotions. She couldn't be sure, but Celestine got the impression that he was perfectly aware of how horny she had made herself. Hell, that shouldn't have been a surprise to her, he was an incubus after all, and could sense such things from mortals. But still, the fact that he knew about what she was feeling only made her embarrassment flare hot again. Even worse was that Tristan recognized her embarrassment and Celestine knew it... She could feel his desire for her begin to burn hotter and hotter. A moment more and she couldn't help but shudder at the raw lust beginning to sear her thoughts and emotions. She swallowed hard, trying to focus again and break the cycle and was eventually able to speak. "He needs a place to do his work..." Celestine cursed herself for her tone, thick with desire. "He can't do what he needs to in his room..." She added trying to calm down.



Tristan cocked his head lightly before he leaned against the doorframe and leaned over her, his shadow falling upon her. With him so close she couldn't help but meet his gaze, and she saw his desire for her in his golden eyes. Yet even as he acted, Celestine began to rail against the situation. This situation was already out of her control. But not because of anything he was doing specifically. She had gone and messed herself up by this point, and all he had to do was scoop her up and have his way with her.



<em>Well nuts to that</em>. Celestine thought to herself as she took a step back from Tristan and a slow deep breath to focus herself. "More accurately," she began, her voice already falling back into its strong and confident tone, "Markus needs a room with proper lighting for such detailed work, with a good workbench and plenty of room. The chambers you've given him are not nearly adequate enough for such things. If you want your sword done right, he should have a proper workshop." Celestine finished, looking to Tristan confidently.



Celestine saw Tristan's surprise written upon his face. Apparently he wasn't expecting her to recover so quickly from whatever got her revved up in the first place, and seemed at a loss as to what to do. It wasn't often that she stunned him, and Celestine didn't hesitate to revel in that fact. However, Celestine realized too late that she probably should have withdrawn from such direct contact with his emotions, as a moment later his desire for her lit up like an inferno.



Yet this time, she did not shrink away from his lust for her. If anything she almost basked in the raw magnitude of his feelings, while at the same time standing her ground against them, not letting herself yield to either of their desires just yet, fully aware that it would only arouse him further.



Yet for all the force of Tristan's desire, it suddenly guttered out, as Tristan somehow reined it in, leaving Celestine feeling very cold... When he spoke, his voice was utterly calm and relaxed, as if the emotional exchange between them hadn't happened at all. "I agree entirely. But then I never expected him to work in his bedroom, that's why I set up another chamber for that. I figured he'd want to rest up some after Rena beat him within an inch of his life. Hence why I was going to show it to the two of you tomorrow." Tristan finished simply.



Celestine blinked once or twice, trying to come to terms with what he was saying. "You mean... you always had a workshop set up for Markus?"



Tristan nodded easily. "Of course. I'm not an idiot, and I know such work would have to have a specific location dedicated to its completion."



"Oh... Heh..." Celestine chuckled a little before shrugging. "Here I was expecting that I'd have to argue with you over this... Hell, I even sort of expected that you'd try something to get me to 'pay' for it somehow. Which, in hindsight is kind of stupid I suppose. I mean he technically still works for you, even if it's through me." Celestine finished, stopping herself before she began to ramble. Yet despite her amused guise, the sudden withdrawal of Tristan's searing lust and the knowledge that nothing at all was going to happen between the two of them, left her feeling somewhat disappointed... Yet even as she thought it, Celestine mentally slapped herself, realizing the absurdity of her train of thought. It was insane to be disappointed when someone didn't take advantage of you and your situation.



"Hum... I wouldn't call it stupid Celestine." Tristan began, stepping forward and closing the distance between the two of them again. "I mean it is me we're talking about here." Tristan explained, with a confident and cunning smile.



"So, what? You simply aren't taking advantage of the situation because you didn't think of it earlier enough?" Celestine asked, not backing up any further.



Tristan shrugged. "Something like that, yes. Though I have to admit Celestine, you almost sound a little disappointed. Were you hoping that I <em>would</em> take advantage of you?"



Celestine blushed hard and almost sputtered at his words. "You really are full of yourself, you know that?" Celestine tried to snap back at him. Unfortunately her embarrassment robbed her words of the sharpness she was shooting for, and instead she sounded more flustered than anything else. Trying to salvage her pride, Celestine turned away from him completely. "Regardless, if I don't need to convince you of Markus's need, then I don't have any reason to be here." Celestine continued, her voice growing stronger again for the moment. She didn't bother waiting for his reply, and instead began to walk off.



"Oh, I can think of a reason or two." Tristan replied, and from the sound of his voice, he was following right behind her.



Spinning around Celestine was about to snap at him, but before she could speak, found herself inhaling in his intoxicating aroma. Instantly she found herself stunned by his delectable scent, even as he stood almost close enough for her to lean against him. It only took her a moment to fight off his inebriating aroma, but even as she fended off his devilish scent, she was so distracted that she didn't see his hand coming up to take her chin gently with his index finger and thumb.



When their skin connected Celestine could have sworn she was struck by lightning that went straight to her cunny as it began to flood all over again. Despite intending to just walk away from him a moment ago, Celestine found her heart thundering her chest as a part of her feared that he might have changed his mind about taking advantage of her. Yet at the same time, the more carnal animal side of her desperately hoped that that was exactly the case, and that he would stop toying with her and simply take her by force.



When he spoke, his voice was at complete ease, even as she shivered at his touch. "Humm... I think I've thought of something, now that I've had a chance to ponder." Tristan informed her, his eyes capturing hers.



"Oh?" Celestine found herself replying, her voice attempting to be strong, even as it shuddered lightly. "What might that be?" She continued to ask, even as she squeezed her legs closed and glared at Tristan. She searched his emotions for the scalding lust that she knew had to be there, only to find herself cut off from the Demonic Mark. Tristan had blocked their link for the moment, as if to see how she would react to him without knowing how he was feeling. Yet even the fact that he was hiding his emotions excited Celestine. He usually only did so when he really did mean to keep something from her, or, more importantly, when he was planning something...



Yet Tristan didn't reply to her question, and instead she found him slowly drawing her chin up as he began to lean forwards clearly aiming to kiss her. Yet even as he was certain he had her in hand, he was surprised suddenly to find her slipping out of his gentle grip, and turning away from him, her long red hair flowing past his gaze and brushing his face lightly as she took several steps away. Again Tristan found himself utterly stupefied... He could sense her lust... Hell, he could fucking feel it radiating off her like heat from an open flame. He was certain that she wanted him to take advantage of her ... Yet still she denied him.



As he watched her walk, he saw her hips sway with an almost cat-like grace, even as she stood tall and with easy confidence. Every step seemed to make Tristan's heart throb and his cock ache... Seeing her like that, completely and utterly defiant of his desires while at the same time so utterly tempting made him yearn for her all the more. Yet even as he watched her, he realized the truth behind her actions. She was defying him for the sake of stoking his desires for her. Tristan couldn't help but smile wide as he realized that she wanted him to burn for her. That if she was going to be taken, it wasn't going to be because she just let it happen. He would have to conquer her by force, and she knew they would both love every second of it.



Yet after putting a half dozen feet between them, Celestine spoke up, her voice confident and strong. "It's too bad, if you hadn't let it slip that you've already prepared everything, this might have been a much more interesting meeting. Oh well. Good night Tristan." She finished, before looking over her shoulder, fully intending to send him a smoldering glance. Yet even as she looked, she suddenly found the hall behind her empty. She could still sense his presence, but he seemed to slip out of sight...

<hr pg="4" />Frowning, and suddenly very worried over where Tristan had gone, Celestine began to turn around completely, only to catch sight of him in the corner of her eye. The wily devil had slipped into her blind spot, even as she turned to look back to him. Yet she didn't have a chance to chastise him, as before she knew it, Celestine felt his lips pressed to hers, one hand slipping under her chin again, drawing her up enough to meet his lips while the other hand found the small of her back, and held her closely to him.



Celestine's heart skipped a beat as she felt his lips against hers, and a moment later began to feel a sense of carnal triumph wash over her. Yet it died a moment later when she realized his kiss was not the dominating lustful kiss that she was expecting. Instead, it was gentle and adoring, and more specifically, it was something that Celestine was utterly unprepared for.



She was ready for something hard and fast and wonderfully fierce. Not a kiss that seemed to almost worship her with feelings he had told her he wasn't capable of giving her. Celestine couldn't help but whimper as he continued to kiss her, as even the very notion that this man could long for more than her body made her feel uncertain and lost, causing her resolve and strength to crumble beneath the weight of such emotions. Between his words and her unwillingness to accept her own feelings, Celestine had nearly completely convinced herself that what she felt from him right now was impossible. But here she was, only now realizing that she had started kissing him back with equal reverence at some point, and that she was beginning to entertain the notion that there might have been some possible way for the two of them to have some sort of relationship...Her rational mind railed against that idea of course, but that part of her that secretly hoped for such a relationship squeezed her heart all the tighter, desperately trying to convince her that she needed to try.



When Tristan separated them for a moment to allow Celestine a moment to catch her breath, Celestine spoke up, even as her world spun. <em>"Wh-...What are-"</em> But she didn't get to finish her question between her quick breaths, as Tristan captured her lips again. Celestine tried to fight what she was feeling of course, as a part of her knew that the only logical outcome of this was that she was going to be hurt by him... The rational side of her eventually lost the fight, and she couldn't help but continue their embrace.



It was strange, and thrilling at the same time... Celestine knew Tristan could conquer her by force; that he could pin her down and take what he wanted while giving her pleasure beyond reason... Yet the idea that he could conquer her with a kiss made her quiver in delight. It wasn't that she couldn't fight back; it was that she didn't <em>want</em> to fight back. She didn't want to fight because the tenderness of his kiss defied his words assuring her that he could not love her.



When he finally broke away from her again, she felt him slip his hands away from her body and take a step back. Even as she recovered from his kiss, she saw that he still wearing the same confident relaxed smile he always did. If he felt anything like she did, he clearly didn't show it, now that he wasn't kissing her. That in itself confused Celestine, as she tried to comprehend how he could heap such emotions onto her, yet be so utterly unmoved by them at the same time...



Yet after a moment, Tristan's smile grew a fraction larger, and Celestine could see new lust and desire begin to burn in him. "Hum. Now I'm beginning to wish I had forgotten a workspace for him. If I had, I might have had the chance to spend more time with you this evening... Something I think both of us would have enjoyed greatly."



Even as Tristan seemed to slip back into his normal casual form, Celestine found herself having to suppress the urge to shudder in delight at his words... Even now, still befuddled by his kiss and her own arousal, the idea of simply walking past Tristan and into his bedroom crossed Celestine's mind... She could feel that she was still horny, and what's more she knew he could sense it too. "Humm..." She began her voice almost identical to the sultry low voice that her spectral companion bore. "Maybe next time. But until then, I think I'll be on my way." She gave him an eager glance before turning away.



However as she continued to walk, Tristan spoke up, though he hadn't moved from where she had left him standing. Even as she walked, his powerful voice sent shivers down her spine, and nearly made her pussy ooze, to the point where she feared it might start running down her legs. "Oh there will be no 'maybe' Celestine." He promised darkly. "Next time there won't be a 'maybe'. Come heaven or hell, you are all mine..."



To accent his point, Tristan opened the mark to her again, and the flood of dark lust that washed over Celestine's senses nearly knocked her off her feet. Yet somehow she managed to stay upright and continue walking, even if her breath was coming in quick desperate gasps. Celestine didn't look back. Hell, she knew she couldn't. If she did, she knew she'd break down and try and tempt him to follow through with his promise, and if his raw searing lust was any indication, Celestine doubted she'd be able to walk away from the following fallout of such a carnal embrace...



"Fuck..." Celestine groaned to herself. "I <em>really</em> need a cold shower..."



~~~~~



Celestine lay out on her bed after her numbingly cold shower, and had blessedly calmed down some. Looking up at the nearby clock, she found it was actually close to 1:00am, and that she had long since missed her meeting with Salana and Tamana. She was silently grateful that she had the foresight to set up additional meetings if she couldn't meet them initially.



She honestly hadn't expected that Tristan would keep Markus so close. She had expected that Tristan would have Markus work through Arzal, and nothing more, but now, with Markus here, things were much more difficult. Still, Celestine found herself smiling grimly. The idea that anything Tristan did was easily predicted was contradictory in its very nature. Yes, she could always assume that he would act in his best carnal interests, but the 'how' part was what usually threw her for a loop.



Celestine licked her lips slowly and couldn't help but shudder lightly, as memories of how Tristan had kissed her came creeping back in. Even now, she could recall the sensation with such clarity that she could almost swear that he was still kissing her. It wasn't something she was expecting from him, and even as she thought about it, it made her heart ache. On one side, she knew that in the end, Tristan was out for her soul, and that he was a demon that had fully admitted to the fact that he couldn't feel love for a mortal like Celestine. Yet on the other side, she couldn't kill the spark of hope and desire for him to care for her beyond simple physical pleasure. That side of her kept dragging up all the circumstantial proof that Tristan did in fact care for her beyond the simple servant and master relationship many demons might have had with marked servants.



But even if that hidden hope was fulfilled, where did that leave her and Markus? Hell, how did she really even feel about him? Celestine was completely aware of the possibility that she was reaching out to Markus so hard was because he was the only other mortal she had contact with. Yet even despite that, Celestine still felt drawn to Markus. He was fit, smart, and clearly cared for her well being. Enough so that he'd even risk putting his own life on the line for her. In many ways he was similar to Tristan, though unlike Tristan, Celestine definitely got the feeling that she held the upper hand in whatever relationship they had. Even without Tristan's 'agreement' where she would be in charge of Markus, Markus's actions had indicated that he didn't want to risk truly offending Celestine. Celestine smiled happily at that thought, as she suspected that he was worried that he'd somehow screw it up badly and she would ditch him.



It was a strange feeling she had to admit. In what few previous relationships she had had, Celestine had always considered herself an equal to her companion, and was unwilling to be either subservient or dominant. Even if she liked to control the situations she was in, she would seek out input from her partner, rather than just make decisions on her own. Then again, that level of control and planning was usually what drove people away from her back then, as they didn't want every part of their lives neatly planned out. Strange, how she would have done better in those relationships now, after being influenced by a monster, than before, when she was more or less a normal person.



But would she even find such people attractive as she was today? Looking back, most of them seemed so bland and unemotional when compared to her more recent experiences, but then that wasn't surprising given the sort of men she used to seek out: non-aggressive and non-daring men who seemed more inclined to think rationally and calmly, rather than act on basic impulses and desires, like Tristan did. The people who she might have thought interesting now, were those she once avoided, because she used to believe such people to be too brash and irresponsible. Markus, who was bold enough to kiss her on their first meeting, was much more akin to those she once avoided than those she sought out. But that drew the question of whether or not she'd actually even like Markus or not. While the answer was yes, Celestine knew the person she was before she met Tristan would probably disagree with who she was today...



Celestine knew she had changed, and drastically too. She wasn't the controlling inadaptable woman she once was. She didn't fear spontaneous pleasure anymore, and she didn't find the hungry gaze of others to be filthy or degrading. Hell, she reveled in such things, even if her moral compass once told her doing so was wrong. Despite the fact that she was a prisoner, Celestine found herself supremely thankful for the changes Tristan had incited in her.



But then there was the problem... Could her desire to destroy Tristan and her affections for him exist together? She couldn't help but smile grimly at that question, as even asking it proved that she did indeed have feelings for him. As absurd and suicidal as that might have been, she still wanted Tristan to love her, in the same way a part of her was beginning to love him. Maybe she was just going crazy, for actually loving a demon. Or maybe it was because despite being a demon, Tristan treated her with as much or even more caring and adoration that any other man had. He wasn't afraid of pushing her limits, because he knew she would enjoy surpassing them, even if she feared such things at the same time.



Yet Celestine knew that deep down, Tristan was inherently evil. He killed human beings with no more caring than a human would step on an ant. She understood the most fundamental reason he did so of course. All demons used humans for nourishment, either by consuming their souls, or feeding off their emotions. But it wasn't really like a human killing a cow for food. If it was, demons would simply strike quickly and cleanly, and that's all there would be to it. But they enslaved humans regularly, and even went so far as to breed them for their use. Even beyond that, demons corrupted humanity at every opportunity. Not only to make the humans then became more nourishing, but because they enjoyed watching mortals fall into depravity and sin.



Celestine knew she was no different. Hell, Tristan had said as much. He wanted to see her fall completely, to give into vice and toss everything else aside. Though it wasn't solely out of cruelty that he did so... It was pretty obvious that Tristan wanted such things for her, because he honestly believed she'd be happier living like that, then she had been before they met. Terrifyingly enough, Celestine was beginning to realize that he might have been right on that point...



But the tug of sleep began to pull Celestine into its embrace, pushing her worries and concerns aside for the moment with the promise of restful peace. She resisted its pull for a time, but weariness eventually got the best of her, and Celestine drifted off, still thinking about Tristan and Markus.



~~~~~



"You want it to be able to do <em>what</em>?" Markus asked disbelieving, even as he limped lightly after Tristan, with Celestine walking between the two men.



Tristan had approached Celestine and Markus that morning, and proposed to show Markus where he would be doing his work, as apparently it wouldn't be taking place in his relatively small chambers. While Markus was happy that he'd have room to do his work, he worried what Celestine had to do to earn him such a place. She had told him that Tristan already had such a place set aside even before she ever approached him, so she never had to haggle with him for it. Still, Markus got the feeling Celestine was hiding something from him about her meeting with the demon of lust, though for now, he didn't pry. That said, he didn't like where it looked like this workshop was going to end up... Celestine recognized the path they were taking almost as soon as they were on it, and a part of her secretly hoped that Tristan would veer off at the last moment, and bring them somewhere else entirely.



But it seemed like the path was set in stone, as Tristan continued to walk and replied to Markus. "I want to be able to summon the sword from anywhere." He repeated, not even trying to hide how amused Markus's response made him. "Why? Is it too tall of an order for you?"



Markus blinked once and snorted. "First, I didn't say that. Second, why the hell do you want it to be able to be summoned from anywhere? Yes, to an extent it is practical, as in essence, you'd never be unarmed because you could just summon it too you. However what you probably don't understand is the level of work that's going to entail. Never mind the fact that summoning runes would throw off the flow of the whole weapon. No matter where it is on the blade, the flow of energy into the actual destructive runes would be hampered, making it less effective as a weapon." Markus tried to explain.



Tristan, despite his aloof stride, seemed to be paying to Markus. "From what you said when you first got here, runes are supposed to be imprinted onto something that relates to their function, correct?"



Markus found himself surprised as they came upon a set of stairs that led downward into what he suspected was a basement. "You were listening to our conversation? I figured you were paying attention to Arzal, not me and Celestine..." Markus admitted.



Tristan chuckled as he began to head down the stairs. "Come now, haven't you figured it out yet? Arzal meant nothing more to me than a means to get to you. Even rewarding Claude, while a nice bonus, wasn't my final goal. You were." Tristan explained. "Please, do try and keep up." Tristan mocked lightly as he turned towards the heavy stone gates that seemed to bar entry into the basement.



Markus was about to retort, but Tristan turned away and ran his hand along the surface of the doors, igniting the demonic glyphs etched upon their surface with a light green glow. In a moment or two more, the heavy slabs began to groan open, making the way into the tunnels ahead clear. The darkness that loomed beyond the entryway seemed to consume all light, giving him pause. Markus was about to question what Tristan was up to when he simply stepped through, quickly followed by Celestine.



Not willing to let his pride be injured, Markus stepped through quickly to follow them, and instantly found the décor completely different from what was above... The mansion was warm and inviting, but this place? This place was cold, damp and damning... Worse, was the fact that Celestine seemed to gravitate closer to Tristan down here. She didn't seem afraid; rather it looked like she was assured by being closer to him, rather than Markus... Sure, as injured as he was, he probably couldn't put up much of a fight, but it still stung.



Not that Markus really could understood what was going through Celestine's mind. Even as she drew closer to Tristan, she felt a lingering unease about entering this place again. Being close to Tristan helped, but it didn't solve the problem entirely... She didn't want to meet Nefas again. Or, more specifically, she didn't want to see or hear Cameron, even if the hateful and vicious side of her was curious to see how she ended up...



But Tristan's words drew her attention back to the conversation between him and Markus. "So, the reason a summoning rune would disrupt the weapon, would be because the blade of the sword isn't really meant to be used to move the weapon around. Correct?" Tristan asked calmly.



"That's simplifying it, but in a nutshell, yes." Markus replied, managing to keep up. "What the hell is this place? Your dungeon?" Markus asked, an amused tone hanging from his voice. "It has a certain dampness that really gives it that 'dungeon' feeling." Markus joked.



Celestine noticed that Tristan had slowed fractionally. It wasn't enough to be obvious, but it was enough to allow Markus to keep up. Despite herself, and despite knowing he was injured, a part of Celestine cursed Markus for slowing them down. Already she could feel Nefas lurking in the walls, spying on them from between the cracks in the walls.



"It is, amongst other things." Tristan informed. "Though you won't need to worry about the dungeon, breeding pits, or the barracks given that your shop will be separated from those things and Nefas will keep the Hell Spawn from wandering towards you. That said, I wouldn't go exploring if I were in your position." Tristan warned with a casual easiness that irked Markus. Yet even as he finished, Tristan's gaze turned to Celestine, his features turning to mild concern.



Without hesitation, Tristan spoke to Celestine through the Demonic Mark, suddenly very aware of something. <em>("You shuddered just now.")</em> Tristan commented, his thoughts troubled.



Celestine didn't look back to him as she didn't hesitate to reply. <em>("Yes I did. I don't like it down here, but then I suppose that's kind of how it was designed? It doesn't help that I can already feel Nefas lurking behind the walls, watching us.")</em> Celestine tried to explain.



Tristan seemed to ponder her thoughts for a moment before replying. <em>("You're holding something back Celestine.")</em> Tristan announced lightly, his voice not accusing.



Celestine glanced to him before looking away again, scowling at how perceptive he was. <em>("It's nothing. Leave it alone Tristan.")</em>



<em>("Now why on earth would I do that?")</em> Tristan asked playfully. <em>("Relax Celestine, I'm not one to judge. And it's not like you're scared. Something like this place isn't enough to put you off. So what is it?")</em>



Celestine worried at her lower lip, debating whether or not to tell him. It wasn't this place that worried her, it was her own thoughts. <em>("Let's talk about it later, alright? I don't want to discuss it in front of Markus.")</em> Celestine explained.



Though her words only made Tristan chuckle across the demonic mark. <em>("What does it matter if we talk about it or no in front of him? It's not like he can hear us, remember?")</em> Tristan asked, amused by what he saw as her meager reasoning.



Celestine gave him a slightly cunning smile before replying <em>("Because talking to me is apparently distracting you from the conversation you were carrying on with him... It's pretty obvious you can't hear him talking to you right now...")</em> Celestine said with a playful hint to her thoughts.

<hr pg="5" />Tristan paused and listened with his ears for a moment only to realize that Markus was trying to get his attention. <em>("No, of course not. I was just ignoring him.")</em> Tristan replied.



<em>("Liar.")</em> Celestine shot back instantly, her smile growing further. <em>("Admit it, you were so focused on me that you completely forgot about Markus for a second there.")</em>



Tristan smiled to her, startling her for a moment as she saw his admiration for her shining in his eyes. She had caught him dead to rights, and it made him long for her all the more. "You got me." Tristan said aloud, voice low and a little suggestive, at least to Celestine's ear.



"What?" Markus asked, clearly confused. "What are you talking about?"



Tristan sighed to himself before replying to Markus. "Never mind that. Focus on your work Markus. Now, where were we before I was distracted?" Tristan asked himself glancing mischievously at Celestine.



Celestine walked, remarkably relaxed now that she had spoken with Tristan through the Demonic Mark. She knew he was there for her sake more than anything else, and that knowledge drove away any doubts or concerns she had. If anything, knowing she had distracted him so completely made her confidence grow. Still, she didn't skip a beat and replied to his question as if nothing were amiss. "I do believe you were going on about summoning the sword and where the runes could fit." Celestine suggested lightly, trying but failing to hide the pleased smile upon her lips.



Markus hobbled after the two of them, confused as to what the hell the two of them were apparently happy about. But before he could speak, Tristan cut back in, as if remembering with Celestine's help. "Ah yes. We know the summoning runes can't be on the blade itself, because it will hamper its effectiveness, but what about the grip of the weapon?" Tristan asked calmly. "After all, a grip is to hold and move the weapon, which would be closer to the function of the rune."



Markus blinked once or twice before taking a moment to actually consider what Tristan was saying. It was at that point that Celestine began to wonder if Tristan actually knew more about runes than he let on. He did have demonic glyphs imprinted onto his arms when he took his demonic form, and Celestine had seen him use such glyphs in his larger incantations when he was fighting with Odeon. The idea that Tristan might be holding back information from Markus struck Celestine, and the idea seemed all the more probable when she considered that while Tristan gave Markus all of Arzal's information on the subject, he never once offered anything of his own...



Still, Markus didn't seem completely convinced yet. "Hum... That isn't a bad idea, but the raw power needed to transfer something like that, even over a short distance, is going to be more than I'm willing to shunt away from the blade itself. There isn't any point to having a weapon if it can't cut down your enemies after all." Markus explained.



"So make an external battery." Tristan replied without hesitation. "I don't plan on leaving the weapon lying around on the floor after all. It'll be in a stand of some sort, which I expect you to make as well. Etch your runes into that to provide the power it needs."



Markus grumbled. "You have no idea how difficult that would actually be, do you? Or how much time it would take?" Markus continued, clearly annoyed. "Trying to get normal runes to function together across multiple objects is nearly impossible already, but combine that with the chaotic nature of demonic glyphs? Sure you might be able to summon the weapon to you, but it'd probably blow up in your hands a fraction of a second later."



Tristan chuckled lightly and shrugged. "So you are saying you can't do it then?"



Markus glared daggers at Tristan's back. "You're trying to play me. You're attacking my pride in order to get me to fly off the handle and say I can do anything I set my mind to or some garbage like that in order to show you up." Markus pointed out bluntly.



"Indeed I am." Tristan admitted with absolutely no hesitation or guilt. A moment later he glanced over his shoulder at Markus, a light utterly confident grin upon his features. "But you knowing that doesn't change the situation. Either you can man up and do the job, or you can't. There isn't any fault in admitting your shortcomings. Though personally, after hearing so much about your skills and ingenuity, I figured you'd manage somehow. But if you can't, then I suppose you can't." Tristan concluded.



Markus didn't reply right off the bat, and instead fought the urge to step up to Tristan's challenge. Was it theoretically possible? Sure. But then it was also theoretically possible to survive falling out of a plane at twenty thousand feet... Did he think he could do it? Maybe, but if he failed it might ruin the whole thing and start from scratch. And he didn't suspect that Durial would give him many chances.



Yet as Markus glanced to Celestine he noticed her looking at him from the corner of her eye. What he saw in her veiled gaze seemed to spur him on more than any jab or ploy Durial might have made, and seeing her look at him like that was too much to take. It wasn't disdain or anything like that; Celestine was too kind for such things. Instead it was almost a sort of pity. Markus saw that Celestine felt sorry for him, because of the seemingly impossible demands that Tristan was placing upon him. That single glance set off something in Markus, whether it was some primal instinct from when man still lived in caves, or if it was simply his unwillingness to be shown up in front of her, Markus found himself speaking, despite rationally knowing he should be saying something else entirely.



"I'll do it." Markus declared firmly, looking back to Tristan quickly. Yet even as he looked at the demon in front of him, Markus felt a shot of confidence surge through him, as he noticed Celestine smiling proudly as he stood his ground against Tristan. "But I won't be doing it for you. Frankly speaking, I can't think of a better way to test the limits of what demonic glyphs and runes can accomplish when combined than this. It's easy to make a rune that helps cut, or makes a weapon more durable. But this? This will be a challenge." Markus announced proudly, a corner of his mouth curling up in a self-assured smile.



Celestine found herself smiling lightly at Markus's self confidence. Perhaps he could be arrogant at times, but she knew that despite his words, he was doing this to impress her, and that made her supremely happy. She wasn't accustomed to men showing off for her sake, and while she knew it was silly, she found herself liking it more than a little... "I know you'll figure it out with that big brain of yours." Celestine assured, her voice light and pleased.



"Indeed." Tristan replied calmly. "It wasn't all that much trouble to get a hold of you, but still, I'd hate to see the effort turn out to be a waste. Plus, it isn't just me that you have to prove yourself to. Because of our agreement, Celestine is part of this as well. If you can't deliver, I'll have to punish Celestine for failing to motivate you properly." Tristan explained as he continued to walk idly.



"Wait, What?!" Markus asked sharply, almost stumbling at Tristan's words. What's more, Markus noticed that Celestine seemed to be taken aback by Tristan's words as well. As if she had experienced his punishment before and was stunned by the idea of going through it again. He watched as she turned to Tristan, eyes wide as she worried at her lower lip, and even went so far as to take a half step back away from Tristan.



<em>("Th-that was never part of our agreement.")</em> Celestine replied quickly to Tristan's words, taking the conversation to the demonic mark, all the while trying to keep her thoughts neutral and calm. Yet despite the attempt, Celestine could swear she heard hopefulness tainting her thoughts...



She felt Tristan's glee over the demonic mark, as if he was waiting for her to finally realize one of the pitfalls of their agreement. <em>("Celestine, it is hardly my fault that you failed to interpret our agreement correctly, or even take the time to make amendments to my proposal. Besides, I told you, you would become part of the chain of command once you agreed. Therefore, his failures are your failures.")</em> Tristan replied easily, even as she felt that he was wonderfully excited. <em>("And you know as well as I that my kind punishes failure.")</em> Tristan added, a ripple of lust running through his thoughts before they washed over Celestine, making her shudder pleasantly. <em>("Or would you rather I punish him directly?")</em> Tristan asked playfully, a dark perverse undercurrent to his tone. <em>("I assure you, he'll appreciate the method of punishment much less than you will.")</em> Tristan finished, his thoughts dripping with lustful promises.



Despite herself, a part of Celestine began to hope that Markus would mess up once or twice... <em>("I... I understand. It might not be fair, but based off our agreement, I suppose I don't have much of a choice in the matter,.")</em>



<em>("Not really no.")</em> Tristan replied, his thoughts amused. <em>("But then you wouldn't enjoy it as much if you did have a choice.")</em> Tristan continued, inciting Celestine's imagination into painting new erotic dreams.



Blushing hard Celestine almost shouted back over the demonic mark. <em>("Shut up you ass!")</em> Though her thoughts were not as sharp as she would have liked. It was hard to make a cutting edge when her desires and lust kept getting in the way.



Tristan didn't get a chance to reply to her as Markus hobbled up between them, voice raised almost to the point of being threatening. "Now you listen to me, if I fuck up, then that's on me alright?! It isn't fair that Celestine has to pay for my screw ups!"



Markus just about raised a hand to Tristan, to accent his point, but before he got that far, Markus found Celestine's arms wrapped around his torso and up under one arm to hold the raised arm back. "Stop it!" Celestine snapped at him, dragging him back a few feet.



Markus was stunned that Celestine was standing up for Durial, and looked back to her in astonishment. Her grip on him caused pain of course, but that seemed overshadowed by the stunned surprise her actions caused him. "What?... why?" He managed, clearly completely confused.



Celestine's face was firm and hard at first, but all at once she seemed to understand his sudden confusion and her features softened into a mask of confused apology. Markus had never intended to attack Tristan, and Celestine had simply leapt to conclusions... "I..." Celestine began, but she quickly found words eluding her. The urge to look to Tristan for aid struck her, but Celestine angrily stamped it out. She didn't need him, or his help; at least not when it came to Markus. "Sorry, I saw you lifting your arm and I thought maybe you were going to attack him, and I didn't want you to get hurt... It was stupid I know, I mean you know as well as everyone else here that you're in no shape for a fight, let alone with Trist... er... Durial. Right? " Celestine asked, looking at him apologetically. But then Markus wasn't alone in his confusion, Celestine herself was perplexed by her reflexive actions.



Markus frowned at first, as if trying to figure out if Celestine was lying or not, but quickly seemed to come to some conclusion and nodded to her. "I wasn't going to attack him... Just... I don't know, try and be assertive maybe." Markus postulated, still half stunned by Celestine's actions.



"Well, regardless of what you were going to try and do, she probably just saved you an arm." Tristan announced clearly amused at what was happening between the two mortals. "I'm not a patient creature Markus, so I wouldn't recommend raising your voice to me again. Or, as you put it, 'be assertive'." Tristan added, sharing an unimpressed smile with Markus before turning and continuing on.



Markus was about to grumble obscenities aimed at Tristan, but Celestine's gentle hand upon his shoulder made him think better of it. Eventually he nodded and began to follow Durial once again, glancing about the gloomy tunnel towards whatever destination Durial had in mind. Despite his pride, Markus found himself thankful for Celestine's presence. Without her, Markus may have very well done something incredibly stupid...



Yet almost as if on cue, Durial seemed to pause, his head cocking lightly as if he was listening for something. Frowning, Markus spoke up, trying not to be too loud as to overpower whatever Durial might be listening for. "What is it?"



Durial turned to Markus and frowned slightly, as if Markus speaking had about as much meaning as an annoyingly persistent cricket. A few more moments past and Durial let out a low sigh. "Damn it all." A moment later he turned to Celestine. "It seems as if Lavanna is on her way."



Celestine frowned lightly. "I didn't know she was supposed to come today."



"She wasn't. She's coming largely unannounced, and we wouldn't have known until she was at the gate if not for the wisdom of one of her aides. It seems she has very important information for me, so she came straight away. Though why she didn't call herself is beyond me." Tristan explained.



Celestine frown deepened. "Weird... you think this has anything to do with Odeon's memories?" Celestine asked, having been told what Tristan's plans were a while ago.



"Probably. Look, could you head back up and meet our guest with Claude. This won't take much longer and I'd really rather get this done now rather then have to come back down here with him." Tristan explained while pointing a thumb at Markus.



Celestine frowned again. "Wait... why me? Why not yourself or Claude?"



Tristan chuckled. "Simple. Claude can't stand being in Lavanna's presence for overly long, especially when it's just the two of them, and I'm going to be here showing your new pet to his workshop. Further, I need to speak with Nefas for a bit. As such, I need someone to go and sit with her. If I just leave her alone, I suspect Lavanna will start snooping around for any secrets she might be able to find. It's in her nature to poke around. She couldn't really help it if she were left to her own devices."



"So, in summary, you're sending me to go distract her." Celestine replied dryly, clearly not thrilled with the task before her.



"Something like that, yes. Claude will be nearby so don't fret overly. Besides, Lavanna wouldn't do something as stupid as to try and force information from you. Certainly not in my own house at least." Tristan explained.



Celestine sighed and fought the urge to hang her head. "Your words inspire the greatest of confidences." Celestine shrugged and pushed aside her dislike for her task. "I'll do it. But so long as you swear harm won't come to Markus while I'm gone." Before Tristan could reply she looked to Markus. "And that means you'll have to be polite and respectful, or at least try to be."



Markus glanced to Tristan, only to find him nodding his head as if it were nothing at all to make such a promise. Looking back to Celestine Markus begrudgingly agreed. As much as he disliked admitting it, the only thing that was protecting him right now was the 'agreement' between Celestine and Durial. "I'll do my best not to insult Du- Lord Durial." Markus corrected himself, trying to make his voice as formal as he could manage.



Celestine nodded and began to head back, clearly not looking forward to spending any time at all with Lavanna. Markus glanced to Tristan to see how he reacted to the two of them parting ways, only to find him already continuing down the hall. Frowning lightly, Markus continued after him, keeping half a dozen feet between them.



Little did he know the conversation between them continued. <em>("I'll ask Rena to be nearby as well, just in case.")</em> Tristan assured Celestine.



<em>("Thanks, but I don't think that's a great idea. Yes, I'd be safe, and if push came to shove, I'm pretty sure Rena could kill Lavanna, but you need the info in her head right? If Rena gets involved there's no way you'll get what you need.")</em> Celestine explained. <em>("Besides, you said she wouldn't try anything right? So there isn't any need.")</em> Celestine assured, even as she felt like she was walking into the vipers nest.



~~~~



As the two men went deeper, Markus began to detect a change in the air. Instead of the unmoving stagnant air, there was hot wet scent to the air. "What is that?" he asked, right up until the point where he stepped upon the fleshy film that seemed to be spreading out over the stone ahead of them. "Better question... the hell is <em>that</em>?" Markus asked, slightly disgusted.



"It's a part of Nefas, a demon under my employ. Well, actually it's more accurate to say it's a symbiotic moss like entity that Nefas created to help with his work. It allows him to absorb nutrients and moisture from the earth to help feed whatever it might latch onto." Tristan explained easily. "It also helps keep waste down here to a minimum. It digests and consumes dead flesh or even waste from the various creatures that live down here. But I suppose that brings up an important note... That tunnel over there." Durial pointed idly towards another passage, which Markus could detect the scent was coming from. "Don't ever go down there. The beasts that are there are trained not to leave their roost, but you'll end up something's dinner or worse if you go down there."



"Huh..." Markus replied, even as curiosity began to gnaw at him. "How worse is 'worse' exactly?" He asked, feeling the urge to defy Durial's warnings.



"Well to answer that, I'll answer an earlier question. That scent you are likely detecting? It's the smell of birth, sex, and death." Markus's confused look made Tristan chuckle once again before continuing. "Think of it as a breeding pit for the Hell Spawn I keep. Though not all the breeding sows are completely willing... Well, not yet anyway." Tristan added with a cruel smirk upon his lips as he looked down the tunnel. "If you listen carefully, you can almost hear her mind being torn apart by carnal pleasure and utter disgust."



Markus was suddenly very thankful he didn't have the hearing that Durial seemed to possess. "Alright, point taken. No going down the horrible tunnel full of monster breeding." Markus replied dryly.



Tristan shrugged and continued to walk, turning as he went. Following, Markus began to recall the story that Celestine told him, about Cameron and how she was down there somewhere. Even as he followed, the question of what ultimately happed to Cameron weighed heavily on Markus. Even if Celestine thought condemning her to this place was the right choice, Markus found himself unable to agree with her. "Is she down there? Is that who you were talking about a moment ago?" Markus asked, suddenly aware of how his voice bounced around in the tunnel.



"And who do you mean exactly?" Durial asked, even as Markus got the distinct feeling like he knew perfectly well who Markus was asking about.



"The friend of Celestine's... Cameron. Is she still down there? Or is she dead?" Markus asked quietly, as if saying it too loudly would summon her to them somehow.



Yet if that were the case, Durial's low chuckling would have brought her. "That sow? Oh no, she's still down there, and I suspect she is being defiled and soiled even as we speak." Tristan assured. "I'm surprised Celestine told you about that. I didn't think she'd be able to share it with anyone yet." Tristan seemed to ponder that thought, and Markus could swear he was somehow pleased by the idea that Celestine was sharing the experience with others.



Yet his words made Markus's jaw clench in anger. "You tricked Celestine into condemning that woman to this place." He accused firmly, even as Durial continued to lead.

<hr pg="6" />"I don't think of it as trickery. Instead I feel as if I presented all the options to her and allowed her to make her choice based on those options. Nothing more, nothing less." Tristan replied as if nothing at all was wrong.



"How can you see it that way? You influenced her by highlighting the worst case scenarios! You outlined how bad it would be if Cameron were free, to make condemning her to that hell as the only rational option. What's worse, you forced her to make this choice <em>after</em> making her accept the second demonic mark in order to save Cameron's life." Markus asked, fully expecting Durial to dress up another half baked answer and play the innocent mediator.



"I helped her make the best choice available." Tristan continued, even as he came up to a heavy wooden door with black steel brackets. He turned to Markus as he leaned against the door, a relaxed smile upon his face.



"The best choice available for you that is!" Markus almost snapped. It was hard to keep his voice anywhere near level, when the bastard in front of him was more or less admitting to manipulating Celestine.



Tristan shook his head at Markus's accusations. "Quite the contrary. I helped her make the best choice for her. Did I benefit from it? Sure. But that isn't why I pushed her in that direction."



"Then why would you push her towards that choice? How was it best for her to abandon her morals? How could the best thing for her be condemning her closest friend?!" Markus demanded, disgusted with Tristan's reasoning so far.



"Because she doesn't need <em>your</em> kind's morals." Tristan replied with a low bluntness that almost forced Markus back a step. "The morality of humanity is a practice of hypocrisy and self-flagellation, and I know she doesn't need or even want it, despite what her 'rational' mind might say otherwise. How could she, when such morals would demand that she spare a wretch who betrayed her at every turn?" Tristan asked, his own anger rising at the mere memories of how Cameron explained and exalted in her jealous sins. "Such morals would demand that Celestine give Cameron a second chance, and a third, and a hundred more after that before she could finally cast that bitch off. All the while Cameron would just keep stabbing her in the back, manipulating her and chaining her down with insecurities while torturing her with her vile manipulations."



"I never said Cameron should have been spared!" Markus replied. "I don't deny that Cameron was a bitch that needed punishment, but forcing Celestine to dirty her hands is too much. You more or less forced Celestine to condemn Cameron to a fate worse than death! You could have just killed Cameron and saved Celestine the suffering, but instead you put her through it, scarring her mind and soul."



"I could have spared her the experience yes, but there would be no point in coddling her like that. Worse, if I had just killed Cameron like you are suggesting, it would have hurt her further. Celestine would have just clung tighter to the moral chains that held her down and condemned me all the more for the favor of murdering that traitorous bitch." Tristan pointed out easily.



Markus smirked a bit at that. "You say her morals hold her down, but I say they give her something to hold onto, something solid for her to measure her actions against. Plus, if holding onto them means pushing you away, well then I can't complain." Markus replied with a grim smirk.



To his surprise, Markus found Tristan laughing at his words. After the better part of thirty seconds Tristan eventually managed to speak again, looking to Markus with a mighty grin. "I hate to say this, but you and I have something in common, something that sets us both upon similar paths, even if we are traveling different direction upon said path." Tristan announced, completely out of the blue.



"Well this should be rich." Markus grumbled dryly, disgusted by the thought that the two of them might share something in common.



"It is actually." Tristan replied quickly. "We both want her... Both of us want Celestine with an almost desperate need. Stranger still, we want her for similar reasons. Yes, we both want her because she is beautiful beyond imagination, but even more important, we want her because of her strength and defiance. When we think of Celestine, we both see her as tall and proud, noble and utterly confident, alive and vibrant." Tristan described, his voice firm and full of adoration for her.



Despite hating agreeing with any demon, Markus found himself picturing Celestine exactly as Tristan seemed to be painting her. He saw her, standing in the outdoors, wind blowing lightly and making her fiery hair dance about her face. He saw her standing against the lot that life had dealt her, defiant against the sick advances of demons like Durial, confident that she could take on any foe and overcome it. He saw her, beautiful and unrelenting.



"I wonder what image you have in your mind Arcanist... I wonder I wonder." Tristan inquired curiously. "Do you picture her surrounded by light, fighting against my kind's 'darkness' and depravity?" Tristan asked, almost mockingly. Markus kept himself from blushing and instead glared at the demon in front of him, unable to say anything that wouldn't get him and Celestine in trouble. "An inspiring and beautiful picture I'm sure." Tristan continued. "But let me share my image of her with you... I see Celestine at the center of a mass of bodies, all writhing in pleasure and desire. I see her kneeling, yet with her head held high, with her beautiful body, proudly on display, as she looks upon those who surround her. Her eyes are shining with curious daring that we've both seen in her before, and she licks her lips tantalizingly, trying to stave off the thirst of her own lust. I see her exulting in the crowd's collective gaze, savoring how even the slightest sway of her hips, or how the faintest quiver of her bosom, makes the crowd that longs for her salivate and grow harder. I see her reveling gloriously in the desire she incites in others, even as I find myself being overcome by that same carnal want. I see myself approaching her, only for her to deny me, knowing perfectly well that it will only drive me on all the more. A moment later I have her pinned down, no longer willing to be polite and ask for what I want. Yet even as I prepare to ravish her, she remains defiant still. She turns her head away, and closes her legs tightly against me, denying me what I seek."



Despite himself, and how he saw Celestine, Markus found his breath accelerating, and had to fight down his own arousal at the picture that Tristan was painting. It was wrong... He knew it had to be wrong.



"And so I must tease and toy with her sensitive flesh, kissing her upon the curve of her neck as I gently caress her warm soft skin. All the while I explore every curve of her body for the thousandth time, only to find myself more enthralled further by her perfect form. We rise to even greater heights of excitement as I graze her sensitive flesh with my fingers and teeth, her reluctant moans inciting me to commit fully to the acts of carnal debauchery I have planned for us. Soon her legs have no strength left in them to resist, and I forcefully pry them open, making her gasp in anticipation, even as she squirms and tries to escape me. Celestine would pull at her wrists at about this time, which are held firmly in one of my hands above her head, or tied behind her back. But her lack of success only triggers her greatest desires, and she recognizes that all control has been stripped away from her, like nothing more than a thin layer of clothing she hides her rousing beauty with. She realizes she has no hope of defying me any further, yet even as begin to align myself with her oozing pussy, she begs me to stop, the last vestiges of her defiance desperate to fight me off, while at the same time looking at me with eyes that scream for me to take her."



"It of course ends the only way it can, with me buried deep inside her and with her completely at a loss of words as the pleasure I heave upon her knocks rational thought from our minds. Before long I'm moving inside her, pumping away as her hot cunt squeezes down upon me, trying to milk every drop from me. It doesn't take long for her hips to start reaching up to meet my thrusts, as each time I bottom out inside her, her vision is filled with stars and she quakes with miniature climaxes that ripple throughout her body and into mine, as each quiver and shudder runs against my skin, driving me to thrust into her harder. Despite herself, and her now dying defiance, she begins to moan and cry out openly, only for me to capture her lips and consume such sounds as our bodies grind against one another. Eventually she has to break away, her lungs screaming for air. Yet the first word she utters when her lungs fill with sweet oxygen is my name, quickly followed by her screams for more." Tristan continued to express, each word threatening to break Markus's will and make him envision such things. "We both eventually climax, but neither of us is truly sated... It takes only moments for her thirst to return, and even as I lie back, she climbs atop me we continue again. All defiance in her is gone, my conquest of her is complete, and she revels in it with such beauty that my dark soul sings." Tristan paused, his voice long since become low and hungry.



Markus could tell Durial wasn't so much talking to him by the end, as much as he was just recounting the image to himself... "That's a pretty perverse picture you've painted." Markus replied, surprised by how thick his own voice sounded in response. He cleared his throat once, trying to regain his normal tone. "But Celestine isn't like that. She isn't some sex crazed minx who exists only for your plea-"



"Don't interrupt me Mortal, I'm not finished." Tristan interrupted, the utterly confident smile returning to his lips, making Markus pause just long enough for Tristan to continue. "We continue at it for the whole of the evening and into the dawn, conducting every carnal act either of us can imagine... Sometimes we include someone from the crowd of desperate onlookers, sometimes we just enact their fantasies, but it always comes back to just the two of us... Eventually we are spent, and for a time we simply lie in each other's embrace, the scent of sex and corruption hanging over us like the aroma of a wonderful bouquet of wild flowers. Yet when we rouse, I inevitably try and begin the process all over again, for that is how much I long for her. Yet despite my conquest of her, I find myself denied. I find her defiant and strong once again, already broken free of my control and already making her escape. She pauses at the threshold just long enough to look back at me, laying there, shocked into inaction. There she smiles mischievously at me, and I see the daring in her eyes, challenging me to conquer her again, only for her to fly from me a moment later, starting the cycle again all over again." Tristan finished, eyes half lidded as he pictured it.



Yet his tone more rather than the words that did Markus in... The near worship for her that carried in his voice sent chills down Markus's back, and made him dread and fear that Celestine might understand the level of adoration this demon had for her. Right or wrong, Markus suddenly felt small in comparison to the sheer magnitude of Durial's emotions for a single mortal. It was both awe inspiring and terrifying at the same time, and something that Markus thought was utterly impossible. Yet the fact that it was supposed to be impossible was what made Markus question, and inevitably deny the supposed truth that Durial wove for him to see. "A very vivid picture. I would say it is more of a movie than a single frame though. But then I suppose you'll just brush it off as a minor detail." Markus proposed, looking to Tristan for a reply.



"You can call it whatever you wish Markus. I do not need to prove myself to you. I never have, and I'm certain I will never have to either." Tristan replied casually, turning to open the door he was leaning upon.



"Then I'll call your picture of her as I see it: Lies and falsehoods." Markus declared, his pride and confidence grounded and firm once again. "You can't honestly see Celestine like that. And if you do, you're delusional. Celestine wouldn't lower herself to such a disgusting state, least of all for you. She's better than that, and quite frankly, better than you." Markus challenged, his promise to Celestine to behave forgotten in the wake of what he perceived as defending her honor against a demon's desecrating imagination.



Yet Tristan only looked over his shoulder and smiled to Markus. "Strong words Markus. Strong words indeed. Are you saying you could never accept or even conceive of seeing Celestine as I've just described?"



"Not a chance in hell." Markus replied bluntly.



Tristan couldn't help but smile wider at Markus's choice of words. "Funny, because the tent you're pitching seems to be disagreeing with you." Tristan replied, before glancing down at Markus's crotch. Markus followed his gaze and felt his blood freeze as he saw that Tristan wasn't lying... "Pretty impressive for a mortal, though I can tell you're resisting your own desires. If you weren't, the bulge would be bigger." Tristan added honestly.



"Damn you!" Markus growled, anger surging at the humiliation. Yet he shoved that aside and pushed through his confusion. "You're using your abilities somehow aren't you?! I know I shouldn't be, but I'm honestly surprised! I figured that when you agreed not to do me any harm, it included the use of your powers, but I guess you're just a manipulative lying bastard after all!"



Tristan laughed openly. "For the sake of your already wounded pride, yes, let's go with that theory." Tristan replied with a mocking smile. "But I'll pose this question to you Markus... That if your mental image of Celestine, is so irrevocably right, then why is it you got a hard on when I described my mental picture of her, surrounded by carnal revelry and dark perversions, instead of in your mind where she is surrounded by light and moral strength? If you really long for the incarnation of her that you envision, than why the physical reaction to it's contrary?" Tristan posed, clearly trying to push Markus into a corner.



Yet despite the logic to his question, Markus sneered. "You didn't even bother to deny it, so it's obvious to me that you're using your powers to affect me. If you're looking to shame me, look elsewhere. I won't be beaten by such simple means." Markus declared, his resolve returning to him. He wouldn't yield, nor would he back down.



Tristan couldn't help but chuckle, and soon he simply shrugged Markus's challenge away. "Of course of course. How could I be so foolish and expect that you wouldn't catch me? Oh well, such is the way of things I suppose." Tristan finished as he finally opened the door behind him. "But enough of that for now; now it's time to show you your workshop." Tristan finished, brushing aside Markus's accusations as if they of no concern to him.



~~~~ 

