TITLE    : Demonic Submission Ch. 41
STORYID  : demonic-submission-ch-41
SUMMARY  : She slays one threat, only to have another step forwards.
AUTHOR   : TheLastChaosLord@lit
DATE     : 2014-03-25
CATEGORY : non-erotic-stories
FLAGS    : 
TAGS     : |demon|red head|peircing|


<i>Hello all.



First off, thank you everyone for your comments and reviews of my last chapter. I know some people might not like where the characters are going, or even the actions they take, but this is my story, and I do plan on following it through as I've envisioned, and I'm not going to change where I plan on taking said characters as I close in on the end of my story. 



On the other side of that statement however, I do still appreciate constructive criticism, and I want to stress the word 'constructive'. And before anyone thinks that I'm just blowing smoke, I do honestly mean it. Over the course of writing this story I've seen many people's comments and criticisms and I do seriously consider them. I said right from the beginning that I'm by no means a literary master, nor will I ever claim such a thing, and honest constructive criticism is appreciated and will be taken into account when I start reviewing my own work and revising some aspects of it, some of which I won't deny will be significant changes (though the plot will remain the same). Some of the dialog in the last chapter would prove to be a good example. 



Regardless, this chapter deals with Celestine being faced with the growing effect her abilities are having on the world around her, and the results there of. Not much (if any) in the way of erotica in this one, but I hope everyone still enjoys it. 



As a side note, there will be additional comments at the end of the chapter. I ask that you please make comments about the story itself first before reading those notes, as I don't want to sour anyone's reading.



Anywho, I hope everyone enjoys!</i>



~~~~~



Celestine watched as the dolls in the dorms poured out of their rooms, all looking down at the ruin that had been Collin. Yet even as she walked by them, each of them gaping at the carnage she had wrought, Celestine could feel the relentless clawing of exhaustion upon her body and mind. To say that she was weary would be a gross understatement, as the agony she had survived through had lasted for the majority of the night. Yet even as that pain guttered and died, Celestine's thirst for vengeance drove her on, and brought her to Collin. Even now she just wanted to go into one of the Doll's rooms and fall into a bed and sleep, but even as spent as she was, Celestine turned her nose up at the prospect of using their beds, and at the thought of staying one moment longer than she had to in the wretched doll house. 



So Celestine trudged on, determined to be rid of this place entirely. When she reached the main floor and began heading towards the corridor between the manor and the dorms, those Dolls that surrounded Collin's ruined body parted before her, withdrawing out of her reach with worried looks upon their features. Even fatigued, Celestine still found herself smiling lightly at their apprehension. The idea that they feared her sparked mild amusement in her, as she couldn't help but recognize the irony in the fact that she, who was originally supposed to protect them, had probably killed more of them in last thirty hours than Navira had in several months... It dawned on her that despite everything that had happened to her, she had in fact only been in Navira's care for a sparse amount of time. A mere fraction compared to the days she had spent with Tristan, yet never before had she felt so utterly exhausted than at this moment.



But as she continued to trudge on, Navira stood out in the crowd as they backed away from Celestine. "You went and broke my favorite toy." Navira announced, her voice carrying a note of mock disappointment. 



"He was already broken. He said he was human, that he became free. Or did you miss that?" Celestine asked bluntly, choosing not to stop as she passed by Navira. 



"Of course not." Navira replied, her voice amused and sweet. "But then I figured your presence would incite him to seek his freedom. But I did want to see if he would willingly serve me even in his freedom and see if he could become like you." 



Celestine barked out a cold harsh laughter in response to Navira's words, before stopping and glancing back to her. "That worm, on par with me? Please Navira... surely you know he could have never compared." 



Navira giggled in response before shrugging. "Forgive my phrasing. I merely meant that I would grant him demonic marks like you bear, nothing more."



Celestine seemed to ponder her words for a moment before turning away, apparently accepting them at face value before she continued down the corridor. However, before she disappeared from sight, Navira called after her. "I hope you're well rested... I have all sorts of fun planned for today. I'll be visiting your room once I'm done with this." 



Celestine didn't stop walking though, and gave no indication that she had heard Navira. Yet as she continued to walk, Celestine realized that if Navira found her, she was screwed. She was too tired to be able to entertain the Demonic Duchess further, never mind the fact that she was still sore from drug fueled romp with Collin, Alistair and Jacob. Realizing she had few options, Celestine began to search for an out of the way room to hide away in within Navira's mansion. She knew Navira would probably take offence to her ducking out, but Celestine simply couldn't bring herself to care anymore. 



Eventually she found a small lounge like room, and after making sure no one had seen her approach it, Celestine slipped in and began moving the furniture about. Specifically, she put the back of the couch she planned on sleeping on to the door, so that if someone looked in quickly, they wouldn't be able to see her. She knew it was a long shot, but if someone was sent to look for her, she speculated they might be in a rush, hoping to satisfy their mistress's demands as quickly as possible and not take the time to look properly. Celestine knew she shouldn't have relied on such a gamble, but her worn-out body and fatigued mind couldn't manage much more than this. Soon enough, Celestine was lying out on the sofa, and let the weariness that had chased her with such determination finally catch up to her.



~~~~~~



The tapping of metal on metal filled Tristan's senses, as he sat back and idly watched Markus as the Runsmith worked, etching the painstakingly intricate hybrid runes and glyphs upon its smooth surface. Tristan knew the main runes were already complete, having seen Markus complete them last night after hours of toiling under his watchful gaze. It wasn't so much that Tristan was trying to rush him though. If anything, Tristan wanted this to take as long as possible... Now that Markus had seen Ella and Claude off through Arzal's portal, he needed Markus's toiling to fill as much of the next two days as possible, in some desperate attempt to stave off the gnawing boredom and concern that plagued him. Tristan found the working of the hybrid runes and glyphs to be very interesting, and could feel them drawing power from the world around them, and even from himself in order to fuel their first few moments of existence. 



Tristan knew that the sword would not be a sentient weapon like the <i>Torment </i>was, but then that was probably for the best. Weapons with the souls of demons bound within them didn't take kindly to sharing wielders with other sentient weapons... For whatever reason they seemed to be able to sense the conflicting desires of other weapons, and fought against them, usually by taking it out on the wielder. No, as powerful as this blade would end up being, Tristan did not want it being aware of itself. Still, he saw no fault in feeding it his own power as many of the runes were being born, as he hoped to attune it to himself. 



"You know, I'd be able to go faster if you weren't hovering over me." Markus announced without looking back, apparently put off by Tristan's presence. 



"It's funny that you think that is my problem somehow. " Tristan replied bluntly, Markus's words pulling him from his thoughts, even as he tried to focus on the etching of the metal. Markus grumbled of course, but he continued working. All told he was making good time. Despite Tristan's hopes to the contrary, he would likely be finished the blade by this evening, and at the latest, it would be done in the morning. Then all that would be left would be calibrating it to the summoning runes upon its stand, though that might have taken half a day onto itself. 



But even as he continued to try and distract himself, the moment's break of focus was enough to bring his mind back to Celestine, and almost instantly he cursed himself for it. Without a word, he got up from where he was sitting and left Markus's workshop, leaving the Runesmith to his work for now and ignoring the fact that it might look like he was leaving for Markus's sake. Try as he might, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about Celestine without more potent distraction, and so he began to head back up through the dungeons towards his chambers. Yet even as he walked, his mind filled with possibilities of what was happening to her right now. Navira wasn't gentle by any means, and while she agreed not to use her powers, Tristan still found that he was skeptical that she wouldn't. Still, even if she didn't, Tristan knew Navira would subject Celestine to all manner of perversions and debauchery. And while he couldn't fault her for such things, it rubbed him the wrong way, knowing it would be Navira who got such opportunities to introduce Celestine to such things, rather than himself. 



Loath as he was to admit it, Tristan missed Celestine's presence. He missed their clashes and repartee. But more than even that, he missed her defiance and her strength of spirit... He wanted her back, and he wanted her back now. But to go and take her back would result in war... a war that would almost certainly claim her as one of its first victims. But even just thinking about such a things, made his teeth grind as frustration gnawed upon him.



Yet even as he pushed his frustrations aside, Tristan realized he was not heading for his chambers like he had originally initially intended. Instead he found himself approaching Celestine's quarters, and soon was stepping into her room. For a long moment it was all he could do but just stand there, looking over the place she had more or less lived since he had taken her. Even now he could faintly detect her scent, hanging in the room, triggering pleasure filled memories of her... But as he stood looking over the room, he realized that he was in fact not alone. Looking to Celestine's large bed, he saw that there was someone curled up deep under the blankets, visible as nothing more than a mound near the center of the bed.



Tristan kept himself from sighing as he stepped towards the bed, already fully aware of who had stowed themselves away there. He stood at the edge of the bed, waiting patiently for its occupant to reveal themselves, and sure enough, the small ball uncurled itself and crept up to the head of the bed. Eventually Rena peeked out from under the covers at him and in that moment he saw forlorn misery that seemed to fill Rena's eyes. 



"What are you doing here Rena?" Tristan asked gently, though he already suspected he knew the answer. 



"I'm... I'm waiting for her to come home... I've been here more or less since she left." Rena admitted quietly, glancing away as realized how weak that might sound. 



"I see." Tristan replied calmly, no hint of judgment in his voice. "I take it that your nightmares have come back, with her being away and all?" He asked, clearly concerned.



Rena nodded lightly. "I... I tore up my bed in my sleep... again." She looked up to him apologetically. "They aren't so bad when I sleep here... Her bed is full of her scent, so I think that helps." Rena explained as she pressed her cheek against one of Celestine's pillows and gently breathed in. 



"I understand." Tristan answered calmly, before reaching out and gently petting her head, bringing her gaze back up to him. "I miss her too." 



His words brought a relieved smile to Rena's features before she gently nuzzled his hand. "Thank you Master. I know it's kind of felt silly... being a demon and worrying for her and all." 



"I know. But don't feel bad about it. Celestine has affected all of us in her own way and we've come to enjoy her presence. There is no shame in that." Tristan assured Rena before he began to pull away again. "I am going to go find something to distract myself with. Perhaps you'd like to join me?" Tristan asked curiously, knowing that it would be healthy for Rena to find something to occupy herself with. 



Yet Rena merely shook her head and snuggled deeper into the covers again. "Thank you Master, but if it's all the same to you, can I just stay here for a while?" She asked hopefully. 



"Of course. I'll be by to check on you again later." Tristan promised before turning and beginning to head out. Rena gave no further reply though, instead choosing to curl back up into a ball, surrounded by blankets that smelled of Celestine.



Once he was gone, Tristan couldn't help but ponder the effect Celestine had had on his household. He had no doubt that Rena would fight if given the opportunity, but it wouldn't be with the gleeful savagery she often wore during occasions. Instead it would likely be with cold hateful anger, silent, save for the rending of flesh, and Tristan couldn't help but mourn such a thought. To him, Rena was at her most beautiful when she was bellowing out, voice full of rage and eyes full of delightful barbarity. The idea of her being cold and quiet made his own ire seethe as he longed to see her full of life again. Still, the fact that her fire was robbed of her now that Celestine was gone was, to say the least, concerning, though he couldn't deny that he was faring much better. Perhaps, if Celestine never returned, the two of them would eventually rouse to how they were before she ever came into their lives, but Tristan found that he wasn't encouraged by that. If anything, it seemed like a monumental step backwards to him. 



But as he walked, the presence of one of his aides filled the edges of his senses and he stopped as the lust demoness stepped from the shadows, wearing her human guise and a women's business suit to match her formal appearance. "My Lord." She announced herself crisply. "I have some ill news to deliver." 



Tristan's brow rose lightly as he regarded her, before eventually waving for her to follow as he continued to walk. "Oh? What is it Carlotta? Normally you can deal with most problems that present themselves to you." His voice was calm and relaxed, though inside he wanted nothing more than for her to go away and leave him be. Or better yet, let him strip her out of that tight suit and distract himself from his concerns by fucking her into a lust riddled ruin... Tristan shoved such thoughts aside though, focusing on why she was making herself known instead of what he wanted to do to her.



"Unfortunately my lord, my news is less of an existing problem, and more a report on the aftermath... Sir Cappallan is dead my Lord, and as far as I can tell, so is every other demon that served him." Carlotta reported frankly, her voice level and calm. 



"All of them? On Navira's side as well?" Tristan asked, surprised that that many demons were laid low so suddenly. It really only meant one of two things: either Navira had made some sort of move, or the Nephilim had come and wiped the town out in a single evening... Other lords would not risk sending their people so deeply into his and Navira's territories, all in some vain hope of igniting a conflict.



"Indeed my Lord. A few of the known loyal mortals reported that several officers from our city were there before all this happened, asking about a rented van that might be important to a murder case involving a Miss Helena Variess. But they ran them out of town before they could get too far, given that they didn't have a warrant. Unfortunately, they never really thought it was important to remember their names." She explained cleanly and curtly. "However, some reports say they returned in the evening, during some sort of commotion, though they weren't there again in the morning. It also looks like some sort of torture took place in the town morgue, but an investigation isn't being pursued for some reason, and no bodies or even any remains were found. Forces from high in the police in our city are pushing to keep everything quiet. The locals are investigating of course, but without higher levels of support, they aren't going to get anywhere."



Tristan snorted. "Well... that rules out Navira then. As cruel as she can be, she wouldn't butcher her own people just to get a few of mine. Still, I'm glad that I kept so few demons there. Anyway, keep looking into it, but don't get to close. Last thing I need is for another sworn demon to end up dead." Tristan instructed, even as he began to wonder how to deal with this. 



"My Lord, if I might be bold and make a suggestion?" Carlotta asked, her voice carrying a slightly keen edge to it.



"Feel free." Tristan replied, as he realized that if it was the Nephilim, there was little to nothing he could actually do about it. They would be long gone, and even if they weren't, he had no idea how many of them there were... Unfortunately, it also meant they were on the trail of Helena's killer, namely himself.



"I know the southern reaches of your domain quite well my Lord, and I've made many contacts down in that area. If you plan on reoccupying the border town, perhaps you might choose me to be your representative..." Carlotta suggested, as she stepped up closer to him, looking at him over the frames of her petite glasses, eyes alight in ambition. She of course didn't need the glasses, but Tristan could see that they complimented the style she wore well.



Tristan couldn't help but chuckle at her words before he replied. "You would want such an assignment without even knowing what caused the mass death of demons? That is quite bold Carlotta... I wonder, would you be so adamant if the Nephilim that had wiped them all out?" Tristan asked playfully, while still listening carefully. 



Almost immediately, the light in Carlotta's eyes guttered and dimmed, but a moment more and it reignited, more determined than before. "Y-yes my Lord, even then." She replied bravely, even though Tristan could hear the worry in her voice. 



"Humm..." Tristan began, impressed with her drive. Carlotta was one of the aides he employed to help keep watch over his domain, and while she usually reported through Claude, he did know her name and that she had largely been successful in her duties, protecting his domain from stray independent demons while cultivating her own network of influence. Honestly he couldn't say he was surprised by her bid for power. If he appointed her regent to his southern domains, she'd be elevated to noble status and gain all the benefits that came with the position. Yes, she would be a lesser noble, but it was the first step towards true power, and one that Tristan figured Carlotta might be able to handle. The risk that the Nephilim would return any time soon was very low, though he suspected that she wasn't aware of that, which only made her ambition more obvious and admirable. "Perhaps an arrangement can be made." Tristan continued as he reached his chambers. "Though you should know border regions tend to be dangerous Carlotta, for both of us. Navira will do everything in her power to try and pull you under the sway of your influence, especially if you're there as my representative. The whole region would be more stable if you were a neutral party, serving both sides, just like Sir Cappallan had been." Tristan explained as he watched for her reactions.



Carlotta cocked her head lightly as she pondered his words, but it only took a moment before a mischievous and cunning smile crossed her lips. "That does make sense my Lord. And because of my current status, or specifically the lack there of, Lady Navira would not expect me to be overly loyal to you. If I go to her and request that she nominate me as the new neutral regent of the border, she will likely believe that I will side with her more often that I do with you." Carlotta suggested. 

<hr pg="2" />"Correction, she <i>may </i>think that. Don't underestimate Navira's cunning Carlotta. Yes, you and I have never been seen together in public beyond your initial offer of service to me in court, but she won't just up and accept you. You'll have to prove yourself to her, or offer something that is enticing enough that she'll take the risk with you." Tristan explained calmly. "If she feels you're out to betray her, she might just send you back to me maimed and ruined..." 



Yet his warning only seemed to spur Carlotta on. "I understand my Lord, but don't fret over that, as I'm sure I'll manage. For a time I might need to play the part of her pawn, but of course I will ultimately serve you and only you my Lord." Carlotta explained with a loyal smile and slight bow of her head. 



It was at that moment that Tristan realized that Carlotta was serving as a useful distraction. Ultimately, the border town meant very little to either him or Navira, as they had always been largely peaceful towards one another and shared control over it. Plus if conflict did break out, they certainly wouldn't wage their war there as the only strategic significance it held was that it straddled their boarders. But, the intrigue that Carlotta brought to bear was at the very least entertaining, and if all went well, she would grow more powerful because of it. If she failed, it was hardly the end of the world either. 



"I will go and begin preparing for my meeting with Navira. It's a shame this didn't happen before court, as I could use that as an excuse to meet with her, but I'll manage." She announced confidently, bowing again before she began to turn away. 



However, before she even got a single step away, Tristan stopped her by catching her by the wrist. "Before you go Carlotta, I have to ask, what assurance do I have that you will indeed stay loyal? Believe me when I say that I know that Navira can make more than a few tempting offers." Tristan asked, his voice low and curious. 



Carlotta stopped and turned to him, her cheeks blushing slightly as she looked to him in surprise. "I... I would do anything to prove my loyalty to you Master... <i>anything</i>." She replied, her voice beginning to take on a huskier tone, even though Tristan could tell she tried to fight her own desires. 



Tristan smiled as he saw her breath accelerating slightly, as her eyes unconsciously wandered over his body. To her, it probably seemed like he wanted proof of her loyalty, and the very idea of proving herself to him filled her with excitement. Little did she realize that it wasn't entirely her own desires pressing her to think like that. The moment his hand touched her wrist, Tristan had begun to press his influence upon Carlotta, stoking the lust she had thus far been keeping in check. But now that she was breaking down, Tristan didn't hesitate to take advantage of her. 



In moments he had her on her back in his bed, not even giving her a chance to strip down. Instead, he simply tore the groin out of her suit pants and roughly began to use her for his own distraction and pleasure. Though by the way she was crying out, Tristan doubted that she minded overly much. Soon enough, Carlotta had been reduced down to her more base desires, and the succubus happily threw herself into Tristan's lust, reveling in the debauchery he had dragged her into. Without ever telling her to, Carlotta had torn open her own suit jacket and the white shirt beneath, and began to fondle her own breasts as he continued to roughly abuse her pussy with his cock. 



Tristan knew she acted like this in an attempt to please him, to prove that she was indeed loyal and that she'd lower herself to any level of depravity for him. But then he already knew that, he had always known it. This was simply about satisfying his own urges and distracting himself from thinking about Celestine for a time. Thankfully, Carlotta was a succubus, and far more durable than his previous 'distractions' were. Who the three mortal women that he had used last night were, he couldn't really recall. He had merely gone to one of the many clubs that dotted his city and rounded them up in an attempt to stave off his fretting over Celestine. Unfortunately, they were a temporary distraction at best, and hardly left him truly satisfied given their fragile mortal endurance...



Carlotta would be able to provide better for Tristan, but he knew that she wouldn't last forever. Either she would need to see to her duties and plans, or he would end up accidently killing her and consuming her soul like he had with the mortals... Either way, he knew she was transitory. But that frustrating notion only drove Tristan on to use her even with even more relentless abandon as he fought to keep Celestine out of his mind...



~~~~~



"Oh Celestine?" Navira cooed lowly as she entered Celestine's and Elanace's chambers. "It's time my dear, I've got something new lined up, just for you, and I'm almost shaking with anticipation." Navira continued as she waited just inside the door. It had been the better part of an hour since Celestine had walked off after killing Collin, and she had spent that time setting her newest ideas set up. However after a moment or two she frowned, realizing that Celestine wasn't presenting herself to her. "Come now, I know you're probably tired, but that isn't any reason for you to leave me waiting like this." Navira announced, her voice beginning to show a hint of annoyance. Yet as only silence responded, she stretched out her senses and quickly found that she was the only occupant of these chambers. Quickly checking each room just to be sure, Navira found herself growing increasingly annoyed by Celestine's absence. 



Moments later she was striding out of Celestine's chambers, glaring around angrily. The notion that Celestine might have run off on her was the first to cross her mind, and immediately her thoughts turned to painful punishments for such actions. The worst part of it was that if Celestine wanted to, she could just walk off Navira's property and no one would stop her. Normally, any human that lived under her roof could come and go at will, but then those humans were almost always dolls that belonged to her, and she knew they would come back. Celestine had made it clear that she wasn't a doll, and that her obedience was sporadic and situational, at best. It was one of the things Navira enjoyed about her of course, but at moments like this, it made her want to rip out Celestine's entrails, tie her guts into a noose, and hang her with them...



But just as she was about to snap at one of the demons wandering by, Navira stopped suddenly, a new notion crossing her demonic mind. "This... no... it couldn't be, could it?" Navira asked herself aloud, even as the lesser demon before her continued to shiver in fear of her anger. Yet to his surprise, Navira instead cupped his cheeks and brought its eyes to her own as she looked excitedly at him. "It could be! All her things were still in her room to, so she hasn't run off!" Navira shoved him aside and began heading towards her chambers, a wide smile crossing her lips. "Could it be? I hope so... You've gone and started your own game haven't you Celestine? A game of cat and mouse... oh thank you! Thanks to you, I can bring another player into our game!" Navira giggled happily, as she began to run, her impatience and excitement driving her to hurry. 



Soon enough the doors to her own chambers swung open with a loud bang, and Navira turned to Elanace, still strapped up and bound inside the pleasure rack she had left her pet Nephilim in. Even now, Elanace was shivering in pleasure laced jolts as the rack did its job, constantly keeping her in a state of arousal and inducing low levels of pleasure. Just seeing her up there sent a quiver through Navira, as she marveled at the feats she had accomplished. She had taken one of the righteous and drowned them in depravity, making her willing to serve and obey... Well... most of the time anyway. 



Elanace whimpered as Navira began to quickly unbuckle and undo Elanace from the rack, though Navira took her time removing the toys from Elanace's various orifices, enjoying the wet and lewd sounds they made as they exited her body. She thought about leaving them inside her for this game, but eventually thought better of it. Celestine was quick witted and may be able to take advantage of such a handicap. Yes, Navira aimed to enjoy this game, but Celestine would lose in the end. She was going to be up against Navira's own hunter... A Nephilim Stalker, reborn and reshaped in Navira's perverse image...



Soon Elanace collapsed out of the rack and down at Navira's feet. Elanace couldn't help the panting that escaped her lips or the shivering that ran across her skin as the ecstasy that inflicted her slowly waned and dimmed. Yet as the seconds ticked past, she looked up to Navira, a loving smile upon her lips. "Mistress." Was all she said, almost with a shy tone, as if she said it too loudly, Navira might just disappear. 



"Hello again my lovely..." Navira cooed as she knelt down and gently ran her fingers through Elanace's hair. "It seems that Celestine had gone and started a game all her own for me to enjoy. But given our recent reconciliation, I was hoping you might be interested in playing with me." Navira explained, savoring the taste of lust that rippled through Elanace. "It would of course be a little bit unfair to her, but I'm sure she won't mind." Navira continued, a cunning smile upon her lips.



Elanace's smile widened a little more as she heard that Navira wanted her to participate as well, to join her games. "Of course! What would you have me do? I will help you achieve your victory however I can." Elanace declared adamantly.



Navira nodded and rose before speaking. "Why, you will do what you have always done my dear, though today you will stalk a mortal, rather than a demon. But I think it will be quite the challenge for you... she bears no demonic essence for you to track as you might normally, and I'm afraid there is no soft earth here for her to leave any tracks in." 



Elanace merely smiled up at her though, pleased that she could serve Navira at all, even if it was just in a game. "Perhaps there are no tracks that your eyes see Mistress... but to me there are. Bring me to where you last saw her, and I shall follow her from there." Elanace said confidently. 



"Oh really?" Navira asked, her voice reflecting how pleased she was. "Then you impress me even more Elanace. Come, I will show her to where I last saw her, and then we can track her down together." Navira announced as she began to walk.



Elanace grabbed her few clothes and slipped them on as she followed Navira happily. "What do you have planned for her once we find her?" Elanace asked confidently, certain that she would be able to find Celestine. 



"Humm... I did have something planned, but if you will be joining us, I'd like to reward you as well." Navira seemed to ponder for a moment before giggling lightly. "Oh... oh yes that will do nicely..." She announced excitedly, before giving a smoldering glance back to Elanace, as she rounded out her idea. "Yes... that will do very nicely..." 



~~~~~



Only minutes later and Navira was watching curiously as Elanace worked what she could only assume was some sort of magic as Elanace apparently followed some path that only shed to be able to see. "You're sure she came this way?" Navira asked, curious as Elanace occasionally would pause and then get low to the ground to look at something that Navira couldn't see. 



"For the third time, yes, I am fairly certain she came this way." Elanace replied patiently, before getting up and trotting slowly through the halls. "There are minor depressions in your hall rugs that she left behind when she walked this way. I can tell they are hers because they seem to be the only mortal tracks present. Or at least the only ones that are relatively new anyway."



"It's just that she is heading somewhere she's never been before." Navira replied following Elanace with ease. It was entertaining watching her work, and as much as she had doubts, she let Elanace work and follow the trail. "Unless she just got lost somewhere along the line... which I admit would be much more boring than the idea that she started this game to entertain me." Navira admitted, her voice showing some annoyance. 



"I don't think so." Elanace replied easily. "The depressions in your rugs suggest she was walking cautiously, as if trying to avoid being noticed." Elanace reported. "Occasionally she stops to look about, probably to see if anyone is following her or not when she isn't poking her head in various rooms. She is wandering a bit, but I think that's largely because she's looking for something rather than because she is lost." 



Navira pondered before speaking up again. "Perhaps she is looking for a good place to hide. I had hoped she might lead us on a merry chase, but I suppose hide and seek is good too. Still, I'm impressed that you're able to follow just a bunch of barely ruffled rugs, but how do you manage in the areas without such things to lead you?" She asked as they crossed a bare intersection. 



"I'm not just following that." Elanace admitted. "There's... there's something else about Celestine. Something about her essence that seems to leak out and slowly affects the world around her. It's unsettling... and if I haven't missed my mark, very unnatural." Elanace explained, her voice uncertain but still determined. "Still, I can use it to follow her." 



"Hummm... I've never sensed anything from her, beyond Durial's marks anyway." Navira replied, not sure how to take that information.



"That's because you're a demon... Your senses are aimed at detecting emotions and weaknesses for you to exploit. You'd have to try and look for things that aren't things you could immediately take advantage of. My senses are broader in detection, hence why I notice it. Thing is, I'm not sure what it means or what it is... She's human as far as I can tell, but somehow... not." Elanace elaborated as best she could, though she sounded confused as well. 



"Hum... perhaps something to inquire with her when we find her." Navira proposed playfully.



Elanace nodded, but gave little more response than that. Instead she simply pushed on, trying to get over the odd feeling Celestine triggered in her. She felt it, back at Vestiem's court... but it was so weak then that she was sure it was just her imagination. But now? Now she was sure there was something there, hidden deep within. What's more, she had a nagging suspicion that it was a danger to Navira...



~~~~~



Celestine snapped awake as she felt a demonic presence entering the room in which she slept. But instead of acting, Celestine kept as still as she could, hoping that the demon would simply miss her and move on, so she could get back to sleeping. However, after long seconds, Celestine realized that the presence wasn't going away. If anything, it seemed to be creeping forwards, as if it were stalking her. 



Letting out a frustrated sigh, Celestine rolled off the couch and onto her feet, before popping back up to face whoever had been sent to drag her back to Navira. At best she had gotten maybe two hours of sleep, but it was something, and Celestine did feel a lot better, likely thanks to Tristan's marks. She could use something to eat, having not eaten since late yesterday, but she had to set that aside for now and deal with the problem at hand. She had heard the tingle of metal on metal as she moved, but when she looked towards the doors, Celestine saw nothing, save for an empty hall. Despite that though, Celestine still felt the presence, and that it should still be in front of her... Frowning, Celestine tried to focus, only to recognize the demonic presence, sending a chill down her spine. "Oh shit." She groaned, before she slowly looked up. 



Hanging above her on the high ceiling, clung Grimwald, looking down at her, his fingers twitching in excitement. Celestine took a step back, but it only seemed to make his whole body tense, as if to spring upon her. "What do you want Grimwald?" Celestine asked firmly, looking up to him with a resolute gaze.



Yet his only reply at first was a snicker, making the carpet of piercings upon his back tingle and chime, just as they had when he had first come in. "Ahh... don't you remember? I've told you once already..." He answered as he began to move closer along the ceiling, moving to put himself immediately above her. 



Celestine swallowed hard and kept Grimwald in her view at all times, ready to dart away if he struck. "If I recall... you wanted me." Celestine replied, trying to circle towards the door. "Specifically, you wanted me to practice your 'art' on..." 



Another snicker of delight came from Grimwald, as his four legs carried him towards her. "Yes! Very good... I'm glad that I've made an impression."



"I also recall that Lady Navira demanded that you not act upon this desire." Celestine reminded him bluntly. 



Her reminder seemed to give him pause for a moment, and Celestine felt like he was going to back off for a moment. But just as he was going to realize what he was doing was treasonous, Grimwald's features twitched and shook, as if sense was being driven from his mind. Almost immediately Celestine realized that Grimwald was under her unwilling influence, and that he was going to follow his nature, even if it spelled out his eventual doom. Celestine turned to run as fast as she could, pumping her legs hard enough to accelerate to her maximum speed as quickly as possible. In less than a full second she was nearly out the doors, but in that second, Celestine realized that she was not nearly fast enough. 



She got one foot planted outside the doors, before she felt Grimwald's impossibly long fingers and arms wrap around her and drag her back, hurling her across the room before he closed the doors and began to shove furniture in front of them as a makeshift barricade. Even as she coughed and sputtered, Grimwald spoke up again, his voice light and drunk in excitement as he finished piling up the furniture. "Do... do you know what kind of demon I am?" He asked, as if it held some great significance to this situation. "I... I am a Seethleem... A lust demon that feeds off the pleasure mortals feel when they inflict pain on others..." He explained, before nodding vigorously to himself, causing his multitude of piercings to jingle. 



Celestine meanwhile was fighting to get back up onto her feet, and force air back into her lungs. He had thrown her hard enough to knock the wind out of her, but she was recovering quickly. Realizing that the only door had been barricaded, Celestine quickly turned towards a window, fully intending on jumping through it and hopefully away from Grimwald. But again, Grimwald's speed was phenomenal, and he slapped her down to the ground midflight as he leapt after her.



"Oh no no no..." he began, taking hold of her and flipping her onto her back, standing just above her. "I can't have you running away yet. There is still.... Still so much to do." He announced, his voice shivering in ecstasy. Celestine made to crawl away, but two of his lower legs reached forwards and pinned her arms down. "See, after feeding on such desires and pleasures for so long, I've... I've gone and gained a hunger for it myself you see." He explained as he tapped his fingers against one another, making a disturbing hallow clicking noise. With a quick flick of one of those fingers, Celestine felt the cloth of her top part like it was nothing more than air, and she couldn't help but flinch some, sending a shiver of excitement running through him. 



"Oh, don't worry!" he exclaimed softly... "I don't plan on killing you! Oh no! I... I plan on making you beautiful..." He assured in a sick mad tone. Yet Celestine pulled at her arms in response as she kicked out with her legs, hitting the joints of his lower legs and destabilizing him just enough that she could begin to scurry away. Unfortunately for her, he was quick to regain his balance, and caught one of her legs before dragging her back towards him. He moved to flip her to face him, but she resisted, forcing him to use his other hand to forcefully turn her head towards him, making the rest of her body follow in suit. 

<hr pg="3" />Yet Celestine cried out in pain as she felt the slicing of her flesh across one cheek, and almost instantly Grimwald went perfectly still, his hands already snapped back from her pretty little head. At first Celestine didn't understand why he suddenly withdrew, but a moment more and she saw it in his eyes, as they followed the slow dribble of blood down her cheek. 



"No... get away from me!" Celestine roared out at him, but it seemed he wasn't listening, as he quickly used his four lower limbs to pin her arms and legs down. A moment more and his hands were carefully but firmly grasping her head, twisting her so her wounded cheek faced him. 



"Ah...Ahhhh!" he shuddered as he sighed in delight, and a moment more and he was shaking off the helmet he wore, to reveal his hideous features. Celestine simply froze as she saw his abhorrent grey skinned face, which lingered somewhere between insectoid and humanoid. The general shape of his head was human, but had three sets of eyes, one pare oversized while the other two were small and set further back along the sides of his head, at his temples and on top of his cheekbones... Each ocular orb was a shiny black compound eye, with each segment reflecting Celestine's disgusted features back at her. What was possibly worse though was the maw full of needle teeth that didn't seem to close quite right and was devoid of any lips and the hallow slits where his nose should have been. 



And it was from his maw that Celestine saw Grimwald's tongue slither out. It looked to her like some impossibly long snake's tongue, with two thin flicking ends. But as it drew closer Celestine saw it was covered in thousands of tiny barbs... "Get off me!" Celestine howled out, pushing up with all her might against his sizeable weight. Yet even that much wasn't enough to do anything more than make him readjust his balance slightly, leaving her pinned and helpless as his tongue eventually found her sliced cheek, and began to run each of the points down one of the clean cuts.



Celestine gasped in pain, as she felt the little burrs acting like jagged spoons, each scooping out infinitesimally small chunks of her flesh from inside the open wound on her cheek, making fresh blood flow from the slowly deepening wound. But for all the pain he caused, Grimwald took his time, lapping up and down the wound several times before he finally pulled away, his body shuddering in ecstasy as Celestine was panting from the pain... "<i>Wonderful</i>." Grimwald rasped. "Oh absolutely wonderful! You will be a wonderful subject, just like I knew you would be." Grimwald announced lightly, like an artist who had just found his muse...



"She's going to kill you for this Grimwald!" Celestine snapped out, glaring daggers up at him. "Navira is going to flense you alive and rip out your soul for breaking her agreement with Durial!" Celestine continued, hoping that she could cut through the insanity that was gripping him. 



Yet he only snickered at her words, apparently their gravity lost on him. "No! They will thank me... they will see how wonderful you are when you are complete..." He responded dreamily, as if he were envisioning what she would look like when he was finished. "But enough talk... Let's begin, shall we?" 



Celestine was about to respond, but one of Grimwald's hands snapped out and wrapped around her jaw, squeezing down against her cheeks hard enough to force her mouth open. "We'll start by stilling that tongue of yours..." He announced happily, as he used two of his long narrow fingers to pull her tongue enough so that it stretched out of her mouth, causing pain to lance all down her throat. 



Celestine fought of course... She resisted as best she could, despite how utterly helpless she was. She knew she couldn't win of course, but still she tried, even as rage and despair fought to overwhelm her. She had just slain one threat, which had already hurt and violated her, only to have the void filled with something worse. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to hope otherwise, Celestine knew it would only get worse... Even if by some miracle she could strike Grimwald down, something just as bad would step up and take his place. That's assuming Navira didn't kill her outright for killing one of her sworn demons...



But her thoughts were shredded when she saw two of Grimwald's fingers twist up and above the top of his hand and over her tongue at a gut wrenchingly impossible angle, hovering there menacingly. Grimwald paused though, and Celestine looked up to him in blunt defiance. No matter what pain or torture he inflicted upon her, she would not yield to him... She would not weep or beg... 



Yet her defiance only seemed to make his ugly maw spread wider in mad glee, and a moment later Celestine felt white hot pain assault her senses as both the needle tips of his fingers stabbed down through her tongue ...



~~~~~



Navira went still for a moment as she heard Celestine cry out in pain, and a moment later and a new thought crossed her mind... Celestine might not have been playing a game with her; she may have been abducted by one of her demons. "Damnation!" Navira hissed, as what was an entertaining event suddenly went sour. "Elanace, hurry!" Navira demanded, knowing that in her home, such a cry could have come from anywhere, echoed down any hall...



Immediately Elanace began to speed down the halls, apparently abandoning the trail left in the long hallway carpets and relying solely the already thin trail Celestine's soul seemed to leave behind. Yet despite the press of time, and how little she had to work with, Elanace was frighteningly quick in her tracking skills, and made enormous headway in just seconds. But then Navira also noticed how silently Elanace moved... Every footfall that should have thumped loudly, made no noise that Navira could hear.



Yet any thoughts of Elanace's skill were set aside as she came to a set of closed double doors. "It leads in here!" She announced sharply before she tried the doors. They weren't locked, but as she pushed it became apparent that furniture and the like had been piled up behind it. Elanace began to push as hard as she could upon the doors, and they began to give way as the makeshift barricade began to grind back. However Elanace's efforts stalled as she heard the sounds of wet coughing and choking from beyond the barricade. 



Grimwald's voice came through clearly though, full of insane elation. "Oh... no don't worry... I won't let you choke to death on your own blood." Apparently he was speaking to Celestine, but despite his words, Elanace wondered if he knew when to stop...



"Mistress... if he lets her die..." Elanace began, voice shaking in worry as she tried to see through the crack she had made so far. "Durial will-"



"He'll do everything in his power to kill us all... yes I know." Navira replied grimly, as Elanace heard clothes ripping apart from behind her. Glancing back, Elanace gaped as Navira took on her demonic aspect, wings unfurling widely with shreds of her top still clinging to them. "With that in mind, I need you to step aside Elanace..." Navira ordered as she stepped forwards, her power blossoming. 



Instantly Elanace was throwing herself to the side as Navira pressed her hand to the center of the doors and spoke in words Elanace knew came from the old demonic tongue... She thought to translate them in her head, but thought better of it, when the doors and indeed everything behind them exploded out in a shower of wood and fabric... By the time the dust had settled, Navira was already stepping through, eyes alight in a silver glow, as she glared through the debris at Grimwald, still atop Celestine with two fingers holding her tongue out, while another two bent impossibly to lance through. Yet for all the damage Navira had caused, Grimwald only offered her an unconcerned glance back, before looking back to Celestine, as he took his time withdrawing his fingers from her tongue. 



Navira watched for a moment, stunned that he was largely ignoring her. He had always been loyal, if not a bit overly devoted to his work, so why the sudden change? "Grimwald!" Navira snapped at him, as she continued to step forwards. "What are you doing? I told you to leave her be!" 



By the time he extradited his fingers from Celestine's tongue; more sounds of choking could be heard from Celestine, as she tried to cough up the blood that was quickly filling her throat. Yet he only seemed to titter at her difficulties. "Yes... yes... clean piercings... Now what shall we fill them with? Two studs I think... yes... It should help when you're 'servicing' others... The color of gold I think..." He nattered idly to himself, even as he still held her tongue. A moment more and he was reaching to his own back, feeling over the carpet of metal jewelry laced into his flesh. "Ah! Here we are... these will do nicely!" 



But before he could remove them from his own flesh, Grimwald felt someone with a powerful grip catch his hand, and hold it fast... Glancing back, he found Navira holding it, apparently unwilling to let him go. "Don't you <i>dare </i>ignore me Grimwald!" Navira hissed with deadly intent. "Get off of her, now!" 



Yet Grimwald only looked down at her hand, holding him by the wrist. He tugged once lightly, fully aware that she outclassed him in sheer strength, but that was okay as his insanely long fingers simply bent and twisted as far back as they needed to retrieve the items from his own skin...



Navira saw what he was doing of course, and instantly squeezed harder, comforted by the sound of snapping bone. Yet when she heard no sounds of pain or fear from Grimwald, Navira looked up, surprised, as Grimwald's fingers continued to fish the golden studs from his back. Once done, he tried to pull his hand free again, despite the broken bones... "I said get off her!" Navira demanded again, stunned that Grimwald wasn't even beginning to respect her demands. Her power alone should have been enough to intimidate him into submission, but something was driving him to follow his most basic impulses, which at the moment was to inflict Celestine with as much pain as possible...



"I know what you said, but I'm trying to ignore you." Grimwald replied flatly, no anger or spite in his voice, just simple mild annoyance. "Now let me go... I have to get back to my work." Grimwald demanded bluntly as he pulled at his arm once again. Yet when Navira didn't let go, he lifted to legs to lash out with. Navira let go of his arm, snapping both hands down to catch the large powerful limbs and keep her from being booted away. But even as they continued to struggle between themselves, Grimwald turned back to Celestine, trying to ignore Navira all together as she fought to keep herself from being pushed back. Celestine though, with a leg and arm now free, was putting up a greater struggle, trying to free her still trapped limbs, even as she continued to cough up blood. 



A surge of rage overcame any confusion she felt as Navira lashed out at Grimwald with both of her wings, the elbows of which swung down as she hunched, punching the large hooks of demonic bone that mounted each wing, into Grimwald. The first set of blows hit Grimwald in his lower torso, and at one of his rear hips, and each bit deep enough to rip meat and crack bone. Yet for all the damage he took, Grimwald only vaguely noticed the harm being inflicted upon him, as if it was somehow only important because it was impeding his work upon Celestine. 



Yet Navira ripped the stabbing spurs from his flesh and swung down again, this time ripping open Grimwald's body and leaving several shredded intestines hanging out as the spur dug deep into him, and into his rear hip again, punching right through and amputating one of his rear legs. With the hook in his guts holding fast, Navira lifted with a low groan of effort, physically picking the much larger demon up off the ground entirely. 



Navira heard Celestine yelp in pain as somewhere along the line, Grimwald had begun piercing one of her eyebrows, apparently working to get as much of his work done before Navira could stop him. However, as she lifted him up, the finger still in her brow pulled up with him, and as a result, tore out of Celestine's eyebrow sharply, making the already maimed woman grunt in more pain. Not that it stopped Celestine, as she quickly crawled out from under Grimwald, getting away from him as quickly as she could.



Navira glared at Grimwald, hoping that he would stop fighting her and snap out of whatever madness had taken him. Did she want to kill him for his betrayal? Of course... but other than the nobles that served her, Grimwald was one of the more powerful demons under her command. No, he wasn't as powerful as Rena or Claude, but then even her nobles would be hard pressed to stack up against Durial's two most loyal servants. "Let me go..." Grimwald rasped, even as his remaining limbs flailed about uselessly, not utterly like an insect freshly pierced through by a pin. "I must... must complete my work!" He declared adamantly as he tried to twist himself to see Celestine, who was currently glaring up at him, one hand over her mouth as she tried to steady her breathing. Disgusted, Navira swung Grimwald hard, throwing him off her wing with enough force to send him hurling through the air before impacting the ground with enough force that his lower body split and almost burst like a watermelon... 



Navira glared at him angrily for a moment, as he continued to twitch and shiver, while Elanace moved up to observe. However, instead of finishing him, Navira turned to Celestine and moved to kneel down beside her, helping her sit up. "Damn him..." She grumbled. "I do not say this often, but my apologies. I thought he would leave you be after what happened earlier... And I thought you were just playing a game of hide and seek, otherwise I would have come after you much more quickly." Navira announced, her voice actually sounding apologetic as she surveyed the damage Celestine had taken. Her lips and chin were bloody, and one eye was forced closed by the blood that continued to slowly leak from her eyebrow. "It's a good thing you bear two demonic marks... The wound's you've taken should stop bleeding shortly, and hopefully your tongue won't have suffered any permanent damage. We'll give you a moment to rest, and then we'll find some ice for you to suck on. It should hopefully help with your tongue." Navira assured, as she took several of the scraps of her clothes and began to wipe away the blood that smeared Celestine's features. 



"Can you speak?" Elanace asked from behind Navira, fully expecting that she might not be able to for at least some time after the damage that had been done to her tongue. 



Navira sighed in frustration as Celestine shook her head, indicating she couldn't. "Damn..." Glancing over Celestine she also saw her ankles and wrists were heavily bruised, likely where Grimwald was standing atop her. He might have been bearing some of the weight through the prongs on the ends of his feet which he could have put around her limbs, but she suspected he leveled much of his weight against Celestine. "Alright... well let's get you out of here..." Navira began, as she reached down to pick Celestine up and carry her out. 



Yet before she could actually scoop Celestine up, she flinched and began to push away from Navira, looking to Grimwald with wide worried eyes. Glancing his way, Navira grumbled as she saw him dragging himself towards Celestine with his one good arm, leaving a streak of blood and gore behind him. "G-...Give her to me..." he rasped, as if only half his jaw actually still functioned. 



"I can finish him Mistress." Elanace announced as she stepped towards Grimwald, her features a mask of annoyance and disgust. 



"No, he is my servant, and Celestine is in my charge. It is my responsibility." Navira announced as she stepped past Elanace and reached down to pick Grimwald up by his throat. Yet even as she held him up, Navira was astonished to see that all he cared about was Celestine, as he continued to paw weakly in her direction. With a tired sigh Navira spoke up again. "This is so discouraging... you had such potential..." Navira admitted almost sadly. "At least I can give you a merciful death." She allowed before she pulled him forwards and bit down on his shoulder. 



Celestine watched as she held him there for a moment as she continued to bite him, and saw Grimwald's features go from pained and longing, to blank and full of pleasure. At first Celestine thought Navira was simply drugging him with her venom, but as she watched, a silver glow seemed to fill his body, spreading through the bulging veins that covered his flesh. Soon Navira pulled away, and even as Celestine watched, the silver light began to eat away at Grimwald, even as he had a stupid ecstatic leer upon his disgusting features. Grimwald didn't die screaming, as Celestine expected he would. Instead he just sat there, as his flesh was consumed, until there was little left but a pile of yellowed bones...



It took several long minuets for the process to be complete, but when it was, Navira moved to Celestine's side again, moving to pick her up. "Sorry for the delay. Let's get you out of here shall we?" Navira asked, as she slipped one arm under Celestine's legs, and another behind her shoulders. 



At first Celestine was just simply relieved to be free of Grimwald, even though her tongue and eyebrow still hurt fiercely. But as Navira began to move to help her, she found herself thankful for it. She wanted nothing more than to rest and put something cool against her aching tongue. And so for a moment, Celestine simply let Navira act as she wanted, as she tried not to think about what new foe or force might beset her next. It wasn't over after all... there was still most of the day and tomorrow left for her to survive through. Though at least now, with Navira having been forced to act on her promise with Tristan, it might keep other demons at bay. 



But then it dawned on her, just as she began to feel Navira begin to lift her gently. It would keep others away... but not Navira. 



Celestine looked to the demonic Duchess, still bearing her full demonic visage as she felt herself beginning to come off the ground. A moment more and Celestine felt an icy chill run through her body as more realizations filled her mind... Right now she was pushed to the breaking point... the point where most people would take any helping hand offered to them, and be thankful for it. A state of mind where that person who saved them, would look like a hero, and someone who could be trusted, no matter how villainous they might actually be. It would be at this moment when most people would be at their most vulnerable...



Navira gasped as Celestine shoved herself out of Navira's arms, falling to the ground and rolling away before coming to her feet, her breathing ragged and pained as she looked up at Navira, eyes stunned and holding a touch of paranoia. Even as she doubted Navira, a part of her was begging her to just let it go and accept her help, to simply trust her. It said that Navira was helping her because of her promise with Tristan, and that she didn't really want to see her dead or broken. And for long moments Navira and Elanace both looked at her, clearly confused about what was wrong... yet Celestine could not shout out her accusations, her tongue in too much pain and already too badly swollen to make any real sense if she tried to speak. 



"Celestine?" Elanace asked, eyes worried. "It's okay... come on... let Lady Navira help you and we'll get you patched up." Elanace assured, a kind and gentle smile upon her lips, her face haloed by her golden hair, painting a picture of wholesome benevolence. 



Yet her words only set Celestine further on edge, made worse by Navira stepping forwards with her hands up, trying to assure Celestine. "Easy... it's okay. You can walk if you like... It's just with how your ankles are I thought it might help if I carried you." Navira explained, nodding down at Celestine's feet. But Celestine hardly needed to look down. Even now she could feel her bruises swelling. 

<hr pg="4" />Yet Celestine shook her head and looked to Navira, eyes full of accusations and distrust. After a few long moments, Elanace frowned and spoke up again, more annoyed this time. "Celestine, relax! We want to help you... To tend to your wounds. You can trust Lady Navira, I promise you!" 



Yet for all her words, Celestine's gaze only grew graver. Elanace was about to continue, but she was cut off by Navira's giggling. A moment more and she glanced back to see her mistress hunched over, fighting to keep herself from laughing out right. Elanace looked to Celestine again, only to see all doubt vanish from the mortal's features. "Wha-... what is it Mistress? What's... what's so funny?" Elanace asked, clearly lost.



Yet her words only goaded Navira on, making her break into full ruckus laughter. Soon though she managed to contain herself, and looked to Celestine with a wide devilish grin. "Damn... you didn't want to be my confidant, you didn't want to be my friend... you didn't even want to be the guardian of my dolls! I thought maybe you might turn to me if I played your savior in your darkest hour... But it seems you caught me even then Celestine! I concede this round to you." Navira explained happily. However before anyone could reply, her eyes lit up and she giggled again. "I came looking for you, hoping for a game to entertain me with, and here I've found it, without ever realizing it until it was over! Oh how I love having you around Celestine..." Navira finally concluded, smiling with ever growing mirth at Celestine. 



Elanace looked to her mistress, dumbfounded and still lost, before she glanced to Celestine, only to find the mortal giving her a slightly crooked grin back. A grin that, to Elanace at least, was proud of her defiance and apparent victory in a game that only the two of them seemed to be able to recognize... "M-... Mistress... what are you talking about? Grimwald could have killed her, how is that a game?" Elanace asked, clearly distressed. 



"Oh, my dear... that was merely the foreplay of the game... I played the part of the heroine, rushing to Celestine's aid and struggling against the dastardly Grimwald. I tried to be merciful and give him a chance to surrender, all to paint myself in a better light to her... But she saw through all of it. Even through the fact that I could have turned Grimwald into mincemeat in hardly more than a second or two... But then, she's seen me cleave boulders in twain, so I suppose that's only reasonable that she would recognize when I'm holding back." Navira continued to explain, still meeting Celestine's eyes, as she smiled back knowingly. "But regardless... Elanace, see to her injuries and that she gets some rest... Celestine, I will visit you in several hours' time, and we shall go and have dinner afterwards..." Navira elaborated before turning and heading through the broken doors, leaving Elanace and Celestine alone. 



Yet as she disappeared, Celestine's firm stance finally faltered, and Elanace watched as she fell to her knees and then down onto her side, before curling up and shuddering badly...



~~~~~



Celestine sat back in Elanace's bed as she gently sucked upon an ice cube, thankful for its cooling touch. She sat still as Elanace helped clean away the blood that still clung to her skin, gently dabbing it away before rinsing the cloth she was using in a bowl of water. Thankfully, much of the swelling in her tongue had already gone down, and while it still stung badly, Celestine figured she would be able to speak again if she needed to. Still, she kept herself quiet for now, not wanting it to start bleeding again. Even now she could still taste blood, and suspected that the taste would linger for several more hours, though she was already beginning to feel the holes closing up.



Elanace left for a moment before coming back with a glass and pitcher of water, which she offered Celestine. When Celestine seemed to have her fill, Elanace spoke up again, uncertainty lining her voice as she continued to try and understand what had happened moments ago. "I don't understand why you didn't let Navira help you... What could be gained by pushing her away like that?"



Celestine sighed and looked to Elanace grimly, eventually replying to her, despite the ache in her mouth. "It isn't what I gained, it's what I kept. If I had accepted her aid without any consideration, I would have ended up beginning to trust her... which would have eventually led to me lowering my guard. I can't end up giving in now, after all the horrific shit I've had to do just to survive being around her." Celestine explained, her tongue feeling thick in her mouth as each word made the ache flare. 



"But it isn't like she was trying to turn you into a doll or something Celestine... She was just trying to help you." Elanace argued, clearly not convinced. 



"Wrong." Celestine replied bluntly. "Even if she wasn't trying to make me into another of her dolls, she wasn't helping me. She was just trying to help herself by trying to manipulate me. If I had given in, she would have gotten the satisfaction of winning her absurd game over me and then proceed to try and continue to twist me to fit her sick desires." 



"What makes you think that?" Elanace asked as she frowned lightly. "I get she is a demon, and that trusting her seems counter intuitive, but given your status, I would figure you would be safe." 



"It's precisely because of that status that she wants to mess with me. As for how I know she is trying to manipulate me? Because that's all she seems to do when it comes to me... Every step of the way she's been trying to manipulate me for her own amusement and to help advance her own goals... " Celestine answered wearily. 



But Elanace bristled at that. "Look, yes, she does find some of what you do entertaining, but beyond that I don't think she's really using you per say... you're just a mortal. What uses could you possibly have other than inciting lust in other mortals?" She asked firmly, not entirely comfortable with the idea that Celestine was somehow of use to Navira beyond that of a temporary distraction. 



Celestine sighed annoyed, her tongue aching. "You, for one. She used me to make you realize how much missed being by her side, despite how badly she treated you. By having someone new that she could shower in her attention, it made you think that she didn't actually need you... that you were replaceable." 



"I... I never thought that!" Navira snapped back, her embarrassment and anger shining in her voice. 



"Really? It sounded like it, given how quickly you caved when she pushed you on it." Celestine retorted coldly. 



Elanace blushed hard. "You... you heard all that?" She asked exasperated. 



"Of course I did... Navira at least tried to whisper, but you most certainly weren't." Celestine answered bluntly. 



Elanace's hands shot up to cover her face as embarrassment rippled through her. It was one thing to show affection Navira, it was another to be seen buckling under hardly any pressure at all... But just as Elanace was turning away to hide her shame, something else struck her as she stopped dead. "Wait. If you heard that... then you heard..." She stopped herself, not sure how she could ask the question without divulging the information herself.



"About how thin Navira's demonic ranks are right now?" Celestine asked frankly. "Of course I did... you nearly screamed it at her." 



Elanace faced Celestine and just stared at her for a long moment, her features blank and unsure... Eventually she spoke up again, trying to sound calm and on the level, though really just succeeding in sounding nervous. "You... aren't going to use that to your advantage, are you?" Navira asked carefully.



Celestine glanced to her, her eyes calm but knowing... She knew that the moment she was back in Tristan's care, she could divulge everything, and could quite possibly lead to a war that Navira would likely eventually lose. But when she spoke up, Celestine's voice was frank. "I hadn't been planning on it, no. Not that you could do much to stop me if I had been... I mean you could kill me, but that would lead to war anyway. And given that Navira just killed Grimwald, Navira's standing is in even worse shape than it was before."



"Are you threatening Lady Navira?" Elanace asked tightly, forcing herself to keep calm.



"No." Celestine answered simply. "But I wouldn't bother making threats in this case if I had ill intentions. If I wanted Durial to know, I simply would let him know. Recall that I bear two demonic marks... I can communicate with him through them at any time over any distance, remember?" 



"Then you haven't told him yet?" Elanace asked worriedly.



"No, and I have no plans on telling him either. I'd probably be one of the first to die in the crossfire after all." Celestine explained. 



"Many servants would risk that in order to gain favor with their masters." Elanace pointed out quickly, clearly not believing Celestine.



"Then I suppose it's a good thing I'm not one of those people. I have other objectives that I must complete before my ending finally catches up with me, and they aren't necessarily Durial's objectives." Celestine replied without any hesitation, thinking of her plans to turn the third mark against Tristan. It was strange really... if she incited a war, a great many more demons would die, and it would likely cause the death of at least one Demonic Lord. But Tristan probably would have survived, and as much as she knew she was conflicted about trying to bring him down, she knew that her goals weren't really about slaying as many demons as possible. It was just about him, and finally striking back for everything he had done to her, despite how much she might have enjoyed some of it... "But enough talking... could you go get me another couple pieces of ice? Mine have gone and melted already." Celestine requested simply, looking to Elanace expectantly.



Elanace frowned as she pondered what Celestine's words really meant, or if she was being completely honest. "What if I said no?" Elanace asked carefully. 



"Then I suppose there would be nothing I could do about it, other than remember your response later when you ask me for something." Celestine answered easily, still looking at Elanace expectantly. 



Elanace mulled it over for a moment, and realized that despite trying to protect Navira, she had put her Mistress in a bad spot... She didn't know if Celestine would actually share her information or not with her master, but it dawned on Elanace that it didn't really matter right now. There was little she, and likely anyone else, could do about it... Still, it was better not to provoke Celestine. "I don't mind getting it for you." Elanace finally answered before disappearing out the door.



It took her a few minutes to return, but when she did, she offered the ice to Celestine without a word before sitting down away from her. For a long while the two of them sat in silence, with Celestine largely ignoring Elanace as she lay down and tried to recover as much as possible. Yet as time continued to tick on, Elanace continued to wonder about Celestine, and eventually couldn't help but voice her question. "Why... why didn't you lie to me and just say that you didn't hear anything? Or just feign ignorance? By telling me the truth, all you've done is made me worry and put me on guard..." 



Celestine sighed before she eventually replied. "That's precisely why I told you. If you're on guard, you won't approach me with the idea that we might be able to become close, which is exactly what I want to avoid..."



"What? Why? Have I done something to cause you harm?" Elanace asked, surprised by Celestine's candor and unable to understand her reasoning. 



"Nope... or at least not yet anyway." Celestine began before turning to face Elanace. "But Navira's poison is in you Elanace... No matter what you say or do some of the time, you are loyal to her... you'd do anything for her. If I keep you at bay, then there's no chance I'll start empathizing with you... No risk that I'll start seeing her like you do." Celestine explained coolly, hoping she would take the hint and leave her be.



Yet Elanace only frowned, clearly not understanding completely. But just as she was about to speak up again, Celestine cut her off. "Enough... I'm done talking for now. Let me rest and catch up on my sleep before Navira comes and drags me off again." Celestine insisted, before turning away from Elanace once again...



~~~~



<i>Additional author comments:



I meant what I said before... make comments before reading this... gooooo....



Okay, well... I plan on publishing. I don't know exactly when or how but I do. That will however require finishing the story. It will also however require not posting the whole thing up on LE... 



As much as I know some people will hate me for it, I'm going to stop posting once the Navira arc is over. 



That said, at some point I'm going to be writing other stories, and Just like Demonic Submission, I'll be posting the first chapters up to see how people like them. </i>

