Finding Purpose (Hafnium)

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


Xeon settled into her chair after delivering her question, leaned slightly forward and her hands folded in front of her face, hiding her mouth completely and making her already difficult to read expression impossible to determine. She would hold that state, waiting, while Tamonten glanced around in search of what she might want to hear, getting nothing from the demoness. Krig looked just as lost as the pale swordswoman, and it likely wasn't surprising that the floor had nothing to offer to the conversation.

And so, the swordswoman would apparently settle on impassioned honesty for her retort to the all-powerful demon's question about what she would have done to the demon spirit trapped in her arm. She displayed no initial reaction that Tamonten would see at the first statement, but when she shifted from punishment to an act of forced redemption a glimmer of a smile might have appeared on the Lady of Acheron's face. She waited without interruption as Tamonten spoke, but when the swordswoman had finished and paused for a few moments the demoness leaned back in her oaken throne without shifting the position of her hands.

"Indeed.... I believe you, Tamonten...." she would say after a moment, causing Krig to shift her gaze back to the demoness from the possessed swordswoman. "If you had earnestly wished to punish the being in your arm, even after what little I glimpsed of it from your memory, then I would not have helped you personally, though I would still have told you of your options. As that is not your stance on the matter, however... I think that I will do what I can to see you free. Both of you," Xeon said, and beside her Krig's expression would go from puzzled, to angry, to puzzled again.

"You must understand," the demoness continued as she folded her legs and then dropped her hands to her lap, "that I am not doing as I am, taking in so many misfits and changing how my kind react to outsiders, for power alone. That is part of it, but power is ultimately a means to an end, and my end... Is change. Not just for myself, but for all of my race. You have suffered, Tamonten. You have been tormented in mind by a fallen angel of great cruelty and limitless madness, but before you fell into Elawdrin's by a being whose cruelty and malice are obvious from their affects on you. As qualified as I am sure your parents were in raising you, one does not rise to your strength of character without the scars to show for it. That sort of strength practically requires the sort of suffering you have been through, in my mind, even if it more often than not sends a person in the other direction.

"Anyway, as I said, I want change. Not just for us, but for those who would live with us. I am not foolish enough to think that any gathering on our part will go unnoticed, even with the cataclysm that afflicts this world even as we speak. The reputation my kind have earned, the legends spoken of us to haunt your nightmares... They are a pale shadow of evil and cruelty the likes of which you have only just barely tasted. The angels are right to count my kind as a threat the equal of the horrors that Elawdrin would have summoned, Tamonten.... For we, while not as quick or as devastating a threat, would do the same as them, in the end. Had we not been driven back, had we taken your world... We would have consumed it. The being we once worshiped was not so different from the one that reclaimed Elawdrin after you killed her, but before he did to your world as he did to ours we would have committed horrors upon your kind worse than any madness that those from beyond could inflict. Centuries of cruelty, hate, and torment fueled us to our own madness, and we would have readily inflicted the same upon you, as the spirit in your arm would have done to you.

"But... It is not a way that we can hope to sustain. The angels would kill us, and if they did not the Destroyer would fall upon us sooner or later. More than self preservation, however, it is a practice that I would end because it is... Evil. It is the poison that festers in every demon from the lowliest goblin to the queen of Hell herself. It has perpetuated itself from tradition and through the machinations of those loyal to the Devourer, and it has led to suffering that no mind can fathom and remain sane. I say no more! I would have us tread a brighter path, as much for our own benefit as for yours. But... I have met resistance from my own kin, and at every turn I am afraid. Afraid that our old enemies will turn their attention to us in full, or that one of my rivals will see me killed and try to return to the old ways.

"As I have said, I want change... And that change will come when we can find a state at which your kind and mine can live together in peace. I have no illusion that this will be a swift or easy process, but it is the only path that I see for my kind that does not lead us to oblivion. That you can forgive the being in your arm, even after all it has done to you, gives me hope for that goal... And that it might find the redemption you would demand as recompense for its actions gives me hope as well. That spirit has changed you, undoubtedly, but in its efforts to absorb you into itself it has been altered itself in turn. A soul cannot change another soul without changing a little itself, and maybe it has gained some of that strength you have.

"Regardless, as I have said, I will help you. The first part of that help is to tell you the options that I know of, and then we will decide from there how to proceed." She paused finally after speaking at length, her voice calm and steady and demanding attention by her sheer presence if not by what she said, as despite her regal airs there was an odd lacking in eloquence to what the demoness had said. She spoke fairly plainly, but seemed to ascribe to more.

Tamonten was given a chance to speak, and after any resulting conversation Xeon would go on; "Firstly, and most simply, there is a ritual. You could rip the soul away entirely, or seal it into an item or into another body. That, I think, I would not help you with unless you somehow acquired an empty body to put it into. Secondly, I could... Do it directly. That, however, would require a degree of... Intimacy... That would have repercussions requiring more explanation that I would only go through if you really felt like it was your best option." The demonic noblewoman seemed somewhat hesitant to speak more of that option, and the maids behind her adopted an extra bit of forced stoicism into their expressions as she did so. Clearing her throat, Xeon would continue on; "The third option is another ritual, but it is perhaps a less wholesome consequence. It has come to my attention that you are with child, and it would be possible to transfer the spirit in your arm to the one growing inside of you. It is not, however, the option that I would recommend for... Obvious reasons. The fourth option involves your companion here," Krig perked up as Xeon tilted her head in the kitsune's direction, "and the unique ability that her kind possess. She could, if working with enough care, separate the spirit from your own and absorb it into herself. That would be the same as imprisoning it, but due to her race's natural aptitude for holding other souls without fully consuming them it would not destroy the spirit, nor hold any great risk of it overwhelming her and assuming control of her body as it has attempted to do to you."

She looked as if she were about to say more, but Krig interrupted her, much to the chagrin of the line of maids, by saying in a bewildered tone; "Wait... Wait wait wait... I can do what?" Xeon patiently turned her piercing gaze to Krig, causing the violet-haired spirit wielder to shrink back visibly, and said; "You are a kitsune, are you not? From what I understand, you come from a race of immortals capable of shifting their form as easily as a demon and enslaving spirits to their will in order to form the additional tails they can possess. I suspect from your tone that you do not know of what I speak, but that is no matter. I can sense it, and if you don't know how to do it I can assist in the operation."

Turning back to Tamonten while Krig only looked more confused, Xeon continued; "Technically, that option or letting any succubus draw it out of you similarly would work, but it would be dangerous and would constitute imprisoning or destroying the spirit, which I could not in good conscience aid you with. I would make an exception in the case of your partner taking the spirit into herself only to prevent any harm from befalling you, but if you do not trust me then you need not take me up on that offer.

"Finally, the last option that comes to mind... Is to create a body for the spirit, and then let it assume control of that body rather than your own. That, however, would be expensive and dangerous to both you and the spirit." She would pause again, but before Tamonten could speak the demoness would draw in a slow breath and continue; "Your options are not without risks, none of them... But I can explain further on any or all of them, if you wish."

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

The pale girl couldn't pretend that she was pleased at having been tested — especially not after Jasmine had put her through something similar before divulging the existence of the demoness as one who might be able to help her — but she was at least able to respect that Xeon had reasons for it, and as the Lady of Acheron began to explain her goals Tamonten was able to better understand those reasons.

But many of the demonic woman's words mainly served to remind the swordswoman of just how inexperienced and unknowledgeable she was. Striga, Xeon herself, the demon in her own arm, Varthic, his men, Pano, and the maids comprised of the only demons that Tamonten had ever interacted with on a personal level. With the notable exception of Striga and the demon in her arm, they had all been kind, or at least reasonable, enough to her so far. There were the demons in the stories she read too, of course, who were always depicted as foul tricksters drenched in excess that would do terrible things to any mortal foolish enough to deal with them or unfortunate enough to be defeated by them, but those were just stories. And yet, if she were to believe Xeon's words, the actions of the demons of her tales were more indicative of demonic nature than those of the demons she had actually met. She couldn't say the thought was a pleasing one, and although the idea that someone as strong and apparently wise as Xeon was looking to change that for the better helped to blunt that feeling it was easy to see why every bit of hope in that direction helped.

Beyond that, the reminder of just how little she had experienced of her own world and how little she knew about its inhabitants frustrated her on a practical level. Tamonten had little clue whether Elawdrin had been lying to her or not throughout most of her stay, but the swordswoman had been truthful when she explained to the fallen angel that she no longer wished to benefit from the sacrifices of unseen protectors without doing her own part. The possessed warrior wanted to shoulder her own part of the burden of protecting the world from the evils that some would inflict on it, or at the very least make it better. But how would she ever do that when she had no idea what she was up against half the time? Or even what she ought to do? The pale girl needed to change that, but first she needed to finally see her arm demon gone.

"You give me too much credit, Lady Xeon," she would shrug off Xeon's compliments following her initial explanation. "To be completely honest, if it hadn't been for the sense of honor that Varthic and Pano displayed, the kindness of your maids, or your own generosity and hospitality, I fear I would've never truly realized that the demon in my arm is a living being and deserves the opportunity to pay for its crimes fairly and have its freedom back. I think it's safe to say that if there's hope in this case then it's sprung directly from your mission. And after hearing you speak about it, it's easy to see why so many follow you, although from what I've seen of the perks they probably don't hurt either," she added wryly, although she couldn't say she was fully confident in her decision to tease someone who could probably blow up a small town without breaking a sweat. Her nervousness over her decision was partly to blame for her quickly following up that comment with; "Though not to change the subject, but if you don't mind me asking: what cataclysm?"

After that side conversation came to its end, and likely after Tamonten had gotten over the initial panic at Xeon's explanation of exactly what had happened to the world in the week she'd been in Artmirst, the pale girl would listen to her options carefully. She was briefly distracted by the revelation about Krig's innate abilities, partly because of the information itself and partly because she was distracted by how adorable she found Kringlicsly when the foxgirl was bewildered, during which she returned her hand to grasp the spirit wielder's, but she returned to serious thoughts easily enough when reminded of the dangers. When Xeon had concluded and the time came to weigh her options, she did so mostly out loud.

"The second option... I think I've abused your hospitality and good will quite enough," she rejected the option, though in truth it was equally due to her stated logic and Xeon's hesitance in even discussing it. "The third option isn't one," the swordswoman stated plainly. "The fourth one.... Well, while I'm sure I'll have some personal requests for later tonight now that I know the part about shifting her form, it seems silly to simply move the soul from place to place when the opportunity to see the whole thing over with is available now. So, that just leaves the fifth option. What would creating a body for it entail? And how dangerous would it be in overall?"

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


"I give credit where it is due," Xeon replied smoothly, seemingly willing to take no argument on the subject but doing so in an entirely calm manner. Letting Tamonten's brief moment of levity pass without reaction, though her comment did earn a slight smirk from one of the maids and a misty-eyed from one of the others, Xeon would briefly ignore Tamonten's question in order to issue what started out like an amused admittance but quickly came to sound like a warning; "You have had an... Odd, exposure to our kind, but that your trials by the one who tried to consume you have not caused you to hate us is something of a miracle. As for Pano and Varthic... I would say that those two are not what would come to mind when most think of demons, but I suppose you may have already figured that out. Many of our more powerful martial fighters were given a good portion of their ability through loyalty, either to some lord in Hell or to the Devourer himself. In their case, it would be favoritism by Varthic's mother, Natalie, but such would not have lasted long. None of the Hell Queen's children has ever lived to see their thirtieth year before him. Regardless, I would warn you not to trust any of the other knights as you would the prince and his attendant. They are good to the letter of their bargains, but rarely the spirit, and one does not rise to power in Hell without the guile to manipulate the unwitting. Even in my service, they can be dangerous."

Letting out a sigh, she glanced at Krig, and then at one of the maids behind her, the pink-haired one who had seen Evan off earlier, who promptly came forward and leaned down so that Xeon could speak into her ear, also displaying quite a bit of cleave in the process. Xeon whispered something incomprehensible to Tamonten into the maid's ear, and she nodded and stepped over to a cabinet and retrieved a set of perfectly clean crystal glasses along with a bottle full of brown liquid. With an effort of magic so casual that Tamonten could barely sense it she conjured orbs of water that floated in midair over the glasses, and then with a second equally trivial effort in the span of so many heartbeats she froze them into perfectly formed ice cubes that dropped gently into the glasses. A decent measure of heady amber liquid followed the ice, leaving the three glasses each half full, and then one each was handed to Tamonten and Krig before the third and final was given to Xeon, after which the pink-haired maid returned to her station.

"I normally wouldn't recommend the taking of strong drink while you both are with child," Xeon began stoically, "but given that both of you are of a supernatural nature, as are the children you carry, the dire nature of what I am about to tell, and that you are not far along... I believe the brace of the drink might help soften what I am about to tell you. Please, do not break the glasses when you hear what I am about to say. Your friend, Nellic, did not take the news that I am about to give you very well." After she had finished, she would give Tamonten and Krig an opportunity to respond, the kitsune merely nodding while appearing nervous unless Tamonten offered her something else to react to, before Xeon would sigh again and take a slow draw from the glass. If Tamonten opted to try it, she would find that the liquid had a heady, smoky taste with a mild hint of maple and mint that didn't mask the potency of it but did soften it considerably.

Once they were settled, Xeon sighed again and said; "I will be blunt, for brevity's sake. Supernatural forces unrelated to either my own kind, the fey, or even those from beyond our reality like those you've encountered have attacked the populated areas of this world en masse, coming down from beyond the sky in titanic living beasts of gray flesh. They are unlike anything I have ever seen or heard of, and my spies in the mortal lands who have survived their attacks have told me that they not only rip the souls from their victims, but animate the bodies as mindless slaves. Millions have died or worse, and the battles rage on. The Badarian Empire is fallen, its capitol emptied of life and finally deserving of its title, though many other cities still stand thanks to the efforts of the angels and the dragons. The Amazon is silent, and I fear that Celesis and all of the ancient cities beyond it are on more. Anudor, likewise, is quiet, though I had few enough agents there and the situation is foggy at best. Even Hell itself was assailed, though the invaders seemingly committed little to that assault and abandoned it after being repulsed. Only Crolia truly stands in your world, bloodied but unbroken, as the orcs in the Eastern mountains are all but unscathed by the attacks and many of the major human and elven settlements were able to throw off the attacks aimed against them as well. Therion breathes anew, having witnessed the god of thunder of your world obliterate the forces assailing it, and the Academy summoned a meteor to do likewise after a hero who once walked these very streets bought them time to recover. I have heard as well that Gods-Reach, the elven fortress, was saved by a flight of angels, called to it by one who resembles the invaders herself. It.... Is admittedly a great deal to take in, but I trust the sources who have told me of these events enough to state them as if I had witnessed them myself.
"These are strange times for your world. From what I have heard, the Destroyer did not just snap at us, but the native supernatural forces of your world as well. That it was silent when these invaders came from the sky has seemingly sparked their fear. Your gods no longer hide from it, and the dragons of legend have awakened as well. The angels move in flocks greater than ever before, and the fey are moving in legion against this threat. Many of the invaders were seemingly successful, however, and took untold millions of souls with them when they left, leaving what is left of their victims to face the forces that remain here. Were I not so fearful of our oblivion should we make the attempt, I would have moved to join those efforts with what little I could spare, but I fear that to do so would cause more harm than good. We are still distrusted, still disliked, and for now your world may unite without us. I just hope that one day it will accept us into that unity, rather than see us as another threat to be eradicated."

Finished, Xeon settled back and took another sip of whiskey, allowing Tamonten to say whatever she wished. Krig, for her part, had been stunned into silence, and a moment after the powerful demoness had laid out what had happened while they were in Artmirst lifted her glass to take a slow swig from it.

After that conversation, the demoness would deliver the options relating to the problem of Tamonten's arm, and after going over them and settling into silence would give a slight nod at the swordswoman's rejection of the option that she herself had seemed hesitant to suggest. On the topic of Krig taking the soul for herself, Xeon nodded but did add; "As I said, it wouldn't simply be moving it. The demon's spirit would be, in essence, her slave. She would have its power, and given what I can see of it, that is not inconsiderable. More valuable than that would be her skill, as the demon you carry was a sorcerer in life."

When it came time to discuss the final option, that of creating a body for the demon to inhabit, Xeon paused to take another drink before replying; "Well..... The first need would be a suitable source of raw material. A corpse would do, and one of those I can provide easily enough. After that, there need to be a... Donation, on your part. The spirit is tied to your body, and would require enough of your... Material... To shape the body to be like what it tried to turn yours into, so that it could make the transfer smoothly. Blood would work, but there would need to be a lot of it and it would leave the next requirement from you a great deal more dangerous. The alternative is what you left all over the bathroom, but you, ahhh, needn't do that part alone, so long as it all ends up in a suitable vessel that can be poured out onto the body we'd be using. After those two parts are gathered, energy to power the transfer and give life to the body would be needed. The base energy I can provide without a problem, but that second bit, the life force... Would either have to come from you as well, or from a living sacrifice. Your own life energies would be split, leaving you gravely weakened, and that alone could kill you if we aren't careful. Giving a living sacrifice is out of the question unless you would be willing to find one, but I would not aid you if the one chosen were doing so against their will.

"Finally, a channel for the soul to transfer through, a medium to separate the demon's soul from your own while leaving both intact, and donor to provide some of their own spirit to keep yours intact and give energy to the demon. I can provide the first two without issue, but the third would be... Problematic. If I or any of my handmaidens were the donor in that portion, it would be no trouble to me, but neither you nor the one we raised could leave Acheron for more than a week at a time. You would be better served to find willing applicants from those you know, as little enough would be taken from them that it would not be an issue. I would recommend at least four, though in a pinch Kringlicsly could serve for two without suffering any lasting harm." Krig perked up proudly at that, but then looked to Tamonten without speaking, waiting to see what she would say to the assorted revelations regarding the ritual to resurrect the demon in her arm.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

How do I keep forgetting that him being a prince means he was born to a queen, and him being a demon means that the queen in question was a demonic one? Tamonten idly wondered at Xeon's explanation regarding Varthic. It wasn't terribly surprising, of course, given what the maid in the baths had explained about him, but still, the pale girl wasn't sure she'd ever innately associate 'Prince Varthic' with 'Queen of Hell.' Her being sidetracked didn't stop her from taking the demoness's warning about her knights seriously though, and in doing so causing her to frown again at the idea that even the woman who seemed most dedicated to changing the nature of her own race still had to warn others about those even in her service. She wondered if that warning against trusting extended to the maids and Xeon herself as well?

She waited patiently for what came next, occupying herself by quite intently avoiding the opportunity to look down the maid's dress at her cleavage despite the temptation to simply stare at the demonic woman's perky, perfectly rounded orbs. Oh, how desperately she missed the days before she had learned just how enjoyable it was to squeeze at and suckle and slide a conjured cock in-between another woman's breasts, simply because they had been so much easier to ignore then. Her lament would only last so long as the woman was bending over though, and it was all the easier to forget for Xeon's preamble to answering her question. Tamonten immediately knew that she wouldn't like what the demonic woman had to say. After all, if it had been a good thing then she guessed the Lady of Acheron would've been breaking out the whiskey afterward instead of before. Still, though, she at least thought that she would be able to listen through it without that bracing shot, thought being the operative word.

And halfway through the explanation proper, the pale girl couldn't stop herself from nearly interrupting Xeon. "But-" she started, before realizing what she was doing and subsequently interrupting herself in order to take the glass prepared for her, put it to her own lips, and tilt the bottom up. Although it had performed its intended task of occupying her mouth so that she couldn't blurt anything else out, it wasn't her wisest idea. The Lady of Acheron's fare proved much stronger than the wine of the faeries, and though it was softened by the other flavors it still burned at her tongue and caused her eyes to water. After returning the glass to its resting position she managed to stay silent for the rest of Xeon's explanation, although that was as long as she managed it.

"But how?!" She started the moment the demoness had stopped, rapidly losing her composure as she went along. "How does the world end up half-conquered that quickly?! I just came to Artmirst last week! I- I.... Dragons? Gods? Destroyer? Angels? Meteor? Wait. The cities? What about the towns? The farms? My parents lived in Badaria! No, it can't be. No..." she couldn't bear the idea of having lost them without ever having seen them again so she simply denied it. She fell into the same stunned silence as her lover then, going quiet for a long period of time as she thought it over. In the end, even in her thoughts Tamonten couldn't even begin to find any positives to take from the situation, but she did at least find some hope to grasp onto and it calmed her down enough to continue a bit more coherently. "No. My father was- is a great swordsman. Even now he's probably still more skilled than I'll ever be. He surely kept my mother safe and I'm sure they both got out. I'll find them. I'll see them again. But if the faeries are moving in force against these enemies then first I have to talk to Lady Jasmine and see if there's anyway I can assist in fighting the invaders. And that's all the more reason to see this soul removed for good now."

Later on, when the subject of removing her demon was being discussed in full, the pale girl remained silent through Lady of Acheron's addition about Krig's powers. She had understood Xeon's point, but given her own intent to give the demon a new body of its own it seemed more like taking a step to the side when she could instead simply step forward and cross the finish line. She likewise remained silent as the woman fully explained the fifth option. The information about her seed and the corpse alone was enough to make her reach for a second swallow of the drink that Xeon's maid had poured for her. She was glad enough to have taken that drink when the rest came up, as while it was less off-putting she couldn't pretend to like the sound of most of it.

"Alas, that poor janitor's sacrifice was for naught," she replied with a grimace, despite that she was trying to lighten the mood, before taking a third sip. "Anyway, it's my choice and my task, so it's only right that I'm the one to sacrifice my life force and take that risk if we go that route. That leaves the four donors, then. Sensensiel might agree to assist me. I could ask it of Grenewald, Nellic, Varthic, or even Pano. Calling upon Jasmine or those who fought with Kringlicsly and me against that tree would be unwise, I think, though if all else fails they could be asked, and the same is true of Sashien in both areas. I will have to see who among the first five might volunteer for it before deciding further, but I have a few more questions before I would even ask them that."

"The first is simply a point of curiosity, but returning to Acheron weekly... is that why you were hesitant to discuss the second option?" Tamonten wouldn't be put off if Xeon didn't want to answer, especially since it was unrelated to the ritual. Whether the demoness did or didn't answer or simply waited until all her questions were poised so that she could reply all at once, the pale girl would eventually continue: "I also want to know dangerous will this be for the ones donating their energy? How long will it take me to heal from the sacrifice of my life energies? Finally, will there be any lasting effects on any of us? I will not risk my friends and loved one blindly without knowing exactly what I'm getting into, not again."

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


"Numbers. And Surprise. Many of the major cities were overrun before they had time to muster any sort of defense," Xeon replied to Tamonten's stuttered confusion, "the smaller communities were often also attacked, but nowhere near as overwhelmingly. We were left unscathed here, though I'm not entirely sure why." The demon queen looked impassive at Tamonten's assurance that her own family was unharmed, and offered no comment while Krig squeezed her hand again as a comforting gesture.

When it came to the options for those who might donate energy to the ritual, Xeon gave a thoughtful hum and nodded at her choices. "Those are all good options, though you had best move to ask the wrestler quickly. I think he intended to leave as soon as he could. Also, as you know, Varthic is an incubus, so what he gave would eventually need to be replaced through... Other means. You wouldn't necessarily be responsible for such of course, but it's something to think about."

The demon queen unleashed a sigh at Tamonten's curious query about why she would be unable to leave Acheron for long, but after a moment would say; "It... Has to do with the unique nature of my soul. You probably sensed it, when my maids were feeding on me earlier? That... Wasn't purely for their benefit. In fact, it was more for mine. It's fairly complicated, and part of the reason that I have taken an interest in the study of the soul, but essentially... I am sort of like a reverse succubus. Not like a normal person, or like you with the ability to replenish my energy through pleasure, but... Different. There was only one other known case that I have found record of, and they were promptly sacrificed to the Devourer when their condition was discovered.

"The short and simple version is.... That my soul burns, and releases far more energy than a natural soul would. Eventually, it will grow too much, to the point that my body will no longer be able to contain it. The feeding slows the buildup, but it is at best a temporary solution, and there are side effects. Taking my energy, even a tiny amount of it, is instantly addicting, and the withdrawal is lethal. One of my maids disagreed with the manner with the direction that I chose to take our community in, and chose to leave. I had no reason to hold her against her will, so I chose to let her depart with as much good will as the disagreement that we had allowed, but after about a week and a half chose to look in on her to see how she was doing. She was dead, but not a single wound was upon her body, and with magic I looked back upon what had happened to her, thinking to gain vengeance on whoever had done this, but then I saw that she had simply wasted away, her spirit consuming itself to the point that she could barely move within a week, and killing her in both body and soul within ten days. I have opted not to experiment on this with anyone else given how unpleasant it was for her, but I suspect that it is not a fluke case given the manner in which many of my maids cling to me."

None of the women assembled behind Xeon took offense to that statement, at least not as far as Tamonten could detect given that none of their expressions changed in the slightest. "That is, in part, why I am so willing to help you with this particular problem," Xeon continued, "I study the workings of the soul that I might find a way to neutralize those two effects. Separating two interlocked souls might be enough to help me learn something."

The demoness would pause to take another sip of whiskey, but then would quickly and plainly answer the questions that Tamonten had asked about the risks involved in the ritual; "There will be no risk to those donating energy unless they are too few to support both souls. So long as you have at least four, they likely won't even experience much in the way of fatigue. The loss of your life force is another story, however. I cannot say with any certainty when or even if you will fully recover from it, and magic won't be of any use in restoring it. You are technically an immortal now, however, and that leads me to believe that you will recover eventually. Splitting your life force in two is a dangerous move, and why rituals like this are normally performed with a sacrifice instead. It could potentially kill both you and the demon we intend to raise, but we can do things to minimize that risk. You ought to be healthy, well rested, and well fed before you attempt the ritual, and a concoction I discovered recently, if fed to you during the actual event, should fortify you enough that there won't be any real risk of your death. The weakness, however, will take several days to pass at least, and could last for months or even years. There might even be consequences that we cannot foresee, given the intense and invasive nature of what we are about to do."

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

The pale girl had forgotten that Varthic's energy did not replenish naturally, even though when she thought back on her conversations with him in the prison she did recall him mentioning as much. That made him far less of an option than she had originally thought. The swordswoman already disliked the idea of inconveniencing any who she might ask to volunteer, and she knew it would be an even harder inconvenience on an incubus to give up the necessary energy. She doubted he would be particularly thrilled if she tried to find someone to help him make up for that inconvenience either, and she wouldn't be willing to do it herself, for the very same reasons she avoided the option with Xeon and her maids, even on the off chance that the man might accept such an offer.

Lady Xeon's reply informing the pale girl of the nature of her soul certainly sated Tamonten's curiosity, along with scaring her. She had suspected that there was something greater in play, or else why wouldn't Xeon simply have her maids provide a small portion of energy each as the others were going to, but hadn't quite expected debilitating addiction being the reason behind her warning. A soul that addicting was a terrifying thought, and while initially she had tried to avoid any carnal thoughts about Xeon and her maids simply as a matter of personal choice it very suddenly became a matter of self-preservation as well. The thought that she may very well have crawled directly into Xeon's lap or pursued something with one of the maids if given the chance was all the more unsettling given that information. With those sorts of dangers out there, perhaps the swordswoman would need to start being more careful about thinking with her crotch.

Even beyond that, the power the maids and anyone else might gain from feeding on Xeon hardly seemed worth enforced loyalty either, even with a woman who seemed truly worth that loyalty. If they should change their mind or the Lady of Acheron might lose her original way, they would be unable to do anything but follow her. Tamonten couldn't even begin to imagine giving up her independence in such a way. And then, of course, there was the matter of how it affected Xeon. While the demoness might have gained great power from the condition of her soul, the pale girl was not entirely unfamiliar with the dreadful feeling of mortality that came with having a condition beyond her own control.

She couldn't exactly say most of that out loud, though, and instead settled for a lame quip. "Well, at least now that I know that this won't be entirely without benefit for you maybe I'll feel a bit less guilty about what we did to the bathroom and bedroom." The pale girl's ensuing effort at a joking smile ended with her expression looking more like she'd just delivered the news that someone's relative had just died and all the candy had melted. "But it's all the more reason to take the fifth option, I think. If information helpful to your work can come out of these last few years then it'll make the hardships a little more worthwhile."

After the remainder of Xeon's answers, Tamonten would remain still and silent in her seat for a few moments as she processed the woman's words before suddenly declaring; "I guess it's settled then, what better way to celebrate this new-found immortality that people keep telling me I've gained than to risk it a little! I'll go and collect the remaining volunteers as soon as we're finished here, and then I'll take care of the other requirements." She then turned her head toward Kringlicsly and continued. "That is, if you think it's an acceptable plan as a whole. I know I'm not the only one who will be affected by this, and I know you'd help me through it regardless of whether doing so was dangerous to you or not, so I would value your opinion on this, Krig."

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


Xeon's expression, already fairly flat, managed to flatten further as Tamonten responded to her revelation with a joke. While it had worked earlier to keep the mood light, she didn't seemingly think too much of the swordswoman's efforts at humor in this case, and given the manner in which Tamonten looked after she'd said it she wasn't the only one. The demoness would simply nod as she added that her revelation was only another reason to pursue the fifth option, offering no further comment on that at the time.

A second nod would follow when the pale warrior announced her intent to go out and collect volunteers immediately following the meeting at which she sat, but when she turned to Krig she would find the kitsune surprised at her insistence that she have a say in the matter. "Uhhh... Uhm, well.... I," she began awkwardly, but after a moment she would swallow nervously and meet Tamonten's directed gaze. Gaining some confidence, she would more evenly continue; "Well, it's not like any of the other options are really appealing, is it? I mean.... The first, second, and fourth wouldn't really do what you want, and the third isn't going to happen. Giving it a body of its own is kind of the only choice we've got, isn't it?"

Xeon, after finishing her glass of whiskey, would sigh and say; "I suppose that that settles it then, doesn't it? You may do as you require, and need only speak to one of my maids when you think you are ready. They will know of what is to be done, and one of them is already preparing the drought required for the ritual and bringing together a body. One of my maids will see you to wherever you wish to go if you desire a guide, or are worried about my other servants bothering you. I have much to do beyond your concern, however, so I cannot promise that I will be able to speak to you again before we meet for the ritual itself. If you have any other questions, any other concerns, or would request anything more from me, now is the time to ask it."

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

Tamonten's efforts at humor couldn't always be well-timed... or good. Still, the feeling of a joke being poorly taken by a woman who could probably have the swordswoman killed in a hundred different ways was a unique one indeed, and she had a suspicion that she probably ought to remember it the next time she was weighing whether or not to resort to such.

"Then we're of the same mind on this," she replied plainly to Kringlicsly. She hadn't exactly expected the spirit wielder to disagree with her assessment, but she had wanted to ask anyway. Listening to her lover more often and putting more trust into Krig was another thing that the pale girl was working on, little by little.

When pressed as to whether she had more to ask of Xeon or not, Tamonten gave another thoughtful pause. Yes, she supposed she did, probably another few-hundred questions at the least. The gods themselves had taken to the fight? That was surely something worthy of a good ten or twenty questions. And what was this Destroyer so great and powerful that even someone so powerful as the gods and Xeon herself might be afraid of it? Another ten, surely. What of Hell? The books Tamonten had read only ever mentioned it as a realm of eternal torment for those unfortunate enough to end up in demonic hands. And then there were the more personal questions that she would've liked to asked Xeon about her own motivations and history.

But Xeon was surely a busy woman with much to do and the swordswoman had started off the meeting by interrupting her time with her maids. It seemed the worst possible time to start asking for a history lesson from the powerful demoness. "No, no questions or requests. I think I've imposed enough on your time and goodwill already. I do want to say thank you, though. Not just for your help in freeing the demon from my arm or cleaning up Elawdrin's prison, but for all of this," she waved her arm to indicate the room in general, "for Acheron. Over the last week I've seen a lot of horrible things—a pale shadow of the cruelty of the world, to paraphrase your words. I've seen no less than two angels sullied by foul creatures who would twist those angels' bodies, ideals, and power for their own gain. I've seen innocents and heroes killed in droves, and even wrongdoers cast to death because there was simply not enough time to see them properly judged and redeemed."

"And yet I know in my heart that what I've seen is only the tip of it all. It's been very discouraging at times, but then I meet someone like you. You, who could probably easily use your powers to carve out your own little slice of paradise with fervent followers and live in decadence without worrying yourself about the affairs of the world but instead choose to use those powers to build a better future for everyone. And who, despite your condition, manages to continue on despite the overwhelming obstacles arrayed against you. I think I could learn a lot from your strength of will, as I think all of my kind could. Any amount of hope that my actions may have given you, your actions have easily inspired in me in return. And I think that the reason I've been able to continue on despite those tastes of cruelty I've received is because I've met people like you and Kringlicsly," she cast a glance toward the foxgirl, "and Lady Jasmine and Varthic and all those who I've fought alongside, who have inspired me to do so."

Tamonten took a final sip of her whiskey then, she had only mostly drained the glass but it was so potent that she wasn't entirely sure that she had the fortitude to force herself to finish the remainder. "So.... Thank you. And I know it's probably silly coming from me when you've got so many servants who outclass me in most every way, and perhaps premature since we've no idea how weakened the ritual might leave me, but if there is ever a way I can repay you for all of this, let me know and I will do my best." With that said, she would wait for Xeon's final words but barring anything that would require her to remain she would then excuse herself from the demoness's study, intent on seeking out Nellic so that she could catch him before he left Acheron.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


Xeon's lips pursed as Tamonten insisted that she had no further questions or concerns to present, and then gave a slight nod as the swordswoman issued her thanks. She offered little obvious response at first to the impassioned thanks that the pale young woman gave for not only her presence, but for her very existence. After a moment, however, she would nod again and reply; "Only the tip of it... Yes, I'm afraid that I cannot help but believe that to be true." Krig, who had looked somewhat abashed at Tamonten's compliment when the swordswoman had briefly turned to her, looked at Xeon with a strong sense of trepidation at the demon's admission, but didn't interrupt as she continued; "You needn't worry about repaying me. There is a chance that helping you will help me, and you have already done me a service in revealing and eliminating a grave threat growing near to my domain."

Letting the hope she had seemingly inspired go uncommented on, Xeon would unfold her hands and then her legs, leaning forward and letting no barrier come between her unnaturally piercing gaze and Tamonten. Having the incredibly powerful demon's full attention focused on her was like having a bull standing on her chest, but the focus was blessedly brief, as she quickly concluded in a tone of firm finality; "Niserie will guide you to wherever you would like to go. For now, however, I think it is time for us to say goodbye."

Assuming the swordswoman accepted that, after responding appropriately to whatever gesture Tamonten might make, Niserie would step forward and lead Tamonten out of Xeon's study, gently shutting the door behind her. Krig had only finished half of her whiskey, but the busty pink-haired maid was already cleaning up their drinks as the door was shut. Though the door wouldn't shut them off from Xeon's overwhelming presence entirely, it did lessen the feeling enough that Krig leaned against the wall with her eyes closed and heaved a deep sigh of relief. "I think... That I need a nap after that. It was like having my head in a vice... What are we going to do now?" she said, opening her multifaceted eyes and looking to Tamonten for an answer. Niserie, their temporary guide, looked to Tamonten as well, and held a pleasant smile on her face while giving the pale warrior whatever time she needed to deliberate on where she wanted to go next.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

The swordswoman would nod her farewell to Xeon before joining Niserie and Kringlicsly in exiting the study. Once she was safely away from the Lady of Acheron, she abruptly stopped in place and heaved a sigh so great that it briefly felt as though she had been holding all the air she had been breathing in since she had began her meeting with Xeon. "I'm with you there," she replied to her foxgirl lover's comment. "I would've liked to ask her a bit more, but I was getting nervous near the end there. It was beginning to feel kind of like the equivalent of approaching a dragon and asking them what two plus two was. And as kind as she's been, I'm not sure I'll ever be comfortable around someone that much more powerful than I am."

"Anyway, I think Nellic is next. If he intends to leave soon then I need to speak to him about the ritual right away. Afterward I need to speak with Grenewald and Sensensiel, in no particular order, about the same. It shouldn't take long, so if you'd like to return to the guest bedroom and relax or nap after all that it should be fine, Krig. Though, um..." she trailed off, averting her eyes to the ground as she nervously continued. "I'd prefer it if you'd accompany me at least for Grenewald. She, er.... She scares me," she admitted before deciding to add, "just a little bit." The other two could chide her or think whatever they would about her nervousness toward the orc, but Tamonten had seen what the woman had done to the bars of her cage during Elawdrin's game. That, combined with the look she had cast at the pale swordswoman on the road to Xeon's holdings, were reason enough for her to avoid being in a room alone with the green-skinned woman. Ego and pride be damned, she was more than willing to cast both aside in order to use the buddy system where Grenewald was concerned.

After whatever reply Krig and Niserie might have toward her request, however, Tamonten would direct the maid to lead the way to Nellic's room, deciding to continue any necessary conversations on the way there.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


"You could have asked her more," Niserie remarked when Tamonten made the comparison between questioning Xeon and questioning a dragon, sounding amused but not surprised. "I know she takes some getting used to, and maybe it's easier for me to get used to because she feeds me, but she gets less scary after a while, and once you get to know her she's really really nice! She was just being formal with you because newcomers tend to be more comfortable with it," the maid continued brightly, though Krig didn't seem to have been comforted particularly much by those words.

"Anyway... A dragon to Xeon is a terrible comparison! She never uses brute force! If she were going to kill you, she'd just disintegrate you or rip your soul out!" Niserie continued cheerfully, clearly trying at a joke, but Krig at least looked anything but comforted. On the contrary, the kitsune looked absolutely appalled and terrified, though the maid quickly noted that reaction and sheepishly added; "Eheh... Well, Lord Nellic is in his bedroom right now, so we can speak to Lady Sensensiel immediately afterward, as she's still there with Shorya."

Krig would appear hesitant and nervous still, particularly with the swordswoman's own nervousness over meeting with Grenewald fresh on her mind, but after a moment she would nod and reply; "Alright... But after that I'm going to take a nap!" Niserie would nod her acceptance and, unless Tamonten for some reason prompted her to do otherwise, would lead them back to the wing with their rooms, stopping at the door that they had seen Nellic go into when they had all parted ways the day before. She would knock on the door on Tamonten's behalf unless signaled or told to do otherwise, and either way a knock or request spoken loudly through the door would prompt the wrestler to call back; "Yes? Come in!" Opening the door would reveal that the man was pacing back and forth with his hands clenched behind his back and a pensive look on his face, now thankfully no longer nude and instead clad in a sleeveless white shirt and a pair of simple brown trousers. He shot a glance in the door's direction as Tamonten and Krig stepped in, the latter letting the swordswoman lead the way while Niserie opted to remain outside and wait for them.

"Comrade Tamonten... How are you recovering? Do you need something? I was planning on departing soon. I have heard... Troubling news," he said as the swordswoman entered, pausing in his path and turning his bulky frame to face her squarely while keeping his hands folded behind his back, giving him a slightly hunched look that, if anything, made the man tower over her and Krig even more.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

Following Niserie's... joke, Tamonten laid her hand on Krig's lower back in an effort to try to comfort the foxgirl. "We," she began after the maid had added her comment about Sensensiel and the alraune she was caring for. As she continued, she took her pale hand from the spirit wielder's back and raised her index finger up to eye level before pointing it at the half-fae woman, "are going to need to work on your repertoire while we're here." The pale girl grinned after, however, to let Niserie know that her own comment was in humor as well. "Anyway, if you think I'm wise enough to not ask questions just because I'm not sure it's a good idea, you've not spent long enough around me. I've every intention of poking around for any answers Lady Xeon will give me, but that will wait until my next meeting with her." While it did not pass her notice that the alraune's name was known now, she decided not to comment about that just yet since they would soon meet with Sensensiel and the alraune anyway.

Tamonten would similarly allow Krig's reply to go without vocal retort and instead began to follow Niserie as the maid led them through the halls, though she was wholly with the foxgirl in her desire to take a nap. While the possessed woman had woken up feeling physically and mentally rejuvenated, for some reason she felt like she had no energy to spare. It was a strange sort of tiredness with a cause she couldn't put her finger on, but she was willing enough to wave it off as being a result of those strenuous trysts in the bathroom and bedroom.

Once they arrived at the wrestler's door she would allow Niserie to knock, and then following Nellic's permission for them to enter she would lead the way into the room. She couldn't help but grin when she saw the big man again. Even his pensive mood and his inadvertent reminder of Xeon's news of the invasion wasn't enough to dampen the swordswoman's happiness at seeing him in apparently better shape. "I'm recovering well! I think I've had some of the best sleep in my life since we escaped that prison," she replied brightly, unable to prevent herself from stealing a sheepish glance toward Krig. "You look like you're doing well on the mend yourself," she remarked toward the wrestler, "and I'm glad to see it. You had me worried when you first came into the armory," she admitted.

She had decided before she had even entered his room that it would disrespectful to beat around the bush with the man though, and did not delay long before bringing up the main point of her visit. "To be bluntly honest though, I'm here to ask you for one more favor, Nellic, on top of the times you saved me from Striga and the tentacled woman. Xeon told me about the invasions, and it is my intent to depart and take up arms against the invaders as soon as I am able. But before I can leave, there's something I must do here. I don't believe I ever spoke to you personally about it, but there's a demonic soul in my arm and I originally came to Artmirst to have it removed," she gave the big man the abridged version of her story. "I just spoke to Xeon about it and she explained to me that I'll need four volunteers to give up a small amount of energy as part of the ritual, so I've come to you to ask if you would be willing to be one of those four."

"It might cost you another few days if you are willing, as I will need to be in my best health and other ingredients for the ritual must still be... harvested...." As potentially deadly and crippling as the ritual might be in other areas, the pale girl was still having the hardest time getting over the knowledge that she would have to essentially masturbate into a bucket so that her seed could be poured over a dead body. Her month had seemed to conspire to test the limits of her willingness to engage in depravity, and at that particular moment that portion of the ritual seemed to be the pinnacle of its efforts. "I would greatly appreciate your aid in this, but I do understand that every day lost is a great price given the scale of what is happening in the rest of the world. I'll not hold even a speck of ill will if you would prefer not to linger."

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


Niserie smiled sheepishly at Tamonten's retort to her poor attempt at calming them regarding her mistress's intimidating presence, and after her reassurance regarding the swordswoman's normal lack of sense when it came to satisfying her own curiosity she gave a quick bark of laughter. "Well, fair enough then!" she replied brightly, and then turned to leave. As Tamonten moved to part from Krig in order to follow, however, she felt the kitsune's hand suddenly reach down and give her bottom a light grope. Should the swordswoman look in her lover's direction, she would find Krig grinning as sheepishly as Niserie had been earlier, but unless the pale warrior protested her lover's hand would remain on her rump for the better part of their journey back to the guest wing.

Krig's hand would release the swordswoman's rear a few moments before they arrived at Nellic's bedroom, leaving the swordswoman a moment or two to recover from her lover's touch and the approving looks it had earned from some of the maids they'd passed. Once confronting the big wrestler, however, the kitsune would keep her hands to herself while the swordswoman delivered her inquiry.

Nellic was, at least initially, able to offer a brief grin at Tamonten's admission that she had been having some fairly good sleep. "So I've, ahhh, heard," he muttered in reply, and shot a brief glance at Krig who quickly looked away and blushed. "I am feeling much better, yes! Or at least, I was... Being free of that prison is like having a weight taken off from around my heart, and magic has done much to heal the physical wounds. Still.... When I heard...."

The huge man trailed off, and Tamonten would be able to get to her real topic, prompting the man to first curious when she asked him for another favor, understanding when the invasion and her intention to go out and fight as soon as was possible were mentioned, and then horrified when she revealed the demon present in her arm. "Ahhh... I had no idea! Of course I will help, even if it means delaying my departure!" he replied as soon as the swordswoman went silent, offering her a fairly reassuring grimace. "I don't know what this... Ritual.... Will entail exactly, but I expect that it will be fairly unpleasant. Just let me know when I am needed and what I need to do," he continued stoically, and then fell silent to allow Tamonten to reply in turn.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

When she felt Krig's hand squeeze at her rear, Tamonten did just about the exact opposite of protest. With a blush and a small grin in return to the foxgirl she softly pushed herself back against her lover's palm and gently coiled her tail around her the kitsune's forearm to let her know just how appreciated her touch was, though her tail's grip remained light enough that Kringlicsly would be able to remove or shift her hand with even the smallest application of effort. She was willing to remain like that for the entirety of the trip to Nellic's guest room, remaining close to the spirit wielder and keeping her own arm around Krig's lower back even while her lover took whatever liberties she desired, and her blush growing just a little bit brighter and her small grin resurrecting at every approving look by the maids they passed. Beyond the physical sensations, something about walking with her lover in that way, even in public, made the swordswoman generally happy.

But perhaps the bodily enjoyment she took from Krig's touch was why, when 'heard' slipped from Nellic's mouth, Tamonten was very lucidly reminded of some of the things that had transpired with her lover in the bathroom. Yes, it was suddenly very fresh in her mind that she had wanted her lover to scream her name loudly enough for all of Xeon's mansion to hear, and that Krig had readily taken to fulfilling that desire. And then Tamonten herself had cried out loud enough to match it later. And then she had... and then they had... and the begging.... And just like that her face was beet red and she was wondering if there was perhaps more to the approving looks the maids had shot the two previously.

She wouldn't be completely over her embarrassment until she had finished her request. At Nellic's willingness to help her she gave a grateful bow of her head. "Thank you. Your aid means a great deal to me, Nellic," the pale girl offered in a humbled tone. "According to Xeon, from the four donors it will cost no more than a small amount of their energy and brief fatigue, along with their time, of course. It will cost me a bit more," she remained purposely vague on that point. "It's one of the least savory things I think I've ever had a hand in, but if fortune smiles upon us then you'll hopefully not have to deal with the less pleasant parts. When the time comes to see it done, I will find you, or if I am unable to I will ask one of the maids to do so."

"And there's one more thing that I wished to say, regardless of what comes of the ritual. It's something I intend to say to the others as well. I could not have asked to meet better allies within that prison. I would not have made it on my own, and I doubt any of us would have.... So! As far as I'm concerned, you're all as good as family to me," she decided not to give too much thought to the idea that Sashien and maybe Sensensiel were probably beyond 'as good as family.' "If you ever need something, you need only find me and ask and I'll do whatever is within my power. No debts or trading favors about it, just helping a comrade in need." With that, she offered her pale hand to the wrestler for a handshake.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


Despite her initial boldness, it seemed that Krig hadn't had much of a plan beyond the only slightly adventurous grope of the pale swordswoman's rear. Her hand remained in place, but other than some pleasant squeezing it didn't threaten anything more as one who was more deft at teasing might have. That, of course, didn't make the embarrassment that ensued once Nellic offered his innocent remark about "hearing" any less poignant, but while the kitsune was blushing right alongside her she didn't seem to find it any easier to keep a guilty grin from appearing on her features.

Nellic's rugged features creased into a worried frown as Tamonten offered only vague but nonetheless dire hints at what she would have to do for the ritual to give the demon in her arm a body of its own, but when she shifted tact to her addition the man broke out into an almost boyish grin as his ears turned red. "Comrade Tamonten," he said lightly, but pride and pleasure broke into his voice despite his efforts at hiding them, "you shouldn't.... If I'd have..."

The wrestler trailed off before glancing down at offered hand, and after a moment's deliberation reached out and took it in his own. His grip was like solid cast iron, to the point that it was nearly painful, but the much taller man also reached out to gently lay a hand onto her shoulder. "I can do nothing but offer you the same in return!" he replied softly, his words no less heartfelt than her own, "I would be dead, or worse, if I had not had you to fight beside me in that hopeless place! Let us hope to never find ourselves like that again, and that the next time we meet it can be over a warm fire, a warmer meal, and cool mug of good mead!" With that he would release her hand, allowing the swordswoman to get some feeling back in her fingers, and beam down at her.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

The swordswoman's own grin widened in response to how Nellic took her praise, though it very briefly gave way to a grimace when it felt like her finger bones might likewise give way to the big man's grip. She couldn't help but shake her hand out once he had released it, though in the end the minor discomfort didn't put even the slightest dent in her high spirits. "If my days in the prison taught me anything, it's that opportunity oft doesn't exist to seize unless we create it first. I say let's not leave this one to fate! I've at least a couple hundred denarii in my bags, so let's all get together after the ritual and find a place that'll take my coin and in return we'll spend the night cleaning out a chunk of Acheron's stock of food and drink. I'll see what the others think about it when I speak to them."

"For now though, I have to go see Sensensiel. I imagine she'll be looking to leave soon and I have to catch her before then to see if she's willing to be one of my four. I'll see you again before, or perhaps during, the ritual, and then hopefully we'll have our chance at that fire, mead, and meal." If Nellic didn't have anything to add that would require Tamonten to stay, however, after making any replies she felt were necessary beyond her goodbye she would offer; "Farewell until then!" Afterward she would excuse herself from the room with Krig and indicate to Niserie that Sensensiel's room was next.

Before they began the latest leg of their trip, however, Tamonten allowed her own hand to fall to Krig's rounded backside, giving one of her plump cheeks a firm squeeze. You had to know I was going to pay you back eventually. Or at the least that I was going to use it as an excuse to get another palm full of that fantastic ass of yours, she offered silently toward her lover while grinning toward the foxgirl. The swordswoman gave another grope of the kitsune's assets intended to confirm that she had every intention of keeping her hand their for the rest of their trek to the angel's room unless Kringlicsly attempted to stop her.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


"That's a wonderful idea!" Nellic said, though neither he nor Tamonten seemed to notice the brief look of worry that crossed Krig's features as she kept the background of the conversation. "I'll probably try to get some proper training in while I've got time to relax, but I'm sure one of the maids can find me whenever you need me!" he continued brightly, and then nodded at her insistence on going to see Sensensiel next, "wish her well for me! Farewell!"

With that, she would be excused to the brief walk down the hall to Sensensiel's room, only two doors down from Nellic's and on the opposite side of the hall. On the way, however, Tamonten would have more than enough time to sneak a quick grope of Krig's plump rear, something that the kitsune gave only a tiny jump from before casually leaning into her hand. A grin and a blush appeared on her face instantly, and in her own mind she heard her lover's voice casually reply; [I didn't just think it... I was counting on it~]

Regardless of her response to that, Tamonten wouldn't have time for much more before Niserie was knocking on Sensensiel's door for them, and without further adieu the portal was wrenched open by a busty, blue haired maid who looked oddly familiar. "Hi Niserie!" the demonically featured woman said brightly, grinning and showing off fangs along with the rest of her shining teeth, matching almost perfectly the bone-white horns sprouting from her brow. "Sexy as ever I see.... When am I gonna see your cute little ass in my lap next, hrm?" she added, grinning lopsidedly and only glancing knowingly for an instant at Tamonten and Krig. Niserie, taking the other woman's lewd words without flinching in the slightest, smiled back and replied, "next time you get me plastered on that honey flavored stuff we found in the basement probably! For now I'm on business though, these two need to see the angel."

Sensensiel could be seen in the background, frowning over the still prone and unmoving figure of the black-striped alraune who was lying on the room's only bed. The angel was facing away from them, but she glanced back and offered a slightly weary looking smile at her and Krig before looking back to the alraune. "They're here to see you!" Niserie said, still brightly, and the blue haired angel looked back over her shoulder before turning towards the door, a hand idly falling to rest on her still-flat stomach as she looked first to Tamonent and then to Krig, her hands both falling to her sides. "Mmmm? What do you need?" she asked, more curious than worried.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

Woe is me, outwitted at every turn! However will I comfort myself? She followed her melodramatic thoughts with another series of squeezes against the foxgirl's behind. Her hand didn't move at the appearance of the blue-haired maid either. Indeed, she continued to grope her lover in what could almost be considered a pensive manner as she tried to place the source of the blue-haired maid's familiarity.

She couldn't manage it though, and even the woman's rather distinctive and particularly direct manner of speaking didn't help. The pale girl didn't give much thought to the maid's proposition beyond that. After all, it wasn't like she couldn't see the appeal of having Niserie in her lap, along with many of the other members of Xeon's staff. Tamonten was quite happy with the woman she literally had in hand though, and the sessions spent between Kringlicsly and her fucking each others' brains out were addictive in much more pleasing and less alarming ways than any amount of ecstasy that Xeon or her maid staff might provide.

The pale girl let go of the spirit wielder's behind almost mournfully before they entered Sensensiel's room. At the sight of Sensensiel's flat stomach Tamonten almost let out an audible sigh of relief but she managed to catch herself in time to avoid such an insulting gesture. That had to be a good sign though, right? With Petunia and the dragonkin sisters and Jasmine, because by then she had no choice but to admit to herself that she had probably impregnated the sidhe woman as well, they had started to show in no more than a day. Tamonten herself hadn't even gotten in a full night's sleep before giving birth to Petunia's seedlings. Thus far, her children with Kringlicsly were the only ones that weren't growing incredibly quickly, although the swordswoman couldn't begin to guess why.

There was nobody to blame but herself though. Even if Kringlicsly hadn't won their little wager and things had turned out differently, Tamonten already had a good idea of what she had intended on doing. The major difference would've been that she would've set Sensensiel and Sashien to take turns on Krig's cock while she herself stuffed her lover and then allowed it to develop from there with the intent of driving the woman until she was unconscious from the pleasure, so it simply would've been the foxgirl's progeny instead. She should've prepared for it, and it wasn't a mistake she wanted to make again. She imagined that she should probably also still speak with the angel about the possibility, but that would come after the matter of the ritual.

"To be honest, the primary reason is that I've come to ask for a favor," the pale girl admitted, believing that she owed it to Sensensiel to be direct every bit as much as she had owed it to Nellic. She couldn't help but spare a second to muse that not long prior she had been leading the angel down the hallway on a leash like a dog though. Nor could she stop herself from musing that she'd need to try that with Krig some day, as it'd seem almost a crime not to since the foxgirl already had the ears and tail for it. "I don't think we ever spoke of it but I came here originally to have a demon's soul removed from my arm. I've just returned from meeting with Xeon about it, and now I need four volunteers willing to give up a small amount of energy for the ritual when the time comes. I've come to ask if you'll be one of those four."

Regardless of whether Sensensiel interjected to accept or decline, Tamonten would follow up with: "The second reason is that I've come to invite you to something of a party. I'm hesitant to call it as much before I've spoken to more of the potential guests, but after talking with Nellic — he asked me to wish you well on his behalf, by the way — I got the bright idea that our little band should invade one of Acheron's taverns before we split and go our separate ways. I'm going to cover the food and drink for the night. We'll call it a celebration for finding new friends and allies." It wasn't actually the second most pressing thing she wanted to talk to Sensensiel about, of course, but it flowed a lot easier than a conversation about birth control and parental responsibility might. "You look like you could use some relaxation," she continued more softly with a glance toward the comatose alraune. "I'm sure the maids are perfectly capable of keeping an eye on Shorya if you take a night off."

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)


[Well, you could keep your hand on my ass,] Krig mentally replied while Niserie and the blue haired maid exchanged words, her psychic tone casual even as the blushing kitsune leaned her plump rear a little bit more firmly into the swordswoman's groping hand. Her eventual withdrawal of that inappropriate gesture caused the kitsune to briefly bite her lower lip and turn to stare at Tamonten for a few moments before diverting her attention back to the social matter at hand.

When they had shifted from their lewd flirtations to Krig again hanging back while Tamonten asked her favor of the blue haired angel, Sensensiel would tilt her head curiously, and then follow the same general pattern of reactions as Nellic. Shock at the revelation about the demon in her arm, quickly followed by acceptance when she made her request, followed further by eagerness once the swordswoman mentioned the gathering that she had spontaneously started planning with the wrestler. "I've probably got a better idea of what you're asking than anyone else you're likely to ask, so... Sure, I'll donate a bit of energy for you. I'm a little fuzzy on who owes who by this point, but I really was always bad at keeping track of favors, so you can call it a freebie and thank me when it works and you can walk again," she said, her tone jovial and a smirk appearing on her face, which was eerily similar to an expression that had never meant anything but horror when her mother had worn it.

"Wait.... Why do I need to be watched?" the blue-haired maid interjected bemusedly at Tamonten's ending statement, and Niserie quickly added; "She's Shorya, we don't know her name yet... I don't think. I did know that it was her who would be in here though, she's assigned to this wing. She had to help the janitor in the bathroom while you were... Recuperating." Shorya's amused expression broadened until she was grinning almost manically, and with a chuckle at the blush darkening on Krig's (and presumably Tamonten's) faces she jokingly said; "Oh, that was you two, huh? Whoooo-wheee, was that a mess! I haven't seen that much cum since the last orgy I had back in Hell!"

Sensensiel quirked an eyebrow at that exclamation, but then simply shook her head, "I'm glad to hear Nellic's doing well. Sure, if Shorya is willing to watch over our patient in case she wakes up, I'd be happy to go out for a bit of a party... Though I think I'll mostly keep away from the alcohol!" Again she smoothed a hand over her abdomen, slightly adjusting her white robe and then resting that hand on her hip.

Re: Finding Peace (Hafnium)

She was a little unsettled by the way that Sensensiel's smirk reminded her of Elawdrin's, but made no mention of it. Instead, the pale girl simply nodded and donned a small smile of her own at the angel's explanation that it would be a freebie and to thank her when it worked. Deep down she mused that she was probably more terrified of the possibility of being physically unable to fend for herself for a time than by the prospect of it killing her outright.

She didn't want to die, of course, but if she did then it would probably be over quickly and that would be the end of it all, she imagined. On the other hand, the idea of relying on others to protect her for a time, even if it was Kringlicsly, caused Tamonten no shortage of worries. It was especially true while she was still coming to grips with the fact that her own strength wasn't enough to prevent falling into Elawdrin's hands or to stop her atrocities sooner. She wasn't going to let her feelings cripple her mentally before the ritual even had the chance to do so physically though, and soon moved onto the next subject.

The swordswoman was slightly embarrassed at her own mistaken assumption that Shorya was the alraune's name, but far more so by the reminder of the mess they had left in the bathroom. Tamonten still held no small amount of pride in the reactions she had inspired in Kringlicsly in Xeon's guest bath either though, and so even as she blushed she also grinned in return. "I was naked and alone with the woman I love after spending several days imprisoned." She deftly repositioned herself so she could wrap her hands around her lover's waist from behind, pulled the foxgirl into her, and took a brief nibble at her neck before glancing back at the maids to continue her reply. "I wasn't letting this sexy little fox get away from me until I was too exhausted to move."

After her little spectacle, one which left the pale girl blushing even brighter, she would reluctantly release the spirit wielder so that she could speak more seriously. "To be truthful, I don't intend on partaking at the party either. But I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some sweets, I've had a increasing craving for the last few days and it's beginning to drive me mad," she replied to Sensensiel's comments and subconsciously folded her arms and allowed them to rest against her own stomach. While she might have been outwardly casual, mentally any confidence she had built about the status of the angel's womb had just been washed away by the woman's simple comment and motion.

Some not insubstantial part of the pale girl wanted to simply leave it at that. She could bid Sensensiel farewell now and be off to find Grenewald. If the angelic woman did not want to bring it up to Tamonten then who was she to push the issue? Despite her best efforts, however, that more irresponsible part of the pale girl proved unable to fool herself into thinking that broaching the issue wasn't truly every bit as much her duty as it might've been for the angel. She supposed there was nothing to do but to face the possibility.

"Um, there was one more thing I wanted to discuss," she started, not confident in how she should word her coming offer. The swordswoman paused for several awkward seconds as she fumbled around in her head for the right way to phrase what she was about to say to Sensensiel to no avail. Maybe she should ask the maids to leave? She wasn't really sure. She somehow doubted that a door alone would keep them from eavesdropping if they really wanted to hear what was said. What about Krig? She didn't want to keep anymore secrets from the foxgirl though, nor could she as long as the spirit wielder was able to easily read her mind, and her lover had been literally riding her face as it happened anyway. Her contemplations went on for a while longer until finally, after a silence as pregnant as she herself and potentially the angel as well, Tamonten's patience ran out and with a deep breath to brace herself she practically blurted out what was on her mind. "I don't know what came of our initial, um... celebration, but I wanted to tell you that if you're... with my child then I'll take responsibility to the best of my ability to do so."