Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

There was such intensity behind Adrian's hateful declaration that refused to be undercut by his defeated stance and the welt on his face or the fracture in his ribs.

And then he softened when a hand grabbed his shoulder. He looked to the side into yron's understanding face,

"Come on," Myron said, "Let's go."

Together, they left the stage and the Arena entirely. Where they went and what they discussed, no one knew and no one really cared.

Read today at _emp _y,r.

Lady Myrine stepped towards Ember whose eyes had just been attentively looking between the engagement on all sides.

"Dear Girl," Myrine said, "Come with me. You can help me tend to my injuries."

That was obviously a rouse.

Healing those wounds, even if they had been deep, would require only the use of potions of which the Stygian Estate had many. Myrine just saw this as a chance to get her son's new flame alone and she took it.

The Stygians began to file out of the Arena one by one. All having enjoyed the show and especially the bonus content at the end.

After yet another proud look at Evian and the proud Knight he was becoming as well as after giving another respectful greeting to Zayda Vi'thar, Lord Stygian left the Arena as well, claiming he had matters to attend to.

Soon, only Evian and Zayda were still on the stage and both were still there by choice.

Zayda cocked her head to the side,

"I knew you were a capable copulator, I did not peg you as a capable fighter."

Evian smiled,

"It's hard to take that as a compliment when you use the word 'Copulator'."

"But that IS what you are," Zayda said.

Evian shrugged,

"Maybe but It doesn't matter because 'Copulator' sounds way too clinical," he said, "Almost like you were referring to some prize stallion stud."

"Well..." Zayda said and let her voice trail suggestively while she glanced lower toward Evian's crotch. The rod she had seen jousting from there last night was certainly worthy of the title 'Stud'.

"Yeah, I guess I walked myself into that one," Evian said with a chuckle, "But back on topic... To join your Command, I have conditions."

Zayda raised her brow and folded her arms beneath her breasts, inadvertently lifting them to an even more eye-catching level as she said slowly,

"Conditions?"

Evian nodded,

"Yes, Conditions," he said, "One, I retain the right to walk away whenever I please, and Two, I retain the right to slug off in case of... Opportunities I feel are too pleasing to let pass me by."

"You can't have a right to walk away whenever you please. To join the Martial Temple is to make a forever commitment to always act in the best interest of the Temple and the Kingdom so No, your first condition is moot."

"Then I don't join," Evian said with a shrug.

"Fine," Zayda said with a sigh.

"That's it? I get what I want?" Evan said sounding surprised because it seemed too good to be true...

... It was.

"No," Zayda shook her head before she and Evian started staring at each other, hard,

"I meant 'Fine, don't join'.

You need to understand, that if you walk away from the Temple's interests for any reason at all, you'll be considered a deserter and hunted down. At that point, your fate will be out of my hands."

"Will you hunt me down too?" Evan asked.

"Depends," Zayda said.

"On what?"

"On if I am ordered to hunt you down or how personally your desertion affects me."

"I see," Evian said and stroked his jaw slowly, "How about a compromise? You can't decide for the entire Temple but you can decide for yourself.

Do I have your word that while I'm in your command, you will be able to look away from certain steps I take for my selfish interests? That should I get hunted down, you will recuse yourself?"

Evian had long decided to take a journey but he lacked direction and he hated that. Whatever ulterior motives Zayda Vi'thar had, for now, she gave him direction. Under the banner of her 'command', Evian was sure he would get Soul-Eating opportunities as well as Beauty tasting opportunities (Zayda herself was obviously not exempted) and could use her as a platform to launch him to greater heights.

In all honesty, he saw the good to far outweigh the bad but he wanted a bit more control over his life. He had spent the first few weeks of his time in this world quelling a threat from an enemy he inherited and was not sure he wanted to be thrust into that position again.

He wanted to retain the right to make his own enemies, or at least retain the right to believe he was making his own enemies. If that makes any sense.

Zayda let out a breath,

"That's very broad," she said, "Just what steps do you plan to take?"

"That's just it, I don't know them yet," Evian said.

"So all these are assumptions and supposed blind faith?"

Evian nodded,

"Pretty much,"

A few seconds of silence passed and then,

"Counter-offer," Zayda said, "I can't just blindly promise to ignore any step you take so I retain the right act against you in case of a personal Vendetta.

Should you harm anyone I care about or me personally, the entire Temple will be the least of your worries."

Evian's lips twitched not just at her words but also at the intensity of Pressure that backed it,

"Sounds like a threat, feels like a threat... You have a deal."

Evian stretched out a hand and Zayda slowly unfolded her arms from underneath her breasts to shake it. All the while, she and Evian stared into each other's eyes, neither willing to look away first.

And then Evian smiled, his smile as dazzling and charming as ever and it brought, to the forefront of Zayda's mind, how comfortably warm his hand felt. She felt a strange chill but not the kind to cause her to shiver with cold but rather the kind to have tingles running up her hand, her arm, and slowly down her back toward her...

"Alright, that's enough," Zayda said and pulled her hand free. Losing the staring contest by looking away first but as the gracious victor that he was, Evian didn't make mention of it.

"So you were going to call me into your command without a gauge of my battle prowess?" Evian asked with a raised brow.

Zayda waved him off,

"Battle prowess can be learned. Being in the Third Order, you already had what it took to be an Outpost Knight. I didn't need to check further."

"So what now?" Evian asked.

Zayda sighed and her lips formed into a smile as she led the way off the stage,

"Now, I return to the Temple and acquire my Command and the right to confer any eligible Knight to my ranks. I will also receive my -our- first task while I am away so be prepared, you and that redhead, for we might be thrust into conflict immediately we set off."

"Can't wait," Evian said with a genuine smile as he walked by her side, "How long do we have to wait?"

"About a week," Zayda said resolutely. It could have taken longer but she was determined not to let it.

Yes, she wanted to keep Evian close and make him a primary model for her Voyeuristic desires but besides that, becoming a Commander had long been Zayda's dream. It was a title that could be ceremonial and active but remained an important step towards higher positions of power within the Martial Temple.

A Commander gains more Meritorious points for just Commanding their squad than the members of said Squad or individual Knights could ever receive and this was so paramount to her dream of becoming one of the Youngest Templars to ever grace the Martial Temple. Maybe she could beat out the Golden Child to attain this honor first.

Oh, the pleasure Zayda believed she would get by one day successfully wiping the polite smile off the face of that overpowered blond Bimbo... Sigh.

Zayda pulled her mind out of the thoughts of the Martial Temple's most precious resource that she could not help but feel like competing against and deflected to Evian's second condition,

"The opportunities you wish I to be open to... Are they lewd?" she asked with a smirk.

Evian rolled his eyes. They were out of the Arena now,

"You really think that's all I think about?"

"Is it not?" Zayda asked.

"It's not," Evian said.

Yes, Beauties were a priority but so also was Soul Eating. To be open to opportunities was just so he could break away from the Squad if there happened to be a chance to devour that did not necessarily have much to do with the task at hand. Yet another attempt at having control.

Zayda however refused to be deterred and did not lose her smirk,

"Okay then. But it's partly lewd?"

"Sure," Evian told her with a chuckle and Zayda nodded,

"You're allowed but if possible, I must be there," she said.

'Oh you will,' Evian said in his head with a silent chuckle,

'And you'll be part. That much is sure.'