Shadow of the Abyss

"Papa! Atelia is hungry!" The young thing exclaimed mournfully, her foxy ears drooping downwards.

Altair rustled her small head, lifting his eyes towards the bandits to the gnarled-faced man who had spoken words to his daughter. He pointed to him, commanding, "Cut off his arms and legs and leave him for the crows. The rest can just die."

Therion and Alyssa bounded forward like a pack of wolves. Men screamed, thrown into chaos, as blood stained the earth. They fell like moths to the flames, begging and screaming for it to end. Some screamed for their mothers; others threw their fellow brothers into the crossfire in the hopes they could flee. It was all futile.

If Alyssa was power, Therion was speed. He wielded a Vale Spear that tore through swords and daggers alike like hot butter. By the time anyone could blink, he was behind them, skewing their bodies without the slightest deviation or thought.

In a few breaths, the battle ended as soon as it began; the only sound echoing when it was done was the screams of the gnarled-faced man penetrating the forest.

Covering her large beady eyes, Altair glanced at Therion, "Cut out his tongue and hang him up."

"My pleasure, your grace," Therion said, happy to comply. The screams… the blood… the death… were feeding him. Feeding his desire for chaos.

"Your Grace," the Medarc grumbled. "Don't you think that was a little too—"

"He called little Atelia just another cunt for the nobles to fuck." Altair responded coolly. "If that doesn't deserve a faith worse than death, then what does?"

"This thing ought to be grateful; Master didn't cast his soul down to the hells." Tasha tacked on, her gaze boring holes into the man, a crooked smile writhing across her lips.

She was jealous, the Young King figured, gently kissing Atelia on the cheek. Her ears perked up.

"Papa! People are watching!" she complained, flaring her cheeks. "That means you have to do it on the lips!"

Medusa giggled, nodding along. "That is the rule, your Grace."

"Of course. Stupid me. By your will, princess," he played along. Lightly pecking her on the lips. Atelia threw her head up in triumph.

Amused, Altair clocked Cloud past the slaughter to cleaner air, brushing a few strands from Atelia's face, a little curious how she was able to see through his disguise as Nox De Nier.

Name: Atelia Blackwood

Race: Celestial Kitsune

Age: Six

Mana Circle: [Fifth Tail 57%]

Class: [Fourth Tail Kitsune Lv 150]

Str: 572

Dex: 797

Con: 860

Wis: 900

Chr: 900

Mana: 320

Skill: [Rend], [Blink], [Celestial Body], [Astral Soul], [Spatial Manipulation], [Imperious Sword]

Impressed by how much she'd grown in such a short time, he pinched her cheeks. "Did you're mommy feed you something good?"

"Hmm!" Atelia nodded fervently. "Scary Uncle gave Mama something strange as a reward. And then she gave it to me."

"Scary Uncle?" Altair could imagine the Silver Devil's icy gaze poised on Atelia and laughed. "Did you thank that scary uncle?"

"Yup! Atelia did good, huh! Praise Atelia! Atelia demands head pats!"

Altair complied but quickly frowned when he saw Medusa ride close to him. Her sharp, reptilian eyes marked two men in the distance hiding in the woods.

Tasha dismounted from her mare, sliding Gram out its scabbard.

"Come out!" she demanded.

Stark surprise took the two men by surprise before they eased themselves for the forest onto the road.

Elena gasped, shouting," Elder Ashe, Elder Yorke! You found me!"

"My lady,' the two middle-aged men bowed, fumbling words over one another as they shouted, "We have been searching for you for nearly two weeks. We thought you were dead! Sepiths Grace! Three Transcendents attacked us while we were tracking you!"

'Interesting…' Altair glanced at Tasha, and the Sword Maid bowed sheathing Gram.

'My Lady! Please return to the front lines with us. The Marquess cannot cover for you for long." Elder Ashe, a long-faced man, pleaded. "If we leave now, then—"

"I can't do that!' Elena said, biting her lips. She glanced back at Altair, back to the two elders. "My Fiance needs me. I'm… I'm sure my Father will manage."

The two elders exchanged confused looks.

"My Lady,' Elder Yorke began. "We have already called for reinforcements. Your Father is surely leading a search party forward. Three Transcendents are after you. I don't think it matters if…"

"You needn't worry about them," Altair said calmly. "They're dead. As well as the others sent after us." —A disturbing silence found the two elders— "A Trow killed them, and we killed said Trow. As for the Marquess, you can tell him that his daughter will be safe in my custody."

Again, the two elders glanced at the other, back to Altair, unable to believe what they were hearing. Elder Ashe opened his mouth to speak, but Tasha cut him off.

"Our Young Master has already taken care of Elena's decision to flee the battlefield without prior warning. The Castillian of Inka has already drawn up a pardon. Master?"

"Ah yes, with all that happened, I nearly forgot." Altair calmly added, smiling. "When I heard my darling Fiance had left the battlefield to find me, I could no longer wait and decided to come to find her when I heard of the assassination attempt.

"What about Conall—"

Elder Ashe shoved his fellow elder on the shoulder and spoke up," I see that Young Master Nox has thought of everything." He cupped his hands in the formal ways of a practitioner of cultivation. "You have our thanks."

"A raven has already been sent to the Castillan. All that is required of us is the extermination of the monsters and bandits plaguing the Golden Fork. I don't suppose you two can aid us in such an endeavor."

The two were hard-pressed to refuse him, lowering their heads with a forced smile. "Of course, Young Master Nox."

"Elena…" the Vale King's soothing voice sounded, sending the hairs rising along Elena's small neck. "Will you ride with me?"

"What about Atelia!" The little kitsune asked.

"The Lovely Medusa here will care for you, of course." he said, "I'm sure she would love playing with the imperial princess."

Atelia's amethyst eyes sparkled at her sudden title. "Promise you'll play with Atelia later?"

"As Sepith as my witness," he swore, handing the girl off to his Sword Maid. He offered a hand to Elena, his smile never leaving. She reluctantly accepted, leaving her mount for his. Repositioning herself behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist as Cloud took off.

Elder Ashe and Yorke glanced at one another before vanishing back into the forest.

"So his name is Conall," the Vale King mused. "He must be something for a Transcendent to worry about."

"He won't interfere," She assured him.

"Won't interfere?" The Vale King's laugh was cold. "When you come to my room tomorrow night, and the maids begin to gossip, what do you think this Conall will do? A cocked man is quite a dangerous one."

She trembled, her hold tightening. "Nothing will happen between us."

"Nothing? That is a possibility. Though I'm curious, what face will this Conall make when I bury your head in sheets?"

"T-That wasn't in our contract!" Elena snapped.

"And how would you know what's exactly in the contract?" he lowered the reins, turning his head towards her, the sigil in his eyes trembling with the fever of the incubus.

Elena felt her face turn hot. "You wouldn't dare…would you? Even if I am but a tool. I am still the daughter of a Marquess. You can't just treat me any which way."

"I shall treat you as I damn well please," the Vale King decreed, his tone leaving no room for denial. "You are mind till we are done, whether I seek that thing between your legs or those sweet lips of yours. It'll be your honor to receive this king's seed." he smiled disdainfully at the feverish look. "Contain yourself, woman. You are soiling my horse.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

If you rile him up, you'll be the one to service him."

Cruel though his words were, they were like honey to her ears—a seductive nectar of temptation that left her loins in heat.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' She hastily asked herself. Channeling Mana to restrict her hormonal response.

The Vale King's eyes narrowed. "If Conall is any man, he will ride to Inka once the news reaches him. Warn him. Should he set one foot in Inka, I assure you he'll leave a cocked man, or perhaps you might like that."

Snapping out of her trance, Elena nearly slapped him. "He will not show. Conall is not an insecure man.'

The Vale King laughed loudly. "Insecure! I don't believe there is any man alive that would be right with their lover riding with her former lover in such proximity. You are either delusional or ignorant of how territorial we are."

"You sound insecure."

"Then shall we make a bet? We will arrive in Inka tomorrow. I give it a week, no three days, for your lover to storm the Castilans castle looking for you." Discover hidden stories at empire

Elena's brows beetled. "What exactly are you betting?"

"If he doesn't show, I'll break the contract. But if he does, you shall willingly fall into my bed."

"That's…" Elena shook her head. "That's wrong. I—"

"You believe in your lover, right? He is the man that made you turn your back on me. So why not have faith in him? If you like, we can even have Tasha create a contract. Just for us. I'll even throw you a bone and show you the contract you foolishly signed without much thought."

Elena hesitated. "Are you serious?"

The Vale King scuffed. "Woman, lying is beneath me."

Biting her lips, Elena lowered her head in thought. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, she said, "Alright… Deal."