My claws raked along her back as I got within striking distance. Her warm, hot blood flowed down my claws and onto my hands. The scent was overwhelming and sent me into a trance-like state.
"You’ll never leave here," she moaned and licked her lips, then her fingers, one by one. The look in her eyes was one of both wonder and desire, hatred and lust. "Now we begin with session number 18, Aiden."
20
The struggle became all too real when my body started moving on its own accord. First a twitch of my fingers, then my hands, arms and legs. It was as if someone had taken control of my body and let me ride alongto watch the show. A cold sweat ran down my spine as I tried to battle the hold over my body, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t do anything. Panic and fear replaced whatever it was I’d felt moments ago. The stench of death crawled up my nose, the stench of iron and of burnt flesh.
"Don’t fight it. Give in and I’ll let you stay with me forever. I promise," Melinoe whispered. I wouldn’t just give in, no way. This sadistic bitch wouldn’t get me served on a platter. I hoped.
"Why does your… name sound so familiar," I groaned through the mental strain the take-over had put on me. Dineth to my side was hacking away at her magic shield she kept up with one hand. Whenever it cracked, a new layer appeared out of nowhere and sealed the gap.
"Oh dear boy, you have no idea, do you?"
I barely managed to shake my head an inch to each side.
"No, I don’t."
She laughed maniacally, obviously drunk on the power she held over me.
"I will give you a hint," she whispered and slammed her wing against Dineth’s chest. He was knocked into the wall, along with a nice chunk of his health bar.
"No!" I yelled and bared my teeth.
"Hush, hush. Bad boy," she reprimanded and narrowed her eyes on mine. "As for my person, Persephone was my mother, and," she went quiet for a long second, "That wicked man, Zeus, was my father. Though not by choice. Do you know who I am now?"
I tried to rattle my brain, and the memories I had retained from when we used to learn about the Greeks. Persephone was the daughter of Zeus, if I remembered correctly, so it didn’t make sense to me. But the way she said, that he wasn’t her father by choice? No, all but that. Memories of history classes flooded back like a tidal wave. Persephone had given birth to Dionysus, Lacchus, Zagreus and Melinoe after getting raped by her own father.
"Oh dear god, no. You’re the goddess of torture, misery and witchcraft! And wait, it wasn’t just Zeus who raped you, but Hades as well!"
Her ecstatic laughter filled the cavernous room as she let go of Dineth. He remained lying however, and didn’t move.
"Good boy! Now I get to give you a special present!"
I remained quiet, the point she was goading me obvious. Four flashes of light drew our attention. She flicked her wrist and sent me flying against the wall, where I remained fixed. I couldn’t even move a single finger or breathe in or out. But I could see my women coming to our aid. A fifth flash announced Monica’s arrival, and the group was all gathered.
Melinoe’s eyes went wide when she noticed Larina standing amidst my women. For a long heartbeat, I was afraid the rabbit woman was about to turn on us, but from the way Melinoe looked at her, that wouldn’t be the case.
"Wenet? What is the meaning of this?" she snapped and let go of me, forgetting she had me in her grasp.
Larina, or Wenet, as Melinoe called her, shrugged and stepped toward us.
"I’ve had enough of this," Wenet snapped and held up her clenched fist. "You’ve used my time magic once too often. It’s time to die for all the pain you’ve caused him," she said and looked at me, "and me as well, old friend."
Melinoe narrowed her eyes at her longtime ally and sneered.
"Then you will be the first to die!" she screamed and put her hand up, palm toward the ceiling. A dark spear appeared out of thin air one moment, and a second later, it was nearing Wenet with tremendous speed.
A lightning bolt crackled through the air and whipped out at the projectile. It disappeared in a cloud of black mist as the lightning bolt released a majestic thunderclap that rocked the cavern. Dineth’s massive arms snapped close around her chest.
"No, her arms, not her breasts you idiot!" Renee called as she unleashed another lightning bolt. It struck a magic shield Melinoe put up with one of her free hands, while she used the second to curse Dineth, and then push him off with her wings.
A black tar-like substance crawled up his arm and to his neck. It entered his body and turned his red skin to grey. The arm shriveled up looked like it was about to fall off any moment.
Green and white light flooded over him, bringing the Orc momentary relief. The grey color turned to red again as his arm returned to the way it had been.
"Three minute cooldown on curse removal," Monica said in group chat. "Don’t get cursed again."
"Thanks babe," he replied and turned green while he took out his shield. "And no problem, curse immunity on this baby," he said and patted the tower-shield.
I darted in, hoping to catch her unaware, but it wouldn’t be that easy. She stepped aside and roundhouse kicked me in the chest. Ribs cracked from the massive pressure exerted against my chest.
"You will stay out of this, slave. Besides, you’re a part of me. I know what you think, feel and want to do to me. And I can say I’m rather disappointed. After fucking me for seventeen times, I’d have hoped you liked my wet pussy," she said seductively as she grabbed her right breast and fondled it. "Oh Aiden, why do you make me hurt you?"
"Oh fuck me sideways and call me Sally if that chick is normal!" Katya yelled as she notched an arrow and planted it right against Melinoe’s right breast, through her hand and everything. The goddess yelped and pulled out the arrow, then threw it back at my Elven ranger. How dare she try and kill my nympho!
"Babe, next time plant it between her eyes, not in her boob," I said through a dull pain and winced, then winked at my girl.
"Or between her legs," Scarlet added, drawing a chorus of laughter. "Speaking of which, you planning to get in there again? Or have you cheated enough on the three--no, four of us?"
A warm feeling welled up inside me, giving me new hope and drive. Wenet glanced at Scarlet, who shrugged.
"If that’s the case, we can get it on here. Melinoe, prepare to die."
Wenet propelled her small body at the goddess with such speed that I could barely follow her. At the last moment, she brought her leg up and planted it against her right cheek. Melinoe’s head snapped around awkwardly, followed by another kick that sent her flying against the wall right next to me.
The spell that held me up broke and dropped me off the wall. I landed rather ungracefully, but I didn’t care about that at all. I lunged at Melinoe and struck home with both claws and applied poison, self-buffed and unleashed my combo.
You have inflicted 11.772 damage on Melinoe: You have inflicted 15.915 damage on Melinoe.
You have inflicted 26.334 damage on Melinoe.
The damage wasn’t anything to write home about, but it felt good to repay her. A pillar of flame shot up from beneath her and engulfed her in flame, though nothing happened.
"Shit, she’s immune to fire," Renee cursed and threw an ice lance her way. "Duck!"
The projectile struck her gut and embedded the wicked goddess into the wall for a few seconds. Wenet unleashed a fury of blows and kicks against the limbs. For some reason, I did the same and joined her.
"You mortal weaklings! You dare attack me?" Melinoe screamed and slashed at us with the blades on her wings. Wenet cried out as a deep gash appeared from her left shoulder down to her navel. I blocked the attack sent my way with both claws, but she had me pinned down on my knees.
"Do something!" I yelled in group chat, hoping someone would get the witch off me. The sharp protrusions sprouted from her wings and moved past my claws and entered my hands. The pain was excruciating, but there was Katya and her vines. But that did nothi
ng to help me out, only to root her in place.
"Dineth, get him out of there!" Katya ordered as she notched three arrows and unleashed them. I looked up as a black cloud formed overhead and closed my eyes.
"Oh fuck," I barely managed to say as the first thunder bolt struck her wing and electrocuted me with her. My health bar dipped by eighteen percent when two bear-like arms ripped me free from her deathly embrace. Dineth hurled me toward the girls and turned back to Melinoe who screamed from pain, then laughed and moaned all at once.
"That chick really has some issues," Renee murmured and unleashed a Maelstrom.
"Renee?" I asked and got up. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Ups," she replied and planted her palm on her open mouth. "I think I fucked up."
"Dineth! Come here and shield us from that attack!"
To his better judgment, he didn’t ask any questions. It wasn’t the first time he did what he was ordered to, but it still felt so strange that someone actually followed orders. Unlike Dave had used to. Which was never.
Wenet ran back over and huddled behind me just as Dineth put up his shield. Whatever buffs and heals the girls had, they cast it on the party and prayed to survive this shitty mistake.
The earth started shaking first as a gust of wind enveloped us and glided over to Melinoe. The scent of ozone filled the air as a burning stench joined in. A sonic boom debuffed us and robbed the entire group of our sense of hearing and orientation. We wobbled like drunkards and slammed into each other, all except Dineth who used his shield to hold on.
The wind picked up and evolved into hurricane level as shards of ice and stone peppered the area outside of the AoE zone. Flames rose from the ground and ended up on the ceiling, thunder flashed and boomed in the enclosed space. I was more afraid for my life from her skill than from Melinoe who shrieked and cursed from within the Maelstrom. Her health bar dropped one percent a second, surely but steadily when the skill dispersed.
"That wasn’t nice at all, Aiden. I will need to teach you some humility and manners after all. So, prepare to die, all of you!"
21
Melinoe’s skin turned an angry shade of red. Due to some human reflex that had lingered, I brought up my hands, afraid she was about to explode and kill us all. Instead, she burst out in laughter. In all honesty, she did hurt my pride, but it was of no import at the moment.
"Really?" she teased and looked at me. I shrugged and winked. More laughter and snorts and what not followed, as my team seemed to have seen my act of bravery.
"A man’s gotta live, no?" I replied and stepped past Dineth who didn’t seem like he was doing very well. I stopped and turned to him. The three darts that had struck him earlier had turned purple, and so had his wounds. I quickly checked my own wound, and truly, the dart had turned a soft pink.
"You have a couple minutes, tops," Dineth groaned and sank to his knees. Great. We had lost our tank. I held my curses to myself and nodded, reassuring him with my smile.
"It will be over way before then. Just watch me."
I didn’t wait for anyone to do or say anything, and instead launched myself at her. She looked stronger, and much more dangerous, like a second boss stage, but there was no denying that she’d lost over half of her health.
My claws struck home two times before she managed to hit back. The blow against my cheek strafed me narrowly, and I slid under her hand and activated my triple attack. Melinoe cried out and thrust her wings at me, but I was in the middle of my combo, and I couldn’t be hit, at least not by such means.
Arrows and magic spells struck her from other side. I slid past her wing and jumped on her back. It was rather unspectacular and unmanly, but whatever. My teeth passed her soft skin as if it had been a ripe apple, barely any resistance. I noticed my health bar fill up to three quarters just as I lashed out and sent her stumbling toward the middle.
Dineth’s ax struck right in her chest, but that was all the Orc could do. He dropped face first like a log and stayed on the ground, though his health wasn’t dropping. I shook my head, having no idea what was going on, but we needed to hurry. A tingling sensation appeared around my own wound. I looked down and scowled. The soft pink looked much angrier as puss leaked from the sides.
"Shit," I cursed and looked up at Melinoe again. "I don’t have much time. A minute or two at most. Forget about healing me, just focus on bringing her down."
A root arrow struck the Succubus and kept her in place as three vines grew from beneath her feet and entangled her body and wings. A thunderstorm appeared overhead and rained down bolt after bolt of lightning. I grinned. If Renee had used fire, she would have burned down the vines, but like this, she held her in place under a stun-lock.
"I love you all, just so you know."
"You better! Who else would have kept up with your crap beside us?" Katya replied with a chuckle. Wenet snorted and propelled herself off a beam and straight at Melinoe whose face had turned from contorted rage into fear. Her health was being whittled down, and she couldn’t move. The perfect remedy for such a bitch, I thought.
Wenet’s feet collided with Melinoe’s face. Her head snapped back and I thought I could hear an audible crunch, but she was still on her feet, and grabbed the rabbit woman by her legs and hurled her into the wall behind her. Only I was there to catch her.
"You all right?" I asked and put her down. She blushed slightly and nodded.
"Yeah. But you’re not. You can barely stand."
"Hmph, it takes more than that to bring me do--"
An excruciating pain shot through my body and paralyzed me from below the neck. I looked down and found Wenet’s hand in my chest. Her hand moved around in my guts and found my heart. She squeezed gently sending waves of nausea and pain all over my virtual being.
"W-What are you d-doing?" I stammered and looked up again.
"I’m sorry, but we can’t die together with this world. My lady and I have much more important things to do than disappear into nothingness."
Her voice was kind and soothing, filled with care and tenderness, but her hand was wrapped around my heart. An arrow struck the back of her head and bent her head in a strange angle. Wenet’s hand moved from within me and she dropped to her knees. The health bar above her head was barely orange. I struck out with my claw and slashed across her neck, applying a stack of poison.
"Fuck y-you!" I spat and dropped on top of her, claws extended. They pierced her delicate skin and got stuck in the stone beneath us. She tried to get up and push me off her, but there was no way she could. Her health dropped constantly as she kept struggling against the metal stuck in her chest.
"Please, Aiden!" she pleaded. "I’ll do anything for you! Even kill that wretched creature!"
I was very weak to women. One had only to look my way and whisper, I’d be down on my knees. But not this time. She’d been strange ever since we met and changed sides once too many.
"I’m sorry, W-Wenet, or Larina. I can’t have you s-stab us in the back a-again," I barely uttered. The pain had become even worse to the point I couldn’t move anymore, even if I wanted to.
A tremendous blow sent me flying as Melinoe kicked my side. Above my head, green turned to glaring red as I landed a couple feet short of my ladies. Scarlet hurried to my side and cast healing spells on me. My health bar didn’t move however, though the pain dissipated somewhat.
"No one hurts what’s mine!" screamed Melinoe as she knelt beside the barely living rabbit woman. Wenet, whoever she was, seemed to be important to the Succubus. All of this was becoming too much for me in this state. The pain was too much, and I couldn’t think clearly.
"My lady," Wenet whispered and pressed her bloody palm against her mistress’ cheek. The pain seemed all too real on both women’s faces. To a degree, I felt sorry for them, but in the end, I felt sorrier for myself and my own. I tried to get up, but there was no way I could manage if Dineth hadn’t.
"This is it then, huh?" I said in group chat.
"Bah.
We should have listened to you and stayed on Paradise Lost. I admit it," Katya said as two teardrops ran down her cheeks.
"I guess. Next time--"
"If there is a next time, we will," Scarlet interrupted and pressed her lips against my forehead.
I sighed and stopped moving. I looked at each of my girls and prayed for a miracle which would at least save them. There was no one here who could save us though. I grinned and started laughing like mad.
"Hey witch," I called and coughed up blood. It spattered against Scarlet’s dress. She scowled and looked down, then closed her mouth, giving up on a retort. "How does it feel… to be on the receiving end?"
She glared my way and bared her teeth and spread her wings out in a ball to cover them from us. That was our chance, and my girls knew it. Katya released her arrow storm and Renee a pillar of ice that slammed into them from above, then added a hurricane to the thunder storm. She was out of mana, and in all honesty, it was the best thing she could have done in the given situation.
Melinoe shrieked and leaned in further to cover Wenet with her body from the onslaught. Her health bar became dangerously low at twelve percent. We were so close, yet without me or Dineth, we didn’t stand a chance. I wanted to cry and curse, but it wouldn’t help. Not right now.
"I’m sorry," I whispered. "I’m sorry for everything I… might have done to you. Please forgive--"
An ear splitting shriek resounded through the cavern as Melinoe arched backward and unfurled her wings. She looked down at her chest where Wenet’s hand was rummaging inside. Wenet pulled herself up and looked at me.
"I’m sorry for playing you, Aiden. But this is for all the pain we’ve caused."
"How? Why?" I gasped. Was she really playing us only to play Melinoe in turn?
Wenet pulled her hand back and ripped out the Succubus’ heart, squeezed it hard and bit down. Her health bar grew slightly and turned to an orange, then yellow and finally green. She’d killed the demon witch that had tortured me for days. It was finally over.
Hazard Online 2: Revenge Page 12
