The Long Road to Ruin Ch. 33-35

He tore her gown from her body, kissing down her chest and taking her hard pink nipples into his mouth, kissing and biting them, tugging them with his teeth.

He wasted no time, sliding between her legs, holding them apart. He removed his hand from her slit and replaced it with the head of his cock. He thrust hard, fast, and deep into her. He groaned at the feel of her tightness enveloping his manhood. Deeper he thrust himself, reaching forward to grab her hair, pulling her lips to his. He grunted and cursed against her mouth, while trying to push his tongue between her lips. Shiloh pounded his back with her fists, raking her fingernails over his flesh. But he refused to stop. Christano took his other hand and raised it high in the air, then let it drop down onto her thigh, leaving behind as red palm print.

A squeal shot from her lips, only to be smothered by his mouth. He slammed his hips hard against her, ramming his cock deeply into her. He pumped his hips, swiftly picking up the rhythm, jackknifing into her, until he pulled out, spewing his seed upon the bedroll beneath them.

"Not a word!" He growled as he tucked his cock back into his breeches. Shiloh watched his every move as he stalked back to his bedroll. She didn't dare try to go back to sleep, her eyes fixed on the loathsome paladin, who uttered nary a word to her for the rest of the night. Still she could feel the tension hanging in the air like a black cloud. Please let this be over soon, she thought to herself, before the situation gets any more out of control than it already is.

"Fear not, my precious one. It's all happening according to plan." Bastian's soothing voice washed over her completely. "Rest and I shall protect you. The bloody fool will bother you no more this night."

She directed her thoughts at Bastian. "What is the paladin to you, my Lord? You are a God and he is but a mortal man."

"Much like your precious blackguard, I shall suffer no man to ruin my plans." Bastian's retort swept through her like a blast of hellfire, searing the skin and leaving no doubt of his power. Shiloh hung her head. He'd chastised her properly, "As you wish, my Lord."

His chuckle boomed loudly before fading into utter silence. He spoke no further to her that night.

O.O

Several hours later Shiloh awoke to the strident roaring of the paladin, announcing his plans like a trumpet blast. "Good morning, Ladies. I thoroughly hope you're all well rested! We ought to go back into the great hall now! We WILL find the chalice! I just know it!"

Shiloh groaned irritably. His enthusiasm grated on her nerves. She longed to drive each one of her blades into his body, forever silencing him in a torrent of blood. Blood she longed to deliver unto Bastian. But now was not the time. She climbed to her feet, tidying her bedroll and stowing it within her pack. Then she removed her gown and put her armor back on. Glancing around, she noticed Myra and Shanna were doing the same as Christano practically bounced with glee.

Myra joined him, smiling happily. "I can feel how close we are to bringing the quest to fruition."

"You will be rewarded handsomely once this is all over and we are on our way back to the monastery, my little love." Christano replied, placing a soft kiss upon her lips.

"I look forward to it, Chris dear." Looking away from him and over at Shiloh, she winked conspiratorially.

"Shall we?"

Shiloh took point, unlocking the door and heading out into the great hall once more. As they neared the great platform, the translucent figure of a spectre materialized in the air before the four companions.

Christano blurted a war cry, brandishing his weapon. "Prepare to meet your doom, undead creature!"

But Myra placed her hand upon the morningstar. "Hold on, dear. I sense no hostility from it at all."

Christano glared at her, nearly appalled at her audaciousness. "Hostile or not, it's undead!"

Shiloh rolled her eyes, "Would you learn to keep your foul tongue behind your lips where it belongs!?!"

His retort came out as a low growl. "Don't you ever dare speak to me like that, you two bit slut!"

"Easy, dear, we don't need to fight amongst ourselves. We have more pressing things at hand." She made sure her voice soothed him before she turned to the ghost. "Who are you?"

The spectre opened its hollow maw and spoke with a spine-chilling rasp. "Do not fear me. I am unable to harm you, mortals... I have left my body behind long ago. My soul longs to leave these dark caverns, but I am bound to this place. You see, in life, I was the last leader of the cult that used to dwell in this dungeon."

Christano threateningly points his weapon at the spectre. "I told you it was an evil creature!"

"I was evil in life... Now, I only long for peace. But you, what are you doing here?" The spectre inquired.

"We have come to take back what your cult has stolen from my order!!" Christano charged righteously as Shiloh rolled her eyes, mouthing his words mockingly.

The paladin glared at her hatefully, but held his tongue for the moment. He swore to himself he'd deal with her after he'd vanquished the evil ghost and reclaimed the precious chalice.

"Another crusader, then?"

Christano's fervor swelled, "Oh yes! And you shall pay for the crimes your cult has committed!"

The raspiness in his voice became more potent. "I have been waiting for a long time for a crusader to return. Would you give me peace?"

Christano suspiciously gazed upon the ghost, gauging its words carefully. He rubbed his chin for the moment. But it was Myra that spoke up. "What do you mean by that? Peace?"

"As I have told you, my soul cannot leave this dungeon. It is still bound to my physical remains. But if you severed the link, I would be free... Finally... I long to be free, I long for peace."

The paladin snorted contemptuously. "Why should I even consider helping an evil creature like you?"

A raspy moan spilled forth from it. "I wish to repent... I want to pay the price for my evil doings...You must believe me."

"Don't you think that comes a little late?" The cleric questioned, eyeing him coldly. Bastian's furious desire to smash all undead creatures pumped through her veins.

"I knew how wrong I was when I was still alive," it replied.

Christano scoffed disdainfully. "I find that hard to believe, spectre! My order probably killed you! And now, you're afraid that your soul will be drawn into the depths of hell!"

The spectre shook its head. "Your order did not kill me. Your knights could not enter the sanctum. We created a magical barrier they could not pass through."

Myra nudged Christano. "That must have been the blue light Shiloh and I took care of after we fell went that hole."

It shook its head a second time, its voice growing raspier. "The crusaders could not get in, but we had no way of getting out, either. Hyath demanded we fight, but I had grown tired of fighting, of blood, of violence... Thus, some of my followers and I turned our backs to Hyath and came down here. We created another barrier that kept the demon's influence out, and we installed defensive fortifications so those who did not share our vision of peace could not harm us."

The paladin grinned, "And thus you were buried alive, a well-deserved fate!"

"I thought so, too. Once we died, we did not rest in peace. We came back, forever forced to roam this place."

"The Gods cursed you!" The paladin chided. "A most deserved fate."

"No, you are wrong. It was the work of a darker being." The spectre corrected.

"Hyath? You weren't able to keep its influence out completely?" Myra guessed until Bastian spoke in her mind. "No, my precious one, the Nameless One holds sway over this unhallowed place."

"Twas not Hyath, the Nameless One himself rules over the island and traps the souls of the deceased so they awaken in their graves."

A furious look crossed Myra's face, remaining in character. "What you say is blasphemy! There is no such thing as what you speak of!"

"Call it what you wish. But you are a priestess. You should be able to lay us to rest." The spectre replied, his glowing eyes raking over her ceremonial high priestess armor.

She glared at it. "You know that you will be punished for your sins?"

"That I do. I long for it."

Myra nodded slowly, certain it would say no more of her change in Gods.

The spectre continued, "Sprinkle the basin next to the altar on the platform with some of the water from the fountain, then ring the gong. That will open the graves. But be warned. You will be attacked. The madness of the Nameless One clouds our senses..."

"And do you know of a golden chalice that's kept in one of the graves?" Christano asked, greed clouding HIS eyes.

"I believe I have seen one, yes. In one of the sarcophagi," it replied truthfully.

Shiloh chose that moment to speak up. "Then we shall be pleased to do it! We will give you peace and recover the golden chalice for the glory of the Sun Lord!"

"You sound like you might be interested in the vocation of a paladin, little Shiloh. Have I finally showed you the light, the error of your ways?" Christano nearly purred, eyeing her up and down thoroughly.

Myra let out a cry of exasperation. "Christano, focus on the task at hand and not on your desire to bed her!"

The ghost came between the two, delaying the confrontation. "Be prepared for a fierce battle. I wish you good luck!" Then it faded away.

"Yes, Christano, focus; I told you last night I wasn't interested in you one bit, despite the fact that you've been begging for your chance to fuck me. Myra, you know he fucked Shanna, don't you? I saw them when we were resting on the upper level. He tried to climb in my bedroll that night as well." Shiloh shot back at him, spilling the secret they all knew.

"She's lying. I wouldn't touch either of them." He retorted, stammering for the right words.

"I don't want to hear another word about it out of you." Myra replied before stalking back into the fountain room to fill a flask with water.

"Patience, my precious, you will have your vengeance soon enough!" Bastian coaxed. "I'll lend you my strength and willpower to hold back until the time is right."

The cleric of the Sun Lord turned high priestess of Bastian took a deep breath, marching back to the platform with the others in tow. She handed Shiloh the flask of water and moved to the gong. Nodding her head, she gave the signal and watched as Shiloh poured the flask of water into the basin. Then she used the ceremonial stick, hitting the center of the gong. A loud 'clang' pierced the air before a deep rumble rolled through the great hall.

The time for battle had begun.

O.O

The remaining two doors swung open and from within rushed a heavily armored death knight and the heretic priest of Hyath. Christano moved into his battle stance, swinging his morningstar in anticipation of the fight. Myra, Shiloh and Shanna watched while the tension in the hall built to a fever pitch as the undead approached. Stealing Christano's glory, Myra was the first to act. Automatically, she summoned a divine flame, bringing it down from the heavens to scorch the heretic priest. She followed it immediately by blasting her holy light at the death knight. Growling at her, the paladin would not be outdone. He called to his morningstar the holy avenging power to smite all evil, slamming the spiked head into the head of the high priest.

Myra swung her mace at the death knight, hitting his ribs solidly, causing shards of bone and fragments of metal to ricochet. Shiloh joined her, wielding her two blades, Darkstar and Darksbane, this time. She slashed at the death knight's exposed flesh, rending rancid chunks.

Christano bellowed a war cry to the Gods, smashing the spikes of his weapon into the torso of the high priest, who lashed out at the paladin with a red glowing sword. Hoping to drive the undead priest back, he sent a vicious kick into the creature's stomach. As the heretic priest stumbled, Shanna feinted her way in to the fray and slammed her dagger into the back of the undead, sinking it in to the hilt. She yanked it out and tumbled away, moving behind Christano. She helped distract the thing long enough for Chris to land several more hits on it with his holy enchanted weapon.

The battle raged on.

The ring of swords clattering together and the grunts of pain echoed through the great hall. Though bruised and showing signs of wounds, the foursome vowed to not give up. At long last, Myra gathered her courage and gave a cry to the Lord of Vengeance, bringing down his holy wrath to smite the undead. The heretic priest and death knight trembled where they stood before exploding into tiny bits of ichorous putrescence.

Christano whirled around, his jaw dropping open as he stared at her. She met his gaze evenly and smiled widely. "Victory!" She shouted and bounded off into the room that the heretic priest had come from with Christano on her heels. He kept his eyes glued to her, his mind in deep thought, the armor, the battle cry, the subtle change in her.

He turned to Shiloh, an accusatory glare burning in his pale grey eyes. "What did you do to Myra?" He growled. "It had to have happened when we were separated!"

Shiloh flashed him an innocent look. "I don't know what you're talking about," she bluffed him without blinking an eye. "Now shall we? The chalice awaits."

He watched as she moved over to the ornate sarcophagus, carefully disabled the poison gas trap and unlocked it, lifting the heavy lid. She reached in and pulled out an ornate crafted rapier. She set it on the floor before prying the golden chalice from the skeletal grip of the high priest's bony hands.

"The Golden Chalice!! Finally!!!" Christano snatched it away from Shiloh, exulting in his accomplishment. "I hold it in my hands!"

Shiloh winked at Myra, watching as the cleric turned high priestess unfurled her whip. She cracked it, zinging in it Christano's direction, and let it wrap around the stem of the chalice. With the flick of her wrist, she yanked it from Christano's hands, tossing it across the room out of his reach.

Christano bellowed. "Crazy bitch, what's wrong with you?! Have you taken leave of your senses?"

She grinned wickedly. "I have had enough of your skirt chasing ways behind my back! I know about the other women. I know you fucked Shanna while we were apart and even as I slept nearby. I know you were even trying to fuck Shiloh, but she turned you down! I'm through with you! I have a new Lord and master, one that is all powerful, one that has granted me freedom. Hail Bastian, Favored Lord of Lust, Hedonism and Vengeance."

Myra cracked her whip, drowning out Christano's furious retort. Rage reddened his face. He lunged at her as she made her oath, "Swift death to those whom have wronged me!"

She slammed the coiled length of leather against his flesh, watched as it sheared his armor apart like a hot knife through soft butter and opened a heinous gash directly above his heart. Blood erupted from the wound, exploding from his mouth as he fell at her feet. She then straddled his back, bringing her mace down to smash his skull in.

The paladin was no more. Myra let out a cry of glee, praising Bastian once again.

"And now you are truly a free woman." Shiloh spoke up as she handed Myra the Golden Chalice. "I offer this to you... as a memento to your emancipation. There is another thing. Look to the altar. Someone is awaiting you."

Myra grinned and dashed to the door, her eyes moving up the platform until the caught sight of the ruby skinned, black haired earthly manifestation of her most revered Lord. She raced into the arms of the avatar, and allowed herself to be swept away with his embrace. Her skin tingled with the electric sensation of power pulsing around him. Her pussy clenched and pulsed and her nipples grew hard. The avatar's burning thoughts seared through her mind, seeking her deepest desire, obliterating the past, plunging her into the future.

Myra's heart caught in her throat at the sight of him. The avatar's lean features were sharp with his hunger for her. His ruby-red eyes wordlessly spoke of his desire to please her. Unable to hold back, she reached up to touch his full, soft bottom lip. His warm breath brushed her cheek. She stroked his silky jet-black hair and wrapped her arms around his neck, welcoming him back into her embrace.

"Ni'as!" She whispered the name that formed in her mind. He gripped her waist and turned her, pressing her against the wall. For a moment she smelled the heady scent of her need. Ni'as's handsome face blurred and hunger knifed through her. Then his musky, familiar scent filled her nostrils. His palms caressed her bare thighs, removing the lower portion of her seductive armor. A delicious heat rushed through her body. Gods, this was what it was like to be truly cherished. She pressed her pelvis against him and felt the welcome hardness of his erection.

"I'm going to fuck you hard, my precious." Ni'as wasted no time. Even as he spoke, he stripped away the rest of her armor.

Chill bumps rose on her exposed flesh as the cool air teased the heat between her legs. She shivered when Ni'as's fingers parted her moistening lower lips. His fingertips slid over her slick folds and pushed into her. Her wet sex clenched hard around them, and her heart hammered with anticipation. His thumb found her hardening clit and a jolt of electricity traveled from her core up her spine to explode in her head. A bone-rattling shudder racked her body. Damn, when had it ever felt quite like this?

Ni'as's long, thick cock probed between her thighs, his hot, velvety skin caressing hers. "Kiss me," Myra couldn't keep the intense need from her voice. His mouth settled over hers, hot and hungry. She parted her lips to allow him in, the tip of her tongue searching for his. His thrust went deep into her mouth, possessing her with a feral eagerness.

He broke the kiss and pressed her hard against the wall, his rock-hard thigh nudging her legs apart. It was then that Myra raked her eyes up and down his naked body. Gods, he looked so delicious, sculpted arms and shoulders, ripped abs.

Groaning, she arched her back and offered her breasts to him. Ni'as growled, lust rumbling deep in his broad chest. He pinned her arms to the rough stone and sucked her nipples, first one and then the other, his tongue teasing them to stiff peaks, his teeth nipping the sensitive tips, while she writhed beneath each rough caress. He cupped her ass with his big, strong hands and lifted her. She slipped one hand down the slick, sweaty wall of his chest and abdomen to grasp the pulsing shaft and guide the head to her aching entrance.

Ni'as rammed into her, slamming her hard against the wall. The breath whooshed from her lungs and a wave of dizziness left her lightheaded. Ni'as's jet-black hair seemed momentarily darker in the shadows next to the wall, but with the sensation of his thick cock filling her, drove every other thought from her mind. She wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck and clung tight.

His hips pumped, grinding her bare back against the uneven stone; she didn't care, not when she shared the dark desires he sent pouring though her mind, not when his cock stroked her inner sheath, each thrust sending a firestorm of pleasure roaring through her nerves. She dug her nails into his shoulders and rocked her hips forward to take him deeper, reveling in the savage fucking.

Ni'as kissed her neck, his lips pressed against a pounding artery. Shuddering pulses of pleasure racked her body. She felt his incisors scrape over her skin. As quick as she felt it, he bit her, his upper and lower fangs piercing her flesh. Myra went limp for a split second, powerless to do more than come for him and accept his hot seed in return. When her orgasm hit her in blinding waves, she screamed from the strength of it. Over and over again, her silky channel clutched the girth of his thick shaft, demanding what he had to give.