Glory of the Fall

Author's Note: "Toofy" is essential reading for this one.

---

Arina groaned audibly as she saw the waving bush of golden foxtails in her antechamber. She held out her hand, scythe and symbol of office appearing, as she approached the unpredictable and dangerous goddess that so endlessly fucked with them all.

Mischief laughed loudly as she turned around, "Been a little while. I must say, you've got cuter, Death."

"What the fuck do you want?" Arina complained, "I'm already under house arrest because of you."

The orange eyes turned cold, "No. You're not. You're under house arrest because the fucking succubus and fucking neko, were supposed to die. You saved Saia and Ninaein, and now you have to pay the fucking price."

"Fuck off." Arina sneered.

Mischief gave a small chuckle, "Oh, so fearless. Still. I love it. That's why I let Tammy save you... But that was a while ago. Things change. I thought I'd find you on my side of the battlefield. But you sided with the green witch. Not your most intelligent choice."

"You can't even get Luna to side with you, Mischief." Arina rolled her eyes, "And you two had a species together. So, how about you either piss off, or tell me what you want?"

"A second chance. For a mortal."

Arina looked at her in confusion, "Eh... Didn't you just vote with the others to imprison me for doing exactly that?"

The foxgirl laughed, leaning against the wall and putting a hand beneath her skirt. "I did. This time would be different. The Betrayers will do what I want, because it's chaotic. The Order will agree to let it happen, because it will come with rules and compromises. They'll get a chance to get their own champion out of this."

Arina sneered at the uncouth display, "I'm listening."

"We take the souls who could have become champions, if they didn't get caught up in Toofy's tale, and we offer them resurrection. A chance to return to life." Mischief let out a soft moan, "Only catch is... They have to kill the others. Everyone who dies... Loses their soul. You'll get their potential, get stronger. But they won't return to paradise. They'll just be gone."

The goddess of death winced, "The others have already agreed."

"Mmm." The orange eyes lit up in amusement, "Of course they have. Can you imagine if Greenie got Xivian back? Or Daen? And, of course, everyone wants a chance to make Kaden owe them. He's worse than fucking Toofy. Ooh... The chaos if the emperor returned... Fuck. That'd be fun."

Arina ground her teeth, "I don't want their essence. I've got no reason to let this happen."

"Meirakeillian."

The goddess felt her stomach drop, "You... You would let her compete?"

"Of course! She's my favourite. There would be no greater chaos than if the Heir of Irrlichdan got a chance to actually flex just how fucking strong she is." Mischief laughed loudly.

The Golden Kitsune had no real loyalties. Arina sometimes forgot it, as the fox led the Betrayer Gods in the war, but Mischief had only one goal. To enhance herself. She didn't care about the war beyond the effect it had on the mortal realm. Mischief wasn't interested in winning, she just wanted to have her own fun.

Arina sighed heavily, "Tell me about the selections."

---

A woman with black hair, black eyes, and twin scars around her wrists lay in a field of wheat. She relaxed, a quiet smile on her face, as she watched the gathering crows circling overhead. She smiled into the face of her punishment.

Death hadn't come with paradise for Efina.

Her soul had been claimed by the goddess that she had betrayed. The Golden Kitsune took great joy in choosing each moment of her eternity. It looked like, today, the fox would be feasting on her liver, again. Or maybe her eyes.

Efina could fight back. She still had her magic. She could fight, and if she survived until sundown, then the goddess, in her mercy, would grant the heretical priestess a reprieve until the next morning. This subtle cruelty, of letting Efina have some hope everyday... That was her true punishment. Hope lost, time and time again, but always regained, was a harsher thing than any other possible torture. Drowning, burning, beheading... All those things could grow stale and hurt less if she knew they would continue, and that they were inevitable.

Yet, introduce a little hope, and you brought chaos into the mix.

The priestess smiled, and a tear slipped down her cheek. She knew that she would try and accept the punishment. She also knew she wouldn't be able to. She knew that she would fight... And she would die... As she had every time since she had arrived here.

She'd survived three times, in however long this eternity had been grinding on for. In an infinity of sunrises, she had escaped her punishment and found her true punishment, only thrice. The bitter experience of a peaceful night, knowing that the morning was fast approaching.

She sighed and stood up, as the swirl of crows started to reach a crescendo. The ex-priestess lifted her hands gently, and the wheat around her withered and died. She ripped the life from it, drawing it in to herself, burning her corrupted soul, twisting it into something misshapen and horrifying.

The more magic she drew on, the harder it was to maintain her pleasant appearance. The more the body tried to reflect the darkness of her raging soul. Her teeth clumped, cracked, and shifted. Her hair frayed and fell, as her skin pocked and sagged.

Her beauty was temporary, maintained by her magic and ability to distort the flesh. Yet, in battle she couldn't afford the expense and became the hag that the stain on her soul had transformed her into.

Efina cackled darkly as she held the pitiful amount of magic, and screamed at the sky, "Want me, goddess? Come and get me!"

"Ew." A voice said behind her, "Gross. No, I really don't want you. By the Green Goddess, Lady Efina, you've really let yourself go, haven't you?"

She turned in surprise, to see a woman in a maid's outfit, wielding a scythe. Their appearance was gentle and kind, were it not for two things. The hands were worn, from heavy manual labour, a callous near to the thumb from sweeping the weapon around. Then, there were the eyes. Cold, judgemental, and empty.

She struggled for a moment, transmuting back to her old self, and gave a small curtsy, "Goddess."

"Ew." Arina repeated, "Gods, I wish I couldn't see your soul. Fuck, you kinda make me want to throw up. Eugh. Let's get this over with. I have an offer for you."

"More hope to take from me, goddess?" Efina said with distrust.

The goddess of death glared at her, "If it were my choice, I'd skip straight to obliterating your soul. Gods, you should not exist. Just... Eugh. However, a deal has been struck. It is an offer. You can choose to remain here. But... Mischief organised the deal. I wouldn't choose to remain her plaything, if I were you."

The priestess nodded slowly, "I am following, your grace."

"You have been chosen as champion by the Dark God, Eluthei. You can fight for her. If you succeed, you will be sworn to her, and be returned to the mortal realm, to serve." Arina said stiffly, "If, however, you fall before your enemies do, you will be returned to the void. You will cease to be. I'd say for most, that would be a disincentive. But you don't have much to lose, do you?"

"Eluthei..." Efina whispered quietly, liking the syllables of the name, "I do not recognise it. She's a demon? Of what?"

"Blood, flesh and bone. She's basically as fucked up as you are." Arina sneered, "She replaced Dearst, after Toofy ate him. So she's young. A new one. She didn't live through the imprisonment beyond the Divine Gate. So she has no right to be as gross as she is, but that's how she turned out."

The priestess smiled sadly, looking up at the crows, "Like you said, goddess. What do I have to lose?"

---

The teapot whistled and poured out steam, ignored on the stovetop of the tiny and ageing cottage. Nearby, a blue dress adorned a chair, followed by cotton underwear on the floor. A little beyond that was another dress, of elven cut, decorated in embroidered leaves.

A pelt lay on the floor, the skin of a wild beast, large and furred. Exactly what it once was, was difficult to say. Something at least the size of a wild bull, or perhaps a jungle cat. The fur of the skin was wet and tangled, filling the room with a musty scent.

Most of the wetness came from the sweat of the tangled bodies atop of it. A mix of human and halfelf, trickling from shoulders, foreheads, and their backs, as the two women professed their love loudly. Or, one was loud and trying to make the other as loud as she was.

Both had a hand inside the other. The human gently bit at the other's neck, "Cum, Xiv. Cum for me. Please."

"M-mistress...!" Xivian gasped raggedly, "Oh gods... I can't... I can't! Too much!"

Liz kissed her cheek affectionately, "Not until you cum. Just once more. For me."

"Oh, shit. Shi-it!" The halfelf whispered, "Y-you... First! M'l... M'lady."

Elizabeth groaned at the thumb flicking across her incredibly sensitive hood, and squeezed at Xivian's rock-hard pearl. "Never. I love you."

"Liar...!" Xivian gasped, "Y-you're close!"

"Fuck." Elizabeth's composure cracked, "So close. Mmm. Close... I won't lose! Not to you! You first!"

The halfelf's eyes gleamed excitedly, "You always come first, m-mistress."

"Fucking cum!" Liz demanded, and kissed her wife aggressively. Sucking to pull her tongue into her mouth, before playing with it. Her free hand went behind Xivian's head, pulling the two of them together.

A loud sound shook the room, of wood on wood, "Both of you cum! I don't have all day."

The women cried out as the shared orgasm was unexpectedly forced onto them. Xivian let out a high pitched squeal, and grabbed at one of her tits, and Elizabeth collapsed to the ground, twitching and shaking breathlessly.

The third occupant of the room poured the hot water into three chipped porcelain cups, and sprinkled some herbs in. She stirred gently, as the other two hastily redonned their clothing. She yawned tiredly, and then set the tea in front of them.

"Lady Arina." Xivian curtsied breathlessly.

Liz looked a little disappointed as she tried to untangle her sweaty hair and force a brush through it, "To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"I have a message and an offer." Arina sipped at her tea, "I wouldn't take it, if I were you. This is your paradise, and well-earned. Leaving it... Wouldn't be appealing, to me."

Xivian frowned, "Leaving, your grace?"

"The gods are... Hosting a tournament. The losers die. Forever. The winner gets to become their pawn, and return to the mortal plane." Arina stated, and shrugged, "Like I said, not much incentive in it, for you two."

Liz smiled sideways at Xivian. "No. Not really."

"The offer is for both of you. Separately. You'd have to kill each other." Arina reinforced, "Anyways... Artema, goddess of the hunt, selected you, Liz. The Green Goddess wants you, Xivian."

The halfelf suddenly looked conflicted, "The goddess... Wants me? To serve her?"

"To give up paradise. She's a total bitch. Don't fall for it." Arina stated, but knew already that she had underestimated the woman's zealotry for her goddess. And if she really chose to abandon her wife, then Liz would accept the offer of revenge from the other goddess.

Arina sighed and shook her head, "Yell at the sky when you've made up your minds. But... My advice? Fuck each other's brains out again, before you make the decision. You'd be giving that up. To fight a war."

---

He crept silently along the top of the burning sands, his face shielded from the storm by a rag. Tiny grains assaulted his twitching ears as he followed the scent through it, moving towards the small village of invaders.

"So, this is your regret, is it?" A sudden female voice addressed him, "You hunt yourself. Trying to track and kill your old self before you can butcher the village? Interesting, but also kinda boring. I have no idea why Toofy was ever interested in you."

He turned his golden orbs, and saw the sandstorm diverting around a human-like figure. However, she smelled more intensely of death than even he did. He smelled no acrid scent of magic burning, she wasn't holding the sands back. The storm was afraid to harm her.

The light in his eyes dulled, and the sandstorm dropped away. He reached up and freed his mask from his face, "He is Daen. Who is she, to invade his paradise?"

"This isn't paradise, you dumb cunt." She sneered, "For fuck's sake. No wonder you haven't learnt anything, yet. You're not meant to be enjoying this. This is your hell."

"It is all he is. How could it not be paradise?"

She shook her head, "Eugh. Whatever. Uh... Look, the god of war is interested in you. Thinks you'd make a decent champion. So, if you fight and win, he gets to bring you back. Intact. That thighbone of yours will be replaced. If you lose, you die forever. Or you could stay here, learning nothing."

"Return?" His eyes lit up excitedly, "He could... See her again? The Toofy?"

"I doubt it." The woman sneered angrily.

He sighed and shrugged, "He is unworthy of her affection. It is true. Does she yet live? Did she survive the emperor?"

"I came to deliver an offer, you piece of crap. Not to have a conversation." She snapped. "Choose."

---

The elf's ears were bright red, and pulled forward, as she groaned loudly. One of her arms was studded with diamonds, beginning with the back of her hand, and tracing all the constellations up to her shoulder, as well as down and across one breast. Marking her as a prophetess, to the Golden Kitsune.

The cute little thing between her legs looked innocent in almost every way. Orli's blue eyes were startling, but she seemed like she should be a timid and quiet girl... And she was. When she wasn't fucking Trician.

The two of them were lying on the side of a green hill, with a gentle creek gurgling by beneath them. The water gently swirling and flowing around stepping stones, that Trician generally pushed Orli off just to see her laugh as she fell in the water.

Just as the water lapped at the edges of the landscape, the human girl lapped teasingly at Trician's snatch. Wetting her, but refusing to push her up and towards an orgasm. Orli's bright blue eyes grinning for her, at Trician's frustration.

"Come on! Please!" She begged, fingernails digging into the dirt, "Why do you always do this to me?"

"Because you love it." Orli giggled.

Trician's ears wiggled back and forth, "I do not!"

Orli just rolled her eyes, and gently flicked her tongue around the hard pearl of the elven clit. Barely a sensation at all to the woman. Just enough of a sensation that she knew it had happened, and knew what could be happening but wasn't.

She dug her heels in, trying to push her hips up and into Orli's mouth. "Fuck me like you mean it!"

"Mmm... No. No, I'm content. Want me to stop, altogether?" Orli teased her.

Trician growled and dropped, "... No."

"Love you." Orli laughed and went back to what she was doing. Trician clenched her fists and let out an irritated snarl. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the tongue, fantasising about it being something more.

It wasn't like they were in a hurry. Since being killed in the war, the two of them had been together. They'd never seen a single other living person in this paradise. Sometimes they saw dragonflies at sunset. A few times they'd seen a hare or two in the distance. However, the paradise was just what it sounded like. An endless and gorgeous horizon for them to explore, together.

Sometimes, Trician wondered which god had claimed her soul. She doubted that this place was of Mischief's creation. The great Golden Kitsune would find it too boring, lacking too much detail and action. She'd hate the place, and so she wouldn't have given it to her prophetess.

Orli was the daughter of Eratigan. Her chaotic mother was in a longterm relationship with the god of time, Tai. This place didn't feel like it was his, either. It felt truly... Timeless. As if he was forbidden from entering or interfering.

Neither of them had much of a connection with any other god, so it left them to gossip without answers. A game that they played sometimes, when they were walking around the place, following the creek.

Orli lightly bit her clit.

Trician sucked in her breath at the sudden and overwhelming sensation. Her dull nerves lighting on fire and causing her pussy to clamp down, instantly. She groaned at the feeling, "Yeeessss... More!"

"Nope."

"Fuck you!" Trician yelled in annoyance, and Orli popped up, "I mean, sure. If you want it to be my turn."

The elf glared, "Don't you fucking dare. Just make me cum, already! Enough is enough."

Orli laughed and laid down next to her, kissing her nose, before slipping a hand inside her and beginning to flick at the soppy mess. Trician's face screwed up at the sudden change of pace and she forgot how to breathe.

The human woman kissed her nose again, "Did you know, I love you?"

"Yeesss..." Trician hissed weakly.

Orli leaned down and kissed the tops of her breasts, "... All of you?"

"Yeeesssss."

"Cum for me. Like you mean it." Orli whispered into her ear, and then kissed her and gently probed her teeth, requesting permission to enter. The elf responded in kind, kissing her back firmly, but not desperately.

After a full day of being edged, it didn't take Trician long until her thighs had turned to stone and she was crushing Orli's wrist between them. She jerked and shuddered as the orgasm washed through her.

The elf let out a shaking moan into her girlfriend's mouth, stars appearing in her vision as she swooned, and collapsed onto the hillside, entirely incapable of even trying to stand.

Orli sat up and grinned at her before pecking her nose, "I love you."

"Love." Trician said tiredly.

"I am so sick of all of you!"

The two stared in fright, spotting a maid across the creek from them, leaning against a tree with crossed arms. The woman shook her head, "Why would I doubt that Mischief would get it right? You have actual paradise, but you're going to do what that fucking fox wants? Why the fuck would you give up paradise to go and die? You're with your love. Why!?"

"Da fuck?" Trician said, "She doesn't... Feel like a vision... You're seeing her, too, right?"

"Yeah... Um... I think... I think she helped me cross." Orli whispered, "She was with someone else... But I think it's her."

"Arina. Goddess of Death." The woman snapped, "You two fucking died, so my wife could become empress. Which apparently qualified you for this amazing place. But, Mischief, being the bitch she is, wants you to fight to the death. Permanent death. Winner gets to go back to the land of the living. But you'd be moronic to take her up on it. You love each other. You'd have to kill each other. Only one place. Only one gets to come back."

Trician snorted, "Uh... No deal? Can I say that?"

"Um... I'm sorry. I'm with Trician." Orli said, giving a tiny smile.

The maid spread her hands, "Exactly! You'd be nuts to take the deal! Except, people actually are! I... I don't get it."

Every diamond across the elf's body lit up brightly, and she screamed through gritted teeth as her goddess spoke to her for the first time since she'd died.

Trician flushed, wincing, "Well, fuck."

"If the Golden Kitsune is threatening you, tell her to get fucked." Arina sneered, "Your soul was claimed by the Green Goddess. She liked how quiet Orli was. Like a delicate flower. Mischief can't force you to leave here."

The elf winced, "Orli's about to change her mind. And the only way for me to save her, is to sacrifice myself so she doesn't die."

"No, I'm not!" Her girlfriend protested, "My magic only works as a pair! I'm terrified of war and fighting. I don't want to go and get my soul murdered or whatever!"