Monster Girl Encounter - Valkyrie Pt. 02

I sighed, knocking the back of my head against the wood. Shame it didn't knock me out, I was getting tired and falling asleep on my own proved to be quite a challenge.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone approaching. For a moment I was on edge, the next I breathed a sigh of relief. It was Corinthia with both of her children in tow. She brought groceries from a neighboring farm, a basket full of it.

Even though I saw little more than her dark silhouette, I smiled and waved over at her, getting a tiny wave back. She opened the door to the house and disappeared inside, leaving me once again in somber, contemplative sil...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! DEMON! DEMOOOOOON!"

Corinthia's shrill, piercing scream pierced the quiet, rocking me wide awake. I jolted up, hastily grabbing my sword and started a dash towards the house.

Cutlery and Crockery seemed to clatter on the ground inside before the door busted open and a shadowy figure stood in the frame.

Raising my sword, I threatened the figure. "Step away! In the name of Corria, you foul... creature..." I trailed off, the night reclaiming its silence again. My sword clattered on the ground as it slipped from my hand.

That thing in front of me, the creature with a mix of light pink and pale blue skin, blonde hair mixed with white, the wings on its hips white on the right and black on the left, a pointy black tail and a single curled horn on the right side of its head... it was her. There was no mistaking it, as much as I wanted my eyes to deceive me.

Stunted and shaking I reached out my hand. "Ce... Celeste?"

In the dark I could barely see her face, yet her tears glistened in the moonlight. Before I could say another word, she ran. Down the road and into the night.

My lips trembled, words failed me. Ears ringing and my mind racing... the only thing bringing me back to my senses was the voice of Corinthia coming to the door. She saw me, grabbed my shoulders and shook me in panic. "Reynald! You need to find Celeste! Something ain't right with her! Something terrible!"

"What?! What happened? Is she okay?" She only trembled in response, biting her finger. Now I was the one shaking her. "Corinthia! What in the hells is wrong with her?!"

She cried, desperately trying to explain it but failing to find the words. "I don't know! I think... Reynald, I think she's turned into one of... them."

"One of who?" I asked, my grip weakening as the meaning of her implication dawned on me.

"You know what I mean, Reynald. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

I became deaf to anything else she said, looking down the direction Celeste ran toward. "She must have gone to the lake. Yeah... I... I... I've got to go to her. This is all just a big mistake. She's sick or... or... this is just an illusion. Yeah, there must still be some dark magic left from the attack."

"Reynald..." Corinthia spoke in a whisper, the pity in her voice entirely lost on me. She reached out, seemingly trying to console me, but I pulled away.

"It's alright... It's alright! We can fix this! I'll find her and we'll fix this!" Without allowing a second thought, I picked up my sword and ran after her, leaving Corinthia with her children. I couldn't even hear the sobs behind me anymore.

The half moon looming on the night sky lit my way, its light breaking through the canopy of trees lining the road. There on the end of the line, I saw the lake again. Contrary to the panic I was feeling, the water was calm, peaceful almost. I came to a stop.

At the water's edge, on a shallow river bank, was Celeste, kneeling and bending over the reflective surface. She was quiet as I approached her.

I knew she was looking at herself and hated what she saw. She did not recognize herself in her reflection. "Celeste..." I called out to her. "I... I came to see if you were alright. You ran away so fast I..." When she turned, my voice trailed off. Her face was stained with tears, reddened on one half and flushed a darker shade of blue on the other. One of her former crystal blue eyes had turned into a vibrant purple.

"I'm a monster, aren't I?" She sobbed, staring down at her reflection in agony. "I don't know why this is happening to me. You should have seen their faces. They screamed so loud. They called me a demon, Reynald! A demon!" Her voice cracked and sounded beyond broken.

I knelt down next to her, my gaze focused ahead. I couldn't bring myself to face her. "I heard..." Silence fell over us for a moment as we both gazed at the moonlight reflecting surface of the lake. A heavy weight burdened my conscience. I wasn't ignorant to what was happening to her. As a paladin, I saw plenty of it. "It's corruption..."

She lowered her head, looked at her own image in the water and let some strands of hair slip through her fingers. Some stretches of it were white, others blonde. "You don't see any other explanation either, do you?"

I shook my head.

Celeste forced a smile as if it was a cosmic joke. "I can't go back to my sisters in heaven like this. Corria is going to drive me away... that is if they don't kill me before that." She turned to me, her eyes glassy and devoid of hope. "What am I supposed to do, Reynald? Look at me! I'm an abomination!" She opened her arms to present herself like she was a freak of nature. In the moonlight, her angelic features seemed to fall into the shadows while her demonic ones seemed highlighted.

I held her hands. "This isn't right, it can't be! We haven't done anything wrong! Maybe it was the hex she put on you or maybe you've just been exposed to her too much..."

I grasped at straws, but her gaze caused me to stop. She squeezed my hands back. "Whether or not it is right. Whether or not this was because of what she did or... what we did... the demon realm has me in its grasp now."

Scripture and faith demanded I find this repulsive. To snuff it out where I saw it. It was unholy and infamously irreversible. I knew it, and Celeste knew it painfully well too.

I looked at the sword by my hip, unsheathing it and holding it up between us. The metal shimmered as it reflected the light. Tears welled up in my eyes as I raised it to her. "You know what I have to do." I muttered reluctantly. She accepted it as it touched her neck. Her eyes closed as I put my forehead to hers.

In a quiet whisper, in words that burned in my throat, I recited my code. "In the name of the Chief God, it is my duty to extinguish evil in all its forms..."

"...Banish lawlessness and filth that dares to exist under the eyes of our Lord..." Celeste continued, laying her hand over mine on the hilt of my blade.

I could barely see her through my tears. "...Order needs to be upheld and to that end, this creature shall be judged. As a paladin of the order of Corria, I will act as said judge..."

A sharp breath escaped Celeste's lips as the metal retracted from her throat and my sword clattered on the ground. "...I vouch for this creature, the one known as Celeste, and doom myself to banishment alongside it threaten our faith. My word is final, my judgment has been given."

Celeste's lip trembled, panic filling her. She hastily picked up the sword and forced it back into my hand. "No! NO! Kill me! It's the only way to end the curse! I can't be left alive!"

I tossed the sword further away, letting silence fall over us as it disappeared into the dark. The only sound for a while was the soft ebb and flow of the lake water on the coast.

Celeste broke down crying, pulling on my shirt as her tears stained the fabric. "Why? Why would you do this? You know what this oath will do to you. You'll be ostracized, banished! Do you understand what you've done!?"

She was quieted by my arms around her back. I didn't look at her face as I pulled her against me. I squeezed her, trying everything in my power to convey my feelings. "I've seen enough death." I said sorrowfully. "I won't be responsible for the death of one of our own. You aren't evil, you cannot be corrupted no matter how much demons believe they can. I've seen your spirit. It's indomitable and wonderful. And neither these horns, tail or whatever changes this thing will have you go through, will convince me otherwise."

She was agape in shock, shaking her head slowly from side to side. "Reynald, what you're saying is heresy!"

I sighed, holding her shoulders reassuringly. "If our Lord is as merciful as the church claims he is, he will not let one of his warriors be torn from him this easily. And if he does, he may as well cast me down with you." I cupped her cheek, tenderly caressing her. "What kind of world are we fighting for if we have to abandon and kill our own to achieve it. We've both fought enough to even guarantee the honor of our ascendants. It seems unfair to throw all of that away just like this, and in my eyes, the gods cannot possibly see this as just either."

Her tears rolled over the back of my hand. "How can you know? What I'm turning into is one of the creatures furthest away from God's light."

"We just need to make sure you stay in it then. We can bless you, treat you, heal you. Many sicknesses and curses that have been around for centuries have been eradicated by now. Why not this as well?"

"I'm scared, Reynald."

"I know you are. I am too. But would you rather bear with this for now and possibly be cured or do you want to give up without even having tried?"

She looked over at the sword, lying between the blades of grass, then at her hands. One was already shaded blue, the other a fair skin color.

"In the end, it is your choice. Your pain is yours to bear. But I promise, if you do decide to fight it, I will stand beside you every step of the way. Just like we've always done."

Quietly, she reached out to me, asking for a hug and receiving it without question. Despite being a warrior, she felt fragile in my arms, though I knew she was being stronger right now than any battle before had required her to be. "I'll try. Even if the light of heaven leaves me behind, I don't want to leave you, my oath or my sisters. I will fight in the name of good for however long he will allow me to."

"I know you will. I know. It's the kind of resolve I've known you for since we've met."

She smiled for the first time in a while and wiped her tears as she faced me. Though her gaze lasted just a second as bashfulness forced her to avoid eye contact. "Say, these other feelings. The one we got to share last night. They are real, aren't they?"

I was a bit taken aback by the question. "Real? What do you mean?"

"As an angel, even if it is serving as a Valkyrie, it is my duty to love and feel compassion for all of mankind. But for you it was different. I've always respected and admired you for your deeds; the people you've saved and the innocents you protected, but when I got struck by that hex bolt from the demoness... you nursed me back to health and you made me that flower crown and danced with me and... you made me feel like a girl for the first time. My feelings shifted back then and I kept wondering and wondering if the corruption made you do all this or if it was actually re..."

I placed my lips on hers. Just for a fleeting moment. She whined a little bit but quickly relaxed and took the sides of my head in her hands, gently holding me in place. When I parted, I looked her straight in the eyes, no matter how flustered she was or wanted to turn away. "How does it feel to you? Fake or real?"

Her lip quivered as her voice cracked a little bit. "I...I'm not sure... I think I need more proof."

Our flushed faces met again in a longer, warmer kiss. The moonlight shone upon us as we shared this tender moment that even the autumn night air could not dampen. We spent a few minutes in a somber embrace, keeping close as the night grew cooler and at some point fell asleep with Celeste resting her head on my shoulder.

Despite the rough start to the night, it promised to be quiet, peaceful one. Or at least, that was what I had hoped for.

I awoke a few hours later. It was still dark and the moon was at its zenith still. The first thing that woke me, was the fact that Celeste was suddenly not by my side anymore. And if that hadn't woken me...

"AAAAHHHHAAHHHH! WAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

...the second bone chilling scream of the night certainly did. It seemed the gods would not let us rest for now.

Arming myself with my sword, I ran towards the origin of the scream. Once again, it was Corinthia, yet her screams didn't cease this time. In fact, they grew more horrified by the second.

I arrived behind the barn, peeking around the corner to check what her panic was about. And in that instance, the breath in my lungs froze. A posse of about a dozen succubi had busted in her door and Corinthia was dragged out of the house by her hair. And the person who was dragging her, was the one I dreaded the most coming here. It was the Commander of the attacking demon army, the demoness besieging Corria.

Her voluptuous figure moved with something that might almost be defined as grace if demons even knew that word, full of bravado and aggressive confidence. Her scandalous, what could barely be called an outfit, assortment of black leather straps barely hid her privates, completely unsuited for a woman of war. Similar to Celeste, her body had a purplish blue hue but unlike Celeste, her eyes were black and red and there was no kindness to be found behind them.

Without care, she tossed Corinthia into the dirt, all the while having an annoyed, almost disgusted sneer on her face. "Should've just told me, bitch! Now stop screaming, get up and tell me where the FUCK the paladin is!"

Two other succubi picked Corinthia up by her armpits, forcing her to face the demon. Corinthia was dirtied from her face to her apron, covered in mud. She looked beaten. "I told you already, I have no idea what paladin you're talking about! I'm just a farm..." She was slapped across the face before she could finish her sentence.

The demoness painfully squeezed her cheeks with one hand almost hard enough to draw blood with her long, sharp nails. "I was being nice and put a sleep spell on your brats. Keep testing me and I'll make sure they're wide awake to see their mother get fucking flayed!" She spoke in a manner of fact tone yet loaded with malice and spite.

Corinthia trembled, tears streaming down her face as her eyes went wide. "No... you can't. Leave my kids out of this..."

The demoness leaned in, every word she spoke being more poisonous than the last. "Well, there is another alternative. We could also take you back to where I'm from. You know, a little place called the demon realm."

"No..."

"Yes! You're a nice piece of ass, Corinthia! Bet a lot of freaks would pay a lot for you on the slave markets. Do all kinds of nasty shit to you. And once every single one of your holes has been ravaged, your boys won't even recognize you as their mother anymore. Would you prefer that, Mrs. Tight Lips?"

I put a foot forward, about to step out of hiding, when a strong hand covered my mouth and pulled me behind the barn again. Shortly before pulling my sword, I heard a familiar voice behind me, whispering in my ear. "Stop! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Celeste! Thank God!" Is what I wanted to say, though all of it only came out muffled as she kept holding my mouth shut.

"I know, I know, I should've called you sooner. There just was no time. Listen, we need a plan. The demon, she wants you, clearly, alive. I don't know why, but we need to use that to our advantage."

"You got something in mind?" I muttered, once again muffled.

She sighed deeply and painfully. "I'm sorry to do this to you, but you have to act as bait. Distract her, however you can. I will strike when you give me a signal. I'm counting on you, Reynald." Celeste left a single, little peck on my cheek before taking her hand off my mouth. And as soon as I turned around, she was gone before I even got a chance to see her.

I put my feelings aside for the moment, there was a hostage rescue at hand.

This time for real, I stepped out of the shadows, interrupting the demon as she put a dagger to Corinthia's throat. She looked over in surprise yet caught herself quickly and returning to a nonchalant, haughty smirk. "Finally decided to show yourself, have you?" She turned to Corinthia, tracing her jawline with the dagger. "See? Couldn't this have been so much easier for both of us? He even showed up out of his own free will. Aren't you lucky?" With a final flick, the dagger left her chin, yet the demon didn't stop holding it in Corinthia's direction.

I slowly drew my sword, spurring the caution of the other succubi. "Let her go, demon! I'm here. That's what you wanted, wasn't it? No need to involve outsiders."

She pursed her lips, almost like she was sulking and clicked her tongue. "Really? Demon? This is already the second time we've met, shouldn't we be on a first name basis by now, Reynald?" Her eyes flashed for a second as she put a hand to her mouth as if she just remembered. "Oh, right! I never DID give you my name, did I? Since we were so rudely interrupted the last time. You have the honor of calling me Sereeva." She postured mockingly as she performed a sarcastic curtsy. Her haughty smile went back to a thin frown as soon as she was done. "And I've come to strike a deal with you."

"Well, Sereeva, care to tell me why I would even consider striking said deal with you?"

She snarled and raised her dagger to Corinthia's throat. "Because if you don't, this poor, dumb farmer is going to fertilize her own fields. Now drop your weapon! Don't you know turning up armed to negotiations is impolite?"

Pointing out the hypocritical statement was beyond pointless. She had me at a disadvantage and knew it damn well. "This is how you spend your time? Harassing civilians and pushing one man into a corner while outnumbering him 20 to 1?" I scoffed, throwing my sword at her feet.

In response, she just nodded to one of her succubi to pick up my weapon and take it away before turning back to me. "Oh, all's fair in love and war. Which we are currently at, in case you have forgotten, paladin." She moved the blade away from Corinthia, but toyed with it enough to communicate the intention of cutting her if need be. "Which brings me to why I'm here. Corria is proving to be a lot harder to besiege than expected. The Demon Lord is expecting results and I am not ready to disappoint her. This, human, is where you come in."

I chortled. "That's rich. How do you expect me to help you here? I'm just one guy."

She ignored my amusement and kept a serious tone. "Well, you're one of their highest ranking generals, outside the secure walls of the city, unarmed and without anywhere to run to. Now lets say I took you hostage. They might not open the gates in return for one single man, but you still have a link to the god that consecrated their lands. It makes it quite difficult to summon a large force here. But with you on our side, we can spoil the lands and open our portals." She smirked, flashing a sharp, canine tooth. "There will be thousands of us."

I felt like a noose was tightening around my neck. More and more I realized that the enemy in front of me was smarter than I gave her credit for. Her presence was dominating and my wavering nerves revealed that all too well. "Y... you can't do that! Do you have any idea how many people are inside that city? It'll be a bloodbath!"

She dramatically put a hand on her chest pretending to be heartbroken. "Oh trust me, it's not what I want either. Imagining all those people, screaming, crying, calling out for the warriors that are supposed to defend them... but can't. It would be horrific. Thankfully, there is one more option. One that still might just convince them to let us resolve this peacefully. That is, if you're going to be cooperative."