One Night for Peace

"Where's Taera?" She searched across the room for the goddess of purity. Surely she would listen to her plight.

Onaria scoffed. "She's back in the east again. Stupid woman won't accept that we gods are simply not welcome there. She seems to think that she can single handedly convert the entire continent to us."

Leianna believed it was more likely that Taera was trying to rescue girls caught up in the many slave rings; but it was not the time to correct her sister. "Oh, and I don't suppose she'll be back any time soon?"

"It's unlikely."

"And our brothers?" She thought of the more aggressive, war oriented gods. Unfortunately, her question was met with laughter.

"Unlikely. Orin and Dorlain don't have time for us silly little girls," Onaria growled, rolling her eyes. "Maybe if Ellia backed us up..." Neither woman had any doubt that the rather violent goddess would not even listen to their petition. "But they are simply too busy to pay heed to one little city. Maethil might be persuaded to get the entire town drunk, but I doubt that would solve much.

"I know it must pain you to see Meadhall so corrupted, but it really is your responsibility. You'll just have to leave them to the demon for a while until you have enough strength to fight him. It's regrettable, but we can't do everything." Onaria gave her sister one last, rather sad, embrace before shimmering away to return to her own slice of paradise.

Leianna stood alone, confliction tearing her apart. She knew a way to save the town now, to end their suffering and give them the peace that they expected from her. But she could not bear to sacrifice herself for their sakes.

*****

A week passed. Leianna drifted through Meadhall remaining hidden from the mortal world and her heart broke a little more each day. What had once been a peaceful town, a commerce town thriving on the production of its namesake, had unraveled into chaos. Antiel's aura of lust had overwhelmed the town. If he had worked as Onaria did, spreading equally between men and women so all mixed together in a passionate orgy it would not have been so bad.

However, Antiel infected only the men and left the women trying to escape in terror. He fed on the energies of their fear and the animalistic desires of the men. He wanted it this way.

Leianna wished she could close her ears to the pleading prayers, but she would not allow herself to be blind to their suffering. This was her punishment. If they could not have peace, neither would she.

Antiel's demons rioted through the town. Some were able to mask themselves as human as their master had, others were simply invisible like she was. These smaller demons, able to see her presence even when invisible to mortal eyes, took great pleasure in tormenting her. They mocked and spat at her, ripping her dress and knocking her to the ground.

And she let them. She had no other choice. Well, she had one other choice but it wasn't really a choice at all.

"In the name of the sun, what are you doing?" Onaria's voice snapped out beside her. Several demons shrieked in fear and vanished. Humans still walked through the street, but none could see either goddess; leaving them effectively alone. "Sulking like a petulant child and wallowing in your own misery will do no one good."

Leianna turned dully to look at her. "It's what I deserve."

"Deserve? You're a goddess. You decide what you deserve. You've done everything that you can for these people. Sitting around in this hell won't change that. Leave your priests to their work, gather your power, and return when you can do something."

"And what if I could do something now?" Leianna asked quietly. "What if there was a way to end it?"

Onaria frowned. "Then you must be a fool not to have done it."

She sighed. "What if saving them, what if it cost me everything? What if the price was worse than their torment?"

Her sister looked at her confused. "If it saves your followers, than it is worth everything. We are gods. It is our responsibility to care for those who follow us. We offer our lives to them, every day. We cannot die. We do not really even have bodies to be harmed. We are immune to everything that torments humanity. If there is a way to save them, you should take it."

Leianna crumpled into herself. Her sister couldn't understand. She didn't know what was asked of her. "But-"

"No!" Onaria exploded with light. "Enough of your excuses. You are a god. Stop behaving like a sniveling child. You were perfectly willing to come and beg me to use my power to save your people, and now you are not willing to do the same? If there is a way to end this, end it. If there isn't, move on. Other people need you. You will live forever. Whatever price you must pay will be forgotten in time. Humans only have so much time to live; it is our task to make it as pleasurable as possible."

The goddess listened meekly, nodding. Her sister was right.

"I understand." She whispered, offering a faint smile. "And I will, no matter the cost."

Onaria smiled, no idea of what she had just convinced Leianna to do. "Good. Give the town peace, and set the matter to rest. I expect to see you back home soon, all this nonsense behind you." She pressed a kiss to her cheek and gave her hand a quick squeeze before shimmering out of sight.

Leianna slowly dropped to her knees, sitting in the mud on the side of the street. People walked past her, oblivious to their shattered god. Slowly demons began to reappear as they sensed Onaria's disappearance. As they had before they mocked her, poking and kicking her, pulling at her hair.

Something snapped within her. "Enough!" A feeble light shone through her skin. "Take me to Antiel. Now."

Startled, they obeyed. Chittering to each other in a demonic tongue they deliberated for a time. Eventually one of them turned toward her and ran off, beckoning her to follow.

The goddess ran behind it, following through winding streets and dingy alleys. The path was so convoluted she wasn't sure if she could find her way back out. Eventually they stopped before an abandoned inn, dark paint chipped off the walls and weeds sprouting through the collapsed deck. The little demon bowed mockingly as it opened the door for her.

Carefully she stepped up the rotting steps, her form shimmering and becoming more substantial. Her clothing was once again an immaculate white, her golden tresses clean and smooth. She would appear before the demon looking, and feeling, like the god she was.

As she passed through the threshold reality tilted. Like her own temple this place was not entirely of the mortal world. The demon had made his nest here, so he made it suitable for his tastes.

Structurally it matched the exterior, but the floors were covered in thick plush rugs and pillows. Her eyes were assaulted with deep reds and oranges and vivid blacks. If it weren't for the many women trussed up, bound to hooks on the walls and floors, it might have been considered cozy. Demons played with their captured toys, licking and fucking as they pleased.

And at the center of it all, in a large cushioned chair, Antiel reclined as if in a throne. His lips spread wide in a cruel grin, red eyes locked on the goddess. The entertainment around him could no longer hold his interest. He slinked forward, standing with his arms wide in greeting. His movements were graceful, but were fueled with terrible power.

"Lady Leianna. What a pleasure to have you here in my humble home." He crossed the room to her, his scent threatening to fill her mind with fog. "I must say, I've never had a goddess in my temple before. It's exciting." His smile split wider.

"So," He gestured his head toward the girls on the ground, "have you come to save them, or perhaps to join them?"

"I've come to talk." Her cold blue eyes bored into his, her voice suppressed. "Privately."

Antiel only had to jerk his head before his demons scurried out of the room, carrying their human toys with them. She forced herself to ignore their cries. They would be released soon. She would save them.

The door swung shut behind the last demon leaving the two alone. Antiel looked down at her. "You have my attention."

"I want you gone," she said firmly, ignoring the buzzing that had migrated from her head to her lower belly. "You, and all your demons, and any who follow you. I want you to go to ground and never to return to Meadhall."

He laughed, tossing his horned head back in amusement. "I've told you my price for peace, and even then it wouldn't be forever."

"Then let's negotiate," she growled.

He paused, staring intently at her. "You wish to barter yourself for the town?"

"If that's what this takes."

"Well, how interesting." He smiled a slow greedy grin. "I could be the first demon to ever fuck a god. The idea has its merits."

She scowled at his crudeness. "Well then, let's discuss terms. I want you gone. Off the face of the earth, neither you, nor any of your follows causing trouble for anyone, anywhere."

He paused, thoughtful. "For one year."

Leianna laughed coldly. "What do you take me for? An idiot? A year is little more than a breath. You could sleep through it and more without a second thought. A millennia."

He scoffed. "Not even a goddess is worth that much. Nice try, sweetheart. You'd have to come to ground with me to even consider that."

Her face twisted in disgust. Even with the dull throbbing growing between her legs the idea repulsed her.

"That's what I thought," Antiel said. "So then a century. One hundred years of silence and peace from me and all of my servants, human and demon alike. In exchange, you are mine. Anything I want for one night."

She hesitated. It wasn't the worst thing that could happen. She could survive one night in exchange for one hundred years of peace. "But only you. None of your demons watching or joining in. Just the two of us. No one else ever needs to know."

Antiel chuckled. "Pity. But I could live with it. One night, just you and me, for one hundred years of peace." He extended a clawed hand to her. "Agreed?"

"And what assurance do I have that you'll keep your word?"

He shrugged. "I am a demon of lust, not of lies. I have no reason to deceive you." Her nasty glare cut him short. "Well, less reason than some."

"Swear a blood oath. Otherwise I have no reason to believe you won't just accept your payment and do as you please," she insisted.

With a sigh Antiel ran a sharp claw through the meat of his palm and used it to trace a runic symbol on his chest over his heart. When the symbol was complete, it sank into his flesh, disappearing. "Happy? Now, do we have a deal?"

Leianna stalled . "I suppose the night would begin...?"

"Now." He nodded, and pushed his hand out a little farther. "Make your choice, now or never."

She sighed, and placed her pale hand in his dark gray one. "We have a deal."

*****

As Leianna gave herself in offering, she felt Antiel's power swell and grow. Colors seemed to become more vivid and the blacks and shadows in the room darkened. The mind lulling scent that surrounded him began to work its way into her lungs until her thoughts were sluggish and difficult to form. She had passed wholly into his sanctuary, she was his to use as he pleased.

Antiel removed his hand from hers and began circling her as if to decide which part he would devour first. His voice called out from behind her, "Undress."

She hesitated. Knowing what she would have to do and actually doing it were two very different things. In her hesitation Antiel wrapped a large hand around her throat, slamming her back against his hard chest. She could feel the heat radiating from behind her, feel the outline of his hardness as it pressed into her backside.

His fingers tightened, locking her head back in a submissive pose as he hissed into her ear. "For your sake do not make me repeat myself."

A whimper escaped her constricted throat and she obeyed. She pulled each dress strap from her shoulders. Without their support, the thin fabric hung to her small breasts for a moment before pooling to the ground at her feet. No longer sustained by her manifested form, the dress evaporated a moment later.

Leianna gasped, breathing in fully as Antiel released her, and stood meekly by when he resumed his inspection of her. His lips stretched into that awful grin as he drank in the sight. "A goddess, naked. And you're all mine," he said softly.

She shivered as he trailed the back of his claws across her skin. It was a long, slow caress that traced down the length of her jaw line, down her neck and between her breasts. His movements were languid, as if he didn't really care much either way about touching her. If it had been anyone else Leianna would have been insulted. She was accustomed to being worshipped, especially if she chose to couple with someone. Never had she been so coolly assessed.

Stopping between her breasts Antiel split his attentions to each, slowly spiraling in with each hand until he was tracing the outline of her soft pink areola. She repressed a shudder, willing herself not to express any pleasure. However, her body betrayed her and her nipples swelled, the soft flesh around them pebbling with arousal.

Leianna couldn't bring herself to look at the demon before her. She kept her eyes locked on a cushion across the room. She did not need to look to guess that his face would be split in that damned grin as he watched pieces of her composure slowly crack away.

Her back arched as he claws gently raked down the sides of her ribs, pausing at her hips before dipping down. And then down further. The air caught in her lungs as she felt his fingers dipping into the soft blond curls of her mound. She willed herself to breathe normally, but every moment she lost a bit more of her mind to his aphrodisiatic aura.

The past week she had been plagued with thoughts of this night, tormented by the ideas of what would happen to her if she agreed. It had left her in a perpetual state of arousal as her mind concocted terrible scenarios of perverse acts done to her, or that she was forced to do. No matter how hard she fought against it, her body craved release. The pulsing need between her thighs did not care if it was satisfied by a demon, as long as it was satisfied.

His fingers moved down through her curls until he circled her outer lips. She knew he could feel her heat. Feel the trace of dampness caused by her desire. Leianna nearly moaned as his fingers passed over her clit.

Antiel stood abruptly, pulling away from her. A soft whine escaped through her throat. That wasn't enough!

"Lay on your back," Antiel instructed, helping her to the ground. She did as instructed, lowering herself back so she was propped up on her elbows, knees closed demurely together as she watched him with wide eyes. Her stomach fluttered, or perhaps churned. Whether it was from fear or something else she couldn't really say.

He purred, lowering himself so he knelt on the ground beside her. "Good girl. Now," His hands wrapped around her thin wrists and guided them to her breasts, "I want you to play with your nipples."

Her face twisted in confusion but obeyed his instruction. She gently rolled the sensitive buds atop her breasts between her fingers, feeling her desire peak with every moment. Why was he doing this? Shouldn't he just use her? Why try to make her pleasure herself? It made no sense.

Leianna's train of thought began to fade as he parted her knees, opening her legs to reveal her pink flower. She looked away, unwilling to see his face as he looked upon the wet proof of her arousal.

She did not see him lean closer, but she felt it as his breath burned warm against her sensitive skin and she shivered as his mouth met with the inside of her thigh. She squealed as his sharp fangs nipped and moaned when the pain was eased with a warm soft kiss. He worked his way inwards, nibbling and kissing and licking until he had reached her patch of soft curls. Leianna could hardly suppress a pout as he bypassed her center, switching to devote the same attention to her other leg.

Her mind was nearly gone, her existence was completely wrapped up in the sensations. Her fingers still played with her hard nipples, but her focus was only on the heat of his breath, the coarse wetness of his tongue, the bliss that was just out of reach.

He pulled away from her, and whimpering, she looked up at him. As she watched his grin seemed to shimmer as he remodeled his form. His smile was no less demonic without his fangs, especially when a long serpentine tongue, split into two flickering prongs, slipped out to dart up the outer edge of her outer labia.

Antiel wrapped an arm around her thigh pulling her closer to his mouth. Her head rolled back and her back arched forward. She still had the presence of mind not to press her hips toward him as she so desperately wanted to. But she did not need to, for he plunged forward, tongue slipping into her dripping flower. He growled from between her legs, delighting in the delicate musk and taste of the goddess's pussy.

Leianna's hand flew to her mouth, muffling the overwhelming wave of pleasure that the demon's tongue brought her. The rough texture flickered over her inner lips, each half of the reptilian tongue moving independently and stimulating a different spot. Her hips rocked forward, legs spreading wider to offer him more, to give him all of her.

His tongue swirled around her hard little clit; rolling it, pressing and flickering and rubbing up and down against it. She had given up on keeping still, her body was no longer under her control as she desperately ground against his face. She only barely managed keep herself silent. She bit down hard onto her hand, refusing to verbalize her ecstasy.

Antiel plunged his tongue deep into her tight little pussy, wiggling it as he pressed it into her, stimulating every bit of her insides. She bit back sobs, her other hand abandoning her breast to grip his hair. She tried to pull him closer, deeper.

With a fierce snarl he pulled away from her, growling in displeasure. She whimpered, panting with blind need as he left her right on the verge of climax.

"I warned you not to make me repeat myself." His eyes burned with displeasure, and she quickly returned her hands to her breasts.

"I'm sorry!" She gasped, eager to please him and bring him back to where he had been. She wanted that horrid demon tongue back inside her again. She wanted him to finish what he had started. She needed him to finish her.

"Too late," he growled as he crossed the room to retrieve a long silk cord from his throne. His eyes devoured her naked form spread across the floor for him, and his face split back into his malicious grin. "If you cannot do as you are told you will not do anything at all."

Leianna gasped as he wound the cord around her wrists, binding them together before securing her to a hook on the floor. Her arms pulled tight over her head, her breasts jutted obscenely upward in offering to him. "Please, I'm sorry, I'll-"

"You have one chance to do as I ask. Fail and I will make certain you regret it." His voice shook through her like gravel and she shuddered, though it would be lying to say it was from fear. The desire burning through her drowned out any other thoughts she might have had.

Antiel must have interpreted her trembling for fear because he paused in mock concern. "Of course, if you decide you want to stop we can. Just say the word and everything can go back to before. I'll stay here in town and you'll do... whatever pathetic little slut goddesses do."

"No! I-" She choked the next words out, "I don't want to stop."