Warlock Reina Pt. 05

"I have a feeling that we'll find what we're searching for down there." Beleeza didn't sound very pleased at the notion of finishing the task. "That big thing is what petrifies things around it as it consumes the world. This one has grown large enough to burst soon, and I would not like to be here when it does."

"You mean that's how it reproduces?" A morbid part of Reina kind of wanted to see that very thing happen.

"In a manner of speaking. Had we found it earlier, we would have burned it. But it's too late for that now."

"Is it really safe to bring back something that has...touched that thing?" Reina said, suddenly a bit apprehensive about the task. It sounded like a recipe for disaster.

"The parasite won't survive in your world. I doubt it would even survive the travel there. Shall we?"

Reina, as usual, had a boatload of questions. But the oppressiveness of the land and the approaching howls was starting to wear her down. The sooner they could go back, the better. There was no other route than down now, however, meaning they had to undertake a climb that was anything but easy. Even with Beleeza's massive strength to aid her, Reina still suffered all manner of scrapes and bruises as they made their way down the brutal cliffs. Not to mention a few close calls when she was almost impaled on the jagged, spear-like rocks that seemed to call out for her blood. But with a lot of sweat and curses, they managed to get all the way down with almost all limbs intact. Beleeza had been forced to sacrifice one of her four arms that had gotten hopelessly caught between two rocks. But she didn't seem to mind too much.

Now the horde of metal trees stood before them like an army of dark skeletons, rusty and corroded by the passing of odd ages. If traversing the cliffs had been dangerous, walking through the forest was a pure death wish. Every little branch was an eye waiting to be plucked out, or a throat sliced open. Sharp, rusty pain longing for even the smallest moment of unawareness.

"Are you certain you want to risk this?" Beleeza asked, and gave Reina a concerned look.

Normally, Reina loathed being doubted and coddled. This, however, did seem like a rather bad idea. But she refused to back down now.

"Let's just find it and get out of here."

Beleeza simply gazed at Reina in silence for a while before giving her a calm nod. With that, they set off into the labyrinth of thorns. It was a slow, arduous walk. Every step had to be measured, every path considered twice or even thrice. Before long, Reina had to remove her hooded cloak completely as it kept getting caught, loathe as she was to remove a layer of protection. The light leather armor she had on underneath would hopefully be enough to shield against scrapes, but it would do nothing if she tripped and fell in an unlucky way. Luckily, they didn't have to struggle for long before they found their prize, just on the edge of the gray scar that surrounded the massive tumor in the distance. A small corpse of a flower, nestled among slimy webs and petrified trees, calcified into a husk of its former self.

"Finally," Reina sighed, longing to get back home. "How should we-"

That's about as far as she got before Beleeza gave the plant a firm whack at its roots with the blunt side of her cleaver. With a great crack, it broke loose and rattled along the ground. Reina looked at the Daemon in horror.

"Surely there must have been a better way?"

"It was the quickest way," Beleeza said with a smirk. "And it's still intact, is it not?"

Thankfully, the plant had suffered minimal damage. Small shards had broken off as it had tumbled, but all in all it was amazingly well preserved. Every little ridge and fold cast perfectly in otherworldly stone. The flower itself was ugly as a swamp turd, however. Not to mention the revolting slime that coated its surface.

"It will do," Reina sighed. "Time to-"

A shrill howl cut through the forest and suddenly a whirlwind of claws and fangs descended upon them. Reina didn't even have time to spot their assailants before two malformed creatures had latched themselves onto Beleeza, rending the Daemon with their malevolent claws. At a glance, the creatures looked like Omala's Daemon, cursed with a gaunt and wretched appearance. But these were more like spiders with thickets of legs and limbs, all armed with terrifying, scythe-like claws. It was impossible to tell where one ended and another began.

Instinctively, Reina reached deep inside herself and drew upon dark, scorching magic, desperate to free Beleeza before it was too late. She hated using that shadowy fire which seared her just as it did her enemy, but there was no other choice now. One of the creatures screamed in agony as its inside was consumed by lashing flames, and Reina screamed with it, bracing herself against the torrent of pain that flowed through her. It was a fierce, radiant torture, but it gave Beleeza an opening. A chance to draw her cleaver and throw off her attackers long enough to start hacking at them. That's when a third beast flew from the shadows and fell upon Reina.

She barely managed to react in time, throwing up her arms to shield herself against the flurry of claws that tried to tear her apart. The thing was only a little shorter than her, but a great deal stronger, and she soon found herself completely caught. Desperately, she tried to fend it off as the creature ripped and tore at her, shredding her armor as it pushed her backwards. Without thinking, she aimed a relentless kick to its midsection, using every ounce of strength she had. But as the creature got pushed back, she lost her balance and stumbled backwards.

A piercing pain blazed through her abdomen, and she screamed in horrid agony. A metal branch had punched right through her, perforating the leather armour as if it had been nothing but paper. She was caught. Unable to flee, as every attempt to move brought bolts of pain that threatened to knock her out cold. And then, the creature was upon her again. Every bit of strength she had left was used up as she tried to fend off its claws, but her armor was being torn to ribbons and every attack impaled her further onto the branch. One of the creature's claws finally reached her face and opened a burning gash across her nose. It would not be long before it hit something vital. No matter how much she tried, Reina did not have the strength to call forth the dark magic again, and she realized that she might actually die here. This torrent of screams and sharp claws could be the last thing she ever saw.

That's when the creature's head was almost completely caved in with a savage crunch. It screamed and scrambled away, finally letting Reina have a moment of respite. As she looked up, she saw Beleeza, coated in blood and body parts. The Daemon barely looked at Reina before continuing her attack on the creatures. One of the wretches was already crawling away in fear, having had most of its legs and arms torn off. The other two were circling around, wary of the furious Daemon and her massive cleaver. Then, one of them attacked. A furious charge straight at Beleeza, meant to give the other an opening to attack her back. But the Daemon was ready, and caught the beast with one hand. With a cry that would have silenced any battlefield she skewered the cursed thing with her cleaver and threw it against a tree, impaling it upon the rusty branches. Seeing this, the third one seemed to decide it had had enough, and skittered away back into the dark. The battle was over.

Beleeza turned to Reina immediately, her eyes now full of fear. Without a word she cradled her bondmate closely and pulled her off the branch. Reina screamed as the jagged thing cut and ripped at her insides, only barely able to hold on to consciousness. But at last, she was freed. Through a haze of exhaustion and pain, she felt herself be picked up and carried away.

"The flower..." she whispered, weak and dizzy.

"Shh," Beleeza hushed her and placed a soft kiss on her clammy forehead. "Let's go home and patch you up."

* * * * *

Later that evening, Reina was sunken deeply in a hot bath, studying herself in a small mirror as Beleeza watched her from the side. As bad as the injury had been, Beleeza's powers had patched her up pretty well. Her body was battered and bruised, but most of the deep marks were almost completely invisible. Even her abdomen had only a small imprint in the center of a flower of bruises, a dent where the branch had perforated her. She had asked to keep the scar on her face, though. A grim reminder that she should listen to her Daemon's advice. A lesson learned. Death had not been far away that day.

"I hope that pale moonthing and her snake appreciate their damn flower," Beleeza muttered. She was none too happy about how it all had gone down.

"Mmh." Reina put away the mirror and descended further down into the hot water. "I guess we'll see tomorrow."

For a while, they just sat silently together in the dim candlelight. Even though they were both free of their injuries by now, the day had left a deep mark.

"I should have listened to you," Reina finally admitted with shame.

"Yes, you should have," Beleeza said with a smug smirk. "Why bond yourself to a Daemon if you're not going to listen to it?"

"I guess..." Reina paused. No one had ever told her it would be like this. "I guess I'm just still so wrapped up in what I was told by my teachers. That I should always be in charge. To never fully trust Daemons..."

Beleeza scoffed. "Pompus blowhards. There's a reason why they wouldn't be able to trust their bondmates if that's the way they think."

She crawled over to the tub, slowly assuming her human form with great cracks and creaks as her bones rearranged themselves. Then, she climbed into the hot water and took Reina gently into her arms.

"If you do no trust me, who is bound to you until your death, who should you trust?"

Reina had no answer. This was not how she imagined it would be. She had imagined a servant, or perhaps a distant ally. Not a gentle protector. She knew that Beleeza was right. There was no one she could trust as much as this strange creature. Exhausted beyond words, she simply let her aching body be held, safely kept in the arms of her Daemon.

* * * * *

"A most splendid specimen! You two have exceeded my expectations."

The moonchild studied the petrified plant placed on the table before it. The little piece of hell looked severely out of place in the solemn hall, its warped and twisted frame sitting in sharp contrast to the sensual décor of the rest of the room. Reina sat on the opposite side of the table, while Beleeza lounged in the back in her Daemon form.

"I am sensing that it took some effort to fetch it?" the moonchild continued, eying the prominent scar on Reina's face.

"It was...not without its troubles," Reina admitted with a polite smile. "But all is well that ends well."

"Hm. A decidedly human adage. Everything leaves a mark, be it for good or bad. Ripples across the pond..."

The moonchild stood up and carried the flower to a table filled with instruments. It placed the thing on a metal tray, covered it with a crystal dome, and turned to face Reina again.

"Now! I believe you have more than earned your fee."

"At your service," Reina said humbly. Not wanting to express exactly how much she felt the same way.

"If you the two of you would join me upstairs, we shall take care of the payment."

Reina gave Beleeza an apprehensive look. Was this a trap? Beleeza's eyes narrowed into mere slivers, suspicious as well of the suggestion. But she nodded her careful approval, and this time Reina chose to trust her Daemon.

"Lead the way," Reina finally said, still wearing a polite albeit stiff smile.

The moonchild strode towards the near-invisible stairs that led toward the upper parts of the tower. Reina and Beleeza followed, though they kept a safe distance. Just in case. Up the stairs they went, and into the black maw of a door where the unknown awaited. After ascending another dim staircase they came upon a wall of silken drapes that hid whatever waited beyond. The faintest sliver of light shone through and made the fabric glimmer like a starry night in the darkness. A mesmerizing visage in itself, but it was nothing compared to what waited beyond.

When they strode through the drapes an impossibly large room opened before them, as if they had stepped into the night sky itself. A gargantuan moon was suspended above the center, a sleeping God-egg, spreading its pale light on the world below. Beyond it, the cosmos itself expanded to reveal an infinity of stars, stretching further than any mortal mind could possibly comprehend. It was not a room as much as a small, illuminated altar in the deep vastness of space. The stone floor sloped gently downwards, creating the feeling of a strange amphitheater centered perfectly around the moon above. Luxurious beddings and flowers were arranged in perfect geometry, giving it an odd sensation of being both a bedroom and a garden. For a moment, Reina could do nothing but stare in dumbstruck awe at the scene before her.

In the very center a raised bed was placed, together with an assortment of strange chests and dressers. Four large armchairs were placed at separate sides, all of them facing the bed. Reina could only guess at what the purpose of their arrangement was. Not to mention the purpose of the innumerable glass jars and flasks that were kept on top of the dressers.

"Welcome to my inner sanctum," the moonchild said. Here, its voice made the room reverberate with an otherworldly melody, as if the moon itself sung out in greeting.

"Now this is a bedchamber," Beleeza mused as she gave Reina a mocking smirk.

Reina, however, was too stricken to fully appreciate the jab, still trying to take in the beauty of it all. Was this merely an illusion? Or was there some greater magic at play? The moonchild strode down to the center of the room and opened one of the elaborate chests. By the time Reina and Beleeza joined it, it had produced a small wooden box that had the pleasing rattle of a great deal of coins.

"I trust this should do nicely as far as a monetary payment goes."

Reina took the chest, and by weight alone she knew it would be more than enough. Suddenly, her body didn't hurt quite as much.

"It is but the first of the four-fold reward, however," the moonchild continued and opened another chest.

"Four-fold?" Reina exclaimed, taken aback by the unexpected generosity.

"It is our custom that things should always be given in fours. One material, one symbolic, one pragmatic, and one personal."

"Oh." Reina made a subtle mental note to never turn down a job for a moonchild. Ever.

"As for the symbolic, I offer you my friendship. I know your kin faces challenges in this city, just as mine does. With each other's aid, we shall both prosper," the moonchild said and splayed its hands in a humble gesture.

"I understand completely," Reina said and bowed gently. "And I offer my friendship in return." She knew that this would likely be the most useful thing to come out of all this in the long run. Every extra pair of eyes and ears you could count on went a long way.

"On that note..." The moonchild took a small bundle out of a chest, a tightly wrapped little package that had a distinct hum of magic to it. "I trust this should be useful to you. It is a strong ward against prying magic, which I believe should be useful against the Wizards that are hunting for your kin."

Reina took the package in her hands, and was almost overwhelmed by the power surging through it. This was one hell of a ward, far beyond anything she would be able to construct herself.

"You humble me with these gifts, Sovereign," she said, almost a bit embarrassed.

"Please. We are beyond titles now. You may call me Ylanga, should you wish to."

"Oh. Then, I am Reina to you as well."

"Beleeza," the Daemon chimed in with an amused smile, having found herself a seat in one of the large armchairs. Watching as if some awkward play was going on before her.

"And as we are now more familiar, might I propose a personal gift to you?" Ylanga said to Reina, now with a far warmer timbre to its voice.

Reina hesitated. What would a being such as this consider personal? "I would not dare to refuse," she finally answered, with some apprehension.

"I pondered for a long time what one such as you might appreciate. Then it occurred to me that a Warlock bound to the House of Flesh must have a certain appreciation for...the sensual, so to speak. Would I be correct?"

"I...suppose so, yes," Reina said, trying to ignore Beleezas pointed giggles on the other side of the room.

"Then I propose that I gift you a stronger connection to your body. A gift that would make you not just more sensitive to even the subtlest of sensual touches, but also able to control your own senses with ease. I would think that one such as you could find a great deal of use in such a skill."

Reina was starting to blush just a little bit. Exactly what did this being think about her? It did sound enticing, however.

"And...how would that be done?" she finally asked,

"Well, with your and your Daemon's permission, I would have you relieve yourself of your clothing. Then, I would gently call out the utmost sensitivity your body can produce, after which you would drink a simple solution that would allow you to call upon and direct that same sensitivity."

"Oh, I permit alright!" Beeleeza exclaimed with glee.

"Beleeza!" Reina hissed, with a murderous look aimed at the Daemon. "I... How do you mean to...produce that sensitivity?" she finally asked, struggling to meet the moonchild's eyes.

"It is a rather curious process actually. I have found that the mere touch of our kind produces a much higher response in humans that if they had been touched by another human." The moonchild raised its hand and reached out. Its fingers were long and slender, but the tips were rounder, with a soft pink color. "So by gently touching your body, I could coax out a sensitivity unlike any you have felt before."

Reina had no idea what to make of it all. It sounded enticing for sure, but to have this moonchild touch, no, play with her body that way? Her time with Beleeza had lowered her inhibitions a great deal, but this? This... This was a bit much.

"Come now, pet," Beleeza purred. "It would bring me such joy to see you that way..."

Reina swallowed as she saw that Beleeza's big cock was getting hard. She was getting a bit excited herself, no doubt, but seeing her Daemon's growing lust was stoking a fire inside her that she had no control over. Finally, she relented.

"I...accept," she said, bowing her head in embarrassment.

"Wonderful! Then if you would simply undress and lie down on the bed, I will prepare the solution. Beleeza could rub some oil on you in the meantime, which should make the process all the more pleasing."

Barely had Ylanga finished the sentence before Beleeza had sprung up and readied herself with the oil. Reina would have scolded her, but just seeing her Daemon stand there with her now rock hard cock was more than enough to derail her thoughts. Despite the burning sense of embarrassment, she felt herself getting more and more turned on. The slight wetness between her legs was already calling loudly for attention. Who knew how far this would go before the end.

When her robe came off, it was slowly and with much apprehension. But Beleezas appreciating gaze drove Reina onwards and with every garment she dropped, her inhibitions melted away a little more. Making Beleeza simmer with desire fueled her own flames. Made her burn deep inside. When she dropped her undershirt and let her breasts free, she couldn't resist stroking herself ever so gently, teasing her stiff nipples so that Beleeza could see just how turned on she was. The Daemon simple licked her lips with an appreciative sigh, and gave a pointed glance to the breeches that still kept Reina from being completely naked. The Warlock obliged, and within seconds the breeches fell to the floor.