Chapter 143: Alone...?
The water of the Hot Springs bubbled beneath them and the bursting of the forming bubbles as well as the light sounds the steam made were the only things to break up the silence that descended.
Evian smiled as though patiently waiting for the Baroness to start up conversations and she did.
"For how long have you known?" she asked as her lips split into an even wider smile.
Evian raised a brow,
"Oh? You're admitting so quickly?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Karenssa asked, waving him off before swimming closer, "I ~wanted~ you to find out, after all? I thought I gave you enough clues..."
"Clues?" Evan asked, with no knowledge of such.
"Of course. They were subtle but they were there and then I told you how long Angus and I had been married; Two Months..."
"As long as Kalkao has been getting attacked," Evian said with a nod.
"Exactly. I thought that was as good as just coming out with a confession but I had to risk it.
From the moment I saw you, I felt great potential from you and I'm glad you weren't too slow to the uptake. Can't have my future ally be a dunce, now can I?"
"Ally?" Evian repeated the most attention-grabbing word that had left the Baroness' lips and then let out a chuckle, "What makes you think I would ally with you?"
"Oh come off it. This is one topic I will not allow you to play hard to get in."
"I'm not playing hard to get this time. I'm just not interested." Evian said, shaking his head.
"You're not?" Karenssa asked while licking her lips and thrusting her heaving breasts towards Evian's face.
She began to exude Eldritch energy but there was something about it... It felt tainted-- Tainted with Spiritual Energy.
"I'm not," Evian said, "Seems like more trouble than it's worth."
"Is this about your mission?"
"It is," Evian said. Of course, there was more to it most notable of it all being that Karenssa gave him the creeps and he did not feel at all interested in mixing with her. It wasn't even about her intentions... He just found her-- lacking.
Karenssa retained her smile and the annoyance of being rejected by Evian had melted away in the face of new information so she continued,
"You know, when I first saw you, I could immediately tell what you are. Pure Spiritual-energy breathers might be unable to sense it but I can... I can sense the purity of your Eldritch energy. You are composed completely of it to the point where it comes off like an aura and yet you have retained this look."
"Pardon?" Evian said, his brow rising a few inches up his forehead as the conversation appeared to take a vain turn.
"Eldritch energy is powerful but it's Decadent. No one powered by it remains unchanged physically and yet, here you stand, an absolute Adonis, rousing my desires more than any human male ever could..."
"Eldritch energy... What's that?" Evian asked, looking confused.
"Oh don't play dumb. I did you the courtesy of not lying to your face so do pay in kind."
As she spoke, Karenssa swam closer until she could place a hand on Evian's chest. She trailed a long nail across his smooth skin, licking her lips all the while as though admiring a juicy peach she just wanted to bite through.
"That day, I got closer to you but I could not detect the presence of any appearance-altering Item. I found you perfect... I wanted you but I took my time. I thought to reel you in with my sensuality. 'It won't be that hard' I thought to myself but you dared to call me unworthy!"
At this point, Karenssa's voice changed in tone. It went from melodiously ensnaring to harsh as she dug her nails deeper into his body, aiming to draw blood but before she could, Evian grabbed her wrist.
Immediately, Evian discovered it was taking him all of his strength to keep her away. However, whatever struggle he was facing, he made sure to keep it from being so clearly seen on his face- At least he tried his best not to let it show.
"So Evian," Karenssa said in that menacing tone as her eyes glowed a mysterious dark color as she resisted Evian's pull and kept digging in her nails, finally succeeding in breaking the skin and drawing blood,
"Do you still think I am unworthy?!"
"Yes," Evian nodded, the strain now showing on his face.
He raised his other hand and grabbed Karenssa's left breast, squeezing with aggression but before Karenssa could let out a moan at this apparent Sexual act, an Arrow composed completely of Eldritch Energy stabbed into her body and struck her heart.
"Ack!" she groaned and then let out a chuckle, "Weak! I saw potential in you-- I saw what you will become but I also saw and felt what you currently are and that is no match for me!"
The blood dripping from Evian's chest out of the holes Karenssa had made, became corrupted by foreign Eldritch energy that moved them to form a strange spell circle.
Almost immediately after the circle was formed, Evian heard the voice of his Assistant loudly in his head;
[You Are Being Afflicted With A Slave Spell...]
[Slave Spell is stronger than you are capable of fighting against...]
[I advise Retreat!]
"Khahahaha... Worthiness... Feelings... All pointless! Now that it's come to this, I'll make you mine. I'll nurture that potential where it ought to go."
'Whiron Barbed Spear!'
The Torturing Spear appeared in Evian's hand and he stabbed it into Karenssa's forearm- The one whose fingers were still stabbed into his chest and controlling the strange circle.
Karenssa shattered the spell with her free hand but not before its torturous energy wracked through her and in a final attempt to escape her clutches, Evian retrieved his double ended Spear, striking it against Karenssa and giving himself enough counterforce to be sent a few feet away from her.
"Ngh," he groaned at the pain of her dug-in nails -Talons- getting pulled forcefully out of his body.
The circle that had been forming became destabilized and melted into blood droplets that trickled down.
*Splash*
With a particularly loud disturbance to the water body he was in, Evian stood to his feet. Revealing that although his upper body was naked, his lower half was still coveted by the pants of his clothes and as he eyed the Baroness, he gripped his Spear tighter.
"As an aspiring Knight of the Martial Temple, I must accomplish my task and bring you in to be punished for the lives your monster horde has consumed."
"Hahaha. I thought you'd run immediately got free," Karenssa said.
Evian smiled lightly,
"You're strong but nowhere near strong enough for me to consider retreat. Not yet at least."
"Hmm, I'm glad you didn't run at least. I still want you," Karenssa said, getting to her feet as well, water dripping off her body as she brought the tip of her fingers to her lips and licked off Evian's blood that stained them.
"Well, you can't have me," Evian said, getting into a combat stance, a Spearhead directed at Karenssa.
"Oh, I'm sure I can and I will. You suspected what I was but you told no one... Clearly you wanted a chance to cooperate."
"Tell someone? Haha, like who, your Husband? I can easily tell you have that bald fool wrapped around your repulsive finger.
You could have kissed me right in front of him and he wouldn't have cared, the gigantic cuck that he is."
"Cuck? Now that's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Karenssa asked, taking her time with her licking of each blood-tipped finger at a time.
"Oh, but that's exactly what he is. The one who advised him to lift the Curfew, that was you, wasn't it?"
Karenssa shrugged,
"The Curfew was making things difficult. I mean, I wanted to take things slow, Create a Legend that would live on after this City was gone and I moved on to bigger, stronger targets but that Curfew was making things go TOO SLOW.
Anyway,
Angus will do whatever I want him to do... A simple ensnaring spell goes a long way after all.
So Evian, what are you going to do now?"
"What do you mean?"
"You might be resourceful and a being of pure Eldritch Decadence but you're still absolutely no match for me be it in speed or strength... You're alone."
Evian paused and then he cocked his head. Karenssa did the same and then when her eyes widened in surprise, Evian chuckled,
"Correction... I WAS alone."
*Whoosh*
So powerful was the wind-piercing of Zayda's Movement with the speed she possessed as a Knight Order at the Sixth Order that it was heard powerfully as she ran up the wall and landed in the Spring between Evian and Karenssa, glaring at the Baroness.
The Squad Commander drew her sword menacingly,
"'Pure Eldritch Decadence' is surely not information I expected to hear while seeking voyeuristic thrill and Evian, we shall discuss it...
... Right after we deal with this Threat to the Kingdom."