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Unexpected Detour (Razgriz x Wingshadow)

Kratos just cackled; boy were these morons sold! Nami continued to be her smartass self, but she would quickly find that when it came to his goals, Kratos was not one to be so easily shaken by a youngling's snide comment. "Oh is this the part where I say, "Damn you, you tricked me!"? Well, too bad, girly; you think you won, but this little game between us is far from over. But don't confuse my not destroying you for the sake of having an audience. I already have the most important audience of all....Your dearly beloved Father. Though it sounds like you don't care that he's concerned for your safety...Such an uncaring daughter you have, Samuel. Seems like the little thing doesn't even want you in her life".

As Undine continued to flap her lips at him, Kratos' eye twitched in mild annoyance, "Jeez, don't you ever shut up? And do you realize that you just contradicted yourself? None of you sluts seem to even bother hiding your desires and passions; hell, if Sam didn't feel the self-imposed need to dominate...oh sorry, "destroy"....the Succubus, you'd probably be trying to ride his puny dick all day. Not that I care if you do, I just think you'd have a much better time riding my meatstick....Hehehe". "Kratos......Enough of this...Please, what will it take to make you let Nami go? Are you really so depraved that you would harm an innocent child? I'll do anything, just please.....let her go" Tears could be seen falling from Sam's face, the thought of one of his children bringing back painful memories of nearly losing Marina to the Leviathan and the Lizardman's sacrifice to help him beat Silus. It was clear that Sam was willing to grovel in exchange for his daughter's safety; he didn't want to know the pain that would come from his daughter, his own flesh and blood, giving herself to this heartless monster.

"Hmmm......Such a change of heart......Humans are such weak creatures. Letting empathy and delusions of bonds cloud their true judgment. But you say you'll do anything, hmmmm? Even if it means abandoning your plot to destroy the Succubus and letting me take over your body?" Sam started to protest, but Kratos cut him off "It's either that or no deal and I take your daughter for myself". Sam just sat there, his head bowed and his cheeks streaking with shining streams as he weighed what to do.
 
"Its not that I don't care about Father... I care a great deal about him, in fact," Nami replied firmly, "I care enough about him to prevent him from becoming your pawn. Take me if you must, but I would rather die than allow you to get even a step closer to your goal. You intend to bring ruin not only to my own people, but the human race as well... I cannot let Father's beloved people suffer, nor my own. Father, you cannot allow him to take control of you. Therefore, let the suffering lie with me instead-"

"Nami, stop this-" Undie reached toward her daughter, but the young water elemental cut her off.

"Don't get any closer, Mother... Kratos isn't bluffing," Nami spoke gravely, as if she had already accepted her fate, whatever it may be, "He really will kill me if you step in to rescue me. My ability to mold and divide my body at will won't prevent my death, either."

"Why are you doing this, Kratos? What sort of bastard rapes a child in front of her own parents?! You are nothing like Sam, you are an abomination," Undie glared daggers at him, her hands clenched in fists of rage. She vanished back inside Sam so that she could hide the tears that were forming in her own eyes, not wishing to show weakness in front of such a foul beast who would sate his lust upon their daughter for his own base purposes.
 
"No, Nami.....Don't talk like that......" Sam stuttered upon hearing his own daughter's words; he wouldn't allow this monstrosity to win. There had to be a way.....There just had to be, even if it was only to buy more time. "Well? I'm waiting, crybaby......You've got ten seconds.......Nine.....Eight......Seven......." Kratos started to say, ignoring Undine and Sam's cries for mercy, but then Sam said "Kratos, wait! I have a proposition!" This certainly made the demon stop, "Oh? And what might that be? What could you possibly offer me that would stop me from taking your daughter as my little slave?" "A chance to make your life easier" Sam started, disbelieving that he was actually negotiating with this demon; however, he would quickly find old business expertise coming into play here. There was nothing he wouldn't do to ensure his daughter's safety, his mind allowing him to hold the success of his mission as a bargaining chip. "Easier, you say? How so?" Kratos queried, his interest clearly peaked; easier was always good.

"You won't want me as I am now........Do you really want to have to trouble yourself with trying to subdue the last two Elementals......Even if it might be easy for someone as powerful as you, surely you'd rather spend time laying the pipe to the women of this planet, wouldn't you? It's like you said after all: It's what us males are programmed to do" Sam replied; in truth, he felt sick with himself for talking like this, but he was praying he knew what he was doing. A thin smile could be seen forming on Kratos' lips; Sam felt his heart rate spike a little. Maybe this would work! "State your deal, Sam......If I like the terms, perhaps I will spare you the humiliation of making you watch your daughter take in my fat cock like the little nympho she is". Sam shook; god, this was the worst situation he could imagine himself in right now. But he had to be strong....This was the best option he saw of saving Nami, if only for the time being.

"Let me contract the other two Elementals....I'll do the hard part....Then I will give myself over to you, mind, body and soul" Kratos rubbed his chin in thought, his black featureless eyes shining in contemplation. "I'll accept the deal and let this little slut go....On two conditions. Condition One: When you finally go to confront the Succubus, you will also destroy any guard detail she might have around her residence. I want this to go as smoothly as possible". Sam nodded; that was something he could deal with when the time approached. "Fine. What's the next condition?" he then asked; Silus then jabbed a tendril into Nami's body, injecting what appeared to be a shuttlecock-sized spherical ball of feelers into her gut. Within seconds, the feelers expanded throughout her being, making her form appear to be laced with blood vessel-like growths. "No!" Sam cried out; Kratos just sighed and replied in an aggravated tone, "Relax, dipshit. It's not gonna kill her.....Consider this my brand of insurance that you hold up your end of the deal, and my second condition. This little number is now bound to her entirety and will flood her with enough Corruption venom to make her give herself to me willingly, IF you fail to contract Ignus and Sylph within a year of this planet's time. It will also trigger under these conditions: If you try to remove it through physical or magical means, if she tries to kill herself, if you even THINK of killing yourself, or if you allow another besides you, the Elementals, or me to lay a hand on her. She is MY property after all".

With that Kratos seemed satisfied with everything; he then shoved Nami so that she would fall into the loving arms of her father; Sam embraced his little girl as if she were the last thing of joy he had left. "Remember the terms of the deal, Sam. Lest your failure as a father and savior wrench this girl's life from this world and stain your hands with her blood". With that a portal opened underneath him and he teleported away to some unknown location. Sam just continued to hug his precious Nami; even if she wasn't shaken by what happened, he needed to feel her. Make sure she was really there. "Nami.....Nami......Forgive me, my darling daughter......I failed to protect you.......I'm so sorry" he choked out between sobs, fresh tears leaking from his eyes and into her body. A wave of relief washed over him; even if she had the equivalent of a ticking time bomb in her body, she was still here and alive. And that was all he needed.
 
"Father... What were you thinking? If you allow him to take your body over, he will have his way with me anyway, as well as with virtually every other female being in the universe," Nami sighed, allowing her father to hold her tightly and comfort himself. She gently hugged him back, her aqueous hands stroking his head as she reluctantly bent forward and kissed her father's cheek, "Its alright, Father... I love you just the way you are, but you shouldn't have forged such a contract with that demon. Even the Goddess herself is reluctant to interfere with the affairs of promises between mortals-"

Undie appeared beside her daughter and wrapped her arms around her tenderly, "Hush, Nami, we will deal with that later... Let us find a place to rest and recover for now, and consider how we should proceed on our journey from here on out. If I had known this would be the end result, I would never have suggested that we draw energy from the Pharaoh in the first place."

The vampire Arisa raised her hand, "I hate to interrupt, but I wouldn't mind offering you a place to stay. There is hardly anything left of it, but my mansion should be more than sufficient to provide shelter to all of you. Its the least I can do to thank you for saving my life."

"I will see what I can do to restore your mansion," Gnome, who had appeared beside Sam as well, nodded, closed her eyes, and opened her palm outward, fingertips upward. The ground below them trembled and large pillars of stone rose up from the earth, forming long lines, walls, and halls. She then flattened her hand so that it lay parallel with the ground. Layers of rock then floated up, forming the floors, stories, roof, and balconies on the massive structure she was constructing. It took quite some time, but she went so far as to form a large garden, and furnishings for the house complete with transparent crystal windows, tinted to form decorative patterns. There was no food or other necessities inside, of course, but the vampire was more than pleased with how much she had done.

"Its... Its beautiful!" Arisa squealed with delight, dashing off toward the front door and from there heading down the hall toward the kitchen, "Come inside, all of you. I can't say I am the best magician when it comes to magically forming foodstuffs, but I will see what I can fix up for you to eat. Make yourselves at home!"
 
"I......" Sam started to say, feeling a bit put off by his own daughter's question; even if she did have a point, wasn't it enough that it was a father's desire to protect his child? "Nami, I...." he tried to say again as she basically called him a fool for making such a contract. His face fell even when Undine stepped in and stopped the conversation from going any further; all he wanted was for Nami to be safe. Did he really just mess up that badly? No, he did the right thing.......He just needed to find a way to get that "thing" out of Nami's body. But the warning that Kratos gave was clear as crystal: Tamper with it in any way and it would activate, then he would lose his daughter and likely everything he worked for up to this point. There had to be a weakness.....There just had to be. No system was perfect.

Even as he would follow Arisa and his two elementals into the newly reconstructed mansion, he seemed to be dragging his feet. He felt so....hollow. So empty. The near loss of his daughter mad him realize just how many times he'd jeopardized himself and others. His sacrifice to the Leviathan, his forcing Gnome to sever the contract between them, his absorbing the Pharaoh's power, and now he realized, his rejection of the Lizardman's advances. Perhaps if he had taken her as a wife, she wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself. It was in this he realized the true gravity of his error; what was he thinking?! All that work.....and now someone else was going to undo everything he strove to achieve.

Sam just sat down on the couch with his eyes gazing listlessly at the floor, hearing Kratos' dark sinister speaking to him from their encounter just moments earlier. Reminder of his suppressed lust, of how much he failed as a father.......It was true, all of it. Was he really cut out for this? Should he have just let Nami, his lovely daughter, die? "No, damn it, Sam...Don't think that way! You overcame tough obstacles before!" he scolded himself mentally, trying to make his self-worth not be crushed.
 
"Sam... Are you alright?" Gnome sat down beside him and laid her head against his side, her arms wrapping around his waist and pulling herself close to him, "Please don't let what Kratos said get to you... He's a byproduct of your own mind, so of course he will know how to push your buttons and prey on your insecurities. I'm proud of you, Sam, and I always will be. Even if no one else will support you, I think you did the right thing. I would do anything to make sure our daughter is safe, and I know you would too. I guess we are both a couple of idiots, hm?"

The earth spirit pulled herself into his lap and kissed him, her hands clasping onto his shoulders as she pressed her lips to his. It was a deep kiss, but one filled with pure love rather than sexual need or desire. What he needed was support, not more fuel for Kratos to light when the time came for them to confront him once again. Arisa re-entered the room at this time and was quite taken by surprise at the scene before her. The short elemental was hardly inside the house and she already took the initiative with her contractor, it seemed...

"I... Have a few dishes I just whipped up," the vampire cleared her throat, setting down three plates onto the tea table in the center of the room, "Help yourselves..."

There were slices of meat and diced fresh fruits neatly arranged on each of the plates, along with some bread and jam. Although they were made via magic, they had the same taste and scent as normal foodstuffs. The texture, on the other hand, was rather unusual... Strictly speaking, everything had the consistency of soft, fluffy pound cake.
 
Sam barely registered what Gnome said to him; it was like he wasn't even here, not even turning to look at the Elemental as she tried to comfort him. He did stir out of his thoughts a bit, however, when she wrapped her arms around him; her sudden appearance on his lap, however, made him start a little. "Gnome, w..." he couldn't get out more than her name when she suddenly kissed him deeply, feeling her lithe yet well-formed body pressing affectionately against him. Slowly he began to open up, returning her passionate, love-filled liplock; it did much to quell the momentary chaos that had come forth in his soul. Still, things were a bit heavy for him, as he really had no idea what to do.

However, thoughts of plans were immediately suspended as Gnome and Sam's little show of interpersonal affection was interrupted by none other than Arisa herself, bringing them food to eat and help replenish their energy. Sam nodded his head in thanks and took a slice of the meat; it surprised him to feel just how spongy it was, the texture something he didn't expect meat to have. He didn't really feel like eating at the moment; truthfully, he'd found that his need to actually consume food had been significantly reduced since he'd been here. It was something he'd attributed to becoming a Contractor, not really having the time to properly investigate. But he knew it would be impolite; he took a small bite of the squishy meat and found to be rather excellent. "Thank you, Arisa" he finally said verbally, the solemnness of his tone still very much present. His eyes wandered to his daughter Nami, seeing those horrific vein-like growths blossoming from her stomach and forcing him to put the plate down. "I'm sorry, I just need to be alone....." Sam finally said, putting down the plate of food and walking towards the entrance of the house, leaving the Vampire and his two Elementals to their business.

He made his way to the shoreline, feeling the slippery rocks beneath his feet as he neared the water's edge; his dulled golden hues peered out towards the column of smoke. Ignus......She was so close, but yet so far away. Could he even contract her now......He shook his head. No, he had to contract her. That was one thing he could not fail at, would not fail at. Still, it was hard to think positively when the image of that bastard Kratos putting that time-bomb inside his daughter was still burned fresh into his memory. A year....A year was all he had. Even if it was longer than an Earth year, it wasn't enough time, not to him at least.
 
Gnome, Undie, and Arisa could sense the tension within Sam and came to an unspoken agreement between each other to leave Sam alone for the time being. Few words were exchanged, primarily formalities and some brief words of encouragement, and the meal set before them was left mostly untouched. No one felt particularly talkative.

Arisa, as a vampire, needed little other than human blood to sustain herself and restore her magical energies. Lately she had made due with wine, bread, and salads of various sorts. She could not deny that she felt attracted to Sam, but she understood that the last thing he needed at this time was someone else further complicating his relationships. She felt partially responsible for how things had turned out, as Sam had acted in her own defense which indirectly resulted in both the death of the lizardman and his daughter's life being held hostage in exchange for his life. She was not directly involved in any of this, but she felt compelled to at least ease some of his suffering... Yet there was no clear way for her to do so.

Undie as well felt conflicted. If she concentrated, she could feel the pulse of life within her own daughter, yet even that did not help ease the consternation within her own heart. Every heart beat brought her closer to the time which she would be deprived of either her daughter or her lover, without any visible course of action to avoid either. The guilt of having been the one to suggest using the Pharoah's power in the first place weighed heavily upon her heart, causing her mind to be clouded with doubt. Had she made the correct decision? Where would they be now if she had not allowed the corruption to flow into their bodies and concentrate within Sam to such an extent that it had gained its own individual will? With each enemy that they vanquished, another, one even more dangerous than the last, seemed to spring up in the other's absence. It was like fighting a hydra by chopping off its heads, prompting more heads to spring up in the place of the last. Was it their fate to continually fight a battle that they could never win?

Gnome smiled softly down at Terra's delicate features as she slept peacefully in her mother's arms. Her own mind was occupied with thoughts of Sam and herself, as well as their beautiful daughter. Just what did the future hold for them? Would he bring herself along with him back to the human world? Was such a relationship acceptable or even possible? The more deeply Sam became entangled in the affairs of the Succubus, the more difficult it would be for him to return to ordinary life. Perhaps that had been the Succubus' intention from the start, as regardless of the outcome he would end up loosing the simplicity of his life and perhaps even the love of the one person for whose sake he had embarked on this journey in the first place.
 
Sam, meanwhile, had taken a seat on a flat rock and just stared at the horizon, feeling the waves wash around his ankles and the relatively salt-free breeze blow on his face. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did the Succubus choose him, an ordinary man with no former connection to this planet? Even the Goddess did not know, only the fact that he was selected was the evident truth. Did he do something to piss someone off? So many questions, and like many of life's wonderful situations, there weren't nearly enough answers. And all the others he'd left behind....He tried to take Vivian's words to heart, but seeing someone who professed her love for him so honestly and from the depths of her soul shook him and his confidence.

It was obvious to Sam that he needed to keep pressing onward, but he had no idea what to do. He knew where Ignus was - hell, he could see it directly from where he sat now - but that still left the challenge of finding Sylph. Not to mention any other potential encounters he might come across; how was he supposed to handle those? Was he to reject them and risk have what happened to the Lizardman happen again, or accept them and fracture his heart further? He was so lost........He knew of one person he might be able to turn to, but Nami said that she was hesitant to get involved in the affairs of mortals. Still.....He didn't have much choice.

For the first time in his life, Sam actually prayed, clasping his hands in front of him; he knew she was busy and still not at full power, but he needed advice. Any advice....At the very least an independent party to talk to. Whether or not she would be sympathetic to him didn't cross his mind as he then said, "Goddess, if you can hear me....Please, I need to speak with you. The path before me is uncertain; the events as of late have made me question whether I will be able to complete the task set before me. Many of the choices I've made seem to have only made things worse and I do not know where else to turn. Please, Goddess, I seek your guidance......."
 
Just as his words drifted from his parted lips, seemingly vanishing into the empty space before him, the clouds far above him began to form a circle around the sun, allowing the intense rays a direct path toward him. They gave a gentle, soothing warmth, which was accompanied by a abrupt increase in the intensity of the wind which tugged at his hair and brushed across his face. First one, then two black feathers drifted through the air, like the feathers of a crow, which were soon joined by dozens of black feathers. From the center of the sun and its blinding brilliance came a voice, the voice of the Goddess, the deity of the monsters which inhabited this planet.

"I understand that you have lost your way, my beloved Sam," a hand reached out and clasped his left cheek, the light surrounding her body slowly dimming so that he could gaze upon her without shielding his eyes, for she now stood before him, slightly bending forward in order to look down directly into his face with her eyelids still conspicuously shut, "I know this is hard for you to handle on your own, and lesser men than you would have surely lost their way or succumbed to the powers of corruption far before accomplishing as much as you have. I am already greatly in your debt, Sam... Allow me to give rest to your soul and calm your mind. I will answer your request, and give you guidance in the path that you should take."

She gently guided his head down until he lay on her lap, the soft fabric of her robe, without blemish, was as divine as her appearance, slightly hinted with the scent of vanilla and fragrant flowers. She stroked his cheek, running her fingers through his hair as her wings slightly stirred in the wind and her face smiled sweet blessings down at him, "Rest... Calm your mind, then tell me, what is it that has troubled you so? I already know what you will say, but it will help heal your heart to pour out your worries before me."
 
Sam shielded his face as the Goddess began her heavenly descent, the wind picking up and his eyes barely noting the small storm of pitch-black feathers that surrounded him. He could the heat from the concentrated light wash over his body, though it was more comforting than anything. Before long, the wind dropped and the light faded, letting him gaze upon the overseer of this world and its inhabitants. Truthfully, he didn't think she would actually come down to him, given her state; then again, perhaps he was underestimating just how powerful she was, even if she was supposedly weakened. Just how strong was the Succubus that she needed to contract him to help her?

"Goddess...." Sam muttered as she helped him calm his mind; her holy radiance seemed to soothe the turbulence in his spirit, letting him think clearly and vividly. When she mentioned being in his debt, it made a twinge of guilt and regret pass through him. In debt to the man who created someone obviously equal to him in strength, and more than powerful in ambition and drive and the polar opposite in terms of his goals. At first he was going to voice his protest at having to repeat himself, but realized it was him who called her for help. Besides, it would help with the healing, but it would not complete it.

"Goddess, I have no idea......What am I supposed to do? Every time I try to protect someone close to me, someone else gets hurt. When I was abducted by the Leviathan, I wounded Gnome and Marina. When I fought the Pharaoh, Marina put herself in harm's way to ensure my victory. When I fought Silus, that woman sacrificed her life so that I would win. And now my daughter has a ticking time bomb in her, threatening to undo everything I have tried to accomplish! Not only that, I basically signed her away, just to have her untouched and unharmed for but a few moments....It's always one step forward, then two steps back. I want to push on, to win.....To bring this planet and Rachel back, but I don't know if I can, Goddess". His hands clenched into tight balls, his frustration becoming evident even with the soothing radiance emitting from the deity's divine form.
 
"In life, there are no simple answers, but I can tell you this much... You are focusing too much on what is over and past. No matter if they were good or bad decisions, what is important is that you know where you are headed. If you dwell on your mistakes and the troubles of the past, you will find it impossible to move on toward a better future. When you defeated Silus, you not only did a great favor to my people as well as myself personally, but you saved the lives of countless other monster girls that would have met their end at his hands. She might have given her life to save yours and accomplish a great thing, but it was her life to live as she saw fit. No one forced her to act as she did, not you or anyone else," the Goddess spoke softly, yet firmly to Sam as she continued to run her fingers through his hair gently, "You know, when I first arrived on this planet, I was not very much different from yourself. I was but a young child with wings merely two and a half feet wide from tip to tip. My earliest memories were awakening in a large crater formed from the force of my impact on the surface of the planet, without any knowledge of who I was or how I had gotten here. I was taken in by a group of centaurs who treated me kindly, and showered me with gifts and offerings. It wasn't until later that I realized they believed I was some sort of goddess, and before long I began to act according to their expectations."

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure why I came here in the first place, either, but I know that I have a reason to be here. My people need me, and those who love you need you as well. For their sake, you need to be strong," she bent forward and placed a kiss on his forehead, "You can do it, Sam, and I will do everything within my power to assist you. For now, focus your attention on contracting Ignus and Sylph, for you will need their help and the bonds between the five of you together will be severely tried in the coming days. I will do what I can to break the hold Kratos has on your daughter... It is the least I can do to soothe your worries."
 
Sam just listened as the Goddess told him what he already expected to hear: That he needed to be strong, to accept what happened and move on. Easy in principle, exceptionally difficult in practice. He'd never imagined that anyone would actually die for him; sure there were those who claimed that they would, but to have it happen was an entirely different experience. Even if he did defeat Silus...His death only served as the catalyst for the appearance of what could easily be perceived as a greater threat. At least with Silus, if the deranged man's words were to be taken at face value, he would not have carried out his destructive tendencies beyond this world. But with Kratos....Sam knew he wasn't lying. He would do everything he could to make the Succubus submit to him and dominate the universe. Did Sam really have such a desire in him? To conquer every living thing and enrapture all in the pleasures of the flesh, and more specifically his flesh?

As he felt her warm lips touch his forehead, Sam snapped out of the thought bubble he'd briefly enclosed himself in. To be truthful, just having her here made him feel better; and from what she'd told him, she'd faced a similar period of uncertainty in her life. "Even still, Goddess......The task you've given me. If I fail, from what you've told me, the universe will be in grave danger. I want to succeed, truly I do. But I don't know if I can cope with losses like the woman who sacrificed herself.....I don't want people to suffer or die because of me". Her vow to try and convince Kratos did soothe the turmoil a little, but he was still quite perturbed by it all, that much was evident. As she mentioned that rotten bastard, Sam couldn't help but wonder where he was. And what, or rather who, he was doing; however, he decided it wasn't healthy to keep thinking about it, so he dropped it from further thought. "Goddess....thank you" he said half-heartedly, forcing a small smile as he laid a hand on top of the one caressing his cheek; she really did help, but it was his own sense of self-defeat that prevented it from having the intended amount of noticeable gratitude. "Goddess, if I may ask you......Is there anything I can do that will increase my chances of contracting Ignus? Everything I've heard about her...I don't know if I can overcome someone that powerful..."
 
She nodded, glancing toward the horizon briefly as she spoke, "I know that it is hard for you to understand, but please realize that I, too, have seen my own fair share of difficult times. I have suffered loss, death, pain, and defeat on numerous occasions. The universe is a wide and diverse place, and we who live within it will experience a great many trials, both small and great. Without the pain, however, how can we enjoy the time of peace and joy? Just as a black background fully accents a white flower, so the sufferings that we have in life allow us to fully appreciate the good and pleasant times."

The Goddess let out a soft sigh, "Concerning Ignus, however, I will not do you the disservice of lying to you in order to build up your confidence. Rather, I will tell you what I can straight, and allow you to determine how to proceed. I believe that she will be your most troubling adversary to date, as she has no interest in what she considers petty riddles or useless trials. Approaching her will be difficult, but even more difficult still will be her approach to forming contracts. No man has ever successfully contracted with a fire elemental before, at least to my knowledge. Ignus is a difficult person in particular, since she has no sense of self-restraint. When she hears that you wish to form a contract with you, she will hurl her full power at you without hesitation. No amount of earth armor will protect you from her flame's fury, as her fires can burn hot enough to instantly liquefy even the thickest rock. Her greatest asset is her power, yet it is also her greatest weakness. She focuses all of her energy toward offense, so if you can survive her onslaught it should be a relatively minor matter to inflict damage on her while she gathers her energy for a second attack. It would be hopeless to try to take the attack directly, so you must place your trust as well as your life in Undie's calm mind."

"Simply landing a hit on her will not convince her to form a contract with you, however... You must defeat her entirely," the Goddess continued, "And there is only one way that I know of to do so... Water and ice are typically believed to be the enemy of fire, as they can cool fire down until they are extinguished. This would not be effective against Ignus because her fire burns hotter than the surface of a sun, but there is an even stronger enemy to fire that even she cannot oppose. You are a smart man, one who has accomplished a great many things for mankind in the world beyond this planet's confines, so you doubtless know this already. Fire cannot exist without oxygen, deprive her of that and she will be incapable of summoning her flames. Compelling her to form a contract with you would then be a minor issue. It is no coincidence that she lives on an open island with free access to as much oxygen as she might require."
 
(Lol, I like how everything works out so that not only is Sam at an extreme disadvantage, he virtually has to go into battle in this state XD)

Sam agreed with the Goddess on what she was trying to say; to truly know one thing, one must experience its opposite first. Not always was such a process exceptionally pleasant, but it was necessary no matter how hard one might try to avoid it. It didn't really do much to heal the heaviness in his heart and mind, but at least, in her own way, the Goddess had expressed her sincerest confidence in him. And that, combined with the knowledge that others also believed in him to succeed, helped reassure him that he was doing the right thing, even if on the outside it didn't exactly appear that way.

Her words about Ignus weren't all that surprising; he'd expected the Fire Elemental to be the most difficult to take down. However, what surprised him was the sheer power with which the Goddess professed Ignus would attack. That meant using the durability enhancement to his advantage was now out of the question, since Ignus would just burn it right off of him. Using the Flow was something he'd worked on, but it was still a bit of a weak point; especially if he was worrying about Nami, he realized that he might not be able to maintain a strong connection. As she mentioned starving her of oxygen, Sam couldn't help but chuckle; an elementary principle that he was very familiar with, but one he likely wouldn't have thought of - at least not early on - in his duel with Ignus. "Well, I'm glad you pointed that out, Goddess; yes it is something I know. But I doubt I would have thought to actually thought to apply it. Sometimes it's the smallest things we overlook, isn't it?" Sam then replied, sounding a bit more lighthearted than he had until now.

And with that, Sam slowly sat up until he was facing the Goddess herself, taking one of his hands in her own. "Goddess, I realize this might be inappropriate, but it's something that I feel I have to say. Remember how you said, back in the rock cavern after I turned down your blessing, that if times were different you'd ask for my hand in marriage? Well, if times were different.........I would certainly accept. If those times were what they are now, I would love to defend this planet by your side for the rest of my days. But I guess in a way, I'm kind of doing that already, huh?" That last bit was added with a bit of a cheesy grin; sure it was an out-of-left-field remark, but it was his own awkward way of saying that he appreciated everything she was doing for him.
 
The Goddess' fair cheeks turned a distinct shade of red upon hearing his words, leaving her temporarily speechless. Instead of replying right away, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and laid her head down upon his shoulder, the scent of her long, black hair pressing against his nose before opening her mouth to speak, "In my long years upon this planet, I have had few companions, none of which I considered lovers in a conventional sense of the word. Those who have great power are feared even if they are not respected, yet such fear does not foster affection. I would appreciate the opportunity to become closer to you, Sam."

"These eyes of mine... I can barely see three feet in front of me. I'm practically blind, but they have a use beyond that of seeing the physical form," she wrapped her arms around him, hands pressed against his broad back as she pulled herself into his lap, her thighs clasped against him allowing him to feel the softness of her body through her thin white robe accented with golden interlace. Her soft breasts, which were neither overly large nor small, pushed against his chest as she drew her lips close to his, pausing with mere centimeters between, "Perhaps, someday, I will have an opportunity to show you... May I... Kiss you, Sam?"
 
At first, Sam thought the Goddess' speechlessness meant that he offended her; he wasn't trying to make a pass at her or anything. Hell, he didn't even know if he was going to stay here after this was over....Or even make it long enough to have that choice. Naturally, the thought of him potentially either dying or becoming enslaved to the Succubus' desires was frightening; however, he had to push past those fears. For Rachel, for Gnome, for Undine, for everyone on this planet who wanted to see this planet returned to its normal state, he had to continue no matter what the cost may be to himself. However, her response was definitely a surprise; she wanted to get closer to him?

That would turn to be both a literal and metaphorical statement, for soon he found the holy woman in his lap, her lush thighs on either side of his waist and her divine form pressed up against him. Did she......No, that wasn't it. A kiss was all she asked for, and that was all Sam would give unless she requested something different; how he himself might respond to such efforts would remain to be seen, though, given his situation and all. "I would like that....." he murmured with a slightly larger smile, saying his answer to both her offer of sight and her own request. He then leaned his head in and touched his lips to her own, his hands resting safely on the deity's well-formed hips. He would keep this up for as long as she wanted, and perhaps even a bit of a lingering moment afterwards.
 
The Goddess continued the kiss for some time, soft moans escaping from her lips as she showered him with tender affection. Her large wings spread out and surrounded them, as if she were seeking to form a barrier between themselves and the world outside, protecting them and preventing any curious onlookers from spying upon them in this moment of self-indulgence. "More... More..." the Goddess faintly whispered when her lips finally parted from his, her hips sliding slightly forward as she clasped her lips over his once more. Her tongue brushed, teased, and stroked his while she added suction, deepening the kiss from before. Her body began to grow warmer, perhaps indicating that she was starting to become aroused or that her own actions were causing her embarrassment.

All three girls inside the mansion suddenly felt a huge surge of energy outside at that moment, the mere magnitude of the source of power causing them to momentarily hesitate before venturing to investigate further. With more than a hint of fear and trepidation, they peered out of windows from the second story of the mansion down toward the coast and were sent into a cold panic upon recognizing without doubt who it was who had encountered Sam. The Goddess herself was putting the moves on him! She had managed to mask her aura before since she had remained relatively calm, but now that she was experiencing such potent pleasure her power was starting to spiral out of her ability to mask.

The Goddess' self-restraint was starting to wear thin as well, her hips which had remained relatively still began to grind against his with building desire and need. Her breath grew deeper and more heated as her lips dropped down to his neck were she continued to kiss and suck, her hands pressing against his back more firmly as if seeking to prevent him from escaping her in this moment of weakness. It was gradually becoming apparent that her actions were driven by loneliness, desiring some form of companionship with him. She might have been a deity, but she too was susceptible to the same sort of worries that plagued Sam's mind, "Please... Stay with me."
 
Sam was initially offput by the subtle increase in fervor with which the Goddess kissed him, and was even more so when her hips slid up to get even closer to his. Still, he couldn't deny that she was good at this, and her radiance was serving to calm him while at the same time enhance the pleasure he felt through their increasingly heated liplock. It wasn't long before she began grinding her groin against his, her undergarments (or lack thereof, he couldn't really tell) rubbing against the meager bit of fabric that he still had on him. He was beginning to wonder just how she would feel, her warm insides pulling on his length as they grappled in passionate lovemaking. He wanted, oh so badly, to feel those lush breasts of hers against his chest and her nails digging into his back as he brought her to climax over and over again. He wanted, she wanted it, so that to him was more than enough evidence that he shouldn't hold back.

But fate would keep that from happening, at least on his part; that horrific voice soon resounded in his head, seeing that monster holding his daughter while he spoke those evil words of his. "Face it, Samuel, despite this hero image you try to portray, you're really no better than me. You're just another human more than willing to take advantage of the loose whores of this world. Why, you would even defile the Goddess if you had the opportunity. And to think these bitches praise your name....Oh wait, that's right. They only do it because you're the sole male willing to fulfill their desires". This alone made him hesitate, and before long his hands rose up to clasp the deity's shoulders and gently push her upper body away from him but leaving her hips where they were at that moment. "Goddess.....I want to.....but...I can't. We can't..." he said lowly; in truth it was incredibly obvious that she was lonely and probably just wanted to feel loved. But with Kratos' remark haunting his mind, he...just could bring himself to fulfill that desire. He wanted to prove to that bastard he was better than him, that he could focus on his objective and overcome any obstacle. And most of all, prove that these women loved him because he genuinely cared about them, not just view them as objects of desire.
 
The Goddess was just starting to grow somewhat impatient, desiring to further increase the passion of their embrace when she felt Sam's hands clasp over her shoulders and gently yet firmly push her away from himself. For a moment, she merely stared at him with her closed eyes, the lips which had tasted his skin mere moments before slowly curving into a sad, distant smile.

"I... I understand," the Goddess sighed, "I apologize for my selfish behavior. Its a terrible thing for me to try to force such thing upon you while your mind is so troubled by doubts, seeking to comfort myself in the midst of my loneliness without considering your own feelings in the matter. I will cherish this memory, the feeling of being held in your arms, for as long as I yet draw breath. I will watch over you, Sam... But a place by your side is not mine to have, it would seem."

She reluctantly slid herself away from him, clasping her arms across her chest as if attempting to hold back from throwing herself back upon him, holding in the raging desire to fulfill the urges of her lonely heart. Her entire body slightly trembled, perhaps a bit out of shame but mostly out of sorrow. With all of her power and all of the respect that her subjects had for her, they did not bring her true, lasting joy and happiness. She had her own duty and honor to uphold, but time and time again she was denied what she truly wanted from life by those very restrictions upon her freedom.

"You have my eternal blessing, Sam," waved her right hand, creating a brilliant portal to the heavenly realm through which she would soon pass, "Go forth and protect that which you hold dear, standing firm in the face of adversity. I will convince Kratos to release your daughter from his grasp, you have my solemn word that I will do what I can to assist you in this way. Bring together the four elemental spirits, and bring peace once again to my planet."
 
"Goddess, I...." Sam muttered, but already she was sliding off of him; his words had stung her, that much was certain. Still, was it too much to ask that he give her the company she so clearly wanted? For Sam, unfortunately, it was; Kratos' haunting words had impeded his ability to think, to decide what to do. "Goddess, wait......" Sam then said a bit more firmly and grasped her wrist before she might be able to leave. For a few moments he just stood there, trying to contemplate what to say. What could he say? He'd already rejected her, and to say that he would give her what she wanted would not only be contradictory, but likely an insult and most of all dishonest; it was hard for him to say what his motivations would be besides carnal desire for sleeping with her.

After the pause in grasping her wrist, Sam then said, "Goddess.....Please know that I do not intend to harm you. Like I said, if times were different, I would gladly take a place by your side as a defender of this planet. It's just.......I don't want to risk you getting hurt by something I might do. Know that I do care about you, Goddess. Like I care about the women of this planet that you have come to call your children". He then released her wrist and looked away from her; hopefully she would understand why it was he couldn't be with her in "that way". Things were complicated as it already was, and it would take some time for him to figure out some things that might bring some peace to his mind.

He then looked back to her, a slight smile on his face as he added, "But also know that I will not fail you, Goddess. Not just for Rachel, not just for this planet and its denizens, but for the entire universe, the task which has fallen upon my shoulders will be completed. But before you go, I have one last request.....If I should begin to fall towards the Succubus' scheme, in any way, shape or form....." He couldn't believe he was asking this of her, but knew deep down that it had to be done. "I ask, Goddess, if I should fall into the clutches of the Succubus and her dark desires.....That you strike me down where I stand".
 
"Sam, I trust in your strength and your ability to persevere," the Goddess returned his words with a soft, sad smile and a gentle nod, "But know this... I will do what I must in order to protect my people, even if it means destroying the one person whom I hold most dear. When you contract all four elementals, your powers will rival that of a god, and in my current state even I would be hard pressed to oppose you. Yet, for my promise's sake and the sake of my people, in the unfortunate case in which you might fall to the temptation of the Succubus, I will do battle with you. I'm afraid that in such a case I will be unable to show mercy. If I fail, not only will my children be in grave peril, but also the entire human race."

"Even now, I bear no hatred nor malice toward the Succubus, nor would I have any toward you should you fall to her devices," the Goddess granted him a strange, knowing glance as if hinting at some hidden truth within her words beyond the clear meaning, "After all, she has sought after such a moment for almost as long as I have. For over two thousand years has this time been approaching, and in but a few short months it will all come to an end."

Her eyelids slightly parted, revealing a dim glow and white, almost colorless eyes, before she quickly shut them once again, "I have seen you standing at the top of a great iron tower shrouded in darkness and thick clouds of gloom. Upon it you stand with your many allies before the Succubus, the one whom you were always destined to face. There, you will be forced to make an impossible decision, one which will demand the utmost resolution in your heart to overcome. In the end, I trust that you will make the proper choice, although even I cannot foresee the outcome."

With that, she stepped backward into the portal, which instantly enveloped her form and vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving only a few black feathers which drifted on the gentle breeze which blew across the coastline. Once again in the heavens, the Goddess knew that there was much to be done... But first of all, she would have to locate Kratos and arrange a meeting between them. There was not a moment to be lost, for hesitation and delay would only grant more of an advantage to this minion of darkness.
 
"I would expect nothing less, Goddess..." was Sam's heavy reply; every syllable she spoke was laced with sadness, it made his heart wrench. He was really hoping that it wouldn't come down to it, but he needed to have some sort of failsafe in case things didn't go the way he intended. If it meant his own life, he would sacrifice if it meant bringing the Succubus' scheme to a grinding halt. Of course, it didn't rule out the possibility that she had a backup plan of her own, but from what he'd been told, she was focusing on making him hers. No one else, just him; however, he knew that merely throwing his life away would not solve the problem, but it would definitely put a hamper on the Succubus' plans. That was the hope anyway, but how everything would work out would remain to be seen.

Her next words were somewhat surprising, but reinforced the belief that the Goddess was truly an incorruptible being. Even with the trouble that demoness caused, she still didn't have an ounce of rage in her. But her revelation - however vague it might be - would prove to be the biggest clue. He would have to make an impossible decision? His mind rationalized that it somehow involved Rachel, but he still didn't know for certain. It wasn't something that was in his control, and he didn't have the energy to really put much thought into it. And with that, the Goddess returned to her realm to once again attend to her business, thus ending their little stint. It was here that Sam sat back down on the flat-topped rock, running a hand through the messy, shoulder-blade length hair that sat atop his head. "Man.....Every time, something just has to get more complicated....Now I know how Odysseus must have felt" he mumbled, feeling still distraught. Did he make yet another mistake by rejecting the Goddess...What would this decision lead to? Even if someone were to come to him, he would likely just sit there and stare out. Out towards that column of black smoke that signaled the next step in his journey; the only question was: Could he go through with it?
 
Sam's comparison between Odysseus' life and his own was an apt one, indeed, as with each trial that he overcame that brought him closer to his goal, the distance he had yet to travel became increasingly clear. With his looming conflict with Ignus and the difficulty of simply locating Sylph let alone contracting them both yet remained in the future, there was still the issue of how he would ultimately resolve his internal struggle between the various women he had become close to over the course of his adventure and his resolute desire to ultimately return to Rachel. Could he even hope to arrive at a resolution to this predicament? How long could poor Rachel hold out under the pressure of the Succubus to force her to accept a life of corruption?

"Sam... Sam, please, hear my voice... Look at me, and hold me in your arms," the soft, hoarse voice of one who had long endured the strains of constant mental and physical urging called out from the darkness. Hands traced their way up her legs, across her hips, and up toward her full breasts before grasping her own shoulders. Her eyes gazed out into the darkness, the small curve of her lips pressed together into a gentle yet chilling smile. A dim light, like that of candles, caused her sillouetted form to stand out, the soft fur which covered large patches of her body allowing her to remain in the nude with relative comfort. Small yet fully-formed wings sprouted from the base of her spine, spread wide to either side of her hips as she turned to face the figure which stood several meters to her right.

"He's... He's going to cum soon, isn't he?" she dipped her right forefinger between her lips, wetting the diget as she sucked and licked it, "I want... I want to consummate our marriage. I've waited so long to be free of restraints, to live the way I want to without having to worry about receiving my father's or anyone else's approval. That's what love is about, isn't it? I'm free, just like you said I would be... I want to show him this freedom, and I want him to love me as much as I love him... I want him, I want him, I want him, I-"

The Succubus swiftly wrapped her arms around her from behind, caressing her head and calming her as she patted her head as one would comfort a dearly-beloved person, "Hush, you must continue to be patient... He's not quite ready for you to go see him, do you understand? You have become so strong, Rachel, but I'm afraid you might have become a bit too strong for him to handle. You wouldn't want to kill him with your love, after all..."

"But... But it hurts! I want to be with him so much!" Rachel began to break forth in tears, her head resting on the Succubus' shoulder as she sobbed.

"I know, Dear... I know how difficult it must be for you, but you must be just a little bit more patient," the Succubus' eyes glinted in the darkness, "For you own sake, you must be strong."

---------------------

"Sam," Gnome called out to the contractor who sat alone upon the coast, "Sam, please come back inside... I won't ask what you were talking about with the Goddess, since that is a matter between you two, but please come inside. We have a rough road ahead of us, after all, and you need your strength."

She sat down beside him and nestled her head against his side, allowing her eyes to close and her nose to breathe in his scent. There was something comforting about merely being close to him, and although she must have appeared doting or clingy to others, Gnome merely sought to enjoy their time together with gentle tenderness. She didn't need to live lavishly, or exchange promises that neither of them could ever dream of fulfilling... All she wanted was to be with Sam, which was a dream many others shared. Marina, Ruby, Talbor, Gnome, Undie, Vivian, and even Arisa all wanted to be a part of his life, even if the circumstances made this difficult if not impossible...
 
Kratos, while Sam was left to deal with own problems, had gone off in search of some fresh pussy to fuck; little did he realize he was about to strike the motherload. He inhaled deeply, taking the smells of the area around him and grinning from ear to ear. His skin had lightened considerably since his formation from that wussy who had been his vessel, taking on a more human coloration but still considerably purple; he was after all, his own man. For the most part, anyway; it just sucked that he was almost a spitting image of that asshole. But that didn't bother; after all, most of the Mamono here seemed to have heard of him in some respect. Maybe he could even try to get with a few of his "wives"; oh, the fun that could be had. Sure, they'd resist, but he could be very "persuasive" if he had to. "Hehe....Ahh, the smell of fine bitches in heat. No pussy's gonna escape this nose of mine!"

It was here that he came upon a town deep-set in a very mountainous region. Signs with degraded Japanese text were hung on some of the buildings; however, most of the structures seemed relatively stable. "Hey, I know these parts......This is the Zipangu Region. And if I recall......" he started to say, cutting himself off as he went from door to door, apparently looking for something specific. "No.....No......Must be here somewhere......" was all that could be heard from him as he continued his search; eventually, he would come across a large building, and upon opening the main entrance he came upon a room where large vats and other machines could be seen. Several humans could also be seen working there; the smell of sake filled the air, making the grin return to Kratos' face. Several large jugs were being filled, and stepstools were used to place large cork stoppers in the tops of them. "Hehe, found it" the man said; as soon as he spoke, some of the workers turned around and saw him standing there.

"Hey, who are you?" one of the workers, dressed in a white dirtied jumpsuit and cap, said in a rather irritated tone, wondering just who it was that was interrupting their job. "Hamachi! Back to work! They will be here any moment, and if we don't have them bottled...." another commanded in an authoritative tone, obviously the supervisor of this operation, but Kratos would finish his sentence for him, "The Oni will take one of you as a pleasure slave....Don't know why they bother with you limp-dicks personally, but I guess they've had to do with substandard "equipment" these days". A stunned silence fell across the room; how did this stranger know of their plight. "Well? You all better get back to work or else! They're notorious for taking men anyway!" Kratos barked; the supervisor approached as his workers busied themselves. "Stranger...Who are you?" the medium-stature man asked, to which Kratos replied with a clap on his shoulder, "I'm the guy whose going to cut you a break. When the Oni come, I will gladly offer myself to them". "You're crazy! The Oni are insatiable! You will die like everyone who has been taken!" the man responded; Kratos just grinned and said, "Trust me, my good man. You'll find I'm far more durable than most. Just get that sake bottled......And leave the rest to me".

Within moments, the last of the jugs was filled, totaling four measuring volumes upwards of sixty gallons each. "Sir! We've finished!" another worker said; the supervisor then turned to this newcomer and said, "Are you sure you want to do this? No one will think less of you...." Kratos just chuckled and replied, "Have faith in me. I was....how do you say, "born"....Yes, I was born ready for this". Now all they would have to do was wait; Kratos just stood there next to the sake jugs, waiting for whatever it was that might come to claim them. On the outside, it would appear he was making a noble sacrifice; truthfully, he didn't give a rat's ass about them. Only one got the right to sleep with these females of this luscious world, and that was Kratos himself.
 
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