Nevermore: Neither Here Nor There (Haru & Mally)

“He…” She looked at him a moment and then her eyes widened. “Him?! Both of them?!” Panic. Many times he explained to her how they were connected, the same. She either didn’t listen or she chose not to believe it, only willing to believe that there would be a way to destroy their counterparts because that’s what she cared about more than actually believing they were real or a threat.

But Embry came out of her angry stupor long enough to look at him, noticing how his armor melted away, revealing skin and chiseled features that she could not take her eyes off of. Immediately she seemed to calm down just at the very sight, her mind becoming distracted. It did that a lot where his naked body was concerned. Stepping closer to him, she turned her cheek into his hand and pressed a light kiss to it, a fiery imprint of her lips staining the skin before evaporating away. Magic.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she gave into the soft peppering of kisses he trailed along her skin, hiking up higher and higher along her bare arm. “You say that. You keep saying that. But what if that stupid voice is right? What if--” She cut off the moment his lips found her neck, her thought lost on her tongue and evaporating into the air. Embry’s body leaned into his warmer one and she slid her arms around his neck. “Tell me how we will vanquish them. You know that the talk of their demises really spurs me on.” She purred almost breathlessly.

--

The source of her true warmth left her. It took a while for her to realize it but as she became colder without Straton’s body wrapped around her, Em’s eyes fluttered open and she rolled onto her back, finding the space beside her empty. He was gone. Immediately her heart sank and she sat up quickly. Seeing him in the washroom, she relaxed.

Only once he was submerged into the bath did she rise from the bed, dragging her deliciously sore body over. She rubbed her eyes and climbed into the bath as well and settled herself in his lap, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. “My warmth.” She mumbled tiredly but adorably, nuzzling her cheek into the crook of his neck. “Don’t leave me again.” She was never a morning person. This just proved it, since she was very quickly falling asleep again since she was warm. But mostly because she was in his arms again.

Stratus nodded. "Yes my darling, the both of them. Together as we are, in fact. But we will vanquish them." he told her, his breath warm on her skin as his lips played over that soft flesh. As she pressed, looking for an answer to the question that burned in her heart, Stratus knew he had to quell her fear and assuage her emotions.

"We will find them and kill them. They cannot hide from us, and this is OUR world. Not theirs. We will break them, by sword and by spell, leaving them broken and useless." Stratus told his lover, his voice dripping with malice as he described how they would rid themselves of their alter-egos.

"We'll make love to their agonized screams." he whispered to her and kissed her mouth passionately.


Straton welcomed Em with open arms as she moved wearily into the washroom, and then lowered herself into the tub. His arms wrapped about her not only out of instinct but out of caring, and at her words he would nod. "I'll never leave you again. We'll always be together." he promised her and his hands slipped along her body as he began to wash her, entirely unaware that on the other side of the world two beings so very similar to them and yet so different, were also holding one another.

The bath lasted some time, the water magically heated and not cooling as Straton and Em sat in the warmth. As soon as his skin started to prune though, Straton gave Em a little shake. "Alright my love, we should go get some breakfast and then be on our way. We need to buy provisions and get you some clothes. Even though I could look at you naked all day long." he admitted with a smile.

Slowly he would get out of the bath and then lift her into his arms as well, wrapping them both in towels and drying her off. The towels were also magically heated, suffusing them both with warmth as they dried them off, and Straton then said, "One of the best places in the city to eat is just a couple blocks away." The suggestion was one he hoped she would take.

Hearing him describe in delicious detail just how they would bring about the demise of their alter-egos made her very happy and it also excited. She yearned for it, to hear their screams and celebrate in it, even bask in the pools of their blood as it lay scattered among the floor. Leaning into Stratus, Embry grinned and her lips met his with a searing feeling and flavor, a soft moan sounding from her. The thought of making love to their screams spurred her on even further. Her arms slid around his neck and her entire being pressed into his.

Parting their lips, she pushed him to sit back in her throat and straddled his lap, her skirt parting to show more skin than it already did, making herself all the more available to him and his taking.

--

Comforted and warm, she did fall asleep, but it was a very light slumber, as she could feel the warmth of the water and his hands as he cleansed her as well. Feeling the soft shake, she whined a little, forcing herself to open her eyes. She missed the days of sleeping until noon or later. This was just too early than she was used to. But alas, he was right. They needed to get going. She needed new clothes and she was kind of looking forward to the fashions of this time. It may be enjoyable for once to go shopping, which was usually her least favorite thing to do. Unless of course it was movies. She could spend hours shopping for the right movie to add to her collection.

“Yeah, okay.” She mumbled, pathetically unhappy. But she didn’t make any means to move. Instead, Embry clung to him as he lifted her and exited the tub, enjoyed the time he took to dry her and sat back on the bed. She yawned and wiped her eyes, as if trying to rub the tired out of them. “Mm. That sounds good. What kind of food do they have?” She asked, yawning again as she stood and pulled on her clothes and then the cloak to cover the apparent oddness of her modern clothing.

Stratus by now was fully exposed to her, his sculpted body on display for her pleasure and his growing manhood hanging thick and long between his legs. As she pushed him back he laid back eagerly, and he could see a glimpse of her sex as she straddled him, her smoothness always drawing his mind to the most delicious of places as he pulled her down to kiss him again, his thickness rubbing along her heated pussy, her labia splayed apart by his thick hard shaft and Stratus moaned in his desire.

"Put me inside of you my love." he said, his voice a command as he ordered her. Fingers slid into her hair and his tongue pressed into her mouth. His free hand slid up her body to grasp and grope one breast roughly, his hand not at all gentle as he squeezed, almost sure to leave bruises on her flesh. He often claimed her this way, her body etched with small bruises and marks after their intercourse.


"They have all kinds of food. Ham and eggs, bacon, fruits of all sorts, a variety of muffins and scones and breads... There's never a short list" Straton said with a smile. Soon he was dressed as well in his armor and clothing, his sword upon his back. Once it was clear that she was ready, Straton would lead the way, playing his tab and son they would find themselves out on the streets. It was light out, but barely, and the oil-fired streetlamps still burned, casting shadows along the cobbled roads.

"We're heading to the Silver Cup. I know the proprietor there, a man named Delg. He's one of the few people I trust, so if you and I ever get separated, for any reason, try to get to him and he'll keep you safe, ok?" Straton said, and took her hand as they walked along the avenue. The Silver Cup wasn't far, and Straton would push open the door for her, the wonderful smells of all manner of food quite evident as he did so.

She felt him so hard and ready against her hot, moist sex that Embry didn’t need any seconded urging to put him inside of her. She needed him. Plus, when he spoke of the vanquish of lesser people who deserved their heinous fate, it really turned her on. And speaking about the intended demise of their lesser halves, if she was a man, she would have a raging hard on the equivalent of his.

Gripping him, Embry raised herself and carefully slid down on him, his cock spearing her entrance and impaling her, taking him in deep. Moaning softly and deeply, she looked at him, her eyes flashing a deep crimson shade as her entire body ignited with deep warmth and heat, spreading into him by the joining of their coupling. It was like leaving her own mark, similarly the way he left his on her breasts by his rough squeezing which only flamed her more with need of him. “Fuck me Stratus.”

--

Well that certainly woke her up. Her mouth watered and she licked her lips, her stomach growling for the food he just suggested to be put in her belly. “That all sounds so good.” Once she was dressed, she took a moment to appreciate him. Last night she got to explore him without any clothes. Nothing but skin on skin and it had been a most amazing and delicious thing ever.

She wished they could just spend the next five days in bed, doing all of those things and then some, but she knew they had things to do. They couldn’t stay in one place, especially not now since she was journeying with him. And after last night, she wouldn’t even offer that he go on without her so she didn’t complicate his life and travels. She couldn’t be that brave. Something happened last night where she connected with him on such a deeply profound level. She needed to be with him. Otherwise it felt like a part of her would break and never recuperate.

Walking out with him, she pulled the hood of her cloak up. Not entirely, just enough to cover over her head, more like a cowl than a full hood of enigmatic proportions. Looking to him, she listened and nodded her head. “Delg. Go to him if need be. Got it.” She smiled, though more because he took her hand in his. It was warm and big around her much smaller hand and she felt safe. While she never thought of herself as the kind of woman to become a dependent and pathetic moron who couldn’t do anything without a man the moment they connected, she didn’t think that was what she was doing now. And it wasn’t just because he was perhaps the only guy to ever look her way, even if he was, but there was just something here. All the feelings she hoped to feel came rushing in at once. Right now, she just wanted to savor the peace and the time she had with him. Who knew what lay around the corner for them both.

The door opened and she walked inside, immediately greeted with the waft of delicious scents of fresh food. Her stomach growled embarrassingly again and she looked at him. “It smells so good in here.” Not even the best diner in the city smelled like this. This was a land that was not polluted. It was as fresh as could be, still young and innocent, free of the machine and industrialized age. She could definitely get used to this.

Sitting down at a table in the corner, she pulled her hood down and draped her cloak over herself to keep her apparently odd apparel concealed. She looked around the table but there wasn’t a menu. “No menus? How do you order? Rather, how do you know what to order?”

There was no need to ask Stratus twice as he felt himself slip into her tight hot depths, the pressure as she impaled herself wringing a sound of pleasure from him. That wide flared cockhead popped into her nubile body, and Stratus tweaked her nipples as she told him to fuck her. The knight smiled and flipped them, putting Embry on her back, his hands caressing up her legs until he reached her ankles, holding them and spreading her legs high and wide as he started to thrust into her, looking down at his beautiful and deadly queen.

"You are as tight as always my love." he stated, filling her as deeply as he could, his balls slapping her ass and one hand letting g of her leg to move between her legs and rub her clit. The little nub was slick and swollen, and his thumb rubbed it up and down, spreading her lips and seeing how he stretched her little pussy. Pinching her sex near the apex he made her little clit stand out even more and he gave her pearl a bit of a pinch as well, putting pressure on that bundle of nerves as he filled her with his cock.


The Silver Cup ws a decent sized building, and as they took their seats, and Straton heard her question, he smiled. "The servers will tell you if something isn't available. Now and then Delg will write his specials on that board up there." Straton said, and motioned to a board where a piece of chalk or some similar instrument hung on a piece of string. Suddenly, a voice cut through the din.

"Why Straton! It's been forever! It's so wonderful to see youuuuuu!" a female said as she practically ran to Straton and bent to throw her arms about him, her ample breasts pressed to his face. "How long has it been stranger?" she asked, her blonde hair falling down to partially cover his face. "And who's your friend?" she asked, her tone a bit icy as she asked about Emory, and pulled away from Straton.

"Oh uhm, Giselle, this is Emory, Emory, this is Giselle." he stammered out a little, and his cheeks blushed. "This is Delg's daughter." he explained and then turned his attention back to the blonde, who rested one hand on his shoulder and was obviously assessing Emory. "Is your father in?" he asked.

"He is. He'll be glad to see you. I'll go let him know you're here." Giselle said, and with a wink toward Straton and a sideways glance to Emory, she moved away.

Straton obviously relaxed. "Sorry about that. I figured she'd have been married off by now and never expected she still worked here. Giselle used to chase me all the time, but I just never had any interest in her like that." Straton explained.

“Always tight for you my love.” She moaned, relishing the change of their position. Now she was in a position to be completely taken by him, his thrusts powerful and deep, as if he was exerting his ownership over her. She threw her head back and cried out deeply, her claws biting deep into his back, especially as he consistently and rather torturously stimulated her clit until it felt bulging and throbbing, pleasure quaking through her magnanimously.

--

“Fascinating.” And she wasn’t even sarcastic about it, truly finding this establishment fascinating. She had read about these kinds of descriptions in her books but she never thought she would get to visit one and the authenticity of it. This land was truly magical, as if she had been transported back in time or something. Everything was fresher here, albeit probably disease ridden as well. But she didn’t focus on that part.

Taking a seat at a table, she pulled her cloak about her, wanting to keep her clothes underneath concealed. Just then, a female voice rang out above the hustle and bustle of the place and Emory looked to see a blonde making her way over to them. She greeted Straton rather affectionately, given the way her busty breasts crushed into his face like two love cushions made for such a deed. A twinge of jealousy and anger shot through her, her hands clenching into fists as she watched the spectacle. Especially when this blonde whore cast a rather icy glance toward. “Pleasure, I’m sure.” She put on her fakest smile, her tone saccharine sweet and laced with heavy sarcasm. Giselle didn’t like Emory and Emory certainly didn’t like her.

Once she finally left them, she cast a scrutinizing glance toward Straton. “Uh huh.” Yeah, because she definitely believed that bullshit, considering what little he told her of her reputation but enough to make her understand that he was, by terms of her world, a total womanizer. “Exactly how many women have you slept with in all of Nevermore? Even more, exactly how many of them are we to encounter in our travels? I’d like to be aware so I can prepare myself for the icy daggers to be sent my way.” Like the ones she was currently sending his way.

Stratus could only grunt as she said how she would always be tight for him, and he redoubled his efforts as she squirmed and writhed on his fat shaft. Sloppy wet sounds came from their coupling, as he drove deep, and soon he gave up on keeping a hand on her clit, needing to support himself with both hands as he fucked her hard, scooting her along the chais and having to brace her with his arms. His hands rested above her shoulders, pushing her legs up high and wide as he pistoned down into her with such force that he was sure to leave bruising on her thighs. Slapping could be heard as his balls crashed into her upturned ass, and he looked down upon his beautiful and wicked beloved with nothing but adoration as he claimed her. It still was not enough though, and Stratus pulled out of her, leaving her swollen pussy for a moment and making her feel what it was like to be empty after being so stretched, and he flipped her over, manhandling her easily. Soon he was slamming back into her, and he grabbed her hair to pull her head up and back, bowing her back as he hit deeper into her than before. That swollen bulbous head battering at her cervix. Now with her hair in his hand and brace, he had a free hand and brought it slapping down on her shapely ass.


The tension coming from Emory was immediately palpable as he introduced Giselle, and when Emory spoke to him next and asked how many women she could expect to meet that he had been intimate with, Straton considered a moment as if he was doing a tally in his head.

"Oh, probably a few dozen." he replied, obviously being sarcastic. "Is that really what you think? That I just go around fucking women willy-nilly? That's hardly fair. I've barely met you, and I am absolutely smitten by you, and you think I should not have any female friends at all! That's a bit harsh." he told her, and evidently Giselle has felt the tension as well since another server came by, a young man, and left them a couple of pints.

"Delg said he'd be right with you." the young man reported.

He was rough, he was dominating and he took her exactly the way she wanted to be taken, the way she loved. Only once he flipped her over and took her from behind, she felt her pleasure reach that unmistakable peak, pleasure crashing through her as every bit of her tightened more and clenched around his throbbing shaft. Embry cried out in pleasure and passion as her orgasm took her for surprise and consumed her, the pleasure her beloved Stratus capable of giving her everything she craved in this one moment alone.

---

Emory snorted and she shook her head. “Of course you can have female friends. That’s not at all what I was insinuating. I was just asking how many past lovers or women who fancy you are we to meet? That way I can mentally prepare myself for daggers. I don’t know if men shoot each other icy daggers of hate but I know women do. And in case you couldn’t tell or didn’t care to notice it, your little blonde bombshell shot me daggers left and right. And that’s not exactly a fun thing to behold.” Let alone not exactly something she was used to. She should be flattered, to actually be considered competition since she wasn’t exactly any competition of merit or worth in her world. It was laughable if an attractive man looked her way, and even more expected to be a relative of some sort by assumption than actual competition. Such was her life.

But now...she was apparently competition. But that didn’t even matter to her. What mattered was that other women desired him. That was all fine and dandy. But the possessive girlfriend inside of her, even if she and Straton weren’t official as anything more than lovers with a deep innate intimate chemistry, hated seeing other women attempting to drape themselves around him or brush up close to him. As far as she was concerned, Straton was hers!

“You’re mine. And I hate when other women look at you the way I look at you.” She mumbled, sitting back, managing to bring her gaze to meet his. “I’m sure you’d hate it if men leered at me with obvious dripping desire.” She mumbled almost petulantly. “Not that anything like that could ever happen anyways. But still…”

The pleasured screams of Embry echoed in her sanctum, and Stratus Made sure that she'd feel it the next day, wanting to leave her sore and well-fucked. The way her body rippled around his cock and milked him, soon had Stratus following her over the edge, and he threw back his head in ecstasy as he emptied himself into her, pumping her full of his hot, virile seed. So much that it overflowed a bit and he remained inside of her as he moved to be with her on the huge chais, holding her close in his arms.

"I love you." he told his Queen, and kissed her like she was the most precious thing. Because to him, she was.


Straton shook his head with a sigh. "I understood what you meant. I have taken no lovers here in Nevermore. Most are put off by my alter-ego, and though many will flirt, as you just saw with Giselle, that is as far as it goes. They like the look of the man, but fear the wildness of the beast." he said.

His eyes shot up to her as she claimed him as her own, and something fluttered in his chest. "You're right. I am yours, and nobody else's. If you want to show Giselle who I belong to, then come over here and kiss me, and make sure that she sees it." he said, not afraid at all to show affection for her in public.

"Men will desire you, I can guarantee that, and soon enough you will see just how possessive and jealous I can be!" he told her, and beckoned her to come and sit on his lap. A little cuddling during breakfast never hurt anyone, right? And it was not long before their food came, piles of it almost, and Straton's smile only got larger.

His cum shooting deep inside of her was a delectable sense of taboo. It was such a naughty feeling and she never felt complete during their coupling unless she felt it. Even if she had her own orgasm, it wasn’t a coupling unless he filled her deep or sprayed his hot seat on her. Sighing deeply and contently, a soft mewl of delight came from her and she kissed him back, her arms sliding around his neck and every inch of her pressing into him. “Mm...I know you do.” she breathed against his lips. “I love you.” She whispered, letting her nose nuzzle along his.

During their coupling, she felt the odds in which her other half was in with Stratus’ other half and it pushed her higher in her pleasure. Now, she felt that they were no longer in odds and her moment of temporary euphoria vanished.

Grunting, she pulled away and slid out of his lap and stepped away. “They’re happy. That will not do.” She walked to a large crystal ball and waved her hands over it, willing it to show her Emory and Straton. She took a moment to look him over and then caught the amulet around his neck and she grinned slowly. “Mm...perfect.” She touched a long claw to her lip and then looked back at Stratus. “I think we should make him a bit more...beastly. Don’t you think?” She giggled, a devious gleam shining in her eyes.

--

Emory almost snorted in disbelief. She wanted to counter that though they may fear the wildness of the beast, it certainly does not stop them to gauk which only made them worse, in her opinion. Still, she let it go. She trusted him. Rather, she wanted to trust him. And if what she believed of their connection to be true, she had no reason to doubt his integrity. Perhaps he was simply being bashful and modest when Giselle was gushing over him because it really just embarrassed him more than anything. Emory decided she would believe that over anything else. Lest she drive herself insane.

A grin formed on her face and she began to rise. “You don’t need to tell me twice.” Careful to keep her cloak closed so not to reveal her supposedly odd clothing underneath, she moved to sit in his lap and slid her arm around his neck, settling sideways. She leaned in and nuzzled her nose to his. “Oh I can’t wait to see that.” She grinned. A man being possessive over her? She only read of such things in her books. She never experienced it. And she was kind of excited about it!

Leaning in, Em kissed him softly and cupped his cheek. She didn’t notice when their food came, for the moment her lips touched his, everything around them seemed to dissolve in her world, leaving just the two of them.

Stratus stood, his muscular body on display unabashedly before his lover. "I think something beastly would be perfect." he said, and his dark eyes gleamed wickedly as she took the amulet from his neck. "I think that showing her what he really is might be rather eye opening for her." Stratus said, standing opposite his Queen, grinning maliciously as he waited for her to unleash her magic.


"I wasn't going to ask you twice and just pull you over here if you didn't come on your own." he said, and welcomed her to his lap, arms encircling her to hold her close. Then their lips touched and their kiss lingered and deepened even. Anyone in the place would see that they were in love, and Straton had no problem showing them.

Fingers played up and down her spine and once the kiss broke, several long moments later, he said, "I suggest you stay right where you are, m'lady, and allow me to feed you." he said, plucking a grape from the pile and pressing it softly to her lips, his eyes warm and kind.

The meal would be eaten like that, taking turned feeding one another, and Straton would not allow her to leave his lap. It too them some time to eat, but it was very intimate. Once they were done Straton said, "We should go get you those clothes my love. They will attract less attention. Well get a pack to put your other clothing into." he said.

After paying for their meal, they would head to the clothiers, which also happened to be the store for most adventuring gear and dry goods in the city. "Look around and see what you might like. I'll be right here with you." he told her.

Taking his amulet in hand, Embry stroked her thumb over the fine light of it and licked her lips slowly. She brought her free hand up and made a cut to her tongue, blood oozing easily and she licked the amulet, leaving a stain of her blood on it. That was when her eyes glowed red, her fiery hair taking life of actual flames. This is what happened when she was casting a spell of this severity. She began to chant in an old, dark and dead language that many feared for its power, of which she thrived upon.

“Let her see the beast within, her love repulsed by truth here in. Twist the bones, break the back, from here on out, there is a severe lack. Take form of what’s inside, only true colors here can truly decide.”

The flames died down, leaving her red hair in place and her eyes stopped glowing and she felt the shift of her strength, a true testament that the spell had taken place. The only downside with this dead language was knowing when it would kick in. With her large glass ball, she could watch it all and relish the horror that she will witness without a doubt on Emory’s face.

“It is done.”

--

“Bummer. Perhaps I should have resisted you so I could witness you doing just that.” She teased. But enough was enough; she sat in his lap now, a very comfortable place to be and the moment their lips parted, she was brought back to the current and sudden delicious aromas of food wafted up her nose, tempting her. She was just about to stand up from his lap to take her seat again when his order had her keeping her bottom rooted in his lap.

Emory giggled and opened her mouth to accept the grape, chewing it thoughtfully before replying, “Yes Sir.” She giggled and took a grape and popped it into his mouth, watching his mouth as he chewed. He had such a delectable mouth. She could spend hours kissing it. With a fascination for mouths and how they majorly made up a person’s face, Straton had a handsome mouth. As he chewed or as he talked, she would just stare, as both of them took turns feeding each other. Her mind was nowhere else but him. Everything around them still didn’t exist to her. It was just her and Straton and this delicately intimate process of eating as they fed each other. She had never experienced anything like this before. And the way he looked at her made this all so worth it. Even the constant headaches were worth it! How she was able to endure them, she had no idea.

Once they finished their meal and all was paid for, he suggested they head on over to find her some new clothes. She giggled again. “I agree. As much as I love this cloak, I would love to wear something a bit more fetching to draw your eye in.” She winked and left the tavern with him and headed to the clothing store. Or hut. Or vendor? She wasn’t sure but she walked into the small shop that housed many things among the clothes.

The fashion here was incredible. Peasant dresses, the real kind--not the kind that the fashion industry tried to make relevant again--riding habits, gowns, cloaks, even nighttime wear. She selected a peasant dress that was actually perfect for her figure, though the bust area would be cinched in quite a bit and a little on the tight side but nothing truly uncomfortable.

After coming out with the dress in and the cloak on over it, she smiled at Straton. Her hair was untied and draped down her back in loose waves and without her glasses--which she kept tucked away--she looked like a woman of this time and world. “So? What do you think?” Although the hem of the dress was long enough, so she kept her shoes on. She saw the selection of boots and she didn’t think she would be comfortable in them. The length of the dress was long enough so she could hopefully get away with it. Plus, she couldn’t part with her shoes. Not her Chuck Taylors!

Stratus smiled as Embry cast the spell, his amulet glowing as she recited the incantation. When she declared that it was done he watched the magical sphere just as she did. "It always makes me horny to watch you work as you do." he told her and looked up at her face with dark delight. "Remind me to come and see you later." he announced, and then his eyes were back on the sphere.

The two moved into a shop filled with various items. Stratus' grin widened. This was not going to be seen simply by Embry's counterpart, but by at least another soul as well. Excellent.


Straton walked around the place and kept an eye on Emory, smiling softly as he observed her. She picked something out and then went to change, emerging from where they would let one try things on. "Very nice!" he said, actually impressed, and his eyes drawn to her. The shoes were alright, and Straton started to say someting about some sturdy walking boots when he felt his anima rise.

It was odd, as normally he was in complete control, but this... this was different.

Immediately he began to change, to grow. His body seemed to hunch over, and though the process only took a few moments, it seemed to drag forever in so many ways. Bones crackled and grew, reshaping as tendons and ligaments shifted, muscles grew and stretched, internal organs shifting and growing. Mass expanded as he put on another couple hundred pounds, and fur sprouted over his entire body. From a man just over six feet tall, to a beast that towered close to eight, Straton's head was bowed, eyes still closed. It was something that most never understood. It was painful to change. Powerful yes, but painful nonetheless. Your heart stopped beating, blood stopped flowing, and in effect... you died. Every time.

Slowly he opened his eyes and gazed at her. There was no mistaking him. This was Straton. Of that there was no doubt, as those strikingly blue eyes looked at her with an unshielded love. Animals could not hide their true feeling, no matter how canny they were, and the affection in those striking blue eyes, Straton's eyes, showed the depth of devotion he had for her.

His immense bulk though, as he tried to move, knocked over racks of clothes and as he tried to turn he caught the eye of the seamstress of the shop... who immediately screamed.

Embry grinned, her red gaze fixed on the crystal ball. “I know.” She giggled, biting her claw but not with too much pressure to actually break it, though her excitement was palpable. “Oh believe me my love, I will.” Like she would pass up on that chance.

The spell worked faster than she intended. One moment Straton was watching Emory in her new get up and the next, he changed. Right there in the shop. The grin on Embry’s face was unmistakable and she even squealed with delight, laughing like she had never laughed before. But what was really the icing on the cake was the seamstress’ reaction. Oh the terror, the fear, the impending chaos!

“Oh yes!” She moaned deeply, sliding her body up against Stratus’ naked one. “And now for her reaction.”

--

The smile on her face was natural, carefree and breathtaking, complimenting her entire ensemble and look beautifully. But slowly that smile began to fade from her face, the happiness disappearing to one of despair as she watched her love undergo what she could only imagine to be unbelievable pain. “Straton…” She gasped, taking a step back as her hand slapped over her heart, her breath nearly robbed from her entirely at the sight of him.

It wasn’t new. Seeing him this way was not a new thing. She saw him in this form before. Why he changed, she didn’t know but something told her it was not of his own volition. Emory simply stood there in shock at the sudden return of this form, the very form that made her faint the first time she saw him this way. In fact, she almost felt faint again but the sound of the seamstress screaming brought her back to reality.

Amazingly, Emory moved quickly and she turned, as if shielding Straton and slammed her hand forward, a beam of air swooshing toward the seamstress. Rather than knock her backward or unbalance her, it simply robbed the scream from the air as it left her lungs and while Emory’s eyes flashed an ethereal white, she brought her free hand up and placed her finger to her lips in a silencing gesture. The seamstress quieted immediately and retreated away, likely to spread the word.

Not even aware of what she did, Emory turned to Straton and grabbed his hand--his paw?--and with eyes still glowing, she teleported them away from the shop and on the outskirts of the village. The moment their feet--paws?--touched the ground, Emory fainted. The power she unintentionally amassed drained her. It was a first time use and being that she wasn’t even aware of it, it happened so fast, she collapsed on the dirt road beside him.

--

“What in the--?” Embry’s eyes flashed red and she looked severely homicidal, more so than usual. “NO!!!!!” She screamed, raising her hands up above her head, flames sprouting from her closed palms and she slammed them down into the crystal ball, obliterating it. Shards of crystal exploded out and embedded into the walls.

Embry sank down to her knees, the fire and red glow vanishing and she felt like a shell of her former existence. “How can this be? How can she--?” She was shaking. All their plans, expectations and dreams just evaporated like that at the discovery of this. “She-She…” She struggled to breathe. The more she acted like this, the less her fire was. Even her hair started to turn back to the deep chestnut brown color it used to be. Before her hate, anger and despair warped her into this--a red woman with a great fire but also her own greatest misery.

Exactly what had happened was still not known by Straton, but his change had been unwilling, and then... Emory... he felt the pull of magic and saw what she did. It was confusing, but also made a lot of sense, and he felt his stomach lurch a bit as they teleported away. Straton felt a little weak, but he saw Emory collapse next to him, and he immediately knelt and scooped her into his arms. He was entirely unsure how to bring her back to consciousness, and so he gently kissed her, which meant that he licked her.... his slightly rough feline tongue running over her cheek.


Stratus watched as the young girl effortlessly silenced the seamstress and then as her and the anima disappeared. Teleportation was a deep magic and usually required years of study to master, as reassembling someone without incident took great concentration. Yet the girl managed it without any trouble, and Stratus could only assume that she and her anima yet lived. The ire of his beloved was well placed and Stratus bent to pull her into his arms. They would make them pay. Make them both pay.


"Please my beloved, wake up." Straton whispered to Emory, holding her close. His great bulk made her almost seem as a child in his huge arms, and he cocooned her and kept her safe. There was no returning to Bladecrest. Taking quick stock of the sky he could see they were still in Errion, just south of the city, which meant they could easily move further south and find shelter in the Forest of Wind. With that in mind Straton began to move that way, carrying Emory easily enough.

Her eyes turned brown, her hair turned brown and her vision had gone a little blurry because without glasses, she could only see a little bit. It was as if she was reverting back to the way she used to be, before anger, hatred and jealousy warped her into the red woman. Except that she still felt the anger, hatred and jealousy only it was marred by the insecurity she felt. Hence why she looked so much like Emory now, almost exactly the way she looked. The more insecure she felt, the more magic betrayed her and reverted her back to how she truly was. Her one true self. Not just half.

“What will we do?” Embry asked with a soft gasp, looking up at Stratus. “She...she...I am more powerful, aren’t I?” This wasn’t like Embry. She never needed reassurance. She was confident enough.

--

Emory didn’t wake up. Not so easily. She could feel his tongue touching her cheek. He was warm. He was comfortable. He was very...furry. But she couldn’t open her eyes. Quite literally. Her eyelids were so heavy. Her body felt like it weighed a thousand tons of lead and just the idea of trying to make some kind of sound was painful and too much to handle. And yet, she never felt safer in his arms. They were so big, so furry and warm.

It took some time. She could feel movement, but even so it felt like gliding rather than walking. He didn’t rock her. Soon though, her eyes fluttered opened. The moment the light hit her vision, she felt her head rush, her eyes shutting quickly and tightly, a small whimper coming from her. It made her turn her face into the furriness of his chest and she shook her head. “Hurts.” She mumbled, the exertion evident in her tone. Just speaking felt exhausting.

“Straton?”

Stratus held her in his arms and comforted her as best he could. He nodded. "Yes my love, you are stronger than her, and she will meet her end by your hand. We will bide our time, and build our strength. Watch them and learn how best to destroy them." he assured her, and rubbed her back. He had to admit, there was something nice about being needed in this way. Normally Embry did not rely on him nor need his confidence in such a way.


Straton nuzzled her cheek as she asked for him, having heard her whimper. His anima had been released, without his bidding, and the furred muzzle pressed softly to her face as the slightly rough feline tongue gently licked her cheek. He could speak in this form, but his voice was a little different, though definitely recognizable.

"I am here Emory my love. You are alright, but showed a dazzling display of magical power. You teleported us away from Bladecrest and we're now to the south in the Forest of Wind. We will attract less attention here, though we will need to find shelter at night." he explained softly. "Luckily we did get you some clothing, so that will help." he told her.

Her flame went down and she curled up in his arms, shaking from the shock and disbelief. “It wasn’t supposed to be her too. Only me. Just me!” She turned into an almost mess. Her power came fueled from knowing she would one day conquer and destroy her other half, Emory. Knowing that Emory could be as powerful as she was, maybe even more powerful, alarmed her enough to make her revert back to how she once was. Before darkness enveloped her, turned her and made love to her.

--

Her hands came up a little weakly, cupping his muzzle and nuzzling her own face to it, finding comfort in it, fully knowing his current form right now. Coherence was coming back to her but she needed to regroup and recuperate. Whatever she had done, that Straton explained to her, wiped her out. A small smile formed on her face and she nodded slowly, her eyes staying closed. Her head was pounding something awful!

“Yeah, luckily.” She whispered.

--

”Hurry! Her blood pressure is spiking way too high!”
She was injected with a sedative to keep her blood pressure down and save her from hemorrhaging again.

The monitors began to beep normally instead of rapidly and the doctor let out a breath of relief. “Her vitals show her to be just fine but then this happens...I can’t explain it. And if she has any more attacks, if she hemorrhages, we can’t save her.”
He looked to his nurse.

“I want more incessant monitoring on her. It seems any little thing can really hinder her life and potential recovery.”

Stratus took his beloved to his chambers, awaiting her to awaken, and simply laid with her, his naked form pressed to hers as he watched her sleep and guarded her, the fire in the fireplace casting warmth and light about the room. He'd instructed the guards not to disturb them unless the circumstances were most dire, and he'd seen his counterpart carry the interloper to the Forest of Wind. If they planned to travel south it would take them several days, and the interloper was sure to rest most of that time. Embry would recover long before that, so they had time to destroy their prey.


"Just sleep now, my sweet one, and I will keep you safe. I know a place we can go and you can get help there." Straton told her, and he let her rest as he traveled through the forest. It was a couple more hours until he ran across the perimeter of the city he was looking for. It was not on any map, but Straton knew it well.

The elven tree city of Aktar, and soon some elven scouts would make themselves known, though Straton had smelled and heard their approach.

"I am Straton, and I am known to your ruler, G'hadrin. Please, take me to her." Straton said, and one of the scouts approached.

"We know you, and will help. Follow us." he said, and they formed a small perimeter around them as they led him into the city, and took them to meet their Forest Queen.

G'hadrin smiled as she saw Straton. "It has been a long time, but I see that you hold to your breast a woman. Is that whom I think it is?" she asked.

"It is, and she needs your help. She called upon her magic without any training and expended all her energy." he explained.

"I see. Well, lay her down here and we will see what we can do..." G'hadrin said.

Soon her head stopped pounding but she fell unconscious. It was more than just sleep, it was directly related to the fact her physical body had been injected with a sedative to stop her from hemorrhaging again and that affected her current state here in Nevermore. The entire journey, she had stayed asleep, not hearing anything, just lost for a moment in this dark abyss.

The same thing happened to Embry. She was more unconscious than asleep in Stratus’ arms.

Both of them journeyed in the dark abyss of their collective mind, a single light shining down on both of them as they stared at each other, like standing in front of a mirror. The only difference was that where Emory’s eyes were a caramel brown, Embry’s were dark red, like rivers that run deep red of blood.

“Who are you?” Emory asked.
Embry only smirked. “I am you. Just...better.” She hissed.
“Why are you better?”

“I am more powerful.”
“But...we are the same. You and me. We share one collective mind.”

That made Embry snapped. She’d be damned if this little weakling dared to know more than her. She attacked, wrapping her hands around Emory’s little neck, pressing hard and weighing her down.

“Nuka…” She gasped for air, making Embry drop her, releasing her and letting air fill her lungs again.

“Nuka.” Embry whispered.

Emory’s eyes opened wide all of a sudden and she gasped deeply, sitting up. She panted hard, looking around frantically, fear evident in her eyes and all she saw was beautiful greenery and people with pointed ears like elves.

Seeing Straton, she reached for him with shaky hands. “Nuka...Where’s Nuka? Where is he?” She asked in hysterics. She didn’t know what she was talking about. Not entirely. She just knew the name, she didn’t know who Nuka was.

--

Embry came awake suddenly in Stratus’ arms and she looked up at him. Her eyes were red again and her hair turned flame red slowly. “She’s remembering.” She said softly, her gaze stark but stern. “She’s remembering what really happened.”