Shadow of the Abyss

"it's still flowing," she muttered, watching Altair's thick, heavy seed stream out from between her legs. It seemed nearly unending, pooling at her feet.

When she looked up towards the mirror of her bathroom, her lewd smile reflected across her eyes. She was stunned, touching the mirror then her lips.

She was smiling.

Her breasts were tender and raw from his touch, carrying his firm imprint where he'd groped, touched, and kissed. Similarly, bruises ran across her body.

Syris nearly didn't even recognize herself. She had never smiled the way she was now. And her loins had never ached as much as it was now. It was a good ache, one that made her smile all the more sublime.

"it was a mistake…" she told herself, laughing, licking her lips. "Just a simple mistake. I was frustrated… in heat from last morning's bathhouse fun. Plus… Altair has Ren. My friend." She nodded almost as if to convince herself. "Yes!

And Altair is just a friend! Haha, yeah… just a friend."

***

As Altair peered out from his terrace towards the lands, the vibrant skies, he yawned, taken with himself.

"I got no game!" he laughed. "Nine Years lol! Nine goddamn years. Still, I'm glad I forced Dual Cultivation to our limit. If I didn't faint, I might have still been eating little Syris." he grinned, falling onto his outdoor settee. "I got lucky with Ren… but Syris.

Damn, I had to wear her down. It kind of makes the Lake of Rot kind of worth it. No way in hell I'd have landed that otherwise."

Quite pleased with himself, Altair looked up at the twelve suns, lulled into a strange state of being. He knew he shouldn't be proud of what he had done. He knew Ren would surely disapprove. Yet… he also knew how weak he was. Everything he knew about himself felt surreal.

At times, he had no control over his thoughts and ideas, much less how he felt. What he showed had only been a layer of convoluted knots.

"I screwed my best friend of nine years… and now… and now what?" he shook his head, his features turning sharp as a knife. "Let's focus on Earth. I've six months to prepare. And I need to make up for these five years lost. No… I need to be better than that."

Altair closed his eyes, drawing in a breath that seemed to pull at the very Mana fluctuating through heaven and earth.

The world's Mana pulsed like a living heartbeat, gathering around the Prince's body, stimulating his meridians.

It moved to his will, dancing like the winds, flitting back and forth, forming intricate runes entwined in arcane circles. His eyes followed it all, analyzing its nature that had been so absent from his life.

In all his life, he had only been truly disappointed twice. One had been in himself, lusting after another; the other was the Mana that abandoned him.

"I can no longer trust you. No longer consider you a part of me," he affirmed. Conjuring a wisp of Vale Qi that danced like flames within his palm. "Only you remained."

He closed his eyes, wondering how far one could go based on the world's energy that left him to rot. Feeling its energy sickened him.

"Raven…appear,"

Emerging from a swirling vortex of Vale Qi, Raven fell to a knee, awaiting her command.

"Teach me about the Vale. I seek to rid myself of this thing called Mana that isn't mine to command."

Raven sprang to her feet, saluting with a cheeky smile. "Okie Dokie Master!"

Altair groaned with one hand upon his face. "And put on some damn clothes for me, please."

"tsk… clothes are so stupid. And you said I don't have to put on any when I'm in the privacy of my house. Master house is Raven's house!"

"Clothes now… Ava, dress this dummy; the last thing I need is to be attracted to yet another woman."

Raven tilted her head, her amethyst eyes and long black ebony hair dangling over her assets all the way down to her ankles. She had a kind of funny smile on her face as she took a step forward.

"Does Master think his guardian is pretty?"

The way she said it opened Altairs. She had no lust in her eyes. No sort of emotion aside from…

He couldn't tell.

"Any man would. That's why I ask you to cover up. Your actions are inappropriate for your gender… well, for any gender. As my guardian, you should carry yourself with dignity… my dignity."

Raven folded her arms, thinking… thinking… thinking… "I think I get it… kind of. But Master, can I have a room to be naked in?"

'She really doesn't like clothes… how strange,' he thought, and said, "Of course. You can have anything you want."

"Anything?"

"Just ask Ava or open the system shop. You've access, right? I'll give you two hundred thousand in spending money to buy whatever you want. Though I suggest you buy—"

"CORN~CORN~CORN~CORN~CORN~CORN!" Raven screeched, mashing the purchase button over and over and over until Altiar snatched her palm, his brow covered in sweat.

"CORN!!!!!!!!!" she continued, glaring feverishly at her Master. "Masters a liar! He said I could buy anything.

"Aurora," Altair intoned, summoning her to his side. She looked a little stunned by the sudden emergence, but before she could speak, he continued. "Teach this dummy about economics. And various other things. She's my right-hand woman, so take good care of her."

"Raven, for the next six months, you'll learn under Aurora. At night you can teach me about the Vale. Dismiss."

"Corn~"

Dragging the dark-haired woman away, Aurora left his room with a bright smile.

"Gods… they're going to kill me." Altair snickered with the semblance of an amusing smile. He left his room, taken back by the sudden penetrating howl wafting down the halls. He frowned, expanding his domain to reveal a somewhat odd expression.

Talia, who had just returned, appeared as though she had taken a bath in a river of blood. She was naked, yet every inch of her pale skin was stained a luscious red.

He gulped, devouring the sight of her perky breast and ass like a boy wanting a taste. He shifted his attention to one of the young men who worked within his palace.

What his actual job was. Altair could not say since his Palace was fully automated.

"Talia, why are you nude?"

"oh, Talia decided to squeeze the Aros Men and Women like oranges. To make a bath. It's still warm if you're interested, Master. Talia felt like a newborn in her mama's belly again." she beamed, running a palm through her hair matted by blood. " It's the best master!"

"That… that actually sounds nice, "he thought but dared not say in front of an outsider. Rather, Altair bonked her lightly on the head and said, "Go get changed. What's with you and Raven going around naked?"

"Ah, Ravs back, hey! Master, can I go?"

"What? No, your, my sword maid, damn it. Go take a shower and get changed. I want a report on your success."

Talia stuck her tongue out at him and ran away.

"Crazy bitch… and you." he turned to the young boy. "You're nearly a man. Stop screaming like a little bitch. You're better than that."

****

Within his dining hall, Altair stared happily at the slab of meat down on his plate, unsure what to make of it. Rather than pink, the meat had a golden hue to it.

Across from him, sitting awkwardly, rested Syris, who had gotten rather famished as of late. She was biting her lip, stealing glances at Altair, who suddenly said, "You know if you keep cheering your lip, it'll bleed. Relax."

"relax? Relax! How when… when… when… we just had sex. " she mewled, covering her face to hide her shame.

"do you regret it?"

Yes… no… i…"

Altair looked a little hurt as he tilted his eyes toward her. "We've known each other for a long time, Syris. Personally, I enjoyed myself a lot. So I can't say I regret it. But if you'd like, we could pretend it didn't happen."

"That would be cruel…." she muttered so softly she wasn't sure if he heard. "but it did happen."

"Yes, it did. But how are you feeling? Any bruises?"

She nodded, catching herself too late. She blushed.

"No need to act all shy. You took my entire length without issue and rode me like a stallion."

Syris wanted to bury her head in the dirt. Still, as their gaze met, she found herself reminiscent of the past. How many times had he saved her, or the times she saved him? How many times did they have to huddle together for warmth in the winter months?

She smiled, recalling those times that made her belly warm. "I'm sorry… I don't regret it… I just regret that you belong to someone else."

"You know… you're allowed to be selfish. Nothing wrong with it. I'm being selfish right now. And I'm loving it."

"Of course, you would say that," she giggled, lifting her fork and knife to the dinner table. Finding a smile at the sudden throbbing of her loins.