Chapter 17: A Demon's Wrath

The Nevermore fell on the ground, its wings are broken, its body was riddled by bullets and slashes, crimson blood dripped from its wounds painting the dull grey stone with its vibrant huge. The avian tried lifting its head but a hard boot slammed its face on the ground. Phoebus pointed his gun at the beast and shot it with all six of his bullets. The bird spasmed before going limp and dying.

The marksman turned away and looked back at his companions. Adrian and Clermont are doing okay but Firrer lay injured and passed out on the floor being assisted by Heriette who had a number of wounds on her body. It took them the whole night to kill that bastard and it cost them everything they had just to finish him off. The ruckus around them seemed to have died down as the hunters and heroes were finally able to subdue the monsters and protect the town.

"They're retreating." Clermont said.

"They're heading back to the forest! We won!" Adrian cheered, raising his sword.

Cheers were heard erupting from the people's throats at their victory. They watched as the monsters retreated back to the darkness from where they came from. However a large column of darkness suddenly rose from the middle of the forest alarming everyone. It released a sinister and terrifying wave of power that was felt reverberating through everyone's soul. Fear and terror gripped at the hearts of every bystander who was able to witness it ascending into the heavens, reaching out to pierce the sky with its malevolent power.

"What the hell is that just now?" Gallen asked as he arrived at the scene with his fiancé.

"We don't know but that's clearly bad news." Heriette answered looking at the tower of darkness in fear.

"Ruby lives in that part of the forest! We need to help her!" Geneva said in alarm.

"It's too dangerous! We can't risk any more lives to check that out!" Clermont ordered looking back at them.

"I don't care. She's my friend. I've got to save her." Geneva persisted.

"But Gen-" Gallen tried to reason but was cut off by Phoebus.

"I'm going to save her." the marksman declared in finality.

"You are out of your goddamn mind! I order you to stay and wait for whatever that is to come and fight when it needs to be." Clermont barked, enraged by his comrades' stubbornness.

"We can decide for ourselves Clermont. We're going." Adrian said stepping in front of the tank with a warning look. Clermont replied with an unwavering look of determination before looking over at the hunter's shoulder to see a determined Phoebus scowling at him and Geneva looking completely fierce to save her friend.

"Fine, but don't get yourselves killed. I'll keep the rest of the bunch here just in case somebody shows up." He finally surrendered raising his arms in defeat of their unwavering resolve to save the witch.

"Let's go." Phoebus ordered loading his gun with a fresh batch of bullets and preparing it to fire in case he detected hostile entities.

"Right." The group set out to venture the forest and save the huntress witch determined to brave the danger of what might await them on their arrival unaware that they might be putting themselves in more danger than the witch.

Right as Ruby's body hit the ground a seal suddenly broke inside Aleister and a burst of power suddenly surged inside of him. His general instincts are telling him to kill everything standing in his way and protect his mistress. Avenge her from the beasts that had wronged her and make them pay their sins with their blood. He will water her garden with the tears of his enemy and fertilize her soils with the corpse of the slain. He will offer their hearts to her glory to rectify his shortcomings with his victory. They don't have the right to touch nor stare at his goddess. They don't have the right to hurt her!!!

Before he even knew it, his subconsciousness had tapped into the depths of darkness and his body started changing. His wing became larger and more powerful, his muscles thickened with strength and violence, his face became more cruel and hideous too far from his usually handsome physiognomy, his teeth elongated, his claws sharpened and extended to the length of short knives. He released a loud roar of rage shaking everything in its radius and terrifying the great beasts themselves, the trees nearest to them bowed down in fear while the windows shattered, showering the floor with a dangerous rain of shards.

Suddenly he can hear everything. The distant fluttering of a moth's wings, the soft whispering of the northern wind, the low whimpering of the beowulves, the incomprehensible gibberish of goblins, the fearful grunting of ogres and trolls, and the slow beating of Ruby's heart while her soft lips release a moan of pain. That got his attention. He slowly made his way to his mistress, carefully picking his steps to not alarm her of his sudden transformation.

An arrow was shot towards his face but his hand quickly intercepted it, trapping the thin brittle poorly crafted wood between his middle and index fingers. He looked over to the goblin who had shot it. He recognized that bastard. He was one of the shitheads who shot his Ruby. Now he doesn't like that. That thing needs to die, so do all of them to protect Ruby. To make sure that nothing else will hurt her. He snapped the arrow between his fingers and by the time it made contact with the ground, the goblin's head who shot it was rolling with it on the dirt.

One, two, three...

He flew everywhere slashing through flesh with his bare hands, snapping bones, crushing skulls, eviscerating thick-skinned beasts with one quick punch on the gut.

Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two...

He's loving the sound of screaming, of monsters drowning in their own blood as he punctures their lungs and guts them alive of their bowels.

Fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine...

Why are they running away? He's just getting started. He quite enjoys the thrill of killing. The pleasure of putting someone in grief.

Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine...

Where is everybody? He was just having fun. Why is no one attacking him? Did they not want to play with him anymore? What a shame they actually have the best innards to play with. He even used the intestine of a beowulf to strangle an ogre and used the liver of a troll to choke a wendigo. It was very funny to watch as he died gasping for breath, trying to cough out the blockage until he died with his airpipe filled with the organ of another creature.

Seriously why is no one attacking him right now? The moon is sinking and the sun is about to rise back up but he wants more action, more killing, more blood. He looked around him looking for more prey to kill but there were only corpses, dismangled, disemboweled, some were skinned alive, others were fed with other monsters till they died of choking. Nothing was moving except for... RUBY!!

He instantly went to her side grasping her hand in his and checking her pulse. He found one albeit it being weak making him release a sigh of relief. He ripped her shirt exposing her clothed bosom as well as the five puncture wounds. She must have removed the arrows earlier making her bleed out profusely. His mistress had passed out probably due to blood loss and exhaustion.

It... smells good.

Her blood smells good. It smells delicious. Maybe a little taste wouldn't hurt. He leaned down to her bosom and started licking her blood.

He thought wrong. It was not delicious, it was greater than that. It was ambrosial, much tastier than that elf blood mead he usually drinks. He wanted more. Her blood makes him feel powerful, like a drug both addicting and dangerous. Something that he shouldn't taste but he just can't help it. He slurped the blood trickling down her cleavage and weakly bit at the soft flesh of her breast, not penetrating the skin just a little nip of endearment.

She moaned. What a beautiful sound. If he kiss her skin will she moan again? She better be or else he'll be mad. He won't hurt her though, just a little punishment would do if she does not entertain him. Now he'll kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, and lick her skin. There he cleaned her chest. Yey, she moaned!! Such good and obedient girl you are Ruby.

What is that? What is that melody he hears in his ears? It sounds like music. Duub-dub, Duub-dub, Duub-dub. Is that... Is that Ruby's heartbeat? It sounds so nice like a siren's voice calling for him. So soft and serenading. It's cute. The heart of his prey earlier tasted vile, their blood tasted bitter but exhilarating like alcohol or coffee, but still vile unlike Ruby's delicious one. Mmmmhhh it tastes so ethereal. He wondered... How would Ruby's heart taste like?

"A-Aleister..." he heard her beautiful voice call out his name. His tail swayed in happiness, seeing her radiant yet tired golden eyes staring at him.

"My love?" he asked, looking at her pale delicate face.

"Is it done? I think there's poison in those arrows. I feel so numb and tired. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll recover in about a week. Even though I have immortality, poison is something my body takes time to recover from." Ruby weakly mumbled looking up at him.

"You look odd, Aleister. You don't look like that. Are you sure you're Aleister? Aleister looks cute and stupid, you look ugly and scary."

"Is that so?" the demon mused relishing in her cute disoriented state.

"Yes. Your eyes look bigger and brighter though, it's pretty." Ruby complimented bopping his nose.

"To see you better with, my dear." Aleister quoted tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. There was a long pause as Ruby closed her eyes trying to rest and regain bits of her lost energy.

"Ruby, you wouldn't mind if I take a little peek at your heart, would you? And maybe have a little taste. Just a teeny weeny nip. Pleassss. It's been calling to me. I can hear it beating in your chest." Aleister asked, pressing his thumb weakly against her wound.

"What!? Aleister, what is wrong with you?!" Ruby yelled in alarm, her former delirious state completely disappearing as the demon's words register inside her head.

"Nothing is wrong with me. I just want a little taste. Your blood is ambrosial now think about what your precious heart will taste like! I bet it's so good, better even than those monster filths!"

"Aleister, you're scaring me. Please stop!" Ruby protested trying to fight her way out of his hold but as she had said earlier, her body is too numb to be able to fight back against him.

"Maybe if you pass out it wouldn't hurt. I just have to knock you out and then you won't even feel a thing. Don't worry you'll grow it back, you'll heal. I saw you do it with your wrist, you'll be fine." Aleiste mumbled, unable to process any logic but his own. He wrapped his hands around her throat and slowly squeezed it.

"A-Aleister n-n-nooo. Please s-stop. This isn't you. You're going insane!" Realization suddenly dawned on the witch. Her head snapped down to his stomach where the symbol she engraved lay ruined by large claw marks. He's not doing it in his own free conscious will. The blood moon is clearly affecting his mind and clouding his logic and senses. The spell though is not yet completely destroyed, she can still reforge it if she can just make him stop and rechant the incantation but her magic is completely gone yet trying is better than letting him devour her alive. She just needs to distract him long enough to spark a bit of her magic. Black dots started appearing in her vision as her breath left her lungs. Aleister squeezed harder making her panic.

"I'll let you taste my heart!!" his hand stopped and a large grin decorated his lips.

"That's wonderful. It's better that I have your consent. You're such a good girl Ruby." Aleister chuckled patting her head. Ruby gasped for breath after that, finally filling her lungs with their much-needed oxygen trying to calm herself down to process the events unfolding. She can't believe that Aleister is trying to eat her. Though he seemed rational enough to converse with, his mind is too diluted to be reasoned with

"But on one condition. If you want something from me you've got to give something back in return. A fair trade. Plus you're gunning for my heart you need to give like..." Ruby thought for the right word but couldn't grasp the appropriate term to use for her excuse.

"Like a dowry in marriage. Right, you are so brilliant my beautiful little witch! That will make it more fun."

"Right! Yes, a dowry to me. Absolutely." Ruby agreed in desperation.

"So what will it be that you want me to give?" Aleister asked looking at her expectantly.

Fuck. She hadn't thought ahead of that. She has no idea what he can do for her. She needs to quickly think of an excuse to prolong his plan and make hers rolling before he gets tired and force his way with her. It needs to be a tedious job but he must be within arms reach to execute her plan. Think Ruby, think. What will distract Aleister long enough to try to reforge the spell? She can feel her wounds closing up and repairing the damaged tissues. Well, that's nice because it really hurts like hell but if I don't think quick enough this psycho's going to split me open again and eat my organs.

"What will it be Ruby? What do you want in exchange for me to eat your heart? Time is wasting. I'm getting hungrier every second. I might take a huge bite instead of a little nip if you don't hurry it up." Aleister said impatiently.

"Well, I want you to, to, to go get... To make..."

"To make what?! Damn it, woman! What do you want!" The demon yelled impatiently, he accidentally pushed his knee up her crotch sending a pleasurable touch to her kitty.

"Make me cum! Make me squirt!" she blurted. Aleister paused a little in contemplation but his tail kept swaying excitedly.

"I see. That is a very interesting request. Very well. Pleasure might add a little bit more spice to your precious heart especially if you orgasm."

Fuck. She's not even in the mood to have sex. Who would be if a demon is trying to eat your heart while you bleed profusely? But on the bright side, it will take him longer to get her to finish plus women take hours to cum and forever to squirt. It's brilliant but disgusting. Aleister literally ripped out her panties throwing it out like nothing after taking a huge sniff, enjoying her vaginally essence.

"Ruby it's not wet." Aleister informed like a child complaining to his mother about his toys.

"Then make it wet. Suck my tits, lick my thighs, give me oral sex?" Ruby suggested collecting blood from her wounds.

"Okay." Aleister said before diving for her breasts. He pulled her bra down and started nibbling on her bare bosom. He sucked at her nipple while playing with the other one making sure that her tits got the best treatment. Ruby did her best to focus on letting her powers flow but it was very hard when a demon who wants to eat your heart is eating your boobs, getting them perky and sensitive.

"These babies are soft and round and bouncy. I want to shove my face in them. So cute." Aleister commented caressing his face against her cleavage.

"Sure, keep going." Ruby did her best to at least activate her revitalize spell and heal the flesh on Aleister's stomach to redraw the madness counter spell but nothing happened yet. Her spirit did not waver because of this, she kept trying and trying while doing her best to reply to the demon's advances because she knows that he's such an attention-seeking bastard. He loves being praised and noticed to water his ego and narcissistic pride.

"Yes, that's good. Mmmmh." she mumbled to humor him. She mentally rejoiced as she activated the revitalize spell which healed her wounds and closed the large wolf marks on the demon's belly. She felt his tongue circling her pink bud while his hand drew circles over her thigh. She can feel him smiling against her breast, relishing in her taste. She cringed at the thought.

'Better hurry it up.' Ruby mustered all the strength left in her body and flipped the demon before sitting on top of him. She used her blood once more to retrace the drawing on his skin. Aleister giggled drunkenly at this thinking that it was some type of kink that she likes.

"Your butt is so soft." he mumbled.

"Insania mentis nec vincere. (Madness will not conquer your mind)" Ruby chanted trying to summon the last bit of magic left in her body but none came.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Aleister asked in a low voice with a threatening edge.

"Insania mentis nec vincere." she repeated with a much desperate yell but it was still in vain. The blood moon is much more powerful than her but she won't back down.

"Insania mentis nec vincere!"

No effect. She's starting to lose hope.

"Insania mentis ne-!!!" Aleister had pushed her off of him, making her stumble to a column in her porch. She tried lifting herself up but his hand harshly grabbed her throat and pushed her against the column.

"You treacherous bitch." he seethed, squeezing her throat tighter. Ruby tried removing his hand but his hold is too powerful.

"I'm going to rip that cold heart of yours and feast on it." the demon used his free hand to dig into her chest and Ruby did her best to intercept his motive.

If he eats her heart she's going to die. It may not be perpetual but it will take her days or even weeks to regenerate her organ. She'll be in a deathly sleep dreaming about those scenes over and over again. She's tired of seeing it, losing her family, her failures, her curse, watching herself kill Adrian, and replaying how she fell in love with Rel.

She doesn't want to relive that hell ever again. Those dreams, or memories rather, keeps haunting her during deathly nightmares, tormenting her mind and breaking her heart time after time again. No, she won't allow herself to die. She's not going back to that place when she just recovered. No one, not Aleister nor Rel, is going to make her miserable again!!!

She mustered her strength in her arm and punched Aleister square in the face making him loosen his grip on her and stager a little. Ruby grabbed his shoulders and pushed her lips against his leaving him dumbfounded and confused but also curious. Ruby opened her mouth and pushed her tongue inside his.

Slowly, she felt his magic traveling into her body and coursing to her magic circuits. She deepened the kiss to harbor more of his powers and started to spark up her magic. She pulled him in closer touching his body all around to build more intimacy and absorb more of his powers. Her hand glowed weakly but it was enough to reforge the spell.

She pulled away and recanted the spell. "Insania mentis nec vincere!" The symbol glowed on his stomach and he lurched in pain as it burned his flesh.

Ruby fell on her knees before Aleister panting raggedly, her face drained and pale of all energy. She tried covering her breasts to regain her modesty and looked up weakly at the demon who had a confused look on his face. She saw him grabbing his head in confusion and weakly smiled at her victory. Their eyes met and a panicked look crossed the demon's face at his master's state. 

"Ruby are you okay!" Aleister said in alarm. He quickly went near her but sudden shots rang in the air and six bullets hit him on his back making him reel in pain.

Ruby glanced at the direction where the bullets came from and saw Phoebus along with a bunch of her other acquaintances approaching her cottage ready to fight and kill the demon moaning in pain in front of her.

"Go!" she ordered him.

"But Ruby you're-" she cut him off with a stern order and held her hand up to him, forcing him to move using her power as his master.

"I said go! They won't hurt me! Save yourself!" she screamed at him mustering all her strength not to pass out. Aleister's wings unfolded and he instantly took off by the force of her command. He had a hard time flying away due to his injuries and Phoebus shooting at him but he did his best to heed his master's orders.

When the gang arrived, the demon was finally out of their range. Phoebus quickly went to Ruby's side and wrapped his coat over her shoulders to keep her warm. Geneva, Gallen, and Adrian followed suit. The mage quickly went to her friend's side checking her injuries and gasped when she saw the amount of blood decorating her clothes.

"Ruby, what did that demon do to you? We'll get you to Rosita, you're safe now." Geneva said worriedly.

"Adrian, Gallen, search the area for any more monsters, we can't let ourselves be jumped at." Phoebus instructed reloading his gun just in case. The male fighter and the assassin instantly complied and wound around the house.

"He didn't do anything. Those Goblins shot me. I was able to activate revitalize spell before I bleed out to death but you drove him away. Thank you." Ruby mumbled weakly, her voice faltering.

"You're fine. You're safe now with us." Phoebus reassured touching her hand. Manticat, still in his panther form, limped weakly to her side, his hindfoot seems to be broken so he lay beside her and placed his head over her lap.

"Good job, my son. You honored your mother through your valor." she praised, smiling weakly as she patted his head. The winged familiar moaned and reverted back to his miniature self. Ruby grabbed her pet and placed him over her breasts.

Her vision started blurring after that and a distinct ringing can be heard from her ears. Her limbs started going slack and the last thing she felt before she passed out was Phoebus carrying her in his arms while Geneva panicked and cried beside him.