Eldora was admiring her old but new room as she heard Xunatar’s voice. “I’m not scared of my mother. There was and still are great consequences if I was the one who killed her. Otherwise, I would have killed her. I knew and know every moment she could make. The only reason I can’t see it right now is because she is blocking it. She is at least that smart.” So her powers could be blocked but she shrugged it off. “I would have killed her when my powers woke up if it was an option. Even when I was young I was far stronger than she ever could hope to be. I just don’t go around bragging about it like she does.”

Xunatar was perhaps the only person to hear Eldora say those words. A smile came to her face as she pet the doll. “She fears me the most because she thinks she knows me. She fears me for all the wrong reasons.” The smile disappeared. “It was the spirits. Arri is one big pool of spiritual energy. It runs underground where most people can’t see it. Angela taps into it now that she’s life but it has always been there. For whatever reason Rosenites are able to gain powers from it. Enough that our bodies die at birth when selected. Reborn with the spiritual presence we are able to communicate with them. I am no different except stronger. Perhaps because my mother angered them… maybe because of the type of demon my father was. I do know that when the spirits want you they purge your blood of impurities… for some reason, they love Rosenites in Arri…”

She brought up her hand and looked at it. “So that’s what I am. Because of the high spiritual presence, the screams are so loud there that it feels like your head is going to explode. Few places are like that Arri is one of them. Koschei Forest is another. But Arri is by far the worst when it comes to the screaming.” Visibly she shivered but she regained composure enough. “My favorite place… wasn’t worth the torment. I’ve been homeless for much of my life. More nomadic than anything. Always listening and watching.”

Once she was undressed she appeared indifferent about him taking her hand. It wouldn’t have bothered her a bit if he had left her there but she was glad for his company at least. Eldora watched his hand leave hers before she slid into the water. It looked like the pool was deep enough that the woman couldn’t touch. She went under immediately and stayed there for an unnatural amount of time. Finally, she came back up and the water was glowing with power now. It was the glowing the same as her blue eyes.

“Water is our second home. The Oracles of Arri have a deep connection to water… Maybe because it is so sacred. Maybe it is because of the lake under the castle in the catacombs… Where we are reborn.” She waded and the pool seemed to come up to meet her feet now as she pushed herself up out of the water just a bit more. The glow died down and she grabbed some soap off the side. She didn’t question where it had come from. She just knew it was scented with oils. Her favorite scent. 

It wasn’t a sickly sweet but… it was sweet enough. The smell was that of lavender and a hint of mint.  She took it and washed her hair. The dark rich black was finally showing from under the layer of dust that had been there. Her skin was a few shades darker than Lotus after the dirt came off. If there was one thing that Cyprus had done right, it was that she had many pretty daughters. Perhaps that was why she tried to mutilate them. However, the problem with Eldora was that she didn’t understand.

“Can I ask something weird?” She tilted her head and came over to the edge where he was. She folded her arms on edge and put her head down on them. “For everything I understand… I don’t understand the differences between people. Dante and Lotus. Angela and Drae… I don’t get it. I don’t understand why or how. I suppose it's because I lack the basic ability to form bonds with people. So why do men and women like to be together? I’ve never cared to ask before but I am curious I will admit.” Or maybe it was because no one had ever tried to form any kind of relationship with her but Bryony?

A decent man would have looked away out of respect as she paraded around naked before going into the water. A gentleman would have did one better and immediately excuse himself while she had her clothes sliding her body. Of course Xunatar was neither of those things, in fact he was far from it. From the moment she had stripped herself down to guiding him over to the pool she summoned and got into, he was merely watched her without shame. At the time, he thought nothing more of it- he had seen his fair share of flesh, including that of her mother. As pretty as Cyprus had once been, he had some regret over procreating with her to make Colden.

After some time beneath the water, he leaned closer to see if she was still alive only to watch her resurface. It was rather…odd to see her like that now, though he couldn’t pinpoint it at first why. Perhaps it was that he was so used to seeing her one way that now that it seemed as though Eldora changed slightly but enough to be noticed. The more she cleansed herself, the more apparent that she looked like the rest of her family, though mentally she still differed. Pulling himself back into sitting along the side of the pool,  Xunatar remained still, smelling a combination of the salty air of the sea mixing with that of the soaps she used. He swung his legs over so that his feet fell into the pool and he leaned against his knees.

Eldora’s question was indeed weird, but in her situation, he suppose that it only made sense that she wouldn’t understand. He knew nothing of Kirika’s relationships, but he had known that many that dealt with Cyprus had been seen as pawns to her game and with Dante as his Avatar, he could very well see that Lotus was with him but at the same time, she lusted over others. Confusion smothered her innocent mind and he couldn’t help but to chuckle among himself.

“A Rosenite that doesn’t understand this sort of thing, that’s a bit ironic…” He drew closer to her, “The reason is simple yet not. The original idea with men and women are to procreate. However, mortals have took it upon themselves to turn the act into something further. Something more sensual that could be enjoyed. Such as this.” He slid his fingers onto her arm, drawing them along her as if they were walking. There was hints of wonder whether she could feel what he spoke of or not. “No bonds are needed, not at first. There is typically attraction that takes place; physical attraction from the opposite or even the same sex that the other party feels. What I speak of is lust, Eldora.”

It was strange that he had to be the one that spoke such things to her. The lord guess that she may need a better way of understanding, so it was his turn to strip himself of the fabrics around him. He moved from the pool to remove the robes on him and tied his hair into a long strain behind him before joining her in the water. Moving behind her, he drew his hand down her back and slid it down her until it reached the small of her back. “How’s that?” He caressed her back once more before coming around and invaded her personal space even more. Carefully he stroked at her face if she allowed for it, running his fingers down her cheek to her neck and then to where her collar was. “And that? That’s merely samples of what people partake in one another with.”

Eldora didn’t understand the act of procreation herself. She knew it existed but she didn’t understand the hows. She had gone her whole life ignoring it. Her whole life knowing that perhaps it wasn’t for her and that no one would ever want to touch her. Yet her body almost reeled away from him. Away from this person who wanted to show her. Her breathing was labored a bit only because she found herself more confused. She had never felt any of it because she had no reason to. Lust wasn’t a new concept. She had seen it many times in her visions but she herself had never experienced it. She had just been told that was what her visions had. She didn’t understand the whys or hows, she just knew.

Her blue eyes moved to watched him undress as she tilted her head. She watched as he reached and tied his hair back and her hand found her way up to her own long hair. Maybe it was in the way? She didn’t even remotely know where he was going with this. That alone made her more excited. Though her face didn’t show it past the stoic look that she tended to carry.

She was hesitant to let him behind her as her blue eyes shifted to see what he was up to. Her body goose bumped as he touched her. It was more of a euphoria. Her lips quivered just a bit and when he stopped she whipped around to plead her not to. However, she just bit her lips a tad and took several breaths. “Is intoxicating the right word?”

She pushed her hand into his fingers as he caressed her cheek. She was merely watching wide eyed. “I’ve never had anyone want to be near me.” The words came out in a sad way but perhaps she knew it was because she was broken in a way that scared people. She didn’t move back from him she quite liked his touch.

He could sense her confusion, which was intoxicating to his senses. Xunatar loved a challenge- the more difficult to handle and solve, the better. Eldora was a clever girl, yes, but he suppose that due to her somewhat awkward state when it came to social interactions, she was deprived from it. It was the only thing he could truly think of for a reason as he felt her pull away from his advances. It might have been uncomfortable, even stress inducing but clearly she would have stopped him if she had wanted. Xunatar was a predator, but not in that sense.

But soon he could feel her melting, finding their little situation bit by bit more interesting. He studies her with every touch and even when he cease them. She may have no idea what was going on, but her body was reacting on instinct, as if it did know what it was like to be caressed in such a way. That alone made his grin all the more wider. “Yes, is that how you truly feel?”, he asked rhetorically before continuing with them. He could feel her giving into it, the sea of lust stirring within her. While there might have been fear about going into uncharted waters, the curiosity would string her along the voyage. She cupped his own hand that rested on her face and he tilted his head playful before he closed the distance between them. She was a Rosenite, so it was hardly a surprise that her form was attractive, her skin so supple and smooth and her lips inviting. His own body pressed against her, just enough for her to feel him before he sank down to press his lips against hers.

The kiss was gentle despite it coming from a full fledged demon, but then again it was all a part of the game. A long lingering moment later, he barely pulled an inch away from her before he took possession of her hips with both hands. “Go along with it, Eldora. Just follow the motions”, he spoke above a whisper before he drove right back into another another kiss. It was as gentle as the first, but soon it started to grow more carnal the longer it continued. His hands gripped tighter around her and his tongue licking upon her lips, hungering to enter inside her mouth. Like Dante, he could lust with the best of them, but he carried more control than his son. After a bit, he pulled away again and widened the space between them. His hand released her body and his breaths were a bit heavy.“Understanding it a bit more now? Would you like for this to stop?”     

His voice startled her a bit since she had been enthralled with what he was doing. Her blue eyes were quick to snap up to his own. She breathed deeply as she tried to figure out just why her body loved what he was doing to her. What he was speaking of had been true even she had these instincts to her even if she wasn't readily to admit that they existed. His head tilt had been enough to tell her that he was being playful with her and that much was a relief.  He got closer and she felt like the entire ocean was crashing up against her as she watched him and before long she was almost drowning in him. 

Her lips were frozen in one position as he kissed at her. The movements were fluid from him and she was genuinely confused at how to handle him. It was gentle but that wasn't what was making the woman so hesitant. It took a long moment before she even figured out that she wasn't breathing, actually, she didn't need to but breathing was so easy… how did she forget to do it? The breath she had been holding finally came from her frozen lips before she nodded. The oracle realized that Xunatar was teaching her. So like all good students she did exactly what he had told her. She was a bit hesitant at first but as they progressed her movements were much like the water they were in. His tongue flicked against her lip and she froze just a bit more, if only for a second. 

Her back met the back of the pool finally as she found the edge. It didn't help the feeling of the crashing ocean but she found herself too preoccupied with Xunatar to really care about the heavy feeling she had. Her whole body was practically screaming at the demon god now. She was quick to shake her head at him as she looked at his hand separating from her body. "Only a fool would tell you to stop." It was the only words she could muster as she closed the gap to him this time. Her kiss wasn't nearly as gentle nor perfect as his had been but it was enough. Her fingers were at his chest now as she began gripping at nothing but his skin. She relaxed herself as she pulled back and stared up with her blue eyes. It was actually harder to reach Xunatar than she had anticipated thanks to her own height.

Words could hardly explain the situation Eldora had been conflicted about when it came to how lovers were. Words simply couldn’t do the proper justice for it; actions on the other hand were far better. Not that Xunatar had minded of course. There weren’t too many lines he wouldn’t cross and for the ones he wouldn’t, there were exact reasons for them. It mattered to him not that she was Cyprus’ daughter; hell to be frank, he had simply forgotten that the two were even related because they were far from anything resembling mother and daughter. On the surface, it could be seen that she would belong to the mad woman, but beneath it was quite the different story.

At least he would be able to tolerate Eldora because she had far more sense than the other ever could. She was still fairly young in the eyes of the ancient demon and she was more compliant as well. She had sought him out, but not for power but out of curiosity. He suppose that he should have paid more heed back when they had first met. She was quite the strange one, that was until he had come to see why her behavior was what it was.

The kiss was single sided at first, but as the lesson progress, he could feel her lips begin to stir and follow his lead. They moved in tandem as he felt his student giving her into it. Perhaps for the first time ever, she would fall victim to lust and see how it felt to be treated in this matter. Of course, it wasn’t a free lesson but he felt that the payment would come rather soon. All it took was one look at her when he pulled away and saw her refusal to cease this to know that he was going to have his way. The space between them was closed once more and he felt her pulling him into the embrace. The hunger was made present in him as their lips met, his hands fetching her hips again.

“There will be no point of turning back”, he spoke in-between kisses before he moved her against the pool’s edge and lowered his hands behind Eldora’s thighs. With far little effort, he lifted her up by them to grant her easier access due to his height. “Now, wrap them around me”, he instructed her and waited before one hand moved to her back and another wrapping around her dark locks and pulled at her head slightly to allow him access to the side of her neck. His lips trailed down it in a teasing motion before before coming back up to her lips.  

“Just tell me how much you’d like to learn. Being one that have lived as so long as I have, I have seen people partake in many things. Some like the gentle caresses and other like a more firm touch. Which would you prefer to learn…first..?” 

The height difference was a problem that Eldora was still attempting to figure out but soon Xunatar had her on the right path. It had been more tiring to attempt to push herself up to his level but with her legs quite firmly around him now as she held onto the sides of his shoulders. It wasn't a hard pull on her hair but it was enough to move her as she closed her eyes and felt the kisses to her neck. It made her yearn for whatever else he had to teach her and she was sure that was the point of doing what he had just done to her. Her blue eyes peeked back open as they resumed their kissing. 

As he spoke her lips were just barely grazing his. She had stopped for a moment, her breathing was heavy and she was thinking about every word that had come out of his mouth. She flickered her blue eyes up to his and kissed him again to give her a few more moments to think on it. She wanted this and she knew it but she was obviously thinking about where to start. "So teach me everything. Start where you want to start and we'll continue going down your list." She had pulled back just enough so her breath wasn't directly on him. Her arms looped around his shoulders. "I've been told that my kind is blessed with energy for days. So by all means, teach me and I'll listen." She leaned back in and kissed him again. "And I'll learn." 

There was something about Eldora when she was learning things that shined brightly about just how intelligent the woman was. How she was quick to catch on when she wasn't hesitating. How she could fill in the blanks rather quickly about what he was trying to teach. There was an aura about her that spoke more of the unrelenting power she had stored within her. She let it all come crashing out onto him. There was no reason to hold back what she had, no reason to fear it, and from what she had learned… He had no reason to fear it either. She was quick to identify what she liked or what she didn't… and there wasn't much if anything she objected to. Matter of fact everything he had to show her in one way or another was well liked by the oracle. She was more flexible than most and her tastes were as varied and far as the man who was showing her. Where she had hesitated and was stoic before when she was being intimate it was completely something else. She was confident and headstrong and it had only taken a few dozen minutes for that portion of her show through.

She was quick to ask if she could try things out on him if she could. If he would let her she tried a wide variety of things that maybe would shock the demon lord. The more he showed her the more she learned. If anything the woman accelerated at learning in a way no one else could. At some point during everything, they had wound up on the new bed. It was a disaster and Eldora didn't really care one way or the other. She was actually sitting atop the god at the very end of their grand adventure. Her body heaving for her to stop but the woman didn't look as if she had a limit in sight. Instead, she pushed her fingertips upon his chest and down again. Her face looked like it was oddly contemplating something. Leaning down she kissed him again and tried to move her hips softly as if to tease. She ended up putting her forehead against his in a bit of disappointment as her body too tired to move didn't do as she wished. Her mind was willing but her body was not.

Seduction was but one of many talents Xunatar had acquired over his years. They certainly weren’t innate but as he had mingled into the affairs of mortals, he had learned that they were susceptible to the right touches. It also made his task of procreating until he had his sought after children far easier. The girl had everything she needed except for a teacher. Clearly her mother wouldn’t have gave a damn to try and her sisters were far too busy; one was ruling over a court and the other was too into her own vices. Particularly when it came to his son as well. He clearly did not mind for it was but another way of corrupting, tainting what innocence Eldora had kept amongst herself. And it was quickly noted that she saw nothing wrong about any of this despite the common link which was her brother whom he’d fathered.

She was an all too eager student, and of course he would allow her to learn whatever he wished. A haughty chuckle slipped from him before they kissed fiercely. “You should be careful what you ask. You may just get it.” There were times of tenderness, well he would lay his lips upon her flesh all over, watching her reaction with each one planted. His hands traveled about her, allowing her to enjoy the caresses. The kisses soon turned to his mouth sucking on her skin and his tongue traveling about. And then there were times where he grew rougher; his kisses on her lips grew more sinful, his hand around her hair tightened and yanked at her and fingers that had once glided down her turned to his nails digging a bit without causing her to bleed.

His teeth nipped at her ears and neck and he pressed himself rougher against her smaller frame. Xunatar noticed every now and then on how well she adapted to his lessons; she partook on her to see what worked and what didn’t. Obviously he would know when to not take it too far, though it was few and far whenever he reached that level with her. Eldora was quick minded and soon he felt her coming onto her own as she returned the favor of gifting him both pain and pleasure.

Eventually even he could feel himself fall into lust’s trap and he carried her from the pool, wet and all, and laid her onto the bed. She had been a virgin prior but it hardly seem to be the case the way she took to his body. It seemed taboo that she was giving herself over for the first time to a demon, let alone one that had divine blood coursing through his veins. Even with her Rosenite endure, he could surely outlast her by a mile, but he had to recognize her willingness to go on. He felt her body tense up towards the end and yet she wanted to continue.

She wanted to continue to live in the thrill of it all. Xunatar contemplated himself over the next course of action as a slight frown came upon his face before it shifted into a grin. He urged her back up with a hand tugging at her head and and laid the other against her stomach and soon her body would feel renewed energy secreted into it. A couple of stifled chuckles slipped out from his smug look as she would get her wish to continue through their lessons.    

Eldora felt the energy he gave back to her. Her mind was excited about it and her body responded this time. They went on for a while longer fulfilling Eldora’s wish to know everything there was to know for the night. When they were done she laid on top of him and felt his hands rubbing her lower back as she curled up on him for sleep.

Her dreams were lonely without all the voices but oddly it was more peaceful than she had ever thought it would. Flashes, visions, those things were normal for her but the endless screaming was gone. It was residing in that doll that Xunatar had enchanted. She felt for a long time, perhaps longer than she should have. Eldora took the days after that become acquainted with the temple. She paid attention to Xunatar if he wanted it but she mildly ignored him otherwise. She wasn’t a typical female to went to the ends of the earth to impress. She just did the things she had always done.

She was currently taking crystals and hiding them in places in the temples. Tiny crystals. Though she had a person who following her around asking her a ton of questions. If one could see her dislike of what the person above her head they would see mental daggers. This person had been following her closely for the last few days. She got up and pushed the man out of the way. He was apparently one of Xunatar’s stewards.

She groaned a bit as another question left his lips. Live men spoke way too much as she reached hands up and stroked her temples. She stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned on her heel. “Leave. Me. Be.” Three words shot a shiver up the man’s spine. She could see the fear in his words as she had been so calm when issuing a very real threat.

“Please, if you would just talk to me you would see that I too am like our lord. You could favor me as well.” The man was hesitating but the woman before him was beautiful just as much as she was weird.

“I don’t care.” She hissed softly. “Dead men have better tales than you do.” She was attempting not to lose her temper any more than she was. Still, the man either was really dumb or had hoped that she was bluffing with him as he took another step towards her. A mental sigh left her lips and a tsk left her lips. She lifted her hands up one went to her lips as she shushed and the other did a choking motion.

The man began to choke and went to grasp at his lips. “No more speaking.” Eldora’s eyes were a bit amused with the man now. “You want to be with me?” The man didn’t have the breath to respond to her. “Only the dead can.” That was truly how she felt. She flung her hand and the man was launched across the room into a stand. She took a sigh as the man was knocked out. She lowered her hand. “Just leave me be.” It was more of a silent request that he couldn’t hear.

Steele had been in disbelief once the news of his father’s ascension had reach his ears. Fate had such a wicked sense of humor and it was made only more apparent when he arrived upon the Cradle and through the trek hell and back, he arrived to see his father on the throne, waiting with a sinister smirk across his face. It was almost as though he had hidden his truest nature before all this occurred. Nothing that would surprise one of his elder sons in the least; Carrie, himself and Dante were the oldest of his sin children and were the most trusted, though more often than naught, he didn’t like being paired with a prima donna and a horny little half elf. But he tolerated them for they were all family, whether he liked it or not.

It had been some time since he came to see his father, but he was summoned days ago upon the God’s request. And so he obliged as he entered through the golden doors and found that the Cradle wasn’t going to play any sort of games with him this time with that maze that many were doomed to be lost in. Fortunately he was in one of his better moods and he took off the glasses from his face and tucked them into the pocket of his black trench coat before making his way through the the long hallway. There were some familiar scents of the Stewards employed by the lord and then there was some fresh ones; new blood that followed him no doubt. The very eyes of the man that carried all of this was glancing about through his son’s head, through the wild black locks that ran on top of his head.

Heavy boot steps drew nearer to a scene that stirred the wolf demon’s attention; a strange woman was standing over someone, a Steward that he quickly learned about in his first visit. One that he truly loathed because he was akin to Dante, though at a much worse level. His sword hand was itching to draw out his sheathed blade on his side, but he refrained from falling into his vice. At least for the time being. He didn’t stop his approached until he was pass her and kneeled down to the unconscious man. After taking a bit to inspect him, Steele held a passive look across his face before he stood and turned to the woman. Those icy eyes of his fell onto her and then back to the man. “Did you do that?”, he asked, his voice free from conviction or malice. Instead it was with a strange calmness that he spoke such words before shrugging his shoulders. “He deserved it either way. He is like that of a mangy dog; ready to try and hump anything that moves.” Steele kicked him in the chest, to see if he would stir awake, but most so out of furthering his punishment. “Your scent has lingered here for a bit, so I suppose that you have met my father, the Lord of this Citadel?”

“Lord…Steele?”, the man started to cough up from the assault. When he finally came to, he realized that it was indeed the wrathful wolf and immediately started to scurry against the wall. “My lord, she…attacked me. With no good reason. Please, help me.” Steele looked onto him and narrowed his eyes dangerously. “I’d believe you if not for my father. He had taught me some ways of telling when someone is lying to me. I can hear your heartbeat rapidly, but the beats don’t seem to like that of you being just afraid. That and I know of your…reputation.” Steele was growing tired of seeing his face, so he casually drew out his sword and pointed it straight onto the fool’s throat, allowing it to taste some of his flesh.  A tiny river of blood flowed from the cut, “Leave her be. If she is to ever tell me that you have bother her again, you will be without both tongue and a few other things.” The blade fell lower to the Steward’s thighs to strengthen the point. “Now, leave us.” Steele had the authority to do that and more as the Lord’s son so the Steward nodded quickly and ran away to safety. “You aren’t the first to catch his eye, but you may be the last”, he spoke once more in a calmly tone as he sheathed his weapon. “What is your name?”