Again and again, she tried but to no avail. Her cheeks hurt, yet the grin refused to subdue. So much happened in a single day that Valeriana had to pinch herself just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She had a mate; well, she was his mate. An image of her mother’s furious face flashed before her, but it was immediately disregarded – unable to dampen her exhilaration.

It wasn’t clear at first. Edward had seemed to be unfeeling – even through the bond – but that was far from the truth. The signs were muffled, buried under a thick layer of grim indifference. However, once she swept it away, she knew – he did not hate her. To him, she was anything but a burden.

A slow hum resonated, deep melodic reverb. Valeriana wasn’t being entirely sincere earlier. She wanted to bathe, but she didn’t share the same sentiment for Edward; he was fine as is. She didn’t know exactly when it started, but his sweat had gained a strange earthy quality, and combined with his natural scent – became quite... delectable. Nothing had brought her more satisfaction than stepping closer to him and finding her scent on him. Valeriana’s steps hurried, the rumbling from her throat got louder. Unbeknownst to her, her smile had turned predatory.

To call this one of the most perplexing moments of my life would not be an understatement. Surrounded by mold and rot, I had an unexplainable, fully engorged, hard-on. So, not two steps through the door, I halted, both due to horrendous stench but more in fear of discovering something best left uncovered.

The Arachne’s scowl, malefic as it was, was a sight I was truly grateful for, and alongside the piercing glare – managed to clear my head. “How about you come out here?” I suggested, moving back a few feet.

She obliged, yet the venomous expression remained. We stood outside the decomposing building. Her captivity did not seem recent considering how the sun’s angry assail was enough to crack her frown, a smile that was almost instantly covered up.

I waited, allowing her some undisturbed minutes, before I finally spoke, “We’re pretty due a conversation.” Two red daggers were shot my way. “You can enjoy the weather after,” I added.

A couple glances were shot our way, but none lingered, and soon, we were back inside my stoned sanctuary.

“So, you tamed the lizard too,” She remarked. “I guess it’s my turn, huh?”

The Wyvern replied in my stead by growling and wrapping herself around my lower torso, head resting on my legs and wings folded behind her – content with stealing my warmth. It took some shuffling, but I managed to find a comfortable enough position. The Arachne was staring at me, unbelieving, and noticing my gaze, she crossed her arms defiantly.

“You’re just making this take longer than it needs,” I said, making no difference. “But since you’re so intent on going back to that house, I’ll make this quick,” I stated. “Give me your arm.”

Her eyes widened, but her arm was already outstretched towards me. Transferring mana between two living beings required direct physical contact; however, similar to any knowledge obtained from the obscure books, only little was decipherable. I was on my own.

“Don’t move,” I ordered, closing my eyes and concentrating. I focused on where we touched and traveled upwards – passing each joint in her fingers, the breadth of her palm, and the constraint of her wrist. I didn’t have to go this far, but the further I went, the stronger the flow was. Mana coursed through her body, blue streams wild and untampered, not dormant at her core but avidly flowing. I guided it, lured it, and it naively listened. However, in attempting to exit, it faced an obstacle; a barricade – unwilling to let the eager surging pass.

“Stop resisting,” I commanded, though, fruitlessly. A single brick fell, yet the giant dam remained. The Arachne’s face was blank, an emptiness emanating nothing but pure hatred. I could continue my forceful upheaval, but there were no guarantees, only a hostile and possibly irreparable relationship. Exhaling a lungful of air, I released her hand.

“Take a seat,” I commanded again but in a softer tone. She remained expressionless, heading for the farthest corner and picking a large pile of books. I held my chuckle as she sat down; not only was she matching my eye level, but she even rose above. A power-play which I quickly put an end to. “You’re fucked,” I stated. “You hurt Val, tried enslaving me, failed, and in turn got yourself enslaved. And now, you’re fucked.”

My hands moved on their own, petting the sleeping serpent’s cold, smooth scales – looking every bit the typical villain. The Arachne remained ever so stoic, unaffected by my words. “I might not be from this world, but I doubt harboring a demon is considered a light offense. I’m already risking myself by keeping you here.”

“I never asked you to,” She replied loftily.

“You’re not wrong,” I said. “But I can’t just let you go. Even if I were to somehow miraculously forget about everything you did, you know about me." I paused. "So here we are."

Frankly, I had enough shit blowing up in my face, and if that meant having to put someone six feet under, then so be it. The Arachne's coolness seemed to persist; however, the flicker to the door as well as the tensely folded fists gave it away. She had realized the futility of her situation, and I was contented with simply letting her simmer.

Time slowly trickled by. Any further agitation was unnecessary. There were no roads to follow, no doors to enter – the future bleak and foreboding. The air was still, calm, but there was no storm. With a flourish of my hand, a picture frame appeared, and extending my arm, I offered her the olive branch. She, however, did not move, regarding me with wary eyes. I remained in place, forelimb suspended in the air. Slowly she approached the photograph, awaiting the moment of betrayal where I’d pull back and laugh in her face, which adamantly did not arrive.

“I’m not your enemy,” I stated. “I have no disposition against your people. We can still work together; you only have to answer a few questions.” I tried leaning back but had to stop midway; the Wyvern was still tied around me.

“The portal at the cave, is it still there?” I asked, and she nodded, discreetly concealing the photo underneath her. Paying it no mind, I continued, “Can someone else find it?”

She shook her head.

“What about the goblins? Were they under your control?”

She shook her head again. “They never knew I was even there.”

“What about the girl?” I asked.

“Who?” She questioned. A recollecting moment later, she shrugged and casually added, “She was their spoils.” The relaxed tone contradicted the two scrutinizing eyes observing me.

“I see,” I noted. “What about that prophecy of yours?”

"What about it?" She asked, confused. “You want to fulfill it?”

“Maybe.”

She took a moment, staring into nothing, and recited, “It's for the future of our people. For demons to be free of the shackles of the Enlightened. Free to have families; Free to have children of their own,”

“That’s pretty noble,” I commented. “What would be my role in all of this?”

“You’re the hero,” She confidently stated.

“Yeah, sure, but what does that mean? What’s the hero supposed to do?”

She blinked. “Fulfill the prophecy?”

The conversation came to a halt; I was at a loss for words.

“I don’t know,” She mumbled, averting her gaze. “I never got this far.”

“That’s fine,” I said, massaging my forehead. “We can look into it later. In the meantime, I’ll find you a better place to stay." I paused. "And discuss the extends of your freedom with Valeriana. I'll see what I can do, but for now, I need you to cooperate.” I held out my hand, and she hesitated. “If it gets too much to handle, yank your arm away.”

With contact reinitiated, I repeated the same process again, however, yielding a different outcome. The blockade was still there but was wavering by the second. The blue tides raged, furious and unwavering, their assault sending bits and pieces through the imaginary void. A pained moan marked the falling of the opposition. And so they celebrated, excitedly running atop the rumble – rushing in my direction, tempted by the prospects of the unknown. I welcomed the roaring mass with an open heart.

The Arachne was clutching onto me, nails digging into my skin – a deep grimace written over her face. I allowed her some time to recover as I reviewed the aftermath. Tiny statues covered the ground and protruded from the walls. A successful endeavor, but not exactly practical. Barely a dint was made in her manapool, but the amount was monumental for me, and I could feel its toll. All I had done was replace the powder with a living being.

“You were amazing,” I reinforced. “I have something else I want to try, but we don’t have to rush. Once you’re ready, we-”

Eyes fixated on the small figurines, she relaxed and squeezed my hand, voicing her willingness, and I made no effort to dampen her enthusiasm. The first part was pretty much the same; however, instead of introducing the mana into my body, I sent it directly below. A few instructions were already prepared – a spell – imprinted onto the earth, waiting to be charged. The results were instantaneous; a groaning Arachne, more sculptures, and most importantly, a strain-free execution. I couldn't contain the grin from splitting my face.

She bore the entire responsibility of the casting. A medium capable of multiplying my output many folds over. There was a noticeable drop in efficiency, but it was a sacrifice worth taking. I awoke from my fantasies just on time to catch the Arachne falling face first. I set her beside me and fed her a piece of candy. She mostly recovered but had a quickness to her breathing and a noticeable flush to her face.

My tampering had affected whatever shapeshifting she applied. The white skin had large patches of black, a rabbit ear had disappeared, while two of her additional limbs were now visible, tightly wrapped around her. I blocked both room entrances with a thick layer of mud to prevent any curious onlookers.

“You can dispel the illusion if you want,” I offered. “You were great, by the way. Take your time to recover. We’re not in a rush.”

For the second time, I was surprised by her willingness as she wordlessly intertwined our fingers. And just like that, half an hour went by unnoticed. I focused on the buildings I was going to construct. The plans had undergone a few safety checks. There might be one too many pillars, but I wasn't an architect – so better safe than sorry.

The Arachne had been surprisingly docile, satisfied with quietly watching me fumble with rocks. Noticing my attention on her, she parted her mouth expectantly. I fed her another piece of the mana-laced sweets. Her lips trapped my fingers unnecessarily, drawing a trail of saliva as I withdrew them.

“Did you just try to paralyze me?” I asked with narrowed eyes.

She shot me a sultry smirk while shaking her head in rebuttal. I dropped the subject, instead opted to survey the area around us. It would have been much better to be on the outside right now, but since her shapeshifting wouldn’t work while I delegated her, the construction had to be done from here. Breathing in and out, I reached for my element. The earth vigorously shook, and seconds later, split; a horizontal slab of stone rose, four massive walls supporting its ascension while smaller ones divided the space inside.

The mana should not have been enough to empty the Arachne’s pool, but taking the decreased proficiency into account, not much remained. I fed her another, the strongest of the batches. Again, her tongue lingered on my digits, licking them clean – her head inclining, seeking the departing fingers. Both of her hands were holding my own, one entwined while the other clutching. It was then that I noticed the immobility of my arm, tightly lodged between her thighs. The roaming of my eyes escalated the situation. She bit her lip, rubbing her inner legs against my forearm, the four limbs on her back tightly hugging her leveled chest.

Nope. I abruptly stood, and she hung to me like a koala. “Wait!” She exclaimed. “I’m so close!”

Her whining fell on deaf ears. I shook her off and straightened my aching back, ignoring the whining moans. The movement alerted the Wyvern around my waist, who let out a heavy yawn. Noticing she was a good three feet above the ground, her head tilted in confusion, and once realization dawn on her turned to horror. Deflating, she slithered down and sat on her hind legs, bowing, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a guilty puppy.

Giving the scaly beast a quick pat, I spoke with my back turned, “I’ll see if the Dwarves are done.” The Arachne's accusatory look bore holes through my shirt. “I’ll be quick,” I said, tearing down the door and erecting it again.

In truth, I did have to talk to the couple, and hopefully, that would give her some time to… cool down. Despite the relentless insisting of my lower half, I refused to budge. The leniency and pampering were to ensure things continue running smoothly; though, there might have been a dash of empathy mixed in since I had experienced mana-exhaustion firsthand. But this was a completely different ordeal. A few rules had to be set. I'd continue our working relationship, but I wasn't putting my dick in crazy.