The dark unknown
Athanatos stood in the hallway staring into the black abyss, feeling agitated and unsure of himself. Anything could be down that dark hallway, or nothing at all, simply a wall the torches didn't reach. Knowing Meridiana though, it wouldn't be nothing.
All that mattered to him right then was escaping. He had to get out and return to his body before he lost himself to the succubus. He didn't want to think about what the necromancer Lena might be doing with his body.
That clever woman had been much more powerful than Athan had anticipated. He felt his body react as he recalled her see-through black gown that left little to the imagination. With her pale marble like skin and silky smooth, long black hair.
The monk had to take a deep breath and center his thoughts. This was the main reason the succubus could win so easily. No mortal man could truly resist her charms. Or even those of her creations, daughters as she called them. His world was destined to lose without help.
Dragus would have been that help. Sadly, the mighty dragon--last of his kind--didn't survive to see Meridiana's banishment. Athan wished he could speak to the wise being now. He really could use some advice.
While he couldn't remember how many times he had woken up in that damn bed. He knew it had to be multiple times. The urges were already becoming difficult to suppress. Just remembering how the necromancer looked had made him want to reach down and stroke himself.
Well, he couldn't stand there forever. Time to make his move.
He took another deep breath and concentrated. The pitch-black hallway lit with a green glow as he eyes started to glow. Athan always liked the feeling as his eyes took on a smokey appearance. It felt powerful, and draconic.
Thinking of Dragus and his brilliant golden bronze scales always calmed him down. The simple knowledge that his powers hadn't been demonic in nature gave him purpose. For so many years he had thought otherwise. Truly believing that he was cursed or damned. Rather, he was blessed by a being of noble birth. The last dragon in their world. A guardian against demonic beings. The dragon had told him that humanity had hunted and wiped out his kind long ago, forcing him to go into hiding.
That's why the demons had been able to get a foothold in their world again. Because of humanity's stupidity, fearing what they didn't understand. Instead of attempting to understand, they just killed the dragons.
Athanatos was determined to make it, escape and prove worthy of his gift.
No matter how unlikely it seemed to be. For as long as he had his mind; his body's surrender could never be final. He would make mistakes but if he kept strong, he would persevere.
[[Into the dark]]
Into the dark
Powerful waves of lust washed over him as he took that first step into the dark. The hallway wasn't just unlit, its walls and floor were black. He stepped on cold rock, unlike the stone floor behind him. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized its touch.
Obsidian lava rock. The same Meridiana's tower had been built out of. A wave of dread filled his heart as he recalled all the previous encounters with its like.
The first experience with the obsidian would have been utterly disastrous without Bree's help. She had once been a simple barmaid, less innocent than she appeared, but otherwise human and normal. The succubus took advantage of her lust for Athan's mentor. In turn the barmaid had been Meridiana's first converted human, becoming the demon's first daughter.
A human woman converted into a monster. Well, she didn't look like a monster, none of them really did. They were all unnaturally beautiful and more human than not. Bree took on features of a fox. Orange and black fluffy ears and tails. Later her skin would grow fine hairs. But otherwise, her appearance remained human.
With Bree's strong will they had managed to survival their first experience with the obsidian tower's twisted assaults on their minds. Athanatos had quite a few dealings with Meridiana's spawn at that time but nothing had prepared them for the tower's powerful magics.
Then there was the second time he entered the tower against his better judgement. Bree had been there again but not in reality. The tower learned and evolved, creating her imagine within its glassy reflective rock. The creation had been like the goo-girls he had heard others talk about.
He really shouldn't be thinking of Bree right now as he walked slowly down the hallway. The obsidian just reminded him of those two past encounters. If he wasn't careful, it would know his thoughts and use them against him.
Demonic energy hit his body in waves. Each one stealing his breath away and distracting his mind. He really wished he had some clothing or at the very least pants. It felt like his dick was always leading the way.
Faint voices met his ears, but he knew better than to think they were real. The voices had an undertone that whispered promises of pleasure far greater than any he had ever felt. Quite a big promise considering all the pleasure he'd already experienced thus far.
He had to keep moving. He didn't have time to doubt himself. He needed to be strong and resist. With a deep breath he steeled his resolve even as the air brought slight tingles along with it, spreading throughout his veins.
Each step became harder than the last. His mind raced all over the place. No one image stayed long enough for him to even consciously see it. The wall's pulsing matched his heartbeat in quick pulses, never wavering.
The voices weren't even coherent. He felt their echo vibrating against his mind but couldn't understand or comprehend them. So, he just kept walking, eyes getting heavy.
Sleepy...so sleepy, just can't keep his eyes open. They were dropping, each blink lasting longer than the last. Even his night vision became to flicker. It's so easy to drop, easy to sleep.
Athanatos [[closes his eyes]] and relaxes. Just for a moment... or he manages to gather his wits and [[snaps out of it]]
Snaps out of it
Athanatos shook his head, grogginess overwhelming him momentarily. What just happened? One second, he was forcing himself to resist and keep walking. The next? He felt himself falling down a great abyss.
He didn't know how he woke up but thankful that he did. Who knew what would be at the bottom of that tempting rabbit hole?
One of the voices he had heard before spoke more clearly now. Even though he knew better he unconsciously strained to hear the words.
"<I>Good boy</I>, wide awake, ready to carry on. Ignore the pulsing temptations."
That voice sounded so familiar, but he couldn't place it. It was feminine and slightly dumb, like a bimbo? Did he know any bimbos? Not that he could recall. Well... there was Lexi, the blue eyed blond, but that wasn't her voice, thankfully. He really didn't need to be thinking about waking up in that bed again.
So, he did the only thing he could think of. He kept on walking, more alert, and awake. The obsidian walls weren't affecting him for some reason. Even though he still felt the pulses humming in his veins. It was like he was tuning them out somehow.
Had be been hypnotized just then before he woke up?
Nothing phased him any longer. Not the pulses, nor the seductive images flashing in his mind. He just kept on walking.
What felt like an hour or so later he came to a wider vestibule of sorts. He could plainly see the door on the opposite wall. But he paused, sensing a trap. Warning bells were going off in his head. He couldn't see the vestibule's walls. It felt like a trap. One he really shouldn't simply stroll into.
Athan took another few steps and poked his head in. The walls weren't that far off from the hallway. The right side was empty besides a slightly raised, circular stand. It looked like a statue once stood there.
On the other side... his heart sank. On the left side was the same raised platform. Only a statue did rest upon it. And not any statue... an obsidian likeness of Bree the kitsune. She stood, feet shoulder length apart. Standing straight with her hands pressed together in front of her chest. Her tail was connected to the wall.
Athan gulped as he stood there feeling uneasy. It most certainly was a trap. Surprisingly though, the statue didn't move as he slowly entered the room. He moved as silently as he could towards the door, holding his breath, heart pounding in his ears.
