It was a little comical, Vivi thought, making her way down the stairs, to be stumbling in the darkness while holding a lantern.
It wasn't completely dark, at least. The runes covering the walls around her pulsed with dying light, segmenting the stone into large jigsaw pieces. It was enough light to see the next step, but not quite enough to see the bottom yet. The clicking of her heels against the stone echoed into the darkness below.
Vivi laughed to herself. She wasn't worried about what lay down there. There was only one other Cloistermage, one last guardian between her and her prize. She'd already beaten their partner. Her confidence was unshakeable.
But halfway down the stairs, Vivi heard something that made her stop in place. She cocked her head.
It was quiet, distant. It could have been her imagination. But she swore she could hear soft little moans from down below.
Vivi wasn't worried, but that was... strange. She knew for a fact that this demoness's bindings had a few more days left in them. Had the bindings shattered early? That would make this much more tedious.
The moans dropped away after a few more seconds. Vivi listened intently, but no further sounds came.
After a brief hesitation, she shrugged and started walking again. Maybe it had been her imagination. She would know soon enough.
Vivi's eyes were beginning to adjust to the faint, pulsing light levels as she reached the bottom step. A figure emerged from the darkness before her.
Vivi stared. She blinked twice.
And she barely held in a laugh.
A Cloistermage nun stood before her, staff upraised, facing her down with a determined stance. A nun. A predatory thrill raced through Vivi at the sight. She'd been so hoping it would be a nun.
Vivi didn't know much about the Cloistermages, although she didn't expect there was much to know. They were adepts who drew power from denial and detachment. Supposedly they learned 'secret arts' of mental resistance, but Vivi was pretty sure that was just what they liked people to think.
And nowhere was there better evidence than the girl before her. Vivi's teeth bared in a wicked grin. Just one look at Vivi--hot, sexy, gorgeous Vivi--and the nun's cheeks were as red as sunsets. And that was before Vivi got to work on her.
And was this girl already swaying a little? She was breathing in awfully heavily. Gosh, Vivi knew her perfume smelled nice, but it wasn't like she drugged it.
Although, from the purring delight rising in her chest, Vivi decided she
liked
how girls looked breathing in her scent. Maybe she'd have to look into the perfume thing next time.
"Begone!" the nun cried, and Vivi actually started--she'd almost forgotten the nun wasn't already broken. "Y-You--you cannot come in here! The demon must not be freed!"
The demon was not yet visible. It was even darker down here than on the stairs. Vivi could make out a shadowy blob a little ways off, but they had good distance.
Good enough distance that Vivi could probably risk showing her hand, just a little.
A visible shiver ran through the nun's whole body, making her voice quiver deliciously. Vivi licked her lips.
She considered the shaking nun. Normally she'd take her time with a pretty thing like this... but there would be time for that later.
Vivi smiled brilliantly at her. "Shut up, slut," she cooed softly. "It's time to learn what
real power
feels like~"
She flipped open the lantern cap, shut her eyes against the brilliant light that streamed forth, and darted forward. Only the faintest pulsing light reached behind Vivi's eyelids, but the nun's gasp told Vivi that
she'd
gotten a nice, full dose.
Her arm looped around the nun's waist just as she felt the nun starting to go limp. She leaned in, licked her lips, and breathed in the mage's ear, "Just
relax
, cutie."
"N-No..." she heard the nun whimper. "I-I'm supposed to... p-please,
don't
..."
Pleading just turned Vivi on more, of course.
Vivi flicked the lantern closed, set it down, and pulled the woman tightly against her. "Aww, silly girl," she whispered, "that's not what you meant to say, is it~?"
"N-No, it--I--"