Shadow of the Abyss

"Well, that was unexpected," Altair said, leading Syris into his room back within the Palace of Stygian, where he'd have all the privacy he'd ever want or need. "What the hell? Did you really have to tell them I was shooting blanks? For fucks sake, Syris. Upon my Throne of all places?"

Syris had her face covered, blaring with such shame she couldn't even look him in the eye. The words had just come to her. Imagining those nasty sluts vying for what was hers had triggered something, something primal. At that moment, Syris could not control herself.

'What is happening to me?' She thought, scampering into the wall to face her time-out.

Altair was scratching his head, finding not only that her actions were adorably cute but also that, for some reason, he felt some inexplicable sensation of guilt as if he'd done something wrong. He hadn't… or had he?

"Syris… come on, speak to me," Altair said, finally sauntering over to her side. His shadow loomed like a warm blanket over her delicate frame. "what—

"I'm in time out… leave me alone," she said, pushing her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her knees and kept her head down.

Altair looked even more confused, caught between wanting to laugh and yell. It was ridiculous.

"Are you trying to punish yourself?" he asked, but Syris only seemed to sink further into herself until she resembled a ball. Altair paused, reflecting on Syris' past actions, starting from the days they spent outside the Lake of Rot. The insatiable sex, the dinners, training sessions, he reflected on it all, finding nothing… she was the same throughout it all.

Hesitant at first, but slowly, he'd worn down her guards, leaving her bare for his eyes only.

"Do… Do…" Altair hesitated. "Do you want me to punish you?"

Syris shuddered. "No…" she mewled softly.

"Then look at me."

Syris quivered, unwrapping herself and turning teary eyes towards him. Her moon-colored skin practically glistened, a lustrous glow of mana dancing across it.

"What is going on?" He asked, his voice softer than before. "You've acting… odd. What brought this on?"

Syris gulped, her pupils writhing uncontrollably. "I think I'm pregnant."

"..."

"..."

[>_<]

"W-W-W-What?" Altair muttered, blanking out for what seemed like a day. "What did you say?"

"I don't know! I feel so strange lately. Ever since we fucked in the Forest on the first floor. It felt as if my body was not my own." Syris covered her face. "My God, I got some of your shadow to blow air across your dick! Why would I… GOD!

Art… I can't get you out of my head. My hormones are out of control. Even now…. Look"

She opened her legs, revealing a wet spot across her robes, between her legs. "It…It won't stop throbbing." Experience tales at empire

Panicked, imagining his spawn in the hands of Azura or Adam, he stammered the words, "Did…Did…Did you ask Ava?"

Syris shook her head. "Then you'd know," she shouted. "Your AI is a stalker. Watch this! How many times did I cum this morning!"

"Seventy-two," Ava reacted almost immediately. 'Longest Orgasm lasted ten minutes. Multiple Orgasms occurred in tandem to—"

"See!" Syris shouted. "Art… I can't have a baby! I can't! I—"

"Ava… is Syris pregnent?"

"Negative," Ava said, to Altair's relief and dismay.

"See?" he said, looking down at the young woman, but Syris was only shaking her head, disrobing before him, sweat beading her tender skin. Her breath turned to pants, and a glossy hue glazed her eyes as she looked up with pleading eyes.

"Then why can't I stop?" Syris asked. "Are you using the Hands of the Incubus on me?"

Altair was slightly offended at that but hid the discontent. Something was wrong. Very…Very wrong.

"I'm not. I'd never use it on you. But…" He thought about it for a second before snapping his fingers, teleporting Raven to his side in an instant.

Syris felt she was burning with shame with the new addition of Raven; she looked pleadingly at Altair to take her away. Her naughty fingers inching towards her garden, a mess of viscous liquid. Yet an undeniable excitement tugged at her heart, spirling along the hole greedily devouring her fingers.

The pressure of her inner walls, tightening and writhing against her fingers, began to bend, reaching deeper and deeper and deeper, until an explosion of elation sprayed like a faucet across the room.

Syris threw her head back and squealed like a demon of lust. Shame turning to raw, unbridled pleasure. As she shamelessly played to the tones of her heart.

"Dear Lord," Altair gaped, rock hard. He might have already eaten her up if not for the look of shock across Raven's eyes. "What is it?"

"Art~don't~just~stare~ you~too~Raven~" Syris mewled, spreading her labia to reveal the delicate glint of pink. "Lets~have~some~fun~"

"You chose her," said Raven, tilting her head and pointing a finger down to Syris's little hole. "What is she doing?"

"... Ask Tasha. Now, what do you mean that I chose here?" Altair demanded, a little overwhelmed by all that he was seeing.

"Ah! Teehee! Oops!" Raven giggled, pivoting to Syris. "Syris has attuned herself to you. She is tapping into your skill. However, she's doing it unconsciously.

You've chosen her like you've Chosen Reina to be your Queen. Syris is to be your Saintess. The Saintess of the Vale."

"Eh?" Before Altair could ask how such a thing was possible, Raven continued.

"You shared your Authority with her. Somewhere in your consciousness, you recognized her, not as your Queen but as someone of equal rank. In this case… only one slot was available: the saintess."

"That's all it takes? Recognition and boom, someone is a saintess?" Altair snapped, more furious than interested.

"Trust is involved," Raven remarked. " Intense trust and love."

Syris's moans turned to pant-full laughs. "Art, you love Syris?" her honey pooling like an unending lake.

"Is that pee-pee? It doesn't smell like it. Hmmm. It smells sweet." Raven touched it. It wasn't water, that was for sure. Rather, it felt…slimy… gooey?

Raven tilted her head. "How does it taste?"

"Sweet…" Altair bonked her on the head. "stay focused. How do I stop this? She's channeling part of the Ninth Form. I have the soul of the Indomitable, but Syris…"

"Owie," Raven moaned, flaring her cheeks. "Master, you big meanie. Just give her Vale Qi, and you'll complete the transformation."She said before hurrying away, but not before she stuck her tongue out at him.

"That little… oh, whatever." He said, quite aware of Syris's bold actions. "Guess this has been building since the start of it all, eh?"

A/N: damn near 49 chapters

Altair sighed, opening his palm as mana flashed across his crest pupils.

'Sleep,' he invoked, allowing the sheet of mist to pulse around the defenseless Syris, who'd usually be immune to such a spell if she were aware.

Syris went limp, falling into Altair's arms before her head struck the floor.

With a bitter sigh, he looked her up and down, unsure if what he was doing was the right thing. Unsure what change might occur.

Altair settled her over the bed languidly, thinking back to their first time and how reluctant she'd been, how disgusted with herself. He compared behavior now versus then and wondered when it was Syris who became tethered to him.

Was it within the Ten Years they shared within the Lake or Rot or during these past few months?

He sighed, gliding fingers from her collar down her chest to where the Dantain resided.

"I hope you don't change," He said, and with deep concentration, he began to transfigure the Mana that coursed through his being into Vale Qi.

As the transformation took place, he could feel the dark nodes of this new energy slowly and steadily flowing through his meridians, like an ethereal river that carried with it a sense of power and vitality that outclassed even the strongest of energies known to the Myriad Heavens.

The Vale was Primal. Each node felt like a small explosion of energy as it passed through his body, leaving him feeling invigorated and alive. He closed his eyes and focused his mind on the task at hand, letting the energy flow through him, gathering at his fingertips and building up in a wisp of essence.

As the Vale Qi gathered, it began to shimmer and glow, taking on a life of its own. He felt the energy humming through him, warming his skin, and tingling at his fingertips, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

Altair stood transfixed, gazing intently at Syris' serene face. Despite his turbulent heartbeat that pounded in his chest like a drum, he attempted to still his mind, focusing all his energy on channeling the Soul of the Indomitable to rid himself of any abstract emotions. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he gasped for breath, the intensity of his focus increasing with every passing moment.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he began to channel Vale Qi into Syris.