Devin stumbled backward, “Shit… that hurts.” He groaned in pain. “What the hell did she do…” He staggered, his strength failing him as he barely caught himself.

I rushed to hold him, and help prevent him from crashing to the ground and injuring himself further. He felt limp in my grasp even as his eyes found mine.

“Run…” Devin horsed out in a groan.

I wanted to… I wanted to do that so much.

“Despair…” Something seemed to almost whisper into my ear.

I clutched Devin tightly, “No!” I insisted.

I fished Devin’s knife from his limp fingers.

“What did you do to him!?” I demanded from Aquina who was still standing, somehow.

To my horror, her eyes were now fixed upon me, and while she was covered down her front in her own blood, her throat had… healed? Shit, I’d seen her body recover from injuries before too.

“I just cursed him. I must say I really do find curses quite wonderful.” She smiled clearly enjoying herself.

“Which means what?!” I demanded since she seemed to be in a talkative mood.

“What do you think?” She asked instead.

I could barely think at all. I was terrified, concerned, and fighting with all I had left to just not up and run away.

As if to further fuck me over the Drake that had just pulled its upper half from the pit finished climbing up and shook itself with a low growl. It glanced this way and that way noticing its rider was standing there. It still had a bit of a feral light in its eyes, but it wasn’t berserk like it had seemed earlier.

“So shape-shifting doesn't make you smarter huh? Fine, I’ll humor you. What would give someone the most despair?” She whispered the last sentence.

I hated her stupid game, I hated that she was actively enjoying this. I hated how I was so useless.

“Pa… Pa…” Devin tried to speak in my arms. He seemed so weak, barely able to even move.

“Paralysis?” The word just tumbled from my lips as I realized it.

“Maybe you weren't so stupid after all.” Aquina chirped. She glanced at her Drake and saw it sniffing the two men on the ground. Her smile only widened, practically glowing she spoke, “Food, eat up.”

I had to look away as the Drake began gnashing at the men who did nothing to resist. But that didn’t make me deft to the sound of crunching and groaning. I felt sick.

As if Aquina had the complete opposite reaction she just kept talking, “Imagine running into you again… this must be a divine mandate to make up for my previous failure. So, you were in that village? Hiding among the humans using your ability?” She laughed, “That's hilarious, to think you struggled this far only for me to find you again.” She giggled to herself, wasting her time cutting her hand and fingers with her knife as though savoring it.

“Devin…” I whispered down at him, “What… what do I do?”

He had no response, or rather, I supposed whatever that curse was, it was more complete now, causing him to simply stare back at me unable to respond.

“Naan… is dragon smith around?” I practically whimpered.

“No…” Naan replied simply.

“Wait…” Aquina paused her mirth considering me. The tone of her voice made a shiver crawl up my spine. “You know the townspeople too? You must have spent a few days with them right?”

“Yeah…” I agreed not sure what else to do.

“Oh… that's so delicious.” She preened.

“What?” I asked completely dumbstruck by her logic and actions.

“I’ll be right back… I want to see the look on your face as show you the heads of your friends.” She said walking over to the Drake and climbing onto its back. She glanced back at me, “You wouldn’t mind telling me which ones you cared about the most, would you?”

I just stared horrified at her.

“I didn’t think so… I guess I’ll just have to pick and choose.” She glanced at what remained of the attendants, and soldiers on the ground. “Pity I lost them, Then again… it is war, the high priestess will have to forgive me.” She glanced back at me, “What about the ones that ran off?” She asked instead.

“No…” I muttered.

“Oh? Some bit of a soft spot for those two? They can’t have gotten far.” She said pulling on the reins for the drake. The big monster resisted content in what remained of its meal. She pulled harder and it let out a grunt. “Come on… you can eat more later. I can’t wait to watch when you finally crack. When you can’t resist it any longer.. and when you do. Then I’ll harvest you." She shivered and moaned like she was having an orgasm, then kicking her legs into the drakes sides and I could only watch as it zigged then zagged out off among the trees.

“His heart is slowing…” Naan pointed out.

“What!?” I asked looking down at Devin even as his eyes remained fixed on me.

“Devin!” I shouted even as I shook in useless terror.

I didn’t know what else to do, so I pulled his shirt off and found myself staring down at black vines on his shoulder around a pretty nasty gash. The wound wasn’t pretty, but it probably wasn’t life-threatening in it itself. But this black stuff? This curse?

“How!? How do I fix it? How do you lift a curse!?” I demanded of Naan, or Devin, of the trees.

I knew this was probably a lost cause, I knew that there was probably nothing I could do. I just didn’t care.

“I don’t know.” Naan replied.

“Mana?” I asked as my tears began to flow.

No response.

“Mana gives me energy right? It helps heal the body? Makes it work? Maybe if I just give him some of my mana?” I said flailing for something, anything.

No response.

“Devin…. How? How do I help you?” I asked.

He didn’t move, didn’t do much of anything.

My mind raced, everything I knew flashing through my mind, things I was pretty sure I didn’t know doing the same. I was purely panicked. A memory flashed in my mind, How when I was using my dream ability I could send mana into them. But Devin wasn’t asleep, he was paralyzed.

“Naan!? Can we give him mana into his soul? Heal him with some kind of mana body? Something... Anything?”

No response.

“You want to save him?” A whisper reached my ears.

“Yeah…” I replied in an equally faint whisper.

“Enough to spread despair? To murder? To torture? To drive them all to utter hopelessness?”

I froze, “What the hell… are you?”

“I am… Lulinla” The slightly feminine voice whispered into me like an icy breeze.

The goddess that was actively killing Devin right now… was offering me a job?

“Be mine… I’ll save him. In return, bring despair to Aquina, and force her to lose everything.”

Two game pieces set against one another. That was all we were. It didn’t matter which of us prevailed, all that mattered was how much horror and ruin we could force upon the world.

“I can give you more… power, become my conduit… infiltrate and destroy societies…”

If there was one job a succubus probably could do, it was that. Even as I hung my head staring down at Devin my mind produced images and possibilities for it.

But one thing above all else held me back. The very idea made me sick. I’d killed someone and I didn’t really regret it. But I’d seen how Aquina acted. How she reveled in the suffering of others. How she actively even at this very moment raced off to kill so she could delight in my loss and pain.

That wasn’t me. That would never be me. “Fuck off.” I bit out. It hurt to discard that tiny hope, but I knew myself at least this much. If I accepted this deal... I'd be dead inside. As much as I didn't want to lose Devin. I could survive. Tears continued to trickled from my eyes as I knew that much.

Horrible icy laughter replied with a fading whisper, “Very well… But for that, know that my curse will claim your precious soul.”

I’d been distracted long enough. I needed to figure this out! “Damn it!” I shook with new rage, that I’d nearly been lured into being related to this… thing.

I remembered something else. Our soul contract. I'd entirely forgotten about it. Wait… “Claim your precious soul?” Devin wouldn’t go away, or would he? Would this curse… steal his soul from me? I didn’t want to watch him die in any case. But she'd steal that hope?

Devin was mine, I wasn’t going to give him up! But more importantly, I remembered the sensation of our agreement. Like a tether between us. Maybe I could use that? I didn’t know how any of this magic really worked, I was nothing but a child playing with matches, but somehow I felt as if I was connected to him, to his soul by something, anything. Then I could maybe give him something. Give him some of that life he’d given me back.

I felt for it and found it as naturally as breathing. Some part of me had never forgotten it, and now that I wanted it, it materialized between me and him. I leaned in and focused on that bond between us. I pressed, but what was I pressing?

Like how I breathed my mana out, I tried to do that, but instead, I focused on that strange cord between us. I pressed, and pressed…. Then as though something had to give, I felt something… creek.

What? What was that? I found myself looking at Devin, who was entirely still now.

“Devin!” I called out. My voice seemed far too quiet, not even an echo came back to me.

Something was strange. Something was very strange.

It wasn’t that Devin wasn’t moving, it was that I couldn’t move him either. I tried, tried to lift, tried to nudge him. But somehow, he felt solid, like a steel mockery had replaced him.

It was only then I realized the world around me seemed different, maybe brighter. I glanced up wondering why that would be.

Around me the trees were frozen, the stray bits of grass entirely still.

What was going on? Now that I was looking around me, I realized there seemed to be some strange light on us from overhead, was that the sun?

I glanced up to see, only to find a massive golden eyeball hovering overhead staring directly at me.