Chance Meeting [Kor] - Completed

"Eliphas. I'm afraid it doesn't have another name to go with it." Eliphas was a name he kept because it was intermingled in Morgus' words. He would never let him forget who he was, even after telling him that the day would come that his name would no longer fit him, and that he would have to take another. Korvus was quite helpless, teased as he was and now becoming more than a little aroused. Composing himself was not impossible, but he was well aware of how inconvenient his position was. What he wasn't yet sure of was whether this was bravado, or whether he trusted her to some degree. His crow pecked at the wall curiously, glancing occasionally at Korvus with a bit of fear. What was this woman doing to him? Tenderizing him, perhaps? He tilted his head, fluttering slightly in preparation to swoop into action. No evil temptress was going to eat Master Korvus if he had anything to say about it, that was certain.

Korvus gasped, the hand in her hair tensing. He felt terribly vulnerable, perhaps more feminine than he would've liked, but also terribly aroused. It would've been a terribly interesting mix of emotions if Korvus could think straight, but was presently much more occupied to Bishop's ministrations. "I am," he moaned, "Bishop, darling..." he shivered beneath her, seeking to entwine their legs, familiar wants making his heart pump faster and causing a pleasant warmth through his skin.

Crow gave Bird an offended 'caw.' Who was this condescending creature? A minion of this meaneating temptress, no doubt. When Crow sprung into action, which he planned to do at some point after this girl started sucking down Korvus' legs like noodles, he was certain he would have to do battle with her beastly minions, and he was more than prepared.

...Some time later...

"Once I'm not so damned tired all the time," Korvus murmurs, shutting his eyes happily as she rubbed him and affectionately stroking her back. "You're so vicious. It's... well, it's lovely," he said, "It's why I want more." He fixed her with another grin, squeezing her tightly. Crow was shocked. He looked to the pompous other avian for explanation, flapping his wings urgently. Had they just fought? Had she tried to eat him? Just what was that exchange, and what purpose did it serve? No magic came of it, nor were any demons summoned that he could see, so why?

Korvus smiled, and the corwid was rather confused. "It's true, dear," he said, "I've had more than my fair share. One gets bored of such a... lack of any fun, truly." He was happy against her, as though all was as it should be. He had little concerns, few fears, and no pain but for the lovely ache of his muscles that came with Bishop's fire and lust. "I've learned nothing of a woman from making love to them," he mused, "From you, I've learned much. Now, focusing your thoughts. Might we begin?"

Crow tilted his head. His Master sought children? Why? And why with this woman? She still unnerved him, having that strangeness about her that he didn't like, as though she'd steal his mind. Just the type that would love to gobble him up, he was sure. He cawed at Bird, begging of their intentions for such an act, and why such different creatures would seek offspring.

Crow relented, he had much to consider.

"I'd burn down the wood to find you, if you did," Korvus teased, tracing a circle near the middle of her spine. "We will begin as simply as possible. Shut your eyes and focus on something, anything. A thought, a smell, the beating of my heart... so long as it's a single thing. Focus on it, take note of when you get distracted. Do this until you sleep. Tell me tomorrow how it went, and what you dreamed of." Korvus shut his eyes, allowing her silence as total as he could for the simple meditation. The steady rise and fall of his chest became apparent to him, as well as how tired their sex had made him...

Korvus did not dream.

That is why Korvus was slow to accept what he saw before him as mere fancy: it was himself and Bishop. He was fuller in form, stronger, with wilder hair that hung just above his waist. Scars marred his once-flawless grey skin, and in his scarlet eyes were tales of battles Korvus never thought he'd fight. Upon his body was not a robe, but pieces of hide and plates of dark steel etched with demonic writing. Mortal weapons and demonic powers were both known to him, an ax in one hand while the other crackled with unnatural flame. He even sported stubble, something unthinkable to Korvus.

Beside him was a hugely pregnant woman, surrounded by beasts of all kinds. Clad in leathers altered to fit her spherical belly, a mark he recognized as indicating one beloved to Kormok sat inked upon her forehead. Her hair, too, was longer, but she was mercifully bereft of any immediately visible facial hair. In her hand was a blade which Korvus knew well, cold steel with a handle fashioned in the likeness of coiled snakes and a blade spat from the mouth of a terrible serpent.

Kormok rose up behind them, taking one in each hand and holding them where they stood. When his great, armored fingers uncurled, there stood another man and another woman, neither of whom he recognized. One was clad in resplendent armor that made Korvus ill to look upon, and the other in dark robes holding, of all things, Crowtalon; his scythe. One was helmeted, the other hooded, and so he could not see their faces, but one approached him. Where the first made him ill, the other comforted him, and he felt the power and hatred that coursed through them so readily.

Rhadamanthus is how I will be known, spoke a feminine voice, And all that are weak in this world will quake at my coming.

Korvus did not like having to be awoken by Bishop, believing it made him seem as a layabout, but listened all the same when she told him of her progress. "A dream like that may well mean other things, as mine may well have, but that might just be my old warlock's sensibilities talking." He did not specify quite what he meant, but congratulated her on her progress and, furthermore, her focus. "City-folk have scattered brains and muddied minds. I should not have presumed the same of you."

Korvus ate quietly, considering her dream and his. Children? He wasn't even certain he could have children, why would either of them dream of such a thing. He was wont to chalk it up to queer coincidence, but Bishop didn't seem to be and he knew better than to think that there were even such a thing as coincidences. He sat and watched her make the tea once he was finished, remembering how she had looked fit to bursting in his dream. Such an athletic huntress' body... Korvus couldn't conceive of it now that his thoughts were free of fancy (or was it prognostication?) Bishop growing round and fat and moody, with their progeny or not, was not an immediately pleasing thought.

Korvus stood, watching the scene. He watched her move, felt a painful tugging at his mind from the fire, and stepped carefully toward her. Blood came from her nose an ears; a familiar sign. His eyes were drawn away from her, however, over to the fire. He gazed into it, his eyes going wide and his pupils dilating with painful rapidity. His mind went blank and he flopped onto the ground beside her, his body twitching as the briefly-empty space of his conscious mind was filled with words he could not fully hear and sensations he did not fully understand.

...lordsibeseechtheeblessmyprogenythateachshouldbringabout...

...adisappointmentasaman...andadisappointmentasmyson...

...idiotchildyouknownothingofmyways...evenafterallthistime...

...seekmenyourownagechild...excludmeespecially...

Korvus' prone, twitching body was kicked and so did a gout of black blood jet from his mouth. His eyes, still wide open, rolled about in their sockets as though he was possessed. One million voices assailed him, churning about in his head like a whirlpool and causing his mind to burn.

father

father

fatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfather
fatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfather
fatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfather
fatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfather
fatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfatherfather

They resolved into one voice, the voice from his dreams.

Father-darling...

I told you.

All the Infernal Court stands behind me. Oh, how we laugh. They see many things to come, my lovely progenitor. Things that you may not enjoy.

Be ready, father. And keep mommy safe, would you? We wouldn't want the spreading of your perfection... halted.

Korvus was still. His eyes stopped moving. He even sat up, coughing up a displeasing amount of blood and looking imploringly at Bishop. He wouldn't even ask about why his chest ached so. "I suppose... there's no denying it, then."

Korvus was sat in the corner, with his wards, where he had been all day. A clattering sound, bone fragments, repeatedly sounded its hollow staccato in front of him as he dropped them upon the floor and examined them. He felt more like some sort of primitive witch-doctor than a warlock, but kept true to his promise. No spells; if he could entice the will of the gods to make itself known to him through such simple matters, it would be better than nothing. Behind him sat the fire, left untouched and unnaturally burning, flames seeming to almost reach toward Korvus as he sat hunched over his simplistic bone-dice.

"Nor did I," Korvus murmured, watching his bone dice scatter apathetically. The Infernal Court, so many omens in such a short time... these weren't simply the love-children of an unlikely tryst. No power would put so much stock in them if they were. Korvus would have been a fool to leave her, he knew, if not because of the Court's probable wrath but because he had no doubt that Bishop would track him down and castrate him. Worst of all, Korvus wanted to stay and bear this out with her, or at least some part of him did. Perhaps, though Korvus never knew of it, Bird had been right when he spoke of the warlock as being of no higher status than they. "If you're expecting this gives me an excuse to disappear tonight, you're going to be sorely disappointed," he said, "I'll bear this out with you, so long as you'll keep me around." He considered reminding her of his promise.

He considered she already knew.

Korvus nodded. He understood, drew the truth from her voice and even smiled a little because of it. "The ward I put up was only useful against lesser demons, barely more than spirits. If the Infernal Court has taken an interest in us, I'm going to have to remind them of the Covenant..." The Covenant was a vague agreement made by a small mortal faction with the Karmorite greater demons concerning the terms in which they could enter the world. They didn't take it very seriously, but were forced to abide when it was shown to them. And so, he stood, stripping off his robe as he went and tossing it on the pile of furs. He gingerly took his knife from beside his mask and strode back over to the corner, "This may take some time, and more of my blood than I hope you'll ever have to see again."

Korvus winced as the knife slashed across his wrists and arms, and he moved quickly so as not to waste a drop of blood. His fingers slid across the wall gracefully, covering it with symbols and signs alien to mortal speech and distressing to the eye. This took the better part of an hour, most of which was spent ensuring each symbol was perfect. Once this was done, and the wall had become a madman's painting, a great weight seemed lifted from the air. The fire died down, and Korvus' hand glowed as he warped his flesh back to normal. He walked over to her, easing himself down beside her and smiling proudly. "We don't have to worry about any more visitors."