A costly victory

Venus charged into the clearing, her sword a blur as she decapitated a ghoul caught off guard by the attack. Venus mentally scratched one off the list as she spun, swinging her sword for a second ghoul. This one stumbled back trying to avoid the blow but lost one hand to her blade. It shrieked in agony as black blood oozed from the wound. She heard Moseph call out to her and turned in time to see the Necromancer lash out at her with lighting magic, tainted black from his corrupted soul. Venus dove behind a crumbling stone ruin and then rolled to avoid the sword of one of the skeletons.

Venus couldn't dodge everything, and as she tried to recover from her evasive actions, a ghoul jumped off of a nearby pillar of stone and landed upon her. Before she could react, a blaze of blue fire slammed into the undead creature's face and it fell backwards, clawing at the still burning flesh. Venus looked up from her position and saw Inari racing past her, making a mad dash for Moseph's staff. Malgan was shouting an order for someone to stop her and Venus caught sight of Moseph pulling some small vials from a pocket. He threw one into the group of skeletons and when it hit the ground, the bluish green liquid inside reacted to the vial breaking. A small tornado whipped up, blowing apart most of the boney warriors before they could move. Malgan sent another wave of lighting at the fox, but she dodged it easily and continued her charge.

Venus finally got to her feet and tried to charge the Necromancer, but two ghouls blocked her path. One charged her and swung at her, but she almost laughed when she saw it was the one that had lost a hand. The one it was trying to attack with. She easily sidestepped the bloody stump and slammed a fist into its face before sweeping its legs from under it. As it fell, the second charged recklessly and she simply stabbed at it, allowing the ghoul to impale itself before stomping on the throat of the one she had just tripped. Risking a glance at the one Inari had burned, she saw that between the flames and its own clawing, its face was completely gone and it had stopped moving. Four ghouls down. The final ghoul still in the fight had tried to attack Moseph, but his second vial had set it ablaze as well and it was now little more than cinders.

It looked like everything was going as planned. Inari reached the staff and shifted into human form. Just as she scooped it up and prepared to throw, the large skeleton came from behind another stone pillar and slammed his war hammer into her side. Inari was knocked hard into the remains of a stone wall and the staff was sent spinning wildly into the air. Venus tried to rush to her aid, but Malgan and the remain four skeletons stood in her way.

"Ah, looks like the toy returned! And a shape shifting kitsune as well? If she isn't dead, she could be useful for my experiments," mused the Necromancer. Venus readied her sword and the mage lifted one hand, black fire growing in it.

"I wouldn't attack if I were you. Between my magic and these warriors of mine, there is little left you can do. The mage is out of tricks and is of no use to me alive, but you on the other hand..." Malgan's eyes went to her shirt where the valley between her breasts was clearly visible. She cringed inwardly as his eyes took her in like a piece of meat he could devour.

"I'd rather die than be your toy Necromancer!"

"My dear, even dead I can still use you as a toy. I simply need to make sure the killing blow doesn't damage anything and as long as you are fresh... Well, at least for a day for two. After that, even a reanimated corpse starts to rot unless made into a ghoul."

"You are sick! Fight me fair and I'll cut off your balls!"

"That is why I never fight fair!"

He started to gather more magic into his hand, but suddenly his chest split open as the tip of an ice lance **** its way out. The dark mage toppled forward and the rest of the lance could be seen. A few feet behind them, Moseph was almost laying on his side holding the staff. With the loss of their master, the skeletons seemed to droop for a moment, unsure what to do. Venus didn't hesitate with the opening. She charge in, her sword knocking them to pieces in a matter of moments. With that done, she rushed to Moseph's side. The mage was already pulling another vial from his many pockets and started to drink. The wound at his side slowly began to close.

"Are you ok Moseph?"

"I'll be fine beast tracker, but what of the kitsune? Did I really see her transform? I didn't think she was that powerful?"

Venus helped the man to his feet and supported him as they made their way to where Inari lay. She was conscious, but her eyes were fluttering and her breathing as labored. Venus helped Moseph kneel by her and he looked her over. When his hand touched her, Inari seemed to come back to her senese a little and looked up at him.

"Mo-Moseph? I'm glad...."

"Shhh fox, let me look at you. I can help."

"Not like that. You're too injured. It would kill you to save me."

"She's right," Venus cautioned. She didn't like this, the fox had saved her twice now and she couldn't do a thing when Inari needed her. Venus felt so helpless.

"Moseph, do you have anymore of that healing potion?"

"No, during the fight before you arrived most of my potions were either destroyed during the battle or used. The vial I had was the last."

"There has to be something we can do to save her? Can you borrow some magic from me or something?"

The mage shook his head sadly, but Inari reached out a trembling hand and took Venus's hand into her own.

"Thank you Venus. You saved my Moseph. You don't have to save me too. I can die happy knowing that he is safe."

"This isn't right! You saved me and I can't do anything for you?"

"The only way... No, that wouldn't be right."

"What is it," pleaded a sobbing Venus. She had only known her a short time, but the battle had been enough to form a bond in her eyes. Inari was a comrade.

"Fuse with me. You would become me, and I, you. You Venus, can become my incarnation."

"You can't be serious," Moseph said shaking his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Venus, only very powerful spirits and lower class deities can be reincarnated like she is talking about. There is no way unless," then he froze, his blue eyes taking in the injured woman as if seeing her for the first time. It was barely a whisper, but Venus heard him mutter the name "Lianna." Inari gave him a soft, knowing smile.

"Yes. I chose this form after your wife died. I wanted to comfort you so badly, but I knew that if you saw me in her form, you would reject me. So I stayed away and simply watched you. As I have done for years until finally coming to you as a kitsune a few months ago. I thought you were finally ready to move on. My name is Inari."

"She is a deity then."

Moseph seemed almost lost as he said this. He was staring at Inari and Venus wondered if he felt like he was losing his wife for a second time. Looking at the fox, Venus knew that fusing with Inari was the only way to save her. But she also feared that in doing so, she would lose herself. How would things change if she and Inari became one person? Would that make her a kind of goddess? Would she even remember herself as Venus? The choice was hers, and she only had a few moments more to make it.