From the Brink

Doom wakes up in the queen's bedroom again. He can't remember how he got here, but then the memories of the fighting rush into his mind. He jumps out of bed. His injuries have all healed already and he feels fine, but he needs to know how everyone else is doing. He exits into the throne room and stops. Raig is here sitting on the throne all alone. He's obviously been injured, He's shirtless and his entire midsection is bandaged as well as one eye, he heard the door open and he turns to look at Doom. Doom stares back at him, uncertain of what to say. He huffs, "At least you're alive... That's something..." he says, obviously irritated.

Doom approaches carefully, "I'm sorry. I lost control. I don't know what happened," he apologizes and Raig shrugs.

"It doesn't matter why it happened. You fucked up and got people killed and injured," he says.

"H, how many are dead?" Doom asks.

"We buried 32 of our own. About 120 of theirs. Normally that would be cause for celebration not mourning, but that's 32 people more than needed to die," he says and then sighs, "I know what you really want to know though. Olivia and Cara are both still alive. Olivia is in bad shape, even with healing. Cara is fine, but resting. Ursa is dead, but you already knew that. Croya, Isidora, Gitta and Kasi managed to get through it mostly unscathed aside from a few mild injuries," he informs Doom.

"Your eye?" Doom asks and he closes his uninjured eye before opening it again as he answers.

"A lucky shot from a crossbow took out my eye. I got healed, but healing isn't perfect. I can't see out of it and the area is still horribly scarred," he says. Doom looks away.

"I really am sorry," he says.

"Don't be sorry. Be better," he responds and then huffs again, "there's a woman here for you, she's in the entrance hall," he announces. Doom is confused. He heads out of the room and spots Vox waiting downstairs. He freezes and then leaps down the stairs landing in front of her, knocking her onto her ass as she yelps. His tentacles lash out wrapping around her as he raises her to his face.

"You! Where's Belleza? How could you let your own sister die!?" he roars and she freezes, terror and sadness in her eyes. Doom hesitates and puts her down trying to restrain his emotions.

"She, she's not dead. At least I don't think she is!" Vox responds once she's standing again, "that bitch, the, the Regent! Her and her loyalists attacked, it was just me and Belleza, we couldn't stop them. Belleza let them take her prisoner so I could get away, she told me I needed to get to you, it would be the only way to save her!" she exclaims quickly.

"Could she really be alive?" Doom thinks to himself, but then tenses and in a low growl he speaks, "I felt the mark disappear," he tells her and she looks shocked.

"Th, that's not possible. Not unless-" she stops and then shrieks, "-she assured me they wouldn't kill her! She said that mark would keep her alive!" she yells, panic visible on her face and tears appearing in her eyes as she presses her hands against Doom's chest, "y, you! You left us there alone! This is your fault!" she screams, starting to beat her hands against his chest, "she believed in you!" she yells and Doom simply stands there. He knows that she's right.

Still, after a few seconds, he grabs her hands and yanks them above her head, ceasing her blows and she swallows and looks up at him, "I..." he hesitates, "I'm sorry..." he finishes and she blinks in surprise at his words and then he continues, "You and me. We're going back there right now. I'm going to slaughter anyone who had a part in hurting her and maybe, by some miracle, she'll still be alive," he states and she nods.

Doom pushes past her and then hesitates. He said just her and him, but he should probably at least bring one other. If they're going to be facing the Regent they'll definitely need someone else since Doom isn't sure he'd be able to do much against her directly. He turns and heads into the city, finding Kasi after a bit. "Kasi. I have a job for you!" he states and she eagerly steps forward.

"Whatever you desire, chief," she says and Doom smiles slightly, even after everything Kasi seems utterly loyal and simple.

"Come. We're going on a special mission. It's either a rescue or an extermination mission, we'll know in a bit," he explains and she follows without hesitation as the three head to the gates. The gates open and the three head out. As the gate closes behind them Doom wonders if they should have brought more, but in his current state the thought is fleeting and is soon overtaken by visions of what he's going to do to the Regent if Belleza is dead.

It feels like it takes no time at all to arrive at the gates of Kia Marun. There are guards posted outside the gate, but Doom doesn't even hesitate. A single earth bullet each smashes their skulls into dust before they even notice him. He places his hands on the gate and tries to **** them open. Magic flows into him as Vox casts a strength buff on him and he smashes the gate open easily. There's no guards inside. Kia Marun had been left in a pretty rotten state and there certainly weren't many guards available afterwards. Doom heads to the palace and is somewhat unsurprised to see that the way is blocked again.

A mirror of a scene that felt like ages ago now as Lianna Vessi stands on the steps of the palace, her halberd was broken and so instead she found a simple sword and a shield and her armor is gone. She's dressed only in a simple tunic and chainmail pants and there's fear in her eyes as she sees Doom.

"Greetings fellow child of the mother," he greets her and she flinches, "are we to be enemies again?" he asks and she looks away.

"If you are here to harm us I will fight you, but it doesn't have to be that way!" she says hope is obvious in her voice, "you can repent your actions, join us," she suggests.

Doom takes a few steps forward and speaks, "the woman who was here. I'm here for her. Is she alive?" he asks and feels a rush of relief as she responds.

"Yes! The Regent has undone the curse placed upon her and she has returned to the light, you can join her," she says. Doom isn't sure what that second part means, but it sounds like Belleza is alive and the Regent simply found a way to remove the mark. The idea that the mark could be removed was a disturbing one, but at the moment Doom was just happy to learn Belleza was alive. He casts a smile at Lianna and approaches her. Vox and Kasi watch from behind.

"I thank you for your mercy," he says, moving to kneel in front of her and she smiles down at him. She reaches her shield bearing arm to pat his head.

"It's not my mercy it's the mother's merc-" she starts, before she's cut off. Doom's hand moves to suddenly grab her arm and twist it making her scream in surprise and pain. He stands grabbing her sword arm and forces her down to her knees.

"You should have stayed in your cell," he hisses at her and she looks horrified and confused by his actions and it only gets worse as he forms a cock and forces the tip against her lips. She tries to pull her head back, but he yanks her forward by her arms and his cock is **** against her lips, crushing them against her teeth. He releases her injured arm and grabs the back of her head, forcing her forward, her mouth opening after a few seconds as she realizes his cock is going in one way or the other.

He feels his cock slide into her mouth and he pushes it forward until it's pressing into her throat, making her neck bulge with its girth. She drops the sword as she struggles to breath with his cock **** deep down her throat. Tentacles lash out as he releases her head and arm, the tentacles turning her upside down and pinning her against his chest, with her head still **** down on his cock as he heads up the stairs gesturing for Vox and Kasi to follow.

They enter The Regent's palace, Lianna still struggling faintly, her throat convulsing around Doom's cock as she struggles to breathe. A man stands in the foyer and he grins and steps forward, "Intruders, hu-" he starts, but then stops as he spots Kasi. His eyes widen and he hastily backsteps to the point he falls on his ass.

Kasi steps forward raising her club to her shoulder, "Ooh! Hello again, Dragon Slayer! You want a rematch?!" she states enthusiastically and he shakes his head frantically. Kasi laughs, "you sure? You know what I can do now. Maybe you'll do better this time?" she suggests and he closes his eyes and shakes his head again. Kasi seems disappointed, but shrugs, "fine... Stay right there," she says and then nods to Doom.

They continue up the stairs towards the Regent's chambers. Doom smashes the door to her chamber open and immediately dodges back as a burst of flame engulfs the doorway. Kasi giggles and rushes forward, running through the burning doorway and rushes towards the woman in the back of the room who hastily starts casting another spell. Kasi leaps, "You can't burn a dragon, sun mage!" she taunts and her opponent grins, a column of rock slams up from below and crashes into Kasi's chest launching her backwards. She falls onto her ass and lays on the ground clutching at her breasts.

"Then I suppose I'll just bury you," Belleza says as she steps forward and raises her hand, summoning another column of earth which crashes down from the ceiling and hits Kasi slamming her through the floor into a room below.

Vox rushes into the room, "Bell!" she calls out in shock and Belleza turns to her.

"Hello, sis, tell Doom to come on in, I have some things I need to tell him," she says, forming a fireball.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vox asks and Belleza sighs.

"Isn't it obvious? They removed the mark! You don't know what it's like! Being trapped in your own flesh! I didn't do anything to deserve that torment and now I'm free!" she says and then looks nervous, "I... I haven't betrayed you, Kasi is still alive, if injured, I won't hurt you or the others, I just want Doom," she says and Vox shakes her head.

"He's the champion of Melanoche, I don't like him either, but I can't let you kill him, without him the darkness will fall to the light," Vox states.

"Fine. If I have to go through you first I will," Belleza says and then smiles, "I'll try not to leave any permanent wounds," she says.

Vox lowers her head, "I'm sorry, Bell..." she says and then speaks, "Flame Ward!"

Hiding outside the doorway, once again magic flows into Doom's body.

"What did you just do?" Belleza yells.

"Gave Doom temporary fire immunity. It's very temporary so work fast!" she says yelling the last bit back towards the doorway. Belleza growls and Doom crashes through the damaged doorway and lunges towards Belleza. She hits him with a fireball, but true to Vox's words he feels nothing, Lianna however screams around his cock and begins to flail violently as the flame licks at her skin and burns away her clothing. Doom crashes into Belleza knocking her to the ground, his tentacles wrap around her throat and arms pinning them behind her.

She grunts as she is restrained, "Kill me! Kill me! Anything, but marking me again!" she begs looking up at him hatefully, forcing her words out in choked breaths as the tentacle squeezes her throat. Doom stares down at her. She betrayed him, but it was his fault. He marked her with no cause, he didn't know what it did then, but still he used her as a random experiment. He can't blame her for her anger. He releases her throat and speaks in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry. I never realized what I'd done when I marked you. I saw afterwards what it did to Olivia and Ursa, but it never occurred to me that it was doing the same to you, I just believed that because you were already serving me willingly it had only heightened your loyalty or something," he explains and she swallows.

"It did, in a sense. It locked me in a state of constant service. I couldn't control myself, my every thought focused on you and I wanted nothing, but to serve you in any way I could. It wasn't until it was removed that I even registered how awful it truly was." she admits weakly, tears appearing in her eyes and she shudders, thinking about it.

"I won't mark you again, I'm really sorry, please come back to me?" he begs her and she hesitates. Her body shakes slightly.

"I don't know if I can. I don't know if I can forgive you." she says weakly.

"Then don't. Just work with me for the glory of darkness?" he suggests and she looks away.

"Alright..." she says and he releases her. He also pulls Lianna's head off of his cock to let her breath, she's still alive, but her body is burned and naked. She appears to have lost consciousness either from the pain or the lack of oxygen. He leaves her bound against him, but turns her rightside up, with her head resting against his chest and his cock rubbing between her ass cheeks.

"Where is The Regent?" Doom asks and Belleza sighs.

"Gone. When she got word of the defeat of the Capital's armies she left, said she was going to get allies, but I think she was just running away honestly," she says with a hint of disgust.

He growls, making a promise to himself that he'll find her and make her pay dearly for this.

"Vox go get Kasi, we're heading back to Saluma, we're going to get some soldiers to transfer the prisoners from here to Saluma to prevent this from happening again, I'll bring Lianna and the guy downstairs myself. Assuming they're still here, Ginny and Malcolm will need to be transferred, I'm not losing anymore prisoners, not after Celli and The Regent," he announces. Vox nods and heads down to get Kasi. Doom goes down and sends out a tentacle to grab the man who's still cowering in the corner. The tentacles bind his arms and drag him along as with Vox, Kasi and Belleza in tow and Lianna still held in place Doom heads back to Saluma.