Jade Curtiss, though he was a confident man, knew when he had been defeated, but he never seemed it. Perhaps it was just another face he put on like all the others, to hide a lifetime of regret that was shown on the true person of the Necromancer. Or maybe he just had a good poker face. But despite his best efforts, there was one person in particular who he couldn't help but tease and toy with. It was too easy and too amusing to him. Perhaps it was his way of showing affection? Others would take notice of his target and think it strange, or cute; and it was, in a sense, both strange and cute. After all, she was only a little girl. Others dismissed it entirely and thought nothing of it. After all, Jade was an unusual man by nature; such behaviors didn't seem all that unusual. Above all else, Jade was a man who wished to atone for his past mistakes by being careful not to create new ones in the present. But it wasn't quite as simple as that, thanks to certain comrades he had made.
The bridge of the Tartarus was a warzone in its own right, corpses of both friend and foe littering the ground, combatants thinking nothing of the bodies as they stepped right over them to approach a new opponent. Oracle Knight Troops surrounded Jade, clearly outnumbering him but still afraid, as they feared the Necromancer's rumored proficiency with fonic artes. He stood calmly in the middle, still smiling though visibly shaken, and cast a spell.
"Arise, o violent waters, to rout mine enemies. Blessed Drops!" the man shouted while the blue circle beneath him glowed brightly. The area around him turned to water and violently erupted, battering many enemies and killing a few. Those who survived rushed the Necromancer down. He raised his hand and, bathed in a green light, his weapon, a spear, materialized. He raised it to the sky and it reacted to the blue Field of Fonons around him.
"Be swallowed by water! Mighty Deluge!" He thrust the spear into the ground and water ripped up around from the ground. Again, the rest of the foes were sent flying. None of them got up. His visage grew serious as he looked around him and couldn't find any of his comrades. He knew they were alive, but he didn't want them to be hurt or the battle could be compromised. He knew better than to trust his men. Then he heard a familiar voice on the lower deck.
"Fon Master Ion! Give him back!" exclaimed the small, surprisingly forceful thirteen year old girl, her dark pigtails swaying in the turbulent winds. A large man carrying the Fon Master, a sickly looking boy with green hair, only grinned at the girl and readied his weapon, a large scythe. Largo the Black Lion was large and very lion-like, sporting a hairstyle and beard that looked like that of a lion's mane. Without warning, Largo swung the huge blade at the girl, who had no time to react. Spark flew as steel met steel. Jade managed to stand his ground against the attack, all while shielding the girl.
"Anise," he said. "you must be more alert, especially around the Oracle Knights." she nodded her head slowly, eyes wide open. Her usual spunk removed by the severity of the current situation.
"Well, if it isn't the Necromancer himself!" said Largo gruffly. "And just when the job looked to be almost over, too."
"What did you expect when you boarded the Tartarus?" he grinned at the God General. "It's a shame I've never been a cat person."
"Enough talk." Largo growled, putting down the bound Ion and swinging his mighty weapon once more. Jade lept into the air and thrust his spear into the floor, causing the scythe to stop dead. Pivoting off the top of his spear, he flipped himself over and launched a kick right at Largo's jaw. The impact made a dull thud. Recoiling only slightly, Largo took the opportunity to grab the assailant's leg with his free hand and slamming him into the ground. Jade managed to stop himself with his arms and he rolled over onto his back, evading another swing of the scythe; a vertical swing that cleaved the floor boards and stuck the weapon in place. Both men having lost their weapons, Largo rushed at Jade, fists flying. Jade coolly sidestepped and ducked two punches, never losing his confident expression. He backed into the wall unexpectedly and got rocked in the face once, causing him to stumble and lose his breath; Largo followed up with a gut punch that knocked Jade to the floor.
Meanwhile Anise had been working on getting the Fon Master freed, when she saw Jade getting cornered. She pulled the doll off her back and it grew exponentially in size. She climbed on its back and started after Largo. Tokunaga launched a series of punches at Largo, each one hitting him squarely in the back.
"Shadow Raid!" Wasting no time, she followed her attack with another. "Dual Dragon Surge!" Chaining her moves, Tokunaga spun around rapidly, hitting its target multiple times until he faced Anise; then a fierce uppercut launched him into the air. He crashed onto the ground like a large rock, his back connected with the floor. Jade stood up and began casting as if on instinct. An orange circle shone beneath his feet as he recited his incantation.
"O roar of the earth, bring forth the fangs of the mighty dragon! Ground Dasher!" Jagged stones ripped forth from the ground, tearing into Largo and the wall of the corridor they were in, exposing the three to the cold outside air. It seemed to be over, for Largo couldn't get up. He lay there, cut and battered.
"Anise! Are you okay?" Jade asked his small friend.
"Aww, Colonel, you were worried about me?" She playfully responded.
"Of course." Colonel Curtiss retorted, "It's imperative that the Fon Master remains safe." She puffed up her cheeks at him and put her hands on her hips in irritation. "Oooooh, boo! You're so mean, Colonel." He seemed to get a rise out of her so easily. Their brief moment of peace had ended when an explosion reminded them of where they were. Another God General, Sync the Tempest, dashed down the corridor and snatched the Fon Master away before the two could react.
"Oh no! Ion!" she chased after Sync, only to be stopped by Largo. He swung his mighty scythe and knocked Anise with the blunt end, knocking her out of the hole in the ship's hull. She fell and she could faintly be heard screaming back up "I'll kill you bastards!". Jade, instead of giving chase to Sync and fighting both him and Largo, knew his ship and Ion had been lost. So he jumped after Anise, who had been separated from her doll mid-fall, which prevented her from using it to cushion her fall. She started to panic. Jade pinned his arms to his sides, made his whole body straight and faced the ground, his from resembling that of a torpedo, in order to become more aerodynamic; thus falling faster. He aimed for Anise and grabbed her when he reached her. It was that moment that he realized that he didn't know what to do next. All he could do was hope they landed in a deep enough body of water. He held her close and covered her eyes.
"Colonel..."
"Don't look down, you're going to be okay." he replied, his usual tone gone. He sounded helpless, wondering why he decided to jump out of the Tartarus after her. No point in questioning it now, he thought; and he had never been one to dwell on the past. He knew he couldn't change things, so he accepted them. He faced himself towards the point of impact, intending to take the brunt of the impact. Anise, knowing his intention, grew distressed but remained silent.
There was a silence that seemed to last for minutes, the only sound at all was the air roaring in their ears as the earth grew closer and closer. Neither dared to look, but the Fubras River was below them. Even though it was shallow, it would reduce the impact by enough so that it would not be a fatal fall. Hopefully. At last, the two bodies collided with the water, crashing into the surface and leaving a huge splash in their wake, and hitting the bottom of the river with great force. Jade suddenly exhaled all of the air in his lungs as his lower back struck a rock. A searing pain spread through his body, compounded by the wounds he sustained fighting Largo. Anise was shaken and out of breath, but okay. She dragged Jade up to the surface of the water, where they both gasped for air. Swimming to the water's edge, Jade collapsed on the riverbank, sputtering and coughing up water. He was bleeding in various places. Anise was distressed by his condition, and realizing they had no healer, gave him an Apple Gel. He graciously accepted the treat and was somewhat revitalized by its sweetness. He sat himself up and assessed the situation, grasping his left arm limply.
"Well, this is quite a situation we've gotten ourselves into, isn't it?" he somehow seemed amused by it all.
"Booo, Colonel, you could've died." Anise feigned anger as tears streamed down her face. "That was scary..." Jade was startled by her reaction.
"Anise, there's no need to be upset. We are both alive, we just need to find a place to rest. Then we can pursue the Oracle Knights." Anise just remembered what had happened aboard the Tartarus only minutes ago.
"Ion.." She looked down sadly, staring blankly into the water. Jade stood up and winced in pain.
"Well, this is unexpected." he said. "I didn't expect to sustain so many injuries."
"Maybe it would be best to rest here for now. You need to recover."
"And you should find your doll." She just noticed the lack of its presence.
"You're right; I'll go look for it. Maybe it fell around here."
"So be it." he replied, "I'll remain here, then." Anise darted off into the wooded area nearby, searching for her doll, which would still be in its large form. Fortunately, it was a short distance away and she easily spotted it in its own little crater among the grass. Standing it up, she wondered what to do next; making a camp would likely fall to her because of Jade's injuries. But what did a campsite need? Fire, of course! Being the genius she was, she used Tokunaga to gather up a large amount of firewood. Marching back to the landing site, Anise proudly presented her gathered firewood like it was a hard-earned trophy.
"Colonel, I thought I would make a fi-" she was cut short by the sight of the quaint fire sitting in front of Jade, crackling peacefully at his feet.
"Oh, Anise! I figured I'd best make myself useful, so I made a fire. It's actually quite easy with fonic artes." he chuckled to himself. Anise balled her hands into fists and angrily sat down next to the fire, turning Tokunaga into its regular size. The fire was warm and inviting, but to her it seemed the flames burned with pure spite. They took the time to dry their soaked hair and properly assess their own situations. Jade had a bad cut on his lower back, his face was badly bruised and his nose was bloodied. His left are was possibly fractured, and his TP was low.
"Do we have any medical supplies?" asked Anise.
"It doesn't seem so, but we could make some bindings out of various materials, like cloth, for example." he looked at Tokunaga with a glint in his eyes. Anise yelled at him. "Oh, perish the thought! Forgive me, I never REALLY meant that." he sarcastically pleaded for forgiveness.
"Colonel, you're all bloody! Clean yourself up!"
"Oh my, you're right. I had hardly noticed." he laughed, then started coughing uncontrollably. He cleared his throat. "...Though, I really shouldn't stay this way. I run the risk of infection... or worse." Looking upon his bloodied, dirt-covered clothing, he decided to clean them in the river. It was getting dark, but he rose from his spot and walked over to the water's edge. He removed his high boots and gloves and waded into the water. He unbuttoned his shirt and felt the water temperature.
"This simply will not do." he pushed his glasses back with his forefinger and recited an incantation. "Grant mine enemies a final rest...Flame Burst!" Two streams of flame streaked into the water. The intensity of their heat brought the water's temperature up significantly. Placing his hand into the water again, he felt it sufficiently warm. "Much better." He removed his shirt and his long sleeved tunic and submerged the both, sure to clean the blood and dirt off of them. Wading back out of the water, he laid out the garments to dry by the fire. He turned to face discover Anise staring at him. His figure was surprisingly toned; Anise had assumed he was just a lazy caster, but he was also a soldier. The bleeding wounds on his person are what bothered her most.
"Anise." he said sternly. She snapped out of her daze, thinking he had something important to say. Instead he teased, as he often did. "You could join me if you'd like. I could help you wash your back." he mused. Her face turned a deep crimson and she refused to respond. "You don't have to if you don't want to." he almost sang. He was enjoying her embarassment far too much. He returned to the water, warming it more with fire elemental fonic artes, but was careful to conserve his TP. The river now bubbled like a hot tub. Jade stripped the rest of his outer clothes and after washing them, tossed them ashore. He waved to Anise spitefully, and returned to the river. His aching body was soothed by the warmth of the bubbling water. He was enjoying the relaxing water so much that he had forgotten where he was and what he was doing for several minutes. All was well, until he felt something press against his back that made him cringe.
"Hi, Colonel." said the familiar voice from behind him.
"Anise," he became serious for the first time in a while, "what are you doing?"
"Booo! Colonel, you invited me in here!"
"I was just teasing you, Anise." he facepalmed.
"Well, I need to get clean, too!" You got your blood all over my clothes!" He didn't audibly respond. She paused and looked at his back, covered in bruises and cuts. She ran her fingers over his wet skin and felt the bumps and cuts that she had caused. He gasped in pain. "I-I'm sorry, Colonel! I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay." he sighed, "It's not your fault."
"But it is my fault! You got hurt protecting me!" she cried. Anise wrapped her arms around Jade's bare waist, hugging him tightly. Her thin frame pressed against him tightly.
"No!" he said tersely. She was taken aback by his sudden change in tone. "I was harmed protecting my ship and repelling the Oracle Knights. None of it was your fault." He realized that he had upset her and smacked himself for it. "Erm, I mean..." he was at a loss for words. He turned around and pulled Anise close and wrapped her into a warm embrace.
"I'm glad you're not hurt." he finally said. Anise was even more surprised, her eyes wide in disbelief. The colonel had never acted this way. But he was sincere, she could tell. She felt at ease in his arms.
"Colonel, I-" she didn't know how to react. "I still haven't properly thanked you for saving my life twice today." She pulled away and looked at the Necromancer. Her brown eyes met his piercing red eyes.
"Please," he said, "call me Jade."
"I owe everything to you. If it wasn't for you, I would've been dead a long time ago." His face lit up as her lips pressed against his forehead in a tender kiss. Noone had ever shown him such affection. Yet, he never expected this from Anise, the recipient of so much of his infamous teasing and prodding. But when he thought hard about it, she was the only true friend he had left. He had many acquiantences and allies, and a very large number of enemies; but Anise stood above the others in his eyes. She was special to him. It had taken him until this moment to realise it, but he loved Anise. This time he kissed her back, on the cheek. "You're very welcome."
"Jade?" she blushed.
"What is it?"
"Can you help me wash my back?" she teased on purpose.
"I would love to." he replied. She took her white gloves off and pulled the white garment she wears over her head, tossing both ashore. She pulled her pink tunic down over her shoulders and let it slide off down her body, leaving only her small bra on her upper body. Putting up his knee, Jade sat Anise on his leg and pulled her long socks down her legs individually; both times moving so slowly, so sensually. She felt anxious and excited by his touch. Still atop his bent leg, Jade began to wash the girl's back, running his fingers up and down her smoothe skin. Jade craned his head close to her and whispered into her ear, "This is going to have to go if I'm going to wash your back. I want to be as thorough as possible." She shuddered as he ran his fingers across the hook of her bra. She wimpered at the mere thought. But then it happened. He unhooked the garment and threw it aside carelessly. He returned his attention to her back when he noticed a cut on her lower back.
"Anise, you're bleeding. Does it hurt?" he asked playfully.
"I-it's nothing. Don't worry." she said nervously. The he put his mouth on it, running his tongue on the laceration, taking in the taste of her blood. It had a salty and metallic taste, but he liked it. He suckled her cut roughly, with the intention of drawing blood. She cried out loudly at the pain.
"What are you doing?" she asked, confused.
"I thought I told you that I drink peoples' blood." he chuckled. He didn't return to her cut. He didn't want to cause her any pain. In fact, it was the opposite; he wanted to make Anise feel good. But, he needed her permission. After all, this situation was more than a little unusual.
"You do realise that I can't actually wash your back, don't you?" Jade inquired.
"Boo! Do you think I'm that slow, Jade? Of course I do!"
"Then what do you hope to achieve with this?" he asked carefully. She paused and thouht about it briefly. Finally, she turned to face him.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked with a lustful look on her face. She gingerly kissed his lips and then gave him a lick on the cheek. He almost started laughing, but he thouht her effort was admirable.
"You haven't a clue what you're doing, do you?" he sniggered in spite of himself. She blushed hard and looked down.
"Sorry but... I've never done this before." it became very clear to Jade what she wanted and it was what he wanted too. She just didn't know how. He didn't know much better, but he wanted her to enjoy it as well.
"That's okay. I can guide you through it." he offered. She smiled brightly and met his inviting lips. He kissed her with passion, causing her lips to part. Taking the oppurtunity, he pushed his tongue into her mouth, their saliva mixing as they wrestled for dominance. She broke away, gasping for air. A string of saliva still connected their tongues. They decided to get out of the water. Jade carried Anise, holding her slender young body close to his. Her body tingled at the contact of bare skin to bare skin. He laid her down near the fire to keep her warm, and he supported himself above her. A warm glow came from the fire that illuminated the two of them, casting a faint light over their bare skin. They stayed there for a moment, just drinking in the sight of each other. Jade's toughened, developed body, covered in scars and burns. Anise's young, developing body was petite and slender. Anise covered herself out of embarassment.
"Don't just stare at me!" she said.
"Sorry, but you are just so beautiful."
"R-really?"
"I mean it, Anise. You possess true, pure beauty." Hearing those words made her truly happy. Jade lowered himself to kiss her again, but this time he kissed her neck. He nibbled gently on her neck and she loved the feeling. He moved down to her collarbone, and it felt even better. Further down, Jade's mouth fondled her tiny breast. He suckled the bud on her chest and she couldn't contain herself. The pleasure builds and she lets out a moan. This encourages Jade to work harder. He takes her nipple in his mouth and his hand kneads her other bud. She had never felt such feelings before. They were new and wonderful. Her breathing grew ragged and she gasped and writhed under Jade. She noticed something pressing on her thigh that wasn't there before.
She noticed that her underwear was getting very wet, so she was messing with them. Jade took notice and continued his trail of kisses down her naval, on her hips, and finally around the inside of her thighs. He needed permission to go further, and he himself wasn't sure if he should.
"What's wrong, Anise?" now his breathing was laboured.
"I don't know. It feels like I peed my pants, but I know I didn't."
"Let me check." before she could object, her panties were around her ankles, leaving her totally naked before the Necromancer. She screamed to herself when his forfinger ran over her most secret parts. He looked at his finger; it was slick with bodily fluid. It wasn't pee though.
"N-n-no fair! You can't just take my undies off like that." she whined.
"Fine, you can take mine off then, if that makes it fair." he said hoarsely. They switched postions, with Anise sitting on Jade's chest, which becmae wet with her fluid. She moved apprehensively down to his waist and grabbed the wasitband of his underwear. There was a signifncant bulge in his pants. She poked it, which elicited a grunt from him. She pulled his underwear off with some difficulty, revealing his hardened member. She gasped at the sight of the thing, for she had never seen one before.
"Wow! I-it's so big!" she gaped.
"Oh, you flatter me." he really got a charge out of that. His hormones were raging after so many years of neglect. "Now, let's get down to business." he laid her on the ground again, and grinded his shaft on her entrance.
"W-wait...I'm scared. Is it going to hurt?"
"Only for a moment."
"O-oh..."
"We can stop here if you'd like."
"No! I want this more than anything. Just...Be gentle."
"I wouldn't dare hurt you if I could help it." He put the head of his penis at Anise's entrance. The fire crackled invitingly and cast its warmth upon the lovers. With great care, Jade pushed his cock into Anise's vagina. It stretched a lot to make room for him, and despite how slick it was, it still hurt her a lot. She winced in pain as she felt something inside her tear. She bled and cried on the ground with Jade still inside of her. He kissed her softly and kneaded her breasts to distract her.
"The worst part is over." he cooed. "You're such a strong girl, Anise." She sniffled and rubbed her tears away, urging Jade to keep going. He started slow, the friction between them turning pain to pleasure as their sweaty bodies mingled. His pace increased and Anise wrapped her legs around him from the pure ecstacy. She mewled and moaned underneath him. He grunted and groaned as her insides ravished him.
"Oh, Anise, you are so tight and sweet. I can't take it." She couldn't even speak because of how good it felt. She felt the tension and pleasure spike and she moaned loudly as waves of ecstasy washed over her. She was spent. Shortly thereafter, Jade climaxed as well, shooting hot jets of cum into her tiny pussy until it overflowed and made a puddle on the ground. Jade rested beside Anise and hugged her tightly. Their breathing was heavy and they were slick with sweat, blood, and bodily fluids. Cuddling into Jade's chest by the fire, Anise said "I love you, Jade Curtiss." She quickly fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. He watched the fire for awhile, the flames dancing wildly and quickly dying down. Light cascaded over Anise as she slept more peacefully than ever in his arms. He admired her beauty, her bravery, her intelligence, and her whole being when he finally said:
"I love you too, Anise Tatlin." He himself fell asleep to the sound of her breathing. The next day, they would need to find the rest of the group, defeat the God Generals, and recover the Fon Master again, but for now, none of that mattered. The nightmares of his past that always haunted his dreams were absent that night; his entire soul was at peace for the first time for as long he could remember.