Chapter 12: The Goddess

Deep within the abyss of the Todash Tahken John stood, a giant clad in half a ton of armor, his orange visor staring at a crimson red glow coming from somewhere in the deep. He was motionless, thinking. He had tracked Kelly's whereabouts here, and now cursed himself for not being quicker, for she, whether by misfortune or design, was now in the clutches of one of the most dangerous creatures that roamed the never ending night. A monster that was ancient, that had existed even before existence itself had begun, and like all the other beasts that dwelt within this realm this creature had the ability to bend the fabric of reality as they saw fit. If John entered the red light he would have to play by her rules. Victory could not be sought against a being something like this, and the Master Chief prepared himself for something he knew he was ill suited for. Diplomacy.

Selena, the goddess of death and lust, and wife of Maerlyn.

There was one advantage that he had, a product of his augmentations that would allow him to resist her like few men could, and it was with that thought of self assurance that he headed towards the light, pausing only briefly before stepping into it.

Rolling sand dunes surrounded him, the desert wind buffeting against his skin even with the protection of the armor. He could feel the grit of the sand enter his suit, no doubt one of Selena's tricks, filling in ever crack and crevice and causing him discomfort with each step he took. He tossed his assault rifle aside, already filled up with too much sand to be useful, and knowing that the weapon would do him no good here. The sun blistered his skin, again paying no heed to the armor, and his mouth was suddenly very dry, even though he had no need to hydrate after what the White had done to him, every single pour of his body sweating profusely. He reached the summit of the first sand dune, and saw below it a small oasis. A single palm tree grew in defiance of the desert that surrounded it, a sickly pull of water giving off the stench of decaying death, and beside both of them stood a small tent, looking hardly large enough for even a normal man to be able to sleep in.

The Master Chief headed towards the tent opening a single hole ridden flap, having to crouch in order to enter. The discomfort, the blistering heat, and all of his thirst left immediately as he entered the tent. It was cavernous, and John realized that it was not a tent he had entered, but more like a palace. He looked behind him and saw a double door nearly ten feet wide and twenty feet tall, painted a dark crimson. Torches illuminated the palace, although now John guessed it looked much more like a harem. Nearly a dozen satin couches littered the large hall, mosaics with intricate flower like patterns decorating the walls, and a single fountain in the shape of a pentagram with phallus shaped protrusion in the center of it spouting mountains of white foaming liquid. Frill laced pillows were tossed casually around the floor, and even John was unable to ignore the smell of sex that hung in the air. He walked further, and saw that beyond the couches was a king sized bed, its sheets made of golden silk, and John could hear whispers in his ears of voices telling him to go lie down on it. He ignored them, focusing instead on what was beside the bed. There, displayed like a manikin on wooden racks, was Kelly's armor.

He stopped, seeing a flicker of movement from behind one of the red curtains that hung behind the bed, the shadow of an unmistakably female form appearing, and with it came a sultry voice.

"Hile John 117, god of war." A delicate hand reached out and pulled the curtain away, revealing the goddess behind it. Her eyes were bright red, he features delecate and almost elfish in appearance, her lips full, eyebrows thin and perfectly plucked, her body full of curves, her skin grey, her red hair flowing behind her like a candle flame in the wind, two bat like wings protruding from her back, and it was with an extreme level of dispassion that John noticed that she came to him wearing no clothes. Her body exuded all things sexual, could take on the form of whatever men desired most, and it was with a degree of subtlety that she began to change her proportions to more closely mach that of Cortana. Her wings turned to dust as she walked toward him, and although she frowned, even that facial expression had an air of seduction to it.

"But you don't think of yourself as a god do you? No you still think of yourself as a soldier." She put a hand up to her chin, appraising the armored man, "Soldiers have never been to my liking. I find them to dull for my tastes." Her smile returned, and her lips dripped with desire, "But you." She thrusted a hand outward and John felt a sudden wind surround him, his armor turning to dust much like her wings had, leaving only his skin tight black body suit. "With you I might make an exception." She turned back to Kelly's armor, as if remembering that it was there just then, "Do you like my new addition? I believe it brightens up the décor somewhat." She moved to the armor and draped her body across it, making sure to display herself for the Spartan as much as possible.

"Where is she?" He kept his voice calm, fighting the rising anger in him.

"Dead," Selena responded, not even bothering to look at him, casting off the comment as if it was a trivial little detail that was not even worth mentioning. "I promise you it was a mercy. Even the strongest minds can only take so much." She brought a hand up to the visor and began to trace circles with a single finger, "She was much like you, much more attractive once she had this off." Her body shivered, as if seized by a sudden chill, "You should have heard her scream. In pain," she moved her hand to the chest plate and began making circles there. "In pleasure, until they were both one and the same. She lasted much longer than any of the others, but still she broke, and by then I had grown bored with her." She pushed herself off of the armor and looked at John again, seeing fully the hatred that seethed from him, every subtle stance like an open book for her to read. "You love her." She bit her bottom lip, his cold stare affecting her in ways that perhaps he did not even realize, "Or at least you did. It's a terrible thing isn't it, to fall in and out of love?" She stepped towards him confidently, swaying her hips from side to side, "But we both know that you will not have the vengeance you seek. We are gods, you and me, immortal. We could battle for a thousand years and neither gain the advantage."

"Even if it took me a thousand years…" John began, but Selena cut him off.

"But you do not have that kind of time do you? Not if you want to get back to them." She came to rest not even a few inches from him, a waft of perfume settling under his nose, and she forced back a frown when she saw that it had not effect. "How long do you think it has been? How many years? Do you really think that Cortana has been faithful to you for all this time?"

"Yes," the conviction in his voice was unshakeable and again Selena internally frowned.

She tilted her head, leaning her body forward, John leaning his back in response. "Me and her are more alike than you think. We were both given something we thought we would never be able to have." She turned sideways, displaying the full extent of her curves, and a hand rested on the flat of her stomach. "I was born here, able to wield a power over mortals than none but beings like you and me could even begin to fathom, but the one thing I wanted most was out of reach. Then he came, Maerlyn, and he was able to give me what I craved." She rubbed her stomach and smiled, "My son. My Walter."

She clutched her stomach, fingernails digging into her skin until she began to bleed, her eyes turning from red to an unnatural opaque white, fangs appearing out of her mouth. "And then to have him taken from me! To feel as if the pain were my own as your woman cut him in half and set his remains on fire!" She began to breath heavily and worked to calm herself. Her red irises returned, and the self inflected wounds healed themselves almost instantly. She moved back to the Master Chief who stood seemingly unfazed. "Do you know how much I have thought," a hand disappeared between her thighs and a small gasp escaped her lips as her fingers curled upwards, "How long I have fantasized about what I would do to her?" With lightning speed her hand shot from the warmth of her thighs and buried itself into John's chest which rippled like water as she entered. He staggered backwards, wondering how he could have been so stupid to have missed her ploy. Selena gave him a sultry smile, "But now that you are here I have a better idea of how to get my own revenge."

Her fingers twitched, and John struggled to move his arms, finding them rooted in place. Selena began to rummage through his thoughts, the Spartan all but helpless to stop her as she tore through them like a corporate thief through a filing cabinet. "Lets see," she said ponderously, her fingers twitching inside of him. "Dr. Halsey took away your libido. An unintended side effect of the augmentations, but a useful one. All the mechanics still work, but the desire is gone. Why then? Why did you lay with her if you were incapable of such passion?" She grinned as she found the memory, locked deep within the most secure vaults of John's subconscious, something that only he and he alone was ever meant to see. "Now I understand. You wanted to make her happy." She looked up at him, her eyes shining, "How very sweet of you, and the love you two made was so tender, always so concerned about hurting her. Of course with me you would never have to worry about that. I could make you sleep with me now if I wanted to, but that would mean taking away your ability to choose. No, it would be much more satisfying if you betrayed Cortana of your own volition." She focused her attention again on where her hand had entered his chest, "Now about that libido."

Her fingers twitched again, and it was like an ancient vault had been opened inside of him. Sensations washed over him, too fast for him to even comprehend, his own repressed sexual desires, fantasies, lusts, and unbridled passions hit him like a sledge hammer far faster than he could even process. He suddenly became aware of just how close Selena was to him, of the way her body was positioned, the way her lips were continually inviting him. John locked his eyes forward, not trusting himself to even so much as glance at the goddess. Her hand left the confines of his chest, and she giggled triumphantly when he did not back away. Selena pressed herself up against John, fingers tracing his chest. "There are things I can do for you that the blue bitch has never even thought of. Please you in ways that she never could." John kept his eyes forward, but was unable to control how his body was reacting to her, his mental commands to move his legs falling on deaf ears. "Still resisting. How noble of you, but perhaps a deal similar to the one you made with Gan will entice you to my bed." She stood on her toes and pressed her lips up against his ear, whispering, "Spend just one night with me, and I promise I'll leave your family alone. That I will not seek the revenge that is rightfully mine. One moment of weakness, become my Spartan, and I vow no harm will ever come to them." She backed away a few inches, eyes going to his groin, "I'll take that as a yes."

A/N: So new villain. Tell me what you think of her, and if you believe John will be able to resist now that his libido is in full swing.