This chapter has taken awhile because I've been busy. Plus, it takes time to check it all for errors. I hope you don't mind it too much. But I'm still trying.
From the shadows, a masked man sits quietly inside the ruins of a once-grand castle. The bed he sits on had been tossed and broken, but he didn't seem to care. He extends his hand, picking up traces of madness that almost found peace, until it destroyed that too. There were ghosts here, but these were just mere shadows left behind after a great battle.
He walks through the walls until he comes across a secret vault. Inside, he finds a curious item: a strange-looking cube. He knows it to be fake, but there were traces of magic left on it. Though they were weak, they were more than what he needed.
Before he leaves, he notices something left forgotten in the shadows. It was a small metal pot, abandoned when the castle was destroyed. The man stopped for a moment, watching it, as if it would jump out at him at any moment. But it was just a normal pot. He took the cube and vanished without a trace.
As she slowly stirred from her sleep, Medusa blinks away the fog in her mind and discovers that she isn't alone. Fortunately, it was wasn't the Deathscythe, but someone else entirely. His silver hair was cut short and looked as if he hasn't groomed himself in some time. The glasses he wore were cracked, but it didn't seem to bother him. As for his coat, it looked as if it had been cut to pieces and stitched together again. A single line marked his face, as if he had gone through an operation and the doctor absent-mindedly forgotten to remove the stitches. But what caught her attention most was, what appeared to be, a large bolt sticking out of the side of his head.
He raised his hand and turned it a few times until there was an audible click. It seemed to help, as he relaxed after doing so. He didn't appear to realize that she was awake. If he did, he was masking it quite well.
Because of a lack of depth perception, it was a little difficult to know what he was studying at first. It slowly dawned to her that he was looking at the stump of her leg by the way her covers had been pulled back. She didn't react, but watched him.
He appeared to be interested in the work Umbra had gone through repairing the damage. He was even so bold as to lift her leg for a better look. His fingers traced lines across her skin, delicate and subtle. He pulls a scalpel from his pocket, only to think of something and put it back. What was with men and their equipment? He touches her skin again, poking around for the bone. Medusa wasn't about to tolerate such indignity any longer without knowing his intentions.
"Can I help you with anything?" she asks as she pulls herself up.
"Not really, I was just looking at the extend of the damage. It must have been quite painful when it happened."
Medusa smiles, but it wasn't because she was happy, "I have suffered from much worse."
The man tilts his head in confusion and turns the bolt in his head. Then he asks, "There's something worse than having your leg torn off and your eye ripped wide open? I would like to know."
"You will see soon enough." Medusa held up her hand, counting from three...two...one...
A familiar face burst in, right on que, "Hey, you're awake, are you feeling better today?"
The man turned and the Deathscythe and said, "Hello Spirit. It's been awhile."
"Stein, what are you doing here?" The man looked pale, now that he realized who was in the room with them.
Stein shrugged, "Marie dragged me along. I'm not sure as to why. But after what I've been hearing, I have some interest in the matter."
"Oh ya, I forgot that you two were..." Spirit trailed off. "It's still kind of strange to think of you with someone. And Marie, no less."
"I'm not sure what to think of it either. Personally, I would like to dissect her. I never dissected a Deathscythe before."
Medusa would have raised an eyebrow if the muscle wasn't split apart. She had to play it calm around this stranger, for she didn't know just what his motives were yet. To talk so easily about dissecting a woman he may be dating, it wasn't something anybody talked about. But there was something about him. If possible, she would like to learn more about him. She just hoped that he wasn't anything like Spirit.
But the focus in his eyes, it was the same that possessed Umbra whenever he was deeply set in his work. And the disreguard for human life was refreshing as well. She had spent too much time here helping to save lives than destroying them. Umbra didn't have the same drive, as the professor wanted to keep his subjects alive for study and experimentation. Of course, pain and suffering due to neuro toxins had their uses too. She always found the sounds of dying animals something to enjoy. Rabbits were particularly her favorite.
Spirit looks over and quickly remembers that she was still in the room with them. "Hey, this is the new nurse, Medusa Gorgon."
"I've heard about you, from Umbra."
A soft smile crosses her face, just enough to seem innocent and bashful, "No doubt he had plenty to say about me."
"You are quite right. You seem to have caught his eye, if you will excuse the term. I've seen many women come and go, but nobody would, if they even could, catch his interest. I am very much like him in that respect, but I still have yet to learn just what Marie sees in me. And I am still confused as to just how Spirit and him became friends."
"I'm sure he has his reasons. From what I have seen, it's easier to experiment on someone if they are willing."
Traces of a smile appeared on the edges of Stein's mouth, partially because she had just left Spirit utterly speechless. Stein shifts his glasses and pulls out a cigarette, "You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"
"Something tells me you would if I did." She points him over to the window.
"Now I can see why he's so interested. You seem to be able to read people quite well."
"Not really, but the first time I met Umbra, he was smoking by the window."
Stein tilts his head again as he pictures the scene in his mind, "Oh yes, he would do that a lot. Most likely to prevent contaminating his work." He lights up his cigarette and breathes outside into the open air. The very image reminds her of Umbra, doing just the same thing. But only difference was the man and the brand he carried.
"You know Umbra quite well," Medusa finally stated.
"What would leave you to believe that?" Stein asked. He was curious now, a good way to be to glean some more information.
"The way you two smoke," she replied, "you remind me of him."
Stein looks at his cigarette, "He was my professor, back when I was still young. There were days that were more difficult than others for him then. One day, he caught me smoking just below this very window. He said that he could smell the smoke. I didn't have any doubt in my mind that he could. But instead of chewing me out, he asked for one and he picked up the habit very quickly."
That explained one of Umbra's habits. But she could already sense that in him. The strange impulses that seemed to infect his muscles from time-to-time. The first time she detected it, she believed that he was getting ready to attack her. But he seemed more concerned about it than she was. But just the act of smoking seemed to calm him to the point that he was in control again.
"Alright, I guess it's time for me to leave you to your rest. Umbra has been busy building himself back up to normal. So I'm sure it won't be long before he can heal you."
Medusa smiles and nods her head as the two left her in peace. She was happy to see them go, for it meant she could recover her strength. Even being up for such a short time was begining to become tiring for her. Before she can relax, a glint of light caught her eye. There was a white mask sitting on the table by the window. It seemed to watch her. Her eyes close for a second, but when she opened them again, she realized that several hours had passed. In that time, her memory of the mask faded like a silent dream, leaving her to wonder what she was looking for.
Unable to remember what it was, she let herself drift off to sleep.
After an hour of training with Sid and another sparring against him, Umbra was almost back to his old self. Three days had passed since the incident, but he was recovering well. He had to take it slow in order to let his powers adjust properly. To take in too much mass all at once could result in unbalancing his chemistry. Then he would have to spend the time readjusting himself until he could perform what was needed.
His muscles had taken the brunt of it since he barely had any body fat to burn when he healed Medusa. He had to replace all the blood she lost, but the process wasn't so simple when he had to convert muscle tissue into plasma and red blood cells. More of his body was consumed making sure that it was the proper type to prevent rejection. Then there was the poison in her system. The antidote took more than he could have expected. But it worked out in the end, he was glad for that. If only he had her as a research subject in the past. Oh, the things he could have learned from all the injections, formulas, and chemicals he could mix just for her. But he had a different interest in her now and many of his experiments were a thing of the past.
While deep in his thoughts, Sid took the opportunity to rattle the professor around a bit with a strike to the chin. Two more to the gut for good measure reduced the man to a puddle.
"Good work, Sid...if a little harsh." Umbra pulled himself back together. He dismissed the student holding his gauntlet and left the rest to keep sparring. His body was almost in top shape again, but he was distracted. If he was to heal Medusa, he would need all of his focus. Regeneration on its own was easy to perform. But without the lost flesh and bone of the leg, it was difficult to perform without error. He didn't have any form of magic, only the science his body possessed. One wrong move or a single forgotten step could result in lack of blood flow, weakened bones, or all sorts of odd or dangerous mutations.
Out of nowhere, a medicine ball hits him across the side of his head. It must have been quite the sight as his head bursts open like a water balloon. As he reshaped, he looks over to Nygus, who seemed a lot happier now that her sparring partner was back. She waves to him and goes to join up with Sid. Umbra smiles when she is welcomed with a medicine ball that lands her flat on her back.
Once outside, he takes out a pack of cigarettes. It had been a long day and he forgot to take a break. It has been difficult to keep the shakes under control. As he breathes in the smoke, his hand relaxes and returns to normal. He brushes his hand through his dark hair. Then he notices something sitting in the back of his mind, something he never noticed before. It was small, too small to grasp it. It was like a word caught on the tip of his tongue.
"Yes, you sense it now. I have been waiting." The woman in the white mask walked into view. "You can feel it inside you, waiting for the right moment."
"What is it?"
"You will have to make the journey to discover that, for it is beyond my ability to foresee. I have told you that the fight with Reaper Dragoon has brought something out from within you. This is but the beginning. I can help show you what is nessesary."
"Alright, what must I do then?"
"At this moment, nothing, for you are already on your way."
Before he knew it, he was falling into darkness.
As he fell, he heard her voice calling after him, "As you return to this place, you will come to realize who you are, who you once were, and who you will be. Do not fail, for it will try to consume you in your moment of weakness."
When he opens his eyes, he finds himself in a dark and dusty laboratory. He remembers coming here, long ago. But something about the memory was fuzzy. It was nearly impossible for his mind to grasp it, let alone remember what it was in the first place.
"So, you return. Having fun out there? Happy having all that flesh on your bones?"
Umbra turns around and stood before a skeleton used for scientific study. But even as it hung from a hook in its skull, Umbra knew it spoke to him.
"Of course I spoke, just because I lack skin and blood, doesn't mean I cannot still speak! Now, pick up that jar beside you and tell me what you see." The skeleton raised its hand to point at the one it so desired. Umbra did as he was told and found an eye.
"I see you looking back at me."
The skeleton clapped its hands, "Good, you haven't wasted those pretty little eyes of yours. It is unfortunate that I must preserve the only one I have. But when you finally get around to doing your duty, maybe I can begin to find more of myself in this mess."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play games with me you sack of meat! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even still be here!"
Umbra didn't respond, he just watched as the skeleton kicks its legs while trying to pull itself off the hook.
"Damn thing, why did it have to be such a wretched piece of scrap and filth!"
Such a mouth on one who didn't even have a tongue, "You only say that because that as it is you who is hanging from it."
The skeleton stops what it was doing and looks at him with hollow sockets, "So why don't you get me down then? And know where my tongue is, damned thing is over there on the third shelf. Sitting right beside my stomach and brain."
"You must have quite the hunger for knowledge."
The skeleton tried giving him a look, but it was difficult when it didn't have eyes in its head. Umbra was quickly tiring of its struggles, as it was making such a ruckus. Placing his hand under the skeleton's jaw, he lifted it off the hook without any effort.
"Well, it's about time! You don't know how long I've been hanging from there!"
"What are you?"
"Me? I'm the one who truly belongs here!"
Umbra didn't know what nonsense the skeleton was talking about, "What are you talking about?"
"I would kill you for your ignorance if I had the muscles to stick a knife through your throat. Well, maybe I could stick it through your eye, but you lost the damn thing years ago. And if that isn't enough, so much of the equipment is either old and useless or just lost in all this garbage!"
What it spoke of was true, once a quick inspection of the room was done. All the science equipment was either worn, broken, stale, rotted, or has already turned to dust. There were a three pots and a pair of vials of liquid that were still good, but something told him that they were nothing compared to what used to be held here.
As the skeleton raged about the condition of the room, Umbra looked around. Resting beside an old cauldron was an old picture. But it was so faded that it was impossible to tell who and where it was taken.
"What, did you find something?" The skeleton holds it's eye over his shoulder to get a look at it. "Just a piece of rubbish. You're better off throwing that away. That was a lifetime ago and you can tell that time is long over."
Umbra ignored the skeleton and walked for the door, the picture falling out of his hand. It slips beneath the cupboard and was promptly forgotten. Once the door was closed behind him, he thought he smelled something else out in the darkness. He had believed that he was going to be leaving now, but he couldn't just yet.
He wandered through the darkness, following the faint scent until he found himself in a mysterious forest. The branches of the trees were twisted at various angles, each with a tip shaped like arrows. But they seemed to be dying, for the ground was barren and cracked. There was power here, but it was wounded, wanting for life but suffering from death.
Umbra ducks as an arrow flies where his head had just been. A woman in black appeares before him. She strikes with such speed that he is left unable to counter. Her kick hits him in the side, rattling him to the core and forcing him to transform. But just as he did, the ground started to absorb him, trying to heal itself with his body. He changes back and foils its attempts.
She strikes again, this time driving her hand hard into his ribs. He could feel her fingers digging into his flesh and once her hand was in far enough, she takes hold of one of his ribs. He can hear it snap with a flick of her wrist. He doesn't scream, but uses this opportunity to hit her with a counter-attack.
But she sees how he moves and backs off almost immediately. She was unnaturally quick, striking hard again and again before retreating to a safe distance. Several arrows emerge from her back and are sent in his direction. Even as he dodges, more keep coming. He can't transform, so he was slowly taking damage. For every three he dodged, a fourth would slice into his flesh.
"Dark Needle!" he sends out his own attack, spearing each arrow on a black spike. He is breathing heavily, but he can't believe how exhilerating this felt. His heart was pounding and his blood was flowing from the many cuts. Oh how he loved this feeling! It was as if his whole body was waking up.
The woman smiles and send a large serpent at him. He steps to the side, feeling the rush of wind as it misses its target, and wraps his arms around its jaws, holding them closed. But it was more than strong enough to lift him off his feet and slams him into a tree, smashing it apart. Blood sprays from his mouth as he feels more ribs crack.
"Darkness Coat!" in a flash, his body is enveloped in tainted water, taking the form of an overcoat and hood. In this form, he jabs his fist into the snake's eye, causing it to thrash about and throws him off. With his feet on the ground, he lashes out with a pair of long tendrils, sinking into the sides of the serpent's head. By whipping the tendrils, he slams it into the ground, stunning it long enough for him to run up close and kicking it into a tree.
Umbra wasn't finished yet, and so he dragged it back to punch it into the air, only to pull it back down. The snake had no fight left, but he wasn't going to let it end so easily. He pulls as hard as he can and watches as it flies towards him. He throws his head back and slams his forehead into the creature's face, causing it to disintegrate.
The woman was standing, shocked by the brutality her opponent had shown her pet. She throws her arms up to cast another attack, but it was already over. She stumbles back, coughing uncontrollably while her eye began to bleed. Her attempts to stop the blood flow was futile. She doesn't see the tear in the ground and her leg falls in, throwing her off balance. She doesn't scream as the bone snaps and the flesh rips open. From the wound came the familiar scent of poison, one Umbra had thought to have already dealt with. It filled the air and ate away at the branches of the surrounding trees. It tried to eat away at him, but his coat was too strong.
She wasn't fighting him anymore, her stength gone, but she watched him with all she had left. Even as her lungs burned from the poison that was seeping out of the ground, she watched him. She recoiles when he reaches for her, but he grabs her by the wrist and forces her up. But as he does so, a smaller snake appeares, slithering from her arm to his and lunges for his face.
He can feel its fangs pierce the flesh of his cheek, its venom pumping into his veins. But the serpent dissolves as he brushes it away. The woman is tired now, unable to support herself any longer on her one leg.
"Here," he raises his hand to her face, only to be swatted away.
"I...do not need...your help..." she breathes, but even doing that was in short bursts. Blood seeped from the side of her mouth, the poison slowly destroying her from the inside.
"Do you really think you have a choice in this matter!" The way he spoke, it was impossible to tell if he was wanting to help her or kill her. "I will help you and there is nothing you can do about it!"
The woman doesn't speak, instead she lays her head on his shoulder and swiftly takes a bit out of him. Her bite was so much more than the snake's, as her jaws could clamp down and her teeth could slice into his flesh. But he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. Even as she tears a chunk off, blood splattered across her face, he just stares into her eye.
She lunges at him again, wanting to go for his throat, end it there, but he comes at her faster than she could anticipate. Even with the blood between them, he could feel her return his kiss with great intensity. He can taste the blood, a metallic taste, but he wasn't bothered. When they seperate, the blood seeps into his skin, leaving him clean again. She bites at his lip, hoping to draw him close for more. Umbra drags his tongue from her cheek and over her eye, leaving no trace of blood behind. Then he basked in her gaze, as her eye opened, as if nothing happened.
Umbra lays the woman down against a tree and reaches into his coat for a vial of silver liquid. Upon contact, the barren stone turns to dust and is transformed into crystalline water. More begins to pour from this new spring and spreads as far as the eye could see. There is nothing left of the ground but water now. But even then, it was as solid as the earth it once was. The trees accepted this new blessing, purging the poison from their roots and breathing new life into the air.
The woman breathes it in while Umbra pours more of the liquid onto the woman's wounded leg. As it makes contact with her flesh, it begins to fizz and hiss. He gently blows it off, leaving her whole again. It was as if he had washed the damage away, cleaning not just the wound, but erasing it completely. She wiggles her newly-formed toes and smiles as she stands on her own, her strength returning to her. No words pass her lips, she just grabs onto him and presses them against his.
It is only then that Umbra comes to realize that he has no idea where he was. This world was so strange to him, and he was unsure as to why this woman seemed so familiar. When he openes his eyes, he finds himself outside of Shibusen. The day is done and the sun is setting in the distance. He is alone again, but something tells him to go back inside.
He transforms and rushes to the window of the temporary dispencary where Medusa should still be sleeping. But as he climbes into into the window, he finds her sitting in bed, her eye still covered. So it was all just a dream?
She hasn't noticed him yet, but her hand slowly rises to the banage and removes it. It is only when he reforms when she spots him. She slides herself to the edge of the bed and tries to get off, only to faulter. But instead of finding the floor, strong arms catch her and lifts her up.
He was about to speak when Medusa looks at him. His words drain from his mouth as she lookes at him with her golden eyes. He wanted to know the condition of her leg, but he couldn't see it because of her hospital gown between them. She seems to notice this she pushes him away, standing on her own. All doubt dissolves as he gazes upon her naked form once the gown slips to her feet. Medusa walked up to him, opening his coat so as to hold him in her arms.
She brushes her face against his chest, using her teeth to grab his shirt and undo the first button. To her surprise, he melts away, leaving his shirt in her arms before she is literally swept her off her feet. While in this form, he lays her on the bed and pulls himself up to join her. She welcomes him into her arms with a grin.
Losing themselves in the moment, their passion drove their actions. All thoughts faded from Umbra's mind, for he wouldn't be distracted from his desire for the woman in his arms. Witch or nurse, friend or foe, it didn't matter to him anymore. He would devour all of Shibusen if she would but ask, and he would do it with a smile. He would devour them all and become a kishen if it meant he could have her.
"Something about you seems different." Her words strike something inside him. But in his state of emotion, trying to stop and answer was like trying to catch the rain.
He pulled her up into what would become his lap as he changed back into his human form. She seemed to lose her voice as she sees the strong body he had been keeping from her. As she runs her hand over his chest, his muscles respond to her touch. In return, he runs his fingers across her thighs and up her back. He can feel her tensing up, wanting more than to be merely touched. She growles at him and bites at his lip, pulling him into a kiss.
Something in the back of his mind makes a quick comparison, but it is drown in a sea of lust. It didn't matter, for part of him knew all along. Somehow, he had found himself in her soul, reaching out for her. Even without touching her, he healed her by his power alone. Now he could study his work while enjoying the rest of her.
When he doesn't respond fast enough, she bites down, drawing blood from his lip. But the cut fades as quickly as she could make it. Her tongue stealthily finds its way into his mouth, wrapping itself around his. He was caught in her coils now, unable to struggle free until she was done with him.
He grabs her breast and squeezes the soft flesh. Medusa tries to smile, but her lips were too busy with his to make the effort. It is only when he pinches her nipple that he catches her off-guard long enough to get her on her back. The woman grins as she clamps her thighs on him and braces herself.
Umbra didn't know how she did it, but he soon finds her on top of him. He tried to get up and pull her back to where he had the advantage, but she had him where she wanted him. A single thrust of her hips and he was helpless.
"Panting already?" he asked, seeing how heavily she was breathing. His hands settle on her slender waist, only to stop when the tip of a silver blade touched his throat.
"You can't expect me to be done so soon. I am a witch after all." She started moving her hips while keeping the blade against his neck. Umbra didn't move, but let her take control.
"A witch and a Deathscythe, is there anything else in this world that could make the gods themselves fall into despair so greatly?"
She lost her tempo for only a moment, "Now why would you care about what the gods feel?"
"Defying the gods is in my job description. You're too, if I remember right."
"How true." Medusa pressed herself against him, not losing either her rhythm or her grip on the blade.
"Have you taken anyone to bed before?" Umbra asked.
"Would it bother you if I say I did?" she breathed. She was moaning now. He could tell that she wasn't faking. She was truly enjoying herself.
"After the things I have done in the past? You don't know me quite that well."
She doesn't respond, her eyes were closed and she was trying so hard not to moan out loud. He siezes this moment and the knife is planted in the space between the door and its frame. He was up now, Medusa still working herself up in his lap. He takes her left breast into his mouth and chews on her nipple. He could feel her entire body respond almost immediately as she cries out in pain and ecstacy.
Cradled in the liquid of his weapon form, she slowly comes back to her senses. She doesn't speak, she just pushes herself back up and startes moving her hips again.
Umbra smiles to himself, "Think you can keep up this time?"
She was already losing herself in her passion and couldn't be bothered to give him an answer. He pulled his body over her, forming a black sphere with him and Medusa caught in the middle. Inside their own little world, they lost themselves in each other's arms.
As he slept, Medusa stood at the window with only Umbra's coat on. Her smooth skin glistenes with sweat under the soft light of the moon as the cool air of the night washes over her. She touches her face, her finger tracing her eyebrow. The only sign of the attack that took her eye was a seperation in her eyebrow. It would serve as a reminder of his power. On that thought, a smile crosses her lips and she returns to the Deathscythe's side. He was in his pot again, his surface slowly shifting while he sleeps.
Medusa dips a finger into him and gently stirres. He felt warm to the touch, a feeling she was quite familiar with. To her surprise, a bubble, as hard as stone, forms on his surface. As she removes it, the bubble turns to dust, leaving a pair of bracelets in her hand.
They were bars of magically-hardened metal, twisted into coils. They were simple in design, but the moonlight revealed their true beauty. She didn't know where he came to possess such treasures, but she felt that they were for her. They slip on with ease and hold steady on her wrists. They do not shift or shake, so there was no noise and no risk of snagging on something. The metal was smooth and cool to the touch.
When Umbra slowly begins to shift in his sleep, Medusa is snapped her out of her thoughts. She stirs him until he is still once more, there was no reason for him to wake just yet. She still didn't know how he did it, but she could feel something was different inside her. She might have thought it to be strange if she had never met him. Umbra had impressed her once more, a rare occurence in itself, but he was the sort to do just that sort of thing.
But then to still have the endurance to have his way with her after healing her wounds. The fires of his passion burned for nearly five long hours before he collapsed and settled back into his pot. If she had not been a witch, her mind and body may not have survived the experience. It would take her at least a few days, possibly even a week, before she was fully capable again, but she could wait. Her only concerns were if Umbra could wait that long as well.
Taking him and his clothes into her arms, she leaves Shibusen and walks out into the night.
It would be several hours before Umbra stirres from his sleep, only to find himself inside his bedroom. After transforming back into his human form, he can smell something coming from the kitchen. The smell only gets stronger as he leaves his room, but there is something else, something that only stirred something in his gut. As he walks in, he is greeted with a sight that he had to think twice about.
Medusa was standing there in one of his coats, making herself a pot of coffee. She doesn't seem to notice him at first, but he knew the truth. He knew she was watching her the entire time. It was his focus that was blurred after what happened last night. Damn, seeing her in that moment only brought out the beast in him.
"There was a key in the pocket, so I let myself in. I hope you don't mind if I make some coffee. Do you want any sugar?" she asks.
"Not today, you're sweet enough as it is," he replies and she looks over her shoulder to give him a narrow-eyed look.
"Can't you think of anything better?"
"Not really, too distracted by what I'm seeing."
"Really now?" There was something in her voice as she turns around. "How about now?" she opens the coat to reveal bare skin. His hand quickly comes up in time to catch the flying kitchen knife. "See?" she says with a laugh. "You aren't one to be so easily distracted." She watches as he twirls the knife in his fingers as he comes close enough to smell her breath. Taking the handle firmly in hand, the blade finds its way into soft flesh.
Medusa smiles as he slices the plum in half and hands her a piece. She accepts the fruit with a nod and hands him a cup of coffee in return. The smell woke his senses, just what he needed in the morning. But then she grabs a handful of hair and kissed him, juice still on her lips.
Before he could do anything to continue this moment of bliss, she breaks off and takes another bite of the plum. Umbra licks his lips, tasting the sweet juices she left him, and sighs to himself. He had to be careful, for she could take hold of his strings with something like this. The nectar of the gods couldn't compair to a woman's lips when they tasted so sweet.
"Mind if I keep this coat?" she asks him as she looks out the window.
"Getting a little attached, aren't we?" he teases her as he wraps his hand around her waist. But she quickly, and somewhat reluctantly, shrugs him off.
"Hardly," there was a sense of urgency in her voice. "I can see Spirit coming down the road!"
"Take the back door! Keep to the trail and keep your head down! I will come for you when it's safe but don't wait up for me. If I don't come out in five minutes, make a break for it. If he hasn't already realized you're here by then, he won't find you out there." As she darts for the door, he grabs her hand and pulls her close for a quick kiss. "Good luck."
"We're going to need it." Medusa responds as she dissapeares around the corner.
Then there was a knock at the door.