Jericho

"Where could he have gone?" Eden asks me while we search the mountains as we descend. Aries is no longer here, I can't feel her presence at all any more, and it's pissing me off.

This stupid witch has made me look like a complete fool, firstly using her abilities to mask her lies when we first met, seeming to give herself over so easily, but I detected no lie and was distracted by my newly found mate to give it more thought.

And now she has managed to avoid capture because I'm weak. Too weak to fight a legitimate goddess, anyways.

She's not making me look like a fool.
I am a fool.

"I'm not sure, he couldn't have wandered too far though." I assure her. She's been worried about Ajal since she noticed he was missing, but the hound is smart.

I can't help but smile at the thought of Eden being worried for my hellhounds wellbeing.

Part of me is selfishly glad she hasn't mentioned that bitch since she got away.

Though I'm sure Eden's aware now that this task is too great for me alone. I'm not an idiot and going up against Aries alone would be a death wish for me.

I'll need help, from my idiot fellow reapers. I hate the idea of having any of them tag along, but I know I'll need their backup, any Reapers available will be accompanying us on our journey. And if anyone has anything to say against it, I'll easily have Hades on my side.

We don't always get along, but in the end we all want the same thing, to put a stop to Aries.

The darkening is almost like a cloud, and those who commit the most evils dwell beneath it's cover. With all the Light witches disappearing and all the good they represented with it, the darkening grows closer. Darkness officially taking over the light of this world.

If Aries absorbs this darkness into herself, who knows what kind of unstoppable monster it will create. The power it will unleash. I stop walking, growing irritated that we've yet to find Ajal. "What's wrong?" Eden asks me.

"I can usually sense Ajal's presence, but I haven't come across it, and I'm wondering if that overgrown dog went back without us." I tell her.

"What do you mean without us?" She inquires. Though I know she probably won't be pleased, we have to go back to the Reapers palace to figure out what we're going to do next, not to mention I'm going to be dragging a couple extra people along with us this time.

"We have to go back, a couple of my fellow Reapers are going to be joining us for the remainder of our journey." I inform her, and by the look on her face I'd say she isn't too happy.

"Which ones?" She asks with an eyebrow raised, and I already know she's thinking of Ozul, the dumbass who immediately went to trying to fuck my mate, a woman he'd not even met properly.

"The ones I allow." I state calmly to her. There's no way in hell I'd let that horny idiot tag along, he'd be nothing but a nuisance.

"Okay, just not Ozul." She says, and I can't help but smirk. "I knew you'd say that." I chuckle to her.

She rolls her eyes at me before responding. "Alright then, what are we waiting for? We should make sure Ajal actually made it back, and I could use something nice to eat." She says, her mood picking up at that last part, the thought of food bringing a smile to her face.

"Very well then, if you're ready I'll summon the portal." I say to her.

"But first," I say, smirking as I pull her into my arms, before I begin running my hands up and down her body, feeling every curve of her. I bring my hands to her breasts, massaging them through her shirt, before I begin pinching her nipples lightly, in turn making her moan softly.

The noises she makes alone is enough to drive me wild with desire for her.

I bring my lips to hers and kiss her deeply, before trailing my hand down the front of her body as I make my way into her pants, I bring my hand to her and feel how wet she already is for me. I bring a finger inside of her, slowly sliding it in and out of her, bringing my thumb to her clit I begin pleasuring her in one of the ways I know she loves best. I pump two fingers into her, loving the moans escaping her mouth. I can already feel her start to tighten around my fingers, her orgasm nearing.

"You like it when I bury my fingers inside your dripping wet pussy, Eden?" I ask her in a low voice.

"Yes." She moans out to me quietly.

I press slightly harder on her clit, sending her over the edge as she reaches her peak, moaning loudly, the sound pleasing to me. I let her come down from her momentary high before sliding my fingers out of her.

"Mmm, now we can go." I state, pleased with how quickly I can bring her to an absolute shaking mess for me.

"Is this something you enjoy doing?" She asks me, still a little breathless from a moment ago.

"Pleasuring you? Well of course it is." I state, feeling the answer is obvious.

She giggles before replying. "No, I meant stopping randomly just to do that. You did the same thing back in the hallway, before we left the palace."

I guess I hadn't realized, but I do enjoy pleasing her anywhere, at any time, as long as I can't actively feel eyes on us.

"I enjoy the thrill of pleasing you out in the open, I suppose." I say, smiling down at her.

"What happens when we get caught out in the open?" She says in a teasing voice.

"Depends on what they see." I say darkly.

Eden looks taken aback by my answer. "What do you mean by that?" She asks.

"If anyone sees you naked I'm taking their eyes." I say to her, and her eyes widen further in shock at my words.

"Jericho, we need to work on that, you seriously can't go around doing things like this, not unless it's justified." She says in a serious tone.

"Alright, what would you do if a woman saw me in undress then?" I ask her, trying to make her see my side of things.

Eden seems to be deep in thought for a moment, thinking on my words.

"I'd bless her poor heart as she ran away in fear of your monstrous cock." She says while trying to maintain a serious expression that soon turns into a huge smile accompanied by her musical laughter.

Hilarious.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that answer." I say as a smile spreads across my own face, Eden's beautiful laughter becoming contagious.

"I'm a lover, Jericho, not a fighter. Though I'll fight when I need to." She says as I stare at her face, the sun hitting her just right from the side, making her appear as the angel she truly is.

"And what an amazing lover you are." I say to her as I bring her into my arms, running my nose along her hair to inhale her sweet scent.

"But I've also seen you fight, and what a beautiful weapon you can become." I say to her.

"Yo-you've seen me fight? What do you mean?" She asks, pulling away slightly to look up at me.

"I told you, I've dreamt of your singing, your screams, your grief, your pleasure, and your battle cries. The dreams accompanied by your war cries.." I trail off, trying to remember them exactly.

Eden stares at me intently, waiting for me to continue.

"Eden, you are so kind, so innocent, despite all you've been through. But you are also strong, and ruthless when needed. I've watched you separate beasts heads from their bodies in seconds, though all I see is glimpses, it's enough for me to see the absolute carnage you leave in your wake when in battle." I tell her, my thoughts straying to the dreams I once had, dreams that stopped when I finally met her.

Though the memories of the dreams stay.

I look into her eyes, and though I didn't mean for it, my words seem to have stirred a emotion in her, one I don't like.

Fear.

"I-, I mean that can't be me.. It's not who I am. I'm not.. I'm not strong, Jericho." She says, tears threatening to appear in her soft brown eyes.

I cup her face in my hands before speaking again. "I've seen you, Eden. I've seen what you can do when you believe in yourself. You are a strong woman, you are a force in and of its own self." I say, trying to reassure her.

"When? When will this come to pass?" She asks me anxiously.

"I don't know, my love. I don't know when these things will come to pass. Just know I will be right by your side when it does, I will fight beside you and protect you with my life." I state confidently to her, wiping stray tears from her face.

"Would it be childish to admit I'm terrified?" She asks me quietly as she hides her face in my shirt.

"No, it takes a very brave person to admit one's own fears." I reassure her, rubbing my hands up and down her back in soothing motions.

"I don't feel very brave or strong at all, Jericho. I feel weak and helpless, and like I'm just getting in the way." She confesses.

"When the time comes you will rise above it all, Eden. I know it, I know you're capable of doing great and amazing things." I say.

She looks up at me, her eyes still rimmed with tears, but a smile now plays on her lips. "Thank you for believing in me." She says.

"You're an amazing, strong woman Eden, when the time comes you will see what I'm talking about. You will see what I see." I tell her.

She smiles up at me before burying her face in my chest and inhaling deeply, causing me to smile.

I love that my scent calms her down, the same way her scent calms me down.

"The goddess truly blessed me the day I was chosen to be your soulmate, Jericho." She says lovingly.

Her words cause me to break out in an idiotic grin. No one has ever felt blessed to even know me, but here this woman is, thanking the goddess above that I'm hers.

"I will always be yours." I say to her as I slowly release her from our embrace.

She smiles brightly at me, all signs of sadness and doubt gone for a moment.

"I'm ready now." She says while combing her fingers through her hair and straightening out the wrinkles in her clothes as best she can.

"Very well then, I'll summon the portal." I say as I walk slightly away from her so I have room for my summoning.

I place my hand on the ground, the familiar feeling of fiery warmth spreads up my arm as I bring my darkness forward to speak the words to bring forth the portal.

"Ad inferna!" As I speak the portal appears.

I stand and make my way over to Eden, grabbing her hand as we walk through together, back into the underworld.

To my home. I breathe a sigh of relief once we step into the Palace of Reapers.

"Well hey, I was wondering when you'd be back, you big fucking oaf." And just like that my relief turns into annoyance as Ozuls voice makes its way to my ears.

(Edited on 11/30/24)