Breaking Providence (Original Fantasy)

“… That’s it. That’s the truth of where I come from and who I am.”
 
Angelina’s first impulse is to deny it. She wants to name the Dark General Camilla a liar. And yet, though the words are on the tip of her tongue, she can’t bring herself to say them. Every time she tries to speak, the memory of Marcus’ brush with death strikes her once more. Coming down the stairs in the inn to see Beth holding his limp body, rushing in to heal him as best as she could.
 
She’d managed to keep him breathing. She’d managed to keep him alive. But she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that without Camilla’s direct interference after the Baroness’ Knight escorted them all to the Castle, Marcus wouldn’t have survived. Not even Angelina’s strongest healing spells could abjure the curse that had been transferred to him by the enchanted broadhead. She could only stave off his impending doom.
 
The Dark General had been the one to remove the curse. She’d been the one to save Marcus’ life. And sure, she’d probably done so for her own reasons… but Angelina finds it impossible to doubt her word. They might have had minimal interactions so far, but Camilla wasn’t a liar. At least not when it came to this. Everything Marcus had just got done telling them… it rang with too much truth for Angelina to disbelieve it.
 
The four of them are sitting in the guest wing of the Baroness’ Castle. Far enough away from the dungeons and the research laboratories that they thankfully cannot hear the screams of the Vampire Hunters that had been captured after the altercation in town. Marcus has explained things to them, from his conversation with the hunters’ leader, to what the man told him about his intentions for the Barony of Thornswood.
 
Angelina has to admit, she’s glad the foreign man is dead. Not just because he tried to kill Marcus, but because his plans were… terrible in scope. Never mind the Baroness’ true nature as a so-called monster. The people of Thornswood did not deserve to be ‘cleansed’ just to prevent the mere chance of further horror. It was a step too far, in Angelina’s humble opinion.
 
Though… how much did her opinion even matter these days? She was a Holy Priestess of the Church of the Most Holy Light, only to discover that… the Church was a complete and utter sham. They’d started out as little more than an intelligence network for the Destined Hero, and then built an entire religion around it in order to prop up the lie that the Dark Lord was the greatest force of evil in the entire Empire.
 
All her life, she’d served the Church faithfully. But they… there was no point in any of it, was there? After the banquet and their flight from the Capital, Angelina’s faith in the clergy had been shaken to say the least. She’d latched onto Marcus because he was the greatest source of authority not corrupted and tainted by those people in the upper reaches of the Church’s hierarchy. Now however, she knew the truth. It wasn’t the people that were corrupt, but the entire institution. Ultimately, the Church was a lie down to its foundations.
 
She didn’t know how to feel about that. Only… she’d already abandoned the Church in order to follow Marcus all the way out here, hadn’t she? She’d ignored the Church’s teachings as early as discovering Erised was a demon. She’s glad she did so now. Quite glad, in fact. Still, the fact remains that she’s… she’s long separated herself from the institution that raised her and gave her a home and family for the vast majority of her life.
 
“… To think, your father was the Destined Hero. I don’t know why mama never told me…”
 
“Tch. Big Sis Gral-Ra never said a word to me either. Falling in love with a human is one thing, but the Destined Hero? Tch…”
 
Blinking, Angelina pulls herself out of her inner thoughts, remembering belatedly that there are others in the room just as blindsided by these revelations as she is. She looks to Erised and Roka-Ra. Neither look any happier to learn what Marcus has just told them then she does. Actually… they look even more unhappy than Angelina feels. Maybe she really has it easiest here, even if it still feels like her entire life has been turned upside down.
 
For his part, Marcus just shrugs. The Destined Hero… the Dark Lord… err, the Hero Lord? Angelina is starting to get a headache. Regardless, Marcus lets out a sigh and shakes his head.
 
“I know it’s a lot to take in. But it does explain everything, doesn’t it? Gral-Ra and Caleb… my mother and father wanted to end things on their terms. From what I understand, Camilla has been trying to ruin the Dark Lord versus Destined Hero Doctrine for almost as long as it’s existed. I don’t really know why that is, though I suspect it’s personal on some level for her. Still, I think she’s finally landed on a method that actually bore fruit.”
 
Here, Marcus grimaces and looks down at his hands for a moment.
 
“… Do I wish it hadn’t cost me both of my parents before I even got to meet them? Of course. But at the same time… we have a chance to break the cycle here. We have a chance to end things just like they wanted. If I can become both the Destined Hero and the Dark Lord, then no one will be able to stop us, right?”
 
Angelina winces at the reminder of what the Church had done. To think, they would outright kill the Destined Hero solely for falling in love with the Dark Lord. It was a terrible crime they had committed. Especially when they were supposed to be beholden to the Destined Hero in the first place!
 
“But… isn’t that already the case, my Lord?”
 
Everyone’s eyes turn towards Erised at that. The demon bites her lower lip, hesitating for a moment… but when Marcus doesn’t tell her to be quiet, she straightens up and holds her head high before explaining her thoughts.
 
“The Dark General Camilla says that your Destined Hero Job is inactive right? Meanwhile, your Dark Lord Job is what’s actually working… yes?”
 
Marcus slowly nods.
 
“… Right. She thinks that if we manage to activate the Destined Hero Job, it and the Dark Lord Job will mix together and form a new Job… permanently ending the Dark Lord versus Destined Hero Doctrine, once and for all.”
 
They all assimilate that for a moment, but ultimately Erised just shakes her head, deftly side-stepping Marcus’ words.
 

“But… why bother risking your life to activate the Destined Hero Job? You got caught off guard down in the tavern. That bastard hunter shot you point blank with his bullshit enchanted crossbow. You didn’t have time to react. But in every other fight you’ve ever been in, you’ve never struggled. You’ve never had to fight very hard at all! As the Dark Lord… you’re already the most powerful entity in the Holy Empire… especially when you factor in the fact that there is no Destined Hero to confront you!”
 
There’s a pause at that as they all process Erised’s words. Angelina feels a bit of a pit forming in her stomach. Erised, meanwhile, is further emboldened by their silence.
 
“Just think about it! You could conquer the Holy Empire as the Dark Lord! You could raise an army and take everything over and no one could stop you! Not the Church! Not the Royals! Not the Nobles!”
 
Here, Erised quickly tacks on an addendum.
 
“Of course, you don’t have to kill anyone you don’t have to kill. Or… or even subjugate anyone you don’t want to subjugate. Let them join you. If they refuse, then imprison or exile them. You have the right to do so. You have the MIGHT to do so. And after a thousand years of them using the Dark Lord to enrich themselves, is it not time for the Dark Lord to finally reign?”
 
Looking around at them all, Erised hesitates on Angelina for a moment, before turning to Roka-Ra. A sure ally in this moment, or so the Demon Assassin probably thinks.
 
“Roka-Ra? You agree with me, don’t you? This is our chance. Marcus doesn’t have to risk his life to make things right. He can do it just as the Dark Lord!”
 
Roka-Ra’s silence is telling, even as Erised’s face scrunches up in confusion the longer it goes on. Finally, the orc woman shakes her head.
 
“… I don’t know. Big Sis Gral-Ra wanted Marcus to be both. She didn’t just want to pass on the Dark Lord Job, she wanted him to have both Jobs. So that we could finally end this. I just… I don’t know…”
 
It’s clear that Roka-Ra is conflicted. On the one hand, the orcish Dark General probably found the idea of an uncontested Dark Lord just as appealing as Erised did. On the other hand, she’s also just learned that her idol, the woman she looked up to all her life, wanted more than just an uncontested Dark Lord. Gral-Ra had aspired to greater things than just the death and destruction of the Holy Empire at her son’s hands.
 
“… Angelina?”
 
Marcus’ voice causes Angelina to jolt. Looking up, the Holy Priestess realizes she’s being watched by everyone. They’re all waiting for her to speak. It’s funny, because of course. She’s the voice of reason. She’s the source of ‘light’ in Marcus’ party, standing opposite Roka-Ra and Erised. Despite having a party lopsided towards the dark, Angelina has never felt outnumbered. Even now, she doesn’t feel outnumbered. Erised has her point of view. Roka-Ra doesn’t know what to think.
 
It falls to Angelina to be the voice of reason once more, despite wanting nothing more than to get on her knees and choke on Marcus’ dick in apology for nearly letting him die. Letting out a sigh, the busty blonde glances in the direction of the half-orc’s crotch for a moment before speaking.
 
“I believe Awakening the Destined Hero Job and mixing it with the Dark Lord Job is the best path forward, despite the risk to Marcus.”
 
Erised scowls at that, crossing her arms over her chest. But the demon is smart enough not to interrupt, even as she half-glares, half-pouts at Angelina. But then, she had to know what side Angelina would come down on.
 
“As Roka-Ra said, it’s what your parents wanted, Marcus. But more than what they or even Camilla wants… I think it’s what you want.”
 
Marcus blinks at that, looking a little surprised. But then, Angelina is essentially claiming to know what he wants over his own thoughts. The hubris of her statement is not lost on her. And yet…
 
“Blood and Battle. Fire and Conquest. These are not what you want, Marcus. You have not shied away from conflict. You have not turned your back on protecting the weak and helpless, the innocent and gentle. You have saved so many people from certain death. You have slain evil wherever you found it. And yet… fighting is not how you want to spend the rest of your days. I know this to be true.”
 
Silence has fallen for her now. Just as Erised got to say her piece uninterrupted, so does Angelina. She almost wishes they would speak though. It might be easier to get her thoughts in order if she had reactions to bounce off of. As it is, all she can truly do is wing it.
 
“If you do not Awaken the Destined Hero Job, if you remain the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord alone, you will be fighting for the rest of your days. And when your days come to an end and you die, your Jobs will return to the ether, to be doled out again. The cycle will continue. Even if you break the Holy Empire’s back and disband the Church, the Destined Hero and Dark Lord will be Awakened once more. The cycle will return with your death.”
 
Looking at their faces, Angelina can tell that Erised hadn’t thought of that. Neither had Roka-Ra. Marcus… Marcus is harder to read. He’s contemplative though. She can only hope that’s a good thing.
 
“However, if you Awaken the Destined Hero Job, if it mixes with the Dark Lord Job… it will be over. Even if the new Job born of this union passes on to another after your death, there will never again be a Dark Lord and a Destined Hero to fight one another. The Doctrine will be broken, just as your parents intended. More than that… you will be better positioned to marry the Princess rather than simply cast her down from her throne. You will be able to change things within the Empire… for the better of all, not just Dark, not just Light.”
 
Sucking in a deep breath, Angelina flushes.
 
“This is why I think you should do it, Marcus. Because even though I fear for you, even though I fear you will die… I know it is the path forward that will make you happiest. I know you will regret it for eternity if you do not do everything in your power to seek peace.”
 
Silence reigns, but not like before. Now, Marcus is smiling. Roka-Ra is nodding. Even Erised has lost her glare, though not her pout. When Angelina meets the lithe demon’s eyes, Erised lets out a sigh.
 
“… Ugh, you even convinced me with that speech. Damn you, Priestess…”
 
Blushing, Angelina squirms for a moment… before dropping to her knees and crawling across the floor, her hips swaying as she makes her way to Marcus and kneels in front of him.
 
“Now that that is over with… please Marcus, please punish me for not being there when you were shot by that crossbow. I will make it up to you… so please use my throat to your heart’s content to pleasure your cock.”
 
Marcus blinks, even as Angelina extracts his large green member from its confines, moaning as she rubs it against her face. In the end, he snorts derisively, shaking his head.
 
“Nothing to punish you for, Angelina. Camilla said it… you kept me alive. Still… go ahead.”
 
Hmph, if he won’t punish her himself… then Angelina will simply have to take matters into her own hands.
 
“Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!”
 
Marcus just smiles down at her as she chokes herself on his cock, one of his hands coming to rest atop her head, running through her hair. And Angelina knows, even with the danger up ahead… everything will be okay.
 
-x-X-x-
 
They have a foursome before Marcus lets one of the animated suits of armor know that he’s ready, and the four of them are led back to Camilla and her laboratory.
 
He’d like to say it wasn’t some sort of goodbye fuck or anything like that… but Marcus would be lying if a part of him didn’t think that this might be the end. Even Camilla, the Dark General that Sepia had claimed was crazier than her, didn’t like his chances of survival. Though in all fairness, she’d ended up being a lot more level headed than Sepia’s warning had Marcus thinking.
 
Regardless, they arrive in short order, with the Baroness Bloodstone glancing up at them as they enter.
 
“Have you made your decision then?”
 
Steeling himself, Marcus sets his jaw and nods.
 
“Yes. I’m ready to try and Awaken the Destined Hero Job so that we can mix it together with the Dark Lord Job.”
 
Camilla’s eyes flicker to his retinue, humming for a moment.
 
“It won’t be safe. Nor easy. And it WILL be painful. Are you all prepared for that?”
 
Marcus can’t help but tense a little bit. Why was she asking them when he was the one who would be going through it? No… that wasn’t fair. He knew why. Despite being an ancient immortal Vampire that had been around for at least a thousand years and probably more, Camilla was surprisingly… human.
 
Still, his lovers all nod, accepting Camilla’s words in silence. When the Vampire looks at him, Marcus clenches his hands into fists at his sides.
 
“I want this. I want to finish what my parents started, once and for all.”

-x-X-x-

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