Shadow of the Abyss

In the darkness, four beautifully half-naked women, wet with almond oil, spun their arms across Altair's flesh. Fingers trailed up and down the lines of muscles as their bodies pressed down, pushing their weight against him, until he moaned at the stimulating warmth, drawing the tension from his bones.

As Altair lay there, the darkness engulfed him, making him feel as if he had been transported to a realm beyond the mortal world. The soft caress of the cloth covering his eyes added to the ethereal ambiance. Despite his curiosity, he resisted the urge to peek, knowing that Syris had forbidden him from doing so. The woman who tended to him was silent but wild, adding to the mystique.

Altair's imagination had practically run wild. He most desperately wanted to know who was playing with his body. Syris, he knew to be one. He'd recognized her touch. But the others, not so much. Nevertheless, he could not stop the natural response of his rising manhood from standing strong.

He shuddered as a shadow blew a sultry breath across it, followed by another, then another, and another, and another.

The Young Lord quivered. 'How does it feel?' Syris's alluringly soft voice resonated across the rim of his ear. Her voice was different than usual—alluring, certainly, but devious as well. She was panting, her warm, sultry breath caressing every inch of his awareness. 'Do you want more?'

"Yes."

Altair heard a few gulps but felt only his manhood shudder uncontrollably. Whatever anger he felt was slowly being buried beneath curiosity and lust.

"How unfortunate," Syris said almost teasingly. 'Perhaps if you can get the names of the young ladies tending to you, we might be inclined to…" She leaned closer to his ear. "To have you play with each of our holes."

Altair once more gulped.

"One chance"

Altair felt a knot form in his throat as perspiration slithered down his hair. "Syris, Nia, Hilda, and…" he stopped, thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and said with certainty. "Talia"

'What a shame,' Syris said in a mournful whisper beside his ear. 'Sadly, you made a mistake. No~no." she held him back down, keeping his eyes covered. 'Don't look. Don't cheat, either. Next time, Mr. Find more chapters on empire

Blackwood. Next time, when you're stressed, you'll have another chance. Until then, just enjoy our massage."

Altair's disappointment was palpable until he heard her voice continue. Elation jolted through every fiber of his being as she said, 'Of course, you'll be given a happy ending. I have a new technique I want to try out.''

***

"You look glossy," Thanatos noted, tilting his head at Altair, who was slouching on his throne. A silly smile was plastered over his face. "I guess Syris managed to get you out of your funk."

"Oooh, yes," Altair nodded lazily. Drained in more ways than one. "What's up?"

Thanatos raised a palm, and a swirling mist of emerald essence spiraled, revealing a condensed soul, and his expression turned hard. He sucked in a deep breath, holding the Emerald Soul Flame dancing upon his palm.

Altair regarded the Soul Flame with a warmth that nearly threatened to make him smile. As he looked at it, he felt a warmth spreading within him, one that he could barely contain. The Soul Flame was a sight to behold - pure, ethereal, and otherworldly. Its beauty was beyond words, and Altair found himself mesmerized by the elated energy that emanated from it.

The lightness of this energy seemed to dance around anyone fortunate enough to be in its presence, filling them with a sense of joy and wonder.

"So this is Medusa."

Thanatos smiled warmly. "Yes. And all she asks is that you don't view what happened after Poseidon."

Altair remained impassive, allowing Thanatos to continue, though his fingers began to drum across his armrest. "She wishes for you to see her as a human, not as the monster she became. And I'm inclined to agree, but not for her reasons. Medusa is old. If you were to live her life, she would certainly override your identity."

"I see," Altair muttered, closing his eyes. He could agree to that much. Everyone had the right to privacy, or at least some semblance of it, as one of his Shadows. "You have my word on that matter. What was Hade's demand?"

"He'd like you to exterminate Persephone, his ex-wife. She should be a member of Athena's party, which should be arriving amidst the fusion of Gaia and Earth.

He wants her broken mentally and physically." Thanatos explained, measuring the impassive face, which made him begin to wonder when Altair's microexpression became so reclusive. If he wanted to gleam insight, he'd have to open his domain and read the natural reaction of his Soul Flame.

"Consider it done," Altair informed him. "Though I might need some information on what transpired between the two. I don't want to be blindsided."

"I'll send you a report and have Zagreus explain it to you, though I expect a fight."

"A fight?" Altair asked.

"Persephone is a sore spot…" Thanatos said, a little uncomfortable. "Ask Zagreus about it. He'll have more details. However, if Persephone does appear, you should keep Zag away. He'll attack her in a blinding fit of rage, invoking his domain to turn this entire palace to ash.

The Flames Zagreus wields are the hottest outside the Infernal Elements." he stopped thinking for a bit and added, "Zagreus flames are invisible; burning so hot holds the power to open Subspace. It typically happens when he loses control of his emotions. And the only way to stop him, at least to my knowledge, is to kill him."

Altair's indifferent mask broke into shock. "You—"

"Our Pantheon is truly Immortal within the land of Gaia. After a night of death, we'll awake at dawn as if nothing happened."

"Holy Shit!"

Thaan nodded. "It's our most powerful home turf advantage. And in a sense, such abilities will carry over to earth since Zag and I are still recognized as Gods by Khaos."

"Do I even want to know who that is?"

"The Master of All. The Primordial of Beginning. He created us, but aside from that, the only one who knows much about Khaos is Mother, and she doesn't speak much about him."

Thanatos floated the Soul Flame of Medusa to Altair, giving him a long stare. "Treat her right."

Altair grinned. "Don't I always?" He said, assimilating the soul in a blinding flash.

[DING]

[God Soul Detected]

[Fallen Necromancy proficiency is too low to view memories of Medusa]

[DING]

Fallen Necromancy [D]

[Aura of the Abyss has Increased Proficiency by 2x]

[Proficiency has Increased by 30%]

Fallen Necromancy [D]

[100/100]

[Proficiency: 12% →72%]'

[Error]

[DING]

[Heart of Darkness has devoured Divinity]

[Strength has increased by 150]

[Dexterity has Increased by 150]

[Constitution has Increased by 150]

[Wisdom has Increased by 150]

[Charisma has Increased by 150]

[Warning]

[If the Fallen Shadow of Medusa is Summoned, she will not be subservient to the Prince of the Vale, but rathered sired]

As Altair checked his messages, he was caught off-guard by the sudden and overwhelming influx. As he read through them, a curious sensation coursed through his body, a cooling warmth that seemed to flow through his veins and penetrate his muscles and soul. It was a strange and unexpected feeling that left him momentarily breathless.

But just as quickly as it had appeared, the sensation faded away, like ripples on a still lake that slowly dissipated into nothingness.

Altair summoned one of his Shadow Imps, dismissing it back into the Vale. He wince at the sudden onslaught of pain, cradling as he experienced the sensation of his soul being torn apart. Still, he held on, keeping the pain down as he opened his palm, summoning Medussa through his Fallen Necromancy, a little in disbelief at the stunning creature that appeared before him.

Medusa was a strikingly bewitching woman that left many who caught a glimpse wanting to stare at the emerald-green scales that adorned her face. The scales were reminiscent of the sinuous bodies of serpents, curling down her cheeks and neck in a mesmerizing pattern.

The scales gradually became more sporadic as they spread over her shoulders, creating the impression that she was adorned in a beautiful, shimmering cloak made of emerald-green gems. Her eyes were piercing and luminous, far in contrast to what one expected from one of the Underworld's Guardians. They were soft, like innocent newborns, large and beady with a tinge of interest.

As Medusa stared with unbridled curiosity, she looked down at her hands and feet. Then she stumbled back in shock, toppling down the flight of stairs. Thanatos acted quickly, his reflexes honed, and caught her before she hit the ground.

Medusa's eyes blinked in a daze, seemingly unaware of her surroundings. She reached up to touch her hair, which had once been a throne of serpents, now a striking shade of minty black that made her gasped in amazement. Suddenly, a primal wail escaped from deep within her throat, so raw with emotion Thanatos felt his eyes begin to moist.

As tears streamed down her face, Medusa tightly clutched Thanatos' robes. It had been so long since she'd walked on her own two feet that she'd forgotten how. It had been nearly eight hundred Chaos Cycles since she'd been turned into a Monster that could not look at anyone who wasn't a God.

It was over. Her nightmare was over. Medusa turned to Altair. She ignored her naked body and crawled up the stairs to his feet and kowtowed, wailing so loud that those who heard it might believe they knew her torment.

Altair bent a knee, lifting the woman's face to meet his. "Welcome to my Empire, Medusa. Welcome to my Family."