After the game: Fia

“We can’t thank you enough.”

“It was our pleasure,” Fia responded. Ein and Fia had just slain and exercised a horde of demons from a mountain north of the village they were currently in. They had been traveling together alone for three years, since the defeat of Seth-Ra. “Well, we had better be leaving, thank you so much for your hospitality.”

“Please, stop by anytime.”

“We will,” Ein replied. They waved goodbye as they left the town. “Well, they’re nice people, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are,” Fia replied, “And we really should stop by again.”

They walked along, surprised that they hadn’t run into any demons. Sometimes this is the sign of either a demon slayer or a very strong demon that killed the rest. The problem with those ideas is there aren’t any bodies along the road. Not even a sign of blood or anything red for that matter. Ein was uneasy.

“Isn’t it weird?” Ein asked.

“What is?” Fia asked.

“We haven’t been attacked by demons since we left that last town. Not a corpse or a sign of blood. Not even a disturbed section of grass.” Ein explained.

“Yes, it is quite lovely here, stop being so paranoid.” Fia smiled.

“There isn’t even a bird chirping or a squirrel here. Except for the plants, there is no sign of life. See those plants over there?” Ein pointed to a raspberry bush.

“A berry bush…what about it?”

“The seeds are in the fruit because birds eat them. When the seeds pass through the other end, they’re fully fertilized and start growing. This plant depends on animals to reproduce.” Ein explained.

“We probably scared the animals away.” Fia responded. ‘I’m never eating raspberries again.’ she thought to herself, knowing not to doubt Ein.

“That still doesn’t explain why we haven’t seen demons or birds” Ein kept looking around.

“You’re just paranoid,” Fia reassured, “just enjoy the peace.”

“I’m not paranoid, just cautious,” Ein responded. ‘Something’s not right here…’

They kept walking and never saw anything living (except plants) but Ein was still looking around.

“Isn’t this peaceful?” Fia asked.

“Yeah, it sure is,” Ein lied. ‘I’ve never been more stressed in my life. I know as soon as I drop my guard…’ A cracking twig then interrupted Ein’s thoughts. He shot three feet into the air and drew his sword.

“Relax, that was me,” Fia turned to Ein and put a hand on her shoulder, “you’re shaking, I’m sorry I scared you,” she sheepishly apologized.

“I-it’s okay,” Ein blushed, taking a deep breath, “It’s just this place is way too peaceful.”

“Well, calm down, just enjoy it.” Fia smiled. She started walking again and Ein followed, still nervous.

After a while it started to get dark, “We should rest for the night, and see, nothing attacked us! You just need to relax!” Fia scolded as she got her sleeping bag out of her backpack. Ein did the same.

‘The demons might be nocturnal…’ Ein thought, half-listening to Fia’s rambling.

“Are you listening?” Fia turned to him.

“Yes,” Ein replied. He took off his cape. That’s the only thing he does when he gets ready for bed. Fia, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated.

“I’m going behind the tree, don’t peek.” she said.

“Scream if you’re attacked.” was Ein’s only response. Fia ignored it.

Two minutes later she came out from behind the tree. She was wearing her night attire, a blouse and shorts, (you dress in day clothes when you sleep next to a friend of the opposite gender) “No demons,” she said. “You need to relax.” She got into her sleeping bag, “Good night, Ein.”

“Good night…” Ein was sitting up in his sleeping bag, rolling the thought of nocturnal demons around in his head. Fia had her back to him and didn’t see that he wasn’t trying to fall asleep. Usually they took turns being the night watch, but Fia seemed too comfortable to bother. Otherwise, she would be staying up and would wake Ein after a couple hours for his shift. Each day they would take turns who had the first shift. It was Fia’s turn, but she didn’t seem to care.

‘Guess I won’t be sleeping much tonight,’ Ein grimly thought. He looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. ‘Maybe I am just paranoid, but still, the demons could be nocturnal and Fia shows no sign of agreeing to be the night watch, so I’ll stay up.’ Ein sighed to himself. He lied down and enjoyed the breeze blowing across his face. The wind shifted, abnormally, a full 180-degree change. Ein thought nothing of it until the new wind brought a putrid scent to his nose.

“Oh Gods!” Ein jumped up, holding his nose. The scent was so strong he could taste it on his tongue. Fia jumped up as well, awakened by Ein’s sudden display.

“Huh? Ein, what’s…OH MY…!” her hands shot up and covered her nose. The scent of moldy decaying meat and blood swept over them. You didn’t even need to breath through you’re nose, the scent just forced it’s way into your nose. Even if you breathed through your mouth you still tasted it. Ein gagged and Fia threw up a bit. They were used to awful smells, but this could make the gods cringe.

“What…is that?!” Fia asked. Ein only shrugged his shoulders. The smell was getting stronger and a faint chanting was heard. They couldn’t make it out, but it was definitely from a demon.

“Told you it was too quiet!” Ein stood up and drew his sword. Fia drew hers and stood ready. Both were still covering their mouths. The chanting grew to the point where the words could be made out clearly as the sound of footsteps could be also heard. The chant was the word ‘meat’ over and over again. The sound and smell made them back up as the things they got closer. Suddenly small dark-gray skinned humanoid creatures came from the bushes. Their numbers made it look as if the ground was moving, each demon only stood halfway up Ein and Fia’s knees.

“Too many, RUN!” Ein and Fia turned and ran. Ein knew there wouldn’t be any in the opposite direction because he didn’t notice them when the wind was blowing in that direction. They ran with swords in hand, not daring to look back. They could still hear the chanting and smell the stench of the demons.

“There’s a bridge up ahead!” Ein yelled as he got a match and can out of his pocket. He opened the can and as he ran across the bridge he let a chemical run from the can. When they got to the other side, Fia kept running, not knowing Ein’s plan. Ein lit the match and threw it on the chemical on the bridge. In seconds the bridge was on fire, completely impassable. Fia stopped running because she couldn’t hear the demons anymore and just saw the bridge on fire and the seemingly bottomless chasm. Some demons fell off the edge, some fell into the fire and the rest stopped. The chanting stopped and the demons turned and left. Ein and Fia stood and stared as they watched them leave. Once they were out of sight they both fell on their knees and for reasons unbeknownst to even them, burst out laughing. They were laughing so hard neither could ask ‘why are we laughing?’ After a few minutes they finally started to calm down.

“That was quite an experience…” Fia smiled, “…and we lost our supplies and extra clothing.”

“But we’re still alive!” Ein emptied his pockets, “…and I still have my wallet!” Ein carried the money, and they had a lot of it. They accept little money regardless of how much they’re offered for slaying demons, but after a few villages, you tend to be very rich.

“Well, I’ll never sleep outside again!” Fia was still giggling to herself.

“And you said I was paranoid!” Ein exclaimed.

“Sorry,” Fia laughed. Both took a deep breath and relaxed.

“Well, you want to rest here or resume our travels?” Ein asked.

“I told you I’ll never sleep outside again,” Fia said, “so lets get moving.” Fia slept in daytime clothing and was okay with traveling.

“Well okay then,” Ein put everything back in his pockets and got up. They followed the road away from the bridge. The sun began to peak its way onto the horizon.

“We should rest a while.” Ein suggested.

“Why?” she asked.

“I was too paranoid to fall asleep.” Ein answered, “Remember?”

“Oh…right.”

Ein walked over to a tree and leaned against it. Needless to say he was tired, he hadn’t slept since two night ago.

“I’ll find us some breakfast,” Fia turned to Ein and saw he was already asleep, so she crept away to some nearby trees, knowing she couldn’t stray far from her sleeping (vulnerable) companion.

She rounded up some apples and stacked them near Ein, there were four total that she picked. She was about to wake Ein, but she stopped. She took a long look at him, every detail she could see.

“Mph, mumble,” Fia jumped and snapped back to reality as Ein turned over in his sleep.

‘What am I doing?’ she asked herself. “Ein, Breakfast!” she yelled, slightly flustered.

“Okay…” Ein woke and sat up straight. Fia handed him two apples. “Thank you.”

There was a long silence, Fia was still flustered and wondering why she was checking him out a few minutes ago and Ein was still half-asleep.

“You’re sure quiet today,” Ein said. Fia half-jumped when he said something.

“Oh…you know. I’m just…tired…yeah, just tired.” Fia stammered, too afraid to make eye contact just in case she was blushing.

“I know you’re hiding something when you sputter like that,” Fia almost choked on her apple at that last statement.

“W-well, I-I…um,” Fia desperately tried to think of an excuse. “I…that is…”

“Fia, calm down,” Ein sat up. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s nothing!” she went back to shoving down her apples. Ein only watched; somewhat disturbed.

There was a thick awkward air between them after breakfast; not a word was spoken as they walked down the trail. They soon reached a town, it was a small village; not a person was in sight. A cold feeling overcame them as they walked through the ghost town.

“Creepy…” Fia muttered. They thought of that demon army that attacked last night. No blood, no bodies, just like the trail.

“They must’ve gotten them…” Ein felt a chill go down his spine.

No signs of struggle, nothing. They couldn’t help but wonder what the demons did, it was as if they just got up and left. The shops had fully stocked shelved, but no one tending the stalls, the doors to each house wide open.

Like everyone just vanished…

They walked through town when a noise came from their right. They both turned and saw nothing; Ein motioned for Fia to stay put and approached the noise. It came from a stall; Ein looked behind the counter…

“FIA! GET OVER HERE!” he called. Fia ran over and looked; a little boy was shaking in the corner, back turned to them and hugging his knees.

“Are you alright?” he didn’t respond. “Excuse me, little boy?” Fia walked to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

He made a yelping. “Please don’t kill me please don’t kill me please don’t kill me…” he repeated over and over.

“We won’t kill you.” Ein walked next to Fia. The boy turned around, and the fear melted from his eyes when he saw them. “Don’t worry, okay?”

The boy threw his arms around Fia and burst into tears; Fia put her arms around him to comfort him. “It’s okay…” she patted his back. He cried on her shoulder for a couple minutes until he let go and rubbed his eyes.

“I…I thought…you were…” he sputtered.

“Don’t worry…okay?” Fia said. “What’s your name?”

“I’m…Jimmy,” he said.

“What happened here?” Ein asked.

“I-I don’t…know-I…” he mumbled. He was still shaking.

“What do you remember?” Fia asked. Jimmy shook violently again.

“Screaming…and…b-blood flew e-everywhere…” he muttered. Tears were streaking down his cheeks again.

‘Blood? There isn’t a spot anywhere’ Ein thought.

“There is no blood here.” Fia calmly replied.

“Y-yes there was! There was this…huge…thing of blood! It…” Jimmy raised his head in defense. “The blood…took everyone!” Ein and Fia raised their heads in surprise.

“Wait…what?” Ein asked. Fia didn’t make a comment.

“It was brown-red, like dried blood. It was huge, drug itself along the ground…!” he was talking so quickly that Ein and Fia were having a hard time keeping up with him, “…and-and it looked like it was melting, a-and it…grabbed the people and…ate them!” he was ecstatic.

“Calm down,” Ein said. The boy was staring intensely at them…face barring much horror.

“Bu-but, IT’S TRUE!” he shouted, standing up. They just stared at him, faces blank. “WHY WON’T YOU BELIEVE ME?!” he screamed.

“Calm down, take deep breaths…” Fia said. He took her advice, but didn’t sit back down.

“If what he says is true, then we’ll be better off leaving the town.” Ein said.

“But what about Jimmy?!” Fia glared at him.

Ein took a step back. “We can take him with us.”

“R-really?” Jimmy lifted his head.

“Yeah.” Ein smiled.

“Of course!” Fia giggled.

“T-thank you!” he smiled.

They turned around and the three of them began walking. They left town and Jimmy was walking behind them.

A sinister smile crossed his face, his arm morphed into a tentacle-whip thing; Ein and Fia didn’t notice a thing. ‘Too easy!’ Jimmy thought to himself as he readied his weapon.

‘Something’s not right.’ Ein turned his head and saw Jimmy ready himself to strike them. “Fia! Get down!” he tackled her.

“Wha…? OW!” she hit the ground. Ein got back up and drew his sword.

“HehehehehaHAHAHAHAHAAA!” Jimmy raised his whip and attempted to strike them. His arm extended and Ein barely blocked with his sword. The force of the blow made him stagger backwards.

“What’s going on?” Fia got up and stared at Jimmy.

“You’re a slow one. I’m the one who killed the villagers, stupid girl!” he hollered and attempted to whip Fia, she threw herself out of the way and Jimmy cut a tree in half. “I ate their flesh and savored they’re pathetic screaming for mercy!”

Ein ran to him and cut him in half. The two halves fell away from each other, then the melted into one puddle of brown-red liquid.

“What the…?” they stared at it, then they breathed a sigh of relief. Just then a tentacle shot from it and impaled Ein’s shoulder. “Gaa!” he screamed as it lifted him up.

“Ein! Oh no!” she took her sword and cut the tentacle, Ein fell down and he pulled the tentacle out then threw it somewhere.

“Damn…what the heck?” he asked, holding his bleeding shoulder. The puddle raised itself up and took some odd humanoid shape, no face, 10' tall and no distinguishing features. It’s arms turned to whips and it made an attempt to strike Ein, he dodged it and ran behind it. The creature flailed his arms at Ein; Ein was barely able to dodge it.

Fia, now behind it, charged it, full intent to kill it, but an arm shot from it’s back and grabbed her, the flesh went all the way around her body and began to cover her. Ein was about to strike the demon, but it jumped back and held Fia in front of it, trying to use it as a shield. Ein stopped at the last second and jumped back.

“HELP, EIN!” she screamed. The flesh continued to cover her, she took a deep breath and held it, her cheeks bulging from the air inside it and clenched her eyes shut right before she became completely encased in it.

‘Damn, what do I do?’ he thought to himself. The creature thickened its arm, making it as big as a tree trunk; it tried to hit Ein, but missed, but another club came out of the first one and he dodged that one. Then another, then another, then another, then a swarm of tentacles came from the last one and grabbed him. Ein managed to rip most of them off, but one on his arm and leg thickened to the point in which he couldn’t break free; he dropped his sword. The huge mass of flesh that was formed in the barrage of attacks returned to the creature, then he held Ein in his hand.

“Maybe I’ll kill the girl first,” a horrid, inhuman voice rasped. “You’ll hear her scream as I digest her ever so slowly!”

“Damn you!” Ein yelled. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Fia’s sword; she must have dropped it when she was captured. Ein grabbed it and cut the binding on his arm, then without hesitation brought the sword down on the one on his leg, but the sword broke against it. Ein’s eyes went wide with horror; the creature thickened it before the impact.

“How pathetic!” it roared.

“What are you?!” Ein yelled. The flesh on his leg began to slowly spread; the thing was enjoying Ein’s fear. Ein, out of pure desperation, grabbed a decent sized rock and slammed it against the tentacle, and surprisingly it broke, the part wrapped around Ein’s leg liquefied and Ein ran for his sword. He grabbed it and turned around. The creature had stuck the tentacle into the ground, but Ein didn’t care. He knew Fia must be almost out of oxygen by now. He charged, not really thinking clearly, then the creature attacked.

The reason it stuck its tentacle into the ground was to burrow around and make it come from somewhere else. It popped up and took a swing at Ein, but missed. Two more sprouted, the thing had it branch off underground. They were swarming him, big thick ones. They slammed the ground, tearing it apart. Ein dodged it left and right, then got to the body. A spike shot from its torso, but Ein parried behind it and cut the back arm off. The arm liquefied and Fia fell to the ground, she coughed and didn’t get up.

Ein cut the beast’s head off, but another sprouted. Ein jumped back and a whip sprouted from the ground, wrapping itself around Ein. He dropped his sword out of surprise and was lifted into the air.

“Evil ones begone!” Ein and the creature turned to Fia. She was standing and held her hand out, pointing it at the demon. “BANISHMENT!!” she yelled. A light encased the creature, it dropped Ein and violently swatted at itself, sprouting more arms to try to drive the light away.

It was no use. The demon’s body began to fade and within seconds it was gone. Ein stayed down and Fia fell to the ground, both now painfully aware of their fatigue. Ein eventually got up and put his sword away. He walked weakly over to Fia, holding his bleeding shoulder.

“You okay?” he asked. He reached over and helped her up.

“Yes, but your arm!” she said. Ein had forgotten the wound he received, and now that he remembered, it hurt. He held it and showed a bit of discomfort in his eyes. Fia held her hand to it and used her magic to close the wound.

There was a pause, she was holding his arm and neither moved; they stared intensely into each other’s eyes. He put his arms around her and she put hers around his; their faces came closer until at last they kissed. They’re hands explored every inch of the others bodies. Ein had her pressed against a tree; they both knew what they were doing, but neither wanted to stop it.

Fia enjoyed Ein’s strong arms around her, snaking around her body, his hands caressing her bare skin under her blouse. He soon rid her of it, exposing her breasts. Her eyes begged him to touch them; he didn’t need to be told. He squeezed one and Fia let out a sharp gasp; they were the right size, they fit in his hands perfectly.

Fia’s hands fumbled with Ein’s belt. She undid it and his pants fell slightly, but before she could pull them down, Ein brought his lips to one of her nipples. She let out a long moan and her legs began to go weak; she was still standing, after all. She let out a disappointed groan when he stopped and grabbed her waistband; he slid it down, she was now completely naked. She finished what she started and pulled his pants and underwear off.

Ein was about to do something else to her, but she gently pushed him away. She then turned around to the tree, leaned over and hugged it, sticking her ass out in his direction; Ein immediately knew what she wanted. He grabbed onto her thighs and opened her folds with his thumbs. He then gently pushed into her; their breathing became labored. His cock met her hymn, and he broke it. She let out a slight squeal, but Ein paid no mind. He slid back and forth; Fia was a bit uncomfortable with the still-lingering pain but it was soon forgotten.

She moaned his name and every time she did, he went a little faster. Fia gripped the tree tightly, enjoying every minute. It was like it was just the two of them; absolutely nothing else mattered at all right now. Ein’s nails dug into her skin, drawing a bit of blood, she didn’t care though; she didn’t even notice. Fia kept moaning his name, usually accompanied by the words: oh my God.

Fia’s inner walls tightened around Ein’s cock as she came. The sudden intense sensation caused Ein to reach his climax as well. Fia lost her grip and they both fell; they were breathing heavily on the ground. After a while, Fia broke the silence.

“Well, I think I’m ready for round two; what about you?” she asked.