"…mmm…"

Elias watched Chise hum in her sleep. She looked so peaceful. In her sleep she had turned to face him. She wriggled to place her face on his shoulder and her hands absently fisted at his cloak of fur and vines he shrouded them in. He effortlessly transferred onto his back to accommodate her and relished the warmth of his bride as they snuggled together. It filled him with something that swelled and blossomed deep in his chest, holding her.

Before you, I sought pleasure in the bodies of others, but that entailed their entrails. Feasting on their flesh and basking in their terror. I never thought I could take pleasure from the embrace of another. Elias watched the soft rise and fall of her chest and the subtle curve of her thin lips as she slumbered. I never had the opportunity to think of companionship before. It was always the same. Some high mage would summon me, bind me to a contract and lord over me to kill their enemies. When they died, or when they were finished with me, I would be discarded back to the land of the ever young. A tool of destruction. Death and deliverance. Vengeance and fear.

Elias brought his left hand up to examine the blue silver ring that sat there. Yet because of you Chise, I have learnt that there is so much more pleasure to have in this long existence of mine. All because of that rebellious thought of yours to speak up during the ritual to form the tether bond. Elias thought of that life changing moment, where she forever drew him from the monotony of his subservient position. To rise and become the master. A creature truly capable of taking his revenge and preventing himself from ever being the slave of another again. That moment…when she looked him right in the eye with fiery emerald orbs.

"Hay? I'm talking to you, big guy. You want me? Fine. You can have me. But they die first." Elias remembered thinking how strange it was to hear such a small and delicate creature speak with such viciousness. She was like a rose that as bearing all its thorns in challenge. "Come on? Don't you have standards where you come from? You want to bind yourself to these idiots? They'll use you to do something stupid, like make their cocks bigger so they don't feel so pathetic." And her humour! If he had been capable of it at the time, he would have grinned at her joke. No one had ever spoken to him in such a way before!

"Where are the manners these days huh? Y-you're a gentleman aren't you? You wouldn't eat a girl before fulfilling her last request Come on. The last thing you want is to be enslaved to any of them. They say you'd be their master, but I swear it will be nob magic and ego rubbing for you the whole time."

"And how would my existence be better if I were to be bound to you instead?" The words had left his parted jaws like a flicker of hope had been ignited in him for the first time in eons. Was there another path to choose? Was she offering him something different from the unending repeat of his existence so far? To be summoned and serve? Used and thrown away?

"No nob, so no nob magic for a start." How funny Chise had been. Even then, the starts of something pleasant bubbled in his stomach. It was amusing how the hooded sorcerers that wished to bind him had panicked. He acted without thinking, when one tried to strike her down and stop her tempting chirps. It was so easy to cut one of their number down to still the rest.

"You were saying?" Elias had to know more. What exactly was she offering him? He had to know. He needed something else. Something other. Something different and vibrant to cling to. Would she be his salvation? A life line to a path that raised Elias up to be the master? She certainly looked easy enough to manipulate. She didn't hide her fear.

"Well…I wouldn't abuse you like they would. I mean, you must have things you want. Wh-what do you want?"

"…in all my millennia no one has ever asked me that." Elias felt something fall into place. She'd asked the very question no one had ever bothered to ask him before. The same question he had asked himself the first time she spoke up and broke the cycle. I didn't know what I wanted then. Not like I do now. Elias leaned his head over to take in her lovely scent as she slept. Now, all I want is you Chise. Forever. Back then, I just wanted freedom and the right to choose my own fate.

"Well that's kind of rude isn't it? Bringing you all the way here from…wherever…to do…whatever…without asking what you want?"

"Yes. I agree. And normally I'm summoned by high mages, not children who wet themselves at the first sign of danger." The thought of becoming bound to such snivelling whelps disgusted him. Elias had been summoned by mighty and powerful Mages, who had used him to shape history. Now he had been called forth by teenage, wet nosed, whimpering sorcerers? I would have killed them and retuned to the land of the ever young first.

"Total disclosure? I want to live. I haven't done much of that so far so I really don't want to die here."

"That is very honest of you."

"I'm an honest kind of girl. M-My name is Chise, by the way. Chise Hatori. What…is your name?"

Elias focused on Chise and realised just how much he had changed, through knowing her. I told you my name and declared that you would become mine or die. I took you, and your virginal flesh, to discover you were Surei Bega. I was delighted at my find. He chuckled softly and tucked the fur and vine cloak higher up their bodies to keep her warm. Your mana tastes wonderful, and I could have had such a wonderful meal had I consumed you. But instead I decided to use you as my tether to remain in this world, and feed instead on mortals. I intend to find Lindel and make him suffer for his betrayal. I will still succeed in that endeavour…but…along the way…

Elias remembered talking to Chise about her mortality. At first it didn't bother him. 30 or so years would be plenty of time enough to find Lindel, bleed him first of his will, then his magic, and then his blood. He would still have time left over to desecrate his corpse, reanimate it and torture Lindel's soul all over again. Chise would die, and he would return to slumber in the land of the ever young. But then…he became addicted to her taste. So I decided to fortify you so I can have my delicious treat every day. Elias looked up at the ceiling of their bedroom and held her shoulder with his right hand. But the more I tasted you, the more you excited me. The more I wanted you, the more you wanted me. You returned my passion, and it didn't take long to find pleasure in more than just your body. Elias' eyes vanished in his sockets and he sighed. Your tea may be terrible, but you have learned quite a bit about defensive magic and potion brewing. Gardening, and you have a lovely signing voice. You might not think I'm listening when you sing as you clean, but I do. I'm always listening Chise.

He enjoyed her laugh the most. When they played games and teased one another. Her smile was so bright and open. But you're not just a warm and beautiful woman. I am your soul mate Chise, because lurking beneath the goodness and well meant intentions, darkness swells and aches for release. Elias thought of how magnificent Chise looked as she mounted her first kill. Her tainted hand inside the chit, and the way she moaned at what she felt. Until she was nothing but dust. The way she fed on that boy as well, staked to the tree and already torn out of shape from Elias using him for entertainment. How she had swiftly ended his life to end his suffering…yet…even as she justified her actions, she licked her lips and relished in the taste of his mana. Even at their wedding, her inner darkness came forth. Her desire to become his was fierce and possessive. She fought against the pain to have him. Chise had a duality, just as he did. It's what drew him closer to her and fall in love with her. Whereas Elias was both man and fae, Chise was both good and evil. Evident by the conviction of her vows at their wedding.

"And you Chise? Will you share in Elias' dreams…no matter how dark they might be?"

"Without hesitation."

"Chise. Hold on. It's nearly-"

"You are mine. I'd bare this a thousand times over, and still never let you go."

I shall never let you go either Chise. My Bride of darkness and light. My duality is joined to yours now, my love. Elias turned his ruby eyes to look at her, and they widened, seeing her rousing from sleep.

"…g'mornin." Chise dopily smiled and blinked the sleep from her eyes. She reminded him of a ginger kitten, stretching and yawning so cutely. "Wow I feel like I've slept for a week."

"You have slept for 8 hours. It is now 9am." Elias shifted into his refined form, his cloak vanishing into his back and his bride pouting at the loss of warmth. "Good morning Mrs Ainsworth." Chise blinked once and then beamed up at him.

"Good morning Mr Ainsworth." Chise giggled and sat up to rub her eyes. "Oh, I passed out right after the ceremony didn't I?"
"You did, but it was a very taxing drain on your mana. I expected you would need to rest afterwards." Elias also sat up and pressed his hand to her forehead. "You don't seem to be expressing any adverse reactions to the joining. Good. You will go and freshen up and clean yourself thoroughly. Keep the wedding dress on though."

"Oh?" Chise coyly pretended to be clueless as to why.

"Yes. I will go and prepare breakfast." Elias stood and walked over to his wardrobe to change into fresh clothes. He kept his back to Chise and enjoyed the feel of her appreciative eyes on his back. "It's Sunday, so you're not expected at school so we can enjoy the day together, as is expected. However, I intend to call you in as ill on Monday. You're going to be off school for a week."

"I am?" Chise raised a brow and slid off the bed. She fused her hands down her wedding dress, frowning as it was crumpled from being slept in.

"Yes. I'm afraid that becoming married to you has caused an unforeseen side effect."

"It has?!" Chise snapped her head up with worry and walked at pace around the end of the bed. She reached for him just in time for him to take her wrist and pull her into his arms.

"Yes, it has." Elias restrained her left hand with his right, and brought the palm up for him to lick at her wrist. The place where she was magically bound to him. At the same time his left hand lifted her chin so his tongue could swipe across her lips. "The urge to fuck you into our martial bed, and, well, everywhere else for that matter, is so great, I'm going to need 7 days to get this increased libido down to a more manageable size."

"Speaking of increased size?" Chise moved her right hand down to cup at his bulge. Elias purred and released her wrist to use both hands to take hold of his belt and fly. "Shower first!" Chise giggled and fled from him in a flurry of white.

"Woman you vex me." Elias snarled and chased after her. She was laughing as he backed her into the bathroom. "Take responsibility for what you have done to me, this instant."

"I-I need to get clean first." Chise wasn't scared of the fierce way he followed her to the copper bath. If anything she was invigorated by how deeply her touch and affection affected him. How much he wanted her. "But we could multi-task?" Chise offered as a compromise, stripping out of her wedding dress and carefully placing it on a chair in the corner of the room.

"Fine." Elias was already undressed by the time Chise bashfully returned to the coper bath. He'd also filled it with water and sat in his usual position. "Come to me Chise." Elias raised his left hand to her, and she symbolically placed her left hand into his. Their blue silver rings shimmered together, as he guided her into the bath. Normally Chise would sit between his legs, her back nested against his front.

But this time she decided to mix things up a bit. Elias watched as she sat on his lap, facing him and pinning his hips between her knees.

"Can you slide down a bit…so I can…you know." Chise giggled at her daring, and placed her hands on his plum chest. "Get on top?"

"You wish to mount me? Of course Chise." Elias braced his hands on the sides of the bath and slid himself further down between her thighs. "Take a seat." He chuckled darkly and licked at the back of his teeth. He drummed his fingers against the copper and watched as his wife nibbled her bottom lip. Her hands slid down his firm plum torso and her fingers dragged over his abs. As Chise's hands got closer to his cock they both felt the rise of anticipation fluttering in their loins. Elias decided it had been too long since he'd tainted Chise with his seed. His mind was still lingering on the thoughts of his bride. The journey of her becoming his tether and now his wife.

Suffice to say, this was one 'horny' monster. He purred when Chise finally took hold of his length and stroked him a few times. She pumped him slowly to tease him, and her coy grin enticed him. "Mmmmm. Why Chise? I believe you are overdue a good fucking, and I am eager to see to our mutual hunger." Elias raised his knees and braced the balls of his feet so he could tip his hips up into her hand. "Are you wet enough?"

"Erm, yes? I-I'm in the bath?" Chise raised a brow, and watched as Elias moved his right hand to stroke her cheek. Then her neck…her left breast…down her navel…further. "O-oh."

"Oh?" Elias sniggered at the way her body arched and the keening noises she made. Chise gripped his shoulder with her left hand, the right still working up and down her lover's shaft. Elias was knuckle deep between her labia and a crooked finger inside her. "What does that mean Chise? Does that mean you'd like another finger?"

"Mmm, yes please." She giggled and her cheeks flushed. Chise leaned forward and rode his hand.

"As you wish."

"Oh fuck." Chise moaned and released his cock to hold both his shoulders. She knelt up and licked at his bone snout. "Mmmmore."

"More fingers?" Elias teased her and moved his left hand from the side of the bath to hold her hip.

"No." Chise giggled and drummed her fingers on his shoulders. "I'd like more please."

"More…what?" Elias regarded her curiously, still caressing his fingers against her g-spot to make her judder every few strokes with pleasure. Chise nibbled her bottom lip for a moment, before winking at him. He wanted to play did he?

"You realise that a marriage has to be consummated to be binding, right?" Elias slid his fingers free of her and held his cock at the base. "So we're not officially married, according to most cultures, until we-"

Elias brought her hip down and filled himself to the hilt within her "-fuck!" Both his hands held her hips and he raised his knees even higher behind her. This tipped Chise closer to him, and more importantly, brought her breasts within striking distance of his tongue.

"Then by all means wife. Let's fuck and make it official, shall we?" Elias used his hands to prompt her to start the rise and fall of their sensual dance. Chise flung her hands out to grab tightly onto the sides of the copper bath, and she arched into him as he swirled his tongue around her dusky areola. He flicked at her nipple and left blazing wet trains up to her neck. His jaws were parted, and he never cut her pale skin, no matter how feverishly he 'kissed' and lapped at her. She rode him, grunting and writhing with each lift of her hips, and each of his powerful thrusts to meet her.

"Oooooo Elias!" Chise whimpered and grinned when he tangled his right hand into her crimson hair. He brought her mouth close to his, so they could slide their tongues over each other in their own monstrous way of kissing. She groaned wantonly and pawed her hands across his chest, held his neck, stroked his jaw, and then took hold of the bath edges once more. The wet velvet heat of his cock sliding back and forth was maddening for them both. The liquid friction of their bodies, writhing together in the sloshing bathwater felt like guttural poetry. Their love making as fierce as it was tender.

Elias growled and made indentations of his fingers on the edge of the bath as he suddenly grasped it to bear his weight. Chise yelped as he stood up in the bath, water pouring like rovers of their connected bodies, and he carried her over to the bathroom wall. "H-hold on." There Elias pressed her wet body and drove his hips into hers like he was possessed. Chise clung to him, helpless and deliriously happy, as Elias hooked her knees over his elbows and picked up the pace. Chise was free to nip and lick at his neck in this position, and Elias totally focused on the act of shagging his bride. His wife. Chise Ainsworth. "My beautiful dark bride." Tendrils slithered free from the back of his neck. They snaked around all her limbs, and made a veil of thorns around them and the bathroom wall. Chise found herself in total darkness, like they had been cut off from the world. Her back pressed to the cold tiles of the bathroom wall, and the rest of her was embraced with the writhing mass that was her husband. Glowing red eyes were the only thing she could make out, but what she could feel? That increased tenfold. Something coiled around her hip and sought out her clit.

"OH! Fuck-Elias?!"

"That's the idea." He chuckled breathlessly, his hands now free to explore her soft body as his tendrils suspended her up against the wall. Elias tasted her lips, palmed at her breasts, worshiping them as he undulated his whole body into hers. It felt like Elias was making love to her with all that he was. Chise reached out to touch as much of him as she could in the shadows. She felt at his firm chest and neck, the flex of muscles in his back as he rocked forward. She even gave his toned buttocks a squeeze as she tried to pull him even closer.

"I-I'm so close Elias." She whimpered, tingling and frothing closer to the edge with each wave of pleasure he brought her. With how deep he reached inside her with his cock, and the teasing circles one of his tendrils made against her clit, she couldn't hold out much longer. Nor did she want to. Hungrily Chise did her very best to writhe with him, losing her mind as more tendrils coiled around her breasts to tease at her nipples as well.

"Cum for me Chise." Elias half begged, half demanded, as his own climax threatened to peer over the horizon. "My dark bride."

"M-my darker husband." Chise blushed, not used to talking back during sex, but feeling brave with her mind about to blur into the zone of release. "Oh Elias-I-I'm-"

"Yes Chise." Elias felt her body tense, and she released a soft grunting sigh, arching against him and the wall. Chise came hard, blinded by pleasure as it washed throughout her entire body. She rode every single wave of it, heightened by the continued ministrations of his tendrils at her sensitive flesh. "Uuurrrrrr-yes." Elias stilled his hips and basked heavily in the feeling of each spurt of his tainted seed filling up his bride. His own climax parted his jaws with a gasp and sent fluttering relief through him.

Nothing would compare to that moment after cumming inside her. Knowing she had enjoyed it as much as he did. The fulfilment of being joined and completed by his bride. Not just because of the pleasure shared from their physical bodies rutting together rather wonderfully, but also for what came next.

Chise's arms wrapped around his neck and she snuggled against him. She hummed her satisfaction to his neck, her lips pressed there, and relaxed completely against him. Elias was careful to retract his vines only once he had transferred her body into his arms, and lifted her up into the bridal hold she liked so much. Darkness receded with his tendrils and he looked upon the blissful smile of his wife.

"…it's official. I'm officially your wife."

"Yes you are." Elias carried her back to the bath and lowered them to sit in their usual positions. With her snuggled against his front Elias lounged in the bath water and cast a spell to reheat it for them. "I will do research as to how being my wife might change your duties, but for now continue to obey my commands and we will both be satisfied."

"That's not what you mean." Chise stroked his jaw to get his attention. Her smile was breath taking, as it always was. "You mean, let's continue to be together, do what we must to stay together…even if that get's a bit 'deathy' from time to time, and we'll be happy. Together forever."

"…yes." Elias gulped, his adams apple bobbing and he felt the strangest sensation of having a lump in his throat. Though he didn't know why. "That is what I mean." He pressed his snout to her cheek and she giggled.

"I love you too." She kissed his jaw, and Elias stroked her face.

"…and I love you, Chise. I know now that I always will. Forever."

"Forever and longer." Elias wrapped his arms around her and they were perfectly content in that embrace. "During our vows, you spoke of me having your children." Chise looked up at one of his ruby eyes with cautious hope in her gaze. "Can we really have children?"

"…one day." Elias stroked her red hair, making it damp, but neither minded. "Each ritual we perform fortifies your body so you will live longer. It also teaches your body to be more like mine." His hand lowered to stroke the back of his fingers against her left arm. "The more alike our bodies are, the more compatible we are, the easier it will become for us to breed."

"Wait?" Chise leaned back and looked to him seriously. "So not only will feeding allow me to live longer, and by extension for us to live longer…but it will make me capable of having your child too?"

"Yes." Elias nodded firmly. "We will have to be careful however. My…enemies will not like the idea of making you like me." He chuckled darkly at his bride. "Never mind making more of me."

He never thought of making progeny before. He spoke the vows, as expected, and he knew he could one day have children with Chise due to her transformation…but to actively think about having children? A child of his own? "…and we will make more." Elias sat up in the bath and held her chin, looking intently at Chise. Just when he thought she couldn't possibly mean more to him, be more to him, Chise said something that brought a new layer to his existence. Procreation. "…Chise…we will be together for eternity. You will birth a new generation. I won't be the only pilum muralis any longer. Chise? Through you I will father a legion."

"Wh-erm-c-can we perhaps start with one?" Chise blustered with wide eyes up at Elias. "You know? Before you start talking about be birthing a legion, or whatever." She awkwardly laughed up at him, and Elias red eyes rounded comically. "A-and I'm 17, so maybe…not yet?"

Elias sat back in the bath and barked with laughter. His arms laid along the edges of the copper bath and he teetered with joy. Honest and pure joy.

"Chise, my dark bride, you are not yet ready to birth me any children. Your body is not yet fortified enough to be seeded with my taint." Elias lifted her chin and licked from her clavicle to her jaw. "Mmmm. Yes we will feed much more before then. For now, let us focus on us. Or more specifically? You." He stroked her cheek and purred hungrily. "Now before this water needs reheating a second time, let's wash so we can go and have breakfast." Chise nodded with a smile and reached forward for the soap. Elias teased circles in her pale soft skin along her spine and made her giggle. "Then we will retire to the study so you can decide what you would like to do on our honeymoon, and where."

"Where? Are we travelling?" Chise worked up a lather over her arms, and chuckled when he collected some of the suds in each hand. He explored and teased at her beasts to thoroughly clean them.

"If you wish. For 7 days Chise, we will enjoy each other and celebrate our union."

"Really? That's great!" she turned to beam up at her husband.

"And then once our honeymoon is over we will focus with a vengeance on fortifying your body." Elias chuckled at the tense expression on her face. She knew exactly what that meant. More sacrifices. Yes, she was still darkness and light. In a way, she always would be. Right now the thought of killing chilled her. But with time her darker self would take the wheel and revel in the delight of the hunt and the feed. "Don't worry Chise. I am your master, your lover, your husband, and your teacher. Your soul mate." He continued to feel the weight of her breasts, tweaking her nipples and enjoying the way her desire started to dampen her apprehension. "I will fulfil all my promises to you Chise. Give me your trust, and your time, and you will be mighty. Full of power and my seed. My dark Bride. My Queen." His hands slid down her soft body and he drew sinful whimpers from her. "For now let's just enjoy this week."

"O-okay." Chise melted into his arms, and the task of washing became excitingly difficult. They were playful as they washed each other, laughing and touching one another. Elias was very affectionate and Chise laughed nearly all day. She was a happy and joyful bride. Her husband adored her, and they spent their time using her laptop to research all the places Chise would like to go on their honeymoon, with carnal interludes of course.

Yet throughout her wonderous loved up day with her newly-wed husband, a voice in the back of her head whispered to her. The 7 day timer was ticking away, and then there would be a blood bath. Who would be next? Every sacrifice they had carried out to date had escalated from each to the next. More bodies. More violence. More hands-on feeding from Chise. Just what will Elias make me do next?