Recompense

Dave

Everything hurt.

My arm couldn't move, and I was none the better for it. The actions that lead me here were certainly more dangerous than I wanted them to be. Weren't it not for her attack bouncing off, it would have been a relatively easy victory shortly thereafter. Then there was Nurgal, where do I even begin?

Staring up into the sky, my left hand idly balled up, opening and closing, the sensation feeling unnatural. All of the flesh from the appendage had somewhat burned off, singed black. Several beads of crimson pus threatening to burst at any moment. It was unsightly, but not the most important thing on my mind right now.

Taking in my surroundings, it didn't take long for me to realize I was back in the nearby site of grace, its golden rays somewhat comforting during this whole ordeal. Shifting my body upward, a surge of pain wrought through my mind like a rampaging bull. My nerves flaring up as the outer coat of skin cracked, a few drops of blood leaking from the tears.

Swallowing a wad of saliva, my eyes wandered back and forth, swiftly finding the cause of most of my worry. Vestia had her legs tucked inward, her body hunched over, and her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, completely motionless and unresponsive to my awakening. Reaching out for her, my body immediately halted, a familiar whisper booming in my ears.

""Uh, uh, uh~."" Nurgal warned, a figure of her appearing by the fire keeper's side, waging her index finger. ""She's been tirelessly working to heal thee all this time. Thou ought to grant her the rest she deserves."" The putrid mass of rot even had the audacity to stroke her hair, my teeth gritting. ""Then again, what didst thou expect? Throwing someone with barely an hour of training out for the dogs like that will get thee nowhere. Though perhaps, she would have succeeded, if this were another reality.""

Sucking in a mouthful of air, my breathing relaxed. I couldn't no longer afford to act impulsive in her presence, lest I started yet another disaster. My arms shakily swayed in the wind, cracks forming all over my fist. "Do you feel good about yourself? To have finally brought me to my knees? To be the one to come out on top? Come on, I know you want to say it. Shit, you were practically begging for it earlier. Just spit it out and get this over with."

""I- uh. What?""

A click echoed from my lips, a grimace forming on my face. "Isn't this what you wanted? Because at this point, it just feels like you're being a prick for the sake of it. What? Was this part of your master grand plan to slowly break me? Use me as though I was nothing more than a wet rag, only good until you have to throw it away." I sneered at the higher power, her figure taking one step back from her position.

"Fine, if you wanted to act this way, then you should have just said so. Form a new contract, right here, and right now. You can do whatever you want to my body, so long as She is completely unaffected by your schemes. It's the least I could do when all of your bullshit seems to go my way."

"Do it, I could care less. You are more of a liability! Damn near going on to do the opposite of what you wanted in the first place! Yeah, vassal my ass, at this point, it just seems like you're trying your best to null the contract, let someone else do it in my stead. But I just know, deep in my heart, that you would also try to fuck over the next person. So take me, fuck off to wherever Malenia is, and get this job finished. At least then, I would never, ever have to see you again."

Shaking my head, I let go of a sigh, my gaze returning to the divine figure, a heavy dose of resentment in my eyes. We stayed like this for what felt like an eternity, unmoved from our positions. Seconds ticked, my feet tapping on the rocky sea shore, my eyes sharpening. Any minute now… Still no response. Any second now… Nothing but dead air. Now!... My eyes violently shook, flashes of color flooding my sight, blinding me momentarily.

This bitch was wasting my time, what was she doing? Was she actually regretting her decision? No. It couldn't be. Still, she'd usually take this type of thing in a heartbeat. So, what was the hold up now? My brows furrowed, gaze filled with caution as a handle entered my palm, a salivating sense of anticipation ripe on my fingertips.

""Wait…"" She paused, the single words stretched out over the course of ten fleeting seconds. ""I-… uh…."" The words had failed to come out of her mouth, my hand sporadically twitching. ""Fine, take the victory. It was all my fault. You hear that? My mistakes caused thee to fall down this path, subsequently leading to her situation. And though it may wound me, I accept all responsibility for mine actions and their effects.""

My hand froze, muscles tensing up. But there was more to it, her form faltering, appearing before me in a flash. ""I wouldn't be so naive to think this would be enough to gain back thy trust. I-I was stupid, impulsive, and I'm not going to blame anyone or anything else but myself. Doing so would be adding to the hill of childish acts I have already committed."" My brows furrowed, skepticism peaking in my mind, the expression on her lips snapping in half.

""There are no excuses, I'm… sorry, alright? I had pushed things too hard, and too fast… I-I-"" She broke down, now sitting across me, hands crossing over her shoulders. ""I was scared, too eager to let fear take hold of me. A pitiful excuse, isn't it? Hehe, do as thou wish. Thine hand is already readying for thy weapon. Take vengeance on the person whom hath done thee wrong. Only then will your beloved be safe, right?""

Yet another click left my mouth, staring at the pitiful goddess before me, eyes twitching uncontrollably. But, my body relaxed, my hand easing ever so slightly, letting go of a sigh. It was funny. Here I was, damn near ready to take her head. And now? I was finding it hard to even hold my sword. My breathing shifted, air escaping my lips, a chuckle bubbling up from the deepest depths of my throat.

I really was pathetic, wasn't I?

My fist tightened, even with the seemingly happy mood I was in, vision going blurry. Were a few words all that was needed to sway me? No, of course not. Of course no-

Grabbing my blade in an instant, I lashed out at Nurgal, red permeating my vision. She took a step back, a gash appearing on her forehead. Then another as I brought it back up, pitch-black flames igniting from the tip. "Whether it be the feelings rooted deep within me, or the skepticism that wrecks my heart, I'll take you up on that offer." I grunted, the flames combusting, a deep-vermillion highlighting the fire.

"Even if you die here, what use will it bring? This isn't your true form, and your body will return in barely a day's time. Your role here will be nothing more than a training dummy, your sins still left unaccounted for. So, how will you choose to atone? We have already passed the point of an apology when you put her life on the line with your imbecilic actions. Pray tell, what is a suitable punishment for an outer god such as yourself?"

Poking at her with the tip of my sword, my body shifted along side the weight, openings and holes littering my form. There was no time to think about that now, however. She was the only one who stood in my path. "You tell me to strike you down, and yet, you dodge at every chance you get. Were your words perhaps… lies to begin with?

"Tsk, tsk tsk. You shouldn't play with someone like that, Nurgal." I emphasized, her face bare of an emotion, save for her eyes, both of them drawing thin. "I might lose control over myself. And we both know how desperate I can get." Dashing backward, a plume of chaos pooled in my hand. The embodiment of rot's eyes now fully open, jaw hanging slack, her stance shifting to the ball of her foot.

""Dave, Dave, Dave. Thou art truly a confusing specimen.""

"I could say the same about you. So two-faced in your words that you lie to get me in a contract with you." I shot back, twisting the position of my hand, pulling it into my chest. "Are all Gods like this? Liars, manipulators, and cheats? Desperate to the point they need to use such methods to recruit someone? What a sorry sight."

""I gave thee power, did I not? Immunity from all ailments, and power beyond mortal comprehension, do I remember that right?"" Space warped, the red-head appearing before me in little more than a thought. ""There was not a single lie in my words."" She disappeared once again, her voice echoing in my ears as I thrusted my left arm at her, lava exploding outward and into the nearby water, sizzling hot.

""All my actions have been to push thee, impulsive or otherwise. I simply made the mistake of pushing it too fast."" She answered, a lump forming in my throat. ""Frankly, thou hath little prowess with the blade, often relying on thine spells. And that scares me. Eventually, in the near future, there will come a time where thine pyromancies won't be enough.

""Where mine Scarlet Rot will have a minimal effect. Magic, incantations, and any other mystical art, they will inevitably reach a ceiling, a limit to how much strength they can feasibly handle. Only by combining martial skill and the art can thou breach through this barrier."" She paused, taking a moment to appear before me once more, a hand on my Onyx Blade. ""Thy instincts are well refined, useful for dodging, but little else. Even then, they aren't good enough to contend with many of the other fighters in the Lands Between…""

For the third time, she paused, a palpable pressure filling the air, my body completely motionless, not even a single twitch. ""My intent was always to help thee, and I sincerely apologize for the misgrievances mine actions have incurred upon thee."" Appearing once more before me, her figure filled up the space, her body prostrated. ""Do with the information however thou wilt, it matters naught to me any longer. Should thou wishth to null the contract, that is understandable, and I will do so immediately. I have most certainly overreached my boundaries. Though, if thou can find it deep within thyself to forgive me, I shall comply with thine decision.""

Without another word, my sword lopped off her right arm, viscous red fluid flowing forth from the wound, her face expressionless, not squeaking a sound. "Right now, you're the most knowledgeable person I know. And with how vital information was in my previous journey, I need to rely on someone to help me, right?

"I fought my battles with experience built upon by an innumerable number of defeats. Death after death, I pushed through nevertheless. And with that now out of the picture, due to those I have to protect, who better to ask than those who have a wider perspective than me. The same goes for you Asimi, your help in honing my skills hasn't gone unnoticed."

A squeal was all that was heard, but it was enough to arc my lips, breaking my uneven expression. That was, until I returned to the still frozen Nurgal, her head turning to face me from her position. "You on the other hand… Though I might allow you to stay inside of me, that doesn't mean I have forgiven you. If your reckless behavior has brought me this much trouble after only a few days, what more when our journey will inevitably drag on for months on end? There might not be much stopping from wreaking havoc on both my body and mind. But if this continues, I swear on all the Gods residing in this world that I will find a way to end your life, permanently."

Laying the tip of my greatsword over her head, the expression on my face turned stern, eyes squinting. "Do I make myself clear?"

""What other option is there? If it means our continued partnership will run smoother, then of course I'd pick yes."" Her words came out as smooth as butter, not a hint of deceit registering in my brain. ""Should it worry thee so much, then I swear it on my divinity. What more do I have to lose? Mine anchor to this world is sealed, and my supposed vessel firmly, and so vehemently, rejects me at every turn. There is very little in the ways of choice at this point.""

Dismissing my sword with a quick wave, I moved past the goddess, walking towards the still sleeping Vestia with quiet footsteps. Maneuvering myself closer and closer, my eyes observed the condition of her body, taking note of her frequent shivers and unmoving stature. My body shifted, right hand drifting ever so slightly forward, my knuckles brushing along the strands of her golden hair.

Disheveled, she likely hadn't rested until my condition was stable. A click leapt from my mouth, my left arm painfully rising to attention, a serene vermillion glow emanating from it. "Soothing Warmth." I gently whispered, pulling her body close to my chest, allowing the miniature flame to comfortably heat us both.

Eventually, her temperature gradually calmed, the chills that ran up and down her arms and legs halting. Sweet murmurs left her lips, my right hand pressing against her back, rubbing it while the atmosphere assaulted my mind, a haze wafting over my eyes, a heavy weight pressing down on my eyelids… I think… I could use another nap….

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[A/N: What the fuck have I done? Holy shit. Alright, emotions, yeah. Fuck, shit. Character development or something. My mind melted, I feels sad. But, you didn't come here to listen to me rant. It's been a while, and I'm probably going to write another smut chapter for 24 or somewhat after that.

Anyways, if you find anything wrong in the fic, let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and what I could have done in place of what is present.

Join discord server. I have one.: /eTb2kPab4z

I also have a at balls1124. For only a dollar or more, you can get access to 2 more chapters beyond the current one. That's pretty neat if I do say so myself..

With that being said, I'm going to workout, get this out of my system.]