Ever After 8: Granberia

"I need to go fight her, Granberia."

 

The swordswoman stood in the doorway of the sparring room. "I can't let you do that, Luka." Her voice was harsh. Her eyes burned. Dragon Butcher was lifted into an aggressive stance, Granberia's knees bent, the sword forward. "She'll kill you. She's enraged. The other Knights and Alice can handle her. If Eden saw a chance, she would eagerly take your life. You know that she wasn't supposed to be unsealed for centuries, maybe even millenia. If she's back, there's someone else helping her. If I let you go out to fight her, you'll die." She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going to let you go fight her."

 

Luka stood up from the mat, the cut in his chest already healing rapidly. He narrowed his eyes. He could feel the twinkling light that was Alma Elma, fading, guttering. Whatever had happened to her, it wasn't good. One down, three to go. He tightened his knuckles around the hilt. "Every second you spend arguing with me is a second we could be spending, fighting her together. She wouldn't have a chance against all of us, and I'm not that easy to kill." He brushed a hand across his chest. The cut was already fading. "Granberia. We have fun sparring. But I need to save them. I don't care if I might die, it'd be better than standing here, being helpless!" He could feel the angelic energy inside of him surging. Eager to meet another angel in battle. It hadn't felt this way since Ilias had been defeated. It might be dangerous even if he won. He didn't know how the angelic energy would react to being used again. But the longer he left it off, the stronger Eden would become, and the worse things would get. "You know you can't beat me. You said it yourself."

 

"I've conquered you, Luka. Your edge is dull. You know you aren't going to win this." She hissed, as she lifted her blade. This wasn't like the usual sparring matches. A brief and vigorous workout, meant to get her blood up, to get her excited. He never won the sparring matches. He didn't want to win them. He didn't want to hurt her. The difference now was, he had no choice if he wanted to protect the others. He swung the sword in a smooth arc, his heart pounding. She really was beautiful when she was angry. The fury that raged inside of her made her glow beautifully. The little bursts of fire that erupted from between her lips, as she panted. He held a hand up, feeling the spirits respond, eagerly jumping to the call for battle. He could feel the unease, as they saw who he was fighting. He could feel the little exhaustion in his soul. It was so hard to strike someone he cared about. That was as much a part of critical ecstasy as the draining of energy. He didn't want to hurt her. But if he didn't act now...

 

She crouched, and lunged. Legs so strong they could shatter stone pushed her forward in one tremendous leap, and her claws kicked up sparks as she flew across the ground. The tip of her blade aimed for his heart. She knew that he could take it, after all. She wasn't holding back at all. There was no ripple in her serene mind as she struck like a bolt of thunder. He wasn't there anymore, though. His wind had sent him flickering through the air around her, dancing easily. He charged for the door, trying to deny her the chance to fight at all. He just had to sprint through the opening, and he'd be home free. He leapt for the door, and then dropped to the floor, as he felt a sudden wave of killing intent from behind him. Rock fell from the ceiling, covering the door, trapping him in the dojo. He turned. Granberia's eyes were full of rage, her teeth bared. "Luka! I'm not going to let you escape!" She shouted, her words growing hoarse. He'd never seen her so angry.

 

She charged again, her sword whipping out in a violent arc. Blow after blow landed against Angel Halo, and he parried each one perfectly. He remembered the first time he had fought her. She had teased him, barely even bothering to fight him, and had humiliated him. In San Ilia, she had mocked him, by testing to see what his abilities were like. In the Gold Volcano, she had given him a taste of defeat. He could still remember the burn as her blade had struck him countless times, burning and crushing him. "Your serene mind is sloppy, Luka! Where's your focus?! Where's your dedication! I can feel the uncertainty on you!" She leapt into the air, bringing the blade down with crashing strength. He lifted Angel Halo, knocking her off balance, but he fell back, refusing to follow up, as he gathered his emotions back in hand. She was right. He needed focus.

 

"Where's your serenity, Granberia? I've never seen you this uncontrolled. It feels like all those times you beat me were a lie. Were you only this strong when I let you defeat me in sparring?" Her eyes burned, and he realized there were tears in them, as she struck out at him. It hurt him inside to say these things, to use her words against her like this, but he had to win. He wondered, inside, whether she was letting him win again. She couldn't be this weak, could she? He swung Angel Halo around, behind his back, holding it there with one hand, and swayed. Undine and Sylph aided his movements, letting him dance around strikes with contemptuous ease. Granberia let out a cry of fury, trying to strike him, and failing. He sidestepped each blow, and watched her.

 

She was so beautiful. But she never respected him. She humiliated him in fights, and in bed, because she thought he was less than her. She didn't think he could defeat Eden without losing his own life. She didn't believe in him. She'd never believed in him in quite the same way that Alice had. He gritted his teeth. She'd never been able to quite treat him like an equal. She had defeated him in a sparring match and used it as an excuse to mate with him, teasing him and mocking him. His blood burned. "Don't you have any passion left, Granberia? I'm rebelling! Where is your answer?!"

 

Her golden eyes were so soft, so sweet, even when they achieved their current pyroclastic hue. She took the bait. She lifted her blade, fire igniting across it, and across her body. She swung down at him with the fury that filled her. He remembered when he had tried to show her how he had learned the sword technique, and she had offset it, completely humiliating him, with the use of the Death Chaos Sword Star. He probably wasn't that fine a swordsman, not yet. But he had strength enough. He felt the hungry demon inside of his blood baying for her to pay a price.

 

"Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!"

 

"Ninefold Rakshasa!"

 

The blades met. Sparks flew. Granberia stumbled back, sparkling cuts opening on each of her limbs, the places where Angel Halo had slipped through her defenses. Luka stood, his arms crossed, no wound on his body. "You're outmatched, Granberia. No more teasing me. No more telling me what I have to do. You can't control me. I can't LET you control me, no matter how good it feels!" He lifted one hand, Angel Halo in the other hand, light as a feather. "Now stand down!"

 

She let out an incoherent cry of rage, and charged at him. Her blows were weakening. He parried each one, as the sword bit down angrily into the mats that floored the dojo. "I won't let you win, Luka! I trained my whole life to be the strongest! Every time you've beaten me, it is because I let you!" There was pain in her voice, tears in her eyes. Each sentence was punctuated by a strike. "I chose to let you defeat me, once, Luka! Because I believed in your cause, and because I wanted to see everything you had to offer! But you are nothing but a disappointment to me! You couldn't even find it in your heart to fight me like this without me having to do this to you!" She brought the blade down in an overhead, skull-crushing strike, and he blocked it, catching her blade on his, his hands above his head. She leaned closer, until their lips were only inches apart. "The only way the dragon has the knight is if the knight has no other choice, Luka! I know that you'd throw me over for the Monster Lord in a moment, if you had the choice of the matter! But as long as I can keep beating you, you won't run off back to her!" She lifted the sword again, and brought it down. Luka twirled to the side.

 

His head was reeling. The things she'd said. He was just a toy for her. He knew that. He didn't have any meaning to her except to be something fun she could play with, and could ravish to her heart's delight. This was things he hadn't heard before. She'd never been one for speaking during their battles, she hated to expose her heart that way. But every time she spoke, her blows grew sloppy. She looked into his eyes, and reacted as though he'd cut her, reeling back, lifting the blade. "Here! I'll crush you with the technique you gave me!" Wind grew, whipping around the two of them, as her eyes flared. And he lowered his sword, looking sadly at her, as he felt the passion of Salamander die inside of him. The fires in his soul died away, becoming calmed, as he looked at her.

 

"Granberia. You know that you can't hold me here. Why did you trick me? Why do you want to humiliate me, and embarrass me? Why are you so harsh with me? Why can't you ever stop treating me like an enemy to overcome, and treat me like a partner? Why do you always have to win?" Granberia's arms shook, as the power of Earth entered them.

 

"Don't talk to me, Luka! You've given up! You don't want to summon your spirits to meet mine, I'll defeat you! You don't want to try to land a blow on me, then I'll force you to stay with me!" She gritted her teeth, as her movements became fluid. He sighed softly, and shook his head.

 

"Quadruple Giga was Heinrich's ultimate technique. But you and he could never use it right, Granberia. It's not a technique that's meant to be used by one person. And I don't need it to beat your Quadruple Giga." Flame flared in both of them at once, fires licking around their bodies. Energy filled Luka, pounding in his head as Salamander filled him with the passion that he needed to summon. Granberia lifted her glittering, elemental-lit sword into the air, in a high stance, as Luka dropped low, his sword coming up across his body, ready to catch the blow. She roared in rage, and brought the blade down.

 

"I have my mother's shield." Quadruple Giga landed on the glowing Angel Halo. The raging torrent of chaos was snuffed out in an instant, Granberia's Dragon Butcher going dull and gray, the elemental fury lost in an instant. Granberia's eyes opened wide, as the angelic energy erupted out of the blade, engulfing her. It vanished after a moment, leaving her standing stock still, her expression slightly dazed, dull. She stumbled from one side to the other, trying to keep the blade up, as Luka turned his back on her. "Fall down, Granberia. You can't win this fight." He had a hard edge in his voice. All of the things she had said still hurt him inside. He needed to go save the others.

 

He'd reached the blocked doorway when Dragon Butcher flashed through the air at him. He spun, deflecting Granberia's clumsy blow. Her eyes were dull, unfocused, but her strikes were as deadly as ever, as she panted, breathing raggedly. "I can't... I can't let you go!" She cried out, as he dodged another strike. "I won't! You're mine, Luka! You're-" She reeled back as he smacked her across the face with the flat of Angel Halo. Tears dripped down her cheeks, as she snarled.

 

"You can't own me, Granberia. You're not strong enough." His voice was cold as ice. And he saw the pain in her eyes.

 

"I know that." Her sword wavered, and the tip dropped down, sticking in the Tatami. "I'm not as skilled at sex as the others. I know that I'm not as kind, or as gentle as the others. I'm not a good wife. I'm not good at raising children, or giving you the best quality children. I'm not even all that romantic, because all I think about is fighting." She wiped her eyes. "But I thought I could keep your heart, if I used my sword. I thought... I thought that if I could conquer you, then you wouldn't be able to leave me, at least for a little longer. I thought I could pretend, for a little while, that you were my husband, and that you were happy with me, even if I was raping you." She rubbed her palm against one of her eyes. "I... I had to cheat. I knew I couldn't beat you, if you were fighting for your freedom. If it was all a game, if it was just a little bit of fun, then it was okay."

 

Luka stared at her. He'd seen her this vulnerable once before, when a finger had been knuckle-deep inside of her, as Alma Elma taunted her. He lowered his sword, and then brought it up again, deflecting a clumsy slash from the Dragon swordsman. She slumped down a bit. "You know... Dragon marriage, it's a special thing. You're supposed to fall in love with someone who's stronger than you. That way, you can always strive to get stronger. It makes both races stronger, because they're always fighting each other. Every great dragon is the child of a dragon-slayer, because that's how it's supposed to be." She looked up, and Luka's heart ached at the torment in her eyes. "But I was so strong, I thought I'd never find anyone I could respect! And then you came along! And you kept getting stronger! You beat me, only a scant couple of months after we first met! I thought, here was someone who could match me, who could make me stronger! But you kept getting stronger, and stronger, and so I practiced with you, and played, because I thought that when it really mattered, I'd be strong enough..." She fell down onto her knees.

 

"But I'm not strong enough, Luka. The idea that I ever beat you... It feels like a lie." She wiped her tears. "But you're going to have to kill me before I let you walk out of that door, Luka. Or break me. I'm not going to let you laugh at me!" She rose, and struck at him. He summoned the elementals into his arm, and brought his blade down. A gash of elemental chaos opened across Granberia, pitching her across the room, into a wall. She struck hard, with a painful crunch, leaving gouges in the wall. She struggled to stand up, as he walked over her.

 

"You cannot hold me here, Granberia. You can't beat me. And I can beat you without killing you. You're never going to be as strong as me when it comes to fighting for what we need to protect." She was silent, not looking at him.

 

"Then I can't keep you anymore. Go on. Be with the person who makes you happy. I'm sorry for... I'm sorry." He sighed, and knelt down next to her.

 

"So am I. I'm going to beat Eden. And when I do, I'm coming back for you." He reached under her shoulders, helping her sit up. His lips met hers. Her cheeks flared red, her eyes going wide, as he kissed her. The sweet softness of her lips was exquisite, as he held the kiss with her. The taste of her saliva was like cinnamon. He hadn't ever kissed her before, he realized. She always grew extremely flushed about the idea, and berated him for suggesting it. His arms slid around her waist, squeezing her, as he held the kiss. The spice spread through his mouth, as her body heat turned volcanic, her eyes slowly closing. When he finally released her, she slumped slightly. "I don't want to leave my wife behind."

 

He stood up, and headed towards the dojo, as her eyes followed him out.

 

Some time later, Luka sat in the bedroom. Bandages around his shoulder and forehead, he smiled at Granberia. She stood at the entrance to the bedroom. Her face was red. She was somewhat bandaged as well, her cheek glowing where four small slash marks were still visible. "Hi." He said softly.

 

"You got hurt." She said softly, moving over to sit next to him, resting warm hands on his arms and forehead. Her palms were incredibly soft, gentle to the touch. It was amazing how many parts of the dragon woman could be like that. He leaned in against her, his arms going around her, and she shivered, stiffening. "I told you it was dangerous. You don't listen to me." Her voice was soft, her eyes looking away from him. "Why did you come back? You could have been Alice. Or Tamamo. Or Alma Elma. Or Erubetie. You could've been with..." She looked down at his feet. "A real woman. Not just some violent muscle-brained lizard."

 

He looked her up and down. Her soft, modest breasts. Her smooth, silky thighs. Her luscious red hair. Those soft golden eyes. The hips that could kill a man, and not just through applications of ultraviolence. He felt his manhood stirring, and slid his arms around her. "I wanted you to be my wife, Granberia. I just... I wanted you to respect me, somewhere. I wanted you to think I was worth the time, that I wasn't just a toy. You always acted as though I'd leave if you started caring about me too much."

 

She looked down at her hands, twiddling her fingers. "W-Was I bad in bed? I could be more submissive, and let you-"

 

"No! I mean, uh." Luka flushed. "Nothing you did in bed was ever bad. I like how you are in bed, Granberia. You're always going to be able to beat me when it comes to that kind of thing. And I'm okay with that. I like that my wife can always overcome me while we're like that." He flushed. "You're really sexy." And this time, Granberia flushed.

 

"But... I'm so, you know... Rough. And harsh. And I don't have many good sex skills. Dragons aren't very good at being... intimate." She looked embarrassed with herself, biting her lower lip. "It's why I could never use any pleasure skills on you. It's just... If you weren't subdued, if you weren't defeated, then I was always worried you'd just... turn it around on me."

 

Luka tried not to laugh. He threw his arms around her, kissing at her neck gently, and Granberia let out a soft murmur of pleasure. "Ah... I think we're both a little hopeless that way. But I promise, Granberia. I don't think I could ever overpower you when I'm inside of you. You're like a furnace inside, all hot and intense, tight and making me feel good. And you're really sweet when you kiss. Like, your mouth is a lot sweeter than a normal human's, and warmer, too. It makes me feel really good when you, um." He flushed. "Use it." Granberia was squirming a bit in her seat, her eyes wide.

 

"Uh. What else?" She asked, her voice a little hoarse. She was grinding her thighs together, and Luka felt his pants growing far too tight.

 

"Um. Your palms, and the soles of your feet... I thought they would be really tough, but actually, they're super soft. Like..." He wrapped his fingers around hers, squeezing her. "Just holding hands with you feels amazing. Your whole body is just so... Really, unbearably sexy, Granberia. Even your breath, when you had me in a vice lock when we first met, I couldn't help but think how sweet it smelled. Everything about you made me want you. I mean, I know that the other Heavenly Knights and Alice are attractive, but... You're the one who I wanted to impress. Your approval mattered more to me, maybe, than anyone else, because you were determined to see how strong I could get." He softly leaned forward, and kissed at her neck. She was panting heavily.

 

"Luka... I... You can't want... A stupid, muscle-headed, battle-obsessed lizard like me as a wife..." she murmured softly, her face moving close to his, her breath coming in quick, desperate little huffs.

 

"Of course I do. If you'll have a pervert fake hero sub as a husband." He smiled, and then squawked as she pounced into him from short range. Her nethers were almost blazing hot through the tight pants she wore, as she ground down into him. Her eyes were closed, as she huffed a bit, her hips moving back and forth against him. Her arousal was soaking through the crotch of her clothing, as she pressed her breasts against him, pinning him down. She shoved her tongue into his mouth, kissing him needily, her tongue swirling in his mouth as she pushed against him. He closed his eyes, his arms wrapping around her.

 

She broke the kiss, panting a bit, frowning down at him. "Promise not to laugh if I orgasm!"

 

"What?"

 

"P-Promise! Alma Elma always teases me about being easy to trigger, and I don't want you to laugh at me if I orgasm with you!"

 

He smiled. "I promise." It was hard not to laugh at the nervousness in her voice, but she was so full of earnest worry. She nodded, and he reached down, tugging the belt aside, exposing her groin. The soft creamy flesh pressed against him, as she positioned over him, moving by instinct. She was breathing hard. "You look so beautiful when you're about to fuck me, you know? You look all eager and hungry, and you start making all of these cute noises..." She made a little protesting mewl, as she forced her hips down against him, yanking at his pants. His erect manhood sprang out, and slapped gently against her groin. She let out a little cry of pleasure, as she moved, her hips pressing against his. She pushed down, as though trying to silence him by burying him inside of her. It didn't work.

 

"And... You're all hot inside... It feels like I could melt inside of you, Granberia." Luka flushed softly, as he pushed his hips up a little. He was satisfied to see her let out a little whine, and shove her hips back down, trying to pin him down. She was as excitable as he was, although still determined to be dominant. It made it easier to let himself go, as her hips bounced up and down. The pleasure and excitement was rising rapidly, and he didn't feel quite so ashamed to be enjoying it. He could see the slovenly look on her face, as she bounced her hips up and down hungrily, her mouth hanging a little open, drooling onto his lips. Sweet spiced saliva dripped into his mouth, and he squirmed, his manhood throbbing. He could feel the heat pouring off of her, her pussy soaked, as her juices dripped onto him.

 

"Luka... You're... Too cute." She murmured, her face flushed. "You always look so warm and sweet when I'm riding you, and it makes me want to ride you hard... And it's so hard not to get excited..." Her hips were pumping up and down. A wet spot was forming between their legs, her arousal staining the sheets. "And... I need to keep so focused, or..." She looked up, panting. "Or I feel like I'm going to burst...!" Her hips pounded down as she let out a high, animalistic cry. It was the sudden, desperate thrusting of someone who realized that they couldn't hold an orgasm back any longer, and was determined to get as much pleasure as possible out of it. The two of them orgasmed together, his seed splattering deep inside of her as she clenched and tightened around him.

 

The two of them lay together, panting, their eyes not meeting, both embarrassed, and flushed. Soon enough, they'd grow aroused again, and spend the rest of the night rutting like wild animals. But for the moment, Luka was moved to throw his arms around Granberia, smiling.

 

"I love you."

 

"I love you, too."