The Wurm Turns

>The Dullahan opened the door, her undead heart nearly beating with excitement. She'd served long and hard in battle. The years spent suppressing her mamono urges had worried her. She didn't resent her service to the Overlord's holy misson to save mankind, but doubts about her own suitability as a mate had occurred. It was normal for the more disciplined mamono to comfort themselves with talk of how natural it would be to let go of their inhibitions and find true happiness, but still...

>The pale armored woman shook her head to dispel the nagging thoughts, but much more carefully than a human would. She'd fallen in love on the field of combat, as was typical of her kind. As they'd crossed swords, she'd given her promise. The time and date spilling from her lips of itself, before the tides of battle had separated them.

>The security for the Order base wasn't unmanageable, her lack of normal bodily functions made stealth easy. Undeath granted patience that could outlast even the keenest sentry, her untiring flesh spurring her past them in the moment their attention flagged or weakened. Such was the nature of the living. It was almost cute how biology forced them to balance between a tight-rope of high and low levels of activity and awareness.
>The stability of undeath meant that she only had to wait for the gap to close, for energy to ebb. Her neck tingled as her mind recalled the battlefield where she'd met her future husband. If only she'd had more time, then the clashing of armies wouldn't have separated them. He would have been hers then and there. She didn't sigh at the thought, but it pained her just the same. She did trace a cool finger along the pleasure sensitive seam of her neck, though. The coiled mana within her bubbled slightly in arousal. He'd tried for several head strikes throughout their abbreviated duel, such a romantic man.

>She opened the final door between her and her future husband. Immediately she knew all was not well, even before truly entering the office. The reek of sex was potent enough that it jarred her enough to nearly stumble. The scent of her beloved's mana was blended, *tainted* with the unmistakable scent of another. Her sword was in her hand instantly as she strode forward. She didn't even have the comfort of the instinctive urge to corrupt the other woman to distract her.

She could taste how his longed for essence had been indelibly blended with the mana of a mamono.

>The sight of the Wurm ecstatically coiled around him was disheartening, but she'd not be dissuaded. Thought at a disadvantage in such a confined space, she'd fought against worse odds. Her anger pushed her forward, and it was only after she was fully into the room and the door slammed behind her that she realized the depths of her mistake.

>She *hadn't* closed the door behind her. She turned to see two more Wurms, one in the corner of the room behind her. The other was near the door, presumably the one who closed it. The ichor in her veins suddenly felt immeasurably colder. A clearing of the throat drew her attention. She turned towards it, only to see the human still wrapped in the Wurm's coils.
>Still covered in the fluids of the Wurms, the human spoke. His voice was laced with bitterness and anger "You commanded the force that reduced my squadron to *nothing* at Ain Sefset. I was the only survivor among them. We hadn't met then, you were just a name. But I remembered. Imagine my surprise after learning that my first command would be facing your forces?".

>He gave a chuckle without a trace of mirth as he spoke "It wasn't as surprising as how you smashed us to paste at Mohaha and Tizdannt. Your little declaration of love as you mowed down my men was even more of a surprise, but the later visit I received from the Inquisition out-did you there."

>His face twisted tightly in a way that could barely pass for a smile as his voice grew deep with ire. "The demotions and **interrogations** weren't unexpected, so at least you can find some comfort in that, yes? Your record for novelty still stands, so I decided to get *you* a *surprise* present this time. I've hired the Bibang Triplets, as you can see. All that muscle for the price of little ol me. They're quite loving girls." He paused to draw his tongue slowly up the Wurm's cheek as he held her eye. The Dullahan's innards clenched as the Wurm moaned in pleasure.

>His grin of madness made her shiver "I can't stop your prophesy from coming true. It's a shame, that Fate's a bitch. But, I can damned well make sure that you're *surprised* at how much a dead body can *hurt* before the prophesy does happen. It's a good thing you got here so early, isn't it?"