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For the Prosperity of Aquor	By : MDragonspell Category: +S through Z > Star Ocean 3 Views: 8211 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
This was formerly a group project (called Hidden Attraction) where every chapter is written by a different author, but only one other person wrote another chapter. I’m continuing this story on my own unless the other writer who contributed wants to join in again. So with the exception of chapter 2, which was written by Lorelai Kline, the rest of the writing is mine.
Warning: This will also include hints of yaoi in later chapters, but nothing explicit. The pairings are Albel/Nel, a hint of Cliff/Mirage, one-sided Fayt/Albel, and eventually Fayt/Astor (that spy stationed in Kirlsa). There will be no Maria or Sophia bashing.

For the Prosperity of Aquor

Chapter one

(By Sorceress Myst)
            They were both sleeping peacefully in their beds. Even the most skilled warrior would be tired after all that trouble they had escaping the Airyglyph dungeons and traveling to Arias. Nel couldn’t blame them, nor could she bear to wake them. It was only yesterday in Kirlsa when she received news that her two most faithful subordinates, Tynave and Farleen were in the hands of the Black Brigade. She needed to rescue them and yet… she had to abandon her mission. She didn’t want to, but the safety of her soldiers came first.
            Nel began to ponder why she even came into their room in the first place. She knew they were asleep, so why bother? As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she grew attached to the two strange engineers. Fayt was a very kind boy who cared about other people. Nel would never reveal it out loud, but she was quite touched that he asked about the well being of her subordinates when anyone else would inquire if they had passed on.
            Cliff on the other hand was a funny and somewhat lecherous man (though he was apparently joking about being a pervert) who nearly made her smile countless times. It was rare to break her out of her serious nature, but the blonde man had a way of lightening the mood to the point where she could make a few light jokes of her own.
            But she had to let them go, they were not her responsibility anymore. And yet she felt the need to at least say good bye…but she instead settled for bowing to their sleeping forms and hastily left their room. The only person who knew about her mission was Clair and not even she could stop her friend. Nel’s mind was set so it was final.
            “I’ll take good care of those two, so don’t worry about them,” Nel’s silver haired friend assured as the Crimson Blade was about to head out the front door.
            “Thank you. Be careful getting to Aquios, there may still be some Glyphian agents after them…”
            “Don’t worry about it, I can handle this, but still…I’m worried about you. This is obviously a trap-”
            “But what can I do?” Nel interjected, “I can’t leave Tynave and Farleen in their hands anymore than us giving them the engineers. Plus…something strange is going on. We both know that Albel the Wicked doesn’t take hostages. Also, why does he want Fayt and Cliff when we all know that he’s not seeking a promotion? None of this fits…”
            “I know…” Clair eventually agreed with downcast eyes, “But be careful anyway, may the grace of Apris be with you.”
            Nel nodded as her friend bowed. Clair bit her lip in worry as her red haired friend left.
*******
            The Kirlsa Training Facility loomed over her in the pre dawn light. This was the place where her loyal subordinates and good friends were being held captive. This was where the Black Brigade reside, where her enemies, Albel the Wicked and Shelby the Heavy Handed, were. Many lives have been lost there, mostly Aquarians and other followers of Apris. At first, the building was supposed to be a place to train dragon knights, but now it was an intimidating and dark prison. This was not a safe place to be, especially for an Aquarian spy. But considering the circumstances, Nel refused to be intimidated. This was not a time to be timid, the lives of her soldiers were at stake.
            It was by far the most suicidal mission she had ever undertaken, but it was possible to escape unscathed as long as she had a good plan. All she needed to do was to sneak in, ambush a guard, and steal their armor. Then she could search for Farleen and Tynave under the guise of a Black Brigade soldier. But above all, she must not…
            “Enjoying the view Aquarian?”
            …be seen.
            This was not her day. Not only was she caught, she knew who the voice belonged to. Of all people, why did Albel the Wicked had to be behind her? Nel hadn’t had the chance to sleep and she hadn’t had the time to properly heal herself. Also, she didn’t have any available healing items. She was in no condition to fight someone like him.
            “…Albel,” she spat in a low voice. She refused to turn around in fear of letting him see her doubt.
            “So you heard of me…” She could almost hear the smirk on his face when he said it.
            He took another step closer to her, “Let me see your face, woman. I’d like to know who is intruding on my lands.”
            There was power and possessiveness in his dark voice, like his words were a runological spell to cast fear into the victim. Ignoring his tone, Nel steeled her nerves and slowly turned to face the Glyphian with a glare.
            Albel’s blood colored orbs studied her for a minute before they widened in recognition, “Why if it isn’t Nel Zelpher, how kind of you to grace me with your presence.”
            He then gave an exaggerated bow, “What brings you to my lair?”
            Nel watched him carefully as he straightened up from his bow and rested his claw over the scabbard of his sword. It was a deceiving stance and she knew she was a goner if she had tried to attack. She readied her hands to grab her daggers in case he decided to attack first.
            “I’m not here to play your mind games! I came to rescue my subordinates that you are holding hostage!”
            “Hostage? …So Shelby is defying me, how interesting,” Albel muttered to himself as he paced around her and glanced at the entrance, “I ordered him to throw your …subordinates out because they possessed no challenge to me. Well fret not, I will have them released as soon as possible.”
            She tried not to look surprised. Was this some joke? At least it made sense why Tynave and Farleen were captured by the Black Brigade. Everyone in Aquaria knew that Shelby wanted to surpass Albel and become the captain. What didn’t make sense, however, was that Albel the Wicked was going to let them go alive and without a fight. What was he trying to pull? They were in the middle of a war and releasing enemies like that could get him in trouble with his country… not that Nel was concerned about his well being.
            “Really? How unusually ‘not wicked’ of you…” she muttered while resisting the urge to look at him in the face.
            “Don’t go thanking me. Your subordinates are free to go, but who said anything about your freedom?”
            Nel involuntarily stiffened before he stopped in his pacing behind her, “I should have known. …But I’ve never known you to take hostages.”
            “Well what do you expect? Aquarian or not, you’re still trespassing on my lands,” he paused and Nel had to restrain herself from running when she felt him step into her personal space, “And you seem a bit too tired to fight me. I don’t like punishing tired soldiers. It’s not very fair, nor is it fun.”
            This time she couldn’t stop herself from pulling away and sharply faced him when she felt his human hand running across her cheek, “Since when did you care about being fair? You led a surprise attack on Arias!”
            “Those were orders from my king,” he interjected, appearing to be amused from her reaction. What was she doing? It didn’t matter if Albel wasn’t acting as heartless as he was named, they were still at war and she couldn’t afford to have a conversation with him outside when Tynave and Farleen were probably being tortured within the facility. The only way out was to fight.
            “Fine, you say I’m trespassing and want to fight me, then let’s fight!”
            The rather annoying smirk on his face only grew larger on his face, making him look even more menacing, “Wouldn’t you want to rest first? If you fight me in your condition, then you will die.”
            “A small sacrifice if it means the safe return of my subordinates,” she replied with an even glance.
            “You have my word that they will be released, regardless of whether we fight now or later.”
            “But even so, you are going to waste time by taking me to a prison cell and making sure that I won’t escape while my soldiers are being tortured by your men. It would be quicker to fight now and get this over with.”
            “If you say so,” he said, giving her an appreciative glance. In one fluid motion, his sword was out and pointed at her, “Come at me then!”
She wasted no time in unsheathing her daggers and charging at him. It was a really reckless move, but she was desperate. Maybe if she were to catch him off guard, then she might be able to win the battle. She knew it was a hopeless thought as he easily blocked her attack with his claw. Even though she wasn't in top form, most of the warriors still had a hard time in defeating her in battle, but Albel seemed that he wasn't even breaking a sweat. He had no trouble in keeping up with her fast movements. She also noticed, to her ire, that he wasn't even trying to attack her. He was toying with her!
            Nel had to do something reckless again, she had to anger him so that he would strike. Even if it would cost her life, she needed the battle to end soon, for Tynave and Farleen. She began chanting a low level firebolt spell under her breath before she ran up to him and knocked away his sword with her dagger and then dodged his claw. She waited until she was close enough to his body to release the spell, leaving a scorch mark on his lower arm. She had to use a low level spell because she didn't have much mental energy left. Even if she was fighting like she wanted to die, she was still going to try to find a way to stay alive.
            Albel looked stunned, but not in pain once the spell died off, she used this to her advantage and swung her dagger towards his body. He was able to come to his senses and back away before her blade could cause any serious damage to him, but a cut still managed to appear on his chest. Soon the purple shirt he always wore began to darken with crimson blood.
            “Yes..." he mumbled with a feral grin, “It has been a long time since anyone drew my blood!”
            Nel slightly blanched as she landed on the ground. She was supposed to anger him, not impress him. His eyes weren’t calculating her movements or trying to find a weak point in her fighting stance, he was merely observing her like an instructor watching his student. What was he thinking? Wasn’t he supposed to destroy his enemies?
            “And to think that you are not at full strength right now,” he continued, his voice void of the scorn he should have. But what he said next really surprised the Aquarian spy, “…It’s a pity that you’re an Aquarian, you would have made an excellent Glyphian soldier.”
            “What?” she nearly shouted before she steeled herself to attack again, “I would rather die than to become a Glyphian!”
            “What a pity…” he drawled as he effortlessly blocked her attack with his sword and flung her to the ground. Her body bounced once after the hard impact, but she still managed to roll over and get up despite the pain she was feeling. If she were in her top form, the impact wouldn’t have affected her as badly.
            Nel’s jaw clenched as her fingers dug into the soft dirt in frustration. This was taking too long- and she didn’t like to be toyed with like a plaything! Albel watched patiently as she reclaimed her daggers and arose to her feet. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to attack her. If she were to fall, then it would be from exhaustion. It would be dishonorable if not embarrassing if she died on her own without Albel having to strike her once. She didn’t have enough mental energy left to cast a cure spell on herself and her wounds were severely holding her back. She wasn’t going to last much longer…
            “Why are you holding back? Afraid to fight a woman?” she sneered at him before planning one more assault in her mind, “Fight me! Or are Glyphian men are as cowardly as a Menodix?”
            There was a faint smirk on his face as his two toned hair obscured his eyes from her view, “If that is what you wish…”
            “Flying Guillotine!” It was a successful hit and he did look surprised as the dark flying disk slashed some of the skin on his right arm, but then he was able to knock it back with his claw arm. After that he seemed to have disappeared. Before she knew what was happening, his good arm wrapped around her waist and roughly pulled her to him. Her back was pressed against his hard chest as his claw arm came up before her body.
            “Vampiric Flash!” She couldn’t escape from his grasp and was doomed to take the full force of his battle technique. It felt as if her life was being drained from her and before she could curse Albel’s existence, her vision faded to black.
            Albel quickly let go when she fell limp in his arms and knelt down to inspect. She was still alive, but barely. She still had enough life to survive, but she needed rest to regain her mental energy. He then moved her body so that she was lying on her back and then brushed the stray red hairs from her face. She looked serious even when unconscious, though it probably wasn’t her fault with all the war nonsense going on. It truly was a pity that she wasn’t from Airyglyph. She seemed more useful to him than at least twenty of his soldiers.
            He soon sheathed his sword before collecting her fallen daggers and replacing them within their respectful scabbards on the Aquarian. It would be a waste to kill her, especially when he knew that he would never get the chance to fight her when she was well, but then that was the way of war. …Then again, who had to know that she was here? He could easily hide her until she was well enough to fight again. He didn’t care about the king’s order to report any intruders that came past the Glyphian border and he certainly didn’t care about Vox’s order to eliminate all enemies. As far as he was concerned, it was his turf, so whatever happens was his business. Plus …he had always wanted to know more about the spy and he couldn’t think of a better chance than now.
            But first, Albel had to get rid of the unwanted worms…and of course have Nel’s subordinates thrown out. He leaned down to scoop up the surprisingly light figure, careful to make sure that his claw didn’t cut her. Once he was standing, he glanced at her face one more time.
            “Nel Zelpher…” he sighed with a sound of disappointment lacing his tone, “If only you were mine to take…”
            It was true that he had a long history of blood lust since his father's death, most likely because he constantly fought to prevent another tragedy from happening again. Many thought that Albel the Wicked’s only love was for battle and figured that no person, especially a woman, would ever catch his eye. Women from Airyglyph never bothered to pick up arms and fight. They were only interested in attracting men and raising a family. But fighting alone wasn't enough of a quality trait for Albel, otherwise he would have settled himself with falling for men. He only held respect for people who were strong willed and determined. Nel certainly did fit that trait.
            He wasn't thinking strength in battle when he began considering her as a worthy match. He noted that she was able to overcome any tragedy and not let her emotions affect her in battle. She lost so much in her past, much like he did and yet she was still fighting. But then one cannot overlook the fact that Albel was male and that admiring a female tended to shift into something more than admiration. He wanted more than to just fight her in battle. He wanted to be the one to claim her as his own. He just wanted her. Albel did not once think that his feelings for her were a sign of weakness because they were merely another form of a battle that he would have to struggle to win. Sure he could force himself on her, but it wouldn’t be as fun without her enjoying as well.
            But the fact remained that Nel belonged to the kingdom of Aquaria and she had no reason to trust him because he was her enemy. She was far out of his reach at the moment, like a forbidden fruit trapped behind a tall sturdy wall. Normally ‘rules’, ‘orders’, or ‘forbidden’ weren’t things that he’d observe and that would mean that nothing could stop him from taking her anyway. At least that was the norm, but he respected and admired her more than he would like to believe and thus held back his desires and urges.
            Considering that his foolish second in command was holding the Aquarian worms hostage, Albel didn’t think it was wise to barge in where everyone could see that he was carrying an Aquarian spy. Not if he wanted to keep Nel a secret anyway. He instead used a secret passage that led him to the top floor. All he had to do then was walk across the roof and make his way to his room unnoticed, but a certain distraction down below in the arena stopped him.
            There were several of his troops down there being led by Shelby as they tried to attack two new intruders. The Wicked One remembered in the back of his mind that they were the engineers that everyone was making such a fuss over. They were doing an impressive job in fighting back the best of his men and protecting the weak Aquarians behind them. Apparently they were also here to rescue them. What a bother…
            Albel settled Nel’s unconscious form down to lean against a column before glancing back at the fight. The engineers had defeated all of his men and were now taking on Shelby himself. Perhaps if the engineers were strong enough to defeat the annoying maggot, then they might prove to be an interesting challenge. Unfortunately though, they would be too tired to fight properly once they were through pummeling Shelby. He could tell them to go rest, but then what good reason would they have to come back? They might be the type to chicken out of a challenge once they reached the safety of Aquaria-
            Suddenly a thought struck him. Perhaps… Albel stole another glance at Nel before facing the fight again. Maybe he could use her to lure them back after they delivered the worms and prepared themselves. If the engineers were so soft hearted to go rescue the spy’s subordinates, then they must care about rescuing Nel if they thought she was in danger. Plus, while he was waiting, he could get a chance to talk to the red haired woman and get to know her.
            “Ha! He wasn't as tough as his talk,” the large blonde man gloated when Shelby was defeated. Albel had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. The maggots sounded like a bunch of clowns...
            “Pitiful...” he muttered loud enough for the engineers to hear him. They frantically searched around for him, worried about having to face another battle.
            “Over here,” Albel called out when it appeared that they couldn't find him.
            “Another one!?” the blonde man shouted as he went back into his fighting stance. Instead of taunting the engineers, Albel turned his attention to the still form of his second in command.
            “How pathetic...” he drawled, not once moving from his spot from the roof, “Shelby was always strutting, preening his feathers, but to lose to the likes of you? Heh, once a maggot himself now he’s food for the maggots.”
            He supposed that somewhere in his wicked heart that he was going to miss the large nuisance running around and making a fool of himself. But Albel never really held much love for Shelby and couldn’t grieve too much (if at all) for his death. The engineers gave him strange quizzical looks as if he were insane or something. Albel scoffed in the back of his mind. They acted as if they didn’t know who he was! Didn’t all Aquarians know of Albel the Wicked? Or was it true that they were from Greeton?
            Suddenly the violet haired Aquarian behind them coughed painfully, sounding more like a squeak than a cough, as she cast her gaze up to his form. Her eyes widened in fear and recognition, “...A-Albel Nox!”
            He let out a smirk when he saw the fear spread from the violet haired worm to the other Aquarian maggot while the engineers continued to look confused. This time it was the young blue haired boy who spoke as he faced the Aquarians, “Who the heck is he?”
            “He’s the best swordsman in all of Airyglyph and Captain of the Black Brigade. He’s better known as ‘Albel the Wicked’...” the spy with short dirty blonde hair responded weakly before the others faced Albel again. This time he let out a short chuckle. Awfully flattering words coming from an Aquarian. He wondered if Nel thought of him in such a high regard.
            “Hey!” the blonde maggot shouted again, catching his attention, “I'm gonna smack that cocky look off your face!”
            Albel couldn’t keep back his laugh as he rested his foot on a high ledge and leaned his arm against the knee, “Bah, the maggot talks big!”
            The larger man’s glare worsened at the sarcasm. Albel continued, “You might have some potential, but you are no match for me.”
            “What did he just say!?” The blue haired engineer was beginning to have a hard time holding back the blonde man. He certainly did want to fight...
            “I'm not interested in fighting a bunch of tired fools. Easy wins have never been my style. And unlike Vox, I take no joy in trouncing weaklings.”
            Hopefully the fools would be able to understand what he was getting at, but then again neither seemed to be that intelligent.
            “Who ya callin' a ‘weakling’?” the blonde man barked furiously. Such anger... and all that Albel did was giving them a chance to rest! Perhaps he would have to use Nel after all. He shifted his position to stand upright and obtained a more serious expression. The time for joking was now over.
            “Go back to your own lands and rest, fools. When you think you’re strong enough come back and fight me.” The Aquarians at least seemed relieved at the order, but the boy appeared to be unsure and the other engineer was still too hot headed to listen to reason.
            “You’re really going to let us go?” the blue haired boy inquired with uncertainty, “...What makes you think that we'll come back?”
            “Well...” Albel shrugged nonchalantly as he moved out of the way to allow them to see his new captive, “...you want to rescue her, don't you?”
            “Lady Nel!” The two women seemed to forget their pain long enough to express concern for their captain. Both engineers took a step forward in worry before casting angry glares at Albel.
            “Let her go!” the young boy demanded.
            “I will…when you come back to fight me,” he smirked, almost evilly. Now it was the blonde man holding the boy back as he shook his head.
            “But Cliff, he has Nel! We can’t just leave her!” Typical! The boy was still too young and naïve. He didn’t understand the ways of war or of negotiations. Cliff, as the boy had called him, had finally come to his senses upon seeing the captive. Apparently he was the smartest of the fools. How ironic that the one with the most muscles ended up with the most brain…
            “I know. I can’t say that this guy ain’t crusin’ for a bruisin’, but we have to play by his rules until she is safely back with us,” the Cliff maggot then moved his piercing blue eyes back up to Albel, “You promise not to harm her?”
            “Feh, I just told you that I don’t hurt the weak. You have my word that she will be in good condition when you arrive.”
            “Good enough for me. But remember, if you harm one hair on her head, then you’re dead meat!” Albel chuckled at the notion of mere maggots pounding him to the floor, but didn’t return a witty comeback or any reassurance that he was going to keep his promise.
            “You can’t be serious!” the blue haired boy yelled to Cliff as the muscled man turned to help one of the Aquarians to their feet.
            “What choice do we have Fayt? I really want to smash his face in, but we can’t do that while Nel is in his hands. Plus, we got to get Tynave and Farleen to a doctor pronto. We can’t be sure that they can make it back to Arias on their own.”
            Fayt seemed torn between helping Nel or her subordinates, but after the girls insisted that they could go on alone, he made up his mind and started helping the violet haired girl, “Fine, but let’s be quick…”
            “Wait a minute,” Albel called before he dug through his belongings and pulled out a rolled up parchment. He tossed the document down to the engineers where it rolled up to Fayt’s feet. The blue haired boy carefully bent down, while he made sure that the Aquarian he was helping didn’t lose her balance, and picked it up.
            “Go to the cave marked on the map. That’s where you’ll find me,” he ordered as Fayt glanced over the contents. He acted like he was reading a foreign language, but pocketed the map anyway. Frankly the boy couldn’t be that far off if he thought it was a different language. The map led to a recently discovered cave and one of Albel’s subordinates made a poorly drawn sketch to map it and it was written in nearly illegible scrawl. It would take hours to decipher it, but at least it would give him time to prepare for their arrival.
            “An’ how do we know this isn’t a trap? You could be waiting there with a hundred of your soldiers…” the blonde engineer asked with suspicion in his voice.
            “And at the same time you could bring the Aquarian army,” he countered with a look of indifference.
            “Good point,” Cliff muttered, “Well then, you promise you won’t bring your army and we won’t bring ours.”
            “Hn, not like I need the help of those worms to crush maggots like you,” Albel replied as he turned away and picked up Nel.
            “What was that!? Come down here and say that hotshot!” Cliff threatened, but the captain of the Black Brigade ignored him as he carried the Aquarian spy with him to get away from the fools. After all, their stupidity might be contagious.
        ------------------------
            When Nel finally came to, she felt better, but something was strange. She had the taste of blueberries and blackberries in her mouth as well as the feel of cloth… a gag. She slowly opened her eyes to see what was going on. She was in a cavern, lit by a small campfire that showed off the pretty, almost unnatural colors of the stone. There was only one exit, a tunnel that was across from her, past the fire, but it only seemed to lead into darkness, meaning that she was fairly far within the cave. She herself was sitting on the cold stone with her hands bound behind her and her ankles bound together.
            She tried to remember what happened before she blacked out to make sense of how she came to be in this strange place. That’s right, she was going to save her subordinates but was caught by Albel the Wicked. She must have somehow survived and was taken to a secret prison cell in Airyglyph or something. This place did kind of look like a dragon cave. As far as she could see, there didn’t appear to be anyone in the cave with her, meaning that no one was watching her. This could be the perfect chance to escape. She tried turning her wrists to feel what kind of binds was holding her. It was only rope…
            Nel smirked. Did Glyphians really think that rope could keep a mastered runologist tied down? She had always questioned their mentality, but never thought them to be this stupid. She closed her eyes and focused on the rune she needed. A simple fire spell should get her out of this easily. But as she was about to cast the spell, another hand stilled her fingers.
            “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The rope bindings are coated with some highly flammable oil. If you set fire to them, you’ll only end up burning off your pretty hands,” a dark voice whispered close to her ear from behind. Nel almost jumped. Where did he (‘he’ being none other than Albel) come from? He must have been sitting quietly in her blind spot while she was looking around.
            Nel mustered her most threatening glare as she heard him move to a standing position and walked into view. He had his usual smirk plastered all over his face as his eyes explored her body. Seeing him again made her wonder if he had kept his promise and had released Tynave and Farleen. If they were safe and sound in Aquarian territory, then she would gladly accept her fate as a prisoner of Albel the Wicked, even if it would lead to her eventual death.
            “You don’t have to worry about the maggots you came to save. Those two fools from Greeton came and took them back to your country,” Albel said, answering her unasked questions as if he was reading her mind. Nel visibly relaxed some before she reflected on his words. Fayt and Cliff came after her? But they were supposed to be in Aquios by now…
            Suddenly she was brought out of her thoughts when she felt his surprisingly warm hand skim lightly over the cool skin of her cheek. Her immediate reaction was to hit him, but with her hands tied behind her back, she had to settle for moving away from him. She must have really been deep in thought because she didn’t even notice him move to kneel before her.
            She was all too temping for Albel, he couldn’t resist the urge to touch her. He did want to just talk to her, but the situation was too good to pass up. Those fools would take hours, if not days, to find this place, and Nel was unable to resist much. He wanted this moment at least to experience her features expressing lust and passion. It would definitely ruin his chances in being able to have a relationship with her, but he was only fooling himself into believing that there was a chance.
            Albel decided then that he must have really lost all rational thought as he leaned forward to press his lips over the area where her mouth was covered by the cloth. The coarse feel of the material only egged him on more as he thought of how soft her lips must be compared to it. Nel only stiffened from his actions with wide eyes staring at his closed ones. What was he doing? Once her body got over her shock and came back to its senses, she tried moving away from him only to find that he snaked his claw arm around her to prevent her from escaping.
            When he pulled back he had a wicked gleam to his eyes that could have been mistaken for fondness and affection to the Aquarian if she hadn’t known his style. She wanted to yell at him for this intrusion of personal space, but her voice was muffled by the gag. She did try thrashing about as much as her binds would allow in an attempt to break away from his slight embrace. In the end it was a useless fight as he merely tightened his hold on her with a dark chuckle.
            “Try to relax Zelpher, I’m not going to even hurt you. In fact you may end up enjoying this,” he said before nipping her nose with a grin. Nel briefly thought about growling in anger, but then figured that it would only turn him on. She wouldn’t be surprised if he was the type to have a bondage fetish. That would explain his behavior. She didn’t want to satisfy his lust, but she didn’t have much of a choice at the moment. It was at that moment that she hoped that he intended to kill her because she didn’t want to live through the shame of being raped by him.
            Albel then shifted to sit behind her and pulled her unto his lap. He then used his claw to remove the scarf around her neck before he gently bit into the junction between her neck and shoulders through the material of her uniform. She let out a gasp and her head flew back onto his shoulder when his good hand came up to experimentally squeeze one of her breasts. There was a strange, but not uncomfortable, warmth that started from where he touched her and pooled down to her lower abdomen. She should be trying to resist him, only it was getting harder to do that. She was ashamed of her body reacting to his touches so strongly…
            He continued his ministrations on her neck after he used his claw to tear a little piece of her tunic open so he could have access to the skin underneath. The damage was so small that it would go on unnoticed when she wore her scarf again. His claw arm eventually came to hold her body against his as his good hand switched breasts. This time she let out a loud moan past the gag as her cheeks heated in embarrassment for it. She was getting so hot that she had to breathe through her covered mouth. She couldn’t tell if she was hot because of the heat coming off of the man behind her or if it was her own body heat, or maybe it was both.
            His lips moved up to behind her ear and his teeth nibbled on her ear lobe before he whispered, “That’s right, just relax and enjoy it. Try to scream as loud as you want.”
            Suddenly Nel had her chance to speak her mind when he cut off her gag with a talon from his claw, but the first thing to escape her mouth was a wail of pleasure as he pinched a nipple through her clothing. She could feel his smirk against her cheek before he planted kisses all over the area.
            Was this what he did to all the female soldiers he captured? Instead of holding them prisoner, he must have raped them all before releasing them. It was the perfect torture to place on his enemies, to make them feel like dirty whores instead of letting them die honorably for their country. Was this what he did to Tynave and Farleen?
            She began to feel sick as the last thought lingered in her mind. Maybe that was why he was so willing to let them go. He had already had his way with them and defiled their bodies. And now she was his next victim…
            “Do you take such pleasure in doing this to women?” she asked with hatred laced in her tone, “Did you at least give my subordinates the ‘privilege’ to cry out in shame as well?”
            For a moment, Albel froze in place. His right hand, which had left her breasts and began traveling south, had stopped on her lower belly. She, too, paused as she waited for his answer. Why did he stop all of a sudden? Did she say something that struck a nerve? She then felt a slight rumble on her back from the vibrations coming from his chest. He was laughing!
            “You think I’d do this to just anyone?” he questioned her incredulously, “I barely look at the worms let alone touch them! No, you are the only one I would do this with.”
            His answer only confused and shocked her before she turned her head to look at him, “Wha…?”
            Albel took the opportunity to steal a few hot kisses from her lips while she was in the state of confusion. When he was satisfied he pulled back to trail his tongue along her jaw and back up to her ear where he traced the outer shell.
            “Why me?” she wondered in a quiet voice as she tried to ignore the hand that was now massaging her inner thigh.
            “Why not you?” he replied in a much deeper voice, “You are so much better than the worthless women in Airyglyph and much more useful than the brigade knights. Had you been born a Glyphian I would have taken you as a wife a long time ago.”
            A wife? She had never thought of herself as a wife to anyone. She had always been too busy since her father’s death to even spare a glance at the occasional flirting nobleman. And the male soldiers in the army never bothered to get to know her because all they wanted was to live out the fantasies they had of her. But still, she couldn’t forget that this was Albel the Wicked who was saying this to her. It was impossible to believe that he would feel for her in such a way. He was probably trying to trick her into believing that he cared for her so that he could get what he wanted and leave her broken hearted later.
            Not only was he the best swordsman in Airyglyph, but he was also a master manipulator, one of the best next to Count Woltar. He could brainwash anyone into believing anything. And yet…even the Wicked One was not immune to her sharp senses. She could sense deception and lies from a mile away and she could see none of it in the many times she glanced into his eyes. …He was actually telling the truth and she knew it because the last time she was able to sense that he was lying to her was when he told her that she would die if she fought him. She had been too worried about Tynave and Farleen at the time so she hadn’t really dwelt on it until now. The mere thought of Albel having affections for anyone was still too hard to believe.
            Nel found herself almost smiling despite the situation she was in. Her enemy was the only one who viewed her as a potential wife and yet he didn’t even seem the type to need one. Did he really think she was suited for the lifestyle of a common noblewoman? To be able to stop fighting and start taking care of household matters? She barely qualified as a lady anymore with the way she had been living. In fact it was rare for a Crimson Blade to be able to settle down unless they had done so before they were appointed into the service. Her life was the way of spying and death as long as the war continued.
            “Sorry to disappoint you…” she started in a derisive voice indicating that she was not sorry at all, “But I’m not cut out to be a wife. I can’t stay indoors all day watching the house and raising kids so you might want to search for someone else.”
            “Bah, servants can do that kind of work. If you were my wife, then you would remain by my side on the battlefield, fighting along side me. The last thing I need is a pathetic wench who can’t even support herself.”
            For some reason all the tension left her body and she felt relaxed. Maybe she didn’t see him as a threat anymore, or maybe she just gave up caring about what was happening to her. She didn’t even try to fight against him when he cut the rope off of her ankles and positioned her legs to straddle his. She didn’t want to believe his words, but the thought actually did sound nice, not that she wanted to live the life of bloodshed like he did. It was better sounding than being stuck as an ordinary housewife and it didn’t sound as …lonely as her life was now.
            She was suddenly brought back to reality when Albel moved aside the crotch of her underwear and slid a finger inside her. Nel then remembered where she was and what was happening as if she was rudely awakened from a dream. She arched her back against his chest when he pulled out and added a second finger before he began thrusting into her in a moderate tempo. She was surprised that she was wet down there at all. Did he really turn her on? Either her body was betraying her or maybe… she was just stubbornly staying in denial. Maybe somewhere deep down she did lust for him or was attracted to him in some way.
            This was wrong! He was her enemy, not her lover! …But it felt so good… If the queen knew about this, she would exile her from Aquaria for being a traitor. She could easily find some man in Aquaria to pleasure her like this…but then she knew it wouldn’t be the same. No one has ever turned her on like this before.
            “Al…bel…” she grated out breathlessly. Why was she calling his name? She could hear him mutter things against her neck as her hips began moving against his deft fingers and couldn’t even begin to understand what he was saying.
            “S-stop…” she let out after a great deal of effort. The pressure that was building up was unbearable! “Don’t…stop.”
            She wasn’t sure anymore if her protests were telling him to quit his actions or to continue, but she did distinctly remember him asking her if she had really wanted him to stop. But by the time he asked, she couldn’t speak anymore. His fingers were soon gliding faster in and out her passage as her hips picked up speed to match his. She felt a hard bulge starting to form under her, fitting itself in between her butt as Albel groaned and bit down on her neck. Suddenly an explosive wave of pleasure racked though her body, making her scream loudly into the air above her.
            Once Nel’s body came down from its sensual high, she slumped within Albel’s grasp as her inner walls pulsed around his now stilled digits. After a few minutes of listening to her heavy breathing, Albel slowly pulled out and shifted her lithe frame into a more comfortable position on his lap. The whole experience felt amazing to her and she never felt such emotions or feelings with any other man she happened to spend an evening with (although on those dates she only went as far as making out with them). It wasn't right that she enjoyed it when it was a Glyphian who made her feel such ecstasy. She should have felt angry and violated, not satisfied!
            Nel didn’t know when she had closed her eyes, but when she finally opened them, she saw his face hovering over hers. Albel wasn’t wearing a smirk of any kind now. Instead he had the look of awe as if he were staring at some magnificent celestial being. She noted that he was also breathing heavily as well. They continued to stare at each other, neither one daring to speak. Nel wouldn’t even know what she could say at this point. She couldn’t tell him how much his touch drove her crazy or how she was feeling like she wanted more from him. That would only cause problems and she didn’t want to get attached to him.
            It wasn’t long before the ends of his lips perked upward into that familiar grin she was used to seeing before he brought up the fingers that were previously exploring her inner depths and began licking off the sticky substance.
            “You taste nice Zelpher, I want to have more.”
            She wanted to shout ‘no’ in fear that he was going to go too far, but her mouth wouldn’t form any words and she had lost her voice. For a moment she was briefly worried that the experience had made her permanently mute, but she knew that she must have just been going through shock. After all, it was not often one found themselves enjoying the company of their enemy and at the same time felt incredibly guilty that they were practically betraying their country. She knew she would get over it soon. Apparently, though, she was making a face and Albel was able to decipher the look in her eyes.
            “I’m not going to go that far with you unless you want me to,” he responded with a sigh. Nel didn’t have time to feel relieved by his answer as he moved her again and pressed her back against a stone wall. He then shifted to kneel in front of her and slowly began removing her damp underwear. She unconsciously bit her lip as he placed the garment not too far away and then leaned closer to her wet curls. He parted her folds with his right hand and ran his tongue slowly across her clit.
            As he occupied himself with lapping up the cum that was flowing out her, Nel tried to keep as still and silent as possible. She didn’t want to allow herself to enjoy his attentions any longer and at the same time she didn’t want him to think that he was having any effect on her. She figured that if she stopped responding, then he would get bored and give up.
            Nel had to stifle a gasp when she felt the pressure building up again and knew she wasn’t going to be able to hold it in anymore if he continued. But just as she started feeling the warmth building up at her center, she heard Albel mutter a curse before he pulled away. His face was a bit flushed and his breathing was as heavy as hers as he sat back between her legs. It was then she noticed the bulge that was showing against his sarong.
            When he moved to push aside the thick material to release his erection, she began to panic. If he released inside her, then there was a high chance that she would get pregnant because she didn’t have any contraceptives on her. But he did say that he wasn’t going to go too far with her and for some reason that thought made her calm down. Since when did she start believing the words of her enemy? Why did she have reason to believe him in the first place? Why couldn’t she detect any deception in his eyes? The man known as Albel the Wicked certainly wasn't who she envisioned him as.
            “See what you do to me?” he told her once his swollen member was out for her to see. Nel had never seen a man’s excitement before, though she had often seen their private regions before. While keeping his claw firmly on the ground, he used his right hand to grab his shaft and began stroking himself in front of her.
            She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight as he groaned and moved his hand faster. She could see the pre cum leaking out from the enlarged red tip and felt herself getting wet down there as her inner muscles began throbbing. He began muttering her name over and over as he came closer to his orgasm. Nel’s voice finally returned to her as she moaned at the thought of something as thick as his shaft going where his fingers were previously at. Suddenly he froze at the sound and stared directly into her eyes. It was silent again, but this time she could hear her heart beat.
            Then before she had a chance to blink, she was pressed against the wall again as Albel slid himself all the way into her. Her hymen had long since worn away due to age so he had no resistance in entering her. He didn’t know when he had lost control, but all he could think of at the moment was how tight she was around him. Nel didn’t seem to be having any protest to it as the look of bliss passed over her features. There was a slight pain since it was her first time, but it wasn't completely unpleasant and it had a slight warmth that made it almost pleasurable.
            “Sorry, didn’t mean to lose control like that, but you don’t look like you mind,” Albel explained as he shifted slightly, earning a wonderful reaction between them both, “I’ll pull out if you want me to.”
            Though the pleasure and slight discomfort of being stretched, she was shocked by his offer, “Really?”
            “Yeah, it would be hard, but I won’t finish this if you don’t want it.”
            Nel was at a loss. On one hand, she wasn’t sure if she could handle the pressure if she didn’t have her release, but on the other, she would be asking him to be the one to finish her when she shouldn’t be doing this with him.
            “Well? What is your choice?” he prodded, quickly getting impatient, “Do you want me to stop?”
            “I…” She was cut off by a moan as he gently slid back and pushed in very slowly. He filled her completely and she knew that if he continued that, she wouldn’t be able to refuse.
            “I don’t want to get pregnant…” she managed to say as he began trailing kisses along her neck.
            “Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure to pull out before that happens,” he replied feverishly as he shifted within her again, “Tell me now woman! Do you want me? You know that I want you so don’t test me!”
            Nel knew she was getting close to being lost in the waves of passion and tried to form the words to stop him, but he had started to rock against her slowly. She wasn’t able to think with him moving against her.
            “I…” she tried again, but she couldn’t remember what she wanted to say.
            “You're mine…” he whispered with a possessive smirk as he began losing himself as well.
            “I…I…” She closed her eyes and unconsciously bucked her hips against him to entice him to go faster, “F-faster…”
            Albel’s smirk widened as he pulled out all the way until it was only the tip inside her and prepared to slam in…
            “Is anyone down there?” a tentative voice of a young man called out in the distance.
            “Come on, this has got to be the place, there are no other caves around here,” an older man said after him, “Let’s keep going.”
            “Damn it!” Albel hissed in livid fury as he quickly pulled out and straightened his clothes back to the way they were. The fools were here already? He quickly began helping Nel back into her underwear and placed her scarf back around her neck before the engineers appeared from the dark tunnel.
            “Nel! Are you okay?” the blue haired boy called out in worry when he saw her.
            “Fayt? Cliff? …I’m fine, but what are you doing here? You should be in Aquios by now,” Nel nearly shouted, torn from feeling relieved or frustrated that they were here.
            “Nah, we couldn’t just leave you to play the hero all by yourself,” Cliff grinned as he cracked his knuckles to prepare for the upcoming battle.
            “Besides,” Fayt added, “You have to complete your mission! You were the one put in charge to deliver us to Aquios.”
            As they talked, Albel silently hoped that his erection wasn’t noticeable to the worms before he examined them. He found that they were bruised, dirty, and had dark circles under their eyes. They looked like they hadn’t rested or cured themselves since he last saw them at the training facility seven hours ago!
            Nel let out a small laugh as she finally admitted, “You’re right. But thanks for saving Tynave and Farleen.”
            “No problem,” Cliff replied before facing Albel, “And now for our deal…”
            “…You maggots didn’t go rest as I had told you to, have you?” Albel asked with a bit of disgust.
            “How could we when we knew you had Nel?” Fayt cried as he unsheathed his sword.
            “I gave you my word that I wouldn’t harm her and it’s not like she’s some pathetic damsel in distress. What a bother…” he sighed as he bent down to force Nel up. He ignored the engineers’ concerned faces as he tore off the final restraint on her and shoved her towards them. The Aquarian regained her balance on her own without the help of her two companions.
            “Take her and go. The next time we cross paths, I won’t hesitate to attack,” he gruffly ordered as he turned his back to them.
            “What?” Fayt inquired, confused by Albel’s actions.
            “I ordered you fools to go rest so that you would be fully prepared to fight me. But since you didn’t, then there is no point in fighting.”
            “If you say so,” Cliff muttered before turning to Nel, “We better get you back to Arias before Clair tears her hair out.”
            “Oh right,” she nodded as she followed them out. She had completely forgotten Clair and the others. They must be worried sick by now.
            As they made their way out of the cave, Fayt and Cliff constantly asked her if she was okay and if Albel harmed her in anyway. She just replied that she was okay and that she and Albel had just talked. When they made it outside, Nel began falling behind as the empty feeling sunk deeper within her. She glanced one more time back at the cave before muttering in disbelief, “I really did want him.”
            “Did you say something?” Cliff wondered as he glanced back at her.
            “No, nothing,” she quickly denied as she quickened her steps, “I was just wondering about Tynave and Farleen…”
            Little did Nel know was that Albel had followed them out of the cave and he heard what she had said…
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For the Prosperity of Aquor