The Crimson Spire / Gateway to the Amber Forge

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

A good morning, do you think?

Shale slept deeply. And, he dreamed. Blue and amber and black flashed past reds and browns and greens. He was running, ferociously free and filled with a deep joy. A howl rippled through the dream, a howl of life and challenge, of triumph and achievement.

That howl was still ringing in his ears when his eyes opened. A vertical slit of amber faintly rimmed in gold on a field of black, those eyes lent a far more striking appearance to his face. But, they fit very well. His features had lost some of the paleness that had made him seem so unhealthy before. And his smile came far quicker. Feral and possessive, cunnning and proud, that smile was the first thing that Shale turned on Ilea.

He knew that she was awake. She didn't hold that still when she slept and his skin still remembered the touch of movement. Her scent said that she was awake too, a faint tang of fear. His sense of smell was stronger now. He could smell every inch of her and the lingering scents that told the story of the past day and night. He liked it. He began to remember the long list of things they had to do. Then he simply pushed it aside. Now that his mind was clearer there were some tricks that he needed to try and plenty of time for everything else later.

Shale's grip loosened and he quickly rolled over on top of her. He had been ready for another marathon before he even woke. But, he didn't leap straight into familiar territory. He had his mind now as well. He was a shaper of golems. He also understood his dream. It was time to really do something about that uncertainty of hers. His lips met hers with passion and patience. His body shifted against her to feel every inch of her. But with her senses so occupied he was free to prepare.

He had used pain to please but only in small ways. Now, though, he understood so much more about how far it could take her. He wanted her to feel that, needed to know beyond any doubt that he could take her farther than anyone else ever could dream of. So, he used his two new skills. The tips of his fingers shifted into black claws with edges that could cut the very light into fragments and tips sharper than any needle. He knew golems. He knew the body, both physically and magically. Ilea had been tortured by two other men. But, both of them had been theatrical. They had played with organs and splashed in blood as though they were putting on a show. Shale had an audience of one and he aimed to please.

He ignored the organs. He nicked the skin in the most sensitive places, just a pinprick at first but then more artistically as she needed. Then he really began to please her in ernest. Passion and pleasure flowed freely but blood did not. His magic trailed behind his claws healing each p***k, each cut, after little more than a drop could escape. And he used the nerves. He knew where each nerve was in her body and exactly what to do to them. He raised the pain and pleasure in tandem over and over again. His pace was slower than the night before but no less intense. He didn't just desire to possess her pleasure one moment and her pain the next. He wanted to be joined with her in every moment as they ascended higher than ever before.

This time, when they were mostly spent and resting, Shale made sure that Ilea was on top of him completely, not even touching the bed, and that the sheet was over them both to keep her warmer. He had noticed her shivering before. His arms were wrapped around her, his claws returned to fingers as not to disturb her rest. His breath was deep and slow but his eyes were open. After all, there was still work to do. Though he smiled with the thought of the mischief he could do while working.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Certainly, a good morning. I'm having to be careful right now or I'll wind up feeling jealous of my own character...

Ilea shivered as she rested, though it had nothing to do with cold this time. Oh no, this had everything to do with the fact that her eyes had rolled up into her head multiple times during this round and her body was simply reacting to that. By now, she knew that he was paying attention to everything he'd learned about her so far and putting it into practice.

And damned if he didn't know how to do just that... If he was any better, he was going to kill her this way... But she wouldn't be complaining about it... She'd probably beg for more...

When she woke up this time, it was impossible for her to tense up in any way. She stayed boneless as she inhaled his scent and gave a soft and slightly husky pleased sound as she rubbed her cheek against his chest, the rest of her shifting against him in tiny movements that showed her relaxed state.

She felt boneless right now, her mind still carrying a slight haze. It was something she usually carried for a little while when pain was combined with pleasure for her, though never to this extent. She felt so relaxed right now that there was no room for panicking or much real thought, she was simply drifting on the afterglow.

A soft smile spread her lips as she rubbed her cheek against his skin again, "I feel so good right now... But I don't want to get up... I'd have to walk and I don't think my legs will let me..." she murmured without thinking about it. If he gave her time to think, she'd try to rush herself to bathe him and collect something for him to eat. If she had a chance to think she'd likely ruin the moment. Thankfully, he had some leeway, thanks to his now-obvious skills...  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Shale's smile was peaceful but he wasn't tired. He was relaxed but he wasn't sleepy or lazy. He had a good deal of energy now, far more than he had before Ilea had come into his life. But, while he could have become active and disrupted their moment of harmony, he instead remembered one of the side-effects of aclimating his staff to the Forge.

He stretched one arm out and let it fall so that his hand was off the bed. Then he called his staff with at thought. It appeared in his hand. Through it, he awakened the kitchen and called a labor golem to bring breakfast to them. This breakfast included more protein to replace what they had used.

"It's good that we don't have to go far today, then." He said softly as the meal was set by the bed and the golem left.

In fact, most of what he planned to do next was shaping the structure of the rest of the Forge. He wasn't even planning on filling the many large spaces until he had completed crafting the entire basic structure. Besides, most of the skills that he wanted to teach Ilea about crafting were dependant on resources that he hadn't created a source for yet. They had plenty of labor golems for the small area they had already, and the garden would require more time to mature before it could truly produce battle golem worthy cores on a regular basis.

So, he kept his hold on Ilea and sat up so that she was sitting on his lap at first, then sitting next to him with his arm around her waist and their meal before them. He placed his staff across their laps in a non-challant manner and began the meal. At the same time, he began the next phase of construction. The staff was still in contact with him and he made use of it. Just because he didn't want to run about and make golems today didn't mean that he wouldn't make progress. He didn't even have to concentrate to extend the existing pattern of rooms. If he could keep it up without interruption for awhile he could finish the remaining two-thirds of the superstructure before the day was out.

After all, he really didn't want to be more than a few feet from Ilea today. She was his. He was feeling possessive. He was also proud of both of them. It was a strange feeling but he was beginning to like it.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Ilea moved where he shifted them, finding herself oddly grateful that he was still touching her as the tray was set over his lap. She instantly moved into thinking of feeding him, picking up the silverware and a bite of food then offered it to him, feeling oddly shy as she did so.

She wasn't too sure how he'd react to her wanting to feed him like this but it seemed to answer a small need in her to take care of him.

She still couldn't help but shiver every time his hand moved against her skin, reminding her of how she'd reacted to him that last time. It was so surprising to her that she still wasn't sure what to make of it, that he'd read her so easily.  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Shale had learned how to read the motivations of others long ago. He had used that skill to secure his current position, tenuous though it may be at present with so much yet undecided. Ilea's motives were not well concealed at all. It had been easy to learn her triggers, the touches and points of sensitivity, of both her mind and body. While he still found her submissiveness a little excessive in general, it no longer struck a dark chord inside him. His fiercely solitary and individualist nature was balanced out by the dominating instincts of his awakened demon nature.

He took the offered bite and swiftly snapped his head over to place a light kiss on Ilea's neck. Then he got himself a bite with a smile. This was a kind of service that he could allow. It made her happy and that mattered. But, there wasn't time for a long post-indulgence ritual.

There were still things that they would need to do today. Specifically, training their mounts. Unlike most golems, a mount or a specific bodyguard was usually at their best when they were trained more than ordered. With training, the golem would learn to anticipate the needs of its master with accuracy. In a mount, this could save time if not save your life. In a bodyguard, it could mean the difference between survival and a simple death without legacy.

"Today, we will begin training our mount golems." Shale followed this statement with a brief explanation of the benefits of having a golem that could think for itself and both avoid dangers independantly and anticipate the master's needs. All this was punctuated by bites either from Ilea's silver or from his own. "Once our mounts are trained sufficiently we will proceed with the next stage of preparing to construct the Spire, the crafting of Battle Golems."

Shale was still creating the general structure of the Amber Forge which would provide what was needed to craft the Crimson Spire, even as he ate and played. So long as he made solid progress on that the rest would come with time. Time that would be made much shorter with the aid of trained mounts.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Ilea found herself pleasantly surprised that he was letting her feed him and found herself encouraged by the shift in their current circumstances to actually ask him questions about the mounts. They were intelligent questions, though, all involved with the mount's mental and physical abilities and the amount of independent thought they would have.

In the end, the tray was empty of food and carried off when she impulsively gave him a kiss to his cheek and moved to get out of the bed, "We'll need a bath first. I'll go run one," she said softly, silently delighting in every movement she made that revealed small marks to her pale skin and sore muscles that hadn't gotten this level of work in a very long time. Oh yes, she loved every single bit of it.

"Training the mount sounds like it will be much easier than what I'm used to. BoneSteeds are incredibly uncomfortable and keep wanting to fall apart at the wrong moments," she stated in a wry tone of the only mounts Goh had allowed her.

As she finally got to the floor, she was reasonably assured that her legs would carry her without crumbling beneath her, though her walk into the smaller bathing room was far from completely steady. Still, it did mark a job well done on his part as she had a few staggering moments along the way.

She managed to get to the bathing room without mishap and started the bathwater running then finally got a look at herself in the mirror, the sight of her bedhead drawing a startled grin from her before she reached for her brush to start trying to put some kind of order to it, knowing that he'd follow her when he was ready to.

It would have probably sounded strange to hear it, but Ilea was finding herself looking forward to a day instead of worrying about what would happen to her.  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Shale answered Ilea's questions precisely. He was pleased by the acute intelligence that she was beginning to show. Her comment about BoneSteeds drew a smile and a short bark of laughter. Very few skeletal golems were worth the trouble to craft. And, those that were worth the effort were too dangerous to be managed. Shale's smiling eyes followed Ilea's every step and wobble until she was out of sight.

Yes, he had done very well indeed. And not just his performance. Ilea was showing independance, will, humor, and a long suppressed initiative. She was beginning to bloom. It seemed that his larger plans were coming along very nicely indeed.

He took his staff in hand again and stood with a slow and thorough stretch. He felt good, very good. Some of his muscles would likely be sore later but they were still relaxed and loose for the time being. He walked slowly enough that Ilea would be ready when he arrived. This time he would allow her to show him what kind of bath she had in mind. Her happiness was definitely something that Shale wanted to see more of.

After all, this bath was the last moment of indulgence that he could really afford before they had to begin the day's work. They couldn't afford to waste too much more time. After all, their nights were far more likely to be occupied with things other than work for awhile. They would have to make the most of the days.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Ilea looked up with a small smile when he entered the bathing room and stepped down into the tub. She joined him and lifted water over his shoulders to wet his skin then followed with a soaped sponge and gently cleaned his skin first, moving the sponge over every inch of him and massaging his muscles in the process. Then she did the same with his hair, massaging his scalp as she cleaned his hair then gently rinsed it.

She knew he had a busy day planned for them but wanted to do what she could to help him relax before that. Once he was clean, she did a quick wash-up on herself before she got out of the tub and reached for the towels. She made sure to dry him off fully first then saw to herself. Once they were both clean and dry, she hesitated briefly but moved in to give him a brief kiss to the lips then offered him another small smile before she reached for the outfit he'd made her.  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Alright, jumping past the boring horse training part.

Shale simply relaxed and let Ilea do her thing. The treatment was very pleasant and soothing. Even though his, well nigh limitless, drive was encouraged by her touch, he managed to simply revel in the deepened bond. Her loyalty and affection were his. She was his. Not only by magic and duty but by will and choice. Well, as much by choice as she was capable of at this point.

Watching her dress was a completely distinct pleasure. With his original nature free he was able to appreciate her... asthetic charms... in a whole new way. Dressing himself proved rather more mundane but it was time for work. They were both ready and there was a busy day ahead. No sense delaying further.

He proceeded with the training of the mounts first, guiding Ilea through the finer points of dealing with creations far more intelligent and capable than what she had handled before but also more willful. BoneSteeds had no will at all and little capability. This was entirely different. These golems could be trained to recognize threats to their master and take actions to protect or shield their master or attack the threat with a variety of physical and magical methods. The training went more quickly than Shale had expected due to Ilea's ability to learn almost perfectly at first exposure. But, as with animal training, this kind of method required repetition and patience. By the end of the day the golems had learned to smooth their gait and stop smoothly as well as to come when called. It would take longer to train them for battle or anything outside the Forge.

While all of this was being accomplished, Shale kept his staff in hand. Throughout the training he was expanding the shape of the Forge and completing one large space after another. When it was nearly time to retire for the evening he instead directed Ilea to her mount. Climbing onto his own mount's back he led the way down the hall to a chamber that she had not entered before. It had a wonderful view. The chamber's inner wall was a window that allowed a full view of the space at the center of the Amber Forge. The two ends of the main structure could be seen in the distance. They were only a few sections apart. It would not be long now until the basic construction was complete. But the most conspicuous thing in that view was the vastness of the Forge itself. It's shear size and the magnitude of what it could craft within it was staggering in scale.

"When the circle is complete the Spire will begin to rise." He said from the back of his mount. His face betrayed a little of his sense of achievement.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Ilea sat on her mount looking at the forge and saw the potential of the place and what it could make but knew only the fact that Shale was proud of himself for creating it. She searched for something to say that would be fitting and finally came up with something she thought was appropriate.

"It's vast enough to fit what I know of Goh's entire army into it with room to spare," she told him, though she was acting only on the information she had.

Goh had always kept things from her and frequently surprised her with things like added army numbers or some skill of his she didn't know about. So she couldn't say she knew the army's exact numbers. But what she did know of it would actually fit into the area of the forge with plenty of room to spare.

She would have told Lareth of those numbers and more information on Goh's army if he'd asked her about any of it during her torture, but he hadn't. So the news she gave now was very interesting indeed.  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Shale knew that Ilea didn't understand much of the magic involved in the Forge. It used nearly every kind he had ever studied and a few he was figuring out from scratch. The reference she made to the size of Goh's army did set the cogs of his mind to work. In fact...

"So I should prepare for at least fifty percent more forces than he let you see... probably stronger individually as well." He said calmly. "Not difficult at all. Compensating for numbers and additive strength is easy. It's the skill sets we don't know about that could prove a greater challenge."

The blood-bond gave him access to her memories but he chose to not use it for that at this time. Instead he simply gave her a smile and turned his mount to go back to their chambers. His complection was slightly healthier but his smiles would still be quite creepy to most. For now, the work of the day was done. It was time to have some rest. Their meal would be waiting for them. As for what happened after, that was something that Shale preferred to leave unplanned.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Ilea answered his smile with one of her own, a bit more shy perhaps but still genuine. She followed him without protest, guiding her mount easily. Once she dismounted, she guided it to go to the 'stable' area constructed for the two mounts Shale had made so far.

That done, she moved to the meal that had been made for them but waited until Shale joined her as well before she started eating. She didn't need much to eat, but the foods created here did ensure that she was fully healed and at her full strength. Even if she couldn't use the skills she'd spent three lifetimes learning and perfecting, at least she could do her best to learn what Shale was teaching her now.

She had no idea what their evening would bring and didn't question it, simply taking it as fact that he'd tell her what he wanted. But as they ate, she found herself wondering what he would ask of her, and wondering about what would happen when Goh came for her.

While her bond with Shale was strengthening with each day that passed, it would not be a complete bond until Goh was dead. She was understandably fearful of that day, of course, but knew there was no choice in it.  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Shale gave no orders until the meal was finished. Hers were not the only thoughts focused on Goh. How to counter what he knew. How to block what he might be able to do. How to keep an ex god from claiming any additional powers or diminishing the potency of any aspects of the trap he was constructing. These thoughts occupied his mind in dominating fashion. No matter what he felt or wanted, everything hinged on his ability to destroy this one foe.

As the dishes were carried away he began to undress absently. His body still had many scars but there were none that seemed significant anymore. He had also become slightly more muscular and had gained a layer of fat to soften the hard lines of his strength. It would also make cuddling more comfortable than hard muscle alone. He laid down without any delay even though he didn't seem tired at all. His left arm lay out to his side as an open invitation while his right hand lay on his stomach. He did not bother with the sheets as there was little reason to use them now.

He remained like that for several long minutes as his thoughts flashed past his mind's eye. Then he took a deep breath to help bring him out of his reverie and turned his eyes to Ilea. He was no longer just fighting for a king. He was fighting over a woman as well. Perhaps he was not so different from other demons after all. The thought brought a brief hint of a smile to his lips for a fleeting moment.

"What do you think he is likely to try first when the trap closes?" This question would likely be the first of many. The basic infrastructure was completed and it was time to decide exactly what to shape into the trap itself. It was time to get into the mind of his enemy.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Ilea followed suit, disrobing and laying beside him on the bed at his unspoken invitation. The question, however, was just one of many she'd been expecting and hoped she'd be prepared to answer it fully and correctly. She settled in at his side comfortably, one arm over his stomach with her head resting on his shoulder as she spoke softly of what little she knew.

"Several avenues are possible, actually. As long as he believes he can still collect me, that will be his first priority, believing that no trap can hold him. While my own powers are limited to shadow manipulation and necromancy, his aren't limited like that. Even I have no idea what all he possesses as far as powers and abilities.

"His second will be to banish the trap. When that doesn't work, he'll use pure power to destroy it. If that doesn't work, he'll fight physically. All will depend on the nature of the trap and how subtle it will seem to him when it is sprung on him. If it's obvious, he'll resort to blasting it open first.

"It will be when he realizes that my bond with him has been switched to you that he will become truly dangerous. At least to me. He'll destroy me before he'll allow anyone else to have me. I'm his creation, after all. Just as your golems are your creations. I don't know how much I mean to him beyond that, but I do know that much," she explained as best as she could.

She knew Goh was powerful in more ways than just his necromancy. He was an ex-god, after all, and had cheated death many times. He'd also been collecting and storing up power for longer than she'd been alive, thousands of years of it. But she knew that he would kill her before allowing Shale or anyone else to have her. Exactly why, she had no idea, only that he would do just that.

While she didn't want to die, she didn't fear it if it happened. Instead, she feared being taken back by Goh. Her punishment for running from him would be something to truly fear, she knew. If nothing else, then for the fact that she had no idea what he would do to her. After all, he had created her. He could do anything to her.  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

At last! Conversation!

"I see. So I was right." Shale said before falling silent for a moment. "Multiple redundant diversions as well as subtlety for an initial approach to make it seem as though I am trying to circumvent his raw power with trickery. In the midst of that I will need to ensure that the blood-bond's status is completely concealed, perhaps even by nullifying it for a time." He knew that this would be extremely dangerous for her but it would also prevent any sign of the new direction of the bond. "The golem I made for you should be able to simulate something like that bond between you and it to keep you alive until the time is right to extract you."

"The remaining problem is how to address power that I cannot match. What he has in stored power will still exist here, though he may not be able to release it as he is accustomed. Those moments of hesitation, perhaps even confusion, might allow a group of powerful enough golems to strike a serious blow." The golems he intended to craft would be strong enough to kill a fully mature Titan.

He had no intention of ever moving anything so powerful outside the Spire itself. Such power would be catastrophic in the real world. "Above all, we must not allow him to realize that this trap will not shut so much as it will hurl itself into the abyss with him inside. If he realizes too quickly then he may indeed be able to destroy the trap before the link to the real world vanishes completely. If he fails to realize before that then all the power of the gods combined would be unable to do more than speed his demise. The Spire would be the only thing keeping the Laws of existence in effect on him. Blasting it would destroy him as well."

He fell silent again, hesitating to mention the final challenge that faced him. How could he extract Ilea while keeping Goh inside the Spire. If he waited until the link was severed then Ilea would be beyond his reach. If he pulled her out and Goh noticed before the Spire was cut adrift then Goh could very well follow her out. In the end, Shale would have to create a copy of Ilea that could fool Goh. He would have to copy her so well that her own creator would not be able to tell the difference for nearly a full minute while the extraction spell and the severing were completed. He was only of average age for a demon and he would have to fake the masterwork of a deposed god. This would require a kind of master golem that he had never dared to try and create before.

His muscles slowly began to tense as he struggled with this problem. He knew that King Lareth would simply want to leave Ilea inside to die with Goh. That was the most efficient way to guarantee the fallen god's demise. But that was not acceptable to Shale. He had not become what he was by accepting partial victories. He had no intention of starting now.