As Damien descended the mountain, night fell, and the mountain strangely began to be encased in fog so thick he could barely see. He pressed on until he saw what looked like the outline of a building; not only that, but this building had a striking resemblance to that of a shrine.
He entered the shrine, closing the door behind him. Mysteriously, the shrine was already lit with torches on the walls. The shrine was majestic, the structure of the building itself seemed otherworldly. Finding this suspicious, he decided to take a look around. That was when he saw it—a demi-human with nine tails with fluffy orange and white fur. The demi-human had features that resembled a fox.
She was sprawled atop a slab of stone, he could only guess to be an altar. She was fast asleep, draped in a traditional white robe. He stared at her for a couple of seconds before giving a slight cough to alert her of his presence. She woke up, rubbing her eyes with a tired expression on her face. For a moment, she didn't even see him; she was too busy stretching to notice.
When she finally noticed him, she didn't look the slightest bit surprised.
"Uh, a human? What offerings have you brought?"
"I… don't have anything on me."
"...."
"...."
"Then why are you here?" she said, this time sounding a little irritated.
"I was just looking for a place to stay when I stumbled upon this place."
"...."
"...Is it possible for me to stay the night?"
"You have it wrong, this place isn't an inn. I thought humans were suppose to be smart or are you just playing dumb while coming up with a cunning plan." Her orange eyes studied him with suspicion."
"This isn't some sinister scheme to bed me, is it?" she asked, her face turning red as she frowned at the thought.
"Do I look like I'm in the state to bed anyone?" Damien asked, raising an eyebrow. "Look, I'm just looking for a safe place to spend the night. I promise to stay as far away from you as possible if it makes you more comfortable—"
"Are you saying I'm not attractive enough for you to sleep with?"
"What?" Damien retorted; he couldn't hide his confusion. His head was pulsing like it was going to explode and here is this woman talking nonsense. He had half a mind to strangle her; if he could make his way over to her without falling over that is.
"I'll have you know that there are many men who have traveled a great distance in hopes they could get a glimpse of what you're seeing right now," she said, crossing her arms arrogantly.
"I'm not like those other men. Sure, in another time, I would be up for it, but now… it would be an understatement to say I'm not in the mood. I'll just help myself and find a comfy spot to sleep."
He decided if was best to ignore her, speaking any longer with her would just irritate him. In this moment a part of him yearned for the time when women couldn't speak without a man's permission.
The days when the only time a woman opened her mouth is for a man to off load. Yet, it was a paradox since he often found women like that a tad boring.
She let out a defeated sigh. "I see you've already made up your mind. Sleep wherever you want, but I promise you, if you try anything, you'll be my slave for the rest of your life. With that said, you're welcome to sleep beside me."
He gripped the stick he was using as a cane tightly. It was no use. With the state he was in, he couldn't read her. And at this moment he didn't wish to. All he wanted was to close his eyes so a bit of his pain would subside.
"Make up your mind already, lady. First, you said you wanted me to stay away, and now you're offering to let me sleep beside you. What's your deal?"
"Honestly, I can't help but feel a little sorry for you. You're clearly in a lot of pain. Though just a little, I can ease some of your pain if you're up for it. But if you're not up for it, then so be it."
Damien slowly approached the altar where she was laying. Whether she was joking or not, didn't in the slightest bit concern him.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Vixen, what's yours?"
Damien thought for a second, and a small realization made him chuckle. Seeing his approach, she lifted up her robe, revealing her naked figure. He looked straight into her eyes and told her his name.
"Damien Rothschild."
That was the first time he'd mentioned his name since coming to this world.
"Well, Damien, you're going to get the chance to snuggle up to a beautiful woman just because she took pity on you. I'm sure that must make you feel like a disgusting worm, but don't be too hard on yourself."
Damien paid her rude comment no mind and began stripping off his clothes, then proceeded to lay beside Vixen, with his back facing her. She wrapped her slender arms around him, and he felt some of his pain start to dissipate. She was using her magic to numb his pain.
It caught him by surprise. He thought she merely making a jest when she offered to relieve him of his pain. Or that she meant it in another way. Even though he wasn't up for it, he couldn't let his pride be sullied.
Along with the pain, it was like a fog had been lifted from his mind, allowing him to think about things a bit more clearly.
"Who are you really, Vixen? Why help me?"
She merely chuckled at his words.
"I carry a strange attraction for broken things. Especially wounded dogs that need to be put down; I just can't find it in my heart to kill something that is already on the verge of dying. It might seem a tad cruel, but I like watching helpless creatures cling to life. It is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine."
Damien didn't find her attitude fitting. He couldn't let her look down on him. She was acting like she was nursing a sick dog and It it was really getting to him.
"That's where you're wrong. I'm not helpless. Never for a second have I ever doubted my own ability. I'm better than all of them, whether they be demi-humans or mages. I see myself at the pinnacle of the human race, the apex of predators; I'm far superior to any of them."
His words weren't just for her. It was for him too. He needed to remind himself of who he was.
Pfft!
She burst out laughing, rubbing her hands up and down his spine in a teasing manner. Her laugh was filled with contempt and pity.
"The rest of the world might disagree. Tell me, where do you get that baseless confidence of yours?"
She smiled as she spat venom.
"You really think that you're better than anyone? You've got a missing arm, no mana, and you're gradually growing blind. With just a simple touch, I know all I need to know about your body. Tell me, how can someone like you think that you're superior to anyone? You're the definition of powerless."
Damien turned to face her. Her soft bosom was now pressed up against his chest, her face flushed red carrying a mischievous grin. He had a sneaky suspicion that he was teasing him, by showing him something she could never have. She showed her naked figure brazenly without shyness.
He entire body became a light shade of red as she stared at him with the look of a wild animal in heat.
He wiped away her hair spilling onto her face, he then got in so close that their lips were almost touching then he began to speak.
"Power is whatever you make of it. So I only have one arm; I can still use it to strangle you… or pleasure you." his hands slowly traced up her soft thighs, she let out a soft moan that sounded like a small animal then closed her legs trapping his hands in between her thighs.
"My mouth has the ability to tell lies or kiss you in the most delicate of places. My feet give me the power to trample you, and my ears have the ability to discern lies. Power is whatever you have and use at your disposal. You'll soon know just how powerless I am. In a few days this entire land will feel my power,"
"Is that so?.... I look forward to it then. I've lived for many years and seen many men make bold claims like that; all of them died a terrible death." She said, trying to maintain a calm exterior but she was clearly flustered by his touch. The level of confidence he was showing made her second guess herself.
"By the look of you, you don't have very far to go anyway. You'll finally realize just how weak you are when you're lying in a pool of your own blood. That's what I see in your near future, Damien Rothschild."
Her eyes glowed an ominous orange hue as she peered into his future.
A future that leads to death.
Vixen knew all too well, that this world was built and sustained by children of prophet and looking at Damien, he saw nothing but trash. A child destined for nothing but to die a meaningless death.
That's what was written in the scriptures for him.