The Hunger
by Elizabeth, Trickster Priestess

"The Hunger" was written by Fred Mollin and performed by Lori Yates; it may be found of the first Forever Knight soundtrack. Song lyrics are in grey.

Thanks to Tavichan for all her help with plot, details, and other important things. All lemony stuff in this fic is brought to you in part by the MCSSA.

close your eyes

"Are you going to come out or what?" Lina's voice reflected her true emotions this once: slightly annoyed, but mostly resigned. She closed her eyes briefly, and was not surprised when, upon opening them again, she saw Xelloss staring back at her.

He really did have entrancing eyes, Lina thought absently. Would she...? Well, it didn't really matter.

"Hello, Lina-chan." Xelloss' smile bordered on a smirk.

"Don't smirk at me, you smug bastard," Lina told him without much fire. Damn him, he'd probably known she'd do this before she did. The again, what else would she expect from him?

and walk the endless night to sleep

"What are you doing out here at night, so far from your companions?"

"Like you don't know," she snapped, this time with true aggitation...although, in all fairness, it wasn't his query that was causing her nervousness so much as the answer.

"Come now, surely you don't think me omniscient?"

He was going to make her ask, maybe even beg. She should've known. Maybe she had.

"No, I don't," she returned, feeling strangely detatched, as if she were in a dream. "But I do think you know why I'm here."

no goodbyes
and no more promises to keep

She'd left her friends without a word. Things—or rather, her emotions—had been getting progressively more difficult to cope with, and she'd reached the point where she couldn't deal with the others, dear as they were to her.

So where did she turn? To him.

That meant giving up everything. Or, perhaps more accurately, giving everything up to him. For him. Whichever.

Xelloss graced her with a knowing look. Oh yes, she was right: he knew exactly why she was there.

light the light
and follow closly as you lead

"Come with me, Lina-chan."

Lina cast a small light spell to guide her, less because she really needed the illumination to guide her and more because she knew she would never again truly require such light.

They walked side-by-side for a while, going deeper into the darkness. Finally they reached...somewhere. It was total blackness, featureless, and Lina was pretty sure they hadn't really walked there.

it ends tonight
it fills the emptiness and need

"You are certain about this?" Xelloss asked, turning to her.

"...yes."

He deftly removed her cape, her armour, her headband, then placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "I'm glad."

His eyes captured hers, and Lina's resolve crystalized. This was worth it, to be with him.

you must give in

Xelloss caressed her cheek, exuding self-satsifaction. He then quickly removed his gloves, tossing them aside where they disappeared into the featureless darkness that surrounded them.

He extended his index finger, looking for all the world as if he were about to wag it at her and say "that is a secret," as he had countless times before. He didn't, however. Instead, he licked his finger and placed it on her forehead: I claim you.

Lina had expected this, and actually didn't mind. Being violently independant hadn't brought her happiness, so why not try something else? Besides, this was him; the idea didn't seem so unappealing where he was concerned.

you must give in

Lina knew what was to come next. Of course, knowing only made it worse. A not-that-small part of her balked at the idea of simply submitting to this. That part cried out for her to forget this madness, to blast the smirking priest with some spell and to get the hell out of there. Lina told that part to kindly shut up.

Might as well make this as much on her terms as she possibly could. Lina removed her belt and scabbard and offered them to Xelloss. He cocked his head to the side, then accepted the offering with a little bow.

She got the oddest sense of ritual as he extricated her sword and tossed her belt away. With painful slowness, Xelloss leveled the tip of her sword with the base of her throat. She watched him, seemingly impassive, though she was having a little trouble breathing.

Lina managed not to cry out as the sword was plunged into her throat.

a game that you can't win
the hunger

It hurt. A lot. But not for long; soon her eyes closed of their own violation, and reality gave way to nothingness.

the darkness aches
and tears away the strongest heart

She was lying on something slick and cool. Satin, probably. She opened an eye. Yup, satin. It seemed as if she were lying on a giant pillow.

She opened the other eye and glanced down at herself. Hm. It seemed that she was nude. How interesting.

She looked to the side and saw Xelloss lying next to her, also nude. "How are you, Lina-chan?" he asked with his almost-smirk.

Lina examined the situation mentally: she'd just shed countless responsibilities and burdens and qualms, and was now lying naked on a bed-like something with him. "Pretty damn good, thank you very much."

the music plays
the fire burns the soul apart

"Why don't we see about upgrading that to just 'damn good,' ne, Lina-chan?" Xelloss suggested.

Not waiting for a reply, he climbed atop her, smiling down at her sensually. Lina returned the the smile with one of her own, feeling an unfamiliar hunger rise within her.

The kiss was intense. Xelloss' tongue seemed to be mapping her mouth, claiming each curve and ridge as his own. Lina responded instinctively.

She felt his knee wedge between her thighs, parting them. Violently he entered her, ripping through her virginity. Blood flowed out between her legs, and with it a delicious pain. She moaned as their lips parted.

Lina grasped his shoulders, pulling herself to him as they settled into a staccato rhythm. She cried out as she climaxed, calling his name.

Still he thrust into her, and soon the her world exploded in a burst of pleasure again, then again.

the fever breaks
cool rain is falling on our bed

Some time later, she lay in his arms, both of them sated.

"How are you now, Lina-chan?" Xelloss asked, lazily caressing her neck.

"Mmmm...damn good," Lina replied with a languid smile.

the time has come
the hunger's longing to be fed

"There are many things I will have to teach you," Xelloss stated, giving her a look that made her think that most of those things might involve activities like the very pleasant ones they'd been engaged it previously.

"One of these things," he continued, "involves one of your favourite activities: feasting."

Lina grinned widely. "Really?"

"Really," Xelloss confirmed. "You can still eat mundane food, of course, but your main source of sustinance will be the darker human emotions on which all mazoku feed."

"How do I do that?" she wondered aloud.

"You need only find a human with these emotions, or induce them. The former is simple enough, as humans are ever and always dispairing or fearing or hating. The latter, however, is much more fun."

He rose and made a great show of getting dressed: stripping in reverse was nearly as arousing as the normal way, Lina decided. She, too, rose and began getting dressed. Staying nude and watching him, while nice, would not be condusive to getting anything done that didn't involve Xelloss taking his clothes back off.

"There is a veritable banquet awaiting us in your amusing friends, Lina-chan," Xelloss commented as she was pulling on her gloves.

Yes, she'd imagine there would be.

you can't turn back

Xelloss took her hand, and the darkness dissolved into landscape. Lina recognized the place where they arrived as being near her friends' camp. She didn't really have time to think on it, however; she was quite overwhelmed at the moment by what she felt: their emotions...all of their fear, their worry, their apprehension and anger and...and it was exquisite.

"Now, Lina-chan," Xelloss instructed.

you can't turn back

Lina bounded into camp, doing her Xelloss impression—smiling, eyes closed. She didn't need to use mundane vision, anyway; she could 'see' them via her link to the astral plane. "Hi, minna! Miss me?"

Relief washed away much of the others' delightful fear and worry, much to Lina's disappointment. Ah well, she and Xelloss would fix that.

"Lina!"

"Lina-san!"

"Praise the gods, you're alive!"

"Lina...where have you been?" Zel, ever the practical one, got right to the point.

"Weeellll...I needed a little time to think. And guess who I ran into while I was out wandering?"

Xelloss joined Lina, his hand coming to rest lightly on the small of her back.

A-ha. There was the apprehension.

"Are you...are you okay, Lina-san?" Amelia asked, obviously worried that Lina had been with Xelloss yet trying not to show it.

Zel had no such qualms. "Did he hurt you, Lina?"

"I'm fine. Wonderful, in fact." Lina smiled widely.

the night bleeds in black
the hunger

"You're certain you're all right, Lina-san?"

"My, my. It seems they wanted you to return all cut up. Well, why not oblige them, Lina-chan?" Xelloss offered Lina a dagger.

Lina shrugged and took the proffered dagger; if he wanted her to... "Whatever you say." With that, she sliced opened her left wrist.

Lina's friends gasped collectively. She paid them little attention, however; she was totally emmersed in the sensations that washed over her: the cool sweetness of the knife's blade, her blood pulsing out in time with her heartbeat, the skin mending itself...

"Dear gods, she enjoyed that!" she heard Zel whisper, his shock obvious. Oh yes, she most certainly did. Well, Zel always was the observant one. Why not see what else he'd observe...?

Lina opened her eyes and stared at her friends. She was right, Zel noticed first, as was evidenced by his unintelligible exclaimation and horrified expression.

"What is it, Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia asked just as Sheifyl breathed, "Oh no!"

"Gee, Lina, I don't remember you having those funny slitted cat eyes like Xelloss." And Gourry was the first to vocalize it! How amusing!

"Lina-san, you didn't...," Amelia began, apparently finally getting a grasp on the situation.

"Of course I didn't," she paused for effect, watching her friends' expression change to relieved and/or confused. "Xelloss did."

you must give in

"That's not true, Lina-chan. You did, too, several times if I recall correctly."

"I don't think she was referring to that."

"Referring to what?" Amelia asked innocently.

"Be silent, Amelia!" Zel growled. It seemed that he was the only one who caught Xelloss' innuendo.

"But—"

There were two ways to handle this, Lina figured. One was to let Amelia and the others stay clueless; Zel certainly didn't look like was about to enlighten the poor innocents. Or, she could let the others know just what Xelloss meant. Hm, the latter option sounded like more fun.

"Xelloss was referring to the number of times I achieved orgasm when we had sex," Lina explained mildly.

Amelia's eyes got impossibly wide and she covered her mouth with her hands. Sheifyl seemed ready to faint. Zel was bright red with anger—such lovely anger, too; no wonder Xelloss had tormented Zel so often in the past—and looked fit to explode any moment. Gourry stared at her with a sort of dull shock.

Lina glanced over at Xelloss and was gratified when he gave her an approving smirk.

"You...were with...Xelloss...," Gourry said slowly. Not the brightest star in the sky, that Gourry, but he did occasionally get what was going on.

"After I killed her and resurrected her as a mazoku," Xelloss clarified, using the same nonchalant tone Lina had moments before.

you must give in

At the affirmation that Lina had, indeed, become a mazoku, Sheifyl fainted. Grinning widely, Lina zoomed over to her friends in time to catch Sheifyl before Gourry or Zel could. She then returned to her previous position next to Xelloss.

"Poor Sheifyl, guess the shock was a little much." They were afraid now, afraid she would do something horrible and mazoku-like to Sheifyl. Lina surpressed the shiver of pleasure that came with their wave of fear.

"I'm hurt," she pouted, hugging the unconcious shrine maiden closer to her. "You think I'm going to hurt dear Sheifyl."

"Are you?" Zel managed to ask with most of his usual calm.

"Of course not," Lina returned. "In fact, I'm just going to wake her up."

Amelia relaxed at that, and Zel stiffened. Gourry was still pretty much frozen with shock.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" Lina crooned, then kissed Sheifyl deeply.

A gasp came from Amelia, a fish-out-of-water-gulpy noise from Gourry, a sharply indrawn breath from Zel, and a chuckle from Xelloss.

"Ooohhh..." Sheifyl groaned as her eyes fluttered open. "Li–Lina-san! What...?!"

"Hey, Sheifyl-chan," Lina greeted, staring straight into Sheifyl's eyes. Poor, poor little thing, she had a deer-caught-in-a-lightspell thing going. It was cute in a rather pathetic way, actually, and the shrine maiden's utter terror was wonderful.

Becoming desperate, Sheifyl squirmed, trying to escape Lina's grasp. "If you want me to let you go, just ask," Lina informed her quasi-captive.

"Ple–please, Lina-san, let me go," Sheifyl begged.

"Sure!" Lina gave an encore performance of the previous kiss she'd bestowed upon Sheifyl, then released the very confused, very frightened girl. The shrine maiden stumbled over to the others and cowered against Gourry. Gourry's arms encircled Sheifyl protectively.

a game that you can't win
the hunger

Her friends' emotions were incredibly intense: mostly betrayal for Amelia; sheer terror from the cringing Sheifyl; betrayal and confusion and hurt from Gourry; and primarily anger from Zel, although the anger seemed to be directed at Xelloss, as Zel was glaring balefully at the preist. In fact, he seemed to be near the boiling point.

"YOU!" Zel exploded as expected, drawing his sword and rushing at the Trickster Priest. "This is all YOUR doing!"

Xelloss easily avoided the livid Chimera. Lina suspected it was easier for him to do so than usual, so mad with rage was Zel.

"I get the feeling I'm not welcome here anymore. Let's leave," Xelloss announced, pretending to be hurt.

Lina joined him, grasping his hand. As the forest gave way to the darkness again, she heard the others cry out for her to please stay.

the hunger

"I always knew you'd make a lovely mazoku," Xelloss commented as he idly stroked her hair.

"I make a lovely anything," Lina huffed, feigning indignation.

"Indeed," Xelloss agreed, and gave her a rousing kiss that soon led to even more pleasant things.

the hunger


–end–

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