The silence in the ruined throne room stretched, thick with tension and the scent of sulfur, fear-sweat, and Karnazul's metallic ozone aura. Donarstraza's gaze was locked on the human prisoner – specifically, his startlingly bright yellow eyes, burning with defiance against the backdrop of pale, dirt-smudged skin and light brown hair. That achingly familiar German sharpness to his features sent another treacherous wave of homesickness and unwelcome heat through her. Primal Seduction Level 2 hummed treacherously in the background, amplifying every detail – the strong line of his jaw clenched in stubborn courage, the pulse visible in his throat, the way his torn leathers hinted at lean muscle beneath.
Scheiße. Focus, Elina! Goddess. You're a goddess. He's a spy. A dead spy if you don't do something. Karnazul's molten gaze was fixed on her, waiting for the command to crush the intruder's skull. The demon soldiers shuffled, radiating eager brutality.
Forcing her voice into a resonant, icy calm that belied the turmoil inside, she finally spoke, her golden eyes sweeping past the prisoner to Karnazul. "Death is… efficient, General. But intelligence is valuable. This… vermin," she imbued the word with disdain, hoping it masked her fascination, "came here for a reason. What does Aethelgard seek so deep within our realm?" She subtly emphasized 'our', reinforcing her dominion.
Karnazul's expression remained impassive, but she felt a flicker of surprise through the Primordial Resonance – surprise at her restraint. "Doubtless, My Liege, they seek weakness. Rumors of your return may have reached even the sun-blighted shores of Aethelgard. They test the borders, probing the strength of the Realms in your absence." He took a step towards the prisoner, his shadow engulfing the young man. "Pain will loosen his tongue faster than persuasion." He raised a gauntleted hand, dark energy coalescing around his fingers like grasping shadows.
The prisoner flinched but didn't cry out, his yellow eyes fixed on Karnazul with pure hatred. Donarstraza felt a jolt of panic – not for the spy's potential pain, but for the irreversible loss of… him. And the potential intelligence, of course. Mostly the intelligence.
"Hold, Karnazul," she commanded, the authority in her voice sharper this time. The shadows around his hand dissipated instantly. "Pain is crude. And unreliable. A broken tool reveals nothing useful." She needed to buy time, to understand why this human was affecting her so profoundly. Was it just Primal Seduction misfiring? Or something about him? "Secure him. Somewhere… contained. I will question him myself when the currents of my awakening settle." She waved a dismissive hand, claws glinting. "His mind will be an open book soon enough." It was a bluff, but it sounded suitably ominous.
Karnazul studied her for a moment, his crimson gaze intense. She felt the weight of his assessment through the Resonance – loyalty warring with a sliver of confusion at her interest. Finally, he bowed his head. "As you command, My Liege." He turned to the soldiers. "Take him to the Void Cells beneath the Spire. Ensure he is bound with soul-forged iron. No communication. Minimal sustenance. The Goddess will attend to him… later."
The soldiers grunted acknowledgment, roughly hauling the prisoner to his feet. The young man threw one last look at Donarstraza as he was dragged away – a look not of pleading, but of intense, yellow-eyed scrutiny, as if trying to unravel a puzzle. Then he was gone, swallowed by the gloom of the passage.
The moment the heavy footsteps faded, the oppressive atmosphere lifted slightly. Karnazul turned back to her, his posture still attentive but less coiled for violence. "A prudent strategy, My Liege. His knowledge could prove valuable regarding Aethelgard's intentions." He paused, his molten gaze lingering on her face. "Though… your interest seemed… unusually keen for mere reconnaissance."
He noticed. Donarstraza's internal panic flared. She channeled the haughty indifference of the Fallen Goddess. "Keen? Hardly. Merely efficient. Why waste a resource before extracting its worth?" She turned away, feigning disinterest, gazing out the broken archway at the volcanic wastes. "Now, leave me. I must commune with the deeper currents of my power." And figure out why my hormones are trying to sabotage me.
Karnazul hesitated for a fraction of a second, the Primordial Resonance humming with his unspoken thoughts – concern, unwavering loyalty, and a faint, possessive edge. "As you wish, My Liege." He bowed deeply. "I shall oversee the prisoner's securement and begin assessing the Spire's defenses. Your will is my command." With another resonant clank of armored fist on chestplate, he turned and strode away, his obsidian tail a slow, controlled pendulum behind him.
Alone again, the silence pressed in, filled only by the distant rumble of the demon continent's fires. The image of the prisoner's defiant yellow eyes wouldn't leave her mind, sending fresh, unwelcome ripples through her demonic core. Get a grip, Elina! You're a lightning goddess, not a hormonal teenager! To distract herself, to ground herself in the tangible reality of her power, she focused inward, pulling up her Status screen with practiced thought. The familiar blue framework shimmered into view, a welcome anchor in the chaos.
[Status - Donarstraza]
Name: Donarstraza
Title: Fallen Goddess of Lightning and Ruin (Dormant)
Level: 4 (15/400 XP) // XP needed for Lvl5 now visible!
Class: Primordial Absorbaatrix
HP: 495/495
MP: 128/128
Stamina: 260/260
[Attributes]
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 31
Intelligence: 33 // Brainpower increased!
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 27 (???) // Glowing faintly, pulse steady
Free Attribute Points: 0
[Traits]
★ Mana Vampirism (Lv.1): Drain mana from targets. Conversion Efficiency: 50%. Chance of Intoxication: Low.
★ Demonic Physique (Lv.1): Enhanced Strength, Constitution, Regeneration. Weakness to Holy/Light.
★ Primordial Spark (Lv.1): Innate Affinity for Lightning Magic. +10% Lightning Damage.
★ Primordial Resonance (Lv.1): Empathic link with Karnazul. Minor combat coordination unlocked.
[Skills]
★ Basic Mana Perception (Passive Lv.1): Sense ambient mana and mana signatures within 10 meters. Faint.
★ Mana Drain (Active Lv.1): Ianitiate physical contact to siphon mana. Drain Rate: 5 MP/sec. Cost: 1 MP/sec to maintain.
★ Lightning Arc (Active Lv.1): Unleash a bolt of lightning. Damage: [Int x 1.5] + [Spark Bonus]. Cost: 15 MP. Range: 15m. Cast Time: 1.5s.
★ Primal Seduction (Passive Lv.2): Potent demonic allure. Amplifies attraction, lowers target inhibitions. Effect scales with Charisma, Compatibility, Proximity. //Currently humming...
Seeing the numbers – the huge HP and MP pools, the solid attributes – was calming. She was powerful. Level 4 was a world away from Level 1. 400 XP to Level 5… killing a few more minor demons or blasting some rocks should get her there. She could handle this. She could handle Karnazul. She could handle… the prisoner. Probably.
Curious about the Bond Log after the recent tension, she focused on that section. The golden script shimmered into view.
[Bond Log - Active Bonds]
[#1: Karnazul, Lord of the Nine Blades]
* Bond Level: 2 (Initiated) // Steady
* Bond Type: Primordial Resonance (Unique)
* Loyalty: Absolute (Oathbound) //Unshaken
* Proximity: Distant (Outside 50m) //He's securing the prisoner
* Emotional Resonance: Protective Devotion / Controlled Ferocity / Mild Puzzlement // Noted the 'keen interest'
* Intimacy Level: Established
* Intimacy Events: 1
* Potential Synergies: Combat Coordination (Minor), Power Amplification (Minor), Shared Perception (Locked), ??? (Locked)
Mild Puzzlement. Donarstraza winced internally. So he had picked up on her unusual focus on the prisoner. Great. Just great. The Bond Log was brutally honest. At least the loyalty was still absolute. She needed to be more careful. Much more careful. Especially if Primal Seduction Level 2 was going to make her react to every handsome face that crossed her path, enemy or not.
A new notification blinked insistently at the edge of her vision, distinct from the Status or Bond Log. It was crimson, edged in crackling gold energy.
[New Quest: Interrogation of the Intruder]
[Description: A human spy from Aethelgard has breached the demon continent. Extract actionable intelligence regarding Aethelgard's knowledge of your return, their assessment of the Realms' strength, and the purpose of his mission. Exercise caution – his unusual aura may interact unpredictably with your demonic essence.]
[Objective 1: Personally interrogate the prisoner within 72 hours.]
[Objective 2: Extract verifiable intelligence (Minimum 3 key pieces of information).]
[Reward: 300 XP, +2 Wisdom, Skill: Basic Truth Sense (Passive Lv.1)]
[Failure: Intelligence loss, potential security breach, Charisma fluctuation (???) ]
[Warning: Prisoner designated 'High Distraction Risk' due to anomalous physiological/pheromonal signature.]
Donarstraza stared. 'High Distraction Risk'? Anomalous physiological/pheromonal signature? The system might as well have stamped WARNING: MAKES THE GODDESS HORNY across the notification. And the Charisma fluctuation on failure… that glowing "???" stat felt even more volatile now. The reward was tempting – Wisdom to help control her impulses, a Truth Sense skill… but the risks were terrifyingly personal.
She dismissed the screens, the image of those defiant yellow eyes instantly replacing them. Seventy-two hours. She had seventy-two hours to figure out how to interrogate a devastatingly attractive enemy spy without Karnazul noticing her inappropriate interest, without the system deciding her Charisma needed a nosedive, and without her own traitorous demonic hormones making her do something catastrophically stupid.
The Fallen Goddess of Lightning and Ruin sighed, the sound echoing strangely in the vast, empty chamber. Preparing for orcs was starting to look simple. This? This was going to require levels of self-control she wasn't sure she possessed. She glanced towards the dark passage where the prisoner had been taken, a fresh, unwelcome thrum of anticipation mixing with the dread. Scheiße.