text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, female protagonist, grimdark]
  
  If you do it, you won't need as many soldiers to help you thus cutting down the potential loss of manpower. Gikil's skills are better suited to what he's already doing.
  
  Gikil seems disappointed that you're not giving the garden of eternal delights to him, but is also concerned about your safety.
  
  "Mistress, I really believe I should wipe out the dero. There is no reason to put yourself at more risk than you need to." Gikil remarks.
  "Gikil, I don't doubt you wouldn't be successful, but let's just say I'm better than you. Even with their magic nullifying rocks I'll manage just fine. Stop worrying, I'll come back in one piece and you can continue fantasizing over my perfect form as usual." You reply.
  
  Gikil knows it'll be pointless to talk you out of anything, so he just nods at your other orders to continue gathering sacrifices and takes his leave. As for you, you gather your own forces and make your way to the dero enclave.
  
  When you get within sight of the gates, you find them predictably closed. Though apparently you were expected.
  
  "So you've finally come to finish us off then? I suppose I'm glad you decided to at least do it in person." You hear a voice shout from the battlements. It's Marzost.
  "I'm actually only here for your crystals, but if you don't want to put up resistance for them, I'm more than willing to spare your rock eater lives." You say.
  "You've already killed us, with your new deal, but we can discuss that when you get inside if you wish. Hold on I'll open the gate."
  
  You're a little surprised at how this is going. Some of your men say it could be a trap, and you've already taken that into consideration, but you're not getting the impression it is. Marzost has always been fairly straightforward with you.
  
  The gates open and your forces march in. When you step inside you're only greeted by Marzost who is now wearing traditional dero armor minus the helmet. The community looks desolate.
  
  "Hello Mistress. Even with death draining all the life out of this world, your beauty is not tarnished. I consider it a blessing that your image will be one of the last things I see before I die."
  
  Well Marzost hasn't changed. You clearly won't have to fight at all, but now you're curious of what's going on here.
  
  "Things have changed here Marzost."
  "Indeed they have, I can explain if you're interested. But you said you needed our crystals did you not? You can gather as many as you need over by the archway. We don't need them anymore after all."
  
  You tell your people to go fill up their bags with the crystals. You mention you'll be fine and soon it's just you and Marzost. He stands silently admiring you.
  
  "So Marzost, where is everyone?" you ask.
  "Mostly dead. A large group of wraiths attacked us last month and did significant damage before we were able to destroy them. A lot harder to fight the incorporeal undead rather than the walking corpses. Some of us still live, but they're all mostly guarding the nursery and spending what little time remains with the last children of our race. I suppose it would all just be easier for us to do what most of the dero did and just surrender to death, but the last of us have decided to not make it easy."
  
  You nod.
  
  "I can respect that I suppose." You say.
  "I am glad to have earned some of your respect." Marzost replies.
  "So when did you figure out that our deal was no longer in effect? One of your fellows from the surface find out to tell you somehow?"
  "Not at all. The demon Big Red, the one you made a new deal with, told me."
  
  Part of you is slightly surprised, but given that Gikil told you Big Red approached him as well, you suppose it isn't too shocking.
  
  "He actually appeared to you? When he said he was going to observe you, I figured he meant from a distance."
  "He did a little more than that. He offered us a deal too, well he tried anyway."
  "He offered a way to escape, I'm guessing."
  "Something like that, though apparently our mere existence offended him so much he didn't stick around too long. I know we're not most aesthetically pleasing of races, but come on. We managed to disgust a demon? Our race really must be cursed by the gods."
  "Given what Big Red said about you lot, he practically claimed you were. Mentioned you lot didn't have souls. He said he couldn't even detect your blood or life force."
  "Hm. Interesting, I what that means when we die, do we truly just go to oblivion rather than an afterlife?"
  "Probably."
  "Well I suppose rotting in the ground isn't as bad as whatever eternal tortures await in a hellish realm or wherever the morally lacking go. Good thing for the dero too, our race has not been a kind one. Still, I'm wondering..."
  "Wondering what?"
  "We can't ALL be soulless. During Big Red's visit, he pointed to one of our buildings and said he'd make a deal for all the people he detected in it. He said he could give us safe passage through his realm."
  "What was the building?"
  "The nursery. Though we'd never mentioned that to him."
  "You had svelk breeders though in it didn't you? Maybe that's what he was detecting."
  "Couldn't be. They were all dead by the time Big Red showed up. The only ones in there were our young and the dero nursemaids.
  "Hmm, must be because they had svelk blood. You did tell me that mixing with our race was having an unexpected affect on yours."
  "Perhaps. In any case we have a lot of faults, but not protecting our children isn't one of them. We declined and he was about to propose another deal, but stopped mid sentence, turned up his nose and soon left. Guess he realized it was useless to try to bargain."
  "So how many babies do you have?"
  "Why do you want to know?"
  "Because that red bastard told me I need to hand over a thousand svelk souls to him and mentioned yours weren't suitable since you didn't have any. Apparently he's lied to give me more work than necessary."
  "So... you were planning on wiping us out eventually."
  "It was always a possibility."
  "Well I guarantee we don't have nearly that many young to supply you with, though I hope it won't be necessary to defend them against you."
  "You're going to have to defend them against the undead eventually."
  "True, but...and this is foolish idealism I suppose, I was at least hoping our last encounter with each other wasn't going to end in bloodshed."
  "And what were you hoping for Marzost? That I'd profess my undying love for you and we'd skip off happily into the sunset together like in some sickening human children's story?"
  
  Marzost chuckles.
  
  "No Mistress, nothing so optimistic. I'm well aware of how you think of me. However, despite my obvious feelings for you, I have to say I'm a little disappointed in your recent actions."
  "Oh? By what exactly? That wiping your community out was always on the table? Taking your crystals by force?"
  "That? No. I'm not disappointed by your ruthlessness. Indeed its one of your attractive traits. I'm not even disappointed that you broke the deal you had with us, your people and you in particular have a certain reputation. I'm just a little more disappointed by who you broke our deal with. I mean to throw away our plan on a demon's offer? I would have thought you to be more savvy than to trust what Big Red told you."
  
  You believe this is one of the rare times Marzost has displayed a negative view of you. In fact it may even be the first.
  
  "What deal I made or didn't make with Big Red is of no concern to you. I'm not here to fit whatever odd pedestal you've put me on."
  "Well you're correct about the second part. But not about the first. While I know you haven't exactly done any binding agreement yet, I am aware that he's set you up to fail. There is no way you're going to make the quota for a thousand souls before death takes this world. He's betting you'll get desperate enough to give him the hundred plus yours. He wants yours soul very much, he told me himself about how yours is one of the darkest he's encountered in awhile and getting yours would be quite the prize and worth the time to linger on this world a bit longer. This does concern me since I know that YOU are determined to not fall into such a trap which means being desperate for souls. The dero children by the svelk have souls and they will NOT be sacrificed to a demon for any reason."
  
  Marzost steps forward while looking up at you.
  
  "Mistress, we've had minimal contact and you loathe me, but know that my love for you is genuine. I'd explain it, but you wouldn't understand and wouldn't care anyway. Just know this though; I will defend the last dero children from damnation, no matter how much I love you. If there is ANY part of you that feels compassion or even just mercy. Do not carry out what you're pondering. The number of children wouldn't noticeably help your soul count anyway. You have the crystals, just leave us to die on our own terms."
  
  Marzost then touches your hand.
  
  "That's three." You say, while moving it away.
  
  > leave with the crystals
  While your natural inclination would be to strike down Marzost where he stands, something about all this isn't adding up in your mind quite yet based on all the information you've heard from Big Red, Marzost and even Gikil.
  
  Then it occurs to you and you smile to the point where you can't contain your laughter.
  
  "Those children are worthless!" You laugh.
  "What?" Marzost says.
  "Your dero babies are worthless. They have no souls. That's why Big Red never pressed on with another deal attempt and turned his nose up. He realized he couldn't get anything out of them. That's why he told me not to bother with any of you."
  "But...how do you know?"
  "Your mother was a svelk correct? Did Big Red offer you a deal personally for your soul?"
  "No."
  "He certainly would have tried if he sensed you had one. He didn't though. He probably didn't sense that the children didn't have any immediately."
  "But... how did he sense them at all then?"
  "The blood I would imagine. The svelk blood is still there. Doesn't do much good though without a soul though."
  "Huh. Well I suppose that does explain his quick departure."
  "Yep, you have nothing to fear Marzost, the dero race gets to live a bit longer. There's something else though that's a bit of a missing link."
  "Oh?"
  "Yes. But it has less to do with you than it does with my current second in command. You may have been slightly right Marzost with your assessment earlier, I haven't taken into consideration every angle Big Red is plotting. I've been believing I'm smart enough to outwit him, well it's time to prove it with action."
  "What are you going to do?"
  "Oh you'll find out soon. I trust you'll still be here in a couple days?" you ask.
  "Um, yeah I wasn't planning on going anywhere. Why?"
  "I'll be back alone at that time. I suggest you be ready."
  "Ready for what?"
  "I don't want to give away the surprise. In any case, it looks like my minions are nearly finished looting your crystals. I'll take my leave of you now. Enjoy the view."
  
  You leave Marzost behind and approach your forces. A couple of them question if there is to be any more done here, you tell them no and that you have what you need. You then say you need to head back to the fortress and great ready for the next round of captives to sacrifice.
  
  When you arrive back home, what you actually do is prepare a potion. You haven't prepared a potion like this in centuries, but you need every edge if this is going to work.
  
  Gikil still isn't back from the raid you sent him on, and while you still have the last prisoners he took you could sacrifice, you believe that what you're actually planning is a much better idea.
  
  In a couple days it's done and you chug it down. Tastes every bit as awful as you remember. You're now ready. The odd part is you're actually not dreading this plan. True, at one time you wouldn't have dreamed of doing this action, but the end result will be worth it.
  
  Not to mention you suppose you are sort of curious.
  
  You slip out of your fortress during the night and head to the dero community. You get to the gates and predictably Marzost is on the battlements waiting just like you told him to.
  
  "I see you, let me open the gates." He shouts.
  
  The gates open and you walk in before Marzost can even come down to greet you. When he finally does, you see he's still dressed in heavy armor.
  
  "Marzost, can we talk in private where nobody is going to potentially see or hear us?" you ask.
  "Yeah, we can go to one of the great halls, those remaining spend most of their time in the nursery or the barracks."
  "No, I mean some place more... intimate." You say and get much closer to Marzost.
  "Inti...wait...no...you mean..."
  "Uh huh."
  
  You crouch down to meet his eyes on an even level.
  
  "Get ready to make all your twisted fantasies about me come true rock eater." You say taking a deep breath and then bringing yourself to kiss him on the lips.
  
  You feel like you're putting your lips on hardened dirt. Shoving your tongue in his mouth feels like you're licking gritty stone. You pull back from your kiss and Marzost is speechless. While you're certainly no stranger to males being in awe of you, Marzost really has taken it to a whole other level. You literally have to guide him back to his personal dwelling which he barely can utter the location.
  
  Marzost starts to remove his armor which is no simple task given how dero armor interlocks. While he's doing that, you begin to remove your own clothing and look as seductive as possible doing it. Not that you really need to at this point, but you're getting a mild amusement out of Marzost fumble about while he's trying to take off his armor and watch you at the same time.
  
  Soon, you're naked and sitting on the side of his "bed" which as expected, is also made of stone with no blankets or pillows. This is definitely going to be a rough ride no matter which way it goes.
  
  As Marzost's armor comes off and his clothing is next, you study his body. It's in good shape, better than you thought it would be. Eventually he approaches you slowly. You also notice he hasn't taken off his underwear yet.
  
  You caress his chest, which feels not unlike a fine-grained rock. In fact most of his body does. Your hands eventually roam to where the most his important part is going to be entering you repeatedly. That's the part you expected to be the hardest right now, yet oddly he's not quite ready yet.
  
  You notice Marzost hasn't done anything except stand there. You fully expected him to start pushing you down and having his way with you or at least groping you by now, given how the dero go about their mating practices. For all his willingness, you're sensing some nervousness. Expected while in the presence of greatness like yourself, but this is a bit different somehow.
  
  "Marzost is something wrong? Multiple times you touched my hand or attempted to touch me when it was not permitted and now that everything is permitted, you seem way more timid." You say.
  "I...I... my apologies." Marzost stutters.
  "Don't apologize, be direct! I mean would it put you more in the mood if I pretended to be a helpless captive? I know how the dero are usually going about their sex practices."
  "No! I want to make sure YOU enjoy it. You are a goddess and deserve to be treated as such in all matters." Marzost says and finally gets the courage to touch you again, even if it is a stroking of your face.
  
  This is definitely going a bit differently than you thought it would, but you're getting a strong impression about Marzost.
  
  "Marzost...and I'm not asking this to attack your fragile masculinity, but are you a virgin?"
  
  Marzost doesn't answer, he just looks slightly away from you, which pretty much says it all.
  
  "Any particular reason?" you ask.
  "Most of my race does what it does to survive...or did rather. There's no love. There's no closeness. There's not even a twisted sadistic pleasure like outsiders believe. It's purely mechanical. It's just done out of the need to procreate. I don't want to be intimate with someone unless it's consensual." Marzost says sitting down beside you.
  "Okay, so what about dero females? I mean granted they're no prizes, but that's what doggystyle is for."
  "Let's just say they've never been interested in me for whatever reason despite my past attempts. I know what you said before about my parents, about how the pair of them might not have actually been in love. Well that doesn't change my perception of what I want. I wanted what I believed my parents had, which is love. I want the act to be more than just for pleasure or procreation. I'm not even sure why you're doing this. You haven't explained your reasons."
  "Do they matter? You took your clothing off quick enough."
  "On one level, no. Indeed I am enchanted enough by your beauty and personality that I'd be a fool to decline this opportunity. And yet, I know whatever your reasons; they certainly won't be for love. This act won't be special for you, but I suppose it'll have to be special just for me. That will be enough."
  
  You have to admit, there is something "sweet" about all this. It is a bit unfortunate it's coming from a dero though. Still, you suppose you can identify with Marzost's feelings of unrequited attraction.
  
  "Marzost, believe me when I tell you, this act we're about to engage in is definitely special for me. You just let me take care of everything. Close your eyes, use your imagination and believe that we are the only two people in each other's lives. Believe whatever fantasy you have to make this act live up to it, but I NEED you to perform to completion understand?" you say.
  "Yes, Mistress." Marzost says.
  "Call me Semra...now you just lay back and let me get you started."
  
  You lay Marzost down on slab he calls a bed and waste no time in pulling down his underwear. You lower your head and begin to go to work. You feel like you're sucking a "soft" piece of smooth marble at first, but it doesn't take long before the firmness matches the texture.
  
  Another relief that you won't be risking breaking your teeth or later on ripping your innards if his dick had the texture of something like sandstone.
  
  You feel it growing in your mouth a little bigger than the first visual appearance would indicate. While you have a pretty strong gag reflex, after a few minutes of this oral stimulation, the growth of the width makes it feel like your jaw is going to dislocate.
  
  With him now in a more suitable condition, you stop and then slowly get on top of him. Given the size, you're actually glad you're taking more of the lead in this as it allows for better control.
  
  When you feel it enter, you continue to proceed slowly until you're getting a good rhythm. Marzost has been more or less silent during this whole affair. Now you really do feel like you're fucking a statue.
  
  You guide his hands to at least grab your tits so you can better involve him in this process. You've been with several virgins before, indeed you even can find it a bit appealing to be the first and thus ruin a male, as he will never have anything better ever again, but this has got to be the most awkward one you've ever been with.
  
  This was definitely nothing like when you were with Francis. Now THAT was a deflowering that had some excitement.
  
  You then notice he's taken your advice to heart and closed his eyes and is whispering something. You can't make out what he's saying exactly. You do make out your name at first, but then it becomes something else in between the faint moans of pleasure.
  
  You at first think he's saying something in his awful language, but that isn't it. It's still common, just really quiet. You lean in closer to hear since you're curious and that's when you get it.
  
  "Oh yes, mama. I love you so much...ugh yeah...this is everything...I've wanted...oh mom..."
  
  You can't say you're surprised and it makes complete sense. His mother was a svelk and was the only female that ever loved him. Obviously his idealized woman to a point where he had trouble with dero females and he couldn't bring himself to rape a svelk female.
  
  Yep, it's all a rich fucked up tapestry of the mind. Well whatever works for him, hell, it works for you too.
  
  "Shhhh, my son. Mommy's here to take care of your needs, she loves you so much. Remember this." You say closing your own eyes and visualizing Francis.
  
  It doesn't take long before Marzost becomes more active and actually starts holding on to you tightly and thrusting into you rather than just laying there.
  
  You hold on to Marzost just as tightly. If you were equal height you'd be face to face, but since you aren't, his face is now successfully buried in your tits as you ride him. He's not wasting any time sucking on your nipples, no doubt thinking of fond memories of when his real mother breast-fed him.
  
  As the act goes on, he becomes more forceful to the point where he starts to grab on to you tighter and eventually you feel him release inside you. A lot. It's a mess down there.
  
  "Guess that had been building for a long time." You say as you try to get off him, though you have a slightly hard time doing so as it seems like you're stuck. Apparently dero seed is much stickier than svelk or humans.
  
  While you're attempting to free yourself, Marzost who you thought would be wiped out from your magical svelk vagina, doesn't even seem tired. A testament to dero endurance you suppose. In fact he grabs one of your arms in an attempt to keep you from leaving.
  
  "Where are you going? It wasn't bad was it?" he asks.
  "No, I just need to..." you start to say.
  "Semra I love you and I don't want you to leave."
  
  Marzost's grip on your arm tightens and there's now a real danger here given your vulnerability. Dero are really damn strong for their size. He could easily snap your neck, though you knew going through with this plan that something like this might happen.
  
  Under normal circumstances, you'd attempt a magic attack to his eyes, but his home (and this entire community's architecture) is filled with the magic nullifying rock. Combined with that and after your physical exploits, you're not quite sure if you'd have enough energy to summon up the power for an effective attack.
  
  You're going to have to distract him at least temporarily before attempting to escape.
  
  > assert your dominance
  You've had enough dero dick that you can stand for a lifetime and giving this little freak more of something that he was blessed to even sniff in the first place is much more than he deserves. In cases like this you need to assert that YOU are the one in control.
  
  "Marzost, you will release me NOW." You order.
  "But, I love you and..."
  
  You don't let him finish, you just summon up all the power you can and slam him in the eyes with a magic attack.
  
  Under normal circumstances this probably would have killed him, but his home (and this entire community's architecture) is filled with the magic nullifying rock of course. Combined with that and recent your physical exploits, the energy was low powered.
  
  While it was enough to blind him, it wasn't enough to cause him to lose his grip on your arm, which he ends up breaking just by squeezing even tighter while he's reeling a little from your attack.
  
  "YOU FUCKING BITCH!" he shouts and you then feel a punch to the side of your head. You finally get "unstuck" from his dick as you go tumbling to the floor. Unfortunately you're also struggling to stay conscious and bleeding. You can't even focus to cast again, never mind also having a broken forearm.
  
  You can hear Marzost fumbling about and yelling about his eyes, so the best thing you can currently think of to do is to get the hell out of here.
  
  You begin crawling and then getting up to stagger away. You get to the doorway when you feel a hand grab your ankle and yank you so hard you fall face first into the floor before getting dragged back. You attempt to struggle by kicking, but all that results in is Marzost twisting your ankle to the point of breaking it. You scream out.
  
  When Marzost lets go of your ankle, you some how still manage to roll yourself over and realize you're going to have to try a different tactic.
  
  "Marzost...you can't do this....you have to let m..."
  
  You are interrupted by a strong backhand which feels like you've been punched by a stone golem. You spit out a few teeth along with blood. Now you really are struggling to stay awake.
  
  "Silent, svelk whore! I've been a fool to allow myself to be lead on by your bewitching beauty. What was all this for anyway? Was this one more sick game for your amusement before you left? Leave me pining away in anguish before the end of the world?"
  "I..."
  "Shut up! My people were right, you're all alike. My mother left me, and you want to leave me too. Well I'll not listen to any more lies from that pretty little mouth of yours. Open up."
  "No...umpgh..."
  
  Before you can say anything else you get a mouth full of dero cock in your mouth and down your throat. You also lose a few more teeth in the process.
  
  Marzost begins thrusting his dick in your face repeatedly as he grips your head like a vice. You can barely breathe and he isn't allowing you up for air either. Combined with already having a severe concussion, your blocked airway isn't improving your situation. Your one good arm weakly attempts punch at Marzost's balls, but if you did any harm, Marzost didn't notice as he continues to use your mouth as a seed receptacle.
  
  Your eyes begin to go into the back of your head and the rest of your body just falls limp due to lack of energy. The only thing holding you partially up is Marzost.
  
  It doesn't take him long to release again thanks to your velvet throat and the dero excitement for...aggressive sexual habits. Of course it coats your throat with the same sort of strong stickiness you were experiencing earlier. If you couldn't breathe before, you really can't breath now with Marzost's gluey essence blocking your airway.
  
  Marzost lets go of your head and your upper body collapses to the floor. You make a few weak hacking and coughing noises before losing complete consciousness. Death soon follows.
  
  And while that technically is the end for you, Marzost is indeed a twisted little freak and keeps your animated body around in his quarters. (Tying it up in a compromising position of course)
  
  Marzost alternates between calling it his mother, to having sex with it, to beating the hell out of it while screaming at the top of his lungs. Usually all three of those at the same time though not necessarily in that order.
  
  Eventually what remains of the dero population tire of Marzost's insanity and just want to quietly spend what remains of their lives without a madman shouting about his mother while anally violating an animated svelk corpse.
  
  A mob of dero put the pair of you to a permanent death before setting you on fire.