Sophia hugged herself tightly as Atlas carried her out of the ruined city. The orc was clad in majestic black steel armour from neck to toe, but his axe, his great war axe, was gone, along with her brother.
The woman wasn't sure if she should break down and cry or punch herself for being so useless, so overconfident. They should have run when she had the thought. But would they have gotten away? Sophia shook her head. No, they would have. She would have made sure of it, even if she had to rip its wings off to do that.
Shouldn't they be chasing after the dragon? Why was Atlas taking her into the forest? Was he in cahoots with the dragon all along? Sophia punched the orc in the jaw, and the two flew in opposite directions. The mere force of her punch made the forest tremble as Atlas flew back towards the city and Sophia slammed her fist into the ground, slowing herself to a halt.
She'd get that dragon. She had to. What choice did she have? Sophia launched herself off the ground, but Atlas was fast, very fast.
The orc appeared before Sophia, arms spread to capture her. "Sophia, you musn't!"
"Get the fuck out of my way!" Sophia punched Atlas in the chest, his chestplate bending under the force of her attack as she rammed him in the ground and used him as a launched pad to propel herself even further.
His hand wrapped around her ankle, and Atlas pulled Sophia back, throwing her into a tree. "You saw how strong that thing was." Atlas roared, his eyes pleading. "You won't be able to fight that thing alone."
Sophia clung to a feeling deep within her gut. A connection with Sebastian. He was alive, and he wasn't out of her reach just yet. "I don't care!" Sophia launched herself at Atlas, and he raised his fists, guarding his head from her next attack.
The forest trembled around them as Atlas's wrist guard shattered, and Sophia spun 360°, kicking Atlas in the side.
The orc grunted, but he stood his ground, burying his feet into the soil as he wrapped his arm around Sophia's leg and threw her down. "Assuming you can even catch up with the dragon." Atlas straddled Sophia and pinned her arms to the ground. "How do you plan on getting your brother back?"
Sophia's mind was reeling, her chest vacant of the air she needed so desperately to breath. She couldn't be here, not now. She pushed against Atlas; she kicked and she squirmed, but the orc overpowered her in every single way. He was just that bit stronger than her, and there was nothing she could do.
The very many marks that the orc had left all over Sophia's body burned as she scowled in disgust up at the orc. She couldn't believe that she'd slept with this scumbag. Was this his plan all along? Tire her out through sex and then pin her down in the forest once her brother was gone?
That's right. It was his fault she didn't have enough energy. Sophia roared and pushed against him with all her strength. "Get off of me!"
Her eyes blazed brilliantly, and she forced Atlas off of her. Her skin steamed as raw heat pumped through her veins. Atlas jumped back, a serene look on his face. "I don't want to hurt you, Sophia."
"I don't care!" Her tears threatened to burst as she attacked the orc again, but he just stood there, taking the gut punch. Though her attack had ruined his armour, the orc stood unflinching, a vibrant green glow in his eyes. What was he doing?
Sophia punched him in the chest and ripped his chest plate off, but he remained unflinching. What was wrong with this guy? She punched and she punched, but her attacks did nothing. "Sophia, you need to calm down." His voice was soft, barely a whisper. It was tender as it had been the night before, and it drove her crazy. "Beating me won't bring your brother back."
Sophia screamed and swung her fist again, but her hand stopped before his chest. Her energy reserves were sapped. The heat disappeared from her flesh, and the woman crumbled to her knees. Sophia buried her face in her hands and howled. She cried and she screamed all for her lost brother.
The brute before her got on his knees and wrapped her in a hug. An act so strange it caught Sophia off guard. But it wasn't unwelcomed. I'm so stupid. Sophia leaned into his embrace. She knew that she had every opportunity to take one of the energy potions while they were in the market, but she didn't because she hadn't anticipated such an attack. Not that it would have made much of a difference anyway.
Atlas, despite himself, grabbed Sophia's shoulders and pulled the woman away, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You must calm, daughter of Agmos. Whatever that dragon was after, it wanted your brother alive; that I'm certain of. You can feel him, can't you?"
Sophia paused. How did he know who she was? The revelation only served to reinforce her suspicions. But he was right; even now, she could feel the anguish and the fear resonating from her brother. He was alive, largely uninjured as well.
"How do you…"
Atlas covered her mouth with his hand. "I recognised you when you approached me in the tavern. Your sun charm all but gave it away, though."
Sophia frowned. But the temple never revealed that she had it. Had they? If this was truly Atlas, the S-Rank, then she wouldn't put it past him, but how? And why sleep with her if he knew who she was? Was he after her father's favour? She doubted he cared.
Sophia's eyes widened. Maybe the dragon was his doing. Maybe it was his way of punishing the twins for abandoning the temple, and maybe it was to get to her for sleeping with Atlas. The gods were known for being pety, even towards their children.
But why now? Was it even him? So many possibilities ran circles through Sophia's mind; she wasn't sure which to believe. Only he had the power to release Karvu from the temple's dungeon.
What if the dragon came back for her? Would she be able to get away? Would she let it take her? What if it wanted to kill her?
Sophia ran her hands through her hair. What was she supposed to do? Amass power, obtain relics? Get new skills? "Fuck!" Sophia howled, pulling on her hair until it hurt. "It should have taken me."
Sophia punched Atlas's chest, but softer this time; she needed to vent her frustrations. She punched and punched until the armour crumpled and fell away, revealing his tunic, only stopping when he cupped her cheek. "Sophia." He whispered, wiping away her tears. His gaze held a certain amount of sincerity that made Sophia question herself. Why was she punishing him for her stupidity?
The orc cupped her face in his hands, forcing Sophia to meet his gaze. Even as his jaw swelled, Atlas somehow looked at her with nothing but admiration. And Sophia had to admit, he was daringly dashing for an orc. His sharp features had tempered with age, and light stubble lined his jaw.
Up close, Sophia couldn't help but realise that Atlas was almost a foot taller than her. Though he was short for an orc, he still dwarfed her in size. "We can't stay here for long. If the dragon comes back, we won't be able to stop him."
Sophia sighed, her whole body deflating visibly as she leaned into the orcs touch. How was it so soothing? She should have been screaming, biting and kicking, but the orc had somehow managed to soothe her with a few words and a touch.
"I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so sorry. You did nothing wrong." Sophia grabbed his hands. She felt so bad, so stupid. "I, I'll pay you back for the armour I swear I–"
Atlas shook his head. "You needn't worry. We can work something out later, but for now, we must retreat to my party's hideout."
Sophia's eyes widened. "Weren't they in the lobby? I could have sworn–"
"I was lying," Atlas said flatly. Almost as if it was obvious. "I hadn't planned on revealing my identity to you after you failed to recognise me, but when the dragon attacked, I had no choice." Atlas stood up, his form inflating as he pulled Sophia to her feet. "We need to get as far away from Verantha City as possible. The others may not be S-Ranks like us, but they're plenty powerful."
Sophia shook her head. "No, we shouldn't endanger other people."
But Atlas wasn't having it. No, the orc straightened his back and raised his chin, using his full height to intimidate Sophia. Despite his attempt, the woman seemed unbothered. She was determined to chase after her brother, even now, and Atlas knew that. "We must retreat, Sophia. Attacking now won't do us any good. We must grow in power first."
Sophia planted her feet in the ground and puffed her chest out in defiance. "There's no we in this. I appreciate your help, but I'll go after it on my own if I must."
The daughter of Agmos walked around Atlas, brushing her arm against him. Perhaps a small part of her wanted Atlas to stop him. Her memories, however briefly, took her thoughts to the night before. How deeply she yearned for Atlas. She wasn't sure how or why, but part of her needed him, and an even bigger part of her wanted to run back into his powerful embrace.
But she needed to be stronger than that. She needed to go after her brother. She'd clear dungeons on the way there if she had to. She'd raise an army, and she'd even ask the Temple of the Sun for help if it came to that.
Atlas growled, the orc grabbing Sophia's arm, halting her advance. "I wasn't lying when I said I'd make you mine last night."
His words caught Sophia so off guard that she nearly choked on her saliva. Yet, they filled her with rage. The woman turned around, ready to punch the orc. "Where was that possessiveness when I was ruining your armour, huh? Or when I walked out of your room? Or when I left the tavern? Why now are you bringing that up?"
Atlas huffed. He hadn't intended on revealing this to Sophia now, but the orc was running out of options other than restraining and physically dragging her to his hideout. And he hated to do it. Sophia's eyes were already puffy and red from crying and now new tears threatened to break the damn. She was fragile now, and in a way, it was selfish of him, but Atlas didn't want to lose her, not after he had just found her.
"A large part of me wanted me to find you after I convened with my party. Now that I have your scent and your mana signature, I would have been able to find you on any part of the continent." Sophia trembled under his gaze.
"Don't do this to me, not now. Not when my brother's life is in danger." Sophia punched him, but her fist held no power behind it. She could have caved his ribcage in as they were; she knew she could. If she landed the blow before he could cast whatever skill he'd used during their short scuffle, he'd be dead in an instant. So why, why didn't she? "Don't lie to me."
Atlas heaved a heavy sigh, but his gaze was filled with determination. He meant his words, and that, perhaps, was the scariest part of it all. "I swear on my name, nay, I swear on the Kan'Bva that I mean it."
Orcs were big on oaths. Sophia knew that much, especially when their clan became involved with it. "So what? You're going to wrap those arms around me and force me to settle down and bear your kids?"
Though it pained Sophia, a small part of her hoped for that. But Sebastian came first.
"No." Atlas took her hands in his, an act of gentleness that betrayed his intimidating form. But, by this point, Sophia just assumed that it was par of the course. "There's a dungeon that my party and I plan on raiding. We'd originally intended to use it to advance my teammates to S-Rank, but if you and I go it alone, we could obtain the power and the relics required to beat that dragon before the end of the season."
Sophia, despite the revelation, remained hesitant. "We don't have a season."
Atlas shook his head, pressing his finger against her sternum. "Things have been strange recently. I have a feeling that your brother has more than a season and that the dragon is related. People have been disappearing all over the continent, and newer, more dangerous dungeons have been surfacing nearby."
Atlas pulled Sophia closer and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Together, we could amass enough power to save your brother and stop whatever is happening to the continent."
There was an unspoken question that lingered in the air. Somehow, Sophia knew that Atlas meant more than what he said. It was like a connection had formed between them, not unlike her connection with Sebastian.
"Say it." Sophia's voice cracked. "Say what you want to say."
Atlas paused and studied Sophia's expression carefully. "Marry me, become my lover, and I'll swear on my name, my clan and everything I hold dear that I will dedicate my everything to helping you save Sebastian, no matter what."
A slight chuckle escaped Sophia's lips, though it lacked the typical amusement that typically accompanied such an action. "My brother is in danger, and you want me to consider marriage?" Despite her words, Sophia was already considering a yes.
She was trying to reason with herself. Her mind told her to say no, but her womb and her heart told her to say yes. She knew deep down that she needed all the help that she could get, and a massive part of her still yearned for Atlas, for his seed. She still wanted him behind her, buried to the base of his massive cock breeding her endlessly.
All she could do was lower her head in shame. "And if I said no?"
"Then I'd make the oath all the same."
A wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It was mirthless, but his sincerity made her heart flutter. The worst part? Sophia doubted she would have had the guts to turn him down. Was this her man? Is this what it felt like to have a soulmate?
"Yes." The word came out as a mere whisper. Sophia wrapped her arms around Atlas' waist and buried her face in his chest. "I'll marry you. If it means saving my brother, I'll sire an army of your children if I have to." Though she would rather have kids after she at least turned twenty-three at the earliest.
"I, Atlas, the S-Rank of the Kan'Bva, scourge of the horde, do so swear on my name, clan and power that I will devout my very soul to you, Sophia of the human realm and to saving your brother no matter what."
A strange power wrapped around Sophia's heart, tying her to Atlas. The oath was set in stone, and the gods had borne witness to it. And yet, Sophia couldn't help but chuckle. Even in such a serious moment, Atlas had found a way to sneak in a tiny, harmless little joke.
"Though I do intend to put many a child in you, my darling." Atlas's entire aura changed as he gently took Sophia's chin and angled her head so he could meet her gaze. "I won't do that, not until you ask me to."
Sophia's expression softened. "Alright. But you were right, we should get going."
Atlas hummed his agreement, but he let Sophia embrace him for a little while longer. The two eventually split, and Atlas decided it was best to shrug off the rest of his armour. "The hideout is west of here, and we have far to go."
***
The journey to Atlas's hideout took the rest of the day. Though the duo moved at blistering speeds in the opposite direction of her brother, Sophia found her thoughts lingering on him. Even as they cleared forests, hills and mountains alike in single bounds, she couldn't help but wonder if there even was a dungeon that could push people like her to the heights of power she and Atlas needed to defeat the likes of Karvu.
Her thoughts failed to linger for long, as the duo finally arrived at their destination, a massive valley abundant with forests, a lake, grassy fields and animals alike.
Sophia half expected to see a settlement or two somewhere in the fields, but no such thing had been built in the valley. No, Atlas's lead took them into the pinewood forest, towards its Northernmost border: a cave at the base of a mountain.
It was hidden underneath a waterfall that fed into a miniature lake/river, and as far as she was concerned, there were no signs of life. At least, until a particularly stocky dwarf stepped threw the waterfall and onto the rocky part of the area.
Soon, a tall and lanky woman with long green hair and shimmering emerald eyes followed. The dwarf had brown hair and a massive beard and was clad in leather clothes, while the woman, in all of her majestic beauty, wore a sheer white dress that hung loosely from her shoulders.
For a brief moment, Sophia was taken aback by her beauty.
Atlas approached the two with warmth. "Dante, Gardenia, it's good to see you two." The hulking orc shook hands with Dante and hugged Gardina. He seemed a different person in their presence.
"How'd it go up north?" He turned to the dwarf, a faint glimmer of concern in his gaze. "Was all well?"
Dante ran his fingers through his beard and hummed triumphantly. "Managed to save three families from falling into the dungeon when it appeared. What about you?"
Atlas pointedly turned to Gardina, taking a moment to soak in her otherworldly appearance. "And how's the forest?"
Gardenia curtsied, holding a hand over her cleavage. "The forest is in good spirits. It is thanks to you that we were able to suppress the rising S-Rank dungeon."
Sophia's eyes widened. Had she just heard that correctly? There was such a thing as an S-Rank dungeon? The dungeon back in Verantha was B-Rank, and she had heard of A-Rank dungeons but never an S.
Dante cleared his throat and pointed at Sophia. "So, who is the hot piece of meat?"
"Ah." Atlas beckoned the human over. "I believe introductions are in order." Atlas, in all of his glory, puffed out his chest and wrapped his arm around Sophia's waist. "This is Sophia Dawn, and she's my wife."
"WHAT?!" The dryad and dwarf bellowed in unison.
"Where's her ring?! Don't tell me you didn't have the decency to buy her one!"
"Where are her markings? It is unbecoming of an esteemed individual such as yourself not to call upon nature's blessing! I must right this wrong."
Their reaction caught Sophia off guard. The star-eyed woman blinked repeatedly as the two, instead of asking relevant questions like 'when did this happen' or 'why wasn't I invited to the wedding' or something of that likeness, demanded to know why her 'husband' had been so inconsiderate.
The word husband made her brain short-circuit. Had she agreed to that? Wasn't that too fast? Oh right, she had a damn good reason for it. Sophia had nearly forgotten.
A strange sensation, like a ticklish energy spread on the skin underneath her breasts. In her stupor, Sophia had failed to notice the incredibly hot dryad press her hainds under Sophia's boobs. A strange warmth bubbled in her stomach as she considered removing the woman forcefully.
But Atlas placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping Sophia in her tracks. "What is she doing?" She looked to Atlas for answers, searching his obsidian gaze.
Atlas smirked, brushing off Dante, who had been tackling his right leg. "She's fulfilling your end of my oath. Receiving such a blessing from a lady of nature such as Gardina is a great honour; you ought to be proud."
Sophia's heart fluttered. The strange energy felt warm against her skin, and it made her hair stand on end. That power from before, the one that had wrapped around her heart, tightened its grip and then loosened up again. Something clicked in the back of her mind, and a strange revelation came to Sophia.
She and Atlas were now tied together, somehow.
Gardina removed her hands and smiled in awe of her work. Sophia, unsure of what to do, approached the river and looked into her reflection. Two markings had appeared under her breasts, framing them in a way that was visible for the whole world to see.
She'd seen images of them before, in books she'd read in the temple. In some cultures, particularly non-human cultures, women and men received blessings from nature itself in the form of markings on their bodies.
Hers came in the form of botanical linework under her boobs, on a patch of skin that was always exposed. They featured long leaves that resembled the genra herb. It was the herb used to make healing potions. It featured long leaves with spiky edges, and they typically had a white flower with four pointed petals somewhere in the mix.
That flower was at the bottom of her sternum, connecting the two herbs. One of the petals pointed towards her head and the other to her feet while the other two covered the stalks of the leaves.
A subtle warmth spread from Sophia's heart. "It's beautiful." She couldn't think of a more amazing thing to put on her body. When she turned around, she saw Gardina holding her hand to Atlas's nape, doing a similar thing to him.
When she was done, the same herb had appeared on his neck.
A strange joy attacked Sophia's mind, pushing against the anguish and the fear that littered it so blatantly. She wanted to smile, but she couldn't. Not while her brother was still in danger.
Dante, who the trio had forgotten about, cleared his throat, attempting to hide a growing blush on his cheeks. "Right, I suppose that would do. But, now that introductions are out of the way, care to tell me why you brought your wife along with you? I hope it wasn't just so Gardina would bless your marriage."
Atlas dismissed Dante's accusation with a wave of his hand. "No," he pointed to the bruise on his jaw. "I intend to raid the S-Rank dungeon with her. We need to amass enough power to chase a dragon and save her brother."
"Hold on." Dante held his hands up, bringing the group to a halt. "She gave you that bruise? And weren't we supposed to clear the dungeon so we could finally become S-Ranks like you?"
Gardina crossed her arms over her chest and stepped next to Dante. "I'm afraid I must agree with the little one, great saviour. Clearing the dungeon to amass more power is our number one priority."
Atlas sighed. How was he supposed to explain to them just how strong that dragon was? It didn't help that Sophia was currently standing on the tips of her toes, thumbing the marking on his nape like it was some kind of special jewel she had spotted in the shopping district. "Ah." He clicked his tongue. "Things have changed. That plan was set up before I found Sophia and her twin brother." He winced, reeling as Sophia's mood soured very quickly. "Fighting a dragon."
Sophia lowered her hand and turned to face the two. Notably, she pressed herself to Atlas's side. "His name was Karvu, the venom dragon. Sebastian and I had encountered him in a dungeon within the Temple of the Sun, but he escaped somehow and found us." Her features darkened. "It was strong. Strong enough to fight the three of us at the same time. Three S-Ranks at the heights of their powers, close to them anyway, and it still had the advantage even whilst grounded. When it took to the skies, it overpowered us in an instant and took my brother."
Gardina and Dante's faces contorted in horror as Sophia explained her story. "I don't know how much time we'll have before it comes back for me, so we need to get as strong as we possibly can before it comes looking."
Atlas wrapped his arm around Sophia, glad to see that she had taken a liking to his plan. "We'll need to gather as many artifacts as possible. My obsidian armour was destroyed in my fight with Sophia, and my axe probably fell into some forest between here and the edge of Galera."
"Hold up." Dante shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You guys fought? What happened to fighting a dragon?"
Sophia's left eyebrow twitched, but Atlas spoke up before she could act on it.
"I had to stop Sophia from chasing the dragon." Atlas raised his hands in an attempt to sow peace within the growing tension. "We need you guys inside the hideout where it will be safe."
Gardina bit her lip, unsure of how to proceed. "The dungeon would have monsters still for years after you clear it." But she was siding with them now. It was hard for the dryad to truly believe the magnitude of what they were saying. All the dragons she'd heard of were weak enough to be killed by an organised group of A-ranks. But if there were ones on the loose that even Atlas couldn't kill with the help of two other S-ranks, uncountable atrocities were bound to happen.
Dante palmed his forehead. "But they'd be significantly weaker."
"They would, which is why this is the only A-rank dungeon that Sophia and I will venture into on our own." Atlas pulled his wife closer to his side. The orc took on a more serious mien as he straightened his back. "I've found two more in my journeys, and we must use them to grow more powerful. You guys will join us in them."
It took some convincing, but Atlas was able to convince the two that he would keep his promise and let them join them in the next two S-rank dungeons. A fact that bewildered Sophia.
Not only had Atlas found one S-rank dungeon, the man had found three! That fact alone scared Sophia to no end. When it came to the revelation that Atlas had lost his obsidian armour, it was awkward for Sophia to explain that she'd been the one to destroy it.
Before long, the conversation came to an end, and Atlas showed Sophia into their hideout.
***
The hideout was quite simple. It was a cave with four main compartments. One for storage, another for convening, cooking and eating and two were made as rooms. One was Dante's, and the other was Atlas's, and both were boarded off with the finest wood from the pine trees outside. Both were fashioned with doors as well.
Sophia thought the hideout was cute in a way. Gardina had no use for her room as she slept in the trees, and she found that the storage and convening areas were quite well put together. The storage room was an organised conglomerate of crates and wooden shelves, while the convening area was the size of a small house.
It had fur rugs on the floor, a harth and, a kitchen and a dining room all mixed into one. Sophia wasn't entirely sure how they were able to handle the smoke of a harth inside of a closed space like a cave, but this world had many a magic that could solve such a simple problem.
The real kicker was Atlas's room. She expected a single bed made poorly with maybe a table and a crate of some sort, but she should have known better.
Atlas's room was lavishly decorated. The entire floor was lined with fur rugs, and he had a king-sized bed with proper bedding, pillows and furs for comfortable sleep. She could only assume that it got cold in the valley, given how warm it was decorated. It even had a mana crystal on a sconce on the wall, producing a constant stream of light!
She was amazed.
A bookshelf decorated one wall, a painting filled another, and he even had his own lounging space with a coffee table to boot.
Sophia's eyes covered the room once, twice and then thrice as she placed her bag on the coffee table. This was the most homely room she'd seen in her life. A little inundated compared to the Temple of the Sun, but it was lavish by normal standards.
It was in that moment that she found herself sandwiched between Atlas and his bed, the orc already ridding himself of his tunic. Sophia fell onto the bed, blood rushing to her cheeks as Atlas leaned over her with a smirk. "I believe it's time to consummate our marriage, no?"