Stress & Ruins*

"Hm~" Ryuu moaned in her kiss with Enki. They were inside her tent in nothing but their underwear.

Enki's hand travelled down Ryuu's body, gripping her ass beneath her white underwear. A firm grasp made her gasp in pleasure.

Enki, with his height, lifted her. Her toes barely touched the floor as they locked lips in for a kiss.

They separated with a pop. Ryuu gasped, wrapping her legs around Enki's waist. She smiled, looking down, feeling his bulging erection pushing against her pussy.

She looked into his eyes, her hands draping past his chest and scar. At first, she was curious about him, but as time passed, she realised she was falling for him.

But, "I'm sorry," she wasn't ready. Not yet.

"It's fine," Enki said. He understood and also the forest where monsters were lurking was not a memorable place to lose your virginity.

Enki removed her bra and kissed her chest. Ryuu closed her eyes as Enki kissed and sucked his way up and down her body. She jerked, feeling restrained when he cupped both her hands above her head.

"Hm, Ah!" Ryuu moaned as Enki bit her nipple and, with his other hand, fondled her breasts.

"Hmph, Ahn, do you love restraining me?" She said through small mewls.

Enki mused as he stared down at her naked body, the tent in his boxer pulsing against her slit to say yes.

Her luscious white skin shone under the moonlight filtering through the tent window and his hand dropped past her stomach.

"Hyan!"

Enki grinned, feelings his middle finger enter her tight wet folds. He didn't let her catch a breath and began pumping his finger in and out her folds.

She whimpered beneath him, her body quivering as with a throaty moan she squirted on his fingers with pleasing moans.

The two lovers took a moment before changing positions with Enki on the floor facing Ryuu's dripping pussy and her releasing Enki's dick from his boxers.

While they had their fun, the events outside went with minor changes, with the girls heading to a hot spring bath to relax and every man that tried to take a peek under Hermes's influence getting caught.

"Hah, huff, wow you've gotten much better at this," Enki looked down at Ryuu in his arms.

Her cheeks were red, and her hot breaths tickled Enki's chest. The elf said nothing and moved her head upwards for a sloppy tongue kiss.

They separated, connected by saliva. Enki smiled at her sweetly before sitting up with her in his lap, his dick throbbing being sandwiched between her soft ass.

He wrapped one hand across her flat stomach, and the other hand went down to her soaking pussy. Slowly, he inserted three fingers and used his thumb against her clit while pumping her relentlessly.

Ryuu let out gasps for air as her body writhed and shook his pleasure, her ass rubbing against his dick a heavenly feeling as Enki let out small gasps, feeling himself coming soon and Ryuu moaning while covering her mouth.

Though that didn't last when Enki went for her ears, licking and nibbling on her sensitive spot, she couldn't contain her voice as he travelled down from her ear to her neck leaving a trail of hickeys and light teeth marks.

They spent the night pleasuring each other to their fullest extent. It was the perfect stress relief for what was to come. The two finished embracing in each other's arms beneath a thin blanket.

...

The night went by smoothly; the sun rose bright and early, signifying the new day only adventures on patrol were walking around.

Enki breathed out a heavy sigh, feeling the light of the sun as he curled up, pulling Ryuu closer into his grasp, not wanting to leave.

"Enki, let me go," Ryuu mumbled with her eyes closed.

"Mn, no please just five more..." He mumbled, going down to nibble on her ears as his hands reached down to her silky smooth behind.

"Fine, five more minutes," she said, opening one eye and pecking his lips.

"Thanks, you're the best," he said, pulling her body in against his morning wood.

...

As much as they and everyone wanted to rest, they couldn't afford the luxury. Everyone woke up either and began sorting themselves.

Adventures of the Hermes familial and any hired were moving left and right, gearing themselves up.

Ryuu was quick and left Enki in the tent.

"Enki, Artemis, will explain our plan soon. Get ready," Lilly said, peeking her head in.

"Thanks, I'll be there in a few," He smiled, putting on his white gloves, and checking the transmutation circles for any wear or tears.

'All good in the circles,' Enki nodded to himself and put on the rest of his gear.

"I should thank Hephaestus when I have the chance, now," he moved to the side of the tent and opened one of his bags.

Enki pulled out some meat wrapped in cloth. He looked back at the entrance, making sure no one would come in, and placed it down.

He removed one glove and breathed out, "hah, alright let's try this again. Just to be safe."

-Clap!

As Enki practised outside his tent Lilly huffed taping her toes, 'It's been two minutes since everyone's gathered.'

She huffed loudly this time and walked in. "Enki, are you ready?" She said.

"Yeah, I'm good," he said, wiping his hand and putting his glove on. He picked up his weapon and walked past Lilly outside. "Let's go."

'Huh?' Lilly smelled the air, picking up a light scent of blood. She looked around confusedly before her eyes landed on his bag.

"What?" She walked over curiously and opened his bag. She saw something red, leaking and mushy. Against her, since she picked it up, "ew it's dripping blood, what is this?" She opened it, seeing a cut slab of meat.

The sight only made her more confused. "Huh? Didn't he organise our food supply? What's going on? There's no way he added this," she said.

Lilly looked at it and found nothing. Wrong, it looked like a fresh piece of meat that was cut from a live animal still bleeding.

"Lilly!"

"Eep!" She jumped at his call and ran out, realising she was now late, not before wrapping it and putting it back in place.

She quickly made it out, joining the other adventures as Artemis spoke.

"I'll begin the briefing the Hermes Familia. You will lure the monsters away from the ruins. Do not fight them. Your goal is to keep them away," she said.

"Right," the familia nodded in response.

"Falgar, I'm leaving you in command of the unit. Everyone else, we wait for the enemy to disperse and we enter through the gates with my power and defeat the enemy together."

"Understood," Falgar, a Weretiger Male with brown hair and eyes, nodded.

"Together?" Asfi asked.

"Yes, I'll be coming along with you, as the doorway won't open without my touch."

"But lady Artemis," Bell said.

"And were coming too," Hestia's voice boomed from beside then she walked up with a smile and Hermes followed behind, "don't think I'll let you have all the glory."

"She is right. This will be a fun adventure!" Hermes smiled.

"Wait no! You can't!" Asfi spoke up against him.

"Hahaha, we both knew this was bound to happen," Hermes laughed, patting her head.

"This isn't fair," she huffed, unable to argue back. Those around burst into laughter at the duo.

"This battle will be far from easy and we will suffer many casualties, but we must remember it is our duty to the people of this world to stop threats like this from taking lives," Artemis said, her voice firm.

Enki stayed quiet, checking his hand. 'Everything feels right. I hope I didn't leave a piece of me back there,' he thought, zoning out of her speech. That was until.

"AAAH!" A shrieking scream pulled him out of it. A scorpion monster stabbed an adventurer in the back.

Everyone was on alert. "how did they get back our patrol?" Asfi said in shock.

The army of monster scorpions was moving closer. "Heh, does it matter? Just stick to the plan!" Falgar said, wielding his claymore, he charged and swung, killing the monster.

"We'll open a path and you guys head right in. Go ahead Asfi, your shields are needed elsewhere!" He roared the other Familia members followed, and the battle began with steel clashing against scorpions.

"Alright, let's move!" Enki said as they opened a path for them to run through.

"Let's go," Artemis said and moved further ahead. The others followed behind as they entered the ruins.

Enki looked back, checking on everyone, seeing the sad face on Hestia. He mentally frowned. She grew on him like a parental figure since he never had one, 'man I need to nail this or else I'm fucked.'

Enki turned back, looking ahead as they entered the tall ruins. An uncomfortable sense of familiarity and unease entered his stomach. It almost made him want to stop.

"Are you alright?" Ryuu said, arriving at his side, worriedly.

"Hm? Yeah I'm alright, it's just I have butterflies in my stomach is all," He smiled at her.

The elf, as if peering into his soul, patted his shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"Huff, I hope you're right," Enki said with a nervous chuckle.

...

[Inside the ruins]

"The walls are glowing," Bell said as Ryuu led them through a pathway.

"Is this an alchemy thing?" Lilly asked, turning to Enki.

"You know, just because it's alchemy doesn't mean I know about it, right?" He raised his brow at the little pallum.

"Oh yeah, I just thought-"

"Because it's alchemy I know?"

"Y-yeah," Lilly stuttered, embarrassed.

"The lights are from the seal the circle drawn around the city, something Hermes failed to mention was at one point the circle containing Antares was fading," Artemis said.

"Fading?" Enki asked, interested.

"Yes, and much like myself, spirits who once came across it realised the threat that was about to be set free, so they fought the monster and used their powers merging the preexisting alchemy with their magic," Artemis said.

"Alchemy and magic can combine? I always thought the two were separate. How can they function together?" Enki asked.

"No one said Alchemy and magic couldn't be combined to create something new. No one at all has ever thought to practise the two together.

Alchemy for healing and smithing exists. But no one back then dared to brave the inclusion of magic also because it often resulted in an ignis fatuus." Hermes added.

'I see... could I combine my water magic with my alchemy? Is that what I've been doing, transmuting the water from "Torrent" to ice? What would it even look like?'

Enki hummed in thought, deciding to put it at the back of his mind as Ryuu led them to the sealed door.

Artemis walked up and placed her hands on it, her body shun in golden light and sparks. She touched it and hummed in the light, slowly sliding open.

The moment everyone could see within, they all gasped, gazing at the interior.

"It's worse than I feared," Hermes said, tilting his head.

The inside looked horrid fleshy plant-like red walls at the top of which were what resembled alien eggs.

Everyone concluded of something was nesting in the temple, and they all turned back in shock as the door behind them got blocked by the red flesh-like vines.

The eggs opened up, and the scorpions fell with a thud, all glaring at them with killing intent.

Enki ground as the feeling in his stomach grew worse. His vision looked past the scorpions and into the tunnel.

"Man fuck this," He muttered and unleashed his aura, taking everyone by surprise.

His red aura shot forward towards the monsters they screeched and more than half collapsed and died from his sheer killing intent.

"Are gonna fight or what?" He walked forward, pulling out his glaive, and turned back to the others.

It took a moment. "Right!" Bell was first and recovered, pulling out his knife.

"We know the plan. All that's left is for us to execute," Ryuu nodded, pulling out her wooden blade.

"I'll try to help," Lilly chuckled nervously and pulled out her now.

"Well, this is becoming more interesting, don't you agree, Asfi?" Hermes looked at her.

Asfi nodded, pulling out her flasks.