Day 168 / Annika (cont.)

Another morning, another day without food. Annika awoke at the usual time, as Lila distributed the prisoner's meals. When she came by her door, Annika just took the water from the tray and pushed the rest back.

"Give it to someone else, I'm not hungry."

"You're sure?"

"N-"

Annika hesitated as she got a waft of the scent of her meal. The porridge, spiced with cinnamon and honey, smelled heavenly to someone as famished as her. Maybe it would be fine. Just one meal couldn't hurt… right?

"Come on, don't be shy! It's good!"

Lila tried to encourage her, pushing the tray back through the door, but Annika steadied herself and blocked it with her hip.

"No. No. Give it to someone else, I don't need it."

"But-"

"Besides. You'll be leaving with the evacuation soon. That means you'll have to kill me, change me, or let me go. Eating won't make a difference."

Lila's eyes went wide as she heard the mention of an execution. "We're not going to kill you…", she replied, almost in a whisper.

"Yeah, well… whatever. See ya'round, Lila."

When it came time for her daily walk, Annika very nearly refused to go. Not on any principled reasons, mind you, but with her lack of energy, she was really not looking forward to climbing all those stairs. Still, she was bored, so willing herself to move, she trudged up to the surface. Maybe she should have taken that meal…

The streets of the city were almost completely empty as they walked to the park, with only the occasional, partially packed handcart indicating signs of life. Her handler wasn't lying, it really did seem like everyone else had shipped out. The park was likewise completely empty, and the two just sat in silence.

"Hey there, Sabrina!"

Ten minutes into their excursion, a voice startled Annika. Turning around, she saw a golden-haired inari and her similarly blonde husband. Both were dressed in strange, lilac robes that looked more eastern than Natonian. The pair walked towards them, arm in arm, as they recognized her escort, who returned the greeting with a wave and closed her book as she stood to meet them.

"Hey Kyou. Hey Don. Shouldn't you two have left by now?"

Kyou nodded, but her husband shrugged like it couldn't be helped, before speaking.

"Eh, well we should've, but we still had lots of ingredients left over. 'Decided to stay one more day and whip up some goodies for anyone who's left. We'll head out first thing tomorrow."

"Don just couldn't live with letting a single bag of flour be wasted…"

The fox woman wrapped her tails around her husband as she teased him.

"Well hey, waste not, want not. What about you, Sabrina? How's things going?"

The trio exchanged pleasantries and small talk for a time, but eventually the topic of the conversation shifted to the strange woman who was with them.

"And who's this? One of The Order's soldiers?"

Sabrina nodded at Kyou's question, and Don quickly stepped forward with a hand extended.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Don."

Annika shook his hand and tried to be polite to her enemy.

"Annika."

"Well, welcome to Siegfried's Landing, I guess. … Though I assume you haven't had much chance to see the sights. They feedin' you ok down there?"

Annika half-heartedly chuckled at this, but her stomach gave all the information they needed to know. It picked the most inopportune time to let out a loud rumble. Hearing it, Kyou glanced at Sabrina, questioningly.

"That does not sound promising. What are you doing over there, Sabrina, starving your prisoners?"

Sabrina played with her hair as she half-heartedly defended herself.

"We tried to give her food, she just doesn't want to eat."

Retargeting her teasing from her husband to her friend, though with perhaps a bit too much bluntness, Kyou looked Annika.

"She probably doesn't find your cooking to her tastes. How long have you been here, dear?"

"… Five days."

Annika's response caused eyes to widen, and Kyou's incredulous expression indicated she could scarcely believe her ears.

"Fi- I'm sorry, did you say five days?!"

She immediately turned on her friend, sounding none too pleased.

"And you're just letting her starve herself, Sabrina?! This… this is unacceptable! Annika, I utterly insist you come back to our shop with us. We simply must get some proper food into you, my dear."

"I'm fine… Not hungry."

Like she had with Lila, Annika tried to wave the concern away, but Kyou was having none of it. She immediately grabbed one of her hands.

"Oh, stop it. You're wasting away to skin and bones, and I refuse to let someone starve themselves in our city! Honey, would you be a dear and run ahead to prepare the kitchen? Thank you~"

With no room for objections given, the group dispersed. Sabrina stayed behind to continue reading, after receiving a promise to return Annika once they were done, and Kyou wasted no time in, quite literally, dragging her away. Like he'd been asked, Don ran ahead to make preparations for… whatever they were planning.

"Ah, here we are. Please, come in, come in!"

As they approached a small, wooden building nestled between larger shops, Kyou held the door and beaconed to her. Inside, the bakery looked half abandoned, with empty walls and vacant floor space - an appearance her host quickly apologized for.

"I beg your forgiveness for the state of our establishment, but we've already packed most things. Hmm… Darling, what have you done with our furniture?"

"It's all in the storage!" came a shout from the kitchen. A moment later, a flour-covered Don stepped out of the kitchen to help his wife carry a table and set of chairs into the dining area. This was made slightly more difficult by random intrusions of fuzz. Whenever the pair were close, one of Kyou's manifold tails always ended up wrapped around her husband.

Once they had finished their labour, Don disappeared back into the kitchen, and Kyou offered Annika a seat. Then she took her own, leaning onto the table, and interlaced her fingers under her chin.

"Now tell me, what's wrong with the food they're serving you? Has Sabrina burnt everything? I must say, for such a learned woman, she has rarely the inclination to pick up a cook-book."

So it was Sabrina who'd been preparing their meals… Still, despite Annika's distrust of the Succubus, it didn't feel right to disparage her food.

"Oh no, the food was fine. Probably."

"Then what was it? Nerves?"

"Something like that…"

Kyou smiled and nodded in understanding.

"I know the feeling… stuck in a prison with no idea what would to happen? I might find myself too nervous to eat as well."

The inari leaned back, looking thoughtful as she pondered the situation.

"They aren't mistreating you down there, are they?"

"No, not at all."

"Well that's a relief. I was so worried about what they'd do after what happened to Lila…"

Annika froze as she heard the mention of the incident. Thankfully, Kyou didn't seem to notice, so she feigned curiosity a moment later.

"Oh?"

"One of the prisoners attacked her when she was delivering their meals… Poor girl had half the bones in her hand broken. Our priests had to tend to her for hours."

"That's horrible." Annika mumbled as she averted her eyes.

"Yes it was… She volunteered for that job, and to see how they repaid her… especially for someone so young, it was just awful. She'd only just come of age, and that was her first encounter with humans… I hope it doesn't scare her off from trying to find a husband."

Kyou sighed, sadness plainly written on her face, then forced a smile and changed the subject.

"Well, what's done is done… Enough of that grim topic, what about you, Annika? What did you do in The Order?"

That wasn't much better for conversation…

"Isn't that also a grim topic?"

Kyou let out a practiced, musical laugh.

"I just meant your position, my dear. I am well acquainted with the acts The Order's crusaders engage in."

"Ah,… I was a swordswoman."

Still feeling guilty, Annika mumbled her response. Contrary to what she expected, that elicited a cheerful shout from the kitchen.

"Aaay! Fellow sword-user!"

Over hearing their conversation, Don shouted his praise, poking his head through the doorway. Shortly thereafter, he returned with a plate of sandwiches and a pile of those same, delicious pastries Annika had given up at the start of her imprisonment.

"I used a sword and shield too, back when I was in The Order."

Having delivered his cargo, Don grabbed a sandwich of his own and sat down with them, speaking between bites. Though the food threatened to distract her, Annika was more curious about what she was learning, and asked them about their history.

"You were a soldier?"

"Mhmm. Both of us were."

Don nodded, and Kyou raised her chin, placing a hand on her chest as she boasted in jest.

"Yes, I was a glorious sorcerer of The Order, and he was one of our many meat shields.~"

"Hey, meat shield is a derogatory term, I prefer 'honourable mamono punching-bag'."

The two giggled over the joke, and even Annika found herself smiling a little.

"How'd the two of you end up here?"

"Well, I was part of a crusade to try an expand Naton, almost…"

Don stopped for a minute, perplexed.

"Geeze, I can't remember how long ago that was. It was just after the capital was founded, though. Somewhere around there. Kyou came with the force of soldiers one of the eastern daimyos sent to help, and we charged into the demon realm."

He took a bite of his sandwich, then continued once he'd swallowed.

"That crusade turned out to be a disaster. Eri showed up, overpowered our hero, and pushed The Order almost all the way back to the capital's walls. Both of us got separated from our respective units in the chaos, and by the time we met, the rest of the army was too far gone to chase. Instead, we waged a two-person war, hiding in the forests and attacking isolated monsters wherever we saw an opportunity."

"And how'd that go?"

The pair winced when she asked that. This time, it was Kyou's turn to answer.

"As you may have guessed, not very well. We had success at the start, but time was not kind to us. As the months passed, more monsters sought us out, and it was inevitable that we were eventually captured. They brought us before Eri, who gave us a choice: Either she'd teleport us back to The Order in exchange for a promise to never raise arms against monsters again, or we could be granted a place within in her city."

"… And you chose to live with the monsters."

Kyou nodded without hesitation.

"Yes. With a wave of her hand, she molded my body into an inari's, and changed Don into an incubus. We may not have been partners originally, but from there on, love was quick to blossom."

Despite Kyou's seeming satisfaction with their situation, Don still raised a hand to clarify.

"The story makes it sound like we just gave up, but months of fighting like that would wear anyone down. Sleeping in the mud without a roof over our heads, rarely getting enough to eat, never having any support or guaranteed safety... It was just exhausting. We'd had enough of war."

Annika could believe that… she'd been getting a bit of that feeling herself.

"… And was it worth it?"

The two looked at each other, smiled, then nodded enthusiastically.

"It was easily the best decision we've ever made. Our lives here have been wonderful, even beyond our… enthusiastic bedroom activities."

"And the other mamono accepted you? Just like that?"

"There was some bad blood at the start, we'd killed their wives and husbands after all… But over time, they came to forgive us. We're no longer the murderers we were back then."

Hearing that, Annika glanced away.

"I see…"

There was a brief, awkward pause, as Annika mulled over what they said. Was that how they saw all of The Order? As murderers, not soldiers? She couldn't say she blamed them… Thankfully, Kyou broke the silence before it became too unbearable.

"Ah, look at us, taking up all your time with conversation. You must be starving! Please, help yourself."

She gestured to the platters of sandwiches and pastries laid out on the table, before grabbing one of her own to eat. During their conversation, their smells had been wafting through the room, steadily eroding Annika's willpower as her hunger returned to her. She could refuse and stick to her principles, turning them down… but everything smelled so good, and she was terribly, terribly hungry. Maybe just one would be fine? This wasn't the prison, so she didn't have to worry about them poisoning her… That logic wasn't perfectly sound, but it provided just enough justification for Annika to push aside her inhibitions and take a bite.

"You like them?"

Annika's frantic eating gave all the information needed. The sandwiches, while made of some excellent bread, were merely 'good', but the tarts and strudel were easily amongst the best Annika had ever tasted. She wolfed them down as quickly as she could, but neither of her hosts seemed to mind her lack of reply or manners. Instead, they just smiled, happy to see her enjoying their work.

"Well, I'm sure we can sneak a bag of them into the prison with you. It's not like there's many others around to partake."

When Annika had stuffed herself to her heart's content and they'd finished making some meaningless small talk, the couple, true to their word, packed as many pastries as they could into a bag for her, and walked her back to the park. When they arrived, though, Sabrina was nowhere to be found.

"I suppose she has already returned to her duties… we did tarry longer than expected. What should we do, darling?"

Don just scratched his head.

"I guess we should just take her back to the cathedral?"

Annika looked around the empty park, then at the couple escorting her. … If most of the mamono were gone, she might be able to escape. She'd just need to deal with her guards, but since they weren't succubi, she could probably… no. She wasn't going to do that. Not to a couple that had treated their enemy with nothing but kindness and concern. Shocking everyone with her words, Annika set their course when she spoke up.

"… That's probably best."

"Hey! Anyone home?"

After several minutes of banging on the doors produced no answer, Don pushed one open and lead them in. The foyer they found themselves in was empty, and after going through another set of doors to a large meeting hall, they still had yet to spot anyone. Aside from the hum of distant machinery, the interior of the black-purple cathedral was strangely quiet and unresponsive. Kyou was the first to comment on their situation.

"How odd. Eri rarely leaves guests waiting."

That remark seemed to summon the object of their search, however, and a minute later, a very flustered, but surprisingly skinny, mamono came running out from one of the siderooms.

"I'm so sorry! I heard you knock, but I was in the middle of an experiment."

As she chatted with Don and Kyou, Annika took the time to look her over. White hair, a white tail, wings, horns… different colourings aside, she looked like a slightly altered succubus, but something was off about her. For one, her beauty was absolutely radiant. Despite wearing a tool belt, apron, and having goggles pushed up on her forehead, the unflattering workshop clothes did nothing to mar her appearance, nor did the smudges of dirt or grease across her cheek. Additionally, Annika somehow felt an aura of enormous power coming from her. Whatever he was, she was no ordinary monster…

"Annika, this is Eri Rouse. She's the Lilim in charge of the town."

A Lilim! Annika froze when she was introduced. She'd heard the stories from The Order, labeling them as powerful, ruthless monsters. As daughters of the demon lord, they sought to change every man and woman they came across, never ceasing until their dream of a world full of monsters was complete. If one was standing in front of her now…

"Pleasure! … Wait a minute, I recognize you."

Eri's cheerful smile disappeared as she looked over Annika, intently studying her, before glancing to the others.

"Kyou, she didn't give you a hard time, did she?"

The inari shook her head, baffled.

"Not at all."

"Really? No violence, no insults, or escape attempts?"

"No, should there have been? She was well mannered and pleasant enough to converse with."

"… Huh."

Eri crossed her arms and brought a hand to her cheek, looking genuinely perplexed.

"Well that's good to hear. Thank you for bringing her back, Kyou. You too, Don. I'll take care of her now, you can get back to your packing."

The two nodded, then left, arm in arm. Eri waited for them to disappear into the foyer before reopening the door to her workshop. Disappearing into it for a moment, she reemerged after shoeing several gremlins and succubi out.

"I've been wanting to talk with you, Annika. Please come in."

The foreboding comment that she'd be 'taken care of' set Annika's heart racing. Should she run? Fight? No, if she did, she'd just piss Eri off, and that was the last thing she wanted. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Annika followed the woman with shaky steps.

The interior of the workshop seemed oddly small, especially for the number of monsters who'd previously been in it. Here, there were only a handful of work benches pressed against the walls and a small table covered by various bits and pieces of armour lying in its center. From the complexity of some of the instruments, Annika wondered why she'd limited her workspace to the size of a small bedroom, but was distracted by the sound of a spell as Eri cleared the table telekinetically. Taking a seat on the opposite side, she gestured to an empty stool, before resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands.

"Please. Have a seat… You gave a pair of my succubi a hard time when they caught you."

Sitting across from her, Annika unsuccessfully tried to hide her nervousness, and replied in as steady of a voice as she could muster.

"Yes."

"You nearly clawed Lila's arm off when she tried to give you breakfast."

"And broke her fingers."

Eri nodded.

"That too. It's almost impressive, what you did. Most soldiers of The Order don't have your fighting spirit, especially after being captured. … And you've resisted the temptation to eat as well…"

The conversation lapsed as the Lilim sat there, seemingly deep in thought as she stared at Annika. Part of her knew that staying quiet was likely the best option, but the suspense was killing her. Eventually, Annika spoke up.

"… Why did you want to talk to me, Eri?"

Smiling, the monster leaned forward.

"Because you've changed. You've softened up a little. Lila said you've been more willing to talk lately, as has Sabrina. Then, when you were left alone with Kyou and her husband, you didn't attack them or try to escape, despite having the opportunity. That means I've still got hope for you."

Another one of those foreboding statements…

"… What do ya mean, 'hope'?"

Eri just smiled.

"I'm hoping you'll join us."

Before Annika could protest, she raised a hand and spoke again.

"Let me tell you a story, Annika. Long, long ago, even before Naton was founded, this city was run by The Order. Back then, I was 'only' an arch-mage, and I lead the city's artificer guild. Under my care, the organization flourished, becoming the most powerful in the city. Forms were filled, routines were kept, and it was all so. Fucking. Stifling."

Eri let out an exasperated sigh, recalling the memory.

"Fill out these papers, petition the lord-mayor for grants, host events for visiting nobles, betray fellow mages in games of politics for the favour of the ruling class… Tell me, how do you manage to do any proper research when you're constantly being pulled away to make appearances for stupid, idiot nobles who are above you purely by virtue of being born into the right family? What do they even do, anyways? Nothing! They just sit there, dressed up like peacocks, expecting you to worship the ground they walk on!"

Her voice rose in anger as she ranted, but after taking a few deep breaths, she regained her composure.

"… Sorry. You're a soldier, you probably aren't exposed to much of that world, but… do you enjoy being ordered to get up at ungodly hours in the morning, then marched through the mud and the rain, just to fight someone else's battle? Or being forced to give a certain amount of your money to the nobles every month under threat of imprisonment? Or being told what you can and can't do with your own body? The rules just get into everything."

Annika stayed quiet, despite being questioned. She wanted to protest and say there was more to The Order than her caricature of a land governed by suffocating rules and regulations, but she didn't know how to phrase it without coming off as an adversary. The answer was doubly difficult because she could see some logic in the points Eri had made… Her silence didn't seem to bother the monster, though, who's unfocused gaze had drifted off to nowhere in particular.

"It's fine, you don't have to answer,… but all those rules and expectations just crushed the enjoyment out of life. The rare times I did get to work with an equal on a grand project, I was insufferable from all the irritation. I couldn't even enjoy my own research anymore, and just dragged everyone down with me… I sacrificed others… I was selfish and abrasive…"

"And being turned into a Lilim made thing better?"

Eri nodded.

"Well, yes. Without The Order's higher-ups bossing us around, we were finally free to do what we wanted, which for me, was to focus on my research. That alone was a massive improvement, but I've felt like it also helped me to become a better person. …I don't know how to describe it, but I cringe at how I used to act. Looking back, I see how my ego and actions hurt the people around me… I just wish I'd have known this when I was working with Aleksy… If I'd apologized and made things right, then maybe we'd have-"

She shook her head and snapped back to the present.

"It doesn't matter. He's dead now, just like everyone your crusade has trampled… and I'm getting off track. I just wanted to explain to you, Annika, what I'm trying to do. The Order has problems. Big ones. And I'm trying to build a better world than theirs. I wish for a world where we do things out of love for our neighbours, not because someone cracks a whip. A world where we have the freedom to do what we want, when we want, without the need to beg for permission."

Annika listened patiently as Eri spoke. She couldn't quite believe what she was saying, but it sounded like she was honestly trying to build a utopia.

"It almost seems noble, when you put it that way."

Eri shrugged and sighed.

"Yeah, well… there's some parts of it that are a lot less noble than what I say, but it's all in service of the greater good. I don't expect you to agree with everything we do, but I'm hoping you'll at least come to see us as the lesser evil."

Then she leaned forward again, smiling.

"This is where I offer you the same deal I offered Don and Kyou, all those years ago. Annika, I'd like for you to join us. I can offer you a place in our society, and you specifically, I can even offer power. You're strong and willful. You faced down two succubi and kept fighting even after you were captured. I could use that fighting spirit to turn you into something more than you are. A dragon, perhaps. Here, you could have everything you ever wanted."

… She wouldn't have Garret… And that was something irreplaceable. Annika didn't speak for a moment, but when she did, it was in a cautious voice, with careful, measured words.

"… What if I say 'no'?"

Eri's expression dropped, disappointed, and she shrugged.

"Then I let you go. You promise me you'll retire from the army and live a quiet life, never again to wage war against us, and I let you walk. Either you'll make it back to The Order, or they'll find you. They're only a day or two away by now, at most."

Annika could scarcely believe what she was hearing.

"… Really? You'll let me go, just like that?"

"We mamono are empathetic by nature, Annika, the last thing I want is to do you harm. I'd love it if you stayed, but if you're willing to never harm another monster, that's good enough for me."

"How do you know I wouldn't just lie?"

"Well then that's your sin, not mine. If I didn't give you a chance to be better, I'd be just as bad as The Order. You doing something evil later doesn't make mercy wrong now."

Annika's eyes widened as the same logic she'd once argued with Garret was spoken to her. It didn't even contain an argument directed against her, but somehow, that single sentence shook her. Maybe because it was one more similarity she saw between her and the monsters…

"… Do I have to answer now?"

"No, of course not. Please, take the night to think about it. Tomorrow I'll ask everyone, and you can make your decision then."

"Alright."

That night, Annika couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning, and when she did occasionally drift off, she was haunted by strange dreams. Some were exciting. Exhilarating, even. In them, she flew through the sky on dragon's wings, swooping over mountains and braving stormfronts. Others were terrifying nightmares where she was hunted by The Order, desperately fleeing as she tried in vain to hide her claws and tail. What would life be like if she accepted Eri's offer?

This particular thought was the main source of her restlessness. Don and Kyou… those two had been Order soldiers before, and they loved their new lives… She'd seen the children playing in the park… they seemed just like ordinary, human children… Sabrina and Eri… she'd always been told a monster's life was nothing more than a perpetual hunt for sex, but they'd managed to not only find hobbies, but continue improving themselves in a manner she would consider wholesome. All of this flew in the face of what she'd been taught by the church.

… But then there were her memories of what the Matango did to their soldiers. Of the dark elves and their victims. Of the horrors inflicted upon her late friend, Catherine. How was she supposed to side with that? Was she just supposed to let them run wild? Then again, the mamono she'd met here were different. They were kind and friendly, and none of them tried to rape her into submission. Could she stay with them and just ignore the existence of the feral mamono, much like she ignored The Order slaughtering children and peaceful farmers?

In the dark, she raised a hand to her face, turning around as she inspected it. What about Garret? Would he still love her if she replaced these hands with claws? If she grew wings and a tail? If her she shed her skin for scales? He hadn't seen the things she had… but then again, he'd been having so many nightmares, he'd probably seen a lot worse on his own… He was definitely still struggling to deal with those memories, and they needed to support each other. Would he follow her if she defected? Maybe… but she couldn't be sure.

Annika sighed. Her thoughts kept running 'round in circles as she wrestled with herself. Just how the hell was she supposed to answer this?

Day 169

Annika was roused early the next morning by the sound of Lila skipping down the hallway. The lesser succubus was in a far happier mood than usual, having excited, extended chats with everyone she came across. When she eventually made her way to Annika's door, she greeted her cheerfully, before sliding the meal tray through the slot like usual.

"Morning, Annika!~"

"… Mornin', Lila… You're in a good mood."

"Mhmm! He said yes!"

"… What?"

As she asked her question, Annika glanced down at the usual morning meal of porridge, and for the first time in her visit, gave in and took a bite. If The Order was right around the corner, there was no harm in eating a bit… right?

"And you're eating! Aaaahh, today is such a good day!"

The young woman was practically vibrating with excitement as she squealed. Seeing someone so happy brought a slight smile to Annika's lips as she ate a few spoonfuls of her delicious breakfast.

"So what happened?"

"James said he'd stay with me!"

That must have been a soldier imprisoned here… Another man turned away from their cause… After wrestling with her own decision, though, Annika couldn't judge. There were worse fates than spending your life with a beautiful succubus, especially one as kind and nurturing as her. Feeling as she did now, she couldn't condemn him as easily as she would have months ago.

"Doesn't he have a partner?"

"Yes, but he said she was only a good friend. They'd planned on going their separate ways once their crusade was over."

That sounded suspiciously convenient, but it was plausible enough. Annika chose to not press the topic too closely. It seemed cruel to put a damper on the girl's spirits like that.

"Well then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks! I'm happy for me too!"

Lila giggled, then leaned closer to the cell window.

"What about you, Annika? Are you going to come with us?"

That question caused Annika to stare glumly at her food.

"… I don't know…"

From then on, batches of soldiers were gradually released from their cells and brought up to the surface, no doubt to meet with Eri. Through this, Annika was left waiting as she turned out to be the in the last group. When her time finally came, several hours later, she too was herded down the hallways with a dozen other soldiers and marched up to the cathedral. Inside, they found Eri sitting at the head of a large meeting table, still dressed in her work clothes.

"Good morning, or I guess, afternoon everyone. Please have a seat. The fated hour is upon us, and it's time to make your-"

She coughed, then reached for the pitcher of water, her voice hoarse from the numerous times she'd given this speech already.

"It's time to make your choice."

She spent the next few minutes reiterating the points she'd made to Annika before – that she offered a place in a society based on freedom, love and community, and the various things that entailed. A few soldiers asked questions after this, which she was more than happy to answer. To her credit, she took all the time needed to explain, even if the inquiry had not been asked in good faith, and didn't try to rush them. Once everyone's curiosity had been sated, she ordered the succubi who'd escorted them to leave the room, and then began to call her prisoners by name.

"James. If you have no further questions, you're free to go. There's a set of doors behind me that'll take you to the lobby, and then outside. If you wish to stay, turn right, and wait in one of the lobby's side rooms. If not, then just keep on walking."

The man nodded, then stood up and left. Eri waited until she heard both sets of doors slam shut, indicating the man had made his choice, before calling the next woman.

"Ina. If you have no further questions, you're free to go…"

As she recited her lines, Annika couldn't help but appreciate the method with which she let them decide. Being hidden by the first set of doors, they were shielded from the judgment of their peers, letting them decide solely based on what they wanted. It was a nice way of defusing that tension, but Annika was still wrestling with herself. Peer pressure had no bearing on her internal struggle.

"Luke… Ellen… Karl… Karen…"

One by one, Eri called the soldiers until only Annika remained. Then she took another gulp of water and dropped the formal procedure, reaching out in a much friendlier tone.

"Well? This is it, Annika. Time to choose your destiny."

Annika looked at Eri, then to the doors, then to her own hand, which clenched into a fist. Garret. Every argument she'd made with herself came to a stalemate; he was the only thing that broke that. He'd might be fine with her becoming a monster, but if there was a chance that she'd lose him… all other things being equal… she didn't want to take that risk.

"I'm sorry, Eri, but my partner is waiting for me. I have to go."

Eri looked shocked, then saddened by her decision, but let her stand up and walk towards the doors. Just as she reached for them, Annika heard her call out one last time.

"Annika? Are you sure there's nothing that can convince you to stay?"

"No, Eri… I'm sorry."

The Lilim took a deep breath, and sighed.

"… I understand. Then we'll do this the hard way."

Before Annika could open the door, Eri raised her voice and threw her hand forward. Suddenly, Annika found herself caught in an invisible grip that ripped her into the air and back towards the lilim. The betrayal caught her off guard, but when she recovered, Annika's temper was quick to flare.

"You bitch! You lied!"

"I'm sorry, Annika, I really am, but I can't let you leave! If I want to protect my people, I need powerful monsters. With your Order at our walls, this is the only way!"

With what little power she had, Annika spat at the woman, fuming.

"I hope the rest of those soldiers betray their oaths and kick your ass! Fuck you! I trusted you!"

Eri just shook her head, a note of sadness creeping into her voice.

"That won't happen… You're the only one I lied to, Annika, and I'm sorry for that… but while I kept my word and let them go, I didn't say anything about the succubi waiting outside."

A cry of pleasure from a particularly loud couple punctuated her statement.

"My daughters need husbands too."

Annika's heart dropped as she heard more and more voices join the carnal chorus just beyond the cathedral's doors.

"You bitch… you're just as bad as you say The Order is."

That set Eri off, and she snapped back with her own angry, tirade.

"No, I'm nothing like The Order! I fight for freedom, love, and liberty! The Order fights to keep everyone under its thumb and kills anyone who disagrees! We couldn't be further apart than heaven and hell!"

She paused and took a deep breath.

"I'd be more than happy to live in peace, but their attacks never stop. If you want to blame anyone for this betrayal, blame them. There'd be no war if they ceased their crusades, but if we stopped converting humans, there'd be no monsters. They'd just kill us all."

Then she spun on her heel, striding into her workshop, and pulling Annika along with invisible strings of magic.

"Besides, you won't complain once you understand the joy of being one of us. There's no more rules, restrictions, or social shame. Just pure, uninhibited bliss."

Suddenly, Eri's eyes lit up with excitement and she stepped closer to Annika, clenching her hands to her chest.

"For example, I've finally been allowed to study things outside my guild's disciplines! I don't need to limit myself to one school of magic for political reasons anymore! Do you wanna see my illusions? I've gotten really good at them!"

She snapped her fingers, and the walls of the tiny workshop flickered out of existence, revealing a much larger room full of pipes and magical machinery. Around the expanded workshop, a dozen gremlins scurried about, dismantling, and packing up sensitive devices as quickly as they could. When they spotted Eri, they immediately stopped their labours and stood upright, giving a collection of hurried salutes.

"Is the system ready?"

"Yes Ma'am!" came their replies.

"Good. Then it's time to get started."

With giggles of glee, the gremlins pulled their goggles down over their eyes, and began to work the numerous control panels scattered around the room. As they did this, Eri floated Annika towards a large, ceiling mounted crystal, and under its focusing device. It was there that she spotted something horrifying, which renewed her attempts to wriggle free of the spell.

Strapped to beds scattered around the room, were ten or so men, locked in some sort of perverse trance. Pink lights shone onto their eyes from strange devices positioned above their heads, and they endlessly thrust into milking tubes that were fastened around their manhoods. Another set of processing machines connected to these, and through them, the semen they were constantly receiving was transformed into some sort of ethereal substance that swirled up and gathered into the dark crystal above Annika.

"Concentrated spiritual energy corrupted by my own power! Aaaah this is exciting. It's the first and only time I'll get to test this device! You there! Set the output to maximum, I don't care if the circuitry melts!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

Deranged laughter came from a gremlin, who took great joy in slamming a floor lever into the 'on' position, and the machines around them began to hum at a deafening volume. Sparks flew and electrical arcs crackled from the crystal above Annika, and Eri pulled her own goggles down over her eyes. Seconds later, a swirl of dark energy coalesced, focused into a beam, then shot into Annika.

The sudden blast flooded her nerves with pleasure, just below the level that would have knocked her out. Helpless, Annika writhed in the air as she came again and again from the onslaught. Minutes stretched into an eternity as the torrent of energy coursed through her body, sinking into her muscles, bones and skin. When the device finally shut down, she could barely form a coherent thought, yet it seemed the worst was not yet over. An odd feeling overtook her body as Annika suddenly felt strangely… bloated. The tightness was most uncomfortable in her chest and rear, and she cried out as her breasts and hips began to swell.

"Stop!"

The word wasn't a command, it was a spell. As Eri cast it, her magic rushed over Annika like a bucket of ice water. Suddenly, she found her body locked in its current state. The bloating was still there, as was the horrible, wonderful pleasure, but there was no swelling to relieve her feelings, no changes to expend the excess energy. Unable to complete her transformation, Annika's mind was bombarded with nonstop waves of pleasure and discomfort, but the spell wouldn't let her lose consciousness either. Instead, she was left to twist and squirm, letting out uncontrollable cries and gasps as she was tormented.

"Phase one looks like a great success. Excellent job, girls. Tear down everything and take the men you want. I'll be in the alchemist's lab if anyone needs me."

When Annika managed to scrape together enough focus to pay attention to her surroundings, she found herself naked, and sitting in a large, stone tub, presumably deep underground. The walls and ceiling around her certainly looked like her cell, albeit with innumerable flasks of reagents dotting the shelves, and barrels of chemicals lining the walls. She tried to sit up, but Eri's spells held her down as the lilim dumped flask after flask of strange, glowing liquids onto her.

"I probably could change you outright with my magics, but where's the fun in that? There's nothing to be learned from it! Trying to replicate my magics through technology and alchemy, though… that's much more interesting, don't you agree?"

Eri grabbed another vial as she spoke, and slowly dribbled it across Annika's body, paying special attention to her breasts, hands, and feet. When finished, she cast a warding spell to protect herself, then undressed and climbed into the tub with her. There, she began to work her hands, massaging the sticky liquids into Annika's skin. Already overwhelmed by the roiling storm of sensations within her, Annika could only squirm at her unnaturally pleasurable touch.

Once the last droplet had disappeared, Eri pulled pair of barrels through the air with her telekinesis, uncorked them, and began to flood the tub with the green fluid they contained. As the cold liquid splashed at Annika's sides, Eri repositioned, moving Annika's head to her lap, and propping her up to prevent drowning. Once the tub had been filled and Annika lay, half floating in the soup, Eri smiled down at her and gently brushed a hair off her face.

"Don't be afraid, my daughter. I'm going to turn you into something beautiful."

Then she released the spell preserving Annika's human form.

"aaaAAAAAAAAA!"

A mind-shattering wave of relief and pleasure shot through Annika's body, and she arched her back, screaming as she was brought to orgasm countless times. The pressure she'd been feeling faded as her breasts and hips swelled outwards, and any superficial flaws gradually corrected themselves. This was only the beginning, though. A few minutes later, the true changes started.

Still held in place by Eri's spell, Annika could only squirm as her limbs began to itch, bloating and swelling as well. Gradually, the skin peeled away, revealing scales as her hands and feet grew into claws. Along her arms and back, a split appeared, from which, her own set of wings unfurled. At the base of her spine, something pressed against the stone, lifting her up as her tailbone elongated into an actual tail of her own. Finally, she felt a pair of lumps throb and pulse under her hair where horns began to take shape.

As the changes progressed, Annika gradually recovered from the sensations that overwhelmed her. Slowly she regained control of her faculties, but though Eri released the spell that bound her, Annika was going nowhere. The rapid growth of wings and claws sapped at her strength, and as her energy was consumed by the continuing changes, she found she could barely keep her eyes open, much less escape.

"It's ok, Annika, you can rest now. You have a long road ahead of you..."

Hearing Eri's words, she shifted into a more comfortable position on the lilim's lap, and a moment later, surrendered to her fatigue. The dreams that came to her this time were much calmer than usual.

Author's Notes: I know last chapter was pretty unsatisfying with where it left off, but I couldn't think of a better place to break it. Like I said, this and the previous chapters were originally going to be one, mega-chapter, but I just couldn't bring myself to edit 30+ pages in one sitting. Hopefully this won't happen again.

Alright, so! The monsters here are nice and friendly and reasonable, and everything seems hunky-dory at least until the other shoe drops (sorry, Lordgoth). I'm really happy Whimsy made that cult comparison, because the 'love-bombing' that is so typical of cult initiations is what I modeled Eri's treatment of prisoners off of. There should be more than enough evidence here to show that she knew what she was doing and had a plan, what with the prisoners getting one-on-one time with an unusually tempered monster, getting to see the good parts of their society, the way she let them make their decision, etc.

Pushing the deception/manipulation aside, though, I was hoping this chapter would make the war's morality even more grey, because not everything Annika saw was a lie. Don, Kyou, and Lila are written to be good people who happen to be monsters, but are more than willing to extend a hand to help their enemy. Likewise, Eri betraying Annika and deceiving the other prisoners is 100% bad, but she is honestly trying to build a better society and views this as a necessary evil. I was really shooting for a 'two sides of the same coin' dynamic between The Order and the (civilized) monsters, which is why you see both Garret and Eri making their 'ends justify the means' arguments, and why Eri uses the same logic that Rick (in chapter 16) and Annika (chapter 8) used to justify herself. Hopefully I managed it. On to the next topic.

Man, despite these two chapters running over 12k words, the first drafts had even more bloat that I cut out. There was originally an even bigger side-story about Don and Kyou's time in The Order, which I trimmed way down just because it wasn't necessary (though their situation of being a mirror image of Garret and Annika remains). Eri and Aleksy's working relationship had also ballooned into a minor romance plot about her crushing on him hard, but being so irritated by The Order's rules/expectations that her anger/abrasion drove them apart. That's why she's a little wistful here, thinking about him, but his only reference to her was 'That bitch from Siegfried's Landing' in chapter 18. I'm kind of sad that I had to cut these, because I liked them, but they served no greater purpose, and the story is better for it. As the writer's advice goes: 'Kill your children.'

Uh, one final thing. Annika is a dragon now (specifically, a wyvern). Why a dragon/wyvern? Well, flash back to chapter 14, and observe Annika's domineering tendency and desire to be on top during sex. This was explicitly taken from the wyvern encyclopedia entry, and I put it there to make the type of monster Annika would inevitably turn into make sense. See, Mom!? It's not smut! The sex scenes are vital to the plot! THEIR INCLUSION IS NECESSARY, DAMN IT! … Or at least that's what I tell myself.

Alright, that's enough of that. Time to get back to writing and begin working Annika towards her foretold reunion with Garret.

Until next time, Sayonara!