Tooth and Claw, Part 29
"Thank you," you tell Lekariel, in response to the information he's given you. "When you go back, I'd focus on just keeping your head down. You don't want to get wrapped up in any of this. It's nothing like what those hotheads think it is."
The other incubus nods. "You don't have to tell me twice."
With that matter settled, you rejoin the general orgy, wandering over toward Verika, Relis and their mother. You insert yourself among the three of them, giving the older of the three elves her first taste of your cock. Her eyes go wide and roll back in her head as you wordlessly grab her hips and start to fuck her, with her two daughters offering very passionate assistance.
It isn't long before all the elves involved have accepted their own boon from you, and the resulting debauchery lasts long into the night. But eventually the need for sleep and rest takes its toll on even their supernaturally-charged libidos. Likewise, the children watching from the shrine had long since fallen asleep themselves, many of them leaning against each other.
When the new dawn finally breaks, the elves find themselves waking groggily, their naked bodies intertwined with their fellow elves. Often with elves that they had never had even a hint of such a relationship with, before last night. You can see a bit of residual embarrassment and uncertainty... but it's swallowed up in the simple pleasures of feeling their warmth against each other as they lie there, recuperating. Even in the light of morning—with far clearer heads—that sinful allure is still enough to keep them together, in tender piles of leisurely cuddling and fondling.
You sit there in the center of it all, discussing what will happen next with their village leaders, in full view of the rest of their close-knit community. You describe Lily's plight in broad strokes. Obviously you can't speak of your plans to attack Melca herself, but you play up her desire to avoid bloodshed with impassioned words, crafted specifically to tug at the heartstrings of these peace-loving elves.
"If food is such an issue for Kovora, then we can certainly provide some aid!" says the priestess earnestly. "We have a bountiful enough surplus here that we can send some with you. It will take a few days to prepare, but we can send it after you before too long."
"That would be greatly appreciated," you say, giving them your most touching look of heartfelt gratitude. "I cannot even begin to tell you how much of an aid this will be to my mistress' efforts to lead her people in a new direction."
Of course, there are many more mundane details to work out. But you're confident that these elves are now in the palm of your hand, their alliance now secured. You spend much of the day working through those more tedious specifics, until you're confident that you've done all you can.
Which means that the time has come for more than a few goodbyes.
The elder and Lekariel have theirs first, as you prepare to undo the summoning. "Thank you for giving us this chance," Lekariel tells you again, before turning to his elf. "I'll see you when the time comes, Tasai."
The elder responds with a warm, content smile. "When the time comes. And it won't be nearly so long a wait, this time."
With that, you release your hold on Lekariel. The incubus immediately starts to fade from view, as you release him back to the Second Circle.
A while later, Fallhazel is the next one to say her goodbyes. "I will also depart soon," she informs you curtly. "As I told you before, I cannot accompany you to where you are returning."
You affect regret at this, doing your best to convince any watching deities that this wasn't your idea, that this is a snag in your own plans. "Are you sure there's no way you can come back with us? I was really hoping to present you at Kovora. Actually seeing proof that I did conquer you would go a long way toward keeping morale up."
"You did not conquer me!" the forest guardian insists once again. Though she still can't quite meet your gaze when she says it. Then she coughs slightly. "Be that as it may. I cannot leave my Forest unguarded for too long. I will help support your aims. But I must do so from here."
After a show of hesitation, you sigh. "Then... I suppose that will have to suffice," you say, letting just the perfect hint of suppressed regret enter your voice. "Thank you, Fallhazel. I'll see you again soon."
Then you turn to the orc girl who has accompanied you through this entire journey, kneeling down in front of her. "I... think you should stay here as well, Juri. It will be much safer for you here than in Kovora. And Fallhazel can work with you to help you understand your powers. To help you grow in what they can do."
Juri's eyes widen in surprise, before looking over at Fallhazel. The fallen goddess looks down impassively at her last remaining cleric, studying her. Then the druid's expression softens, just slightly. "I... believe that we may learn much from each other, child," she says. "I can teach you the way of the Forest, the power of the green places. I can teach you to listen to the rhythm of Life, and in doing so, how to hear all the ways in which its flow can be sculpted. I can show you the beauty of Creation, child. A beauty raw and untouched, like nothing you have ever known."
Something in what Fallhazel says touches something deep in Juri's soul, and she draws in a quick breath, before finally nodding. It's not a decision made without regret, however. She turns back to you, and you can see that there are tears in her eyes. She opens her mouth, searching for words she doesn't have, before finally flinging herself forward and hugging you with surprising strength.
You wrap your arms around the child as well, a little hesitantly. You still aren't quite used to being embraced in this manner, an embrace of such innocent affection, without any sin or lust involved. Still, strange as it feels, you return it the best you can. Juri gives Verika that same earnest hug, before moving to stand at Fallhazel's side.
Fallhazel and Juri do accompany you and Verika a little farther, however. And when the four of you emerge from the hidden elf village, you find that a large group of dryads are assembled outside the barrier, waiting. You can see most of the tree spirits that you encountered before, standing in opposition to the logging camp. Though it seems that they've also brought a great many more of their friends. The loggers are here as well—as are Lady Edith and her retinue—all of them now completely naked. They also look quite a bit happier than when you saw them last, having had the chance to fully adjust to their erotic new life after being conquered and taken in by the dryads.
Certainly preferable to Lord Edrach, at least.
Looking out across the crowd, you approach to the dryad who had been captured by the loggers, the one you helped to turn the tables on them. "Rhysadaria!" you say. "Well met, once again. Where is Elysandria?" The leader is the only dryad who appears to be missing from the crowd.
A guilty look flashes across Rhysadaria's face. "She... ran from us," says the hot-headed dryad dejectedly. "She was already getting suspicious by the time you left. And she was not happy when she realized what was really going on. We did, ah... try to convince her. To show her how good it really is. And we almost had her! But... then that stupid human leader jumped me from out of nowhere, and helped her get away."
Ragath. He does seem to be quite the resourceful fellow, despite his humble origins. If nothing else, he clearly isn't afraid to take decisive action, even at great risk. He and Elysandria were the main two players in that situation who you didn't get around to corrupting yourself... and you aren't surprised that they've managed to go on the run.
Even as you consider this, Rhysadaria continues to speak. "We don't know where they are now. Elysandria is the best of all of us at woodcraft and weaving the power of the forest, and it didn't take long for her to lose us. But when we saw them last... they were fleeing in the same direction that Lady Alicia left in."
You reassure the crestfallen dryad that Elysandria will understand eventually. Once you've finished talking to her, you offer your boon to all the new arrivals who haven't had the chance to accept it yet. With Fallhazel supporting you, the Heart of the Forest corrupted, the hidden elf village fallen, and so many of the forest's inhabitants yours... you estimate that your grip on this area is now close to absolute.
And given its strategic position between the two nations, that could prove significant indeed.
Eventually, with nothing more to do, you say your final goodbyes. Juri is outright crying now, sniffling sadly as she bids you farewell, and asking you to say goodbye to her majesty for her. Fallhazel, by contrast is reserved... but even in her taciturn face you can detect a brief hint of regret at your departure.
"Until we meet again!" you say. "Which will most likely be soon. Stay safe, both of you."
With that, you and Verika turn and walk off toward the south. "Shouldn't we have taken our horse from the stables?" the drow asks as you go, puzzled. "This will take a lot longer if we go on foot."
You flash her a grin. "No, the elves can bring our horse back when they follow with the food," you say, in a tone of voice that suggests a secret you're about to reveal. "But for our trip... there's something I want to try out."
Then, focusing your thoughts, you shift your form. Not to another humanoid, as you've done every time before now. No, using Fallhazel as your inspiration, you transform into a horse like she once did, complete with a saddle of its own. Granted, your horse isn't quite as peerless an example of the species as the ancient druid's was... but it's still far beyond most average horses. Not bad at all for a first attempt.
Verika's eyebrows go up. "This is new. Is this what you got from the latest rune?"
"Among other things," you say. Or at least, you try to say it. Even with the ability to shift your throat any way you want, getting the horse's body to speak intelligibly is a surprisingly tricky feat. Still, you think you communicate the gist. Verika swings herself gracefully onto your back, and the two of you set off for Kovora as fast as you can gallop.
That proves to be surprisingly fast... but the real difference is in just how long you can keep it up. The horse form is better for long distances in general, of course, but there's more to it than that. Ever since the most recent rune activated, you've felt as though your stamina has increased dramatically. And a long-distance journey like this is exactly the sort of situation where a change like that can shine.
You don't let up. You gallop for all you're worth, trying to push yourself to your very limits, in an attempt to test where those limits are now. The results are... impressive. Verika clings to your back as you thunder back toward Kovora, riding on and on without pausing or resting.
Eventually you do stop for Verika's sake, not wanting to leave her sore from being stuck in the saddle for too long. But even when you do stop, you feel you could have gone for much longer. The wells of endurance inside you are, if not bottomless, clearly far deeper than they ever were before.
As a result, the trip back to Kovora is much quicker than the trip to the Great Forest. In less than a week, you catch sight of Melca's Wall in the distance. And not long after that, you're riding up to the gates of the fortress itself.
The now-familiar sights, sounds and smells all wrap themselves around you in what almost feels like a wordless greeting, as you shift back into your demon form and walk through the courtyard. There are also a few new sights that you note with approval. Upon entering the barracks, you see that Ghazar's orcish commandos have returned. And that, in addition to their usual supply of harpy and drow pussy, they have quite a few abducted workers and guards from Greta's caravan scattered here and there, eagerly serving the sexual needs of their captors.
Marta, Greta's mother, is even now giving Ghazar himself a titfuck, his massive hand on her head, making her look small as she kneels between his powerful legs. Meanwhile, Ghazar's sister Rakhai is being attended by no less than three different strapping young workers, and the other female orcs are no less spoiled for choice. Though it appears that Marta did at least make her best effort to influence the gender ratio when hiring for this trip; there are noticeably more female guards and workers than you recall from your own journey with them.
"Talavar!" You hear Greta's voice and turn to see her hurrying over to you. The naked teenager looking up at you worshipfully.
You grin at her, the mere expression causing her to squirm and bite her lower lip in anticipation. "Greta," you say. "Have you been a good girl since we parted ways?"
Greta shakes her head. "No," she says, her voice bubbling with suppressed glee. "I've been a very, very bad girl. Just like you taught me."
Your grin widens to a toothy smile. "Excellent."
"We did what you asked," she continues, rubbing herself against you, eager for your approval after your long parting. "We convinced my father to load up on as much food as we possibly could... and led them right into your ambush. And then your orcs took us all. We didn't stand a chance. I can still remember the screams of pleasure from the guards... How their begging to stop turned into begging to keep going..."
Especially since many of the guards seem to have been selected more as eye-candy this time out than for their combat prowess. Overcoming an ambush from elite orcs—who could regenerate from any injury that doesn't kill them outright—was clearly far beyond their ability. Resulting in their current, much happier state.
And assuming that Ceriss has also succeeded in her mission of seducing Lord Kovar as an agent, then combined with the support soon to arrive from the hidden elf village, that should put your food stores in a quite comfortable position... at least for now. Still, that's only assuming ordinary circumstances, without taking into account unforeseen events.
In fact, speaking of which, you should probably check to see if any such occurrences have taken place while you were gone.
You give Greta a fierce kiss. "Bring your mother with you to my chambers tonight," you say in a low, teasing voice. "Such obedient sluts deserve a reward." Greta shivers at everything she can hear promised in that one word, and she nods furiously.
With that, you head up to Iskro's room, checking in with the ratfolk spymaster on your way up the tower to Lily's chambers. To your surprise, you find upon entering that there are two ratfolk present, both of whom you recognize. "Meska?" you say to the female ratfolk who led the spy network in Vekmar's capital. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Both ratfolk kneel before you. "I am here bringing new information to master incubus," says Meska deferentially. "The Thousand Eyes are learning very big news indeed. News about one of the heroines. The barbarian-heroine is moving her entire mercenary force, so that it is camping around the dojo of the monk-heroine. And the barbarian-heroine is not staying for only a brief challenge, as when she is visiting on her own."
Interesting. So the heroines are starting to group up now. Doubtless in response to the threat they've learned is stalking them. Apparently, the barbarian doesn't want her rival falling into your clutches, and intends to provide an extra defensive line.
This new development has both danger and opportunity contained within it. Danger, because a mission to any such heroine will mean potentially dealing with two of them at the same time. Opportunity, because it could also allow you to tempt two heroines at the same time, if you're clever about it. Risk and reward.
It's especially tempting because you know you're on a time limit. Not only with respect to the Demon Lord slumbering within your soul, but with respect to Melca's own patience as well. The dire situation with the heroines threatening her empire has afforded you some leeway. And perhaps even more important, her hope that you'll take the deal she's offered. That you'll allow her to lobotomize you into her service, in exchange for Lily's freedom, rather than allowing the Incubus King to take control of you.
But if the threat of the heroines to Kovora grows less dire... and if it becomes clear that she stands no chance of enslaving the power of a Demon Lord herself... matters could very quickly reach a breaking point where she decides you've become more of a threat than you're worth.
And at that point, survival for all of you will all come down to how ready you are to face her. How many resources and allies you have prepared.
Of course, trying to claim two heroines in the same excursion would pose its own set of challenges. But the risk may be worth it, if you want to make sure you have as many as possible, before the final showdown with the mad goddess.
Either way, this information on Torild's recent movements will be invaluable to your planning. "Thank you, Meska," you say. Then you pause, your keen perception detecting hesitation in the ratfolk's posture as you look closer at her. "Was there something else you wanted to tell me?"
"Master incubus, I..." she bows her head, before finally continuing. "When you were hunting the magic-heroine in our city... our spies were... making a mistake. When the other incubus was torturing you, they were hurrying as fast as they can, to give the magic-heroine the warning. But... because they were hurrying so... they were not sneaking as carefully as they ought. Some big ones were catching a glimpse of them, together with the magic-heroine. And those big ones were talking to other big ones."
Meska exhales. "The rumor is only a passing one. Most big ones are paying it little mind. But... there is one Holy Inquisitor who is paying it much mind. She is investigating the ratfolk without ceasing, certain that we were having a role in the magic-heroine's disappearing."
"Are you asking us to deal with her?" you ask.
The ratfolk shakes her head. "No, master incubus. Right now, she is not convincing her superiors of her ideas. She is still only being a junior member of their order. The masters standing over her are saying she is chasing at shadows. They are saying that she is obsessed. Eventually, their patience with her will be ending. But... if she is then dying under suspicious circumstances... that may be giving weight to those ideas after all."
You hadn't actually been thinking of assassination with your question. After all, a seduced Inquisitor giving up on those foolish obsessions of her own accord wouldn't carry any of the risks that Meska is worried about. Still, you allow the ratfolk to continue laying out her own request without interrupting.
"All we are needing is to endure, as we are always enduring," she says, looking up at you hopefully. "But... her hunting us for questioning is making it hard for our clan to be scavenging for food in the places we are usually using, since the city guard is now watching them. If... we could be begging for just a little extra food, to be helping us through this time?"
Now Iskro speaks up, his voice more calculating. "There is also another opportunity I am considering. It is not only our clan that this hunt is meaning hardship for. The big ones are seeing only 'ratfolk'. They are not knowing one clan from another. If we are providing aid to the other clans as well, in this time... it could be winning over other ratfolk to her majesty's cause. Gathering extra information. Perhaps even recruiting ratfolk who can be fighting for her majesty's cause themselves, growing our armies also."
The idea certainly has merit. Of course, you could still go with your idea as well. If you didn't want to spend extra food, with the situation as tight as it is, you could always send either Rysanial or Ceriss to deal with this thorn in your allies' side. If you helped them in that way, the ratfolk's existing stores should be enough to see them through without too much extra on your part. It would also give you the bonus of an extra agent in Vekmar, and one in the Inquisition itself, at that.
Or... if you wanted both the extra ratfolk recruitment and the gaining of an Inquisition asset, you could do both at the same time. At the very least, it ought to reduce the amount of food required, given that you won't have to sustain the situation for nearly as long as you would have if you were letting the investigation fully run its course.
You'll have to weigh the costs and the benefits, but ultimately you'll need to come to a decision on what to do. How will you respond?
