Prologue, Part 7

A tiny, hopeful smile of her own crosses the young queen's face as she hears your affirming query. "Well... we can't do much until Kelissa comes back with your new clothes," she answers. "But once she does, I'll bring you to where we've collected all the information we have on the opponents you'll be facing. And I can answer more of your questions while we wait. I'm sure you must have a great many."

That's an understatement. There are countless things you want ask her... but one of them stands out from the rest as uniquely urgent. You don't know exactly what punishment they intend to inflict on the succubus you convinced to feed you, or how much danger she's in right now. Thanks to the boon you gave her you know she's alive. But you don't know for how much longer.

"There is one thing I wanted to discuss with you," you say. "Something that would definitely improve our chances. You summoned me; you're obviously a capable mage. How many more summons do you think could you handle?"

The girl looks down at her feet. "Probably only one more," she admits. "I... didn't use that kind of magic much. Not until I came up with this idea."

Shit. You know—even from your basic understanding of magic—that a summoner is limited in the number of bonds that can be tied to their soul, though that limit can increase with practice. Three would be the usual number for a trained summoner, but apparently the queen's youth and inexperience limit her to less than normal.

You also know that it's considered basic tactics for a summoner to always leave one such bond open, so that in dire straits they can perform an instant, short-term summon of some mindless spirit, tailored to the situation and guaranteed to respond immediately. If she has only one bond left, then what you're about to ask is going to be even more unreasonable than it would normally be.

Still, you've already brought it up. You can't just stop halfway. "There is another demon I know that could be a great help to our efforts," you say, trying to think of what might convince the queen. "She's a succubus, which will give me... important options... in my temptations that I wouldn't have otherwise. And if she's here, I won't have to feed on any of your subjects either. And I know she'd be willing to help us. And a succubus is more capable than most spirits that will deign to answer a random mortal summons. And—"

You pause, forcing yourself to stop. Then you close your eyes, and let out a long breath. A few seconds later, you continue in a quieter tone. "And even though all of that is true... none of it is the real reason I want to summon her. She's... in a lot of trouble right now." Because of something you convinced her to do for you, though you don't say that part out loud. "I want to get her out of it. If I can."

Looking deep into the young queen's eyes, you try with everything you have to convey your intensity, your sincerity to her. She looks back up at you, uncertain. This is, by almost any standard, a bad decision you're asking her to make. Using her last summoning bond to bring in a second demon—hand-picked by the first demon, no less!—when she isn't even sure she can trust or control you?

You already know the obvious answer to that. She shouldn't just trust you. She shouldn't even be giving this request the time of day. If you had been summoned by any other summoner than her, you're sure they would have already laughed in your face by now.

And yet... it's not quite as hopeless as it might seem. You are, after all, probably one of the most charismatic beings currently walking this world of mortals. You know exactly which levers to push. You know exactly how to push them.

And you know that the girl standing before you is a genuinely kind-hearted person.

"It's your choice," you finally say, bowing your head. "If you don't feel you can risk it... I'll understand. I just... had to ask. For her sake."

She swallows hard. Then she speaks. "This is an order," she says, authority in her voice. You can feel the bond between your souls tighten in response to the direct command. "You will answer my next question with the truth."

But then she pauses, her stern authority starting to waver. And her next words are in the quiet, faltering voice of a young girl who desperately wants to believe that the demon she's pinned her last hope on might actually have a shred of compassion in him. "Did you... really mean everything you just said about her?"

You don't hesitate. "Yes."

The girl chews on her lower lip again, then nods. She's still afraid that she might be making a terrible mistake... but even so she raises her staff. The red crystal at its tip glows brighter as she recites an incantation, and when she touches the staff's base back onto the floor, a new summoning circle appears, much like the one that brought you.

At the same time, you hear the Witch Queen's voice echoing in your thoughts, communicating through the bond between you. "Focus your thoughts on the one you want me to summon. Bring your memories of her to your mind. I will read them, and use them to tailor the spell."

That's easy enough to do; the memories are still searingly fresh in your mind. It's simplicity itself to let them fill your thoughts again, that moment when the two of you reached your union, her legs wrapped tight around you, fiercely kissing as you pounded deep inside her, until—

"Eeep!"

Oh. Right. Probably watching that part would be a little too intense for your inexperienced mistress.

You quickly shift your memories forward a bit, to the part where you were holding each other in the afterglow, as you assured her that you weren't going to break her, even though you had her at your mercy. Still probably risqué by mortal standards... but then, there wasn't much in your brief-yet-intense association that could be called chaste.

Evidently, the young queen is able to contain her embarrassment enough to complete the spell, because as she continues to chant, a familiar form appears in a flash of light, kneeling in the center of the summoning circle. Her clothes, at least, are back on, and she even has her twin daggers as well. It seems Taharial didn't waste time doing anything to her before chasing after you. Your succubus was probably trying to flee the area before any of her comrades caught up to her again when your summons found her.

"I have summoned you, fiend of the Second Circle, by my power and birthright as the Witch Queen of Kovora," your mistress says, using the same formal language for this pact as she did with yours. "I require your service. Thrice-fold I ask you. Will you obey me in all my commands? Will you hunt the enemies that even now seek my life? Will you corrupt them away from their righteous quests, into lust and debauchery?"

"Thrice-fold I answer," the kneeling succubus says. "I will. I will. I will. My service is yours. Never let it be said that Rysanial passed up an opportunity to teach carnal pleasures to the pure and the holy."

It strikes you as she introduces herself that you didn't even know her name before now either. You were so busy knowing each other in much more... physical ways... that it never quite came up. "Glad to hear it," you say from behind her. "Because we have a lot of work ahead of us."

Rysanial whirls at the sound of her voice, her face lighting up. Upon seeing you, she lets out a delighted laugh. "I knew they wouldn't be able to kill you!" she says, her dark eyes already brimming with promises of picking up where the two of you left off. "I take it I have you to thank for the rescue?"

"It was our new mistress who did the real work," you reply, gesturing to the young Witch Queen. Then you look at her yourself, dropping all artifice for just a moment to show your genuine gratitude. "Thank you."

The queen nods back, her face still blushing furiously from what she saw while looking through your memories. And yet... she does seem just slightly more at ease as she looks at you. Perhaps it was the other memory she saw there—how you were gentle to Rysanial even in her weakness.

Rysanial also turns to her, looking at her intently at the girl for the first time. The succubus' eyes widen slightly, and you can practically see her start to drool at the delectable innocence on display before her. "I thank you as well, my mistress," she says, bowing low. "And I would welcome the chance to demonstrate my most humble gratitude... in any way that you desire." Her seductive tone of voice leaves no doubt whatsoever as to the dark delights that those possibilities encompass.

"I... That's not... You don't need to..." The poor girl tries to give a coherent answer... but she's already badly flustered from what she saw you doing in your memories, which leaves her particularly vulnerable to the succubus' teasing.

Sighing, you place your hand on Rysanial's shoulder and tug her back toward you, away from your mistress. The succubus complies at once, obediently melting into your embrace. "Play nice," you chide. "She did save your life. I'll tend to what you need."

The young Witch Queen looks at you with a conflicted expression. There is gratitude there, for rescuing her from the teasing so effectively. But at the same time, it does not escape her that the temptress—the very one who she'd just found so intimidating—has now been reduced to a mewling mess at your touch. It does not escape her that you had no need of a magical contract to bring the succubus instantly to heel.

It does not escape her, as she looks into your ravenous, inhuman eyes, who the truly dangerous demon in this room is. But she also sees that you have chosen, at least for the moment, to treat her with restraint instead.

Meanwhile, however, you have a horny succubus in your arms, even as your summoner looks on. A succubus that you have no need to treat with such restraint. That certainly presents... opportunities. The question is, which one will you take?