Out of the Shadows, Part 32

Velaria slumps bonelessly against Verika as the last of your seed fills her. Her eyes flutter, unfocused. But she retains enough awareness to hear your words, as you slide your hand around to press against her stomach. "Take good care of our daughter," you murmur into her ear.

You hear her suck in a tiny breath, at a realization that her past self would have found sickening and degrading. To be dominated and impregnated, with a half-breed child that was not pure drow? But the Velaria that has emerged from the lessons you've taught her accepts your decision to breed her without any complaint, instead savoring the wonderful gift you've given her. "I will," she breathes in reply, barely audible. "I swear."

Glancing over, you see that Belan has spent himself in his teacher, slumping forward into her arms. The lovemaking of that trio lapses into something more gentle as well, with Ioni taking more of the lead. She turns Syvel's head, claiming a kiss of her own, even as she continues to press against the older woman's body from behind, running her arms up and down Syvel's frame. The touch of it all seems to fascinate her. The sensations from this new type of body to explore, alongside her lover.

When Ioni releases her from the insistent kiss, Syvel takes a shaky breath. "So..." she asks, in a soft voice, as she looks across the scene of debauchery. "What are you going to do with me?"

"I... haven't really thought very far out yet," says Belan. "But... for right now? The thing I want to focus on is finding some way to give Ioni back her sight. I... know it won't be easy. But I'm willing to put in whatever effort it takes to figure out how to do it! And I'd really appreciate it if you'd help me."

Syvel's eyes widen a little. Given all that had come before, she was probably just assuming that his foremost concern would be of some sexual nature. But in a way... it's this that destroys any last vestige of doubt within her. Seeing that, for all the drastic ways your temptation has changed her student... it hasn't touched the core of kindness that he still maintains.

You can see it in her eyes, as her submission settles firmly into place. The sure and certain knowledge that she does not—and will not—regret being conquered like this.

"Oh, Belan..." whispers Ioni. They lean in, kissing tenderly over Syvel's shoulder, her face only inches away. When they pull apart the drow girl gives him a heartbreaking smile. "You don't need to worry so much. What you've given me... it's already cut through the darkness. In a way even my eyes never could down there. Even when I had them."

"Still," Belan insists. "I... I want you to see your freedom too. There's so much I want to show you."

It's then that Syvel speaks up. "It can be done," she says. "It's powerful magic. Very difficult. Not even I could handle it by myself. But..."

Here her voice becomes seductive, even downright sultry, with a slight teasing lilt as she reaches up a hand to caress Belan's face. "...if my new master is willing to put in such an effort for my new mistress... then I'm sure it can be done."

Even as their half of the orgy winds down into affectionate petting, your half is finishing up as well. You sit back on a nearby boulder, allowing all three sisters to crawl forward on their hands and knees. They eagerly suck your cock, cleaning it while experiencing your taste, mixing with the taste of Velaria's juices and each other's tongues. All of it lovingly working along your dick as it hardens again.

Once they've finally finished, you reward them by cumming once more, splattering both their faces and their breasts with inhuman volumes of demonic semen. They then proceed to lick each other clean with hungry affection, eventually ending up in a writhing, caressing tangle of limbs as you look on in approval.

When it all finally finishes, those who have clothes put them back on, and you set out to return Relis, Syvel, Belan and Ioni to the elf village as well. By the time you get back there, word has already spread, and you're treated to a heroes' welcome. What seems like the entire population of the village mills around you, tearfully thanking your entire group for the impossible rescue.

You make sure to humbly downplay your role, but the story has already taken on a life of its own from Esile's account before you even arrive. Still, you do what you can, assigning most of the glory to Verika for the rescue, as well as convincing her sister to "turn good".

If only they knew.

The celebration continues, involving a truly sumptuous feast and yet more thanks and accolades. It isn't until late in the evening that things quiet down enough for Verika to approach you, alone. She's looking a great deal more clear-headed now than in the frenzy of the orgy, though you can still see the undercurrent of desire in her eyes, the yearning for what the possibilities you've shown her. "So... Tal..." she says, leaning up against the wall next to you. "What happens now?"

"A good question," you reply. "But we should probably find someplace private to discuss it. I assume you have a place of worship somewhere around here?"

Verika nods. "There's a shrine to Havti toward the center of the village."

"Good," you say. "We can talk there. But let's find Khaytala first. She should be a part of this too."

It doesn't take long to do just that. Soon, the three of you are standing in a darkened corner of the ancient, empty wooden building. The residual scent of incense still hangs in the air, especially to your heightened senses. This is holy ground, all right—heavily consecrated, with a long, long history. You can feel the painful prickle against your skin, a thousand stabbing pinpricks of divine power that tell you you shouldn't be here.

You ignore it, though. The pain is well worth it to ensure that Melca isn't listening.

You lean against a wall, looking at Verika and Khaytala who are lounging in nearby pews. Khaytala looks uncomfortable in the eerie silence, while Verika watches you intently. After a moment's thought, you decide how to begin. "Do you remember what I told you in the Underworld? When you asked about my employer?"

Verika frowns in thought. "Yes. You said... she was a good girl caught in a bad situation. That she had to take over the family business at an early age. That her employees didn't like the changes she was trying to make. And that outside competition was trying to hurt her." She gives you a skeptical look. "Are you saying that wasn't all just bullshit?"

"Of course not," you say, spreading your arms wide and affecting the humorous pretense of being wounded by her distrust. "Surely you don't take me for a liar, do you? Everything I said was... more or less accurate. Though there may have been certain details I neglected to fully mention. Particularly about those enemies who banded together to come after my mistress' life."

"You don't say," responds Verika dryly. "Fine, I'll bite. What didn't you tell me about these villains?"

"Well, to start with..." you say. "I didn't mention that you were one of them."

It takes a second for her to make the connection. But the expression of boggled disbelief on her face when she does is worth it. "You don't mean... Your 'employer' is the Witch Queen?" She turns to Khaytala. "Did you know about this, Khay?"

"Yes," responds Khaytala. Quiet, but with iron-clad certainty. "I've spoken with her myself. She doesn't deserve to die, Verika. She's just a scared kid, caught in a terrible position. Even aside from wanting to be with Talavar... I still wouldn't just stand aside and let someone hurt her. Not knowing what I know now."

Verika's frown deepens. "Are you talking about what Lady Alicia asked Nevati to research after their encounter? Whether the Witch Queen was being compelled in some way?"

"I'm sure she is," Khaytala says. "I don't know exactly how yet, but—"

"Actually," you interject. "That was one of the things I investigated, down in the Underworld. I had a little chat with Melca, while I was rescuing her oracle. And it's far worse than I expected. She has a contract binding the Witch Queen's entire family line, all the way back to some distant ancestor. If a Witch Queen doesn't keep Melca placated with how she rules, then Melca can rescind her gift of agelessness."

You pause for emphasis. "And whenever any Witch Queen dies... Melca takes her soul. For an eternity of torment by fire."

Both heroines suck in a sharp breath. Khaytala—who has actually met Lily—looks positively distraught. "She can... do that?"

"She shouldn't be able to," you say. "But in this one case, Melca has a loophole. That's why the Witch Queen can't come to the negotiating table. She has to appease her goddess' petty vindictiveness. She has to 'win' against the enemies that Melca hates."

"So she's trying to 'win' by fucking us into submission?" asks Verika. "Well, I'll... give her credit for originality, at least. And... well... I can't say I haven't enjoyed getting defeated by her little scheme."

But then her expression hardens, and she gives you a searching look. "Just tell me this, Talavar. What happens when that's not enough? Degrading us into your horny little harem girls might placate Melca... for now. Especially given how dire Kovora's straits are. But do you really think she won't demand more of this girl, eventually? Worse atrocities, sooner or later? Especially if Kovora's position ever does become secure?"

You nod. "We do have some leverage, even then," you say. "The current Witch Queen is the only descendant of that line that Melca has. So as long as she has no children, Melca might be hesitant to push the issue and risk losing the bloodline entirely."

Then your lips peel back into an expression that's equal parts grin and snarl. "Still. You're absolutely right that dealing with such a crazy bitch isn't sustainable. Not in the long term. Which is why we're going to kill Melca."

Now that produces a gasp, as both women stare at you in incredulity. "I realize how that must sound to you mortals," you continue, infusing your voice with absolute conviction. "But I assure you, it can be done. This won't be the first time that a deity falls to 'lesser' beings. And we already have angles we can work. There are just three things we need to keep in mind."

You hold up your hand, raising fingers with each point. "First. We need a way to pull or trick her out of her Divine Realm. If she incarnates in the physical world, she'll be far more vulnerable than fighting her on her home ground. Still terrifyingly powerful... but we'll have a shot."

The next finger goes up. "Second. We look for advantages. Weapons. Allies. Ways to weaken her before we spring our trap. Anything we can find to stack the deck in our favor. The stronger our hand is... the fewer of us we risk losing when we make our play."

And then the final finger. "Third. And most important. We do not discuss this openly outside of holy ground. Secrecy is one of our greatest advantages, and we cannot let Melca guess what we're actually doing until it's too late. The gods aren't omniscient... but they can see a great deal, and we can't risk the possibility that she might be watching the wrong place at the wrong moment."

You pause to let the importance of that sink in. "If we do need to talk about this in the open, we only refer to it as 'the Nelin invasion idea'. We keep it generic, no specifics. And even that should be avoided unless absolutely necessary."

Then, at last, you exhale. "At any rate... that's what I want to do. But I know I can't do it alone. None of this works without a lot of help. And I'm hoping for yours."

Khaytala's response is immediate, unhesitating in its loyalty. "You've got any help that I can give, Talavar. I don't know how much good my sword will be in a fight like that, but... if there is anything I can do, just tell me what it is."

You get the distinct feeling that her response has very little to do with any consideration of whether this scheme is likely to work or not. And more to do with her simple, overriding determination not to abandon you or Lily. Regardless of how it turns out in the end for her as a result.

Verika regards you for longer, as though trying to untangle the new twists and turns this has introduced into in her view of you. Then she laughs. "It sounds crazy," she says. "But... maybe a chance—even a crazy chance—to solve the real problem is what we need."

Then she looks down. "You told me once not to torture myself for what happened to my sister," she says, quieter this time. "That it was pointless to try to trace the blame back forever. That I should be content with trying to make things better in the present. I think... more than anything else I've done... this might be my chance to make up for... who I used to be. In the end, it was Melca's teachings that poisoned the drow. Poisoned my people. Poisoned my sister and me. If... if I could really do something about that..."

Her voice trails off. Then she looks back up. "I'm in," she says firmly, giving you a seductive smirk. "But after everything you've done for me... everything you've done to me... you already knew that, didn't you? Send me against Melca... Send me to help seduce my friends... I'm yours, Tal. Now and forever."

Khaytala breaks out into a beaming grin, wrapping Verika from behind in a big, tender hug that the drow indulges tolerantly.

Then Verika looks up at you. "And if it's ways to weaken Melca that you want... I can think of one way right now. Target her worship. They say the goddesses draw strength from the devotion of the faithful, don't they? If you can diminish that, she might be less powerful. Lure away her followers, desecrate her altars, disrupt her ceremonies... that could be a way to strike at her."

You consider the possibility. You can also see why Verika would think of it, given how she despises the effects of Melca's religion on her own people. And she's right. Doing that on a large scale would be one way to dent the malicious deity's strength. Though to do so openly would also be an outright stand of defiance against Melca. Even if she didn't realize your ultimate aim, it would still provoke retaliation. If you do decide to follow that course... it's something you'll have to time and consider carefully.

The three of you continue to discuss details for a while longer. But eventually you decide to turn in for the night. Soon enough, the next morning come... and you know that it's time to head back.

The elves are sad to see you go, with everyone you saved thanking you profusely, some with tears in their eyes. Verika makes an excuse about Khaytala bringing some urgent heroine business to her attention that you delayed to help the hostages. Hopefully it will allay suspicion about her absence.

Verika's goodbye with Relis is particularly tender. "Take care of them for me, sister," you hear her whisper, to which Relis' response is a heartfelt nod.

You lean in to deliver your own parting charge to Relis. "And take particular care of your mother," you say. "I might have more business in this area at some point. It might help if she were a bit more receptive to the sort of... family bonding... that you've come to appreciate."

Relis blushes furiously... but she nods without hesitation. Grinning you step back and wave goodbye to her, Belan, Ioni, Syvel and the others. The heady feeling of success suffuses you. Not just in the seduction of another heroine... but in more seeds of lust and depravity that you've planted here as well. Only time will tell just how well they bloom.

Thankfully, the elves did manage to find and take in your and Khaytala's horses while you were in the Underworld, so transportation won't be as onerous going back as it might have been. Verika takes her own steed, while Velaria rides submissively on the horse in front of her sister. Her former terror now a full-fledged erotic thrill in being so completely at Verika's mercy.

You make good time, and with three eager women, have no shortage of lust on which to feed. Still, you make time every night to experiment with your new power, trying to tap into the dreams of your mistress. It's a surprisingly finicky process. Not only do you have to time your attempt so that the subject is asleep, but even while sleeping souls are not always dreaming for the entire duration. Getting the attempt just right takes an unexpected degree of trial and error.

Still, about halfway through the journey back, you succeed at last. One moment you're meditating in your camp, surrounded by the moon and the stars and the well-fucked bodies of your three lovers. The next, you're carried in a rush, your vision going black as your consciousness hurtles into the Dream Realm. Propelled by your demonic power, you easily slip into Lily's slumber.

You realize immediately upon entering that this is no ordinary dream. You can feel fear, desperation, chaos, a riot of violent images and sensations around you as Lily sobs and begs. Slowly, glimpses begin to come into focus, coalescing into a jumbled view of a snowy mountain with a small, religious-looking structure tucked into it, barely visible.

And it's burning.

You realize immediately what this is. A nightmare of the attack on Lily's old convent, pulled from her memories to terrorize her sleep. And it presents an unexpected choice.

You could easily shake Lily out of her dream-fog. Make her realize that none of this is real. Use the opportunity to speak with her on any number of topics. On the other hand...

Ever since Lily described the attack to you, there were elements of what happened that night that... troubled you. Particularly what became of her friend Ceilyn, the only other novice. Who was also raised in that same remote place. Also apparently without having agreed to join their order.

It may be nothing. You may just be jumping at shadows. But if you were to sharpen the focus of the dream, tap more directly into her subconscious memories to learn any details that even she might have forgotten, what you learn might be able to help both you and Lily in the long run.