Chapter Three:

Blood Ties, Part 1

You spend the remainder of the night sitting next to Khaytala. The fighter keeps silent, companionable vigil with you, until sunrise comes. Your brand shows no further sign of activity... for now. Though that gives you little comfort.

Rysanial soon wakes, along with Kelissa, and the four of you dress and descend the tower. As you walk down the stairs, you fill in Rysanial and Khaytala on the next steps in your plan. Your succubus' eyes light up at the deviousness of your suggestion for how to handle Varthurg, and you can already see the gears turning in her mind as she schemes how exactly she'll fulfill your request.

Khaytala gives you a brief, worried look when you tell her that you'll be heading out alone... but she doesn't protest. Instead, she nods understandingly as you describe the need for an extra guard to watch over Lily, at least until the situation with the warchief has been conclusively dealt with.

Verika soon arrives to join you for breakfast, along with Velaria. The former matriarch follows in Verika's wake, looking more at peace now than she ever was in the Underworld. At a gesture from her sister, Velaria obediently slides behind the tablecloth and under the table, kneeling between your legs to open your trousers and run her tongue seductively along your dick. You place a hand atop her head, idly guiding her submissive movements while the two heroines sit down at the table to eat and talk.

You explain the task you have for Verika, who agrees with your appraisal. "Good idea," she says. "Keeping an eye on the Underworld is going to be important if we want to make any further moves in that direction, and I'm the only one who can operate the shadowgate. I do know quite a few other locations that I can open a portal from. They're not as convenient as the one we used, though, so I'll have to travel for a bit—both before and after I go through. I'll find out how the political situation is developing, and look for any weak points we can exploit to our advantage."

It's obvious that she yearns to teach more of her kinfolk the wonders that she's learned from you. Not to mention seizing an advantage in your campaign against Melca by diminishing her worship. And the more you learn, the more options you'll have.

Beneath the table, Velaria starts to suck your cock in earnest, her movements increasing in vigor as she gazes up at you. "We should keep our loyal forces here," you continue. "We don't know what else might be coming our way. We need people on the lookout, people who are firmly on our side."

"I have some ideas about patrol routes," Khaytala speaks up. You listen carefully to the veteran guard, as she expertly fleshes out your basic idea, making optimal use of your growing reserve of corrupted soldiers. Verika contributes some suggestions of her own, the three of you working out the details while Kelissa keeps the food coming.

It isn't long before the young Witch Queen arrives to pay your little group a visit as well. Amusingly enough, she doesn't notice what Velaria is doing under the table at first, her attention on the innocuous talk of troop movements. It's only as she gets closer—and starts to pick out the sloppy, muffled sounds for what they actually are—that she starts to put the pieces together.

Her face flushes adorably. Nevertheless, she still makes a determined attempt to not protest or disrupt your planning. You are an incubus, after all. This is exactly what she summoned you for. She can hardly chastise you for it.

Instead, she ends up fidgeting in place. Struggling between the urge to find out just what exactly is going on, and the pesky moral conviction that she really ought to avert her eyes. Of course... not being able to see has its own effectiveness, the sounds and hints going directly into her imagination. Where they can take root in all manner of lewd speculations.

You offer her a warm, leisurely smile, as though there were nothing at all out of the ordinary. "Mistress..." you say. "Did you sleep well?"

"Oh... yes!" she blurts, even as her eyes twitch between looking at the spot on table under which the sounds are coming from, and looking anywhere else. "My dreams... they've been peaceful ever since..."

Her voice trails off, clearly not wanting to bring up her nightmare of the massacre in front of so many others. "I'm glad, mistress," you say gently, not pressuring her for now. "If you ever again find yourself in need of such help, just let me know."

You proceed to fill her in on the next steps in the strategy you've decided. Despite growing ever more flustered, she forces herself to listen attentively. And once you finish, she agrees with your plan as well. "That sounds excellent," she says. "I know you'll be able to... convince Ceriss to help us. And... I'm really happy to have the chance to spend some time with you, Khaytala."

The half-orc woman gives the younger girl a fond smile, reaching out to tousle her hair. "We're going to have a great time, kid," she says. Then the smile turns a little toothy. "And when we're done, your security's going to be in the best shape it's ever been. No one's going to be getting to you on my watch."

Once she's certain you don't need anything more from her, Lily is finally able to scamper back out of the room, fleeing the lewd scene for the safety of her throne room. For your part, you reach down with your other hand and take hold of Velaria's head with both, increasing the intensity of the blowjob. The drow responds with enthusiasm, deep throating you with everything she has.

Finally you come, releasing spurt after spurt of your seed into her, which she swallows hungrily, her throat muscles working to handle your load. Only after you've completely finished does she slowly slide off of you, a trail of saliva still momentarily connecting her to your cockhead as she kneels there, looking up at you with smoldering, yearning desire.

You chuckle. Then pull her back up, flipping her back onto the table so you can truly fuck. And soon, her rapturous moans and cries fill the room. This time without any muffling.

Once you've finished breakfast, you head out to inform Ghazar about what you and Khaytala decided on for the patrol routes. The next few days are a whirlwind of activity, as you rush to get everything in place before you leave. Your decision with the spy has—hopefully—bought you time for this one last hunt under the veil of secrecy. Still, you can't afford to dawdle.

Finally, the morning of departure arrives. Once again, your small group stands on one of the uppermost towers. You say your goodbyes to your allies, assuring Khaytala again that you'll be careful to not get in over your head, now that she's not there to watch your back. Then, turning, you leap off into the open air with a flap of your black-feathered wings. Flying—for the second time—toward the country of Vekmar.

You make good time, pushing yourself hard as you ride the air currents. The first leg of the journey is familiar, to the point where you barely even need to consult your map. Eventually, though, you need to veer away from the course you traveled before. This time, you're aiming for the capitol city of Vekmar itself. Kesartha.

Day after day passes. Until finally, off in the distance, you catch sight of your destination. Kesartha is a larger city than Hikeliar was, but despite being the capitol it shares the same rugged, functional look as that trade city. Some parts are perhaps a bit more elaborate, but even the distant glimpse you catch of the palace suggests a fair bit of defensible practicality in its design to go along with the splendor. Certainly a far cry from the decadent ostentation of the drow city, at least.

You land a good distance out, catching your breath and pondering your next move. You'll need to decide how you're going to make your approach. Khaytala and Verika did give you the location of their friend's mansion. And you also know that she serves as court mage to the king himself.

You could try to find work among Ceriss' household servants. That would probably be the safer approach, giving you the chance to observe from an inconspicuous position, in preparation for making your move. The only tricky part is that from what Verika told you, the staff are housed in the mansion itself, which might make it a bit more inconvenient to feed unnoticed, with Ceriss being in such close proximity. Still, probably not impossible, though.

Alternatively, you could pose as a visiting foreign nobleman, seducing your way into high society itself, to approach Ceriss there, in that arena. The stakes involved might be higher... but it might also allow for more opportunity to make useful conquests among the nobility, along with your main target. Pawns in high places might be useful in the days to come.

Or, as a third option... you could just approach Ceriss herself. Call on her and make her acquaintance, pushing the direct approach. There are any number of tacks you could take in this respect, any number of explanations or levels of directness in your flirting, if you decide to make your move head-on. It would be jumping straight in with little knowledge of what you're truly getting into... but it would also be the most direct, and—depending on how you portray yourself—it might make a strong impression.

Finally, you could also take time to secure an alternate food source, outside your main method of approach, perhaps picking up some prostitute somewhere, or some other easy prey. It would delay your approach on Ceriss. But it might also give you more breathing room in terms of using your demonic powers. Of course, depending on which prey you choose, they may end up being of some use themselves... or their presence might bring in their own complications.