Tooth and Claw, Part 11

You watch as Elysandria argues fiercely with Ragath. The oak dryad's expression is cold and intent... but despite her composure you can feel the tension rising between the two of them. She does not take kindly to the imprisonment of her sisters, regardless of what they tried to do to the humans last night.

Ragath, for his part, clearly knows that he's walking a knife's edge. Still, given the situation he and his men are caught in, it isn't as though he has many other options. He has to react to the attempt on their lives somehow. And using the prisoners as bargaining chips is probably the only chance he can see to escape the bind that they're in.

Still, he knows full well that this is a dangerous escalation.

Turning to Verika, you speak in a quiet murmur. "Stay close to Juri. For now, our best play is to keep Fallhazel close at hand. And right now, you're the only one who can do that."

Verika nods in understanding. You, meanwhile, slip away, moving through the treeline to circle the clear-cut area, moving toward the opposite side of the logging camp. Doing this in broad daylight might have been risky, even with your demonic stealth. But right now, practically all eyes are glued to the drama unfolding between the two leaders, as the fate of the camp hangs in the balance. It's the perfect opportunity to cross the open terrain and slip in among the ramshackle buildings, undetected.

From there, you watch the negotiations play out. Elysandria does not budge, and tempers seem to be flaring. Soon Lady Edith rushes out, her hair and dress askew, caught off-guard by the unexpected confrontation. She adds her own timid voice to the fray, trying to calm the passions of the two sides, with some limited success.

In the end, however, neither side exacts any concessions, and they separate more frustrated than ever. You watch Ragath storm back toward the camp, and you slip into a small storehouse, hiding among their meager provisions as the men return to their duties. Fear hangs thick in the air, most of them wondering what lies in store now.

You wait until Ragath disappears into the bunkhouse, then wait even longer to give things a chance to settle. Once you've delayed long enough, you assume Ragath's form again, walking out into the camp. It doesn't take long to locate where they're holding their prisoners. The camp's cookhouse has been repurposed as an impromptu holding cell, keeping the tied-up dryads out of sight of any potential rescuers.

No one questions you as you enter. There are two men inside, guarding the dryads. "Give us a minute," you tell them in Ragath's voice. "I need to speak with them. In private."

The older of the two guards—a grizzled old hand, with one eye covered in a rough eyepatch—gives you a curt nod. "Your call, boss," he says. "If they try anything, just give a shout and we'll come running. I know they're tied up... but you never know what kind of damn forest magic they might have." He spits to the side, then touches two fingers to his forehead and makes a small, superstitious gesture.

The other one doesn't say anything. He's one of the younger loggers you've seen, barely into manhood. And he looks terrified by all this, terrified by how far in over his head he is. He follows the older man without saying anything, his hands clenching and unclenching nervously.

With them gone, you kneel down in front of Rhysandaria. She flinches as you reach down toward her face, until she realizes that you're undoing the gag. Through it all, however, the aggressive fire in her glare remains undiminished.

You also take the opportunity to touch her with subtle amounts of aphrodisiac, as your fingers brush across her skin. Not nearly enough to be obvious. Just enough to lower her inhibitions a little bit. You know that every little bit helps. Then you remove the gag from her friend's mouth as well, doing the same to her.

"What do you want from us, human?" is the first thing Rhysandaria hisses. "Whatever it is, we'll never agree to it! We'd rather—"

It's here that you drop your guise, revealing your demonic nature. Both dryads' eyes widen in shock. Then their faces light up in sudden, cautious hope. "You!" Rhysandaria whispers in disbelief. "What... what are you doing here? Are you here to help us escape?"

This will be a particular test of your skill at temptation. It would be easy enough to just fuck the two of them into a puddle yourself. But you want them to take the initiative in fucking their captors. Men that they utterly despise.

And ideally, you want them to do so of their own volition.

"I'm sorry," you say, affecting a shamefaced expression. "I... don't think I can get you out of here. I'm just an incubus. My skills lie in seduction, not violence. And I only got this far because I could shapeshift. If I did try to take you out of here, it would cause such a commotion that the real Ragath would be hear of it. I only came to see how you were doing. To make sure they were treating you well."

Their despair at your words is all the more crushing for the brief moment of hope that you allowed them to feel, before snatching it away again. Now they're once again left bound and helpless, at the mercy of their enemies. You let that helplessness sink in for a few more seconds, before continuing mournfully. "No, Elysandria is the only one who might be able to free you. I... I only hope the forest isn't harmed too much by any concessions she has to make now."

You can tell by the horrified look in the two elm dryad's eyes that your extra twisting of the knife had its intended effect. "No..." Rhysandaria whispers in a broken voice. "No, she can't! Tell her not to worry about us, demon! She can't let them violate the forest even more, because of our stupid mistake!"

"I... don't know if she'll have much choice..." you reply, giving the dryads a pained, helpless look. "She's doing her best. But after last night, her negotiating position is... no longer as strong as it was."

You could probably have stabbed Rhysandaria in the heart with less effect. The entire reason she made her attack in the first place was her fanatical devotion to the sanctity of the forest. So when you drive home that her rash actions and capture have only harmed her allies' chances... it's a devastating blow.

For your part, you let out your best dejected, hopeless sigh. "The humans are still willing to not cut down any dryad trees directly, though. Or at least... they claim they'll be careful. But even if they are telling the truth... what kind of life will those dryads have? With their trees in the middle of an otherwise wasteland?"

Trapped, helpless... and now wracked with guilt. The raw despair clutching at the two dryads is palpable. "No..." Rhysandaria whispers, barely audible anymore. "No... isn't there anything you can do?"

You shrug helplessly. "I told you, my powers are limited. Although... I suppose there is one approach that could turn the tables on these humans. But... no. No, it would be too much to ask of you."

Rhysandaria's eyes light up at your words, sudden hope appearing once again in her pit of despair. "I'll do it!" she whispers. "Whatever it is, I'll do it! I'd do anything if it meant fixing this!"

Perfect. Her words don't have any magically binding force. Not yet. But even so, getting her to say such a grand proclamation aloud—before she hears the details—will make it all the harder for her to justify walking it back, even to herself. And her quieter companion is nodding in urgent agreement as well.

You make a show of regarding them for a few moments, then nod. "Yes..." you say. "Yes... maybe you two are committed enough to the safety of the forest to take such measures. Forgive me for doubting you."

And only then do you set the hook. "As I told you before... I am an incubus. My power lies in seduction. And I can bestow a portion of that power on you. It would allow you to seduce your jailers. In fact... if you are careful, it could eventually allow you to seduce this entire camp into your servants. Ending this threat to the forest entirely."

The two dryads' eyes bulge at the realization of what you're suggesting. The idea shocks them... but it also does offer a way out of their hopeless predicament. A chance to turn a failure that might cost their friends dearly into an outright victory that could save those same friends.

And they did say they would do anything...

Rhysandaria is the first to speak. "I'll do it," she says, licking her lips nervously. "If it makes up for this... if it protects the forest... I'll do it."

The other dryad quickly gives her assent as well. Though in her case, while she tries to hide it... she already seems a bit excited at the prospect. Perhaps she's the more weak-willed of the two, and your aphrodisiac reduced her inhibitions even more than you thought. Or perhaps she's just more secretly lustful than she lets on.

Either way, you don't give them a chance to have second thoughts. "In exchange for my gift, you will need to make a magically binding vow," you say, as the power of your Corruptive Boon glows in your palm. "For all our sakes, we can't have this turning into a bloodbath. Swear that you won't kill any of the loggers... and I will grant you the power to bring them to heel instead."

They swear. And the Corruptive Boon takes effect. You give them the full demonic package: regeneration, immunity to sickness, as much aphrodisiac and temptation as you can manage, as well as heightening their own pleasure and libido significantly. Not enough that they would completely lose to the pleasure when fucking ordinary humans... but enough that they're going to be enjoying this a lot more than they ever expected to.

Their green-skinned faces flush, and they start to squirm a little in their bonds. With a knowing wink, you rise to your feet and resume Ragath's form. Then you exit the cookhouse and head over to the two guards, who are still waiting outside.

"They've agreed to be a little more cooperative," you say. "In exchange, I want you to untie them every once in a while. Give them a chance to stretch their legs."

The older guard looks apprehensive. "You sure about that, boss?"

"I'll help you watch them, to make sure they don't try anything," you assure him. "But we need a show of good faith. And I think those two might be... appreciative, after what they've been through."

The two guards still look worried. But they clearly trust the man you're impersonating. "Alright, boss, if you say so..." the older one says. Then they follow you back toward the improvised prison... little realizing the trap that you're leading them right into.

Upon entering, the two of them obediently set to work releasing the dryads... only to find to their surprise that the naked, luscious tree spirits are now looking up at them with looks of ravenous, smoldering desire. Even in the best of cases, untying them would require a fair bit of skin contact. And in this case, the dryads are taking every opportunity to rub themselves against the flummoxed loggers.

Furthermore, while you were subtle with your aphrodisiac, they themselves are anything but. Each and every touch they make ignites waves of raw supernatural desire in their prey, desire strong enough that you can taste it even from where you're standing.

The younger of the two guards was a bundle of nerves to begin with. But now he's kneeling over a sultry Rhysandaria, who is looking at him with enough primal, predatory hunger that you'd be forgiven for thinking she intends to eat him alive. It takes him far longer than it should to fumble with the ropes binding her legs and then her arms. But the moment he removes them, she reaches up to sensually caress his cheek, before sliding that hand around behind the boy's neck and pulling him even closer.

"Wh-wh-what...?" the lad manages to croak out, struggling to resist her pull. But he's unsure of where he can even put his hands, with her naked body there before him. "What are you...? I... I can't! The boss made us swear not to... not to..." He gulps. "...t-take advantage of you."

"Really..." Rhysandaria purrs, reaching down with her other hand into his pants to grip his cock with surprising strength. "How very kind of you..."

The young man buckles instantly with a whimper, leaving him slumped against her. With lighting speed she yanks down his pants, then rolls him over to pin him to the ground beneath her. She straddles him, rubbing against him, grinding her soaking cunt up and down his exposed dick... without letting him penetrate.

All he can manage is a plaintive little squeak, barely even able to breathe from the supernatural pleasure. In response, Rhysandaria reaches down to place a single, gentle finger against his lips, silencing him. Even apart from the sex itself, you can tell that the dryad finds this power intoxicating, to see the invading humans crumble before her in a way she never expected.

The young guard's endurance is as nothing in the face of the inhuman ecstasy. And Rhysandaria is ruthless in her use of it. In practically no time at all he comes uncontrollably beneath her, his body jerking and convulsing, his seed spurting up to land on his own stomach. Then he finally goes limp.

Next to him, the older, one-eyed guard is putting up more of a fight. He lifts his dryad up by the ass, impaling her on his cock as she wraps her legs around him. The two of them fuck each other in a breathless frenzy... but even there, it's clear who ultimately has the upper hand. His thrusts soon grow ever more frantic and desperate, and he doesn't even last a full minute longer than his younger partner.

He comes hard, releasing shot after shot of his semen into the dryad's cunt. Then his legs buckle beneath him as he crumples down onto his back. The dryad rides him down to the ground, but even there she gives him no rest, molding her curvy body to his and licking up his neck. Her hands continue to explore his shuddering body, stroking his limp cock in an attempt to bring it back to readiness as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Rhysandaria has shifted her position, moving up to sit on her young man's face, presenting her snatch in a clear demand for his service. And—once he's recovered enough to comprehend what she requires of him—he responds without the slightest hesitation.

It's obvious that the inexperienced boy has never experienced anything even remotely approaching the pleasure that the dryad showed him in that moment of raw, sensual dominance. When he looks up at the forest spirit... his expression is like someone looking at a goddess. And when he eagerly eats her out, it's as much an act of worship as it is sex.

Even taking the Corruptive Boon into account, it's a bit surprising. You suspect he might have had some submissive yearnings to begin with, to fall this far, this fast.

It would go against your long-term corruption strategy to insert yourself into the fucking; this is the dryads' time to learn the ropes, preparing for the future. Still, you at least walk up behind Rhysandaria and place your hand on the back of her neck. It allows you to absorb what Lust you can from the fruits of your labor, as she revels in what the human's tongue is doing.

Granted, he's not very skilled yet. But Rhysandaria guides him with a firm hand, and the thrill she finds in conquering her enemy's innocence makes up for a lot.

You spend the following hours making sure that the dryads have their guards thoroughly seduced. And between those sessions of fucking, you coach them on their next steps. How they can use the guards they've already subdued to carefully lure more of their friends in, one by one. It won't be immediate, not if you want to avoid the real Ragath getting wise to what's going on. But it should steadily spread through the camp over the next few days.

When you first described the plan to them, before they accepted your Corruptive Boon, they saw this as something they would reluctantly accept, if it could protect their forest. But now—having experienced it for themselves—you can see outright excitement burning in their eyes, as they imagine what such a victory would look like. You repeatedly caution them to take things slow, to not get to reckless, and to always watch out for the changing of the guard.

Hopefully, they take it to heart enough to avoid any slip-ups.

Eventually, you conclude that you've done all you can. The subverted guards warn that the evening change of the guard is coming soon, so (taking your own advice) you make sure they get cleaned up. Then you make your own departure. Between your disguise and the fading light, it's even easier to slip away than it was to slip in. Soon you've reached the treeline again, heading back to Verika, Juri, and the group of forest-dwellers.

You allow your guise to fall away, resuming your demonic form as you approach the place where you and Verika set up camp. Upon arriving, you see that both the heroine and the young orc girl are still there. Fortunately, Verika's presence seems to have again deterred Fallhazel from simply taking the child.

At least for now.

In addition to them, however, you also notice that Elysandria is pacing nearby, her brow furrowed in thought. She looks up as you approach, and it's clear that she was waiting for you. "There you are!" she says. "Where were you all morning?"

You can tell from her tone that she does not trust you. But you can also guess from her presence here that she's considering asking for your help. She isn't familiar with a hostage situation like this. She doesn't know how to free her sisters without harming the forest. So she's come to someone more versed in deception, risky though it might be.

Of course, you're already working on that exact problem. The question is... how much of your efforts do you want to tell her?

You could be completely honest, telling her how you plan to rescue her sisters and bring the humans to heel. However, Elysandria is not a bound, helpless captive, wracked with despair and desperate for a chance to fix a horrible mistake she made. Nor are her inhibitions already weakened by the subtle application of your aphrodisiac. If she learns that you tempted her sisters into fucking the logging camp into submission... well, you doubt she'll be particularly happy.

Between the danger of the overall situation, your silver tongue, and the fact that she doesn't have the slightest prayer against Verika, you expect that you could... probably keep her from attacking you outright. But she would likely trust you even less than she already does, making future appeals to her far less likely to succeed.

On the other hand, you could conceal your actions to one degree or another. That could make it easier for you to convince her of things in the short term, giving you more options right now. Though, as with any lie, there's the risk that the fallout will be even greater if circumstances reveal it at some even more inopportune time.

It all depends on how you want to shape the game board. How exactly do you want to position your pawns, before the real power players start to show up and make their moves?

Lord Edrath could arrive at any time, wanting to sweep this under the rug as quickly as possible. Lady Alicia might not be too far behind him. To say nothing of the inscrutable Fallhazel, and however long you may have before her patience runs thin.

How will you prepare for them? Every choice you make could affect how it plays out.