Succubus Companions ch5 pt 3

Seraphine gripped the reins she was given and attempted to follow, but the horse shied away from her with wide eyes and reared up. Seraphine was pulled forward and barely escaped the horses hooves as they came back down.

Vician was suddenly beside her, exchanging reins with her. Grabbing the bridle of the scared and misbehaving horse, he stared it down until it snorted and calmed down.

“I’ll take this one,” Vician said starting down the path.

The other horse was skittish around Seraphine but let her lead it along the path after Vician. When they reached the road, Vician showed her how to mount and handle the reins. It took a few tries and a couple of falls before Seraphine got the hang of riding but after an hour of practice she had the basics well enough for them to get underway.

They rode hard through the day and into the evening, stopping only to eat and rest the horses. Vician helped to pass the time and to distract Seraphine from her discomfort in the saddle by answering as many questions as he could about the woods they were traveling through, as well as telling her some a little about his childhood. Even so, by the time they finally steered their mounts off the road into a campsite, Seraphine had become reacquainted with muscles she had forgotten she had and was so stiff Vician had to help her down.

They tied the horses up to a pair of trees and removed the saddles and packs. Vician fed and brushed down the horses while Seraphine gathered wood and used a spell to light a fire and set some water on to boil. The two of them spread out their bedrolls and shared a dinner of tea and trail rations.

“Where are we going?” Seraphine asked between bites of reheated bread smothered in cheese.

“I’m not entirely sure, yet,” Vician admitted. “I was thinking either of heading east to study some of the powerful magics in the powerful kingdoms there or to one of the trading posts along the border with the Orc kingdom in the north where we could make a fortune selling potions and enchantments. Before we decide, I want to meet with some contacts and find out what news they have of the areas.”

Seraphine nodded and rubbed her thighs. “How far east or north would we have to travel?”

Vician shrugged. “Several weeks if not months.”

Serpahine groaned.

Vician smiled. “Don’t worry; the town where I intend to meet up with my contacts is only a few days ride from here.”

Seraphine sighed theatrically. “I don’t think I will have a backside left after this journey.”

The mage merely chuckled then let out a large yawn.

Seraphine volunteered for first watch and leaned back against a tree watching Vician as he turned in. It wasn’t long before he was snoring. As he slept, she could not help but think how innocent and handsome he looked curled up in his blanket.

A sound brought her out of her thoughts and she looked around. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw movement in the trees, but she could not see anything there. She felt an edge of fright, not her own, on the verge of her awareness, but could not pinpoint it. Still she could not shake the feeling that someone was out there and they were being watched. She still had that feeling when she woke Vician hours later and climbed into her own bedroll to sleep.

The rest of the night passed without incident and Vician let her sleep in the next morning. The day passed without incident, however, Seraphine would catch herself staring into the woods looking for hidden eyes that she felt upon her.

That night as Seraphine bedded down, she still had that anxious feeling. If anything it intensified, and though she fell asleep almost instantly, her dreams were of running though the woods toward a light while in the distance someone called her name. It was almost a relief when Vician woke her for her turn to take watch shortly after midnight.

The first two hours passed quietly, but then a startled scream pierced the night. Seraphine came to her feet instantly, drawing her dagger. Vician came awake instantly, reaching for his boots and belt quickly pulling on the boots and buckling the belt around his waist.

Another scream pierced the night, and Vician looked around trying to figure out where it came from. “That way,” Serpahine whispered and pointed toward a spot deeper into the woods. Vician nodded and they set out as quietly as they could, which was not quietly enough for Seraphine’s taste. Every step they took was accompanied by the sounds of rustling leaves or snapped twigs which Seraphine knew could announce their presence to anything or anyone out there.

She needn't have worried. The two of them came upon a clearing so small it barely could claim the name. On one side stood several armed men numbering somewhere between half and a full dozen. On the other side, a huge silver wolf stood guard over a fallen cloaked woman, blood dripping from its muzzle.

At first, Seraphine thought the wolf was attacking the woman, but then as it turned to face Seraphine and Vician, Seraphine saw one of the men let fly an arrow that struck the wolf, and the woman cried out “Elora!” as the wolf crumpled and fell.

Memories

She found him in the starboard observation lounge. He was half seated-half sprawled on the couch staring out the window. In one hand he held a half full glass, resting it on the back of the couch. The other rested across the small table that held a half-full bottle, a small but noticeable puddle, and a worn sealed photoframe. A quick look to either side confirmed he was the only one in the room.

She paused, not wanting to intrude, but he waved her with the hand on the table without as much as a glance in her direction. She took a step in and the door closed behind her, cutting her and the ball of blue swirling energy beside her off from the corridor.

She gazed out the window to see what he was staring at but only saw the expected blue-grey glow of the Citadel’s massive arms rotating in the background and the usual traffic of ships, shuttles, and tugs racing every which way like worker bees inside a hive. Glancing to his reflection, she realized that he wasn’t really looking out the window so much as staring off into nothingness.

The expression in that reflection—of a man haunted by Goddess only knows what demons—caused her normally chipper mood to fall into one of worry as she nervously brushed her hand over her crest. She bit her lip and just stood there for a moment, the deep silence of the room interrupted only by the soft hiss of the ventilation system, the buzz of lights and the singularity floating beside her, and the sound of her own breathing.

At last his eyes seemed to focus as the eyes in his reflection flickered to her.

“Is there something you needed, lieutenant?”

She blinked, confused. “I’m an ensign, Sir.”

“Not anymore, you’re not,” he said gruffly. “After your performance on the last couple of missions and the work you’ve done with the recruits, I’m bumping you to Lieutenant. I already put the orders through.”

She straightened to attention and despite herself a smile broke through. “Thank you, Sir!”

“You’re welcome. Now was there something you needed?”

“Just letting you know that Ritta and Nomi are settling into their quarters, Sir.”

“And the Drell?”

She shrugged. “I believe she has already left the ship for Omega, Sir, but I don’t know for sure.”

“Very well, lieutenant. Dismissed.”

She turned around and reached for the door controls when he spoke up again. “Lieutenant, did I ever tell you I was married once?”

Curiosity and surprise made the wide-eyed officer turn around. She had never pictured the cigar-smoking, whisky-drinking, womanizing man to have ever been married. A thousand questions came to mind but she only replied with “No, sir.”

He finally turned to face her, picking up the framed photo and tossing it to her. “It’s true. Even had a couple of kids. Imagine that.”

She caught the frame upside down with one blue-lavender hand. She turned it over and studied it. A photo of a young human woman with fiery red hair and freckles hugging two boys--one with red hair, the other with brown—all smiling for the camera rested within the well-worn frame.

“You said had? The reapers?” She ventured.

“No. Sanctuary,” came the sad, bitter response.

She gasped despite herself, her free hand going to her mouth in shock. Her mind raced with a million questions but none would come out.

He gave her a long sad look and then the words came tumbling out.

***

He had been with Cerberus for about five years, joining up after his tour as an alliance marine. During his time as a marine, he saw how little regard for humans the rest of the galaxy had for humanity and he saw Cerberus as a way to ensure a better galaxy for his sons. His experience as a marine, and his quick grasp of most things mechanical made him an obvious candidate for an atlas pilot and the role fit him like a glove.

He rose quickly in the enlisted ranks very quickly, and while some of the jobs he did left him with a slightly sour aftertaste, the pay and benefits were excellent.

Over the last few weeks though, a feeling of unease was starting to consume him. The missions were becoming more extreme and more troubling to his conscience; attacking civilians, sending out maydays and ambushing medical supply ships, raiding labs and stealing reaper tech. In addition, most of the non-mechanized troops had been getting new implants and that left them acting very different. Even people that had been close friends of his before the new implants seemed very different and something about them that he couldn’t quite put his finger on was giving him a case of the creeps.

His unit had so far managed to avoid the new implants but the commander of the squadron that included the ship he served on had made it clear their time was running out.

“You need to get these upgrades soon, or I’m going to have to ground you and take you before The Illusive Man, son. The order that all troops receive these upgrades came down directly from him,” the squadron commander had made a point to tell him face to face. “You know he doesn’t tolerate disloyalty.”

He had still been trying to figure out what to do when the Reapers invaded a few days later. Everything was thrown into chaos, and he thought he had slipped out of the Squadron commander’s radar.

It was only a few days after that when his unit was assigned to attack a Solarian base. He was just beginning to climb into his cockpit when his OT chimed with back-to-back urgent messages. The first one was from Cerberus intelligence telling him that intelligence had good reason to believe that the colony his wife and sons were on was a high risk target and that they were going to attempt to relocate them to somewhere called Sanctuary. The second message was from his wife, telling him she had a visit from some men from Cerberus warning her of an impending attack and that she and the boys were now on a ship to Sanctuary and that she would give him a message when she arrived. Each of his boys briefly wished him love and told him they missed him, and she gave him her love and then disconnected.

That was the last he ever heard from them.

The mission was a disaster. Though they eventually took the base, their casualty count was unreal and their targets managed to escape. It was a week before he made it back to the ship and over half his men were dead. Even then, the squadron had to land at a nearby Cerberus base for repairs. Worse he had not managed to reach his wife.

It was by chance he caught an episode of Battlespace detailing what was found on Horizon during a period of downtime during the repairs.

He went to confront the squadron commander. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”

The squadron commander smirked. “Of course I knew. You didn’t think that The Illusive man was going to let your treason go unchecked forever did you? Be grateful I don’t just shoot your fucking ass. Now get out of my office.”

He walked back to his ship in a cloud of pain and rage. Once inside he headed straight for the holding bay for his unit. On the way he met up with some of his men and a couple of other friends. He told them what happened and continued on his way. All of them followed him, some activating their omni-tools to send frantic messages. When he reached the hanger, he drew his sidearm and shot both door guards in the head before walking in. Within five minutes the Atlas bay was secured and he and the handful of men with him strolled out of the bay onto the planet in their mechs while inside the ship a fierce battle broke out as others of his unit and various friends, acquaintances, and, in some cases, enemies who had family likewise transferred to Sanctuary staged a coup on their unsuspecting shipmates.

None of the landed ships had their shields up, and none of the Cerberus personnel ever dreamed that they would be attacked by their own. That laxness allowed the pilot and his followers to march right up inside the open hanger bay of the squadron’s flagship before anyone realized anything was wrong. By then it was too late.

The pilot flipped his mech’s arm up. Behind him five more mechs did the same. Alarms rang throughout the ship as targeting systems painted the ship from the inside. One after the next, six missiles plowed into the ship carving deeper and deeper, until the entire ship was burning stern to bow. The pilot guided his mech through the hole shooting at anything that moved, using the claw to pull his Atlas up deck by broken deck until he reached the command center.

The squadron commander hid behind the wreckage of the central map with a pair of troopers and fired off rounds at the atlas. The pilot gunned them down with the cannon and then picked the commander up with the claw bringing him close to the canopy so he and the commander could see eye to eye as the claw slowly crushed him to death.

The crews of other ships and the base itself figured out what was going on by that point. Some of the ships surrendered immediately when they realized how vulnerable they were but two more were destroyed and most were damaged before the fighting stopped. The base held out longer, but fell within a day when the pilot ordered sent the combined forces of the surviving ships troopers, centurions, and Atlas mechs at their defenses.

What he found when his men poured through the datafiles of the ruined flagship and the captured base confirmed his worst fears about not only about the danger presented by anyone with the new implants (or anyone indoctrinated by any means for that matter) but also about the fate of his family.

***

“Now you know why I do what I do,” the man said.

The young Asari listened quietly as he finished his tale. She tried to keep composure but the raw emotion that poured forth from her commanding officer was hard to ignore and tears threatened at the corners of her eyes.

Part of her wanted to hug him. Another part of her wanted to tell him it would all be alright someday. Another part of her wanted to cry. Instead she settled for softly saying, “I wish there was something I could do to ease your pain.”

The man gave a grim smile. “There is. Help me find and kill the bastard.”

The lieutenant smiled. It was a savage predatory smile, totally unlike her normal self. “Absolutely.”

“One more thing, before you go. Please keep this conversation between us.”

“Of course, Sir.”

The pilot nodded to her. “Thank you, lieutenant that is all.”

The young Asari turned and left the lounge hurrying toward her quarters. She had a lot to think about.

Novacain

Alyssa raced down the corridor at a full run cradling her rifle to her chest. Somewhere she had lost her helmet and her long scarlet locks were trailing behind her. Her black jumpsuit had several scorch marks from numerous hits and a near constant blue flickering around her was an all too potent reminder that her shield was on the verge of failing.

“Echo? Bravo? Anyone?” She whispered frantically into the microphone of the headset that she fortunately hadn’t lost with her helmet. Only static answered her.

She came to a bulkhead and paused a minute leaning against it for cover as her green eyes looked around frantically. “Damn it,” she muttered as she released the trigger long enough to tap the earpiece and change frequencies. “Nova, status report!”

For a moment there was only silence but then the static filled reply came through and Alyssa let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry for the delay Lieutenant,” the female virtual intelligence replied. “I am having great difficulty piercing through the interference. Ships crew fatalities are nearly ninety-eight percent. Lieutenant Leland is seeing to the survivors, however I estimate despite her efforts that another four to six will die within the hour. However, the ship is now secure.”

“And the other assault teams?”

“Unknown, I have lost communications with all other teams. However, based upon the last received transmissions I estimate a ninety-nine point nine nine seven percent chance that all members of the other assault team members are dead.”

“Great. Just great,” Alyssa muttered. She checked her clips. Nine left. She shook her head and sighed. “Any idea what might count as a power source on this thing?” she asked.

“I am detecting what might be some form of reactor approximately nine hundred and sixty three meters from your location. I have sent the coordinates to your omnitool.”

Alyssa rebalanced the rifle and pressed a spot on the holographic interface of her omnitool. Instantly, a soft flashing light blinked to life just on the edge of her vision as her implants projected an image onto her HUD. “Thanks, Nova.”

“You are welcome lieutenant. May I inquire as to your intentions?”

Alyssa gripped her rifle and let out a feral grin as her eyes softly glowed for a moment. “I intend to find a way to blow this fucking thing the fuck up,” she growled.

“I should point out that I estimate you have a less than one percent chance of succeeding, Lieutenant,” Nova stated. “Perhaps a wiser course of action would be to wait for alliance reinforcements.”

“So they can turn them into husks too?” Alyssa shook her head disbelievingly. “No. Besides, they won’t get here in time. This ship knows we are here. It’s planning something.”

“That is illogical, Lieutenant. Ships do not think. Nor do they make plans.”

“This one does,” Alyssa replied with certainty.

Up ahead something moved in the corridor. A mass of black interlaced with glowing cyan sparkles stepped out of the shadows. Oversized cyan eyes locked on Alyssa’s green ones and froze. Alyssa tapped her earpiece. “Got company. I gotta go.”

Alyssa swung her rifle into position just as the roughly humanoid form came running at her with a very inhuman speed. She squeezed the trigger and a spray of bullets ripped a line from the torso to the head halting the forward momentum of the figure and sending it backward in a sparking convulsing arc.

“Take that you fucking soulless piece of shit!” She muttered, stomping her boot down on the husk’s head causing it to literally explode.

A buzzing sound further up the hallway caught her attention as three more husks came into view followed by something that looked like some sort of oversized mutant spider with laser cannons mounted on either side of the bulb-like body.

“What the fuck?”

She dove to the side as the spidery thing opened up with the cannons. Her hair got in her way as she tried to snap off a couple of shots at the husks and she completely missed. She rebounded off the wall just as the spider-like creature fired at her again.

The smell of burning ozone filled her nostrils and she winced as the beams passed by so close that they clipped her shields, overloading them instantly. The wall around her grew warm and she didn’t need to look over her shoulder to know that the lasers had bored holes right through the thick walls.

Dropping to one knee she fired off several short bursts taking the heads off two of the husks. Then the third one was upon her…

Lylianna

Lylianna looked out over the balcony, the whispering wind ruffling her black feathery wings and white gown, hinting of the magic of the night. Far below her, below the cliffs the house overlooked, the ocean beat against the rocks and sand in a never-ending crescendo of gently crashing waves just barely audible at this height. Moonlight spilled across the night reflecting off the tides, the marble floor and pillars, the gold of her shackles and collar, even off her very eyes; bathing her in a soft eerie light.

She closed her eyes and gave her flings a flutter, letting this moment sink in as the bittersweet memories of wandering the astral planes and interacting with the gods and goddesses passed through her mind. With only the slightest tinge of regret she shoved those thoughts from her mind with a soft sigh. It was too late for that; far too late. The feel of the cold metal collar and shackles on her skin served as a reminder that her home was now the mortal realms of the prime plane.

“Not that I would go back even if I had a choice,” she thought to herself with slightly sad smile. Her heart would not let her.

With one last sigh she furled up her wings just as strong arms wrapped around her waist. She felt the chain which ran from her collar down through the cuffs on her wrists and ankles to a post inside the room behind her pull tight as a length of it was brushed aside by a foot. She felt cold lips brush up against her neck and inhaled sharply as she felt the twin tortures of pleasure and pain as fangs almost but didn’t quite penetrate the skin of her neck in a teasing manner before disappearing only to return nibbling her ear lobe.

“Second thoughts, my pet?” the whisper in her ear sent a shiver of fear and anticipation down her back. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t wish.”

But there was no choice. In her heart, she knew that, even as she turned to face him, dark eyes looking up into his pleadingly. “No master. No second thoughts. Only memories best remembered and forgotten, my love.”

His answering smile was at once warm and terrifying. She watched his eyes focusing on hers, felt the shiver of attraction knowing that it did not matter that she was immune to his thrall; she was still drawn to him by a force at once more biding and more fickle. She smiled and nodded, lowering her eyes submissively. “Yes, master.”

She let him guide her back into the room, bare except for two stone biers and three small tables with candelabras. Upon one of the biers lay a cloth of black and crimson velvet lined with rose petals of the same colors. A matching pillow lay atop at one end.

She did not resist at all as he untied the laces at her neck, shoulders, and both sides of the skirt allowing the dress to fall away from her in two pieces without having to remove the chains that held her bound. She smiled softly as he gently lifted her on to the bier and laid her out upon it. She watched in anticipation as he climbed up beside her. She moaned and threw her arms around him as he cradled her back and head in his arms tilting her head so she faced the far wall, opposed of the balcony.

Four points of ecstasy and pain sank deep into her neck, throbbing bringing her to subspace and beyond as he master began feeding off of her as he had countless times before. But tonight was no ordinary feeding. This time she knew, as a smile reached her lips, it would not be complete until he drank all of her blood. Seconds ticked past, followed by minutes as each throb, each swallow drained more blood from her angelic form.

Slowly at first, then more quickly, her awareness of the world began to dim. So it was with a second of confusion she regarded the mist that began creeping into the room from under the door. Too late, as she felt the last of her blood drain away, did she realize the mist was coalescing into a solid form, that of a man. She tried to squeeze her master’s arms, to make a noise to warn him, but she had no strength left; her life fleeting away.

So her master was unaware of the figure behind him unlocking the door as he drew his dagger across his wrist. He was likewise unaware of the other forms that began to materialize near the first. Even as he placed his wrist across her lips, even as instinct kicked in and she bit down unable to control the sudden overwhelming urge to feed upon his blood, she struggled in vain to force her arm to squeeze, her eyes widening just ever so slightly in alarm.

Too late, he heard the lock click and the door swing open. He never had time to turn around before the first vampire raised a crossbow and fired a wooden bolt into his back. The aim was perfect, striking him through the heart.

It didn’t kill him. He was far too strong for that, but it did weaken him, slow him down just enough that he could not escape the next attack.

Unable to look away, to scream, or even move, Lylianna watched in horror as the elderly paladin from the hunters guild—the one whose son was rumored to have been kidnapped by the members of the vampire clan just nights before—cast his spell calling forth a pillar of fire and divine energy that incinerated her master in her very arms. Though her body refused her command, every fiber of her soul cried out in agony and pain as her master, her lover, turned into a billion specks of ash and dust that exploded in a million different directions.

Even as her head fell back onto the pillow she saw one of the vampires shove a young boy forward into the paladin’s arms. The boy stumbled and fell into his father only to explode in a similar manner as his forehead came in contact with the holy symbol that hung from the paladin’s neck; his turning to recent for him to have built up any resistance to the holy magic stored in the amulet.

The last thing she saw as darkness claimed her were the streams of healing magic spewed forth in anger by the paladin that engulfed the vampires even as they tried to raise daggers and crossbows.

She did not see the paladin prevail against the vampires that had so underestimated him, did not see him cut them down with the raw fury born out of his hatred of their betrayal and the murder of his son. Nor did she see him stagger toward the bier she lay on, his steps a bit unsteady as he bled from a dozen life-threatening wounds. She neither saw nor heard his sad sigh as he drew his own dagger across his wrist allowing the blood to fall between her lips before beginning the words and motions to a powerful spell, one few paladins—and even few clerics—could master.

It had been midnight when the vampires had charged into her master’s room. It was nearly two hours later she awoke. Her screams could be heard for miles and lasted until dawns rays seared her throat and silenced her ability to scream. Through it all the dying paladin held her. After she quieted he dragged her into the shadows where the sun could not touch her, and where her body slowly began to heal.

With the last of his strength, he brushed the tears from her eyes. Falling across her, he whispered “We were both robbed of the ones we loved this night, fallen one of the heavens, and it is up to you to end the evil and pain those that stole them from us bring to the world.”

As dusk, she shoved his cold body off of him. She picked up his sword and used it to break the chain. Detouring only long enough to scoop up her dress, she left the room. A short time later she left the house, dressed in breeches, a thick belt with the sword tucked loosely inside, boots, a loose blouse, and a heavy cloak. In the bag upon her back were the dress, a few keepsakes, and whatever provisions for a journey she could scavenge from the house. Dark cold crimson eyes gave the manor a final once-over, burning the image into her mind, before she turned and walked away, never once looking back.

Succubus Companions ch5 pt 2

Vician followed Seraphine down the ladder and waited while she cracked the door to the warehouse open and peeked outside. She motioned him forward and he stepped on outside. Seraphine pushed the warehouse door shut and Vician locked it behind them. Less than half an hour had passed since Vician’s breathless arrival and warning.

Their journey out of the city was uneventful. Seraphine slipped her arm through Vician’s and leaned her head on his shoulder. She sensed his initial surprise and then a bit of contentment as they found a matched rhythm and walked away together, never once looking back. The closest that the pair came to excitement were a few of the derogatory comments made as the pair made their way down the various avenues that Vician led them through one of the eastern gates to the city. Seraphine was a little worried that they might be stopped at the city gate, but the guard simply gave Vician a knowing wink and they hurried on through.

Several farms intermingled with small clumps of woods lay to the east of the city. The road that they traveled wove through several of these farms and small clumps of woods.

Seraphine was having the time of her life. She was seeing, hearing, and smelling things she had only heard about in stories and hadn’t in her wildest dreams imagined she would ever be able to actually experience. Things like Vician pausing near a fence and handing her some sweetgrass to feed a goat, her giggling when felt its cold nose on her hand, or watching butterflies and bees dancing among the flowers.

To someone who had lived nearly her whole life indoors the walk was full of marvels for Seraphine. Her curiosity made Vician smile as the young succubus took in her surroundings with wide-eyed wonder; each new sight alternately prompting squeals of glee, terror, or multitudes of questions that he did his best to answer.

It was at least an hour’s journey the outer gate of the city to the woods that occupied a large portion of land to the east, but to the mage and his demoness familiar it seemed like minutes. The mage would never have admitted it, but he was enjoying Seraphine’s exuberance and when they reached the woods, he was a little sad.

He needed have worried. The farms fascinated the demoness, but it was the woods she fell in love with. As they entered the woods, she fell silent as a sense of awe fell upon her, her eyes widening even further as she let her hand slip from his so she could turn a full circle and take everything in. “Everything is so… so alive!” she exclaimed at last before bursting into a series of questions that left Vician holding up his hands and calling for patience as he tried to answer what he could.

A short way into the woods, Vician led the succubus off the road onto a hidden trail. They followed this to a clearing where a man and a woman stood waiting with four saddled horses.

Two of the horses were a little bigger than the others. They were jet black with white markings on the forehead and near the hooves. In addition to their saddles, these two carried heavily packed saddle bags.

The man and woman pushed back their hoods, and Seraphine could see they were older than Vician by several years if not decades. Both greeted him fondly as “Master Vician.”

“The guard surrounded the house and were conducting a search,” the woman explained. “But we were able to get most of what you asked for. We also took the liberty of procuring some travel supplies you didn’t think of, and invested a portion of your money and gems with a few different money lenders as a precaution.”

Vician, walked over and checked the packs carefully. “You did well Felicia, both of you.” he nodded and turned to the man. “I’ll keep in touch. Let me know if you or Felicia need anything.”

The man held up a gem exactly like the one that Seraphine saw Vician use in the warehouse. “I’ll be here. Good luck, Master Vician.”

The woman kissed Vician’s forehead. “Take care, Master Vician. I hope you can return soon.” Seraphine was a little chagrined to realize she felt a little jealous. She shifted uncomfortably.

Vician took the reins of the two black horses and led them over towards where Seraphine stood. “Have you ever ridden before?”

Serpahine shook her head. “No.”

Vician nodded. “Well, it isn’t that difficult though the first few times may seem hard. We need to lead the horses back to the road and then I’ll teach you to ride.” He handed her the reins to one of them and set back out along the path.

Succubus Companions Ch 5 pt 1

Seraphine packed quickly.  Except for her spellbooks, regents, and potions, many of Seraphine’s possessions were already in or on her pack, so she simply stuffed her clothing into her pack and tied her bedroll and pillow in place.  She was already dressed in pants and a loose blouse and to this she added a belt in which she tucked her daggers and wands.  She grabbed three potions and tucked them carefully in her pack and then placed two more in one of the pouches on her belt.  The rest of the pouches she quickly stuffed with regents for the most practical of her spells.  Under Vician’s orders, she also chose through her spellbooks and selected a half dozen she figured would be most useful.

She finished more quickly than Vician so she helped him choose between his spellbooks, alchemist supplies, wands, and regents. Because Vician did not have a pack with him, they wrapped everything but the spellbooks and regents into a blanket and tied it off with a short piece of rope.

As they  worked Vician explained that his father had come to the market square with several paladins and city guards in tow and demanded to know where Seraphine was.  When Vician refused to tell them, they attempted to arrest him.  Vician launched a fireball at the paladins and then used his spells to escape in the confusion.  He attempted to return to his home to grab some supplies but it was surrounded by guards and paladins so he came to collect her.

At last Vician reached into a hidden drawer and pulled out four rather ordinary looking bags.  Two were made of a velvet-like material lined with leather.  The others were simple tanned leather.  He gave the leather ones to Seraphine.  “These are bags of lesser holding,” he explained as he tucked his spell books into one of his velvet bags.  Despite the fact that he put several books into a bag that was barely able to fit a book through the opening, the bag looked no more full than when he put them in.  “Put your books into one and leave the other free for now.” 

Seraphine tied one of the bags he gave her to her belt.  After that, she placed her books into the other bag. When she was done, she tied that bag off to her pack.

As she was doing this, Vician pulled a small round blue gem out of the pocket of his robes and whispered into it.  Seraphine was unable to hear what he was saying, but she felt alternate waves of frustration, worry, relief, and finally gratitude come through her bond.  When he was done, he motioned Seraphine to the door.  “Come, it’s time to leave.”

“Wait,” Seraphine said.  She reached into her pack digging out her new cloak.  Quickly reversing it so that the dark side was out, she placed it on Vician.  “If the guards are looking for us, we should disguise ourselves,” she explained.  “This at least will hide your robes.”

“What about you?” Vician asked.

Seraphine smiled and stepped back from him.  Her features seemed to shimmer, and melt.  When they stopped the change made Vician’s jaw drop.  Instead of the dark-haired beauty he was used to seeing, stood a slightly taller wisp of a girl with a slightly larger bosom and long cascading blonde hair, bright green eyes, and slightly pointed hears.  Even her clothes looked different, instead of pants she now had a flowing but slightly sheer skirt.

“How did you do that?” Vician asked, slightly awed.

“Succubus, remember?” Seraphine kissed his cheek.  “Lean over slightly.  A little more.  Perfect.  Now instead of a young wizard and his succubus, people will see an aging lord and his half-elf whore.  Mostly they will see the whore.”  She winked at him then led him down the ladder.

Succubus Companions ch 4

“I went for a walk,” Serpahine looked down and took a few deep breaths trying to deal with the waves of anger and fear washing over her.  Her demonic instincts fueled her desire to fight.  She opened her mouth to retort, but a second wave of emotion cut the ground out from under her. 

Anger and fear she was prepared to deal with.  The worry and fear, especially when it was for her, she was not.  She looked up at Vician.  “The hunger was starting to grow beyond what I can control,” she explained softly. “I was afraid of losing control while you were here.”  She risked looking up and her eyes met his blue ones.

“Did you feed? Are you okay now?”  Vician asked her, his eyes seeming to peer into her very soul.

“No, I did not, and yes, I am,” Seraphine answered.

If Vician sensed there was something she was leaving unsaid, he didn’t show it.  “Good,” he said brushing the matter off with a wave of his hand.  “My father said he saw you.  He paid a visit last night out of concern for my moral well being.”  Seraphine didn’t need to feel his emotions to sense the contempt and sarcasm in that statement.  It oozed out of every word.  “It ended badly for him,” Vician finished smugly.

Seraphine blinked suddenly worried.  “Is he alright?”

Vician chuckled.  “Oh he’s fine, except for his pride and his delicate sensibilities.  He’s known for years I don’t buy into his faith or his sense of morality.  Last night I finally told him what I think of him.  He didn’t take it well.”

Seraphine felt the satisfaction and amusement and her eyebrows arched as she looked at him.  “What did you say?”

Vician practically cackled with glee.  “I told him that he had no right to speak to me of morality to me.  As far as I am concerned the half-Drow wizard that first taught me how to use magic was more of a father to me than he was and that he can take his moral superiority with him to the Nine Hells for all I care.  I even offered to open him a portal to help him on his way.”

The demon in Seraphine rejoiced in the chaos but another part of her felt repulsed and she took a step back from Vician.  “He is worried about you,” she said softly.

Vician’s blue eyes shown with a cold burning hatred.  “I was his bastard.  He didn’t show an interest in me until after he stood by and allowed my mother to die.  He could have saved her.  He knows plenty of healing spells.  He would visit her occasionally until she got sick.  After that he never came back until she died and he came to collect me.  She sent him messages begging him to come to her.  Instead he turned his back on her and chose to let her die. He has no right to worry about me or tell me how to live my life.”

The sheer hatred stemming from Vician nearly overwhelmed Seraphine and the look on his face reminded her of ones she had seen on many of the more powerful demons she had known.  She backed up until she bumped into one of the tables not quite able to keep the fear under control.  She reached back grabbing the table top with both hands so hard that the blood drained from her knuckles.

Seraphine’s fear must have broken through Vician’s anger because his rage subsided somewhat and he offered Seraphine a reassuring smile.  “Don’t worry the hatred I feel for my father has nothing to do with you.  I was upset that you left the attic, but in hindsight I should have expected it.” 

He approached Seraphine and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead as waves of protectiveness and worry swept over him.  “Please bear this a short time longer.  I will try to come up with a way to hide what you are from the priests and paladins in the city, and then you can start accompanying me.  Just give me your word you won’t sneak out again without first clearing it with me.” 

Seraphine nodded.  “I promise she said softly.”

“Good.  I must tend to my duties now, but I will return in a few hours,” Vician promised her.

Seraphine nodded and accepted a hug before watching him leave.  This was the first time Vician had shown her true affection and her thoughts and emotions were a bit in turmoil as she settled down in her corner with a book on potion-making.

It wasn’t even two hours later when Vician breathlessly burst through the trap-door.  “Hurry!  Pack what you can in the next ten minutes.  We have to leave the city before the guards find us!”

Succubus Companions Ch 3 pt 4

“I barely know him!” Seraphine’s reply was just a little too fast, a little too loud, and a little too weak and she knew it.  “I barely know him,” Seraphine repeated a little softer.  “I’m grateful to him for getting you to save Melrazia, nothing more.”  She started to say something more then changed her mind.

The priest saw her hesitation.  “You were about to say something more.  What is it?”

Seraphine shrugged.  “It’s probably nothing.”

“If it is nothing then why are you so hesitant to share?” the priest pressed her.

Seraphine shrugged and tired to change the subject.  “I hope the merchant I traded with for this cloak receives a good price for the potions I gave her.”

“Do not worry, I gave her ten gold pieces apiece for them,” The priest assured her.  “Now tell me what you were going to say.”

Brushing her dark hair away from her eyes, the succubus met the priest gaze with one of her own.  “He scares me sometimes,” she admitted.  “He has a passion for darker spells and a desire for power that rivals—even exceeds—many of my own kind.  I worry that his desire for power has corrupted him.”

“If what you say is true, it is simply because you corrupted him,” Vician’s father’s voice dropped into a chill.  “My son is a good man.”

Seraphine stood up and looked down on the man coldly.  “Cast a truth spell if you do not believe me,” she hissed.  “I met your son because he screwed up a summoning spell attempting to capture a quasit.  He is by far more powerful a mage than I.  He is the one teaching me spells, not the other way around.  I told you before he was on a dangerous path!”

With that she drew her cloak around her and stormed off down the street.  Behind her, she heard the priest calling out after her but she hurried on.  By now it was starting to get dark and the street lanterns had not yet been lit.  Belatedly, Seraphine realized she had run the wrong direction on the street.  Still she figured if she could find a side street or alley she could cut back over where she needed to go. 

She found such an alley within a few minutes and turned down it.  The alley was full of twists and turns, and after one tight turn she came to an open doorway in the wall adorned with a small ring of seven stars and a rising red mist.  Something drew Seraphine to this doorway and before she could help herself she pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside. 

Instantly, Seraphine could sense something different about this place.  Something deep in her core felt the remains of a neglected and tattered power that seemed to reverberate in the room.  For some reason, Seraphine got the mental image of a tattered web or cloth made of massive strands that had been torn and put back together.

The room itself was simple.  A few benches to either side all facing a far wall upon which a small stone altar lay.  On the altar lay a stripe of cloth with the same symbol that Seraphine had seen outside flanked on either side by two candles lit with a blue flame.

In the very corners of the room to either side of the altar sat two small tables.  A small wash basin, a bar of soap, a pitcher, and towel occupied one table.  On the opposite table sat a small collection plate that held a few coins.

Seraphine washed her hands in the basin and was mildly surprised that the pitcher did not seem to contain any less water after she filled the basin than it did before.  She emptied the basin into a small drain in the floor and walked over to the altar. 

Some impulse Seraphine couldn’t explain caused her to kneel before the altar and pray.  Before she realized it, she was spilling forth her fears and concerns, her desire to find a place to fit in, her confusion over her feelings for Vician, and her struggles to control her hunger.  By the time she was done tears were streaming down her cheeks from both eyes.

“The Lady, hears you,” a voice behind Seraphine made her jump and she turned around to face a woman seated on one of the benches.  To Seraphine the woman seemed both young and old at once, dressed in simple breeches and a blouse.  Seraphine somehow felt that this woman could utterly destroy her if she wanted and she swallowed.

“Have you been there the entire time?” She asked trying to keep her voice neutral.

“I was here when you walked in, yes,” the woman confirmed.

“Why couldn’t I sense you there then?” Seraphine asked.

The woman merely smiled.  “Because if you had, you would not have had the chance to plead your cause to The Lady,” she explained patiently.  “Nor would I have been able to give you her answer.”

“Her answer?” Seraphine felt confused.  “What answer?”

“My dear girl, you have a long painful journey ahead of you.  The Lady is not the one you are looking for, but she will give you what little help she can.”  The woman approached Seraphine and laid her fingers upon Seraphine.  “Receive The Lady’s gifts,” she said closing her eyes and throwing back her head.

Instantly Seraphine felt waves of magic and power flowing over her, through her.  Some of that magic flew into back corners of her mind locking itself away into small chunks.  Other pieces danced more in the front of her mind showing her relationships and insights into magic she had not seen before granting her an understanding of magic that was even more intrinsic than before. 

Finally, she felt some of the magic melting into her soothing her hunger.  It didn’t completely disappear but it was no longer threatening to consume her.  She felt as revitalized as if she had just fed but without the guilt of taking another person.

She let out a gasp as the woman stepped back and smiled.  “The spells in your mind will reveal themselves to you when the time comes for them. Do not worry you will know when it is time.”

“How, how will I know?” Seraphine stammered.

“Trust me, you’ll know,” the woman insisted, holding up her hand to forestall more questioning. “You’ll feel it when it is time.  I cannot tell you more than that so you will have to trust me and The Lady on this matter.”

Seraphine nodded though she still felt overwhelmed and confused.

“There are two more gifts that The Lady has to bestow,” the woman continued.  “The first is this:  The knowledge that your nature does not need to control you, to define you.  If you cease to fight it, and instead learn to control it, to master it, instead you can eventually find peace with yourself.  To kill is not always an evil act.  It is the intent and circumstances that can make it evil.  Sometimes, killing can even be an act of mercy.”

The woman gave Seraphine a moment to let that sink in before continuing.  “Lastly, The Lady bids that you should take the offering in the collection plate.”

“I beg your pardon?” Seraphine was shocked.  Residents of the plane she was from worshipped the most powerful demons such as the lord she served and to steal from them was a death sentence and often a very slow and painful death at that.  From the few human slaves that Seraphine had talked to, she had known stealing from the collection was almost as bad depending on which deity it was they stole from.

“Go on.  You will need it in the journey ahead,” the woman assured her.  “The Lady knows you will need it more than She does and bids you take it.  Just be sure not to spend it lightly. As with the spells, The Lady says you will know when to use it.”

Seraphine nodded and reluctantly turned to the offering plate and was surprised.  What she had at first taken for a few meager coins probably totaled somewhere between thirty and fifty gold pieces.  As she reached for them, she felt a light caress on her cheek and shoulder as if to reassure her this was alright.  She scooped the coins into a pouch and turned around to see the woman holding the door open for her.

“Go on, you have someone waiting on you,” the woman smiled.

Seraphine headed out into the street and was surprised to find that it was daylight.  In fact it was likely late morning or early afternoon from the amount of sunlight that managed to make its way into the alleyway.  She turned toward the door, surprised to find instead of the door she remembered coming through, a crumbling ruin of a doorway with the remains of the door itself nailed shut and the symbol all but faded into nothingness.  Swallowing hard she hurried back to the warehouse.

It took her about half an hour to find her way to the warehouse.  She quickly opened the door and slipped inside.  Hurrying to the ladder she climbed up, pushing on the trapped door and surprised to find it unlocked.  She threw it open and climbed up the rest of the way. 

She quickly shut the door and turned around to find a furious Vician standing there with his arms folded.  She froze unsure what to do when he practically screamed “Where in the Nine Hells have you been?”

Succubus Companions Ch 3 pt 3

Vician sat quietly for a while.  A bit later he got up and paced silently back and forth across the attic.  At last he turned to Seraphine.  “I need to think for a while,” he said at last.  “I’ll be back tomorrow.”  With that he slipped down the ladder locking the door behind him.

Seraphine felt crushed.  She sat for a while after he left dealing with the conflicting emotions playing out in her mind.  Finally, she decided she couldn’t take it anymore.  Slowly and deliberately, she changed her shape, all visible traces of her demonic nature gradually melting into her form until she resembled a human.  Snatching up a few of the potions she had made during the times she had practiced magic with Vician and putting them in a small pouch she tied to her belt, she then cast her newly learned spell on the trap door.  On a whim she gathered up the meal that Vician brought her as well as much of the leftovers from the day before.  She also tucked some bread, cheese, and fruit into another pouch.

She was immediately rewarded with a rapid series of thuds as the latches and heavy bars slid open.   Carefully she tested the door, and almost squealed with glee as the door came open.  Carefully, she climbed down the ladder, pausing only long enough to pull the trap door shut and lock it behind her.

The main floor of the warehouse was huge, consisting of a single room with multiple pillars supporting the attic.  The ceiling was easily ten or twelve feet high and heavy, crates coated with dust were piled in heaps scattered throughout the room.

Seraphine didn’t stop to see if anything was in any of the crates, but instead looked for a doorway.  She found one after only a couple of minutes of searching and was elated to find it opened out onto the street.

Seraphine was completely unprepared for what awaited her.  The first thing that hit her was the noise.  Everywhere, there were people talking, shouting, laughing or just walking.  Horses clattered by with mounted riders or pulling carts or even the occasional carriage.  In various directions she heard the sounds of stone hitting wood, wood hitting stone, stone hitting metal, metal hitting wood.  In the distance bells lazily tolled the hour or called people to worship one of the plethora of deities.  Immediately she realized Vician must have surrounded the building with a spell to keep out all the noise because there was no way simple wood walls could have.

The next thing that hit her was the sun.  Never before had she ever seen true sunlight except through the cracks in the attic window.  Even that did not prepare her for the brightness and warmth of the early evening sun, even with all the haze from the dust and smoke of the busy city.  The warmth and brightness of even this much sun both awed and intimidated her.

After the sun she noticed the smells. Smoke, dust, dirt, sweat, feces, and urine were all things she was familiar with.  Some smells she even recognized from the spell components she had, though some of these were nothing like the potency she smelled now.  But she was almost overwhelmed by all the smells she did not recognize.

As she gained her bearings, Seraphine realized she was on a street filled with mostly warehouses with what she guessed were the occasional shop or tavern thrown in.  Picking a direction at random, she started walking. 

As she walked and looked around in wonder at all the sites and sounds of the city, she became aware that many people were stopping and staring at her.  Mostly, they were men, but a good number were from women too.  Seraphine didn’t need her succubus instincts to alert her that mostly they were looks of lust, though occasionally some were pure malice or envy, but they helped confirm it.

Aware that she was attracting too much attention, she stopped and spotted a woman that was mostly ignoring her as she swept the steps of one of the buildings, singing softly to herself as she worked.

Seraphine drew on her succubus abilities to be able to understand the woman and quietly approach her.

“Pardon me, do you know where I could trade for a travel cloak?” Serpahine asked.

The woman looked up brushing her hair back from her ear, which Seraphine immediately noticed was pointed.  An elf, Seraphine guessed while the woman shrugged and pointed up a side street.  “Hmm. Most of the shops are closed, but most would want coin anyways.  Still, if you follow that street a couple miles till you see the statue, turn left and you’ll find the market,” she said in a crisp accent.  “It’s getting late, but it might be that you’ll find a merchant or trade caravan still open for trade.”

Seraphine thanked the woman and hurried up that street.  When she came to a giant statue of a man lifting one hand to the sky in the center of an intersection she turned left and within a couple of blocks found the market.

The market was eventually one big square paved in cobblestones.  On one side the merchants guild proudly sprawled the entire length, save for a space cut out for a street to run through.  On the opposite side a number of large warehouses stood.  By the time she got there, many of the permanent stalls and booths were closed.  A number of merchants were in various stages of closing up carts and preparing them to leave the market.  A very few customers were in the market trying to make last minute deals.

Seraphine spotted one smaller cart seemingly running behind in the process of packing up.  A small table stood beside the cart with various clothing items spread out to show them off, while a woman and a child carefully folded the items up and placed them into a cart.  Seraphine noticed the clothing the woman and child wore was very worn and the seams ragged while relatively simple clothing laid out looked to be in near pristine shape.

She walked over and picked up a cloak.  It was reversible with a red velvety material on one side and a dark course material on the other.  The garment was very simple, with little decoration and only a simple braided cord tied off the hood but Seraphine could tell it was well made.  She held it in her hands as the merchant turned to face her.

“Business is slow?” Seraphine guessed, using the common tongue she had been hearing most on the streets.

“Aye,” the woman replied with a sigh.  “Been slow ever since Dustin died.  He had a way about him that he could sell a twig to a lord and make the lord believe it were a walking stick.  Me, I’m just lucky if they notice me.”

The woman gestured down toward the cloak.  “Be ten silver for that.”

Seraphine sat the cloak down and pulled out two potions of resistance.  “I could trade you these potions for them.”

The woman snorted, and looked toward the girl.  “Potions are all well and good, but they don’t put food on the table.”

Seraphine pulled out the pouch with her dinner and sat it down on the table.  “What if I give you this as well?”

When the woman’s looked at the amount of food in the pouch her eyes went round.  “You are sure about this? That’s almost a weeks worth of food there.”

Seraphine blinked and looked between the woman and the child unable to fathom how so little food could last them a week.  It was only a little more than she would eat in a couple of meals.

“I’ll give you the cloak for the food.  You can pick out a blouse as well,” the merchant replied.

The succubus shook her head.  “I just want the cloak.  You can keep the potions as well.  I have little use for them.”  She picked up the cloak, flung it across her shoulders, and adjusted it slightly so it didn’t trip her as she walked away from the merchant staring after her.

Seraphine was almost to the far side of the market when a deep unease fell over her.  Turning around, she saw another cloaked figure, this one cloaked in white and gold approaching the merchant she just left. Biting her lip she hurried out of the marketplace.  When she reached the statue she kept going straight.

Eventually she came across a small area with some trees and benches where some people seemed to gather.  Spotting an empty bench she sat down. 

As she watched the people around her, she pulled out the remaining pouch of food and broke off a small piece off the hunk of cheese.  She tore open the bread and placed the cheese on the bread.  She was just reaching for her belt and realizing she forgot her flask when the sense of unease hit her again.

Before she could react, someone was sitting beside her offering her a flask.  “Here, you look thirsty.  Don’t worry, it’s just wine.”  The voice was familiar but Seraphine couldn’t quite place it.  Seraphine took the flask and looked at the speaker.  Beside her, sat the cloaked figure she saw from the marketplace.  “Why would I be worried?” She asked, trying to keep the unease out of her voice and wincing at the faint waiver she could tell the other sensed.

“Because we both know you don’t belong here, demoness,” the voice answered.  The statement was so soft as to not be overheard, but both firm with hints of warning and suspicion thrown in for good measure.  “Why are you here Seraphine?”

Even before he pushed back the hood of his cloak to reveal his head, Seraphine realized who he was, “You’re Vician’s father.”

“And you are Seraphine,” the priest retorted.  “Even without your wings, I recognized you instantly.  Now, why are you here?”

Seraphine sighed.  “I was lonely.  I thought maybe a walk would help.  Besides, this is the first chance to see a human city.”

“So who is the fool that opened the portal for you to return here and died so you could be free?  Was it Vician?”

“It’s not like that!” Seraphine protested.  As people turned to look at them she lowered her voice.  “I didn’t kill anyone since I came here.  Until today, I spent all my time shut away in a dark room.  I only ever see one person and only for a few hours a day at that.”

“So why don’t you go home?”

“That is my home now,” Serpahine glared at the priest.  “But if you mean why it is I don’t return to my home plane, the answer is I can’t.  Even if I could, all that awaits me is torture and death.  You saw what happened to Melrazia.  That is the fate that awaits me there if Tymora favors me.  More likely it will be worse.”

The succubus took a swig from the wineskin and waited for his response which she guessed would be quick in coming.  Vician’s father did not disappoint her.  “What if I sent you elsewhere, to another plane?” the priest asked.

Seraphine shrugged.  “I would still wind up back here eventually.  Probably even as soon as tomorrow,” she stated softly.  “I know you don’t trust me.  I wouldn’t either in your place.  You are what you are and I am what I am.  I can’t change that.  But if you can’t trust me, please trust in my desire to stay alive.  And staying alive means not drawing attention to myself.”

“And seducing mortal souls and feeding from them?” Vician’s father prompted.

“Would draw attention to myself,” Seraphine shook her head.  “I see you know what kind of demon I am.”

“From what you shared of your story and hat of your friend, it was not too hard to guess,” The priest nodded.  “Just as I can guess from your stating that you would simply return here if I banished you that must mean either you are bound here or have someone to summon you.  I would even go so far as to say that person is likely my own son.  No need to answer, your silence and expression tell me everything.”

Seraphine slumped and stared at the wineskin.

“If you know that, then you know why I needed to sneak out into the city,” she said softly.

Vician’s father nodded.  “It would be fairly obvious if he were to wind up dead by a succubus.”   He paused and blinked at her reaction.  “No wait… that isn’t it.  You could have killed him and escaped the city with a few days head start before anyone the wiser.  Torm take me…” he said both amazed and horrified.  “You’re in love with him.”