Succubus Companions ch5 pt. 6

Looking the woman over, Seraphine noticed she was in bad shape.  Her clothes were soaked with blood from a stab wound in her gut.  She also bled in a line down her chest where someone had cut too deeply when someone too impatient to undo the lacings of her vest and blouse had cut too deeply.  Blood, more purple than red, was beginning to crust around her hairline, her nose and lips.  The woman’s slightly skin looked as if it would normally be a bronze skin, but now looked more blue than bronze.  Wide gold-flecked hazel eyes looked up at Seraphine first in horror then in bitter acceptance as the woman, too weak to move, watched the demon lean over her.

Seraphine pulled a flask from her belt, relieved it had survived.  Seraphine poured a portion of it onto the woman’s wounds causing the woman to gasp as the potion’s affects washed over the woman with a cool magical sensation.  She held it to injured woman’s lips.  “Drink this.  It will help,” She ordered.

The woman turned her head to the side revealing one pointed ear.  An elf, Seraphine realized.  The elven maiden whispered, “Be gone, demon.”

Seraphine recoiled in surprise as holy energy washed over her, sinking into her, and doing absolutely nothing.  She blinked in confusion and looked down at the elf to realize that the elf was staring at her with an expression that showed she was equally confused.

“That should have at least stung,” the woman grunted bitterly.

Seraphine shrugged.  “We can figure that out later.  For now, drink,” she ordered.

“Elora?” the woman croaked.

Seraphine tilted her head to the side.  “Elora?”

“The wolf,” the elf clarified.

Seraphine moved over to the wolf.  It looked up at her warily, baring its teeth.  The arrow protruded from the side, buried almost to the fletching.  Seraphine wasn’t an expert on wolf anatomy, but she from the way the wolf wheezed, she suspected that the arrow had punctured a lung.

She moved back to the elf and shook her head.  “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

The elf grabbed her hand.  “Save her,” she commanded.

Seraphine sighed, “I only have one potion with me.  If I have to use it all on the wolf, you might die.”

“Save her,” the elf commanded again.  “Please.”

Seraphine sighed again and looked up at Vician.  “You have another potion?”

“Not that I am sharing,” Vician replied.  “Especially not on an elf we don’t even know.”

“I’ll be fine,” the elf pleaded.  “Please save Elora.”

Rolling her eyes, Seraphine shifted back to a human form and returned to the wolf and knelt down beside it.  Seraphine reached for the arrow only to yank her hand back to avoid losing it to the wolf’s jaws.

“Easy, girl,” Seraphine whispered.  “Elora?  I want to help you but I have to remove the arrow.” 

Seraphine reached for the arrow again.  As gently, but quickly as she could she pushed the arrow the rest of the way through the wolf. 

Elora tried to snap at Serpahine’s hands again, but the succubus moved her hands out of the way.  The wolf then tried to lunge for the demon, but she didn’t have the strength and she collapsed into a whimpering ball of fur.

Retrieving her dagger from Breven’s corpse, Seraphine cut the end off of the arrow and pulled it out.  Acting quickly, she poured a little of the healing potion on both of the wounds. 

Cupping her hand, she poured a little of the healing potion into it and held it in front of the wolf.  Putting a bit of suggestion into her voice she encouraged the wolf to drink.  One handful at a time, she convinced Elora to lap up the potion.

Gradually, the wolf’s breathing slowed and became less labored and the visible wounds knit together and faded into scars.  The wolf stopped whimpering and slowly came to her feet still regarding the demon warily she padded over to the elf and sat down.

The elf reached up to pet the wolf and whispered reassurances to it.  “Thank you,” she said softly, looking up to meet Seraphine’s eyes.  To the succubus’ amazement, the elf looked and sounded a bit stronger.  “Regeneration spell,” the elf explained, seeing Seraphine’s expression.  “Not as fast or painless as healing potions, but effective.”

Vician approached the women, his arms laden with goods collected from the dead men.  “Let’s go,” he commanded in a gruff voice.

Seraphine glanced to the woman skeptically.

“Not her,” Vician barked.  “You.”

“We can’t just leave her,” Seraphine retorted.  “She can’t even walk.” 

“Not our problem,” the wizard shrugged coldly.  Seeing Seraphine’s expression, he softened his tone.  “Come on, we’ve left our camp unattended long enough.  It would be a miracle if we do not find that all our gear is stolen.”

“You helped Melrazia, why won’t you help her?”  Seraphine stood up to face Vician, confusion and anger evident in her expression.

“I had something to gain for helping Melrazia; namely you,” Vician pointed out.  “Helping this woman, gains us nothing.”

“Helping this woman got you the pile of stuff you are carrying.”

“No, killing men gained me the stuff I carry,” Vician explained with exaggerated patience.  “If she is strong, she will survive.”

“You sound like a demon.  That is something a demon would say,” Seraphine angrily hissed.

“And you are a demon,” Vician snarled back.  “Perhaps you should start acting more like one.”

Seraphine looked as though she had been struck in the face.  “Part of the reason Melrazia was hurt was because we don’t want to be demons,” she gritted through clenched teeth as tears ran down her face.

“Well you certainly looked like you enjoyed being a demon when you killed those men tonight,” Vician sneered gesturing towards the men.

“Go bed a Medusa,” Seraphine hissed.  She turned her back on the mage.  “If you want to go back to camp, go ahead.  No one is stopping you.  I’m staying.”

“If you do not come with me, I’ll banish you back to the statue,” Vician warned.

“Go ahead.  At least the company would be preferable in there.”  Seraphine looked over her shoulder with the most angelic smile she could muster thus missing the brief look of horror that washed over the injured elf’s face.  “At least there, I don’t have my failings rubbed in my face.” 

“Nine Hells, must you be so difficult woman?” the mage roared.

“I’m not a woman, I’m a demon remember?  It’s in my nature.”

“Ugggh,” if Vician’s hands were not full, Seraphine imagined he would have thrown them up as he turned and stomped off.  “Do what you want.  If you’re not back in camp in an hour, I’ll use the statue.”  Not bothering to wait for a reply, he stalked into the woods leaving the succubus alone with the elf and the wolf.

Neither the mage nor the succubus noticed the elf mumble a spell or saw her look of confusion as she glanced at the angry demon or her wince in pain as she watched the departing man.

Succubus Companions ch5 pt. 5

Breven's death was enough to break the spell.  One man watching in horror as the two brother's fell and was rewarded with several balls of energy exploding into his chest courtesy of Vician.  The others dove for their discarded weapons.  Two never made it.  Twin spells from Seraphine and Vician lashed out to catch them in the back and send them tumbling across the clearing, smoke rising from their backs.

Only four survivors remained.  Two charged Vician, but Seraphine was unable to spare him any help as the remaining pair faced off against her.

There was no time to go for her dagger which was still in Breven's hand.  Instead, she had to rely on her natural weapons.  As one man attempted to distract her by weaving his sword in a complicated pattern, she used her tail to trip his partner who was trying to flank her on her left.  She spun out of reach to the right coming around to face the men, cursing herself for not taking the time to grab the wands and the daggers Melrazia had given to her in her pack before investigating the scream.

She ducked as the first man took a swing at her, his sword passing so close to her head that it chipped one of her horns.  As he attempted to reverse the swing, she lashed out with her claws, catching him lightly across the throat. 

It was merely a scratch but it startled him enough that he jumped back giving her a chance to respond to the man she had tripped who attempted to thrust his blade into her gut.  Hissing, she threw herself backwards using her tail and wings to balance and control her landing.  As the man pressed the attack, she hopped backwards again, this time turning her flight into a roll.  As she came down, she scooped up a handful of dirt with her claws and flung it at the man's face, temporarily blinding him.

She didn't have a chance to follow up on her advantage.  Even as the blinded man lashed out blindly with his sword, the man she had scratched charged in from her side.  She lashed out with her tail again, but he was ready.  Stumbling out of the tails reach he made a slash at it.

Grunting, Seraphine swept her tail out of the man's reach and rolled over pushing herself to her feet.  Before the man could raise his sword again, she leapt upon him, knocking him down.  Holding him down with her left hand and knees, she drew back her right and then stabbed down with a vicious strike that sent her claws through this throat.

Even as the dead man's blood splattered over her, half-blinding her, she felt someone standing over her.  She rolled over using the dead man as a shield.  The man she had blinded had recovered somewhat.  Using his sword almost like an axe, he chopped down, burying his blade so deep in his companion's body that the tip protruded through the dead man's chest a mere inch from Seraphine's nose.

Throwing all her weight into the move, Seraphine rolled the rest of the way over, wrenching the sword from her would-be killer's hands.  She barely got to her feet before the man slammed into her.  Angrily, she staggered back and shoved him off of her.  Wiping a bit of blood from her lip, she eyed the man.  "Run, and you can live," She growled.

"Never, demon bitch," the man spat.  "I'd rather die first."

"Good enough for me," a haggard voice came from behind the man just before the man's chest sprouted a few inches of steel.

Vician jerked his dagger free and the man fell to the ground.  "You okay?" he asked.

Shakily, Seraphine stood up straighter.  Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she nodded.  "The others?"

"Dead," Vician said smugly.

"And the Woman?"

"Still alive, I think," he shrugged.  "We should go."

"You would just leave her?" She asked incredulously.

"None of our business.  For all we know she was one of them and they had a falling out.  Regardless, they might have friends nearby.  We should go."

"There's no one else nearby," Seraphine shot him a cold look.

"How would you know?" Vician retorted.

"I know," Seraphine's answer left no room for doubt or discussion.  She stepped around him and went over to kneel beside the injured woman.

Succubus Companions ch 5 pt. 4

Even as the rest of the men looked up, Seraphine stepped out of the woods, dark leathery wings sprouting from her back.  Taking a breath, she steadied herself as she drew upon her natural abilities.  She reached out with her mind and immediately wished she had not as images of rape and violence flooded her head.  If intentions and cruelty alone were enough, these men would fit well into her home plane.

But for a creature to survive, let alone thrive in the abyss, intentions and cruelty alone mean little.  Cunning, creativity, deception, and most of all power drive the abyss and the hint of a smile came over Seraphine as the chaos of the men's thoughts washed over her...as well as the knowledge none could withstand her.

Drawing upon yet another of her natural abilities, she allowed the promise of passion and sex fill her voice.  Putting up one hand to signal Vician to hold off his next attack, she purred, "Boys, boys, surely that woman is more trouble than she is worth?  Why don't you drop your blades and come play with me instead?  Surely a willing victim is more fun than a dying woman?"  She let her dagger fall to the ground to the ground as a demonstration of her 'willingness.'

Had the men the ability to resist her charm, most would have been horrified.  As it was, only one man's eyes widened as he whispered in horror, "Succubus!"  However, even his sword joined those of his brethren as he watched them approach the demon.

Seraphine took all of this in and tried to process above the terror pounding in her heart.  As demons go, succubi tended to be weaker and therefore tended to avoid combat where possible.  Though Seraphine had been in several fights in the abyss, this was her first facing true combat and she was terrified even as she felt the exhilarating euphoria of the chaos washing over her.

As the first man reached her, she pulled him in for a quick kiss.  She felt disgusted with herself even as his life-force flowed from him into her.  She tried to stifle the inner turmoil as she committed an act she had sworn and had struggled to avoid.  She brought the man to the brink of death, before easing him down to the ground, laying down his unconscious body and surreptitiously grabbing her dagger.

She rose back to her feat as the second man reached to embrace her.  As she stepped into his embrace, she slipped into his mind momentarily to gleam the thoughts just under the surface of his mind.  Taking what she found there and putting it to use, she pressed her dagger into his hands and stood on tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "If you kill the others, you won't have to share."  She stepped back and watched in satisfaction as his eyes widened and the power of her suggestion took root in his mind.

The man spun at once to stab the nearest of his companions through the gut.  The stabbed man looked confused by the betrayal.  "Breven, why?  I'm your brother," he stammered as blood poured from the wound and gathered at the corner of his mouth.  The dead man's brother, Breven, turned back to Seraphine, just in time to see her hands had become claws... claws that bestowed the same treatment on Breven that he had just bestowed on his brother.

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.

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.”