Monsters and Maidens (003 & 004)(Book 2)

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[Book 2 003] [Darkness]

Rick’s eyes snapped open, sleep gone before he’d even fully grasped that he was awake. “Something’s off.” He proclaimed with a ghost-whisper, uncertain of the nature of the danger, only certain that he could smell blood.

It was dark, late at night, the clouds covered the stars and moon in a mantle. And yet, for a fraction of a second, Rick could see. He could see a world of black and white, with no shadows or darkness. He was in the plains, with very few trees or dried bushes that could hide. There was movement off in the distance, furtive figures running away. But some part of him knew the ferals weren’t the source of the scent.

The next moment he was blind, a human surrounded by darkness and vague shapes.

What had THAT been about?

“Where?” Dia had been the first to speak, muttering soft words under her voice, utilizing her power to create a dim, red light. At first it was too weak, only illuminating her face, the soft round cheeks and button nose. But it grew, and the camp came into focus again, cast in sharp contrasts of red shadows, the smoldering pit marking the center where everyone else should have been gathered.

A part of Rick still marveled at the simple feats of impossibility. The chemist in him gnawed at an attempt at explaining how it was possible for the light to form, or what properties it held.

He stomped those down; this was not the time for such thoughts.

“Kiara and Eva aren’t here.” Rick declared. Monica wasn’t here either, but she’d wanted to roam around tonight, meaning it was her turn for guard duty. “Don’t scream.”

“What?” Dia looked at him, and then followed his gaze, freezing at the two blue orbs that reflected the light from the spell. “... Monica?” The Rapha asked, taking a hesitant step back.

The Sabertooth stepped forward. Her muscular, amazonian scarred physique came into sharp contrast with the light. It did not go unnoticed she’d opted to forego clothing now that they were away from any village or town. Rick’s eyes roamed the powerful frame, following the roadmap of scars to her heavy bosom. The feline noticed his attention and preened, fangs gleaming in the light, a smirk plastered all over her face, amusement and smugness all rolled into one.

“Where’s Eva and Kiara?” Rick interrupted.

She merely grunted, shrugging and making a vague direction into the darkness. “Eva bad hunt.” She proclaimed, yawning as she stepped closer. Her fur covered claw landed on his shoulder with a possessive grip. “Sleep?”

She alluringly wiggled her eyebrows down at him. This close, the three meter tall woman’s mere presence made Rick feel like he was half his actual height. He wasn’t about to complain of the view, even if his neck would likely grow a kink sooner or later.

“Not now.” He replied. Why was it so easy for him to get worked up around these women?

Monica was a creature of power, strength, and feralborn fierceness. Her body was sculpted out of stone. Scars covered every inch of her torso, neck, and face, with snowy fur encompassing the rest. She moved like she owned the very ground she stepped on. So when that very same woman knelt so she could look slightly up at him, shimmering azure eyes wide, and a quivering pouting lower lip… it was almost impossible to deny her.

Almost.

“Later.”

Dejected, she snorted, crossing her arms and thumping her ass to the ground, cross legged and dejected. Her long pale tail lashed against the dirt in annoyance.

Rick sighed, making an effort to ignore the look Dia was shooting at him. And no better way than to get moving. The Rapha was quick to follow with her light, making the red shadows to dance all around them.

The sound of a gurgled scream froze them both. Rick turned over his shoulder to look in the direction of Monica. The feline had opted quietly followed them past the edge of the light’s range. He couldn’t feel anything from her end of the bond other than boredom and petulance.

“It’s not a threat.” He declared.

“To her, maybe.” Dia stated, taking position ahead of him, her robes flowing behind her.

The scent of blood was becoming stronger. It brought with it bad memories of the first days in this world. Of a forest with monstrous trees that dwarfed skyscrapers and bloodthirsty shadows.

From those shadows, two deep red orbs peered in their direction, unfocused and wild. Rick sighed as he recognized Eva having lost herself to her thirst again. “Monica, could you catch her? No playing.”

The Sabertooth grumbled, vanishing into the shadows.

“You’re mean.” Dia whispered harshly at him, giving his shin a light tap with her boot.

“Let’s just assess the mess and get back to sleep.” He tried to smile, though felt the strings pulling at his lips would snap if he strained them further.

They moved closer to where Eva had been a moment ago, and he spotted an outline. The first thing his brain told him was that it was a woman, but it was unmoving and bloodied. His thoughts caught up to his thoughts and stomped out the initial impression. This was a feral Eva had fed on.

A feral. They were no more cognizant than an animal.

“Are you alright, sir?” The whisper came with a slight caress to his shoulder.

“It’s… nothing.” He declared, shaking his head.

There was a burst of fear through the bonds, quickly followed by a scream that came from several directions in quick order. The shadows danced and trembled, shifting and threatening to push into their circle of light. And a moment after, it all came to a stop.

Monica stepped into the light, holding Eva by the scruff of her shirt like a mother carrying a kitten by the scruff of their neck. The pale Fledgling was making a token effort to get free, swinging her arms and kicking her legs. But it was more a gesture than anything else. Everyone present knew she didn’t have a chance.

“Let me go.” Eva glowered, the fact that she was half Monica’s height and the shortest member of the group making the situation all the more amusing.

“She won’t.” Rick stated, stepping closer and looking her over.

It wasn’t that Eva was young, but rather that she was merely short. Her baggy clothes made that fact even more apparent, as she’d been forced to make do with one of his spare set of pants and shirt. Monica was still not happy about that. Particularly because the Sabertooth’s own attempt to put on one of his shirts had stretched and torn most of it.

“Look at me.” He reached out to grasp at the blood-drenched shirt.

Eva’s hands shot out to stop him, and Monica swatted her arms away faster than any of them could react. The Fledgling yelped, pulling her arms back, scratches marking the back of her hands. “You cut me!”

“It’s just a scratch.” Dia declared, arms crossed and glaring.

Rick ignored the exchange, lifting the shirt and pushing away her long black hair. He focused on how the cloth cut in several new places, but underneath there was nothing but smooth pale skin and bandages wrapping her chest. Either Eva hadn’t been hurt, or she’d already healed herself.

When his eyes met Eva’s again, hers glimmered with anger, held back, contained behind a mask of indifference. “If you want to kill yourself, do it when you’re no longer bonded to me. Be more careful next time.”

He gestured at Monica, and she let go of Eva. The smaller maiden quickly put some distance between herself and the others, pressing her back against the nearest tree.

With a sigh, Rick turned upwards, to the black sky. “Kiara, I know you’re there.”

“Of course I was.” The voice rang out in a sing-song, though the Succubus didn’t bother to approach and reveal herself. “I saw the little leech running and thought to observe. She seemed famished.”

Rick did not miss the choked noise that came out of Eva, a snarl that had gotten stuck on her throat. There was also a distinct… twinge in the bond, one so fast he hadn’t caught anything of use. It was clear Eva herself was doing her level best to obscure what he could see into her through the bond.

It made her harder to read. Quite annoying, considering he wanted to keep her on a tight leash while they were out in the wilderness. The last thing anyone needed was an idiot getting them all killed.

“Whatever the case, let’s-.”

His head snapped in a direction into the darkness, and he noticed Monica had done the exact same gesture at the exact same time. Her feelings of boredom had vanished with a snap, replaced with the feeling of encountering a stranger that had just pulled a knife on you.

“That is still creepy, no matter how many times I see them do it.” Kiara’s voice spoke in a hushed whisper. “Problems in paradise?”

Monica’s feline ears remained pointed squarely ahead, gaze sharp, her breaths slow and steady. “Weak, hungry. Very hungry. Many. Far.”

“Dangerous?” Rick prompted, eyeing her and trying to read her more closely.

“No.”

Her answer was immediate and without hesitation. Yet he caught the little details that betrayed the nuance, the twitch of her tail, the way her claws extended and her brows creased. Monica did not consider it a threat, she was certain she could handle it. But something about it was bothering her.

Monica had something to say but lacked a clear way to express it. He’d have to continue helping her expand her vocabulary.

“No rest tonight, then.” He declared. “We’ll move away from the road for now. Don’t want to risk encountering anything when only two of us can see in the dark.” He made a gesture at Eva. “Dia, could you help with the blood? Let’s not tempt fate and possibly draw some hungry feral.”

It was to Rick’s surprise that Monica stopped Dia before the Rapha could use a cleaning spell on Eva. “No.” The Sabertooth declared with a firm shake of her head. “Eva weak. Need fight.”

“She does have a point. The leech is not even pulling her own weight as it is.” Kiara proclaimed from the formless darkness above. Rick spotted a glimmer of azure hair in the dim light, framing the shadow of her curves.

“You can’t be seriously considering the skank’s words.” Eva declared, glaring at Rick directly. “I am no fighter, that is a m-.” Her words froze in her throat.

“A maiden’s job?” Rick finished for her, quirking a brow.

He might as well have slapped her with how quickly she turned to look away.

“I am a person of intellect.” She stated under her breath. “I am no blood-thirsty monster.”

Kiara let out a sharp, cutting laugh. “You should at least clean-up before saying that.”

The Succubus glided down into the red glow of Dia’s light, her figure moving through the air with the grace of a mermaid sensuously swimming through a current. It was no mistake she’d angled her peach-shaped rump at Rick, her tail raising the edges of her skirt and trailing sensual caresses up and down her calves and thighs.

“Isn’t that right, Rick?” She cooed, looking at him over her shoulder.

The Fledgling glowered, fists clenched and trembling.

“Did you wound the feral to draw Eva to it?”

The commentary cut through Kiara’s sensual display like a hot knife. “A growing girl needs her nourishment, and she’s been so considerate, starving herself just so she wouldn’t become a burden by asking for your blood.” The expression had remained smug, but Kiara’s tail had paused in its self-teasing, and that alone told Rick he’d hit the nail on the head.

He could push the matter, but something else had caught his attention. Eva’s face had gone from furious, to pale, to red, and then pale again. For a fraction of a second, he could see the whirlwind of emotions fighting for dominance over the others. That is, until a mask of forced neutrality managed to fall into place, the gate to her feelings closing tightly.

“I think the weaker Eva is, the less of a chance she might pose a threat when she goes bloodthirsty again.” Dia declared. The nurse had spoken with a sweet smile, even when her eyes held nothing but contempt for the Fledging.

Rick shrugged. As far as he was concerned, she had a point. “Eva, you want to leave this group once we get to Sinco, right?”

“What? Of course!” She snapped without hesitation.

“Then that means you will have to eventually find yourself some other human.” He replied before she could say anything else. “You might need to protect them.”

“I am no tool.”

Monica frowned in Eva’s direction, making the woman shrink slightly into the shadows.

“That’s that, then.” Rick said, not allowing another discussion to emerge. “Let’s pick up camp and start moving. Dia, the cleaning, and… once it’s done, Eva, you will be guiding us.”

The Fledgling bristled. “I am-.”

“If we stick around, whatever Monica detected might find us, and then chances are you will have to fight, regardless of your feelings about the subject.” Rick cut her off. “Don’t like it? Don’t want to help at all? That’s fine, I don’t need you around either. I agreed to take you to Sinco, but I’m not going to put up with an attitude when you don’t bring anything to this group.” He pointed towards the darkness. “You’re free to leave and handle the ferals on your own. The road is that way.”

Eva’s wide-eyed shock was answered by Kiara’s laugh, as sharp as a knife to the gut. Rick didn’t bother to wait for a response. Now that the adrenaline was ebbing away, the bags under his eyes felt as if they were full of bleach, and his back ached from having slept at an odd angle on the dirt.

Returning to the camp while the Fledging changed and Dia handled the clothes, Rick began putting everything away.

“She still believes she’s a human.” Kiara’s voice lingered in his ear with syrupy sweetness. “She’s so weak, even someone like you could conquer her.” A lilting pause followed. “I could help… if you asked. She would be quite… fun, to break.”

As Kiara spoke, her silken fingers caressed his back. The strain that had built there during the night was gone instantly. A refreshing cool breeze on a hot summer’s night that blew within his body and soothed away the cobwebs in his mind.

“Stop.” The word had taken more effort than he’d thought it ought to, but she complied. Just like that, the strain returned, the tiredness the stinging in his eyes. But he knew what would lead after the tingling touch.

Kiara was not shy about what she wanted. She was a Succubus, and he wasn’t in the mood to put up with her games.

“It’s not your turn.”

“Every night could be your turn, though. That much would at least make for a snack.” She declared, her warm hands caressing his back through the shirt. “We both know I don’t find ferals very… fulfilling. I can survive on it for only so long.” Her nails dug into his shirt, poking against his skin with the sharpness of thorns.

“We can’t do squat if we’re constantly on the road looking over our shoulder. The only reason you’re not getting ‘your fair share’ from us is because you’re not doing your part.” He stated.

“No-.”

“Yes, Kiara.” He snapped, whirling around to glare into her golden eyes. The intensity of his gaze made her pull her hands away. “Your supposed expertise in navigating the societal bullshit has gotten us nothing. How many nights have we actually slept with a roof over our heads?”

“Then you should read the mood. Leave Monica out of sight for a change and the locals might be less terrified.” She snorted, rolling her eyes.

Rick let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Yeah, no.”

Kiara was exactly the sort of person he would rather not stay alone with any prolonged amount of time. He was keenly aware how little she thought of humans, and his best and only protection from her powers was having Monica around.

“Your brute might be content with waiting until you ‘get in the mood’, I won’t.” It was her turn to growl, her nails digging a bit deeper into his shirt.

He grasped her wrists, holding her in place rather than letting her turn away. Their eyes locked, and Rick practically felt the maiden restraining herself from pushing him down there and then.

He spoke before she made the decision.

“Tell me, honestly, in my current condition, would I be able to survive?”

She held his gaze, and her strength faltered even if her glare did not. “If I’m going to wait, then give me something. I don’t live off of meat and veggies.”

He paused, frowning. Then sighing. “Eva.”

Kiara hesitated, looking equal parts stunned and dubious. “Really?”

“You… are part of the team. She isn’t.”

“That was not… No, nevermind.” She spoke quickly. “So, you’re giving her to me?”

His lips narrowed. “If it comes down to it and there aren’t alternatives available.”

It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t do it anyway. He had little doubt on how little Kiara cared about anyone other than herself. Still, the offering appeared to placate her. Kiara relaxed, taking a thoughtful look, her hands resting against his chest almost tenderly.

For a moment it looked as if she was about to say something, then she leaned closer, her touch once more heating him up as her power washed through his body. She stared into his eyes with her pools of freckled gold, closing them as her sharp-angled nose brushed against his own.

Plump feathery lips caressed his own, heat flared across his body.

She pulled back.

Kiara smirked. “Just a reminder of what you’re missing out on.” Without another word, she flew off, returning to the darkness of the cloudy sky above.

Rick growled, adjusting his pants and getting back to work in picking everything up, making extra sure that his box of samples didn’t get crushed against anything. He sighed and wondered at whether the next village they stumbled onto would have something more welcoming for them than dirt and a cold meal.

[Book 2 004] [Barrels]

“A man shouldn’t be running himself ragged like this.” Dia’s diagnosis came with a soft, chiding tone that was far too concerned to have any actual sting.

Her hands moved from Rick’s forehead down to his chest, the green glow under her palm cool to the touch and refreshing. It made him feel lighter, and under the intense summer heat, it was exactly what he’d needed.

He hated that she had a point. The problem was that he was holding them back. Being the human in a group of maidens meant it was physically impossible to keep their normal pace. His main concern being that, if they were chased, he’d likely end up needing to ask Monica to carry him around.

The mental image made him sigh.

“That’s because he didn’t take the Centaur girl when I told him to.” Kiara snorted from above, lazily flapping her wings.

“Too expensive to rent.” He replied with a snap.

“Who said anything about paying? You wouldn’t have even needed the humans to come along.” She laughed. “I’m sure I could convince a couple of them to trade owners.”

Rick ignored the caustic look Dia shot at the Succubus. “So you meant stealing them by putting a charm on everyone involved? Yeah, that’s skillful.”

Kiara instantly bristled. “What? WHAT?” She called out. “A ‘charm’? Not skillful!? Do you even realize how complicated it is to penetrate into a maiden’s defenses to neutralize let alone subvert only a fraction of their power!?”

As soon as Dia let out a giggle, Kiara’s mouth snapped shut.

The Succubus floated down and poked his forehead. “You are fortunate to barely have an aura of your own, or you would be wrapped around my finger already.” The sinful maiden turned, flying back up into the sky, shooting him another glare as she went.

There was a little moment of silence before Dia giggled again. “You did that on purpose to shoo her away.”

He shrugged in response. “If I’d told her I wanted to be left alone, she’d have stuck around harder.”

The Rapha flinched. “Does that-?”

“You know what I mean.” He reached out to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

She relaxed, nodding. “So you have a Succubus unable to pretend to be pleasant company. Are we going to pick up a deaf Doggirl next?”

Well, that was an amusing thought. “This coming from the Rapha who jumped into a fight and gutted a Sorceress?” He poked at her arm, enjoying the little squirm and bashful look on her face.

“She tried to kill you.” Dia muttered, her button nose pointed at the ground.

Rather than answer, Rick reached out at her shoulder and pulled her closer. She dimpled, smiling slightly and leaning into him, head resting on his shoulder than her hand fell on his ass. “Must you?” He asked.

“You have a cute butt. Very manly.” She whispered, her tone teasing, not stopping him as he pulled her hand up to his waist.

“I am thankful to know that if I ever get roasted, you would turn the perpetrator into Swiss cheese.” He steered the conversation back on track.

“Swiss?” Her head spun as she checked the area, looking for something. Once she’d confirmed Eva was well ahead of the group, walking slightly behind Monica, only then did she speak. “Is that a word from your world?” She spoke in a whisper.

It had been a general agreement on their part. Rick didn’t care about Eva’s past, and he wouldn’t share his own. No need to complicate things. “It’s a place. Swiss cheese is the one that’s full of holes.” He declared.

“Oh. I wouldn’t do that. I would turn them into green cheese.”

“How do you figure?”

“If anyone were to seriously hurt you, I would look for a way to turn them inside out rather than just stab them. Though there’s no inside-out cheese, and I figure green cheese is the closest to that.”

There was a moment of pause.

Dia flushed. “I’m being gross again, aren’t I?”

“It’s… cute, scary, but cute.” He replied. Dia stiffened a little, then sighed, sinking her cheek into his shoulder. The gesture caught him slightly by surprise. “You weren’t going for scary?”

“Strong, womanly, reliable, protective… As all maidens should be.” She muttered. “I don’t want to be scary like some feralborn…”

“Well, I think you’re the maidenest maiden out there.” He kissed her cheek, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed.

Still, the Rapha scoffed slightly. “Second only to tall, perfect, breastiful Monica. She who scares a thousand ferals with a mere look.”

Where was this coming from? Rick leaned slightly closer, reaching up to her waist and pulling her deeper into his embrace. “Something bothering you?”

She made a gesture at the others. “Kiara’s skin is thicker than her big fat butt. Eva can regenerate. And the only way Monica gets seriously hurt would be if the skies opened up and struck her down where she stood.” She sighed, shoulders slumping. “As a healer, I’m not very necessary.”

“You say that as if I’m not standing right in front of you.” He rolled his eyes at her.

She grumbled, squeezing him. “It’s the man’s job to stand on the sidelines and look pretty. Maybe you’d get a scratch or a bump in the head. Then and only then would the beautiful and capable healer kiss your booboos away after having made victory possible only through healing every other member from the brink of death.”

The unflinching conviction of her words made the stab to his pride all the deeper. It felt that no matter how long he spent in this world, it would forever remain jarring how the roles felt reversed in so many ways.

Not that he was going to let it slide. “If what you want is to be the big-ol maiden, then I guess there’s no need to do things like tying you up. Since apparently my job is to be the man in distress.”

And just like that, her cheeks took the same color as her hair. “Small correction.” She coughed. “It’s the human’s job to stand imposing, commanding the-.”

“I can sense the horny all the way up here!” Kiara yelled from overhead. “Unless someone’s about to get nailed against a tree, and I’m a part of it, then cut it!”

“What a cunt punt.” Dia glowered under her breath, marching along.

Rick burst into laughter, unable to stop himself.

***

***

With summer coming to its end, the dryness lingered in the air like parchment. Blue skies dotted in cotton clouds and sprinkled the day with gentle, hot breezes. The grass was yellowed and cracked, the golden plains were massive, and they were very far from the forests.

And if the lack of ferals, bandits, or problems was an indication of anything, then it was that going off the road had been the perfect choice. Or at least, that was what Rick would’ve thought normally. But the villages had warned that there was a feral rush going through the area.

The signs were there. Monica could barely find anything to forage or hunt. And that was concerning. Despite her massive size, the Sabertooth’s ability to find food no matter the situation had been an incredible boon, making their supplies last far longer than they otherwise would have.

“The ferals moved through here faster than us.”

“If you allowed the brute to carry you like the man you are, we would have less of a problem.” Kiara stated with a bored sigh.

Sometimes Rick suspected the Succubus had mind-reading. “If this dry spell keeps up, I just might do that.” He chewed the inside of his cheek, not wanting to feel as bothered about the idea as he did.

“Monica has plan.”

“Not eating ferals.” Rick said. He noticed Monica pointing a claw at Eva. She raised her brow inquisitively at him. He sighed. “She needs the blood. That’s different. It’s… complicated.”

“Other plan.” She rolled her eyes, nose scrunching up as she shook her head. “Big hunt.”

Just hearing the proposal caused four knots to form at the base of Rick’s neck. His first instinct was to refuse. “Give me a moment.”

He rubbed at his jaw in thought. Monica was the strongest fighter on the team. Any trouble that came their way would be that much more dangerous without her around. And there were also dangers from inside the group, mainly…

“Have her take Eva.” Kiara pipped up, twirling a lock of azure hair and failing to look innocent. “Let the little leech have a meal or two. Maybe she’ll learn how to hunt for her own food.”

Monica perked up at that, looking at Eva thoughtfully and nodding. “Yes. Learn.”

“What!?” The Fledging snapped, jumping from her shadow, turning to him. “You can’t let this charmer use her powers to-.”

“She’s not using her powers.” Rick sighed.

“She is a Succubus, they are always-.”

“Shut up.” He snapped, then grimaced. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Dia, how’s our situation?”

“I’ve already been rationing meals.”

She mentioned it with such casualness it took him a moment to register the words. “Rationing… whose meals?” He asked, slowly.

“Mine? I’m a maiden, I-.”

“And you didn’t tell me… why?” He frowned at her. “We’re a team, you should’ve…” Rick recognized he was about to snap at her and stopped. He slowed his breath. This was not the time for chiding. “How far are we from the next village?”

“Shouldn’t be too far, maybe a couple days?” The nurse declared, then grimaced.

“I’ve been flying all day, no smoke.” Kiara said. “Are you sure you’re reading the map right?” Her golden gaze focused on Dia, lips curling upwards, impish tail swaying.

“The map is shit.” Rick proclaimed before the nurse could respond. “It’s unreliable at best, useless at worst, you’d think-.” Another heavy groan. “You can still spot the road from up there, right?”

The Succubus pursed her lips. “Sure.”

“Then we’re not totally lost and the road’s got to go somewhere, but we’re not sure if we’ll starve before we get there.” His shoulders slumped, eyes turning to Dia. “How much can we last if Monica leaves?”

“A week.”

He nodded, turning to the Sabertooth and raising his hand. “Big hunt it is. But you need to be back in three days.”

“YES! BIG HUNT!” Monica shot forward, wrapping him into a tight fluffy hug before he’d even gotten the chance to lower his arm. She kissed the crown of his head twice, and dropped him right after, letting out a bubbling laughter.

She was gone before he’d even gotten the chance to regain his balance, the dirt spraying all around as she’d bolted out of there at a speed worthy of a cartoon. “Hunt! Hunt! Hunt!” she chanted as she went.

Rick doubted she was going to break the sound-barrier any time soon, but she sure looked eager to try. He also noted that Eva was glaring at the Sabertooth as she vanished into the distance.

“I’m not the only one pent up, huh.” Kiara commented idly. “At least some of us are having fun.”

“If we find civilization and they don’t kick us out before the day is out, you’ll get your turn.” Rick said. “Better get back to walking.”

“I will take Eva for a walk.”

Rick swerved, looking at Kiara as she’d reached out and lay an iron grip on the smaller maiden’s shoulder. They met gazes, and the Succubus grinned.

“You know, girl talk, feeding time, that kind of thing.” She replied, shooting him a wicked smile. “Don’t worry, the cat scouted the area, and I made sure there weren’t any ferals for a good while.” There was a slight pause as she winked. “You can just… walk, or stick around and watch. I don’t mind either way.”

“Don’t you-AH!” The Fledgling went mute, her pale face turning into a tomato red, eyes widening. Her next attempt to talk came out as a garbled moan. She rushed to cover her mouth, struggling and failing to break free from the Succubus’ grasp.

Eva with her porcelain skin, messy black hair, and lithe figure. A woman wearing baggy men’s clothes that made her look smaller than she actually was. Kiara stood right next to her, with a dress too tight to hold her curves, lush bronze skin, and an imposing presence that demanded attention. It was a sight of sharp contrasts.

“I figured that, without the cat around, you’d want me fully charged and ready for some tussling.” Kiara purred, licking every syllable off of her lips like she was tasting a lollipop.

Eva stared at him with wide eyes, full of horror. Pleading silently for a way out.

Rick shrugged. “You’re right, just be quick.”

“Aye aye!” The mock salute was followed by a savage yank, turning around and pulling Eva with her. The Fledgling looked over her shoulder at him with a mix of panic and betrayal.

With a shake of his head, Rick turned and started walking. His attention turned towards the sun and he guesstimated a relative southeastern direction, one that would bring them closer to the main road and make it easier to reach the next village wherever it happened to be.

“Not going to complain?” He glanced at Dia as she’d quietly followed along.

Her response was a nonchalant imitation of his shrug. “It’s best if it’s Eva. The alternative is either me or you. I’m the healer, and you’re, well, our male.”

“But…?” He could practically feel it inside her, like being able to watch the water simmering under a foggy glass lid.

“I still think we should’ve handed that slut over to the kingdom. With Eva. Save ourselves the trouble.”

“Without her, I’d likely be either six feet under or… dunno, whatever it is the Tigress tribes do to hostages.”

“I’ve heard they eat them.” Dia muttered, quickly shaking her head. “She only helped because it was convenient for her.”

He couldn’t really deny that. He shrugged. “And it’s mutual.”

“But you said-.” Her mouth snapped shut, quickly squirming as soon as Rick looked her way.

“I said…?”

“That she’s… useless.” She coughed, avoiding his gaze. “Voice… carries over when making camp.”

“Mhm.” He stared at her skeptically. “As far as I’m concerned, the thing she wants from me is of more value than what I’m getting out of her, so-.”

His words came to a halt as a shrill moan followed by a squeal pierced the silence. Both of them paused, but did not turn around to confirm what was going on. The gasps that had followed the sound were a good enough hint.

A part of Rick knew he should feel… something, maybe regret or… at least hesitation about the whole thing. But he couldn’t find it. The self-chiding at letting Kiara just snatch Eva up like that was more academic than anything else. And as he was pondering things, he felt… a tingle.

He realized Kiara was making a point to fully enjoy her meal. The bond snapped like a live wire, making him feel flushed and pent up.

“Dia?”

“Yes?”

“Are there ways to block emotions… from the bond, I mean?”

Dia turned pensive, the slight coloration on her cheeks the only betrayal that she too was hearing the chorus of moans that came from a spot roughly twenty meters behind them and near a tree. “I would recommend learning some minor protection spells, but… you don’t have any energy. And I’m no psychic. I couldn’t do anything for you directly other than tell you to continue on the meditation exercises. An enchanted item would be the next best thing, but… those are very expensive.”

“Great. Human otherworlder parents for the win.” He groaned.

“Why do you ask?”

With a sigh, he shifted, looking around before speaking up. “Because Eva sounds like she’s a one woman orgy and Kiara’s enjoying it… a lot.”

“Oh.” Dia stopped, looked down, then back up at him and grinned, her lips curled upwards. “Maybe I could help my man find some comfort? Sir? Could I give you a… massage, perhaps?” She batted her eyelashes, hamming it up with a smug little smirk.

Rick felt like making some offhand comment about having two Succubi in the group, rather than just one. But he was also sure she would’ve taken it as an insult. So he nodded, pulling her close. “Maybe there’s-.”

Something caught his attention.

He turned his head and swore.

Several figures had just split from the horizon off in the distance, climbing towards the sky.

“That’s…”

“They’re coming our way.” Dia confirmed, squinting. “They’re clothed, not ferals.”

Rick smelled trouble.

“Fuck.”

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