Breast Quest - Chapter 8

With every artifact now in hand, Asher and Mena encounter one last major, voluptuous speed bump on their road to getting their reward, not to mention some interpersonal drama...

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A couple days had passed since the successful score at Queen Eiruferu's castle and saying that still didn't quite feel real. In my travels with Mena we'd scoured a long way, and it was a lengthy trip back. Uneventful though, for the most part, and it gave us a lot of time to reflect on what we'd achieved together.

Somehow, through a combination of luck, cunning and resilience we'd managed to bag every treasure on the list, every artifact that Lady Auphemia had tasked me with grabbing. The four treasures that, according to her, were of utmost import for... something she was working on, I dunno. I was too busy thinking about titties to ask too much about the details. And I got the sense she preferred it that way regardless.

The Eye of Cole, a large blue diamond with what looked like an iris in the center attached to a small golden stand. The Eye was raided from an ancient, cursed tomb by Mena's old running mates and kept at her hideout - going after this was how I met her.

The Trident Key, a large green tree that looked to be made out of coral, with tri-pronged golden teeth sticking out... said to be a gift from the Gods, it was kept in the bosom of a mermaid who was NOT willing to give it up.

The Silver Tail, exactly what it said on the tin, resembling a long bushy fox tail... sometimes it seemed to wiggle as though it were still attached to a living creature. Spooky! Somehow the owners of a tavern got hold of it, and their team of busty dancers gave us (me) a lot of trouble.

Lastly, there was the Phoenix Talon, a huge bird claw thought to have fallen off of a genuine phoenix. That creature hasn't existed in eons. Yet the talon glows with a radiant power even now. The Queendom of Luciana kept this closely guarded... but not closely enough!

It was a hell of a journey for me - not only did I complete my mission, but Mena and I… we’ve established an unlikely bond. I dare not put a label on it… but she’s important to me, and shockingly enough, it’s mutual. She’d even earned my horse’s trust to the point that he listens to her commands now, so I guess you could say it’s getting pretty serious.

I’d even learned a little something about myself along the way… heh, I wasn’t dressing too femme that day but Mena had actually helped put my hair up in a cute twintail style. Getting in touch with my feminine side, so to speak, felt nice. I think it made me a little more comfortable expressing vulnerability, made me feel a bit more sensitive perhaps. Oh, and while I’m reminiscing, I saw a LOT more titty on this journey than I ever imagined, that fucking rocked~!

Looking back, it really was astonishing what we'd done. Well, what Mena had done, mostly. I was largely just there to take a pummeling so she could avoid the heat. But that dynamic had proven very effective, if unorthodox. All I can say is thank the Gods for healing potions, my balls would NOT have survived this trip without them! And that would've made the reward that awaited me at the end of it all rather bittersweet...

Speaking of which, as we rode on into the thick of a forest, enjoying the shade from the trees, Mena turned to me with a big smile and said, "I swear, Ash. I can already see it now..."

"See what?" I asked, trying to keep my eyes on the road, in spite of the way Mena's magnificent breasts bounced with every slight bump of the carriage.

"The lovely new home I'm gonna buy..." she replied, leaning back with a relaxed sigh. She made a rectangle with her hands and hovered it over her eyes, imagination going wild. "I've been on the streets too long. The money from this score is gonna change everything, I can just feel it."

The next few seconds were quiet. Painfully quiet.

She looked over at me, such a sweet look on her face as she asked, "How about you? What you spendin' your cut on?"

"That's... um. A really good question." I replied, actively trying to look away from her now.

"What, all this time you haven't even thought about it? Hah... that's just like you." Mena chided, putting her arms behind her head as she stretched out. "You know, you still haven't told me much about these buyers we're dealing with. These are people you trust, yeah?"

I bit my bottom lip. I'd always been quiet about this, yes. Something she respected, I guess it was common as thieves went. But still. I just wasn't even willing to broach the topic at all.

Mena raised an eyebrow at this, noticing a touch of color leaving my cheeks. "Something wrong?"

I looked out into the path stretching before us. That morose feeling was back again...

This whole time, I hadn't been up front with Mena about what the goal was. About what was driving me in this quest, about what the reward was supposed to be. I'd wanted to, but... if I told her from the start, she wouldn't have stuck by my side this whole time, I knew that much for a fact. And the longer we went, the more fearful I was of coming clean.

But now... we're coming on the end of the journey. There wasn't much time left to say it.

Mena sat up straight, a growing concern on her face. "...Ash?"

"...Slow there, Kessle. Easy..." I noted, ordering my faithful horse to slow to a stop.

It was now or never. I took a deep breath as I turned towards Mena. My breath was hastening a bit as I began, "Listen... I, um. I've... I haven't been... completely honest with you."

She shrugged a bit. "Comes with the territory."

"Y-Yes, but. This is a big thing. I..." I stammered, every word a herculean task to force out. "I should've said this a lot sooner, but. I was just afraid. I..."

Mena's expression hardened at that.

"...Asher." she grumbled. "Who is the buyer? What's the reward for all this trouble gonna be?"

My knuckles turned white as I held the reins tightly. Despite my best efforts, the words just weren't coming out...

Mena leaned forward and gripped my shoulder. "How much?" she demanded.

"N-Nothing." I croaked out weakly, "No... no money at all, actually."

She froze for a good few seconds... I felt my lifeforce slowly slipping away as her eyes bore into mine.

Then, like a switch went off, she burst out laughing, chest heaving as she smacked her forehead, "Hah! Ohhhh wow, hahaha... you almost had me there! Good one, Ash! It's not like you to be funny! Not on purpose, anyhow..."

Mena wiped a tear from her cheek as she leaned back in, "Ah, but seriously. How much we lookin' at?"

I just stared back at her. I had no idea what to say. And she couldn't help but notice that there wasn't one ounce of humor on my face.

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Loretta rode on into the brush. Avoiding the road, instead darting through the trees to remain out of sight. She was having some trouble keeping up until she realized that Mena and Asher had stopped their carriage.

Slowly she neared, still keeping tabs on the duo just as Auphemia had ordered her to do. With the treasure secured, her job was basically done as far as she knew, but no reason to stop tailing them now since they had the same destination anyway. Besides, she was a thorough one, and it was never too late for something to go horribly wrong - best to make sure that bag gets to Auphemia's manor.

She watched on, silent as ever as the conversation in the carriage turned tense.

"...You're fuckin' serious, aren't you?" Mena asked, bewildered. "If we aren't in for a big payday then what the hell have we been doing all this for?"

"I... well... the thing is. For me, it's been about um..." Asher stammered. They were experiencing a brand new feeling... that of shame. "It's... it’s been about the titty."

"Come again?"

Loretta's eyes narrowed, a hand reflexively caressing one of her gargantuan jiggly breasts as she listened in. She’d be one of those tasked with giving Ash that bosomy reward, and had given some thought as to what technique she might show them.

That Mena was entirely unaware of that reward, however, was news to her.

Asher sighed, bowing their head. Summoning up some resolve, they gave Mena the quick version of the stroy, "Have you... ever heard of Lady Auphemia? She's the lord of the Stansted region. She's... very, very, VERY well-endowed, and so are her maids. And um, this all started with me meeting her. She's the one who tasked me with finding the artifacts, and the reward was... was um..."

Their eyes lowered to Mena's prominent bosom. They tended to do that, but this time felt a bit more meaningful. Mena's face twisted into bewilderment as she took this in. She sank in her chair a bit, taking a moment before locking eyes again.

"...So you risked life and limb time and again all to... what, cop a feel? Suck a nip or two?" she asked, shaking her head. "I guess that does sound like you. But geeze, Ash... that's a bombshell."

The two of them sat quietly for a moment. Loretta leaned in closer as she watched from afar, an investment that seemed a bit more than just professional at this stage.

Mena continued, "So, what's that mean for me? What do I get? 'Cause uh, I don't really swing that way."

Asher bowed their head in shame. "I... don't know. I'm honestly not sure, you weren't really... part of the deal, so, um..."

They trailed off for a moment. Asher really had no idea what to say, except, "I'm sorry."

The two of them each went quiet for a while again... watching this, Loretta's typical unreadable expression turned just the slightest bit sullen.

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I could hardly handle it. The silence...

She wasn't showing it yet, but she was mad. She had to be. Just utterly furious with me and rightfully so. We might've gotten reset to zero on this one... she might stab me again and not give up the antidote this time. Maybe it'd serve me right...

"I'm sorry. I... I wanted to say it earlier, but I was just too much of a coward." I admitted, eyes lowered.

She took a lengthy moment gathering her thoughts. When she finally spoke, her voice was... a lot softer than I was used to. "Ash. I gotta level with you."

Mena glanced over to me with a weak little smirk. "I want to snap at you right now, but... I guess, in a fucked up kinda way... I'm proud of you."

"Huh...?"

She chuckled grimly and put a hand on my shoulder. "You got me runnin' all around the countryside helping you out on this shit on an assumption. This is... the kind of trick I'd play on somebody. I never would've thought you had it in you. You scammed an expert, without even trying. Pisses me off, but... I'm impressed."

Mena was trying her best to be a good sport, but she looked utterly deflated. Seeing her like that... man. I would've actually felt less guilty if she DID beat me up. This was brutal.

"L-Look... Auphemia, she's a reasonable person. And she is rich as can be." I noted, trying to will up some hope, "I'll talk to her. Let her know how important you were to all this. I-I bet she'll agree to pay you... no, I'm sure she will, actually!"

Mena scoffed. "It's a nice thought but, that's a bit of a longshot. I've got something of a history in Stansted. Lords and lordesses, they uh, don't tend to get along too well with serial criminals in their region."

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Loretta contemplated this... she knew her master well enough to know Mena was right. That is, in most cases. But this project was of the utmost importance. Maybe she'd make an exception for this situation, and look past Mena's crimes... or maybe not.

She took a moment to thoughtfully stroke her horse, which was relieved to finally be taking a break after the long journey. Loretta's horse was much like her; steadfast, determined, hardworking... and not much for conversation.

The horse leaned his head down and started digging his hoof into the ground... rustling the grass and breaking a few twigs in the process...

Ash spoke up, "Well, maybe if we just- hey..."

They stopped dead as Mena put a finger to their mouth. She'd straightened up with a jolt, eyes darting around. "Shit. Shit, did you hear that...?"

Loretta's eyes shot open wide as she watched from the brush, still out of sight but apparently not out of earshot.

Mena whipped her head back and forth, pulling out a dagger from her belt. "We shouldn't have stopped. Something's been following us..."

"Hold on... be careful!" Asher warned but Mena ignored them.

She leaped off of the carriage, dagger at the ready. She'd worked herself up in a hurry, seething as she peered into the brush. Seems she was determined to work out her aggression and frustration from the news on this intruder.

Loretta grit her teeth, wincing as she watched. How did she get so sloppy right here at the end?! Why did she follow so closely? It was so unlike her.

Mena was growing increasingly irritated, shouting, "Hey! I know you're hiding from me, I can hear ya! Come out here you gutless fuck!"

She marched on towards the brush. Loretta ran through her options in her head... she wanted to turn and run, but she just felt defeated knowing they were finally onto her now... and right at the end of the journey too.

But to her surprise, Mena wasn't actually approaching her. As she opened her eyes, she realized that Mena wasn't actually coming towards her at all. She was actually walking in the exact opposite direction, pointing her blade towards a thicket as Ash watched on pensively from the carriage.

Despite this, the maid wasn’t feeling relieved. Instead, one sense of dread had been replaced by another.

Something else was in the woods with them...

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I watched on from the carriage, trying to hide my shiver. I was trying to tell myself it was just some innocuous wild life making that ruckus, a startled deer or something. That should've been the logical thought.

But somehow I just knew that wasn't true. I felt it in my core that something sinister was approaching. It seemed like Mena knew the same... her hand shook as she held the dagger aloft, trying her best to be brave as she stood her ground.

I was trembling as I forced myself off of the carriage... every instinct I had told me I was already far too close. Yet, I couldn't just let Mena face this thing alone. She noticed and yelled, "Stay back, Ash! I can handle this."

Mena's breath quickened... I had never seen her so panicked as the rustling grew louder. We could just make out a silhouette at first... a very tall, slender one. And then, what seemed to be a lengthy brown cloak that obscured the figure entirely...

"D-Don't come any closer! I'm warning you, I'll... I-I'll flay ya! Just... just get back!" Mena stammered as the cloaked figure neared.

My feet felt glued to the ground as I watched this. Mena held her dagger out threateningly but couldn't seem to make much of a move either as whoever this was neared her... they oustretched an arm towards Mena. I wanted to scream but it wouldn't come out. Mena seemed frozen on the spot until...

...the figure placed a gentle hand on Mena's wrist, pushing the blade down.

"Now now. No need for violence..." the figure spoke. It was a woman... and she had the most honeyed, intoxicatingly smooth voice I'd ever heard in my life. Elegant as a velvet robe, deep enough to dive into.

In an instant, the tension left. My shoulders relaxed and I stepped closer, curious. Mena tilted her head at the figure before her.

"I did not mean... to startle you. My apologies." the mysterious woman spoke. Her movements were so slow, so deliberate, as if wanting to make sure the world watched everything she did. She pulled the hood of her cloak down... white, silky hair billowed down, straight and gorgeous, past her pointed elven ears and all the way down to her knees. Her pristine and smooth skin was an Earthy green... her golden eyes pierced through us both.

"What... wh-who are you...?" Mena asked. She had been on the back foot but now her guard had dropped in a flash.

"Mmm. You can call me... Criselia." she uttered, whipping her hair behind her - the lengthy locks seemed to move in slo motion as her gaze deepened. She had this knowing look on her face, despite staring down two strangers. "I hope you aren't offended by my poor manners. I hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but... I have better hearing than most. And I couldn't help but overhear that you two have a bit of a dilemma on your hands."

Aw hell, she heard what we were talking about?! The thieving, the deal I'd made... are we in trouble? "Um... j-just how much did you hear?" I asked.

Mena waved me down and shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe there's someone else in these trees that's been yapping on but it ain't us."

"Mmmm... so secretive." Criselia cooed with half-lidded eyes and an amused smirk. "Well, your secrets are safe with me. I just thought I could offer... a little solution for you. One that would work out well for both of you."

She held a hand out towards Mena, long beckoning fingers curling gently. "You. You've worked so hard for so many days now, and yet you see no light at the end of the tunnel. No reward for all your efforts. A crying shame, we can all agree. And a wrong that should be righted."

And then she held her other hand out to me. "And you... you've put your body on the line time and again, risked your one and only life... for just a single night of passion? That pleasure you seek may be deep, yes, but fleeting nonetheless. You should set your sights on something... permanent, something real. A bliss everlasting..."

"What... what are you getting at?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Simple. I can offer you both a solution to your troubles." Criselia purred.

Mena shook her head. "Look, things may be up in the air right now but that doesn't mean we have to take the first offer that comes our way. Some sketchy woodland elf comes upon us and we're supposed to just hand over the treasure?"

Crisela gazed deep into Mena's eyes... I could see the latter's features soften as the mysterious woman seemed to look right through her.

"I never said anything about treasure." she remarked, an odd glint in her eye as she smirked. "You can keep your little artifacts... they don't interest me at all. What I want is much simpler, actually. But first, let me show you what I can offer you..."

She reached into her cloak and procured a large cloth sack. As she moved it about, the contents shuffled with metallic clanking sounds... she held it with ease. But after tossing it to Mena, it became clear how heavy this thing was, as she nearly fell over trying to catch it.

"Ohh, bugger, what?!" Mena gasped as she tried to lift the sack higher, straining from the effort.

"That should suffice. And as for you..." Criselia remarked, her voice turning all the more smoldering as she gave me a hungry look. She actually licked her lips as she gazed at me, and my face quickly began to heat up.

The strange woman pulled her cloak open, inch by inch revealing what lay underneath. My knees almost gave out at the sight.

I had expected her to be wearing some kind of elegant gown or pricy robe under that cloak. But no, it actually turned out that she wasn't wearing a damn thing! My jaw dropped as she exposed herself... I'd seen some incredible curves over the past couple of weeks but this was next level.

She looked to be about seven feet tall and it turned out that a LOT of that height was in those incredibly long legs, thick and shapely as could be, especially in the thighs and in those voluminous hips. She had an ass big enough that you could tell from the front as she spread those legs... tight pussy already dripping with desire, shown off so flagrantly, without a hint of warning. And then… of course, the pièce de résistance…

I thought by now I had truly seen it all, but I never could’ve predicted just how stacked she’d be, that cloak really hid everything. She had a fairly average sized stomach, but it looked rail thin thanks to the absolutely gargantuan breasts that she let bounce free. I couldn't believe it... they were even larger than Lady Auphemia's and they seemed to glow in the sunlight with a radiant force.

"Holy shit..." I gasped aloud as I laid eyes on that magnificent swaying bosom.

"Holy shit!" Mena echoed as she laid the sack down and peeked inside. A golden glow emanated from the opening... inside that burlap sack was dozens, maybe even a hundred solid gold bars! This lady had just handed her a small fortune out of nowhere!

Mena couldn't hide her massive grin as the shiny gold reflected in her eyes, she was giving that gold the same kind of dreamy look she gave me the other day. "Th-This... this is unreal...! Wow! I ain't seen that much money in... God, maybe ever. My crew never had a score like this before!"

"Hmhmhm, I see she enjoys my offering," Criselia cooed as she stepped closer to me, breasting boobily all the while. Thanks to the height difference, those tantalizing titanic titties were just about resting atop my head. I sure wouldn't complain if they did. The elven woman purred, "What about you...? Would you like to partake of the flesh? Hmhmhm... go ahead and give them a good feel."

I hadn't the foggiest idea what was motivating this woman. But by now you should know that when it comes to breasts, I will NOT look a gift horse in the mouth. The very moment she gave me the go-ahead, my hands were right on them. I shuddered deeply as I sank my fingers greedily into the plush feminine flesh. They were as soft as they were massive, her feminine flesh so pliable... it was hypnotic just watching them squish and jiggle at my fingertips.

"S-So smooth, my God. These are... they're heavenly, they're like something out of a dream!" I remarked with a hitch in my breath.

I cupped the underside of them and pushed them up just to get a sense of their weight. They were HEFTY, I could almost feel their weight bearing down on my face already. The very idea gave me a shiver of pleasure.

Criselia moaned gently as my greedy hands kneaded and massaged her plump mammaries, "Well well... looks like we've all won here~"

Mena glanced at the mysterious woman, puzzled. "I... I don't understand, what do you get out of this? Wh-What's the catch? Surely you're going to ask SOMETHING of me for all this money."

"Not something... but rather, someone~" Criselia cooed. Her sizable hand patted me, lengthy fingers curling tenderly, yet possessively around the crown of my head. "I know a pervert when I see one, and well... let's just say, I can get a lot of use out of people like... Ash, was it? Hmhmhmhm. It's him I want. Or... is it her...?"

"It's... either/or, heh..." I mumbled, still entranced as I admired the beautiful twin peaks of her erect nipples. They felt so fantastic between my fingers. It was a wonder I thought to answer that question, I truthfully wasn't thinking too hard about what she was saying. Those breasts had quickly become my everything, as is wont to happen.

"You want... Ash?" Mena asked, an eyebrow raised. "Er, what do you mean by that?"

Criselia stroked my hair as she clarified, "I want them to stay here. With me. You can take your gold, AND your treasure, and be on your way. Leave the little degenerate to me... a generous trade, no?"

"Huh?!" Mena choked, "You mean, you're just gonna take Ash off to whatever hideaway you've got 'round here and I'm just supposed to fuck off?"

This snapped me out of my stupor, my hands surprisingly leaving her tits as I take a step back. I glance over at Mena, then back up at Criselia. "You want us to break up...? Er, to separate? Is... is that really necessary?"

"I would like you to myself." she nodded, stating it as plainly as can be. She pat me upon the head, "You seem like you'd make such a good subservient little pet... and I know you'd love it. I'd take such good care of you. Hmhm, consider that gold my offer... to buy you, little Ash."

Her choice of words sounded pretty damn hot for a submissive like me, but as far as reassuring Mena I think it was a little counterintuitive.

My comrade shook her head, "Look, I'll do some messed up stuff for money, but this is some truly shady shit. I don't... I don't think you should go with her, Ash. This feels all sorts of off."

Criselia put a hand to her hip and leaned to her left to give Mena a sassy look, "Oh, so you're turning me down? You're just gonna give up all that gold so easily?"

To that, she smirked. "Didn't say that."

With a grunt of effort, Mena lifted the sack and spun for momentum as she hurled it towards the carriage. The second it left her hands, she gripped me by the collar and started dragging me away, "Come on, Ash!"

No surprise, Mena was eager to just up and steal the gold instead and not give up a damn thing. Perhaps she would've been down with a different arrangement, but I was pleased to see she wasn't putting a price on me.

Unfortunately, the second we turned around, we were stopped dead in our tracks.

That sack never landed. It was floating in mid-air, about half the distance between us and the carriage.

"What the devil...?" Mena uttered. She was baffled, and even more so once the sack began floating towards her. It ended up right back in her hands.

"Cute," Criselia scoffed, "But that's not going to work. Trust me when I say, you're only leaving with that gold if I allow it. And I'll only allow it if you give me your little toy."

She beckoned towards me with one hand while the other began feeling up one of her gigantic breasts, "Mmmm, and the toy wants to be with me anyway. Isn't that right?"

"D-Don't speak for me..." I muttered, though I was unable to keep my eyes away from her incredible, otherworldly chest.

Criselia bit her bottom lip and purred, "You've never said no to a good tit before. Don't start now, sweetie."

Despite me definitely not making eye contact, I still felt her smoldering eyes bearing into me, beating me down. My knees shook... and then, I swear, my legs started moving on their own.

"A-Asher...?" Mena uttered as she watched me starting to walk towards the mysterious woman. She sounded... hurt.

"I-I... I don't want to go with you, Criselia..." I said, even though I was slowly stumbling towards her. "What is this? What's happening?!"

In my mind I knew even entertaining her idea was insane. I didn't know her at all, couldn't possibly parse her intentions... I wasn't even sure what this woman WAS. She was trying to upend our whole journey, split me and Mena up after all we've been through together. I wanted to stay on the road we'd paved for ourselves and see it through to the end.

In my mind, I knew better. But my body wasn't listening.

I was fully erect and throbbing, so hot under the collar I was gasping for air. The world seemed to move in slow motion as Criselia shook her chest and made those giant jubblies dance for me. It was enthralling... it's like they became more beautiful by the second...

And that smell! What... what was it? I can't even describe it. It was pleasant... yet, eerie. Was it coming from her? I felt so drawn to it...

"Mmmm, don't you act confused. You know what you are." she spoke. Her eyes began to glow, a strange pink light radiating from her irises. "You're a little pervert and nothing more. You already know that you're going to give in, it's your nature. You're a slave to your lust. You'll throw away everything for it, and that's okay. You must be true to what you are. And you KNOW what you are."

Uncannily, all my doubts slipped away in that moment. My movements turned from sluggish to frantic as I rushed to her side. I wanted, needed those breasts more than anything. To hell with Auphemia and her maids, and as for Mena... me and her, it was never really a thing anyway, right? She didn't think of me that way, I was sure of it. Long term, it was never going to work out. So why not go with Criselia instead?

I wrapped my arms around the tall woman's waist. She leaned down to caress my back, and rested her gargantuan breasts upon the top of my head. A sweet sigh of pleasure escaped my lips as I felt their impressive weight and pillowy pliability.

"Mmmm... Mena. It's been great." I cooed as I glanced back at her, a dream-like glaze in my eyes. "You deserve that gold... I wish you all the luck in the world~"

"O-Oh..." Mena grunted, crestfallen. "Asher... Ash, come on, you can't be serious. You're bein' a fuckin' idiot! I'm, I'm not just gonna leave you to this stranger! You're my best friend, my..."

Her head dipped as she looked to the ground. "...You're my only friend. And, and... and more than that, I..."

In that moment, I saw something I had never seen before. I saw tears welling up in Mena's eyes.

It was as though a fog had cleared. My grip around Criselia's waist loosened and, crazy as it sounds, I actually stepped away from her bosom. "Mena..."

I reached towards her...

But before I could go any further, Criselia grabbed me by the head and shoved my face flush into her gargantuan breasts. They fully engulfed and hugged my head. Dear God, I thought I knew softness, I thought I knew the smooth loving warmth of a smothering breast, but this was next level. This woman must have been some sort of goddess, capable of a tier beyond what mortal women could give you... I melted into her snuggly smother, weak in the knees.

And as those tits overtook me, that scent became all the more intense. I sunk my face as far into her breasts as I could go and breathed it in deep... and that was it; I was hers.

The world disappeared completely for me. The rest of this is second-hand info but I'll tell it best I can.

"Hey. They were trying to back up, what did you just...?" Mena spoke up, before balling up a fist and yelling through the tears, "Let her go! I don't know what's going on here but I am NOT leaving Ash with you! Not for any amount of money!"

Criselia raised her head towards Mena, still calm and collected as ever, as though the whole world were under her control. "Yes you will." she replied simply.

Mena was shaking, wiping tears away, sniffling...

Sniffling...

She smelled it too. That odd pheromone. Her shoulders slumped slowly, fists opening up.

"You'll take the money and run. You know what you are." Criselia spoke authoritatively, eyes glowing once more as she looked right through Mena's soul. "You're but a common thief, driven by sheer greed and little else. You will succumb to your golden vice and sell out everyone you know to get it. And that's okay. You must be true to what you are. And you KNOW what you are."

It was strange… it felt like she knew a lot more about us than a little eavesdropping would’ve given away.

Mena stared at Criselia for a moment. Gradually the tears had dried up. No more whimpering. Instead she shrugged and smirked. "...I guess you're right. Who am I kidding? Now that I've seen what's in that sack, I can't leave without it. And Ash, well... they'll be happy with you. They're a simple sort, all they need is tits, and you've got plenty to go around. I couldn't be sure Auphemia would pay up anyway, so... guess this works out for everyone."

With some effort, she threw the sack over her shoulder and walked it over to the carriage. She turned to me, though I was still too entrenched in a bosomy paradise to notice. She grinned, all of her concerns having vanished in the course of a few seconds.

"Nice working with ya, Ash! Have fun with the weird lady."

I held my hand up, a little thumbs up in response as Mena rode off.

Criselia chuckled quietly and stroked my hair. "Mmm, sweet little thing. I'm a little surprised that you even thought about resisting, honestly. But you've both made the right choice. Hmhmhm, but you don't need me to tell you that, do you?"

I moaned my agreement as she gradually laid me down upon a little bed of flowers. She pinned me down, her voluptuous weight all over me. Criselia pushed her chest down further, smothering me deeply. I happily gave up my oxygen to her as those majestic tits overwhelmed me. My every sense was dedicated to them, I was entirely lost in those breasts.

"Hmhmhm... you never needed her." she spoke, her voice darkening ever so slightly. She spoke slowly, her words ushering me further and further into a blissful trance. "I am all you need. All that you desire. You will never... EVER want for anything again. And that's thanks to me~"

Again her hand ran through my hair, brushing against the bands that held my twintails together. Her fingers curled around them, and slowly yanked them off…

------

Loretta was still hiding there in the brush, watching on dumbfounded. She was usually speechless, but that'd be the case for anyone in her position.

Her mouth was agape as she saw Mena simply ride off, taking the carriage, the treasure and even Asher's horse with her as she left. Where she was going was anyone's guess, but it was very much the opposite direction from Stansted.

The maid gripped at the reins on her own horse as she looked back to see the mysterious woman smothering Ash.

And in fact, she was doing a lot more than that. Asher didn't even seem to notice what was happening to their body. As Criselia suffocated them beneath her massive breasts, the two of them glowed with a purple aura, and the androgynous perv began to shrivel. Their arms, then their legs, and then their stomach started to shrink, like their insides were slowly being removed from them.

There was no mistaking it. This Criselia was no ordinary sorceress, she was a succubus and she'd just found an easy meal in little Ash. The maid's face didn't show much emotion, but a bead of sweat fell down her brow as she watched this. Surely, this couldn't be how it ended...

The maid looked again to the direction Mena rode off into.

She had the artifacts that Auphemia sought after. Loretta needed to make sure those got to her boss. That was why she was doing this... atleast, that's what she told herself, as she signaled for her horse to follow.

Criselia paused as she heard the hoofbeats of a horse and turned to the general direction. But as the sound was clearly moving away, she simply shrugged and went back to her business, grasping her magnificent breasts and squeezing them all the tighter around Asher's face.

Loretta had her horse galloping full speed ahead, still keeping hidden behind the trees just off the path. It didn't take long for her to catch up with Mena, who had Kessle at a leisure trot.

The thief had a vacant look on her face, gazing directly forward. Whatever spell Criselia placed on her, it hadn't worn off yet. Loretta kept pace with her as she took up a rock. With a deft throw and some impressive precision, the stone bounced right off of Mena's forehead.

"Agh, shit! What the bleedin' fuck?!" Mena shouted, cursing up a storm as she cupped her head. "Owww. What WAS that?!"

She stopped the carriage and snapped her head back and forth looking for the source of the thrown stone, but saw nothing. "Strewth... Ash, did you see where that came from?"

Mena swiveled around. It took her a moment to clock that she was all by herself. "...Ash?"

She blinked. She rubbed the sore spot on her head for a moment, and then, it came to her all at once.

"...Son of a bitch." she muttered to herself, before gripping the reins tightly. "Kessle! Other way!"

Loretta let out a sigh and relief and quietly followed as Mena rushed back.

"That little bitch, what IS she?! How did she get me all screwed up back there?!" she huffed to herself. "Man she's powerful... what am I even gonna do when I get there?"

As the horse kept pulling, Mena reached down at her ankle for her tiny little bag of holding, and procured from it another bag. THE bag, the one with the artifacts.

"This shit's magic, right?" she uttered to herself. "Maybe... maybe this one...?"

She pulled the Phoenix Talon out from the bag. It was glowing brilliantly, shimmering with power. That made it seem like the obvious choice.

Crisela heard the approaching hoofbeats and snapped her head up, looking cross.

"Did you drop a gold bar or something?" the succubus callously asked. It was difficult to even see Asher beneath her, they had whittled away to nearly nothing, utterly flattened on the ground.

The carriage grinded to a stop as Mena stood straight up. She tossed the bag aside - it landed right on the edge of the carriage, nearly falling off. She held the talon aloft with both hands, pointing it Criselia like a gun. "Stand up!" Mena screamed. "Get off of them, right now, or so HELP ME!"

The succubus chuckled and slowly stood up. Asher looked nearly like a shed skin among the flowers, though they atleast had a peaceful, unaware smile plastered on their face. They weren't moving...

"Ash...!" Mena gasped, hands trembling with a mix of fear and rage as she set her sights on Criselia. It was plain as day what she was now. "How DARE you?!"

"Mmmm, what? All I did was give him what he wanted most in the world." Criselia replied with an arrogant smirk and a casual shrug. "Not my fault if he lost himself in my breasts."

"You'll pay." Mena growled through grit teeth.

The succubus laughed all the louder, spreading her arms out, practically presenting her huge bust. "And what are you going to do about it? I could tear you apart with a thought. By all means, try me!"

She scoffed at Mena's threats. One thing was true, she had zero interest in those treasures. She didn't know a thing about them. And that much was about to become very evident.

Mena's eyes shut tight, in sheer desperation she tried to channel her will into the talon in her hands. The yellow glow shined all the brighter for a moment, and then... a fiery ray of light blasted from the claw. It fired with so much force that the recoil hurled Mena backwards and she took a little tumble. But her aim was true, the blast nailed Criselia right in the teat with enough force to send her flying.

The succubus howled in pain and shock as she ended up slamming into a tree several yards away. The figure crumpled to the ground on her front, cloak concealing her once again.

As Mena struggled to her feet, Criselia ripped her head towards her. And right about now, that head was looking very different. A much wrinklier sight than before, Criselia scowled down her lengthy nose at the thief, looking absolutely livid. "Raaaugh, how dare you?!"

Mena scoffed, "So, your face was just a mask... the lies never end with you. Fitting that you look like a proper witch!"

"Tch... t-to think you hid so much power..." Crisela remarked, grasping at her chest. She couldn't believe how much that one shot had taken out of her. "I'll... I'll find you one day, wench! Mark my words!"

"Yeah yeah, piss on out of here!" Mena yelled with a wave of her hand. "And just so you know, you ain't gettin' a refund ya cunt!"

Criselia sneered, "Right. Of course not. Enjoy your lunch."

With that the succubus turned and ran off, leaving Mena a little perplexed about that last line. She looked over at the burlap sack and peeked inside.

Much to her dismay, the gold bars were but another illusion, much like Criselia's appearance. It turned out that it was actually just a sack full of mushrooms all along. Mena groaned and rolled her eyes at this. "Figures..."

Speaking of groans, a low, weak one eeked out from Asher’s body. Hearing this, Mena hurriedly tossed the Phoenix Talon into the bag of treasures before leaping out of the carriage to tend to him. While the Talon made it inside the bag, the force ended up causing the whole thing to fall to the ground, though in her rush she didn’t notice this…

------

All was black for a while. The bosom took me, mind, body and soul. I'd have thought those breasts had killed me, if I were capable of thinking at all.

Through the darkness, I saw a shimmering light. I'd heard of this light... this must've been the end coming for me. It felt so warm, so inviting. I felt at peace as I drifted it towards it. Whatever was on the other side of that light, it was exactly where I belonged.

"...Ash? ...Can you hear me...?"

Her voice faded in and out. That entirely implacable yet instantly recognizable accent...

I let out an involuntary groan as I was stirred awake. My sight was clearing up... that light, it was the sun shining behind her head. It made for a flattering silhouette, a little angelic aura of light around her. Mena... she was staring down at me, an oft-hidden vulnerability apparent in her expression. I was still laid on the ground, her kneeling over me, holding my head aloft.

She watched my eyes open and let out a relieved sigh as she saw the recognition in my gaze. "Thank God... don't scare me like that ya dafty."

"Mmm... nnngh..." I moaned gently, trying to say something but I didn't yet have the strength for words. As I was getting my bearings, I became more aware of that warm softness on my cheek. For a second I thought I was still feeling the phantom smothering of Criselia, but no.

For the first time ever, Mena had held me to her bosom. She had one arm around my back while her other hand cradled my head against her tender, sizable bosom. I shuddered lightly upon realizing this, my cheeks reddening as I glanced up at her, a weak smile appearing on my face.

She didn't say anything. Just kept me like that, relishing the peace after the scary encounter we'd just had. I tried to reach up to cup her face, when I saw the state of my arm. I gasped as I saw how pruny and small it was.

"Wh-What happened?!" I croaked, scared that the change was permanent.

Mena stroked my hair and pulled me comfortingly deeper, letting my face smoosh against that big beautiful teat as she whispered, "Don't worry. Criselia, she drained you. She was going to hurt you, but she's gone now. And look, you're getting better already."

I relaxed as I deeply appreciated the bosomy pillow. True to what she said, my arm slowly regained its prior appearance, filling out, restoring in color and getting that usual smoothness back.

"Mmm... wow. Your titties rejuvenated me!" I mused, giving her a grin as I took up her hand. "They're giving me life~"

Mena scoffed, "Idiot. It's got nothing to do with that. It's just how succubi work. They gotta take all the energy in one go and kill the host. Interrupt it and that energy goes back where it belongs."

I nestle affectionately in her chest and give her my warmest smile, "I like my version better."

She returned the shy grin, the two of us lingering in the moment for a while. "...Eh, fair enough."

------

Loretta watched on, having caught up some time ago. For better stealth, she had dismounted her horse. She took a deep breath and let out a silent sigh of relief as she saw Mena and Asher reunited, safe and sound now.

She glanced over towards the carriage and noticed the bag on the ground. It was very much in danger of being left behind.

It seemed like the two of them were going to take their time, so Loretta quietly snuck into the clearing, stepping lightly over towards the bag. She picked the bag up and peered inside. No doubt about it, these were the four treasures. The special artifacts that Lady Auphemia coveted so.

She looked over at Mena and Asher, then back to the bag, deep in thought.

This was the goal, her mission, to make absolute certain that these artifacts end up in Auphemia's possession.

She could... just take it. If Loretta returned with it all on her own, maybe made up a story about it, her lady would no doubt reward her in a big way. She'd be in her highest esteem; it could even get her a promotion. The idea of taking Sejna's place as Auphemia's head maid was a tantalizing one, no doubt about that.

Loretta stared at the bag for a moment, quietly weighing it in her hand. Then, without a word as usual, she placed the bag back in the carriage. They'd found them fair and square after all.

Silently the maid slinked back into the brush, just before Mena waltzed over, cradling Asher in her arms. He was still pretty tuckered out from the experience, so she let him lay out while she took up the reins.

Mena took a moment to give the resting Asher a little pat on the head before they took off, back on the road to Stansted, and to the manor of Lady Auphemia.

As she saw them ride off, Loretta's face changed. Her expression morphed to a small, yet sincere little smile, as she muttered under her breath,

"...Crazy kids..."