[Edited] Chapter 11 - Jax's Tale

See attachments for original w/ editorial notes.  There were a lot of complaints this time about not understanding what I was trying for with the perspective shifts, particularly when it came to what Jax was saying in the moment versus what the tale actually was. Hopefully that's fully clear now?

Let me know.

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Jax did not come back for several hours. By that point, we were starting to get more than a little worried. However, just as we were resolved to go looking for her, she finally stumbled back into the ring of firelight.

We stared at one another for a few moments, us in growing shock and concern and her in weary acceptance. She looked… disheveled. And this despite her nudity. From the dampness of her hair, she had found the river, but her flame-red locks had somehow become a snarled tangle of grass and twigs in the interim. More, she had acquired a host of minor cuts and abrasions all up and down her body… and a severe limp. But the Bandit blood was gone.

Jax worked her mouth for a second before inhaling to speak… however, after a beat of silence, she closed it again, apparently having opted to instead limp closer to the fire. And there she sat. Gingerly.

“Jax…” I prodded finally, “Are you… alright? You look like you’ve been through a meat grinder!”

“I will be, Master,” she replied delicately. “But if ye’d cast yer spell for me sooner rather than later, I would be appreciating it.”

“Oh… of course,” I said before coming to kneel next to her. Quickly, I began reciting the Words to Renewal of Consumption.

“What… happened?” Arx asked inquisitively. “Did you fall down a cliff?”

Jax held up a finger. “A moment, Sister…” she replied, her breathing heavy as my spell did its work.

Abruptly, she reached for me and crushed her lips to my own. Several seconds passed as our tongues danced, the furnace of her hunger for me bright and burning. However, after a moment, I heard a pop from her hip as the spell pulled it back into place, and she broke away to moan her satisfaction.

She took a long, steadying breath then and groaned out, “Ah~. That’s better.”

“Well…?” I asked once she had settled down again—and I had somewhat recovered from her greeting. “What happened? Why are you limping?”

I did not end up hearing the complete—and accurate—version of her story for some years after their events. The one she told at the time was riddled with more than a few exaggerations, gaps, and glossings over of the more embarrassing moments. But for the sake of brevity, I will record the complete version here, recounted from her own point of view.

“Ye wanna know?” she replied, her left eye twitching slightly at the memory. “I’ll tell ye.”

And then she began her tale…

As I made me way through the high grass, I made sure to stomp and swear for the Master and me treacherous sister to hear. Even so, I were quick about it. I didn’t want them to sense me hurt. Not that Master would. He were blind to that sort of thing, but Arx might tell it. She were getting better, steady-like, but I’d felt the heat of her loins calling even before I’d left. She’d not have been paying attention to much besides her own want.

Once I were out of earshot, I finally stopped to let the tears flow as they would. “He rejected me.” The thought were like to stop me heart. I felt like as I had when he’d first found me, bleeding from a spear to me guts. I could scarce breathe from it. “He said I were gross!”

“That is false as you plainly know,” the Lady of Power whispered into me ear. “It was your dear sister that said you looked gross. Your master… that delicious morsel… He only pointed out the obvious. You are taking negatives to your appearance because of hygiene.”

“That don’t help to know,” I growled under me breath, scrubbing rough-like at me eyes. I never knew when the Lady’d pop up. She were always eavesdropping where She shouldn’t and not paying attention when She should, whispering in me ears. “So I be ugly then? That be it?”

“What twaddle,” She scoffed. “As I have told you many times, your Charisma is 9. Hardly ugly by mortal standards. It is only that your physical state is lowering your Attributes.”

I screwed up me face and repeated Her words sarcastic-like under me breath. They was unwelcome, but at the least, they distracted me from me hurt. And She were right, of course. It were why I were out here in the first place. I had to bathe so that the Master could see me proper. I shivered at the thought. Ah… Master’s eyes… Maeve have mercy, but his eyes… dancing over me skin…

“Hah~” The sigh escaped me lips unbidden like, and I slapped meself across the cheeks. Would nay do to lose meself to such, but it were better than blubbering over foolishness. I could scarce believe I let meself get so worked up. Here I were, already throbbing with it, me nips twisted up such to put an eye out, and I were out in the grass like a dobber, crying. Master would ne’er reject me. We be bound in love eternal! He just didn’t want to get all sticky. And that be only natural, him being of noble blood, and all! Course he’d not want to knock boots when ye got shite all o’er ye, Jax.

Gentle-like, I scratched at me left tit. It were itching now what with the dried Bandit blood and bits of grass, and I gave me head a rueful shake. Why ever did I have that fool notion to rub that shite over meself in the first place? But I knew the reason. I’d do anything to have them eyes on me—to have him think I were sexy-like—even if it were only for a split second. Maybe this’ll learn ye something, ya fool. Don’t go rubbing at yerself when ye ain’t near nothing to wash with.

I nodded firm. It were a good rule to remember.

Sudden-like, a thrill of pleasure from me fondlings rolled over me shoulder and down into the small of me back. By the Three, but I loved me tits. They felt incredible to touch, soft-like and sensitive as they were. And when I shook them about, the Master’s eyes always found them, no matter how he might try to resist.

Not big enough, though. Truth to tell, I’d like as I could keep ahead of Arx, but I had a feeling that were a battle I were going to lose. She were already caught up to me and growing fast e’er since she completed that quest of hers. Wonder what it’d take to get something like that. Right now, me paps was only just a handful for meself when I cupped at them, but I’d not be satisfied until they filled the Master’s hands at the least. Maybe a little more than that, even…

“Mmm~” Another moan drifted away from me at the thought, and me loin pulsed in its craving. Not thinking, I took a step back toward camp before I could stop meself. It were then I realized what I were feeling weren’t all just from me own play. There were more coming in from me Core—from me bond.

“You could feel that?” I groaned, embarrassed at having been found out—and also a little guilty for indulging in Arx’s needs instead having gone after Jax like I probably should have.

“Oh yes…” she replied with a half grin. She seemed to be enjoying my discomfort, but there was no sign of hurt. If anything, she approved.

And for clarity’s sake, I will just mention that to that point, Jax had glossed over most of her internal struggles. She was hardly going to admit to having been crying, and she neverwent into any detail about the kinds of things the Lady whispered in her ear. Especially about me.

“Quite a performance,” Jax went on, “I’d wager ye went at it at least twice.”

“Three times,” Arx informed her proudly and not at all repentant.

“Right…” she drawled. “So anyways, I were feeling ye from me Core…”

Ah, Arx… ye sleekit bastard. I ain’t been gone but a handful of minutes, and yer already at him? Not that I could blame her. I’d’ve done the same in a heartbeat. With some effort, I pulled me hand away from me aching lady bits. It’d only get worse if I kept that up.

Giving me head another good shake, I turned and set off again. Best keep on. I’ll ne’er get to the river if I spend all night diddling meself. It were a powerful temptation, though.

Ever since I started growing into meself, the world had become… peculiar-like. Not that I remembered much of how I were before—and that… disgusting creature I had been—but I did know that things had been… different. Felt different.

There had been pain. And sadness. And hunger. But mostly, there were just the need to survive, one day to the next.

I’d been… numb. To everything. Could nay sense at the folk about me. Could nay hear shite. Me nose, all but useless. I could scarce imagine it anymore… to be so… blind.

The Master were like that still. Mostly. I knew he could feel me proper, sometimes. When we knocked boots. Must be a way to make that permanent-like. Ah, that would be a glory.

Now though? Now I were alive with sensation. Now there were naught but pleasures and joy. Every touch on me skin were a different sort. Even pain were its own kind of pleasure. The Master were wise to make that so. Shame he lost that ability. Poor Arx. She’ll not be able to gain such. I smiled at the thought, even though I knew I shouldn’t. I had that over her, at least.

But for all the Master lost, he more than gained in exchange! Before crossing the Boundary, he’d been pretty enough. And I had wanted him, sure, but what I wanted were within him. I wanted his needs. His wants. His lust… for me in particular. I’d take lust as it came, but for me… That were me favorite!

After that day—when he’d had that strange dream of his—that were when I learned true desire. To want a man for his body! To run me hands over his skin, through his hair, clutch at that glorious backside… Feel at him… and what dangled betwixt his legs. Smell him. Taste him.

I stumbled over a lump of grass, and me thoughts came tumbling out of the fog they was in. Blast! Ye was doing it again, Jax. T’weren’t all me own fault, though. Me bond were vibrating yet from the Master and me sister’s fun. Half-hearted like, I wished I could dive into me own Core and through our connection—see them going at it with me mind’s eye like some peep-show. But it weren’t to be.

I started off again, determined not to get distracted, but before I’d gone half a dozen steps, I heard something else. Quick-like, I crouched low. It weren’t true dark yet, but the stars was out and the sky were turning to black. The grasses swaying about me were naught but vague blurs, and soon enough, even that would be gone. It were that frustrating in-between stage, where day becomes night, and ye think ye should be able to pick out the details but ye can’t.

Without the Master to cast his spells, I could nay see for shite. But me eyes weren’t near as good as me ears anyway, so I waited, patient-like. Just listening. Something… No. Some things be ahead of me. Whatever they was, I could nay feel them. Even at that distance, I knowed I should be able to get something. Any sort of natural critter had feelings, be they kind or beast. And that meant one thing.

Dungeon monsters…

“Be cautious,” The Lady whispered to me again, this time unprompted. “You are out of your glorious master’s range. You’ll receive no…” She chuckled deep-like, “pleasures…from his wonderful abilities.”

I twisted up me mouth and muttered, “I know that!”

The Lady usually meant well, but from the way She talked, ye’d think She lusted after him even more than I did. Drove me batty with her constant nattering! It weren’t Her place to say such as that. What were weird, though, were that She never did let on to him. Even now, I had no idea what to make of his talk of Her. Blue boxes? Reading? And he always said that She came off dry to him. Which were crazy talk! If anything, She were the wettest whore what ever did walk!

I tapped at me lip at the thought—wondering if I had to worry about that in me future. She wouldn’t be the first Goddess the Master had bedded. Even though he didn’t remember the whole of it, I had smelled Her on him. Ahnbe, he’d said. The Shepherdess. I knew. I were in a conflict over it yet. I wanted to killHer for taking the liberty, though that were a fever dream. I knew that, too. Plus, the scent of Her mark… Oh… that were a splendor. Made me wet just to think on it. Or wetter, I should say. Maybe… before we kill Her… But I shook me head. Thems was useless thoughts.

If I were honest fully… there were a small part of me what were proud of him for the deed. How, by the Three, did he ever pull such as that, anyway? To seduce such as Her? He did nay like to talk on it. He were terrified of Her, which only made me hateHer the more, and yet… yet somehow, he pitied Her? And thatleft me feeling… odd. Uncertain-like. I could make no lick of sense to such. Why feel pity?I could only shake me head. Ah, Master, ye beautiful numpty. He were ever a soft-hearted sort… Still, it were a glorious thing to be able to claim such.

And he had benefited from it. I weren’t sure how I knew it just yet. There were just this… intuition. He’d smelt… different. After. Better, in a way… but it were a subtle thing.

I wonder…But I shook the notion away, quick-like. It were a wild fantasy, but such were like to do more harm than good even to consider. With a blasphemy like that… who could say whether the Lady could read a person’s thoughts? How She might react? For now, I would watch and wait.

Meantime, I had beasties ahead of me.

Cautious-like, I crept forward, keeping low to the grass. The question were… should I hunt or draw them off? Out here in the wild, Dungeon beasties could be like to anything. Weak… strong. Weren’t no rules. If I did nothing and went around, them ahead of me might make for the Master, and what with Arx getting her gash plowed, she’d be too busy to pay attention. I were a ways off from them now, but not so far as to make it impossible for them to be found. No, I gotta do something, but I gotta see what be what first.

I hesitated for a few seconds, taking note of the breeze. Unlike wild critters, not all Dungeon beasties had much use for scent nor hearing… nor even eyesight sometimes. Some did, though. And some had even better. So I took the caution. I were a little downwind. If they had the skill, and I got much closer, they’d be able to scent me easy. So I began to circle around, keeping me back to the wind.

Within half a hundred steps, I caught me first sight of them, and I almost made the mistake of groaning aloud. Fucking bawbag… Lefties.

“Lefties?” Arx interrupted. “What are Lefties?”

Jax sighed. “I were about to tell ye, if ye’d listen! Now, uh… I had…”

…no idea what the proper name for the critters were, but that were what me and the lads had always called them. We’d run into them a few times. Most Dungeon monsters didn’t pay much attention to the Cursed, but these blighters were an exception. Hate these vicious little fuckers. We’d learned from hard experience to take them out quick and with arrows if we had the chance.

Lefties was a weird-looking blue lizard thing what stood a little more than knee-height to a man and had a red frill what rose from the middle of their backs to the base of their tails. What were off about them, though, were that they did nay have but the left half of their body, so ye’d see as why we’d call them that. Somewhere down the middle, just past were the spine’d be, they was cut off. Sliced clean. No organs or nothing hanging loose, though. Skin covered the flat of them from tail to snout. We had no idea what’d happened to the other half. Never seen them.

They didn’t have but the one leg neither, and they’d hop about with it like an overgrown bird. Despite it, they was fast and could dart like a man at full sprint over short distances. But they was powerful lazy. If they did nay catch ye within a dozen paces, they’d give it up.

“Oh, those things?” Arx interrupted again. “Yeah, you run into them sometimes in the swamp-type areas of the Dungeon. What you really have to watch out for though are when they come together with—”

“Oy!” Jax cut in. “Who’s telling this story, anyways?”

“Right, sorry. Go on.”

Jax cleared her throat in annoyance. “Anyhow… as I were saying, they’d usually give up the chase quick…”

If they got ye, though… I shivered at the memory. The little wankers had a mouthful of sharp dripping fangs, and they was venomous as me mum’s fud. That venom… it weren’t pretty. Nor swift. Starting from the bite, it would work at yer bones, turning them to jelly… ‘til ye was naught but a sack of skin. Took days. Most times, we’d killed what got bit, for mercy sake… and our own.

We’d learned that lesson hard. The blighters could sense ye once ye’d been bit, and they’d track ye down from miles out. Slow-like. Taking their time. That weren’t a fun thing to wake up to in the middle of the night.

I’d need to take them out. I couldn’t chance them getting to the Master while I were at the river. Fortunate for me, there wasn’t but a handful about. I could see three of them and hear a few more nearby. Easy enough.

“Fifteen, huh?” Arx said, her left eyebrow held aloft incredulously.

“That were what I said,” Jax replied, though I noted that she was not quite making eye contact.

“And… what? You took the time to count them out, did you?” Arx pressed.

“Well…” Jax ducked her head slightly. “No. I didn’t, now as ye mention it. But it looked like fifteen. If I had to guess. Maybe more even!”

“Uh huh…” Arx sounded before waving her on. “Continue.”

“Right. Uh…”

Reaching within, I dipped into the well of lust what pooled in me Core. It were always there. Waiting and ready. But it weren’t like what Arx had with them pools of resources and such from before she were reborn. It were more like… the opposite? Where the hornier I got—the more I craved the Master’s touch—the stronger it and what powers used it were.

And it were a temperamental thing. Iffing I were honest, I weren’t quite sure how the thing were supposed to work. It would flare up random-like sometimes when I weren’t thinking of nothing in particular, just staring off at a cloud or a rock, and it’d start to vibrate. Sudden-like, a thrill’d shoot up me spine, and just like that, the precious place betwixt me legs’d start to ache. It would whine and beg. Whisper in me ear. Open. Feed.

But I did know a few sure things what would goad at it. The Master of course. Most anything about him would make me like to drool… down there. His smile. That twinkle in his eye when he’d said something clever. His scent. His touch. That glorious rod what would rise from him when I showed him just how much I longed for him.

More recent though, I had come to enjoy thoughts of Arx on occasion. No thoughts of any specific part of her like I would have done before. Nay. Not the soft of her body, the curve of her hip, the flat of her belly… none of it. Just her. The whole of her. The Master desired her almost as much as he did me, and through our bond, I wanted her, too. Even before she became me sister, that were true. Though me feelings on the matter were more… mixed then.

At first, I’d hated the bitch. Seducing the master. Like such were her right?! But… but eventual-like, I’d felt it. She were his creature, bond or no. After that, I came to want her. Because she were mine, too. And when the Master’d finally gained the space to bind his second… Ah~I’d wanted to howl at him.

Take her! Make her ours! Then and there!

But such would have been foolishness. There were a time for such as that.

“Aww… that’s so sweet!” Arx said. “I think you’re beautiful, too!”

“That is nice of you to say, Jax,” I agreed from behind her. I had decided that while she was telling her story, I might as well begin the process of picking out the tangles in her hair. Again. And I wanted to do it before it got any worse. “I’m glad that you’ve finally decided to try to get along better with her.”

Jax cleared her throat slightly, evidently with some embarrassment, though I had no idea why. We had not exactly forced the confession out of her, so there was no reason to feel humiliated by it.

“You’ve been showing up in my dreams recently, you know?” Arx admitted. “Usually, it’s just for threesomes with Dearest, but sometimes… it’ll be just the two of us.”

“Really?” Jax replied, intrigued.

“Mmm…” Arx hummed, narrowing her eyes seductively. “For some reason… you keep begging me to whip you?”

Jax sucked in a breath and trembled slightly before giving her head a quick shake. “Buh… r-right… uh… like I were saying…”

But the best thing… the best thing by far were when the Master’s eyes found me of their own accord. Sometimes, when I least expected, they’d find me. Somehow, I’d’ve been standing… just so. Maybe I’d be doing something simple-like. Building a fire. Choring. Fighting. It were hard to say what would trigger it. But sudden-like, he’d crave at me. And in an instant, the lust in me Core would explode out, and the whole of me would flare up with need such as to make me knees shake.

Swift-like, all of them thoughts from the past weeks came together and pushed at the shadows what lived within, and they stepped out from me. None of that silly moaning necessary. Not no more. I’d gotten the trick to that just a couple nights past. Before then, I hadn’t even known the well were there! It were just… me Core before that. But once I realized what it were the moaning were doing, the rest came natural.

It were vibrating at the Core of me, see? Me feminine Core. Stirring and stimulating at me true nature. Provoking it to come out.

And me Core had to be feminine. Had to be opposite what the Master were so as to call to him. Complete him. Complete us. And it had always been so, from the first. But it took me a shameful long time to realize it. Even longer for me body to catch up. But that were the past. I were lilim. A creature of passions. And my passion were the Master’s lust.

The Master thought that me… preoccupation were because of his abilities. And maybe that were true to an extent. Maybe I’d have developed differently if he’d not needed to power Arx’s hedonist skills, but I doubted it. I’d’ve found me passion, either way. Eventual-like, I’d’ve grown into meself.

So far, me shadows was the only things what tapped into it, though. I needed to change that soon as I could, and I had a few ideas. I need to talk to the Master first. Things be for the best when our abilities be in sync.

Quiet-like, me shadows crouched next to me. It were no wonder they looked as I did. They was echoes of me lust… echoes of me very Core given shape. Shame they could nay feel nothing. It’d be interesting to touch the Master with me lust direct-like. But now were not the time for such distractions.

The three Lefties I could see was sitting on a flat rock, maybe the length of a man across and just high enough to see out over the grass. It were likely still warm from the sun, and they’d been happily chirruping to themselves as they soaked in the heat through their half-bellies. Meantime, for whatever reason, the grasses about there had started to clump together in large patches—maybe four or five good paces across—and with low, bare spots between to make random meandering paths all around. Who was to say why that might be, but that weren’t unusual. I didn’t know a lot of things.

But one thing I did know, I had the drop on these ones. Otherwise, they’d not have been sitting around when there was a meal close to hand. They’d be stalking closer even now. But with the one foot and having to hop through the high grass, they’d not be much fer stealth. I’d hear them coming afore they made their try at me. Meantime, I had me own plans.

With scarce but a mental nudge, me shadows spread out, keeping low to the grass so as not to be seen until I wanted them to be. While they got into position, I edged forward slow and steady until I were as close as I dared. I were barehanded yet. If I summoned me axe, the light of it would give me away, so I left it be. I could call it to hand in an instant.

I had half a thought to try throwing the weapon—take one by surprise maybe—but I dismissed the notion quick. I weren’t much skilled at that yet, and without the Master’s spells, I were just as like to hit the blighter with the haft as I were the blade.

A breath came and went as I calmed meself. I had nothing to worry over. If the worst came, they’d just eat me. Then at least, that’d be food in their bellies, and they’d like to leave the Master be… Long as he did nay come to see why I’d died. But he’d nay be that foolish… I hoped. Besides, I’d died twice already. It weren’t so bad… once ye passed on, anyhow.

I took another breath, and with a twitch of me ear, one of me shadows came running, crossing right in front of the blighters. Without missing a beat, the three of them hissed and tore off after it. They was quick for how small they was, but me shadow could be as quick as it needed. And that were just fast enough to keep them at its heels.

Within a second, they was racing past, and as soon as the last came even with me, I surged forward. Me body were powerful now. Not as much as Arx had been. Not even close, but I were greater than any of me old mates. Greater even than me old King, I were sure. So when I sprang forward, it were with a certain power and confidence I’d never used to had.

The little bastard never even saw me. As I uncoiled, I drew me right arm across me body and swung upward, me axe flashing to being the instant me hand thought to close about it, and the lizard were chopped through. It made plenty of noise, but the other two did nay stop to see. They was still chasing shadows.

That’s one.

Quick-like, I dove back into the grass and listened. More was coming, but I kept still, biding me time. Within a few breaths, two more appeared. They did nay even bother to sniff about, nor try to find what had killed their mate. They just dove at the carcass I’d left, tearing and ripping at it, fighting to see who could get the biggest chunks.

Me lip curled in disgust. Vicious little fuckers.

I quirked an eyebrow to signal me intent, and another of me shadows sprang at the two from the opposite of me. They jumped back and hissed in surprise… right into me reach. Without missing a beat, I were on them, me axe singing an ode to blood.

Lefties loved to hunt. To ambush prey. They wasn’t expecting for their own tactics to be turned against them. It were over as quick as it started.

And there goes two and three. Heh… to think I used to be afeared of these…

I stood over the growing pile of sliced lizard for a second, thinking. If they likes to eat their own… I cast a glance at the shadow what stood off to one side, and it were away, obeying the mental command almost before I’d given it.

They was like that. It weren’t like they could think nor act on their own. More like… whatever it were I wanted, that was what they’d do, but without me having to think on it? They’d just react with the speed of me own imaginations.

It were kind of fun to play with, I’ll admit. And so I’d been doing during me watch hours. Course… me imagination tended to run in certain directions…

I gave a shiver as me lust stirred again, and another of me shadows stepped away from me. I shook me head at meself. Not now, Jax.

But then I narrowed me eyes. I shouldn’t’ve been able to do that. I could only pull out five shadows at a time. One must have popped. I couldn’t know why, though. I could nay see from their eyes nor feel their pains. It could’ve been something as simple as passing a foot through a sharp rock. Or a Leftie got it.

I glanced at this new one, and me intent carried to it instant-like—find what else lurked and bring it to me. It ran off in the direction of the rock, weaving about, and I turned me attention from it to hide meself.

Afore long, another of the creatures ran up, no shadow needed. The pile of meat were too much a temptation it seemed, and without even bothering to check for what were killing its mates, it set to. I watched it for a scanty, shaking me head. These things be powerful foolish. If only the lads coulda seen what I were seeing now, we might’ve even thought to trap such as these. Bait ‘em with a bit of fresh tuck, and they’d come running without a thought.

Me axe took it down before it even knew I were there.

Four.

Sudden-like, one of me shadows came running, another beastie nipping at its heels. The blighter took one look at me and the large pile of meat I were standing next to and must’ve decided that it’d try its luck at something that weren’t so fast… or maybe just to chase me away from the easy meal. Quick as a snake, it peeled off from its target and jumped for me.

I skipped back in a fright, jerking me legs up as high as I could to keep its dripping fangs from sinking in before remembering I had a skill to help with such, and I pushed me own weight away so that I were like to be hidden entire from the dark mist what exploded out from me. Me next hop sent me body flying high into the air, and with a twirl, I landed on the rock.

I’ll admit, I were fair impressed with the feat. The lads would’ve shat themselves to see me now! Heh… once they got the tents in their pantaloons under control. I frowned at the thought. Much as I desired to draw the Master’s eyes like no other, the idea of such as them lusting after me body were revolting.

The critter were still after me, though, even after losing sight of me for a scanty. So I hurled me axe at it, forcing it to dodge clear. Then with a thought, three of me shadow-selves swarmed the fanged beast, each miming attacks and feinting at it. It snapped this way and that, uselessly trying to keep them at bay until I fell on it from above. The last thing it saw were the light of me axe again coming to hand.

Five. Should be the last of ‘em.

“You felled all fifteen without taking a scratch?” Arx asked incredulously.

“Aye, well…” Jax grunted, shrugging slightly. “I were being mighty clever about it. And I might mention that me Tenebrous Dance did improve to 20 during the fight. Be at Low Intermediate now, so the Lady did say.”

“Oh, congrats!” I said, sitting up. “How did the skill improve?”

Jax smiled back at me slyly before summoning her axe. “Watch,” was all she said.

Holding her hand up, she turned the weapon so that the edge of was facing me, and somehow, it seemed as if the weapon was… thinner than it should have been? It was sort of difficult to focus on it, actually.

“It’s just illusion,” Jax informed us. “And it ain’t so easy to do in a fight, on purpose-like. But I think it’s pretty fancy.”

“Cool!” I exclaimed. And I meant it. I could just imagine how freaky it would be to face something like that in combat.

Jax smiled proudly and waggled her head about at the compliment. However, after a moment, she went on, “Well… as it happens, that weren’t the last of the critters…”

I heard the tell-tale sound of a Leftie running toward me from behind. Having just the one foot, it were distinct-like. I twirled in time to see the blighter catch the ankle of the shadow I’d sent to flush it out. It stopped in surprise when its prey vanished betwixt its jaws.

Quick-like, before it could figure out what were what, I charged at it. It saw me coming though, sure enough. But instead of shrinking back nor charging me in kind, it settled to wait, patient-like.

That made me wary. It weren’t right to see a beast like that act such, so I paused me steps a few paces away and crouched low, cautious. The critter tilted its head to see me better with its one eye.

Neither of us made a move.

Sudden-like, a hand—a person’s hand, mind ye—pushed against the flat side of it. But from the inside. It stretched the skin of it, grotesque-like but fast, and slapped to the ground. The rest happened too quick to note. The critter bulged all over. Cracks and slurps sounded out as it grew… and grew, and I backed away in a hurry.

This came as a powerful shock to the likes of me. I’d never seen nor heard tell of no creature what could do such as that, and I weren’t keen to find out what would happen when it were done. So I turned tail. I ain’t shamed to admit it, neither.

Me only thought were to run for the river. If I could make it there, I might could dive in and swim for it. As long as I could keep it from going for the Master, that would be enough.

I ran hard and fast, trailing smoke as I shunted as much weight from meself as I could, hoping for more speed. Abrupt-like, I heard a low chuckle from behind, and I cast a quick glance over me shoulder. The critter were standing now. Tall and on two legs. Two arms. With the body of kind, but still scaly and with great sharp teeth and claws.

The lizard-man thing flexed its knees, and the ground exploded from beneath it. I were already at a full sprint, but in the time it took between one step and the next, its hand were already at the nape of me neck. A step more and I were lifted high and then, as me momentum carried the rest of me forward, me head were slammed back and to the ground.

I were stunned for the space of a breath. I didn’t know what new kind of critter this were, but I weren’t going down without a fight. Quick as I could, I swung me axe at its head. It did nay flinch nor growl nor react hardly at all. Casual-like, it flicked the hand at me neck away and swatted me axe to the grass like it weren’t nothing.

I took me moment of freedom and summoned as many of me shadows as I could to distract it before rolling to one side. The critter ignored all that, though. Scarce paid ‘em heed at all, too focused on me to be fooled. Quick as a snake, its other hand were about me neck again, and it lifted me to the air, gasping. Me feet dangled high off the ground where it held me, and I had to grasp at its hand to keep from choking out. Slow-like, I took in what I were dealing with.

It were tall. Powerful tall now that I looked at it. More even than Arx used to be. And its body were still shifting about.

I glanced at Arx, but she was staring at Jax raptly. I had half a thought that Jax might have been exaggerating again, given the level of reported danger and her still standing to tell about it. However…

Hmm. No doubting comments from the peanut gallery this time. And going from her expression, Arx seems completely enthralled. I guess this part is accurate.

So I turned my attention back to the tale…

Much to me shock, it spoke then. Its voice were garbled to hell from all of them fangs, and it looked like it didn’t know what to do with its tongue. But there were a certain power behind it. An authority, even. It rattled me bones to hear it.

“Wha’ exa-ly noo you tink you are noing, lilim?”

I didn’t bother to answer. I were in a panic by that point. Frantic-like, I kicked at it with the claws at me toes. I pierced its side sure enough, and it bled just a little from each hole. But it healed almost before I could make another.

It shook me then. “Sto’ tha’. You’re annoying ne.” Even as it spoke, things was still shifting about. It’s voice were a little clearer now, and there were a bell-like tone creeping into it.

I kicked it again, but this time, me claws did nay cut through. It’s skin had toughened like hard leather. The beast narrowed its eyes and squeezed at me neck, closing off me air just long enough to let me know it could.

“Sto’ tha’, I said,” it repeated. “Ha’ you ‘aken lea’ o’ your senses?”

I could see then that there were no fighting it. Its skin were too tough to pierce, it healed fast, it moved fast, and it were strong as iron. Slow-like, I relented.

“Good,” it said and sat me feet to the ground. It did nay let me go, though. “Now expah… expah-lain yourse’f. Why are you gnilling ny crea’ures? Gnus’ thought it nigh’ ‘e fun? Having a lar’?”

I didn’t know what to say to that. And its mumbling speech were a little hard to make out yet. “What?”

The lizard-thing narrowed its eyes, “Loo’, gnus’ mecause you’re a li’l mmba… bo—”

The thing huffed, abrupt-like, and shook its head. Opening its mouth wide, it gave its jaw a great stretch, exposing its fangs to the air. There were a crawling going on to its face. A rippling. Slow-like but quick enough to see, it’s reptile tongue shortened and widened, and its great teeth came together and flattened. Then the whole mouth seemed to close up, getting smaller.

It snapped its jaw closed then, and for a moment it worked at its face, shifting its expression back and forth. Soon enough, a proper mouth pulled together. It were full and plump. Like a woman’s—which were powerful strange to see on a critter like that, let me tell ya.

“There. That’s better,” it said in a clear feminine. There were a liquid quality to her voice now. “I hate forming inside of lizard-types.”

“Uh…” It weren’t exactly the sort of thing to say for etiquette’s sake, but I didn’t know what that would be anyway. And it summed up me feelings pretty close. If there were a word for such, I didn’t know that, either. What do ye called it when you’s knotted up with fear, but confused at the same time?

Anyhow, she snorted. “Balls… what sort of reaction is that? Are you high? Got into some Yelin Flowers? Is that why you suddenly decided to go on a killing spree?” She sighed before looking off into the distance. “I swear, just… because…” Absent-like, she trailed off and tilted her head, curious. “Wait a minute… where are we?” Without letting me go, she started to look around, almost frantic.

“Uhm… Be the Fourth Plains? Hereabouts,” I said. I didn’t know if she were asking me or not, but since she seemed keen to talk, I figured I’d best answer.

“Hmm…” she mused. “Is that between…? Or wait, no that would… be…” She stopped to look down at me for a second before glancing to the sky. “Fucking balls… this is…!” She looked down at me again. “How did you get here?”

I were pretty lost, I’ll admit. “I… walked?”

“You walked?” she repeated. She made it sound like I’d claimed to’ve swam. She narrowed her eyes for a second afore grabbing me face to turn it this way and that. “Who are you anyway? I don’t recognize this face.”

I jerked back, more than a little pissed off at being handled such… and she let me—which surprised me something fierce. I’d half expected to be dead by that point. “Who are you to be asking questions? What even are you anyways? Some kind of manky Faen? Coming round to footer with me like you do to the Master? If so, I got grievances with your kind!”

She didn’t say nothing for a second. She just studied me. But then her eyes lit up. “Wait…!”

She crinkled up her face then, and it started up with its shiftings like before. Soon enough, a couple of slits appeared on her betwixt the eyes and the mouth. Then they widened and pushed out to form a scaly nose. As soon as it were settled, she set to sniffing at me. She seemed to like it, too. And that were a little disturbing, I’ll admit. I knew I smelt pretty good, but that weren’t for such as this critter to be sampling.

“Hah~! I knew it! You smell just like him! You’re the concubine!” she exclaimed.

Subtle-like, I could see her chest and hip start to swell at them words. It were like… she could nay help herself? And I didn’t know what to make of that. At first. But then her scent started to curl in me nostrils, and I knew.

“Ahnbe…” I growled. Hard as I could, I clamped down on me desire to gut her like a fish. But me mouth were ahead of me. “I ain’t no flaming concubine! I be First Lilim!”

She scoffed. “First Lilim indeed! Why, if Yyx ever heard you claim that…” She trailed off to pull me hair to her nose and sniff at me again. “Hmm… although you don’t smell anything like the others. Tell me… is it true? I was told that he… created you somehow? You really never existed before that? He didn’t steal you?”

I growled again, deep-like and hostile. I’d never heard tell of no Yyx… but if she were claiming my title, we’d be having words and more! That weren’t what made me want to bite and tear at throats, though. “The Master never stole nothing!” I yelled. “He claimed me! I were First Bound! First to hear his call! He crafted me flesh from the body of a Bandit left to die, he did! I’ll not hear no slander of his name!”

She only chuckled at me rage. “Well now… you may not smell exactly right, but you certainly act like a lilim. Although… from a Bandit, you say? That explains a few things… and raises a pile of other questions.”

“Explains what?” I asked, sullen-like. I weren’t keen on being laughed at, especially about important things. But fast as this one could kill me dead, what more could I be? “What questions?”

“Oh… just a little gossip is all,” she said off-hand. “And nothing you would understand, I’m sure.”

“I ain’t a ruddy tube, ye scab!” I growled out.

She smirked back. “What a curious dialect. You must get that from the Bandit in you…” But then she grabbed me jaw in her hand and squeezed like to crush it to powder. Four horns started to erupt from her head then and her eyes flashed—mismatched in color though they were. “But do please recall that you are speaking to the Third Child? You may be a servant to my Chosen, but that does not mean I must tolerate insolence from you.”

Me own eyes flashed in anger, but the only weapon I had against her were me own tongue. “Ye hurt me Master with your… choosing!”

“…Yes,” she agreed, short-like. I tasted her hurt. I’d stung her, somehow. And that brought me up short. She be regretting about it?

Truth to tell, I had a lot of questions to ask this one. Like, why it were that she had interest in me Master, anyway. Some were obvious. I could feel the call of her loin whenever she thought of him, plain enough. Made me fit to rage, that. She were not his creature. What right did she have? But that did naught to explain its cause.

And setting that aside, this one seemed to know an awful lot about lilim. There were much I could learn from such as her, if I played it right. I were powerful curious about a great many things. Like, were I done with me growing? Would I become more monstrous? I were… afraid for that. Me Master… He enjoyed me body, of course. But he only tolerated the teeth and the claws. They made him nervous.

Not that I’d ever hurt him, of course. I’d bite off me own claws first. Made me sick to even think of it. But sometimes, me passions would run too hot, and he’d… flinch away from me. He didn’t even realize he were doing it.

“Where is Donum, anyway?” she asked, pulling me head out of me thoughts. She weren’t looking at me, though. She were scanning the field around, like she were sensing at something. “Ah… I see.” She turned to look down at me. “Why are you all the way out here by yourself? Aren’t you supposed to be some sort of… bodyguard?”

“That’s right,” I said. “He sent me away, though. I got a little bloody earlier, and I were too sticky to touch. I were going to wash in the river.”

“Too sticky… to touch?” she repeated. Slow-like, she inhaled. She were holding back a powerful rage, I could tell it. And that I could understand. “If I did not know your nature, I would be inclined to rip you to shreds for that remark, but I am not given to… futile acts of violence. And if what I suspect is true, then no doubt there will be others of this… whatever new sort of lilim you are… appearing to join your ranks, sooner or later. I cannot stop that. Still…” she paused, thoughtful-like, “perhaps you can be of some help to me. However it is that your Master is doing this, I suspect it will soon attract the attention of at least one of my Sisters. You will make certain to tell them that I have Claimed him, won’t you?”

“WHAT?!” Sudden-like, the Lady of Power roared in me ear like to rattle me skull, and I heard a crack of thunder off in the distance. “OF ALL THE BACKSTABBING… FLEA-RIDDEN… ARRRRGH!” There were a crash then, like as She were setting to destroying something in a fit. And then the sound of Her cut off.

Oh… shite. I weren’t sure how much of that the Lady had heard, but it had been enough. That did nay sound good.

Ahnbe were looking over her shoulder, seeming curious about the thunder. After a moment, she shrugged and looked back at me. “Well… I have tarried long enough. Tell you Master hello for me. I will come to call once I have regained access, and I hope to be entertained. I doubt he will be ready for anything more. In the meantime, why don’t I give you a leg up on your… current quest?”

I didn’t know what she were on about for most of that. So all I could manage were a confused, “What leg?”

But before I could do nothing, she leaned down to grab up me ankle and wrist. Then she set to twirling me about like a… like a heli-flopper!

“A what?” Arx interrupted, mystified.

“A heli-flopper,” Jax said again. “Master told me about it once. Be when a man twirls his tadger about in circles-like.” She dipped a hand down to her crotch and extended a digit to imitate the gesture.

My face went flat. That particular incident had been one of shared camaraderie between Jax and myself from before either of us realized she was changing. It was a sort of fraternal bonding ritual… in a sense. Of course, we had been fully clothed at the time, as I was hardly going to expose myself for the sake of a crude joke.

But it was not the sort of thing that a gentleman would ever do in front of a lady. Not that there were any of those around—on all three counts.

“Really?” Arx said with a growing smile. “I’ve never seen a man do that before!”

“Me neither, come to think on it,” Jax said. “For some reason, I seem to recall some embarrassment on the subject… but that don’t sound like me.”

I cleared my throat quickly before either of them started getting ideas. The conversation was already starting to derail. “Maybe you had better continue,” I suggested diplomatically.

“Oh, right!” Jax said, straightening. “Anyways, round and round I went…”

…Fast enough that I felt like to spill me guts or pass out. Then she tossed me, and I went sailing through the air in a tumble, fast as anything. Of course, I were screaming the whole way, mostly about what a mangy bint she were. But before I lost sight of her, I saw her body pop like an empty bag of skin, and it fell away to nothing.

It were quite a toss, too. I passed over a huge stretch of grassland afore I finally crashed right to the middle of the river, back first. Stung like everything, and as I were curled up from the pain of it, I realized that I had a damage in me hip from the twirling that the bloody kimon gave me.

“And that be why I were limping,” she concluded.