Truth

by Prax Venter

  “Indeed,” Abby added from the back. “The fathomless depths of my originating gameworld were vastly empty compared to what I’ve witnessed here. So much life, color… families.”

  “You have those two sisters, right?” Jezebel said, clomping down the carved dirt stairs behind him.

  Abby sighed. “Their relationship status is currently in flux, from my perspective. But what I failed to convey accurately was what I saw of the young in the Ring City. They enjoyed an intense closeness alongside the encouragement of freedom. I have data on various interactions between parent and offspring- but having the data and experiencing the reality are dissimilar with regards to understanding.”

  Mark blinked. He was getting better at parsing Abby’s way of putting things, but sometimes it took him longer than others.

  “You’ve found yourself a good home, sweetie,” Sasha said after a few steps of silence.

  Mark looked back over his shoulder to shoot the slender abyssal horror a smile when he saw her extend one of her long green appendages downward.

  “An entity approaches.”

  “Entity?” Mark muttered as he turned back to follow her focus. They were about six flights before the bottom and swiftly drifting up the steps to meet them was a cloud of gray mist. Under the clump of water vapor dangled a set of copper pipes that gently clanged as it moved.

  “What is that?” Jezebel asked, but no one had an answer.

  Mark called for a stop with his hand and gave them time to study its behavior before acting. He summoned a one-handed club if only to present a position of strength. As the moving collection of metal and steam drew closer, he started to make out a dark, angry face imprinted onto the front of the cloud, along with a pair of copper claws. He tried to look deeper into it with his magic eye, but the entity was able to deny him access.

  “I don’t think it’s friendly,” Mark said, getting into a more defensive position.

  “It looks like a pissed-off rain cloud,” Sasha added.

  Jezebel brushed his shoulder lightly as she took two more steps past Mark and shifted into a bear before his eyes. The brown, thick fur grew out of her tan skin as her body expanded to a new size. Her armor shifted with her and swelled to massive plates of leather. Jezebel’s round, furry bear-ass was in his face as she was angled downward on the stairs, and he wondered if they’d ever try…

  Mark shook the thoughts away and focused on the potentially deadly situation.

  “Hello,” he called out from over Jezebel’s protective beastly form, “I’m Mark.”

  The cloud creature did not respond and its vague indentation that served as a mouth twisted into a silent snarl. Calling out only seemed to enrage the thing further, and the fluffy gray vapor surged forward. Jezebel reacted quickly and brought up a paw as one of the cloud’s copper claws scratched across her armor. Then, with her right, she swiped at one of the two pipes dangling from its bottom like a pair of limp legs.

  Apparently, the pipe was magically tethered to the swirl of vapor, and the thing’s face turned from rage to surprise as Jezebel’s counterattack knocked the whole thing off the stairs and into the pit. They all looked over the ledge to see it reform itself and climb back up the stairs.

  But this time, the other puff of cloud and dangling pipes they’d seen from the top joined the first, and they both hovered up the evenly cut stairs toward his group.

  Wordlessly, Abby pushed past everyone, hopped onto bear-Jez’s back and began weaving her tentacle arms in intricate motions. A few seconds later, she murmured in her strange, shadowy language, and Mark turned to watch the advancing cloud-things.

  She targeted the undamaged enemy, and it split evenly in two with her Imaginary Laceration. The mist holding everything together dissipated, its copper appendages clattered lifelessly back down the stairs, and Mark felt the first bit of essence enter his body in what seemed like a long time.

  “Nice work, Abby!” Mark cheered. “These things have essence to collect, by the way.”

  After he mentioned essence, he felt all three of his Enthralled grow excited… and hungry for more battle.

  “Let me zap the last one,” Sasha said, climbing up on Jezebel’s back behind Abby. The succubus wrapped one arm around the slender green monster-woman and brought up her other palm, ready to attack.

  With the two women holding onto Jezebel’s armor with their legs, the shapeshifted bear began advancing, one stair at a time. Mark followed behind his battle harem with a smile on his face.

  As soon as the angry cloud came within one yard, Sasha extended her hand and blasted it with a surge of crackling blue electricity.

  The clump of animated fluff became too bright to look at before the mist vanished and its copper pipes also bounced back down the stairs. The current threats were all eliminated, but Jezebel continued to pad her huge bear paws down the stairs with Abby and Sasha on her back.

  Mark couldn’t help but watch the blonde succubus swish her spade tail back and forth above her tight black shorts. Sasha whispered something into Abby’s ear before she pressed her breasts into the green monster-woman’s back. The sex-demon then lifted her round ass into the air and slipped her fingers under the fabric wedged through the bulge of her pussy lips. She pulled the stretchy material out and let her taut shorts snap into place against the fleshy globes of her perfect ass, then pressed them back down onto Jezebel’s armored back.

  He was transfixed on Sasha’s garment readjustment but noticed after a moment that his succubus had leaned to the side, giving Abby a clear line of sight to him- and his reaction. They were both staring at their Collector with devilish smiles.

  “See?” he heard Sasha say before the abyssal horror nodded and faced forward again.

  “What are you teaching her?” Mark asked with a grin tugging the corner of his mouth.

  “Manipulation,” the succubus answered casually.

  He just shook his head and followed his Enthralled down to the bottom of the Steam Pit. There was a single tunnel carved into one of the walls, and it continued deep underground until the light of the perpetual noon-day sun faded into unknown blackness.

  As they arrived at the tunnel, the horned, armored bear that was Jezebel looked over her shoulder and grunted at Sasha and Abby, indicating that the ride was over. Even with a complete bear face, her gold-flecked green eyes were unmistakable.

  The succubus and abyssal horror hopped off, and Jezebel shifted back to being a curvy satyr.

  “It appears that magic is the way to go with those strange clouds,” she said when fully formed.

  “Right,” Mark said, taking a step toward the square cave cut into the wall of the before turning to face his Enthralled. “Keep the bear ready, but let’s blast any more of these we find from a distance. Abby, you attack first but stay in the back. Sasha, zap what’s left with both of your longer-range attacks. Jez and I will stay up front and clean up any that make it to us while your abilities recharge.”

  Their plan set, he summoned his two-handed club before stepping into the shadowed tunnel. His ethereal weapon cast a faint blue glow a few yards ahead, and he noticed a place where smooth gray metal took over for the blue dirt. He also noticed how much cooler it was once they were out of the sun and moving deep underground.

  Once they reached the dull metal flooring, Sasha’s and Jezebel’s hooves both began to clomp out a clear indication they were coming to any enemies that lay ahead. Where once Mark had felt anxiety from the noise, he had since come to find his tension replaced with comforting closeness. He had a team of seasoned warriors at his back, and let any who wished them harm tremble with fear at their approach.

  After about a hundred yards of metal hallway, they began to see pipes, tubes, and other bits of technology decorating the walls around them. The access panels and unknown readouts reminded him of a sleek, automated factory from his own world.

  All of them could walk side by side within the wide hallway, but Mark and Jezebel took the lead while Sasha and Abby
followed closely behind.

  Movement caught his eye beyond the edge of light generated by his club, and he saw two clumps of glowing red targets moving toward them. It was the Skeema tombs all over again. Conducting a quick test, Mark dismissed his summoned club for a moment, and the red blobs vanished, confirming that it was his magic weapon that could do damage.

  “Two clouds, incoming,” Mark said, stopping.

  “I can’t see them,” Jezebel said, taking a step forward.

  A thought hit him, and he called on his loyal succubus. “Sasha, throw your Bomb as far as you can!”

  Mark saw the hallway around them grow brighter as she activated her timed ability. He watched the blue ball of hurled energy nearly touch the ceiling as it sailed through the air, but it landed on the floor ahead of them and stuck fast. There it crackled with small arcs of electricity for about one more second before a brilliant flash illuminated the two angry clouds rushing forward just out of its range.

  He felt Abby begin to cast her Imaginary Laceration spell behind him as Sasha moved forward, ready to Arc Blast any that made it into range. He was reasonably certain that Abby could no longer physically see the floating mist enemies with their collection of copper appendages, but she finished her casting with the shadowy whispers and he saw one of the red blobs vanish, its metal limbs clattering against the floor in the darkness.

  Mark began moving forward slowly, and his Enthralled followed. He felt Sasha press her breasts into his back as she clomped up close to him and reached her hand around his shoulder.

  “Protect me, Lover,” she whispered into his ear.

  Mark held his club out in front of him and extended its shaft to reach farther away from them to illuminate a bit more of the tunnel.

  It wasn’t long before the cloud entity came within range. Sasha calmly said, “Now,” and Mark closed his eyes.

  Even through the lid on his good eye, he winced from the point-blank burst of light as the Destructor did what she was meant to do. A small amount of essence entered his body with a pleasurable flutter, and he opened his eyes again to find the hallway littered with coper pipes.

  He turned around and kissed Sasha on her soft, smooth cheek.

  “Nicely done,” Mark said, and she smiled sweetly at him, her blue eyes twinkling.

  Abby stepped up to them both, her tentacles wrapped around her slender, green stomach.

  “I destroyed one as well and demand similar treatment.”

  Both Mark and Sasha turned to face the shorter monster-woman in the yellow bikini.

  “Of course,” he said, moving close to the abyssal horror. He had to stoop a little, but he cupped her cheek and pressed his lips right on her cheekbone. He lingered on her smooth, supple skin and made a barely audible kissing noise when he finally pulled away.

  Abby took in a shuddering breath, her yellow eyes lidded. She wanted more.

  “Come on,” he said, “let’s find those shards.”

  He rubbed his hand on Jezebel’s back as he walked past her, not wanting to leave anyone out, and he could tell she loved him for it.

  Up ahead, the metal corridor only continued for about fifty more yards before opening up into a much larger area beyond, and there appeared to be an open door at the very end on the right side.

  As they crept closer, Mark saw an expansive chamber with tubes and pipes snaking everywhere. The main floor was a good three stories below them and jumping down was not an option unless he wanted to shatter his ankles. In the center of this voluminous metal chamber was a clear, cube-shaped tank of gray liquid where the vague image of a woman floated. She looked to be made of air, as if she were invisible, and the liquid that pushed against her outlined her shifting, sensuous form.

  “Intruders!” a breathy female voice echoed to them from everywhere at once. “You erase my twisted workers. Have you come to finally put me out of my misery as well?”

  The distant woman submerged in the tank of liquid appeared to be looking up at them. It must be her voice that was speaking.

  Mark gave an equally loud answer. “We are here to retrieve the shards of the Crystal Heart. We will not attack you if you do not attack us.”

  There was a pause, and the invisible woman in the tank performed a graceful, backward somersault, sloshing the gray liquid around her giant glass tub as she did so.

  “I will aid you if you aid me, Collector. Continue to destroy my misshapen workers and stand before me. Only then will we speak again.”

  “She wants us to erase her collective?” Abby asked as one of her perfectly angular eyebrows raised.

  The green-eyed satyr answered. “She used the words ‘twisted’ and ‘misshapen’ to describe those angry clouds. Maybe they’re a failed experiment.”

  “Whatever the reason,” Mark said, moving toward the open doorway to their right, “killing them is now part of our main quest.”

  The corridor of metal continued beyond the doorway for about a hundred yards before bending to the left. There were no enemies that he could see, and it was the only way forward, so Mark led his battle harem into the brightly lit yet narrow hallway. This passage was barely wide enough for two of them to walk side-by-side, and Mark started to feel the unseen oppressive weight above them. There had to be trillions of tons of dry blue dirt between them and the surface, and this small, metal corridor might be the only thing keeping the tremendous weight above from instantly flattening them all.

  At about the halfway point, they came to another opening on the same side that showed another massive chamber. Only this one extended up from their current level and was absolutely filled with gears, tubes and other magical-looking devices. Mark’s mind was having a difficult time visualizing the sheer size of this underground machine.

  After they all quietly observed the impressive view, Mark led them to the bend in the corridor. A plume of steam whistled out of a broken copper pipe running along the wall, and they all avoided the boiling hot vapor as they passed. The hall continued for another few yards before a riveted metal door blocked their path. Affixed to the frame to the right of the door was a lever whose positions were labeled ‘Open’ and ‘Closed’. It was currently set to ‘closed’.

  Mark reached out and flipped the shaft upward into the open position with a metallic click, but the door did not respond. Considering their options, he cast his gaze down to the petite abyssal horror standing close to him.

  “Think you could lacerate us a hole?”

  “My spell only targets entities with a mind,” she said, her yellow eyes narrowed in frustration. “This obstruction is mindless.”

  “And before you ask,” Sasha said, “my Shock Bomb would only be absorbed by the metal.”

  “There is a gauge above the door,” Jezebel said, pointing to the round readout that looked like a speedometer. The needle was at 0, and if he followed the pipe connected to it, he saw it led to the broken bit with the venting jet of steam behind them. No doubt that was the problem.

  Jezebel apparently came to the same conclusion.

  “It appears that there isn’t enough pressure for whatever contraption operates the door.”

  Mark turned his good eye over toward the venting steam again and rubbed his chin. If only they had a way to repair the pipe. Then a possibility entered his mind.

  “Hold on,” he said, moving back down the corridor. The hot steam made it difficult to see the damage clearly, but Mark summoned his one-handed mace and pressed the translucent ball at the end of the weapon against the hole. The steam stopped, and now that he could see the breakage clearly, he got to work on making a replacement, ethereal tube. Twisting his mind around the blue energy flowing out of him was as hard as holding onto a gallon of water with your bare hands… but this was magic water.

  Slowly, the end of his mace grew a spike, making it look like a pickax. It took a great deal of focus, but Mark eventually spread out the glowing, blue energy to span the empty space between the broken pipe. Now, all he had to do was create a hole in
the center so the steam could flow through to the door, and Mark struggled with exactly how he was going to make it happen.

  He turned his head to see all his sexy monster women watching him with excited confidence. For them, he would bend the very universe… he could damn well create a fucking pipe. Hell- he’d successfully made a glove before, and those were just little pipes, after all.

  With inspiration and renewed determination, Mark turned his full attention to the malleable power he had received from the Goddess of Oral Sex. The flow of solid energy gradually began to obey his will and pull apart, creating a channel for the steam to pass through his summoned tube.

  The boiling hot vapor made it to whatever mechanism lay inside the wall, and the gauge began to move.

  “You did it!” Jezebel cheered.

  As the pressure built, the thick door began to lift into the ceiling with a dull grinding noise. His battle harem moved across the threshold, and a chill ran down his back at the thought of it sliding back down and separating them. Jezebel seemed to have the same fear, however, and stopped directly under the massive slab of metal.

  “Mark, wait for me to shift and hold the door before-”

  “Incoming!” Sasha yelled as she zapped an enemy out of his sight. He shot his eyes back to Jezebel, who was in the middle of shifting into her bear form. The moment her paw braced open the metal bulkhead, he dismissed the pipe growing out of his hand and sprinted for the opening.

  A burst of trapped steam caught him in the arm, and he hissed from the pain just as the door slammed down onto Jezebel, almost taking off her furry arm. It didn’t look like she was going to be able to hold it, but Mark slid through on his ass just as it slammed down behind him with a deep metallic impact that echoed in this new expansive area.

  Dull clanging pulled his attention, and he saw the muscular chrome legs of his succubus kicking at three angry clouds. Each attack hit one of their metal appendages, but her violent flurry of kicks was starting to lose its shock and awe effect on the hovering creatures, and one angry clump of mist darted in to rake its copper claws across Sasha’s arm. Mark sprang to his feet to exact his vengeance, but Abby finished her spell, and the attacker evaporated in a swirl of dark magic.