by Eden Redd
“What if they tell you to end it? What if they want us to stop?”
“Do you think we will stop? Do you think they can stop us?”
Vanessa smiled, showing teeth. “No.”
“Neither do I. We have a lot of catching up do to. In addition, I can help you with your familiar. He was very hungry and we shouldn’t let that happen again. I know Lana misses you too. The four of us should plan some nights together.”
Vanessa’s eyes shined as she looked to her lover. “I meant it last night. I do love you.”
“I know you did. I meant it too. I love you.”
Vanessa felt her heart beat again. “We should do something today.”
“I have to see the Lord Mayor in about two hours. After that I’m all yours.” Hart smiled.
“Two hours? Just enough time.” Vanessa said and crawled onto her lover.
Hart groaned his approval as the dead woman mounted him. Bodies moving, they gazed into each other’s eyes. Mana whipped out and took hold between them, restoring their connections. The morning sun rose higher in the air, waking the world once more, faint moans gently mixing with the bright harmony of a new day.
~Fin~
Aznara’s Gifts
One
A figure moved through the darken Stukarr streets. Hood up and small horns emerging just beyond the covered shadows, a lone demoness walked with pain worming into her heart. Aznara stared at the cobbled path as she moved aimlessly through the deserted streets. It wasn’t that late into the evening but with talk of war, the citizens wanted to spend more time with family and friends. The red headed succubus frowned at the thought. Her only family she has ever known betrayed her and left with the enemy. The thought of Sunara caused the succubus to tighten her fists as she strolled.
It had been about a month since her blue-haired rookery sister left with Damon Wick, taking Nia with her as a prisoner. Thoughts bled to all the moments where her sister acted suspiciously but she never questioned it. The alone time she often took and phone conversations she would cut short when Aznara stumbled upon her. They both had no one else but their elders and most of their kind were caught up in their own sex lives to be concerned with two succubi attending college far from home.
Aznara’s blood boiled as she tried to contain her rage. Fantasies played out of knocking her sister out and dragging her home. Memories floated in of Aznara on her knees licking Sunara to comfort her but the blue haired rookery sister would never return the sentiment. Their custom would be pleasing one another for comfort but Sunara felt she was far superior, making sure Aznara pleased her whenever she commanded. Normally it didn’t bother her. It was their way and Aznara figured with time she would understand and return the affection. Instead, reality loomed over her that she was not important in the scheme of their relationship.
Gritting teeth, the succubus glanced up to see the glowing neon lights of the Devil’s Drink Bar. The demoness nodded to herself as a need to drown her sorrows surfaced. Walking to the thick wooden door, a clawed hand reached up and pushed.
The bar was smoky and dimly lit. The succubus couldn’t find where the smoke was coming from and soon figured it was there for atmosphere. Men and woman crowded the bar and simple booths lining the wall. Aznara guessed these were all the dregs of Stukarr without family, men and women who had no one else but each other to drink their pain away, the perfect place to stay and drink her own pain away. Grabbing hold of the edges of her hood, she pulled it back and turned her head to the crowd.
At first, no one noticed. A man at the bar glanced at the demoness and quickly tapped his friend. A domino effect fell throughout the room until the conversations stopped and all eyes were on the demon at the front door. Aznara grinned as she walked in, no fear in her eyes. Stepping to the bar and taking an empty bar stool, a man to either side of her moved away to find seating elsewhere.
The bartender took longer the usual to walk over and ask what she was having. When he finally did, the succubus took longer than usual to order her drink. It was a matter of seconds but to a busy bartender, each second was twenty minutes. The wide shouldered bar keep was ready to move on when Aznara asked for ale and lots of it. Practically sneering, he walked off to get her a dirty mug and filled it halfway.
The ale was roughly put in front of the demoness. Aznara leered as she picked it up and drank it down in three gulps. Without a word, she pointed to it indicating more. The bartender moved slower while some of the patrons whispered and laughed quietly. The usual bar noise returned as the show ended. Heads turned back to drunken friends and the night slid into normalcy.
Aznara eyed her second mug of ale. Memories played out like old movies. The succubus remembered how it was back home. Sunara was the ringleader when they were little. Aznara was her partner in crime and they would stir up trouble any chance they could. The elders would say it was perfectly fine for little demons to get in trouble but Sunara was the one that tested it over and over again. Aznara admired her rookery sister’s keen intelligence and ability to talk her way out of punishment. The red haired demoness looked up to her blue haired sister and wanted to be just like her. Sunara was the one that kept Aznara out of trouble, grounding her mentally when her urges would get out of control. The succubus smiled to herself at a memory of the two of them sneaking into the nearby human towns. They watched with wide eyes as they sneaked around the bordellos, seeing human men and women with succubi and incubi, bodies joined and the chorus of lust song in the air. The sights would drive Aznara crazy but her sister would calm her down and lead her away when it was too much. They were the perfect combination of fire and ice. Now Aznara sat feeling less then complete.
A finger tapped the demoness on the shoulder. “Hey demon bitch. Is it true if I show you my cock that you will fall to your knees and suck it?” The drunken patron said with a bit of a slur.
Aznara turned her head and eyed the man. The stink coming off the patron would make a pig’s stomach curl. “I don’t see a cock. I see an idiot.”
Several men at the bar howled with laughter. The bartender folded his arms and smirked. Heads turned from booths to see what the commotion was.
The drunken man’s eyes narrowed. “Smart mouth coming from something like you. I should make you choke on those words with my dick.”
Aznara kept her eyes locked on the drunk. “And keep your friends from sucking your cock?” The demoness looked past to the laughing drunks at the bar. “Why would I stand in the way of true love?”
The men at the bar stopped laughing and stood up from their bar stools. About seven men crowded around the lone succubus as she looked on, amused. The classy drunk in front of her seemed to sober up a little as the fire of rage glowed in his eyes.
“Yea, I know your kind. We push hard enough you will give in. You can’t help yourself. I think me and the boys should push hard on you. Show you a good time before we beat you into the ground.”
Aznara turned in her seat and looked at the threatening men surrounding her. “You and the boys don’t know anything. If you did, then you wouldn’t be standing there with the scent of lust. You think because I am a demon, you feel justified on what you can do to me.”
The drunk’s eyes fell to Aznara’s cleavage. “It would be the best you should get. You damn monsters nearly destroyed the city. You brought the slimes here and nearly got us all killed.”
“No she didn’t. She was one of the people who saved the city!” A few men and women stood up from the booths.
Aznara turned to the men and women and noticed they were mages from the college. She had seen some of them around campus at times.
The drunk glanced at the mages and turned his attention back to Aznara. “It still seems the city is split on whether you monsters should be here or not. I think you should be sent back the way you came. Ain’t no place for monsters among humans. The walls are there to keep you things out.”
The drunk moved in closer with an intimidating gaze. “Sooner or later you are goi
ng to know your place. I hope I’m there when you’re on your knees, begging me to stop. After that, I’ll throw you out the main gate myself like the used piece of garbage you are.”
Aznara’s head tilted forward, shadows covering her eyes. Something inside the demon snapped. “Why do you hope? Touch me and see who will be on their knees.”
A female mage took a step forward. “Aznara, we have your back.”
The succubus looked over the shoulders of the burly men surrounding her to the fellow mage she didn’t recognize. “Thank you but I can handle this.”
The bartender reached under the counter and pulled up a wand in each hand. Aznara glanced over at the wooden wands and made eye contact with the bartender. The bartender stepped closer, arms crossed with wands sticking out under them.
“I think you should leave, demon. These fine people came for a drink and you are disturbing them.” The bartender said in a commanding tone.
“It looks like they are disturbing me.” Aznara sneered.
“You are causing trouble. If you don’t leave then I will put you to sleep and drop you in the gutter.” The bartender growled.
“Let me do it. I’m sure the fight will go out of her when a real man touches her.” The drunk laughed.
Aznara looked to the drunk. “What is your name?”
The drunk raised an eyebrow, amused. “Billy. Why?”
“So the magistrates will know who you are after I’m done with you.” Aznara smiled evilly.
Billy’s amused expression melted into hard stone. Aznara winked and blew him a kiss. The drunk glanced back at his buddies around him. The room took on a thick and hungry edge. Aznara knew they were going to do more than just fight. They will do everything they can to take out their frustration and anger on her. Rage flaring, she readied spells as hands curled into fists.
Aznara stared at Billy. “Come on Billy. Everyone is watching. Too late to turn back since you are such a strong man. Show this little demon her place.”
The drunken Billy’s eyes stared and a fist reared back. With a word, the candles along the bar flared, thin streams of fire flowing onto Aznara’s fists, lighting them on fire. It happened so fast, when Billy aimed his fist at the demon’s face, Aznara caught it inches from her cheek. The fire covering her hand burned the meaty fist on contact, causing Billy to scream.
The entire bar erupted into chaos. Mages cast spells, drinks emerging into streams of water and hosing the men surrounding Aznara. Burly men turned to meet blasts of alcohol hosing them directly in the face. Aznara tightened her flaming grip, causing Billy to fall to his knees, the drunk screaming his head off. The succubus continued to grin. The fire surrounding her hand was not that powerful. It burned enough just to singe skin. Billy tried to pull away but Aznara’s grip was like a vice.
The bartender pointed both wands at the succubus. Aznara pulled Billy to his feet just as two white bolts of lightning emerged from the wand points. Aznara curled Billy’s arm around her, pulling him onto her. Two bolts struck the screaming Billy. The drunk stopped screaming, his eyes grew heavy and his body went limp. Aznara took hold of his shirt and held Billy up like a shield. Glancing at him, Billy began to snore. The succubus laughed as she realized the bartender was using sleeping wands.
Men rushed the succubus. Still holding Billy up with one hand, she lashed out with her other flaming fist. One drunk stopped to dodge her fist but his coordination was off. A flaming fist connected with his jaw and sent him careening onto the wooden floor. Another drunk punched the succubus just as she reared back. Aznara felt the tiny stab of pain before she glared at the shocked drunk. Whipping her flaming fist out, she backhanded him into a booth. Several mages took hold and threw the stunned drunk back into the fray.
The bartender kept firing sleeping bolts, trying to get a clear strike on the demoness. Aznara kept Billy up as a shield. Men at the bar were fighting college mages with fists. Some of the students couldn’t cast their spells fast enough and received punches to the jaws. Aznara growled as she stalked forward, punching a drunk hard enough to knock him off his feet. Billy snored as sleep bolts hit his limp body. Aznara heaved down and threw Billy over the bar. The bartender dropped the wands just as Billy came crashing down.
The succubus was in her element. All the pain and anguish faded into the background as she jumped into the chaos with flaming fists. Stools swung into bodies as water spells blasted people off their feet. Flaming knuckles slammed into faces, stomachs and knees. Aznara was having the time of her life, releasing all her pent up emotions on idiots. She wondered why she hadn’t done this sooner.
Furniture shattered and bar walls cracked. The succubus drove her knee into a drunk. A female mage finished the guy off with a punch to his face. Aznara and the mage nodded to each other and turned to others still locked in the heat of battle. The succubus kept punching and kicking until light blared through the front doors. Magistrates in white glowing riot armor stormed in, hands holding blunt maces.
Aznara turned; ready to take them on when hands took hold of her shoulders. Turning her head to the female mage and another mage at her side, they pulled her toward the back while the fighting crashed into the magistrates. White blinding flashes lit up the dark bar as Aznara stumbled through a back hallway and into a door. The door slammed open. The succubus and two mages ran out the back and into the alleyway, Aznara cackling the entire time.
Two
Aznara breathed hard as she tried to contain her giggling. The female and male mages leaned their backs to each other, breathing hard and barely containing their smiles. They had run for several blocks before they had to catch their breath. Heaving, they listened to see if they were being chased. After a few long moments, sighs of relief fell from their lips.
“Thank you.” Aznara said as she composed herself.
“Don’t mention it.” The female mage breathed.
“They are still going to come for me. I am the only succubus in the city.”
The female mage shook her head. “Then we will come as witnesses in your defense.”
Aznara looked to her fellow mages. “You know my name but I don’t know yours.”
The female mage with light brown hair smiled. “I’m Anna. He is Troy.”
“Thank you Anna and Troy.”
“Like I said, don’t mention it.” Anna paused before speaking again. “We will notify the magistrates of our side of the story. You don’t have to get involved.”
The succubus eyed the two mages with a sliver of uncertainly. “Why are you both being so generous?” The succubus instantly regretted asking. Her mind was in so much turmoil that she didn’t trust anyone.
Anna smiled brightly. “You helped saved the city. We were in the battle against the slimes. We saw you fight alongside Trystan against the blue slime. How could we stand back and watch a hero treated like you were at the bar?”
The handsome thin Troy stepped forward and put his arm around Anna’s shoulder. “You guys are like celebrities. We were happy to help you.”
Aznara was stunned. The demoness said nothing as she stared at the two fellow mages who seemed to admire her.
Anna tilted her head and grinned. “We know part of the city wants to see para-humans chased out but there is another part of the city that is glad to have you here.”
“I don’t know what to say.” The succubus said, feeling small. Her tail wrapped around her leg for comfort.
The two mages nodded.
“Don’t worry about it. You had better run along before any magistrates come looking for you. We will report our side of the story and tell the other mages there to support you.” Anna said as she took Troy’s hand.
“See you around campus.” Troy smiled.
Aznara nodded. The two mages walked off down another street. The succubus walked in the opposite direction, her heart swelling in confused joy. Street lamps passed overhead as she strolled along lost in thought. Never had she been called a hero before. Nothing even came close. It was a st
range sensation as she turned a corner and walked down a familiar street.
The warm glow faded as the inky darkness of her past crawled into her mind. Her first instinct was to call Sunara and tell her what just happened, tell her how they all did a good deed and people recognized it. Now she walked alone, unsure what to do with her newfound fame.
Light from a familiar penthouse glowed in the night like a beacon. The succubus walked toward it, her heart and mind filling with thoughts of her friend. Urges pressed at her to drop in on Trystan and tell him everything that just happened. Getting closer, she saw that the door attendant was asleep in the lobby through the glass doors.
Standing in front of the glass doors, the demoness reached out a clawed finger to ring the buzzer so she could be let in. Excitement and dread battled for control. The succubus wanted nothing more than to throw herself in Trystan’s arms and tell him everything that happened in the bar. Instead, she curled her finger back, shadows covering her eyes. Taking a step back onto the sidewalk, she turned and continued walking.
Aznara’s eyes gazed at the sidewalk as she strolled on. A strange feeling had taken root and she could no longer deny its power. Mind spinning on, feelings and images flooded her addled thoughts. Memories of herself with Trystan took hold and wouldn’t let go. Images of their time together on the ship caused the succubus to miss a step and nearly stumble forward. A clawed hand took hold of a wall and there she stood, wet and hungry sensations rolling through her like a flower in a storm. She remembered saying she loved him and the thought caused a sharp pain in her heart.
“Are you alright?” asked a voice.
Aznara turned her head to a man standing in the street. Her senses were naturally acute. She could hear a cat walking from hundreds of feet away, but she hadn’t even notice the stranger. Waving him away, she stood up on her own power and continued to walk.
The stranger walked alongside the succubus, eyes filled with concern. “You seem to be having a hard time. Want to talk about it?”