10 comments/ 51146 views/ 62 favorites Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 01 By: TaLtos6 This is the first chapter of several concerning a female demon whose existence was once to serve the ruler of one hell or another. She's been at it a long time. Readers interested in quick sex scenes might want to look elsewhere. I won't get to that for at least another 2 chapters or so ... ----------------------------------------------- The return trip was always a pain – sometimes literally. She always felt relief when she was dispatched on some inane errand, or to fetch a badly tarnished soul. On her way out, it was as close to freedom as she could get, she supposed. Errands weren't that great, since there was usually some haste required, but the souls – well, she had to find them first, after all. Then she had time to examine their little lives in order to choose her moment. No one expected her to be back in an instant. She'd stretched a few out to more than a year each, like this one. But the inbound trips, she just hated them. She was supposed to bow and scrape for some guardian someplace and sometimes more than one, as if there was a great crush to get into this hell – or any other hell that she'd seen for that matter. The nice thing about this one, she thought, was that she'd found a couple of ways in. Little unused pathways that she'd stumbled across. It wasn't much, but it was a small bit of satisfaction to her to slide in unobserved and appear in front of her master. He never seemed to mind, she thought. Well, if he was even aware that she'd done it at all. She couldn't tell. She'd been traded here from a different place maybe two centuries ago. She had no idea why, she was just glad to get out of that one. The ruler there had been the bitch priestess from – well from her hell anyway, and was liable to use a flame whip for nothing. This one was better. As in any other of the hells she'd seen, the ruler here was prone to just grabbing somebody and screwing them apart. So far, she'd only ever seen him do it to males but that meant nothing. She did her best not to hang around the place if she could help it and always asked for another task immediately. Because of that, she knew that she hadn't witnessed all of the possible variations of her master's sudden lust. The females that she'd seen were handed off to others that she'd never seen as well, but she'd heard the results, loud and clear – none of this was supposed to be nice. She had no doubt that he could eventually find her of interest somehow, but so far it hadn't happened. Whenever she'd been summoned, he was all business. His directions had often bordered on curt, but he always gave her enough to go on. She didn't know it, but her master liked her initiative, he didn't mind that she'd been the only one to find the other little holes to get in. He knew they were there, and he knew that she used them. He liked her enough to leave her alone to do his bidding, though he'd never tell her that. What she hated was the place itself. Well, she supposed, every hell must be somebody's idea of paradise – like the ruler's. But this was a lifeless desert. It was always hot and dusty, unbearably so. The sand and dust got into everything, eyes, ears, and worse. Once, she'd almost gotten past a guardian because the hot wind was blowing so much sand that they hadn't seen each other. Her first clue had been his whip around her throat. That was bad enough, but he had dragged her back despite her protestations that she just hadn't seen him. Then she had to submit to the whipping. Standing there in the blowing dust waiting for him to finish was awful. And it was worse because she had a pretty good sense that she could tear him apart easily. But then what? She preferred not to think about what the ruler would do to her for it, so she'd just gritted her teeth and taken it. That's when she'd begun to look for other ways in. She rarely used them to get out for fear of being observed. On this trip, she was bearing the soul of an asshole, for lack of a better term. Just another in an endless line, she supposed. There might be some form of payment involved and she had no way of knowing if it was so, but a lot of what she did amounted to being one of her ruler's bounty hunters. If there was a bounty paid, she never knew of it and she certainly didn't receive it. She didn't know why this soul was wanted by her master. In this line of work, she'd seen pretty much everything, and almost never asked questions unless she wasn't clear about the directions. He'd been pretty easy to take. When she was ready, she'd just bowled him over as he was in the process of hurting somebody else. She waited until she knew that his orgasm was beginning, and then she tore through the closet door where she'd been hiding, ripped his soul from his bloated body, and they were gone. The woman on the bed was dead anyway. She had no idea if this tendency that she'd observed in him was the reason that he was wanted. She didn't care – it was none of her concern. But she had a feeling that she knew what kind of treatment he was in for. She stopped as she neared the place where this crack in the wall opened up behind some boulders and rubble. Something was different. She had no idea what, but even though she was still fairly new here, she recognized that something was out of place. Her master was in sight, but looking quiet for once. She slid inside since there was nobody else in sight. Taking her time moving around the place, she wondered about it briefly before coming up to the ruler to bow and deliver the soul. He looked up as though from deep thought. "Ah, you have done well for me again. You are the only one that I do not have to trace and harass, or punish for coming back late." "Is there more for me to do?" she asked. This was the one question that she loathed to ask, for she was always worried to hear the answer. "No," he shook his damp horned head. He looked to be made of mud, but she knew that he was just wet on the outside, and that caused the dust to stick to him. He shrugged or flung it off him sometimes, and she'd seen his grey skin then. "I want you to leave here for a while," he said. "Go where you will. I will summon you when I need you again." He reached for the quivering man, and licked him from his knees, over his soft belly to his face. The man squirmed and cried out, writing in disgust. The master laughed, and turned him around to do the same thing from the other side, before kissing the man savagely. She got a look at her master's organ rising, and backed away. Her master looked at her momentarily, and whispered, "Go now." She wondered about this send-off, but wasn't dim-witted enough to hang around chewing on it. The man had begun to scream and shriek as her master impaled him. She knew it would get louder in a few minutes. Her master liked to pound his toys pretty hard. When they'd get quiet, he'd make them cry out again from any number of things, though mostly she'd just seen him use his teeth. Often, he'd stick his long, thick tongue into their mouths, and they'd choke in the agony of suffocation, but of course, they were already dead. It took nothing away from the torture. Then he'd happily screw them apart again, before handing them off to his lesser demons when he'd lost interest. She drifted around, trying to get a sense of what was different, and then just giving up as she remembered that he'd told her to leave. Leave this place, he'd said, go where you will. It was almost too much for her to comprehend. She just followed an instinct, and headed for the same hole in the wall that she'd used to come in. There wasn't anybody to see her, so ... Just as she got behind the rubble, she turned as she heard the approach of many of the denizens who she'd thought should have been here to begin with, only there were many more than usual. And they were all terrified. No one noticed her as she peeked out, but she could see that they were being followed by a great host. She darted out through the crack and did her best to get as far away from the place as she could. The sounds of battle came to her ears from the cavern behind her. What did this mean? She wondered what was going on. It looked to her like her master - well, her master and his entire hell were under attack. The thought crossed her mind that if her master fell, then whoever won this fight could and would then claim her to their service. She shuddered at her miserable luck. She'd seen a few of the lords of the other hells. There was nobody that she would have wanted to work for. Likely it would just mean her own torment at someone's hands. Then she thought about her own soul. She was a demon, but not all demons were soulless things. The more advanced ones had souls, different from those of humans, but they were kept from servant demons, mostly as a surety that they would do what was asked of them. If a master couldn't locate one of his minions, he only had to torment their soul. That was how it worked. She hoped her master would win this, whatever it was. In the meantime, she'd been told to leave. That was good enough for her. She'd beat feet out of there, and if she was called by her won soul, well what else could she do? Just as she reached the outer edges, she thought to go as fast as she could, and launched herself outward. She'd figure out where she was later. What she didn't know was that her master was about to fall, and he knew it. He fought tooth and nail, but it looked to him as though there was nothing but defeat before him, and he wasn't about to become any other master's minion. He'd spent ages working his way up to the strength that he'd needed to take this hell from his old master. He thought briefly about her. He didn't care about his other minions. They were all cut from the same cloth, and would likely quit his defense soon to offer to serve the winner. But she was different. She wasn't the kind to want power. She only did what she was told to do, and he admired her for that. He plucked her soul from its place in his pouch. He wished her well, wherever she went, he thought. He continued his vicious defensive tactics, laying wave after wave of his attackers down. He finally saw his usurper, a sand demon of tremendous might. As the first of what he knew would be many waves of pain hit him, he flung out his arms, and let his own spirit go. In the mud and slime that he had thrown from his body, her soul flew free. Of the great army that had been raised against her master, no one saw it. When the wet debris hit the wall, the little soul found the crevice, and sped off toward its owner, increasing its speed as it traveled. As it reached the outer edges where she was, it moved so quickly that no one could see it. She felt something, though. She'd felt the passing of her master, and turned. What she saw looking back was a pale thin line snaking toward her. She only saw it because she was looking along its line of travel. There was no time to dodge this missile, or whatever it was, she thought. Whoever had done her master in had no doubt sent this doom to her personally. It struck her just as she tried to dodge it anyway. She felt the impact but knew nothing more. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 02 Time to introduce the male protagonist of this thing. A rather humble and unpretentious sort, but he's real. He'd say 'Damn' if he was mildly surprised, and a whole lot more if the situation called for it. He's stoic. He's sparse. He's even cheap though not to a fault, and above all, our guy here is pragmatic. He makes up rules of thumb as he goes through life. Mostly, they're out of humor at himself. This was originally written to be a four-parter or so, but I have fun with it whenever I look at it, so it might get longer here. Depends on the girl's mood. She's uh, ... well she's changeable, let's say. ----------------------------------------------- Tobias looked through the wiper blades trying to see a mailbox. He reasoned that if he could only see a farmer's mailbox, then he'd know whether he was still on the road (that he couldn't see), or already in a field. It was an oversimplification he knew, but it was about how he felt. He was used to these squalls and blizzards, but it tended to put him off his game a little when the snowdrifts flew over the hood and windshield of his truck. That had already happened twice this trip and it kind of tests the adrenal glands a little. Across the flatter parts in this screaming wind, he'd driven 57 seconds out of a minute seeing nothing and hoping for another 3 seconds of visibility. Well you have to correct your drift sometime... Besides that, it was cold tonight. This was the kind of night that the local boys joke about, saying that if you had to pee, you'd better do it walking backwards to make room for the ice you're making. "I freaking hate storms like this," he said to the steering wheel. It had been bad when he'd left work over an hour ago, and it had gotten worse since. It had taken him three tries to get out of the last town since the police were closing the roads. He wasn't that far from home now, and couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. The truth was that Tobias didn't really mind driving through winter storms all that much, once he was out of the city and off the main highway. With the fools left behind, it wasn't so bad, though this particular storm was being a bitch about it. He listened to the soft whine of the four-wheel drive, and thanked it for being there. His old Dodge was almost fifteen years old, but this was what he had bought it for. He had a full tank of gas and six hundred pounds of sandbags in the bed of the truck. The weight was there for traction. He wasn't in a hurry. He found a speed that would keep him moving and stayed there. He suddenly remembered a daydream that he'd had when he was back in high school – probably during a geography class, he thought. His mind would do this to him occasionally. He'd have a wild stray thought or memory as he drove that would make him stop and wonder where it had come from. Living where he did, he had lots of time to think. He remembered that he had thought of just such a night as this. He had thought of being an adult and coming home from work late at night through a snowstorm. In his daydream, he'd even been driving a pickup truck, though he now couldn't remember what it looked like to him then. He'd been intent on getting home, and once finally there, relaxing with a computer for a short while before turning in. He smiled now to remember it. Personal computers were really out on the edge then. Few companies made them then as far as he knew, the IBM PC was just about to revolutionize the average person's life, though no one knew it then. Unknown to Tobias at the time, the fledgling network that would become the internet was just being tinkered with. Looking back, it was such an odd thing to daydream about. It was before he had ever worked an off-shift in his life, and he'd never even driven a pickup truck at the time. He frowned a little as his memory of it reached the end. It had held no meaning to him then, but he now knew that in his daydream, he would check his email and then turn in. What bothered him now was that at the end, he had come to his home. It was a house. In his daydream, it was paid for, just as his own home was now, since he'd bought the thing with no mortgage. The whole thing was chilling enough, but in real life, there was only one detail missing from the daydream. There was no woman there to curl up with on a stormy winter night. None of the relationships in his life had lasted long enough for something like that to happen. It was just something that he'd always wanted to do, though he couldn't have explained why it was important to him if asked in a conversation. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd thought of the daydream – if he ever really had since that geography class. This was the start of a week of vacation now, and the best way that he could think of starting it in a blizzard was that way suddenly. For all he knew, it was something that no one ever thought of, but he did. He never thought of the daydream, but this aspect had always been a long-standing desire for him. He wouldn't care if she was awake and waiting for him or not, just as long as she loved him. That was all he'd want on a night like this. It hadn't happened yet, and he was pretty sure now that it never would. He turned to drive through the town just south of his own. He didn't usually go this way, but his normal route had a couple of serious hills that he didn't feel like playing with tonight. He drove through the sleeping village and felt like the last man alive on Earth. In that old daydream, he hadn't felt this way at all, but he did now. He was in his late forties and lived alone. He'd never possessed a single outstanding feature to his mind. The difference between what the world saw and what Tobias saw of himself was somewhat skewed. To his mind, he was quite ordinary – just a guy – that's how he thought of himself. In fact, the exertion of his workday and his rather sparse way of living had left him in great physical shape. He just never saw it. He still had his hair, he thought, so that was something. It was a stupid thought that he'd hoped to use to force himself to cheer up with, but it hadn't worked. He'd always been a bit on the shy side. He covered it well in public, but it had never left him. Whenever he looked back, his almost nonexistent love life had been filled with missed chances, misinterpreted signals, and bad choices. He hadn't had what he had envisioned a real love to be like. They'd never lasted long. After a while, he'd looked it all over and decided that he must be deficient somehow, or just not emotionally equipped to do whatever it was that other people did that made them successful at it. He liked women, but now just thought of them as female people who were probably in their own happy relationships. Even if they weren't, none of them would be interested in him, likely. Finally, it had come to him that evolution was working. Whatever deficiency he had would be gone from the gene pool when he finally took his dirt nap. He sighed. However hard it had been for him to try at love when he was young, it was much harder now, he knew. He kept to himself, mostly. He wasn't weird or unfriendly, his new neighbors liked him well enough, but he wasn't hanging on their doorbells either. Well, he thought, so that stupid daydream had been a premonition of sorts. Here he was driving through a freaking blizzard in his pickup on his way to his home, which was a house, after all. He knew he'd check his email, and he knew that there wouldn't be any, except for a pile of offers to sell a college degree, or how wonderful his sex life would be again if only he'd buy their little blue pills. He snorted. Yeah, what a wonderful sex life he'd had. He shook his head. He noted by the tire tracks in front of him that it was coming down worse now, and that there hadn't been anyone past here in a while. He cautiously rolled his shoulders. He was a fairly relaxed driver, but driving through one of these things had a tendency to cause him to pay such attention to the road and the conditions that he didn't perform whatever little things that he normally did automatically to keep his neck and shoulder muscles limber. He only had a few miles left now, so this was the home stretch. "What the ..." He opened his eyes wide as he saw something fly across the road in front of his headlights, maybe twenty feet in front of him. He knew that even the deer around here had more sense than to be out now. Besides, it wasn't a deer. That much was obvious. He got off the gas and began cautiously to brake. Unless he had just begun to lose it completely, he could have sworn that he had just watched a woman sail across the road to land on the other side of the ditch and throw up a lot of snow during the landing part of the flight. In the middle of nowhere. In a blizzard. Naked, or pretty much, and there was one other thing that stuck out in his mind – she was obviously not much good at flying. From the glimpse that he thought he'd seen – or imagined - she was flying on her back with her chin almost touching her chest and her arms and legs were trailing out behind her. She'd looked like somebody had thrown her out of a bar, the way that she'd sailed. He got his truck stopped and sat for a few seconds. Had he really seen that? There was only one way to tell. He'd seen a lot of things in the years that he'd been driving, but that was something you didn't see every day. He ground back slowly in reverse, looking for oncoming lights until he was about at the place where he thought that he was when he'd seen her – or thought he had, he told himself. He pulled into the snow on the shoulder and turned on his four-ways, looking hard out into the storm and thinking that he really must be losing it now. As a general rule of thumb, women don't fly naked across roads at two o'clock in the morning in blizzards. He knew this. He knew this to be a certifiable, clinically-proven fact. He took a deep breath and let it out. Then he grabbed his flashlight and opened his door. "I must be out of my fucking mind." Not far off, he saw the groove that whatever it was had made in the snow. He looked quickly at the front of his truck. The snow that had been plastered against it by his driving was undisturbed, so he could be sure that he didn't hit anything. He walked into the ditch. The going was pretty tough for a few feet, but he finally got to the groove in the snow. Shining his light along it, he caught a glimpse of a knee sticking up, before it fell sideways out of the beam. He looked over his shoulder at where she must have come from, but he already knew that there wasn't a house or building there. He ran up as fast as he could while trying to get his cell phone out to dial 911. He landed on his face after dropping the phone. It took him a few seconds to find it and wipe it off. He heard a quiet groan, and shoved the phone into his pocket to cover the last few yards to her. He reached out to touch her and decided that he must be crazy after all. There wasn't any doubt about it now. There was a woman naked in the snow, a hundred feet from the road in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard, and she'd been airborne and landed, sliding all this way. And she was unconscious. And ice cold to the touch. He fumbled to get his phone out again, wondering how he was going to get them to believe what he was looking at here. As his phone lit up, he saw the picture of the female barbarian that he'd loaded there. She looked a lot less unlikely than what he was looking at now. At least she was wearing a chain mail bikini. He saw that it was 1:58AM. And then he saw something that almost made him drop the phone again. He saw something that made him know suddenly that he wouldn't be placing that call. Something that moved and touched his snowy pant leg briefly before going limp again. She had a thin tail. He shone his light on it to be sure and then back at her face. She didn't squint, so he knew that she was still out. He bent down cautiously, ready to jump clear if she came to suddenly, but he had to find out. He reached out and touched one of her horns. If it wasn't real, it was awfully well glued on. He carefully lifted an eyelid, wanting to see if she had a concussion. "Those have to be the wildest contact lenses I've ever seen," he muttered, before shining the light sideways. He wore contact lenses himself, and knew what to look for. He let her eyelid down gently. She wasn't wearing contact lenses. He stood up, wondering as the icy wind buffeted him. Likely there was no way that any emergency operator would believe him, especially on a night like this when they'd be swamped anyway. And even if they did believe him, there was no way that he'd see a quick response, given the conditions. He shone the light down again, and tried to see if there were any obvious injuries. He came up dry, so that was good. But what the hell was he supposed to do now? "Well, darlin'," he said to her quietly, "Whoever you are, you need some help." He knelt down and after fumbling for a few seconds he picked her up as gently as he could and walked back to his old truck. The ditch was a cast iron bitch to get up out of, and he managed it without dropping her, though he went to his knees more than once. He got the door open, and ignored the things that his back was telling him about the odd angle as he placed her into the passenger seat and buckled her in. He could have carried her so that his back didn't complain about it, but since she wasn't a bag of potatoes... He looked around the seat and cursed. He knew that there was a way to lower the back a bit, but he'd never needed to do that in all of the time that he'd had the truck. Finally he figured it out and managed to get her lowered a little without dropping her flat back. He ran around to the driver's side and cranked the heat to maximum for her before grabbing his snow brush to clear the windshield and wipers a bit better. He shut off the four-way flashers and powered out of the snowbank cautiously and then saw the local grade school on his left. He needed to think, so he pulled in and drove over to a part of the lot that wasn't well lit by the sodium iodide lamps. He reached back between the seats and pulled out the heavy parka that he kept back there for nights like this and covered her with it. He touched her arm and it was still cold, but not as bad as before. Might just be because she's out of the wind now, he thought. He leaned against his door and cracked the window some to light a smoke. "What the hell am I gonna do with you, Lady?" He knew it would take the better part of an hour to get her to the nearest hospital. What would they do once they figured out that she wasn't some passed-out costume party goer? He already held a low opinion of the place from a few of his own past experiences. He sure wasn't about to turn those idiots loose on this poor woman – or whatever she was dressed up to resemble. She hadn't done anything to him. Why would he do something like drop her off in the middle of a pack of fools who'd ignore ER patients as long as they weren't having seizures – if there was a hockey game on during the playoffs? He had the distinctly creepy feeling that he was sitting in his truck here with someone who was not human. So, what was he to do about it? He pulled himself away from what he didn't know and decided to work on what he did. Never mind what he'd seen about her arrival from the other side of the road. He had a ... well, a female of some sort in his truck. Ok, it was a start. As far as he could tell, she was not physically hurt, with no broken bones that he was aware of. She just seemed to be unconscious. And, of course, she was naked. Well, he hadn't been this close to a naked woman in a long time, he thought with a smirk at himself. He came to a decision and turned to her. "Ma'am," he began in a low voice, "I have no idea what happened to you, but I've got a really strong sense that you aren't somebody that the local hospital can help. I'm going to take you to my place, and try to look after you 'cause there's just no way that I can leave you out here in the snow. I hope that's all right with you." He lifted the parka to look at her hand for a second, "I also hope that you don't tear me apart once you come to." He pulled out of the school lot and headed up the road again, wondering if he was doing the right thing, wondering who she was. Hell, wondering what she was. He even wondered if he was placing himself at risk, but he threw that one away. At risk of what? Being hurt or killed by her? Well, it wasn't as if anybody would notice or care, would they? He knew there had to be some kind of explanation for the way that she'd broken the general rule of thumb about naked flying women in snowstorms. He turned onto his street and pulled up his driveway before fiddling with the garage opener remote. As the door came up, he pulled in and didn't get out until the door had shut completely again. He shut off his headlights and turned off the ignition. He looked at her, wondering again how she had come to land in the field. "Well, honey, it's a lucky thing for you that field isn't fenced. If it had been me, I'd have landed against a barbed wire fence for sure." He smirked to himself as he imagined himself looking as though he'd gone through an egg slicer. He got out and opened the door to the kitchen, hurrying to get his boots off. He walked through and turned on a light here and there. He had no spare bed since he never had any guests, but there was the couch in his den. He went to the linen closet and got out every spare blanket that he had. After laying a flannel one on the couch, he ran back to grab a pillow off his bed. Tossing it on the couch, he ran back to the garage just before the light there went out from the timer. Opening the truck door, he reached across to unbuckle her seatbelt and then tried to pick her up, but the parka wasn't helping. He shrugged and pulled it away so that he could pick her up. She wasn't heavy, but the close quarters made it awkward. Finally, he had her out of there and shifted her carefully so that her head was on his shoulder. She sighed against him and it made him smile. It was a sound that he'd heard very seldom in his lifetime. He tried not to think too hard about that because the only reason that he could remember for hearing it was because it had only happened whenever somebody had had about enough of him for one reason or another. The way that it had come out of Miss Snowflake here sounded more like the way that he'd have given a lot to be able to hear on a regular basis. She'd probably be really embarrassed when she came to and if she was ok, would likely offer some plausible explanation about what had happened. He had no idea how it could be explained, but then he figured that he wasn't the smartest man in the world either. Then she'd likely borrow something to wear from him, make a phone call, and she'd be gone. He sighed at the thought, but then at least he'd have a less boring weekend than what he knew would happen, since it always did. He worried for a minute about stepping on her tail, but decided that in his socks like this he'd know if he was about to do that, and then he carried her to the den and laid her out very carefully on the couch so that her head was on the pillow. He reached up to scratch where one of her horns had been ticking his cheek as he'd carried her. He stepped back to take a look at her for a few seconds. She looked to be maybe five feet four inches tall or so and in most respects, she appeared to be a human female, fairly thin-looking, but though she was slender, she had all the right parts, he thought. Her breasts were small, but on her they looked great. Any larger, and she'd be top-heavy. He shook his head. This was just being stupid. He cursed himself for taking advantage of her by looking. But there were some other things that caught his eye, like that tail. He picked it up carefully and put it onto the couch laying it against her. "If I had a tail, and I was frozen stiff, I wouldn't want it hanging out either," he muttered, not sure now if he really had seen it moving by itself earlier. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 02 Her feet looked fairly normal, though a bit long for her height, maybe. And those hands, he thought, they looked large for her, and fairly well-developed, but they also had long, claw-like nails. He wasn't bothered by any of her, he just marveled at the way that she was put together. This whole once-over that he'd given her had lasted maybe a quarter of a minute. He grabbed another flannel blanket and covered her with it and then added a thin comforter on top. Going back to the linen closet, he grabbed the two hot water bottles that he had, and headed for the bathroom. As he filled them, he was glad now that he even had them. They were something that he'd kept after his folks had died and he'd cleared out their house before selling it. He went back to the den, and lifted the covers to place one against her chest, and then lifted her feet to put one under them. Then he went back through the house to shut off lights and close the door to the garage, after getting his pizza out of the back seat of the truck. He hadn't been that hungry when he'd stopped to buy it at the pizzeria, but it was something that he always did coming home from a Friday afternoon shift. Whatever he didn't eat would keep well in the fridge for the next day. He put a couple of pieces on a plate and heated them in the microwave while he grabbed a vodka cooler out of the fridge. He sat at the desk in his den, eating and looking at her by the light of his desk lamp. Her skin looked a bit odd, but in the low light here, he couldn't tell what it was, and he wasn't about to turn on the room lights. She had red hair – a nice shade from what he could see, he thought, and a couple of long thin braids at the back. She did have a nice face he thought; he had to give her that. It was a bit angular, but then so was the rest of her, and he realized that he was looking at her in a fairly dark room, and that the light here was emphasizing her high cheek bones somewhat. He'd have called it thin and bony if he was being uncharitable, but on her, it was stunning. She had thin, arched eyebrows, a really nice, thin nose, and – now he knew what it was about her skin. He stepped out of his chair to get closer. On her shoulders, biceps, cheekbones, forehead, and chin she had a small patch of scales – the same color as her skin. He really had to look to see them in this light. He smiled; there was even a dusting across her lovely nose, the way a lot of people have freckles. What a mix, he thought; long eyelashes, a lovely mouth, long, pointed ears – and three horns. Two of them, near the corners of her forehead were about four inches long, and pointing back, and the third, in the center of her forehead, just below her hairline, was about two inches long. If it weren't for that moving tail – and he wasn't sure about it anymore - he'd have thought she was set for a costume party, and had done a fantastic job getting ready. He stepped back and sat down again, still feeling a little guilty for staring, but he now knew enough to be able to say that she was – to him – likely the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. The costume or whatever it was didn't change that. He looked forward to her waking up in spite of the awkwardness that would just have to be there. He knew that she likely had some explanation and would be gone soon, but he felt fortunate to have been this close to such beauty for once in his life. He decided that he'd rather not dwell on the thought for too long since he was undoubtedly going to be alone with his thoughts soon enough. He turned on his computer and checked his mail. Sure enough, it was the same old, same old. He figured that from the time of day that these were always sent, they must originate on the other side of the planet. He figured that whoever wrote them must have a ton of insecurities if they thought that mentioning the same things in their advertising would have any effect on the North American man. He looked at some news and weather sites and noticed that this disturbance was supposed to hang around a while if it stalled where it was now for any length of time. Well, he thought, it could get interesting doing his grocery shopping. But he knew that he was pretty well stocked, and if the power went out for any length of time, he'd fire up the wood stove in the basement. He decided to try to get some sleep. The thought crossed his mind that his guest might wake up during the night. He had no answer for that. Should he leave a note in sight? Could she read? He had no idea. He turned to look at her again. She was lying there with her head on the pillow looking back at him with her eyes glowing dimly. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 03 She opened her eyes, suppressing the urge to sit up with a start. Instead, she took some time to think things through. She had been trying to get away from what must have been an awful fight. Deciding just to move as fast as she could, she'd guessed that she could always figure out where she was afterward, though she'd known that her general direction was toward the plane where she'd just come from not long before. Then something had hit her, hard. It had caused her to black out, and then all that she remembered was that she was cold. She didn't think that the projectile had injured her in any way, but she still had no idea what it had been. She wasn't very cold anymore. She remembered being picked up, but being too cold and weak to do anything about it. She also had a vague recollection of being carried very carefully and not being alarmed over it, and then she felt warmth and comfort. She moved her hand to her chest, and felt something soft and a bit heavy there. It was almost hot against her but it felt good to be warming up. She guessed that another of the things was at her feet. That was about all that she could get from lying here, other than that all of her joints ached for some reason. There was something else, something that felt new to her. It was a gentle sense, a presence within her that she felt from her core to all of her extremities. It was almost like feeling a piece of knowledge. Like knowing a thing without knowing what it was. She had awareness before, but this was a different kind of awareness. She had always been aware that she was alive. For some reason that she couldn't get a handle on, she now felt ... as though she was living. It made no sense to her, so she shelved it. She would examine it later. She felt that she wasn't alone, and that took precedence for the moment. She opened her eyes slowly. Since there was a man sitting there, she deduced that she was back on Earth now, though couldn't remember how she got here to her present location – lying on a piece of furniture. She smelled the air tentatively. There was a food smell, but not much else. Vaguely male smells came to her, but she smelled nothing of a female human here. A few more moments, and she knew that they were alone, there was nothing else living in the building, aside from plants. She congratulated herself for her self-control. Normally, she thought that under the circumstances, any other of her kind would have leaped at him and killed him out of hand before sorting out what to do next. But as far as she could tell, he hadn't harmed her. It even looked to her, the more that she thought about it, that he'd tried to be kind to her – and that was remarkable, if nothing else. Why would anybody show her kind any kindness? It hadn't ever happened before, as far as she knew. She studied him for a few moments. Not young, but handsome to the females here, no doubt. That thought made her go back to sniffing. No, there was no female here, other than herself. There were no residual female smells either, so she knew that he wasn't living with one. He didn't look too tall; she liked that, not being large herself, though she could make herself that way if she wanted. He wasn't fat, not thin either - more in good trim, she thought. He had kind of a stern face – no, it was because he concentrated on the light square in front of him. She'd seen many of the things lately here. People spent long periods of time staring at them. She wondered about her own thoughts just now – since when had she cared what the males here looked like? She'd never cared what anybody looked like. What was the matter with her? He turned to look at her. The stern look vanished and was replaced with a warm smile and ... concern, maybe. She wondered what he would do now. She could always kill him and had no fear of him. She decided that it was up to him what she would do next. The thought suddenly crossed her mind that she didn't necessarily want to kill him, but it was up to him, really. Tobias was stunned. He thought she was drop-dead gorgeous. If it weren't for one little detail here, he'd have thought that now they'd have the embarrassing few minutes where he'd tell of finding her and she'd explain about the impossible way that she'd ended up where he'd found her. Then he'd lend her something to wear and as soon as she could arrange for a cab or a ride, she'd be gone. He could overlook maybe seeing her tail move by itself – he could even tell himself that he'd imagined that. He could tell himself a lot of things about how there was nowhere for her to have flown FROM out there before she'd crash landed. He knew that county road like the back of his hand. There was nothing but some distant woods in that direction, maybe half a mile away. At her angle of flight, she'd have been far over them that far back. They must make some dependable professional-grade actor's adhesive for her horns, he supposed. He might have been wrong in his observation about her contact lenses – it was snowing like a bastard and getting worse. But those really nice, odd-looking eyes there regarding him coolly told a different story. Contact lenses or not, they were glowing faintly. He was about to make up another general rule of thumb, but rules of thumb were for recurring situations in life. Naked flying women in blizzards were about as far as he was prepared to go. There were no rules of thumb for this. Anybody with a working brain would be pissing themselves in their fear, or trying desperately to get to their feet and run or perform some sort of semi-intelligent action that lent itself to a situation such as this. Not Tobias. His brain wasn't even locked up in fear. If he'd had the time to analyze it, he'd have made the obvious self-depreciating remark in his mind about needing to be bright enough for that. He didn't know at all what he was looking at, other than one thing – one word that he had no follow-up for. He was looking at wonderful. It came to him that if there was going to be some passage of information between them, then he'd better get his jaw up off the floor sooner rather than later. He considered what he ought to say. Half a dozen things came to mind that he imagined a fairly bright man would be able to manage. He summoned up all of the fairly brightness that he had within him and proceeded to attempt something reasonably intelligent here. With the most important decision out of the way, what came out of his mouth showed about as much grace and articulation as any dog might demonstrate while trying to fuck a football. "Well, you're awake. I found you in the snow. I didn't know what to do, but I couldn't just leave you there, so I brought you here. Let me know if you're hurt or anything." He thought that was a pretty good way to open the conversation – for an idiot. He'd have preferred to keep his mouth shut, but you have to say something to a woman who wakes up naked on your couch, don't you? He wasn't certain, but he thought it was likely considered bad form not to. From his speech, she figured roughly where she was on this world. She was a bit troubled that he wasn't losing his mind in fear. Why had he done this? She cleared her throat, "You should have left me in the snow." He thought that she sounded like a portable cement mixer full of wet gravel. To her amazement, he smiled! "Why do you smile?" She demanded. He held his hand out in a placating manner, "I'm sorry," he chuckled, "I've never seen anything like the things I've seen tonight. I saw you land in a field of snow. I don't even know how I saw you in this storm. I figured out that I couldn't just take you to the hospital, not after I saw your horns and your tail. While you were lying here, I looked at you and I guess I had some idea about how you would sound if you spoke – and I was obviously wrong. Please forgive me. Now, are you injured? I did my best to see, but we were in a snowstorm, and it's dark outside. I might have missed something." She moved her limbs experimentally, "I hurt from my joints, but I do not know why. I do not think ... I don't think I'm hurt other than that. I don't speak to people here. How should I sound?" He noticed the shift in her speech as though she was seeking commonly used speech patterns from him and trying to match them. "If I had landed like you did, I'd have more broken bones than not. If your joints hurt, that's probably why, and I'd say you were pretty lucky. You sound fine to me now that I've gotten used to it, but women usually have slightly higher voices than men." "I don't understand something," she said, shifting her voice upward a little at a time, "Why did you help me? Do you know what I am?" He shook his head, "No. I kind of figured out that you might not be human before I drove home with you. But I kept trying to think of explanations for how you look. Just now, I came to the obvious conclusion that you are indeed not human. But I don't know what you are. Did I do something wrong? I wanted to help you. I didn't think that you were in any condition to lie in a field without clothes in a snow storm." She spoke quietly and looked down in some thought, "This is strange. I have to think about it all," she looked up at him. She noticed that she was beginning to like him, and it made her a little nervous. She neither liked nor disliked humans. She'd never thought much about them, other than they housed the souls that she was sent to fetch. She didn't care before she took their souls, and certainly had never given them a thought after. She thought that perhaps it had something to do with that other strange feeling that she'd been having. Well, if it had happened the way that he said, she guessed that she could have certainly done worse than him. She liked his face, though she wasn't crazy about his short hair. He'd look better if he grew it out a bit, she thought, though there was nothing wrong with it, really. She'd seen that a lot of the males here seemed to lose it somehow and ... She shook her head as she realized the kind of thoughts that she'd been having. Who cares whether he has hair or not, she thought, why am I even thinking this? "What are you? ... And, what's your name?" he asked. He found himself enthralled here. The thought crossed his mind that his normal vaguely lonely weekend was looking a bit different now for as long as it lasted. She was fascinating, he thought. She sighed, thinking that this man had done something for her out of kindness; it was a completely new experience for her, but it was going to come to an end now. She didn't move outwardly, but under the blankets she prepared herself to spring at him, bunching the muscles that she'd need to lunge. "I have many names, but I won't tell you my real one, for to know it would give you power over me," she said, looking to see if he would come to some realization. But he didn't. "And anyway, you couldn't say it." "Then don't tell me, if it's a problem for you." He looked disappointed somehow, "But please don't force me to guess or come up with one myself. I'd probably call you 'Snake Eyes' or something asinine like that." "Call me Maezou," she said, "and I am a demon." She looked at him searchingly, but if there was a reaction there, he didn't show it and she felt none of the ripples of shock that she'd often felt from humans who suddenly put things together in their minds. "Does this not frighten you?" She watched him shrug at her, "Maybe I'm just stupid, Maezou, but I'm not frightened, at least not yet. If you're a demon, I suppose that you can kill me, and worse?" She nodded slowly, "Much worse. Whatever terrors your mind holds, I can make you live them a thousand-fold until you beg for a release which would never come. Your death would only serve as a marker between the pages of your torment then. Human death is no barrier to me." She shrugged a little herself then, partly to express it and partly in imitation of him. "But I have no reason to do that to you." She hadn't meant to, but she found herself looking into him to see what terrors there were there. She found only one sad fear and knew that he had resigned himself to it already. The single quiet fear that she read in him was that he would die unloved. She found herself wanting more than anything now to be faced with one thing that made sense to her, since nothing here so far showed her any of what she'd have thought was logical. All humans carry terrors within them. It was just another thing to be used by her kind. He had only the one thing – and he had already accepted it. "What is your name? How should I call you?" He smiled, "Well if you were sent for me, you missed on the first attempt. My name is Tobias but my friends call me Toby." She shook her head, "I didn't come for you and I never miss. No, your name is Tobias, and you have no real friends. Some others call you Toby and you hate it. You would prefer to save Toby as a name that a real friend would call you if you had one. I can see what is in your heart, a little anyway." His shoulders slumped slightly, "Yeah, I guess you're right." How did she know that? She'd been right on the money, but as subtle as a hammer. "Are you hungry? What do demons eat? I've got pizza." He'd managed to sound like an idiot again, but he found that he couldn't help it. The thought crossed his mind that maybe she ate people, but he tossed it. She was still concentrating on how he felt toward himself, but she realized that she'd said something wrong. She shook her head, "Wait, Tobias." She sighed, "Please, I meant no harm and I didn't want to insult you. I just said what I saw in you. If I said something that hurts you, then forgive me. I shouldn't have been so hard with my words. It's just how they came out." She realized that she must look pretty severe to him, so she softened her face, "And I think that you have a good name." "Don't worry about it, Maezou. Do you want some pizza?" "I know what it is, but I've never eaten any." He smiled, "There's nothing like a good pizza. Stay there and keep warm and I'll bring you a piece." He stood up and walked out of the room while she thought about him. Maezou noted now that he stood perhaps a touch under ... six feet by the measurement that she knew was used in this place. She was beginning to get a feel for him now, and knew that he wasn't going to run away, not that it would matter much, normally. The odd thing to her was that she found herself liking him here with her. The thought amazed her. She already knew that he wasn't stupid; she just couldn't imagine that he wasn't terrified of her. He came back up with a small plate for her, "Be careful, it could be hot." She tried it tentatively, and smiled, liking the smell and the taste. "I like this! I've come here so many times, but never thought to try the food that is eaten here." "Well, what do you eat?" She shrugged, "Nothing until I leave here. We can go without food for a long time." He offered her his drink, "Try this if you want. It's a little alcoholic, so you may not want to drink a lot, and if you don't like it, I'll get you some water if you want, or milk, maybe." She reached out her hand, and he gave it to her. She took a sip, and grimaced, "No, I don't like this much, but don't get anything. I am not thirsty. I have had ale before, and I like mead." She felt his regret instantly, "But you do not have any." She stared as he took the bottle from her and drank from it. He looked at her, "What? I drank from this before you, and you still tried it. Am I not supposed to drink after you or something?" She smiled, "No, it's just that people usually fear my kind." "Well I told you that I'm not that bright," he said. He knew that he was probably sounding like an eleven year-old, but he didn't care. He thought she was amazing in several thousand ways, give or take. To her disbelief, he sat on the floor next to the couch. He was close enough now to kill with one hand. As she got over her shock, she found herself enjoying the food and his proximity to her. So many new things, and still she didn't know why she felt like this at all. "So, do you always fly around naked like that?" "Yes, though no one sees me then," she laughed, "The worlds of humans – this one and the other two farther away are the only places where clothing seems to be important. If I must be seen here, I can change how I look, and I can make clothes appear as I need them. I did not intend to come here. I was – I was thrown here somehow. Tobias, I need to think about that, so I can't say much, since I don't really know yet what happened to me." She stared at him, "I don't understand why I feel this way, I don't understand why anyone would show kindness to me, and I sense that it is genuine in you. But I'm here now and I like being here with you. It surprises me, how I feel that. I don't know how honored you should feel, but I'm always alone. Until now, I've preferred it that way. Thank you for helping me. I can't think that anyone has ever been kind to me, ever. But usually they had good reason not to, I guess." He looked at her, and she saw his face fall slightly, "Maezou, you've changed yourself. You didn't look like that before." "I did it for you," she said, "I tried to make myself look like a human woman. What is wrong with that?" "Well, nothing, I guess, but I just liked you the way you were." "Then I will go back. Is this better?" she asked. He nodded seeing her eyes glowing faintly again, "Much." Maezou was astounded, "Of all the men that I have seen here you are the only one who enjoys how I look as myself. I expected that you would die of fright at the sight of me. Many have fainted before. I would have thought that if I told you what I am, then you would be afraid, and you are not. Don't tell me that you're stupid, because I know is not so. You even take care of me here. For this, I should faint from shock." She paused and he looked at her hand, watching as she brought it slowly toward him. She was looking at him with a small smile, searching for the first hint of his fear. The smile disappeared, to be replaced with surprise. She read no fear in him. She might have accepted that, but instead she found herself amazed again at the hopeful anticipation that she read there in his heart just to stay close to her for a while longer. After a second, the thought came to her that he had a new small fear now. He was actually slightly afraid that she would leave soon. Not one human had held this in their hearts in her presence - ever. She'd grown jaded after so many centuries of her narrow existence. She now felt something like wonder. It simply wasn't possible from her frame of reference, but she found it pleasant to be liked. She tousled his hair on a whim and he grinned at her. It made her laugh and she did it once more, just to feel the emotion from him again. She touched his shoulder and let her hand rest there. "And there is something else." He looked over at her, waiting. She smiled at him, "Please, can I call you Toby?" He nodded, and she felt a warm thrill from his smile. And then the power went out. She looked around, "What has happened here?" He explained to her what had happened, "I've only lived here for a short time, but the last time that this happened two weeks ago, it was out for three days. Without power, the house will get cold. I'm not really worried about that too much, though. If it's still out in the morning, I'll light the wood-burning stove in the basement and that will get the house warm again. But I'm thinking here that I ought to close the drapes around the house to keep a bit of the heat in, and then we ought to go to the bedroom. This room cools down quickly because it faces north and it sticks out from the rest of the building. The bedroom is the warmest room in the upper part of the house. I'm hoping that will be alright with you, and we can talk some more there." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 03 He could see her thinking about it and kicked himself for the way that it might be interpreted. "Or," he offered, "you can stay here, and I can drag my blankets here and sleep on the floor when I get tired enough. Or if you want, I can leave you alone. It's up to you. I'll be fine regardless. I'm just thinking of your comfort." She felt that he was hopeful to just spend more time with her. He was amazing, she thought. She found herself with a sudden desire to do something for him in return for his kindness to her. She had nothing to give him. It was a foreign thought, doing something for another out of good will. Good will itself was a concept that boggled her a little. She pushed the strangeness aside and considered. She'd sometimes tempted her male targets by changing herself more to what many men here could lust after. She'd even let them mount her – for a moment - before she seized the soul that she'd been sent to get and vanished in a blur to leave a dying human body behind in a heap. Perhaps she could let Toby have his pleasure as a way of showing her thanks to him. She even began to feel hopeful of the chance. She'd always felt nothing, but suddenly found herself wanting this with Toby and wanting for it to be a little more than an exchange between them. She didn't understand why these thoughts came to her, she just knew that they were there and they were pleasant to her. The annoying thing to her was that there was something in the back of her mind that told her not to pursue this, but she couldn't quite understand why at first. It came to her at last and she realized that it would be an issue only under one certain set of circumstances and Maezou didn't know if it was what she wanted for herself later. "We'll go where you say," she said, "but first, I need to .... I can't find the words, make water? Where do I do that here?" Toby grinned, "Walk this way. I guess you don't usually have to think about it. Watch your step, though." She pulled off the covers and stood up," I can see perfectly in anything but pitch black," she said, "and then ..." Her eyes became brighter. It was enough to light their way easily. "Nice," Toby said with a grin, "Don't you want to take the comforter at least?" She shook her head as she reached for his hand, "I'm not cold now. I'll be fine for a few minutes." He led her to the bathroom, noticing that her hand felt like any other person's hand – well, except for those nails of hers. The one on her thumb was grazing the top of his index finger a little. The few scales on her hand felt a little pebbly, and he thought it was more interesting than holding a limp, sweaty hand. It hit him immediately that she'd never used a toilet before. Hoping that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable about it, he explained how it was used and the function of the toilet paper. She sat on the seat with a grin, "I've seen people sitting on these, but I was never in the room, and I never watched for long. So, I just begin now?" He nodded, smiling at her frankness. He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand again, "Why do you go?" "It's the custom here to just do this alone. Most people don't want anyone around them. We just think of it as a private thing." He waited in the hall and after watching her childlike fascination at what to her was the orderly way that humans had provided for themselves to wash their hands, they walked around the house and he pulled the curtains shut. She was either beside him holding his hand or when he stopped to look out at the storm, she put her arm around his waist. He looked down and then at her, "I like this, but why? I haven't touched another person this much in years." She shrugged, "I don't know, Toby. I never touch anybody either, but I really like touching you. Is it alright?" "Sure," he smiled, "please don't stop." Touching him told her more about him, things that surprised her. She knew that humans were fairly social, and mostly lived with at least one other of their kind sometime after reaching adulthood. Yet Toby lived alone and she could see no reason for it. She'd spent enough time all over the planet to know pretty well what either gender found attractive, and she thought he had it in abundance, maybe not for everyone, but certainly enough to make him attractive to many. So why? She thought that maybe he had lost the one for him somehow, but then plainly sensed that there had never been one. She gave it up. There were too many things for her to work out at once. On the way back, Toby grabbed the comforter and blankets. He handed her the pillow. In the bedroom, she saw where the other pillow was and put hers next to it, since it was obvious to her. She pulled back the covers and got into the bed. The only thing that he could think of was that she wanted him to sleep on top. She protested immediately, "No, Toby. I won't hurt you if that's what you think. You said that we could be warmer like this, and I want that." "Ok," he smiled, as he laid the other covers over top. "Do you want me to get undressed?" She propped her head on her hand, "That's what I thought we would do. I don't know if it is wrong or right among you, but I begin to see us as two creatures who are strange to each other and we are both hopeful for something like ... the nearest word that I can guess is 'friends'." She paused before continuing. "I have a thought from a painting that I saw once. There were two little humans sitting together. I think this is the idea. I want to sit or lie down and be close to you. I think the painting showed two of these friends. Can we just lie here and talk? Or sit under the blankets together or something? I don't need to sleep as much as you do, but everything hurts on me, and I could just sleep now. I want to talk more first. I like being with you. I like how you aren't afraid of me. I never ..." the sound of the snow blowing across the screen out there beyond the double layer of glass caught her attention for a moment before she turned back, "I never feel much of anything like I feel things here with you. I don't want it to stop yet." He began to take his clothes off, "You haven't given me a reason to be afraid, Maezou. I was thinking that if you were going to kill me, or whatever you do, you probably would have done it already. I like this too." Toby found it odd the way that the dim light from her eyes flickered over his body. She said nothing for the moment, but found herself enjoying the show. Toby was someone who was obviously singular to her now. She thought that she learned more from him with each blink of his eyelids. It astounded her that he looked so far removed from so many of the males here who were near to him in age. He looked better to her just as he was than so many males even half his age. "What is that?" she asked, pointing. She knew that humans sometimes adorn their bodies with tattoos. Mostly the practice was beneath her notice, but in the darkness here, his had caught her eye. He looked, "It's a tattoo. I have a couple of them. I don't know why I got them, actually. There's nobody to see them. I just wanted these." Her eyes brightened so that she could look at them, "Who are they?" "Nobody," he said, "They were just some artwork that I liked enough to want them on me permanently." "I like them," she decided, grinning. "They're not ugly or pointless like a lot that I've seen. I have some too, but they weren't put on me the same way as those." He opened the drawer on the nightstand, and fished out a small LED flashlight, "Can I see?" Maezou felt defensive suddenly, and couldn't understand why. When had she ever cared? Then she remembered that he had asked her to be herself. And anyway, they were already close enough together that their legs touched, now that he'd gotten into bed. She smiled before he could pick up on her hesitation, "Yes." He turned on the light, and gasped. "What is it?" she asked, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," he said, "absolutely nothing. You're very beautiful. When I saw you in the snow, your skin was pale, almost like paper, I couldn't even see your tattoos, but I guess you're back to what's normal for you." He reached out slowly and touched her skin. She was amazed again. She thrilled to his touch. "Compared to mine, your skin looks as though it's slightly dusty, but it's not. It feels the same as mine." He touched the patch of scales on her shoulder, and smiled, "These are nice. I love your hair. It all fits." He nodded, "That's a good look for you," he decided, "I love it. I know that you can change yourself, but I like this, how you really are. The tattoos look great. Are there meanings to them?" She pointed to a couple, "These are marks from masters that I had. I was traded from one to another sometimes, and each one put their brand on me. This line, and this one? That means they are canceled. This one is from my last master. These here, I did for myself. There are no meanings to them that you could understand." She rolled over to show him two more, "These are also by me. We can put them on our bodies with a thought, but once it is done, they remain always. Many of us only carry our master's brands." "You were branded?" his face fell, "That kind of takes the fun out of it, I guess, to have to wear somebody's mark because they own you. I'm sorry, Maezou." She lay there with her mouth open in surprise. He didn't know? She recovered quickly, and changed the subject. "Tell me how you found me, Toby." He told her how it had happened. Then he asked her what had happened to her. "This will be easy to tell, but hard to make you understand, I think. Some of it I don't understand yet. I have always worked for the ruler of a hell. I was returning from here with a soul that I had been sent to get. My master didn't give me another task to do, he told me just to go, that he would send for me when he needed me. Toby, that's never happened to me before, I'm always given something else right away." She looked at his throat, and then at his collarbones, "I think he must have known." "Known what?" Toby asked. "Sometimes it happens that there are wars between the hells. There are many of them. Often a ruler is overthrown. Just as I was leaving, a battle started. Since I had been sent away, I left as fast as I could go in the little passageway." She paused, remembering. She looked up, "I – I felt my master dying. I wanted to get away because when the next ruler takes over, he or she will call all the demons that the dead or defeated one had. I knew it would happen to me, but I ran anyway. And then, just as I sprang to get clear, something shot out of the passageway after me. It came so fast that there was nothing that I could do to get out of the way. It hit me," she pointed to her chest, "And then I was cold. I remember thinking that I had been caught and sent to one of the cold hells again. And then I was here. With you." Her eyes opened wide as she gasped. She'd wondered at the feelings that she'd been having. And now she was sure of it. "My soul!" she whispered in shock as the realization came to her. "Toby, my soul! It was my soul that hit me on its way back to me. The master must have freed me! Toby, I'm free! Oh, I'm free!" She stared at him for a moment, and then hugged him to her tightly as she wept. He held her and stroked her back gently, "You're right, I - I don't understand, but I'm happy for you, Maezou." He kissed her ear, and the edge leading to the point of it brushed his nose. She pulled back and looked at him again. She was so overjoyed. She kissed him and hugged him again and again. As she calmed a little, she tried to explain. "Almost all demons are bound to service. That can be done in different ways. The lesser kinds have no souls and there are millions of them. I am a hunter. Those of my kind are sent to hunt the soiled souls of humans because sometimes it is decided not to wait for a foul soul until death. We seek only those we are sent for and take the soul to end the life at that instant. We deliver the soul to our ruler who sent us. My kind has a soul, but it is different from yours. We can live without them inside of us. It is to control us. For my kind to work for a ruler, they keep our souls away from us, so that they can always call us back right away if they need to, or punish us." She struggled with the emotion of it, "He must have known the end was coming, but why did he free me? Toby, I have my soul inside me. I haven't felt that in so long, I forgot how it feels. I am my own, Toby. It feels so good to be free. Everything feels good." She touched the side of his neck, and slid her hand lightly to the joint of his shoulder, "You feel good, Toby." "So, you've been a slave?" Toby didn't like the thought at all. He felt worse to see her nod. "How long?" "Almost all of my life since I was spawned," she said. "If I was traded, my soul was passed to the next ruler. I don't remember which one it was who took it from me. Toby, almost everyone is enslaved by being bound to service. This way is just what is done to my kind to keep us obedient. Some kinds have their bodies taken away and only live as empty creatures of their ruler's will." She looked down, "Maybe I say this wrong. I could never stand having anyone near to me my whole life. But it's all different now." She reached out to place her hand on his chest. Toby felt that she was very warm, warmer than he was. He felt the sharp edges and points of her long nails against his skin. It wasn't a great leap to think that if she had a reason to, she could cause him to bleed with only a little bit of pressure. That he wasn't already bleeding told him that she had a great deal of feeling and control in her. From her side of it, she liked the slight coolness of his body. She could never abide the touch of another demon, no matter which kind. They all felt raspy - even the wet ones - and two demons together was just a lot of heat – too much heat for her comfort. And aside from the one who had spawned her, she'd never met another demon who wasn't about looking after their own wants to the exclusion of all else. Some of them could talk a good game – so could she if she wanted to – but once close, they all just seized and rutted. It didn't happen to her much anymore. She'd learned and grown strong herself. Maezou didn't consider it, but she was known all over most of the dark realms. Now and then, she'd come to the attention of a fool somewhere in her travels, some beast with more eyes and hopeful dick than sense. She enjoyed those ones now for the way they tried for her. If she was in one of her moods, she'd let them get close. But when they tried to touch her, ... It had happened once that her now-deceased lord had called her to answer for the ruination of another ruler's favorite. Without a thought, Maezou had torn up that ruler's prize stud and the hellion queen was furious over it. Her master listened to the angry charges and threats while Maezou stood feeling,... sensing,... and considering her own abilities against the angry bitch ruler. When retribution was demanded, Maezou's master had only said that his warnings were clearly marked on his huntress and her new eunuch should have left well enough alone, but he turned to Maezou and asked her what she thought should be done. Maezou had grinned and needed only seconds to kill the hellion by process of dis-assembly. Her master told her that he now considered the matter closed and then gave her instructions for another hunt. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 04 "Maybe this is what it feels like to have my soul. I can't say it another way." She looked up to see his smile. "Maybe you're right, I don't know, Maezou. I'm feeling happy for you right now. I'd like to think of you as my friend, and I don't want to think back to how long it's been since I've had one." She looked at his blue eyes, and followed the line of his eyebrows to his nose, "We are different, but I wouldn't be this close to another demon if I had a choice. It's not just the difference that I like. I think we're also the same somehow underneath. We've both been alone for a long time, a big part of our lives." She looked at the curve of his ear and the line of his jaw. She felt his erection against her and smiled, "And this feels good too." She reached down between them and he gasped as she took hold of it. "For the first time, I want to do this." She looked into his eyes, "There's more that you don't know about yet. I am alive, Toby. Maybe not the same way that you are, but still... With my soul inside me, I could have died there in that field, but you saved me. I didn't understand how I felt before, and I didn't know the danger to me. Another reason that they keep our souls is that we are much harder to kill without them because we feel almost nothing. Now I feel everything. Every little touch from you is new and like a wonder to me." She kissed him again, "You saved my life tonight, and I will never forget it." "Now," she said seriously, "I told you that I can see inside your heart. I know that you are a lonely person, and I don't know why. But even before I understood any of this, I wanted to say that you made a friend tonight, Toby. I may only be a demon, but I am your friend." She laughed a little, "This is wonderful to me." She stroked him gently, "I have nothing to give you, but I want to thank you for this, and I think that I would have wanted to do this with you anyway. But you must understand something now. You and I cannot ... I need the word ... couple?" He nodded and she grinned at him, "There are other words, aren't there, Toby? I can't be expected to know the speech of every spot where I fall, can I? You are the only one that I have ever spoken to. Tell me some of the words for what I wish to say." He knew at once that she was having fun and it felt like a gift to him to see it in her, so he tried his best, chuckling, "Screw? Fuck? Copulate? Am I getting warm?" She laughed a little, "Yes, all of them." She kissed him quickly, "I want to do all of them with you Toby, and I've never wanted to before. But we can't tonight. My problem is that I still need to think more. There are things that are affected if we do, since we are different from each other. Oh we can, but with my soul here now, it isn't that simple. It would have been easier without it." She looked at him, "You don't look disappointed, but I felt hat you are happy. Am I thinking the wrong thing?" He shook his head, and got up on one elbow. His other hand moved to rest on her waist."No, Maezou. It's alright. I'm happy that I did something good for you, and I'm really happy that I have a friend, and it's you." He looked down, "I do have to admit that I think I could easily get stuck on you." He looked up with a smile, "But I can handle it, I guess. Friends for me are rare. I'd want your friendship, though. I don't have to be anywhere for a few days now, and I'm hoping that you have time. I'd like you to stay if you would. If you want to, uh, couple with me and you need time, that's fine. I'm not disappointed. Are you kidding? I'm thrilled just to have you this close to me." She watched as they smiled at each other, wondering for a moment what he was thinking. She picked up human feelings easily. She could sometimes get the thoughts of others without probing for them. If she needed to know, she just went in. Often the result was an instant and inexplicable blinding headache for the one being probed and normally she didn't give a rat's ass about it, they never knew what caused the pain. For the first time, she didn't want to intrude so she let it go. His face was unreadable for the moment. He moved his hand, and she sighed as she felt his fingertips lightly touch her cheek and jaw, before moving to her ear. "I think you're the most beautiful person that I've ever seen," he said softly, as his thumb caressed the edge of her ear, moving to the pointed tip. He moved in, and his lips lightly touched hers as he whispered, "Your lips are so light, and they taste so sweet to me." Maezou's heart was clanging around her ribcage as it danced. The feel of his lips on hers, so light, and the way that they just brushed against hers as he spoke sent shivers through her. The sigh that came out of her became the quietest moan that he'd ever heard as it ended. His hand slid up the side of her face until his thumb touched the horn on that side, and he let it slide along, skipping over the light ridges on the surface of it. He noticed her quiver as he touched each ridge, "You can feel that? Is it alright to touch you there?" "Mmmm, I feel it in my head, Toby. It's never felt so good to have anything touch them before." She kissed him softly for a minute, but pulled away as she felt his tongue trying to push past her lips. "No, Toby. We can't do that either for the same reason. Look in my mouth." She held her mouth open, and he saw the teeth. "Whoa ..." She moved back in, and copied the way that his lips had brushed hers, hoping that he liked it as much as she did. She spoke slowly to drag out the wonderful sensation, "I've never wanted to touch anybody before ever. Now I can't stop touching you, I love how it feels; even the softest touch from you makes me happy inside. Sometimes demons take humans for their pleasure and never think of what they do to the one they leave behind. Anything from a demon in the blood of an unprepared human is poison – especially demon blood. I'd love to let your tongue in, but the slightest nick, and ... well, like I said, its better if I try to figure everything out first, to make sure that we have no problem. If I can find a way to prepare you for this, it should be fine. Please wait until then. Please?" He looked thoughtful, "I've never been this close to anyone naked in bed, where they ever once said 'please' to me about anything." Maezou knew he spoke the truth, and she suddenly felt outraged about it. She recognized that this was all new for her, but it made her inexplicably angry at whoever had been lucky enough to be this close to him, and not known their good fortune. She realized then that friends care about each other. She pulled him down and held him there, "Then they were fools, Toby, but I'm not." "What about if you put your tongue in my mouth?" She laughed, "That, we can do." After a few minutes of him wondering just how long her tongue was, she pushed back the covers and slid down. "This is stupid," she said in frustration, "I can't even take you into my mouth as I want to. I've done this before to a demon, but I didn't care how it felt to him. Now I want this so much for you and I don't dare because there is a danger here like this. I'm certain of it. I can't believe my awful luck." She groaned, "I'll be really careful here." She stroked him as she used that amazing tongue of hers on him in places that no one had ever done before. She loved the feel and smell of his skin, and he tasted so good to her. She'd seen many naked men on this world. Without a soul inside, she'd remained unaffected and anyway, up until this night, she'd just considered them as unimportant to her as cattle. She realized that she likely still didn't care all that much about them in general, but she was finding more and more about this one man to care about and so she absorbed thousands of details about him, only to find countless more. She giggled in spite of herself and he asked about it. Maezou wet her thumb and carefully rubbed the underside of just the tip as she considered her reply with a helpless little grin. "I think that we are different in our body heat Toby. You are warm, but not like me. I hate to be close to a demon because of this heat, and I do not like the feel and the smell of any of them. But I like these things in you very much. Your skin feels like my own and you smell so good. To lie against you or on you like this feels like a cool breeze in a hot place to me and I enjoy it." She laughed softly, "And doing this, you are not cold against my lips, but it is such a nice thing, just this slight warmth from you." He looked relieved, "For a minute, I thought you were going to wish that I felt cooler that I do, and I was telling myself not to ever buy you a Popsicle." Maezou didn't understand until he explained it. She thought he was hilarious until he thought to rub the ridges of her horns again. She groaned and then renewed her efforts for him, amazed at how she could give him pleasure and receive it from him at the same time in a way that would never have occurred to her. Since she couldn't get much of him inside her mouth because of her teeth, she had to get a bit creative. The result to Toby was almost too much pleasure to bear. It was something that he had nothing to measure against since no one had put this much care into this for him. Maezou almost laughed at the sounds that came from him. It sounded as though he was eating his pillow, but when she looked up, it was just him thrashing, so she thought that she couldn't be too far off the mark. He'd stop rubbing the ridges of her horns sometimes and she didn't really mind, but Maezou found herself pleased that if he remembered or noticed that he'd stopped, he'd begin again, at least for a little while. As he began to come, he cried out once and then gave little grunts at each contraction. He'd never made sounds like this in his life before but he was helpless in it now as her tongue and lips flew over the tip of his manhood. His semen went everywhere and she did her best to get it all. She even went hunting after any that got away from her, returning often to lick and suck just a little with only her lips in case there was any more seeping out. It was another thing about him that she now found important and compelling to her. She slid back up to him and he kissed her, "That was the best, Maezou. I'm not sure that I'll never be able to walk a straight line again. Thank you." She nodded with a grin of satisfaction. "I should really warn you that you may not wish to have this anymore from a human woman soon." It was really a test the way that she'd said it. Along with all of the other new things that she felt, there was also just a little bit of vulnerability in her, since she didn't know how human relations of this sort progressed, other than what she'd observed briefly. She was hopeful for some reassurance before she decided that she ought to erect walls to protect her heart. But Toby was unaware of her purpose. He only smiled as he touched her cheek and told her that if they had this friendship and it went anywhere, he couldn't think of any reason to want someone else. There was no one like her, he said. After her, nothing mattered. Maezou melted inside, and wondered how she could have had this luck. He looked at her, "I don't suppose that it's safe to do you, is it? I'd really like to." She looked sad, "Its a few things," she said, "For one, it's a matter of my freedom, though I can't explain it until I've thought it through so that I understand it all clearly. Most importantly, it's how I'm put together that's different from women here. Demons do it quickly compared to you. A whole relationship can last ten minutes and that includes everything but the spawning if the female conceives. Also, where I come from, force is just the way it's done, so we are able to lubricate ourselves quickly. From what I know, if a woman here gets aroused, she gets wet there." He nodded, and she went on, "We do that too, but we also put out a mist to do it faster. That mist is also to excite the male, assuming that the female wants him. And even if she doesn't, it will get it over with quicker, at least with a demon. It works through the skin and through the nose and it's supposed to be pleasant. You can use your hand if you want to. I'd like you to try that. Just don't smell your hand or lick it afterward or you'll lose your ability to think clearly, unless we're already a couple. You'll be insane with lust, and I don't want to hurt you. See? I really have to think it through. If I just said yes, you'd get a face full of my mist. Oh, you'd love it, probably, but then we'd really have problems if it didn't kill you." He reached over and began to touch her, "What happens if we're a couple, as you said, Maezou?" She groaned, "There are some demons who pair for a long time though most don't. Just keep your hand under the covers now, Toby." She sighed, "If we become a couple, then I don't put it out as strongly. Something changes inside me and that just happens." She sighed.... "It's still supposed to be good for you. We make it strong normally so that if the male doesn't finish soon, it will burst his heart... with any luck." Another groan escaped her as his fingers began to work her. "I'm trying to hold it back noooow, ohhhhhh." This was all wondrous to Maezou. Nothing had ever felt like this to her before. The things that she felt from only his touch... She knew that it had a lot to do with her soul being inside her, but she preferred to give him all the credit in her heart. He had to move a bit to let her get her legs farther apart as she decided that she felt more than enough trust in him for this. Living as she had always required that she have her wits about her. Once he'd begun to gently hold her clitoris between his forefinger and his thumb and the way that he moved the rest of his fingers, the choice was either to stop him or just allow this and accept the incredible feelings that he gave her. She wanted to chuckle, but didn't. She felt safe with him and just allowed it, aching with a sudden desire that soon, she'd be able to allow him anything. She was beginning to feel resolute in her desire for them to be able to have this somehow, and she was a very single-minded huntress if she had to be. She couldn't see why it wouldn't be an asset here. No one had ever done anything like this – anything this intimate. It had always been just force and required her to submit under threat of pain or destruction. What had actually tipped the scales for her was the idea that he was only doing this for her and how he felt about it. She had to push it aside after a second, knowing that if she considered it fully, he'd wear out his hand before she'd examined the concept, the way that she thought things through so slowly if he was near to her. Maezou gasped as his thumb squeezed just a touch. She let her breath out as a long sigh and gurgled in her throat from the pleasure of it. She'd rather that he wore out his hand while she was paying attention, she decided. This was too good to waste as she considered – as if she could actually do that while lying with him here. Toby did his level best to please her this way, and fought to get the covers back enough to let him get his face to her breasts. At first she misunderstood, but then became wildly enthusiastic, never having had it done for her before. Toby had a thought, trying to remember the last time that he'd been with anyone and pushed it from him in an instant. Who gives a damn? He was with someone wonderful to his mind and he was having such a good time doing something for her that she seemed to like, he just hoped that the geography here was wired the same for the things that he knew about loving somebody. He asked Maezou to lift herself a little and he slid his arm around her to hold her close. It was what he felt like doing, but it made things a bit more challenging to him at the same time. When he'd finally managed to get his mouth to one of her nipples, it was like an epiphany to him. They were a bit small and hard right then, the impression that came to him was something like kissing a cherry pit for the texture of it. The taste of her skin was like nothing that he'd ever experienced and Toby groaned, absorbed in it all and happy that she liked his effort. He felt determined that if he got the chance of it later, he'd spend some time loving these parts of her wonder. He kicked himself a little that it had only come to him now, but better late than never, he told himself. He almost stopped as another thought made an appearance in his mind. That rule of thumb was worthless. He decided that if Maezou gave him chances like this to make her happy, he was going to learn to think a lot faster for her. Making love to the women in his past had been like trying to conduct a symphony orchestra without a clue. It was as though everybody was watching him and waiting for him to make it all work, or like trying to drive an expensive car with neither a key nor a manual. There was only the expectation that his efforts had better be good. Maezou was nothing like that. There was no manual here either, but it didn't matter at all. Every single thing that he thought of brought her pleasure. To his mind, he wasn't doing all that much in the limited possibilities that she'd outlined, but every slight touch or change that he put into it got him feedback. He was a very humble man, but for now, he felt something like what he imagined the truly fortunate in the world must feel on a regular basis. It became a bit difficult for Toby to sort of keep Maezou in one spot. She tended to move herself against his hand while running her hands over him. It was disorienting when she wanted him to move to her other nipple. She got so carried away that she just grabbed his head and moved it. He was thankful that he paid attention. He wondered if he'd have lost his head otherwise. Maezou wondered how this would end. She just felt more and more from him and the things that he was doing just... just... drove her like a leaf in front of a wind. She called his name softy and Toby's heart leapt in his chest. That one sound ran down him and his erection twitched a little painfully. Maezou felt it against her somehow and reached for it. She couldn't get it free and didn't dare to move, so she stroked with only a fingertip. She inhaled as she felt his teeth on her nipple. It wasn't a bite, but ... it was enough to bring what felt like walls crashing down around her. She bucked and thrashed, arching her back a little to change the angle of his fingers to a slightly different place, and she called him in a tortured way that broke his heart as her body went rigid for a long moment. Toby had known the instant that he felt her fingertip stop and when it began, he made sure to just use gentle pressure on her in little motions. Maezou collapsed to lie gasping a little. Toby wasn't sure if it was the best that he could have done for her, but he thought from what he'd seen and felt, that it was a good first try. He moved his head up and kissed her forehead. As he pulled back, he found her looking at him with the softest smile. "So nice, Toby. Nobody ever did that for me before. It was so ..." She looked up at him, "I am out of words again." "That's ok, Maezou." She thrilled to hear the simple way that he'd said it. He kissed her, and then gaped as she got up to take him by the hand. "Where are we going?" he asked. "To wash your hands." She said, "The mist is too strong for you now. I hope I can make it better for us soon and not so strong. You can do anything that you like then, Toby, just not tonight. I'm sorry for that." He kissed her as she worked to wash his hands for him and whispered, "It's alright. I'm glad I could do something that made you feel good." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 04 She stopped and smiled at him. "I am so happy that you found me. You are a good friend for me." As she dried his hands for him, she found him looking at her. "What are you going to do now, Maezou? I'd like for you to stay, at least until you figure out what's best for you." He looked down, "I think I'd also like for us to be whatever you mean when you say a couple. If that's possible at all, that's what I'd want." She wasn't at all surprised now to feel how he desired this for them. She'd been feeling the same things in herself. She kissed him softly, "You say things that make me happy. Just your voice does that, but your words can make me weak." She put her arms around his waist, and he felt her horn against his collarbone, "I'll stay with you, as you said. There is no other place that I would want to be, and anyway, there is no place for me to go, so I am your thankful guest. I think you might have gotten a sniff of me, but I hope not. Your words are making my heart flutter, Toby. Let's go to sleep for now. We have time for my slow thinking, I guess." She felt something from him and pulled his head down a little. She needed to whisper to him. For some reason, her spoken words wouldn't do for this. Only soft whispers for Toby on this subject, she realized, since it was such a lost hope in him that she'd felt. "I know what you've always wanted to do during a stormy night – and it's a stormy night. I want to experience it with you. Come on, let's go and lie together." They snuggled close in the darkness, listening to the wind and the snow as it skittered across the windowpane. Toby was happy to finally have this one thing for himself, though he was afraid that it wouldn't last very long. He had only just met her and she'd rocked his world. He knew that it wasn't what she was or how she looked; though he thought she was incredibly beautiful. It was her – just her. He hoped that she sorted out what she needed to do for herself, but he really wanted for her to find a little room for him in whatever she decided. It was beyond his ability to hope for, but if he was given half a chance at her heart, he knew he was prepared to do anything for her to make her happy and safe – though how one goes about caring for a demon was frankly beyond him at the moment. Toby held her to him being careful not to lower his chin right away if he wanted to look at her. He'd figured out that, though the tips of all of them were pointy, the small middle horn was actually pretty sharp. As they held one another, they both pulled away often to look and smile, trading light kisses. Neither of them could believe the way that they felt. He slid his fingers lightly over the patch of scales on her shoulder. "Maezou?" "Yes?" "Can I ask you a favour?" "Of course, Toby." "I'm hoping that you can see a way that we can make love but .... There's something that I'd really like to do sometime. These little scales that you have in places on your body, I would love to have the honor of counting them and kissing every one of them." He felt her warm breath at his jaw as she chuckled once, "Do you know, those are among the things that most horrify your kind about us? Some of us are completely covered in them, but I only have them here and there. They repulse humans ... " she leaned back to look at him," and my friend Toby wants to kiss them." She softly licked along the line of his lips for a moment, "I could never refuse you something as nice as that. But there still must be several hundred, Toby. You might lose your count." He cupped her bottom, and his thumb grazed the spot where her tail joined her body. It made her shiver. He noticed it and didn't do it again, though he filed it away for possible future use. "I'm uh, I'm kind of counting on losing my count, Maezou. At least the first dozen times or so." She laughed softly, and nuzzled into his neck. He took it as an indication that she wanted the edge of her ear licked again softly, which of course is what it was. Maezou struggled with a lot of issues in the dark. She heard the shift in his breathing and then waited a little before pulling back to look at him as he slept. What a wonderful man, she thought as she stroked his ear. A part of her was telling herself not to get involved with him, but there was another part that had a vote as well. And this part was screaming louder and louder, asking why not, and demanding to be heard. She was free now. Whoever had taken over that hell had not missed her, and likely never would since her soul was not where the others were. She could do as she liked now – whatever that was. She had been in servitude for over eight thousand years of the time on this world, never having the want or the need to feel what she felt now. She decided that she wanted Toby's love, and she wanted to give him hers – just as soon as she could figure out a way to do it for him that offered her some assurance that it wouldn't kill him. But there was another thing rising up. She knew it was there, and had known that it would eventually force itself to the top. It was her nature, and unless it had a reason to be calm, it would drive her to do random, chaotic things. She'd never given a damn before - her last master had allowed her this, but now she knew that if it came out, innocent lives would be crushed. That meant something to her now. She might not be from here, she thought, but as far as she was concerned, she was done with the business of being a servant in the hells, and done with not caring about these people. If she could have a love with Toby, then she'd have to learn to get along with the others in his world. The problem was that without orders, she was capable of pretty much anything on a whim, and she knew it. She pushed the eventuality away and turned her thoughts to Toby again. There was more to learn and she had all of the ways to seek out what she wanted. She was a huntress. That occupation requires an intimate and complete knowledge of the workings of her quarry. In the hierarchy of the higher demons, a soul hunter is akin to, and possesses all of the powers and skills of the soul reavers in addition to the ability to find and stalk her prey. She knew that she was considered accomplished. It wasn't a point of pride to her; it was just the obvious, since she was always given one hunt after another until now. Maezou was certain that she could learn what she wanted without the filters of Toby's active mind, and better, she knew that she could do it all without hurting him in the slightest. She sought out his soul and questioned it gently as he slept. It was alone and lonely, that much she knew. She queried why, and it answered that it didn't know, that he'd always been alone. He'd never felt that he was the least bit attractive to the opposite sex, and had taken his few failed attempts to be proof of it. She softly told it that he was wrong. He was attractive, and more than that, he was kind. It didn't accept the information, telling her that it had experienced things to indicate the opposite. She felt images come to her from his sad point of view of women who measured a man by the vehicle that he drove, the way that he dressed in the office, and the job that he had as indicators of how he could provide for them - even though many of them earned more money than he did. She didn't know what an office was and it told her that he didn't work in one. From the images, she got the sense that the love of a female here was often tied to one unspoken question which they all sought the answer to – 'What's in it for me?' Toby didn't know it, and Maezou certainly couldn't have, but it had only been this way to the ones that Toby had been involved with. It was all they knew. They wanted love and sought for it. But it had to measure favorably in the balance of that one question. His soul felt powerless in the face of this. It had been measured a few times, it told her, and always it had been found to be wanting. She asked it what hopes that it had for itself, and it answered none really, though it had some small hope that his new friend might love him. It had no expectations though. It only hoped that if there was nothing for him as it expected, that he could have the friendship. Then his soul retreated from her in fear of telling too much, and would answer nothing more. She kissed him very softly, wondering at the odds of landing almost in his arms as she had. As he'd explained the way it had happened, she could see that they were impossibly long. A split second either way, and he'd never have seen her. That had to mean something, she thought to herself. It just had to. She'd never cared what anybody looked like before. She'd spent enough time on this world to see all the possibilities that could arise out of the human gene pool. She loved this one, though. She liked everything about him. And he'd made it plain enough to her that he wanted so much to be near to her. It had been her business to tear humans apart if necessary to get their souls from them to take back. She'd often seen them void themselves at the realization of what she was there to do. And he'd said that she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. She smiled at the absurdity of it, a mortal man falling in love with a demon like her. It made her warm inside to think of how he had cared for her – even after he'd seen enough to know that she wasn't his own kind. He'd still cared for her, and was falling in love with her. She took her time, but slowly turned over and thought some more. She remembered the words of an ancient text. Her eyes welled up with tears as she spoke in the softest whisper that she could hear. "I was spawned to serve. I have committed no act to condemn me to this. I have served for so long. I have always done as I was commanded. I have never failed in a single task, and I have never stopped. I have been hurt and I have been tormented for nothing that I did or any failing of mine. Always I served, without rest, without complaint. I am unbound, but I know it cannot last. I have never asked or demanded one thing for myself in all of my time. If there is anything for me other than more of what I have done, then I ask this one thing; I want this one. I want to give myself to him, and I want him for my own." Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the glow of another pair of eyes in the darkness. "Daughter, your whispers ring loud. You have just escaped a pit and the new ruler knows nothing of the dead one's best hunter yet. If you are heard by him too soon, none of what you want for yourself will come to pass. You are wrong in some things of the past, but not perhaps in what I hear in your voice. Have a care what you wish for, my girl." Maezou smiled as she saw her lovely mother near her, holding her hand palm down to keep Toby asleep. The storm demon stepped closer and Maezou felt the careful tread of her cloven feet through the floor and the bed as she tried for a good look at the man sleeping next to her daughter. She tilted her horned head, "Are you certain? Is he what you want for yourself after so short a time with him?" Maezou nodded, "The first thing I have ever wanted for myself. I want him. Him more than anything, Mother, but I do not think it can be between us. I am not his kind." The face of the storm demon softened. "I see that if you have feeling in your heart, you are just as I was in knowing the one you want. It happens, though seldom. Only a very few know, but you are proof of it. You are also not the first of us to want this. I have walked the same path myself. The one who sired you was no demon, he was a kind and strong king, forgotten now by all but me. We met on a mountaintop. He was there with a hope to kill me and I answered his call out of my arrogance and lust to enjoy his desperate attempts before I broke him. We fell into a deep love instead. He could not leave his people and so I could not lengthen his life for him beyond the little bit that came in preparing him so that he survived our meetings there as we sought to tame each other. In his arms, I came closest to being tamed and in mine, he became a great king after I tamed him to my touch so that he would listen to my counsel, though time and sand have removed everything." She looked down, "Aside from you, he was my greatest joy and is still my deepest sadness." Maezou's jaw hung open, "I never knew..." Her mother looked up a little wistfully, "I could not tell you before. The best way to protect a secret is not to know it at all." She touched Maezou's cheek, "It doesn't matter anymore. You are long grown and he is long dead. You are half-blooded. That is why some of the pit masters hate you, and it is why you are the best huntress. You were not spawned to be some pit demon's lackey. You came to be spawned out of our love, but I had to hide you and so you were given to the pit masters as a huntress very early. Only your first ruler knew who you were." She looked down sadly, "I did not know how long it would be until you would have a chance to get out." "Be glad that your ruler fell to a foolish brute. If he were less dimwitted, he would have known of you beforehand and would be seeking for you now with every fiend and imp under his dominion. If you want a love with this one, it must be done so that you are spared the pain of his death at the end of his short human life. I never saw your father's soul after he passed. He is where I cannot reach him. I can only feel his longing. I hope that he cannot feel mine. Thousands of years and I still ache to hold him." The moment was gone as her mother's face grew determined. "But you are exposed now and without the protection of being bound. There is a way, and you even know it from the texts you have read long ago." Maezou nodded as she remembered. The storm demon looked down at Toby, "To do this changes many things. He must know before it is begun in earnest. The three things must be done and the words must be spoken in our tongue and then his so that he understands it. There will not be much time in days, but after the first task, you may pass time with him as you teach him a little. Spend some of this time deciding fully so that you do not make a mistake for this is almost impossible to undo while you both live." Before Maezou's face could really show the hope at what she was beginning to feel, her mother held up a hand to caution her. "Even so, there is great risk. He may die, or he may pass through and not even know you. Even if it comes to pass, you will both be in danger from others until he is strong enough. But if this is what you want, my heart is with you. The rest ... I hope that he lives, Daughter. If you want this chance, my girl, take it, but he must know of the binding laws at the least before." Maezou found herself looking at her mother's eyes as they flashed in warning. "At the least." The red eyes glowed softly, "You can begin it now a little, and then maybe he will live. He will feel better for it. Even if he chooses against it, your gift will be payment for his kindness to you, no? That was a rare thing, what he did for you. There is no other of them who would have done it." Maezou wondered at the beginnings of the curious smile that her mother now showed her as she continued, "It should tell you some things. Something about him, and about the one who delayed his travels with obstacles so that he would pass by when you fell." Maezou's eyes widened, "It was you? You brought him to see me fall?" She nodded with a warm smile, "A mother's gift. I was granting your wish long before it was on your lips. You were thinking that what happened had to mean something. It does, Daughter, but I played only a part in it. I have been busy this night after waiting so long for the chance of it. When I saw that you would be unbound, I knew that I had the chance for you in my hand. I only tried to make certain that you could be seen when you fell." She nodded toward Toby, "That it was him was pure luck, fortune, fate perhaps, and I hope at least a little destiny for I could not come to you myself to watch over you then. It would have been noticed and even so, imagine what would have come from it. Me and my unbound daughter together in one place and desperate?" She shook her head, "This storm is only to hide you and even so, it has already killed some innocents. Imagine what it would be as a weapon to keep my child safe." "Out of the few who traveled the road, he was the best one by pure chance and he has no one. If you are bound to him, I see the turning of some tides. We two were not meant to be servants in the pits and smeared with the same filth that those ones wear. I was here from almost the beginning – before there was such an animal as a human, and we are both older than any dogma of man's. I walk freely, Daughter. I do what this world needs and try to keep some natural forces in balance as I always have. You could help one day. I walk freely and so should you." She smiled, "The road goes easier with his hand to hold, I think. Bind yourself to him and you will have his calmness as you walk it together. I warn you that if this is done he will come into his own power because of you. If someone tries to harm you, his wrath will be terrible to them, so know this and have a care." She smiled, "You are my daughter and so you can be pure chaos, far worse in turmoil than almost any but me. How many hopeful demons have you killed or ruined? How many have you laid down in pieces because they got in your way as you hunted?" She nodded at Toby, "If roused, he will be ruthless if he sees a threat to you. But to have you bound - and even better - mated to one like him is the best chance that I can see for you to walk away from the pits forever. You would have no need to hide then and with luck you would be happy together." "But first, he must live and still love you. It is no small thing." Toby's sleeping face was bathed in the glow of their eyes for a moment. Her mother grinned, "If it matters to you what I think, Daughter, you have chosen well." "You mean you have chosen well for me," Maezou said, smiling. "Ah," the storm demon laughed softly, "and what was that I heard in your prayer, before you knew the part I have played? He was the only one near to where you would fall. I did not choose him for you. You have made your own choice in this one. If you fell into a field of men you would still find yourself in his arms because the rest would run. I knew it would be this way when I saw him. I only had to bring you together and so I have. You already have his heart fairly where none that he could find for himself wanted him. It counts for much in the balance of things. Begin it now if you wish for him so strongly." Maezou nodded, and as her mother's enchantment held him asleep, she whispered "I give this small gift to you, Toby." She carefully nicked his arm with her teeth and swirled her tongue against the tiny wound before healing it with her kiss. Her eyes were wide at what she tasted. She stared at her mother, "He does love me! Even now!" Her mother grinned, "It holds no surprise for me, and now he has a tiny bit of yours for him. If you can manage it, and if he agrees, then you both should begin in the morning with the first thing. I will bring another storm soon after and over the night to hide you for the second task - you will be most vulnerable then, but I will protect you both until it is ended – if he lives. If it is good between you I will stay near until he can at least protect himself a little. After that, we will hope and see what may come. Do what you can for him and we will speak again. I need help from you later, and you will need his protection when he becomes mighty. There are many pit masters who would want you both." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 04 She chuckled at a thought, "An old friend of yours will wish to visit with you. If he lives, he will have her protection for a time as well." Maezou's mouth opened in surprise as she whispered, "Zele!" The storm demon nodded, "I do not think that I can keep her from you once she learns of this no matter what I say or do." She smirked, "Try to prepare yourself for her joy." She lifted her hand, and began to fade with a loving nod. "Thank you," Maezou whispered. She carefully pressed herself to him, moving herself gently until he hardened in his sleep. Maesou moved away a little to improve the angle and then cautiously reached between her thighs for him to place him against herself. All that she wanted now was that they touch for a time there. She needed to see if this small thing could have an effect and if she saw that effect in the morning, it would tell her that this could be. She brought her legs together and pulled the covers over them again before reaching for his hand to pull it to her mouth, so that she could kiss it before she placed it on her breast. As she held his hand there, she thought this was the finest way to sleep that she'd ever experienced. Maezou smiled hopefully at her mother's words. Maybe it could be done after all if he agreed. She called out to his soul again, promising no hurt, but offering something. It was almost like calling a small child who had hidden themselves in shyness. She told it that she had only gentle little questions now, and asked them. She memorized the numerical answers and then told it to wait for a moment. She thought to her own soul, and felt it push itself against her back. She whispered, "See? I bring you one who would have him. I bring you my own self. You deserve much better, but all I can give you is a lost demon who tries for you." She felt his soul move slowly from under his heart to lie against the inside of his chest next to her own. He shifted in his sleep to press himself to her more with a sigh. She began to drift off with a smile, knowing the way of it in her heart. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 05 Have you ever just known exactly what it is that you want? Even if there's a huge unknown tied to it? Toby does. --------------------- Toby woke slowly. He felt the presence of her near him, felt her warmth there. He tried to memorize everything about her that he could see and feel just in case, he told himself. He didn't know what would happen, but nothing like this had ever happened to him before, and the closest things to this that he could remember had never lasted for long. He watched her breathe and wondered about that. If she was a demon, why would she need to breathe? The answer wasn't terribly important to him, but if he remembered, he would ask her about it. He reached to touch her red hair. He'd never had a thing for redheads, he realized, but then he'd never liked half of the vegetables that he now enjoyed. People change, he thought, and anyway, on her, it was perfect. He supposed that if he asked it of her, she'd make herself blonde or whatever he asked for, but he couldn't get past how he felt to have seen her as she was here since it was her. He lightly touched her skin and traced a tattoo with his finger, wondering which ones were the ones that she'd put there, and which were the brands. He remembered that the brands were on her front, so he examined these for a minute. He couldn't understand them if what he was looking at was any type of lettering -- he couldn't even tell that much about them. But he knew how he felt about her and if she'd put these on herself ... , well then they were worth a look to him. She was so lovely to him. Toby considered that he might be called a romantic -- if there were somebody who could see that quality in him and get past his bone-dry pragmatism. Maybe that was what he was, he thought, a romantic pragma... He gave it up. The plain and simple fact was that he loved Maezou and her beauty was almost enough to make him want to cry. He reluctantly decided that it was time to get up, and began to move. He managed to get out of bed without waking her and considered it a bit of a feat. He carefully replaced the covers, and walked into the bathroom grinning. The power was back on, so he tested the hot water and then had a quick shower. Something felt a little different as he toweled off, but he couldn't place it and wiped the mirror to shave. He normally didn't bother with shaving when he was on vacation, but ... He grinned when he the thought came to him that for her, he'd shave every hour if she asked it of him. He looked at himself in the foggy mirror, "What did she see in you?" he asked himself, before deciding that if she had been correct, then he had saved her life. He supposed that she was just being thankful. He found himself desperately hoping that there was more to it than that. Halfway through the shave, he stopped as he stared at himself again through the uncertainty of the half-fogged surface. He was sure there was something different today. What was it? He finished his shave, and then went to the kitchen to make some coffee. As he stood looking at the snow, he felt unsure of something, and went back to the mirror. He looked, and was still baffled for a minute, and then he thought he saw it. He looked a little younger, maybe. He chuckled as he went to pour the hot water into the mug, he'd had a great time just being with Maezou last night, he told himself. He reasoned that there was likely nothing different about him, other than how he felt, and that was good enough for him. He had the cup done in ten minutes, as he listened to the radio drone on at a low volume about the record-breaking storm that showed no sign of easing up any time soon, and then he was into the garage to fire up the snow blower. She woke alone, though she smelled something that she eventually guessed was food of some kind. Sitting up, she looked at the window and the snow piled along the edges of it. She got out of the bed to look out the window. She could see that Toby had done something to the snow at the front of the house. A lot of it had been neatly removed, though with the continuing snowfall and the wind, it was accumulating there again. She heard a gasp, and turned to see him standing in the doorway. Toby stared at her. In the light of day, she was ... well she was heavenly, if it could be said of a demon. Her dusty-looking skin matched nicely with her red hair, and her red and black tattoos. He loved her shape. She wasn't at all tall, but her legs looked to be just short of two and a half blocks long. That thin tail hung from just above her pretty backside, twitching and curling along one of her ankles as she looked back at him with a smile. Her lips were very close to the colour of her skin. He smiled back, "Have I told you that you're beautiful?" Maezou grinned, feeling happy that he seemed to be so pleased with her appearance, "I think I heard you mumbling something about it in your sleep last night." She looked at his clothes, thinking that she'd need to copy something like that soon. He wore jeans, a flannel work shirt and ... "What do you wear under your shirt?" she asked. "A long-sleeved undershirt," he said, "I've been out clearing some snow. I started out with just the shirt under my jacket, but the wind is awful cold today so I had to re-think things. You sound different today." She shrugged, "I'm not doing anything but talking. I guess I'm trying to fit in a little. You're not offended are you? I could try to go back to how I sounded before," He shook his head, "No. You just do what you do, but just so you know, the Maezou that I really like is you just like this." He was holding a board awkwardly. "Sorry, I haven't got a real tray, but this ought to work. Get back into bed, and I'll serve you your breakfast. The power's back on, and I took advantage of it to make this before it goes out again." Maezou stepped back to get into the bed, "What do I do here?" He smirked, "Mostly, you try not to spill stuff. I made you some coffee. I've added milk, but that's all. If you think you'd like it sweeter, just tell me, and I'll add some sugar until you like it." Toby noticed that she really didn't have much of a clue about eating utensils, though she caught on quickly once she's watched him. Sadly, "eggs over easy" didn't lend itself well for a learner's first try holding a fork in those claws of hers. Before she could feel badly, he fed her bacon and eggs by the forkful mostly, and they enjoyed it. She insisted that he have some too and wouldn't hear anything about his having already eaten. When they neared the end, she stopped him. "Wait for a little bit here," she said, "I was thinking about last night. Let me tell you what you need to know, and then you tell me your decision. I'll accept whatever you decide, and I want to tell you right now that you have my friendship whatever you decide." He nodded, looking both curious and a little afraid to hear this. "Listen now," she said. "You said to me last night that you would like it if we were a couple. Do you still feel that way? Do you really want for us to be together, even though it will be strange and embarrassing for us both? We only met last night, Toby, but I made my own decision. There is a way. It took me a long time and I thought of one way for us, but it would be a terrible mistake if this is only attraction that you have for me. This is really serious, Toby. I need to know." He smiled a little shyly, "I thought about that when I got up. Maezou, I've been alone a long time. I just got used to it, I guess. Look at me. I've done everything right. I live a good life, but I have no one. No woman in my life, no kids. Nobody to love, and nobody to love me. My life is totally and completely empty, and there's no point or purpose to it. I figure I've got maybe twenty-five to thirty-five years more of this before I die and this non-life ends. In even less time, I'll probably be too empty-headed to even care." He looked away, "The truth is, that I've sometimes considered just ending it. I'm sick of this desert that I'm in here. I've tried very hard, but I can't seem to change it. But I've been having such a great time with you, and yeah, I'm pretty much walking on air right now and hoping that it just goes on. Maybe I just don't get out enough, but I want to tell you, yes. I do want to be with you. I know it'll be strange, but I don't care. I already accept you - all of you right now, don't I? I don't know how it's going to work, but I want to try. I -- I love you already, Maezou." Toby considered what he'd just said and thought that, aside from the urgency that he'd given it unintentionally - and that had surprised him -- that it was how he felt, given that he wasn't one to get flowery. It was the vehemence of it that caught him off-guard. Ok, he thought, I'm crazy about her. Maezou realized with a shock that he was being truthful about ending his life. Maybe that was one of the reasons that he hadn't been afraid of her. It didn't matter, she thought. It didn't change anything about the way that she felt for him, but she decided that even if they remained only friends, she was going to make sure that he never felt that way again if she could help it. She just didn't know how to do it if this went the wrong way. She smiled warmly, "I already love you too, Toby. I decided that for myself last night in your arms." she said. "But you have to understand some things. You have to be able to tell me if you are prepared to do this forever. Toby, I'm pretty old. I've been around a long time. If we do this, you're going to be around for a long time too. Because there's only one way that I can think of for us to do this and it will tie our lives together then -- and not just in words. Are you still interested?" She was impressed. He told her yes right away -- with no hesitation. She tilted her head, wondering. She remembered her mother's words and wondered how she'd ever get him to fully understand, never mind agree. She was certain that he'd need to think it over at least. "Think Toby," she said, "I could just fly away from your words here in my joy, but you must see that everything will change for you. You may have to leave your whole life behind for this. I think that you will have to do that sometime as a certainty. I don't know where we will go yet. I don't know how we will live yet -- I don't know anything, Toby, and if it works it will be for a long time. For us it may as well be forever. I do not think that there is a way back." He looked down and ran his hand through his hair before looking up at her, "Look, I don't know if you can understand this. We've both admitted how we feel here. I'm thrilled that you said you love me too. I'm really happy to hear that from you. I don't know if you can imagine how I feel." He looked up and smiled at her for a moment. "I do know some things about the other choice, and here's the way that I look at it." He leaned forward a little. "If I were here with the kind of girls that I've known, there's no way that I'd agree because I've been near a road like that before, and I've lost every single time. Because it's you and what you are, if I refuse -- even out of cautiousness, I know I'll hate myself for missing the most wonderful chance. I've been there and done that as well, but never like this, Maezou. And for what? More of life in my desert? Since I picked you up out of the snow, I've felt more alive than I can ever remember feeling. If this is my one shot at happiness for us together, I'm going to grab it with both hands, Maezou." She grinned and nodded at him, "That is what I would have said. Since I saw you, I've felt so alive, and I mean after I knew about my soul. And while we lay here and after, while you slept, I've felt happiness. Happiness, Toby. It's madness. I'm a demon, how can I feel so happy? The best that I could ever manage was to be pleased if something went my way. So I think I do understand you." Maezou drew a breath and then just did her best. If he refused, she thought, then at least she'd tried. "Toby, I understand your words. But I must tell you that this is not just a decision to live through changes in your life. To do this, you would need to be prepared to maybe take a great risk to your life as well. I cannot say because I have never done this, or seen it done before. All that I know is that there is one way and there is a risk to you. What about now? How do you feel about it now, Toby?" Toby was silent and Maezou waited for him to choose the words of his refusal. She was determined not to allow herself to read his feelings or his thoughts. She noticed that the sky had darkened somewhat and she assumed that her mother was preparing to lay on more weather to hide what might happen here very soon on the off-chance that he did still want this. Maezou noticed a thick scented candle on his bureau. She'd always like the scent of cranberries and Toby found himself distracted for a moment as the candle appeared to light itself. He looked down at the last bits of her breakfast and decided that he needed to expand the variety of his cooking. Somewhere in the middle of that, he made up his mind that his truck would need an oil change soon. He thought about the long hours of overtime that he'd worked and the careful way that he'd lived in order to be able to grow his money to the point where he'd been able to buy this place for himself. As he thought about his empty existence here, the same question came to him that had bothered him whenever he'd looked back over his life. What had it all been for? His eyes drifted to one of her feet that he could see sticking out of the covers and he decided again that he liked them. If she'd have understood it and not taken offense, he'd have teased her very gently and called them rabbit's feet since they were just a touch large for her compared to a human woman of her stature. But she'd likely never understand, he decided, and it wasn't worth the risk to her feelings. It crossed his mind that he'd pay money to see her in a bikini -- chain mail or otherwise - on a beach somewhere and that was after seeing her looking over her shoulder at him as she'd done minutes ago without a stitch on. Her tail was there as well, and for once, it was still, though the tip twitched a bit now and then. Toby knew where they were in this. This was the part where she insisted that he consider what she'd said and the implications of it. He sighed. Looking up, he saw her face and knew in an instant that somewhere inside her, Maezou was scared to death. He didn't really understand the things that she'd told him about the way that she'd lived, but he'd gathered that a feeling like this wasn't an everyday thing for somebody like her. Even so, from what she'd said, a feeling like that would have been for her life. This was a fear that concerned her heart. He needed no rule of thumb to be able to draw this conclusion. He wondered how long she wanted him to consider for because this was killing him. Toby remembered his thought from the night before about wondering how one cares for a demon. He still had no idea, but he reached for her and his hand curled behind her ear lightly as his thumb stroked her cheek. Her eyes were welling up, he noticed, and he guessed that he'd waited too long pretending to consider something that to him had been more like a reflex and hadn't needed more than a thought to decide. He decided that he had no wish to see sad tears on that face and though he had no idea about taking care of a demon, he resolved to learn what he could on the subject. He smiled at her, "Next week or ten years from now, I could get hit by a bus or have a heart attack. I could die at any instant anyway for any of a hundred reasons. No life comes with a guarantee, Maezou. Most of us forget that. Until I saw you, the only sure thing that I could foresee was that there won't be a single person anywhere who would care when I die. I'm not all that bright, but I am tired of my life as it was before I met you. Even though we were limited in what we could do together last night, I've never felt loved like that -- or like this right now. The way that I see this is that I have a chance to either die, or die loving you somewhere very far down the road." He reached out his other hand and brushed away the tears that had just rolled down her cheeks. "I don't usually gamble," he said as his smile turned warm in her gaze, "but for what I feel for you," he nodded once, "I'm more than willing to roll the dice, Maezou." She had no words to answer with. Something told her that she ought to argue some point or other here, but there wasn't a thing that she could say in rebuttal to what he'd just told her. Maezou's tears ran and something in her chest twisted hard enough to hurt. She looked toward the window, blinking furiously, but it did her no good. She opened her mouth and nothing came for a moment, until she shook her head in a bit of frustration and hid her face in her hands with a sob. Toby heard a phrase escape her, though it was muffled. Even so, it was in some demonic language, he guessed, and so it was beyond him. "Maezou, what did you say?" She sobbed, "I'm sorry, I spoke in my own tongue. How can I wipe my tears and my nose?" Toby leaned past her and came back with a box of tissue. He drew several out and placed them against her hands. "Maybe I'll have to learn that," he said to himself, mostly, "I'd never guess that what you said means that." Maezou chuckled as she wiped her face, "No, Toby. I said something that I didn't want to search for the words about. I know them now." She looked at him, "I said 'until the stars fall'." He didn't get it. "What uh, stars?" Maezou smiled in her teary way and her tail wrapped itself around his wrist as she kissed his hands, "All of them, Toby. I want this with you until the stars fall." It took her a few minutes to get it together, but she managed it after a while. "I have to tell you how this works, and I'll give you another chance to get out of it then. I told you that almost all demons are bound. Toby, we have to be bound. We're chaotic things by our nature. It's just the way that we are. If we are not bound, this just comes out. I can feel it in myself right now. I could easily throw this piece of wood through that window -- part of me already wants to do it, just to hear the sound. I wouldn't think about afterward and what happens because I did it. I can get worse than that. But if I'm bound to you, I wouldn't do these things. I wouldn't need to be told since you are so calm inside you, I just wouldn't. That's why demons must be bound." She looked down at the small amount of food that remained on her plate, long cold now. If Toby could say the things that he'd said, then it was time for her to step up as well. She took a breath. Looking up, she said, "So I want to give up my freedom for a life with you. I will give my freedom and bind myself to you, if you will have me as your slave." He stared at her, "Maezou, I don't want a slave. I just want you." She shook her head, "We can try to work this out afterward. It's just -- what do you call them -- details then. I don't have to be a slave to you if you don't want that. I just need to be bound to your will -- and I need to bind my soul to yours to do that. We have to do this soon if we're going to do it, Toby. If we take too long, it will come out of me. Before that happens, I'll leave here to protect you." She looked down, "I'm sorry, but it's the only way. Decide now. Hurry. I need to make you understand this, and it will take time to tell it." "What do I have to do?" Maezou couldn't help it. She'd decided last night to be calm and level about all of this, but now ... She looked up hopefully, "Do you mean it? Would you do this for my love? I would do anything for yours, Toby." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 05 He nodded, "Yes. I'm tired of being alone, and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can say that right now. What do I do?" She looked at him carefully. "I remembered this from some old books that I read long ago while I waited to take a wizard I had been sent to get. It concerns exactly what we must do now. She smiled a little self-consciously, "I only really read the ones that apply to my kind of demon, since it was of interest to me. I never thought that I'd want anyone to use it -- I wanted to know so that I could tell if I was being trapped." "Three things must be done and the words spoken. For the first, you must feed me from your hand. No forks or ... what you called them. We can eat other meals however you say, but once each day, I must be given something from your hand. It is to show that you care for me as the one who is bound to you, that you look after me as your servant or your pet." He winced a bit at her terminology, but she continued, "Something every day, it doesn't have to be much, and it can be anything. I was thinking this food, but as long as I can eat it, it will be enough. It wouldn't matter if it was something that I liked or not, I would always eat it from your hand. If we are someplace where there is no food, I will help you, and if you can catch even one drop of your seed in your hand, that would be enough for me. Even a drop of your sweat if you have nothing else to give to me, though I'll admit I'd much prefer your seed since I like it. That is the first thing." He smiled, though he was a bit stunned by the last part, "I'm in so far, Maezou. I'd feed you anyway if you needed me too." She reached out to take his hand, "I know, Toby. You've already shown me that you would, but it must be every day without fail. I will remind you if you forget. The second thing is," she smiled a bit shyly, "we must join -- or any of those words you told me. I'm sure the mist will be gentle to your heart then. Before your smile there gets any wider, it is to show that there is something between us, and that I submit to you." She saw his expression and held up her hand, "I know you don't want to think about it like that. That's just what it is to show. I will never refuse you if you command me, but in doing that, we both get something from it. You get long life from me, and I get a wish of fulfillment as payment for my submission and being bound. For the first while, I get a wish each time, and it must be about you, or for you so that my binding is to one who is everything I would want as my master. It is the only chance for the slave to turn a cruel master kind. That is what I read in the text. I might wish that you have different hair, for instance. That's a bit silly, but then Toby, your hair would change over time. The time depends on the power." He tilted his head, "What power?" She shrugged, "The power of the bound one. I'll tell you now that I won't wish anything stupid on you," she smiled, "but that is the second thing." Toby looked a bit apprehensive, "I'm ok with this as long as you are, but just so you know, I'd rather just ask you if you feel like fooling around. I'm not big on commanding, Maezou." Maezou nodded, "Another reason why I would give up my freedom to be with you. You are kind to me and you think about how I might feel always. I see this in you. I thought about it last night while you slept. I've never had to do this with my past masters. They just took my soul from me and kept it away, though one of them used me for his pleasure sometimes, and the female one just liked to hurt me whenever she saw me. I can see that you care for me, Toby, and it means very much to me." She touched his face, "I do not offer this lightly for many reasons. There are other ways, but none would work like this. You would die when your human life would normally end - if I didn't kill you first. This way prevents all of that." She took a deep breath, wondering how she'd get this one across. "The third thing can happen anytime, and I think it is best done while we are joined, but it doesn't need to happen very often. It's to show me that I still am bound to your spirit. It is the ongoing proof to me that you love me. In a binding such as this, how much you feel for your slave counts a great deal. It helps both of us." She looked into his eyes, "This one needs your trust in me, as I would trust my whole self to you. I'm not a bloodsucker, but I will need sometimes to bite you, and it will be hard enough to draw blood. I only need enough to taste that you live, and that you still care for me. So you see that for this binding, I may be your slave, but there must be feeling from you for me. If you don't care for me, I'll know it by this, even if you allow me to do it. There will be a moment of pain, and then I will heal the place leaving no mark. I get what I need, and you get something from me. This is one of the things that humans wanted from this binding most of all. I thought if my first wish came to pass, then I would know if it works, and that it might be good between us. You don't know it, but I began a little of this last night by myself, and today I see that it will work for us. I'll tell you about it later." He didn't know what to say. He raised his hand as though he was back in school, "Um, I have a question. You're really not a vampire or anything like that?" Maezou wanted to laugh at the notion, but she understood that Toby just didn't know. "If we can do the first part, I will have time to tell you much more, but for now, consider that you stand with a flea in your hand. That is the difference between a vampire and me, and I am not the flea. Some bloodsuckers have more to fear from my kind than humans do though most do not." She shook her head and smiled, "No, Toby. I only need to taste, not feed. I do not ever suck blood or anything such as this. For my binding, I must only taste. How much blood do you need to taste that it's blood, a drop? Less? The problem is that I have a mouthful of very sharp teeth, as you saw. I'd be careful, though. I wouldn't bite you on your neck. I'd only bite where there's muscle, and never take any flesh with it. Like here, or here, maybe." She touched his shoulder muscle above his collarbone, and then his bicep. "I wouldn't even suck, a lick of the blood is enough, and then I would heal it with no pain to you after." He sighed, not being thrilled with it, but still wanting to help, "And you'd need this? What if you don't get it?" She was straightforward in her reply, "Once we are bound, if you don't feed me from your hand once every day, I'll weaken, for my soul needs to know that you take care of me. If you feed me that way often, even the tiniest thing, I grow stronger for you. If you don't let me taste in your blood how much you feel about me, my soul will begin to die, and me along with it. This is probably the most serious way of binding my soul to yours. If you die, I will begin to fade too very soon after, unless you release me before you die by telling me as you pass, but then Toby, I'd want to die then anyway, wouldn't I? On both our parts, this is something that cannot be walked away from. It's the surest way for a mortal man to securely bind a demon of my kind. I'm not a weak demon Toby; any other way would be a disaster." "Are you evil?" She wondered what the word meant to him so that she might give him the best answer in terms that he might grasp, but shook her head, since she didn't know how he understood the concept. "What's evil? What's good? I am what I am. There is a purpose that's bigger and older than I am, and I always believed that I was spawned to serve that purpose, since most of us are. Now I am not as sure about what my purpose is. I begin to hope that my purpose may not be to serve in the pits, but I will have to see. I never want to go back there, not after being with you, Toby." She exhaled, "Toby, I am eight thousand three hundred years old. I'm pretty sure that I am older than any religion going and I've outlived many. I've brought wicked souls to one master or another for all of that time, no matter what is said in any book. None of them have ever been there, Toby. None of them have seen what I have. None of them know what it is for, and none of us care what is said or what they think they know. The simple truth is that souls are the money of the hells. This happens every day and it always has. As long as there are humans who ruin their souls, Toby, this will always be. For the ones that I was sent to bring, judgment was passed before I was sent. Which side did that make me a servant of? That is a question that I have asked myself for a long time." She looked thoughtful for a second. "Once I read in a book that there were two sides to this at war constantly. The only wars that I have seen are between rulers trying to own better hells with more souls coming in. Sometimes I think that it is like two sides of the same coin." She shook the thought off since there wasn't the time to think on it now. "A person does something and it is noticed. If there are enough things, a decision is made to end a bad life early and a ruler is told to send a hunter. I don't know why or what they did and unless it might give me an easy way to take them, it's not for me to know. So, because I brought them, am I evil? Because I could do anything that I needed to do in order to bring them, am I evil? I really have no idea. I just am." She touched his face again, "I love you, Toby. I don't ever want to go back and if I can be with you, I won't have to. But to stay with you, I cannot remain unbound. I need to learn how to live here with you, no matter where we go. To set one like me loose among humans would be evil, I think, for what I could do without knowing better." She thought for a minute, "There is that question again. For me to know this about myself and want to prevent it, ... I cannot be evil then, can I?" She laughed a little, "It was easier before I had a reason to care." "Right now, I am unbound. Even if I could prevent myself from making a mess of things, sooner or later, I'd come to the attention of a hell ruler, and they would take my soul away from me again if they were stronger than me. If I'm bound to you, I have some protection, for a binding is honored by all." He looked at her with some concern, but he trusted her about the bites, so he shrugged, "What do I get from you for the bite?" She clapped her hands together lightly, and two globes were visible in her palms, one red, and one a light peach color. "What many have wanted, though you do not care." She looked up, and the globes left her hands to float up together. "You and me," she said with a childlike smile, and the globes came together, spinning around each other until they blended, and then with a hiss, they showered down bright sparkles of light everywhere. She smiled, "You would call it magic, but I would need to teach you. You will need to know much whether you care to or not." She touched his knee, "Toby, that's how this works and what has to happen. Do you have enough feeling for me to want to do this? After only the time that we've had?" She looked at him with a combination of hope and uncertainty before looking down, "This is really too much to ask. I'll understand if you refuse, and I still want to be your friend Toby, though I don't really know when we'll see each other again. This is where you get out if you want, and then I will have to go very soon." She looked at the snow curled down over the window from the roof above. "I think I'll try to go someplace with few people, someplace warmer. I would like it if I could visit you sometime if you would want me to while I can." He took her hand and she looked up to watch as he shook his head, "No. You're assuming something. I haven't answered yet, though I can see why you'd assume that I wouldn't want this. I see that you need to be bound, for all of the reasons. I'm good with it. I'll feed you every day. If you only need one little thing from my hand as proof, I'll feed you a whole meal. I'll do it all, Maezou, even let you bite me. I trust you. I don't want you to tear anything apart, and I couldn't bear to know that you're somebody's slave again. I think I understand what you had to do as a job, but eight thousand years ought to be enough. So, if we have to bind you to me to save you, then let's do it." She held back her tears as she leaned forward and kissed him, "I don't deserve you. I think that the females here must surely be idiots, Toby. If I was one of them, and we met, I'd have done whatever it took to have you for my own. That's what I seek to do now, but in this way instead. I become your own." She smiled, "I'll tell you a bit of what I know later if I can, but I have found that I wasn't spawned for what I did. It was only something that I could do to stay alive and hidden. It's a long story and I learned more of it myself lately. I was surprised. I think that you and I are not as different as I had thought." He looked at the thin tail curling around his arm. She noticed and it unwound itself to tickle under his ear and he flinched with a smile, "Hey, would it work if you fed me and let me bite you? What would happen then?" Maezou looked a little distracted for a moment as she fought down an impulse. "I don't know. Your soul cannot be bound this way, I think. Maybe you'd get sick or die from demon blood all at once, why?" "I was thinking that if there was no need to do this, I wouldn't want it because while I like the idea of taking care of you, the thought of you being my servant still bothers me a bit. I thought that if we could both do it, we could be more equal. I'd like that better." She thought about it. "Well, I think I put something in your blood from my bites anyway a little at a time. If you really want to try, let's do it in a year or so since you would be stronger then. But I don't know what will happen, though I like that you would do this for me." Toby noticed that her hands were shaking and saw her squeeze her eyes shut tightly for a second. He reached out and grabbed the plate. Picking up a piece of bacon, he snapped it in two and put it into his palm, adding a piece of egg on top. He quickly held it out to her. "Come on, Maezou, we're doing this now." She looked at the food in his hand and then at him. She knew that she was almost out of time, sensing the chaos which now rose in her. Maezou knew that she had little time left for even herself to decide, but she made her choice instantly as she looked at the face that she always wanted to see now, so she spoke the words that she'd memorized three and a half centuries before. Toby understood nothing of the words until she spoke again. Her voice took on a ragged quality as she fought for some control while the candle flared up and sputtered. "Would you have this one in your service, knowing that your life is to be bound as I bind mine?" He wasn't sure what to say, "I do... I uh, I would... Yes." For an instant, the candle lit the room like a road flare and then settled again. There were more unintelligible words from her, and then she whispered, "You must ask me if I am free to offer my service and if I know that you swear to offer your care always." There was more and he muddled through it, though Maezou had to correct him a little. At every point, the candle reacted, sometimes sending thick scented smoke from only a tiny flame and at other times almost roaring. She stopped abruptly and began to eat. Toby took her hand and held it under the hand that he offered the food to her with. "How soon until you feel better?" She stopped for a second. Her eyes were closed, and a single tear ran down her cheek as she swallowed. There was a bit of egg at the edge of her mouth. "I already do," she whispered as she nodded a little. "Thank you, Toby. I am in your debt again." She went back to finish his offering, and carefully licked his hand clean while looking him in the eye. She spoke some words that he didn't understand, and then said the condensed version for him in a clear voice, "I am free, but now I bind my soul to your own. I give everything I have to your service freely under no force or... "She sought a word for a moment, "...threat." Half-burned already, the cranberry candle roared and spit hot wax into the air which ignited as it flew, Maezou put out the flaming wax with a wave. Toby stared as he noticed that she'd done it without looking at it. Her eyes stayed on his face steadily. Maezou's face was unreadable. A more suspicious man might have been nervous at the least. Toby wasn't. Other than a brief thought about his fire insurance coverage, he was only concerned that she'd be alright after this. He didn't know it, but his new slave felt pure wonder at him for what he'd allowed with his trust for her. Some might have considered him a fool for this. Maezou wasn't among them. Her concern was for him since soon there would be no way to go back and the future was a huge unknown. She wasn't worried for herself. She was feeling apprehension for him, since he was as a lamb in this, giving blind trust. The wind outside had risen and was now moaning past the house. Toby noticed that he couldn't see across the street for the blowing snow. When he turned back, he found her looking at him, and he leaned in to lick the piece of egg that still hung there. She kissed him and carefully set the board with her plate and cup aside. Maezou looked at Toby with a great deal of wonder in her eyes. She knew that she hadn't told him everything, they'd almost run out of time. She considered her mother's warning and reasoned that what she'd been able to tell him was enough for this. It would have to be. She got out of the bed, determined to do at least a little of this correctly. "Please stand up" she said quietly. Toby looked at her curiously, but he did as she instructed. Maezou stood before him as naked as when he'd seen her that first instant. He still regarded her with wonder, but now had much stronger feelings for her and on top of that, he was in absolute awe of her. Last night, she been pale and unconscious and later had just been herself with him. Right now, today, she still had the same qualities which held his heart from then until now, but she stood before him now with more confidence. He could tell that she knew how he felt and where she'd given it no thought before, Toby could see that she now felt some pride in her appearance because she accepted that she was beautiful to him. He looked at her long limbs and he could see that if she'd allowed herself to be seen this way when she appeared to collect a soul from someone, it wasn't a stretch for him to see how they might be afraid. Maezou read these feelings in him and looked at the one she'd almost bound herself to. He still wasn't afraid. The thought filled her with admiration and it made the last of this so much easier for her. She'd been in situations such as this many times, though never just like this. She'd had to prostrate herself before a lord as a matter of course sometimes every day and it had always bothered her from when she was very young. Over thousands of years it had become something which had bothered her more and more. It wasn't pride, though she might have felt some justification to feel a little by now. It was the unfairness which bothered her in many cases, more, and more, and more. She looked at Toby. She didn't know it, but her face was somewhat stern. This was different, she decided, since she was doing this willingly. She had some selfish reasons in it, her desire to remain free not the least of them. She also felt her desire for him and how she wanted things for him, but most of all, she wanted their friendship and this odd kind of love that they had to continue and grow. That was a wonder to her all by itself when she thought about it. It shouldn't be possible in the first place, beyond perhaps a physical attraction. How could they be thinking... Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 05 She shrugged to herself. This wasn't the time for internal debate. They didn't have the luxury of time. How he felt for her was plainly evident and it was a whole new world to her. It made all of this easier when she thought of it in that light. She moved her hand and his clothing left him. Toby was startled, "Maezou?" Maezou grinned, looking at his body in the light of the now-dark day and the flaring candle. He was a wonder to her and what she'd done for him the night before was plain to her like this. "What we are doing wasn't ever meant for either of us, Toby. It was a way for humans to seduce and own mighty slaves. But I was not seduced, other than my desire to love you, and I give myself to you with free will. I don't know if any of those humans or the demons who bound themselves to them were in love as equally as we seem to be, or what happened to them after. But I see that this will work for us since you look younger than you did yesterday from my tiny gift to you. You were wondrous to me last night and now I see that you reclaim more of your wonder." "One thing is done and most of the words have been spoken. We stand now at the last step to begin this between us. All that remains is that I say the last words and then we are bound. The other two things are as mortar between stones to make it stronger and us with it. Our souls remain free, but they will be tied if I say the words. Still free, but together always." Her face lost its sternness and became more hopeful. "This is the last place where you can get out, Toby. I need this from you, but if you have a doubt, I will understand. This is forever, where we stand now." She smiled, "Tell me if you want me forever." Toby saw all that he needed to in her eyes, including her hope for them and even her own little fear of his rejection at the last second. He had no idea how their life would go, but he wanted her beside him and it was far more than enough. He looked at her skin and her body. His eyes roamed over everything and though it was there, he knew that it wasn't only lust that he felt. His gaze fell on her navel and he wondered about that. Maezou misinterpreted his look with a nod and her pubic hair disappeared. She tilted her horned head with a mischievous grin, "Do I need to tempt you, Toby? This will be yours if I finish it." She smirked with a laugh at herself. "I want to be yours anyway," she said with a helpless shrug, "I couldn't resist saying it that way." He smiled a bit shyly, "I wasn't looking there, but I think I've found another thing that I'd like you to keep. Of course I'm tempted, Maezou. But I think you know that as much as I want that, I also want that wonderful body against me because you'd want to be against me -- even if it's to sleep together in a snowstorm. I'm not helpless, though I thought that I'd be. I want you in my life. There's really nothing to decide for me here." She nodded, "I am learning that if I want the simplest way to hold a thought so that it is straight and clear, I only have to ask you. I am tempted here myself and it is as you say. All of my life alone, and now I hunger to feel you against me. I feel lust for you. I admit it freely. But beyond it I feel an ache to have you against me always. I have never felt anything as I did with you against me as you slept." He shook his head and grinned, "I feel as though I'm getting married here." Maezou saw the comparison to the human ritual and her heart seemed to swell inside her. With that wonderful way that he had of simplifying things for himself, he'd just made everything as clear to her. She nodded, "Yes, though this is much more than that. Humans who have done this were powerful to begin with among their kind - sorcerers and witch kings. This will be as a marriage, Toby. It must be so in many ways unless I am to be a complete slave and I know that it is not your way. So we draw from each other and give as well. I become calm already and I will raise a lord above me because of it. Now, tell me that you want me forever. I feel it from you so strongly, Toby, but I must hear you speak the words or I cannot do what we need. I want you forever, Toby, and I am one who has never wanted anyone or anything before you. Say it now if you can." He shrugged since it was so simple to him, "I love you, Maezou." He smiled, looking suddenly like a little boy and it made her gasp as she thought of something that she'd never thought possible for her. "You need the words, Maezou? I can do that easily. I want you forever." She knew that this would be different from any other time that she'd had to kneel to a lord in the dark realms, but she wasn't prepared for this at all. Maezou's eyes closed as she smiled and the candle almost scorched the ceiling. Her arms rose from her sides as she was transfixed. The wind outside began to scream past the corner of the house. Toby stood watching in silence. He felt as though he couldn't move without falling over for the feeling of weakness all over him. He stared at Maezou. She was panting as she opened her eyes again and he saw them roll upwards. She knew that this moment had to end soon or she'd never draw another breath. She had to get to him. Her head felt as though it could only loll backward, but she forced it to face him and did her best to close the distance between them. There was nothing mentioned in the old text about this. It had undoubtedly been transcribed from an ancient scroll or tablet, and it was easily possible that something had been left out or lost in the translation - such as the effect on the one bound. She felt herself being held back and it wasn't what she wanted or needed at this point, so she almost lunged with the effort. She took a step toward him and fell to her knees. It wasn't close enough, and so she fell forward and crawled to him. With a sudden shock, Toby saw that her back was wet with sweat. Her hands felt hot as they found his feet and she placed her forehead on the floor with the tips of her horns against his skin. Instantly, his skin began to prickle everywhere and in barely a second he felt the beginnings of what he knew would soon be rivulets of sweat from under his arms. His chest was wet in another moment and his knees felt even weaker. Before he could really begin to come to grips with it, there were strange moaning words from her and then she spoke in English as the wind wailed. "As before, I say it to you also: I am as nothing before your will. My body... my heart... and my soul, everything I have, - all that I am - to the one whom I serve. I am yours, my lord." The candle went out. The wind fell off steadily and in the twenty seconds that they stood frozen there gasping, the sky began to lighten and the room grew brighter. Toby felt a bit odd for a moment in his chest, but it passed as he grew accustomed to it quickly. He looked down to her heaving ribs. "Maezou? Are you hurt?" He had nowhere to move here with her horns on his feet and so he squatted down and knelt carefully, hoping that she was alright. For maybe five seconds, she made no reply, and then her voice sounded almost like two voices for a moment and she was back to sounding like the cement mixer as she laughed softly for a second. As she spoke, her voice gradually took on the same qualities that she'd used since she'd gotten up from his couch. It just took her a bit to get there, she was so weak now. "I'm fine, Toby. I feel better now, and I am so happy." She raised herself up a little and looked at him. "I have never been happy to be in someone's service before. Beg me, ask me, tell me, or command me. I'd do anything for you, Toby." He chuckled, "Way too complicated, Beautiful. Just love me and I'll love you. If you have a thought, I want you to tell me, the same as before. I don't want anything different now. I think if I did, than I'd be abusing the trust you've shown me. Ok?" She nodded through her tears, "Ok." Toby was relieved and he stroked her head, "Is this the reason that you wouldn't let me put my tongue in your mouth last night? You wanted to remember this way for us and you didn't want to risk messing it up?" She sat up on her knees, smiling at him, "Yes, that's exactly why. I couldn't explain it all to you last night, and I knew there was something about it that I needed to remember. I needed to think it through for myself. Toby, I can't think properly while you're kissing me." He reached for her and stood up, taking her along with him. Maezou slid her arms around his neck and leaned against him, glad now to be his and feeling her strength returning to her. "You said that we'd have some time after the first thing." He felt her nod and she looked up, "Yes, why?" Toby smiled, "I want you to stop thinking for a few minutes." She didn't understand at first, but she sighed her reply a second after his kiss began. Maezou relaxed into him, content now to stop all of the thought processes going on in her head but one. When his tongue slid along her lips, she pulled back for a moment. Toby wondered what the problem was now, but he saw her open-mouthed smile and heard her delighted chuckle just before she kissed him. He felt her mouth open and it seemed to him that her tongue now did some sort of dance, the way that it enticed his into her mouth. When his tongue finally slid into her mouth it was another revelation to her. The slight coolness and the way that he teased took her breath and she pressed herself to him more. It came to her that she had little choice in it -- her knees felt as though they'd buckle at any time. Her breasts were crushed against his chest in the most wonderful way and she could feel the urgent press of his manhood against her belly. She moved slightly and the pressure increased in response as it twitched. If she stretched upwards a little now, she thought that she might be able to let it him press against, and maybe just under her pubic bone, but she didn't want to move. She felt herself growing wet in anticipation and she thought that her heart had surely grown wings. A tiny lightbulb lit up in her mind as she realized that this was the way that it was supposed to be between them, as different -- and as similar as they were to each other. What wasn't supposed to be happening here was the dull thump that she felt in the building through her feet. They pulled apart gasping and he rested his forehead against hers carefully. It wasn't just a gesture, she knew at once. Toby was every bit as breathless as she was. The thumping began again. "What is that, Toby?" He listened for a second and groaned, "It sounds like somebody's pounding at the door." He shook his head. "If it weren't for this storm, I'd just ignore it. But it could be somebody who needs help or something." He looked around, "Uh, what did you do with my pants?" Maezou was prepared to fight back a murderous impulse at being interrupted. It was what always came to her if she was in the middle of something as she hunted and some fool demon got in her way. But it had only been a thought and then it was gone. She smiled to herself. She was Toby's now, and there was the proof. "They're on the bed." He pulled them on, struggling to get himself arranged and began to walk, wondering whether it was at the front or the back door. Maezou followed. The next time that the thumping began, he knew it was the door from the house to the garage and was puzzled. "Who the heck would be there? Somebody must have come in through the door at the back of the garage." As he reached for the doorknob, Maezou pulled him back. "Stand a few steps back, Toby. I know who it is." Before he could protest that she wasn't wearing anything, Maezou opened the door. There was no one there. He looked past her calves and noticed the snow on the garage floor, already melting. There was something wrong about that, he thought. The garage was unheated. Maezou's hand fell from the doorknob as something pushed her back to land on the floor with a thump. Toby stared, watching her roll on the floor laughing as she struggled. He heard breathing, but... "Stop, Zele!" she cried out helplessly, "Stop, please, just stop." The breathing stopped suddenly and then Toby saw a beast standing over her which looked something like a huge dark grey dog to him. Other than the glowing amber eyes which now looked at him, the comparison was loosely possible, but it ended as the attitude shifted instantly and he could see it clearly as it glared at him. The snout rippled and the lips curled back in a snarl which shook the house. The shape was still generally dog-like, but the thing looked to be made out of pieces of flint - quivering, barely restrained muscles under flint. Maezou's hand came up and pulled the head down by the top of the snout, "No, Zele." The change in the thing was instant. It shifted before his eyes and grew slightly smaller. The flint, or whatever it had been was replaced by fur, and he was looking at something like an anthropomorphic mix between a human girl and a large dog which now regarded Maezou with a lot of affection. He heard words from her and Maezou answered, pointing over her head back to Toby. The thing looked to be thinking for a moment. "So good to see you again," she said to Maezou, "even better like this. Zele has not seen you like this since we were young, before you went to the pits. You are more alive again, as Zele always remembers you." She sniffed for a moment and became aware of something. "So it is true." She stepped away cautiously to the side. "Zele is sorry if you were mating and Zele stopped it." She crouched on her haunches to look at Toby. "Is it him?" Maezou got to her feet and stood next to the animal, reaching around to hold the head to her hip. "Yes, Zele. We did not begin, but we were about to. It's so good to see you too. I've missed you." She looked at Toby, "Until last night, Zele was my only friend. We haven't seen each other in," she shrugged, "a thousand years at least. We - she and I, thought that she's a kind of hell hound, since she can be one as you saw, but this is the other way that she can be. We've never found another one like her, so we don't really know what she is." Zele nodded, "That means that I am The Zele." She slunk slowly toward Toby with her lips pulled back into a teasing smile. "Zele wants to see this one. She feels what comes from you both and she must see for herself who it is that makes you feel this." Toby stood a little nervously and thought to take a step back. "Hold still, Toby," Maezou said, "let her look at you. It's important to me. Please?" Toby nodded and forced himself to be still as he watched her come. She sniffed his leg and then smelled higher, bumping her nose against the bulge in his jeans that hid his genitals. She looked up for a moment. "Toby? Is that how you are called?" He nodded, "Yes. Why were you at that door?" The smile grew wider and she stood up, placing her paws onto his shoulders heavily. He felt her fur against his chest as she leaned in to smell him. "There are eyes which Zele does not wish to be seen by if it can be avoided. Zele closed the door outside again. Leave it unlocked, Toby and this one too. Nothing will come in while Zele is here. Leave it unlocked, or Zele will open it so that it stays open, or maybe make my own door in the wall the next time. Never make Zele wait again. Zele is sorry to stop your first time together, but you needed to know that Zele is here." She sniffed under his jaw and then he felt the tip of her hot tongue against his throat. Toby began to flinch, but she held him fast. "If you wish, Zele can put her weight on you and you will be on the floor. Zele seeks to know you by your scent, so that she can find you among other humans." She pulled her head back, tilted playfully, "or Zele can mark you another way if you wish. You may drown..." "No, Zele," Maezou said hurriedly, "Hold still Toby. She's playing with you. She just wants to know what you smell like." "Playing with you," the creature nodded, "Zele thinks that is what she would like too. Zele has played with men before. It is always good if Zele wants them." She eased down onto her paws again with a sigh, "But Zele's mate would not understand. And you have my friend now." Maezou tilted her head as she stepped over, "You have a mate, Zele? When did this happen?" "Not long. Zele has only trained him to me for a month maybe." She sighed again, "He is only a hell hound, not like Zele. Like any other of his kind, he cannot speak, but he is big and brighter than most, and he makes Zele's little place feel so good. He is very good for me and kind, the best that I have found for me. But Zele likes to talk when she plays. Men are better for this. You are lucky." She looked at Toby, "Zele likes this one. He can talk more than this?" Maezou nodded, "Yes. He's just shocked, Zele." "Zele understands," she said as the playful look returned, "Not many can find their tongues when I am near them. They hide it well, but they all lust after Zele's beauty." The two females shared a smirk at each other before Maezou tousled her fur. "You are a beauty, Zele," Maezou laughed, "the wildest beauty alive." "Maezou," Toby said, "I don't understand a lot of this." "Maezou?" Zele looked at her, "You show this much trust to him? Surely he must be worth much to you, old friend." She looked at Toby, "Zele likes you even more, Toby. Zele sees what you have done together and is pleased. Finish it soon. Zele will stay until you are stronger -- or until she needs her mate again." She turned to Maezou, "Hurry. You are still not noticed. Do this in a more hidden place. The storm hides you, but Zele was close and she could feel what was done." Maezou nodded and looked at Toby, "She's right. We need a place, "she said, "I want-" The microwave chirped in complaint, as did a few other electronic devices around the house. Toby sighed, "Power's out again. Let's go downstairs, I'll light the woodstove, and we can camp out." Zele thought for a moment. "There are chambers below this level. If that is what he means, go there, Maezou, and do this quickly." She shook her head, "He needs to know more, Zele. I have to tell him more." Zele stood up and leaned against Maezou. She looked into her friend's eyes and licked her jaw. "Zele understands, but you have little time. You will be missed, now or later, and then what? You must do this." She thought to herself a moment, "It must be this night, and you should begin within this hour. You know who it was who told Zele. That one is as a mother to Zele almost as much as to you -- all that Zele ever had for a mother. She says that things have changed and you must be quicker. You have begun it and now it must be done. Zele was told to say this." She looked past Maezou at Toby, "Zele will be near, even if you do not see her. Your slave means more to Zele than her own life. She is many things to Zele - we are friends and as sisters, even as we are different. We crawled to each other as babies in the stink of a dung heap. We grew up and were young females in a bad place to be that. We killed many to protect each other and we were first lovers long ago in a dead pit where none could find us to hurt us anymore. We were all that we had then." Her face was defiant, "My joy that you have each other. My fury if you are hurt, either one." "You are her chosen." Zele nodded, "I will watch to keep you safe." She glanced at Maezou as she dropped to her feet again and the room shook a little, "Zele will make sure that nothing stops it again." She looked at Toby, "Zele felt what was begun, so whatever words there are must have been spoken. My friend is afraid, but Zele was told to say this to you ..." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 05 Maezou's eyes opened wide, "No, Zele. Please! Let me -- " Zele ignored her, "You helped her and Zele is thankful to you. Zele is to say that you may die and none of us know if it will be so. But if you live, she must change you to keep you safe as well as herself. Zele thinks this has already begun. You can look how you want to look, but there will be things that are different, and it cannot be another way. That is what Zele was told to say to you. I hope that you will still love my friend." Toby nodded, "Thank you. I understand a little, and it changes nothing. I still want this." "You feared for nothing," she said to Maezou, "Zele is still sorry to say it for you. You should know your good fortune in him. Zele was told to say this too." Maezou nodded in relief and thanked her. Zele walked out the open door into the garage, changing back to how she'd been when she came in. The truck settled under her weight as she jumped into the bed with a crash and the snow in it flew up around her. After turning around once, she settled in it and looked back as she nodded, "My old friend feels love. Zele is happy now. Hurry." Maezou closed the door after smiling at Zele. "She is heavier than she looks," Maezou said apologetically, "if I understand your word for it, she weighs nearly four hundred pounds. If she wanted to hold you down to smell you..." She walked to him and kissed him quickly. "She's very different, and attractive in her own way," Toby mused, "She sounds like she's happy that you're free." Maezou nodded, "I have always thought that she is beautiful, but it makes me sad to think that she can't find another one like herself. She is no demon and she's really not a hell hound, and she's the only one. Hell hounds have no souls but they all have what they want as their price. To get their protection, one has to bargain with them and give them what they want, food or, some want to mate or both. Some want only gold. Zele has never been like this." She took his hand, "Show me this other place so that we can finally do what we both need. I don't want to wait any longer." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 06 I've spun this out without meaning to since I fleshed out one character a bit more and added another because she makes me smile and chuckle. The result is that I've unwittingly pushed back the first of the (obligatory) demonic sex scenes back until now, so sorry for that. I've polished this up in the middle of a humid evening with no AC. Now I'm probably sweating more than the characters in this thing. No wait... maybe not. So grab whatever food, beverage, or person you like to read with and I really hope you enjoy this. A word though, there is quite a range of emotions in this one chapter, so if you find yourself feeling for Maezou, keep reading and don't give up. ---------------------- She was delighted. "This is perfect!" she said babbling and looking at the finished room in the basement. "I was going to say that to complete my binding, I would have liked to have a room that was a bit darker, and if there could be some kind of fire, it would be my preference – I don't have anything nasty in mind, Toby, I'd just prefer the warmer light, and this is just right." Maezou knew that she was chattering, but she couldn't help it. She was nervous now. "It's below ground so it will hide us a little. I want to go and get the blankets and pillows from the bedroom - " She noticed his face and knelt before him in silence. "What are you doing?" he asked. She looked up, "I see that you want to talk to me. I think you are displeased with me." "No," he sighed, "I want to talk with you, not to you, and you don't have to kneel like this. Please stand up." She rose before him and looked down at her feet, waiting. Toby lifted her chin, "Stop this, Maezou. This is not what I wanted and you know it. I just need some explanations. I'm not angry with you. I just want to know what's going on." He kissed her softly, "Just help me understand some things. Who was Zele talking about? She said that she was told to say some things. By whom, and for what purpose? She said 'none of us'. Who did she mean?" Maezou took a breath, "We have two who wish us well, Toby. They are doing what they can to help us. One of them is Zele. You can't know it, but the little bit that she showed you tells me that she likes you very much. She is always strange to people when she meets them at first, but she wants to help." "And the other one?" he asked, "Who is that?" "My mother, " Maezou replied, "She watches for us and told Zele what to say to us." "Come here," he said quietly as he reached for her, "We can talk like this, can't we? I just can't kiss you if I want any answers before next week." Maezou felt better instantly in his arms and put her head against him. "Your mother?" Toby smiled a little, "I was going to ask you if you had any family. I just didn't know how to. So if we're ... as we are now, and for all intents and purposes pretty much married,.." "There is nothing like this for demons," she said, "though I am sure that my mother understands what it means for humans and I like the idea of it for us. If I have family, as you say, it is my mother and Zele. She is helping in her way too. She told Zele about what happened to me and where I am. She knew that Zele would come, so she told Zele what to say. The way that this storm stays here, I know that she is close by." "What does one have to do with the other?" he asked. "Everything," she said quietly, "she made this storm to hide me – and you now." "She made this storm..." Toby repeated it and it still made no sense. He felt her nod. "Yes, Toby. My mother is a storm demon, the most powerful one, and the oldest. You were sleeping, but she came to see us. She told me that she likes you, and she told me things that I never knew." She reached up to touch his face. "I am not as much of a demon as I thought. My father was a man, like you." He was struggling with some of it, but tried to get all of this. "That changes things for you?" She shook her head, "No. It changes nothing about how I feel about you. I already made up my mind about that. She came after that and told me that what I wanted – to be with you, could be done. I was too slow to tell you that you might die. I tried to say it better, but I was already running out of time and we had to hurry. I will never tell you what came into my mind as I sat with you. It is better not to know. I'm just so glad that you helped me again." He felt her exhale, and almost knew what she was going to ask, but he waited for it anyway. "Do you still want to do this with me?" He looked at her and wanted to laugh. She looked so much like a worried child, this fearsome demon in his arms whose only other friend was a murderous-looking dog-girl and whose mother probably drove weather forecasters nuts the world over. He thought that he probably ought to be worried about what might amount to a mother like that, but Toby hated weather forecasters with a passion. He saw them as idiots who'd gone to university and come out with even less sense. His mother's bunions and arthritis, before she died, were better predictors of the weather. For that reason alone, he already liked Maezou's mother. "Yes, I want to do this. I wouldn't care about all this stuff, but it's what you need to happen, and that's enough for me to agree. But I do want to make love with you, Maezou. There's something that you ought to know about me. I may not be faster than a speeding bullet, or more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings, but if I have a choice and it's explained to me so that I can understand it in my own simple way,... well, if I tell you something – then you ought to know that I mean it." He hugged her to him tightly, "I heard what was said and I get it. I might just die doing this. I'm not crazy about it, I'm probably a little scared of that, but not all that much, I don't think. I see this as my part of what we're doing for each other. You've done what you had to do and soon it'll be my turn. I still want to do this for you." She didn't know what to say to him. "By the way," he said, "If it happens, I want you to know that as far as I'm concerned, if I die, you already have my release from this if that's what you need from me. Just how is it that I'm supposed to die, if it happens?" She snorted a bit sadly at the irony of it. "What was supposed to happen in these bindings was that a human seduces and binds a demon. It was to work no matter what the ones in it were, male, female, two of one kind, anything. The human receives some long life, a slave for pleasure, and power. I don't think that you noticed, but the final words are for the bound one to say, so that they have the last chance to avoid the binding." He nodded, "I noticed, but I didn't know what it was for. That makes sense." "Toby, I told you that this was never meant for ones like us. I think that if there was love in it, it was probably one-sided and the slave gave all to a greedy human. When they joined, the human began to receive the gifts. But this was also never meant for much more than weak upper demons at best. We both love each other. That is an important difference, and better for everything – but much more dangerous for you. I am not one like that. I was once, and for a long time, but not anymore. I am a strong demon. That's why no other form of binding would work." She thought for a moment and felt the cold edge of her fear in her chest for him. He looked down and he saw that her eyes were filling. He touched her head and stroked her red braids with his fingertips, "Come on, Maezou. I know I'm really blind in almost all of this, but I've found that in anything, it's better to know as much as you can beforehand." He kissed her lips softly, "That's what I'm trying to find out now. As much as you try to hide it, and as obviously powerful as you are from my point of view, I've noticed that you do have your own fears – and I hate to see them in you. Just say it so that I understand it, honey." Maezou sighed, "I always tried not to look at things too much, because I always saw unfairness to me. I found it easier never to try too hard to see. But some things cannot be ignored, no matter how hard I tried not to see what is plain. I think that any ruler who sends a hunter gets more than the value of the soul. They must, or they could just sit and wait for the normal amount of souls to come. So there must be more value added for the trouble of keeping and sending out hunters. If I am right, then my life has been even more unfair because I got nothing for what I did for all of that time." "Most of the ones I was sent for were nothing much in effort to my eyes and I didn't care anyway, but over time, I saw that I was sent on harder and harder hunts. There were hunts where I would arrive to find others waiting for me. Not demons, Toby. The other servants. We never spoke to each other, but they led me right to where I needed to be and they waited while I took the soul. I hated those hunts, because I often had to work hard and it was a short hunt, so I had no luxury of time to stalk and set things up to make it easier for myself. Once, the man was leaving on – what do you call those loud things with two wheels?" "Motorcycles?" he suggested. "Yes," she said, "he was already moving away quickly. I looked at the others and they only looked at me, as though they expected something of me. I was angry because I had just finished a hard hunt like this, and now I had another one. I could have flown after him, but I reft his soul out of him from where I stood hundreds of feet away in my rage. It flew to me and his machine went on for a time, slowing until it hit a building. The others backed away from me, and I left. I knew then that I was easily one of the best hunters and I knew why I was always given one hunt after another. I must have been making my ruler rich if he could guarantee that his huntress would always come back with the wanted soul. His price for that must have been high." She drew a deep breath. "If a demon gave themselves to this binding, and they were the usual sort, how much could the human have gotten from them? Longer life and a little magic ability? So, if I am this powerful huntress, what will you get from me when we do this, Toby? Beyond what you would need to keep yourself and me safe, as I would do for you, I do not care. For my part, you could have all of it. I only want to love you. I just want your love for me. But you're a man. There must be limits to how much of me you can take. I am afraid that once we start loving each other, it will be too much and it might kill you." She looked up, so afraid now, "I have no way to give only a little at a time. Once we begin, you get what you get. All of us - Zele, my mother, and I - we are afraid that it will be too much all at once. I will try to hold back anyway, but I don't know how, and you will get weaker until you come out of it. What happens if you weaken enough to die before you come out of it? I am so afraid of this. I don't want to lose you now." She watched as he clenched his jaw. It frightened her a little until she noticed that he felt resolved and determined about something. He wasn't angry at her. He smiled down at her, "You know what? Let's go back to the wedding idea for a minute. If you were a human girl and you were dumb enough to want a jerk like me, we'd get engaged, and then the whole time up to the day of our wedding, your life would be a whirlwind of preparation leading up to the big day. For human women, this is their day, and it's all about them. I think that you've been trying hard to not look at how this might come out. I'd like this better if you just kept doing that, Maezou. I don't care if you have to fool yourself or whatever else. Try to look at it like that, ok? This is your big day. I'd want you to be happy more than looking scared to death the way that you do now." He held her for a minute longer, "You were going to get the stuff from the bedroom." She nodded and walked up the stairs, meeting Zele on the way. Her friend looked concerned, but put her paw on Maezou's shoulder and held up her other one with the fingers splayed widely as a motion to stop as she began to whisper. "Zele sees now how he is. He is right. Try to be happy - for him at least. We hope for you and him. If you are afraid and sad like this and he lives, you will have missed your joy. He tries for you. You should try for him too." She walked to the front room of the house, fading out of sight to peer out of the window. Toby was lost in thought as he began to put wood and kindling into the stove. He had just added a few pieces of newspaper in some of the spaces that he'd left when she came back. Maezou saw what he was doing and dropped everything. Toby was reaching for the matches. "No "she said, "here." She pointed to the contents of the stove. He looked from her finger to the wood, and saw that the newsprint was curling, and some of the kindling was beginning to smoke. She snapped her fingers, and it lit with a gentle "whuff". He looked at her and she said, "I could have just thrown a fireball, but it's too much of a shock to the stove I think, and the wood still wouldn't be going right. This way, it's a gentle start, but it gets going quicker." Toby saw that she was trying hard to lighten up. He stared at her as she spread out everything and looked a little happier. He chuckled, "You know, seeing you bustle around like that is ... I don't know, it's really good to see. I almost hate to tell you that the couch is a pullout bed, though I haven't pulled it out in a long time." She spun around, "Oh, no. We can use the couch as a couch. We can even use the couch to, you know. But you and I are going to get just a little wilder than most furniture can stand, Toby. You don't just bed a demon girl on a bed. That's why I wanted a place like this, only a floor or the ground will do, you'll see. This is going to be different from anything that you've ever done before. Leave the drapes shut, and, oh please – please tell me that you have candles." "I bought a few after the last time that this happened. I also have a couple of oil lamps. Do you want me to get them?" Maezou shook off the last of her gloom with an effort. Zele had been right. So had Toby. If this worked out, she'd feel better looking forward to it. She smiled and felt herself brighten. She looked happy, and Toby found himself grinning just to look at her, "Bring all the candles, Toby. We probably won't use all of them, but still ... But don't bring the oil lamps. There might be a fire if we use them." He shook his head, but brought her the candles and the candle holders that he had from all over the house, "I don't get it. How can open candles be less of a hazard than oil lamps?" She just grinned wickedly, "You'll see ..." She added more wood to the stove and with a wave of her hand, there was a very gentle breeze moving the air around the room. She set the candles up throughout the room, choosing the places carefully, and then lit them from a little fireball that she held in her hand. Toby couldn't believe what he was looking at. Maezou spoke to him over her shoulder, "Take off your pants, Toby." She turned to him with a look that stirred his heart, "Are you wondering now what you're getting into?" He looked at her a little uncertainly and nodded. She smiled and chuckled softly, "Me." He stood, and she admired him, "I told you that I made my decision last night. I thought everything over, and it took a while to work out how this could be done between two unlikely ones like us without breaking or messing up any rules that I could think of. Then as you slept, I prayed to whatever, or whoever runs this universe, and asked for the only thing that I've ever wanted for myself. After that I gave you a tiny gift while you slept. I got you hard, and moved myself to let it rest against me, and just held it there until I fell asleep." "I wondered about that when I woke up, "he said, "I thought it had been having some fun without me." She shook her head, "I'm sure it was happy, but no. I felt the tip and found one drop, and I let that be my reward on my tongue. I found out when you were at your best for ... this, and I've brought you back to that with my wish." He had been semi-erect as they spoke. She stepped closer, and gently blew a puff of air at it. Within seconds, it slapped against his abdomen. "Remember all those times when a stray thought was all it took?" She chuckled, "Watch what you think." Maezou closed the distance between them and put her arms around his neck. "I love you, Toby. I think that the best way to start our life as a couple ... is for you to kiss me again, and please don't forget to put your tongue in my mouth." Toby held her to him and they traded soft kisses for long minutes. He pulled back to look at her with a smile and licked her ear as lightly as he could, while she kissed his neck. When she felt herself shiver from what he was doing, she drew back her lips and dragged her teeth gently across his skin. To his surprise, he wasn't afraid or put off by it. He whispered his love for her, and she sighed, "I can't stand up much longer, Toby. I can feel your love. It feels so good, but I have to..." She broke the embrace, pulled him to the floor, and they continued there. He worked from her throat and jaw to her shoulders and collarbones and he worked it well, licking and teasing, barely sucking and then nipping just as lightly. Toby kept his eyes open and couldn't get enough of her body and skin. They ran their hands everywhere that they could reach. He groaned to her as he licked and kissed, and Maezou answered with soft whimpers. He reached a breast, and kissed his way around it as carefully as he could, before finally reaching the pebbly skin of her pale nipple. She gasped as he sucked it into his mouth. Toby almost ruined it with a grin as the cherry pit analogy came to him again, but he fought it off and kept on for her. He did this repeatedly, and she'd arch her back and gasp a little whenever he switched breasts. He noticed that she'd settle a little after that, but he felt as though she was anticipating the next time that he switched, so he tried to keep it as unpredictable as he could manage. Even so, she got the drift, and that's when he pressed his fingers against her mound softly to move in little motions that she couldn't predict as easily. He stopped for a few seconds to look at her. He really wanted to cry because she was so lovely to him. As Maezou smiled and stroked his pectoral muscles, she said softly, "Toby, look down there, and you'll see it. I can feel my mist." He turned his head and pulled back farther to see. Parts of his legs were already damp. He didn't crawl right down, but he saw a very faint swirl there, almost like the wisp of steam that curls from a kettle long after it's stopped boiling. He smiled at her, as he moved back up to kiss her mouth again. "I can feel it, Maezou. You're soaked down there, and like everything else about you, the beauty can make my heart break just to look at. I saw only your back this morning when I woke up, but just studying you, I almost cried." She sighed as she stroked his shoulders, "Before, you were a handsome man who was kind to me. Then you were Toby, my friend. Now you are my Toby, and I love you. Do you still want to lick me there? I've never felt that." He smiled, and worked his way there quickly. He looked at the little wisp of fog that hung an inch over her at most. Her whole bottom end was slick, like the stones near a waterfall. Near the rise of her pubic bone, there were little droplets, shining in the dim light like tiny jewels. He'd never have believed that this was possible if it had been told to him by anyone but Maezou. The girl was a walking miracle to him, and he'd never seen this complex series of curves and swells that every woman has looking as stunning as this. It wasn't the slight haze there which wet everything, though that certainly helped. Toby had seen this part of her as they stood before each other in the bedroom. He knew this was here on her, obviously, but he also knew then that it was lovely. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 06 It didn't matter, his heart still twisted at the wonder of her. He kissed her softly, and she rocked her hips back to present herself better as he nosed and chewed gently at the place where one of her legs met her body. There was a very gentle smell to the mist, like a woman, he thought, but even more so if that were possible. He found that the more he smelled of her, the more he wanted – no, wished, to smell. It was that gentle, he thought as he began to lick. He groaned in his own pleasure as it passed through his tissues to find his bloodstream. This was phenomenal, he thought. He'd always loved to do this, but his return was feeling the woman's reactions. Maezou was stimulating his mind as well. A lick gave him a small surge of pleasure from her. Besides missing the act of copulation, he had missed this almost as much in his solitary life. He'd always done his very best to please the few women who had given him the chance at this. He'd never gotten much feedback, if any, and so had always thought that he must not have been very good at it, but the way that Maezou responded threw that idea out the window. She writhed and groaned, as her head rocked from side to side. He looked up her rippling pectoral muscles to the undersides of those beautiful breasts. His heart leapt as he caught sight of her pale, pretty nipples. They couldn't stand any higher than this, he thought, so he concluded that he was doing something right for her, and it made him incredibly happy. He suddenly realized that there must be some mechanism to what she was putting out. It did far more than excite his mind. It was like nitro to his heart, and he felt his penis tingle and twitch of its own accord. The thing was attached to him after all, and he knew how that usually worked. If he was hard, and close to the one that he was with, a touch or a thought from him would make him contract a few muscles almost involuntarily – but not quite. Now that same machinery was on auto–pilot and twitched whether he did that or not. The one thing that he had never been crazy about when he did this was that his manhood was left to fend for itself during the act, as though it was left stranded far from the action. Toby had always traded it off in his mind with practicality – if he wanted to do this right for somebody, well then, he preferred this angle and that was all there was to it. There wasn't much pleasure that he could derive from humping the mattress in a bed. But now, it didn't matter what he did, it was pretty happy about it. It didn't care; it no longer felt left out. He knew there was no way that he'd lose his erection, not with his heart thundering like this, and it feeling so good to him at both ends. Maezou had wanted this from him since he'd mentioned it the night before. She just wasn't prepared for the way that she felt swept along again, and even more like this. She groaned and gasped, but had little time to think about it before the next strong wave was almost upon her. She felt that something here deserved a little thought from her, but she found the thoughts left far behind her in seconds whenever she began to even try to think. Last night, she could have thoughts – sometimes. Now? Not a chance, and once that came to her she abandoned thought processes altogether. It was hard enough to keep her breath, and soon, even that began to lag behind where she seemed to be headed. She was just beginning to enjoy the plateau that she seemed to be perched on. It was wonderful. But then Toby paused for just the briefest moment and before she knew it, her chest heaved for breath again as one of his fingers slid inside her. Maezou let out the breath with a happy groan, and he paused again for just a half-second. She had a notion that he'd use another finger, and she was correct. She wasn't ready at all for the sensations which came to her because Toby had grinned softly to himself as he'd wet the second finger, crossing them before he pushed them in gently. There was nothing left for her to think with when he began to twist them. He moved up a little and his mouth rejoined the fray. It almost became a rhythm, she noticed after a time with a little awe. He gave her quiet gentle pleasure along her nerves for minutes, four or five large thrills from different motions every time that made her moan quickly and maybe buck for a second or two, and that was about as much preparation as she could get before he drove her hard and then a wave that rocked her world crashed down on her. Toby knew what he was doing. He was just astounded that she could handle one after another. Almost every woman in his past had grown sensitive after only one orgasm and how he got them there had seemed to play no part in it. He'd always felt as though the recess bell had rung, and he was now expected to stay far away from their sensitivity. He'd wondered sometimes if he was now supposed to go stand up against the wall while they recovered. It made him feel pretty unimportant, as though they couldn't wait to get done with the obligatory fucking. "Ok, one time, we're done now, Toby." They'd never said that to him, but it was what he heard every time. He'd read of women who could have many and had always been a little disappointed that he'd never had a chance at one. He'd always been the type of man who would try hard to please a woman, he just felt as though he'd never really gotten a chance to do his best. He watched Maezou's chest heave and happily tossed the women in his past into a dumpster. They were like trying to play music on a cigar box. What he was looking at here when she was like this, well, this was someone worth a little sweat. When he judged that she was tiring a little, he quickly softened the strokes of his tongue, and then went to seek out the other wonders that she had here. She groaned deeply as he sucked her lips out and nibbled, before grazing slowly – and very predictably - to the other one. It was driving her crazy, but he couldn't think about it for long, because he'd grin then and it would change things so that he lost the range of motion from his tongue. It was easier for him if he didn't grin. Toby's back grew wet from the effort, but he'd never wanted to do this as well in his life. She kept putting out that mist the whole time. His eyelashes were dripping with it. It was in his nose, and that alone was a wonder to him, how it smelled so good to him. He opened his eyes again, and looked up as she reached for her nipples. This fascinated him. She was trying to get to a point where she could get higher from here again and so soon. He studied the motions of her fingertips intently as she tried things on herself. When he saw that she had found something that felt good to her, he tried to burn it into his mind for later – or right now, he thought. He reached to her, and gently pushed one of her hands away and took over himself. He was pleased that she liked it. His other hand stroked her thigh and belly, loving her, and loving how she felt to him. Her free hand stroked his hair, and she called out her love to him often. And that - right there - made all the difference. All of this and the uncertainty and the slight nervousness in his chest – that made everything worth it to him. Toby sniffled once, trying to keep it quiet. He couldn't help how he felt. For once, he felt as though he was worth something to someone - someone very special. It was still the same thing to him, it wasn't what she was, or was able to do. It was her. For the first time in his life, Toby felt like a king. He went back to her clitoris now. Staying away momentarily, he licked, and dipped and licked, before moving up to trill on it with his tongue. Her fog was still there, tiny droplets in his eyelashes bounced down when he blinked to join the rest of the moisture running from his face. Her legs went back further as his fingers went in, and then down again each time. He knew that he had her when she stomped her feet to the floor and bucked quickly. Toby followed along easily. She yelled very briefly, and he kept up his gentle attack as she arched her back, and lifted her hips up off the floor. It was almost as though she was presenting herself to him in complete submission, he thought, but then he tossed that notion. This was something different. Her feet slammed down again, one of them sliding down his arm and she lifted herself once more. Toby had never seen something like this. Her feet were on the floor and he had to move along to follow her as her lips floated in the air before him. She left him just enough room to stay with her. Aside from her feet, she was on her shoulders and her head – the rest she held up in front of him. He held her bottom up and didn't let her go far in any direction as he worked his tongue as fast as he could. Her air left her as a soft cry, as quiet as a sleeping baby stirring in its crib. He knew that she was done and caught her as she went limp. He put her down very gently and moved beside her, picking her up under her shoulder blades as he sat down holding her to him. Toby held her with his now free hand cupping her mound gently. He ignored the cramp in his arm. His erection was still there, pinned between his abdomen and her lower ribs. It didn't care, it was still happy. Toby was scared to death. He felt her inhalation, and then after a few breaths, her eyelids fluttered and tickled his throat. "T – Toby?" "Right here," he whispered, as he rocked her. "That was – I've never ... Oh Toby, I love you." He kissed the red hair and felt the tip of her pointed ear graze his chin. "I love you too, honey. I hope I got that across to you," he said, "I was trying pretty hard." Her arm rose over his shoulder to pull him tighter, "I felt it." After a few minutes, she sat up, and asked him to sit cross-legged. She looked at his erection standing there and gave it a little stroke. She smiled as it throbbed in response, before seating herself carefully on him with her legs wrapped around him and her arms around his neck. She moved forward to wiggle and rub his penis with her mound. She kissed him softly, "I wanted to do something there, but I didn't know if you'd want it. So I held back, but it was torture to do it. I should have asked. Do you like me there?" He nodded, "I enjoyed doing that very much, Maezou. I loved that fog that you put out. That was new for me. It made me feel wonderful, like it was a drug and a heart stimulant at the same time." "Well that's what I want to know right now, before we do that again, so I'll know the next time. I don't have to just have it like that. Remember what I said its other purpose was? I can spray it too, to get myself and a male wet if I'm being forced. When I was, ... I don't know, shaking at the end there, I wanted to spray, but I didn't want to offend you if I did. I thought that I'd let it go once and was terrified for a second." "Is the spray the same thing?" She nodded, "Yes, just a lot at once. See, we already are a couple, it's already milder. I hope it was right for you." "It was great, Maezou, and when you're enjoying yourself you don't have to hold back. I wouldn't have been offended, I'd probably be thrilled, "He kissed her, "So you go ahead next time, baby, just let it go, ok?" She nodded her thanks, and he stared in shock as she began to rise without moving anything. When she was high enough, she reached down for him to guide him in, and then she settled softly on him as they both groaned. "Lean back a little, if you can, Toby, only a little." She groaned as she sat and wiggled herself, giggling, "I love having you there, finally. This is what I wanted for us last night. I'm so sorry that I think so slowly on these things, Toby, but I was afraid to miss anything, and anything that you do to me just feels so good to me that I just can't think at all." Her motions were tiny, but it kept them both pleased. His eyes went wide as he felt a new sensation, and she smiled as she put her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck. "I'm a little different from human women in this way too, I think. If I do this really hard right now, we may both find that we can finish without moving a muscle outside our bodies, I only need to lean a little, and I can have my pleasure too. But I'm doing this because there are more things that I need to tell you about. While we do this, I'm already getting my wish, Toby. Male demons are not as big as men, at least not most of them. The smaller ones carry around a big pole, but it's an illusion that all females can see through, though maybe it works for human females, I don't know." She chuckled, "That's probably why demons of both sexes are miserable, though there are some monsters." she joked. "But right now, I'm measuring you inside me to find the best fit for us. All by yourself, you're very nearly perfect for me, but I'm making you fit the best that you can for us. You feel it, don't you?" He nodded, and then smiled, "Just please, don't take any off." "Never, "she sighed pushing down, "I'm only making you a tiny bit wider. You're already as long as I can take. If you stroke deep in some positions, you'll reach the end of me, and it'll hurt. I can feel that now. I just want you a bit thicker, and not even much. You're already the perfect mate for me, I'm pretty sure. But there are a few other things that you'll notice very soon. I've already begun to take your body's age back. When I'm finished, what I sit on now will be as it was when you were twenty-two. A human man is at his best at maybe eighteen, I have seen as I hunted, but no eighteen year-old lasts long. Your body was at its peak when you were about thirty, and that's where I'm going with it. So some parts of you will be twenty-two, and the rest will be thirty." He looked down in shock, "Really?" "Mmm-hmm, Now, I would have been happy to have you for my mate just as you were when you saved me last night. But I can make you better, and you'll learn to make yourself appear as you wish soon, anyway. But underneath, you'll be the way that I make you now, forever. Wait a moment now," She moved something inside her, and they both moaned at each other in pleasure. She kissed him with a small grin, "I couldn't resist. The reason that I do this is for both of us, and for something else. You took me as your slave, Toby. And I am a demon. I'm actually a pretty powerful one. I've never wanted it, but I've been strong enough for maybe the last thousand years to take over a few of the lesser hells myself easily. I just have no interest in it and I'll never want to. That doesn't change what I am, though." She did it again, and it had the same result, but this time, Maezou sprayed onto him, and the effect was instant. They both started to stroke. "Hold me Toby, hold me tight, and, Ohhh! Rise up on your knees." He didn't think it was possible, but when he tried, he found that he could do it easily. "Are you floating or something?" he asked. She smiled widely as she began to buck against him, "No Toby, you do that yourself. I knew that you could." They hung onto each other as he laid her down, and then they started to pound together, each crying out the other's name. She rolled him on their sides so that they'd slow down a little. "Toby! Toby. I –I love you! Toby, listen. Oh, it will hurt you, but o - only a little, I think. A little slower, so that – so that you can get through th-this." He had no idea what she meant at first, but as they went on, he began to notice that his muscles were beginning to cry out to him. He started to think about stopping, and as he slowed down, Maezou would sense it. She didn't want him to stop altogether. If this worked, she wanted him to go slowly to come through what she knew was coming, but not stop. She wanted his heart to keep moving blood. He wasn't listening much, so before he stopped, he'd feel that spray of hers again. The stimulant or whatever it was in there would drive him harder. His vision began to fade at one point. In the gathering darkness before him, he saw Maezou's eyes open wide. "Toby, I love you so. Toby, don't stop now, don't stop. I need you now, Toby. Close your eyes, my love, and then you can do it. Oh, Toby..." He tried. He sensed that she had something to be urgent about, and he tried with everything he had, but even with her spray soaking his balls, he didn't have much more left to give her. He had long ago forgotten about coming himself. Just as he couldn't go on, Maezou pulled him onto her for a moment, and then she lifted her knee as high as she could alongside him. She cooed to him, telling him how much she loved him, and how good what he was doing was for her. She heaved them over, so that he was on his back. She was desperate; she feared that he now wouldn't survive this. Her binding was almost complete as far as that went, but what good would he be to her if he was dead from his own changes? She'd tried to tell him as much as she dared. With tears in her eyes, she just told him to lie back, "I will do the work for you now, Toby. If you need to concentrate, think only of that wonderful part of you inside me. Let me do it all now. I love you Toby. You don't know how much I love you." She fucked herself furiously on him, as though her desperation could speed the change now. She'd felt an orgasm approaching many times in this, but with Toby looking so ragged, she'd done her best to push it away from her. She didn't know if she would care about anything anymore if her man didn't come out the other side of this. Her eyes filled with tears. Had this all been for nothing? Was this the final kick in the teeth for her? A demon bride who'd never even had her husband a day before she'd fucked him to death? She looked down at his face as her heart broke for them both. She was to blame, she knew it. If she'd left well enough alone, this man who'd only wanted to help her would be alive. She closed her eyes and kept riding, though his penis was already getting soft within her. It was only her strong internal muscles that held him in now, and even that couldn't last much longer. She decided to keep going until he was out of her. She closed her eyes and wept as she humped him slowly, praying that the change would finish and that he'd live. Invisible and unnoticed at the top of the stairs, Zele lay on the kitchen floor looking down with her own tears for them. It wasn't fair, she thought, but then so little of their lives had ever been fair right from the very beginning. She was very quiet, and Maezou didn't hear, but she whined quietly and it ended in a sorrowful groan. Toby was down for the count. His heart still beat faintly, but he'd been unconscious for a minute or two now. The pain of his joints and most of all, his muscles was far from him now. Maezou stopped and hung her head, her tears running in steady rivulets from her eyes to her cheeks, and then onto her breasts to land near his solar plexus. She looked at him. Until now, she'd had the most wonderful man. Her quiet tears turned slowly into quiet keening. From there is was a short trip into wracking sobs. Maezou had never known who or what caused the stars to wheel in the sky, or why there were hells and heavens. She wondered if the angels got any breaks where they worked. She now knew that her existence was only to do as she was told and be beaten, whether she did a good job or not. There could be nothing more for her, and she'd proven it by killing the only one who had ever shown her kindness, the only man she'd ever wanted so much to live. Well, now she'd committed an act that would merit another eight thousand years. Somewhere, some god must be laughing. She wanted to lie on him, but was afraid that her weight might stop his shallow breathing. She slammed the heels of her fists against her thighs – she couldn't even lie on him in her grief. Maezou looked at his face again. What did it matter? He wouldn't come back to her now, it was only a matter of time. She still held him inside her, but he was too soft to even push against. She carefully lay down on his chest, keeping herself light. She kissed his chest over his heart, and then laid her cheek against it. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 06 She looked at his hand, a wonderful piece of him. It had given her pleasure. Just a light touch from that hand had told her how he'd felt many times in what, until now, had been the greatest twenty-odd hours of her long life. It had even fed her when she'd been desperate to stop the thoughts which had risen in her. It had lifted her out of what would have been a freezing death. Suddenly, she had an urge for a random act. Did he still live, after all? If he did, then she wanted to know if he still loved her. It was such a stupid little detail, but suddenly, she had to know. At least she could tell herself that they'd done the three things, even if they were a couple for only the briefest time. She sat back up slowly to give her muscles the time to pull his soft penis back in a little more. She didn't want to give it up for some reason, as though even that part of her wasn't convinced. She took his hand and brought his arm to her face. She felt thin little tremors. Probably just nerves, she thought, or maybe he's pulling away from me in fear finally. She almost couldn't bring herself to do it, but then opened her mouth to bare her teeth, and bit down. She could taste the blood. She swirled it around with her tongue against his skin. She felt his life hanging but that he still loved her. She didn't let go, she just didn't clamp as hard. She sighed, weeping. The man she was killing still loved her. She felt another tremor, just as weak as the last. She tried to will her love to him somehow. Her mind cried out to his soul, screaming that she loved him and that she was sorry. She felt it there, weak and trembling, but she got no response. She knew it was getting ready to leave him. She had no idea where it would go, considering. They were already bound, she told herself. She had no intention of letting him go like this and then going on alone. He could say what he wanted, but the time to tell her that he released her had to happen near to his passing and he was beyond much of anything now. When he passed, she hoped to see his soul as it left him. After that ... the thought of her own slow death was a welcome thought if it happened. Her thighs were shifted slightly. She let go of his arm and looked down as she held it, stroking the bloody wound softly. She couldn't see anything, and her gaze began to drift back to his face. Then she looked back at his abdomen. He was different. With her free hand, she touched the muscles there. They were even firmer and more defined than they'd been before. She'd loved how he was in good shape even before this. At almost forty-nine, he'd had nothing to be ashamed of before, but now ... She looked elsewhere. He had changed, she saw it. She reached back to touch his thigh, then leaned forward to feel his chest and shoulders. Everything was firmer – harder. She looked at the wound on his arm and then lifted it to taste a little more. He still lived – and he still loved her. The sense was so strong now that she bit again. His abdomen moved. She was almost lifted off him. His breathing became deeper, and she reached to touch his face. "Toby?" she sniffled, "Please Toby, come back to me." She looked at his arm again and healed the wound with a slow kiss. She held it to her face with a bit of hope, but stared at it when she'd felt a pulse. Her hand over his heart told a new story now. The engine was running - she could feel it. It was running now at a fast idle on all cylinders. She lay down on him again, telling him of her love for him, begging him to return. Pleading for him to know her when he did. She gasped. He was beginning to swell inside her. He almost slipped out from the angle as he stiffened. She eagerly shifted herself and cautiously pushed back. The response was instant. He swelled again, and it twitched! She began to hump him very slowly and with all the love that she could put into it. The next contraction swelled it fully, and with a cry, she lifted herself almost off, and then slammed herself down as far and as hard as she could, tightening everything on the way down. His chest heaved as he inhaled, and his eyes flew open. "Toby!" she cried. Zele jumped to her feet and stared. She wanted to fly to them in her joy, but she held back, remembering many times when her happy arrivals had upset things. Cavern walls came to mind, as well as a wrecked house or two so she remained and watched. She decided that if he showed signs of knowing her friend, then she'd go check the house again. If he attacked her, not recognizing her at all, Zele would wade in to protect Maezou before he learned of his new strength. She knew her friend. It was a chilling thought to her what he could manage if he'd only gotten a small portion of hers from this. If this had been anything like the mirror transfer that she'd heard about from Maezou's mother ... Toby looked at Maezou in a disconnected sort of way for a few seconds and she froze, not knowing what to do. Then he smiled and looked confused. Maezou began to weep. "You look better to me every time that I see you." He gave a tentative thrust, and there was a lot of love in his gaze. Maezou burst into tears, shocking him. She shook her head, "I thought I lost you. Are you all right?" She reached the bottom of a stroke and put a little wiggle into it for him. Her tail slid over his legs as though it was welcoming him back too. "I feel – different, somehow. I don't know what, but you sure feel great to me, and it's so good to see you." She wiped her eyes, "You feel pretty great yourself. I've never been so happy to see someone alive. It's so good to see you, Toby. I love you." She smiled down at him, wiping her tears with her arm. "You look fantastic. I fell in love with you the way that you looked before, and it's a good thing. If I'd seen you looking like this, I'd have kept passing out on your couch. Do you want to see?" She flung her arms around her and the walls turned into reflective surfaces. He turned to look, but she slammed herself down again and sprayed. She just couldn't help it, she was over the moon to have him back. Outside, something happened that was very unusual for blizzards. Zele listened to the dull rumble of thunder and knew that lightning now flashed from cloud to cloud. It told her that Maezou's mother was laying it on heavily for this, the time of their greatest vulnerability. She smiled a little at it as well. She knew that no human, no demon, nothing could even get near during this time if they could even get a sense of where to search. She'd seen for herself what the mighty storm demon could do with lightning in a fight and the remnants were never pretty. Zele forgot about the rest of the house. She sank back down to watch this loving. He grabbed her hip with one hand, and thrust into her hard with a deep grunt. She groaned and wiggled, as she beckoned him up to her. As he rose, she looked into the beautiful eyes, and saw them lidding with lust for her. She hung onto him and began to buck against him. He moved his hands to her back. "Trust me. "he said, "Lean back against my arms." With a sigh, she threw herself back and he lowered her down so gently after crossing his legs. When her head and shoulders were on the comforter, he slid his hands to her hips one at a time, holding her as he rose onto his widely-spread knees. She looked up at him just in time to see Toby's transformation into her very own private fucking machine. He began to pound her against him hard and fast. She moaned and sighed as she watched him and tried to get used to the constant motion from the way that he moved her as though she weighed nothing. She noticed all of the changes that were in her field of view. Everything that she saw pleased her and added to her lust. To her view, Toby had been a tank before this. Now ... the only word which kept coming to her was beast, her own wonderfully lust-filled beast who wouldn't stop now for anything. She could see that in his fire-filled eyes. She knew that he still loved her, and she knew that he felt her love for him. That was evident in his gaze as well. But stop? Now? The beginning of the apocalypse wouldn't stop Toby. She knew he'd screw her right on through the other side of that before he even took a look around. She reached up and felt the muscles and tendons in his forearm as he worked. If she could, she'd have taken that hand of his and sucked each of his fingers hungrily, whimpering the whole time to tell him how she felt. So many wonderful sensations flooded her, but they weren't as important to her as what they were doing, this timeless act between them and what it meant in this second of the three things. The knowledge of that only made her hungrier for him. Maezou laughed out loud as she compared this to the hopeless attempts of the demons who had used her before she was strong enough to prevent it. No matter what they'd have wanted to call it when they'd forced her, they were all pathetic compared to this one powerful male. No sneering pit master, no arrogant lord in any of the places that she'd been could do what her own new lord was doing for them both now. They'd been different when they'd started last night. There were common things in their hearts that she'd seen, but there had always been the differences. A lot of those differences had now been swept aside and replaced with similarities. Maezou beamed with pride as she searched for and felt his power. There was still more for her to do, but even now, her Toby was a male version of herself in many ways. He was still Toby, but though he was as yet unaware of it, he was now much more of the demonic version of himself, and she planned to raise him up until he became the demon lord that they both needed him to be so that they could live without fear anywhere. She chuckled, who better to mate with than one who shared her lust and pleasure as though through a mirror whose only effect on the reflection was gender and the physical differences that went with that? She wondered how he'd look with hair the color of hers. It was something to think about later. For now, she luxuriated in this pure pleasure and lust and how wonderful it felt to have him inside her at long last. She laughed again and squeezed one of her nipples just so. She glanced up at Toby's face before she did it again to make sure that he saw, knowing how her expression must look to him as she reveled in this. Her heart swelled for him at another thought. He was finally claiming what was his. By her will, by his love and hers, by his limitless desire to help her, and above all by his right from their binding she was his, and there surely couldn't be a finer demon male anywhere. This was for Toby, she decided, but it was more than that. This was the real standard. This was where the bar was well and truly set. After eight thousand, three hundred years ... This was what it was to be well-fucked. Zele squirmed a little on the kitchen floor. Lying here on her front like this gave her a great view - as long as she kept quiet, she warned herself. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She couldn't believe that she was watching this, since it really was a private moment for them. Zele stared and smirked to herself as she rolled just a little bit to one side so that she could reach back. She couldn't believe that she wasn't already frigging herself. Maezou felt him slide in and out, so hard now that she could almost predict the sensations from every vein in that wonderful part of him with each stroke. She noticed the slight slap of his scrotum against her cheeks far down with every thrust. Pure maleness, she thought, what a wonderful thing. Maezou was so happy to have him back. He'd been her rescuer out in the cold, her redeemer and knight when he'd helped her to begin her binding so that she'd be safe. She knew that he'd likely give her a self-effacing argument if she said it in his presence, but he was also her liberator. He was her friend and she supposed that now she could give him the title of husband, as odd as it sounded to her. It had been his notion, but she could see it and now it fit. Right now, he was finally the lover that she'd wanted him to be. He'd never accept it willingly, but he was also her lord. Another thought came to mind as she watched in bliss. With her legs wrapped around him like this, she was his completely. It was what she wanted to be right now and any time that he gave her the slightest hint that he wanted this from her. All she could do was watch his muscles work while she wrapped her tail around his wrist tenderly. All around the room, the candles flared brightly, the flames rising to impossible heights for such small candles. Again and again they flared. Maezou sighed, gurgling deep in her throat. Between Maezou and Zele, two females watched from different points of view, but they had the same thought at the same instant. He was magnificent. But he was still her Toby and he proved it to her. She was content to let him fuck her for his own pleasure. She was happy just to have her new husband back, though this was feeling exquisite. In the middle of it, he amazed her by looking at her with a mixture of lust, and love and caring, and he just growled, "You need to get more pleasure out of this. I can't do it for you while I hold you here, use your hand, Maezou." From him it had sounded like a command. What could a poor demon girl to do but obey? "Yes, lord," she sighed, smiling, and she reached for her aching nub. As she felt herself rising to this feeling, she said, "Look at your eyes, Toby!" He looked at himself in the now-mirrored wall, and then at her eyes as he saw them looking at him with such desire, exactly the same. He picked her up as though she weighed no more than a pillow and held her as he stood higher on his knees slamming her. There was no room for her hand and she felt her clitoris being ground and pounded by him. Maezou hung on close to his ear, almost desperate now. Toby stopped thrusting and held her tightly as he moved her around so that she ground all over his pubic bone. He was still deep inside her, he just wanted for her to get more out of this. She pulled back only once to look into his eyes with an open-mouthed grin that she knew showed him her wicked teeth. He grunted and smiled back at her, so she pulled herself higher for a moment to lick his ear and speak to him in a soft double-voice that he'd never heard from her before. It was a voice that she'd seldom used and couldn't recall the last time that her vocal cords had felt this way to her, since it was her true voice. It was the pure sound of Maezou feeling secure, loved, and happy, three states which had almost never occurred for her. The rest of the time, meaning all of her life, she'd had to load her voice with implied threats, or in Toby's case, a tone that he might like to hear. But now, well what the hell was there to hide anymore between them? "I love you so." It wasn't much, and yet it was as well. She might as well have sent tiny tendrils of her love to ensnare his heart and grow around it until it was covered in solid oak. There was no spell or incantation or anything other than an emotional statement of fact on her part, but the effect of her soft words from Toby's side of it bound Toby to her as much as anything could have done and likely more. Though he'd been plowing her hard and now held her for these small pleasureful motions grinding against each other, he now pulled out a bit and then kissed her cheek softly to let her know he'd heard as he sank himself slowly into her as deeply as he could. When her soft moan ended, he felt her smile against his cheek. "Come on, Snake Eyes, "she said breathlessly, "come fuck your demon girl to pieces." The statement pushed them both to the edge, and a few strokes threw them over. They bellowed and shrieked at each other, but their tongues connected and danced in the air between them after a second. It took nothing from the growls they shared. Her tail whipped around so quickly before slipping in to tickle under his scrotum. Toby let her slide down so that she hung impaled on him as he jerked upright. He hit her cervix once and it hurt so that she saw stars, but Maezou didn't care right then, she was too far into this now and held his head in her hands as she gasped and tried desperately to lick his mouth and cheek. Without missing a beat, Toby moved one of his hands to take more of her weight and looked at the other one over her shoulder for a second or so. His hands now looked as hers did. He was losing control to the animal rutting of this, but every once in a while, he had a lucid thought. He knew what he wanted to do, but with these claws? He was instantly looking at long and strong fingers. Toby tried to kiss the moving target that was Maezou and knew that he was so close to his release that he had only a string of moments left. He reached with his free hand and gripped her tail just where it joined her. Maezou's eyes opened wide and she began a gasp. He pounded her as fast as he could and squeezed her tail a little. The gasp became a deeper whistling inrush. He tried to rut even faster then and forced his middle finger between those marvelous flanks of hers. Maezou's response was a whimper, but neither of them could slow up now. Toby curled his finger to line up the tip against the opening there and though every part of him that he was aware of hummed in effort and pleasure, he managed a mental grin to himself and pressed that finger just enough to barely penetrate her. She howled his name because it was the only word that she had left. Her vaginal muscles clamped tightly and Toby roared in response. All that Maezou knew was that her man was back, it was far better than good between them and if there was any more love, lust and joy in this, she'd likely die herself. Vocal communication systems were down and all they had now was to cry their love to each other to the extent which their animal grunting could convey as she felt the first of his contractions throb deep inside her. Lying on her front at the top of the stairs, Zele forgot herself and groaned. Her knuckles rapped the floor sounding like a woodpecker as her widely spread paw rubbed and the two middle fingers flew in and out of her. She was panting hard, but she needed to finish soon or she'd hump herself on the banister if she had to and she didn't care if she rubbed the varnish right off it then. She amended that thought as she threw herself onto her side, her furry legs spread wide as she worked at it while watching the end of this show sideways with her head hanging over the top step. If this didn't work in about another minute, she didn't care if she left the banister smoking when she was done. After the first two contractions, Maezou lunged for his shoulder and bit down as she came herself, her fluid spraying them both as it hissed hotly between them. He roared, and slammed her even more. There was so much love in the taste of his blood that it hit her like a truck and she screamed into his flesh. She contracted with everything she had, and he swelled more, as he sent even more semen into her. The fire in the woodstove roared for a moment while the candles burned like roadside flares. They froze motionless and trembling, both covered in sweat as the last of his gush was sent on its way to her. It might have been a tablespoonful or two and she knew it, but to Maezou it felt like a gallon for the length of time that she'd felt him pumping. All that she felt within her was the slight coolness of it. She felt nothing of its arrival beyond that, and she didn't care. It made her happy that he was still a little cooler than her. She just knew that she'd gotten it, all of it, the very first of his demon seed. She didn't give a flying fuck right then what it meant - or didn't - to any other creature in the universe. Here and now, to her, there surely couldn't be a more precious fluid. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 06 Their breastbones were pressed hard together, her breasts pushed outward. Inside, just below the skin, two little souls touched. He lifted her slightly, and she let her legs down in her weakness and submission. Her tail fell to the sheets limply. Zele groaned softly from her own gasping orgasm. As soon as she could, she resolved not to be seen here like this – splayed out wantonly on the floor, even if she had to drag her furry ass as she crawled away. She wanted her own male now, though it was likely a good thing that he wasn't here for the sake of the building's structural integrity. She hoped that she'd get to watch them again, but for now, she was so happy for her friends. Maezou was totally his now; he owned her, body, heart and soul. She'd never been so happy and contented in her long life. A mix of their fluids was already beginning to seep from her, and from his scrotum there was a steady drip of her spray. They each heard their own hearts in their ears, and felt the other's in their breasts. Toby quivered as he gently lowered his bride to the sodden comforter. After a few minutes, he crawled to the wood-stove, and could barely lift the two logs, one at a time into the stove. As he reached for the door, he heard her rasp, "Wait," and looked to see her lying on her back, stretching her arm out to the glowing embers, and then heard the fire catch behind him. He closed the door, and crawled back to lie on top of her, carefully holding himself off by the thickness of his arms. Maezou looked at the wound that she'd left and kissed it once, before waving her hand to leave it healed. He looked at her in such wonder and she reached out to grab the covers, before rolling them over the two of them, so they lay facing each other, her tail caressing his bottom. She kissed him softly, and held him to her as tightly as she could manage. "Three things must be done, my lord," she whispered happily, and sighed, "my Toby." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 07 I struggled over this for a long while. I need to get some things said between the characters involving background and how things work. But it obviously has to read well at the same time. I suppose that I could just leave it off here and treat it as an ending, but I'm having thoughts of some adventures for them. I mean in the classical definition - as a risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. It's a little harder than one would think, considering... In this, Toby's a little hung up with the whole relationship as he tries to define it from his view, and he begins to get a clue that there's more to this than one would expect. Surprisingly, there are even reasons that make sense in the demonic way of doing things. I just hope this doesn't come off as demons playing house. ~shrug~ --------------------- The candles burned low, though there was plenty of wax left. The room was dim, lit mainly by the light of the stove. Maezou kept kissing Toby lightly since it always made him smile each time. She was grinning as she whispered, "Did you see her while we were busy?" "You mean Zele?" he nodded, "Yes, though I tried not to look." Maezou smiled, "That's how she is. She makes noise, but mostly she is only wishful." Toby was confused, "But, she said that she had – " Maezou shook her head, "Not so loud, Toby. I know what she said, but I did tell you about hell hounds. If she has one for herself, he is not really her mate because she isn't like he is. At best, he might be what a human girl might call her friend with benefits. I have seen that sort of arrangement. But no matter what is said, Zele is paying for it. I just don't know how yet." Toby thought about it. "You mean she ... " He was dumbfounded. "Maezou, I don't understand a lot of things, and I'll be the first to say it, but this is just nuts from my point of view. Ok, I'll admit that I can't see myself wanting to get too close to that snarly look that she's got, but the rest of the time... Ok, she's going a little far into canine, but even I think she's got to have a lot of attraction to somebody. I think she's a sweetheart – well, underneath that 'I'll piss on you if you don't hold still' bullshit that she has." She smirked, "Zele was only joking a little, Toby. She is shy inside her, but what she hides it with is very real. She might have done it." He looked at Maezou, "Isn't there anybody in these places there that would want her?" She sighed, "Of course, Toby. She has a warm place like any female. That's good for maybe ten minutes of sweet talk and seven minutes of mating at most. She's really very lonely. But she is a good friend if you try to get to know her well. When you talk to her, you should try to remember that Zele likes more than anything to be touched as you saw me with her upstairs. If you treat her as you would treat a human woman that you have just met, you would be polite, but she would think that you do not care for her. I know that she likes us together, so that means that she likes you too. Don't be afraid to tousle her head if you make a joke because it would make her feel accepted. She has never been accepted by anyone but my mother and I. We have saved each other's lives many, many times." They got up and walked upstairs in the darkened house. As they turned to go up to the bedroom, Toby almost collided with Zele who was coming the other way. She gasped and stared at him for a half-second, and then he was looking at her kneeling before him. She'd read the glyphs on him. "Lord Tobias," she said. "Oh for Pete's sake," Toby said, "Cut it out. What's this nonsense now? Please stand up, Zele." Zele raised her head and tried very hard not to look at what she really wanted to gaze at, "Stand up?" Toby rolled his eyes, "Please, Zele. Stand up." He turned to Maezou and she nodded before he could finish the thought, "I will explain later, Toby." She pointed to his front and he stared at what he could see of the markings and looked at her in shock. "I will explain later." Zele tried to look as though she was on the job and nonchalant, but Maezou looked at her a little curiously, noticing that Zele had difficulty tearing her eyes from Toby. He smiled, wanting now to engage Zele, "I was thinking about putting something simple together for dinner. You must be hungry, both of you. I know I am." Zele grinned a little bashfully, trying to keep her eyes on anything but Toby and it wasn't really working. "Zele thanks you and wishes to say that you are very kind-hard –" she shook her head, "Kind-hearted, Zele means to say. Thank you, Toby." She looked at Maezou as she tried without much success to regain her haughtiness, "So, everything went well? It looks to Zele when she looks at you that you had no trouble, and she is pleased for you that you mated well." Maezou nodded, "It was incredible, Zele, though I'm surprised that you didn't watch. You always liked to watch and ... you know." Zele shook her head, "Zele? That was long ago. And anyway, Zele is supposed to be harding- " "Harding the gouse," Maezou said dryly, "yes, I've seen you do that very often." Zele looked down and began to mutter her thoughts. "Zele does not know what it wrong with her," she grumbled, "she sees Maezou's male and everything goes wrong with how she talks. Zele is turning stupid and they will see very soon, but ..." She looked up, suddenly horrified at what she'd thought had only been her thoughts. Maezou smiled. Though she could be sly in many situations, Zele had never really learned about hiding her thoughts with regard to just about anything which really interested her, and her hobby had always been being hopeful for a little pleasure – when a lot of pleasure was not available to her for some reason. Maezou laughed a little, "Zele will have to remember to filter her thoughts before they run out of her mouth." Zele looked at her with more than a little mortification. "Zele is sorry," she gestured toward Toby. "And you are right. I see Toby and I want to say something else, but ... " She looked toward him as though it was against her will, ..."strong and sweet and," she touched his chest, running her fingertips down his stomach, "hard and ..." She leaned a little and sniffed, "smells so good and ..." She looked lower on him in spite of herself, "wonders how it – " She shook her head and stepped back, now even more annoyed with herself. "Oooo, Zele does not like this filtering very much." She turned to go. Toby caught Maezou's glance and saw her shake her head a little, so he grabbed Zele's hand and looked at her. "It's ok, Zele. Don't feel bad. Come over here a minute," he said. She glanced at Maezou, who nodded, so she stepped closer, desperate now to get the moment behind her and watched as Toby got out a large pot, and emptied three cans of pasta sauce into it. "What is that?" she asked as she began to sniff. He grinned, "I did say that I thought we ought to have something to eat. Are you hungry?" She nodded, "Zele is always hungry, a little, and sometimes hungry a lot." She looked at the cans and picked up the can opener to examine it before running her finger inside each can for what she could get from them. She was about to try with her tongue, but turned when he put his hand on her shoulder. "Do you like it?" She nodded, "Yes, but Zele wishes that there was more for her." She stared at him as he smiled, "There is more for you. We're all going to eat this." He stopped to joke with her, "Did you think that you'd only get the little bit left there in the cans?" She nodded, and Toby was a little shocked, but he hid it as he said, "Look Zele, I'd like for you to try to cut me some slack – you know, be a little patient with me here. This is all really new to me, ok? But I'm really glad to have met you, and I'm thankful that you're here to watch everything for whatever reasons I'm sure that I don't even understand yet. I'm sure the reasons are important. Whatever else is going on here, this is my home and I'm not going to eat and leave you to lick the damn cans." He pet her shoulder and turned to get a few more things, another pot and a large package of pasta. Zele looked over at her friend and found Maezou smiling and nodding. She began to feel a little better. Toby decided that if she was hungry, well, what the hell, and he added his last can of sauce to the pot. Zele watched him work the can opener intently. He intended to go shopping the next day anyway. He realized that he'd used all of the sauce that he'd normally consume over the rest of the winter. It didn't matter, he thought. If they really liked it, he'd do it up the right way the whole nine yards the next time so that they got more out of it. He found the cutting board, a loaf of Italian bread, a brick of cheese, and they carried it all into the basement. While he put the pot on the stove and cut some bread and cheese, Maezou and Zele went back upstairs and came back with the covers from the bed and blankets from the linen closet. Toby went to the garage to get his old camping kettle, washed it out and filled it, and then brought it back to put it on the stove as well. "I like the way that I can see with my eyes like this, "he said, "But will you show me how to change everything tomorrow? We're gonna have to go into town for some stuff." "It's easy, once you've done it one time, "she said, "How does your skin feel?" "Like I have a partial sunburn here and there," he said curiously. "Mine too, "she said, "here and there." She made the candles flare brightly as she walked close to him, and pointed to the mark of her last master, "Here." She turned around to show him the new one on her thigh that ran up to one cheek, "and there. I put a line through this one to show that it's canceled, and put the mark of my new master here." "Your new master ..." She rolled her eyes, "Yes, my new master. Did I bind my soul to yours?" "Yeah," he said, "believe it or not, I can feel it inside me. There's like a light, constant tug." "I feel it too, and it moves. You will always know where your Maezou is by that. That's how you know that I'm bound. In other words, I'm your slave, and you're my new master. I must display your mark for the binding to be honored by others. Look here," she wiggled her butt at him and then giggled, "no, look HERE. This is your mark, and there's a smaller one on my hand. I want it visible, and uncovered by any real clothes that I wear. I can hide it to your world, but others from mine can see it even then." "What does it say, then?" he asked with a smile, "Property of ... if found, return to..." She smirked at him, "You know, slaves don't have to be docile, Toby." He grinned, "I'm sorry, Maezou. What does it say?" "Nothing much, "she said, "It just has your mark, Lord Tobias, and promises eternal pain and torment to any who try to interfere with me in carrying out my duties. Just the standard things." "Lord Tobias ..." Zele nodded and offered her comment, "That is why Zele has to bow. That is who you are, Toby. Most must bow to you now, even if the marks are covered by clothes. But there is no bowing to lords here where humans might see. Otherwise, all must bow to a lord." He shook his head, "I don't think I can stand that. Look, I don't get all of this. I can't see how you putting these here on us makes any difference, but I'll give you the point for now. But what I want, at least for you guys is, ... well if there's no need to, please don't do that, ok?" Zele shook her head, "If that is what you want, it must be commanded." "There's that freaking word again," he groaned. "Fine," he said, feeling just a little frustrated at something which made no sense to him, "then what I want is for you both to IMAGINE that I'm yelling at you right now not to DO that again, alright?" He felt almost no better to see them nod at him. Maezou looked a little exasperated. "Toby, I love you very much, and I know that you're very intelligent, but sometimes you act like you're as thick as horse dung. So if you say you feel like you have a sunburn, and I say I feel the same, and then I show you WHY I feel like that, don't you think you ought to light up a little flame above your head and catch on? Look at yourself in any of the walls before I turn them back." He turned and stared. His hair was the same, though with no gray. The man who looked back at him was himself at thirty years old in the best condition of his life. He could see that he was even better. It was like looking at one of the male models on the cover of a romance novel, but without the kilt or the loincloth. His eyes glowed brightly back at him. Altogether, he was happy with what she'd done, though from what she'd told him earlier, he really didn't need much, just to roll back the clock. But though he'd been in good shape then and fairly muscular, he didn't remember all of these sinews and veins showing quite that much, and he looked like he had about fifteen to twenty pounds more muscle now. "Trust me, "she said, reading his mind a little, "You did look much like that. People are the way that they look here, but then there's the way that they think they look, and it's usually not the same. This is how you were. I know, because I saw it in you. Show me a picture of yourself back then, and we'll see." She stood next to him and put her arm around his waist. He smiled and thanked her for what she'd done, and put his arm around her shoulders. "I think we make a very nice couple," he said. Both of them saw Zele nodding emphatically in the reflection. Maezou turned to him and leaned against him, "I do too. I'm very proud of you. Thank you for saving me – in both ways, Toby." He shrugged and gestured toward his reflection, "All in a day's work for this guy, apparently." From his neck, over one collarbone and down his chest and abdomen were red and black glyphs and patterns. He turned her around. They matched in most respects, up to a point. "So this is the Lord Tobias part, and from here on its eternal torment?" Zele's eyes opened wide in shock and she covered her mouth as she snickered. Maezou's tail snaked up to wrap itself around his genitals. "That wasn't very nice," she said, "It's a good thing that I'm hopelessly in love with my master." He shook his head, "That's something I'm going to have to change about me. I make jokes sometimes, and don't even think about it. I'm very sorry, I'd never want to hurt your feelings. Hopelessly in love doesn't begin to describe how I feel." She put her head on his collarbone, "I've tasted how you feel. I know that something goes into the blood if someone is feeling strong emotion. That's what I tried to taste. Toby, I wasn't ready for what I found in you. I felt it as almost a blow. I know how you love me." She looked up after a moment to try to continue with his education, "So, you're Lord Tobias, and you're a lord over a demon – me. And I am well-known to be an awful flaming bitch-demon." She turned to her friend, "Or do I lie, Zele?" Zele shook her head, "No, it is so, Maezou." Zele caught Toby's eye in the reflection, "She has killed demon lords before once or twice, Toby. Maezou is mighty herself." She smiled at Maezou, "but she is not proud and stupid like them." Maezou continued, "So by ..." she hunted for the term, "...inference, I think you say, if you're the lord of a demon. That makes you a demon lord." She looked at him cautiously, "You can grin, but there are others who will take it seriously. One of the reasons that I like this room is because it's below ground and we can be out of sight a little bit. I worry about you, since you don't know how to defend yourself yet. It shouldn't be a problem, I'll teach you to do that. Remember that I said that you get magic from my bite? I've already bitten you four times, Toby. Now turn the candles down so they'll last longer," she tried out a new word, "honey." He stared at them, and then at her, "You're joking, how do I do that?" She shook her head, "It's not how you do it, it's that you just do it. Pick one, and think it dimmer. Then move on to the next." He looked at one, and it went out. He shook his head in amazement. The next one was easy, and then he dimmed them all at once. "Perfect. You learn very quickly." She thought about what she felt from him and tried to choose her words with a bit of care. "Toby, I have to tell you why I changed you, and I hope that you won't be hurt. I think that you are hurt a little bit that I did it, I can feel it." He looked down, "I'm not surprised that you did. I'm an old guy. You look vibrant and young, so it makes sense," He sighed, "I'm just happy that I have you." She put her arms around his neck and pulled herself a bit higher, "No! It isn't like that at all, Toby. You have to listen to me here. It doesn't matter what you call me now. I should be the one that you can trust and believe, and I'm still your friend no matter what is between us. I fell for you as you were, just as you were. I had no choice in it. If this was a perfect place, I wouldn't have changed a thing." She thought a little, "Well, I probably would have suggested what I changed about some of you, but I don't think you'd argue about that." She smiled softly and kissed him. "Toby, I wasn't playing with words before. It's real, Toby. If I'm your slave, then you must be a demon lord, or someone will just tear me away from you, and there'd be nothing that we could do about it. A man cannot be a demon lord, Toby. You must be at least half demon, or our binding would not be respected, and then I would slowly die because I'd be away from you." She kissed him again and looked up, seeking to use the new word again as she brought her lips to his ear. "Honey, you can't look like a man in your true form, the form that my kind sees. So to protect you and us, I had to make you look formidable." He felt her smile as her lips brushed his ear, and she whispered, "Toby, I hate to tell you this, or maybe I should say it with the joy that I feel for my good fortune. You have always looked down at yourself your whole life, and you've been wrong about it. For the life of me, I cannot understand how you have managed to beat yourself up while holding the females of this world away from you at the same time. I am surprised that you don't have to step over them on your way out of your door every day." "The good part is that I really didn't have to do much to make you look formidable, Toby. You make a fine demon lord. All I really did was give you the few things that would make you a half-demon. That's what you are becoming now. I'm so very sorry that it almost killed you, but there wasn't any other way, and if I told you all of this – everything - I doubt that you would have agreed without even longer explanations that I didn't have time to give you. I would have had to just go before I couldn't control myself anymore. To your world, you can look just like you looked yesterday, or any other way that you want to look. But to my kind, you MUST look like this. I didn't put those marks on you to play around. They're there to keep you alive." She kissed his ear as she slid her arm around his neck, trying to reassure him, "You always amaze me. When you asked me about binding yourself to me, I almost cried, because I knew that it was no empty gesture. I would love for this to happen, but like everything else, I need a lot of time to consider it. I think that we might even be able to do it right now, but for one thing." He looked at her, "Then I would be more of a demon, right? But you told me that a demon has to be bound, and I'd bind myself to you, so what's the problem with that? You said you were strong enough to be a demon lord yourself." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 07 She smiled, "You're catching on. But I'm not strong enough to keep us both safe by myself. I'm not going back to the hells. That means that I'm a renegade. It's bad enough, but even though you already have much strength and power, you don't know a thing about how to wield it. If we bind ourselves together now, a ruler could get two of us for just me. We'll just live quietly together, and hide a little bit. You'll get even stronger, and I'll teach you. Then Toby, we'll have a good chance, I think. I have some value because I was good at what I did, and never failed. I'm desirable to own. But if you're strong too, and we're bound to each other, it would make them think hard before they tried." She felt something like longing coming to her and stepped away from him a little to appear to be absorbed in how to lay out the additional bedding as she searched out the feeling which came to her. After a half-second, she looked at the reflective wall before her. Maezou saw the way that Zele looked at Toby's refection and turned to put her arm around Zele's waist, "No more playing with words Zele. Did you enjoy it?" she whispered. Zele nodded after she worked out what her friend meant and whispered back, "Zele liked it very much. Zele can watch again sometime?" "I don't know, let's ask." Zele was suddenly embarrassed, "No, Maezou-." It was Maezou's turn to ignore Zele's fear. "Zele liked watching us, Toby. She would like to watch us again. I don't mind, but is it alright?" He glanced at Zele, who now didn't know where to look. He felt pretty strange about it, but he could see that they looked very happy now and he was mindful of what Maezou had said. He grabbed Zele's hand to force her to look at him, but she wouldn't. Finally, he tugged a little and she looked at him – just barely. "Please answer me honestly. Is it really something special for you to see, Zele? I'm trying to understand this." She squirmed for a moment, but finally seemed to grow a little smaller and said in a very quiet voice that she'd been really pleased to watch them make love. "It is not so much that it is being done, ... well it is, but, ... Zele saw her sister so happy and it was so good to see that. And so good to see you like that too. You made me feel so nice to look at you and I rubbed ..." She indicated what she'd done very briefly. Toby was startled to see that she had more trouble explaining how she'd felt about watching than she did about admitting to pleasuring herself during the act. He listened as she continued. "Zele felt happy to see it." She stepped closer to them both and tried to look at them. "Zele has not seen Maezou like this since we loved each other. But she had to go to the pits and the next time that Zele saw her,..." She looked down, "her friend was not the same." Her voice cracked a little, "Zele tried, but ..." Toby knew there was some old pain here when he saw the onset of the tears even in the low light of the room. Thousands of years worth of quiet hurt, he thought. He lifted her chin to get her to look at him. "If I've made you sad with my question, then I'm very sorry Zele. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I only tried to understand. Please forgive me." He laid his hand on her furry head and stroked her with his thumb. She looked at him and watched him kiss her on the top of her snout just in front of her eyes. She lifted her head to thank him, but began to cry instead. Maezou hugged her tightly. Toby didn't know what to say, but he noticed a motion from the top of the stairs and stared for a moment. Maezou was holding Zele, but quietly told him that her mother had come to see him. She was looking in the other direction and hadn't turned around. Toby guessed that she just knew and walked up the stairs. Maezou held onto Zele tightly and when she thought that Zele could hear her, she told her how sorry she was, "Zele? ... Zele listen, I can't change what has been. I have regrets too, "she sighed, "many regrets." She felt as though tears would come to her as well very soon. "I feel you now and Zele, I still love you." Zele lifted her face uncertainly, "This is true? Zele feels how you love Toby and ..." Maezou kissed Zele quickly, "I love Toby so much, yes. But now I feel everything, Zele. How can I not love my sister, my friend from when we were so small? So much has changed, and so much is changing. But some things stay the same. Feel my heart." Zele paused for a moment and then looked up hopefully with a nod, "Zele loves you still, Maezou, and Zele is sorry, but when she see him, she ..." "You want him too?" Zele tried to hide her face, but she admitted it with a nod. She groaned in frustration, "Zele almost cannot speak near your male, she sounds like a fool when she tries." Maezou smiled, "That is how I fell for him too, but not as badly and he noticed nothing. This is not hopeless yet, sister," Maezou said, "remember that Toby was a human only hours ago, though he changes now. He doesn't think as a foul and selfish demon, he only carries the thoughts of a human man from a place where men take only one wife – and many dream to have other women. It causes much trouble. Think about how it might go if you were my second. Can you see how it could go for everything? We would all have respect from many only for this that he could hold us to him." Zele thought about the implications and nodded. "Zele sees it!" she whispered, "It would be easier to begin for us, all three, but ... He does not love Zele, he loves only Maezou." Maezou laughed softly, "He does not love Zele - yet." She tousled her old friend's head, "But you're so easy to love that I think he'll love you in a little time, especially if he sees how we look together and ready to help him begin his rise." Zele shook her head, "I have not shown this since you left." "But I am back now, beautiful Zele," Maezou tried to kiss away the tears as best she could, "I am back, and if you hope for him too, then he must see you that way." She smiled warmly, "He could love you now, almost, and like this, as you are now. I know it. Give him a chance, Zele." Zele looked at Maezou's collarbones as she thought for a moment. She looked up, "Sister, you would share him with me?" Maezou shook her gently. "I want to make you feel better and for that you need hope. I hope myself that you didn't come to only watch over us and then think to leave again. When have we two not shared something? We have shared food, water, shelter – what we could find - we probably were not good at it from what I have seen as I traveled, but we have shared this love between us through our bodies, have we not? Hold a thought of Toby in your mind from when we were loving. He becomes the most powerful male that I have ever seen, Zele – and he is not fully made yet. He is surely the highest as a powerful male for loving. I can say this easily." She smirked, "I think now that I may need to share him." Zele chuckled, nodding, "Zele almost could not finish when she watched. So beautiful to see." Maezou's eyes shone, "So? Who would be the only one that I would share my male with and not seek to kill in a quiet moment all alone? There is only one who I would allow as second. We would all be happy then." Zele kissed Maezou and put her head on her sister's shoulder as she wept. "Thank you." Maezou stroked Zele's shoulders as she thought. "We only have to make him see it. You should ask only to be allowed to stay at first. The rest may need a little time. Do not give up, Zele. I will help as I can." ----------------------------- He tried to look nonchalant about this. He supposed that he was getting used to these things, but still... There were so many mannerisms and conversational nuances that he just missed somehow. He found himself looking at someone who was very beautiful herself once his eyes had adjusted to the many details which kept pulling them here and there. The horns that he saw were not like Maezou's at all. They began in the same place, he guessed, but they curled out pretty much sideways from there. She had long light brown hair that looked rather wild, and there were bits of bone or something woven into it. The eyes looked to have no features to them, only slightly golden orbs looked back at him – well, if they actually were looking back at him right at that moment, he couldn't tell, could he? As if she'd read his thoughts – and he guessed that she had, her eyes appeared more human, though with golden irises which shone as she looked here and there, taking him in with a long appraising look. One could see certain similarities in her body to that of her daughter, but the coloring was a different shade and her feet were cloven hooves. It tended to make her a bit taller. She stepped back into the room more to allow him the space to enter the kitchen. She tilted her head to the side very slightly as she changed her position into a strange blend of very abbreviated bow with one hoof forward in a sort of tiny curtsy or something. He didn't know enough about her to be able to read the slight smile that he saw. "Lord Tobias," she said in a pleasant reverberating voice. What came to his mind was that it carried a hint of what he took to be genuine pleasure and a little pride added to the modicum of respect that she was showing him. He knew at once that it was as much as she would show to him, or was allowed to, he thought. He didn't get this stuff at all. He just knew that she wasn't mocking him. "I do not know," she said. He was mystified. "About what?" The demon smiled, "About what you thought just a moment ago – that if a man wanted to see what the woman that he thought to mate with for a long time would look like in the future, he had only to look at her mother. I do not think that it will hold true here, but I thank you for the thought that I am lovely to you. It is pleasant to hold onto, for one as old as I." He extended his hand and her eyebrows rose for a moment, and then she smiled widely as she grasped it. "You cannot know how happy I am that you are alive. We were all so afraid that it would kill you. I am certain that it would have killed most human men. I wish to thank you for what you have done and are doing for my daughter. I know that you both love each other after so short a time together, and I know and remember how that can feel. You look to be a fine example of what you become now. I wish you both many lifetimes of happy joy." "Please," Toby said, "I don't know what to call you. I'm trying hard to come to grips with all of this and 'strange' as a word doesn't cover ten percent of it. I suppose that you are now, or are going to be something like a mother to me, and I'd like a name if it's possible." The head tilted again, "You seem to be holding to this marriage notion fairly strongly," she said, "I guess that it must help you in this, and I understand it and I see some parallels, Tobias. But do not hold to it too tightly. There is nothing like this for demons, though it pleases me that it points to some devotion in you. The fact that you both want to be together for your lives says more than enough. It is a very rare thing for our kind." "Now, you should know that I cannot tell you my name. No demon will give a true name. That you know the most important pieces of the names of the two down the stairs there should please you for the trust and high honor that they show to you. Never introduce yourself or your - bride – shall we say - to another demon by a true name, for it opens the possibility of command. For her, and you, and Zele as well, this is not possible. None could command you by knowing your names. But it is not done. Remember that." "I have many names, one at least which you would have heard. By that one, I became known to Akkadians and Sumerians as what I am, for I am a storm demon." She smiled, "I was even worshiped out of their fear at one time. It is a strange thing to hear prayers to oneself from terrified humans hoping to appease you so that you spare their little lives and do not blow their crops out of the ground or bury them under bone dry sand." She shook her head, "One of the biggest failings of humans as a kind of creature is their belief that they are the center of everything and are important for some reason. I did not do these things to them. I did what must have been done. They assumed that I did it because I was angry at them. Other than being annoyed at hearing my name so often in their prayers, I had other things to care about – such as all of the other creatures and humans elsewhere and how my storms might kill some here to save more there. The storms had to be and humans breed quickly in any event. But the humans in that place thought that they were so important that I must have been choosing them for my wrath. In truth, I was not even thinking about them." "Others have used my name and spun me into the strangest tales and fanciful stories. I have been cursed and reviled by so many – and I did nothing but what I have always done, but they thought by then that someone or something else could be blamed for the weather and their ruined crops. It would have been better for all if they had only moved to a better place, but besides being convinced of their importance, they are also often so very stupid. Me? I was cursed for things which I have never done and according to some, I have spawned countless demons by mating with other demons or seducing men. Now the name grows again, and I know why even less than I did when I was cursed." She looked at him with a grin, "I see that you know the name, yes? Would you wish to know how many I have spawned?" Toby shook his head, "No, not really. If I draw a parallel to human women, I would think that it's really rude to ask a woman about her past romances, or affairs, or anything like that. I'd never ask a woman those things and so..." He looked at her and shrugged. She laughed and smiled widely, "You are like a fresh wind, Tobias, something which demon kind sorely needs. I have only three children – not the thousands which it amazed me to learn that I was said to have, and I spawned only two of them. They are all girls." "The oldest is one who the Greeks named as one of the three Furies. She is a true demon, Tobias. She does not play with storms, but if she hears of a tale which requires vengeance, that is where she is drawn. She loves to play the fist of retribution if she can – especially on behalf of women, though not always. It has nothing to do with good or evil. Hell hath no fury, it is said, as the wrath of a woman scorned. My proud daughter holds to no one's hell but she is that Fury." She chuckled for a moment, "She does me no favors in this, for she looks very much like me, and so I am blamed for more and more, but I care not." She pointed down the stairs behind him, "The younger two are there. Your Maezou is my spawn, sired by a man who shared a love with me." She looked at him pointedly. "Maezou is much stronger now than I was when her father bred me. That is why we all feared so much for you. I do not know if there was help for her and you in this, but I can say that the hopes of three at the least were with you, not only the one who wept over you then." "Zele is one who I found one day as I returned to let Maezou suckle where I had hidden her. I always had to hide Maezou and they found each other in that dark place somehow. When I arrived, I found them together looking at me, filthy but happy together. I searched everywhere and found no dead mother there. I thought that Zele must have been abandoned then but did not die of neglect." She shrugged, "What could I do? I took them to clean water to bathe them, and then I let them both suckle after that and I raised them as sisters. If you wish a name to use, Tobias, you can call me as they do – Mother." They looked down the stairs in silence watching as Maezou held Zele and tried to comfort her. Now and then, Maezou would pull back to kiss Zele a time or two. "What happened to them?" Toby asked. The demon sighed, "You see how they are between them. They were always like this when they were small. I know that you have never been a father, but if you had been, I believe that you would have made a good one. And if you had more than one child, you would see how children fight and squabble for that it what it is to be a sibling. They would fight when they played, but it was part of the game. If one hurt the other, they stopped and everything changed back to this, what you see now." "In all of my time, I have never seen anything such as how they are between them, and it was nothing that I did or taught them. They have always been this way. But when they had grown older, they didn't want to heed my words or warnings. That is another thing about children as they grow. And so they left together to make their way much too young. Their young womanhood was one long disaster, but they grew strong from it and learned to fight for each other." "Zele is not a demon as far as I know, and she has no soul that I can see or feel. But look there at them now. If it were Maezou who now wept, it would still be the same. No soulless thing does that, or feel what she feels. But whatever Zele is, she is safe from the pits because of it and cannot be enslaved. Her sister is another matter, and I had to hide her again, so I arranged that she go to the pits through a ruler that I knew well and could trust. There was nothing else that I could do for her then. The last place to look for one like her is in the place where you would want to enslave her, so that is what I did." The storm demon looked sad herself then, "And they took her soul and kept it from her all of this time. Without it, Maezou felt little, and so they were apart from each other. Now, well, besides that which makes her weep now, Zele is happy to have her sister returned to her and she is thankful to you for what you did." She brought herself to the present moment. "I am here to meet you and teach you a little. Also, I wish to see how you take to this newness. Tell me, which way is it to the next nearest town from here." Toby pointed and she said, "Keep pointing, and look through the walls and the snow. Try to tell me if you can see it." He looked and, after a few seconds, his face showed some surprise and his finger moved to the left a little. "Very good. So you have the sight fairly strongly because the snow hides little to your eyes. The storm can blind most of our kind, yet you see through. It is a good thing, I think. Turn now and look at Maezou," she said, "Can you see what she feels for you? Can you see what she feels for the sister that she could not feel for so many centuries?" Toby looked and then turned to the storm demon again. She nodded, "Much, no? So very much. She sees you as many things, all of them are wonders to her and she loves you with such a bright flame. Look at Zele now and see." Toby saw many things in the girl. On the outside, they were much the same in size, but Zele was a complex creature that confused him. He looked back, "There's more than one there." She nodded, "I think that you see now why Zele is so heavy for one that size. I have spent a long time thinking on this. There is no other one like her anywhere, Tobias. I have searched and found none. I think the best way to think of it is that there are three of them inside her – all are run by the one mind. She is smaller than many hell hounds when she is one, but she is far stronger than most, if not all. She favors the wolf-girl most often now. She is very sharp-witted and clever. Some assume from her way of speech that she is slow and they make a deadly mistake then. She only plays with her words most times and she feels much with her heart. Did you mark the third one in there?" Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 07 He nodded, "Yes, but it was not clear to me, other than it is beautiful like the ... wolf-girl as you said." "It is a shape that she has not chosen since Maezou left for the hells. Before that, it was the one that was always seen. Maezou can make herself in any way, but Zele has only the three. You cannot see the last one clearly because the demon sight has only just come to you. I can tell you what I see in them, Tobias. I see that they are happy now to have each other again and so they will not want to lose that. You are Maezou's chosen one for herself and nothing will ever change that from what I see. But they will ask you very soon." He looked at her, "Ask me what?" She smiled, "They will want to remain together, and so they will ask you if Zele can stay. She will want to be another of your – vassals – you might say. She cannot be bound as her sister was, but she will want to swear her loyalty to you for Maezou, and you – and most of all, for herself. You should begin to think on it now." She placed her hand on his shoulder, "I need a little of your strength for a moment," she said, "Forgive me, Tobias, but I think that you will like what I would do here." The sisters came up the stairs into the kitchen while Toby felt a bit weak for a second. Maezou stood still in shock for a moment and Zele's mouth fell open, "Your brands!" Maezou looked at herself as much as she could while Toby stared. "Your male here and I have been talking," their mother said, "He and I can agree on many things, I think. Something which I know he dislikes and that I hate are those marks of the ones who have owned you. I took some of his strength to add to my own and so now you wear only the mark of your lord Tobias and the ones that you added for yourself. I think that it how it should be, Daughter." "Maezou," her mother said, "Show Toby how you are when you hunt." She shook her head, "I do not hunt anymore, Mother." "Nevertheless," the older demon smiled pointedly, "Show him so that he might see." She shrugged and in a second, she stood as he'd seen her in the bedroom. "You have left out much. Show him how you look when you hunt." Maezou felt a little nervous and her mother had to strain to keep herself in check as she pointed to Toby. "Look, foolish daughter, see his heart. Why are you afraid now?" She wasn't happy about it, but in another few seconds, she looked a little less friendly, standing on her own cloven feet and there were wings behind and above her. Maezou's mouth fell open to see his smile. She was quick to point out that the hooves were not real for her, but were only an illusion to make her look more deadly. He chuckled, "I don't care. I like them too." "Why do you fear so much?" Zele asked, "He likes you this way too, so much for you, Maezou." She nodded quickly, "Zele feels this." Toby smiled at Maezou and her eyes opened widely in surprise. Before she could say anything - and before any of the others could feel it, he spoke up. "Zele." She spun toward him. uncertain now at the tone of his voice. "Please," he said, "And I know that I'm not supposed to say that, but I see how you two are and I'd really like it if Zele would stay. I think that I'll need a lot of help soon, and I think this might work better with another pair of knowing eyes besides Maezou's. So if you don't mind, I'd like it if Zele could stay at least until she decides what's best for her and us." Maezou looked instantly happy, but Zele looked uncertain. "If that is what you want, it must be comman-" She stopped as he held up his hand. "Fine," Toby said, "But I can't command you directly, can I? You don't belong to me." He shrugged, "So I guess that idea's out the window." Zele landed on her knees in front of him with a crash that caused the refrigerator to rock slightly. She'd been almost ten feet away the second before. "Zele swears," she said. He was confused, "Swears what? I mean, what do you swear?" "Anything," she said. He shook his head, but touched her shoulder, "No. Please stay, and we'll work something out for you to swear if it has to be. Your sister can advise me, since I haven't got a clue, ok?" She felt tears coming again and sniffled, "Thank you Toby, I mean,-" "It's fine, Zele, we'll work it out later. I still don't always want this bowing stuff." "Zele feels so-" "While Zele is busy feeling," the older demon smiled a bit dryly, "Please show Lord Tobias your third side." Zele wanted to shake her head, but her sister encouraged her quietly and in a few seconds, they stood together, wings, horns, and all, one dark and one light in color. Zele appeared self-conscious, but the look faded to a shy smile as Maezou took her hand. The storm demon smiled with a very pleased sigh. When she spoke, Toby could feel the pride in it, "My beautiful daughters as I have not seen them in ages. Mark this moment in your mind, Tobias. Notice how they are the same and so different in one instant." Toby took in the scene before him, the two looked like a set, though he could see some differences. Maezou stood on the cloven hooves that were the illusion and her sister's feet looked much the same in size and shape, but were in fact, the same rear paws that she wore as the hell hound and the wolf-girl. Looking up, he saw that her eyes were black pools which regarded him with something like shy hope, and her black hair hung long and straight. Her body was the same as her sister's in shape, though her tail was shorter and somewhat thicker. The fur was gone now, but for her pubic hair - and that only lasted for a moment longer as she noticed that he looked at it and turned her head almost demurely. But when she did, she noticed Maezou's mound and remembered. Her own mound was bare in an instant and when she looked at him again, her smile was very shy. Toby nodded and smiled at them both, and he could see that it had made them happy to see it from him. "I have never seen Zele as she was born, and I'm sure that her sister cannot now remember, but I believe that she chose the three shapes, one after the other as she grew. All of them have the same color, but I believe that she had changed them over time. This one I think was Zele's way to be like her sister. They were tiny then, but this is how I first saw Zele as she sat with Maezou waiting for me." Maezou felt that she had to explain to him. "We were always like this before I left. The wings, well, I should have shown the wings to you last night. You might have caught on quicker. But then we wouldn't be together, probably. I didn't show them to you though you wanted to see me as I really am, but I was on your couch. The wings are only for when I need them. You will have them too if you want them, but they're more of a problem than anything, and you need the tail then to keep you straight. All of that will come if the rest of this works this well, or we can bind you to me later." Zele looked at Toby, and he saw a tiny bit of relief in her face, and after another instant, he saw something else for the briefest time before it was gone. When she turned back to Maezou, he looked at their mother, and watched as she stepped forward to whisper to Zele. "Really?" Zele looked at Toby. He was looking out into the darkness beyond the window for the moment. She looked at Maezou who nodded slightly in encouragement. To the one who'd adopted her, she glanced uncertainly and then looked down at the floor for a moment before looking up finally. She nodded nervously. She felt uncertain and changed back to the furry wolf-girl form once more. "I'll be back in a minute," he said, turning to walk to the garage. He didn't need any of his regular senses, he just knew that Maezou had gone back downstairs and the other two were following him. He stopped and turned, pointing to the doorframe, "Watch your horns, Mother." She stopped and looked. "Thank you, Tobias," she chuckled. They found him leaning into the open door of his truck. The storm demon chuckled again as she reached to touch his bare flank for a brief moment. "Forgive me if I admire my daughter's male. It is almost too much, isn't it Zele?" The wolf-girl nodded with a grin as she looked. "Zele wishes to try. Is it permitted Toby?" She didn't bother to wait for his reply. He groaned as he felt her little squeeze and shook his head to himself as he searched. Finally, he turned to them and they stared, watching him. "What are you doing?" Zele asked. "Something I try not to do very much," he sighed as the lighter scratched into a flame. "If you look at this from my side of it, I hope you can see that this is huge and weird for me. I was on my way home from work, a regular guy and all." He shook his head, "Now look at me. I think I'm a bit justified if I want a cigarette now. I don't know why I'm not having a drink, to tell you the truth." "But you are not unhappy, Tobias, I feel this." He shook his head, "No. I'm actually very happy. I'm just overwhelmed, Mother." She smiled, "It is easily understood. She chose so well in you." The demon reached and caressed a pectoral muscle. Zele's pawed hand flashed out right afterward, "Zeles wants to feel too." She backed up a step afterward, not certain now whether she'd overstepped herself with a lord. It almost made Toby choke as he chuckled, "It's alright, Zele, I don't really mind. I can't help but like you and you make me smile so much. I just can't help it." He reached to put his arm around her neck and, with a bit of surprise at her weight, pulled her close and kissed the top of her head and tousled the fur there. Leaning close, he quietly said, "I'm doing my best and it'll take some getting used to, I guess, but if it's that big a deal to you," he rolled his eyes, "then you can watch. Are you happy now?" She looked as though she could have floated then, but she remembered herself and nodded as she thanked him. Toby froze and looked down. "I think that I begin to feel what some of these mothers might feel," the storm demon said with a smirk as she carefully hefted everything he had gently for a moment, "though I am sure that not many do this. I feel pride in the one who loves my daughter." She smiled genuinely as she carefully released him. "There will be many demonesses who will burn with envy, Tobias. Have a care for Maezou's heart when they fall down in front of you and beg for this." Zele was reaching with smiling eyes as soon as she saw that she had the room. "Zele wants to –" She froze as she saw the warning in his eyes and retracted her hand before she'd touched anything. "But Zele will keep her hands to herself, she thinks." "Go to your sister," her mother suggested quietly, "Tobias and I must talk so that he understands. If I leave it to her to teach him, it will take too long, and your eyes say too much to even begin to trust you to teach him anything, pretty Zele." When they were alone, Toby pulled the old parka out of the truck and walking to the back, he let down the tailgate and spread out the parka, indicating to her that she could sit if she wished. He noticed that he was standing in snow in his bare feet. He felt the cold, but that was all that it was to him now, an indication of temperature and nothing more. He sat next to her. "Teach me then." "First, I wish to know why you came here to this chamber," she said, "I think it is more than a desire to smoke a cigarette." He nodded, "This demon sight as you called it shows too much, and too fast for me to grasp what I see." She nodded, "You saw Zele's heart for a moment." He drew on the cigarette and exhaled, nodding, "More than I wanted to see. I don't know what to do now, and from the little that I know about her, I'd hate to hurt her feelings, and I have no idea how Maezou would take it either if I did hurt her feelings. I only know what I ought to do, I think, but I don't know enough about her to even begin to think of a way to say it." He felt her clawed hand on his shoulder. "This is the place to ask questions of me, but I can tell you that it is also the place where you must let go of this notion that you carry. There is no wedding for demons, Toby, and you have not wed Maezou. Because she must, she raises you as a demon lord. Demons do not wed. Demons do not take the time to learn even one name of the one they try to rut with. But you both want each other for as long as it can be. It is a wonderful thing." He stared as a lit cigarette appeared between her fingers. Drawing on it, she smiled, "I know of these things, Tobias." She explained further. "Demon lords and their chosen do not take husbands or wives as the case may be. They take consorts, sometimes many. Some of the worst fights that I have seen and heard of happened between the consorts of a lord. The thirty-second consort might say something as a slight to the forty-eighth and it begins all sorts of intrigues and plots which always end in spilled demon blood, often very much if many consorts are involved. The ruler smiles and gets new ones and it goes on. It is often worse among the female rulers. I have seen females who like to pit their males against one another in death matches for the hope to breed." "For a lord to take only one consort might be idealistic, Toby, but it is seen as foolish and shows weakness or the emergence of a very new lord. It is also seen by many to be an open challenge to conquer a weak lord. You do not wish for more than the one you love, and I understand it. But think on it from your practical side – and forget about these rules that you make about your thumbs." "Maezou is your first consort and she would not stand for there to be another in your heart - except for one - and only because she sees the practicality of it herself and loves her sister. The two would be happy with each other, and wildly happy with you and no others would ever be allowed to live. Can you imagine how quickly a demoness who tries to get to you would die for it?" She laughed out loud at the thought, "Between them, there is no single demoness who would last more than a moment." "Demon girls have a womb to receive seed but hold the passage above closed by their nature, though sometimes it opens regardless and then they spawn. The egg moves then to the womb, and quickly, seeking seed just as the seed seeks the egg. I can say that one day, Maezou's passage will open and then the child will have two mothers to fuss and care for it. Since none of us know what Zele is, I do not know if Zele can even be bred, though her sister can and it will happen one day. She would love Maezou's child as her own. But if it happens with Zele, the very same thing would happen from Maezou's side of it. I know this as I know them both." "We will speak further later of the need for it, but from the simple side of tactics and strategy, my girls each know how the other fights and both are mighty in their way. If you take Zele as your second, you are all three of you already protected right away. Many hopeful rulers would give up the desire to have you three enslaved even if kept apart. You will be fearsome soon, and the only one of you who is widely known is Maezou and she is feared. Remember that Zele cannot be enslaved and this is known as well but not by so many. One look and they see that she cannot be controlled. It makes her dangerous in the eyes of many lords." "Forget about the rule of mankind about taking sisters as mates, Tobias, for it means nothing here and they are not tied by blood." She drew another puff and smiled with some pride, "You are an unknown mystery, but plainly you would even now be seen as fearsome since you surely must be to be able to hold the two sisters to you, no?" "I see all of that, but... what's a second? You mean as a vassal, right? I'm kind of hoping that I misunderstood all of that, I guess." She shrugged, "The second consort, Toby. Zele wishes in her way to be your second wife – as you would say it. She and Maezou are speaking of this now between them. They are both very hopeful, especially Zele, for she has never had anyone for herself beyond the soulless things which care less than nothing for her. Zele wishes strongly for a home in two hearts now." "That's what I was afraid it meant." he said, "and I only ever wanted one woman to love me." She reached up and ran her long fingers through his hair as she chuckled, "I feel how you struggle with all of this, and even more now because of my daughters and think that it is not right somehow. But it is, Tobias, and even in your heart, you feel something. It is only the room being made for Zele there. They love each other fiercely and Maezou wishes now to welcome her old friend to what has begun between herself and you." "Your rules, as you were taught, do not apply to you any longer, and the briefest look in any mirror will tell you that you are no longer the type of being to which these rules apply. You should accept this for the gift that it is from Zele's hopeful heart for there is the very same thing there that shines to you from Maezou's." "Perhaps you cannot understand it yet, but something such as this makes an old bitch demon and mother very proud." She smiled and nodded," And soon you may have two consorts who have never fought between themselves in their lives. I think that if you would allow it, all three would be happy, though it may take a little time between you and Zele – but not from her side of it, and this does not matter anyway. I did not even think on all of this until I saw what you saw in Zele at that instant. Though it makes you uncomfortable to even think about this, it makes perfect sense to all three of the females here now. It gives you all a far better chance to have a life without the need to always look over your shoulders." She smirked, "Right now, Zele listens closely as Maezou tells of your first loving with her and how it felt to her. Do you wish to know more?" He shook his head and put out his cigarette, "No, please. No more for now. I just need to boil the pasta and then we can eat very soon. I'd like it if you would join us." "You sound sad, Tobias, and I see that it is not this way inside of you." "No," he said, "I shouldn't be able to believe my luck from a purely male point of view, should I, Mother? It's just way too much, and far too fast for a poor simple man like me, that's all. Please tell me that there aren't more surprises waiting for me." She smiled, "I am too old a demon to need to bother with lies, Tobias. You are a new demon lord and one's place is normally determined with much fighting and bloodshed in the hells. I have another plan and a way for you three to live. There will be other surprises, though. It cannot be avoided." He shook his head, "Holy shit," he said, "does this ever stop? I don't think I can take much more." "There will be no third consort," she said, "and that is good news, and the rest will not be bad, though you will need to plan your rise carefully, lest you start a war." She looked confused for a moment and he noticed it. "What?" he asked. "What you said, Tobias. What is holy about ..." "Never mind," Toby said, "it's a stupid expression." ------------------- Dinner was a rather rustic affair, given the power outage, but over the time, the old storm demon was able to get many of the major points of Demon hierarchy and the way of the power structure across to Toby, who sat spellbound together with Maezou and Zele. "For you to appear suddenly in the midst of things – and do not forget that in the knowledge of application, you are as a child here, but in terms of brute power, Tobais, you are already becoming mighty. See what I was able to do for Maezou with only a little of your strength when I removed her brands. This is not understood to be possible, what I did while she lives, and yet we did this, you and I. It says much of your power." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 07 "So if you were in the middle of it all, you would have to kill many even to stay an hour, for many would want you and my daughters. It is a rather fine balance at this time in the hells." She shook her head, "For you to kill those many to protect yourself would begin a series of feuds that would ripple across the dark realms and bring many more seeking revenge against you. You three would kill them and it would begin the war. I have thoughts now of another way for you to rise that keeps you away from the hells altogether and offers more time for you to learn what you need." "A word of warning, Tobias. Sooner or later you will have to show yourself, even where I think now to have you go, and this begins it just as surely, but not in the center of things and a much better end is possible. But this is for a later time that we speak of it. I must learn more myself yet." She nodded to Zele, "Tell now what you want, Daughter." Zele looked suddenly nervous as she stood up, but Toby reached out and took her hand, "Zele, I'm trying and I'm still pretty lost in this, but I am getting a clue here and there. Look, I know you've got something that you want and all of that. But come on, you're wringing your mitts like a little girl, and from what I've been told, that just doesn't fit with who you are. So just say it, and I'm not going to laugh." Zele knelt in front of Toby and Maezou. "Zele and Maezou were always together and for each other when we were small and growing up. We have been apart so long. Now we are here and Zele is so happy. Zele wants to stay with you, Toby. She wants to be with you and be together with Maezou again." She looked down, "Zele thinks that it is where she could be happy always." She looked up at Toby, "Zele has nothing to swear on which can bind her." She looked sad. Toby said, "Then just promise your help, since I'll need it." She turned from the wolf-girl to the dark demon shape and looked up at him. "I ... I try to talk like Maezou like this. I can promise anything, Toby. I can swear. I will serve, only let me stay with my sister, and I will protect you as I can, with my life." He nodded, "I think that's good enough, and it's more than I had in mind. Thank you, Zele." She didn't get up, but only bowed her head. "I have more. I know how you see things between you and Maezou. There is much between Maezou and Zele as well. Zele – I want to have something between you and I." She looked up. "I know you have no love for me, but you do not hate me, and I know you are kind. I ask to earn your love, because I want to be second consort – so much. Zele, ... I want to love Toby too. If we three are like this, you will begin with two strong consorts who do not fight, but fight with you against anyone. It gives strength to all three, Toby. Ask Maezou. She wants this. Mother wants this. Zele wants this. Zele can wait for you to love me. I will stay, and ... I ask to be treated just as Maezou if Toby can do this." Maezou knelt beside Zele and put her arm around her. It took Toby a minute to understand that they were all waiting for his reply. He nodded, "Alright ..." he thought that it would be more of a struggle than he felt inside himself, but other than his upbringing – and that didn't matter, as he'd been told – he couldn't see any practical reason against it. "Zele stays as second consort." He knelt with them both and put his hand on Zele's shoulder, "I used to be a lonely man, and I've gone from there to this in one day. I'll figure something out, Zele. Will you help, Maezou?" She nodded, happy herself now, "Yes. I think it had to be anyway. We'll probably stay alive this way, Toby." He kissed them both, but his face grew concerned as he looked at Zele a moment later. "What is it, Toby?" The look didn't change, but he reached with one hand slowly and then gently squeezed one of her breasts. Zele gasped and looked at him, but saw that he now smiled. "Now we're even." Zeles' shocked face turned to a grin and he found himself flat on his back and pinned to the floor by her weight. "Forgive me this," she grinned and she kissed him. "Zele is so happy." she kissed him again and let him up. "I must go now, Tobias," the storm demon said, "You have more to learn at their hands now, and I hope that you survive this as well." She looked at her daughters, "Your sister calls to me now. It is a rare thing from her, so I must go. This storm will last here another day." She smiled, "Zele is the best one to keep you all safe, since no one seeks for her, but..." Maezou nodded, "Zele will have her chance." Toby stood up to walk their mother to the garage door, feeling somewhat better and more hopeful, but almost wanting another cigarette now. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 08 ** I've gotten a lot of requests to continue with this one, so here's a little more. O_o --------------- He felt unbelievable acceleration and for just a split-second, the kobold had time to feel worry and trepidation before the impact with the cavern wall. That happened with a bone-crushing thump, though he felt nothing of it at that instant. The nerves associated with his back, neck, and shoulders were just beginning to send their messages of pain when he landed on his face on the sand and rocks of the floor thirty-eight feet below. "Again!" the demonlord bellowed. He lay there just trying to breathe, and wishing to die, but he knew he'd never get that lucky. The sand of the floor began to move again, forming the rough equivalents to huge fingers and hands which would do their master's bidding and bring him back. He groaned as he was transported and dropped in front of the huge sand demon. If only he'd been able to keep his mouth shut. He'd heard his lord cursing and wondering aloud at the drop in his new hell's revenue. All that came in was the normal payment for his usual allotment of souls that would come anyway. He'd heard that this one hell made huge profits on its earned bounties, but he wasn't seeing much of that at all. Now and then a hunter would return in some shock to find that the hell had a new ruler. They'd offer up the soul they'd been sent to retrieve and then stand there as they were screamed at to find some higher value soul to bring back and quickly. That left the hunter to learn about souls that were wanted and then find them. The previous owner had demons in place to do the research so that the hunters only had to bring them back. But what this ruler lacked in brains, he more than made up for with his vicious cruelty. He reached down to pick the poor kobold up by the tail. The little kobold had heard the lord fume and had tried to be a little useful, never thinking that once he'd planted an idea in the thick and slow-moving brain of his master that he'd have to do the rest as well. "Tell me again," the giant made of shifting sand seethed, "tell me of this hunter." The kobold swallowed hard and gasped. He knew that his reward would be another rapid trip to impact against some hard object just as soon as the dullard processed the information that he was about to be told. Then he'd get angry all over again and, ... --------------- The woodstove crackled and popped every now and then. Other than that, the only sound was the wind outside in the darkness. Zele turned her head toward the large pot of pasta and sniffed once. Toby felt Maezou's gentle nudge. "I will go upstairs and watch a little," she said very quietly, "I can hide myself from most eyes. Spend a little time with Zele. If you want to love with her, Toby, then think of it as loving for her heart. All that she has ever known is fast and forceful, and likely only the selfish kind of rutting that males give. She likes that, but I think that she would see it as a gift from you if you start with my sister gently. I'm sure that she's never had it like that, and I'm just as sure that it's what she would like more than anything from you the first time with her." She stood up and walked past Zele. "I'm going upstairs, sister. Eat what is left if you wish." Zele looked up from the pot and nodded. Toby watched as Zele thought about using her finger. He could tell right away that she didn't know if he'd mind, so he nudged her. "Sit here, Zele," he smiled. Zele moved closer to him and her wet-looking black eyes blinked at him questioningly. "Let me do something for you," he said, "I didn't understand what it was all about earlier, but you stood guard then, and I'm learning about your hunger," Toby stood up and brought the pot and what was left of the bread to her. He sat down next to her and asked her to move closer to him. When she did, he placed the pot in front of them. "I thought I'd just like to talk to you a little." "First," he said softly, "I want to tell you that I see how you are trying to speak like Maezou when you're like this. I understand it and that's fine, but I also want you to know that while you're getting used to speaking that way, I won't mind if you slip now and then as you get used to it. I like your voice, any way that you speak, and I don't want you to feel badly about anything. The other thing is about how you eat. I don't know how yet, but it may happen that we eat together near people sometime. If that even happens, then you just watch how it's done, or ask your sister or me, and we'll explain. I know that you haven't been around people as much as Maezou has, and I saw how you struggled with your fork. It's just something that you'll learn, and it's not a big deal anyway. But if it's just us, Zele, then I want you to know that you can eat any way that you like," he smiled, "as long as you don't make a mess, or at least more of a mess than I make." He watched her take what he'd said in, and when she looked at him, he smiled, "Right here, nothing matters but that we're all comfortable." He broke a piece of bread off and used it to scoop some sauce and a little pasta onto it. "Here," he said, "please eat." She took the bread and ate it. After a moment, she did as he'd done and held it for him, smiling now. Toby made sure that Zele got most of what was left. He set the pot down on the floor near the stove and put his arm around her. Maezou looked out into the storm as she thought. Looking over her long life, she realized that she was happy now and wished for Zele's happiness as well. She wasn't certain that it could happen in an instant or a night, but she was confident that Toby had room in his heart for Zele. She closed her eyes for a moment and just wished for the three of them, but then she felt something and crept to the top of the stairs to look down. Toby sat holding her sister and she could see that they were kissing each other a little and talking as well. She turned away with a wide smile. Maybe it wouldn't take that long after all. Zele groaned very softly, "Kisses, mmm Toby. Zele has never had kisses like this." She sought out his throat and licked him there as he kissed her neck and she shivered from the way that it felt to her. He felt her mouth over his ear as she licked him there and felt his own shivers. But what made him shiver more was her soft little voice. "Toby? Can Zele ask for something? Zele is so happy now, but, ... will Toby love Zele now? Zele can wait, but she likes this now and- " She felt him nod against her, "I like it best when you're happy, Zele. You and Maezou almost glow when you're happy." He saw her face in front of him. He could lose himself in those dark eyes. It only took him a moment, and he found that he could read deeply into her through them. He put his arms around her shoulders and drew her closer. "Do you mean it, Toby? Will you love Zele tonight?" she leaned in and kissed him very softly, and at that instant, Toby could see that Maezou had been absolutely right. He knew just how to make love to his second consort. "Yes, Zele." She sniffed close to his skin as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You smell so good to Zele," she breathed against him, "You taste so good." She sniffed very slowly and kissed his collarbone, working toward the middle and spending a lot of time licking where they joined. He listened to her moan quietly as she worked a little lower, marveling at how much she got from her nose. It seemed to be very important to her. She read a little from his feelings and looked up, feeling that she ought to explain to him. "Zele needs to learn, Toby. I need to learn everything about your smell. I can find you with how I remember it. I can know how you feel from it." She looked down a little in thought, "Zele wants you to understand her, and it is hard to tell. Zele does not know where she came from and she can be not like even herself sometimes. Mother said that Zele has chosen how she will look in three ways, but Zele does not know about this very much. Zele only knows how she is and how she feels. Zele chooses and then she is. That is how I can say it." She shrugged, "Zele thinks that she is this way to protect herself. She can be like a hellhound with hard fur and almost nothing can hurt her, but she has no quick answers if others say bad things to her that hurt. She shows nothing then. She can be like a furry thing and she feels no hurt from words then and can answer just the same way. I, ... I can be like this with no fur and look like Maezou – a little. Zele is like a demon then, but, ... nobody knows, but like this, Zele can be hurt the most with words sometimes. Zele has magic, and she looks wicked and strong, but her heart can be hurt. Zele knows that she is different from people and even demons , and, ... sometimes she doesn't know herself what she wants or how she feels." Toby understood her in an instant and he hugged her tightly to him as he kissed her cheek. When he pulled back a little, he saw her looking at him uncertainly and he could tell that she'd said far more to him than she'd ever dared to tell anyone. Maezou might know what he'd just been told, but he knew somehow that she hadn't learned of it in words. "Then I want to tell beautiful Zele that she is home with us," he said, trying to get a feeling across to her. "I think that I understand some of what you all have been telling me, and I'm glad that I've got Maezou and Zele. Now that I know you both, I can't imagine not knowing you both together, Zele, so you're home." "Home," she said quietly, "Here, Toby?" He shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe we'll have to be somewhere else as Mother said, but that doesn't matter to me. Home is more us, I think, "he said as he drew a circle in the air between them to indicate all three. Toby was clear now in his thoughts. He tried not to wonder about the suddenness of his very strong feelings for them both. He just knew that they all needed each other. Zele was a little like an onion to him, with many layers where her sister was much more direct. He thought that Zele had built defenses for her feelings, but it was becoming clear to him that they hadn't turned inward, hardening her heart in the way that a human's would, because he knew that shields harden in both directions over one's heart. He'd met many people like that. Somewhere inside Zele, whatever she was, there was still something very childlike. She was almost impossible not to like once you got to know her just a little, and what he felt was already past that. There was no way to avoid it. She nodded and smiled. Then she looked up and nodded once. "Home," she said, mimicking his hand motion, "We are home. We." Toby nodded, "I think it has to be like this. We might have to be anywhere, but I'm beginning to feel as though home is us, not a place." He could see that she understood the concept with a single nod. Toby watched as Zele looked away for a second and rolled her eyes a little. "Maezou always says that Zele is a complicated girl. Zele does not know about that, but she trusts Maezou to know about things like this." She looked up at him, smiling a little, "But I know that you try to love me, and I know that you want Zele here now. It makes Zele happy." She thought to herself a little more for a moment and watching her had a warming effect on Toby's heart as he gained insight into her. Toby had been about at the limit of his ability to comprehend how he felt about Maezou. Zele was very similar, but at the same time, he was now seeing things about her that amazed him. She was trusting and honest in an almost childlike way, and yet he could sense an intellect in her that he'd never have gotten this much of a look at had it not been for her sister. If he'd met the dark girl first, even like this showing her beautiful trusting self, he'd never have been able to comprehend a thing about her. She smiled, "It makes Zele want Toby even more. No one but Maezou lets Zele do this, and now she wants you to let her do it too. Hold still, Toby. I, ... I want to kiss you my way." She opened her mouth as she reached up to kiss him and he watched her tongue as it came out to play with his own even before it got there. Toby was amazed at how it felt to kiss her like this. Between them, they had a lot of sharp teeth, but he'd learned from kissing Maezou that it was just the way that it was done and it felt wonderful. Zele's kisses were no doubt more savage in appearance, but there was only light contact and he felt a thrill to feel her teeth against him so gently. He tried to respond in the same way and Zele melted into him. He laid her down then and he kissed her throat as he lay beside her working his way to her breasts. Zele gasped and sighed for a minute before she reached for his penis. Just touching it seemed to push her further and she felt for his hand and brought it to her labia, dragging the tip of his middle finger along her cleft. After a few minutes, she lifted his hand and brought it to her face, sucking that finger into her mouth slowly as she smiled at him with her liquid black eyes. She sucked his finger softly and then pulled his head down to kiss him again as she moved his hand back where it had been. "Finger," she whispered, "Use finger now." He extended his middle finger and was surprised at how small her opening felt to him. Toby would have been concerned, but he was a little shocked instead when she sucked his finger into herself in one quick motion and groaned. The sound that came from Zele a moment later was like a long sighing gurgle. Zele broke their kiss gently and the way that her eyes looked to him said as much as her sister's had. "Two fingers now Toby. Zele needs two fingers." It suddenly hit him what mating with demons or hellhounds must have been like for her all of this time. If she was this small, but needed time to adjust, ... He just hoped that none of them had been very large. From what he'd been told, demons weren't exactly the kind to allow someone like her much time for anything. He had no idea what male hellhounds were like when they found a receptive female. Zele bucked against his fingers gently and she pulled his head down so that she could hide her face in his hair. He heard her inhale and knew that she was smelling him again. If a woman had done this before when he'd been a normal man, he didn't think it would have done much for him, but like this, it aroused him, knowing how important it was to Zele. Her soft whisper came to him from against his ear. Even so, he had to listen carefully to hear all of the short sentence. "Toby smells so , ... good to Zele." He withdrew his fingers gently. Zele whimpered a little in complaint, but she smiled and sighed when she saw him suck his fingers a little. He was about to put his hand back, when she'd grabbed his wrist and sucked his fingers a little greedily. She pushed him backwards and he felt the thrill from the way that she licked and gently bit her way down his front. She might have been at it for a minute or as many as thirty – he couldn't really tell, but he opened his eyes when she stopped. As he watched, Zele opened her mouth wide and he saw the teeth as they descended to cover his manhood. After taking him in deeply a few times, she lifted her head and lowered it again over his scrotum. Toby groaned as she stirred his balls with her tongue. She stopped for a moment to look at him with those eyes. "My sister said to me that I should love these well. We do not know, but we hope that this gives more seed to us." He reached to stroke her head and her long ear for a moment. "I don't know, " he said honestly, "But I like it a lot." It made her giggle in a rather sweet way and she grinned at him a little shyly. "I don't know either, but Maezou told me to do it, and it is fun to do." She carried on for a time and then she licked as much of his maleness as she could. Toby was still amazed at what these females of his could manage with their tongues. Zele stopped slowly and she spread her wings out as she reclined. Her lovely face smiled up at him at first, but then he noticed her shy uncertainty and he watched her expression grow serious. "Zele feels different," she announced softly. "She feels that Toby wants her now and she wants Toby so much. But Zele wants to say that she loves Toby and now she feels like she belongs to him like Maezou. If you want Zele, Toby, Zele is yours now." Toby knew what this was. The dark one was laying it out for him. Now that he knew more about her, he was astounded that someone so soft and shy had peeled away her own hard defenses and now waited as she agonized desperately over what she was doing – even as she did it. In one moment, he knew that he had three choices. He could hesitate for longer that she was prepared to allow herself to wait, and he knew that she'd be hurt for a long, long time over it, and a long time for one like her was beyond his understanding of the word. He could react in a harsh way, laughing. It was likely something that she'd been familiar with at least a time or two over the course of her long life, and from someone like him, he knew without a doubt that it would crush her. Without touching her now, he could likely turn her into something like a beaten dog who would always do anything that he told her to and she would always be there, aching for just a pat on the head or a hopefully kind word. He knew that she was even prepared for this to some degree – even offering it to him in a way. He was at least part-demon now, and he knew that he could find it in himself to do it without much effort. But he'd been a man until very recently, and one who could see all of this and wanted none of what it would cause in her. Maezou had seen something in him and tried to make him into something better than just a demon on the outside and a prick on the inside. He sat up and he ran his hand over her body for a few moments. He tried to put as much into his touch as he possibly could, trying to tell her with his touch that he was pleased and that he accepted her. She closed her eyes now and then, but her timid nature always forced her black eyes open to search his face for his answer. Toby took his hand away slowly and he smiled at her warmly as he moved over her. "I've never known about such wonderful females," he said, "I see how you are afraid in your eyes, Zele, but you are fearful over nothing." He leaned down to kiss her as softly as he could manage and he dragged his lips over hers as he spoke in a whisper to her. "Toby wants Zele." It was a simple thing to say, though he'd said it with a feeling of meaning it. He watched her gasp in a tiny way and then her eyes looked to be more liquid than solid, but her soft smile said a lot. As he brought the tip of his penis against her mound softly, he was amazed to find that her lips seemed to extend just a little toward him. He was sure that he'd felt that. Toby looked down and watched as she seemed to draw him into her somehow. It was slow and it was very gentle, but there was no mistaking what was happening. He eased himself forward and she sucked him inside of her. He looked at her face and her eyes told him that she was every bit as surprised as he was. "I, ... Ohh. I have never done this before, Toby. This is not like Zele always had males before." They looked at each other for a moment before he began to move inside of her slowly. He felt it as she lifted her legs around him and held him tightly for a moment before she allowed him the movement again. Zele looked up at him as she caressed one of his arms and ran her other hand over his broad and powerful chest. She thought that she heard a female voice groan very quietly and then whimper, and in a moment, she realized that it was her own voice. It surprised her, but she began to let him and his motions take her. In a very few moments, Zele felt herself smile. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 08 She felt a little self-conscious and wanted to hide behind a more neutral expression as she'd always done before, but she knew that it wouldn't work. This was no ordinary man or demon or even any ordinary male of any sort that she'd ever known. The same groups of muscles that she'd seen on him when she'd watched him loving her sister were there, though they were only this far away – the most wonderful male that she'd ever seen in her life was mating with her now and it was almost too much for her to believe, though she felt plainly that it was happening. Her eyes took it all in as she sighed and cooed to him how much she loved him. Zele couldn't help it. Only the one who'd first accepted her and adopted her as her sister had ever made her feel this way before, though in a different way, and that was only a matter of the hardware involved. Zele knew what this was, and she knew as well that she had no choice in it as her tail ran softly over his back, leaving phosphorescent trails on him. Zele was in love. For her to feel like this required that she take down all of her barricades and thick armor plating to offer herself. She didn't know why it had to be this way, she just knew that it was how she loved and it was fraught with peril. That was why she'd seldom done it before. It felt so right and so good to her now as she eased herself against him in time with his slow thrusts. Zele wanted to thank him, but she thought that it would sound silly, so she just told him that she loved him. She didn't even expect to hear anything like that from him, at least at this early stage. She was just thankful that he'd accepted her, but then her gaze locked onto his eyes and in the soft glow there, she saw something that she'd never seen before in her long life and there was no mistaking it. Zele saw love for herself in the face of a male. She almost burst into tears. Zele held it back, but she couldn't stop her eyes from giving her heart away as wet trails appeared on her face and the droplets ran down her temples to hide in her hair. She didn't mean to, but she gasped a little anyway as she tried to speak. "Toby? Do you love Zele a little now?" Her reward was a smile and his nod, and then he was kissing her as softly as he fucked, and she felt him harden more inside her. "Yes, Zele," he whispered, "If that's what's making you cry, I love you. I'm learning that I can and I can feel it." "Zele needs to ask," she gasped as she rocked him slowly, "Is there less for Maezou now because of Zele?" She was afraid to hear the answer, but she had to know. She wouldn't ruin what her sister had for anything. He shook his head a little and then she felt his cheek against her own. "No," he whispered, "there's just more room in me, that's all." Zele sighed and she lifted her wings from the floor to wrap around them both while she shuddered and wept softly as the first of her orgasms came to her. She felt her mouth pull into a smile that she had no control over. Maezou sat on the top step forty minutes later and watched as her male made love to her adopted sister. She didn't know if they'd notice, but she didn't think they would as she closed her eyes down to slits and watched by the light of her eyes. As far as she could tell from the times that she'd looked in on them, they'd never really sped up. There had just been times when he'd gone a little deeper while she'd rocked him a little farther now and then. Judging by the faint glow of what the left on his back and flanks with her tail, Zele was in bliss. She saw Zele's wings fold over them once more, and she thought that she could hear a very soft cry. Toby kept stroking now for a minute longer before he groaned and they stopped. Maezou smiled when she noticed that her sister's wings trembled during this long frozen moment between them and she knew that he was filling her then, because she heard her sister's quiet gasps from his contractions. This was the best outcome that any of them could have hoped for, since now her sister shared a love bond with their male. Now she felt at least some degree of confidence that the three of them might stay alive for a time. She knew that Zele would likely want Toby to love her just as he'd been when he'd made love with her, and that was fine. She was even rather certain that they'd both take turns with him and help each other along at the same time together, and she grinned at that. But she knew that for her shy and timid heart, Zele now had a way to love with him that they could always have. She'd felt his emotion as he'd seen her sister's tears run and Maezou had seen for herself how his heart had swelled for her. It almost made her sigh out loud to herself as she remembered. So she knew what her sister was feeling. Now there really were the three of them. ---------------------------- They stared at her when she'd suggested it. They sat discussing what they'd planned for the day over breakfast. Zele was watching the discussion as she struggled with cutlery. She'd seen how human children struggled to learn the same thing once or twice, and it only frustrated her more. She hadn't spent all that much time on Earth among humans. Whenever she'd been here before, she'd just found something to eat and ate it. But now she wanted to learn the proper way to do this. She sighed quietly. If she grew any more frustrated, she'd be fine with just picking up the damn pancakes and wolfing them down, followed by taking a long pull at the syrup bottle to wash it all down slowly. "Well, you said that we'd need to buy food, Toby," Maezou said, "and for that, we have to go into town. Either we all go together, or I will stay here with Zele while you go alone. And that isn't what we want if we need to buy some real clothes. Besides, it would leave you alone and almost defenseless." "Or you could just go with Zele in the truck." Maezou offered. Zele listened as she set down the knife and fork to pick up her mug of coffee in both hands. She liked the heat of the thing against her skin as she tilted it back and swallowed a few times. She really liked coffee. Toby grinned at Zele's efforts and he smiled at Maezou. "I hear you, but how do we do it then? I'm not sure that I understood what you said." "It ought to be simple – though it likely won't be at all, "she said, "We hold Zele in a – I guess that you'd call it a trance between us, but really, it's more of a state where she doesn't really think. We have to share our magic between us, though you will have to allow me to direct yours for you. I was there every time that Zele chose a new shape. I don't remember the first choice, since we were both little," she said indicating how her sister looked at the moment, "but I do remember how she chose the hellhound-ish shape for herself, and also the dog-girl one. I don't know if she can remember how to do it now, but I'm suggesting that we provide the force for her to choose another one like a human woman." Up to that point, Zele had managed to cut a piece of one pancake into a manageable size and had it stuck with her fork. She was just about to put it into her mouth when she'd heard what Maezou had said and the piece fell off the fork back onto her plate. Zele groaned, certain that she'd be feeling pretty weak with hunger soon. Starvation couldn't be that far off, could it? She lowered her head to sniff at something on her plate. "What are these?" she asked, indicating a breakfast sausage with her knife. "They're breakfast sausages," Toby replied. Zele stabbed a sausage viciously and managed to get it into her mouth before it could realize its peril and jump off the fork as well. "Why do I need to have a fourth shape?" she asked around the vanquished sausage, "Do you know how heavy I would be then?" They looked at her, just as thin as Maezou. She'd still look the same, but would weigh over a quarter of a ton. "Good point," Toby said. "You shouldn't speak with your mouth full," Maezou said, "It's considered rude." Zele thought briefly about stabbing Maezou's hand with her fork, since she wasn't in anywhere near the obvious danger of starvation that she felt. "You shouldn't speak about ways to make Zele heavier while she is busy changing." They looked at her again and Toby's fork fell to his plate with a clatter. They were sitting with a pretty girl beside them. Maezou was amazed. "How did you – " "Zele can do this herself without another shape," she said, "She has never needed to before. She has always been able to do this. When we were small, she made herself like you. When you became a young demon female, Zele followed you, but she did it her own way. Zele has no dog-girl now, and if she cannot get more of this into her mouth, she thinks she will die soon. Zele can change that shape, but she can't change back to the dog-girl for a few hours." It solved the problem for the moment, and Maezou reminded Toby that he needed to feed her, so he did. Zele watched with a frown. "Zele wishes that someone would feed her something." She looked out of the window as a motion caught her eye. She watched as a cat jumped here and there carefuly, trying to get to the door of the home where she lived across the street while staying out of the snow as much as possible. "Something like that," she pointed. "That's a cat," her sister said, "and it's covered in cat fur." "Names are not important, " Zele shrugged as she held up her last sausage on her fork at them. "What kind of animal is a sausage?" she asked, "Little sausage-creatures? Did they have legs once? Were they covered in sausage-creature fur?" She smiled as she bit off a piece. "Do they get any bigger than this? Zele wants a nice fat sausage now." Toby chuckled as he rolled up a pancake and held it out to Zele, "Here Zele, try it this way." ------------------------ Maezou spent a little time helping her sister decide how her illusionary clothing ought to look, but it wasn't long before she had it, after seeing photographs in a magazine. She tended to go for a slightly Goth look, but always added bright accents to it. As they drove, Toby asked about the glow that he'd seen in the dark the night before. Zele looked a little uncomfortable and turned to Maezou. "Can Maezou tell Toby for Zele?" Her sister nodded, "Alright, but remember that we talked about this long ago between us, Zele, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. I've always been proud of you for it." Zele smiled a little and looked out of the window. Maezou turned to Toby, "Along with our mother, we've both always wanted to know more about Zele - what she really is and where she came from, since she has no idea. If there's one thing that I'd like to be able to do, it's to finally find out so that she will know herself. I think it's a cruel twist of fate to live and not know a thing about yourself. But we know a few things, her and I, that no one else knows about her. In the form where she is like me, she has a tail, but it's thicker than mine. When we were babies, it was almost like a pacifier for us both a lot of the time. Mother says we were happy little things, but one of us often had the end of her tail, and she says that Zele was as fascinated with it as I was, since my tail is thin." She laughed, "Our mother told me once that she found us together and I'd fallen down trying to walk to her and started to cry, but Zele put her tail in my hand and I was fine chewing on it. It was just a soft tail then. But we've figured out a little more about it since then. We think that Zele is something that lays its eggs. She's like a cricket that way, or something. If she's been alone for a while and then has sex, nothing comes from her tail. But the next time, if it's not long after, a thin fluid seeps out of her tail, and that was what you had on you. It glows in the dark and seems to come after she's had an orgasm. I looked at it once very carefully, and you can just see tiny little pearls in it, and we're sure that they're her eggs, but they're not fertilized, since she's never been with another of her kind. We think that if she found a male of her kind, she'd put the eggs on his back, like she did to you, but we're not sure. She's used her tail on me and she's let me use it as a toy before, so I can say that her eggs are harmless since I got some inside me." She smiled at Toby, "They taste something like you do, though her tail doesn't get hard like, uh, yours," she grinned. "Anyway, it's just another thing that I've always loved about my sister and something else that makes her special." "Zele has always liked to be special to you, Maezou," Zele said quietly as she looked out at the snow-covered countryside, "but she always wished that she could be not so special so she could find another one like her." She brightened then and smiled at them both, "But Zele is happy that she is loved by you both, and it is not so important anymore." She leaned forward between the seats in front of her. "Zele thinks that her eggs - if they are eggs - are to be put inside another of what I am because it feels good to me that way. It feels good when they come out, but better if my tail is inside something warm. It is nothing like how your seed comes, Toby, but it is good to me. I always had a dream," she said softly, "and it has no sense, but, ... I think that males are shared with my kind. I think that females get the seed and then share it, or use their tails themselves. I can do that, but it is not so good as when a male is in that place." She shrugged, "Zele thinks that she will never know, but she is not sad over it anymore, and now she is happy, and that is more important to her." -------------- The grocery shopping didn't go too badly, once it was explained to Zele that she couldn't just take something that looked appetizing to her and consume it on the spot, but she cast long looks at things like large roasts sitting there in front of her defenseless in their clear plastic wrapping. Toby decided that the least perilous way to feed Zele was by the drive-through method, though it was obviously expensive and left them with a lot of packaging afterward. The expense of the food was nothing in comparison to the cost of the clothing. It was dark and snowing again out in the deserted parking lot as they walked out of the mall on their way to the truck. They passed an alcove of the building that was hidden a little behind some of the mall's landscaping and Maezou stopped Toby. "You asked me about vampires," she said, "There are three of them in that little place there behind us, young ones and one a little stronger." She looked at Zele, who nodded. Toby watched as Zele's illusionary clothing disappeared and she stood on her cloven feet on the snow-covered sidewalk. "They have seen us and they'll come after us in a moment out of curiosity. Zele will take them, since she can claim the bounties on them and we need it. No one will ask questions of her, since she rarely claims bounties, and everyone assumes that she sometimes hunts on a whim and nothing more. It may cause the one above them to seek vengeance sometime but I doubt it. These ones are too low for anyone to care much." "Why can't we just leave them alone?" Toby asked. "Because they have seen us," she shrugged, "and they will tell someone, and we are not ready yet. Even if you were wearing the clothes in the bag in your hand and not these illusions, they would have seen a demonlord walk past. They'd want to know why a demonlord is here and hope to gain favor in the telling of what they saw and where. Come," she said, pulling his arm, "Let's go to the truck. We have been here too long already." They walked to where they'd left his truck and placed their purchases in the back seat of the crew cab. Toby looked back, but couldn't see Zele. He just knew that she was there somewhere. They climbed in and he started the engine. He saw Maezou's head turn back suddenly and she hissed. "There were two females and the slightly more powerful male who turned them. They like to make their own little families. Vampires love their families, and they count their bloodlines as preciously as kings and queens among humans. These are nothing, but the male has escaped. Drive." As he put the truck into gear, the rear of it sagged for a moment. "Zele has returned," Maezou said, "she hides in the back. Drive away from here, but not in the direction of your house for now." As he turned onto the main road, Toby asked more questions. "The male will be in some pain, depending on whether he felt anything for the others, and they feel it if one that they created is killed. If he is a little wise, he will seek out the one who made him. I am counting on him being young, proud and stupid. He will likely follow then." As they drove, Maezou explained the hierarchies and structures that had arisen among vampires. "Some of them see themselves as important, but that is between only them which family is higher. They can evolve whole societies among themselves, and the older and higher ones live better than kings. The older ones choose carefully when they turn another, but the young ones tend to be a little drunk with their new-found abilities and do not use much sense sometimes. It's a problem for the older ones, just like teenagers are for human parents. They can be told, but sometimes do not heed what is said. It means little to us. Whether it is explained before one is made or not, it is all a bargain that they are in. They are the damned and the younger ones hold that word up as a badge of some kind and never consider what is meant by the word. In any of the hells, the deal is struck at the instant that it is done and the new damned one, who is not even there and may know nothing of it, trades for time on earth as one of the undead. If they are not claimed or killed, it is a form of immortality. But underneath it all, there is a claim on their souls to one of the hells. "Did you hunt them too?" he asked. Maezou shook her head, "Not often, unless I was sent for one for some reason, and it would have had to be over something significant. It almost never happened. I have almost always left them alone, unless they got in my way. It is always open season on bloodsuckers for hunters, but unless they are old and high up, the bounty is too small for most hunters to bother with. If they are worth something, they are usually so well placed and guarded, it isn't worth a hunter's effort unless he is sent for an old one, so we usually leave them alone. Sooner or later, most their souls are all claimed, though the older ones are much harder to bring down, having gained power over the centuries. It's only more effort than it's worth unless you're sent to bring that one." She shrugged again, "Sometimes they kill each other. We seldom bother them. But those ones saw us, and we need the bounties, since we have nothing now and we'll need something to trade with at some point. This is like you finding three pennies on the street. It's more important to me that they don't live to tell anyone. If one of them kills another over something it can start a feud between the families sometimes, but that is rare too. It isn't much to us since they do not come from where we do. They are only going there one day, and when they get there, they are the same as any other soul, no matter how powerful they were here unless a ruler put a higher bounty on them. If I killed one, nothing happened, though once it caused a shift of power among their families until things settled down. They are not the same as we are and most fear strong demons. They will not dare to harm even a weak demon if they see that he is owned by his markings. It would only cause a lord to send a hunter. There are a few who are owned themselves by demonlords. We leave them alone, mostly. There are harder things to hunt than vampires, though the older ones like to set you a hard search with many traps if they know that they are hunted." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 08 She sat still for a moment and then asked him to slow down a little more. "He follows, Toby." Toby looked into his mirrors but saw nothing in the darkness for a moment. They stopped at an intersection and turned onto a smaller county road. As they drove on, he saw another vehicle turn behind them without stopping. "Why doesn't he just, you know, run after us or fly or something?" he asked. Maezou smiled, "For the same reason that he follows us," she said, "Young and stupid. He is proud of himself and he likes his toys. They all do when they are like that." Toby looked into his mirror and saw the BMW F25 as it accelerated after them. "What now?" he asked. The truck moved on its suspension a little and Maezou smiled, "Nothing, just drive, but be a little prepared. Zele will spring in a moment, if I know her – and I know her." He glanced back again and saw just a bit of the dark flinty-looking shoulders as he felt the truck almost bounce down and back up. He concentrated on keeping it straight on the greasy snow-covered road as her weight left. The driver of the Beemer stared as he saw something explode upwards out of sight from the back of the pickup truck and he reached for his cell phone. His hand had just closed over it when four hundred pounds of hellhound crashed down onto the hood. The front wheels bore the force, but the vehicle frame bent slightly and the SUV nosed down as the rear rose up. The interior was completely obscured for a moment while the airbags deployed. The Beemer was airborne as it flipped forward to land sliding on its roof. "Stop Toby," Maezou said, "but do not pull over. There are no others around to see." By the time that he'd gotten the truck slowed to a stop, Zele had pulled the now-desperately regenerating young man out through the driver's window. He tried to struggle, but she reached one set of claws in and tore him out almost in two pieces. In another second, there was a weak flash and she was alone. But her blood was up and she tortured the smoking wreck a little anyway, batting it into the ditch and tearing one rear tire off its rim before she trotted to them. Her face showed her happiness as she bared her teeth in a happy grin. Maezou opened her door and tilted the seat forward. Zele stepped into the back seat as the young woman once more. As they drove off with Toby thinking about which roads that he'd need to get them home. Maezou laughed, "You see now how it is to love my sister." She leaned back between the seats and saw Zele smiling at her. "She is sly and fast and loving and has a huge heart, but she is always hungry and she is always Zele." "What happened to the guy?" Toby asked. "Zele holds his soul inside her with the others." "Zele is a little sad that it was so easy," Zele said, still happy. It sounded strange to Toby and he looked over. "She will learn to use a knife and fork as well as anyone," Maezou said, "She can learn anything in a little time, but, ..." "What is the name for those things?" Zele asked, "That thing that he was in?" "That was a car," Maezou said, knowing what would come next. "Ah," the dark-skinned girl said with a nod, "Zele likes to chase them. She is always faster." ---------------------- It was long past full dark when they pulled into the garage. With the door closed, they walked inside and they stopped as they entered the kitchen. The one they called Mother was there with another demon, almost identical to her in many respects. The younger one stepped forward on her hooves and bowed lower than her mother. "Lord Tobias," she said, "I am Tisiphone, third sister of your consorts. I have come to ask for Maezou's help." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 09 **I'm going to apologize right out of the gate here. I needed a character with a thick and not-quite current Scottish tone of voice. A long time ago, I once found myself working in a group which contained a Cockney, a Manxman, a Jamaican, and a bunch of Scots. As I remember it, I needed about a week to figure out where the washroom was, since it was a big place and I couldn't get directions that I could understand to save my life at first. But after a time, I understood every word clearly, of course. The speech patterns of a couple of those guys are in this chapter. But how to write it so that it sounds right when it's read in print? I've done my best and if you're Scottish, please try to remember that I'm going for the sound of it and mean no disrespect. There are many little beings who have largely faded from the memory of modern folks, little things that often brought luck - or misfortune, depending on how they were treated. Leprechauns might be the best-known among them today, but there were others, not quite so cheery-looking... O_o ----------------- There was an awkward silence for a moment until Toby smiled and welcomed them. Maezou had a thought to ask her older sibling how long it had been since they'd seen each other last, but though she would have been earnest, she knew that the remark would be interpreted as a catty one so she held it back. Zele didn't care how long it had been. She'd always liked Tisiphone. Mother seemed nothing so much as she seemed to be very pleased. Toby asked what was behind her wide smile. "I am rather happy now," she grinned, "I would have never thought that something such as this could ever happen, but I think it would be best if I let my eldest daughter tell it." Toby nodded and went to put the kettle on, since the electricity was back on. The younger of the two tall horned ones stepped forward looking uncomfortable and obviously worried. "Sisters," she began, "I have always been a little too proud in my dealings with you both -- especially you, Zele. I am so much older and I didn't see much between us when you both were young. I've thought about you over the time, and wanted to be closer, but it always felt to me that my chance for that was past. Now, I seek your help if you would give it." She found herself almost surrounded by them in an instant as they hugged her, asking what the trouble was. Tisiphone felt even more guilt, and decided that she'd try to be closer to her siblings than she'd always been up to this point. "I was about to take a man as well," she said, "last night." "You are always taking men, sister," Zele said with a shrug, "You take any that need it, and women too, but mostly men. Mostly bad men." Tisiphone looked a little uncomfortable, but she knew what Zele meant. "I'll tell of it in a minute," Tisiphone said, "but what happened with you both? Mother says that something has happened. She said that you've raised a new lord." Maezou nodded, "I took Toby and I made him a lord after binding myself to him. I am his first consort, and even better, he has taken Zele as his second. This is only beginning, but it seems to be working so far. What do you need from me, sister? I'll help if I can." Tisiphone looked a bit hopeful, but Toby saw that she was still uncomfortable. "Here, " he said, indicating a chair for her at the kitchen table. He indicated all of the chairs and asked them all to sit down while he unloaded the groceries and put them away. After a little gentle prodding, the third sister began. ------------------------ He stood alone in the bar with the bartender. This was all wrong, but it didn't bother him much. That alone surprised him. "A beer, I guess," he said. She sidled over to the taps, and grabbing a couple of mugs, began to fill them. Jeff noticed that her eyes never left his face the whole time, yet she had unerringly placed the mugs under the tap, and she finished the pours perfectly. The slight smile stayed in place as she walked to where he stood at the bar, and stood one of the mugs in front of him. He noticed the dark color, and aroma. He suddenly knew without picking it up that she'd poured him a Guinness. They stared politely at one another for a few seconds. He admired her deep brown hair, and how it seemed to set off her almost yellow eyes. 'Too light,' he thought, 'any lighter, and they'd be golden.' "What do I owe you?" he asked. She took a long sip from her own mug, and smiled slowly, "It's on the house." He hadn't told her which brand he wanted. He had no doubt that whatever his favorite beverage had been, or even if he'd named one that he didn't like, that it would have been on tap right then. 'I ought to be petrified,' he thought, 'or pissing my pants, or something.' "Is something wrong?" she asked, as she leaned toward him. Jeff noticed her scent. If asked, he couldn't name it; he never knew the names of any perfumes. He just knew that she was wearing his favorite. He saw her slender shoulders and the way that they were held back very slightly offering him a fine view of her chest outlined in her shirt. Without looking directly, he was confident that they weren't large and lush, since he wasn't overly drawn to that type. 'As though she knows what I like...' He looked down at his mug. "Well, I drove through here earlier in the week, and I didn't see this place." He sighed, "So I guess I'm wondering if this is really what it looks to be, and what will happen if I drink it." He looked back up at her perfect eyes and face. She was stunned though she maintained her calm and friendly expression. He KNEW! She decided that there was no point hiding it, he was stuck here anyway. The trap had closed the second that the door had shut behind him. She smiled a bit more. "Actually, this bar isn't really here at all. I just whipped it up about 15 minutes ago. No one has lived in this place for at least a century, though there used to be an inn on this spot." She gestured toward the mug. "Your drink is real, and if you drink too much, you know what will happen. You'll get drunk. Do you think you'll need more? It might make this easier for you..." He smiled back at her. "No, I don't think I'll need more than this. Is it really going to hurt or something?" She shrugged, "That depends on how I take you. I could just take your soul right now where you stand. Without preparation, you'd die instantly. Or if I didn't like you, I could flay you to ribbons, or incinerate you, or both. Trust me, THAT would hurt. And before that, I'd change the way I look to something from your nightmares. It's better for me if I can maximize your fear and take away all hope. But I don't have a reason to do anything like that to you. Actually, I kind of like you." She grinned at him. He was amazed that her grin looked sincere. He didn't detect any malevolence toward him. "What's your name?" he asked. She looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and guardedness. "Why does it matter?" "Well if you're going to kill me by taking my soul, I think I'd at least like to know who you are." She smiled and looked at him, "You can call me Tis." He stared suddenly. His expression caught her off-guard. "What is it?" Jeff looked down and chuckled quietly before facing her again. "Please forgive me. I never thought that I'd be dying tonight, though I guess everybody has to go sometime. The thought kind of messes up my thinking. I didn't mean to stare, but two things came to me just now. You don't really look like that. I was already catching on to that anyway. But the thing that really surprises me is that I think I know you. I mean, I don't know you personally, but..." Tis stared at him for a few seconds. "I remember you now. You've never seen me in your waking hours, but I did look in on you once. You were in agony because of great losses in your life, and I was attracted by your suffering. A lot of us were. A soul doesn't weep like that very often. You slept because you couldn't stay awake any longer. I watched for a time, and decided that you really weren't what I was looking for. I usually take dirty souls. Yours wasn't stained much, it still isn't, really. I stayed with you for the night because,...because I became interested, I guess." She looked mildly uncomfortable for a second, and then it was gone. "I kept the rest away from you. I usually don't care, but I couldn't see the point of allowing the jabs and barbs that they were poking you with. Your soul cried out enough as it was, there was no point trying to increase the torment. I tried to comfort you." She smiled, remembering, "Besides, you attracted a few renegades, and I took care of business by casting them back." His eyebrows raised as he looked at her. "If I was so interesting, why are you doing this now?" She shrugged again. "You're an easy kill. I don't have to try hard for you. Sometimes I don't feel like trying hard much anymore. I've spent a few millennia at this. I need a vacation,... I don't know, something...I usually pick some dirty bastard, and then watch for a time. Once I'm certain, I study my prey, and really get to know them. Sometimes, I find several, and watch them all for a while until they make their move. It usually doesn't take much." Her eyes widened as she remembered his words. "You know what I look like? My natural form?" He smiled and nodded. "At least I think it's your natural form. I don't know what you're capable of, do I?" Tis was surprised at the tranquility that she read from him. Most of them went through all kinds of histrionics and hysteria, and begging always came into it once they knew what she was there for. Some would mewl at the unfairness, though in every one of those cases, she saw that even those ones knew why in their own hearts. There would always be weeping and prayer at some point in the process. Sometimes, a particularly nasty asshole would try a last ditch physical assault in desperation. Those were her personal favorites. She was fond of suspending them in the air, and gnawing off chunks, keeping them alive for as long as possible. A few had lasted a week or more. She looked at him again. "Well? How do you see me?" Jeff cleared his throat and closed his eyes, he knew exactly how she looked to him, but he didn't want to miss any details. 'I only get to do this one time, so what the hell, I might as well try to get it right.' Tis read the thought in his mind, and leaned on her elbows, watching him. She was astounded that he wanted to do this. She knew that she must have imprinted upon him somehow during her vigil those years before, and now she wanted to know how much. There was some fear in him, but it was more an uncertainty of the unknown than the abject fear and horror that she usually read at this point in others. There was none of the terror that she was accustomed to coming from him at all. "Your overall form is human-like in general, " he began, "but that's just the uh, frame, I guess. I think you're a little bit taller than you are right now. You have dark grey wings, large wings. They're like leather maybe, but your wings are part of you, so they're alive, and have veins in them. There are three claws on them at the first joint from your body, and an opposing claw that works like a thumb, I think..." She stared, fascinated at him. He was right on the money so far. None of her prey ever lived to describe her, and this one hadn't even seen her in the flesh, not yet, anyway. How could he know? "You have a tail that starts where the human coccyx would be, but you don't have a tailbone, you have a real tail. It's dark grey as well, and a bit scaly, and it ends in a tiny tip. I think it's prehensile, maybe. As though you could pick up a pencil off the floor if you dropped it..." She smiled at his closed eyes. She could do far more than pick up pencils with it. She found herself admiring his powers of observation, wherever they came from. As men go, she thought, he was sensitive and caring down deep where many were simply self-centered. Tis looked deeper. He had needs that had never been addressed, or if they had, then certainly not for very long in his life. She looked for the pain that had called her to him so long ago. It was still there, but seemed to be in a compartment. Looking further, she sought out his joyous memories. Only a very few, though they had made a deep impression on him, and were tied to his pain. She was saddened slightly when she recognized that he had a lot of traits that would have been considered noble among his kind. 'Too bad it's almost over for him,' she thought, 'he's got very little of what I'm usually looking for. I even like the way that he looks.' She listened to him as he continued. "...Your hands look powerful to me, though they're not much larger than regular hands, and there are long black nails like sharp claws on the ends of the fingers. Your hair is the same brown that you're wearing now, but wilder, and there are small things woven into it that I could never recognize..." She caught that. That he could never recognize? He remembered all of that? He went on, "Your ears are elongated at the top and bottom, they always reminded me of elegant butterflies somehow. You have golden eyes, but they are featureless. There are no irises or pupils. I don't know if they work,..." His inflection rose, almost as if he was unsure, or if he wanted to know. "They work," she said gently, "just not the same way as your own eyes. I see through my eyes without needing to look at anything directly. Go on, you're doing wonderfully well, considering that you've never consciously seen me. I'm very impressed and flattered, actually." He smiled, pleased with himself. "At least I could do this one thing right. Your long legs are gorgeous, though they curve in an odd way lower down. I guess because of your hooves. You have horns that curl like a ram's but they protrude outwards to the sides more than that, and curve very gently. Your face is stunning, with high cheekbones, high eyebrows, and full lips. Your body is exquisite, and it's very graceful when you move. Your breasts are a little bit larger than you have them at the moment...and,...and there are gold patterns on your arms, thighs, hips, and breasts. I don't know if it's jewelry, or if it's a part of you, but I've always thought that you are the most beautiful woma-" "Um, I don't know if you've noticed," her voice sounded suddenly just a touch deeper, and a lot more enticing, "but I'm not a exactly a woman. I'm a demon. Anyway, it's not jewelry, really. They're more like markings. I can make them appear, or I can keep them hidden. The hooves are natural for me, but these days, they're not practical with the surfaces that you all made to walk on. I often find human feet much more efficient, so I usually use those instead." Tis watched him carefully, trying to feel his fear rising. She was surprised again to find no fear in him. Only the same uncertainty. He noticed her voice shifting from directly in front of him to a more distant position off to his right. He wondered if she coming around the bar to kill him now. He smiled shyly, as he turned to follow her voice, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend you. I'll rephrase that. I've always thought that you're the most beautiful female creature that I've ever known. How's that?" She peered at him intently. He wasn't lying! He wasn't trying to flatter her, he was just telling her what to him was simply the truth! "That's better" she said simply. Her voice sounded pleased, and he noticed for the first time that there was a touch of reverberation to it, as though there were almost two voices speaking. He recognized it from his night in her arms. Nothing had happened, other than her protecting him while trying to offer comfort to a sleeping man, but he'd awakened a little and from that, he remembered her. She realized that in all of the centuries beyond count that she had been doing this, she had never come across even one like him. Not only was he not afraid of the death that she was about to deal to him, he actually thought that she was beautiful! Jeff opened his eyes. She was naked on her knees before him, her forearms and hands flat on the stone floor. Her wings rose half-open above her, and the tip of her tail lay carelessly twitching over her left forearm. Her breasts hung invitingly, not quite encased in the golden tendrils that marked her elsewhere. She looked up at him though her golden orbs. His breath caught in his throat. 'Ok, 'she thought, 'now we're getting somewhere...' But as swiftly as the thought came to her, she realized that she'd been mistaken again. He still wasn't afraid. He was gazing at her in awe and wonder. "You're supposed to be having one of a couple of reactions here." Tis said dryly. She wasn't sure if she felt any disappointment aside from her mild sense of frustration. Why was he being difficult? Then again, she had started this with him, and he really didn't fit the profile, did he? Finally, she just said quietly, "This is stupid. You're either supposed to be in a state of terror, or filled with lust for me. There are rules to this. If you had a bad soul, I could just take it any time I wanted to, and do whatever it took to get it from you. But you don't have a stained soul, so that's out. You don't care if you live anymore. I can fix that for you. I called you here, and you came. I offered you a beer and you're drinking it. I'm also offering three warm and very wet holes to you right now. Pick any one, or all three, and you're mine, just like that." She ran her long tongue around the most luscious lips that he'd ever seen, moistening them as she waited. He just kept gazing at her. "I'm s-sorry," he stammered, "You really are so beautiful...Why are you kneeling like that?" She wanted to curse. She couldn't just take him like this. She groaned, "This position is handiest for me, and easiest for you. Like I said, you can take me in any place that you want. Go on, walk around me and see if you can resist me. There is no escape for you. If you must know, this position also lets me take off or attack quickly if I need to, but it also offers you the best uh, view so that you can decide." She sighed, "Come on Jeff, all you have to do is mount me. I'll make sure you enjoy the best ride that you've ever had. You can even use all of me, and I promise that you won't feel any pain when it's over." He walked slowly around her, but his admiration only increased. When he got behind her, she even lifted her tail along with her hips. He saw her looking back at him. He didn't feel threatened; it was almost as if she felt friendly to him. He stared at her slick openings, and lightly caressed and then traced the golden tendril on her haunch with his fingertip. His touch caused her to shiver, but she was surprised that it hadn't been in anticipation of the finality of any choice that he made. She shook her horned head. It's not supposed to be like this! Why in the names of all of the Hells was he so filled with love? Eventually he stood before her again. The consternation on her face faded after a second, and she smiled. "Well, well, you're human after all." Her tail moved forward through the air to tickle the obvious bulge in his pants. "Go ahead, I'm yours, any way you want, but then you're mine right after..." He shook his head sadly. Tis was thunderstruck. "You...you DON'T want me? I can see your heart, and I know that you don't like men, or that would have been how I would have appeared to you. I can see your arousal. What's wrong?" He sighed. "It's kind of hard to explain. I-" "Shh...wait." She hissed as something came to her mind. "Wait a moment." Jeff stared as the demon faded from sight before his eyes. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 09 Tisiphone stood just outside the wall of the roadhouse and looked across the parking lot. There was still only Jeff's pickup truck, but on the other side of that, under the boughs of a large and tall evergreen, she saw a tall thin form looking like a dark shadow in the snow. They looked at each other for a moment, and Tis walked over. The other one remained still, wrapped tightly in her own wings. "I never knew that you really existed," she said in a bit of wonder. The other wore much the same expression, but she nodded, "Nor I you," she said, "I only knew that three of us were named as sisters in a legend." She smiled a little, "I always thought that it was just a bit of Greek nonsense, but I was passing just now and I felt, ..." She shrugged, "I felt who you were and I knew that you are another one. I am-" "I know," Tisiphone said, "Alecto," she said trying not to stare at the other's olive skin and long black hair. Her gaze shifted to the golden orbs which looked back at her. "What's going on in there with the man?" Tisiphone looked down a little uncomfortably, "I was trying to trap someone, but the wrong man walked in. I know this one, and it's bad enough that I'm hungry, but he's done nothing to merit, ..." She shrugged, "I'm just a little stuck here, that's all." They both faded from sight as a second vehicle pulled into the lot. The large and heavy man got out of his car looking at the bar and the pickup truck parked out front. He drove this way to work and back most days, and he'd never seen the place. There had been no signs of construction or anything lately, and a place like this didn't just grow out of the ground. He walked to the door, and finding it open, he stepped inside. Carl looked around, and was impressed. How did anybody just put this here, and nobody knew? He saw the man sitting on the bar looking at him. "Nice place." Carl remarked. The man put down his mug. "Yeah. You want a beer?" Carl broke into a grin, "Sure do. What's on tap?" The man shrugged. "Well, the left tap has Guinness in it, I'm pretty sure. Don't know about the others. Grab a mug and try it out." Carl looked at him cautiously. "You mean it's alright? Do you own this place?" Jeff shook his head. "Nope. I was just passing through. The lady who owns it told me it was on the house. She'll be back in a minute, I guess." Carl ran behind the bar, and tried the center tap. His mug began to fill with Old Milwaukee. He couldn't believe it, and confirmed it with a taste. "Well, what she don't know won't cost me nothin'" he said as he drained the mug as fast as he could, and poured himself another. "So you just thought you'd stop in? What's she like, the owner?" The man smiled. "She's beautiful. Plain and simple." He looked at Carl's hands. "You been in a fight?" Carl looked down, "Naw, my old lady was just getting on my nerves. Had to show her a thing or two." The man winced. "Um, just so you know, I can't leave the place. The door won't open for me, feels kind of rubbery when I try it. Maybe you ought to try it." Carl cast his neighbor a sideways glance, "You tryin' to get rid of me or something so you can have the beer for yourself?" He shook his head. "Not at all. The uh, lady who owns this, she's not uh, normal. You're not going to believe me anyway, but just before you showed up, she was going to take my soul. If you're here now too, it might be a bad thing for you." Carl laughed, and put down his mug. "Mister, you're cracked. I never heard of such crap." He grabbed his mug again, and tried to put a little distance between them. The man just smiled slightly. "Like I said. You'd better try the door." Out in the parking lot, the dark-haired Fury looked over. "I can help if you wish, "Alecto said quietly. "I think that I'd like to talk with you." Tisiphone nodded. Carl stumped over to the door, but couldn't get it to open. He looked at the man who smiled again. "Guess she wants your soul too," he said to Carl. Carl put his mug down on a table, and picked up a chair. He was about to throw it through the stained glass panels on the door when he heard a distant shriek. The volume grew steadily, and then he found himself thrown backward to land on the stone floor some twenty feet from where his boots had last touched the floor. Carl tried to get to his feet, but he was picked up bodily, and found himself hanging in the air. Tis regarded him coldly. "Well Carl, I guess this is where I tell you that you have one chance to confess and repent. If you do that, I'll be quick." Jeff stared, looking at the scene before him for a moment before he noticed that there was now a second demon in the room. She stood still and silent, regarding only him. Carl began to stutter. "I d-don't know what y-you're t-t-talking about. P-put me d-down!" He found himself on the floor again with a sprained ankle. He groaned in pain. Tis smiled coldly, "You've just lost your one chance at an easy death. You are such a stupid shit-bag, Carl. Tell us what you did, Carl. Say it. Tell us all what a tough guy you are, beating the crap out of people who love you. I want a complete list of their injuries." A foot was on his throat. He couldn't move it, and felt the pressure on this larynx begin to increase. He suddenly found the desire in him to confess to her. When he was done, he found that he could no longer speak. Tis reappeared next to Jeff. "I don't know how things work in your world very well. Is there a way to help his family?" He looked at the phone behind the bar. "Does that work?" She nodded, "It does now." He beckoned her to him, handed her the receiver, and dialed 911. It rang twice. Tis spoke to the operator in a voice exactly matching Carl's. Carl's eyes grew wide, and he struggled to shout, but no sound came from his throat. Tis, as Carl, confessed to beating his wife and child, outlined their injuries, and the address. "I'm having trouble locating you on our grid," the operator said, "where are you?" Tis simply said. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to off myself. Have a nice day." She hung up the phone and turned to Jeff. "Now you'll get to watch me work. This might fix your sappy tendencies." Carl found himself lifted again, and Tis calmly began to beat him. He flew all around the room, from pillar to post from her punches and kicks. She was very careful to only administer a beating that corresponded to an eye for an eye. At last he lay unconscious at her feet, complete with broken ribs, missing teeth, internal bruising, and a broken jaw. Jeff looked at the silent one and saw something that chilled his blood, something that might have been described as a rather dark angel. If it might be said that the angels of Heaven exuded light and hope, what stood across the barroom floor had quite the opposite effect. Jeff had no idea who this was and he stared dumbfounded. Carl began to stir. It took him a few minutes before he was fully cognizant, and he trembled as he looked at Tis standing nude before him in all her demonic splendor. He had a great deal of trouble speaking through his jaw. "I..I'm shorry. Can I g-go now? You t-took it out on me pretty g-good. I w-won't ever do it again, I p-promish you. Pleash?" Her featureless eyes glowed as she smiled at Carl sweetly. She added half an inch to her fangs to help the effect. "I know that you won't ever do anything like that again, Carl. And do you want to know how I know that?" Carl really didn't care, but decided to show interest. "H-how?" Jeff felt her hoof falls through the stone floor where he stood as she walked over to Carl. She wrapped her claws around his throat and picked him up. The stones under him grew wet as he lost control of his bladder. He clawed at her hand, but made no marks on it. Tis grinned coldly. "Because, Carl, I'm hungry." He began to whimper, and finally realizing that there was nothing that could help him, he began to pray as quickly and as fervently as he could. Tis chuckled, "Oh, I just know that'll help, Carl. I hope you're not expecting the cavalry to come through the door to help you." She let go of him, and he hung in the air, unable to move his limbs. Tis began to use her claws to slowly disembowel him. He shrieked and cried out in agony. His guts tumbled out onto the floor, the rest hanging in thin strands from the hole in his belly. She walked over to the bar. By the time she reached Jeff, her hooves had turned to feet, and she was slightly shorter than he was. She picked up her mug, and drained it. It was full again as soon as it touched the bar. She looked over at Jeff. "How do you like the show so far, Handsome?" He stared in mild horror at Carl, and the reek of his bowels on the floor made his stomach churn, and then he looked at her again. He looked from her spattered breasts down her bloodstained abdomen to the most pronounced mound that he was sure that he'd ever seen. He guessed that demons just didn't grow pubic hair or something. His gaze carried on down her long legs. She cursed under her breath when she saw his expression change back to the same look of wonder that she'd seen before. The blood and gore lifted from her skin and disappeared in a red mist. She wondered to herself what it was going to take to make him afraid of her. She raised her right hand to Carl and he burst into flames. He began to scream piteously, flopping in the air. "I'd have thought that seeing all of this might change how you feel, but it really doesn't, does it?" He smiled and then shrugged, "I can't help it, Tis. I'm really confused now. What are you? I really want to know. I've never heard of a demon with such a sense of well,...vengeance before." Tis shook her head, "I'm more than a demon. Maybe you'd call me a super demon. Many of us have walked the planes of earth, what you call Heaven, and what you call Hell long before there was such a thing as civilized man. I'm a bit younger, but not much. The Greeks lumped two of my kind and I together, and called us sisters. Until now, I've never even met them. They named us the Furies. You're right. I do have a penchant for vengeance. I've never been able to change that. I've changed some over the years, but I'm still the same girl I always was. The best description I can think of to help you to understand is that I am a kind of demon known as a soul reaver. I take the souls of others to live. Alecto there is another Fury. We've just met for the first time." Turning to poor Carl, she said, "I guess he's had enough. You can watch if you want, but it might disturb you." She walked up to him and stared into his empty eye sockets. He became quite agitated, and began to flop around in the air. Tis ignored him. A white mist began to drift from his eyes, nose, and mouth into her mouth. Within a few seconds, he hung limply. She turned and walked away, as Carl's body fell to the floor and disappeared. "I uh, ... I've got an idea," Jeff began, "Let's go to my place, and discuss this some more there. I don't see any reason that you can't do what you need to do to me there." "That's a great idea," Alecto said. Jeff spun and saw her standing next to him. She smiled, "Tisiphone's legend is accurate from what I see," she said, "A real sense of justice. It guides her actions, and without a reason, she feels reluctant to take you." He searched his memories of what he'd read, but couldn't recall the driving force for this Fury. She sensed his thoughts, and at the same instant, Tisiphone knew the hopeful, self-centered and dangerous game that he'd been playing. She finally felt his sense of fear rising as he watched Alecto's eyes begin to drip and run with blood. "I am under a little less in the way of having my deeds restricted. She is vengeance. I'm all about that too," she grinned, "but if anything, I guess that you could call me implacable anger." A minute later, the pair of Furies flew off, headed for Jeff's home. His ruined body lay next to Carl's in Carl's car as it burst into flames. ---------------------- They stood together in the kitchen of Jeff's home as Tisiphone spooned some ground coffee into the coffee maker. Alecto tilted her head, "What is that?" Tisiphone shrugged, "I'm making coffee. It's something I like to drink when I'm among them and I noticed that he has everything here. You ought to try it." She turned to step back into the other Fury's arms for a minute after turning the machine on. "I never had the thought of ever feeling close to someone," she said, "I guess that he just started the feeling in me, though he wasn't really what I wanted. What has it been like for you? I mean, I'm just the way that I've always been, but I know that you began a lot differently than I did." "I can show you," Alecto offered, "Would you like to see me that way?" "The way that you looked last night is fine, unless you have another idea." "How's this?" Alecto asked as Tisiphone stepped away to take out a pair of mugs after a bit of a search through the cupboards, "This is how I looked when I first walked the earth." "Who were you then?" Tisiphone asked, as she turned. The sight of her took the horned one's breath away. "I was born the daughter of a high priest, a sorcerer, one who spawned me because he craved the power that I could bring him above all else. My poor mother was torn apart giving me life" Alecto said with some sadness," I wish I could have known her." She was shorter, and her skin was slightly more golden than it normally was. Her hair was so black, it almost looked blue. It hung very long and straight. The eyes before her were bright amber ones which regarded her affectionately. She was thinner, her figure almost boyish, though when she held her hair away from the front of her so that Tisiphone could see her better, she instantly recognized her breasts as the same ones that she'd loved last night, only smaller somehow. She read the other's mind, "Well, I was a bit younger when I became what I am now.... You looked a little hesitant to turn around. Why?" The horned one chuckled, "I didn't know if I'd be looking at a cave-girl, or what, you know? I was afraid that you'd be standing there covered in hair, all stooped, and looking at me from underneath a six inch shelf with one long eyebrow. I do have some minimum standards..." Alecto laughed. "Then I guess this will do." She instantly changed from an obvious nineteen year old to a thirty year old that could pass for twenty-two in a pinch. It took nothing from her beauty. They smiled at each other for a minute while the coffeemaker burbled. Tisiphone sighed. "I told you. You were fine as you were last night when I met you. You didn't have to do this, though this is wonderful too." "I know it is," Alecto smiled, sensing at the beginnings of Tisiphone's arousal with a giggle, "I just felt like going back to this suddenly. Since you obviously like me like this too, I can switch back and forth to keep you from getting tired of me." "I don't know how much of a problem that'll be," Tisiphone grinned, "we only met last night." She held out a mug of coffee, "Here, try this." The other Fury tried it cautiously, and was instantly delighted. "Oh, this is good!" They sat at the table and Tisiphone smiled, "I heard that you were born a human, what happened to you?" Alecto sighed, "I don't want to remember some of that. My father didn't love me, he only wanted to spawn a powerful servant. My mother was chosen by him for this. When she had trouble birthing me, he tore her open and left her to die in agony. I found that out later. He couldn't wait for me to develop power. I learned from the little that he had the patience to teach me, and from his scrolls and clay tablets when he slept. He became impatient when I matured, but didn't begin to have the time of women every month. Then he began to treat me worse. He almost beat me many times, but he had begun to be afraid of me, so I think that stopped him. I grew stronger and found that I had many abilities that other girls didn't have. I found that I could see the thoughts of others, and know their hearts. I knew that he wanted me to bleed for the first time, so that he could rape me. He thought that if he could do that, then I would remain his servant." She took a sip of the coffee and thought back. "I was lonely. My father kept me away from others, but there was a servant boy who became my friend. He would creep to my chambers, and tell me of the world. We eventually found that he loved me, and I thought that I loved him, but I now know that I just felt loyalty for his friendship. He told me what men and women do for each other, and I wanted this for us. I wanted to be his wife, though he didn't know what I could do." She sighed as her tears began. "It's been thousands of years, but I still remember him. He died because he loved me. My father caught us just as my friend had gotten inside me. I had been distracted because it hurt, and couldn't warn him that my father was coming. My father beat him and threw him across the chamber against the wall. His head was bleeding, and I knew that he was dying." Alecto began to sob, and Tisiphone felt her own eyes well up. She had always been conscious of the feelings of others. That's why she was allergic to sad love stories, she'd always joked to himself. But now she was surprised that she could actually feel Alecto's pain, and it really hurt. "What happened?" Alecto looked at her new lover. "Many things at once. I remembered some tablets that I had read, and I straddled my friend's chest. My father knew what I was going to do, and he watched with glee. He felt joyous that this had caused what he thought was my awakening. In truth, I was already awake, as he thought of it, I just hadn't gotten the chance to exercise it openly. I kissed the bloody head between my knees, and took my first soul. It was hard to reave from him, but I thought that if I could do this for the only friend I'd ever had, then it was better than just watching him die, since I couldn't save him. When it was done, I stood in my bloody nakedness and faced my father. He ran for the door, but I hung him in the air, and sealed the door with my mind. I had always been neutral, empty of feeling, somehow. But I changed when my friend was beaten. The little demon daughter that he had wanted so badly came into her own that night, but not to serve him. I had learned all of his magic, even what he could not understand. And I had learned much more from other demons, who had been watching over me. Some had attacked me, and I learned to protect myself. Some even taught me, because they told me that I would need to know. In the end, all of my father's worthless spell-casting just made me angrier as I countered every one that I could, and knocked the rest aside. Every one only brought more of my nature out. By the time that he'd given up, and begged me for his life in despair, my body looked as you now know it. He had nothing to do with it, and though he was desperate to save his own skin, he couldn't stop my change into what I really was all along." She came back to herself, and looked at Tisiphone. "Since he'd been trying so hard to save his miserable hide, that was the first thing that I took from him. Let's just say that I slew him, and leave it at that. The whole building was for his uses, with paid servants scurrying to do his bidding. All of them had seen me, and knew what I had been made for. None had tried to help me, ever. I razed it to the ground, and left it burning. I slew every last one of his servants." ----------------------- Tisiphone looked across the table in Toby's kitchen, "I was happy and aroused and confused and afraid for us at the same time, "the demon explained to her sisters, "I didn't know what to do. I called to Mother, and she told me of what you did. We think that we'd like to join you, Tobias." She looked down, "I have never been bound," she said, "Is there pain?" Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 09 Maezou shook her head, "For this type of binding -- between two of our kind, there is none. I've been bound to lords many times. But I don't think that you should consider binding yourselves to Toby. You'll feel nothing of what I can see that you feel for each other afterward. Just swear allegiance," she shrugged, "That's all Toby needs." The older demon spoke then, "Not counting pretty Zele, there are four demons here. If Lord Tobias agrees, bring Alecto here, but what of the price? There must be something offered to Tobias. Would this Fury wish to change her life?" She nodded, "She would, having little in her own. We are tired of what we've been doing for so long. What would you want of us, Tobias?" He shook his head, "Nothing that I can think of, other than allegiance, if this goes the way that I keep being told it will. I think we'd need the help at some point." "I have thoughts for all of this," Mother said, "and plans as well. But there are other matters that grow urgent. It has become known now that Maezou is missing. Soon she will be sought. Gorek the sand demon will send at least one hunter for her. This place will not be safe within ten days at the outside once the hunter is sent, if he is the one that I think of." "Tereth," Maezou said, wanting to spit, "The fool with the swollen head from his fat thoughts about himself." Her mother nodded, "Yes. But that is not something worth worrying about if it is played correctly." She looked at Zele. "You hold three souls." Zele nodded, "Suckers. Not worth much." "I think they are worth enough for what we need, Daughter. Go to claim the bounties from Gorek. You are not known there, so see what you may learn." "Maezou," she said, turning, "Tobias will need wings soon and have the knowledge of how to use them. You will need to bite him again at least once." She turned to her eldest daughter and sat at the table, "You and I must talk. I need to know everything about this lover of yours." --------------------- She padded heavily behind the guardian as she was taken to the main cavern. The guardian left and she watched as one of the hunters returned to stand before Gorek. "Where is the soul that you were hunting?" the sand demon asked. "I was about to spring my trap when I was summoned here, "Tereth said, looking a little annoyed. It was a lie and he wasn't even close to setting a trap, but he wanted to deflect this if he could. The lord's response was calm -- dangerously calm. "You lie. I thought that this hell would be profitable to own, but I was wrong. I thought that you were the best hunter, but I was wrong. There was another here who was better. I wish to know where she is." "She was nothing but a fairly good fuck," Tereth said, "She always had the last lord's favour for it while I always did the lion's share of the hunting. I let her get away with it because she actually was a pretty good fuck." He didn't even see it coming. The sandstone fist which knocked him across the chamber felt like it was made of steel. Tereth groaned for a moment until he felt himself being lifted up and taken back, carried by the dirt and rocks underneath him. He just got a quick glimpse of the kobold peeking out fearfully from behind the giant's legs and he knew who was responsible -- or at least who he'd blame and kill for it once this was over. He screamed once when he was picked up by his scrotum. The sand demon waited, not believing that the demon who hung before him was actually unconscious. Sadly, he had very little patience for the game, so he tossed his hunter so that he could kick him more easily. Tereth flew up to hit the ceiling hard and then fell to the floor with a crunch. The hunter lay there, truly unconscious now as the rocks brought him back again. Gorek picked up the hunter as though he was a rag doll and shook him until he regained consciousness. "Lying turd. The one you tell lies about now fucked no one -- who lived to tell of it. I know this." He turned to the hellhound bitch before him. "What do you want?" "Bounties," the flint covered animal growled low down in her throat, "I have three souls, bloodsuckers." She stood on three legs and reached toward her own chest. When she held her fist out, the sand demon's eyes narrowed. "They are not worth much," he said, "But I'll take them and waive my fee. It ought to show you how desperate I am here, surrounded with babbling fools who talk a good game and catch nothing. Who do you work for?" "No one," the hound rumbled menacingly while her hard fur quivered in irritation, as if the mere thought angered her, "I work for myself." "Freelancer? Maybe I'll take you and bind you here," he thought aloud, and it was a mistake. He noticed that there was no soul in her to bind as she tensed, looking at his dust-covered genitals while the half-roar that came from her echoed through the cavern. "You can try," the beast said with a snarl, "Bigger lords have." He thought better of it for the difficulty that it would present and he shook his head, "You ought to work for me anyway. I could use a good freelancer if you can get better results than this piss mop here. Catch me a few more and we'll talk. I'll pay well. See the guardian on the way out about the bounties. Drop the souls here." The hellhound nodded, and she opened her fist. The grey souls disappeared as though they'd been removed with a vacuum cleaner, but her eyes widened as the lord kicked his hunter again. She could see where his large foot was going to be when he drew it back. The kobold barely managed a thin little squeak when her paw flashed out to grab him. "My thanks tae ye," he whispered, "The laird will hurt me again because he's angry and the hunter thinks that I told on him, I can see it. I will die soon, ye can bank on that." "Do you want out?" the hellhound whispered hoarsely, "Then clutch my fur underneath." "I KNOW that you lie," the lord bellowed into Tereth's face, "I know that you think you're a great hunter," he said as he lifted the almost limp shape. His gritty spittle struck Tereth full in the face as the giant thundered at him. "Now go and actually FIND this huntress. Bring her back here ALIVE and UNHURT! You have one fortnight -- fourteen days to be back here with her, or the first thing that we'll see about is how good a fuck YOU might be." He threw the hunter against the wall and watched Tereth fall to the floor with a groan. The hellhound pushed her paw against her ribs long enough for the little kobold to grab and hang on before she turned and padded off quickly the way that she'd been brought. The hard and stiff fur poked the kobold uncomfortably. Gorek looked down, trying to see the kobold, but he found only damp, wet crushed things underfoot. He couldn't tell which one the kobold might have been, so he shrugged and gave up. The hellhound stood before the guardian. "I want my bounties." The guardian nodded, "How do you want it, as a credit to an account, or do you want it in dog food?" he grinned. "Fuck you," she said in a hollow deadly growl, "In gold and now or I tell that your lord's not good for bounties on three suckers." Her hot breath blasted out of her nostrils from her exhalation and she moved her head forward menacingly. "You want to play? You want to be dog food? Pay now." Her snout wrinkled and the guardian saw her teeth as he wished now that he'd kept his sneer to himself. It was no good pissing off a hellhound. You could whip them all week and they'd think you were petting them if they even felt anything at all. He sighed as he fished one small gold coin from the purse. Hellhounds were always touchy. He tossed the coin and she had it between her teeth and was gone. At the outer edges, she worked the coin to a place between her cheek and her gum as she walked to a rocky alcove in a large deserted area. The kobold eased himself down and they looked at each other. He couldn't understand why something as deadly as a hellhound would want to help him at all, unless she'd just wanted to get him away from the uncertain safety of his ruler and eat him herself. She looked at him and smiled a little -- which only added to his sense of unease. "So," she rumbled, "you are out. Where will kobold go now?" To her, he was attractive as kobolds go. He was about the size of a four year-old boy with shoulder-length blonde hair in long curls, and his voice was soft and childlike. But there were points where the similarity to a human ended. He had a little tail and tiny horns on his head, and he stood on cloven feet. He was obviously not a child, even from the viewpoint of what he was, and one look at his thin blonde pubic hair and genitals told that tale. "I dinnae know," he said, "I wish tae go back home. I've been here for eighty years. I was walking along one day and I decided tae go up to the upper hall, and when I went there, a demon grabbed me and brought me here." He looked down sadly, "I hate it here. I'm too small, and everyone gives me a kick as soon as they see me." He sighed, "I'd give a lot just tae have a home, wi' a nice hearth and things tae do, jobs like. Dya ken?" She didn't understand some of what he'd said, but she got enough of it. "I go to the world of men now. I can take you there. Maybe you can find home then?" His little face lit up, "Oh aye!" he said, "I'd like that. It's where I came from." "Climb onto my back, "she said to the still-shaking kobold, "then hang on." When she felt that he was ready, she ran toward the dark horizon. After a few seconds, she jumped. The kobold wondered how far she'd go before they fell, but he felt the muscles of her wings under him as they began to beat. He looked around and found that he wasn't being stuck and scratched by her fur anymore since it was gone and he was lying on warm dark skin. Her long black hair tickled his face. "Where are we going?" he asked when he'd gotten his nerve up enough to ask. She half-turned her head so that he could hear her. One look at how she looked now and he was smitten. "Zele goes where she needs to, but kobold goes not much farther if his little thing doesn't stop poking her in the back." "I'm sorry," he said, his voice quavering, "I can nae help it. Why are ye doing this for me?" "Zele thinks kobold needs a friend. She did not think that kobold needed help with that thing he pokes with. What is your name, kobold?" "I'm nae kobold," he said, wanting to sound indignant, but he had a hard enough time being taken seriously at the best of times. Hanging onto the back of some sort of flying demoness for dear life while he tried to fight off his unwanted erection, no matter how lovely she seemed to him, just did nothing for his composure. "I only look like a kobold," he said, "I'm a goblin if ye want to be correct, and my name is Thiery." "A shame," she sighed, "Zele doesn't like goblins at all. Thiery looks very much like a kobold to Zele. Zele thought you were a kobold, so cute and worth hugging and needing help. Goblins can take care of themselves, she thinks." "My father was a kobold," he said, "I know this because my Ma always said that she never knew how the worthless little kobold talked her into spreading her legs fer him so often, but she liked it anyway and she said I was almost worth it. She always said that she wanted tae kill him and she did one day too." "What happened," Zele asked, intrigued now. "He forgot tae bring her wine one night, "Thiery said, "and she needed it tae make him look large and handsome-like." "Handsome I can see after wine," she said, "How did the wine make him look big?" "She'd drink enough tae make him look handsome, and then if she looked at him through the bottle before she blew out the candle, he was big." He sighed, "She always needed a big bottle too." Zele chuckled, "So Thiery's father was a kobold and his mother was a goblin?" "Nae," he sighed, "My Ma was half kobold and half goblin from a low clan, and she always liked tae go tae bed wi' a goblin or three. She didna want a kobold then. She told me that she liked it rough. But sometimes she liked how my Pa would go at her quiet-like, as though he was stealin' somethin' but she always knew and she liked it too. He'd go to find her wherever the goblins had left her when they were done and he'd help her home and put her to bed happy. My Ma always told me things the way that they were, straight-like. She'd say that she needed to have three goblin boys go at her, but she liked a gentle fuck with Pa afterward and he liked it too." Zele looked back, "He liked having her after the goblins? Was this special to him then or something?" "Aye, very special, "Thiery winked at her, "He didna need tae get her any wine then." Zele found herself liking him as she laughed. He sighed, "After my Pa was gone, then I'd have to find her to bring her home to put her to bed. She'd kiss me and tell me that I was a good boy and sometimes she'd cry a little then over Pa. She told me once that she only pretended to be asleep when Pa was tryin' so hard not to get caught as he fucked her. See, she was nothin' worth a goblin's knowin' since she wasn't pure goblin, and she was ashamed of Pa. But she loved him so and then she was sorry that she'd killed him. We both had tae work harder to get the gold tae pay the goblins for her fun." Zele was a little shocked, "Pay them?" "Oh aye," Thiery said, "They was goblins weren't they?" "Oooh," Zele said as she shook her head, "Zele does not like goblins. So Theiry is really a kobold after all? "Zele asked, "Why does he say that he is a goblin?" "Aye," he sighed, "I said it because I dinna look like either of my parents and I was hoping that ye'd like me better if I said that I was a goblin. I'm thinkin' that one of the other kobolds might have found me Ma one night or two after she was drunk and sleeping and had his way wi' her a few times before my Pa found her. Maybe she thought that he was my Pa, or maybe she didn't care right then. There's not a lot of kobolds who could pass a chance like that up if they asked and got no answer - especially if they whispered when they asked. If they thought they had a chance at it, then no answer is as good as a yes, isn't it? We are a little impish now and then, dya ken? We've been known tae switch babes on folks in the past for a laugh too if we didn't like the people. Always fun watchin' fine ladies try tae explain that away." He looked a little sad for a moment. "I'm just a wee kobold, I guess. Nobody likes kobolds in the hells, I've found that out all by maself." He looked down, "I just say that I'm a goblin, hoping for a bit of respect and that at least some won't kick me around, that's all. I was born in a goblin hall, though. I used tae play wi' the goblin girls when no one was about. It was a wee bit more acceptable to their parents to know that they were cuddling wi' me than to be fucking with goblin boys before they was married off." "Thiery should say what is meant more," she said, "Zele likes kobolds and maybe she wants a pet for her and her sister." She looked over her shoulder at Thiery. He saw her teeth and he shivered, but he had to ask. "Here, Miss Zele, I'm seein' that you're nae hellhound after all, but now yer a demoness, and I dinnae understand. Yer nae going tae eat me, are ye?" "No," she replied, "Zele does not eat kobolds. They fight too hard for what she gets and she doesn't like their taste. Zele wants to know if Thiery has any bindings or oaths on him." "Nae," he said, "they just kept me around tae kick and laugh at." She thought about him, and felt no loyalty in him for what they were leaving, and she knew enough about kobolds to know that what they really wanted was a home to be part of, aside from being very horny little things. She knew that some demonesses kept kobolds as pets. "If Zele takes Thiery to a family that he might like, can Theiry keep it secret if he can stay?" He nodded cautiously, though she couldn't see it, "Aye, I can. Just promise me that there are nae demons there, that's what I dinnae want tae see ever again." "Zele cannot promise this," she said sadly, "All are demons and there is a demonlord, but all are kind. Thiery will not be kicked. Zele can say this." He groaned, but then thought for a moment, "Here, what's a demonlaird doing in that place?" "Zele thinks that Thiery asks too many questions already when she was thinking of a place where he might be safe until he can find a way to go to his home." "I have no one tae tell any secrets to," he said, "I can keep my mouth shut, Miss. It's a lesson that I've just learned well." Zele smiled, "Then Zele will bring you, and we see. If it is too much for Thiery, just say it to Zele, and she will take you to a place where you can begin to look for your home, but one thing, Thiery." "Yes, Miss Zele?" "Stop rubbing Zele's back with your thing there. It maybe feels good to you now, but if Zele finds her back wet with your seed, she will be angry." Theiry stopped and just hung on. "Sorry, Miss Zele." "Thank you, Thiery," she said over her shoulder. "The lord will not like you if you leave your seed all over his consort's back." Thiery hugged her back and hung on with wide eyes. --------------- When they arrived, Thiery was presented to Toby and Maezou. Toby wasn't sure about having Thiery around, but his consorts thought it was a great idea, telling him that kobolds love a household and a family to live with and ask little more than a home, a few jobs to make them feel needed and a bit of food - along with some patience when they get mischievous. They carefully explained the nature of the little creatures and that they were happiest if they were kept busy and given a sexual favor now and then as well. Toby was in a position to understand it now and he said that it didn't bother him, especially once they'd told him that a kobold's gratitude goes a long way toward keeping the whole household happy and during the Middle Ages in Europe, it was considered the best of luck to have a kobold living in the house, usually sleeping behind the stove. They protected the home and very often brought it good luck. When asked, Thiery nodded and said that it was all that he wanted, and that he would love to cook and look after everything. He begged Toby to be allowed to stay, at least so that he could see what Thiery could do to earn his keep. Toby heaved a long sigh and agreed to a trial. He went downstairs with Maezou to practice the things that she said that he'd need to know very soon. Thiery stood at the top of the stairs holding Zele's hand. He was happy and very thankful to be given a chance and he intended to earn his place among them. Tobias seemed like a very kind demonlord and Thiery had no intention of fouling this up. He looked up at Zele. She was back to being her furry self, but it didn't matter. Thiery thought she was wonderful, no matter how she looked. He threw his arms around her, "Thank ye so much fer this chance, Zele." For someone of his stature, throwing his arms around her meant that he held her hips. Zele smiled down at him and tousled his head lightly, "Just show Toby that you can work for us, and if Thiery can teach Maezou and Zele how to cook, it would be good too. We know nothing." He laid his cheek against her furry belly and nodded, "It'll be nae trouble. I've already seen some of the food here, and I can make wonders with that." Zele felt his hands on her flanks and had a fair idea where he'd try to kiss her in another moment. Zele reached down to pick Theiry up and she carefully set him on her hip before putting her arm around him as she walked to the kitchen to fill the kettle with water, "If Thiery wants to be Zele's pet," she said, "He will have to learn to wait. Her sister must want Thiery too. Wait a little longer, Thiery." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 09 He nodded and leaned against her, cupping one of her breasts very carefully. Maezou found them at the table when she came up to get some coffee. Zele held him on her lap and his eyes were closed as his head leaned on her chest. "He's so sweet," Maezou smiled, "May I hold him?" Zele smiled and nodded as she helped Thiery across to Maezou. Zele poured them each a cup of coffee. "He makes better coffee than Toby and he will start on dinner soon. He said that he would teach us." Maezou chuckled "I like him. Can we share?" Zele nodded, "Why not? That is what Zele had in mind." She looked at him as he sat on Maezou's lap and closed his eyes, feeling a little safe for the first time in many years. "Thiery has had a long day" the dog-girl said, "He thought that he would be killed but Zele saved him." He sighed and buried his face against Maezou's breasts. "Better now, Thiery?" Maezou smiled. He nodded and she kissed his head softly and then asked him to explain to her what he'd planned for dinner. --------------- The old demoness sat looking out at the remnant of the storm that she'd caused days ago as it spun itself down. She knew that in the natural course of events, a high pressure airmass would move in within hours, bringing with it pleasant, sunny winter weather for a few days, the sort that most humans don't mind too much and that people who like to ski or snowmobile would rejoice to find themselves in. She shook her horned head slightly, not liking the notion. Not with a hunter coming to look for her daughter, she thought. She knew the fool who'd been sent, and killing him would present no trouble for any of them, even Lord Tobias, but she knew that it would be like launching a flare to point right at them. With a thought from her, wild winds began to blow hundreds of miles away to the northwest in the Arctic. Winds such as this were normal for the time of year there, but she added her will to what she built so that it would gather itself into something known to meteorologists as an Alberta Clipper, a fierce and fast-moving wind that funneled extremely cold air in a south-easterly direction across North America. But how cold to make it? She wondered idly as she listened to the sounds of Maezou and her male copulating behind her downstairs for a moment. With a small smile, she determined the measure of the cold that she wanted. She didn't need a number, she just wanted the feel. Soon, thermometers for hundreds of miles would dive down to forty degrees below zero, and it didn't matter whether the weathermen preferred Celsius or Fahrenheit -- at that temperature, the two scales matched. Automobile windshields would shatter. Thousands of vehicles would refuse to start as their starters groaned over slowly in complaint, and more to the point, she thought, with a wind driving air that cold, there would be nobody about who had a brain and a warmer place to be. Even a demon hunter who loved his soft life wouldn't want to look too hard then. She just needed a bit of time. Time to find a safer place. Zele stood watching her male as he mated with her sister. Thiery stood next to her, his hand caressing the back of her thigh. She smiled as she watched, already having had a turn. But she also felt a few of the kobold's thoughts, so she looked down at him. Thiery stood staring. He'd never seen anything like this. His small phallus stood straight out in front of him. Zele tousled his blonde hair, and he looked at her, turning toward her with a smile and a questioning look. Zele smiled back and sat down, pulling the kobold to her so that he sat facing away from her between her legs. "Does Thiery like to watch, too?" she asked. "Aye," he said quietly, not really being able to tear his eyes away from the scene for very long. Zele lowered her head so that it was next to his. "Zele always likes to watch, and then she likes to use her hands on herself. Here, Theiry, sit back against Zele and look at them with Zele." She reached her hand to his penis and began to stroke him. After a few seconds, she brought her other hand around to caress his balls for him. "Does Zele do it the right way for Thiery?" she breathed into his ear. He said nothing, but his quiet groan came to her as his answer. Zele grinned to herself and began to lick her pet's ear. She went slowly, knowing that Toby and Maezou would go a long time now. There was plenty of time for her to please her small friend. Mother walked down the stairs quietly and knelt on one knee behind Zele. "Do not take too long with him Daughter," she whispered, "I wish to ask him things." "Thiery should relax and let Zele make him happy," she sighed into his ear and followed the statement with a kiss. He groaned, "What are ye doing to me, Miss Zele?" She kissed him and her lips grazed his ear. "Just watch Toby and Maezou, "she breathed, "Zele wants Theiry to be happy, and she knows that this will do that for him. Zele likes this very much and she thinks that Theiry likes this too, yes, Theiry?" The kobold's eyes were almost glassy as he nodded. Mother pushed Zele's hand away from his penis gently. "Can I ask now?" Zele looked down at him for a moment, "Yes. Ask now, Mother." She quietly asked Thiery where he came from, and between his sighs and his soft groans, he told her how he had been snatched away from where he lived by a large imp to be brought before the previous ruler of the hell where Maezou worked. They'd never seen each other there. "Tell me of this place," the old demoness said, "and tell me why it had an upper hall. Was there a lower one?" In a few minutes, Mother had all of the answers that she needed. She leaned down and kissed Theiry's cheek. "Thank you, Thiery. Would you like to see it again?" She could see that he'd have been wildly enthusiastic ordinarily, but he was enjoying the moment and it took a lot of his concentration away from him. Still, he nodded and sighed, "Oh aye, I'd love tae go ... there again to Goblin Ha. I know it well for ... what ye'd like." Mother reached for his penis to help him, but he cried out and his semen shot out before she even got there. She stroked him anyway until he softened a little. Bringing her hand to her mouth, she licked what he'd left there for a moment before she stood up and left them. ----------------------- She felt the approaching cold air as she climbed steadily toward the altitude that she wanted near eighty thousand feet, her great wings beating hard to carry her north and east, heading for East Lothian in Scotland. When she reached the calmer air that she sought, she stopped climbing and leveled out to gain airspeed. The stars twinkled in their canopy above her as her speed increased to the point where the tips of her wings, shoulders and face began to glow softly from the friction of the thin air. The front edges of her horns glowed most of all as she looked down just a little and made her correction for drift. Nothing appeared on any air traffic controller's radar, but fifteen miles below and many more miles behind her, the edges of her sound pressure wave caused a small double sonic boom. Twenty-four hundred miles an hour will do that. An hour or so later, she held her wings still as she began her gliding descent just as she crossed the western coast of Scotland. As she slipped through the cloud layers lower down, she noticed the onset of icing and glanced at her wings. It was beginning to accumulate and would eventually change the shape of her great wings so that they'd no longer fly. It could be a deadly problem for aircraft, but then she wasn't one of those. She flexed her wings periodically before the ice got too thick and it shattered and broke off in sheets to fall away behind her. The ice in her hair was another matter, and it hadn't thawed away completely even once she was in the warmer air much lower down. --------------------- Illa felt the first of her tears beginning as little stings at the edges of her eyes as she sat cradling the rat carefully. She couldn't believe that at her age she'd feel this way, so there must really be a lot of other things behind it, she realized. She'd found it scratching weakly in a bit of rubble a few days before. Seeing that it was injured, her little heart had gone out to the creature and she'd done her very best to comfort and care for it. She'd gotten it food and water and carried it with her everywhere to keep it warm, as much as she could. But it didn't eat, and only took a drop of water now and then as it grew weaker. She'd grown almost desperate then. Other than worms or grubs, the rat was the only other living thing there besides her and she didn't want to be alone again, waiting and hoping that the people might come to walk through to see how the place was standing up to the ravages of time. She didn't count the days, but they only came four times a year for only minutes to shine their lamps around at the walls and then leave quickly. There was never any interaction between the people and her, since they never saw her but it wasn't as if there was anything else for her to look forward to. She hadn't seen a goblin in half a century. She never thought of it, but she was the reason for that as well. She carefully carried the little rat to the stairs at the entrance and sat down on a stone in the weakening light of the early evening. The little thing looked up at her from between her hands. It didn't understand what she'd been trying to do for it, but it was long past feeling fear at how it was being held and carried everywhere. It had a sense that it was dying and just wanted to be left alone. She saw the end as it came to the rodent in one final breath. Her tears began then and she hung her head to weep. She cried for the little thing, and even more, she cried for herself. She wept for an hour or more and felt no better at all afterward. Finally, she knew the only other thing to be done, given where she was and how she lived. She said her lonely farewell and ate the rat. The darkness was almost full, but she looked up and froze as a shadow passed above her. Once it was gone, she scampered back inside and ran down the steps to the back to hide among the broken pieces that had fallen from the vaulted arches above her head. She hardly dared to breathe. Thirty seconds later, she heard the beat of leathery wings as something slowed to land. The noise was followed by sounds that reminded her of the way that a chunk of the stonework would clatter as it fell. The wings hissed softly as they were folded and then all was silent but for the sounds of water droplets falling to land on the stone floor. Illa thought about creeping to the passageway that led to the well and the bolt hole behind that to make her escape out of the gully outside to run to the forest. The thought faded after a moment. Something such as this would know and find her anyway, no matter what she did. She peeked out a little and wanted to whimper as she regarded the tall demon standing there looking around in silence. The deep clatter began again as the thing began to walk slowly around shaking her head now and then to shed a little melting ice. Illa eased herself down lower behind the stones with her heart in her throat, remembering what her mother had said to her. Her parents had met in an awful place far away, and they'd run off when they'd seen that they had a chance, coming here to hide. Her father had caught something and had taken it back in chains to offer so that perhaps they'd be left alone. Since he'd never returned, her mother had assumed correctly that he'd been killed, so she'd hidden there and had their spawn all alone. Illa had been raised by her mother there, living on the goblins which sometimes came to the surface in the old hall. It took a lot of effort, since the goblins were all so much larger, but they could be killed one at a time if one was careful, and then they had food to eat for a time. But when Illa was nearly twenty, her mother had been found one day by many goblins and killed as her daughter was outside hunting for food. After that, Illa never let even one goblin live if she could manage it. Even if they came in numbers, she was always sure to reach out and they'd go back down below with one or two less every time. Most of them never noticed the few drops of blood which fell from the vaulted ceiling as Illa kept her prey still while it died. When they were gone, she'd drop the body and land next to it to eat. But none had come there for a long time now, and she had to hunt outside for every scrap of food that she could find. She assumed that this demon was here to look for her, sent by that place where her father had gone. She almost gasped when she saw the red of the thing's eyes as they began to glow. There was a flash as the demon's gaze swept past her and the thing walked past a few moments later on heavy hooves fairly close by. She stared at the long and deadly hands for a moment, and decided that no matter how hungry she might be, this was not something to be thought of as game. Illa knew that she wouldn't last a heartbeat in a fight against this. As though she'd heard Illa's thought, the demon stopped still and the red flare of her eyes swept back to near where Illa hid herself, trying not to tremble, praying that her bladder wouldn't let go in her fear of this thing. The long thin tail flicked very near to her for a moment, and then the thing clumped away slowly on her hooves. Illa didn't know what she'd do now, but at least she felt a little less terror as she watched the demon look around standing near the stairs once more. At least she could dare to draw breath again. The tall demoness looked out at the dark countryside and smiled to herself. This would be perfect, she thought. She'd already found the door to the lower levels. She'd felt the small life forms around her in the place, and they were inconsequential to her and what she had in mind. There was one other living thing there and she'd even seen enough of it to know what it was. It might be a little problem, but then again it might not. She'd have to see. She spread her large wings and was gone. Illa let her breath out fully and drew one in. She'd known instinctively what the tall thing was, though she'd never seen one before. She just hoped that it wouldn't come back. She eased herself back to sit down for a moment and found where she'd taken shelter in her unthinking fear. She reached out and picked up what was left of her mother's skull. Even long dead, her mother gave her a little comfort. She was so alone and afraid. She sat holding the skull as she cried. Not long after, the tall thing was back, and Illa's heart rose to her throat again as she saw its dark outline lit a little from behind by the glow of the sky from the almost full moon. She watched the long legs strut directly toward her slowly and she could see that the demon carried something with long legs by one hand. Those legs dragged limply on the stone floor. There was a long moment of silence as they looked at each other, the watcher hunkered down with her eyes wide in terror and the demoness who stood on those impossible legs as she regarded Illa calmly. The tall thing laid what she'd been carrying down between them and squatted behind it, still looking directly at the young watcher. Illa looked with disbelief at the carcass of a freshly killed doe. She saw the red glow in those eyes and knew that there was no hiding from one like this. A little of the red light was reflected back from the stones and though her terrible beauty was evident, Illa could see no malice in that face. Though they glowed brightly, she could see that the eyes which regarded her were in fact golden and featureless orbs. There were long horns there on that head which curled out to the sides. A very mild scent came to her, a feminine scent which reminded her of her mother and she'd smelled it on herself as well. Her eyes were drawn to the demon's cleft and she felt a strange urge to place her head there against the flat abdomen just above that spot -- the same place where she'd placed her head on her mother when she was little and very young. It was place of warm comfort when she'd been a child, a place where her mother would stroke her hair and ask what was wrong, since she most often sought reassurance at those times when she was small and had perhaps been frightened by something. The memory faded as she heard the demoness begin to speak to her, the first voice that she'd heard in so long talking to her in the speech of her kind. "Here," she said indicating the deer, "I bring something to eat, since you look like you need it. There is enough here for you to regain a little strength and more important, to feel better." The watcher's voice came out hoarsely in reply, since she hadn't spoken in so long. "Are ye here to take me where my father went?" "No, little one," the rich voice replied, "I know of the place, and I see that you fear being hunted. I am not here to hunt you. No one knows that you are here but me -- and I tell nothing to anyone from places like that." She reached out her long and wicked-looking hand slowly and touched the small face before her. "Such a pretty thing you are under that dirt and grime. Will you do something for me?" "If I can," the young watcher said, "for the gift of the food." The demon smiled, "Good. Please, when you are no longer hungry, please clean this place as you can and wash yourself until you are clean again. I will return with others to live here for a time. Prepare this place for us. I will not tell of you so that you can have time to grow accustomed to us. Only I will know, but the others will feel you here after a time. You need not fear at all. No one will harm you, and you will no longer be alone. Come, stand up and come to me. I want to see you away from old rocks and bones." The young one looked down around herself, "My mother, ..." "I know," the other one smiled gently, "I know. You may leave her bones here in this spot if you like. We can eat and then I'll help you to make her a cairn for her bones." Illa stood up and stepped slowly and hesitantly toward the demoness. When she was close, she gave in to how she felt and hugged her tightly with a sob. "My thanks tae ye for the food," she said in her trembling little voice, "What should I call ye?" "Call me Mother," the tall one smiled, "I have daughters myself, and you will see them soon. You don't have to be afraid anymore. Now, take me to where there is water, little one. You smell of this mess. Even in the lowest of the hells, they try to stay a little clean as they can." She looked at the girl and smiled, "I'm sure that under that dirt, there is a lovely little imp girl, and I want to meet her properly as we eat. I will stay most of the night with you and tell you about the others who will come so that you are not afraid when they get here. This is no home fit for you or anyone like this," she said as she looked around her, "but it will be for a time and we will make it a fine one with your help, if you will give it, Illa." The imp gasped, "You know my name!" Mother smiled, "Yes, I'm old enough to have the power for this ability." The girl looked down, "Then you are not here to, ..." "I wouldn't hurt anyone who doesn't need hurting," she said, "What have you done to anyone, other than eat worthless ones?" She thought for a moment and looked a little surprised, before grinning at Illa, "I think that there is even a small surprise for you soon, but we will have to see about it. Come, lead me to where we can wash, I wear some of your dirt on me now too. It will be a little cold to be sure, but then we can eat and talk before I have to go." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 09 They walked toward the entrance together, the little imp reaching up to hold the hand of the old demoness as they went. They looked a little alike, both on their hooves and with their wings folded behind them. They might have even been related if one looked at first glance, but one was an old demon and the other was a rather young imp, and from that vantage point, they were not really the same at all. "Ye'll really come back?" Illa asked a little nervously, "I'm afraid that I am dreaming all of this." Mother freed her hand for a moment and gently slapped the imp's bare flank once. Illa rubbed her haunch in surprise and looked up, "What was that for?" "Come," the rich voice reverberated in the old vaulted hall as she chuckled, "we still need to wash, now that you know that you aren't dreaming." After bathing and eating, Mother leaned back against a wall with Illa sitting next to her. They'd talked for hours and she decided that she liked the imp quite a bit. Mother knew how Illa must have felt over all of this time here alone. At eighty, Illa was really just reaching her prime as a young imp female. To have lived here like this for most of her life had to be terrible. She felt Illa move and she opened her golden eyes to look down in curiosity as Illa leaned against her. She admired the girl's long dark brown hair, so sleek and lovely now that it was clean, though like her own, it was still wet. The sight of her little ram's horns made her smile. "I feel like I'm owin' ye so much already, "Illa said, "and ye gi me such comfort. I'm wanting tae gi ye something back but I've nothing tae give." The demoness smiled, "Just tidy up what you can and it will be enough. Do you know anything of the passages on the lower level? Could you guide us?" "Aye," Illa nodded, "But I've nae been there for a long while now and I can nae get the door open. I think it's been charmed tae stay shut." "Leave the opening of the doors to me," mother said as she began to get up. "I've got to get back. I'll see you in a few days, Illa. I'm happy to have met you." The little face grew worried as she looked at the tall demon. "Are ye really coming back, Mother? Please, ... don't leave me here all alone again. I dinnae think I can bear it to be alone again." "I will come back, Illa, "she said, "if you wish, you can come with me, but the trip would be cold and you'd have to make the journey twice. Meeting the others might be a shock all at once, too. The choice is yours. I'll carry you both ways if you want that." Illa decided that she could wait, since she wanted to clean the place as much as she could to repay her new friend for the kindness of bringing her the deer. She hugged the demoness tightly and kissed her cheek, "No, I think I'll stay and clean up as you asked." When Mother stood up, Illa laid her head against that one spot above the mound of the demoness for a moment and she sighed as she held herself against the tall one tightly, feeling the same sort of comfort that she'd known as a child. ------------------------ Illa was on her way back to the hall from the newer manor house. Clearing away the rubble had taken a day of hard work for someone of her stature, but she hadn't really minded it. By rights it ought to have been done long ago anyway. The floor had taken most of another day. She'd gone to the manor house and taken a bucket, a broom and a mop, carrying them all back to the small rear entrance in the gully. After a lot of sweeping, she'd made countless trips to the well for water to wash the floor with, but now it looked much more presentable and almost neat. The cleaning gear then presented her with a problem. She had nowhere to keep it, and she knew that sooner or later it would be missed. The hall was reputed to be haunted as far as most of the people in the area knew, but she doubted that any of the tales included the theft of things such as she'd taken, so she'd stolen back to return them. She was most of the way back when she felt the approach of the ones that Mother had told her about. Illa's heart thrilled in a bit of fear, but mostly, she was excited. She began to run for the bolt hole. She wanted to get a look at them from a place where she was at least a little sure that they couldn't see her easily and she'd need to get there first for that. She dove into the hole and ran up the small steps to the hall. Once there, she flew up to a small niche and hid herself. She wondered what they'd look like. She thought her tall friend was beautiful, and hoped that the rest were all like that as well. Though there hadn't been any around for a while, she'd seen enough ugly goblins to last her a time yet, she thought. Demons looked much nicer to her. Illa could just hear the quiet clatter of their hooves on the stones at the top of the entrance way steps and she fidgeted a little in her excitement. Mother had told her that a demonlaird was coming. She wondered what a male like that must look like. A thought crossed her mind that she wanted to see a male demon a little more her size, but she knew that she'd likely never see one living here. Illa had long ago given up wondering where she might find a male imp, but it was still a pleasant little thought to imagine one when she frigged herself at night. She hadn't even seen a single one of their hooves when Illa caught a glimpse of something utterly amazing as a small shape shot down the stairs ahead of the rest to stop and look around. Her friend hadn't told her anything about this one. There was still enough light left in the day to filter down here, and to Illa it lit up a grand sight for her little heart. She was looking at a young kobold with long blonde hair flying behind him as he began to run around in joy, peeking here and there as though he was trying to be sure that he was really there in this place. He turned a little away from her and she caught sight of his tail, a little different from her own, she thought as she admired his bottom. She sighed to herself quietly. But when he turned around and stepped forward, thinking that he'd heard something, Illa almost gasped and had to make a conscious effort to hold herself still. She wondered how it might feel to kiss those lips and hold someone like that to her tightly. The thought felt so good to her, but then she felt her mouth begin to drop open as she stared leaning forward a little to see better. She almost fell for a moment, but she caught herself and sat back again. Illa smiled to herself, remembering that Mother had said something about a small surprise, and if this wasn't just that, well then she didn't know what was. She really hoped that there was no female kobold in the group. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 10 **I just couldn't get it all to fit. It ought to read, "5 demonesses, 2 demonlords, one furry Zele but no partridge in a pear tree." Yeah well, it's not like I get Christmassy all that often. I'd also like to apologize for what I'm doing as I struggle really hard to get a lovely Scots accent to come through in print. I originally wrote it straight, but the feeling just didn't come through, so if you're Scottish, try to remember that I'm trying hard to do this justice. O_o ---------------- Illa looked carefully at them from her perch. There were seven altogether, five of them females. She saw her friend, the older one who wished to be known as 'Mother', along with two who appeared to be somewhat younger. One of them looked much like her friend and the other one was a little different from them. The last two looked younger still and other than their coloration, they were very similar. There were two males, the kobold and the one who must surely be the laird, she thought. He looked something like a giant to her and she doubted that there was very much about him that was soft until she saw him smile at the younger females and she knew that they were together somehow. Toby looked around. "What is this place?" "Zele's pet told me of it," the old demoness said, "and it stirred some memories in me. As I flew here to see it, many more thoughts came to me then, and when I walked in here, the last piece fell into place and I knew where I was. The whole thing," Mother said, "is the ruin that is Yester Castle, or was, once. There is a newer manor house nearby, but the tower and a few half-tumbled walls are all that remains of the original structure. Where we stand now is the Goblin Ha or hall. It is said that the first laird's grandson, Sir Hugo de Giffard was the one who built the original keep around 1267. Sir Hugo was known as the Wizard of Yester, a powerful warlock and necromancer and it is said that he practised his art right here in this hall. The hall and much of the place was supposed to have been built by his personal army, a benefit of his pact with the devil." She smiled, "It is never said which devil, and anyway, most people believe nothing of the tale anymore, though I know the ones who were involved. But I can say that in legends and folklore among the humans, there is almost always a kernel of truth to the often fanciful tales, and this is no exception," she said with a smile toward Maezou. "You have been here before." "Yes!" Maezou said, remembering, "There was a knight who was the lord here. He lived long according to the terms of the agreement, but he refused to honor it when the time had passed. He had another agreement with a different pit for his life to go even longer. Somehow he tricked both pit masters. When that was known, there was a separate arrangement made between the two pits and I was sent to hunt him down. I knew the details because it was told to me that I was to bring him, but he was to be taken in a way that would not upset things. His heir was not to know that the soul was gone to a hell. It was to be seen as a normal death. All that was to be known was that this place was to be left." She smiled, "I came to him as a lost young woman, one who wanted to be a witch, but knew little of how to do it. He brought me here to use me, but I took more than his seed from him. I took all of his essence over three nights. He intended to kill me the last night, but he knew at the end and tried to run up to the main keep when I broke his chains and came after him. But he was old and his life was almost gone. There was little left to drive his heart and he died on the way. No one saw me take the last of him and then I was gone, leaving his body behind. It was seen as the normal death of an old man." Mother smiled, "The arrangement has outlived almost all of the parties. The first demonlord's hell fell and was taken by another soon after in the normal course of events." She grinned as she looked around the hall, "But the arrangement survived. This place was built as part of the keep. The lord and his family were Normans. When the Scots rose up, the castle was pulled down so that the English couldn't use it, but no one dared to touch this hall or the tower above it, and no horses or oxen would come near to be used to pull it down. Any who tried to lever out a single stone died horribly in sight of others, and so it was left alone. The castle was rebuilt in a different style twice more, once as a concentric castle, walls around walls around the keep, and after that it was built with even more complexity, with a moat made by the diverted river so that it was almost on its own island. But by then, that sort of castle wasn't needed, and it fell into disrepair and the family didn't spend their gold to repair it. They built the new manor house over that way. The people came and took what stonework they could for their homes and no one prevented it. But no one touched this hall and one corner of the watchtower -- and of course, there are reasons for that, and they stand here still today. There are secret doors leading down to a lower level where Thiery was born and raised in the hall of a goblin king. People today know nothing of the doors and they are right over there, though humans can't see them. Look there and you see the large hearth. We all do, Lord Tobias. But if you stood here as the man you were before, you'd see only the same blank walls everywhere." She stepped over to the wide hearth, already full of firewood with a huge pile nearby that Illa had brought and placed there over the time. She held her hand near the flue and felt the draft pulling away from her. "Thiery," she said pointing, "The path to the well and the bolt-hole are still open. Go and look to see if smoke rises from the main chimney stack of the manor house. If it does, we may light the hearth here and begin to dry the place out. It will be dark very soon, and we need to set a few things straight before we go to the levels below." The kobold nodded and ran off. Illa watched, wanting to follow, but she didn't dare to reveal herself. He was back moments later and nodded, "The main stack shows smoke." "Good," Mother sighed, and she spun to send a thought to the hearth. The hall was lit by the glow of the flames a moment later. "Now," she said, "Let's see about the main doors." "Wait, Mother," Toby said, looking around in a bit of wonder, "What does it matter if there's smoke from the manor's chimney? Is that where this flue leads?" "No," she smiled, shaking her head, "of course not. It leads to the watchtower above us. There is still a flue from the old hearth there and this one connects to it. Soon, there will be a new mystery here, "she chuckled. "The locals can tell their tales over their pints in the pubs about how the old watchtower fire burns again -- because it will. This place is known to a group of humans who care for the castles remaining in this land, and they'll likely come to see what's going on, but by that time, we won't be here, and they'll find doors that will not open, both here and in the watchtower." She laughed a little, "In truth, they choose carefully from among the castles that they are charged with caring for. They have only a certain amount of their money to spend, so they choose and divide what they have. Some castles are repaired and restored very carefully. It's all for the people so that they keep their history alive. But no one cares much about this place since there is so little left. They just come here and look to see that it hasn't fallen in." The cold breeze from the entrance stairway stopped as a grating crunch came to their ears and Mother smiled, "And the next time that they come here, they'll find that the old Goblin Ha has stone doors once more which cannot be opened." Thiery had been listening, but his nose told him of a different tale, so he walked to the hearth and stepped into a little alcove beside it that he knew had existed before. What he found there brought him running to Mother. "There's pots in the old kitchen! There's pots of stew, lady, just wantin' tae be hung on the hooks on the hearth! There's meat in there and carrots and --" "Well then go and hang them," the old demoness grinned, knowing what Illa had done, "With luck, you'll find a loaf or two of bread as well, stolen from the manor house, if my guess is correct." He looked astounded, "But who --" She laid her hand on his small shoulder. "Theiry, just try to humor an old mother for a little while and don't ask questions yet. If you can do that for me, I think that I can promise something that can make you smile even more than you are now." Thiery nodded and turned to begin hanging the pots, but Mother knew about kobolds. If there was one thing which might be said that applied to all of the smaller races, it was that they all had trouble containing their curiosity. Thiery struggled to lift one of the cast iron pots. He let go and looked at it. He could lift it, but it was too high for him to be able to really manage to get it down so that he could carry it without some sort of mishap. Illa watched from her niche and wanted to hit her head against the stonework next to her. She hadn't known that there would be someone like him with them. She'd just assumed that someone larger would carry the pots. She wouldn't have been able to carry them herself, she'd just put them out and filled them. Toby noticed and stepped over, "Would you like a little help, Thiery?" "Aye, Laird," he groaned in defeat, "I'm a wee bit too small fer this. I'm afraid that if I even get these tae the fire, I'll nae be able tae lift them so they'll hang. Even if I could, I'd likely fall inta the hearth." Toby smiled, "Then let me do it for you, and try to find some pots that you can manage for the next meal." They'd all wandered and drifted around the place, but Mother called them all back to her. "I want you all to know what it is that we are doing here," she said, "Most of us know, but there are some that may not know everything, and there are some that are not known to the others. I was waiting for two more, but-" The doors resounded with three crashing booms which echoed through the hall. Everyone turned in that direction but Thiery. He knew the kind of presence who often knocked in this sort of way -- just before smashing in a door that was not expected to be closed. He began to back away in fear. There was another individual who knew just what caused Theiry's fear because she had the same fear, but she also saw that Theiry was about to run away senselessly, and likely straight into a wall in his terror. Illa leapt from her perch and spread her wings. Theiry had managed to turn, but he had trouble getting his legs to obey him. He was about to whimper when he found himself airborne and rocketing away toward the back of the hall. "Hold still," he heard a voice hiss into his ear. He felt a pair of thin arms holding him tightly. The darkness of the rear passageway was coming at him quickly. He closed his eyes, but opened them again to blink in the darkness. He knew from the sounds around him that the walls of the passageway were not far off and wondered how whatever was holding him could manage this until her heard the beat of wings above him. He could see well in the dark and the wind on his face and in his eyes told him that he was moving at quite a clip through the dark tunnel. He hoped that they'd make the turn near the well. Illa set him down near the bottom of the rear stairway. Thiery turned to see what had carried him off. When he did, he saw an imp folding her wings and almost fell backwards into the well, but her hand flashed out and grabbed his wrist as she turned to run. "Come on," she said, "Run! I canna carry ye farther here. It's too closed in." She began to run as fast as she could, dragging the astounded kobold along. They came out through the bolt-hole and landed breathlessly in the cold damp grass of the gully. ----------------------- Back in the main hall, Mother waved her hand to open the doors. They began to swing inward and a slim figure slipped through as soon as there was the space for it. The doors had to open quite a bit more to allow what followed her to come in. As soon as he was inside, the doors began to swing closed again slowly. Two of the females at the bottom of the stairs knew who the one at the top was before they even saw any of her and began to walk in that direction. She came down quickly and they stared at each other. She looked at the two and saw individuals who bore little resemblance to her or each other. They saw a demoness, naked like them, but who bore many markings and tattoos on her skin. Though that skin was pale in color, it appeared dark from the markings, and in an instant, they could see that the markings moved on her, curls and tendrils, snakes and lizards, all writhing over her soft and beautiful skin. There were dark wings that she opened out behind her, and her tail snaked between her legs, the tip of it hovering near her labia nervously. From what they could tell, all that she wore was a chain which encircled her hips and a collar around her pretty throat. "Welcome, Megaera, "Mother smiled, "It was a bit of a surprise to find that you were here when I came earlier." "I have slept for long years, "the chained one said, "I am owned by my master and I sleep when he does. He wakes me when he has need of me. He has awoken because he felt heat from the hearth in the tower and knew that someone was here in the hall who knows much." She looked at the other two again, "So you are the others. At last we three meet in one place." They nodded to her and she saw that they had a relationship between them. She turned as her master came down the steps and went to stand by his side. He looked to be more of a lizard than a human, though the general form of a powerful man was about him in some way. His head was human-like in a manner of speaking, though he had long ears like an elf and long, fairly straight horns which rose above with only the slight sort of curve to them that one might find on a saber. He stood on large clawed, lizard-like feet and he bore great wings which rose behind him. The overall look was very dark. The only lightness to him was the tone of his skin over his chin and across his chest, leading down along the underside of his long tapering tail. Every female there looked at his large tackle, in plain sight on him. "So we are all gathered then," Mother said with a warm smile. She nodded toward the large male, "Lord Racephet." He stared at her and looked for a moment as though he was fit to spit flames. ------------------ "The demoness has roused the old demonlaird wi' the fire from the hearth," Thiery gasped as his cheek lay against Illa's shoulder, "I've never seen him. I just knew that we were all to keep quiet so that he didna wake. That's got tae be him, from what I felt." "Aye," Illa wheezed under him, "It's him, I just know it. My mother told me that he was in the tower sleeping. I saw that ye were going tae start crashing inta things. I wanted tae pull ye out before ye jumped inta the hearth tae hide or somethin'. So I came tae get ye. Let's let the old demoness deal wi' the laird. She seems tae know what she's about, I daresay." She felt the pressure and throb of his penis against her flank. It felt good but, ... "Here," she said, "Ye know that ye can thank me fer it any time now, but ye can stop that before ye even start. I'll nae have ye humpin' my leg like this without at least hearin' yer name." Thiery got off Illa a little reluctantly. When she rolled over to sit up, she found him on his knees bowing. "My thanks fer savin' my life, and my name's Thiery." Illa smiled,"I knew that, Theiry. I heard what Mother called ye. I'm Illa, and savin' ye was nae trouble. I dinna think that ye needed saving. I wanted tae get outta there meself. I'm sure that ye'd have done the same fer me -- if ye had wings, and ye knew that I was there and about tae run inta the fire or somethin'. But ye seem tae know the place well and I'm wonderin' how that is. I've been livin' here alone since me Ma was killed, and I've never seen ye before. I'm sure that if I'd seen ye I'd have remembered. All I've ever seen is filthy goblins and none fer the last I dinna how long." She looked at his erection. She knew what it was and also a little of what it meant because her mother had told her of these things years before. She'd just never seen one and she reached to hold it gently in the way of female imps if they are trying to show friendly interest in a male who appeals to them. It was a gesture that was common to kobolds as well, though she didn't know it. Thiery wanted nothing more than to reciprocate, but he felt uncommonly shy toward her because he couldn't believe that someone so lovely would do this in a first meeting. "And I can tell that ye're nae goblin, Thiery. Ye're a kobold as sure as I'm alive, and I've never seen a nicer one -- not that I'd know much about them. I've only seen a few of 'em, but I like ye all the same," she said, liking the feel of what she held. "I was born in the hall down below," Thiery smiled a little shyly, "I came tae the upper hall here one day when I was fifteen and the next thing I knew, I had chains on me and I was standin' before a demonlaird in some awful place. I've never been back here since." Illa's eyes widened in shock and she let go of him. "It was you! Oh Thiery, I'm sorry." "Not half as sorry as I am that ye've let go of me, Illa. What did I say that would make ye stop somethin' as nice as that?" Illa looked down, "I think that the one who caught ye was my Pa, from what my mother told me. He took a kobold that he'd caught here to the hell that they ran from to offer to the laird there so that they could stay here. I was born after he left. He never came back. Ma said that he was likely killed." Now it was Thiery's turn to look sad. "He was, as soon as he tried tae offer me in his place. The laird there, he, ... well, ... " Theiry didn't want to tell exactly what had been done to her father. "He tried tae make yer father tell where yer mother was, but he wouldna tell of it, no matter what they did, so he was killed. They kept me there in his place anyway and didna think tae ask me." He looked away into the darkness, "It wasna a good place tae be a kobold." Illa turned from him and hid her face, wanting to cry, but Thiery moved closer and put his arm around her shoulders. "Here, Illa, "he said, "None of that was your doing. I don't hold ye tae blame fer that. I'm just so happy that there's someone as nice as you here. It means that I won't be the only one they'll all have tae look out fer tae keep from stepping on." She looked up at him and saw his smile. It was all that she could do not to sigh right then. She'd never seen a warm smile like the one on his face. She knew that she'd have been happy to see anyone her size, but to her, he was wondrous, masculine in his way and yet charming and as childlike as she was, though in a different way. She found that she couldn't help it as she reached out to hug him. "I'm glad ye're here too, and I'll keep me eyes open tae save ye again if I see that someone's about tae squish ye." "I dinnae know what to do now," she said, "Do ye reckon that we should go back?" He kissed her cheek and sighed, "I guess so, but I'd rather just stay here with ye." Illa laughed, and Thiery had never heard an imp's laughter that sounded so good to him in his life. "I think we'll have the chance to hide together here and there, Thiery. But we ought to see if there's anybody left alive in there. I think it's alright. I havna heard any shrieks or bellows, so I think it's safe." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 10 "The shrieks and the bellowing will come soon enough, "he said with a small grin, "just as soon as Laird Tobias starts loving wi' one of his two girls. It's fun tae watch 'em." They stood up and he took a step toward the bolt-hole, but he found her tugging him back. He looked at her curiously. She smiled, "Ye havna really thanked me fer what I did. What ye said was nice and it was so polite and all, the way that ye bowed tae me, but, ... well, I was really hopin' fer a kiss from ye." Theiry smiled and stepped close to her. As soon as their lips met, they both sighed and it turned into them holding each other with her wings wrapped around them. Illa was maybe a half an inch taller, and they weren't the same creatures, but for them, they were close enough and nothing really mattered anyway. That was how Zele found them a few minutes later. She could barely suppress the sigh that she felt coming to her as she watched them for a moment with a soft smile. "Mother wants Illa and Thiery to come back to the hall now," she said quietly, "Zele thinks that she is losing her pet, but she doesn't mind." The small ones came out of their clinch and walked to the hall holding hands. ---------------------------- He shook his horned head with a grunt. "Not Lord Racephet, "he said, "No longer, not for a long age now. Just Racephet." "Racephet the disgraced," he sighed deeply, "Racephet the fallen." Mother's smile didn't fade a bit. "No. You hold a Fury to you in Megaera here. That makes you still a demonlord to anyone, you only have no pit anymore, and that makes Lord Racephet very important to us all. Please meet Lord Tobias, his consorts, Maezou and Zele, and Tisiphone and Alecto, the other two Furies to your chained one, Megaera. Tisiphone, Maezou and Zele are my daughters." She turned back to look at the small ones, "And I also wish to have you all meet Illa and Thiery, the imp and the kobold, two small surprises who are happy to have found each other, I see." Racephet looked around him and saw Toby. They both knew at once who they were in the presence of and nodded. "Racephet is the other lord who was tricked by Sir Hugo and it has cost him very dearly. Still, he is a lord and ought to show it, I think," Mother grinned. Megaera leaned against him a little as she stretched up slightly to kiss his cheek. "The past is gone, my lord," she said quietly, "but some things are unchanged. You were never Racephet the fallen. You did not fall. These ones show you what I have always said. Show them what I see. Racephet the kind. Racephet the wise. Show them mighty Racephet." The large demon smiled a little at the honor that he was being shown. He pulled his fingers into fists as he closed his lizard eyes for a moment and his head tilted back with the effort. He grunted, and everyone stared as the darkness around him was dispelled with a quiet whoosh and flames leapt up from his arms, wings and back. His head came forward again and he smiled a little wickedly, "It feels good to do that again," he said, stepping forward to take Toby's forearm is a friendly gesture. The two small creatures looked as though they were about to run away again for a moment. "Lord Tobias is a new lord, made by Maezou who was a huntress, "Mother said, "He has no pit either. We seek to plan his rise in a way that does not upset the power of all of the hells. We have no wish to start a war over nothing. We need your hall to prepare and to hide while he comes into his own. From what I know of you, you wish to have no pit anymore either. Is this still true?" "Yes," the glowing one said quietly, "and I know you and your daughter from the time that I was her pit master. The best huntress she was that I have ever known. It is good to see you still alive and well, my girl. I feel that you have taken much more power from when I knew you." He thought for a moment, "You may use my halls, both this one and the one below, though there may be foul things there which will need to be cleaned out, goblins and the like. I came here to hide myself in my disgrace, but I think the time for that is past if I understand what you have yet to say. You wish for me to ally myself to this Lord Tobias." Mother nodded, "Feel his strength, Racephet. He has enough to take many hells. Maezou can take many as well, but they don't want to." He nodded, sensing the power of the two. "How many could you hold?" he asked as he smiled at the old one. "I want them even less than they do," she replied, "We all want only to be free. I have my freedom. Zele has hers by her nature. Maezou has taken hers, and Tobias wants to be free by her side." The pots over the fire had been simmering for a little while and the aroma began to carry to them all. They sat down here and there waiting and talking amongst themselves. Megaera sat with the other Furies, feeling more at ease by the minute. "I have never wanted to be a pit master," Racephet said in his deep voice, "It was just the only way to avoid being the slave of another. I served my time, and rose as I could. When I had the chance to take a hell, I did it only to be a little free. But it was never much of any sort of freedom. I had to keep everyone in line and working. There was little time to tell myself that it was what I wanted. It wasn't what I wanted. It was only what was better than being a servant." He sat down with Mother, Maezou, Toby and Zele. "At least I can say that my hell did not fall," he smiled, "I released everyone, and after they'd all gone, I pulled it down myself and walked away." He looked over at the Furies for a moment. "I will swear allegiance to you, Tobias. What I want is to remain free, and I want also to live free. I have taken Megaera because we love each other and it was a way for us to keep some power to ourselves. She is bound to me by her oath, and nothing else. She grew tired of reaving souls." "They all have," the old demoness remarked, "Look at them. None of us know how it was that they were tied by their names to a Greek legend that became a Roman one in time as well. This is the first time that they have all been in the same place together, three soul reavers who knew nothing of each other but what had been told to them somewhere. But they are powerful, and they are known to all as the Furies. I would have my daughter Tisiphone and her lover swear to Tobias if they would. With you and Megaera sworn as well, we hold much power. I cannot swear to Tobias, though I would if I could, just as Zele here has." The demonlord looked around and nodded, "I think that there might be enough to keep most of the lords quiet and grumbling to themselves, but if they ever joined against us ..." "True," Maezou said, "but think of them. They cannot agree on anything as it is. Even if they could agree that it was needed to defeat us, they'd waste a hundred years trying to decide which of them should lead. Somebody has to be in charge." It made Racephet laugh for a minute. "True, Maezou, very true. There would be hells falling just over that." He looked at her for a second, "The last time that I saw you, there were many marks of lords on you. Yet I see only one mark now. How was this done? You cannot remove the mark of a lord. It is not possible." "Between Toby and my mother, it is." She shrugged and Racephet's eyes widened at what power that must have taken. Mother called them all together at that point. After explaining what was to be done, she asked them each in turn to swear fealty to Lord Tobias. He felt like an idiot as he stood there at first, but he knew that this had to be done like this and he felt better once he'd thought of how it could keep them all safer. "What do you hold here?" Toby asked Racephet afterwards in a quiet moment. The demon shrugged, "As much as I wish to," he said, "I have not blocked anything in a long while now. At first, I had to keep only soldiers out, then peasants for hundreds of years. I have blocked nothing for a long time now." "Well today, there are young ones who come to spray paint everywhere, for one thing," Maezou said, "There is some of it over one of the arched doors, and these windows have grates over them, and nothing more than that." Racephet smiled as more stone was heard grating against stone. They looked up and the windows were closed over as though they'd been bricked that way from the start. "The tower is now closed off as is this place," he said, "Tell me if there is more to do and it will be done. When do you wish to enter the lower hall?" "Tomorrow is good enough," Mother smiled as she saw that Tisiphone was bringing one of the pots to serve them as Alecto carried the bread and a stack of wooden bowls. "I found these," she said, "they're clean -- but they're wood." "Aye, " Illa said, "I cleaned them all. They was here, and they're not that old. They was just dusty. I dinna know where they're from Miss, I just made sure they was clean." Racephet smiled and beckoned the imp and the kobold closer. They looked very nervous about it, but they held each other's hands and stepped closer cautiously to stand before him. "I like the two of you," he said softly, "You may not wish to believe it, but I do not eat ones such as you. I have heard your thoughts and you need not fear me if I look at you. Tell me, what is it that you would like out of this rise of Lord Tobias?" "We didna know much about it," Illa said, "and we've only just met everyone all together." "I dinna know what it is that we want," Theiry said. "Safe," illa nodded, "I know that it's not all important to one such as yer lordship, being big and strong and all, but to ones like us, it's something if we know that we're safe. It's bad enough if ye're small enough tae be stepped on by yer big friends, but we also need tae worry about other things. I'll no mind serving, as I'm sure Theiry feels the same way, if I'm tae speak fer him, but if ye can try to keep us a little safe, well I'll no mind that. I've been alone here for a long time and all that I ever remember being was afraid and hungry." He smiled, "There is no such thing as truly safe. There are ones which I could fear if I thought about it, but I understand. That there are little ones like you here makes me feel safe -- as strange as it may sound to you -- for it means that you can be here, no? And after all of the time that I have spent turning away from everything, it is good to see that ones like you are still here." He looked around at the others who'd heard him. "I don't think there is a single one here who would not try to help you both if you needed it." The others nodded and smiled at the smaller ones. "None of us can promise that you can be kept completely safe," he said, "but I hope that this might make you feel a little safer than you were before we came here." They nodded and thanked him before turning away to look for something to eat for themselves. "What brought that out?" Mother asked. "I was not always as I am now, my friend," he said, "For a long time, I did not grow much beyond that size. That part of my life was terrible, so I know how they feel. If they are here as parts of this, well there is enough to fear, no? I mean more than the fear of something real. Add the worry of just living your life afraid, and I know there are some who would not wish to live at all. That imp girl had that thought not long ago. I see it in her." "Yes," Mother sighed, "that's why I made sure to go right up to her and meet her when I first came here. She didn't know that I could see her where she hid herself, but I did. Such a lovely imp she is. My heart went to her right away. Look what she did for us, Racephet. I only asked for a little work from her to clean this place. She did that and far more. I gave her a doe to eat. I'm sure that most of that went into this stew. In the manor house, they will soon wonder where all of their blankets have gone, "she chuckled, "I said nothing about that, but she has brought many of them here for us." -------------------------- The evening turned into night as they all ate and talked. Slowly, they all found a blanket or two and looked for a corner in the thirty-seven foot long hall to bed down. Megaera lay in Racephet's arms as he kissed her throat. "How did it feel to find these supposed sisters of yours?" he asked her. "Strange," she shrugged, "We have spent our lives all doing the same thing and none of us knows why, other than we always felt that it was what had to be done. None of us want to do it anymore but we've decided that we'd like to know each other better. They have a new love beginning between them and I asked about it. They only know that it is what they want. We are the same in many ways, but I have never wanted what they have now, though I can see in them now how I felt when you and I began. I had hope for myself then and I still do, Racephet. I am happy, just as they are." She nuzzled into his neck and sighed as his fingers found the places on her body that she loved for him to touch. "They asked about you, you know." He smiled, "They did? What did they ask?" Her tail found its way to his abdomen and slid down, wrapping itself around his penis gently. "Yes," she sighed into his ear, "They wished to know how it was even possible to fuck with one such as you." She smiled, "There were two things that they wished to know, the same two things that I wished to know from the first moment that I saw you. You were so sad then, but you knew that I wanted you. For the first time in hundreds of years, you made your flames for me to see how magnificent you are like that. They wanted to know how it felt to have a flaming hot and glowing demon's prick inside me. I told them the truth and said that it was not as hot as it looks and how it feels wondrous and hot without burning me, but the second thing caused me a bit of trouble. They thought that you were like a man, and that what you have grows even more when you are aroused, and of course it doesn't. It stays just the same good size and gets stone hard -- perfect for me. I left them that little mystery." Theiry and Illa walked around the hall silently, watching the others who were mating quietly. They were careful not to look too long. Thiery felt Illa's hand slip into his. She looked over to him, "Theiry? I don't really know how tae ask but, ... Do I look nice tae ye? I mean, we're not the same, are we? I see a man just my size wi' a tail and horns when I look at ye. But I've got these goat's eyes and horns and my wee tufty little goat beard on my chin. I must look like a goatish bat te ye. You look like a handsome kobold tae me and I'm likin' what I see so much, but, ... Am I fair te ye?" He turned to stand in front of her and he saw her eyes open wide. Thiery knew what she was worried about. Illa's face had just a hint of a goat look to it, but mostly, her face looked much like a human girl's, though she had the teeth of any of the demon races, as did he, for that matter. She was feeling worry over nothing, he thought. He'd never seen a more lovely imp anywhere. He almost ached to see her eyes lidded down with lust. He had to do something to allay her doubts - and quickly. He gently took her horns in his hands and he kissed her. "That's what I think," he smiled, "We're not the same. But we've both got our hooves, and I've a wee beard too, don't I? Look close, dear. I've eyes like yours, they're not as nice as yours, that's all. I've nae wings, but ye don't seem tae mind. I'm not sayin' we're close enough because it doesna matter. I've been wi' kobold girls and demon girls and even goblin girls, Illa. But I've never seen a girl as sweet and nice as the one I'm lookin' at now, so don't yae go doubtin' yerself. Ye can ask any of them here, and they'll all tell ye that ye're lovely and ye're just what I'm wantin' fer a friend and te say the truth of it, I lost ma wee heart when I almost fell intae the well." He kissed her softly as he caressed one of her breasts for a few moments and then he slid his arms around her to hug her. His erection pressed against Illa's belly as she opened her mouth to let his tongue in. They stood wrapped in her wings for long minutes. When they pulled apart, he smiled, "I've never felt something so nice as when ye cover us both wi' yer beautiful wings." "I'm glad ye're here, " she said again. "I'm wantin' tae do some of this wi' ye, Theiry, but I don't know much about it." "Ye were doing alright outside before I opened my mouth and it made ye stop," he said, "I've been cursing maself ever since." "But I didna know what I was doing. I was just holding it," she shrugged. "And I loved it when you did, Illa," he said, squeezing her hand, "It's nae about being good at it at first, it's about caring enough tae want to do it for someone, and having them do things tae ye that make you feel good too. Come on," he said, pulling her hand gently, "I can see what Miss Zele and Miss Maezou are doing from here." They stole silently over and Illa stood transfixed as Maezou and Zele took turns fellating Toby. Now and then one of them would open their eyes and smile at the two of them. Illa stared as Zele looked right at her while she was sucking Toby's balls. Maezou moaned softly a moment later and Illa noticed that Zele's tail was between her sister's thighs. They stepped away after a while and went to the middle of the room. Illa looked at Thiery a little wide-eyed. "What was she doin' wi' her tail?" Thiery smiled, "She can move it around. I couldna see, but she puts it inside Miss Maezou now and then. She says her eggs come out of it, but they don't grow or anything, they just come out later." "I didna know something like that could be done, Thiery, the way that they were sucking his thing like that," she whispered, "I canna say that I'll be able tae do that fer ye, though it was a little nice tae see how much he liked it." But Theiry didn't appear to have heard her as he stood on his tiptoes to look across the room. "Let's go over there, "he said, tugging her hand gently. He led her to where Tisiphone lay back in rapture while Alecto used her mouth in ways that Illa had never imagined either. Tisiphone groaned and her spray shot onto her lover's face, and she redoubled her efforts while Tisiphone writhed in joy. Theiry had to do his best not to laugh when he looked over at Illa as she stood with her mouth open. Illa pulled him away after a few minutes. "Didja see that?" She asked. He smiled at her, "Never mind what she was doing, Illa. Did ye see what it was doing tae Miss Tisiphone?" "Aye," Illa whispered, "I did. She looked like she was in a nice place." "Well, " Theiry looked down for a moment before looking at her with a small shy smile, "I canna say that I can take ye to the very same place, but I'd sure like tae try very hard. That is, if ye'd let me." She was astounded, "Ye -- ye'd do that fer me, Theiry?" His smile remained very shy, "Yes. I've done it before, and I can say that I quite like doin' it, too. I'd do that fer ye in a heartbeat, Illa." They heard grunts from one corner of the hall and followed the sounds. Megaera lay on her back and side with one leg over Racephet's shoulder and his hand helped her along as they copulated. She groaned loudly and her demon spray ran from his fingers in another second. The large demon lifted his hand and sucked the juices from his fingers. They were both a little shocked when it hit him, and he turned her onto her back to grab her hips so that he could pound into her furiously. His eyes lifted from her and for a moment, they were looking into the flaming lust in his red eyes. Megaera's eyes were glazed and what came out of her was a long hissing moan as his glowing maleness plunged in and out of her. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 10 Illa pulled Theiry away. She had to. She was sopping wet and doubted that she could stand there much longer without pulling him to the floor right there, and she wanted a less visible place for the two of them. She put her arms around him. "I know that we're not the right kind fer each other, and I don't even know if we'd make half kobold kids or what if we did it long enough. I dinna think that we can, but I don't care, Theiry. If ye'll do what you can fer me, then I'll do my best fer ye. I just want tae be as close as I can be tae ye now." She reached down with one hand and held him. A few moments later she raised her hand to look at the thin fluid on her thumb in the darkness. She sucked her thumb experimentally, "It's nice," she smiled, "So if I keep this up yae'll give me more?" He nodded and she reached down to feel her own wetness for a moment. She brought her fingers to his lips, "I've a present fer ye then." She watched as he sucked her fingers, kissing them when he could find no more of her juices. He smiled and said only one word as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, "Sweetness." Illa looked around, "But here," she said, looking a bit worried, "where'll we go? I don't think it would be wise tae go and love wi' ye on a ledge up there, and I'm wantin' a place where we'd be outta sight a little, dya ken? I'm new at this." Thiery smiled and led her to the little place in the alcove where she'd prepared the stew earlier in the day. She looked at him a little askance. "I'm wantin' tae love wi' ye a little, Theiry. I'm nae wantin' tae roll around in the middle of the turnips that I left here. Besides, what if we get all carried away-like and fall off?" He chuckled, "I'm nae wantin' ye to lie among all of the carrot peelings either, Sweetness. We can do this on the shelf underneath. We're not too big fer it there and if we fall off, it'll just be a small bump to the floor." "That's better then," she said with a giggle as she ducked to climb onto the shelf. "Come here, ye handsome thing, "she whispered, once she was on the shelf lying on her side, "Come and teach me all ye like!" She sighed and giggled a little as his hand began to caress her mound. She didn't mean for it to come out, but she couldn't stop her delighted squeak when she felt his fingers part her lips. She remembered after a minute and reached for his erection. Twenty minutes later, Illa's head was thrown back and she made soft little cries as she hung onto Theiry's horns to keep his mouth to her cunt. Half an hour after that, it was Thiery who held Illa's horns after they'd discovered how much she liked to suck after all. "Ye're a wonder tae me, Thiery," she whispered with a grin as she ran her fingers around her lips trying to find just a little more, "I knew what it was that males squirt, but I never knew that I'd like it so much. My lips are all numb but I dinnae care. I think I even did it right fer ye, didn't I?" He chuckled as he pulled her so that she was on top of him. "The way that ye did that, Illa, ye couldna miss." "Well ye could, I suppose," she grinned, "but I'll no let ye miss when I do that again, Thiery, not ever." They decided that it was plenty for their first time together, since she now had lots to feel good about and Thiery was tired from hanging onto Zele's back for dear life as they'd flown over. Illa carefully brought her wings forward to cover them. "I'll no mind if ye're needin' tae sleep, Theiry. I've never had a day like this in my life wi' all that's going on here now. But if we get a chance fer it tomorrow, could we fuck sometime?" He kissed her softly and smiled as he felt her face against his cheek right afterward. "Ye have my word, Sweetness." It was getting near dawn when Illa woke to find that she had to urinate. She got up and stole outside. The day was already looking fair to her, and she hoped that she'd continue to feel this way forever. She was on her way back when she noticed Maezou leaning against a tree silently. When asked, the demon smiled and said that she'd come for the same reason and just wanted to get a feel of the place when it was still like this. Illa felt nervous and a little foolish, but she asked the questions that she had in her mind, since she liked Maezou and wanted to get to know her better. Besides, she thought, the demon mated with her male often from what she could tell, and she thought that she might get some answers. The red-haired girl smiled, "Is he still asleep?" Illa nodded, and she reached up to take the offered hand and they walked silently into the hall. Illa listened to Maezou's softly whispered instructions in her ear. She reached for Thiery and toyed with his penis gently. When it began to respond, she heard Maezou's breath in her ear. "Suck it very carefully now, Illa," she whispered, "The idea is not to wake him yet, though it may happen anyway. You want him as hard as a stick." As Illa worked on her knees, she sighed softly as she felt two of Maezou's fingers helping as they traced gentle little circles against her clitoris. When she'd succeeded a few minutes later, Maezou kissed Illa's ear very softly and said, "Now, very carefully, Illa, mount him. He'll likely wake up, but I don't think he'll put up much of a fight." Illa lifted her head and looked at Maezou, who nodded her encouragement, so she began to move so that she straddled Thiery. She had a bit of a time getting herself lined up, but Maezou guided her and then she started to work at getting Thiery past her maidenhead. He woke up and stared at her, "What are ye -" Illa pushed herself down right then and hissed as she felt him push past the constriction. She stopped then and slowly let herself down on him all the way in little movements. He felt wonderful inside her. "I'm sorry love," she whispered, "I just couldna wait. I've wanted ye so much," She took his hands and placed them on her hips with a soft smile. "Ye havna missed much. I wanted tae get ye inside me and past the tough bit while I could control things a little. I'm fine now," she said as she began to rock against him slowly. "I wanted to say 'good morning' tae my male that I'm wantin' like this." Thiery reached for her breasts and grinned. "Good morning, Sweetness." In the shadows not far off and easily seen by the small lovers if they'd looked, Maezou and Zele sat leaning against a wall with soft grins as they watched. -------------- **Note to readers: There is a Yester Castle, and it is in East Lothian. It's really a ruin and there is what's known as the "Goblin Ha" below it. The legend is that it was built by goblins under a pact made by the lord of the place, who was known as the Wizard of Yester. Anything in this beyond that is pure fiction. There really is well and a bolt-hole from what I was able to research - but there are no doors leading down to a hall below that. Oh, and Merry Christmas. O_o Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 11 **Toby can't just go out and seize his destiny single-handedly - or even with the aid of his two stunning consorts. He needs at least a little help from others and the older demoness knows this. It's why she's making some very careful and delicate choices for him. Yester Castle is the place that she's chosen for him to begin. O_o ------------- Lewis Crowe walked near the overhang of the trees at the edge of the wood looking for fallen branches. At this time of year, he liked to use the hearth in his little cottage. He did that for a couple of reasons, only one of them practical. He lived on a small pension and he hated to spend much on heating the place, for one thing, and for the small effort of hunting for what fell from the trees naturally, he had a warm fire to gaze into around Christmastime. It wasn't much, but it was something. It was his job anyway. He received a small income to keep the grounds of the place tidy and he was allowed to keep what deadfall wood he could cart off. He stopped for a moment to tie his long gray hair back. He'd been a laborer on the shipping dock of a printing firm for most of his adult life, never going anywhere or having a reason to. He supposed that he'd fulfilled his father's prophesy and had never amounted to much in a lot of ways. Then again, he's never had much to work with, being only five feet three inches tall. The younger workers at the place where he'd worked had liked to call him 'The Gnome' behind his back. Well they thought that he never heard them, but he did, of course. He'd been hearing that since he was in school. When the place had closed down, Lewis had decided to take early retirement, since he couldn't find anyone besides the people from the historical heritage foundation who would hire him. He didn't mind much. He'd lived near the ruined castle since he'd moved there twenty years before. All that he had to do was clean up the grounds now and then, keep an eye on the old place and report in periodically if anything worth calling about occurred -- and of course, nothing much ever did, other than a bit of vandalism by the local youth now and then. He had a passing thought of the woman that he reported to and for some odd reason it had come to him that she was the only other non-Scottish person that he knew. It had been a completely random thought to him and he wondered idly if that was why he fancied her a little. He threw the thought away after a second as what it was -- a random notion. Not many people gave him a thought, but he'd never cared where a person might be from. It was absurd to him. He just liked her, not that he had a hope of a similar thought in return from her. Like everyone else, that woman never spared him a thought. He only thought of her now and then because she was the only female that he had any interaction with at all, other than perhaps a clerk in a shop now and then when he actually broke down and purchased anything. He had no way of knowing it for certain, but he was correct. That woman never thought about him at all, other than to see him now and then on her rounds for their employers, the heritage foundation. He didn't know much about her, and he only saw her once or twice a year if she came to perform a quick inspection. He didn't know much about her, and of course, she didn't know much about him. No one did, really. But Lewis was a little special. He'd learned from the old folk tales that his mother and his aunt had told him about all manner of the magical folk who had once lived "not too far off in the woods" wherever man and made his home long ago. He'd added to that from the old books that he'd collected as well. He could quote chapter and verse on any topic from brownies to trolls, not that anyone ever asked him to. In actual fact, that woman did know about the lore that Lewis carried in his mind. She just hadn't had the need of any of it yet, and so she didn't give him much of a thought, other than how well he did his job. He finished tying back his hair and noticed a few thicker branches not far off. He smiled. There was enough right here for several evening's worth of heat once it had dried out if he was thrifty -- and Lewis was nothing if not thrifty. He'd banked quite a lot of his wages over his life. He lived alone -- as he'd always done in the little cottage in the woods that he'd found by accident and bought long ago. He pushed his wheelbarrow in that direction. If Lewis hadn't been quite so preoccupied with his thoughts, he might have noticed a couple of changes in the old ruined castle. But he hadn't been looking and that suited the tall demoness who'd been watching him from the window high up in the tower. She'd read his thoughts and from that, she knew of the woman who had a small office near another ancient castle, and it made the tall one wonder if that one might suit her needs a little better. She spread her wings and flew off, fading out of sight not long after. -------------------- The woman sat in an office looking over a page that she'd printed on her printer at her home the evening before. She'd done most of the work using her graphics tablet. The print was only something to use and sketch on if changes or additions came to mind. She looked to her notebook, filled with cryptic notes to herself to check on some spelling before she wrote down a few lines under the illustration, copying and checking with the utmost care. When she was done, she checked once more time and as she looked over the artwork before deciding on the coloration that she'd use in the final version, she mouthed the words to herself a time or two as she worked. It wasn't even really a conscious act to her. She was so busy concentrating now that it was just something that she did. ------------------------- The demon landed on a building in the middle of the town of North Berwick. Remaining invisible, she shook her head to clear the words that she'd heard and felt. It had been thousands of years since anyone had prayed to her, hoping that the weather that she caused would leave them alone. She looked around, trying to remember the last time that anyone had attempted an evocation. It had been a long time ago and it had ended badly for the hopeful summoners, thinking that all that they had to do was to summon her and bind her. She couldn't be bound, but she could be irritated enough to force them to do awful things to each other before she killed the "winner". The time before that, she remembered, it had been a priest who had commanded her to show herself in a temple filled with his followers, so she did. He pointed to her and bellowed his words of command for her to kneel. She'd smiled and tilted her head as the doors sealed themselves shut. He pointed and shouted again so she seized him and began to gnaw off his limbs before making him slide wetly along all of the walls and the ceiling -- driven by her pointed finger while she stood in the middle of the place. When she grew tired of that, the people stampeded for the sealed exits as she walked through the temple, slaying every one of the priests of the cult. When she'd killed the last one, she'd looked at how the followers had trampled each other and then she'd turned everything to dust, building and people, before she'd walked away through the now-deserted marketplace outside. She'd never been a goddess, had no desire for the role, and what prayers she'd heard long ago had been nothing more than an annoyance, since the weather was what was needed when and where she'd caused it. She'd never been the sort who could be forced to appear in response to an evocation. Some fools tried now and then and if she appeared at all, it was because she'd been irritated enough to want to crush the cause of her provocation in much the same way as a human might squash a bothersome mosquito. To hear a vague call like this, well, ... She was long past this nonsense. But her mood lightened after a moment, knowing who it had been and wondering a little at the timing of this. Details about the one at the other end of this came to her and only added to her smile. The demoness wondered how it was possible for a human to want the things that she felt about her. She took off again after a minute. This was someone who she had to meet. -------------------- Sharon Rizzo looked out from her office window in a bit of a rotten mood. If there was anything that she loved in her life, it was history. She could live and breathe the subject, but at times like this, she questioned her life choices. Sharon did have one other area of history which had fascinated her since she was a girl of about ten; she'd always had an interest in the supernatural and researched it about as much as she gleaned other historical facts. She'd moved to Scotland after completing her degree, and that had led her here years later. Now she had what might be termed a 'multi-facetted job' if one was being charitable, and one facet was sitting here on the off chance that someone might get it into their heads to come and visit the old place so she could take their admission and give them a bit of a talk about the castle's history if they looked interested. Of course, anyone with a brain wouldn't want to visit it in late December. Besides, it was close enough to Christmas that even ardent castle goers found their thoughts elsewhere. That was one of the reasons why Sharon was here today, sitting in the small visitor center. Like a lot of people, Sharon had fallen in love with wild and windblown historic places. But most of the time, those same places blew enough cold and damp wind up your skirt to help you past that romantic foolishness pretty quickly after a while. Sharon also had a background in graphic design, and had published a few books of what might loosely be termed as mildly erotic engravings relating to her rather 'demonic' dreams and nightmares. Knowing that she likely faced a boring day, she'd gotten her reports done in a hurry and was using the slack time to work on a few ideas for a coffee table book of demon sketches. Her hand drifted down unconsciously to the denim covering her thigh and she caught herself with a barely spoken and whispered curse as she remembered the cause of the automatic movement with a frown. And who wouldn't want another yeast infection at this festive time of year? Oh yeah, she thought, this on top of being alone and not being able to make it home to Philly for Christmas. Just freaking awesome. That was the other of the reasons why Sharon was here today, sitting in the small visitor center. She'd given the rest of the staff the day off, since she sure as hell had no other place to be or travel to. She sighed, pushing her long blonde hair behind her ear. Sharon was a thin woman who stood five feet eight inches tall, and referred to the image in her mirror as the stick girl from Philadelphia. She thought of her tiny breasts as fried eggs in waiting, and at forty-one, she didn't think that there would be anyone now who'd want to explore that territory before the waiting was over. She didn't know why, but she almost wanted to cry for a moment. Nothing like the holidays to make you feel the want of another person who might love you, she thought to herself. She thought back and realized that she hadn't had anyone like that in her life for almost three years now and he'd been a cast iron dick to her more often than not. She decided to close up a little after lunch and go home. At least she could be miserable in comfort. She turned to go back to her desk, and in that instant, she thought that she saw something just passing the edge of the doorway in the hall. Sharon was surprised. For one thing, she'd left the staff parking gate closed and knew that there were no other members of the staff on-site today. For another, she had a clear view of the visitor parking area and there were no vehicles there and there hadn't been even one all morning. The third thing on the list was that if she'd caught a glimpse of something or someone passing there, they'd made absolutely no sound. The building was a converted office trailer, and the floor creaked if one so much as farted. There was another possibility, though it caught her off-guard for a moment. Tantallon castle had long been known (or rumored) to be haunted. She heard reports about once a month from startled visitors who told of seeing one of the several supposed ghosts of the place, though the supposed sightings had all been in the castle proper, not in the visitor center where she was now. Still, she reached for the handle on her top left desk drawer. She wanted to get her camera, in case she could actually see the apparition -- if that was what it had been. But the camera wasn't where it was supposed to be and Sharon had to look down to see it. As her hand closed over the camera, Sharon was even more startled as she realized that she was no longer alone in her office and she looked up. The woman standing across the desk from her smiled pleasantly for a moment and then she looked very apologetic when she saw how the blonde had jumped in shock at her appearance. "Oh, I'm very sorry to have startled you," she said politely in a faint and unrecognizable accent, "I was looking for the castle curator and I saw the sign on the door." Sharon was looking at a tall woman, dressed almost as though she'd ridden here on horseback, though Sharon supposed that her outfit might be more suited to tromping through the moors just as well. She had long, gently curling dark brown hair and the eyes which regarded her in a hopeful and friendly way were almost golden. To Sharon, she looked astoundingly beautiful and was maybe forty-three at a stretch. The overall effect left Sharon feeling a little confused and off her stride. "Well that's me," Sharon smiled, recovering a little, "How may I help you?" The woman regarded her with what looked to her to be just a little more than polite interest, and in fact, there was suddenly a lot more to it for the other woman in a way. She seemed a little confused herself for a moment. "I um, I have some questions relating to the castle's history obviously and its structure, particularly the ground level chambers in the north range near what's left of Douglas Tower." The golden irises drifted away from Sharon for a moment to rest on the illustration that she saw on her desk. "Is, ... is that a drawing of a demon there on that drawing pad?" Sharon would have felt a need to cover the drawing ordinarily. One could never tell how something such as this might be interpreted. A finished book of glossy printed illustrations for sale in a shop was one thing, since it could be looked at and put down if desired, but in a curator's office, it was something that might be seen as something else by one with a narrow mind and a desire to make a complaint. Sharon felt surprisingly confident in the woman's company for some reason so she only shrugged. "Yes," she said, "I sometimes publish works pertaining to the subject. It's a pet hobby of mine and it helps to pay the bills once they're published and for sale. Do you have an interest?" "You might say that," the woman grinned, seeing what from her vantage point was an upside-down illustration which held some significance to her. She caught the penciled words below it. "You're very good," she said with some admiration, "Please, could you tell me where your works are published later? I think that I'd very much like to obtain some -- if the rest of it is like this." Sharon smiled, "I'd be happy to, but aren't you here to see the castle? There's no one here today, and I'd be pleased to show you the places here that you wish to see. It's pretty blustery out there, but I could stand the walk to the main part up the path." She held out her hand, "I'm Sharon --" The rest was forgotten as the other woman took her hand. Sharon was surprised at how warm and friendly the hand that grasped hers felt to her. "I'm happy to meet you," the woman said, "I'm Lily." They looked at each other for just a second and then Sharon grabbed her jacket as well as her set of master keys and they were off, walking along the long path to the castle with the sea wind whipping their hair around. Sharon was surprised to find that she still held her camera in one hand and slipped it into her pocket as they walked and she spoke of the history of the place and what had happened to bring it to its current state. The halls in the northern range echoed with the footsteps of the two women who found that they had quite a bit in common and quite enjoyed each other's company. "Why are you interested in this end?" Sharon asked as she admired Lily's rear profile, "There are rooms and chambers in better shape at the other end." "This end has the remains of Douglas Tower and the prison below it," Lily said, "and also, there are these workrooms and the cellars below them." Sharon was puzzled, "But the remains of the only cellars are where the great hall used to be." "Well," Lily said, "I guess that I had it wrong," she smiled, though she knew that she didn't. There were cellars below where they stood -- she could even see the faint outlines of the access doors that Sharon couldn't. Sharon pulled a thin thermos from her inner jacket pocket. "I've got some tea," she smiled, "I'd be happy to share." Lily nodded thankfully, "I'd love that, Sharon," she said, "there's nothing like standing in a castle with open window holes and no fire going to put a chill into you on a day like this." Sharon poured into the small cup and held it out to Lily. "True enough. This was once the bakehouse and that means that it was likely never cold while the castle was in operation. I sure wish that it was going right now." Lily nodded in agreement before she took a sip. She looked over the rim of the cup at Sharon and saw a lot of what was in her personality, things such as her likes and dislikes, faint hopes and dreams, as well as her deepest longing wishes, some of them incredibly recent and as yet, unrequited. She made a bit of a decision then and slid the tip of her tongue deeply into the hot tea for a moment before handing the cup across to Sharon, who hadn't seen what she'd done. Sharon noted that Lily had only sipped half of the small cup's contents and was pleased that Lily wanted to share it this way. She smiled and topped up the cup before taking a sip herself. Lily looked over and smiled, seeing the closed wooden door at the end of the room behind Sharon. The door had been a recent addition, made in the last ten seconds. Sharon had a warm feeling just beginning in her belly and she handed the half-empty cup to Lily, who grinned as she held it so that Sharon could refill it with the last of the tea. She held it up in a little toast before she took another sip -- and slid her tongue into the contents once more. "Thank you so much for sharing your tea with me," Lily smiled, "I wanted to mention something about your drawing," she said as Sharon took the cup, "It's rather accurate for a sketch of a storm demon from what I saw. You must have done a lot of research to learn about that." Sharon smiled as she sipped the last of the tea in a rather deliberate way. She hoped that Lily had the same thoughts as she did. She was almost certain of it from the way that they'd shared the tea, though she'd seen nothing of the way that Lily was preparing her by dosing the tea with her saliva. Sharon felt just a tiny bit odd as she felt the warmth of the baking fire and stepped a little closer to it unconsciously. "I have a few old texts," she said, "and a lot of reproductions of old texts. There's not all that much to be found concerning the specifics of how the types of demons look -- or are reputed to look. For my purposes, I use what I can find as the basis if I can and add my memories of any dreams that I may have had to that. In the case of the storm demon, it's all from my dreams." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 11 She shook her head in an attempt to clear it and noticed the fire burning in the bakehouse hearth for the first time in hundreds of years, but though she felt that she ought to be shocked about it, she found that she just couldn't summon up the effort that it would require. While Sharon struggled with that notion, Lily caused the door at the other end to appear as well as the closed shutters over the windows, and the large room was plunged into darkness except for the light of the warm fire, already making the room feel a lot more comfortable and private, very cozy, actually. Sharon looked at the other woman and was amazed at her own words a second later since there was nothing wrong with her judgment at all, she just felt a lot closer to her feelings, "Thank you for closing the room off like that. It's much nicer in here now. How did you know that what I drew was a storm demon?" "Please Sharon, would you like to take my picture?" Lily grinned mischievously. Sharon was distracted for the moment and she nodded, reaching into her jacket for the camera. Lily stepped forward. "Here," she said, as she slid the camera's carrying loop over Sharon's hand, "I don't want to you to drop the camera." Sharon nodded as she turned it on while Lily stepped back and posed a little. Sharon took one photo and then she looked at the little screen. Her eyes widened after a second and she looked up, "There's a -- a demon in the picture!" "I know," Lilly smiled, as she stepped forward to stand beside the startled curator to look at the screen, "That's what I look like. I just allowed the camera to catch me as I really am." "You -- you're -- " Lily nodded with a sigh as she placed her hand on Sharon's forearm. "Yes. Please Sharon, I'd really like it if you could hold your terror down to maybe just the point of fright before where you'd pee yourself. I really don't want that. I like you too much," she nodded, "I really do." Sharon backed up a little and found her backside up against the edge of the solid and heavy old wooden table that had just appeared behind her. Lily didn't want Sharon to hurt herself. "You're --" Lily nodded, "Really a demon, yes. Are you alright?" She sighed, "I hope that I haven't ruined this." "You're --" Lily rolled her eyes, "Alright, I'm a storm demon, specifically. Your drawing is remarkably accurate -- especially if your only reference source was your own dreams. You do such wonderful work. I'm not here to do you any harm, if that's what you're thinking. I just wanted to warn you about the words under the drawing. They're not quite correct, but they're close enough for one such as you to work. I felt it as you spoke them. That's really dangerous, Sharon." "Beautiful." Lily stared, "What? I mean, pardon me?" "You're so beautiful," Sharon sighed. Lily actually felt herself blushing a little, "Thank you," she said genuinely, smiling, "and so are you. Are you alright, or do you feel faint or weak or anything like that?" "I feel funny," the blonde said, "I'm not - , I mean, there's nothing wrong with me, really, I just feel different." The tall brunette nodded, "I know. I did that to you. I know that you're attracted to me and I have to admit that I felt the same way. I thought this might go someplace, one way or the other, and I thought that I'd take the opportunity to prepare you a little." "Prepare me?" "Yes," Lily nodded, "I'm not human and I don't want to hurt you, so even the possibility of something between us requires thought. I can read a lot of things in humans, Sharon. Almost all people are attracted to certain other people according to their tastes. That can be male or female. Depending on the person's gender, that makes them one way or the other. There are some that are bisexual and like both, but you're not any of them, Sharon." She stepped forward slowly and by the time that she stood just in front of the blonde, Lily was her naked and natural self -- horns, hooves, tail and all. Sharon stood still in wonder, not really feeling so terrified now as Lily's hand cupped her mound through the fabric of the jeans that she wore. Sharon moaned very slightly from the heat and comfort that came to her from the touch. Lily stepped back a little a moment later. Sharon looked up, "Why did you do that, and what did you mean earlier?" Lily smiled, "I sensed that you had some irritation. I can make it better, so I did." "I have a --" "Not anymore, Sharon, "the demon smiled, "I really can fix that quite easily. About the other thing, well, as I said, humans are usually either heterosexual or homosexual. A few are truly bisexual and some are asexual. But not you. You're someone who is truly rare among your kind because you are omnisexual. You have the ability -- or the curse -- to be able to fall in love with anyone if they possess traits which appeal to you. That's why you had those sweet little adventurous relationships when you were in university. You tried everything and found that you liked it all - almost, because in theory, you could fall in complete, head-over-heels love with a male who loves only other men and can feel nothing toward you. That would of course be more than a little heartbreaking for you, I think." Sharon nodded, "I know, and you're right." She sighed, "It happened once. I've always hated how I can just be so infatuated with someone for no reason, and they feel nothing for me. It doesn't do a lot for my self-confidence, since I can't ever trust my heart." "But I see something else in you which I find, ... " Lily smiled as she slid her arms around Sharon's waist loosely, " ... irresistible, because you also have a physical want that has the same borders as your emotional one." She pressed her palm against Sharon's breast very softly and Sharon felt it as though there was no jacket, blouse, and sports bra in between. She leaned in and kissed Sharon for a long moment. Both of them sighed, and Sharon's hand seemed to reach up between them out of its own volition to touch one of the demon's warm and inviting breasts for a moment, but she pushed Lily away gently after a little while. She looked up, panting a little. She'd never been kissed like that before, but even though it was better than anything that she'd ever known, she had a question that she needed the answer to. "Wait, please, Lily. I'm being good here, ok? I really want this, and I'm not afraid anymore -- at least not much and -- " "And you're very aroused right now," Lily beamed sweetly, "It makes me feel happy and very proud that I can make you feel like that." "Yes," Sharon admitted a little nervously, "I've never been this attracted to someone so quickly in my life before. Is this something that you're doing to me?" Lily shook her head, "No, and I never would. This is just attraction. I feel it too, and if you knew me better, you're be rather amazed." "What did you mean about my physical want?" Sharon asked, "I really want to know now." Lily hugged Sharon tightly and then she smiled, "You can fall in love with any type of person -- and you can make love with any type of person as well. I'm a very old demon, Sharon. I have the ability to love one person deeply and rut with anyone who strikes my fancy. It is a dangerous way to live, so I have never lived like that. I took a male now and then and loved him, but it wasn't what my body and my nature really wanted." She sighed, "I loved them, especially one human man, I really did, but I wanted many, many more. A little strange to think that a demon such as I am would have to hold back. In all of my time, I've never allowed myself to just do as I wanted." She looked down at Sharon, "For the first time in my long life, I'm sure that I've found someone that I can understand and who might understand me perfectly. You're exactly that same as I am." She laughed softly, "We both know that gender doesn't matter to ones like we are, Sharon. I felt that about you, and so I prepared you for it. A human can't have any sort of contact with the fluids of a demon of either sex. We are poison to your kind, but I suppose that there is some commonality to our natures since it is possible for us to mate with each other. I could have waited and then kissed you sooner or later, but I couldn't help it and I knew how you felt anyway. A little of my saliva is all that you'd need in your system to get used to me, so I dipped my tongue in the tea that we shared. In a day, you'll be able to survive being intimate with me -- if that is what you'd wish then." To Lily's pleased surprise, Sharon actually grinned a little, "What would you wish -- then?" "Never mind then," Lily sighed just before she licked Sharon's ear lightly, "I'd love to make love to you right here and now, but I have things that I need to do. What I'd really want with you, Sharon, is to spend enough time together to have the kind of friendship between us that I absolutely know that we can have. Look at me, Sharon. I know that you can see it in me just as I can see it in you. The fact that we're talking like this proves that I'm attractive to you and you want this as well, since you haven't exactly tried to run screaming from me, and I know that you're aroused. I feel it clearly." The human looked and nodded after a second, "I can see it, Lily. I can see that you really want something emotional with me. I'm beginning to feel as though I could float away - and that's pretty weird, considering how many minutes we've known each other. And yet," she said with a bit of wonder, "I'm not even doubting it - any of it. It feels incredible to me - like looking into a jewel that I've found to see another world inside of it." She looked at Lily, "Ok, I know a little about some kinds of demons. What are you offering me and what's the price to me?" Lily stared for a moment and then she laughed. Sharon had a thought that if this happened, she'd have felt fear, but she didn't. She wanted to spend the rest of the week in Lily's arms. Lily freed a hand to wipe the tears of laughter from her eyes, "From your point of view, you'd be quite correct, if I was a lower demon bent on seducing you. I'm many orders above that type, though the thought of either one of us seducing the other is making me as wet as you are now." "Have it your way," she grinned, "I'm offering a chance at a relationship that caters to OUR predilections and tastes - and I'm hopeful for our happiness as well, though it's too soon to be able to guess at that - even for me. Right here and now, I'm offering a chance at a friendship and hopefully much more. You get me, I get you, and we go from there. Oh, and we get to fuck anyone that we like along the way, knowing that it doesn't affect us. What it will cost you, I guess, is the effort at that sort of relationship. You're not in one and you're lonely. I haven't been in one since before there was such a thing as Christianity - but I really want one with the girl that I've just found, and neither of us has ever had one like what I can see is possible for us. If it works, our enemy will be time, but I have thoughts for that too." Lily nodded, "For all that I am, I can see myself in love with someone for myself for once after all of these centuries of the time here. The way that you and I are, I think that it could be wonderful and neither of us would be bothered at all if the other mates with someone else. In fact, I'd encourage it. I'd want you to." Lily laughed for a moment, "How would you like to mate with a male demon? Most types aren't all that exciting and couldn't care less if you like it, but I know two very powerful males not that far from here, and I think that it might easily be arranged. Think about it," she grinned lasciviously, "I've seen them with their females. Either one can go for hours, Sharon. They're demonlords, after all. It's one of the things which sets them apart from the other kinds." Sharon felt her arousal increase instantly at the thought, "Are you serious?" To her companion, it was an indication that she had been correct about Sharon. "I am, actually," Lily said, "since I'm here to help a new lord begin his rise among demons. It has little to do with humans at all. There are a few of us. Two are male lords, four are females, and three of those ones are Furies, known to keep their - passions, shall we say, very close to the surface. There is another creature much like a demon, and then there is a female imp and a male kobold. I didn't include myself in the count because you could have me whenever you wanted to. If things go well, I think you might find yourself in a few interesting positions with some of them. While the two males that I'm thinking about are not, many higher order demons are bisexual. I have three daughters, and though two of them are mated to one of the males, they'd likely show some interest at the prospect of something intimate with a human female as lovely as you are." "Lovely," Sharon said, "Me?" The demon smiled in encouragement, "You're just listening to the doubts that you've shackled yourself with because your sexuality doesn't fit among humans. You're very beautiful - but you need to feel it to let what I see show the way that it really ought to." She pulled back just a little to place one finger on Sharon's breast. "You've always cursed yourself over these. Did it ever occur to you that someone might not agree? I'm almost ready to beg you to let me near these for a week or seven each." "Look," she said, as she looked into Sharon's eyes, "let's do this; you finish your day, and go to your home. I'll find you later this evening. We can talk and I'll tell you anything that you'd like to know. If you want, we can just try to see if we can make a friendship out of this, or more, it's up to you. Once the others are a little more secure in the lord's rise, I'll introduce you, and you'll have all that you need to know about how those types of us look for your book. We're inside the Goblin Ha at Yester Castle at the moment, but we'll be clearing out the lower hall to live there for a time." Sharon blinked, "Lower hall? What lower hall?" The tall one grinned, "Maybe you should come and see for yourself in a day or so." "I think I'd like that," Sharon smiled as she put her arms around the demon's neck and stood on her tiptoes to kiss her. "You cannot touch one of my teeth with your tongue," Lily said, "That will have to wait until tonight at the earliest -- as much as I want you to." "I understand," the blonde sighed with a smile, "I feel like I did when I was a young girl, feeling attracted to someone for the very first time. It never went well for me." "I think that it will now and I understand completely," Lily breathed as her lips brushed Sharon's, "I feel the same way." ----------------------- They walked back to the visitor's center a while later. The wind still blew in off the sea and it whipped their hair around just as it had done earlier. "There's no one around for at least a quarter of a mile," Lily said, "I think that I'd really like it if you'd hold my hand." Sharon complied and looked over, "You're really serious about this, aren't you? You want to be in love with me, and you won't mind it if I screw somebody else as long as it's still us underneath it all?" Lily nodded, "Think about it. Try to imagine it. If you and I were together, would it bother you if I did that, as long as I still loved you just the same?" Sharon thought about it, "No," she said, "I think that I'd probably like it. I'd probably love to watch that." "See?" the tall woman smiled, "Omnisexuality. We can be in love, understand each other, and fuck anyone that we like, and it's fine with both of us. I want this now." Sharon smirked, "I like the idea, Lily, and I like the term too. Omnisexual, huh? I always thought that I was just a slut." Sharon felt her heart float a little as she watched Lily's human face tilt back as she laughed freely. "We are, by our nature, Sharon, the very best kind of sluts." ---------------------- "Tell me what you feel right now," Lily whispered into Sharon's ear, "I can feel it, but I want to hear it from you." "I feel so good," the human whispered, "We haven't done anything, but I feel such promise when you hold me. I haven't felt anything like that in so many years, and never for very long. It's amazing, Lily. I mean, I know that you're right in what you say - all of it - and it has nothing to do with us both being women, does it?" "No," the demoness in the human clothing sighed, "it really doesn't. We just both happen to be female. What counts is that we feel this way about each other. We both have traits which the other one finds attractive inside and out and a love can be based on that. The rest of it is just our, ..." she grinned, "sluttish nature. I'm sure we'll be great together, and I can't wait to see you being fucked almost, but not quite senseless by someone else." Sharon looked up, "Almost?" "Well yes," Lily grinned evilly, "I'm a demon. You have no idea what I could do to you with only my tongue. There may be times when you're feeling wonderfully screwed, but really, from my point of view, you're only just being warmed up for me afterward." Sharon kissed Lily's neck just to feel her shiver or a moment before she whispered, "Oh, that sounds just awesome. I felt like I could have almost come right there just to hear that." They stood holding each other for many minutes, but Lily pulled away reluctantly at last. "Do you need my address?" Sharon asked. Lily shook her head, "No. I'll be able to find you easily tonight just from what I feel from here," she smiled as she touched Sharon over her heart. "Just remember not to let yourself feel doubt. Uncertainty is natural, and even I feel it inside me, but I don't think that we need to have any doubts about us. I'm sure that this will work. What time should I come, or rather, give me a time that you think that you'll be ready by." "What do you need to get done before you come?" Sharon asked. "Not much," Lily shrugged with a playful grin, "I have to help clear out a hundred goblins or three, maybe. Then an icy bath, and I'll be on my way." "Show up whenever you want, Lily, "Sharon shrugged with a smile, "I want to say that I'm all yours, I guess." "Don't start talking like that," Lily smirked, "or I'll never get anything done." Her eyebrows raised for a second. "Oh! I forgot, I need to pay you for the tour, don't I?" She reached for Sharon's hand and placed a heavy coin into her palm, closing the woman's fingers over it before she could see what it was. Then she was gone out the door. Sharon opened her hand and saw an ancient gold coin there. There was no way that she could toss this into the cash box. She pulled the correct amount out of her own pocket and paid for Lily's admission herself, before she sat down to stare at the coin. There was a couple of thousand Euros worth of gold here just from the weight of the thing, and Sharon knew that she'd likely never be able to learn the translation of the words on it. She sighed, feeling anticipation such as she could almost not remember before. It made her smile to herself. The day looked wonderful to her now and she decided that if there was anything even remotely possible like what she felt, then she'd just let it happen and see where it took her. -------------- Illa's early morning tryst with Thiery was as wonderful to them both as anything that they might have imagined or dreamt of, but there were consequences, and they had a lot to do with the internal reproductive systems of female imps. The insertion of a phallus the first time began a series of changes within Illa that would have been absolutely normal for a female imp, assuming that the phallus belonged to a male imp, rather than a kobold. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 11 For a female imp, it actually caused changes that prepared her for childbearing. Female imps do not have the capability to spray as female demons do, but all the same, their nature caused secretions meant to strengthen the male during and after the act of mating, since imps tend to be at least a little monogamous now and then. It was designed to help the couple to survive. That would have been all well and good if Thiery was an imp -- but he wasn't. He was large for a kobold, but he was a kobold nonetheless just as Illa was a little tall for an imp. Not long afterward, he noticed burning sensations which rapidly ran through his body. He felt weak and fell to the floor in pain two hours later. Everything on him hurt and he writhed on the floor. To say that Illa was upset would have been a rather mild understatement. She ran to meet Mother as she returned. Illa was in tears, not comprehending what was happening, or the cause, and most importantly to her, what might be done to help Thiery. After a quick examination, the older demoness asked that he be brought to the well. Zele picked Thiery up and carried him through the narrow passageway and down the steps to the old well. She and Maezou laid him out on the floor and acting on Mother's instructions, they kept him wetted down to cool his body from the fever. Toby used some of his newfound abilities to keep the pain from the stricken kobold by keeping him unconscious. The others came to see what had happened. Illa had a new reason to weep. Mother knelt beside Illa. "Calm yourself, girl," she said, "We all see how you feel about each other and we understand, but you do him no good like this. What is happening here might have been expected and even explained to you beforehand, but I have been busy with other things." She hugged the distraught imp and stroked her head a little, "What has happened would normally be something to make your male a little stronger and tougher so that you both would stand a better chance at survival and hopefully be able to rear your young successfully. But that is based on the natural assumption that you would have chosen a male imp as your mate, since that is what usually happens. Thiery is no imp as we all can see and what would strengthen him a little will probably have a much greater effect on him -- if he survives it all." Before Illa could take all of what the demon had said in and comprehend it, Mother smiled and kissed Illa's cheek affectionately, using the gesture to bring her lips close to the frightened imp's ear. "I might be wrong, and this might be fatal to Thiery, but I don't think so, Illa. I think that what is happening here will be as a gift to you both -- again, assuming that he lives through it. Wait and see, my little friend, and look to his comfort. If he passes through this as I believe that he will, you will need to keep him warm after the fever passes." Illa hugged her friend for the comfort of it as she worked through what she'd been told. "But Mother, I -- I like him just as he is. He'll stay my Theiry, won't he?" Mother returned the hug and smiled, "I think that he will." She thought for a moment and then laughed a little, "Do you know what day this is, Lord Tobias?" Toby thought for a moment. His life had undergone such changes in the past week or so, he'd forgotten the normal passage of the days on the human calendar. His eyes widened, "It's December 23rd -- almost Christmas." Zele didn't understand, though Maezou did and she explained it to her sister while Illa listened. "What does that story mean to us?" Illa asked Toby. "Nothing really," he said, "A large part of the human world - that I used to be a part of -- I guess, will be preparing for it." He smiled, "It's another bad time to be a turkey or a goose." "For them, it's a time of feasting, and religious observances for many on this side of the world and it also is a time for some to travel back and forth to visit with their relatives," Mother said, "I think that no matter what the reason for the celebration is, it marks a time for many humans to be with the ones that they love. I have always liked this time of their year for that reason, though I didn't understand it for a long time. The rest means little to me other than the legend and the history of it and of course, there are many other of their faiths and legends to choose from if one wanted to study them." She looked at her daughters, "I met a man once, perhaps a hundred years ago. He was very old then and we ran into each other by accident. Once he got past his startled fear of me, he was wise enough not to dwell on it. He said that at his age, there really wasn't all that much to fear anymore. We talked for a time, and I listened as he told of what this feast of theirs had meant to him over his life. From what he said, to him, it was usually a time to reflect on things in a quiet moment. When he was younger, he would sit with his wife after their young children were asleep and feel thankful for the gifts that he felt that he had been given -- like his wife and their children and the home that they shared together. When I spoke with him, his wife had passed long before, and his children were scattered with children of their own. He was alone and forgotten in a home for old ones. That night was the one after this one -- Christmas Eve to him and those like him. He had given it a lot of thought, and had chosen and planned most of that year for that night to walk away from the home and sit on a bench alone to remember and hope to pass on himself. I learned some things from him that night and kept him warm as we talked. He thanked me for listening to him and then he fell asleep beside me on that bench." She looked up, "I granted his wish then and let him pass without pain as he wanted, but it gave me something to think about. The festival of it all means little to me, but I did think about things." She looked around at the old walls around them with a smile, "This time, I have my children around me, together for the first time, so I am even more thankful to have learned from that old man. I am quite obviously not what their observances are meant to include, but I still like the thought of feeling thankful. The hells are foul and murderous places, but we are not there now, and with luck and good planning, we might have the chance at more of these times to feel this way." Illa had been listening as she looked at Thiery and tried to keep him a little cool. She hadn't really been looking at any details about him, she was just a lot more hopeful herself that Mother was right in her thinking. She'd only known Thiery for less than a day but, ... It wasn't until she thought to try to hold his hand that he noticed what had been happening to him. His hand now looked much like hers -- or at least, a lot more like her hand than it had been earlier that morning. He was still shivering with this fever, but he seemed to be somewhat larger to her eyes now. She found him looking at her and he smiled. Illa thought that she'd been given the same gift twice. "Thiery? How do ye feel?" she asked softly. He blew out a little through his pursed lips, "I'm freezing cold, Illa, but I'm feelin' a wee bit better." They sat him up and Megaera brought him some stew, still hot. As he ate a little, Tisiphone covered him with a blanket. Thiery felt odd in many ways, and a little uncomfortable to find himself the object of the attention of the others, but Illa grinned as she sat with him on the wet floor near the well. "Ye've changed some," she smiled. He didn't understand what she meant, "How have I changed, Sweetness?" "Well, "she smiled, "the last time that we sat together, I could look down just a hair to see straight inta yer eyes and now I'm needin' ta look up just a little. Ye've grown some, Thiery. Nae much, but some." Mother thought to save them all a bit of time, so she just explained it to him as he sat with his eyebrows rising. "It's not so much that you have grown, though that was what caused much of your pain, it's that you have changed. From what I can see, you are more imp-like than you were, and unless I miss my guess, you are also stronger from what I can see about you. This happened in a matter of perhaps a half an hour while you shook from the fever, though it looks to have stopped now." He shook his head, "I'm not seein' that," he said, "Not that I'm not believing ye, Mother." "Try tae sit up a bit more," Illa said as her hand slipped under the blanket. Thiery shivered from what to him was her cold touch, but he did as he was asked. "See?" Illa grinned, "These werena here before, Theiry," she said as she ran her fingertips over the ridges of his abdominal muscles. He felt the effect and lifted the blanket to look. He stared at them all a moment later as they got up to leave the pair alone. Illa knelt over him and leaned down to kiss him. "I'm glad ye're here - again," she smiled. When they walked into the hall together, he was still marveling at his new height. He'd grown about four inches, but his thin chest had broadened a little and his limbs now looked a lot more demonlike, though still in a smaller way. Illa went to get him more to eat. "Am I still lookin' like what ye'd want, Illa?" he asked a little uncertainly. She laughed, "Thiery, ye were what I'd wanted before and ye're still a good sight to my eyes like this. Don't ye know anything about girls? We like the ones that we like, and that's the way of it." She held out his full bowl, "Here, ye fine-looking impish kobold, eat yer fill and be thankful there's still some left." Illa's statement only caused Thiery more questions. "What am I now, then?" "Well, yer no troll, if that's yer worry," Illa laughed. "You are still a kobold," Mother smiled, "though now you are impossibly large for one. You are still fair for a kobold AND a male imp, and it is plain to see that your girl here is still smitten with you. You also look somewhat more like an imp, though you are still without wings." "And just maybe you are now strong enough to carry this," Racephet grinned as he held up what was known at one time as a bearded axe for the long drooping lower edge. "I have found a few old things in the tower, in a sealed space inside the walls. We may have to clean out the lower hall, and you will need to lead us into places where you have the memory of it." Toby's eyebrows shot straight up. "Seriously? He'll need an axe? Why couldn't we just --" "I make the assumption that anything that is found down there has not fallen in love with gunpowder the way that humans have. We can protect him, Tobias, but he will have to be in front at least now and then," Racephet said as Thiery took the axe and hefted it. He was surprised. He'd have thought that while he might be able to lift such a thing, he didn't think that he could use it, but clearly, he had been wrong about that. Racephet explained the purpose of the lower edge as he took back the weapon and showed Thiery the motions required. For most of the next hour, Thiery practiced, feeling a little less foolish than he normally would have. Toby watched carefully with his consorts. "I was worried that giving Thiery something sharp like that would be an invitation to trouble. Maybe it is, but he seems to be managing so far." "He has lived in a place where these things are still used in matches to entertain the pit master," Maezou said, "It's not uncommon there. I can see Racepet's point but I hope there's not much in the way of opposition in tight places. I'd rather not have Thiery or Illa in front in a narrow place. I wouldn't use them as guides at all, but they've both been down there before, especially Thiery." -------------------- When it happened, it wasn't all that much of an event. They gathered near the doors, though two of the Furies remained near the well, in case there were any connecting tunnels which led there. Maezou and Zele stared at Toby a little, since he'd taken Racephet's advice and developed a new shape for himself, much like the other demonlord. He didn't sprout flames from his back, but otherwise, the two looked very similar, since this shape was better for physical combat. Mother tried to pull the doors open, but they'd been charmed and stayed shut. She shook her head, "I can make them open, but they would likely shatter," she said. Toby looked at the doors and raised his hand. There was a loud crack and the doors fell from their hinges to land on the floor with a double crash. "I could have done that," Mother smirked. "They didn't break," Toby said with a shrug. Mother had to concede the point. Theiry and Illa slipped in ahead of the rest. She stopped him for a moment only a few yards in. "Listen te me, Thiery," she said, "I'm needin' tae say somethin'." She slipped her arm around his neck and she kissed him for a second, "I learned somethin' when ye were lyin' there hurtin'. I thought my heart was breaking over ye, so I want te say that I'm needin' you now. I don't ever want tae be alone here ever again, not after knowin' ye. Ye've won my heart, Thiery, I cannae say it plainer than that. So we have tae work together. No runnin' ahead. We stay together, alright?" Thiery smiled, "Alright Illa. We stay together." He turned to take a step and fell through the floor to the level below. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 12 Whatever had caused the floor to collapse had happened long before. What was left was a hole in the floor that was not immediately apparent – until Thiery walked off into space without looking in time to see the opening. "Here!" Illa called out, "Thiery's fallen through the floor!" She crept forward and looked down. What she saw in the dimness below caused her to jump into the opening as well. Mother's shadow flitted past overhead as she overtook them, seeking to find the main hall if she could. Mother needed to know how many queens there might be here. She didn't think there were all that many, given the state of the place. She just needed to know in case she had to step in to help, since the number of queens were a rough guide to the strength and power of the king and his ogres. She tried to think of a number that might be a problem for Tobias and her daughters if things went badly. If there were more than twelve, she decided, then she'd wade in, as it was Tobias' first real fight. If he won this, he could move up to facing multiple demons alone. Goblins weren't hard to kill, but they moved quickly and very erratically. That's why they were so good to practice with. Thiery found himself in a chamber full of very surprised goblins. In fact, he'd landed on the back of one of them and sliding off, he swung his axe at one leg and dodged as the thing fell over. His left hand met his right on the haft of the axe as he reversed the blade around to cleave deeply into the goblin's head with an overhead strike. He was amazed at how deeply the blade of the axe had gone and the effort that it took to free it. The other goblins in the room pulled back in startled shock until they'd gotten a look at the diminutive fighter in their midst. Thiery wrenched the axe free and turned but by that time, he no longer fought alone. Illa spread her wings and wheeled around, tearing at the eyes and faces of several as she passed shrieking like a banshee. Thiery had grown some and changed a little in his appearance, but he'd changed more inside himself and had no time at the moment to wonder or think on it. He was just a little taller than most of the smaller goblins now, though he lacked the bulk of any that were larger. He more than made up the difference with adrenaline once he saw Illa there with him. He had a battle axe. By comparison, she had her fingernails. Thiery didn't like it one bit. He tore into them. The last semblance of order evaporated as Racephet and Zele landed after Illa's entrance. The demon went in one direction and the hellhound ripped into the panicked goblins jammed into the other entrance, all trying unsuccessfully to get out. Thiery and Illa took the ones still in the room. A minute or so later, the room was silent, but for the heavy breaths of Zele as she came back to them slowly along the pathway. Illa and Thiery looked around while a dying goblin on the floor twitched weakly as his throat artery sprayed its last few pulses. Illa looked at her wet nails for a moment. "That was a bit of fancy work," she grinned over at Thiery, "How did ye manage that? " She mimicked the reversal and overhead swing that she'd seen the kobold perform, "I saw ye do that just as I came through." He shrugged, "I dunno, Illa. I never thought of it, I just did it," he said, picking up a sword and a dagger from the floor. He offered them to Illa. She slapped her hand over one of his pectoral muscles with a smile, "Never ye mind, Handsome. I'm likin' what I see, so keep doin' it." She took the dagger and held it in one hand, her thumb over the pommel and the blade along her forearm. She smiled at the kobold, "Yer nae done growin', I think, Theiry, look at yer arms. Either that, or yer lookin' a wee bit bigger te me somehow." The kobold looked, but he saw no difference. What he saw and felt were his arms still trembling from the adrenaline. He shrugged with a smile. Racephet returned, "Nothing but collapsed stonework that way." They looked at Zele, covered in gore as she spat. She looked up, "More this way." They were just about to file out of the room when three more goblins jumped through the hole from above. Zele took one by the throat and Thiery claimed two more in quick succession. Illa couldn't believe what she'd seen. Thiery had planted his feet and just paused long enough after killing the first with one blow to the neck to wrench out his axe and hook the bottom of the blade into the shoulder of the second to pull him onto the sword in his other hand. Racephet looked astounded for an instant, but he recovered quickly, "I did not teach you that," he said. Thiery grinned with a nod, "I think ye meant tae." Racephet nodded with a smile. They looked up as Toby called down, "Those were the last up here. What the hell are these things?" "They're goblins," Illa shrugged as she looked up at him. "Aye, goblins." Thiery nodded, "Why de ye ask. Laird?" "I dunno," he said, "They look like orcs to me. I thought goblins were the same thing, but smaller or something." "Orcs?" Thiery looked confused, "Is that what they call 'em where ye're from?" "Yeah – I mean no," Toby said, "I've never seen any. I only know what I've read in books and seen in a movie." Thiery shook his head at Toby, "I've no idea what ye're talkin' about, Laird Tobias. I've seen books before, but what's a movie? And anyway, ye even said they was the same things. How can they be different if they're the same?" "From what I read," Toby said, "Orcs are the same thing, but a bigger kind of goblin. Stronger, too." "Well they come in different sizes," Illa said in explanation with her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense way, "They get stronger and meaner the bigger they get. Pick a size that suits ye." "Aye," Thiery said, "And the big ones smell worse too." "Never mind," Toby said, seeing the way that Maezou and Alecto were looking at him, "Do either of you know where this passageway leads?" Illa and Thiery looked at each other. "It's the way te the main hall, "Thiery said, "This one goes that way too." "I've never been down here, "Illa said, "But I can lead the laird and the ones upstairs there." She kissed Thiery quickly, "Meet ye there." She flew up through the opening to lead the others and Alecto jumped down to take her place after a brief discussion above. As they walked cautiously along the corridor, they met no more opposition, but at one point, Zele stiffened and indicated the hallway ahead with her eyes. "I smell more," she whispered. Thiery took rearguard as Racephet extinguished the flames on his body. They crept along until the passageway opened up into a large chamber at least sixty feet high. There must have been well over a hundred of the things there and several larger ones who seemed to be the leaders, since they were arguing over some point while the rest simply waited for instructions. There was a loud bellow and the larger ones fell silent as an obviously more important one spoke to them. "I will begin this," Alecto whispered. The others nodded and she was gone, a quickly moving rumor of darkness in a dim place. When she reached the opening into the cavern, she spread her wings and soared out, little more than a thin and rapid shadow. As she turned past the highest levels of the openings and caves filled with waiting goblins, she was joined by Maezou who had seen her from the level above. They turned and wheeled in opposite directions at different heights, but they had two things in common. Neither of them was directly visible, and any goblins that they passed close to simply fell dead. It was more than a minute before the large goblins at the bottom realized what was happening because of the bodies that fell to the main floor, but by then, both Racephet and Tobias were among them, though at either ends of the large cavern. Tobias grabbed one of the larger goblins by the throat and as he lifted him up off his feet, any that were watching shrunk back in fear as the goblin yelled and dissolved. Toby's eyes flashed blood red as he glared around him. The majority of the ones on the floor ran from him until they almost tumbled at the feet of the other demonlord who had been standing there in the shadows. Racephet's flames roared into life as he stood with his glowing wings spread, and the noise of their frightened screams rose as he began to spit tongues of fire from his mouth. "It's nae good us being stuck up here," Thiery muttered as he looked down, "we cannae help much like this." Zele turned her head to look at him in a bit of surprise. What he'd said was about the last thing that she'd have expected to hear from a kobold. "Look there!" he cried, "They've got archers!" Illa looked down from the edge of the passageway where she now stood. If she looked straight down, she could see Thiery and Zele. Her eyes followed where he was pointing. She saw the bowmen. Zele looked and growled. There was a gallery on the opposite side and it was filling with goblin bowmen. From their vantage point, it would be easy shooting. "If Thiery wants to go there, Zele can take him," Thiery turned and saw the demonic Zele standing on two feet and looking like a feminine form of dark and silent death. Thiery grinned and nodded, "Aye, Miss Zele. I'm wantin' te go." Above them, Illa jumped and spread her wings. The row of archers didn't see the imp hurtling toward them from the side. Only two of them had their bows up at the instant of time when she arrived at the end of the row. Zele saw Illa and thought about slowing just a little, not wanting a collision, but an instant later, she saw the imp's plan and beat her wings hard to add to their momentum. Thiery hung in Zele's grasp trailing his axe, but leading with his sword. He wondered if his arm would break, but it was long past time to voice any concern like that. Illa grinned as she trailed the dagger in one hand and hung the claws of the other hand out while she rocketed past at the level of their faces. She only retracted her weapons as she neared the obstacles of the two bows. As she came clear of the row, she wailed to draw their attention from what was coming while she raced around for another pass. Several of the bowmen tumbled backward in pain, some of them were now blind in one eye and one was dying from a severed throat artery. The rest were now intent on getting at least one shot off at the imp. It would have been a natural thought to them that she'd now seek another target, since imps were not known to stay in any fight. The last thing they expected was to see her come straight at them, her wings beating hard and her teeth showing clearly as she howled out her hatred like the shrill keening of a shrike. Three raised their bows, but it didn't matter. Zele had judged her altitude and speed perfectly and when she released Thiery, he landed on them while she pulled straight up to come around again, her hands pushing off the cavern wall from the closeness of her passage. There were a few things on Thiery's body that hurt now from his rough landing, but they didn't stop him. He pulled his sword free and just set to it. He wished that he was stronger and faster, but there were goblins who had the opposite desire, since he proved difficult to engage. Two goblins to his left fell over with an imp on them slashing furiously and the last chance of the rest passed as Zele landed and became the hellhound again in an instant. Swords broke over her head and shoulders and axes were blunted or broken on the first strike. There were never any second attempts. Zele hated goblins. The larger of the two that Illa had landed on grabbed her and pulled her under him. Her claws ripped into his face, but he hung on and managed to free his dagger. Illa's mind had just formed the thought that perhaps her luck had run out when the goblin disappeared, hauled back by the hooked bottom of Thiery's axe over his shoulder, but he wasn't done yet. He spun and jumped at Thiery, closing his teeth on the kobold's shoulder. The bad angle left Theiry few options and no clear way to grip much more than the goblin's stringy hair – and that pulled out in large hanks. The bastard wouldn't let go. But he did indeed let go as Thiery watched the face recede from him with its eyes squeezed tightly shut in pain as he screamed with his mouth wide. Illa had him by the head, squeezing for all she was worth as she tried to position one nail on each of her hands just a little better. The rest were already in deeply, under his scalp and in through his cheeks. "Hold still, ye reeking piece of shit!" she hissed through her teeth, and then with his last movement, her claws were where she'd wanted them and she sank the middle one on each hand through his ear canals and into his brain until her fingertips touched his head. He was still on his knees trembling as she wiggled her fingers around. She ripped her claws out of his head and grabbed his hair as he sank backward slowly. "Can ye hear me better now?" she screeched at him, "I said, FUCK OFF!" She yanked his head back to bang it onto the stonework and the two lovers grinned at each other for a moment. When he got up to stand, Thiery swung his axe through the goblin's throat and the head lolled almost completely severed. "Why' d ye do that?" Illa asked, "He was dead already." "I know that, Sweetness," Theiry sighed, "It's just that, ... He had ye down, Illa. I wasna goin' te let him hurt my girl, and I know he's dead and all, but I just wanted a last swipe at him, that's all." Her eyes opened a little wider, "Oh, so I'm yer girl now, am I?" Thiery felt foolish then and didn't know what to say. He thought that he'd said something wrong and had no idea how to make this transgression better – if it was even possible. She stepped up to him and kissed him just once. "I was wonderin' how long it was goin' te take ye te see things my way, boy. Come on then, let's not let Zele get too far ahead or there'll be nothin' left tae kill." They ran along the passageway as quickly as they could, mindful that they might pass other passages on either side. "When did ye become my girl, Illa?" Theiry whispered, "When did ye know?" "I think it started about three seconds after I saw ye come down the steps inte the hall, and I decided what it was that I wanted while we were walkin' together with you holdin' my hand. But that first moment was a big one, "Illa said decisively. He tried to think back, but came up dry. "What were ye lookin' at then?" She sighed, "That was the moment that I first saw yer wee backside," she said, "and then ye turned around, Thiery. I thought I was goin' te fall from the ledge. Ye do have a sweet backside, ye know." "Anyway," she smiled, "Ye became my boy while I was watchin' ye sleep under me on the shelf. I made my decision then, though it didna happen until I had ye inside me for the first time. It'll sound odd te hear it, but that's when I accepted ye as mine, even though I already knew that I wanted ye te be mine. I also knew that I was yours already. Ye know that imp girls like me always make their choice. It doesna happen all that much from what my mother told me, but we choose the one that we think we want forever the first time, Thiery. I made my choice, so yer stuck wi' me now." "But what'll happen if ye find a male imp?" Thiery asked, "One that's the right kind fer ye?" "I'll tell him te bugger off, Thiery," she grinned, "I told ye, I made my choice and it's you. If there was a hundred imp girls here with their men, I'd be the only one that's got a male wi' long blonde hair and a smile that can melt me – and that was before. Now, I've got the same sweet smile on the same handsome face, and my male's one who'll fight fer me. Imp boys might do that for their girls, but they don't learn te use a sword and an axe in an afternoon and then go lookin' fer a fight. And imp boys don't grow the hard muscle that ye did after a fuck with us. They might get a bit protective, but they don't turn inte fighters that'll hunt goblins fer fun. There could be a hundred in front of me, but I've the nicest – and now the biggest. My mother told me what te expect after a fuck with an imp boy if it ever happened, Theiry. She never told me anything about a boy like you. Don't ye kid yerself, things like that count fer a lot te a girl like me." She finished with a solemn nod that only lasted an instant before they were both chuckling. They followed Zele down the corridor to come out on the ground floor of the chamber. After that, it was just plain brawling. Alecto landed and began to smite down any that were in her sight. They just dropped from her glance. Mother looked down from where she hovered near the ceiling. She thought the whole thing was going rather well, but there was something that needed doing. "Tobias!" she called out. "Tobias!" He threw down the last of the ones near him, looking only long enough to see the unnatural angle of its neck before he looked up. Seeing the demoness there was a little awe-inspiring, he had to admit, but it would have been nice to have her down here with the action. Then again, he thought, they were managing fairly well without her. "The king," she called out clearly, "Take the king!" Toby looked around himself. He couldn't see the one who was in charge at all. Maezou heard it and looked down. She beat her wings twice to change her course and twice yet again to get more speed before she folded them against her tightly. She doubted that she had the time, but she'd try. This was no time to lose her mate. Her heart beat harder when her mind came up with his terminology – her husband. But Toby sensed his danger a second later and he spun around. There was the old king right there, a giant among goblins, stepping forward now that Toby's wings and tail were out of the way to stab downwards. Maezou's eyes opened wide and she would have screamed in warning and despair if there was time for it. But there wasn't. Toby felt two things distinctly. He felt it when his body took its own defensive measure and the lizard-like plates on him rippled to present a smooth and almost seamless surface. He hadn't thought of it, it had just happened. The second thing that he felt was the impact of the point of the blade against his chest. That hurt him a little, though not much, surprisingly. The scales turned the blade and Toby seized the goblin king by the throat. He closed his free hand over the fist holding the dagger. The king hung there in shock until Toby twisted the hand to point the dagger at its owner. Maezou spread her wings wide to slow herself. The pain of the unnatural movement of the goblin king's hand was visible to Toby in the eyes of his opponent, since he wasn't allowing the king's hand to release the dagger. There had been something of a triumphant roar from him until Toby had his throat. The sound turned into a hissing gurgle, but now it had progressed into some sort of shriek. The noise went on as Tony felt the goblin's tendons tearing and the joints cracking then. He didn't need to see it in the king's eyes. Maezou landed, but only stood watching in shocked surprise, since Tony seemed to have this in hand. She thought that he'd be dead. For the first time in Toby's life, he hated something. He knew that they hadn't done anything to him to start this, other than what they'd done to Illa's mother and Thiery's mother as well perhaps. This had been rather impersonal to him up to this point, but it had gone past that now. He slid the dagger in down low into the king's belly. When he got to the hilt, he dragged it upward, sawing as he went. When he got to the thing's breastbone, he didn't stop. He just sawed harder for a moment or two until it was obvious that the dagger was clearly inadequate for the task. Toby placed the point inside the king's nose and pushed until the point hit the inside of the skull at the back of the king's head. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 12 He grinned and stepped away as the body hung in the air twitching. He wished that he'd stepped away a little sooner when he looked down at what he was standing in. The sight of it had an almost completely demoralizing effect on most of the goblins. They just turned to run, and since they were no longer fighting, they died quickly at the hands of Racephet, Thiery, Illa and Alecto. But the sight of the dead king had a completely different effect on nine others. They came shrieking and howling out of hiding at Toby. He stared at nine very ugly green and haggish females of some sort, "What the fuck are those?" "They are the queens," Maezou said as Zele appeared beside her in her demonic shape. Zele grinned and flexed her claws once as they stepped in front of Toby and Zele turned her head slightly. "Leave these ones to us, Toby," she said over her shoulder. He nodded and stepped back to give them room and felt Racephet's hand on his shoulder. "I'm not really sure what's going on here," Toby said. "They want to kill you for killing their male," the glowing one said quietly, "I think that Maezou does not think that you'd do much more than defend yourself. By placing themselves in front of you, it sends the message that this is between queens alone now. To your consorts, this is what the goblin queens should have been doing, it is expected that queens fight beside their males. Zele and Maezou are doing what they see as their role in this. They were prepared for this fight from the outset, but the queens hid themselves. Between only females, this will be a shorter fight – and much bloodier." Racephet had been correct. It didn't last very long, but it gave Toby something to wonder about. He'd now seen his consorts in a fight. He thought they were efficient fighters and they were – right up to this point. From here on out until the last goblin queen was dead, they were almost but not quite as efficient as he'd seen them before. Now they'd added another aspect to their methods and he wondered about it. He watched as they walked back to him covered in black blood and gore, their eyes glowing murderously and their long claws leaving trails of dripped blood. He pulled them to him and hugged them tightly and the three of them kissed each other for a long moment. But he had to ask. "I watched you," he said still with a bit of wonder, "I thought for a second that you were being cruel, but now I don't think that I was correct. That was something else, wasn't it?" Zele nodded, "This was to say something that a female would understand. They should have fought us here before, not after." Maezou nodded, "If they couldn't kill you in a first attempt, they'd have banked on you sparing them, the poor queens with nothing now. They might even have offered themselves to you and killed you in your sleep if your eyesight failed you enough to allow it. It was a bad plan and we saw it plainly. This was our way of saying 'Fat chance', I guess. It's a girl thing." She thought of a T-shirt that she'd seen on a young woman on a street during one of her hunts, and it made her grin. "They might have been queens here, but, ... " She shrugged, "Bitches rule," she said. ---------------------- There was a lot of housecleaning to do for themselves. Racephet found the goblin refuse pit and all of the bodies were dragged there and thrown in. Once he'd found that the entrance to it could be blocked, he set it alight and chuckled, knowing that the humans who lived close by might wonder about the vague stench for a few days, but there were enough small vents that no one would be able to definitively determine the cause. Mother was pleased at how it had gone. Toby tried gently to ask a question that had been on his mind. Mother laughed softly in her rich voice. "I did not take part because this was your fight, Tobias, and I wasn't needed anyway. This was your chance to put what you have learned to use, to take a place for yourself. The goblins have had it long enough. The agreement has lain broken for centuries and Racephet has a claim here more than the goblins, since he paid a price. They paid nothing, though some long-dead ones did a little work according to legend. You did well, but the next fight will not go as easily." Thiery walked up reluctantly, almost dragged by Illa. Mother sat and smiled at them expectantly. Thiery said nothing, so Illa went ahead. "Mother, Thiery's been hurt. He was keepin' a goblin off me, but he was bitten on his shoulder and I'm a wee bit worried. I've washed the wound, but I'm afraid that he'll get sick, and he'll no do a thing about it. Would ye look at it?" The demoness smiled and erased the wound with her hand. "Thiery is likely the only one among us who can take the bite of a goblin and not mind it too much, Illa. It's why he grew the way that he did from coupling with you." Illa tilted her head and Mother chuckled. "What imp girls give to their mates is to strengthen imp boys and make them less fearful in case they stay together and raise young ones. I told you that it wasn't for kobolds, and that's why Thiery was ill. But what came to him from you is more than a kobold or an imp would ever get, I'm sure." She reached out to hold Thiery's chin in her hand for a moment before she turned to the imp. "Thiery lived through it for the same reason that he grew as large and strong as he did. And it is for the same reason that this bite wouldn't really have made him sick. Thiery is one-quarter goblin. He got nothing of their looks thankfully, but he got enough of their blood for these things." Thiery stepped away and looked down as he turned to walk away. Illa called his name, but he didn't answer. He only stopped when she ran up to stand in front of him. "What's wrong, Thiery?" He sighed, "I didna want ye to find that out about me. I know that it was goblins who killed yer mother, and I, ..." he hung his head. "Listen," Illa said, "It was you who told me that ye didna hold me te blame fer what happened te ye, Thiery, and I'm sure not holdin' you te blame fer what happened to my mother. I'm not mindin' what ye are, am I? I'm in love with ye, and I love everything about ye, not just yer sweet backside." She thanked Mother and took Thiery's hand as she led him away to a small niche that she'd found and swept out. She pulled him inside and kissed him so that he thought his knees would give out. "I'll tell ye a wee secret," she whispered, "but ye cannae tell anybody, Thiery, 'cause it's about me, and it's kind of personal-like." Thiery looked into her eyes, "I'll no tell anyone, Illa dear," he whispered back, "I'm in love wi' ye, and I've learned how te keep a secret. But here, why dya want te tell me?" She sighed into his ear softly, "Because, my love, we're for each other, aren't we? The bigger ones only wanted to let us lead them in there. They was worried about how te protect us in case we found goblins because they like us a lot. But we didna need much protectin' did we, Thiery? We're both a bit timid because we're small, but we're nae timid if the other one needs help. I did things in there that I never thought I'd ever do, and I saw ye do things te protect me that few of the old warriors that this place was built fer could ever do, so I know I've got yer heart, just as ye've got mine. It doesna matter te me that ye've got a touch of goblin blood in ye. I love ye as ye are. I love ye enough te tell ye of my own wee secret," she whispered as she reached down to bring his hand to her little mound. She sighed and reached to caress his balls gently. "I've only just learned it too," she whispered after she leaned back to look into his eyes earnestly, "Ye see, I'm not all imp. I'm sure now that I've got a touch of somethin' else as well in me." Thiery was trying hard to concentrate. He wanted to just let himself go with what they were doing, but now he had to know. "I canna see anything about ye that's not impish, Illa. What else might ye be?" "I think that I'm almost all imp girl as ye see, but I think there's at least a wee bit of the hare in me." She reached up for one of her ears to wiggle it at her kobold, "See?" He smiled, "Illa, ye had me worried for ye that there was a problem. That's just yer lovely ear." "Is it?" she grinned, "Then why is it that since I fell fer ye, all that I can think of is having ye fuck me like we was rabbits?" They chuckled at each other and he pulled her ear forward so that he could kiss it. "Ye're just my sweet pretty imp girl, Illa. Ye're nae hare." "I'm not?" Illa's eyes looked at him as though she was just a little shocked. She smiled softly as ran her hand down over his chest until it came to where their bodies touched, "Well, what if I got on my hands and knees then, and wiggled my bum at ye? D'ya think that we could pretend a little?" ------------------------ Tisiphone and Megaera were kept busy hauling enough water from the well to allow the ones who had gone inside to wash. During one of the few times that they were both in the main hall, two figures crawled out of the well and hauled out a third. They made their way out through the bolt-hole and tried to run for the trees. Zele turned her head in the hall and the others wondered when she assumed her hellhound shape and bounded toward the well stairs with Tisiphone and Megaera after her. The two Furies found the remains of one goblin in the gully where Zele had killed him and they searched in the darkness for her, though they didn't call out. They sensed that there was at least one human nearby. Tisiphone caused the body to slip under the earth before she walked carefully after Megaera. They met and Megaera pointed. Out beyond where they stood, they saw Zele looking at something. There was a water-filled ditch with a man standing at the edge. He was shaking for a number of reasons, and some had to do with the adrenaline that flowed through his system. He held a small LED flashlight and it shone down on the severed head of what had been an injured goblin until only moments before. Next to that body was another one, alive but terrified and shaking with her hands bound. He didn't need to shine his flashlight out any farther into the darkness. He knew what stood there looking back at him. For all that he knew, he was the only one in possibly the whole of Scotland who might know what was there. He also knew that it could understand human speech – if it allowed him the time to say his piece. He looked at the red eyes and nodded carefully. "My name is Lewis. Can you understand me?" He saw the eyes tilt a little and then they moved up and down twice. Lewis thought then that he might just have a chance to live a little longer. "I live over there," he pointed behind him, "and I know some things about creatures such as you are." He exhaled, trying to get some of the tension out of his chest, "I was here because I like to enjoy a smoke now and then in the evening. I just came out of my door when I heard the sounds of a struggle, and not knowing what else to do, I grabbed my gardening spade." He looked at those eyes, dull red as they regarded him calmly. He saw them blink and wondered how often that happened, and if it was more or less frequent than he needed to do it. "I didn't see what you were doing at first, but I heard her cry out and so I swung at the first head that I saw, knowing that she was over there. If I've done something wrong, then please forgive me, ... and if you can find it in you, please don't hurt her." The only sounds after Lewis finished speaking was from the one in the ditch as she whimpered once, but then Zele exhaled with a deep hiss of heated air. Lewis wondered what he ought to do now. He had half a mind to just ignore the thing out there and just help the one in the ditch. It was December after all. Of course, he also had the other half of his mind, and that was telling him to run for his life. A lot of that changed when the thing began to speak. From what he knew, they couldn't speak at all - yet this one could. When he heard the first of her grating and rumbling speech, Lewis felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to rise. "You do not know what I am," the low voice growled, "But maybe you know enough. It is clear that you would not tell of this. It was not needed, but your stroke with your weapon there was just and at the right time. Not needed, but thank you all the same." "This?" Lewis asked, "this is not a weapon. It's a gardening spade, used to dig in the ground." "Even better," the hound said, mindful not to give her name, "What does a man like you want with this one here? She is a problem for me. I have no wish to, but it would be best if I killed her." "Kill her?" Lewis was shocked, " Why? Because she's a goblin and the other one tried to save her?" The eyes before him moved from side to side once. "No, she has some goblin blood, and not enough or she would be dead now. There was another I killed, a female goblin back there. This dead one one is a male. They did not take this one to save her from anything. She is not, ... goblin enough. They have no king now, and ran to start elsewhere. Look close," the hellhound said. "They took this one for food." Lewis shone his light down at her. Her skin had a greenish hue to it, though the coloration seemed to flicker over her. It was hard to tell much in the bluish glare of the high intensity LED light. The long and matted hair was red, and the rag that she had on her was ripped and old. It came to him that it looked older than she was. Her lips were full but bruised, like much of the rest of her. He looked at the slightly open mouth and saw what had been told to him. There weren't the tusks there that most goblins have on their lower jaws, what was there were very small and could only be seen when her mouth was open. He was glad that she wasn't a troll girl. She'd have tusks then no matter what. He didn't really believe what had been said about her. So she didn't have tusks, so what? She looked like a goblin to him, and he thought that the hound had made a mistake - one that hs had no intention of pointing out, or the poor thing would die for certain. She opened her eyes to squint up at him and Lewis was a little transfixed. One of her eyelids was a little swollen and she was covered in mud from the ditch, but her eyes were such a bright green that it amazed him. None of that changed much in the way that he felt. He'd finally seen some of the creatures that he'd known had existed for all of his life. He didn't mind that the others had been killed, but he couldn't see a reason that she ought to die out of her own misfortune. She looked like she'd already been through quite a wringer. He looked up, "Are you hunting them? Why?" "They are what is left under the old hall" the voice rasped quietly, "Lift your gardening tool." He lifted the spade by the handle and washed it in the ditch water before staring as the ground opened and the goblin was gone from sight in a second. "You do not need to know more," the hound said. He nodded, "I understand. It's my job to keep the grounds clean there. So there were still goblins after all this time?" The eyes nodded, "You will see small changes there. Do not walk into the hall unannounced if it is open. Call inside first." Lewis wanted to ask what was meant by 'open'. How could the place not be open? He cleared his throat, "I, um, ... I will care for her," he said, hoping for some reason that there would be no argument. Zele twisted her head slightly and noticed a little about him. He lived alone, she could even see the building a way off if she filtered out the trees in the mind. He knew of magic, and believed more than what came to him through his eyes. She saw that he thought she was wrong. It didn't matter. Zele looked at the object of the discussion. A look inside her said a lot about goblins, and why they've always been hated by so many. Just look at what they did to their own. She tried to see through the girl's eyes. Lewis looked pretty good then, though she was afraid of him. The inside of a hellhound is known to be as impervious as it's tough hide, but then Zele was not really a hellhound. She had a heart in that chest, and at that moment, what she saw swayed her. The eyes considered for a moment. "Take her then. You may be visited by another to see how it goes." Lewis gasped as the beast stepped forward a little. It didn't come into the light directly and he didn't move the beam even an inch, but he gasped all the same. Now he could tell himself that he'd seen a hellhound. "From what is seen," Zele said, "this one knows some of your speech. Be warned, Lew-is, to bring her into your home would be as bringing any other wild thing there." She turned away and left him with a last thought over her shoulder, "Do not anger her. She would likely kill you. If it is seen that it has happened, she would be hunted then and killed." Then they were alone. He looked down and shook his head. What the hell was he doing? He crouched down slowly and saw that her eyes followed him. He tried to smile, and hoped that it didn't put her off any more than the extent that she must already be frightened. "Can you understand what I say?" She looked at him for a long minute, but she nodded a little, "Some." He smiled wider. She considered her chances of just getting up and running away, but ... there was nowhere for her. Lewis thought that this was about to get silly if they now had the 'Tarzan-Jane' moment between them. He decided to put it off for the present to get her out of the ditch. "Can you get up? Can you stand?" She blinked twice. "Tired," she said, "weak. S – scared." He nodded," You must be." He looked at her and considered, his eyes coming to rest on the cord that bound her wrists and the single lead that she could be led by. "I want to take you where it is warm and dry. I'll try to carry you – if it's alright with you, or I can get my wheelbarrow and we can make this into a comedy, I suppose." She looked more frightened, if that were possible. "Eat?" she asked, getting ready to run for her life again. Lewis almost nodded, thinking that she asked if he would feed her, but he just caught what she might be thinking in the nick of time. He pointed to himself and decided to take this very slowly. "I will not," he made a hand motion as if to fend off the idea," eat, ... you. Not eat,..." he shook his head, and pointed to her, "you." He smiled a little hopefully, "Understand?" "Not, ... eat," she said, nodding a little. He couldn't tell if she looked relieved or not. He considered what hand motions he'd need to use to try to tell her that he had food for her if she wanted it, but gave it up. It took him almost twenty minutes to get her to the point where she'd let him help her up. She kept curling into a whimpering ball whenever he tried. During that time, Zele told everyone what had happened. Mother thought about it, "Let him try, then," she said, "With luck, she won't kill him in his sleep. He might be useful later." She thought about asking Thiery to accompany her to meet Lewis tomorrow, but decided to put it off when his cry came to her ears, followed by Illa's squeal of pleasure. She'd ask him later. She had somewhere else to be and got up to bathe. Her daughters all felt it at once, though Zele took a moment longer to stare. "Mother has someone for her, maybe," she said matter-of-factly. "Maybe," the demoness replied as they all looked at her. It was all that she said as she strode away with a small smirk. ----------------------- He stood looking at the dubious prize that he'd talked himself into. Lewis was only five feet, three inches tall. He didn't exactly whip out a tape measure, but he estimated the poor girl's height to be at best, four and a half feet. It felt a little odd to Lewis to be towering above anyone. He looked down at her, hoping that she'd see that he meant her no harm and had an earnest desire to help her. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 12 She looked up at him uncertainly, wondering if she'd gone from the frying pan to the fire - and the thought was patently obvious in her expression. Lewis shone his flashlight down at her feet. He winced as he saw that she'd been dragged recently. "Look," he said quietly, "I want to take care of you, but it's a bit of a way from here. Can I carry you? Would that be alright?" She looked at him with an expression that might have been wonder, or for that matter, she might still be stuck at the point where she thought that he was going to truss her up and toss her into his oven, he couldn't tell. He was mindful of the hellhound's warning, but he had to get her to the warmth of his home somehow, and he could see that a pleasant stroll was out of the question. He took hold of her bonds and held her wrists up a little and hoped that she wouldn't try to garrote him. "I'll pick you up and you put your arms around my neck, alright?" She didn't get it. She just stood there, a small and slightly round goblin girl, as he thought of her. He shrugged and bent down to place her arms around his neck. When he looked up, her eyes were wide, and rather than try to explain it any longer, he just picked her up gently and began to walk. All that she had the time for was a gasp. Lewis had plenty of time to devote to his new hobby of trying not to gag from the smell of her. They went in silence for a little bit with her staring at his face. Lewis tried to ignore her for the time being. "Not, ... not eat, no?" He stopped, and shook his head, "Not eat," he said, "Not eat goblins." He began a step, but she stopped him with her next statement. "Not goblin, I, "she said, "Not goblin." She sighed, "Almost goblin, not goblin, I." He looked at her, "What are you then?" She looked as though she wanted to cry and her voice trembled a little, "Food, I. Some goblin, I. Some kobold, I." Her eyes widened at the vehement look that she saw in his face as he spoke, "Not goblin food." He shook his head, "You're not food." He started to walk again, "You're wet and cold, and frankly, you smell terrible. I can help all of that, but you're not food." He looked at her again as he walked, "Not eat goblin, not eat kobold." It seemed to satisfy her for the moment, but then she asked her next question. "What you?" It took him a second, but then he smiled, "Man. I'm a man." He smirked, "Not a particularly big one, but that's what I am, a man who likely needs psychoanalysis, and who has left his favorite spade behind in a ditch." "Man," she nodded after a second, "Man not eat I?" He shook his head, "No." He walked on for a few seconds before he looked at her again, since she'd fallen silent. When he did, it almost caused him to trip. She was smiling a little. He smiled back and she suddenly felt a lot lighter to him. By the time that he got to his little cottage, they'd had the conversation of 'where go they' and 'why'. He slowly set her down and tried to get his head out of the constraint of her arms. She seemed to be rather reluctant to let him go. He opened the door and stepped inside. She stood there looking uncertain again. Lewis smiled and beckoned her inside. It took a lot of 'not food' and 'not eat' on his part. Then he thought about the way that they both smelled. He was thankful that he didn't have any neighbors as he began to remove his clothes. When he looked at her, he almost laughed. He thought that she'd been staring at him before. Now, well ... She stood looking at him with absolutely no sign of comprehension on her face, but she gave it a go after a minute. "Why?" she asked. He shrugged, "Because we smell bad." He did the pantomime of picking up his shirt and pretending to be offended at the smell. He repeated the performance using his own arm, and then her hands. "We need to wash," he said, "Do you understand? Wash?" She nodded, but he could have sworn that she was trying to hold back a bit of a grin. That lasted until he took hold of the rag on her and pulled it down slowly so that it was around her ankles, thankful that the thing had no straps. She seemed to think that she was now expected to perform some sort of sexual act on him with her tied hands. He shook his head with an embarrassed grin, "Maybe later." He froze then, thinking that he'd said something terribly wrong to her. He hadn't meant to say that at all. She made it worse by nodding once with a smile, "Later," she said, "Man not eat I." He rolled his eyes. She seemed to be a little stuck on that. He'd seen pretty much all of her between how little of her bosom the rag hid and from the way that it had ridden up her thighs. On a primal level, he liked her. From the little bit of conversation that they'd had, he liked her even more. He just hoped that he could help her to feel better and get some food into her. He'd worry about what the hell he was going to do with her later. He just couldn't stand to think of her in that ditch, even if the hellhound didn't kill her. What was she supposed to do? It wasn't a big stretch for him to come to the likely conclusion that she'd never been above ground before in her life. He knew that he couldn't have left her there. He made a point of not taking the leather lead on her wrists. He took her hand instead. She looked at their hands and he stroked her knuckles with his thumb a little and that was how he got her to step inside with him. He took her straight to the bathroom. She stared st the tub as he put in the plug and spun the taps, checking the temperature once. She reached out tentatively toward the flowing water, but her bonds would have put her off-balance. Lewis looked at her dark green skin in wonder. "Wait," she heard him say as he gently moved her out of his way so that he could pour in some bubble bath – the cheapest sort that he could find in the shops. The pleasant smell – whatever he'd chosen without looking at the label - did little for him normally, but tonight he was thankful, since it went a way toward masking what he smelled otherwise. She stared at the foam, so he caught a little on his fingers and laid it on her hands for her to wonder about. She smelled it and smiled in surprise and it almost made him chuckle. But then she tossed that moment out of the window by trying to taste it. He was a little successful in explaining that it wasn't to be eaten. While she wondered about that, he thought about his old straight razor. He needed something to get her bonds off. Getting her into the bath would be a lot harder otherwise. He reached out and touched her shoulder and she looked up at him. He pointed to himself, "Lewis," he said, "My name is Lewis." She tried it, and he had to spend time saying it in slow motion twice before she had it. He pointed to himself with a questioning look, and she smiled and said it, so he pointed at her with the same look. She looked confused for a moment. He thought that she didn't understand what he'd asked, but really, she was trying to remember. What he got from her sounded something like the sound that she might have made if she were clearing her throat, but after the second time, he thought that there was a barely pronounced vowel at the end, so he made his attempt. "Grrrta?" She nodded and smiled. "Fine," he smiled back, "at least we've gotten this far." He thought about it and tried a more human possibility. "Gerta?" He got the same grin, so he decided to leave it at that and caller Gerta. He shut the taps off. Gerta looked at them, but when she turned back, he pointed at the thongs around her wrists. She began to look around, pointing at things which were above her head. It came to him that she was looking for places where she might be placed with her arms over her head. Lewis was shocked. "No, Gerta, no. I want to get these things off you." He looked at her and she just looked back. He thought about it, and then he extended his finger and reaching for her wrists, he began a sawing motion. She looked a little nervous then, so he smiled and held his own wrists together before separating them and pointing to her. That only took three tries, but she got it and held her wrists out to him. Lewis got his razor off the shelf, "Hold still, Gerta," he said, "Don't move now, and I'll cut these off you." She looked a little fearful, but she complied and in a few moments she was free. Lewis pointed at the bath, "Sit. Wash." What followed was a lot of exasperating comedy, he supposed, but he finally managed to get her to sit down in the tub. He was a little afraid to just hand her a bar of soap, given the interest that she'd shown in the bath suds, so after a minute of thought, he just shrugged and Gerta watched him get in with her. He began to wash her. More comedy in that, but at least he got her to the point where she'd let him. He balked a little at a few of the places on her, but she didn't seem to mind, so he just did his best. It didn't matter if he was holding up her arm and washing her armpit or if she was on her knees and he was very carefully soaping her vulva, she'd look at what he was doing, then look at him, and then smile. It all worked out fairly well until he reached for the shampoo. He was thinking about how he'd manage to get her to trust him enough to wash her hair without her thinking that he was about to drown her, but he froze suddenly when he felt her hands on him. "Grrrta wash Lewis." She said it as a proclamation, and not anything like a question. He nodded, for lack of a better idea and she did her best. He listened as she began to chatter to him quietly in a language that he didn't understand – at least not at first, until he thought about the languages that he'd read about and the memories brought him a word or two here and there. He got a little nervous himself when she motioned for him to get up onto his knees, knowing what was likely coming, but he did it if for no other reason than to be a little fair, since she'd allowed him to wash her there. To his surprise, she was very gentle. All the same, his manhood decided that she was close enough as far as it was concerned and she smiled rather proudly when it rose to point at her. She seemed to take it as something of a compliment that her body could elicit this sort of response from his. She grinned and her hands went right to it, cupping his balls gently with one hand and cooing appreciatively as she stroked him a little with the other. She looked up at him to see if she was doing it the right way for him. As he looked at her, he could see her struggle for a moment, but then she smiled and kissed the end of his penis softly once. "Nice is word?" she asked him. He nodded and she sighed smiling, pleased that she'd done something for him. She kissed it again more slowly and sat back as though she was admiring it as she stroked, "Nice, Lewis." It was all that he could do not to laugh. Good lord, he thought to himself, I'm living in one of those porno's on my bookshelf. Gerta leaned forward and opened her mouth to begin. She went slowly at first, since what he had was different to her, but she liked it and she was feeling better now, not cold or very afraid anymore. The tiles in the room gave the place an echo and Lewis thrilled to hear the sounds of her gentle suckling, soft breathing and the occasional soft moan. Lewis wondered about it, but after a minute, he could see that she was frigging herself just a little. They didn't know much about each other, obviously, but it was clear to him that she seemed to be enjoying this somehow. He sure was. It didn't take her long, Gerta grinned at the taste of his semen and she tried to get what she could, and from that, Lewis assumed that perhaps she was hungry, but when he asked her, she indicated that she was, but only a little. "Goblins feed Grrrta. Make Grrrta fat. Want eat Grrrta." He stared at her in horror. She just knelt there facing him. The moment decided something for Lewis. He leaned forward until their faces were very close together, and then he put his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you, Gerta," he said as he touched her face. Her eyes asked just as much as her voice, "Nice?" He nodded as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, "Very nice," he said. She nodded that she understood after a second, but she looked at him as though she wondered what he was going to do then. He kissed her rather chastely to show here that he was thankful, and she had her answer. She stared at him with her mouth open, and he got his first clear look at the small tusks there on her lower jaw. It was a very erotic sight to him. His erection felt as though it might come right back and he was astounded. He smiled at her. "Can Gerta look angry?" She didn't get it, but he did manage to explain, and she had trouble not laughing then, but she tried. He looked at her with her eyebrows knitted together from her expression and her green eyes glared at him. But he saw what he'd wanted to see. Her jaw was thrust forward a tiny bit, and it was enough to show her tusks pressed against her upper lip. She seemed to be as delighted with the game as he was and threw her arms around his neck to hug him. A little later, he got her to face away from him and lie back on him carefully. Lewis was careful and very light in his touch as he caressed her breasts and he made sure to keep one hand going to gently squeeze one of her nipples while his other hand journeyed down between her thighs. He had to stretch a little uncomfortably to do it, but it was what he wanted to do for her. He was a little surprised, but once it was clear to him that she knew what he was trying to do, she almost slid right down as she spread her legs apart farther and her hand joined his. He helped her to get repositioned and he began again, but found her hand there right away with his own. "Not good for Gerta?" he asked, but her head went slowly from side to side as it lay on his chest. "Nice, Lewis, ohhhh nice." So he kept on, but he tried to learn what it was that she was doing, and when he had it, he felt her hand on his caressing it comfortably as she sighed. It marked quite a moment for him, since he was a virgin. It made him smile to himself. He doubted that anyone would care in the least, but at forty-five years of age. Lewis Crowe had reached a point that he thought that most human males attain while in their teens. He was learning to please a female with his touch. He knew that it wasn't much, but to him it felt like quite an honor. Many men don't care all that much about subtleties while engaged in anything sexual with a female, and some don't care at all. But it was important to Lewis, though he had no past experiences to draw on. He just thought that he was being shown a rare privilege to even have this chance to try, and so he wanted to do it well for her. When her head went back and he saw her eyes squeezed shut as she cried out in something like a howling groan, Lewis felt his heart leap. But when she opened her eyes to look at him with the most incredible upside down smile that he'd ever seen, ... Lewis Crowe felt like a king. He took advantage of their position and made sure that her long red hair was wet before he helped her sit up. It took a lot of instructions, but she found that she trusted him enough to sit with her eyes closed, groaning as he washed her hair for her. After they washed his, he pulled the plug and got out to bring her a towel. While she stood in his main room in the towel, he lit the hearth and Gerta sat right down on the floor. Lewis used the time to open the door so that he could retrieve their foul-smelling clothes, and before long, his washer was humming with a task to do. He went to the kitchen and decided that they ought to eat omelets. He had no idea why it had come to him, but it was what he'd decided on. Gerta followed her nose into the kitchen as he was adding some onions and cheese. She stood behind him and hugged him a little as she peeked around him. "Lewis eat?" she pointed at the pan. He smiled at her, "Lewis and Gerta eat – soon." He was amazed at how delighted she looked. When they ate together, Lewis hadn't expected her to be able to use cutlery, but she could. She just used either the knife or the fork to put food into her mouth. -------------- The hearth warmed the place easily and they just lolled around on the floor on an old comforter that he pulled out. Lewis felt a lot of wonder to have her there with him, and it was plain that she was happy. They still had a bit of trouble getting ideas across, but they didn't care much. He got out a few of his books and they sat together looking at them. She seemed to know a little of what was there, though she couldn't read any of it. He tried to read a few of the sentences to her very slowly, and she tried to guess what it was that he was saying, but it wasn't long before he knew that there was something very wrong with either the texts or his pronunciation of what was printed there. She looked at him strangely once and began to laugh. Then she tried to draw for him with her finger on the comforter. He got her a pencil and paper. She was a little amazed, but she took the pencil and drew an egg, indicating that they'd just eaten some. Then she drew a strange little creature. After three tries, he guessed that it was a hedgehog. She pointed to the egg, and he said "egg". When she pointed to the other drawings, he said "hedgehog', and she tried to say it for a minute. Then she pointed to the book that he'd read from, saying, "Grrrta eat egg. Not hungry now. Grrrta not want eat hedgehog." She looked around for a moment, "Lewis has hedgehog?" He saw that she had a small smile that she was trying to hide and it told him that she felt better and also that she had a sense of humor and was obviously bright enough to have one. Lewis gave up on the books. They spoke in their halting and stilted way to each other, and Lewis noted that she was getting something from the way that he spoke to her. Her speech was a little smoother and she absorbed new words rather quickly. It told him that she was rather intelligent and he loved the way that she looked when she was trying new words on him playfully. After a while, they just kissed and caressed each other for a long while. Lewis didn't know it, but Gerta was happy. He might have gotten a clue about it, but he had no idea as to the degree, until she told him so in a shy and quiet way. He thought about it then from her point of view, and he supposed that she could feel that way, considering the way that she'd thought her day was going up to the point where the hellhound had made an appearance. He wondered what the foreshadowed 'visit' might entail, but his thoughts were cut short when she asked him to hold her. He found that he enjoyed just hugging her, though he had to try to get her to ease up a little from the death-hold that she deemed to need at first. After a minute, she tried to express her wish, pointing to her labia. He had a general idea, but he knew that he was wrong when she became rather bashful and yet hopeful at the same time. He was mystified, but he was game. He had the idea when Gerta looked a little mortified as she wiggled her tongue at him hopefully. He nodded, she smiled, and they both laughed a little. He helped her to lie back, and he kissed his way along. Whenever he looked, she seemed to be in a bit of bliss, so he felt encouraged. He didn't really need much encouragement. He wondered how many men there were in the world who had the chance that he had now - kissing and caressing the body of someone like this girl. He wondered how many times something such as this had ever happened. Just like in the bath, from this close in the light of the fire, he noticed that her front was a little lighter than her back - a slightly lighter greenish hue, and her nipples matched the dark, dull, and almost purple tone of her lips. He spent a lot of time on them, deciding that beside the never-before chance of it, it was a singular thing to be able to nuzzle against warm and inviting breasts such as Gerta's. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 12 As he ran his hands over her, her words came to him that she'd been being fattened. He pulled back a little and the quick glance told him that if he had to use one word, he'd have chosen "juicy". She wasn't svelte and he didn't care. He thought that she was amazing. She looked a little expectant when he moved between her feet, but Gerta didn't seem to mind when he continued with his oral explorations. She only seemed slightly surprised. He had no measure of the expected level of expertise or sophistication here, so he just went to it. Gerta's head fell backwards slowly with a long groan, and Lewis pulled himself closer, waited for the sound to fade, and then he showered her with light kisses for a little while. He watched her face rise up over the horizon of her lovely tits, and her soft smile made him inexplicably happy. He stroked her thighs and belly as he resumed, and he didn't care how loud the lapping of his tongue sounded in the dark room, lit by only the glow of the fire. In good time, Gerta rewarded him with her mewls, hissing soft cries and her one loud groan. He surveyed the landscape in front of him as he looked up the length of her belly. "Grrrta want, ... thank, ... uh," She said, quite obviously out of breath. "An honor and a privilege," he answered, meaning every word ,and knowing that she wouldn't understand. He kissed her very softly once more and moved a little to toss a branch on the fire. Gerta pulled herself along on the comforter until she was in a position to kiss his manhood for him. She began to get a bit more intimate with it a minute later and she pulled him so that he had the thought to lie on his side. She lifted one leg and he felt her hand on his head, gently tugging so that he'd bring his mouth to her. He felt like an idiot then, but he did get it, finally, so with a pleased sigh and a bit of repositioning to allow for the difference in their sizes, he began again. He hoped that his efforts would please her, but he tossed the notion a few minutes later. From the soft sounds that she was making, he was doing alright, he supposed. In fact, he was quite wrong, though not in that he was doing something that pleased her greatly. Until then, Gerta had never felt anything such as what he was doing for her. She was incredibly thankful that he was doing it, for one thing, and so happy that he seemed to like her for another. She didn't dare to dream any farther than that. No one had ever done something like licking her for her pleasure. They'd just used her while they were fattening her for the kill. She knew it. She'd seen it as they'd done the same thing to her mother so that the king would have something tasty to eat years before. Gerta had planned only to please him and see where that got her. She swore to herself that no one would ever bind her again, though she had a thought that with him it might be nice, the way that Lewis treated her. But first, she needed some time to forget. She almost didn't dare to hope that she could stay, though she'd do anything for the chance of it. Still, she tried to harden her heart. If he tried to hurt her, she'd kill him for it. She thought about staying and making some kind of plan against the day that she had to leave - what she'd need and what she'd need to do... but she didn't know enough about this place yet. All that she knew was Lewis. But then his wet kisses and his soft licking took her away. She sighed when she thought that he was actually allowing her to hold his head against her like this. It came to her that he was really trying to do this for her. It likely couldn't be true, but it was a nice thought as her nerve endings tore her thoughts away and she keened softly, his penis forgotten for the moment. When the feeling faded, Gerta did her best to love what was in her mouth. She thought he deserved it. For what he'd done, ... She felt anticipation as she brought him closer to his release, not that this would end it. She actually liked doing this for this one male, and if he could go on treating her this way, then she planned to do this a lot for him. Gerta was also feeling very hopeful that he might fuck her soon. If this was the way that he cared about her, then he just had to be wondrous instead of what she'd always gotten. She thought about offering herself to him at some point if he gave no indication. She now wanted him inside her. She even had pleasant thoughts about offering him her rump. She'd been used there often, but she just knew that he'd be gentle with her and that was what she wanted there. She'd just never had that. It was a little tough to imagine doing that because you care about someone, she told herself, but she was more than willing to try. She felt him stiffen more and sure enough, he groaned and her mouth began to fill and then she was busy sucking and swallowing what he gave her. It was after that when her tears began. It was after he'd turned himself around and held her and kissed her lips when she hadn't even had time to be sure that she'd gotten it all. It was when she found her face against his chest as he held her close and pulled the comforter over them. She sniffled and he heard it. He looked down in some shock and concern, asking her if she was alright and if there was anything wrong. She looked up and wiped her eyes with her hand, and all of her thoughts flew from her. She wrapped her leg over him and pulled herself higher. She kissed him and she shook her head. She spoke her answer, and saw its effect on him right before her eyes. "Happy," she said sobbing, "Grrrta happy." What her words did to him was instantly apparent, and it made her try to bunch up a little of the comforter to hide her face as she burst into tears. Lewis was confounded for a moment, but then he tried to kiss her tears away as he stroked her back softly and told her that it was alright. He told her that he had a bed and asked her if she wanted to go there. She shook her head and reached for the pillows they'd been using, pulling one so that it was clear that it was for him and pulling the other under her own head. She knew what they were, she'd just never had the use of one before. "Sleep here?" she asked, and he understood that she didn't want to move from where they were. Lewis nodded, and when Gerta was the way that she'd lain before, her leg still holding herself to him tightly the whole time, he curled himself up so that she was as enveloped by his body as she could be. He repositioned the comforter and then he touched her face. "Lewis happy," he announced to her in a whisper. Gerta kissed him and tried to hide against him under the comforter. He bent his head down and kissed hers. He heard her breathing shift after a minute or two, and Lewis Crowe lay there holding someone close to him who had somehow been able to touch his heart in a way that no one else had ever done. He didn't want to think too much for the moment. Language was an issue. Technology would be a huge one. How to keep her hidden until he could find a way to integrate her, ... Holy Christ, he thought, he was thinking of ways to get her into his life. He was making huge assumptions that he had no right or basis to make. He lifted the edge of the comforter just enough to let him see her head. The free bonus was that it allowed him to see a bit of her face as well. She was asleep and comfortable, he thought. She stirred a little and nuzzled her face against his chest a bit more. He tried to discount the soft and satisfied sound that she made as she sighed, but he couldn't. He thought about her life and her situation. It was very likely that she now felt more safe and secure than she'd ever felt, and that thought brought the strangest sense of quiet determination to Lewis Crowe as he held the green-skinned little beauty. He didn't mind. The mantle clock chimed very quietly and he knew that it was now Christmas Eve, a festive time that he knew meant nothing to her and not all that much to him. But it felt hopeful and right this night. He smiled and kissed her head softly once more, and then he lowered the comforter again, careful to leave an airway for her. He stared at the fire for a long time. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 13 **This chapter flits around a little from one place to the other. I don't think that anyone will find it too distracting. O_o ---------------- Tereth cursed. The signs were there somewhere, he fumed under his breath. They had to be. Why couldn't he see them? He fought back a mild wave of panic. He needed to come up with at least a likely trail to even begin to find the missing huntress, and damn soon. But he already had everyone that he knew on this, every disgruntled shadow, every snitch who owed him a favor, and he'd heard nothing. He groaned when he felt that he was being summoned. ---------------- Sharon answered her door and found Lily there holding out a single white long-stemmed rose with her hopeful smile. "I couldn't decide which color," she said, "so I brought them all." As Sharon stared, the rose began to change its color. She touched one petal and looked up, "This is real!" Lily nodded, "You might want to put it in a vase, if you've got one." "I love roses, thank you!" Sharon said, as she stretched up to kiss Lily, "What kind is it?" "All of them," her friend shrugged with a chuckle, "I'm serious, I really couldn't decide. It'll live as long in a vase as any other rose, but it'll be all of them and all colors while it does. Only you can see it for what it is, anyone else would see only a white rose that I bought in a shop. I changed it for you." Sharon looked again. It was now the classic Tea rose in a brilliant hot pink coloring. "Thank you so much, Lily. This is amazing." ------------------- They sat at a table in a little restaurant around the corner from Sharon's flat sipping wine and nibbling from a platter of cheeses and baked sweets as they talked of the loves in their lives. Lily hung on every word as Sharon told of hers. Sharon wanted to know about the male that Lily had loved so much. "He was a man," she said plainly, "We came together by accident of murderous intent, I guess you'd say, each looking to humble and kill the other. He tried to summon me. That has always been a sure way to piss into the wind as far as I'm concerned. I usually kill anyone who tries if I get tired of hearing their plaintive bleating long enough -- which is why we've got to change the things that you put under your lovely drawings," she reminded the other woman. "But I didn't kill this one, a good thing for one of my daughters or she wouldn't be here. He was a king and I was a storm demon who troubled his land. His advisers told him that I had to be killed for better weather for their crops. They told him that disasters would come to the kingdom if I was allowed to live. A year later, he'd thrown all of his advisers out on their ears, and remarkably, the weather was the same and there were no floods or droughts any more than there ever were." Sharon sat fascinated as Lily shrugged, "We met and exchanged insults and taunts, we fought a little, and before we knew it we were in each other's arms, and neither of us had ever felt anything like it. I'd had men before and knew what to expect -- at least I thought I did, but he was so different, because he really knew how to love me intuitively. The feeling was incredibly deep for us both, and the physical side of it, well, ... We'd literally crawl away from each other afterward," she laughed, "regretting every inch of space between us, him sore and aching in every muscle -- absolutely drained of his seed and if you can imagine it, me going the other way, too weak for the moment to even try to fly and with his semen running from whichever place on me that he'd taken me last." She looked at Sharon grinning, and there was a sigh in it when she said, "It was wonderful." Lily looked down for a moment and then she smiled a little self-consciously across the table, "I was never the same after he passed and, for so long, I could feel a pull toward him, though we could never be together again. I couldn't reach him. I suppose that's why I really never allowed myself to, ... Well, "she smiled, "I can't feel him anymore. I suppose that there's a reason for that, though I have no idea why it might be. I just know that I feel that I can move forward for myself again." "I like the way that you're not quite confident and supreme now and then for just an instant, "Sharon smiled warmly, "I get to see a different 'you' then. It's really nice." Lily shrugged, "I guess that I just feel that I can be myself with you. I know that you're a little nervous about this, and I guess, ... well, I guess that I am too." ------------------------- Gorek sat calmly on his throne regarding Tereth. The quiet observation had gone on for long minutes already after the hunter's arrival and deep bow before his lord. Tereth willed his eyes to remain respectful in their visage. He strained to stay focused on the sand giant before him as the sound of retching and a lot of spitting came to his ears followed by the crack of a flame whip and a shriek. Then there was silence again between sobs for a moment. The pattern repeated itself many times, but Tereth finally glanced down for just the shortest sliver of time before he regained mastery of his will and his eyes came back up to look at his ruler impassively -- or as impassively as he could manage. But it was too late. He'd looked away once. "See something that you like, Tereth?" the sand demon smiled, "I know that you have dreams and aspirations to sit on the throne of a hell of your own one day. I might even help you, but you begin like this with me if you fail in this hunt." The female doing her very best to bring the lord to his release turned her head aside to retch again, spitting out wet dust and sand, and knowing that she'd feel pain for it again. The whip cracked inexorably in another second and she sobbed as she lowered her head once more. Gorek's face twisted just a little in his pleasure, "Watch closely, foolishly proud hunter. See what it is that you will be doing for me very soon if you don't produce some results very quickly. I have to find some use for you, don't I? You're very nearly worthless to me as a hunter, it seems." He grunted and the woman choked. Before she could react, Gorek lifted her up and spun her around so that Tereth could see her face as he forced her down onto his sand-covered prick mercilessly. He pumped himself into her and in another moment, she was leaking his mud out of two places. She coughed and what was in her mouth sailed out in a sandy brown arc. Some of that hit Tereth in the face. The woman screamed but Gorek still pumped. He only slid down in his seat a little as she vomited so that he could get in a little deeper. Her tormented eyes looked at the hunter, pleading silently for a second before she coughed again and found her voice. "Make it stop," she begged, "I'll do anything, just make this stop!" Gorek laughed as he brought his head around hers and saw her wide eyes, "You've already done most of everything that I can think of. There's just one thing that remains. See the others here. See the ones who swing the whips." He thrust into her cruelly and it brought a scream from her that ended in her sobbing. "You'll be one of them very soon -- maybe later today. I'll fuck your ass until your belly swells just like the others and then you can waddle just like them for me -- unless you can think of a way to pass the mud. If you can't, then it will become very hard from my secretions. It happens sometimes that some can pass the mud, so take heart and have a little hope. Those ones become my favorites. I treat them better -- for as long as they last since I can do it over and over." He tossed the woman a good thirty feet onto the rocks there. The other men and women began to shuffle and sway toward her, beseeching her to use her tongue on them and saying that it was the only thing that broke up the cement which tormented them. Gorek looked at Tereth," Well? Are you any closer?" The hunter thought desperately and he looked up, having nothing more than the vaguest feeling to go by, "When I was here last, you were given three souls, my lord. A hellhound brought them. Where are they?" "Somewhere," the lord nodded, "why?" Tereth did his best not to let his thoughts show as he said, "That hellhound spoke," he said. "You're really grasping at straws, Tereth," the sand giant smirked, "the conversation was from mind to mind." He tried his best not to sneer at the dim-witted ruler, since he wasn't sure that his thoughts would remain private here. The idiot might have telepaths listening. "You were beating me, lord, as I rightly deserved, yet I heard that hellhound speak. I have heard of only one such beast. May I question the three suckers that she brought?" Gorek gave the command that they be brought. He looked at Tereth, "Well, not quite so useless, though we'll see. In the meantime, kneel before me and lick me clean, and maybe I'll finish filling the one who can suck so well there instead of you today." -------------------- Sharon finished brushing her teeth. As she shut the water off, she heard a soft sound and looked down. There was a single red rose petal just coming to a stop next to her foot on the floor. She wondered about it for a moment, and then another sailed in, accompanied by a quiet giggle from the other side of the door. She smiled and opened the door. There was no one there, but there were a few more rose petals. Sharon came out of her bathroom and stared. It was a distance of perhaps twenty-five feet from the threshold of the bathroom door to her bed, if one took the two left turns into account. Sharon had a rather old-fashioned and high bed. The top of the mattress was about three feet from the level of the floor. The floor was covered in a layer of rose petals which increased in depth as she followed it out of the bathroom. The whole flat smelled incredibly of roses. When she turned again into the bedroom, the depth was deeper than her bed was high. There was even a thick layer of petals on the bed itself with Lily lying in the middle of it, chuckling. There was nothing else that she could do. Sharon laughed and then she just shook her head in wonder. "Why do I have the sudden sense that this is going to be just a little different with you?" she asked. Lily stretched languidly, "Oh, I don't know. I just know that you like roses, that's all. It's not like I'm trying to leave my own signature, is it? If I was, the place would be full of lilies. Besides, I can hide my imperfections from you like this." "Imperfections," Sharon smirked as she let her robe fall and began to wade through the rose petals, "You've really got the most perfect imperfections, Lily." ------------------- Lewis woke to find Gerta looking worried and uncomfortable. He thought that he understood and took her to the bathroom. Then he thought about situations such as this multiplied a thousandfold since she knew nothing about the things that people took for granted or just did without thought. Then again, she was really bright, he told himself. She came to him looking very apologetic. He asked why and she pointed at the bowl, and he realized that she seemed to think that she'd now done something wrong by urinating in it. He took her to it and flushed. She looked so relieved. After using the fixture himself, he taught her to wash her hands. She looked at her severed bonds where he'd set them on the edge of the bathroom sink for a moment before she hugged him. Gerta led him back to the hearth and she made it a point that he lie back. "Grrrta makes warm," she said pointing at the hearth. She made her second point then by spending a few minutes on her hands and knees as she revived the coals and carefully chose twigs of just the right size. When she had them burning well, she added two pieces of kindling, and then a larger section of a dried branch. Lewis came to understand some things from that. His new friend was trying to show him that she wanted to be useful to him. She was also very pointedly showing him that she was feeling more than a little receptive. When Gerta was satisfied with the fire, she came back to him and grinned when she saw him holding the comforter open for her. She shivered for a moment as she hugged him, "Grrrta cold," she smiled apologetically. He held her tightly and smiled back. After a few minutes, she looked at him in a questioning sort of way. She held up her hands. After indicating herself and Lewis, she made her hands into fists and held her wrists together in front of his face. Lewis watched, trying to fathom this. Gerta pointed at him, before making a circle with her thumb and forefinger and then she began sliding her other index finger in and out of the opening of her hand a few times before indicating herself. She completed the pantomime by holding her wrists together above her head and grunting a little. Lewis was startled. Gerta looked at him shyly and only asked, "Later?" He nodded a little tentatively, and she seemed happy. But Lewis had a thought then that this might be what her idea of sex entailed, given the way that she'd obviously been treated. He reached down and began to caress her. Gerta looked at him curiously, "Lewis not sleep?" He smiled, "Later." Gerta nodded and kissed him. It took a bit of fumbling, but Lewis rolled her onto her back and once he was finally inside her, Gerta carefully rolled them onto their sides. She set the slow and gentle pace and she was careful to show him how she appreciated him. Lewis was just as careful. Her gentle release came first and then she sighed and hugged him, cooing until he spent himself. ------------------ Lily opened her golden eyes. The thin light coming in through the curtains told her that dawn was perhaps an hour or so away. She looked down and found that they'd slept in the same position that she remembered when she'd closed her eyes. Sharon lifted her head and looked at her. "Thank you," the blonde said quietly. "I finally know what you meant .You were right, we can do this, just as you said." She smirked, "And even if we can't, I'm pretty sure that I'm already a willing slave to that tongue of yours." Lily smiled, "Thank you for believing in me. You're pretty wonderful yourself. Do you have to work today?" "No," Sharon replied lazily, "I kind of exercised the privilege of my position before you came last night and someone else will have to sit and wait for nobody to want to look at the place today." She stretched a little carefully and settled against Lily again with a soft and comfortable groan. "I'd like to see Yester today, if I could. It's past time that I got out there again for one of my visits. Do you have to be anywhere?" Lily shrugged, "Just Yester. I need to see how a man that you know made out last night. You know Lewis Crowe?" Sharon lifted her head, "Yes, why?" The tall one ran her hand over Sharon's shoulder for a moment, "The lower levels under the hall were cleared out yesterday as Lord Tobias needs the lower hall. My daughter ran down a pair of goblins outside who were trying to run and they were killed, but they had another with them. I'm told that Lewis was there and asked to care for her. I sense that he's alive, but I want to know more. From what Zele said, the girl is part goblin and part kobold. Lewis knows this, and he still wanted to look after her." Sharon was amazed, "Really? Do you think I could, ..." "I'd want to you to see her," Lily said, "I think that she'll need clothes, and he can't just take her to the shops, can he? He may need your help, if you wouldn't mind." "I have to see her," the blonde said, "Who's Zele?" "One of my daughters, I have three," the demon said, "You'll meet them all." "Well," the human said airily, "I guess that you could fly there, or just show up, or whatever you want, but I've got a real desire to see the place now. I've got a car and we are going to the same place, so, ..." Lily smiled, knowing what was meant, "Could I ride with you?" Sharon pulled herself up a little, "I thought you'd never ask, but could we just stay in bed for another hour, and, ... where did all the rose petals go?" "They leave a bit of a mess, so they were just an illusion," the demon smiled, "the bloom that I gave you last night is real." Sharon smiled, "You're not an illusion, are you?" "No," Lily said as she hugged Sharon for a moment. "That's good," the blonde said, pulling herself higher still to put her head on the demon's shoulder and kiss her throat, "I'd be upset if I dreamt all of that. It would have been the very best dream of my life, but this is so much better. So what are we now?" "What do you feel that we are?" Lily asked, "I'll accept your definition since I've never done this before." "We're friends, just as you said, but that doesn't really cover it," Sharon said, "I think it feels better if, ... well, I feel as though I've got a girlfriend, to tell you the truth." Lily reached down to slide her hand over Sharon's bottom in a gentle caress. "I think that's probably because you've got a girlfriend. And thank you for that as well." -------------------- Illa got up and prepared to stumble off to look for the place to pee. She saw Zele's eyes regarding her and the hand that she held up. Illa waited as the dark girl crawled to her carefully, not wanting to disturb the others. "I'll go with you," she whispered and the imp nodded. She stared a little as Zele became the hellhound before her. "Why, Miss Zele?" The hoarse voice came to her as the softest whisper that Zele could manage, "Four legs. Easier to stand this way. Come." They walked off a little way together and Zele stopped. "Illa is still half asleep. Climb up. Zele's back will be smooth for you." Illa nodded and tried to hop up. It took three tries and they were off. Zele hadn't said anything, but she didn't want the imp to wander off alone, especially if she wasn't fully awake. She didn't smell or sense any dangers, but, ... Illa eased herself down to lie on Zele's back. She hugged the hound's sides with her legs and just rested her chin on her arms. Zele smirked a little for a moment. They found the pit and Zele waited, looking around cautiously until Illa was done. "Try to listen and look around," Zele whispered with a slightly apologetic face, "Zele makes more noise than Illa." Illa nodded and she did her best to be watchful. She heard the hiss as Zele let go, and understood the need for her request. She just wasn't prepared for the steam that accompanied her effort. Zele tilted her head as she padded up to Illa. "It's nothing, "Illa grinned a little, "I just wasna ready fer that is all. I'll bet ye could cut through a frozen pond like that." It caused them both to chuckle and Zele agreed that she likely could. "Zele - I have a surprise for Illa," she said, "Come." She shook her head, "I try and try, but sometimes I still talk in my old way." "That's alright. Miss Zele," Illa said earnestly, "Ye're tryin' and that's what counts. It's alright wi' me if ye trip up. I'll no mind." They went a little further and came to a hot spring in the stone. The walls glowed dimly with chemiluminescence, the rocks reacting with something in the steam. Zele returned to her dark female shape and the pair stepped in. Illa had to wade a little carefully, since there were a few places in the pool that were over her head .When she made a misstep and went under, Zele pulled her up immediately. "Illa must be careful," she said, "Zele does not want to lose her now. Zele wants to share a nice place with her friend, not try to tell Thiery that his female is dead because of Zele." Illa thanked her and Zele showed her some submerged rocks to sit on and the pair sat in the hot water together in silence, just leaning against each other. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 13 "I want te tell ye somethin', Miss Zele," Illa whispered after a while, "I want te thank ye fer Thiery. I didna know the story right away, but I know that it was you who really started this when ye brought Thiery back from where he was. He's happy now and so am I, and we're both feelin' thankful te ye fer it." Zele smiled, "Zele only brought Thiery. Mother did the rest." Illa looked up at the onyx eyes regarding her, "That's true, I guess, but still, it was ye who started it by saving him. I also know that he's yer pet, and ye've not been possessin' of him much, because of me, I think. And we both saw how ye tried te stay near us yesterday. I didna miss that." "It is easy for Zele to like Illa so much and Zele loves Thiery," Zele said, "but not like Illa loves him. Zele misses holding Thiery a little, but it is not important. Zele thinks that it is more important that Illa holds Theiry, but she should think a little about what will come. One day, we may leave. Illa and Theiry should think about that." She put her arm around the imp and said, "Imp and kobold may want to stay here. If they want to come along, they should think about the fighting that will come, and also that a demon can carry a pet and it is not minded. Thiery is Zele's pet. If you come along, she can carry him when she flies. Zele tries to say that Illa should maybe think about becoming the pet of another so that she can come too -- if that is what Illa and Thiery want to do. Zele thinks that Illa and Thiery should talk to Mother about it." "A pet?" Illa said, "Me? Who would want me as their pet? I understand what ye're sayin' Miss Zele, but, ..." The dark one smiled, "Zele thinks there are some choices. Maezou loves Thiery and likes Illa like Zele does, but we do not think that Illa likes girls so much. If she did, Maezou would be so happy to have Illa. It is the same with Mother. She likes Illa too, but Mother also moves far and fast often. Maybe that is not best, since Illa wants to be near Thiery. My older sister has Alecto. Girls again. That leaves the males. But Racephet loves his female in a different way. They join in their bodies and also in their minds sometimes -- even when they sleep." She nodded, smiling, "So Illa should be Toby's pet." Illa's eyes went wide, "Miss Zele, the laird is a big male. I know that te be a pet means that sometimes, ..." She shook her head, "I'd be surprised if he ever even had the thought te want me anyway. And what am I supposed te do wi' a thing like he's got?" "Zele's little place is -- very little, Illa," the onyx-eyed one said, "Toby is kind and slow. He gives time to --" Illa shook her head, "No, Miss Zele, I've also got te think about Thiery. Even if I could take a male like the laird, how would poor Thiery feel? I'll no see him hurt over some notion that he's not enough male fer me, because he really is. He's bigger now than he was, and it's all that I can take. He's a little too long fer me now some ways, and --" She stopped when Zele put her hand over Illa's lips. The dark one nodded, "Zele understands this. But Toby is kind and Zele is sure that is can be done in other ways that do not hurt Illa. Zele can show Illa, like this." She gently lifted the imp half onto her lap. Illa stared as Zele's tail rose out of the water to tickle Illa under her chin for a moment. "Here, Miss Zele," the imp said a little nervously, "Ye're nae goin' te -- " "No," Zele smiled, "not unless Illa wants this. This is just to show what Zele means. Move your legs apart a little." Illa sighed as Zele demonstrated for a few seconds with her tail as she slid it back and forth between Illa's thighs. She stopped and Illa sat with a surprised expression. "See?"Zele asked, "Toby does this with my sister and I sometimes. We like it and so does Toby." Zele brought her tail to her own mouth for a moment. What she'd done had begun to make her tail seep its glowing fluid and Illa watched as the dark one licked it away from the tip. "Thiery told me that's yer eggs," the imp said in a little bit of awe. "That is what we think," Zele smiled after a long, slow lick, "Zele puts them inside herself and Maezou. Nothing ever grows from them. They pass out again like Toby's seed, but they feel good going in and we like the taste." She held her tail and offered it to Illa, "Try if you like." Illa touched the tip of Zele's tail with a fingertip. She brought it to her mouth and smiled after a moment, "This is good!" "Zele is happy that you like it too," she said as Illa began to lick her tail as well, "Sometimes, Zele tries to find a quiet place and she has fun all alone with her tail. Sometimes, it was all that Zele had. Now she has Toby and she has her sister again. Zele is happy now, but she still likes to do this sometimes." Illa smiled at Zele, "Do ye feel like doin' it now, Miss Zele?" The dark one grinned a little shyly as she nodded. "Well then," Illa said a little hesitantly, "Could I watch ye if ye did?" Zele tilted her head, "Zele thought --" Illa looked a little embarrassed, "It's no that -- at least I dinna think it is," she said, "but ye're so beautiful, Miss Zele. I'm always stealin' a look at ye because ye're lovely te see. It doesna matter te me te see something like that if ye please yerself a little. It's natural and nice fer me te look at, that's all." She looked away for a second, "All of the girls here are so lovely. I feel pretty plain among ye all." "Zele thinks her friend should stop that thinking," she said in a mildly scolding tone, "Everyone thinks that Illa is so pretty and sweet. Zele was standing with her sister Tisiphone and we saw how Illa made her kobold hard from far away. She didn't even know that he looked, but we saw it happen." She smiled warmly as she set Illa on her feet and turned to step out, "It made us happy to see it. Sometimes Zele thinks about Illa and she knows that she is not the only one." She found a flat surface and sat against one of the walls, "We are not like the demons in a hell. All of us are beautiful, Illa," she said, "Every one, our males, my sisters, Megaera is like a dark dream to Zele's mind and she smiles when she watches her with her lord. Alecto smiles at Tisiphone and Zele can feel it how her sister loves Alecto. So lovely they are. Mother is so old, and still she can make males fall to their knees. Zele has seen this often. They beg her, Illa," she said pointing her finger at the imp girl, "And all of us think that you are beautiful. We have all said it to each other, and when Thiery makes you cry out, we all feel happy for you. You are not plain." She brought her tail to her lips and began so suck it again. "Come and watch me then, if you wish." Illa waded carefully to the edge of the pool and leaned there with her face on her arms as Zele began. The tail slid from Zele's lips and began to caress its owner. Zele brought her hands to her breasts as she closed her eyes with a sigh. Everywhere that the tip of her tail went, it left a glowing little trail behind. Illa's eyes went to Zele's mouth as it opened, and she saw the pale glow on her friend's lips and on her tongue. Illa's mound found a bit of stone that protruded from the side of the pool and she began to rub herself on it unconsciously. She couldn't help it as she watched spellbound. Zele opened her lidded eyes and smiled. "Illa wears Zele's eggs on her lovely face." Illa nodded, and Zele sighed again, "Come and get more if you want. Zele has so much and she likes to share." Illa pulled herself out of the pool and walked to where Zele sat. "Does it always come out slow like that?" Zele nodded lazily, "Zele can also try to hold it back for a time. Then, when it feels good, she can let it go. It does not squirt like a male, it just flows. Maezou loves it when Zele does that for her, because Zele is so warm inside her." The tip of Zele's tail appeared before Illa. She kissed it and then she was on her side beside Zele. She held the tail and sucked as her other hand slid to her mound. She was frigging herself in seconds. Zele saw it and moaned. The sound made Illa shiver. "Please, Illa," Zele whispered, "Zele knows that you like males, but, ... please, kiss Zele a little?" Illa stopped and got to her knees. She put her hands on the rock wall above Zele's head. She looked down and smiled, "I think I can, Zele." They kissed softly and Zele's hips rolled back as she raised her legs while one of her hands held Illa's head gently for a moment. Zele broke the kiss and smiled her thanks. "Watch now," she whispered. Illa was on her knees and looked as Zele's tail found her labia. There were already glowing droplets when it moved back for a second. Then the tip settled firmly against its owner and it began to move in an odd, rhythmic way. Zele watched Illa's face. "It can make its way in a little differently, not like a male does this." She groaned as her head went back a little. "So soft. So slow, and ohhh, so gently." Illa stared as she listened to the quiet and slick sounds that the tail made as it slid in a little deeper every time that it moved. To her, it was like watching an earthworm move. She'd never thought of it before , but it looked so gently erotic to her as Zele obviously rode her pleasure higher. At one point, she grasped it in one hand and fucked herself for only moments as her other hand just barely touched her clitoris and then she cried out very softly. Illa knelt there transfixed as Zeel's eyes opened after a minute. "Miss Zele," she gasped, "that was beautiful to see." There was a wet sound as Zele slid her tail out of herself slowly and brought it to her face to lick. Illa couldn't help herself and moved to join her. "Is it as good as a male?" she managed to ask after a few minutes. "Zele does not think it is, and Maezou agrees," she said, "But it is sooo good anyway," Zele grinned. "Can I try?" Illa asked. Zele nodded and Illa lay down facing her. "Illa can move up," Zele said, "One thing that is better about it than a male is that it can reach far." She kissed Illa once gently, "Zele had it inside her sister as we watched you and Thiery. You did not see us, but it was so good." Zele moved her tail and she helped with her hand to find Illa's lips. After a second, Illa moaned and began to buck a little. "It is never as thick and hard as a male can be," Zele breathed into Illa's ear, "But it goes where it needs to, and it makes itself fit. Zele is not large either." "I saw," Illa shuddered for a second, before she reached to Zele and kissed her, their tongues sliding around each other. "Hold it with your hand, Illa," Zele sighed, "Zele likes that, and you can control it better." Illa's small hand had the tail instantly and she began to stroke it in and out. The onyx eyes smiled into Illa's. "Try to tell Zele when you want her to let go. She holds her eggs back for you now," She moved one of her hands to lightly run her fingers along Illa's labia gently. When she judged the time to be right, she touched the small and very erect bud and the effect was instant. The imp girl bucked harder at the dark one's touch and tried to speak, "Nu, .. nu,.. NOWwwww." Zele grinned at her friend's pleasure and hissed a little as she let her eggs go. It was an incredibly sensual feeling for Illa, more than enough as she squeaked and wailed into Zele's mouth at the warmth of the flood flowing into her. "Thank you, lovely Illa," Zele whispered into Illa's ear as she rubbed her belly, "It feels so good to put my eggs inside you." The imp girl's eyes shone as they opened and she smiled. "It feels so nice and warm. I feel like a super female, if that makes sense. Thank you." -------------------- Zele smiled as they sat in the pool again rinsing her eggs off, "It is maybe the same thing either way. If Illa is Toby's pet, the sisters will love you too anyway. It is always better when we help each other. Anyway," she said,"Illa should think about it and talk to Theiry and ask Mother for her advice. If it is not wanted to come if we leave, Zele will release Theiry so that he can stay with Illa. Zele wants to say that this is the most important thing to her. She thinks that the imp and the kobold belong together." Illa looked at her friend a little sadly, "Ye're nae good at hidin' yer feelins sometimes. I just felt how ye'd miss us then. And we'd miss ye too. I dinna want to talk about that now." They got out a few minutes later and began to walk back, but Zele stopped them again as she changed into the hellhound once more. "Does Illa want to ride back?" she asked as the water on her from the pool steamed off, drying from her heat. Illa grinned, "I'd love that, Miss Zele." She hopped up and lay down right away, "Yer always so nice and warm and I feel wonderful inside." Zele's head turned back with a barely noticeable grin, "Was that alright for Illa? Was that alright for being with a girl?" Illa reached out and scratched the flinty ear carefully, "Oh shut up, pretty Zele, I'm tryin' not te think about that. I just liked what ye did fer me. I've always liked ye from the first minute. I just never thought that,.." "Zele knows," the hound nodded playfully, "no one can resist her." They laughed at each other and Zele began to walk. When they returned to the chamber where they'd all been sleeping two minutes later, Thiery was already awake and wondering where Illa had gone. He couldn't help the smile that grew on his face when he saw Zele pad in with Illa riding on her back. She held still as her small friend slid off and Illa hugged the flinty neck as tightly as she dared. She ran silently to Thiery with one hand between her thighs. "What was that all about?" he whispered smiling as he hugged her. "We was walking back, and she asked if I'd like a ride, Thiery. It's great fun and she's so warm." She pulled him down, "Come and lie with me, while my belly's still feelin' hot." She reached for Thiery's penis and began to caress it, "Quickly now, my love, get yerself hard. I've a bellyful of Zele's eggs and they're so hot inside me, though I think most of them washed out in the pool we was in. I'm wantin' ye te feel it too. Come fuck me, Thiery. Fuck me quiet-like, but hurry while I'm still hot inside fer ye." Zele watched as she stood there forgotten for the moment in her hound shape. No one saw her little grin. She thought so much of the small pair. There just had to be a way to get her sister to take Illa as her pet. She didn't think that it would be quite as difficult now. But there was another issue suddenly that came to Zele's mind. She decided then to stay and she waited until the small lovers had both gasped and whimpered to each other. Zele lowered her head to get a better look as Illa rocked herself back when she felt Thiery's contractions. When they'd been still for a few minutes, she nosed Illa. "Come." Illa looked up questioningly, but she got up and followed Zele out of the chamber again. "Zele is sorry to disturb her friend again. What happened to Thiery the first time with you. Tell me of it." "It's nae much," Illa said, "It's just something that we give the first time to the ones that we, ... " She looked up into Zele's softly glowing eyes as she finished the thought, " ... love. They have te love us too at the same time. "Why are ye askin', Zele?" The hellhound looked down and made a sound as though she was trying to hold her stomach down. She shook her head hard. "Does Illa, ... do you love Zele at all?" Illa's small hands went to Zele's face, "I do, yes, Zele. Not the same as I love Thiery, but, ... Why? De ye love me too?" The great shoulders shook once for a second, but she nodded, "Yes, not like she loves Toby or Maezou." She looked up, "Zele must go. She will come back, but she feels sick. Tell Maezou when she wakes." "Tell me what?" They looked over as the red-haired sister approached. "Zele, What's wrong?" Zele held her teeth together and looked at Illa, "Please tell her." With that she was gone, bounding away into the cavernous hall. Illa wanted to cry again, but Maezou held on to her. "Even like that, I can see that my sister isn't well. Stay here and don't try to follow her. She'd likely hurt you without meaning to." She led Illa to Toby, who was awake now. Illa started to cry a little and they held her between them. "Tell us what happened," Toby whispered. Illa tried to be quiet as she spoke, but before long, she was hyperventilating a little. Toby held her face close to his chest, "Just breathe, Illa. Talk only when you can." -------------------- It took only minutes before Tereth had a lead. The three vampires had hopes of some sort of reprieve, but then they were young and didn't understand that this was the end of the ride. He left before Gorek could really get started with the first. ---------------------- The three of them walked across the great hall together, Toby, Maezou and Illa, all of them concerned for Zele. Thiery had wanted to come, but was told that any more would likely upset Zele more when they found her. They stayed together on Maezou's advice, "We'll find her," she said,"though that's not the issue. The issue is what she'll do then. It would have been better is she'd have gone as her dog-girl. My sister is a little, ... final when she's a hound. She thinks blindingly fast, but only to finish an opponent, never past that." "I know, Miss Maezou," Illa said, wiping the last of her tears, "I've seen that fer maself. She does it the hard way, but nobody kills goblins faster." ------------------------ "I believe you, Lily," Sharon said as they drove, "I just can't fathom that there'll be real demons there and I'm going to meet them. I've had dreams of them all of my life. So I won't be in any danger?" "None that I can think of," the taller one said, "as long as you're as polite as you normally are. Besides, I'll tell them that we're playing out the roles of each other's familiars." "Do I have to bow or something like that?" Lily grinned, "No, of course not. You're making too big a thing out of something more like making someone's acquaintance. Look Sharon, if you really want to make a great first impression, then stop at any discount store and buy about a half-dozen hairbrushes and as many combs. There are nine of them, not counting myself. All of them have long hair, and I'm the only one with a comb. Do you realize how popular that makes me? Just don't hand them out as if you were Christopher Columbus. They can all manage English." Sharon looked over for a moment before looking back at the road, "What did you mean when you said we'd be each other's familiar?" Lily grinned, "You've never heard that witches are supposed to have their familiars? Little creatures or large demons sometimes who aided and helped them in exchange for being allowed to suckle and for sexual favors, never heard about that?" "Yes I have, "Sharon nodded, "How does that pertain to us?" "It doesn't, really. It's just a load of horseshit, "Lily said, "there is basis in fact to it, though the use of the idea at the old witch trials was all wrong and just used to curry a death sentence for the unfortunate accused. To say it plainly, Sharon, I am very hopeful that what we've begun can grow. If it does, then there is a limiting factor for us and that is time. Humans have short life spans when compared to a demon's. You'll grow old before either of us are ready for that to happen. I'm already in love with you Sharon, and I know how you feel. If this works, I'll have to think of a way that we can carry on, won't I?" "What?" Sharon grinned a little, "Will you turn me into a demon or something?" "Oh, I dunno, "Lily smiled at the countryside, "I don't think I'd have to change much, the way that you were last night." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 13 "Very funny," Sharon said, laughing a second later. "Oh," Lily said, "I ought to tell you more about Zele. She can take any of three forms in an instant because she really is three beings -- and she weighs that much too. If she's feeling playful, she'll look like a bipedal doggish-looking girl. If she really likes and trusts you, you should feel a little privileged, and it likely won't happen on a first meeting, but she'll look like a demon, though very dark and with pure black eyes. If she doesn't like you, or if she's feeling defensive, she'll be a hellhound. Pet her if you like, though she likely won't feel anything, but whatever you do, don't try to ruffle her fur or stroke it backwards. The ends of her fur are quite sharp and you'll bleed for it. She's working on it, but often, her speech patterns sound a little childlike, but she's very sharp and intuitive. Just don't try to seem patronizing. She won't like it." Lily looked out at the countryside rolling by for a moment, "Having said that and likely put you off altogether, I think you'll find her very hard not to like all the same. And a word about the smaller ones, a male kobold, who is huge for one of his kind, and a female imp. They may look like children to you, but they're both quite a bit older than you and they're very much in love. They're very sweet together. Seeing them makes one tend to believe in love as a rather pure thing," she said. ------------------ They were far from the main hall when they heard it, a grunt, a roar and then a crash, followed by screams and shrieks. The sounds continued and Toby changed to the lizard shape that he'd learned from Racephet as they continued on at a trot. When they came to a passageway that lay littered with goblin bodies and parts thereof, they slowed and stared at each other. The way opened up into a dead-end chamber after that and they saw someone murdering goblins to get at a trio of ogres who now pushed every goblin that remained into her path. She swung a great axe sideways to clear them out of her way. One tried to get past her, but she took his head in her left hand and crushed it. Two of the large ogres charged her. She turned her axe to them edge-on and her underhand stroke stopped one of them instantly. She tugged once at the haft of the axe and that was all that she had time for. She let go and turned her head as she swung her fist. Connecting solidly, she brought her left fist up from below and the ogre stood still looking at nothing. She reached for her axe, tore it out of the dead ogre and swung it once around her head, cleaving the stunned one completely through from shoulder to hip in one stroke. She brought the axe around and cradled it in her hands. She looked at the last ogre and nodded. "Come." The one left there was larger than the others and he lunged for her throat. The stranger grunted as she swung, and his head left his shoulders. The body slumped and fell over, spraying gouts of black blood onto Zele's legs. Other than the quiet sounds of her breathing and the sounds made by some of the bodies relaxing in death, the room was silent. The horned one looked behind her for a moment and then she inspected the blade of her axe for damage. She looked at them again after a moment. "I am heavier," she said with a half-smirk, "Zele has a fourth shape. She hopes that Maezou is happy now." None of the three cared what it was that they stepped in, on, or over to get to her. They all just hugged her. Illa cried again. They turned to leave, but Zele stepped closer to one wall and looked down. "This shape was given to Zele," she said, looking at the random and obviously much disturbed bones there. "It was this one's, she thinks." She bent down to carefully lift a bony hand from a cloth pouch. She looked at it closely, wondering why the material was still even there and not rotted away. She tried to lift it very carefully and it came away in her hand in one piece. Zele lifted the pack by the strap. "What are you looking at?" Toby asked. "She still speaks to me, this one," Zele remarked in a bit of wonder, "She says this is mine, and I am to take it. I cannot even think of why it is not rotted, but it isn't. It should be dust now." Maezou looked up, "I feel it. This place has wards. It explains why the goblins thought to come here, hoping that the wards which must have driven them half mad might keep us out." She looked over at the skull there in the dust, "She came here to die and protected the place. She was wounded and dying." Zele looked at the bones and an empty helmet, missing its fittings and not much more than a metal bowl now. It lay beside a hacked and broken skull. "My thanks," she nodded reverently, "and my wish for a more peaceful sleep for you now." There was a pause during which Toby, Zele and Maezou listened for a moment to the whispers that came to their ears. Illa looked around impatiently. "It will be done," Zele said quietly, "Fare you well." Out in the passageway out to the main one, she found a torch and held up the helm. She shook it and blew out the dust before she set it on Illa's head, a little too far back because of her horns. Illa didn't care, she grinned and thanked Zele. As they walked back, they learned that Zele had run, not trusting herself to be near to anyone. She eventually led them to the hot spring where she'd been with Illa before. She slipped in to wash the gore from her and all three of them stared. Zele's tallest shape had been the same as her sister's before. What they stared at now stood almost as tall as Toby, not including her horns. His were still a little taller. She looked something like the girl that had graced the display of Toby's cell phone, though she had no chainmail bikini or any other form of clothing. She was a shapely, though powerfully-built female with a pair of bull's horns at the corners of her skull, the single one in the middle of her head was still small, just as it had been before. Her skin was as dark as it had always been in any of the other forms, and her long hair was still black -- as were her eyes and her tail. She sensed her sister's wonder and shrugged as she smiled a little nervously. "There is not enough light here for me to see myself by my reflection in the pool, and anyway, it moves too much from the spring." She turned to look at them, "I don't know what I look like, and I keep hearing old speech in my head. She is telling me who she was, I think. I feel different in this form, but I don't know what I am like this," She looked at herself, her arms and her legs, larger, longer, and more muscular. "I feel like I am some, human in this body, this, this, ... "You look like a barbarian girl," Toby smiled. Her expression became uncertain. "Does Toby still, ... Am I still, ..." Toby nodded slowly with a smile, "I don't think it would make any difference how you looked to me, Zele, but yes, you are." Zele found Maezou in the pool as well as she splashed up, "What do you think?" she asked, "Eight thousand years we've been friends and sisters. Don't even say it." "Well I'm nae jumpin' in there wi' all of ye," Illa smiled, "I'll find that deep spot again and drown fer sure, but I am happy te have ye back, and I'm so sorry for what I done te ye, Miss Zele. Where did ye get the axe?" Zele shrugged and walked over, "Don't be sorry, Illa. I was sick, and wanted to hide. What I felt was awful and, ... I just gave the way that I felt a place to go. Now I have this shape too. I, ... I don't know who that dead one was, but she must have been some sort of magical fighter. She was a very strong spirit. I felt her rage at being killed long ago and at being disturbed by goblins. I was beginning to feel a little better and the goblins found me. The axe belonged to her once, I could tell because the she told me to take what was mine. I could feel her urging me to use it. As soon as I held it, I knew how to use it well. The balance and the heft of it just came to me like it was an old friend somehow. There were four ogres at first. I pulled her axe out of the hands of one and speared him with the haft. Then I just began to kill them. Then -- " She looked at them as they stared again. "Am I changing more?" "No," Maezou said, "You're speaking differently." The 'warrior girl' thought about it for a second, "Zele should go back?" "No, speak any way that you want," her sister said, hugging her again, "but I'm getting a little jealous of these," she reached and squeezed one of Zele's new and larger breasts affectionately. Zele felt something from her sister then and she was surprised at it. "All of our lives, Maezou, I have always wanted to be like you. I made myself like you at first. You have always guided me - you still do. Nothing has changed." Maezou looked up and smiled, "Something has, Zele. You have gained a lot from that dead spirit, you just can't see it, but I can." She looked a little lower at her sister's breast. Her smile became mischievous and she blew a raspberry against it as she slipped away, "At least I can still do that," she laughed as Zele's hand went to rub the tickle out of her skin. Zele carefully opened the pack that she'd brought and removed some clothing that made all of them stare. "This is nothing like what would be worn by humans then," Maezou said, "unless, .... unless it was made to be worn underneath for some reason. She held up the pieces of perfectly supple leather bound together in places by metal rings. Zele picked up another piece and tilted her head, "There is something here, like a ward, right in the garment." She got out of the water and slipped her long legs through the openings. She left her tail to find its own way out, and it slipped to one side. Toby began to chuckle and the three of them looked at him. He stood shaking his head, "I feel what's in that, and I agree, though I don't really know the purpose." He nodded, "I think you're likely right that this was to be worn under something else, but please, oh please don't. It's not exactly a chainmail bikini, but damn, it's close enough," Maezou and Zele smirked at him. "You mean what is worn sometimes when human females swim?" Maezou laughed, "That's exactly what he means, sister. A pleasant little fantasy of Toby's. He has us, almost whenever he wants, and he thinks of this. Next, he will ask me to wear one as well." She spun and glared at him, "And it won't happen. I won't wear anything like that, black leather and rings, Toby. It suits Zele very well, but -" "I was thinking of you in a yellow one, actually," he grinned. "Fine," Maezou said dryly, "I may have something like that one day on a beach for you. In the meantime, I'll wear a long sack." Toby's eyes went wide, pleading as he shook his head. His consorts grinned. Illa reached into the pack and she tried with difficulty to pull other articles out, "What is this stuff?" Zele pulled out a spiked shoulder guard and tried it on her shoulder. Maezou helped with the ties. Illa struggled as she handed her a sleeve made of mail. Zele nodded, "I feel that this is called the manica. It is to go here," She slipped her right arm inside and flexed the fingers of the attached glove experimentally. "It fits," she smiled. There were what looked like metallic paddles which Illa pulled out next. Zele held one of them up and held it against her shin. Before she could react, it became leather covered and ran from her mid-thigh as leather down to her feet as a sort of sandal. Zele smiled and repeated the process with the other one. She tried to remove one and it came off with no trouble, remaining the way that it was, a leather covered shin guard. "Ocrea," she said, as though the word surprised her. "I'm nae done yet," Illa's voice came from where she knelt with her head almost inside the pack, "There's a bit more here." She pulled out leather bracers, a matching left glove, a more substantial plated manica for the left arm in two pieces and spiked elbow pieces to go over the arm guards. Zele put them all on with her sister's help. She noticed something along the outside of the pack and lifted a flap to reveal a short sword with four spikes, one at each corner of the handguard. "Gladius," she nodded. At last, Illa sat back in a lump under a large cloth and trying to find her way out of it. Maezou helped her and held up a long cloak. She tied it around her sister's neck, and they all stood back. "Well?" Zele asked, "Do I look foolish enough for you?" "Ye're nae lookin' foolish," Illa said. "Toby," Maezou pointed at the large axe lying on the floor. He stepped to it and tossed it toward his consort. Zele caught it as though it had been hers forever. "How was it that ye stopped that big one with yer fists?" Illa asked, remembering, "He looked like he ran inte a wall." "My sister has four shapes now," Maezou said, "she is heavier as she said." "It's something called physics, Illa," Toby smiled, "Zele weighs over five hundred pounds now, I'm sure. If something that heavy hits you, ..." "What am I now?" she asked them all. "Something that doesn't make sense," Toby said, "historically for the place, but to me, you look like one hell of a Roman gladiator, and not a five hundred pound one either." "She said that she was a witch, the one in the cave," Zele remarked, "She said to me that she had protected these things for one who never came, so she used them in her time, like her mother before her, and so on. She said that these were mine and that she had fulfilled her oath." Zele looked down, remembering. She looked up again, "There is something about these things that none of them could ever use, beyond as heavy weapons to them." She looked at one rock face, and held out the axe tentatively. Nothing happened and Zele shrugged with a smile, "More mystery. I should take these things off. They will not fit me if I change to any other shape." She looked at them all and they all shook their heads. "Leave it on," Maezou said, "It becomes you, sister. Take it off later. I like to see you like this." They walked out into the passageway. Zele looked at the opposite wall some yards away and leveled the head of the axe in that direction in one smooth motion. The resultant blast knocked all of them onto their asses and left a large hole in the wall. Zele stared wide-eyed, and Toby chuckled, "I uh, I think you're getting the hang of it. Is there a safety on that thing? Someplace that you can shut it off?" Zele carefully looked at the end of the axe head and saw no mark or feature on it. "That will only work in Zele's hand," Maezou said, "I think that was what was meant." Zele slipped the sword into a metal loop at her waist and carried the axe over one shoulder. She reached down and picked Illa up easily, holding her on her hip as they went. Illa straightened her helmet and grinned. "So ye're no mad at me?" Illa asked. "Pft," Zele blew through her pursed lips, "Never. Neither of us thought about what could happen. I think I owe you very much now - and the old spirit in that cave for this. I'm still the same inside, though it feels different to talk like this finally." She smirked as she strode along and looked at her sister, "I'm even heavier, I will always have to be on the bottom." They laughed a little until Zele noticed Illa staring at her. "What is it?" "Nae much," the imp grinned as she adjusted her helmet again, "I was just thinkin' that there's more of ye fer me te steal glances at now, and these," she laughed, rolling her eyes as she pushed Zele's hair aside to touch one of her leather-covered breasts for a moment, "Very nice, Miss Zele, that's all I'm sayin'." -------------- "So from what you say, you've put doors on the hall?" Sharon was alarmed as they left her car to begin to walk to the castle, "Lily, I can't see anything like that. I'd need to report it, and anyway-" "Then you don't need to see them," her companion shrugged, "I can make them transparent and I can put a ward on them so that no living thing will be able to stand the feeling of being there in front of them. It's only for another day anyway. Then I'll remove them." They walked together across the green until Sharon pulled back, "Lily, I, ..." "Sorry," She waved her hand. "Now?" "Better," Sharon smiled, "I see what you meant." There was a slight grinding noise as the doors opened and the pair stepped inside and down the stairs. Sharon hadn't seen the doors at all. Lily took them over to a spot on the wall and smiled, "Racephet's got them hung again," she smiled as the doors to the lower part opened. Sharon stood in amazement as Lily turned, "The lower hall." Sharon's question about the name only earned her a smile that so much as said, "You'll see." They stooped a little and walked inside. Sharon wondered about the noises that she heard coming to her, crashes and booms as she was guided around the hole in the floor cautiously. She looked over at Lily with raised eyebrows. The tall one grinned with a shrug, "Target practice, likely." When they got to the ledge overlooking the hall below, Sharon stared at two vaguely masculine forms who seemed to be engaged in some form of sport which involved the destruction of one of them at the hands of the other. After a minute, she felt Lily's hand on her arm. "Come on," she said, "you'll be safer down below. They might miss and then, ..." "What were those?" "Two demonlords," Lily said, as though seeing even one was an everyday sort of thing for her. Sharon supposed that it likely was, perhaps, "one helping the other to learn. The one wreathed in flame and smoke was Racephet, an old lord, and the other was Tobias. You'll like them, you just have to remember to -- " She felt her arm being held back. She looked and Sharon was a little wide-eyed, "You're taking me to meet them?" "Of course, Sharon," Lily replied, "Why not? You're perfectly safe. I keep them well-fed," she joked, "the only thing that you need to remember is that their females are around here somewhere, though you're safe with me. If you find that you fancy either or both of them, just don't be blatant about it -- until at least all of them here have gotten to meet and know you a little. You're human, after all. They have nothing to fear from you and vice versa, just don't go pissing anybody off really soon." The passageway leveled out and they approached a doorway, but as they got near it, something flamed past the opening with a roar to crash somewhere out of their sight and Sharon was almost certain that she saw lightning flicker past right afterward in the other direction. Lily shook her head, "I'd make a remark about males here, but my daughters can get worse than this." She glared into space out past the doorway and in a few seconds, everything fell still. "What did you do?" Sharon asked, amazed that everything seemed to have stopped. Lily smiled warmly and held out her hand, "Come and see." As they walked out onto the main floor, Sharon looked around. The two antagonists had stopped and now strode toward them from either end of the large and open space that they were walking in. One by one, others walked or landed near to them. Sharon stared around her at the individuals and the place. In the goblin hall below the old landmark, in a main chamber over sixty feet high and perhaps two hundred feet across, Sharon had no words as she saw them come to her, each one in a bit of wonder. She saw what had brought the sparring to a halt and what was causing the others to walk to them. She didn't know how it was possible, but she knew it was something that Lily had done. She knew because it was snowing. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 14 **The relationships count in this tale. Most demons on this plane (as I've written it) don't care to have any. They're just promiscuous if they get the chance. These ones are trying to build something important to them. Even so, they're not human, so one can't expect conventional human reactions from them - just something a little like that. O_o ------------- He knew where to start looking -- finally. From the final earthbound thoughts and impressions of a twenty year-old vampire, no less. Not twenty years AS a vampire, Tereth smirked, since he'd only lasted two months, twenty years old when he'd been turned. The hunter had been forced to sift through the testosterone-soaked thoughts of a post-pubescent waste of space who'd been turned into an undead waste of space, eternally post-pubescent, and so full of himself. Well from Tereth's point of view, his last look over his shoulder as he strode away had indicated that the kid was about to be full of something else now, the way that the sand giant was pounding him. From what he'd seen, his second death at the hands of a hellhound had been entirely preventable -- unless you thought that you had something to prove. Now, of course, he was sobbing and shrieking for his mother. Tereth smirked as he wondered if she was here as well somewhere. The last impressions were of the ass end of a green pickup truck stopped on a snowy road. The hunter thought it over as he made his way to the scene. On the way, he dug deeper into the memories that he'd scooped. From that, he got a view of a license plate, and that told him where in general. He thought about the sign next to the mall earlier that night and headed that way. He found the mall. He found the roads that had been seen in the memories. The soul had been held inside another. Well he was hunting a huntress, so,... Where had the soul been held before transfer? Where was the 'holder' then? Where? He left the scene and went higher, looking for communities. From high enough, you could see plenty of them. He looked around, and went in the direction that just felt right to him. Thirty minutes later, he was in the garage, looking at the ass end of a green pickup truck, and he was feeling that he was right in the groove now. The door wasn't even locked, not that it would have changed anything. Tereth went inside. He stood there, just feeling. Tereth wondered why he was feeling what now came to him from the inside of a human's dwelling, not a normal place for his kind. There'd been demons here not long ago, more than one. Why? Why more than one? What was this? He walked around, trying to get some reason, or sense to this. He began to grow frustrated, since he knew that he was so close to something that might get him out of the future that he'd gotten a glimpse of earlier. He walked around aimlessly and his hand came up to his face unconsciously. Without being aware of it, his fingers ran over the ripped out feature that had once been a rather handsome cheek to his way of looking at it. But the red bitch had changed that for him. He'd walked in to the old lord's main hall and saw her perfection almost a century before. The wonderful hunter girl who never failed to bring back what was wanted, and often what others like Tereth had failed to retrieve. The bitch had stood there, waiting for the slimy lord's attention and carrying a soul that Tereth himself had failed to get three times running before the job was given to her, of all hunters. She'd stood there, all demure and pretending to be respectful. When the lord had nodded to her, she'd bowed so low that no male could have looked at that and not felt it in his balls. So he'd only done what was natural for any male. He'd walked up to that perfect ass and grabbed her hips to get started. Anyone would understand. That was when she'd ruined his face -- and she hadn't even looked to see who it had been yet. What she'd done to his prick had been far worse. It still didn't work right. Any worthy demonlord would have seen it his way, surely, but not the slimy asshole that he had the misfortune to have to work for. Tereth had gotten a year on the table then, a year strapped down in an elevated kneeling position where anyone could just come by, pick up one of the flame whips there and flay him to their heart's content with no fear of reprisal. Most of the time, the bastards had aimed at his nuts. They still didn't work right either, and they looked like shit. After six months of yelling out his hatred for her, she'd stopped by one day. She didn't say a word, nothing apologetic or anything else as she applied the sticky salve to his torn up cheeks and balls. And she'd done it so thoroughly, too. It felt very nice and he told her so. She'd said nothing. He'd almost gotten to like the way that she'd slathered on the runny ointment. He could even remember the way that she'd made him groan, applying the stuff onto his dick and then sliding her finger into him to get some of the stuff in there. He hadn't been hurt there, but he'd liked what she'd done -- as though she was promising to make it up to him. He'd watched as she'd come around into his field of view drooling the golden salve onto the ground in front of him so that he could see what she'd been applying. Honey. It was ordinary honey. He'd asked her why. She shrugged, "Because I was forbidden to kill you. I'm just here today to lay down the honey and the drum there. I just do what I'm told. I always do as I'm told. If it were up to me, you'd already be dead." Then she'd walked to the metal drum and knocked it onto its side to release the large fire ants. "The ants aren't my idea," she'd said, though she didn't look apologetic in the least, "They're from our ruler, since you can't keep your dick from controlling your brain. Next week, I'll be back to see how you are," the red-haired bitch had smiled, "I'll bring the armadillos with me. They like to rip up whatever's between them and ants. They're my idea. You say you're sorry and convince me that you are, and I won't let the armadillos loose." A week later, he was truly sorry - that he wasn't a better liar. It had taken him years to be able to ... Tereth was frustrated now. This was his chance to get even, and he was stuck. -------------------- The snow stopped falling and the temperature began to climb rapidly from the sudden chill that Lily had brought. Sharon stood together with Lily very near to the canter of the large chamber. Sharon looked around them at the others who drew near, "This -- this is your family, Lily?" The woman smiled, "I hadn't thought of it that way, but all of my daughters are here with the ones who are important to them. All of this boils down to one of my daughters taking a human male for herself not very long ago. It happens that she's wanted by another demonlord who has no real claim on her, though he's the kind who would think that he has. She's tied her soul to the man's, and in doing that, she's made him into a demonlord himself. We're here because he'll be safer here as he learns so that he can rise with hopes that his appearance won't start a war as it would if he were to just show up in the middle of the hells. It's a little complicated." She indicated Racephet and said that he and Megaera had joined them. "They wish to live free, outside the confines of having to own and operate a hell." She chuckled a little, "To explain all of this -- what's going on here would take most of a day, Sharon. To keep it simple, I needed a place like this for the new lord. I found the hall above, and right away, I knew that this was here, though I didn't know the extent of it. I knew that an old lord slept in the old tower along with his consort and knowing who it was, I awakened them. Yesterday, we opened the doors and took the place from the goblins who still lived here, and here we are." She stopped speaking as the others neared them. Sharon tried not to stare, but it proved almost impossible. As she looked from one to another, she felt very nervous but she began to feel a lot more comfortable after a minute. They all drew near, but they remained about three meters away. It seemed to be everyone's comfort distance, she noted. That was fine with Sharon, since to her, there were some formidable-looking individuals among them. It took a few minutes, but Lily introduced them all until she suddenly stopped. Maezou walked toward them alone and stood beside Toby. "Where are- " Lily stopped as she looked farther out. Zele walked to her with Thiery and Illa. She wore what they'd found in the pack and she carried the axe on her shoulder. Sharon stared as they came nearer. "Zele," Lily said, recognizing her daughter no matter how she looked, "What's this?" "Miss Zele's found more goblins," Thiery said with a grin and Sharon was smitten with the smaller ones instantly. Illa held Thiery's hand and looked a little remorseful, "I think that I may have caused ye a bit of trouble, Mother." Zele shook her head, "No, Illa, it's not like that." She briefly explained that what had happened to Thiery had also happened to her, and the subsequent events afterward. She shrugged, "And now I have this shape as well." She looked at Sharon, "Who -?" Lily smiled, heading off Sharon's question by just saying, "My daughters have always just called me Mother. It seems to have caught on." "This is my friend, Sharon," she smiled at Zele and her companions, "She is the curator of another old castle and several others, including the one above. This is very strange for her, but she wanted to meet you all. She writes and illustrates books, some of them about demons." Sharon looked around her and noted that all of them were bowing. She looked at Lily, who only smiled back. "What's going on?" she whispered. Lily grinned in surprise, "Something that I didn't expect. Why not break the ice by asking them?" "Eh -- excuse me," Sharon said, rather nervously, "Why are you all, um, bowing like this?" No one spoke for a moment, and then Maezou lifted her head, "You are important to my mother," she said rather simply, "It's never happened before for Zele and I. We see the way that she feels toward you, and so you deserve respect." Sharon was shocked, considering how short a time she'd known her friend. She knew how she herself felt, but she really hadn't expected -- "That's enough of that," Lily said, a little embarrassed, "You're making the two of us feel uncomfortable, though I appreciate the thought." Sharon looked down at the bag that she carried, "I don't know how to do this, "she said, "and I feel a little silly, but Lily told me that you need brushes and combs, so I've brought some. Please help yourselves." A few minutes later, Sharon saw Illa and Thiery sitting down and asked to join them. "Suit yerself, Miss Sharon," Illa said a little impatiently, "and maybe ye could help me a little. I've just brushed out Thiery's hair and that's no small task, the way that he runs around and now he won't hold still fer me te keep his hair from lookin' a mess -- as it usually does." Thiery half turned, "Ye're always tellin' me that ye love my hair, and now yer rippin' it out and ye expect me te hold still fer it when I havna done anything te deserve it." Sharon asked if she might help and before long, she had the tangles out of his hair. "Here," Illa said, looking a little suspiciously at her, "How'd ye do that, and he's stayed as quiet as a mouse fer it?" Sharon shrugged, "Thiery doesn't know me, and I can see that he's a little proud, likely too proud to complain -- though I was probably pulling on his hair just as you were." "Is that so?" Illa said, "Well I guess that I'll just be handin' him off te one of the other girls then when he's needin' his hair unwrapped from his axe the next time. He's good with his axe, but it catches on his hair the way that it flies when he's runnin' around. We was killin' goblins yesterday and every time that I looked, there was some of Thiery's lovely hair hangin' onte the haft of his axe." Sharon looked a bit skeptical, but Lily told her that if she looked, there were still the stains to be seen even in the hall there. "I thought those were oils stains or burns or something like that," the blonde said. "No," Illa said as she shook her head while working on Thiery, "Goblins have red blood, but it turns black as soon as it hits the air. I'll take ye te see the pits where the bodies are burnin' if ye want after I get done here -- that is, if I ever do. It's a wee bit longer than mine and it's so fine, so it tangles." "Why don't you braid his hair then?" Sharon suggested, "That's what men used to do, long ago." Illa's eyes flew open, as did her mouth as she gasped, "Oh, Aye, ye're right!" she exclaimed, "My mother told me what they looked like then. She never saw them like that either, but she said the men back then had long hair like the women and both braided their hair." She looked from Thiery's hair to Sharon, "How d'ye do that then?" Sharon smiled and then began to comb Theiry's hair in preparation, ""I'll show you, and you can do it for him the next time. I think he'd look good with just one long braid." Thiery looked a little nervous, "Here, Miss Sharon, I'll no look daft, will I?" "No more than usual, I expect, my love." Illa giggled. "Don't worry," Sharon grinned, "You'll look dangerously handsome." "I don't know, " Illa smiled, "he's always lookin' a bit dangerously handsome te me. That's how come I fell fer him. Could ye maybe just make him look handsomely dangerous instead?" While Sharon worked, Illa asked if Sharon could help her. "I'd just like te have somethin', some wee braids somethin' like Miss Maezou's got. I don't want the same thing necessarily, dye ken? I just want somethin' like it. I've always liked hers." "I'll do it for you, Illa," Maezou smiled as she sat down behind the imp, "I think it would be a high honor to be part of a set with you." She turned and smiled at Sharon, "There really was a lot of fighting here yesterday, and Illa was an important part of it. She's not big, but she's really fast, and she was right there with the rest of us then, just like Thiery there." Sharon finished with Thiery and he thanked her before heading off to ask everyone for their opinion. She watched for a time, fascinated with the beauty of Maezou and the imp. She looked around and saw that many of them were looking back at her with much the same level of fascination. "Forgive me for not knowing, but the males here, do they always look like this? I've always had dreams of demons and I can't say that my idea of what they'd look like was all like this. They look so similar." Maezou shrugged, "They don't to me, and anyway, I can tell them apart in the darkest place. My soul is bound to Toby's. We feel each other no matter where we are. Lord Racephet there is in his natural form, aside from the flames that he isn't showing now," Maezou said as she worked, "Lord Tobias adopts this shape for fighting. He's learned it from Racephet. I think it saved his life yesterday." She called to Toby, "Can we just see you the way that we'd all like now?" she smiled, "Sharon wants to see what you look like." Toby walked over and stood looking down at Illa, "Good to see you looking happy," he smiled, "I hate it when I see your tears." He smiled at Maezou, and she returned the smile, since he'd discarded the reptilian look. "There you go, Sharon, the one who holds my heart and soul," Maezou nodded, "Lord Tobias." Sharon almost gasped, but she recovered immediately, "What are these markings on you both?" "His just say who he is," the huntress smiled, "Mine say that I belong to him." Sharon found herself in conversation with both of them, and was happy that they took some care to try to explain things to her in ways that made sense. She was astounded to learn that Toby had been a normal human male, and they were both quick to explain why it had happened, other than they'd fallen in love. Lily watched with a proud smile as she stood with Racephet and the others. She looked away for a moment and then turned to them all. "There is one hunter searching now. Tereth has found your home, Tobias," she said, "What he does next may be guessed easily. He will come to this part of this world looking for Maezou. I have ideas for his welcome, but I think that you need to plan this on your own behalf with me." She turned to Sharon, "And we need to see Lewis, you and I. Come with us. Please, Thiery, you as well." Sharon stood up and walked with Lily, Toby and the kobold. Mother looked down as they walked, "You look quite formidable now, Thiery. Your hair suits you like this." He looked at the end of his braid as it hung over his shoulder to his chest and grinned as he saw the leather thongs on his arms and wrists. He looked up and thanked Mother for putting them there. Maezou and Illa watched them walk off as Maezou finished the last braid. "He looks like a fine young warrior now, Illa." "Aye," the imp sighed, "He stole my heart in an instant the way that he was before, Miss Maezou. I think that if I were te meet him for the first time as he is now, I'd just throw maself at his feet and beg him te take me." She grinned after a moment, "Look at that, he's still got that little bum that I just want te chew on fer an hour." Maezou chuckled as she reached around to hug the imp, "You're right, he does at that. My sister told me that she spoke to you about becoming a pet so that you could come with us if and when we leave here. It makes moving much easier. Your wings can't take you as far and as fast was we'd need. As a pet, you can be taken along easily. Or do you think that you'd like to stay here with Thiery?" Illa thought about it for a moment as Maezou brought her wings forward to cover them both as they sat. "I don't know," she said, enjoying the feel of being covered by the wings of another, "I dinna think that I could even live without him if he went. I think I'd have te go along, but te be the laird's pet, Miss Maezou, that's not something that really appeals to me, if ye can understand it." "Zele told me," Maezou said as Illa felt her nod from where she held her head next to Illa's, "I understand the reasons, Illa." She grinned a little, "And she also told me about how she showed you another thing that Toby likes to do with his females sometimes. She said that you looked as though you could enjoy that." "Aye, I could," Illa sighed as she felt Maezou's caress against her breast, "I'm worried about Thiery, that's all." She turned her head a little to look at the little scales across Maezou's nose, "I think ye all need te understand how he might feel. He's got nothing te be ashamed of te me. I think he's wonderful, but he's nae great beast like the other two males here. I was thinkin' about what Miss Zele showed me, and I was imaginin' how it would be te be held tightly while he was doin' that te me. It's a really nice thought, I'll warrant, and I can see me likin' that so much too, but -- " "Don't give it a thought, Illa," Maezou sighed, "Thiery would see that you're still his female, and he's the only male that you'd accept like you do. Toby knows that he can't really copulate with you, but there's more to loving than that, and he'd love to do that with you too. He cares for you more than enough for that. We all do," she said as her other hand began to lightly stroke Illa's thigh. "So you liked having my sister put her eggs inside you? She told me that it was wonderful for her to do that with you." "It was so nice," Illa smiled, "and it felt as though I was the female for a female, though it doesna really sound right for what it felt like when I say it like that." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 14 "I know," the red-haired one smiled, "I used to have trouble trying to think of a way to say it too. For most of our lives, my sister and I have been apart because of what I had to do to live, but before that, and again now, we've been lovers. We're not related by our blood, but I don't think that it would matter if we were, Illa. We've just always been that close that it's just felt right to us." She chuckled, "We hid what Zele could do with her tail from Mother when we discovered it. We'd both just be equal to each other a lot of the time, but for that one thing, Illa, that's when I've always been her female, when she shares her eggs with me. The closest that I could ever get to that was if I fucked her with her tail. But I know what you mean, since I've felt just like that too. It's SO good to take her eggs. I saw that you shared the heat with Thiery. I like that idea, and now I wonder why I didn't think of that. I can't wait to share that with Toby now." "Thiery loved how that felt," Illa smiled, "Ye have te do it face to face then, Miss Maezou. Ye have te see it on his face when he feels that," she said as her hand lifted Maezou's to bring it to her cleft. She kissed Maezou lightly, "I think I know what ye're trying te say te me, the way that ye're holdin' me and tryin' te please me like this." "Maybe you don't know it all," Maezou smiled warmly as she raised her left shoulder so that she could press her head against Illa's gently for a moment with her cheek, "What I really want to do is, ... well, I'd really like to ask you if you'd like to be my pet, Illa. I don't know if you can see it plainly, but we all feel a lot for you and your male. My sister and I have been really lucky, and in a lot more than just the way that we have Toby's love and how this is all going. We've both had Thiery, as I'm sure that you know -- before we came here. To us, he's a really sweet lover. We'd both like to have him any time that you think that you could spare him for one of us, and we both want you, Illa. I know that you likely don't feel the same way. It's alright. I'm just telling you how we feel, that's all." She kissed the imp's cheek for a moment, "I'm actually not all that big on girls myself," she said, "so there's my little secret. I love having a male. But I have a spot for my sister's love and that usually turns physical when we have a chance. I guess I'm saying that I'd love to be able to have the same sort of thing with you. I look around at my other sister and her lover, and I see Megaera and Racephet. They're all beautiful to me, I could probably mate with any of the females, but I'm not big on it, I just love to look at their bodies, that's all. And I couldn't mate with Tisiphone, that's right out for me." "Why?" Illa asked in a sighing whisper. "Because she's almost exactly the same as Mother, and I couldn't do it and I know that she doesn't want me anyway," Maezou said, "If you become my pet, you'll still have your male, you'll have Zele and get her eggs, too. Thiery loves us, so we'd have him, and you can find out how your little fantasy with my male feels. I know that he'd love that. Come on, walk with me to the hot pool?" Illa stood up after Maezou did, and they walked off together as Illa thought about it. "There's more to it," Maezou said, "Your lives become longer as pets, though I don't suppose that you're really thinking about that, are you?" "No," Illa said, "I'm not, really. Ye see, fer ones like Thiery and me, even though we're different from each other, well we're small, aren't we? We've both spent a lot of time stuck in places where being small wasna the best thing te be. With ye all here, it feels good te be feelin' a little protected. He and I could maybe live here all alone and maybe even get by ourselves, since together we're so much for each other and we look out fer each other. But it wouldna be the same as bein' with you all." She looked up, "Ye know that I'm not really one te want another girl -- that's what I keep tellin' maself anyway, though I do like te look at ye all a lot. But it felt so good when I was with Miss Zele. It was just so nice te be loved like that. She wasna just stuffin' me wi' her eggs. I knew that she was lovin' me too." "Zele's a strange creature," Maezou said as she laid her hand on the imp's shoulder, "I can look like anything that I want to, but I'm the same one inside. She can be four things now -- since she's really all of them. She has so many parts to her, but I think the biggest part that she has is her heart. She defends that so much, but if she shows it and you see that she loves you, well then I guess that you could say that you know how it feels to really be loved." They walked into the chamber and listened to the quiet sounds of the water and the gentle steam coming from the spring. "I didn't show you what your hair looks like now," Maezou said, "Here." She waved her arm, and a smooth reflective surface appeared in the air before the imp. Illa gasped as she stared, "Ye've -- ye've made my hair look just like yours, Maezou, a lot, anyway. Thanks so much fer that!" She looked at herself from as much of a profile as she could see, and felt very happy. "Thanks for not calling me 'Miss' Maezou, Illa, "the demon girl smiled, "Neither of us like to hear that from you, Zele and I." Illa looked up, "Ye didna say somethin' back there, Maezou. Ye said that if I become yer pet, then ye and Zele are hopin' te have Thiery a little. I think that I can see maself te no mind that much - as long as what we have stays the same between us. See, I made a joke of it a while ago te him that I'm part hare, the way that I love it when he's goin' at me - and I do. It's just that between us, he's really more the hare. He's ready again while I'm still feelin' like lyin' there and bein' held - still happy-like, and not quite ready te begin just as quick as he is. Oh, I let him, Maezou. I always let him go at me again, and it feels so good. It's just that I'd like a little more time between bouts wi' him te savor it, is all that I'm sayin'. Just don't ever tell him that." She stopped and turned to the demon, "Ye said that I could have somethin' wi' yer sister if I wanted, and ye even said that I could have yer male, in a way. But ye didna say that I could have you - and I didna miss that. I can feel that ye care about me quite a bit, but if ye can make love wi' Zele, why can ye nae do it wi' me? Or is it what I am that bothers ye?" Maezou shook her head as she crouched down to be near Illa's level, "No, Illa. It's not that at all. It's just that I'm not the same as Zele. I don't have a tail that can fill you with hot eggs as she can. Between us, it would be more like the way that Alecto and Tisiphone do it and I don't think that the idea thrills you very much to consider. Also, I'm already very powerful. I don't need what you'd give to me if you loved me like you love Zele. I don't want any more power, and I don't even want to know what I'd get from you if we did that. I guess you could say that I'd just like to love you a little less wantonly. I'd have to be content with just holding you tight when you're finished with everyone else, that's all." The imp stepped forward a little cautiously and she hugged Maezou tightly for a moment. They looked at each other and found their smiles. Illa kissed Maezou softly, "I didna think that I could really do it twice. I thought that whatever I give te one that loves me would only happen the one time, though maybe I shouldna been surprised." She looked at the demon girl for a moment before she looked down and shook her head. "And here I was thinkin' that I'd maybe like te at least try it wi' ye once. I canna say that I'd like it since I don't know a thing about it, really. I can't say that I'd be anything great fer ye either." She looked up, "It's a wee bit unfair, isn't it?" "Maybe so," Maezou said, "but I think it's what we've got, and I'd still love to have a pet like you, Illa, if for no other reason than how I feel, and maybe that, if we live through what will come, well, I really like the thought of having you and Thiery around for a long time." She stood up and looked at the pool, "Well, let's at least have a seat and soak together." Illa hugged Maezou's hips, pushing her back against the wall. She kissed Maezou's navel for a moment and then she looked up with a tiny little smile, "Well there's one thing that yer wee impish pet wants te do before we do that," she said as she lowered her head a little. Maezou sighed and leaned back a little more at the feel of Illa's tongue. She looked at the mirror that she'd created and shifted it slightly with a thought so that she could see Illa as she licked and tried to get in closer. Maezou reached for the horned head and caressed the imp's long ears. "Thank you," she groaned. Illa looked up and she smiled through the glistening droplets of Maezou's mist already beginning on her face, "It's nae trouble, Mistress," she said licking her lips, "I'm findin' that I quite like it so far, so it's my pleasure." They smiled at each other for a moment. "Well," Illa grinned, "maybe not as much as it is yours at the moment, but ye ken what I'm sayin', I'm sure." Maezou sighed as her head went back for a moment against the rock wall, "I sure do." The sound of Illa's quiet little giggle made her smile again. Zele watched for a time from the entranceway before she walked off with a smile. She shouldered her axe and began to look for a place where she might try to get at least a little familiar with the things that she'd somehow been given. She thought it had been a blessing of sorts. To be able to have even more up her sleeve when they began what she was sure would come to them was a pleasant thought. The first thing that she thought to try out was her wings in this form. ------------------ The hunter walked around, stuck with no clear idea what to do even though he'd gotten what he'd wanted. He was back to mumbling about the signs being here someplace. He had a thought and stopped for a moment. What if he actually found the bitch, and by some sort of hellish miracle could actually subdue her and drag her back? What then? He snorted angrily. Why then, he thought, he might just barely be able to avoid being sodomized by a walking talking anthill. And that anthill would be very pleased indeed. He'd have the best huntress in all of the hells enslaved to him and making him richer every time that she walked through the doors. And where, exactly, would that leave the mighty hunter Tereth? Sucking hind tit for all of eternity, he thought, that's where. For all of his snide posturing, Tereth knew that he was no great shakes as a hunter. He just liked the perks of the job, like being able to leave the place. There was no telling how many human females woke up the next day with little or no memory of what they'd done the night before, other than possibly some really unpleasant memories that they'd write off as a nightmare as they tried desperately to seek medical aid for the sickness that was killing them that neither they nor medical science had a clue about. Well, he sneered, those that woke up at all. Tereth didn't give a shit. That's why he loved being a hunter. All he had to do was show up with a soul now and then, hopefully the one that he'd been sent for and life would continue to be sweet. Tereth had no intention of trying to catch the one that he was after. He wasn't suicidal. He'd locate her, sure, and then he'd tell his lord where she could be found. Then the overgrown dustball could go and get her himself. With any luck- Tereth the great hunter hit the floor in agony with his hands clamped to his head as he writhed around. "One of the things that a demonlord needs to remember," he heard Gorek in his mind, "is to always employ a few good telepaths, and above all, to never, ever trust a hunter completely. Hunters are often one step away from trying -- and failing -- to overthrow their lords." Gorek stared into the eyes of the small telepath before him. He cursed as he picked the little shit up to place her on a boulder so that he didn't need to bend down. The voice in Tereth's brain began again, "You will keep looking, now that you seem to have actually found something of interest to me. You will find her and you will bring her, Tereth the great windbag. What I do then is my business. But if I don't hear that you've been successful soon, you'll be in some pain no matter where you are. The song goes something like this." Tereth forgot all about the pain and shouting inside his head. He flopped around on the floor, suffering the pain and anguish that he felt inside him as Gorek pinched his soul gently. Gorek seethed in the telepath's face, "Now, you lying, scheming worthless turd, FIND HER!" Gorek turned to go back to his throne. He'd known all along that Tereth was worthless. Whatever the outcome of this, Tereth would never hunt again, he decided. He thought that Tereth would look lovely with a stuffed belly, seeping mud out of his ass. He almost couldn't wait to begin. He looked over at the telepath shaking and covered with his sandy spittle. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asked, just before he backhanded the little twerp across the hall. Tereth lay on the floor of Toby's kitchen gasping and seeping blood out of his ears. ------------------ All it took was a little careful thought, the red-haired one thought. She just had to make her skin impervious to anything that might pass through, just as she'd done in her past life as a huntress if she had to lure a human male. Her mist could pass out, but nothing could really come back. And this was definitely more fun. Maezou looked up as Illa shrieked. The imp leaned back and the demon girl could see that Illa held her wings out in her bliss. She could just see the tips above Illa's shoulders and she felt a thrill to see the way that they trembled. Maezou kept up her long tongue's gentle assault on the imp's clitoris, though she slid one of her hands from where it had lain on the curve of Illa's hip to reach for her breast and squeeze the nearly stone-hard nipple for her. Illa responded with a gasp and then she wailed as she bucked against Maezous face for a moment before she froze in place with a little gasp. And then the moment was past. Maezou watched Illa's ribs heave to move air and she began to stroke the girl's breastbone and the lower edge of her ribcage softly. Illa's face came into view and she leaned forward, still humping the demon's face a little for a moment as Maezou kissed her as softly as she could. Illa wiped a tear from her eye and smiled, "Thank ye fer this, Mistress. Thiery does it so well fer me, but not like you." She got off and saw how Maezou beckoned her, so she laid down next to her as the demon turned onto her side to hold her pet close. "Don't be hard on your male, Illa," she smiled, "I haven't wanted to do this for so long, though since Toby and I started and with Zele back, I'm back to loving it again. But really, I learned how to do this for Zele over eight thousand years ago. I've just got a lot more experience than Theiry does, that's all." "Oh aye," the imp giggled as she felt Maezou's hand on her bottom, "Ye've also got a good sight more tongue than Thiery's got as well, but I'll never tell him that. He does his best fer me and I'll no spit in the wind over something like that." "Oh, I don't know how much a part that plays," Maezou grinned as she took Illa's long ear to kiss it softly, "You don't have a tongue like mine, but it didn't stop you from driving me mad." Maezou couldn't help herself and she pulled the end of Illa's ear into her mouth to nip it gently once before she ran her tongue over it. Illa shivered as she reached for her Mistress' breast, "True enough," she said, "but then mine's got the two tips, hasn't it? I've just found that I can do a lot with them beside make Thiery fill my mouth in a heartbeat -- when I'm wantin' my wee reward from him quick-like and don't feel like havin' another tumble with him right away." She got to her knees and crawled toward the edge of the pool. Maezou got up and stepped over to help before she got in herself. "Having a little trouble?" she smiled. "Aye," Illa sighed happily, "my thighs dinna want te work right now." ------------------ Lewis opened the door to his cottage with some curiosity in answer to the knock. The place was situated far enough in the woods that no one found it usually. He found his superior Sharon standing there with another woman and he heard Gerta dash into the rear of the place in terror. "Hello, Lewis," Sharon smiled pleasantly, "May we come in? I'd like to talk to you, oh, and Happy Christmas." Lewis was stuck. He wanted to let Sharon inside, he even thought that he'd appear to be quite rude if he didn't. But how would he ever explain -- "I know about the girl that you took in last night," Sharon said. "You were told that you'd be visited by another," the tall woman smiled, "well, I'm the other -- or one of them, at any rate." The pair stepped forward and Lewis closed the door. As soon as he did, he saw the other pair of visitors appear out of the air. He stumbled backward and would have fallen, but the tall woman caught him gently. "That's a neat trick, I must say, Laird," the kobold remarked as he looked at his own hand. "This is Lily," Sharon smiled, "and the shorter one is Thiery. He's a kobold who um, grew. The taller one is Lord Tobias. Please, Lewis, sit down before you fall over." "I think you're having enough trouble with the appearance of our companions, so I won't frighten you with my own true appearance, though your friend behind the door there can see me plainly, no doubt," Lily said, "It is good to see that you're unhurt, so I'd guess that you and the unfortunate girl got through the night somehow. I can tell that she's terrified, but we're not here to do her any harm, or take her from you." There was a tiny sound as Gerta stood shaking at the door looking in. "Thiery?" she asked timidly. The kobold looked and began to step over, but Gerta cowered and he stopped. "Thiery, "Lily said, "you're frightening her with that axe." He nodded and leaned it against the wall before he began to walk slowly to the doorway. Lewis stared at him, "I don't believe it." Sharon smiled, "If you don't believe that, I've got news for you. I'm the same Sharon that you've known since we started working together a few years ago, Lewis, but Lily and Lord Tobias are demons." "Lord Tobias, "Lewis tried experimentally, "Why take that name?" "I didn't take it," Toby said with a smile, "That's my name." "If you were a demon, Lewis," Lily smiled, "you'd know enough to bow to him. It's what's required in the presence of a demonlord, though it's not expected from a human at all." Thiery smiled and held out his hand to Gerta. After a minute, she took it and they walked into the main room together. Lewis found that he had a lot of things to say and to ask. It was almost too much, but he tried to decide the things that he needed to know. "Excuse me, um, ..." "My name's Thiery," the kobold said. "Yes, Thiery," Lewis nodded, "Why are you standing in my home naked like that?" "Well, it's most likely because I've no clothes to wear," the kobold shrugged," I've never owned any. Am I needin' some?" "No," the human smiled, "not at all, really. I was only curious, that's all." He turned to Toby and saw a man in a T-shirt and jeans who shrugged, "I don't want any more discomfort than what we're already causing you." "It's quite alright," Lewis said, a little relieved all the same, "Um, Thiery, can you speak to Gerta here? I'm afraid that my books have been of little use so far grammatically." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 14 "Well I can if she can speak kobold," he said, "I can't say as I know much goblin, other than te ask 'how much' or 'which way' or 'sorry if that was yer lunch that I was pissin' on just now'. He turned and began to speak to Gerta. After a minute, he began to try to fill them in a little. "She says that she's very surprised te see me. She says that the goblins ate all of the kobolds a while ago, that she's the last as far as she knows." He listened further and asked a few things. Hearing the answers, he stared for a moment and spoke a single word as a question. Gerta looked as though he'd hit her with a plank for a second. She stared at him and said two words as though they'd just escaped her and then they both stood there in shock. "Oh for pity's sake,"Lily said, "This will take all day if I just leave them to it and Thiery has to then tell you what was said. Here,..." She waved her hand. "That was my mother's name as well," Thiery said, "How old are you?" She thought about it for a moment, "Sixty-two winters." "How d'ye know my name?" Thiery asked, trying not to show what he was beginning to feel inside him. "She said that she had a boy before me," Gerta said hesitantly, "a blonde boy that she named Thiery who didna look like her. She said that he ran away a few years before I was born. My father was a goblin that she didn't know, but she said that Thiery's father was a worthless -- " "Kobold, " Thiery nodded. She nodded back, "Aye, a kobold that she loved very much. I'm guessin' I'm yer half-sister then. She said it was hard enough that she'd killed yer dad, but te lose you was so much worse. " Thiery looked as though he was about to cry, but he managed a small smile for her, "I didna run away. I was caught and taken far from here." He stared at Gerta, "Ye look so much like her." The humans in the room as well as Toby felt their eyebrows rising in some shock. Lily hid her smile. "How long?" Thiery began, "When did she -- " "Four winters." Gerta said, "She made a deal wi' the ones who kept us. She promised that they could use me fer te fuck if they took her instead of me. She made me agree te it, and they took her off te slaughter her. I cried fer a long time, Thiery. There was three other kobolds, but they was all old males, and they went before me. I was te be on the king's table at the end of the month -- in a week-like, but these two goblins ran in and took me. A hellhound came and killed 'em. Lewis talked her inte givin' me a chance. I'm hopin' like anything that they'll no find me here. I don't want te ever see a goblin again and I'm not wantin' anything te happen te Lewis. We don't know much about each other, but he's kind te me, Thiery, like nobody's ever been. I want te stay here if I can. I'd do anything te stay wi' him if I could." "The king's dead," Thiery said, "The laird here killed him hisself. I seen it, Grrrta, I seen him do it. The bastard is dead, along wi' any that we found. The king had nine queens and the laird's two girls, they tore them apart like it was personal-like." He looked down for a moment, "I wish I'da known. I'da killed a few more, I daresay." He looked up, "But I'm here now, Grrrta, and it's good te meet ye." Gerta smiled, "It's good te meet ye too. But ye don't look much like a kobold, Thiery," she said, "Yer lookin' much too big te be a kobold. I've never seen a kobold your size in my life." He shrugged, "I've got a girl," he said, "an imp girl, and they do somethin' to a boy who -- " "Well anyway," he smiled, "I'm a bit bigger now, is all." He looked at the ripped old dress that Gerta wore for a moment. "That's Ma's dr-" "Aye," Gerta nodded, "it's hers. It's all I've got, though there's no much left of it." "And that's another reason why we've come," Lily smiled, "Lewis, have you any old clothes that you don't wear anymore? I mean, something that has no holes, mind you, just things that might be out of fashion or that you no longer have a use for." Lewis smiled a little, "Madam, I'm out of fashion. I've never been in fashion, but I have some things." He left the room to look. "Why are ye here wi' demons and a human, Thiery?" Gerta asked, "I can see what they are under what they're wearin'." "We're here," Lily smiled, "to make sure that you're alright and well looked after. I can tell that Lewis thinks highly of you, but humans, most of them, can't take the sort of shock that the appearance of someone such as yourself might cause, and by far, most of them would have no desire to care for you or to take you in as he has done. Sharon works with Lewis sometimes, and they both have an interest in the sort of beings that we all are. It makes them very special to me." She leaned down a little and whispered, "You fancy Lewis a lot, don't you?" Gerta didn't know what to say for a moment, but then she looked at Thiery and back at Lily with a small smile, "Yes, now that I'm not afraid anymore," she whispered back and it made Lily smile. "That's good to hear," she whispered, "He thinks the world of you already and I know that he hopes that you'll stay." Lewis was back in a few minutes and Lily selected a few things to set aside for the moment. When she was done, Gerta had some new dresses and even a pair of jeans that Lily had caused to fit. Gerta was delighted. Lewis made tea and was a little surprised to find that Thiery had walked in behind him. He looked a little uncomfortable. "I'm wantin' te say somethin' te ye, Mr. Lewis, sir," Thiery began, "I've just met my little sister fer the first time and, ... well, if I'd known her all of her life, then I guess that I'd be sayin' somethin' about askin' yer intentions, I think." He sighed, "But we've never seen each other before, her and I, so I've no business sayin' somethin' like that te ye. I'd just like te say two things te ye then; please keep treatin' her as well as I can see that ye have been, and just so you know, her name's no Gerta, Mr. Lewis, it's Grrrta. I thought ye'd like te know is all." Lewis smiled, "Thank you very much, Thiery, for both." After an hour of what might be called the strangest small talk that Lewis had ever found himself taking part in, the visitors got up to leave. "Remember what I said, Lewis, "Lily warned, "Be sure to stick close to home for the next two days at least, unless you hear from me or one of us. Things may get a little unhealthy hereabout for a time. Sharon has ideas for her next book now as she's said, so I'm certain that you'll have a lot to discuss if you agree to help. In the meantime, just lay a little low, the two of you." She looked at Gerta, who was saying goodbye to her new older brother as he was promising that he'd try to come to visit. She noticed the flicker in Gerta's skin. "Grrrta," she said, "how long have you had that in your skin?" The girl shrugged, "Always, Lily. It's always been like this. Why?" "I'm not sure," the tall woman smiled, "Look at Thiery and think about his skin for a moment. I'd like to see something." Gerta looked and in a second, Thiery grinned, "Look at yerself, Grrrta!" She stared at her hand for a moment and then ran to the bathroom to look into the mirror there. She came running back. "I look different!" Lily grinned, "Now think about how you looked before." Gerta tried and when she looked at her hand, she was even more amazed, "How did you -- " "I didn't do anything," Lily smiled, "I only saw that your body could likely do this if you used your head. You ought to practice in front of a mirror for a few hours. Lewis likes the way that you look when you're green a little more, I suspect, but he likes this way as well, and if you practice, he'll be able to take you places with him, which I'm sure you'll both enjoy. And a Happy Christmas to you both. Lewis, a word please, if you think that you can stand to be near a demon." When he was close to her, Lily smiled and began to whisper, "Please don't be offended, but I can see that you are inexperienced in the ways of loving, shall we say. There's no shame in it, but if you can take a little advice from an old demon girl, I can tell you that at some point, likely rather soon, your friend there will ask you to um, ... mount her in a place that might not have come to your mind at this point. If that happens, then you will need a lot of lubrication for the task." She took his hand," Here, use this, and a lot of it. This would be a bad time to be frugal. You can always buy more. Use it liberally on both of you and above all, Lewis, be slow and very gentle with her. She is no stranger to this act, but I know that she is hopeful that you will be as kind in this regard as you have been to her in all others. It's something that she's never enjoyed in the least for the way and the intent that it was done to her. She is now so very hopeful that you can make this as pleasant for her as she hopes to make it for you." She smiled, "I'm going to leave my little spell on you both so that you'll be able to talk to one another. I think that the next time that I see you, I'll make it both ways and permanent so that you will know another language," she grinned. "My best wishes, and I hope to see you again soon." Lewis closed the door and they looked at each other. "I didn't think that demons ever had a nice thought for anyone -- other than themselves," he said. "I didn't think a lot of things, Lewis," Gerta said as she put her arms around him. "I didna think that I'd ever see my brother, ever. And now I find that he's livin' close by and he's a big strong kobold who kills goblins and has a girl who loves him very much. I'm happy fer him and I hope that I can know him better soon. I didna know that I could change my skin to look more human. I didna know that anyone could ever treat me as well as ye do and now to understand ye is more than I'd have ever dreamed." She kissed him and she smiled, "Grrrta happy." ---------------------- Tereth sat against a wall in misery. The only reason that he had to act at all was the very real terror that he held of more pain like what he'd experienced. He got up and walked down the stairs into the basement. Then he went back upstairs and sniffed thoughtfully. Odd, he thought. He could just pick up some residual female scents; five upstairs and only two in the basement. He looked around a bit and smelled a bit more. He picked up a male's scent. He wondered why a bunch of females would want only one human male. They could have had him if he'd only known, he thought. Then one of the scents rang a bell in his head. It was hers, he just knew it. He noticed the burned down candles all over the room and wondered about that, but not too hard. He was far more interested in a pad of sticky notes that came to his attention. The top one had only one word written there in a feminine hand. He thought about it and it came to him that it was written in English. He wondered about it as he walked up the stairs. Maybe he ought to check in with his ruler. No, he thought, what for? He thought that he might stand a better chance if he just took this and ran with it. He'd see what was what when he got a little closer. A few minutes later, he was climbing through fourteen thousand feet, headed for a lot higher up and hoping to get at least a feel before he began his descent. Scotland it was. But where? ------------------------ Toby walked back with the others. He wasn't visible to human eyes, but his consorts saw him clearly as he walked a little behind, looking around at the birds and the rest of the scenery. He noticed a young pair of foxes running as though it was some sort of game to them, one chasing the other. Zele came to meet them. "He looks as though he is unaware of things, "Zele said, "and yet, ... we see that he knows, and he understands." Maezou nodded, "He knows. He's just being Toby. He knows everything, but he can put it aside while he admires the day." Lily passed her daughters on the way into the upper hall. "Tereth comes," she said, "perhaps three hours, or a little more. He cannot fly as fast as we can." Her daughters nodded and walked out to meet their male. He greeted them with a kiss and then they walked together for a few minutes. He looked up at the sky and smiled, "You don't have to say it," he said, "your mother told me, and I knew even before that." They held him for a moment. "What you do now begins this," Maezou said quietly as they looked up at him, "No matter what you do, no matter what any of us do next, this will be the beginning." "Uh-huh," he smiled, "I've heard that too." He sighed, wanting nothing so much as he now wanted to take them someplace and make love to his women for a day, at the very least. He decided that it was going to have to wait. His thought made them smile. ------------------ Grrrta sat on the loveseat in fascination. He'd put on a DVD for her to watch. After getting past the wonder of it, she quickly learned to work the remote and she restarted the movie, wanting then to watch for the story. It took an adjustment that Lewis hadn't anticipated. If one was familiar with movies as a form of entertainment, it was no big leap to stick a DVD into a player and watch. But if you'd never seen anything like that before... Grrrta listened attentively as Lewis had explained how to change disks and before long, she was sitting on the floor surrounded with DVD cases as he ducked out quickly to buy some food. He was only gone for less than an hour and a half, but by then, she'd gone through everything that he had, using only the small pictures on the covers to determine whether she was interested or not. After the wonder of the whole thing had passed a little, she'd looked around to see if there were any more. She found a small group of four DVDs all by themselves at the far end of one shelf. She took them and looked at the covers. She grinned to herself just after the first one began. These ones held her interest easily. She'd found his small collection of porn. ---------------------- It seemed like an odd little fashion show to him when he got back. Grrrta tried on one thing after another, modeling for him inadvertently as she sought for find out how she looked. Lewis knew that she must feel so much like a fish out of water as he tried to help and offer advice. "I know it all feels strange," he said, "But if I see something that's not working for you, I'll try to help if I can, "he said, "though I'm not much of an authority, Grrrta." "I know that," she nodded with a small thankful smile, "It's just that I dinna want tae look foolish. If I can just look alright fer ye, Lewis, then that'll be good enough fer me now. I've a lot te learn, I guess." "That might be so," Lewis smiled, "but then you do have a lot to work with. It's not as though you're unattractive, Grrrta. I guess the way to say it is that it's a matter of presentation, that's all. It's how you make the impression." Grrrta had gone through her new dresses and tried to pull on her jeans. Never having done something like that before, it was a little awkward, but she managed it. Another problem manifested itself when she tried to pull up the zipper as Lewis indicated. Lily had caused them to fit well, so it was a little bit of a struggle to get herself zipped. Right then she ran into the issue of not having any underwear while at the same time, getting the full bush of pubic hair that she did have caught. Lewis jumped up to help. It took several very strange minutes of very careful pruning with a small pair of scissors to get her free. "I can't wear these," she said, a little saddened, "I liked the way that they felt, though." "Not to worry," Lewis smiled, "I've an answer for it." It led to an interesting time where Grrrta watched as he trimmed her as close as he dared, and then amazing her when he got out his mustache trimmer. She wasn't thrilled at first for the buzzing sound that it made, but she liked the results, feeling herself almost bare like that. She stood grinning with her jeans on in seconds and he told her that they fit her very well. "I'll get you some decent razors sometime and you can shave all of it right off if you like then, but you'll need to learn to be very careful." She looked at him a little slyly, "Is it what ye'd want me te do?" she asked. He nodded, "Yes, but I'd only want you to do that if you wanted it as well. I'm not about to tell you what to do. There are enough things that you need to be told about if you want to stay without having me order you about. I think that you must have been ordered about enough before." Grrrta looked at Lewis a little strangely for a moment or two before she stepped over and sat herself on his thigh carefully. "It happened, Lewis. I can't change it or make it go away. I can only pretend that it didna happen." She kissed his face and pushed his hair back behind one ear before she touched his cheek. "I wasna free for most of ten years, and it was my mother that kept them off me fer the longest time. I watched while they fattened her at last, and so I knew what te look fer when they'd begin wi' me. I knew they would someday. I was a bit lucky, I guess," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "The butcher died nae long after they ate my mother. His daughter took over, and she used the males for her fun. She'da killed me for the next feast, but I was too skinny and wouldna eat much. Then the next time that the king called fer a kobold to be cooked, she had te use another of the males. She tried te fatten me, but somewhere then, she found herself a goblin male te fuck with and she fergot about me fer a while. The trouble was that she'd ferget te feed me at all then for days at a time -- so I only fattened a little and slow-like." She didn't tell him about what the cook's younger brother had done the times that he'd come to make sure that she had food. He needed to be drunk to get the courage to do what he wanted, knowing that if his sister found out, she'd beat him severely. Her eyes drifted as she stroked his mustache a little with her fingertip. She'd never seen something like it, or the way that his whiskers grew out of the skin of his face. No goblin had this. Maybe it was one of the reasons that she liked it so much, though Lewis had warned her that his face would grow too rough for her skin after a few days if he didn't shave. Grrrta didn't care. She liked it. She looked up a little and noticed that the cottage had exposed roof beams running the length of it. There were hooks in a lot of places so that things could be hung up until they were needed. She looked at the cut-up bits of leather which had once bound her wrists as they lay in the small trash receptacle in the bathroom, "I wish now that I had a bit of leather," she said, "Some thin strips and some wide ones." "What for?" Lewis asked, "I've a large piece of cowhide here someplace. I had an old car that I bought to refinish. I bought the hide to recover the seats, but before I could get to it, I was able to purchase a whole new unused seat from a company that sold old car parts, so I never used it. Can you work leather, Grrrta?" "Aye," she smiled, "if I've got the tools. I'm just wantin' te make a few things. Seein' Thiery and the leather bands that he had on his arms made me remember some things," she said. "I'm thinkin' of my mother and how she used tae make me little things te keep on my ankle or my wrist when I was little. She told me that it was te look a little nice and tae remind me that she loved me. I used te wear them until they'd fall off. I'd get upset then because I'd lost 'em, but she'd make me another and I always loved that." Lewis smiled, and in about a half an hour, she was happy as the first of the little things that he was making for her was on her, little thongs that she described to him as he went. The piece of leather that he had was red, to match the interior of that old car that he'd had long ago, but he was thankful for it now, since it went well with her skin and her hair, and if there was one thing that Lewis was discovering that he liked so much, it was to make Grrrta happy. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 14 He left her as she sat there on the floor by the hearth, measuring and cutting. He got on with the dinner. He'd never have had the thought of it before, by himself here, but he'd come back from the small grocer that he knew would likely be open and though it had cost him a lot for what he'd bought, he now puzzled over making him and Grrrta a Christmas goose. He knew that she wouldn't know a thing about the tradition, and he wasn't all that much about it himself, but this one time, well, ... Lewis Crowe felt as though he had something to be a little thankful for and besides, he wanted to be able to offer her a feast. He'd been busy with everything, and so he wasn't prepared at all when she came into the kitchen to show him what she'd done. Lewis stared, since she was naked again and then he smiled. Grrrta had made herself a little choker that looked very nice against her throat, and she wore little leather thongs on her in several places. She stopped instantly as the smells of the dinner came to her, and when he'd told her what he was making for their meal, she just hugged him with tears in her eyes for a long few minutes. "So many things I am happy for," she sniffled. Lewis smiled at her and she hugged him again. "Do ye have a bit of time now?" she asked, looking up at him a little hopefully. He nodded. Even if he didn't have time, he knew that he'd make some for her. He didn't think that he deserved to feel this good, he thought, but he did. "Have ye any thin rope?" she asked, "Say about twice as long as ye are tall?" The next while was a very strange time for Lewis as he did what she asked. Grrrta ended up on her back, lying on his wooden coffee table with her wrists tied together and a rope from there to the frame of the table. There was a rope from each of her knees to the table as well, so that she was completely exposed to him. "What do you want me to do now?" he asked, and it made her giggle. "Whatever ye like," she smiled, "Ye do whatever ye like to me, and I know that I'll like it because it's you, Lewis. But first, I'd like it if ye took yer clothes off and all. Just please, don't hurt me. I've had enough of that to last me a while." "But," he stammered, "where did this idea come from?" "Well I know that ye like me so much, and ye're not bothered by the way that I look te ye. Ye even like it, don't ye?" He began to remove his clothing as he nodded, "You can't know how much, Grrta." "Well that's good then," she smiled from where she lay, "I've only liked when this was done te me because I've found that I like te be held. The rest of it isna worth remembering. But I want te do this wi' you, Lewis. Besides, I've seen those other DVD things that ye have. I like them best of all, and there was one where they did things like this, and I decided that it must be nice if nobody's hurting you." He ran his hands over her body, loving the way that it made her moan almost instantly. Before long, he was kissing her, knowing that none of the ones who had abused her had ever had the thought of it, so he took his time. He almost came when he saw the effects of her first orgasm and the way that she squirted some clear fluid, and he took that as a bit of a reward and tried to get what he could of it. "Fuck me when ye want to, my love," she sighed with the words in the middle of it coming to him in a groaning way. "Ye can give me all that ye have if ye want it rough, just please, ... if ye want to go lower down, I'll no mind, but please be gentle wi' me then." By the time that midnight came, they'd both felt content and happy for a while already. Lewis didn't think that a man his age could do it as often as he had with her, but she brought something out in him that had lain hidden for a long, long time. His testicles ached now, and he wondered if he might have done some damage to them, calling them into action like this as often as he had. The thought made him grin a little. He'd taken her just as she'd wanted him to, and when their dinner was ready, they'd eaten with Grrrta telling him that she'd never had a feast like that in her life. It made him smile, though he'd only held the smile after a moment because of a thought that came to him. He doubted that she'd ever eaten what she now called a feast in her life. He resolved that while he wasn't bent on fattening her as the goblins had been, he was going to make sure that she never went hungry again, if he had a say in it. Afterward, they'd done it standing up as she'd suggested, with her arms over her head and tied by the wrists to a rope slung over the main beam in his house. She'd told him that she loved to wrap her legs around him then as he'd pounded her against the wall like that. They'd stopped for a bath now and then because he wanted to bathe her and soothe her arms and shoulders, guessing that they must be tired and stiff. But after her second bath, she still wanted to sleep with him before the hearth. Lewis couldn't understand it, but he went along with whatever she asked of him. "I like te be warm like this," she'd said, "And I like te be naked while I'm so warm and feelin' ye against me. Now I've had ye in every place, Lewis and I'm feelin' so happy for it. Please," she said, and he could see that she was about to ask him something significant. "Please tell me that I can stay wi' ye. I'll learn whatever ye tell me that I have to, but if I can, this is where I want to be now." --------------------------- As Tereth slowed his decent and made his final turn out over the ocean, he stared down at the courtyard of what had been Tanatllon Castle lit up a little with its decorative and seasonal night-lighting. Why here? He wondered. What would she want with this place? As he landed and folded his wings, the lights all went out. "A little dramatic, isn't it?" he sneered, though he noticed that it had come out sounding hollow. He formed a small ball of fire with his hands and tossed it onto the stones in front of him. The courtyard flickered with the light of the small fire. It didn't light very much, not that he really needed it to, to be able to see here, but it was enough for him to see her shape by. The lithe figure stepped slowly closer, though not enough for him to be able to make out her face or any other features. Maezou knew that everything that he saw was being seen by his lord as well. It didn't make all that much of a difference to her, but she saw no need for the old sandbag to have things his way. She searched the sense of him as it came to her and smiled to herself. "Tereth the Great Hunter," she grinned, "here at last -- and scared absolutely shitless. It must be killing you that you are sent for me, knowing that you can't take me, and knowing what I'd do to you for only coming here. And you can't go back empty-handed, can you? He actually believes that you could take me back. Maybe you laid your bullshit on just a little thick, huh?" "Oh, fuck you, "he snarled, and his hands were in motion, but that was the last thing that he said. He found himself face-down and not able to see a thing but the stones which had hurt his nose. "Oh no," she said into his ear, though he knew somehow that she hadn't moved from where she'd been standing. All over the dark realms, lords were being drawn to their telepaths if they had any because of the words that came from them and the things that they could see if they looked into the eyes of the empty-minded little minions. "Fuck you, Thereth. You're nothing but an asshole who's managed to make his living by playing at being a hunter and hurting or killing innocents. But that's all over now. When I'm done with you, nobody will take you as a hunter. You won't even be a walking microphone like you are now. Very soon, everybody will be fucking you, baby. It's about all that you're good for, isn't it?" Tereth screamed in a new agony now. And this," she said, as his mouth tried to respond to the signals of pain that his mind found, "this useless thing seems to cause you so much trouble. I think you'd do a lot better without it." She held up everything that Tereth had once possessed that marked him as a male demon. "I'd have taken this as a trophy long ago, but the ruler that we both worked for then told me that it would be cruel." She dropped it all onto a platter there on the stones beside her with a wet-sounding slap. Tereth saw none of it, but he knew. "I thought it was being cruel to let something like you loose on this world," she said, and he felt his head being lifted just a little so that he could see that platter next to her blood-spattered feet as the small flame of his fire flared a little. He heard some whispered little voices and he stared as what looked to him to be an imp and a large kobold scampered over to the plate. They began to pull his torn masculinity apart as they devoured it. "Lost to you forever," Maezou sighed, "Ah well. You won't need it anymore anyway. Good luck trying to grow that back." Tereth began to weep in his pain and his predicament, but he suddenly went still, held rigidly as he was by something which was not there. "Gorek," she said, "I know that you watch now. You have no claim on me and never did. I was set free by the one whose hell you usurped before he let his life go - before you even entered the chamber. And that was what it was, Gorek. You did not kill him. You only like to tell yourself that you did, along with anyone else who might be stuck in the room and have to listen. All of the lords know what happened. It took some time, but I know what happened, so that ought to tell you what you face. But I know that you are too stupid and prideful to give up, aren't you?" Gorek stared from where he sat on his throne, his anger growing very near to causing him to rage. Almost unnoticed by him, Tereth's soul left his possession then and flew off. He had only the briefest glimpse of it as it left him. "Well come on then," the demoness said, "Come and follow the trail that I leave you. By the way, what you see and hear now is being seen by all of the lords. It's a bad idea to rely on telepaths, sandbag. They're easily corrupted and can't keep their thoughts to themselves. There's no such thing as a private channel, is there? So come on, if you must," he heard the smile in her voice, "but don't expect that you'll have your hell when you get back -- if you get back. You leave your hell and it's fair game to any of the others, isn't it?" The last of the transmission came to him as a shriek from Tereth as his soul arrived and was snapped up and held captive by another lord now. Racephet smiled. He'd hated Tereth the Great Kiss-ass forever, and they'd only met once. Gorek raged and cursed, knowing that what had been said was the truth. He'd be lucky if he even got out of the door before the other lords began to make their moves. He knew it. It was what he'd have done. Out on the cliff where the castle sat, Tereth was set free and he writhed slowly on the stones of the courtyard. He noticed the feet that came into his field of view. Tereth groaned as he was lifted up by his horns, each one being held by a demonlord that he didn't recognize. The feet of the red-haired bitch who had done this to him came into his view and he managed to lift his eyes a little to take in her face. "Tantallon Castle," she said, with a sweep of her arm in the darkness around them. "Well, to humans, anyway. It'll be something else to you soon." He watched her pretty face twist into a lovely smirk as she looked to the bleeding hole that her claws had left. With a nod and a motion from her, it began to heal just a little differently. "Welcome to Hell on Earth, Tereth. A different lord holds your soul now. You work for me." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 15 Maezou squatted down to look at Tereth's wound. The edges were already coming close to knitting themselves together under her direction. He hung a little limply in the grasp of Toby and Racephet. "Don't move now," she muttered in concentration as his torn lower belly was illuminated by the glow of her eyes, "or you will regret this even more." But Tereth had never been known to be much of a forward thinker and he strained once against the way that the two lords held him by his horns. "What are you going to do, turn me into a girl? Is that it? You're going to make me into a bitch like you?" He hung very limply a second later after Toby's fist clipped the nerve in his jaw. "A little care, Lord Tobias," Racephet joked, "This is my minion, you know." "Sorry," Toby grinned. Maezou closed the wound, and a second later, the last of the blood was gone, lifting away from him to disappear into the darkness. She looked at her handiwork and smiled at the featureless expanse of flesh punctuated now by only the exit of his urethra. With a little thought from her, his overall shape began to shift and much of his musculature evaporated to leave behind a more slender figure with just a hint of the swell of hips to it. She stood up and regarded Tereth as he groaned a little while regaining consciousness. As his eyes opened, she reached for his face and repaired his scarred cheek, softening the features a little and emphasizing what was there to give him cheekbones that models the world over would kill to have. "I'm not going to turn you into anything, Tereth," she said, "You turn yourself into whatever you want now, but that depends on what you do. You just can't be a dick anymore. I've just dealt with something that you should never have been equipped with for what you've done with it and how it's fucked up your little brain. You ought to be able to think a little more clearly now, at least. What I've done here, besides repair the tear that I left, is more of a considerate gift to you. Without your nasty little package and the abilities that I've taken from you, you'd only turn into a round and unhappy capon if I left you as you were. Like this, you look a lot better. You might not ever get it into the dim brain there behind your eyes, but I've given you a far better than even shot at learning to be happy, instead of constantly wanting something that your ability to obtain only causes you to generate misery here on this world." Maezou noticed her mother's wave. "I've got to go," she said. "Just so you don't piss anybody off within the first two minutes, Lord Racephet holds your soul. Try to be at least a little respectful, since I won't be here to repair you if you get this wrong." Racephet hung onto Tereth's horn and began to walk away with a nod to Maezou and Toby. Tereth was forced to either try to keep up by walking in a rather crouched position, or he'd be dragged. Only a minute later, Tereth was looking at Megeara's dark splendor as she regarded him. "We need to come up with a way to make a meal for everyone," she said. "It's my turn and you're my assistant." But the changes in his hormone levels hadn't gotten through to all of his brain yet, and a minute later, Tereth was dropped down through a trapdoor in what had once been the dungeon of Tantallon Castle. He picked himself up from where he'd landed and looked up at the square of light that he'd fallen through. Megeara's lovely face regarded him for a moment. "In case your eyes and hands don't work, " she said, looking a little bored, "you're not exactly equipped to do what you suggested that we do anymore. I'd kill you for it, but I think that Maezou's got some small use for you yet. So I'll make the meal alone, pea-brain, and you'll go hungry." "How long am I going to be in here?" he asked. "I don't know," Megeara shrugged, "This is an oubliette, after all. It's a place to forget about the one that you throw in. This is the only way in or out, and I'll ward it with a lot of pain for you if you try to get out." She slammed the trapdoor shut and he heard it being barred and then he felt the tingle of the ward from where he stood. Tereth tried to sit down, but he found some old bones there. So he felt with his feet as he moved in the darkness. When he reached the wall, he sat down and leaned against it, feeling a little carefully over his body to see what had been done to him. He didn't want to actually look yet. He had an idea, but even so, it still surprised him. His fingers slid lightly over the place where his maleness had been. Other than the tiny opening that Maezou had left him to urinate through, there was absolutely nothing there anymore, other than soft, smooth skin. Tereth wanted to weep again, until he noticed something. After a little thought, he knew that Maezou could have been a lot more cruel to him. She'd left him nerve endings. Sliding his fingers carefully and very slowly there, he found that he could feel some pleasure from it. In the complete darkness of his little cell, Tereth began to masturbate in a completely new way. It wasn't what he had before, and it certainly wasn't anything like what any female had. He just hoped that it might be enough, that was all. -------------------- Mother led them away, and a moment later, they were joined by Zele. "I foresee a pause now for a few days. Gorek will want to negotiate for some help. The other lords will be at least a little cautious, since that is their way. But when it is done, you ought to be prepared for the real test in this. With all of us together, there is much strength and power, but we are only seven and the two small ones, eight if I take part. What may come is a fight where each of us must face a few hundred each. That is not something that I want to do. It would not be good for the strongest storm demon to be seen taking an overt side in the rise of a new lord. The odds must be improved, and I believe that I know of a way. Sometimes it is an advantage to be as old as I am," she smiled. "Follow me," she said, spreading her wings. Their course took them high and out over the Orkney Islands as they began to descend, circling down toward the island of Eday. There was a storm out over the water and they flew through biting cold winds and the bone-chilling snow that the wind pushed. Toby and his consorts had little doubt that Mother had brought this to hide them. Before long, the four stood huddled close together, wrapped in their wings as the wind moaned around them. "What does Mother bring us here for?" Zele asked, "The wind blows the cold snow under Zele's wings. She can feel it all the way to her little –" She stopped there as a thought came to her and the end of her tail disappeared under the shelter of her wings. The others looked at her, but her reply was only a little sheepish. "Nothing," she said quietly as she stood with her feet slightly apart. They all knew that she'd found another use for her tail then. Mother's expression was grim as her long hair was whipped past her face. "We are here to help someone – if they still live at all," she said. Her featureless golden eyes squinted down to thin yellow slits in the biting wind. "I can feel little. The storm is needed to hide us. None of this can be seen by anyone else in the dark realms, or we risk having all of the hells come down on us at once. Come." They walked in single file behind her as she led them to a small hillside. Each of them tried to sense for human life or anything else, but nothing much came to any of them. No human with a working brain would be out in this, Maezou thought as she looked off through the storm toward Calf Sound. She could barely see a very few lights in the buildings that she could make out using the sight of her kind. Without this ability, one couldn't see anything but darkness and snow. Mother suddenly stopped in the opening of the entrance to a place inside the hill and led them inside. They were all thankful that the doorway sheltered them. Demons are not all that bothered by cold, but Mother had laid it on pretty thickly. "This was built as a tomb," she said, "and it has been excavated and studied by humans. But tonight we are here to correct some mistakes. The humans built this and made their mistake when they did. It changed nothing, but it hid what was already buried here even more. Likely they chose the place because of the hill and for the way that the place felt to them, but they built their tombs on an even older mistake." "One of the first of the angels was the Angel of Death," Mother said, "created on the first day, it's said. There have been many stories and almost as many names for the one. It seems the scholars get confused and fanciful now and then. Not such a stretch," she said with a scowl, "I haven't been safe from the hare-brains either. But as a concept or an idea," she said, "the Angel of Death is really only an instrument, a being with no will of its own – no voluntary power." She could see that Zele was wondering what any of this had to do with her freezing her nipples off under the protective covering of her tightly wrapped wings. "You are not thinking clearly, Daughter," she said, "We all freeze too, and you are about to complain when you are the one who has the best shape for this to help us all." They looked over a moment later at the huge hellhound standing with them now, lighting the entrance way with the dull red glow of her eyes. The rest were all suddenly thankful for the heat of her when she was like this. Out of the wind and sheltered now, the heat given off by a hellhound was most certainly welcome. "Long ago," Mother whispered in the stillness a little of the way in, "it was seen to be desirable to maintain a sort of balance of the power between the sides, and so several dark lords sought to make a death angel of their own much like what the other side had. Only one was what had been envisioned. The rest were mostly failures. The thing about these beings," she said, "is that they are beyond dangerous. Once directed – once one of them appears, there is no reversal possible from that anger. They are set to a task or into motion by an order, but take no action until they receive permission to destroy. But once that is done," Mother said, "they make no distinction between what some might call good and evil. There were several created during that age long ago. All were at least somewhat successful, but they were more trouble than they were worth. Most were either controlled or they were destroyed themselves eventually, all but one, for it was not thought to be possible. Not long after the making of this one, it was seen that there was no real need for them at all, since the Angel of Death was not used for the purpose of attacking the dark realms and was only sent to Earth now and then from whence it returned once its duty had been done." She looked a little thoughtful for a moment, as though remembering something." It is said that the Angel of the Abyss himself sired the deadliest one with a satyra. I knew her for a time much later but she never spoke of her child. She was known to men when she appeared on this plane as "she with the ass's legs." That is what we now seek, the fruit of that pairing - an Appolyon. "That was when the second mistake became apparent," Mother said, "You do not cause an Appolyon to exist with the notion that you can erase it if you no longer want it. This one could not be controlled much and it could not be destroyed, so it was trapped and sent here to be imprisoned and forgotten until the end of time. On that day, the Angel of Death will be the last to perish, it's said, and so the thinking was that before that happens this one will have to be dealt with by him, if it may be done." Her companions stood looking at Mother in silence for a moment as the bitter-cold night wind blasted past the opening in the gale outside. "And you want to find this thing?" Toby asked in disbelief. "Do you wish to live?" she retorted, "Do you want for your cherished females to live? How many of your small group are you prepared to lose in the fight against an army of demons, for that is what will surely come soon? The small ones will almost certainly perish, even if they are kept hidden. And if you lose, Toby, what would be left of the attackers will not go back quietly. Many would agree to fight only for the promise that they would be allowed to roam here free for a time. This is not something that I have thought of without a plan," Mother said quietly. "I seek to use the threat of the being more than anything. An Appolyon cannot be summoned, and it cannot be stopped in its purpose by a command, other than one given by the one who controls it – and I have said that this one cannot be controlled – at least not easily, for this one does not need to bow to very many at all. But I believe that it can be guided – if I am correct, and I have thought of this for thousands of years. Appolyons were made to a model, and that model has constraints. I believe that genuine acts of care – of consideration and benevolence will stay his hand and thereby give protection in a way." She felt a little warmer now and opened her wings a little to fold them back. "There is danger in this too, I think, because it must be genuine and not contrived in an attempt to control. If I am correct in this as well, then here lies a double–edged sword. The one that we seek here has known no love, no care, nothing. He was sired for a purpose and his sires had no need or want to even think of him as a child who needed care. Once trapped and cast here, there was nothing but time, perhaps to want for what he has never had, or, ... perhaps to grow a hate which knows no bounds." She came back to herself and smiled at them. "But I do not feel this. I have been here before, but had no way to help anything. Right now, I have the power of myself, Maezou, and you, Tobias. I think that at worst, we can begin to correct a mistake, because there is something here which should not be and that has always angered me. At best, we might have some help. You, pretty Zele, will be needed too." She turned to lead them farther in. "Come this way," she said, leading them down the corridor past the four rooms which had once held the earthy remains of humans. At the end, there was only a wall, made of the same rough-hewn, but well-fitted stonework as the rest. Mother pointed, "See this stone, Zele. See the ones in this line, up and over and down again." Her long finger drew a rectangle, "Make them hot, but do not break them from it." Zele nodded and she stared at the first stone. A second later, her red gaze lit the next, even though the light of her glare still remained on the first. One by one, the ruby light illuminated them all and the fine dirt between them began to sift to the floor as the stones expanded. There were four stones set into the wall inside the eerie square of light from Zele's eyes. Mother nodded to Toby and he slid his fingertips into the spaces between them. A minute later, he was able to pull out the first stone and drag it back. The rest took him even less time, though they found three more walls with empty chambers between them. As he looked at the dark opening, Mother laid her hand on his shoulder. "I feel that he still lives," she said. "You have a great task in this. He has no name. It is not because it was decided that he was not to have one, or was not to be named. It is because no one thought to give him one. He needs much; help right now that we can give, but later, Tobias, he will need much from you. You know the ways of the world today best of all, and another thing that he has never had was a male to guide him. He was perhaps twenty when he was thrown here, uncared for and alone. He has never had a friend." Toby looked at the old demon as though for the first time, he had the thought that perhaps she'd lost her mind, but he nodded after a second and stepped carefully and slowly inside. One by one, they followed him into a featureless chamber and Zele assumed her more usual shape. None of them knew what to expect, though Mother might have had a notion. The rest had all tried to picture what a being of the type which had been described to them might look like, someone who had been patterned after the Angel of Death, they had assumed. Well that was no good, since none of them knew what that one looked like. But they had all envisioned someone who might have made them wonder if the hole that they'd made in the wall was going to be large enough. When they saw him, Toby and his consorts didn't know whether to feel disappointment or relief. What they saw lying face-down on the stone floor of a small cell looked more like a boy of maybe sixteen or seventeen who had lain down to sleep. His long hair was utterly black and lay over most of his face. As Zele and Maezou stood in wonder, Toby stepped forward and knelt, carefully reaching to move the hair as he began to speak quietly."Hey... hey, kid, you in there?" As the hair was moved from his face, Toby and the females gasped. His blue eyes were open, as they'd been since he'd first felt that there were others nearby. It didn't happen very often, but sometimes humans came here. He never saw them obviously, but he knew it when they were close. He remembered when whatever lay outside of his prison was built. He hadn't known what it was that they were doing, but after a time, he'd just assumed that they were doing something to free him. But it had been only another disappointment. Their purpose had only been to bury their dead and so he didn't even bother to call out to them. It hadn't worked all of the other times anyway. But this time was different. For the first time since he could remember, there were others near to him now. He had a thought that he ought to feel his anger, but he had no strength for it anymore. And so he began to weep. Toby saw the first of the boy's tears and knew what drove it in an instant. He laid his hand on the thin shoulder and did his best to form a friendly smile. All that he was covering with it was the sudden concern that he felt for someone in a position like this. To be trapped here with nothing, ... "Can I call him by a name that I know?" Toby asked, "He looks a lot like a close friend that I had when I was a kid his age – or, well, a little younger, I guess." "There is no harm in it," mother answered, "He may be glad to be given one at last." Toby looked at the odd chains that he could see, ancient things which bound the thin hands and allowed little movement. There were others from his ankles to the walls in several places so that he hadn't had much freedom of movement, other than to remain in the middle of this little room. Toby began to feel his own anger and was about to reach for the nearest one. "Wait, Tobias," Mother said. "Do not break them. Look at the pins in the manacles. If the chains are broken, someone will know it as soon as it happens." The forgotten one looked at the one who spoke and recognized her as someone who had come here before, but had never been able to reach him then. He knew why that was, having sensed her thoughts all of those times. The stones had to come out in a certain way or the place would collapse. He'd have had even less space then. She stepped forward and took the large male's hand. "Here," she said, guiding him to one of the manacles, "We can do this together, and have a chance that it will be unnoticed. The pins must be rotted out, not torn or burned." As she guided his thoughts, Mother caused the storm outside to grow in intensity to near hurricane state on the hill around them. The wind rose to a scream that could plainly be heard all of the way down the length of the hall. Here in the small cell at the other end, they heard the quiet click as the remains of the first pin dropped the short distance to the floor. Toby had the manacle off in another second. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 15 When they began to work on the ones which held his hands, Toby looked over and saw that the boy's eyes were watching them, blinking through his tears and sniffling weakly once. He reached with his other hand and touched the head which lay there on a forearm gently for a moment. "I understand that you have never had a name. I can't imagine not having a name, so I'm going to call you Kerry," Toby said, "You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago with that name. I hope that it's alright with you. You probably haven't got a clue what I'm saying, but you'll be free in another few seconds." Mother began to translate what Toby had said and she placed a lot of emphasis on the name that he'd been given. The eyes only regarded them in silence. Maezou and her sister stepped closer and gently took his ankles and began to rub them, trying to erase the marks of his long imprisonment. He had a thought to try to look at them as well, but he found that he no longer had the ability. When the last of the pins clicked to the floor, Toby knelt lower and told him that he was going to try to move him very carefully. Mother began to say things in a far older form of the demonic speech. The boy's eyes looked at her for a moment and then drifted back to Toby. This went on for a time, his gaze shifting to the golden-eyed demoness and then back to Toby as she spoke. "We must leave in a little while to take Kerry with us," she said to Toby, "Try to move him now, but slowly and with care." She went back to speaking to the boy, trying to explain things and offering her concern. When Toby slipped his hands under him, the boy only looked at his face and blinked. But when Toby began to take the slight weight of him, the boy's mouth opened slowly in a silent scream of pain. All that came out of him was a very quiet little hiss of agony. As Toby stood up, he held the thin body only tightly enough so that it wouldn't fall. "I'm so sorry if I hurt you, but we can't stay here forever. So if you want to get out of here, Kerry, ..." The young man's body ached in so many places, but he tried very hard to hold his head up. He saw the sisters and wondered what he saw in their eyes. He looked at Toby for most of a second, but then the last of his little strength almost left him and he laid his head against Toby's chest. "Bring him here," mother said from where she sat on the floor with her back against one of the walls, "Bring him to me. I only hope that we have the time for this and I do not know if I can even do it." She closed her eyes for a moment and felt the beginnings of something that she hadn't felt for millennia on end. Her body answered her command, however, and she was pleased for it when she felt the swell beginning. "Kerry needs something now," she said, "and we have nothing here. We could do this with blood, but that is not my way, and it is not something that I think that this one should ever get or even be offered." As Toby nodded and knelt slowly to lay Kerry beside her. She held his head under her arm as she felt the let down. She looked into his eyes and moved one of her nipples against his lips. "I do not know how much I can give to you," she said demonically, "but something is better than nothing for now, and we need to get you away from here before it is known that you are free. I do not know who watches, or even if anyone still does, but we must be gone from here soon." As his lips closed over her nipple and he began to suck, Mother thought for a moment about Toby and the name that he'd offered. Details came to her as her eyes closed. She felt something again that she was a little thankful for. She didn't think that any others like her ever got the chance to feel this ever again. She opened her eyes and saw her daughters crouched near to her on the other side. "I just thought that this would work and it is better than asking you to open your throats to him, isn't it? Besides, this never did either of you any harm. I think that you turned out quite well," she smirked. She began to talk to Kerry again in a very low voice. He listened as she tried to explain it all. Fifteen minutes later, she asked Toby to help as she positioned herself so that she could get him onto her other breast, since it now felt uncomfortably full. "This is not something that you should have the thought to get used to, Kerry. This is more of an emergency. I enjoy it, but I cannot hope to feed one such as you this way. This is to give you at least a little strength to go where we can look after you better." He seemed to be listening, but his eyes were on the others now. When Mother felt that she had no more for him, she was about to tell him, but he lifted his head to look at her. She caressed his head and smiled for a moment. "You cannot sleep now," she warned gently, "We must go. Tobias will carry you." Kerry looked up and watched as Toby knelt again to pick him up and carry him out of the chamber very carefully. "Try to stand if you can," he said quietly. "Maezou will hold you up. I have to close the stonework again." As he worked, Mother helped by offering guidance. At first, the stones wouldn't fit, but Zele drew heat from the adjacent ones and then he could slide them into place before Mother raised the small stones and the dust from the floor to cause it to fly into the crevices between them. Zele looked at her male for a few moments during the time that he worked to move the stones. "Zele wishes to say that she likes the name that this one was given by Toby. It is a nice name," she said, not catching her mother's warning glance. "What was the Kerry like, the one that Toby knew?" He stopped for a moment, looking down, and they heard him exhale. "He was my best friend when we were kids. We were pretty close our whole lives, but Kerry always seemed to come in for such shit because of the way that he was. He always had a rough time. His stepdad was a drunk. One night when I was working nights, Kerry got beat up a bit over the way that he looked. Kerry got that a lot. When he got home, his stepfather beat him to death." Toby sighed, and Zele felt his emotion. She also saw her mother's glare. "I used to be able to uh, diffuse those times," he said, "and if I couldn't, I'd peel his asshole stepfather off him and get Kerry out of there. I just wasn't there that one time." She put her hand on his shoulder, "Zele is so sorry that she asked, Toby. Please forgive Zele." He smiled as he looked up, "It's ok. It was a long time ago. You didn't do anything wrong to ask." He kissed her softly for a moment. "I always love talking with you and Maezou." Mother noticed something in the dust and she bent to retrieve a single old sword. She carried it as she walked. The wind eased off a little as they reached the outside doorway. Kerry had resisted their attempts to have Toby carry him. His progress was slow as he hobbled between the females, but when they got near the opening, he nodded at them both, and they thought that they could see at least a tiny little smile. "You can't fly now," Toby said. "I'll carry you. This won't take too long, I don't think, and then you'll be someplace warm and dry." From Mother's point of view, the place where he'd been imprisoned could now go back to what it was supposed to have been. The stones were back where they'd been to cover what had lain behind them and it was an old tomb once more, as well as being an archaeological site. Despite having spent some time doing her research into the distant past in places where she'd never gone, Mother had made one uncharacteristic mistake, more of an oversight of a detail, really. She had wanted to help for some time and had now seen a way to expedite that help as they'd just done in the hope that this Appolyon Kerry might want to help them. She actually didn't see more than a need for him to appear if they were attacked. In her view, they'd at least corrected something that she'd always seen as wrong. However, that view overlooked some things. The first of what had been overlooked pushed up through the ground which covered the doorway of an undiscovered and fallen–in barrow near to the hill. The snow over top of that ground chilled her face, neck and shoulders as she pushed through to stare with squinted eyes, peering through the wintry darkness into the blizzard, straining to learn about what was going on. The position left her back end undefended for the moment, and the second of the overlooked things grabbed her haunches for a hopefully quick mating. She pulled her head down underground again and batted her hopeful suitor off easily. She wouldn't have minded what had been attempted, but she had something more important in mind, so before he could back away in fear, she grabbed a horn and yanked him up as she pushed upward again and pointed. Toby lifted off easily clutching Kerry. They flew in a loose group this time through the gale that Mother would allow to last another two hours at least. "I will go on ahead," Mother said, coming close for a moment, "Kerry will need a lot to drink and some very gentle food to go into a stomach that has had nothing for so long." When Toby had nodded his understanding, she told him the landmarks that he should look for as she beat her wings and pulled away, accelerating out of sight into the heavy clouds. The air didn't smooth out or even begin to warm a little until they were getting close to Yester Castle. Toby's arms might have begun to grow a little tired from the effort of it, but he didn't mind. He hated the thought of anyone being held in a place like that for so long. Now and then, he looked at Kerry and wondered about what Mother had said. He didn't look as though he could hold his own in a fight with a housefly at the moment, yet the old demoness had said that he was a destroyer, born and bred to do nothing other than lay waste. That sure didn't make much sense, he thought. He glanced down at that face for a moment when he felt Kerry move a little. The eyes that he saw were half squinted shut from the wind and the way that the boy's hair flickered across his face from it. Toby looked away for a second to be sure that he was holding his position before he tried to look again. When he did, Kerry was moving his lips, but Toby heard nothing. Kerry was trying to get his vocal chords to function again. Toby felt the thin arm as it rose to slide around the other side of his neck, and he felt the weak pull, so Toby helped a little, not wanting to make this trip terribly uncomfortable, or at least no more than it had to be. Kerry moved his head so that his face was out of the wind and against Toby's ear. The unloved destroyer wasn't a totally empty creature. He had a mind, and though it hadn't been used for much in a long time, it had been thinking lately about the way that his rescuers spoke between themselves. That, and only a little of his own ability allowed him to search for words that he might use. He used them now to tell of his very guarded thanks, since he did remember how he'd been used by others as they'd commanded him to destroy things as they'd tested him. Mostly, he'd ignored them, but if he felt his annoyance rising, he'd killed the ones who were commanding him then, and he'd be left alone, since that was all that he could look forward to. They'd haul him out of a cell, test him, and then put him back. He wondered what was to be done with him, but he found that he did like them for what they'd done. In the meantime, he'd spoken his quiet thanks to Tobias and pulled himself tighter to try to stay warm. When he did open his eyes to look past Toby's shoulder, he saw Zele flying there, above and a little behind Toby. He didn't know what she was, since he felt little from her, but she smiled and waved a little to him. She peeled away a few seconds later, and Kerry noticed the glyphs on Toby's shoulder. "You are a lord, Tobias?" he asked quietly. "Yes," Toby replied, "though I haven't been one for very long. Why, Kerry? Is that important to you?" "I do not know," the boy said into Toby's ear. "What is to become of me?" "Nothing that you don't want, I guess," Toby said, "I didn't know of you until only a few minutes before we came through the wall. Mother knew all along. She said that she's known about you for a long time, but she didn't have much of a way to get you out until now. She thought of you there in the place and I guess that she wants to give you a chance to be free. She's hoping that you might be able to help us, but I don't think you can, and anyway, you probably need more help yourself if you've been locked up for thousands of years. I don't know how much I'll be around in the next little while, but I'd like to help you to learn about the world here so you might be able to live free. How are you feeling, anyway?" "Better," Kerry said, "weak, but I feel better now. Where will you go?" "We're going to a place where you can get better and eat a little. You'll be safe there, or as safe as any of the rest of us," Toby said. "Not to your hell?" Kerry felt Toby cautiously shake his head a little, "No, Kerry. I don't have a hell. I only hold an old fortress here. Well, mostly, I hold what's below it. I think that I might take another one soon, but only in a careful way because humans use it a little, so we'd only be there at night. I don't hold souls. I don't trade in souls. I don't want a hell. I only want to be left alone to live with my consorts and my friends." Kerry felt Toby's cheek move from his smile, "I don't even know how to keep on doing that, though I'm willing to try, and I'll fight for that if I can. From what Mother says, I'll need to fight an army." "I cannot follow everything that you say," Kerry said, "The red-haired one told me who you all are to each other. She said that there is a lord who hunts her, but she will not go back. She did not tell of this war, but I felt that she does not know if it can be won." "I guess that's the way that it is, Kerry. I'll have a lot to do in the next little while, but I want to help you to learn how to hide in the crowd of humans and maybe stay alive." "You say that you will not, ... I do not understand," Kerry said. "You don't need to," Toby said, "You need to learn to live after all of this time in that place." "Why would you help me?" Toby smiled, "Mother said that you've never had a friend in your life. The name that I gave you once belonged to my friend. If you think that you'd want to know how it feels to have a friend, just wait a little. You already have a few, and there are a few more that I'm sure would like you." Kerry had no answer as he thought of this. It was like trying to understand it if someone asked you if you wanted something that you couldn't comprehend, but he felt how the word related to Toby, and Kerry thought that something like that must be worth a lot. ----------------- Gorek fumed. He was sitting on his throne, listening to the suggestions and counter-offers from the envoys sent by a few of the more profit-minded of his ilk. "All that I ask is for some help in eradicating what has become a splinter in my ass and your lords want to charge me half the worth of my hell for it," he said, a little exasperated. "You ask for much," one envoy said, "heavy fighters and soul reavers, Lord Gorek. It leads my ruler to think that you believe that you will face much strength and are not certain that you can win alone. We know the demoness that you want returned to you, but we do not know why it is that she feels that she can speak to a lord the way that it was done. To sell our aid is one thing and a ruler such as ours expects some small losses, since it is a part of conflict. If there is more strength there than what is known, we must project that we will suffer higher losses. We cannot sell the services of defeated fighters, Lord Gorek." "Fine," he growled, "Then rent me the ones that we bargain for, plus another ten percent, just to make certain. I can offer you seven hundred thousand souls." All of the envoys shook their heads at that. "We know that you do not have that many here now," they said. "Well I know that," Gorek rolled his eyes, "I'm including what my renegade hunter will bring in over the next century." The envoys looked very nervous after that, and the heavy fighters who had been sent along as protection began to gather around as the envoys all made ready to leave. "Wait a minute," the sand demon protested, "Where are you going?" "We, ... do not wish to negotiate further, Lord Gorek. You cannot offer what you do not have in hand, and what you say tells us that you do not really know the nature of this one huntress. If you do not know, then it is not our place to tell you. Please contact our lords again if you need insurance." The towering sandpile tilted his head at that. "Why do I need insurance?" "Our lords would sell you protection for your hell while you are gone hunting this huntress yourself," they said as they took their leave. Gorek spent the rest of the day throwing boulders at the walls in his rage. ---------------------- Tereth felt the hooved footfalls on the stonework above not long before the trapdoor was opened. A length of chain was lowered in. "Climb up," a voice said. When he hesitated, the chain was whipped around until it hit him twice and then wrapped itself around his neck. Tereth was hauled up choking and found himself on the floor looking up into the featureless eyes of a demon who he'd seen now and again in passing, but had never met. "When I tell you something, Tereth, "she said flatly through her teeth, "I expect you to comply instantly." "Who are you?" he asked, but he regretted it a second later when he found himself being held up by his throat, her long fingers curling easily around. "I'm – I'm sorry for my impudence, "he croaked. It came out of him in a whistling whisper. "I take no offense," the widely horned one said with a curious half–smile, "I was only setting rules, nothing more." She put him down and, as he stood holding his own throat there in the darkness, she stood back a little and looked him over. " Very nice," she smiled, "I see a change for the better." He 'd have spit out any of about a dozen snide comments, but for two things; he'd been warned by three of the females here now, and he had absolutely no doubt that this one was just as deadly – and perhaps even more than the others. "Your life – as long as it has been, Tereth, has been a total and complete waste," she said. "I make no judgment. I only say the truth, and when compared to almost all of our kind, it is almost the same. You were spawned and grew up, the same as most of us, born to cruelty and selfishness. You took when you wanted something, and tried to hide when whatever it was had been discovered, knowing that any who had the ability to find out about whatever you'd done could and likely would treat you terribly for it in turn. If not, you laughed and treated those worse off than you even worse." She took him by the jaw so that he could look nowhere else but her face. "And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that for our kind. It is what we all do. As a male, you took what you wanted and thought nothing of it, though in the case of one female, it has proven very costly. So, if all had gone well in this rapine way of life that you had, what would it have bought you, no matter which lord you served?" She leaned forward, "At best, nothing. At worst, pain and suffering under the heel of someone more cruel than you. But you have been given another life now. You just don't see it yet. I am hoping that you will, Tereth, for if you do not, there is only more pain for you, somewhere and sometime. The somehow is not even important. But if you can see what you have been given, you might see that with a little luck, you might find happiness – which is an absurd notion for a demon to even consider." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 15 She released him then and stepped back once more. He found himself looking at mirrored surfaces all around him as she illuminated him where he stood. Tereth stared, looking at himself from every side. He saw a demoness without the one thing that completed her. Other than that, what he was looking at was a different sort of perfection. "I – I have no – " "That is what I was talking about," she said, thinking that his reputation for stupidity was rather well-deserved, but then she noticed that he was shaking his head. His hands rose to his chest. She tilted her head. "What was done to you was to make you appealing to certain individuals – who, until they set their eyes on you, might not even consider that they'd be attracted to one like you." She looked intently at him and he felt a slight burning sensation on his chest. "Your nipples are now a little larger. Is that what you want? Some breasts? Really?" Lily looked rather puzzled for a moment. "If you had seen one such as you are now before tonight, would you have found that one desirable?" Seeing his nod, she went on. "Would you have wanted that one with breasts?" Now he wasn't certain and she saw that. "I will tell you now of your duty to your lord and who you must serve and treat well. We can speak of it again, and if you still wish for them, I will give you what you feel is lacking. Come and walk with me, while I tell you the ways that your life will be better now." They walked off together and she told him all that she could foresee for him. He had to admit that it sounded a lot less painful that what he'd had, though he wasn't completely sure and she knew that as well, but she pointed out that he had to make the best of it now regardless. "There will be a day very soon when you will have to fly and fight beside the rest of us, and you will fight then, Tereth, because I will give you the chance at the throat of the sand demon that you hate most of all." When he heard that, Tereth fell to his pretty knees and thanked her. "It doesn't matter so much now to me if I die in it," he said, "but if I live, I want to live without the fear of him and what he does to his minions." "Get up, Tereth," Lily smiled, "for I can grant you that easily. One way or another, Gorek will not survive this, and he must now go to war, even if he loses his hell while he is gone. He can always win it back in time, but if he does not come, he will be known as weak and you know what happens to weak lords." She laid her hand on his now-slender shoulder and smiled, "I know that this may be hard to understand, but by fighting beside the huntress that you have wasted so much time hating, you protect yourself now. She is the slave of a lord herself, and she has two sisters, and all of them are my daughters, Tereth, so let thoughts of revenge fly from your head. Forgive me if I sound idealistic, but what is begun with the rise of a new lord is a break from the old ways, since without a hell, there is no need for the constant application of pain and punishment. Without that, there are other things which our kind can enjoy. Follow me." She spread her wings and he followed, still wondering about the way that his body felt different to him. It felt new and lighter, much more graceful after a little thought. He knew that he'd miss what had been taken from him, but this seemed like a new adventure to him. He was suddenly hopeful that it would be worth it. ----------------- Tereth was brought to the lower hall and Lily introduced him to Sharon. "This is a human, Tereth, and she means much to me. Do not hurt her or the weaker ones, and do what she tells you to help with the meal, or whatever you have suffered in your life will be as nothing in comparison. Your life will be here among us now. Try to fit in. It will be to your benefit." Sharon stared at him, and then she smiled, "Boy, everybody here is so beautiful. I can't get over it." "You - you see me as beautiful?" Tereth was having trouble with it, though is a strange way, he felt a little pleased. "Well, yeah," she grinned, "I think you're lovely. Can you help me get this roast out of the oven here?" As he did what was asked, he saw Megeara smile from where she worked. "So Mother talked some sense into you? I'm actually pleased. Let's get this done, and then you can swear service to my lord. It'll get you far better treatment." --------------- With Kerry in the safety of the lower hall, the meal was brought forth and the flames of the great fire rose high into the air. There was a bit of a celebration simply because they all felt that it was needed. Kerry had asked if there was a place where he might wash, and Toby, Maezou and Zele all volunteered to take him, since they all still wore the dirt of the little cell on them. Mother had washed as soon as they'd arrived and now guided things with Sharon where the food had been prepared. Kerry was introduced to them all afterward in the main hall, though they could see that he felt unsettled. He ate cautiously, sitting against a pillar alone and watching them silently. None of them minded, since they'd all heard that he'd been alone for so long. He was a hit with the females, however. When they'd arrived, Kerry decided to give up the attempt to look human, since it was tiring now to keep up the illusion in a place inhabited by demons. His slender curled horns appeared on his head and his eyes reverted to their natural, somewhat goat like appearance. The rest of him remained as they'd seen him with the exception of his legs, which were slender and well-shaped, ending in hooves. They all came to see him time and again to take in his sweet shyness. He looked a little lost and his expression changed now and then to one of thoughtfulness. If they could, they each did their best to engage him and make the effort to get him to smile. On a young and beautiful face such as he had, to accomplish it was taken as a reward, for they all felt at least a little pity for him. The first time that he'd laughed was taken as winning a contest. Kerry was curious. "There is no laughter directed at you, Kerry," Toby explained. "You look so much better now than you did only an hour ago. You looked as though you were dead but didn't know it yet. They all like the way that you look now. You look as though you belong here, among the living. What made you laugh? I didn't see it." Kerry smiled and pointed at Illa who knelt grinning as she reached to touch Kerry's hoof and toy with the lovely long hair of his fetlock. "Illa seeks to draw me out a little even as her male ruts with her. That face is so sweet and happy. I have never seen our kind where there is joy on their faces, Tobias." Their conversation was cut a little short by Maezou, who came to offer Toby a sweet, though her purpose was to tempt him. Toby apologized and Kerry nodded as he sat watching them begin to mate. He sat in silence for some minutes until he noticed that Zele sat beside him. He hadn't even noticed her approach. "They are beautiful, Kerry." He turned his face to look at her and she loved the way that he smiled. "Everyone here is beautiful, Zele." He turned back to look a little more and Zele caught it. He hadn't meant to at all, but Zele had heard his little sigh. It set the last detail into place in her mind, and so she raised her wing and asked him to sit forward for a moment. He looked at her curiously, but he did it. With her wing around his shoulders, she offered the small pieces of food that she'd brought on a platter. "Kerry should eat a little more now," she said, "Zele sees that Kerry is still weak, a little, but she likes what she sees and wants for Kerry to feel better." He began to eat as they talked, with her feeding him and seeming to be forging an instant friendship. He asked for a little help with the food and so Zele giggled a little and nodded so that he began to feed her as well. When the food was gone, they sat together watching three couples making love here and there. Kerry didn't seem to be aware of it, but he was smiling a little. It pleased Zele to see, but what bothered her a little was that now and then, he would look a little wistful. "It was said to Zele that what Kerry is has no will," she said, "Kerry has no will for anything?" He shrugged, "I have nothing in me to make me want to rule, or kill," he said. "But Zele sees that Kerry has wishes." Kerry nodded, knowing that he was about to make an admission in this somewhere, "I feel wishes, Zele. I just do not act on them. I do not know how to act on them." He looked over and saw that she looked down in thought. "It makes Zele sad in a way," she said, "She thinks that Kerry should learn." He felt her fingers begin to caress him lightly. He stared at her face, still looking down in thought. "Zele, I –" "Zele thinks that she wants to help Kerry. She thinks that Kerry should not talk now and just watch Toby and Maezou." She turned her head to face him and she pulled herself a little closer. Kerry was surprised when she kissed him softly for a moment, sliding her tongue into his mouth gently until she heard his soft groan. Then she drew her head back to smile at him. "Zele likes Kerry and is happy to help. Watch my sister now. Zele knows what Kerry would wish for." He began to object weakly, but she shook her head. "Ssh. Watch them and wish." She pushed his leg until he lowered it and then she brought her head down and began to lick him, sliding her tongue over his maleness. "I – I've never – " She spoke from where she worked. "Zele knows that Kerry has never been with anyone. Just watch them. Zele has the same mouth that she has. Pretend a little, Kerry." He groaned and raised his other leg a little off the floor as her fingers toyed a bit farther. He reached for her head and began to caress it as he watched, seeing the dreamy look on Maezou's face as her consort loved her. It took only seconds it seemed, and Zele was swallowing. ---------------- They walked slowly, pleased that he was getting a lot steadier on his feet. He sometimes asked questions of them, sometimes struggling with the answers that he was given but always at least a little pleased that someone was talking to him. When they reached the hot pool, Toby sat on the edge watching as Kerry tried to keep up their conversation. He was having a lot of trouble with it and it amused Toby slightly. The sisters stood with him, bathing him and caressing him everywhere that they touched him. His manhood stood out in front of him, arching upward a little as it strained, since that part of him was not exempt from their attentions as they stood kissing his body. Kerry was a little embarrassed. He thought of something that he had no word for in their speech, but he'd seen one as they'd descended to land near the entrance of the hall earlier. When he'd asked, Maezou had told him then that it was to show the direction of the wind. "I still do not know what is to become of me," he said, "I am welcome here?" Toby nodded, "Yes, for as long as you want to be here with us." He grinned, "I would have thought that it would not need to be asked, the way that my females show you how they feel." "But, ... what am I to do here? What is my purpose?" he asked as they turned him around and pushed him a little so that he stood beside Toby, leaning on the edge while they continued to bathe him. "I don't know," Toby replied, "I don't think that you need one, really. Tomorrow, I'd like to take you outside, and we can talk about how things are in this place. I'll show you humans and how they live, what they do, where they go and why. I've spoken with Zele and Maezou, and Zele will take you among them, wearing the clothing that they have. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it. But a purpose? I don't think that any of us think about ourselves that way, Kerry. Mother says that there will be a fight here in a little while. If you think that you can help, that would be appreciated, but on the other hand, if you just want to get away, that's alright too. I don't see it as your fight. This is mine. It's something that I need to do, to establish myself, I'm told. But to me, I'm looking at it as defending one of my consorts, since the lord on the other side of this thinks that Maezou belongs to him, for some stupid reason. I'm going to make him change his mind, that's all." "Gorek doesn't have enough of a mind to change it much," Maezou said as she slipped her fingers under Kerry's tail for a moment to hear his gasp, "If he comes, you will have to kill him." "If that's what it takes," Toby said, noticing the flush on Kerry's face. He looked away when Kerry opened his eyes again. Zele was grinning at him as she pointed. Toby didn't need to look. He knew that he was hard. He was just having trouble with old memories. He didn't know if he wanted to relive any of them because of the guilt that he carried over not being there to save his friend's life when he'd been needed most. Looking at Kerry, he could see that he was having his own troubles with new thoughts. Zele and Maezou weren't having any trouble at all. They'd spoken in whispers between themselves on the way to the pool and they could both see what was plain in Kerry and Maezou knew of the events and the weight that the one she loved so much carried. Zele brought her tail forward out of the water behind Kerry as she stood beside him. Maezou sucked it until she could taste the first of her sister's eggs there on her tongue. When she had enough, she knelt behind Kerry and replaced her fingers with her tongue. Kerry gasped as his eyes widened. His next exclamation contained no words in it, though he and Toby heard Maezou's pleased chuckle plainly. She stood up again, leaning over Kerry's shoulder as she worked her fingers inside again rhythmically, being just a little forceful about it. Kerry groaned and panted for a moment before his body betrayed him and he began to push backward against Maezou's efforts. He thought that he ought to say something, deny what was happening, something. But the females gave him no time for it. Zele's hands flew over his thin body touching in light caresses as she went. She kept her hand from his straining manhood, but his testicles were fair game. Kerry began to quiver, still wanting to come up with something which didn't make him appear foolish. "I don't think you're foolish," Toby smiled, "I like seeing you feeling good. You ought to just allow it and stop fretting. They'll make sure that you enjoy yourself." Kerry looked over, a little mortified now. "I did not say that." "Yes you did," Maezou said. He could see Zele nodding with a smile as well. Kerry moaned for a moment, and then he was staring at Toby, still feeling humiliated in a vague way, as though he didn't want Toby to see that he was enjoying this. Zele's face appeared next to Kerry's. "Stop fighting," she said, "We see that Kerry likes what we do for him. There is no harm and there is no shame." "We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't like you, Kerry," Maezou said as she ran the fingers of her other hand over him and kissed his shoulder. "But – " "We want you," Zele hissed, "Maezou and Zele. We want to love with you. Toby says nothing, but he likes Kerry. Kerry likes us. What is wrong? Feel what Maezou does for Kerry," she said, "Enjoy this." Zele moved down and she managed to come up in front of Kerry as he leaned against the side of the hot pool. Her hand went right back to work, but her other one went around his neck and she began to kiss him so that he thought that his knees couldn't stand this on top of the posture for very long. But the sisters weren't done. "Think about it, Kerry, "Maezou grinned, "Think about how you feel right now. Isn't there something else that you want?" She drew her fingers back and thrust into him deeply. Kerry had to pull back and break the kiss because he had to inhale. Zele hissed into his ear, "So nice, Kerry. Zele likes to hold you." She kissed him again, moaning to him softly that she loved to taste him. "Look at Toby," she said, "so happy to see you like this with us." Kerry glanced and saw that Tobias was lying back on his side, propped on one elbow, and enjoying the show with one foot still in the pool and the other out of the water. Kerry wanted to hold his gaze there. But he couldn't. Kerry looked, seeing the hardness standing there, already wet at the tip. Zele grabbed Kerry's hair as gently as she could while she licked his ear for a moment as she looked over his shoulder to Maezou. The red-haired huntress stopped what she'd been doing for Kerry and she stepped around to take Toby into her mouth. Kerry was mesmerized. "Lick it Maezou," Zele hissed, "Suck it, sister. Maezou needs to have Toby in her mouth now, Kerry. Zele knows. She knows that Maezou needs this. Zele knows that you want this from her too. She is the same when she is like this." Zele released him for the moment as she squatted down to take Kerry into her mouth again. She stroked him slowly and the fingers of her other hand slipped up to tease between his flanks a little. But after a few minutes, she disengaged herself to touch Toby's leg. Her voice was small and hoarse as she groaned her request. "Zele wants Kerry now." Toby nodded and Zele turned back to Kerry, smiling as she lifted herself so that she sat on the edge. In an instant, Zele had changed herself to her newest form. Kerry blinked as his jaw dropped slowly. It made Zele laugh deep in her throat. She spread her legs as she leaned back with a soft little grin. "Please make Zele happy." Kerry looked at the large and powerful dark female with the shining black eyes and began to make some remark that betrayed his lack of knowledge and confidence, that he wasn't like Tobias. But she only smiled, deciding to keep her usual manner of speech for the moment and said, "Come to Zele, Kerry. Kerry does not have to be like Toby. He only needs to be himself." She ran her large hands over her breasts with a low chuckle before she leaned back on her hands. "See what Zele has for Kerry," she smiled, "We know that Kerry has never been with anyone. Please, Kerry," she grinned, "let Zele be your first." He stepped forward and she helped him past the awkward virginal moment. As he slipped inside her, Zele showed him what she thought and held him tightly after her legs were wrapped around him. He'd obviously never felt anything like that. "So beautiful, Kerry," she sighed, touching his hair as she admired him, "so beautiful." "Zele knows that this is new," she sighed, "She wants to make this good for you, Kerry. Nothing is important," she said, "only that Kerry feels good." He tried to go slowly, but he'd been a virgin only moments before. Zele knew that he wouldn't last long, and she didn't mind. She was a little surprised that he'd lasted this long. Still, she knew what she felt from him. It was why she raised her tail out of the water. Kerry gasped as he felt the tip of it begin to work between his haunches. When it reached the place where it had been sent, Zele felt him harden and she began to coo her encouragement to him. Zele was careful not to penetrate that spot, though the small motions that it made against him was enough to get it inside a little. That finished him and he cried out as he trembled. Zele matched him with a tiny cry of joy. Toby filled Maezou's mouth. When Kerry drew back a little weakly, they all smiled at him. He felt as though his knees were about to give out and he said so. Maezou held out her hand to help him out of the pool. "Lie here then, Kerry," she said. He crawled out and felt as though he would collapse. "I feel so ..." "We know," Toby smiled, as he pushed the hair out of Kerry's eyes, "After all of that time with no strength, even with food in you now, this must be a bit much. Just relax. It will pass." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 15 Meazou leaned down to kiss him before she moved herself to take him into her mouth. Zele leaned back until she lay beside Kerry and she grinned as her hand slid between her thighs for a moment. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Mmm" she groaned, feeling Kerry's semen on her hand, "Twice now," she sighed as she turned her horned head toward him, "Zele loves it when Kerry gushes." She brought her hand up to lick and grinned at Kerry happily, "So sweet, my friend Kerry. Zele is happy now." He wanted to smile at the thick and sensual joy there in her voice. "Zele always likes to help," she said with a sigh, "None can resist her." The statement caused Toby and Maezou to laugh a little as they both nodded. Kerry looked from Zele to the top of Maezou's head as she licked. She stopped and moved herself over him so that she could drag her furrow over the already hardening length of him. "You – you care for me," he said in a little shock at the realization as he looked up at Maezou. "Yes," she nodded, "It's very easy to care about you. We all feel the same about you." Kerry smiled and reached up. The demonlord gave it a thought as he looked down, realizing that his second consort was right. Kerry was still thin, a little weak and malnourished, but it was easy to see past that. Kerry was beautiful. Maezou leaned down to kiss Kerry. She could see that he still struggled with his memories and his long captivity, but the young destroyer looked so happy at being accepted that she felt as though she had little choice in it. It was really a rather chaste kiss, but it was enough to cause Kerry to sigh. Kerry was just closing his eyes when the moment was ended by a sound which came to their ears. It began as a distant rumble or a dull and quiet roar, like thunder far off. But it didn't end. The four demons looked around themselves. Far above them, Tisiphone and Alecto looked up in helplessness from where they'd been pushed aside by the unending stream which now ignored them. At the pool, the sound began to change somehow. There was a little less of the roar, and there was the beginning of a beat to the sound. Other than that, all that they knew was that it was growing louder. They scrambled to their feet and began to hurry out of the cavern and out into the main long passageway. The sound was even more pronounced out here, and they could make out the occasional single hoarse shout. It was never the same voice. They rounded the last corner and stopped. There was little else to do. They couldn't have walked much farther. The floor of the huge main hall below them could not be seen for the most part. Everywhere that they looked, all that they could see was darkness, a long dark river which flowed in. Toby looked everywhere, and at last he saw the others. They were backed against walls with wide eyes in different areas of the hall where they'd been pushed by the tide. There was no way that any more of this could possibly flow in, but the sound went on. The galleries and balconies all around the hall were now showing where the overflow was going. When he thought that the place couldn't possibly hold any more, it went on just a little longer, but at last the noise stopped. For a moment. They now heard single voices barking out a word, and that word was followed by a crash. Time and again, a voice rang out and there was a crash somewhere in the large hall. It stopped eventually, and was followed by a long and braying call. The huge dark mass shifted as the individuals of which it was made turned toward them, every single one to finish up by bringing one hooved foot down in unison. The sound of that in the cavern was like the short, sharp blast of a modern-day artillery piece. The walls and the high ceiling carried the echo of it for a few moments and then there was silence. As their eyes drifted over this thing, precise squares were visible with thin lines between them where the floor showed itself. They were looking at an army. An individual detached herself from the mass and approached Mother, who looked back with amazement. She pointed to an article. Mother looked back and saw only the old sword that she'd picked up back in the tomb. She stepped to get it from where it leaned against the wall. Holding it out, she offered it to the individual, who shook her head and turned to point at Kerry. Mother began to walk. As she approached, Toby began to notice details. Some sections were made up of heavy fighters, some were thinner, some taller, and some not. He began to pick out faces, and there were differences in color and hair, along with other features such as ears. They weren't completely uniform, but they were in how they were dressed, every single being in the hall wore coal black. When Mother reached the place where the small and confused group stood, she stopped and looked back at the one who had walked with her. She raised her eyebrow, and the other one indicated Kerry with a nod, so Mother handed the sword to him. The individual cried out, not even turning around to look as the whole mass bowed as one. When they stood straight, they pounded one foot down again and the hall rang once more. Somewhere in the mass, a newer member began to move the wrong way, but caught his mistake, ending in the correct position, though his unfastened helmet fell to the floor, clattering for a moment like a dropped pot. He gave out a startled half-grunt when his commander backhanded him for the error. The hall was silent once more. No one moved a muscle. The one who had walked to them bowed to Kerry and said something. "She says that they are all here," Mother translated, looking a little amused, "present and correct." Kerry groaned a little as he looked up from the sword that he held. He looked as though he wanted to cry. "It has been so long. I forgot about – I did not know what happened to you all. I thought that I had been betrayed - that you had all forsaken me." "Well they certainly did not forget you," Mother smiled, very pleased at what she saw. "We welcome the chance to serve again, Lord. It has been too long," the individual said, her eyes staring straight out the front of her helmet as though there was no one there. Only a very close look would show the emotion that she felt as she tried so very hard to hide it behind her spiked face-shield. "And you are,...?" Maezou asked, taking in the muscled and toned form. The response was a curt bow, "Brinack," she said, "The lord's general Brinack. All told, there are twenty two legates who lead. I lead and command all." "Which lord?" Toby asked. She regarded him for a split-second before she replied as she pointed, "Our Appolyon, Lord, ..." She read the glyphs that she could see on him. "Lord Tobias." She bowed slightly out of deference to Toby. "We are the slayer legions of this one, sworn to fight beside him through whatever may come and protect him, if need be." She looked down a moment in a lot of shame. "Though we failed in his protection once, it will not happen again." "How many of you are there?" Maezou asked, as she stood on her toes to try to see to the back. "Twenty-two legions of the dark realms," the soldier said proudly, picking up the differences in the speech, "We were spawned in the under-hells for this purpose, and bow to one lord alone. At this strength, we are ninety-two thousand, four hundred slayers." "I thought that I held twenty legions," Kerry said, a little confused. No one knew, but perhaps the one who had missed her lord the most was Brinack, who'd loved him from afar since she'd laid eyes on him when she'd accepted the task to lead the legions that had been assigned to him as a boy of fifteen. He'd been judged ready for testing then, and his position entitled him to this protection. The error that had been committed was that they'd been assigned to him out of deference for his place. Given that she had a free hand, Brinack chose well for the assumed task - that the new Appolyon would need near-invincible slayers. She knew that some lords held more legions, so she was determined that her lord's fighters were more than a match for any others. For five years, she'd advised, counseled cared for him, and yes, sometimes she'd acted as a mother to him when he'd needed encouragement. But she'd always maintained her professional distance during those times few and far between when they'd been together on the field as he learned. This had never been a ragtag bunch of demons for his use. They were killers, but they were disciplined slayers, every one. She'd made sure of that. And then, she'd been misled and his fighters were far from him when he'd been tricked as well, but they'd never forgotten him, Brinack most of all. She was only a century or so older than he was, but that meant nothing to demons. She'd never bedded him, but the hope still burned in her heart. Right now, she felt that her chance was farther away than it had ever been. "We were sent away or you would not have been taken from us, lord. It will not happen again. We will never allow that, and take our orders only from you now," the general said, still staring straight ahead. "What happened then turned us into renegades. We refused to be disbanded after you were gone, killing all who tried to force us. We have lived as an army of brigands, but I have always kept us to our purpose. We are still the most disciplined force in the realms," she said proudly. Maezou grinned. "Please forgive me, general Brinack," she said in a little awe. I have heard of you all. The hells still talk of it. You are the Lost Horde? The ones who raid hells for supplies and then leave without a trace?" Brinack smiled a little, though she maintained her distant stare, "We are disgraced, but we will not bow, and we have not broken our oath. Even so, we must eat sometime." At last, she turned her head to look at Kerry sadly. "The fault lies with me, lord. I believed what we were told, that you needed us elsewhere. We found you an age later and we have waited hidden since then for this night," she said, with just a hint of the smile that she was fighting off as she finished her reply. "Twenty legions at the outset," she said. "It has been a long time, Lord. The fighters had to do something as they waited besides drilling and practicing. Despite how hard she'd tried, Brinack lost the fight and her smile came to her face anyway. "Therefore I give you eight thousand, four hundred more slayers to your service, Lord, spawned from among your own legions and as devoted to you as the rest." She turned and bowed to kiss Kerry's right hand, wishing now that she hadn't given in to her urge back at the tomb after she'd seen the strangers leave. She hadn't been worried. She knew that she could track him anywhere, through anything once he was freed. It was the sight of him again after so long and how he was being carried so carefully by the large male lord. All of it had given her thoughts, and the thoughts had turned into her allowing herself a little pleasure as the units and legions drew themselves together to move. It had been nice, but she'd had semen seeping out of her since then and it was a little distracting to feel it dried against her thighs even this long afterward. --------------- "Who runs this place?" Brinack asked as she looked around from where she stood with Maezou. They watched Kerry and Toby as they walked through the ranks. The meetings were joyful for his legions, and it was plain that they were glad to only be near him again. "It was a goblin hall," Maezou replied, "We took it for our use." She smirked, "Until now, it seemed a little too large for us. Now it looks so small." "I must speak with my lord," the general said, a little reluctantly. "I have much to bow my head over. We failed him, and it was my fault, mostly. I believed the lies that I was told. I have carried my guilt for that over so much time. I now cannot wait to say my piece so that I can be killed as punishment and be done." "Why is that necessary?" Maezou asked, "Just tell Kerry what happened, exactly the way that it did." "Kerry?" The other looked over, tilting her head. The red-haired one nodded, "Yes, my lord gave him that name today – or, I guess that it's yesterday by now." "Kerry," the general mused, "A good name, I think, though it holds no meaning for me. I like the feel of it and I think that it is worthy of him." She began to turn away from Maezou, "I think that it is my time to die." "Wait, Brinack," Maezou said, "Just tell him how it happened and then apologize. You don't have to die over that." "You do not understand, " Brinack said. "We all swore our oath to protect and to serve him. I gave more oaths than any other, since I was chosen to build this horde into something. Even before he was spawned, I was at work at it. I saw that the one would have several needs. Firstly, I knew that there would be lords who would want to kill him outright, only for living. They believed that his existence would spark the war with the other side. Some of the first Appolyons were killed by them even as they drew their first breaths. His mother had his legions around her until she spawned. Second, I saw that there would be some who would want to use him for their own ends. He was very young then, and we sheltered him from those and their plans. When we learned of those schemes, we sought them out ourselves along with, ... Kerry, and we slew those lords and their legions. It was a fair test of both us and him." "I see that you all survived the tests," Maezou smiled. Brinack nodded, "We lost a few here and there, but never many. Mostly, we had little trouble. You see," she said, "If two hordes fight, there may be some who might come in for a harder fight than some others, but overall, if the fight is fair and the hordes equal in size, well then any one demon may expect to have to kill only his opposite. But there are lords with hordes much larger than this, and so I worked so that I knew that I could expect any one demon to be able to kill several and keep on slaying. Lastly, the main thing was that he might have to battle the angel that the other side had. It was hoped that it would never happen, that only the knowledge that Kerry existed would be enough to force a stalemate between the sides. It was a foolish idea, and I knew it even then. There was no need. The balance that is at work has nothing to do with destroyers. It has to do with the trade of souls. They knew that it would be so. We were only a little slower to come to the idea. So the Appolyons were never needed. But if Kerry ever was, one foul day, then our place was beside him, working to get him close enough for the fight. Whatever would stand between the two destroyers, it was our task to clear him a wide path." She shook her head, "But it was all for nothing. I was told that he was far off and was about to be beset, and so I moved us there at all speed. With his legions gone, he was an easy mark, they thought. It was not until long after that I was able to go to the place where they'd captured him. He slew many legions all alone as he fought before he was caught by the command of the one that he listened to. They tried to keep him controlled, but I ended that nonsense when I murdered his commander. After that, I hoped to free him, but he was taken away because no one could command him then, and I was given a message. It came to me bearing the seals of so many lords, and it said that if we tried to free him, then all of the legions in the hells would be sent for us. We are mighty, Maezou, but we were only twenty legions. We could kill many – and we have over the time, but that would be a tide that even we could not stem. I found him after a time, but that was all that we could do, so we waited, so close that we could sense him, but we could not let him know of us. Now many of the lords who left their seals are gone, replaced by others but we did not act until now. Our lord is free once more, and we mean to keep him that way. Well, the legates who lead each of his legions do. I have brought us to him. Now I want to settle with him over what I did to fail him and then I want to die." She sighed and shook her head. "I made it worse for him out of my love. He cannot understand it, but I have always loved him. He is my lord – until I go to him now to ask that he end my existence for my misdeeds. But to me, I always hoped that one day, he might have become my boy." Maezou stopped her then, asking that they go where it was a little private. Brinack shrugged and followed. At one point, Brinack asked if Kerry would be staying there, and Maezou nodded, "I believe so, Brinack. We've all accepted him and he's welcome to remain with us. If his legions have to be near him, then I guess this is a good place." The general nodded and asked that they wait for a moment. She called out, and before long, a group made their way to her. "I can see that there are other places than this hall here. Find places that may be used for lodging. We will be staying for at least a little while." The others nodded silently and dispersed. In one of the scullery rooms, Maezou asked to hear the rest. "There is not much to tell," the soldier said, "other than my own foolish dream. Most of his legions have no souls. They are only fighters, though they are not stupid brutes and they love him in their way. The leaders have souls, as do I. And also him," she said, "He has a soul and he has a mind. He knows little but how to destroy in his own way, and that is all. They kept him that way. From their view of it, what would he need that for? To them, he is as a sword, useful only when it is drawn out. I wanted him to have more, to learn about anything and to love me, but, ..." She looked down, "I was someone who he knew that he could trust, who would never lead him astray. I taught him to fight with an army, or with only one sword. He learned how to act properly – something that he would never accept before. I taught him many things, but I was only the teacher, and we never had much time for anything else. We were always watched. I always had to act the right way to him. It was very important. We are demons, but to be a fighting group, we cannot be loud and selfish. All must work together, even, " she sighed, "even the teacher and her student." "Now, all this time later, he is free by your hand and those of your lord. I am happy for him and I hope that he goes on from here to a good life, as simple as he is. I have done what I swore to do and more, but I have wronged him, and so I seek to die and end my foolishness with me." "Why do you say that he is simple?" Maezou asked, "That is not what I see." "I did not mean to say that he is slow," the warrior said through the face-guard of her helm, "I meant that he has none of what most ones learn, and he has no drive. It comes from his lack of will. Without that, there are no desires, nothing that pushes him." Maezou tilted her head at that. "Are you certain that we are both thinking of the same boy?" The general looked at her and nodded," Yes. He was kept in a comfortable set of cells. It was where he was a little one all alone and where he grew up alone. But that is not to say that he suffered. He is of high birth, my friend. He could have what he wanted, but he wanted nothing. Think a moment. At some point, the usual needs and desires would have raised themselves, no? If he wanted a demon to rut with, he had only to ask. He never did, because he never had the want in him. You cannot know how I ached to take off my armor and this helmet to hold him to me, the number of times when I longed to give myself to him. I am a slayer spawned of a long line and I have never been bested. I was chosen because there were none better in the under-hells. From one end to the other of them, I was the undefeated at only twenty-six and no one came close to how I could run groups of fighters with my mind. I have killed thousands while I sharpened my skills, and after I was chosen to lead for an Appolyon who had yet to be spawned, I threw myself into the task and killed many more as I made my choices for him." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 15 Maezou watched the mouth behind the face-shield smirk with a little bitterness. "From the first meeting between a slayer and a boy, I wanted him. I lost my heart on the spot." She shook her head slowly as she thought back. The huntress watched as a tear found its way from one of the goat-like eyes to disappear behind the spiked mask that she wore and reappear as it fell from her lip. "Five years teaching him, longing to kiss him, and having nothing more than the ability to kiss his hand in salute. Thousands more spent in guilt and even more longing. I want nothing more now than to die." Maezou shook her head as she poured them some wine and handed her companion a goblet of it, "With respect, my friend, what you say makes me wonder still if maybe you are wrong. Maybe all the time spent in the cell where we found him has changed him. You would certainly know more than me, but he has the things that you say that he was missing. Or maybe they're just beginning now. He has wants, Brinack. At least the one that we pulled out of that cell behind that old tomb does." She reached to take Brinack's claws in her own, "Listen, we brought him here and we fed him. He sat with his eyes wide. Everyone here just tried to make him a part of everything. I think that you're about to make the biggest mistake of your life if you ask to be killed. First off, I don't think that he'd agree with you that you deserve death, and to want that now would be the worst twist of fate. He has wishes now. We saw that in him. He has wants and desires. Now I wonder if they're only beginning, but we all saw it." The general looked up, and Maezou saw her long hair follow the movement as it slid over her armoured shoulders. "We all made him smile, and he even laughed once." The goatish eyes opened wide, "Laughed? You say that he laughed? I have never seen him laugh." Maezou smiled and nodded, "Yes. He was watching a pair of small ones fucking, a kobold and an imp. They are here with us, though I hope that they weren't crushed when you all arrived. The imp reached out and played with the long hair that he has growing over his hooves in the middle of it, and they looked at each other. Her happy little face made him laugh." "Then the imp surely worked a wonder, if she could do that," Brinack said, "You may ask any of the ones here with me. They love him and would lay their lives down for him, but he has never laughed." "More than that," the huntress grinned a little, "My sister and I cannot say how we know it, but we think that he has a tiny desire for our mate, Lord Tobias, in some way, but it may be that he only grows a friendship and nothing more. I can say that Kerry has desires in him now. If you all had not arrived when you did, I was well on the way to having him myself." The eyes behind the mask grew wide, "You are telling tales to me now, Maezou, or you have great abilities as a female, surely. He has never rutted with anyone. I know this. I have always wanted to have the honor of being his first." Her heart pained her a little at the thought of it. She sighed with a tiny shudder which the other one missed. She was having enough trouble coming to grips with what she'd heard. "Then I am a little sad to have to tell you this, Brinack, but you have missed the party. I've kissed him, and I've suckled to get him hard again. I was about to mount him when we heard the noises of everyone. Before that, my sister loved him with her mouth and he rutted with her for the first time." Brinack finished the sip of wine that she'd been caught in at the moment. It suddenly tasted as vinegar to her as she almost slammed the goblet down. "No!" She lowered her head and Maezou saw her pain. The eyes behind the face-shield were squinted tightly shut. A moment later, the first of her tears began to trickle out of the mask and she sobbed. "Five years, she said, "five long years and thousands after." Her shoulders began to heave slightly as a large shape darkened the doorway behind Maezou. "There you are, sister," Zele said, "We wondered where you both went. I've been looking for Brinack. I wanted to ask if she had a better way to carry my gladius than on my hip. It gets in the way, and I see how everyone carries theirs on their shoulders." Brinack looked up, shaking her head violently to throw off her tears. She wanted to see the one. Her eyes took in the horns over that face, protruding outwards through the long hair to curl up. Zele was wearing the leather clothing which left little to the imagination as she stood there in her long boots, wearing her own light armor. The furious general threw back the last of her wine and she slammed both of her fists down onto the table. The goblet clattered to the floor behind her. Her eyes glowed red as she glowered. After everything, all the long centuries, this was too much. "You!" It was all that she said as she vaulted clear over a very startled Maezou to fly at Zele. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 16 **In this, I'm painting a picture of a different sort of demon - 2-legged warring beasts who live in the under-hells. I make the odd allusion to horses here, but it's to help the reader's imagination more than anything. They know nothing of equids of any kind, and just to be clear here, they are not centaurs. They are bipedal killers with long teeth. O_o --------------- Zele's eyes widened, but that was all that she had the time to manage before Brinack crashed into her and they tumbled out through the door to land rolling on the floor of the main hall outside. Several of the demons in the ranks of the nearest legion were knocked off balance, though none fell. But in the confusion, Zele had the time to recognize the threat to her, and the strange knowledge and abilities which had come to her when she'd been given this shape took over instantly. She used the momentum to throw Brinack off as she slid to a stop on her back. Brinack felt as though she'd run into a stone wall, not knowing that Zele's body had far more mass to it than was visible at a glance. She landed, sliding on her face as the spikes of her mask raised small sparks against the polished stone floor. She was up on her feet in an instant, drawing one of her blades over her shoulder as Zele planted her feet and threw herself into a standing position. She turned around, "Was the wine that bad?" she smiled, tilting her head a little, "I knew that it wasn't the best that I've ever tasted, but,..." Maezou flew out through the doorway up and out across the hall. She was looking for Toby, and more urgently, she was looking for Kerry. "How do you wish to fight before you die?" the general asked, "Name the weapons." "I don't know, "Zele replied as she watched the slayer stand in readiness, "I've never thought of dying. I'll give it a thought when it happens. For this -- whatever it is -- tell me what you wish to use." Brinack reached for her other blade. "Whatever," Zele said, moving her gladius to her left hand and raising her free one. Her large axe flew into her grasp from across the hall a second later. "I wish I knew what I did to bring this on. It can't be my beauty, by the look that you wear." The slayer shook her head slowly as she grinned coldly, "No it is not that. It is what you have done with it." She changed her mind and dropped her blades, deciding that she wanted to beat this one to death now. Zele followed suit. There was a tense moment as the two looked at each other. During that time, Brinack wondered what this one had that had caused Kerry to want her more than her. She saw the error in her thoughts. He hadn't known that she still lived, and anyway, she had no claim on him. The anger began to pass as she looked around a little and she saw that her actions here were quite against what she'd always preached to them all endlessly whenever there had been any angry moments among the slayers. She was doing exactly what she'd always told them never to do to a comrade-in-arms. The same had to apply to the one that she faced. This strange warrior girl was beautiful in her way, and she'd been one of the ones who had freed her lord. That had to count for something. She straightened up and walked to Zele with her hands open. "Forgive me," she said, "I had no cause to feel anger to you. I was about to make another mistake. And I have already made far too many to add my petty jealousy to the pile after what you all have done for our Appolyon. I am very sorry." She lowered her hands and bowed her head. There was the combined sound of countless gasps from the troops who watched them. Their general had never bowed her head to anyone before. "Help me, friend," she said quietly. "You were among the ones who freed our lord. Help once more if you can. Help me now, for I long to feel the kiss of your axe there on the back of my neck." Zele shook her head in confusion, "I would fight you since you attacked me, but I will not do what you ask." She reached out to lift the general's head and she peered at the little that she could see of the face in that helm. "I don't even know what I did to upset you. If you'd tell me, I might have an idea, but I still don't want to kill you." Brinack said it in a whisper and Zele understood it then. She pulled the general toward her. Brinack wondered how it was possible. "I am heavier than I seem," Zele smiled, "As far as the other thing, I only did what we all felt was needed by him. You only said a little here, but I can tell that there is a lot more to it." She nodded as she stared into the helmet in front of her, "If I knew any of what I hear and can feel from you, then if I knew that you even existed then, I would have been the one who playfully pushed the two of you together. If you knew me, you would know that about me. I didn't know of you, and I would never come between a pair," she whispered. Brinack shook her head. "There is no pair," the slayer said quietly as her shoulders fell, "There is only Brinack the fool." She turned away and walked to where her blades lay on the floor, doing her best not to look into the faces there looking back at her. She picked the swords up slowly and slid them into their scabbards on her back. She looked up to see the way out of the hall. She had no desire to have to walk out of the place past the ones that she'd led for so long. She gave it a thought, and decided that Kerry was as well-defended now as he'd ever been and more, if the ones here cared for him as much as it was evident to her that they did. She thought that she'd leave and go back to where they'd waited on that windswept island. Whatever he'd been freed to do was bound to happen soon, and she'd wait for that to happen without her. Once it was past, she thought that she'd just find her way to the under-hells again. Sooner or later, the ones there would do for her what she wanted now. She spread her wings. "STOP!" The voice rang clearly through the great hall. Brinack groaned once quietly. She knew the voice, though she'd never heard it raised like this before. She was sure that this would get a lot worse now. Well, she thought, let him fry her out of the air, then. It didn't matter anymore anyway. The tips of her wings rose up for the stroke that would begin her lonely flight deeper into disgrace. "Stop General! ... I COMMAND IT!" The tips of her wings hung in the air quivering. Brinack stood fettered and immobile. "I did not give you leave to depart," the young voice said "You will remain here." Inside her coal black armor, Brinack felt the last of her heart breaking. For all of the wrong things that she'd done, this would now be the worst punishment possible. He'd keep her here, and he'd never know what he was doing to her by it, every long minute only adding to the torment of the last. Hundreds of feet away, the ranks of the shocked slayers opened to allow his passage as he walked. Kerry strode toward her with a stormy expression as he walked, looking down slightly with Maezou and Tobias following close behind. He could have just appeared before her, but he needed the time to think of what he'd been told by a rather upset Maezou. All that Brinack could do was breathe. She was frozen in space, feeling like a prisoner, like one shamed -- or about to be. She wished that he'd stopped her heart as well. The last of the files of demons parted and then she saw him in front of her, looking up at her slightly as always, though something had changed. She was still just a little taller than he was, but he was so much closer to her height now than when she'd begun to teach him and he'd had to look up to her from so far below her. It hurt her even more. To see the face of the one that she'd always ached for, showing her his displeasure at last, it was far more than she thought that she could bear. He drew a deep breath and let it out as he looked. He took in all of her obedient might, every detail of her black uniform in place, gleaming darkly in the light of the torches which lined the walls and the fire pit which flared high again from his emotion. At least she'd caused him to have some emotion, she thought bitterly, even if it was his anger toward her for trying to desert. She sighed. Another unforgivable offense. He said nothing for a moment, letting her hang in the fetter that he'd cast. Here she was, he thought; the perfect soldier always, the one who'd chosen his legions and forged them into something which had lasted for thousands of years on the chance that he'd be free one day and might have a need for them. She was the one who had led them in their murderous rebellion at being commanded to disband and had guided their rage over his capture, so that they had what they'd need in their hearts to keep themselves alive and waiting. He could only wonder what they'd all been through, and she'd managed it all. His eye fell on the recent scrapes on her breastplate from her contact with the floor a moment ago. Kerry looked at her likeness embossed there on her armor -- just as it was on all of their breastplates. He knew that under other circumstances, she'd fume in her embarrassment that it was no longer perfect for him to only look at. The perfect soldier, Brinack. He thought of the other things that she'd done in his non-existent name, long before he'd even been spawned. When it had happened and he was a tiny demon squalling for the milk of the one who had spawned him and had no love for him at all, wanting only to be finished with the task that she'd agreed to, Brinack had waited then, always asking about him whenever she'd dared to. She'd waited for news to take back to the many who longed to serve him. Any scrap of news that she could pick up, no matter how trivial or small, she'd taken back to his horde, telling them of it and then they'd all discuss it earnestly for hours, searching for hidden meanings in the tiny acts of an infant before she called them back to their drilling. She'd secured quarters for them all, food as well, and she had commissioned their arms to be made, invoking the threatening name of his father where necessary. She only hoped that no one ever called her on it. When the armorers had asked for an insignia to place on the weapons and breastplates, she'd flattened her ears and bared her teeth at them. "That," she'd said in answer, "just that." And so it was. The look that she was famous for adorned the tools of their bloody trade. He'd been frightened to death on the day that he'd been taken to meet her on the dark and blasted former battlefield where he was to begin his training at her hands. He was fifteen then, but he'd asked about her. What he'd been told then had made his knees feel as though they were made of water. A great slayer, he'd been told, one feared by many. She'd been a fighter in the arenas and the pits, there only to feel the challenge and to sate her desire to win. She'd begun when she was no older than he was that day, doing things which he never could have done then. When she'd clawed her way through the higher ranks of fighters, it had been her trademark then as it had been in any combat that she faced to rip out a defeated one's dripping and quivering heart to hold it high in victory for a moment as the blood from it ran down her strong arm while she'd bared her long teeth and howled out in her triumph. It was her signature moment then to devour it as she looked into the eyes of the ones that she had yet to face, and the lords who watched her progress with satisfied nods to each other. She'd been a young walking legend in the under-hells, where to be alive on any given day was already an accomplishment. When he'd been presented to her, he'd thought that he might faint. He saw only power, force, and grace in a being who stood easily among a group of fearsome demons, the things of which humans knew nothing. The things which lived in the nightmares of the demonlords in the upper hells. He'd never forgotten his first look at her. He'd seen her from her rear flank the first time that he'd dared to look far enough ahead as he approached. She was standing in some earnest conversation with others of her kind. There was no mistaking the one who was to teach him. They looked to be something like he was, long-legged ones who stood on hooves covered with long hair, those legs topped with armor-covered haunches in their uniforms, the armor allowing their long, silken tails to pass through. Like his own, he knew somehow that inside the silk, there was a demon's tail. When she'd flicked it, he saw that the tail inside was thick. They all had long, heavily muscled arms -- her included -- which ended in powerful clawed hands and were attached to shoulders, the kind that could drive their blades deep or crush someone like him without a thought. He couldn't see then, since they all wore helmets, but he was sure that they all had ears which stood out and up a little. The faces that he could see were something like his own as well. He had the same eyes and horns, the same goatish-looking human sort of face, and he could see that they had the same long sort of teeth when one of them laughed a little before they were aware that he'd been approaching them. They'd seen him then, before he was even announced to them. The others had bowed and backed away. He'd never been able to understand that then, why everyone always bowed to him. He'd never done anything to cause anyone to do that. His life changed forever in that instant when she turned to face him. The smile that he saw behind her face-shield almost drove him to his young knees. She'd walked the rest of the way to him then and she'd bowed low to him as she began to express her joy at finally being given the honor of meeting him. He was surprised to hear from her that she'd known of it when he'd been spawned and had waited for him ever since. He didn't know what he'd been expecting to hear as a voice from someone like her, but he was a little surprised that she didn't growl. She'd even been graceful about it when his fear of her had caused him to lose his bladder. She ignored the way that the urine of his fright arced out from him and hit the ground, splattering her lovely legs with the ashes of the place. "It is nothing, Lord," she'd smiled as she'd taken his hand to lead him to water then to wash it off. "I am ugly enough to cause this, I know it," she said. She'd even washed his feet for him. The trouble was that even in her armor, her face covered by her helmet and face-shield... She wasn't ugly at all. When she'd touched him, his hopeless little stick sprang to attention, but she pretended not to notice as she told him of how they had to work together to defeat those who might one day be arrayed against him on any field. From her view of it, the time before their meeting had been sheer torture. Waiting for him to come to the practice field that day, she'd been a bundle of nerves. She couldn't have stood still to save her life; the best that she'd been able to manage had been to will her legs into a stance and allow her tail to twitch, hopefully unseen by anyone. There had been years of self-examination before this. She recognized that she was beginning to obsess over someone that she hadn't met yet. It would have been so much easier for her if only he'd been homely. It was what she counted on to keep her heart out of it all. She'd done her best to try for only glimpses of him as he grew from a little thing. Her efforts had been thwarted at every turn, mostly by circumstance. It had driven her mad with frustration. She had to teach the one -- not in matters where his innate abilities were what would be required, but rather to help him to see the need and the value of his legions and what they could -- and must -- do for him. In the event, she'd found that she had to teach him so much more, because he'd had so little in his life to learn from. But she didn't know any of that on that first dark day. She'd only known one thing. He was beautiful. His young face had simply taken her breath from her. She'd had to struggle with it for hours afterward. The only drawback -- other than the confines of their relationship -- had been the sense that if anything at all were to happen between them when he was old enough, she'd have been the first one to make the accusation of cradle-robbery. He'd been mortified several times at his own body's betrayals, but Brinack didn't care. She was even thankful for the interruptions. It gave her the chances to offer her reassurance so that he might be more comfortable with her, since they had a lot of ground to cover if she was going to teach him what he had to know on the battlefield. And the truth be told, she'd even enjoyed watching his struggles with his frequent and seemingly irrepressible youthful erections. It gave her the chance to pretend that it was nothing, and to be expected from someone of his tender age, which of course, it was. But in her heart, she wished for the time to go by all the faster, so that he could gain a little maturity with a few years on him. She wanted the teaching to be over -- as much as she enjoyed mentoring him in warfare. Now that she'd seen him, she wanted for him to be old enough so that their relationship might change into what she wanted so much for them. It might not have ever come to pass, she'd thought at the time, but in him, she saw the male that she wanted for herself one day. But it had never happened. When he was barely old enough, the training changed of necessity, picking up the pace, and she'd had to set him challenges which kept them both mostly apart and busy in opposition to each other. They'd only meet to go over how he'd fared. They'd never had much time alone together anyway, and by then, he was so used to having her as his teacher and guide that he missed the very few hopeful signals that she'd had the chance to throw at him. And then he'd been taken from them all. He knew none of the pain that she'd suffered as she'd searched for him after she'd gotten the warning from the collection of high lords who had figured out the cause of the controlling one's demise and who had been behind it. They'd ordered the disbanding of the legions so that they might reach her and kill her, but she'd always been protected by so much skilled military strength that she might as well have been unassailable -- because she was in a very real sense. He'd had his own troubles, and known none of what she'd faced. But he was getting a bit of a clue this day, thanks to the red-haired demoness standing behind him here with such a concerned expression. His thoughts came back to the present and he released the slayer from the spell. She sank slowly to her knees. It was a moment before he noticed that her shoulders were shaking. He thought at first that perhaps she was ill. He'd never seen it before. He was about to ask when she moved a little and he noticed the shine coming to him from the stone floor there under her face. The perfect soldier was crying. He struggled with the very concept of it. He's never seen her like this. He was careful in how his voice sounded to her. He didn't want to make this worse. "You were about to depart without my leave," he said softly, "Why? You have only just returned to me. I have not even had the chance to speak with the one that I have missed the most. What have I done to make you want to leave?" Brinack sobbed only once and then she whispered, bowing her head further, "You have done nothing wrong, Appolyon. I am the one who has wronged you." She now had a hope that she'd get her wish and be put to death. "I -- I am at my end. I cannot go on any longer. Since you command me to stay, I bring my crimes to you for judgment. I ask that I be killed for what I have done," she said, through the quiet sobs which had begun again in spite of her will. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 16 "It was my failing that we were far from you when you needed us the most. It was my doing that led us all into our disgrace and forced us to become the same thing as thieves and common bandits, losing the last of our honor." She didn't see it, but he shook his head. "Whatever you stole, whoever you stole it from, it was more than likely stolen at least three times already. No one in the upper hells deals fairly, so I discount what you call a crime. Let any who feel themselves to be ill-used make their complaints to me, and I will steal the rest of what they have, before I kill them with a thought. And Honor?" he asked, "Honor among demons. It is something which almost all of our kind know nothing of, never having had any. Billions of them wouldn't know of it if it bit them. Yet these ones here know of it quite well, Brin. And why would that be? Wait! I know," he smiled, "it is because the idea of it lies at the heart of the discipline that they all know. They know it because it is what drives them to a common purpose. They know that they need it. They must have it, for without that, they'd have been the same as the other legions who fight for their own lords only out of their fear of them. But the thousands here do not fear their lord, Brin. They love him. That is why they did not disband and turn into what all of the others are. No, they did not disband and disperse. They chose to remain under the leadership of the one who caused them to have the life that they love. It made them hunger to follow that one, to search for what had been stolen from them -- for that is the way that they all saw it. They hungered to find their lost lord and then to wait for the wild chance that he might be freed one day -- or night, as the case may be." She wondered at the name that he'd used for her. He'd almost never even stooped to calling her 'Brinack' before. He turned from her to his legions. "Legates! " he shouted, "To me!" There was a bit of a shuffle and then twenty-two commanding demons ran up to him. Most were male, about two-thirds, and the rest female. He knew every one of them to be a fearless fighter in their own right. Brinack wondered if they were to be the ones who were to kill her, so that his hands might remain unsoiled from his brush with her failure. "Why did you choose to follow your general?" They looked as though they didn't understand the question for a moment. Finally, one of them spoke, "We followed because we love her, as we love you, Lord. We knew that we had the best chance to survive together that way." Behind him, the rest of them nodded their agreement. "We knew that she would always lead us to you," one of the females shouted, "She would never give up. We knew that, and so we stayed with her." Kerry smiled a little. "And do you feel as though you have lost something? Your honor perhaps, because you followed her even after she was deceived?" "No Appolyon," another female said in a clear voice, "Our general gave us our honor in the first place. As long as we have her, we keep our honor. She has never led us wrongly." "All of you," he called out to his host, "Do you feel as though you have lost your honor?" It took a few moments before the roar died away. Kerry smiled as he laid his hand on Brinack's shoulder. "I think that we have dealt with the issue of their honor to their satisfaction. Please forgive me, General, but if one of our leaders were to commit an offense, it is custom to give them a tribunal. You see now that they need you, as do I." He sighed a little loudly, "and so, I am afraid that you will have to stay." Brinack began to sob again. "You committed one error, and that was to believe the word of a high lord," Kerry said, "I believe that the consequences for that have already been paid by you in the way that you have tortured yourself over it. As for me, I begin to think that it had to have happened. I do not think that I would have looked on it all the same then, and most certainly not in the right way. Our legions, yours as much as mine, for that is what they are, have never faulted you for it, and I forgive you, knowing that you acted in your belief correctly at that time. At the moment, the only thing that I think that you do incorrectly is to look at the floor. If I am your lord, then at least I would like for you to look at least straight ahead if you think that you cannot look me in the eyes." Brinack didn't think that she could, and so she did her best to look straight ahead, as she had before. The problem with that was that her gaze now held his manhood, a little different from what she remembered. It was almost all that she could see. The number of times that she'd wanted only to touch that when he'd grown old enough at last -- to caress it just for a moment. To have had the chance to kiss it and more had been the stuff of her night-time thoughts forever, but that was where she'd always kept them. She forced her gaze elsewhere. Above his genitals, she took in his flat belly and the ripples of his abdomen. True, he was no titan, but he'd grown into his body nicely and she just knew that he hadn't filled out fully yet. As sometimes happens, a stray thought can lead to an idea, and Brinack wanted to smile before her dark mood returned to her. Given half a chance, she thought, what she could grow out of that body with good food and a lot of hard work ... Her eyes went to his hip next and she thought about how she'd dreamed of rubbing herself there while waiting for him to be ready once more during the times that she'd allowed herself the thought. On a male such as he was, she knew even then that she'd never have to wait for very long. His long thighs came to her view next and she wanted once again -- thousands of years later -- to nip and chew on the firmness of them. And then her eyes went to his hooves, covered as they were with such long and lovely silken hair, the very same as her own. She knew that they weren't the same -- not quite, anyway. But they were close enough. In the human terms that she wasn't familiar with, she was a war mare, heavy in her musculature and with much power. He was a thoroughbred; thinner, lighter, and fast. But he'd always been the one that she'd wanted from the very first sight that she had of him, back when he was struggling to shed his coltishness. She groaned softly, knowing that she'd been absolutely correct all that time ago. He'd grown into the male that she'd yearned and ached to hold to her forever. He was the stallion that she would never have. He spoke quietly to her for just a moment. "Please forgive me, Brin. I am only doing it this way because I know you to be one who has always insisted that anything serious between leaders be done this way. They are your rules, so I play by them. If it were up to me, I'd want to do this in private. You taught me that it was the wrong way to do it." She nodded a little, "I know it, Lord. You act correctly here." "Then there are the last two matters before us," he said loudly again, "and in this, I must insist that you raise your eyes to look at mine." She was still sobbing, but she raised her head and her tears began to drip out of her face-shield. She almost cried out and began all over again to have to look at that face, though it wasn't quite as stern now. He squatted down in front of her then. She saw his throat, shrouded on either side by his long dark mane as it hung over his shoulders, the finest throat that she could ever have imagined on anyone. She'd had long nights of only holding the one thought of how she longed to kiss and love that one part of him. The place where his collarbones came together and the little hollow there was still like an open invitation to her tongue. She could see his face and in it, she saw the young demon boy that he'd been once, shaking and terrified of her while at the same time trying desperately to hide his childish arousal while she'd looked elsewhere, or smiled at him to tell him that she understood, and not to fret over something which he could not control. The young goatish eyes there, like her own, still held some of their newness, though one had to really look and know him to see it now. She wanted to smile at his beauty, but she didn't dare to anymore. This was a trial if it was anything, and she was more than a little certain that the way that he'd swept her crimes aside to this point had been little more than a way to make her actions seem sensible right up to the one thing which would seal her fate. Even so, Brinack admired his eyes and the way that the little forelock that he'd had as a boy had now become a longer one that could stir a female's heart if a breeze or his motions caused it to move only a little. Her eyes went from there to his nice ears standing there, and she had a thought of how much she longed to lick and nibble on them. She'd have shaken her head to clear the thoughts out of it, but it would have been seen badly here, and so she just tried to push the thoughts from her mind to focus on what was about to come to her. But as soon as the thoughts left her, they were replaced by others as she looked at his gorgeous ram's horns, wanting nothing more than to be able to hold them tightly as she guided his lovely mouth to her most intimate parts. But he was speaking again and so she listened to him for likely the last time in her long and miserable life of hopeless struggle. "It was explained to me," he said, "while you were about to brawl like a common bar wench of the hells what this was all about. I am certain that the sort of tribunals which the humans hold for things such as this would never take the state of your heart into account, but I will." He lowered his voice and it returned to the soft way of speaking that she'd known from him so long ago. "I am the one who must ask for forgiveness here, Brin. You were always proper with me before all of this. I know that you had to be then and I know why. But I learned from what I was told. An Appolyon is not supposed to be able to form will without a command. That is what I was told. I was also told of what had happened to any who had shown that they had will of their own. But I have will, Brin. I always have had will. Everyone expected so much of me, and yet I dared not show what was in me, so I hid everything away while still a boy under your care and teaching. As I grew, I was better able to hide it all inside. I am an Appolyon. I cannot be detected other than as a demon. What I am, I can hide. Well I am tired of hiding. What I did not know was that I had not been forsaken as I believed -- as it was told to me then. I have believed that I was lost and alone again, as I was before you began with me. I thought that I had done something to cause you to forsake me. I wept for years at a time over the loss of you in my life, and I blamed myself for it. There were long centuries of nothing for me, and for a time, I forgot about everything. It was easier that way. When I was freed, I only wanted to believe that I might get out of my prison. I thought of nothing else and I thought that I was still alone but in the company of some well-meaning ones. When I was here, I found myself faced with beauty everywhere that I looked. I suddenly had others around me who cared for me, and I gave in to it. I wouldn't have if I'd only known that you were coming." He raised his voice. "There is still the matter of your attempted departure without leave to do so. It is a crime punishable by death among us here, normally. But I will let the ones here decide your fate." Though she now wondered over what he'd said, Brinack held her face as still as she could. If her fate was to be decided and handed to her now, she'd accept it with the stoic grimness of a long-time fighter. If they held their actions to what she'd taught them all for thousands of years, there could be only one thing that they'd say, and she'd get what she'd asked for -- what she deserved. "Does the general live or die for her actions?" He called out. "All of you, 'life or death'?" He grinned as he waited for the chanting shouts to end. "General Brinack," he said as solemnly as he could, "In the matter of your crimes against our horde and against me, your rightful lord and Appolyon, I hereby sentence you to remove your helmet." She blinked, and then, still wondering if she'd understood things correctly, she slowly unfastened her helmet and pulled it off. She wanted to be ready for the stroke that brought her the gift of her oblivion. She set it down in front of her and raised her gaze to look at him again, wiping the tears from her face with her hands. She really didn't know what was going on at all anymore. Kerry stared for a moment and then he smiled as he reached to hold her face in his hands. "I have never seen you without that thing on your head," he said with a quiet laugh, "I hereby further sentence you to perform all of your duties without that pot on your head. You may only wear it in battle or on inspection now. I've seen enough of it. So, the horde has decided to hand you back your life. I give you leave to go, if that is what you truly wish. I will not hold you. Yet that is what I long to do." He looked into her wet eyes for a while, trying to commit what he saw to his memory. His eyes stung him as he thought of how she must feel. "I have no need or desire to hide anything anymore, especially from you. This horde needs you and I need you even more." He looked down for a moment at the tears that he saw. "I have a hope that you need me somehow. It would be cruel to us both if there was no need left between us. Please stay, Brin." He looked at her face in the insignia of his legions there on her breastplate. He couldn't think of how he'd manage anything without her, but he guessed that it could be done. To think of a life without her now was beyond imagining. He looked at her face again in a little shock over what came to him. "I feel a fear in me. I have a dread that there will be no one for me, now that I am finally free, not like the one that I want for me, for there is no one like her anywhere. There must be something left in you for me, isn't there? Maezou told me that you love me. I want you to know something, Brin, because it needs to be said between us. I have been in love with you since I peed all over the ground in front of you in fear. I was scared to death at first, and then scared to make a mistake in what you taught me after that. But I have always loved you. I just didn't dare to show it then for fear that I'd have been destroyed for it." She blinked at him again, wondering what was wrong with her senses. She expected to be tried and found guilty for her actions. What she was hearing here sounded more like a declaration of his love for her. She was almost certain that she was having a little trouble separating her fantasy from the reality of this. But then she felt his fingers in her hair and the way that his thumbs caressed her ears told her that this was reality. Brinack the fearsome beast gasped and sobbed at almost the same time, one following closely on the heels of the other. She felt her mouth begin to fall open. "I fear nothing anymore but one thing now," he said, "Please, Brin, do not leave me. Not now. Please tell me that you still love me," he said, "I long to hear it from you. Please, "he smiled, "if you can and if you want to, please now teach me all of the things that you never dared to teach. I think that after so much time, that I can now devote myself to a lifetime of such study." Before she could answer, he kissed her. She was a little slow at it since she still wasn't sure that it was happening, but she melted finally and accepted it, throwing her arms around him. The spell lasted a good long moment and then his legions began to cheer as loudly as they could as the two on their knees in front of them - the slayer and the destroyer - knelt in their first embrace. The hall rang for minutes on end and ninety-two thousand voices can make a lot of noise in a large cave. Kerry couldn't even hear the soft sounds of her words to him when she said it, but he saw it on her lips and in her shining eyes. From the opening of the kitchens on the other side of the hall, Alecto and Tisiphone leaned on the sill as they watched with Megaera and Sharon. They all sighed. Tereth stood behind them, trying to see over their heads. "Damn and blast," he scowled, "for a minute there, I thought that he was going order her to get the chop. But nothing happened." Megaera stood up and backhanded him across the room. "Shut the fuck up, Tereth." He groaned from where he'd landed in between the sacks of flour. ---------------------- They stood up eventually and Brinack nodded to her legates wanting at least some shred of normalcy here. "We stay here for a time. Get your sections squared away and bedded down. Set the usual night sentries, I leave the length of the watches to you." They nodded, waiting for anything further. She smiled at them all, "And thanks to you all for your words. You have no idea how it felt to hear them." It took a while to get from where they'd been back to the place where she'd met Kerry earlier, but they found Mother, Racephet and the others there after wading through thousands of happy slayers. "If you can manage to tear yourselves away from the adoration of your legions," Toby grinned, "there is a little place here that I know you will enjoy, Brinack. Kerry knows the way, and you'll find wine and food there for you." His legions still cheered them, but they cheered the longest when their lord took the general's hand and they walked away together. In the kitchen, Tereth made a bit of a point of yawning loudly. But he cut it short and walked to where they'd told him he was to sleep after all four of them turned to him with daggers in their eyes. ---------------- He watched as she removed her armor a little slowly. Kerry actually felt a little silly for only standing there. He offered to help again, but she shook her head. "No," she smiled, "I want to do this for you. I have not seen your body for so long until you were freed. Before that, I always saw your body, did I not? You were just young when we met, but I have always been able to look. The last years that we were together for your lessons were the best, since by then, you already had a body that was worth more than a few glances from one such as me. If you loved me then as you say, then it was a little unfair, I think. I have always worn armor when we were together all of your life. You should see me. I worry a little, but fair is fair." It made him smile then. "What makes you worry, Brin?" She grew a little serious, "You have only seen my face outside of my hard hat for the first time this night. I hope that the rest of me is worth the sort of look that I saw when you saw my face." He thought about it for a moment and decided that her logic was flawed, so he said so. She wanted to know why. Kerry laughed, "You wore what you wore, Brin, but I hardly saw that. My little brain was kept spinning with my thoughts of how you looked under your armor. In my mind, you were as naked as I was the whole time." "Oh," she said, thinking about it, "so then I should put all of this back on then?" "Well no, ..." he said, and it made her laugh until the point when he gasped at her nakedness. "I wish now that I had a better imagination," he said, "My poor daydreams were so hopelessly incorrect. You are so beautiful, Brin." It wasn't the most suave line that she'd ever heard, she thought, but then, no one who had ever thrown her a better line had looked like this or had the slight uncertainty in his voice then as Kerry did. Any woman could see the difference, she smiled to herself. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 16 ------------------ "Kerry," she said a little experimentally with a smile as they stood together near the steaming pool, "I like it as a good name for me to use in the dark. I am trying to get used to this new voice of yours and the way of acting," she smiled at him. "I was used to your shyness over the years. I even liked it when you sounded unsure of yourself. I like how you speak now. I only wonder if I might miss the old way a little, that's all." He sighed, "Brin, I am the same shy boy. I only remembered the lessons that you taught me about behaving like a destroyer -- or what most would want to hear from one. I can be one easily, thanks to you. But ,... between us, you are the one who has had a real life. You are the arena slayer, and you know more of loving than I ever will. I know that. Between us, you will likely always be the one who leads in a quiet place, ..." She looked at him with a small smile just beginning on her lips. "-in the dark," he said, looking around them a little wishfully, "taking what you want." He sighed again, admiring her face and her mane, "I think that I would let you do, um, anything, ... that you, ... wanted , ... to uh, ... do, ..." Her smile grew a little wider and she chuckled very softly as he finished his thought. "... to me." He looked up at her eyes a little shyly, not quite knowing where to start or how to begin this, "I, uh, at least, I hope, ..." He smiled a tiny bit in an uncertain way as his words stumbled further, "... that you will." Brin thought that she must be falling for him all over again on the spot. She was sure that she'd never been so aroused quite so quickly in her long life. Kerry saw that her eyes now looked so large to him, beautiful here in the dim light as her pupils dilated even more. She stared, and he stared back, a little uncertain now about what he'd said. "You uh, ... you will, won't you?" She threw her arms around him and pulled him to her tightly. His arms went around her waist, but he was really being held by her, and hoping that she wouldn't crush him, but other than that, he didn't care what she did to him. Kerry was happy. Brin kissed him then and teased his lips apart. Once she had his mouth open, she changed her attack, fitting her open mouth to his exactly so that their teeth could pass each other. He moaned softly as he reached up to feel his fingers in her long hair. Brin sighed in her joy as she did the same, and her tongue in his mouth led the dance, though she tightened her grip in his hair just a little so that he knew that he was hers. They stopped and looked into each other's goatish eyes. "So the destroyer can feel love now?" she asked, thrilling to see him nod a little. Her laugh there in her throat almost raised his hackles at how happy she sounded. "I think it might have been at least a little benefit to me that we were apart. I saw that a part of you has gotten a little bigger from how I remember it to be." Brin's eyes widened a little at what she felt pressed against her after that and she chuckled. "A lot bigger than how I remember it," she said. "I think that you favor your mother's side in this. My good fortune that you're hung like an ass, but, ... I wish to know one thing, Kerry." He stood with his arms around her neck, smiling with his eyes closed. Her question caused him to look at her and wait for the rest. She whispered what was on her mind into his ear as she nuzzled her nose there, "Do you wish to be my boy, Kerry?" His sigh thrilled her to hear. "More than anything," he whispered back, "I have always wanted you." "Listen, Appolyon," she breathed, "It does not matter to me who leads between us when we are alone. What is important is that we learn of each other, not only always me teaching." She almost snickered, though she was very quiet about it, not wanting to break the mood, "I have such trouble believing all of this. I am here with you where I never thought that I would be. I almost do not know what I want to do with you first." She sighed and smiled to him in the dim light as she felt his hand on her breast. "The sweetest sort of predicament to be faced with, but this night had already been so very long, and I think that we should begin somewhere." Brin thought that life was such a strange thing. She found that she now held kind thoughts for the one called Zele where not long ago she'd had murder in her heart. The strange female had come to her in a quiet moment to tell her something about Kerry. She should have known it anyway. He was pure in that he had little to feel ashamed over. Brin wanted more than anything for what they shared to be whatever they both enjoyed. She knew that they were a somewhat strange set, this strong and shapely mare and her young stallion, but she'd show him the roles for his consideration later. Tonight was for their pleasure. She reached only a little to caress his flank and then his bottom, but after a moment, she gave in to her thoughts to slip her hand under his tail. Kerry groaned in joy as he pressed against her and stood up on the tips of his hooves in response to her teasing probe between his cheeks. It brought them face to face and they lost themselves in each other's sighs. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 17 **This started out as a long, seven pager. I know that some readers don't mind that, but on the other hand, some folks don't have that kind of time in one sitting, so I've split this one up. O_o ------------ Lily opened her eyes and looked around for Sharon after a moment. She was about to call for her when the blonde woman came into the chamber that they'd claimed for themselves and grinned at the demoness. "I thought that you needed less sleep than I do," she laughed, "Come on, sleepy-head, you hang around in bed -- or what passes for that here for much longer, and you'll miss breakfast. I don't need to remind you that there are close to a hundred thousand mouths to feed around here." She rolled her eyes a little as she continued chattering nervously to cover her uncertainty, "I know, I know, they've got their own way of doing that for themselves or something. But I wanted to whip up a meal for us and their leaders. I've been hard at work while you've been getting your beauty sleep, so come on." Lily smiled in surprise, "Like that? The way that you're, ..." "Ok, so I made a bit of an error in judgment," the human grinned, "It came to me while I was cooking the bacon with Tereth, alright? We had to dance a lot, that's all, and then I had to explain to him that dancing is not a normal part of the bacon-frying ritual. He seemed to be stuck on that for a while. Come on!" Lily chuckled at the images in her mind as she sat up. "Sharon, you're naked. You've been out there cooking like that? I'd have loved to be able to see that." "Well then you ought to get up a little earlier if you want to see something like that little breakfast miracle. I thought about how everybody is here. I know it's a bit different with the troops or whatever they are, but I felt like I wanted to be a part, sort of. You all run around without a stitch on and you're all fine with it. Besides, it's warm down here." She looked down at her running shoes. "There's just some rough parts to the floor and I haven't got tough feet yet." "Well I like it, "Lily smiled as she stood up and kissed Sharon for a moment, but Sharon wasn't about to let Lily dawdle. "Fine," the demoness said as her hand was pulled, "lead me then." As they walked together, Lily chose her words a little carefully. "I just want you to know that things might get a little uncertain very soon. So I insist that if I tell you to get dressed, it's for your own safety, alright? Another thing is that you are the only human here and a bit delicate in the middle of thousands of demons, though these here are disciplined and polite. Just don't get stepped on. Other than that, I really like your idea." "You do?" Sharon laughed, "I was a little afraid that I might be doing something wrong. I didn't know how you'd feel about it. I doubt that I could scrape up the courage if it was all humans around here, but I don't really feel shy at all." The statement was true, though it wasn't all that accurate. Sharon felt fine in Lily's company and she was getting to feel very much at ease among the others. But there was an army out there. She'd felt a little nervous when she'd come on her own to get her girlfriend up. Sharon almost dragged Lily to the kitchen so that she could serve her the meal. A few of the others were already there. The storm demon looked around after the pleasantries had been exchanged, but no one commented. When she asked, the others said genuinely that they thought that Sharon was lovely and that it was nice to see. The only one who said nothing was Tereth, who now worked over the grill. "No words from you today, Tereth?" Lily asked. He shook his head, "Not many. I wanted to help, but I only ruined everything that I set my hands to, so that was my meal, to eat what I'd made a mess of. The others here had no time for me because of their discussions over that army out there, and Megaera had no kind words for me at all. The human was the only one who wanted to teach me anything." "It's because you're a piece of shit, Tereth," Megaera said in answer. She looked at Sharon, "And you ought to be a little more careful around him, Sharon. I don't think you'd be feeling as curious and helpful toward him if you knew some of the things that he's done to human females in his life." "You live near to the same blade, Megaera," Mother remarked quietly, "How many wayward husbands have you sought to punish, using their own dreams against them to take their souls as you took their seed as well? More than a few thousand, I think. Those who didn't die from it became ill and died soon after. And if it didn't kill them, it certainly turned them into ruined men in poor health for the rest of their shortened lives. The blood of a demon, "she said. "I do not think that a succubus can hold her head very high while she looks down on others. You did not tempt them while they were awake and able to decide. You chose men who had been unfaithful, some as few as one time, and you invaded their dreams to arouse them, stealing their seed before you killed them and then saying that it was justified." "They deserved it," the dark demoness said. "They should have kept it in their pants or whatever they wore then." "But not all of the wronged females wanted that, did they?" Mother asked. "Some of them had enough love and forgiveness in their hearts to want to give their males another chance. It does work like that sometimes, you know. You took that chance from those females by killing their men. And you did nothing to the females who'd strayed at all. I have always wondered if you really acted out of well-meaning vengeance as you often said, or if that was just the excuse for you to take souls in a cruel way." Megaera looked up defensively, "I'm trying to make a new life with Racephet. Since I've been with him, I haven't done that." "True, "Mother smiled, "It is good to see in you, especially given that a spiteful and vindictive female such as you always were now enjoys the love of a male herself. You have remade your life. And Tereth has been given the chance to change his life as well, though he has many more changes to go through than you have," Mother said gently, "You are still what you always have been. He struggles with what he has lost. I think that it speaks well of him to see him now. I think that a friend would help him far more than one who only throws stones, no matter what he does to improve." "I'll consider it," Megaera said as she turned to Tereth. "I'm sorry, dirtbag," she said. Then she stared as he brought her a plate of eggs with a stack of ham slices, backing away with a bow. "Thank you," she said, "but why?" "I saw that you liked the meal and looked for more but I'm out of bacon now," he shrugged, "I'm sorry if I upset you by being here, but I'm really trying. I don't see a long existence for me if I don't try to smooth the water a little." "Alright, "the other one said with a grudging smile, "I'll try to hold my tongue. But you still ought to keep your snarly comments to yourself. I'm sorry that I hit you last night too, but there was no cause for what you said." When Sharon had served Lily, Tereth asked her to sit and he served her meal to her. When she expressed surprise, Tereth had one of the moments that Lily knew that he had in him all along. Even so, she was still almost as surprised as the rest when it came. "I want to thank you for your help," he said, "I know that it's nothing to a human, and it's not much to some of my kind, but I now know how to cook a little bit, and I'm grateful for your help. I know that it's not important how I feel, wise one," he said, turning to Lily, "but since you asked, I think that your human friend is as lovely as any of the females here. I know also that they wear their clothing out of shame and a need to stay warm, but I think it's wonderful that she is among us here like that. Humans have a nice shape to them. It only goes hidden away most of the time." "If you would like a chance to get away from the heat of the grille there, "Racephet said, "Perhaps you could go to the heated pool and ask the pair of lovers to come to the meal." Tereth nodded, "I'd be happy to, but I don't know the way, Lord." "I'll take you, and we can go together when I'm finished here," Sharon smiled. He nodded back and they walked out of the door after she'd pushed her platter away. Mother looked out of the window opening at them, seeing the differences in the way that they walked. Sharon walked as the woman that she was. Tereth still walked as a male, though she could see that the changes in his form put him a little off-balance and he sought to find the fit in a manner of speaking. It was more a matter of weight distribution, since he was basically walking in a different body now for the loss of his upper body muscle mass. She decided that it was nice to see, the way that her lover seemed to want to help him a little. Tereth was going to need at least one friend in this huge change that he was going through. She smirked to herself as she watched them. They hadn't gone very far before they'd found themselves near the much larger fighters. About half of them were female, but that didn't affect the way that the pair must be feeling, she judged. They had the eyes of many on them almost instantly, she noted, and as soon as they noticed it, they both felt a little self-conscious. It was obvious that neither of them had thought of this. Without really thinking about it, they reached out and continued to walk holding hands. The gesture made Mother grin because they looked a little sweet, like two young girls who'd suddenly found themselves walking through a huge pack of wolves. She also noted it when one of the slayers stepped quietly away from one of the groups far across the hall and began to walk toward them. Her eyes took in the looks and then she watched them as they tried to get to the corner at the end of the large hall, Sharon's hips swaying naturally, and Tereth walking a little uncertainly with his tail following those new and slender hips of his. She imagined that things could get interesting for them soon. She had a thought of taking both of them to her bed that night. She wasn't certain if it was too soon in Tereth's case, since he likely still didn't have much of a clue that there might be anything at all possible for him in a sexual way. Mother herself didn't really know if there was. It would depend on him, really, though she was almost certain that she could likely think of something. She thought that if he could demonstrate a few more of the moments like the one that he'd had, she might think of an addition or two to him as a gift to encourage him. Her reverie was cut short when she noticed them returning. "I'm going to put on my clothes," Sharon said a little sadly a minute later, "I don't mind the looks that I'm getting -- I don't think -- but there are thousands of them, Lily. I was really enjoying the feeling of not wearing clothes around here, but I guess I'd better cover up." "You don't need to cover up if you don't want to, I like seeing you like this." Mother replied, "What you need is a message, something which says that you are not without the care of someone powerful." She turned to her daughter, and Zele pushed her empty platter away, "Zele will go too." The slayers who had looked with such interest at them now had another reason to wonder when the naked human female re-emerged from the scullery on the back of a huge hellhound. Tereth emerged after them and walked alongside. Taking Lily's advice, Sharon sat looking a little haughty and disinterested this time. "I have to agree with Lily, "Sharon said to Tereth after a minute, "Megaera was pretty rough on you. I don't know anything about you, but I can see that you're having a tough time. I can also see that you're trying very hard to be nice and that it's not usual for you to be that way." Tereth looked over, "If you want the bitter truth, Sharon, Megaera was right. I've been a pretty cruel thing for a long time. Now," he looked down at the stone floor as he walked, "well I guess I've got to make the best out of, ... nothing." "Why do you say that?" Sharon asked, "I don't understand. Is it because you were captured? Somebody told me that you were captured. Is it because that puts you at the bottom here or something?" He exhaled, but said nothing for a moment. "Yeah. I'm at the bottom. But I wasn't just captured. I was hunting Maezou for another lord, an awful bastard. He makes what I did look civilized -- or I think that's what you'd say." He walked for a moment longer and then he spoke again. "When you're a hunter, you're supposed to bring back who you're sent for and that's it. But nobody really watches you. They're right about me. I'd go out on a hunt, but I'd mess up a lot of people along the way, just like she said. Nobody really cares much, but those were innocents, people I fucked over just for fun. I came here tracking Maezou. After they caught me, Maezou took ..." Sharon looked, but she saw that he walked with his eyes squeezed shut for a moment. "Tereth is not male anymore," Zele rumbled, "Maezou took this from him and changed his body. He is sad now." She placed a 'before picture' into Sharon's mind and everything became clear to her in an instant. She thought about it for a moment and then she reached down and put her hand on his shoulder. "Tereth? I know that you don't want to hear this from me right now, and I'm only a human anyway, but I still like you. It's also probably not what you'd want to hear, but I still think you're really pretty, even beautiful, and, ... if you need somebody to talk to, let me know ok?" He looked up at her and for just an instant, she thought that he looked angry, but then she saw that he was trying to hold it together and it was the struggle of it that she'd seen. He had tears on his face, but he nodded. Unnoticed by the group, the single large slayer was following at a distance, stopping now and then to speak with a comrade or two, though one eye was always on them. When they left the hall, the slayer waited. "Tereth," the hellhound grumbled, "You wished for harm to come to my sister, and so I am watchful and not trusting. But there is something here for you to see. It is what makes the humans different from demons. They are weaker and they do not live long, but they have strong hearts. This one does not see how much danger she would be in if you were not changed, but she understands how you must feel and for her, your score is erased. I am not your teacher. I only say that if you can, be thoughtful to her. You might have a friend when you need one most." Tereth raised his eyes and looked at the back of Zele's ear and jaw as she walked before he looked up at Sharon again. "Thank you," he said very quietly. Sharon nodded to him, but they both looked at Zele when she spoke, not looking back, "If I knew that it was to happen and if there was the time, I would have been waiting for you when you came to Toby's home. It would have started something with Lord Gorek, but I would have killed you then." Zele didn't see it when he nodded, but Sharon did. She also heard his whispered reply. "If I'd known what would happen, I'd have let you." ---------------------- They found Kerry on his front with Brinack against his side, her face just against his left shoulder blade and her arm over his waist. They were asleep, but Brinack had been a soldier for far too long to sleep through the sudden presence of others. She opened her eyes as Tereth stepped forward cautiously. "What?" the general asked. "I'm sorry to disturb you," Tereth whispered humbly, "but I --we've been sent to fetch you both. There's a morning meal for you in the scullery." Brinack lifted and stretched out the arm that had lain over Kerry's back for a moment. She put it back on him gently to hug him once with a smile before she sat up and slid into the pool to wash quickly. Kerry noticed her absence, and followed. She pulled on her armor afterward as he was still washing. Feeling hot breath against her, she looked up and noticed the hellhound right in front of her looking down with a woman sitting on her back. "I wish to say," the beast began in a low voice which startled Brinack, since hellhounds were supposed to lack this ability, "that I think that it is more important to love with someone out of love itself and to sleep together with them afterward than to only love with someone because one wants to." "Look here, friend," the general said,"A minute ago, I was asleep. Now I try to wake up from a long night. To use words like this with me now is to waste your fine thoughts. What do your words mean?" The red eyes glowed a little brighter in mirth for a moment. "I wish to say that it is good to see you loved and rested together with Kerry. It is to be seen by me that you have his heart." "Thank you," Brin said a little cautiously, "What should I call you? I did not know that the lord here kept hounds." "The lord here keeps me very well," the beast replied, "and I am called Zele." The statement snapped Brin's head around. "Zele? I thought that Zele was the name of a fighter, a girl fighter here." "It is," Zele replied, "and I am Zele, very well kept and happy to see you like this. I am sorry that I angered you, but I see that it went well in the end." Brinack smirked a little, "The end is not where it went. That will take a little time with one like him. But it went well elsewhere and I look on the day a little better for it. How is it that you are a hound and a fighter as well?" "I am, ... complicated," Zele replied, "it is why I am so hard to run into. I am four, and not only one. You will meet my other shapes if I wish, but not when it would make Sharon fall to the ground. Zele has no bad feeling to you. That is what was to be said and meant by me. Please come to the meal." -------------------- They sat at the large table and ate while speaking of many things with the others. "And now?" Racephet asked, "What do you feel for each other now, after so long and after last night?" His question sounded a little eager for the knowledge to Kerry, but Megeara laughed, "The one that I love is large, but he carries a very romantic heart in him. He likes nothing better than to hear a love story. Well, almost nothing better." Brin shrugged, "We know that what we have is what grew between a mismatched pair long ago. We have agreed to be careful with it to avoid missteps, but he has my heart, as he always has had. I never took a male for me for longer than something fast, even more cause for me to rue the way that I acted to Zele." The large barbarian girl grinned back at Brinack, "I know what you mean to say. You would have wanted to wait, but all the time, and not knowing if it could be. It is easily understood." The conversation went on with Kerry speaking now, but Brin's attention was drawn to the small pair who sat on a bench together in the corner by the open fire. They were silent, both glaring at the demon who had spoken to her at the pool. She saw that the reason that they glared was the way that he held the large knife in his hand and glowered back at them while cutting up some meat. When his grip tightened on the knife, the kobold reached with one hand for his axe, taking it from where it stood leaning against the wall to hold it with one hand. Brinack had been in many fights such as the one that she knew was likely about to start here. She'd had to wade into roiling fights in many inns in her time to extract her slayers before there was too much blood spilled. She had a finely-honed fighter's sense that there was tension in the room and it was nearing the flashpoint. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 17 "Is this the one who made you laugh?" she asked Kerry while nodding toward the small pair. "Yes," he smiled, "That was when I knew that I could laugh here. It made me happy to see her." "Then I think that I am in your debt, sweet one," Brin said to Illa, "and I can see why you made him happy. My thanks to you. None of us had ever seen something like that before last night. His smiles to his legions and his laughter made their waiting for him worthwhile." "It was nothing," the imp replied, "I was just bein' maself, mostly, but ye're welcome if I helped anything." "I have been a fighter for a long time," Brin said to no one in particular. "I have been lucky. Luckier than most, I'd say. What I drew from it all was a way to feel it when a brawl is about to begin. Though I do not know the reason for it, I feel that now," she said with a smirk, her hands pointing to the sets of opponents in the room. "Those two took something of mine," Tereth said from between his clenched teeth. His statement caused Illa to sit up and tilt her head in a slightly challenging way. "Is that so?" she asked, "That's no the way that we see it at all. We took what was given te us. It was already gone to you. We had our reasons," the imp said, holding her head up in defiance. "We was told that we could have it by our mistresses, the sisters, that ye'd not be needin' it anymore very shortly and te be ready if we wanted a wee meal." "Why?" he asked, not recognizing Thiery, "What have I done to you to deserve it?" "Te me?" Illa asked, "Not a thing, but I know that my male Thiery here, he had a score te settle wi' ye. I know what ye done te him, many, many times outta nothin' that he did, other than ye were bigger and stronger than he was then. Ye didna even fancy him, ye only wanted te beat him and fuck him because ye could make a wee kobold hurt so much and nobody would say a word over it. You were like everybody else in that place, only worse, since ye always tried te look fer him so's ye could rape him again. What did he do te deserve that?" Tereth stared at the kobold, so much larger now and heavily muscled. His gaze was returned in a calm and mildly interested way, but there was tension in the arm holding that axe. "I didn't know him then, Mr. Tereth," Illa said as she got down from the bench and walked toward him, "but all the same, I know what ye did. Ye hurt my Thiery, over and over," she said, holding up a set of her razor-like claws to him, "and I'd be happy fer the chance te gut ye and put my own marks on yer fine-lookin' body as soon as look at ye, and if ye don't change the way that ye're lookin' at us, well I'll take yer eyes too fer yer trouble - before ye can blink twice." She nodded to him, "We'll see then how ye fare without them." Thiery slipped off the bench then and walked past Illa to where Tereth stood. Before the demon had the chance to decide whether he really wanted to start anything now, or even if he wanted to try his weakened and untested powers, the kobold stood before him, looking as though he was about to set the head of his axe against the floor and lean on the haft of it comfortably. Tereth tightened his grip on the knife again unconsciously and then he felt the side of the axe head against the flesh of his index finger for a split-second, and then it was gone again, wrenched free from the old counter in the blink of an eye. The thin broken blade of the old knife clattered off across the room as Tereth pulled his uninjured hand back. "I want te tell ye somethin', Tereth," the kobold said very quietly. "I'm no the same helpless wee kobold that ye liked te have yer fun with over the years. That was before, when I'd never known how te protect maself and couldna do a thing in a place where nobody would help me. We're a lot closer in our sizes now, aren't we? I'm not as tall as you, but I daresay that I've got just a wee bit more strength in my arms now than ye've got, by the look of it. The last time that I saw ye, you was thinkin' of killin' me. I could see it in yer eyes there. Ye thought that I'd squealed on ye te the laird about how ye're no hunter worth knowin' about. I didna do that. I told him about the other hunter. He'd a found out in another few minutes from the others anyway, but I did it because of what Laird Gorek woulda done te me if I didn't. He was throwin' me against the wall, over and over. I think ye can recall what he's like, yeah? I told him nothing about you. I had enough te fear ye for, didn't I? So I want te make it clear te ye that what I did wasna out of wantin' te get even wi' ye. Understand? It was te get him te stop throwin' me against the wall." Illa walked to Thiery. He took her hand in his and they walked to the doorway. "Eatin' yer wee prick and yer bollocks," Thiery said over his shoulder, "That was te get even." The pair were gone a moment later and Tereth felt the gaze of the others. No one said a word. They didn't need to, really. Tereth thought that he was familiar with the concept of helplessness. Now he found that he had a new measure of the meaning of it. He was now also painfully aware of the meaning of impotence as a concept, and for far more than the obvious. He hung his head and walked out of the scullery by a different doorway. It led to a storage room that he'd found that morning. There was a large opening through the floor to somewhere far below. The opening had a bit of a guard wall around it to prevent accidental falls, and there was a frame standing over everything with a block and tackle so that something could be raised or lowered. Tereth slid down to a sitting position with his back to the low wall. He'd never been a sociable creature, so friends weren't anything that he'd know much about. He'd always gotten by on his brass and his bullshit, or his wits if all else failed him. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. He sat alone and looked at the wall facing him a few feet away and thought about where he was. The demons here seemed happy, and it was something that he'd never seen before -- in his whole life. Thinking about them, he suddenly knew that he'd always been unhappy by comparison; the only variable from one day to the next had been the degree, and then he thought that right now, his unhappiness was off the bottom of the chart. He was a servant here. That hadn't changed from what he'd always been. Only now, the things that he'd done had caught up with him. He was smaller, weaker, and he'd been emasculated. That was horrible enough, the loss of something near to the center of any male's psyche. But it was becoming clear to him that he'd never be free of this. He could never make the amends that he was coming to believe might help him. Most of the unfortunates who had crossed his path were dead and who knew where their souls had gone? He thought of Thiery and the ones like him that he'd chased and run down so that he could torment them for no other purpose than to make himself feel a little bit less miserable about his own life. Thiery didn't know it, but he was one of the more fortunate ones. Quite a few like him hadn't stirred again after Tereth had sated his lust. He began to weep quietly. Maybe it was the trauma of what had happened to him, but he'd done fairly well over the last two days and had even tried hard to do what was asked of him. For once in his life, Tereth wanted to fit in. But even that was catching up to him now. If he kept on doing as he was commanded, he knew that he could likely have a far better life here than what he really deserved, but it didn't make him feel any better. He pulled his knees up and sat with his arms around them as his tears streamed down. Someone here would always throw what he'd done in his face, no matter what he did, and the price that had been extracted by Maezou, ... the finality of that ... He leaned his head against his knees and cried. Sharon stood in the doorway wanting to cry herself. She knew a tiny bit of his background now, and yet she still wanted to know him, at least. She wondered why none of the others felt as she did. Tereth needed a friend, or at least, somebody who might care enough to try to make him feel a little better. She'd have thought that she could be a person like that. She really didn't know what was wrong with her. She was now a little afraid to try. She'd been told that he was weaker now, but even so, they'd said that he was still strong enough to seriously harm or kill her with little more than a thought. She backed away, feeling badly, guilty, a little frightened, and thoroughly disgusted with herself. "He's still crying," she said to Lily, who still sat at the table in discussions and the planning for their defence. Lily nodded, "He begins to see that nothing can be changed and he feels hopeless." Megeara shrugged, "So what? Let him suffer a little." "He cannot undo anything," the older demon said, "He wishes to change himself, but he knows that he cannot. He must come to a point where he knows that he can go on, even as he is with the past which follows him. Tereth has to know that no demon, no one can leave his past, but he does not need to be cruel to feel better." "I still want him to suffer," the succubus smiled, "for all of the women." Lily glanced darkly at Racephet, "Tell your consort why she should hold her tongue, Lord Racephet. I am far older than she knows and she is too stupid to listen to me or even know how close she now stands to my wrath." Megaera began to glare, "He needs to tell me nothing." "Yes he does," Lily said quietly, "He knows what you do not, and he is calm enough to --" "I don't have to sit here and listen to --" The succubus sat frozen in her odd position, stricken dumb. Her eyes were wide in sudden shock. "You do need to listen," Lily said very quietly, "and you will hear me. I was already ages old when you were spawned. If I can cause a wind to blow so that nothing can stand against it, and bring rain forth from out of a cloudless sky, why do you think that you do not need to listen when I choose to tell you something?" She wasn't even looking at Megaera as she sat, still looking at Racephet. "I am sorry, Lord Racephet," she said, "but I will not tolerate a pot who shrills that the kettle is burned by the same fire that she sits in herself. Try to teach her when you can, the next time that you hold her mind and join your body to hers. We are all demons, and each of us can be cruel. We just do not always need to be. She should look to her own bone pile before she howls about anyone else's." When Lily turned her head to look into Megaera's terror-filled face, the succubus stared into the bright glow of the featureless golden eyes before her. The air in between their eyes seemed to roil and qualm as though heated and in a moment, Megaera began to see the faces of people there, humans, so many humans, all of them men who were caught at the moment of their horrific passing from this world at the hands of the self-righteous Fury. As she watched, the faces faded away to be replaced by those of women, thousands of weeping and keening women. Megaera couldn't tear her gaze from the sight and she couldn't even close her eyes to block any of it out. "Think on this," she heard Lily's voice through the wailing in her head, "None of us are perfect, Megaera, and you are lower than poor Tereth in my eyes. Hide yourself from my sight for the day, but do not leave here, and if you ever try to throw scorn at Tereth again, you will see those tortured souls in your sleep for a thousand years so that you might keep the lesson in mind." With that, Lily released Megaera, who looked around herself frantically and flew through the doorway, shrieking her way to the roof of the cavern. Lily looked at Brinack and spoke in a low voice. "Tereth was never the sort of hunter that Maezou here was known to be, but he is still a hunter. In a little while, he will begin to wonder about something, and he may try to seek it out in the halls below. Tereth is a little tortured now and I want no harm to come to him. There is one who hangs near to the door there out in the hall. If it is possible, I wish for Tereth to be followed discretely and protected if need be." Brinack nodded and stepped to the doorway. With a low whistle and a nod, she motioned the large slayer to her. The demon stepped over quickly and would have saluted, but Brinack shook her head. "You are off-duty now?" The dark eyes in the helmet regarded her calmly with a curt nod. "You stood here because of one that you saw, a hunter," she said, "I know this. Follow that one, close enough to lend aid, far enough to be a doubt in the darkness. I am told that the one you must watch will seek something in the passageways underneath. Find your own way there and follow. That one's name is Tereth." The slayer nodded again and ran off. -------------- Gorek walked through the blowing sand toward the main entrance of his hell. He couldn't say how he knew it, but he was more than a little certain that he'd need at least some help very soon. He walked until he saw two shapes there in the billowing dust. One of them had been his gate guardian. The other one was something else, something that knew that Gorek would come. "What are you doing?" the sand demon asked in shock. The other one ignored him for the moment, chewing a little thoughtfully before she paused to spit out a tusk and some skull fragments. The eyes regarded him as her mouth moved to cover the place where the head had been a minute earlier. She held up the headless body as she sucked what liquid she could get from it. She let it go when there was nothing more to get. "You keep it a little too dry here for my liking," she said, "What was it that you wished to see me about?" He shook his head," I did not wish to see you." "Somewhat true," she nodded. "Very well then, Gorek, what was it that you needed to see me about?" "I didn't, ...." he began, before wondering how this had happened. "I'll tell you how it will go then," the large and hideous face smiled a little. "I will aid you in your time of trouble. The one that you seek will be ours, Gorek, yours and mine. She will be enslaved again, along with any that I find who have allied themselves with her. They will do as they are commanded, and this charming place will prosper again. In return, sand demon, you will be my consort, filling me with your gritty seed whenever you wish, but you may keep the mud that you pump into those that you rape. I want only your seed for my eggs, and I will want it from you often." He stared as she turned the guardian's body over. Bending down, she tore the testicles off the corpse and swallowed them. A tendril extended from her midsection to affix itself to his member. In seconds he was hard and she stood with her wet arm on his shoulder as he shuddered from what she was doing to him. He groaned as he shot his gush into her grasping appendage. "A little humidity would be welcome as well, since I will come here to live. I like it moist, Gorek. I like mold to lie in while I mate, and my spawn need quite a bit of flesh to eat." She took his gaping face into her open mouth and he felt his tongue being teased by several of hers. He couldn't believe it, but he was rock hard again. She moved her face back and smiled. "Five days, Gorek. Have your host ready to fight in five days. We will win this, and then you will be mine," she groaned as she sank down to take him into her slick and gaping mouth. When she stood up a couple of minutes later, he watched as her tongues found any seed that they'd missed. "If you liked that, mighty Gorek, imagine how it will feel to mount me when I allow it. My hole can do all of what you felt and much more. Try to be ready in five days, Gorek, and it will be so." She chuckled, "You will like it so much that you will never want to climb off me. I will carry you with me everywhere and you may fuck me as often as you think that you can." She kissed him again and then she turned to stride away in the sand. She wasn't fond of sand either, though with eight legs walking on it became manageable. When she was out of his sight, she finished the thought as she went. "You will ride me everywhere that I take you, until you are an empty husk and I eat you in my search for the next one." ---------------------- Tereth sat where he'd been for the past two hours. With no more tears in him for the moment, a little rational thought came to him as he calmed. It wasn't a sense of peace, but it was enough to go on for now. He looked down at the part of his body where his genitals had once been. It was a little odd to him but he had a thought that if this was what he had, and it could be made to feel good, it might give him something. He just didn't know what. He didn't know what sort of fulfilment was possible with this, other than how it felt nice to graze his hands there gently. He regarded the area and noticed that there was something a little different about it now. Maybe it was the way that it looked when he was in this sitting position -- he didn't know -- but the last time that he'd taken the time to regard it, he could have sworn that it was just a flat little expanse of his skin with a small opening in it so that he could urinate. He couldn't even see that opening now and thought again that it was because of his sitting position. There was a line now; a fold which hid that opening inside it. He lowered one of his legs as he watched. It was still there, though less pronounced. He reached with his fingers and gently pulled the fold open while still straining a little to see. There was still nothing there but that little hole, the rest of that line was only a blank sort of furrow. Being very careful about it, he felt along the shallow groove and found that the same feeling was returned to him. It was sensitive and maybe just a little more so since the tender part had been hidden for a little while. He leaned his other knee away and watched as the furrow grew a little shallower, though it still remained. It made him wonder if he'd done something to inflame or irritate it. But then he thought that it didn't hurt at all if he was gentle with it. He gave a small mental shrug as he thought about it. He still wasn't the male that he'd been, and for damned certain, he wasn't a female. So he wondered what he was now, and decided that clinically, he must be a eunuch, though even that didn't really fit, did it? Tereth licked his fingertips and began to experiment a little. He sat with his eyes closed and toyed with what he'd been left with. That was how Sharon found him, gasping a little in surprise and regretting the sound instantly. Tereth pulled his hands away and hid what he'd been doing as best he could. "What are you doing here?" he asked her. "I wanted to see if you felt any better, Tereth," she said, "I'm sorry about all of that out there, and I'm really sorry that I lost my nerve earlier. I wanted to see if I could make you feel any better, but what Megaera said kind of scared me." "I won't hurt you," Tereth said, "Why would I? You're about the only one who's been kind to me." "What were you doing?" she asked, "it looked nice to see." "It did?" Tereth was a little surprised as he watched her nodding. "I was, ... trying to see what I've got, ... to work with, I guess, and I noticed that it's a little bit different now, I think. There's a, ... I don't really know what it is." "Well can I see?" Sharon asked, "I can probably see it better than you can. At least, I'll tell you what's there." Tereth was about to demure and ask that she leave him alone, but her face looked concerned for him and she seemed to want to help. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 17 "Sharon wishes for your friendship by offering you her own, Tereth," Lily smiled from where she leaned against the doorway. "That's the way that humans are. I think that you ought to take it and allow her to help. Just don't hurt her." He looked at the naked blonde woman, "You want -- to be my friend?" Sharon smiled and nodded as she crouched down, "And don't even ask me why, Tereth. It doesn't have to make sense. I just want to make you feel better. Let me look. You know that I'll give you an honest answer and opinion. I promise." She looked over his shoulder to Lily, "Is it ok?" The demon laughed, "Certainly. Help him to discover what he has, and help him move past what he doesn't anymore. My daughter was really very kind to him. She left him ways to feel pleasure, I'm sure of it. It's just that none of us know -- including Tereth -- just what those ways are." She stepped forward and leaned down. "We all see -- those of us who aren't carrying our own burdens so heavily -- that you try, Tereth. You are needed here among us, though I am not certain of why myself yet. We all see how you struggle. I want you to know that not everyone looks at you quite so harshly now." She smiled as she touched his long hair and she kissed him on the cheek. "Go on and see what pleasure you can find for yourself. Let my girlfriend here help if you both find some way. Even if nothing works for you, do not give up. Maybe I can find something else to add to you to help. The point is that you are different from how you were. It doesn't mean that you can't have some pleasure. That was never the intent." He looked up at her and his lovely face showed his confusion. Lily knew that it was necessary, but she found that she wanted that expression to leave him for much longer periods now. "What do you mean, 'something else'?" he asked. She kissed his cheek again as her hand reached down to push his out of the way. "Haven't you noticed this? I've fattened you up a tiny bit here," she smiled as he felt her hand giving him an affectionate and gentle squeeze, "It's not to make you look female, though I guess that it does. I added a little here to make the skin in between - where you seem to like to touch -- a little bit more sensitive, that's all. I'm sure that you'll like it." She stood up and kissed Sharon for a moment. "I have a lot of planning to do with the others. Spend some time helping Tereth as much as he needs or wants. There's a shiny platter there on one of the sacks. Use it to show him how he looks there now." She walked out of the room. "Ok, Tereth," Sharon smiled, as she patted the top of one of the sacks once, "Sit yourself here and let me look at you. I'm dying to see, and I'll give you the truth." He wanted to shake his head, but he got to his feet. "Holy cow," she said, rolling her eyes, "take your mitts off that spot, wouldja? I can't see through your hands." He shook his head, and Sharon tried a different approach. "Come on, "she smiled, "you heard Lily. Let's find out what you've got as you said." She put her arms around his neck and she kissed him very lightly, "I know this is hard for you. That's why I'm here. Come on, Tereth, I sure won't laugh at you." When she felt that he'd taken his hands away, Sharon stepped back and Tereth agonized for a second, until he saw her genuine smile. "You know, if Lily did that, I think that you've got more of a friend in her than you might know. That looks really nice." She looked and saw the platter. Picking it up, she blew the dust from it and held it up for him at about the level of her waist. "Tell me if I've got the angle wrong. You just have to see this." He looked and all that he saw were his knees. "Tilt it a little higher, uh, please," he said. When she did, Tereth almost gasped and it caused Sharon to chuckle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you've got a really nice girl there, and since you look so pretty, I'd call it just that. That's your girl. A little different, but it sure is lovely." She let him look for as long as he needed to. When he moved his legs apart, she spoke again. "Sit down, Tereth, "and I'll hold the mirror for you to see what's there." He did as she asked, and she told him to lean back against the wall a little as she got to her knees, "Spread those legs for me, honey. I can't get this platter thing in there to show you much like this." When they'd sorted it out, Tereth stared at the reflective surface. He almost wanted to smile and begin to cry at the same time. Sharon took the platter away. "Now you go on ahead and start doing what you were doing when I walked in here," she smiled, "I want to see the places where your fingers go." That proved much harder for him to do than he might have imagined, not knowing much himself, and feeling self-conscious about it, but he tried. After a little while, Sharon licked her fingers and tried to help and Tereth leaned back fully with a long sigh. She looked up and said, "Put your hands on my head, Tereth. I'm going to try to use my mouth. Don't force me or pull me too hard, but see if you can guide me a little. I'm going to do my best for you, ok?" He nodded and reached for her. "Thank you, Sharon," he sighed, "Thank you for trying to help me again." She didn't answer. She pushed his fingers away and began to lick him softly, but she stopped after a minute. "There's something here, "she said, "Something's coming out of your hole here." She kissed the opening a little very softly before she pulled her head back. She looked carefully and watched as a thin rivulet -- no more than a drop or two, oozed out to run along the wet groove. Tereth looked down and watched as her finger reached to catch little of it. "Well I don't know for sure, or if this will always happen, but I'd say that this is seminal fluid," she said as she held the clear little droplet up to him for a moment before she tasted it with a smile. "Yup, that's what it is, alright." She lowered her head again. "Ok, "she said, "so now I know that I've got something to work toward." "What do you mean, Sharon?" he asked, "My, ... well, everything's gone." She looked up and he watched her lean in to kiss him in that soft furrow, "Not everything," she said, "I know that you can't put out any sperm now, but your balls were only to make it and to mix it in with this. The fluid comes from inside you. What I'm really hoping for now is that I can get you to come somehow. If I can do that for you, I'd bet that there's more in you where this came from. I know it's not the same, honey, but it's what you've got to give to someone you love with. Just don't give up hope now, ok?" She got back to work and this time, she used his earlier reactions to what she'd done to guide her. In a few minutes, Tereth was writhing a little and in danger of falling right off the old sack that he was sitting on. "Let go of my head, "Sharon said, "You're pulling me too hard, and I want to be ready for when you come." Tereth hissed his acknowledgment and did his best to hang on more gently. "Get ready to look down," she said quickly in warning, and a second later, Tereth groaned loudly and stared between his legs. Sharon pulled her head back and he saw several of his pulses squirting out in a thin line to land against her face. She was grinning, but only for a moment before she pressed her face against him again to suck up what she could before he stopped. They were motionless for a little while after he'd subsided. Only her tongue moved between them gently as she tried to reward him with its soft touch before she sat back, looking down on her breasts to find more. "So you're not completely sexless after all, "she smiled at him softly. He couldn't begin to thank her. His tears rolled down his cheeks, but she knew that they weren't all sad ones now. "It only tastes a little different, and I wouldn't know what you tasted like before. But I like it a lot." She chuckled a little, "You know, any girl who likes to suck a man's cock likes it when he comes. It's kind of like the reward for all of the work to get that out of him, since if she does it right, it ought to take a while. Can you understand that?" He nodded, "I've done that before, but never because I wanted to. I just did it so that it could be over as fast as I could manage it." "Well this time, "Sharon grinned, "I really liked doing that for you, Tereth, because once I guessed that I could get something out of you, I really wanted to give you that joy to prove something to you. It doesn't hurt that I love to spend time between a pair of legs, I guess." "But what does this mean?" he asked. "I dunno," she answered honestly, "but now we know that you can come in some way, so that's the end that we need to shoot for, isn't it? You can either find yourself a girl -- like me -- who likes you enough for it, or you might have to learn to suck a male better or something. I know that I'd love to do that with you while you're doing me." She got to her feet and hugged him to her chest for a long moment, "But as much as I'd love to try that with you now, my friend, that'll have to wait. I need to get Lily's attention first. I want to ask her if you'll always have that, and if she says no, then I'll beg that she makes it so for you." She kissed him for a moment, and then she whispered into his ear. "I'm also going to get down on my knees again, if I have to, and beg her to let me bring you to bed tonight. She just has to try what I've discovered. So you sit here, or wherever you want to go for the next while as I do that, ok? I think that you've got a little thinking to do." They looked at each other and Tereth struggled for a way to express his thanks, but she shook her head, "Uh-uh. You can show me by returning the favor soon, ok? Don't get all emotional on me now. I'm probably almost as happy as you are." She kissed him again and she was gone. ----------------------- Tereth sat looking down for a long time. He saw the platter and he used it to see himself as much as he could in it, from top to bottom. He was more than a little surprised to find that he liked himself somehow. He'd gotten a look when Lily had given him one. But now it was time for him to take stock. What did he want for himself? He couldn't answer it, so he thought to narrow the scope of the question. What did he want in a partner if the possibility of something with someone raised itself? He couldn't answer that one clearly either, though he knew that he felt a want in him to try to please Sharon with his mouth and his hands. He thought about the possibility of being with a male and he discarded that right out of the gate at first, thinking that all males were like he'd been, forceful in their taking of what they wanted. He tried to remember, but he couldn't recall kissing anyone before in his life before today. Well, the way that he'd sought sexual gratification just precluded that, didn't it? Who would want to kiss him, unless it was done as a ruse before they tried to take off his face for the way that he was using them? He tried to think of Lord Tobias or Lord Racephet when they loved. He hadn't seen it, so he couldn't answer that one. But then he thought of the kobold that he'd hurt so much. If he set all of that aside, and tried only to think of it from a different angle, the idea did please him a little. Somebody like that -- if they didn't have a reason to hate him -- might be good to be with. He just didn't know if he had enough to hold anyone's interest. He felt a little like a hunting decoy in that he was a phony. He might learn to walk the walk, certainly. He might even one day teach himself to talk the talk -- but that was about it, wasn't it? Still, he thought, he did like the way that he looked now. He was far more attractive as a female than he'd ever been as a male. And at least he knew that some pleasure was possible for him. He'd really liked what his new friend had done for him. He left the line of thinking for a moment and thought of her. What he decided was that he would do about anything for her for what she'd done for him to show him that he wasn't completely worthless to everyone. He thought about what she'd said and tried to imagine the two of them using their mouths on each other and it was a really nice thought to him. If he got the chance at that, he'd do his very best for her. When he came back to himself, out of his thoughts, he found himself looking at the opening in the floor. He wondered what the purpose was for it. It took a few more minutes, but his wondering got the best of him at last and he got up to look down into it. There was nothing to be seen there in that darkness, but the scents which came to him caused him to wonder a little more. He could smell a little smoke and something which caused him to think of food in a strange sort of way. There was a little heat coming to him from down below as well. He listened carefully for a time, but he could hear nothing -- especially when the others in the scullery were speaking. He'd have to get closer. He looked at the hoist -- or whatever it was above the opening and decided that it wasn't the best way down. After all, he really had no idea if it reached to the bottom or if it would work -- even if using it was worth the risk. He looked around and saw another door behind a few bags of what he surmised were potatoes. He stepped forward and found that he could move them more easily than he thought. Perhaps he wasn't all that weak after all. The door was a bit stiff, but he did manage to get it open and then he saw the narrow stairway there in front of him as it wound its way into the blackness. It seemed to be attached to a rock surface on one side. Once inside, he saw more of it in the dim red glow of his eyes and he began to walk, careful to look at each step. He was a little worried that the worn old stairway might not be sound, and he wanted to be silent. He'd chosen the stairs so that he could get a good long look at things, rather than just fly down to land in the middle of who knew what. ---------------------- It took him a good long while, but Tereth reached the bottom of the stairs eventually. There had only been a very few that had made any sound at all when he'd tread on them, and even so, it wasn't much of a complaint. He stepped off the last step and looked up the way that he'd come. There was a hook there, hanging from the winch above. It was attached to a pallet of sorts and Tereth guessed that something was hauled upstairs with it. A little way off, he saw something like a loading platform where there was an incline to get whatever it was to be hauled up to the pallet. Looking around, he saw that he didn't really need the glow of his eyes to see by. There was a little light here, coming from what looked to be forms of phosphorescent plant life or something which grew attached to the walls and the high ceiling. He saw no one here and tried to think of which direction to go. Feeling a little bit of a breeze on his face, he turned and went that way as quietly as he could. He knew that the others had cleared out the goblins up above, but no one had told him anything of this, and so he had to assume that they didn't really know that it was here either. There was a bit of a stream here and he was on one bank of it. He guessed that the whole long cavern was really the one-time path of an underground river. Tereth listened carefully, but he heard very little. Looking down, he saw that he stood very near to a pathway and decided to follow it, since it was going in the direction from which he felt the breeze. He moved in little spurts, stopping often to smell, look and listen. One of his spurts took him close to some large dark boulders. For a moment, he thought that he might have heard something from up ahead and he stopped to crouch a little behind one of them, but there was nothing after a full minute, and so he pressed on. He was about a hundred feet from the nearest boulder when the thought came to him that he'd better look back now and then to see the lay of the land from where he'd come so that he could find his way back, hopefully without having to have his nose pressed to the cavern floor to smell. He was two hundred feet away when he had the thought that he might feel the gaze of someone on his back, so he stopped and turned a little slowly to look. He saw nothing and walked a little farther, this time snapping his head around to be certain. There was no one there. He was three hundred feet away when one of the boulders stood up to follow him. After a time, Tereth saw that there was a narrow sort of shelf which ran along one wall. He thought about it. If there had been goblins here, that shelf might have provided a commanding view of the path from a little above it and off to one side, obviously. He looked along it and then he froze as he saw the form of a goblin sitting there with a bow across his lap up ahead near to where the pathway and the shelf turned a corner out of sight. He looked again, a little careful not to stare, but needing to all the same. He only looked for about a half a second each time before he moved his gaze. He wondered if he was being watched, or if the one there was asleep. Tereth wasn't worried about goblins. Not too much, anyway. There likely wasn't a goblin anywhere that he couldn't kill if he had to. But he was worried that the one there might raise an alarm of some kind, and that was most definitely not wanted. Tereth sank to his knees to see if it might be noticed. There was no movement from the goblin. He looked to the side and thought that he saw a way to get onto the winding shelf, though it was a ways off and he'd need to backtrack a little to get to it. He wondered what that might buy him, if he did that. Looking along the shelf, he could see that if he was a little careful, he might be able to approach the thing stealthily and stay hidden around the curve of the wall until he was close enough to jump around the bend and throttle the watcher -- who still sat there unmoving. He rose up to stand, watching carefully now. Tereth took a cautious step back. He wanted to see if it had any effect before he turned to try to get to where he could get up onto the shelf. Nothing happened, and so he took another backward step. A large hand slipped around his face from behind to clamp itself over his mouth and another grabbed him around his arms and waist. He felt himself pulled tightly against something large and very hard. "No sound, nothing." a voice breathed from behind his ear very quietly. Tereth froze, cursing in his mind that he'd brought nothing with him which might be used as a weapon. In fact, he hadn't brought anything with him at all. He knew that he had some powers and abilities left to him, but he didn't think that they'd be of much use against something large and powerful if indeed that was what this was. He told himself that he was still a demon, and as such, he had little to fear from anything here, though it surprised him to notice that the thought wasn't all that effective with regard to his courage. He wasn't afraid, really. He was just very uncertain, but it lasted only a second or so before he sensed that the other one here was a demon as well. He saw a little motion in his peripheral vision from off to his right and he tried with little success to turn his head. What he did see was a nose and a bit of a snout moving forward to look over his shoulder. An instant later, he saw more as the rest of the face came into his view; the watchful eyes, along with the ears which flicked here and there as they strained to listen. The mouth opened and Tereth saw the teeth there for an instant before the mouth closed and he heard the other one sniff cautiously. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 17 Tereth felt a little of the tickle of a mane being dragged softly over his shoulder as well. He relaxed just a little, and the space that the movement bought him was immediately taken up in that tight grip. He watched as the eyes looked around the cavern for a little longer and then he saw them as they regarded him for a moment. "Shh. No sound." Tereth nodded and the hand moved from his mouth. "You," he whispered, looking at the long dark mane and the little braids in it there in a few places, "Slayer?" "Uhh," the voice said and Tereth watched the face nod once. Before he could think to ask anything else, the slayer pointed toward the goblin and hissed quietly, "Dead." The face came near to his own and Tereth watched as it slipped past a little. He heard whispers in his ear and felt the graze of lips while his own touched the ear there which flicked up and swivelled carefully for a moment, searching, before it came down to rest on his lips again. Tereth found the feeling to be a little exciting. That ear was warm and very soft. "I kill goblin, smell more goblins there. You can smell? You can use bow?" He wondered at the turns of phrase that were used. It was an archaic form of demonic speech. Tereth nodded and the other one released him, though the motion of it caused their heads to touch for an instant. It had felt so good to stand with his head touching the slayer's. Tereth didn't know why, but he now wanted to feel that again. Tereth would have wanted nothing better than to stay. He wanted to see more of this creature, but using the gift of his glowing eyes would have been much like yelling at the moment. He could see well enough in the dim glow of the plant life, but he couldn't see anywhere near the level of detail that he now wanted -- because there were a few details that he so wanted to see. The light came down from above, and there wasn't enough of it being reflected upward from the ground or the other varieties of scrub plants here to light anything. Anything which cast a shadow here, cast it in blackness. It was the first chance that Tereth had to look much at a slayer from close up. He'd had some trouble looking at them the evening before. They all looked very similar between them looking at their armor. This one was as naked as he was. And he couldn't see a damn thing. He wanted the slayer to stay for at least as long as it took him to know. He looked at the face again, the goat-like eyes regarding him thoughtfully. His eyes drifted a little lower to that mouth. Tereth thought that he was getting a clue, anyway. He looked at the powerful shoulders and that chest, straining to make out enough detail to see breasts, but that long mane finished what the shadows had begun, spilling over the shoulders and far down the chest. Tereth couldn't see anything other than muscles, and that chest, covered as it was in just the maddeningly strategic places to preclude him being able to tell if there were breasts, was also plenty deep enough to cast everything below it into darkness. Under that shadow, he got only quick glimpses of a hard belly and a navel. Below that, nothing until he got to the thighs. The only other slightly pleasant thought that came to him was that the slayer seemed to be paused, as though hung up in the same moment as he now was. Tereth suddenly felt very shy as he watched those slightly soft-looking eyes as they looked at his body. He felt a bit of joy that he had the ability to raise such interest in someone so beautiful to look at, but at the same time, he felt like the sham that he really was when those eyes settled on what the slayer must be thinking was a true female mound. Tereth decided that whatever interest this slayer might have in him was bound to end in disappointment, so he tried to steel himself for it when it came, since it was bound to at some point. "My name is-" "Tereth," the slayer whispered, and the hunter felt his jaw fall open. Tereth nodded, "Why are you here?" he asked, "why no armor now?" "Armor makes sound," the other replied, just as Tereth decided that his companion was a female, "Need quiet now. I sent to help hunter Tereth." She looked a little embarrassed for a moment, "Help Tereth," she said, "follow and guard Tereth. I kill goblin there waiting for Tereth to come." Tereth looked down, noticing a tiny motion. The slayer's eyes went wide when Tereth bent down and came back up with something squirming in his grasp. "Look, friend," he said, holding up the pale-toned little scorpion what was waving everything that it had at Tereth, who gripped it by its tail behind the stinger, "This was on its way to you. I don't know how it can live down here, but if there's one, there are many. The thin thing here in the stinger. Just look around if you're going to stand somewhere, or sit." He tossed the scorpion. She nodded her thanks and looked past him for a moment, but he knew that there was something that was not being said here. He could feel that she was very uncomfortable about something. The slayer looked a little shy and embarrassed. "I help Tereth. Follow and guard Tereth, General said. Tereth can really use bow?" He nodded. He hadn't needed to use one in an age, but, ... Her hand rose up between them. "Wait." He was astounded to watch as the slayer ran off almost silently toward the sentry with an impossibly long mane trailing behind. How such a powerful-looking beast could do that amazed the hell out of him -- until he saw that she wore some sort of black socks over the large hooves to be quiet. Until then, he'd thought those were her feet and now wanted to smack his forehead. He also noted that the slayer had a large bow hanging from one shoulder to her hip as he watched the silken tail dance in the air behind a nice set of bare haunches. That was about the softest touch that Tereth could make out. The rest, wherever he looked, was serious muscle. He tried to remember whether he'd seen the slightest hint at hips, but then he'd found out the evening before that it wasn't always a certain indicator of gender in these ones. Several of the females that he'd seen had wide shoulders as well. In an instant, the slayer reached to the shelf, pulling up before grabbing the goblin's corpse to pull him off. The body landed quietly in the plant growth there and then Tereth could see that the slayer beckoned to him after retrieving the arrow that had pinned the thing to the wall. A little to his own surprise, Tereth found himself trotting over as quietly as he could. The slayer held out the goblin's bow and the quiver stuffed full with arrows. He was still having trouble even now in the low light. He'd have laughed, he supposed, at being this hard-pressed to decide the gender of this warrior. It was just stupid, he thought as he looked at the one thing that he could see clearly in the dimness -- her face. He looked at that face and decided that he liked her -- and he was basing his assumption on her eyelashes, of all things. He'd already tried without success to see if there was an Adam's apple. The slayers all had such muscular throats, he thought. Still, he hadn't seen one, so ... He moved his gaze before he caused her to ask what he was looking at. It was all that he needed, he thought, to annoy her with his stupid answer. He could almost see it in his mind. She'd ask, and he'd tell her that he was trying to figure out her gender. He almost smirked. She'd probably throttle him. She indicated an alcove in the rock under the shelf as she dragged the corpse inside. He followed after she beckoned to him. There was a lot more room in there than he'd have thought. The only downside to him was that inside, he could see even less of her. "I, Gortruk," she said, pointing to herself. She almost asked him why he looked as though he wanted to laugh, but didn't want to risk offending him, knowing that their speech was different. Tereth was amused by the irony of trying to learn the sex of a slayer from the sound of her name. He'd thought of it a little earlier and was now very glad that he hadn't asked. These things had such strange names, he thought. He realized that it didn't make that much of a difference to him, but he did like her -- as little of her form as the darkness of the alcove would reveal to his eyes. He tried to think of a pretext for using his glowing eyes, but couldn't, not wanting to chance ruining any cover that they had. But there were things to be done, he decided. This lovely few moments of attraction that they seemed to share had to end sometime, and he'd come here to investigate something, so he thought that he might as well get to it. Taking an arrow, he decided that it would probably be a good thing to learn whether his old skills with a bow had translated to this changed body of his. He knew that he had nowhere near his old strength and power, but then again, this bow wasn't the sort of powerhouse that he'd always used. It might work out. He searched for a target outside and saw something which had the same general outline as a barrel cactus that he was familiar with in the drier parts of the deserts on this human world. The bow presented him with no difficulty in the drawing of it, but he was still surprised that there seemed to be at least some power in the wood. His first arrow went wide, but now that he had the feel of it, his next two were bang on. He shouldered the quiver. Looking down at Gortruk's lovely hooves, he smiled up, "I'll go from here. Can you cover me from behind, in case I need it? I don't know what's around the bend, but I can smell goblins." She nodded, and he was gone, working his way quickly and silently around the bend. It took him only moments to get an overview, and perhaps two minutes to see and decide. After that, one minute more and he had a plan, and then he worked his way back to where Gortruk knelt. She looked relieved somehow. "There, others," he said, pointing in the direction around the bend, "One hundred females and more. No fighters among those. Also, there are ten ogres, all male. It looks to me like the females are here to grow food of some kind." Gortruk nodded, "Legions need food. Soon." "Alright," he said, "we can work on that later. I don't think that you can move quite as quietly as I can here. Just drift behind me a few yards, and try to stay in cover if you can. I hope I won't need you, but I might need backup. If I'm spotted, I'll need help." He looked down at himself and shook his head, "I'm not very strong." The slayer looked for a moment and smiled at him, nodding, "Tereth strong enough. Gortruk watch and follow Tereth" she said, "We need two bows now." she held out her hand, "Follow Gortruk a little. Know better place to start from." He took her hand and walked where she led him in the darkness. For such a strong thing, she held his hand very gently. When he'd lagged behind a little because he'd almost tripped, he'd heard her quiet gasp and she'd spun around to hold him up for a moment. "Careful Tereth, "she'd said, before allowing him to walk again. They reached the end of the hidden passageway that she'd found while he was scouting and she pointed. He was amazed. She'd gotten them closer, though her way wouldn't have given him the details or the numbers of the goblins as well. He knew that they had to be very quiet from here on out, but he had to know something. He leaned toward her, and placed his hand on her bicep. It felt several times thicker than his own and there was a leather thong or something like that around it. His fingertips felt some sort of stone woven into the thing. "Gortruk," he whispered, "what is your job in the legions?" The eyes in front of him looked confused for a second, but then she said, "Gortruk is scout. Too big to be first scout, "she shrugged, "Gortruk's group slayer scouts." He thought about it for a moment, and the best thing that he could think of was a sort of armed reconnaissance unit. He smiled, looking at her. It fit. He moved his face to her ear. "I'm going to go on," he whispered, trying not to give in to the desire that he felt to drag his lips there. After a moment, he did it anyway and he heard her sigh as he began. "If I can, I'll try to bring back a little of whatever it is that they're growing there. I need you for overwatch. Help me if I get into trouble, alright? I'll have to go out there a long way for that." He felt her arm on his shoulder and she pulled him just a little closer, "Gortruk makes promise. Protect Tereth." She placed her other arm on his shoulders and she smiled, wanting to explain, "Want learn from Tereth. I wait for Tereth, follow, but lose Tereth many times. Have to track and not watch." She smiled genuinely, "Very hard to track, Tereth." She stepped back and looked at the amulet there on her arm. She pulled it off and held it out to him. "Take this," she said, "Gortruk's charm." He looked at it and shook his head a little sadly, "My arms are too thin." She nodded, thinking about it, but he could see that she was serious about wanting him to have it on him for some reason. She sank to her knees and took his hand to put it onto her shoulder. "Lift foot." Tereth stared a little, but since it seemed to mean something to her, he obliged and held his clawed toes together for her to slip the band over them before sliding the charm higher. It ended over the thickest part of his thigh and she seemed satisfied for a moment. He tried not to groan when he felt her fingertips graze his underside. Then she stared and he knew what she was looking at, trying to see in the darkness. Tereth felt more like a lame duck now than he ever had. But she surprised him, taking his haunches in her hands to kiss his thin belly for a moment before she kissed the furrow that was all the phony female that he could ever be to anyone. She stood up then and looked down at him with a soft smile, "Stay alive, Tereth," she said, "Careful, yes?" He looked at her and grinned, feeling better in spite of his own doubts, and wondering if this was some sort of curious custom among the slayers. He nodded and turned to go. When he was a little way off, he turned to look back and he saw her nod to him. She was all business now. Tereth smiled, He still couldn't see what he wanted to see, but he really liked her shape, not that it was especially feminine in any regard. He just liked her and he admired the way that she drew that bow a little in readiness so easily. He watched her crouch down a little and then she nodded to him to go on. It took Tereth some time to work his cautious way to a place where some of the crop -- or whatever it was there, was growing. He hoped that he could pull this off, because he was far out in the open here. He watched as one or two of the goblins ate a piece now and then, so he tried some and found that it was indeed some sort of food, though he'd be damned if he could make the distinction between whether it was a plant or some sort of fungi. There seemed to be many varieties being cultivated here. He tried a different variety from another patch nearby and it tasted even better, not at all like the first. Tereth was rather absorbed in trying to find the nature of the stuff, but the stems that it seemed to spring from were just as enigmatic as the rest. They moved when he touched them down low. Still, he puzzled over it while keeping an eye on the individuals some distance in front of him. Mostly, he clung to just about ground level, but now and then, a little of his head was visible. He knew it and did his best to select a piece to bring back while keeping his head down. Gortruk watched over him on needles and pins, willing Tereth to hurry. But everything changed when a male goblin came into view from behind Tereth. He wasn't all that large, and he wasn't an ogre. He seemed to be interested in the quality of whatever it was that they grew. Gortruk drew the bow back a little farther and waited. The goblin was between the slayer and Tereth. He was bound to look up any second. As his eyes came up and he saw Tereth, he drew a breath to shout in alarm. But he didn't. Instead he stood looking down in confusion and some fascination as he regarded the point of the arrow which now protruded from near to the middle of his chest. He hung there for almost three seconds, and then he fell on his face. The noise of that was more of a swish as he landed on the plants. But that was enough of a sound for all of the others to turn. Tereth picked up his bow. He thought that he'd be doing alright if he could use his bow to convince them to keep their heads down while he left, but it didn't work out like that. Since these things didn't seem to be all that afraid of his arrows, he began to play for keeps, though it was a little difficult to hold on to the one piece of what was growing here while trying to find a soft spot on his targets with his bow. His first serious arrow missed the nearest ogre, but he had a better sense of the bow now and he'd expected something like this anyway. His next shot thudded squarely into the thing's chest. Before that one had even fallen over, his next arrow was on its way toward the next closest ogre. It struck that male somewhere in the face. He couldn't tell in the dimness, other than the thing howled in pain and clutched at his face before landing to twitch on his back. His third attempt wasn't all that successful, hitting one of them in the knee, but it crippled him and he dragged himself and his leg toward the females, who now ran shrieking in the other direction. But the others were alerted now and seeing Tereth, they ran toward him bellowing. It would have struck him as funny at about any other time, the seven ogres running without even remembering to try to use their own bows. He shot another in the chest before their attention was drawn by Gortruk, who now stood out in the open, working the bow as fast as possible, one arrow after another. One male stopped and flew backward as though he'd been yanked off his feet, and another thrashed around in the undergrowth with an arrow in his throat. After that, she was closer to Tereth ,who had been trying to work his way toward disengaging, which he realized full well was another term for running away as fast as he could. The trouble was that it wasn't working very well just yet. Some of these idiots were throwing rocks. He dodged a few, but one of them stunned him a little as it clipped him on the side of the head on its way past. He shook his head to clear it. That was a huge mistake, and Tereth knew it when he held his head still, but everything still seemed to want to move wherever he looked. He sank to his knees. Gortruk was out of arrows, so her next target got her bow in his face as she swung it and then she was among them, killing them by way of rapid dismemberment with her sword. Tereth was astounded. He wanted to shoot at one of the males, but the action was so frenzied and the light level so bad that he didn't dare, the way that he was feeling dizzy now. She was almost through with the last of them when Tereth realized that something was very wrong. The fingers of a huge hand appeared through the vegetation and then he saw the last ogre as he pulled himself up far enough to reach for Tereth. The hunter struggled to his feet to back away, but his legs weren't answering the call much. Tereth lunged with an arrow in his hand, but it broke against one of the thing's cheekbones. He jammed the broken shaft into the ogre's eye, but it was a little late for that. The ogre lunged himself and grasped Tereth by one ankle and tried to pull him closer off his feet, raising his huge fist. He swung, but Tereth leaned back, losing the fight against his vertigo at the same time. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 17 Tereth had one quick glimpse of a scene far back in the cavern where many of the female goblins were now killing the one that Tereth had wounded. He seemed to have started an insurrection, by the look of it. He landed on his back and the ogre had him by the throat. Tereth wondered how long it was going to take for the idiot to realize that the shaft of an arrow was in his brain. He reached out to grab the shaft and stir it around in there, but things began to grow black as the hamfists closed tighter over his throat. He as fading, but he did see the ogre smashed aside by Gortruk when she arrived with a howling cry to drive her blade deep into the thing's ribcage. He watched as she leaned back and howled down at the stricken ogre as she held that sword in place, reefing it in him with her fist to make it hurt. Tereth's grasp of the slayer dialect wasn't that good, but he wanted to smile when he thought he heard her promise that she'd fuck his bleached skull for him at the top of her lungs. Whatever slow nervous system that this particular walking hilltop had, the message was not getting through to his brain. Gortruk hung onto her sword, twisting it while pounding her fist into the ogre's face over and over in her desperate rage. Tereth felt the way that the ground under his back shook with each impact. The ogre was well-dead before she stopped. Tereth looked over and couldn't actually identify a single feature on that head anymore. It was caved-in pulp. If he lived through this, Tereth resolved to always stay on the good side of slayers. She got to her feet to stand over him with the blade of her sword running with black blood. He watched as she shook her long mane back and raised her head in a loud bellow. It might have been a challenge, he thought, or more likely, she was just trying to release the tension in her while expressing her fury. Tereth tried to look up, wanting to laugh and curse at the same time. He was losing consciousness, and still he was trying to get a look up through the darkness of her underside. He still couldn't see, but he wanted to so much now. What she had must surely be as lovely as the rest of her, he thought. He felt as though he was falling away into a different kind of darkness. Tereth felt light and weak again as his vision began to clear now and then for a second or so. Suddenly, the worry-stricken face of Gortruk was there over him as she fretted. He smiled up a little weakly, "Well, Gortruk, my beautiful new friend, did we do alright?" He thought that he could see the beginnings of tears in that sweet face there above him. The slayer nodded, making noises about the two of them having found enough food to feed the legions for a good long while. Tereth thought that it was still a bit of a toss-up, though he'd never tell her. He decided that he'd still like her face and her incredible body, even if she'd turned out to be a male earlier. He liked the goatish eyes that he saw looking at him, though he really didn't like to see her so fearful for him. "You look as though you are terrified that I'm going to die," he smiled, talking nonsense. "I guess that all there is left for you to do is to kiss me then." She gasped and stared at him, "You -- you want for Gortruk to, ... kiss Tereth?" "Well, only if you want to," he said, chattering foolishly and knowing it, "I must admit that, at first, your legions looked so different to me that I didn't have much in the way of feelings for any of you, but now it's different, you know? I think that you're all so strong and beautiful. You most of all, Gortruk, you're the most lovely one of them all, "he said, feeling a little more faint, "So please, Gortruk, kiss me now so that I can die happy." He didn't think that he was going to die at all, really, though he was very weak and everything looked to him as though it was all struggling to remain in his sight, somehow. He just really wanted a kiss from her if he was going to pass out. Gortruk leaned down and kissed Tereth softly and the hunter reached up to caress the slayer's head when he heard her sigh. When he saw that face as she lifted it up, he saw her soft smile there and had a inkling of how it felt for just one second to be a demonlord. "Gortruk likes Tereth," she said, finally admitting things now that he looked as though he might die. There was a lot of blood everywhere, and Gortruk couldn't tell in the dim light how much of it came from the wound on his head. "Gortruk saw Tereth walking and wanted to talk, but Gortruk is shy. General Brinack told Gortruk to follow and protect. Not die, Tereth, please not die." Gortruk looked up and saw the female goblins approaching slowly, armed with whatever they could find. They weren't a very threatening bunch, but there was the injured hunter to think about. Gortruk was in enough trouble for how he'd been hurt already. Tereth felt himself being lifted up, and hefted very carefully for the best balance before Gortruk began to run. He kept hearing his name as a part of the mantra that Gortruk repeated over and over through the breaths in and out. The ceiling was too low here, the slayer thought. "Not die, Tereth, Not die." There was a bump and a bit of jostling at one point. Tereth felt some water against his back and he saw more of it in the air around him as Gortruk crashed into the stream to splash across. After that, things smoothed out for Tereth. The slayer needed only a slightly longer run to take off and Tereth was borne on the slayer's heavy and powerful wings now. Then they were on a landing far up on the stairs, near the top, going upwards quickly on Gortruk's strong legs. "Not die, Tereth, please not die," When they reached the storeroom, there was no one in the scullery. Gortruk still had strength for them, though, as Tereth was carried at a run through the scullery and out into the great hall where at last, Gortruk ran out of steam and sank to her knees. He watched as Gortruk lifted her head and brayed out a long call. He thought that her throat was so beautiful. He saw her look down at him and he saw that she did have tears now. His head wound bled very freely and all that Gortruk could see was that he was a bloody mess. It was all over them both. One tear fell from her nose to land on his cheek and he wanted to reach up, but his hand wouldn't obey him. He heard that she still kept up her mantra, but in an almost silent whisper now, "Please Tereth, not die now." Hundreds of slayers ran over to them. His free hand relaxed and the bruised little piece of what was grown down below rolled from his fingers to stop in front of Brinack and Lily. "Food," he said weakly, "they grow food down ther-" Tereth lost the battle to remain conscious and his body went limp. Gortruk's eyes closed tightly and the slayer's head hung down. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 18 Lewis Crowe was happy. It had taken a few days, but he'd finally gotten Grrta to the point where he could take his lovely girl out into the town and walk with her, showing her the most mundane things and loving the way that everything was a source of amazement to her. They'd gone to a little eatery that he knew, and though she'd been very nervous about doing something wrong to embarrass him, Lewis didn't care and there were no mishaps anyway. Grrta was pleased and happy, and that was all that he cared about, as he parked his little car under the trees. They carried the bags of their purchases to the door of his little cottage – just like any couple would, and he fished his keys out of his pockets. After they'd struggled a little to get everything inside and into the kitchen, he turned back to go and shut the door. But it was already closed, and he stared at the individuals who now stood in his little foyer. Grrta noticed the silence and she looked around the corner before she gasped. "Hullo, Mr. Lewis, sir," Thiery said, with a bit of a bow, "There's some things needin' Grrta's help. This is Illa. She's my – " "I'm Thiery's girl," the imp grinned proudly. She looked to the doorway and waved a little, "And you must be Grrta?" Grrta bounded out of the kitchen to fly into her brother's arms. That lasted for a few seconds before she repeated the deed with Illa, the two hugging each other tightly for a moment before they drew apart to look. "I'm so happy te meet ye," Grrta said, before turning to Lewis, "What is the right thing te do here, Lewis? Should I make tea or something?" Before Lewis could get over his shock and form his answer, Thiery cleared his throat. "We havna time fer that, just now, though we'd love that. There's a problem at the castle, down below, Mr. Lewis. It's been decided that we're te take ye both there. Mother's needin' Grrta te speak te some goblins that was found far down. "I don't know much about why, I'm afraid. I'm fer just killin' 'em and bein' done." "Well that's just your delicate way te handle things, isn't it?" Illa smirked, "Ye do know, my love, that there's other ways te deal with wee problems, yeah?" She looked at the two others, "And there's about a hundred and fifty of the wee problems at the moment, so we was sent te fetch ye both." ------------- It was early evening and if one was perhaps foolhardy enough to be close enough, one might have seen two large slayer demons standing in the December breeze. Brinack stood with Gortruk in the late twilight just outside the entrance to the Goblin Ha doors. Tereth had been taken away to be seen to by Mother. Gortruk was still wearing a lot of Tereth's blood and looked about ready to kill something, anything. "No one finds fault with you, Gortruk," the general said, "You did what was asked. So little in the way of arms, no armor, and faced with ten ogres, it is a wonder that you pulled him out at all. You could have dealt their deaths to them easily all alone, but it is another thing entirely to have to defend someone in the open and all alone." She sighed in complete understanding, "It changes one's options." "I could have done better," the slayer replied in a quiet personal growl, "I should have done more to protect Tereth. I know why you pulled me out of the line. You thought that I would take my feelings out on the goblins, but you should know me better than this." "I do know you better," Brinack replied, "but why take the risk? Besides, the way that you look wearing that blood and with your face so grim, it cannot help anything down there. Your scouts can handle a few like that easily enough. What I want to know is, why are you so upset, old friend? It is not like you." The response was an exasperated snort. "No harm was to come to Tereth - and it did. Tereth is hated here, I have heard," Gortruk said, "I know nothing of the reason for it. But I do know that Tereth is a good hunter who is hard for a scout like me to follow or track. That hunter knew nothing of me following, and yet I had trouble. It was as though I was following a ghost, Brinack, Tereth is that hard to keep in one's view. Hard enough to track, but to keep in sight, one needs to be close, and to be that close, is to lose the stealth of it. I wish to learn this ability. Also, I, ... " "You have sudden feelings for Tereth?" Brinack asked, "Gortruk, I can see this plainly. There is no mystery to the way that you look to me." The slayer looked off into the distance, but Brinack saw the nod. "Yes. I do not know why and I cannot help the way that I feel. We knew each other for what? Not even an hour? I do not know the way of the speech that they use here. I felt like a fool as we talked. I felt like a child who could not speak well when Tereth explained to me what was wanted. Yet we understood each other well enough I thought, so Tereth went out and was almost killed." The slayer turned to look at the general. They were alike in many of their dimensions, though Gortruk had a longer mane which now blew past that face and the slightly tormented eyes. "The hunter fought well, as I said. I just was not able to get there soon enough. I had my own troubles. But when I did, I saw only blood everywhere. You saw only a little, Brinack. There was far more left on the ground behind us and his blood ran over us both as I flew. Tereth looked up at me and said the strangest thing - that I was a beautiful friend – that I am the most lovely one of all." "Well, that only means that Tereth's sight had not failed yet," the general smiled, "You have always been famous for your beauty among us." The slayer's head shook, as though brushing off the compliment. "Tereth asked me for a kiss. In the middle of all of that, his blood leaving him, and with the goblins coming, waving their shovels, Tereth asked me for a kiss!" Brinack smiled, "And?" The slayer shrugged, "I gave it. And then my troubles really began." Gortruk looked over, "I have never been kissed like that, Brinack. Never in my life, and it was only for an instant, and only one kiss." The general grinned, "We have known each other from our nights in the pits, standing back to back and killing whatever came to us in double matches. You were the only one that I could trust then, and you trusted me just as much. In all of that time, from then until now, I have never seen you like this." She laughed a little, "I have watched perhaps thousands of demons throw themselves at Gortruk the beautiful slayer, and you remained unmoved, no matter what was done. Yes, you took what was offered often, but it was never anything to you, was it? And now? A single hunter brings Gortruk down, likely without meaning to at all, likely only as smitten with you as the rest, but perhaps that was one arrow that Gortruk was a little slow in dodging." She slapped her hand on Gortruk's shoulder affectionately, "Come, old friend. Leave the ones down below to their fate, since it will involve me while I see what they want. I see the ones approaching who are to speak with them and I am needed down there too. Go and see how Mother fared bringing your hunter back, but wash this blood off you first." They parted company there before they were seen by Lewis and Grrta, who now approached wondering what was to be asked of them. That was the start of a very extraordinary trip for Lewis. He and Grrta were led inside the castle, into the lower levels, and he tried very hard not to stare at the thousands of demons who stared back. "These are the legions of another demonlord, Lewis," Lily said as she guided them, "They have no interest in humans, though they will be staying here now. It is what lies below this hall which interests them very much. Come with me." On the way down, the pair stared at hundreds of large demons in armor as they formed up and the sections placed for what looked like some sort of battle not yet begun. "This is merely preparation for the worst case," Mother said, "I doubt that these will be needed, but they are also here for a bit of a show to intimidate the ones who were found here." As they walked nearer to the crop growing areas, they saw the goblins being hemmed in and rooted out of corners by one section of fighters. There was no force used other than growled orders, though the fighters were armed and had their blades in their hands. "What are these?" Lewis asked, "Since I was perhaps fifteen or sixteen, I've sought information on any sort of demon that I could find out about. As you might imagine, the majority of what I could find turned out to be a mile and a half off," he smirked a little, "but I've still been able to learn quite a bit. These here, I've never heard of or uncovered a single scrap of knowledge about." "These are slayers," Lily said, "They do not come to this plane very often, if at all, which is likely a good thing in general. They began as pit warriors – something like your Roman gladiators. These particular ones were selected for the legions of the one demonlord that I mentioned who you'll likely meet in a moment." She continued as they stepped through the stream, "What has happened today, is that a hunting demon came here, wanting to explore this area. I had a notion that he might do this, so I asked the leader of all of these slayers to provide one slayer to protect him in case he got into trouble. What they found together is a source of food for the legions, but the workers here seem to want to put up a little resistance. They can be herded, but as soon as they can, they move back to block us. I think that they are protecting the food supply here. I could likely translate for both sides, but I want Grrta to do this, so that the goblins might feel a little less threatened." --------------------- Grrta stared, looking at the group of goblins who now stared back at her with just about as much wonder in their eyes. There were many others standing behind them, all of them armed with rudimentary weapons, shovels, rakes and hoes, mostly. She shifted her speech to the form that was spoken by these goblins. "What is it that you want?" "Wait," the one who appeared to be the spokesperson said, "where are you from?" "Up there," Grrta pointed, "I'm part goblin. I was held in a cage to be food for the king." Several of the ones who had been close enough to hear made expressions to show their distaste. "You are not alone;" the leader said grimly, "some of us were taken too." "Why?" Grrta asked, "You are goblin." "Different kind," the one in front of her said, "This was our cage. We have food," she said, squaring her shoulders, "Enough to feed all. We grow it here, though we were forced by the ogres after the fall of the king. We see that things are different now. We want change for us. We want things to be better." The eyes of the speaker drifted around the group which stood before her, taking in the hundreds of slayers who stood ready to kill them all, waiting only for the command to begin. She knew that they were on rather shaky ground here, but she thought that they had at least something to bargain with. "We wish to make an offer." After translating, Brinack smiled coldly, "Does she know how little time it would take to clear them all out? Tell her that we are prepared to hear what they offer." When she'd heard what was said, the leader nodded. "You can kill us all easily. We know this, but it would buy you only enough food for a time. We know how to make it grow and we can do this for you, feeding your many forever, but we have conditions. We hope that they are not too much to ask of these ones here. The work is hard for us, and these ones are strong. We would like some help, and with that, we can feed all easily. We have no males for us here anymore, "she said. "It is not such a large loss to us, but we see the ones here and we wonder if we can make a bargain. Do these ones look like the leader there?" She related the rest of their offer. The general was intrigued when she heard it. She turned to one section, and their leader barked out a command. The goblins gasped when they saw the front rank of the section remove their helmets. The females began to chatter quietly among themselves. Brin turned to Grrta again."What do they wish for? Say this to me again, Grrta. I do not wish to misunderstand. Say this plainly to me." Grrta grinned a little. She understood what they wanted perfectly. "What they're wantin' is a good fuck and often," she said, "They're prepared te offer food and teachin' on how it's grown if they get help with the work, and they get te have a lot of fun afterward. They like the look of the ones that ye command. They hope that they're not too ugly fer the demons that ye lead, and they'd really like it if they could find one at least fer each of them te fuck with on a regular sort of basis, if ye ken what I'm sayin' here. They'd be over the moon if they could each find one in yer bunch here that might love them, but they're not all that hopeful for much beyond a hard fuck fairly often. There's also, " she paused, "well there's also a few of them what likes a girl more than a boy, d'ya ken? She said that those ones would take what they can get , but they'd like it if they could find one here for them among the girls as well." Brin turned to Kerry, who only grinned and nodded. "Tell them that the details can be sorted out later," she said, "Tell them that we are interested, but that they are mistaken. These are only a little of what I command. I command over ninety thousand slayers. I'm sure that we can come to some sort of satisfactory arrangement to the benefit of everyone on both sides of this." The leader stared for a moment and then she smiled, "I'm sure that I did not understand the number rightly," she chuckled, "I thought that I heard –" "Ninety thousand and more," Grrta smiled, "and about a little less than half are female, from what I have been told. Believe me, there are many, many more up there. They all look the way that these ones do. Is there enough food for that number? Can it be grown?" The leader nodded emphatically, grinning now, "Oh yes, it can be done. We only wish for the chance to choose. We have never had this before." She turned to the others and spoke a few words to them. The response at first was the sort of open-mouthed delighted smiles that one might see on a child's face when presented with a birthday present at a fairly early age. They looked at each other and then they began to laugh and cheer. "I think that we have an agreement," the leader nodded with a smile. Kerry smirked, "From their sounds, one would think that a drought has ended." Grrta laughed quietly, "Well I know how a lot of goblin girls are treated, and these ones are a different sort, so they'd only come in for worse treatment. It's lookin' te me like their menfolk didna do much te protect 'em, and there are no girls here big enough te give the ones that were killed upstairs or the ogres much more than a minute's worth of trouble. I know what they're not sayin'. They do hope for what they're askin' for, yeah? But they're also hopin' that they might make a few friends and that with the food and teachin' that they're offerin', maybe they'd be safe with these ones here. So lookin' at it that way, I'd have te say that te them, perhaps a drought has ended." --------------------- Gortruk looked at Tereth lying in the bed for a long moment. The hunter's hair had been cleaned and the flow from the wound stopped. Given the little that the slayer knew of the storm demon, it didn't look as though there would be lasting physical effects. It was the possibility of everything else that was the worry – brain damage, the certain concussion, and somewhere in that list, the way that Gortruk felt as well. Well, there was hope, anyway. The slayer turned and walked softly to the balcony, looking out and down to the great hall in thought. After a minute, there were quiet sounds from near the bed, and Gortruk turned back to see a pair of smaller individuals looking at the hunter. When they saw Gortruk, they almost jumped out of their skins. "Pardon us, if we're disturbin' ye," the kobold said quietly, "We heard that Tereth's been hurt." Gortruk nodded, "Yes." "We're feelin' a bit guilty fer some words that was said," the imp whispered. "By us," the kobold added. "Aye," Illa said, "by us. There was quite a bit of hard feelin's behind what was said, and we know that ye don't know about it all, and that's fine. But we've heard that ye both found food fer everyone, and, ... well, we're not fer lookin' too harshly at Tereth because of it. By the look of ye, I'd guess that ye're no a healer of any sort, so it's likely no good askin' ye about if –" "I know almost nothing," Gortruk replied quietly, "but I was there and I can say that Tereth found the food and fought well. I saw three ogres killed and one wounded before I could lend aid. I did not see it, but somehow a piece of what they grow there was brought as well. I fear that I made a friend today and am near to losing that friend now." The two conferred for a moment before turning back to the slayer. "Please, if ye find the chance and the time fer it," Thiery said a little humbly, "would ye tell Tereth that we came te say that our score is settled? I've had some thoughts about things, and I'd hate it if, ... well if Tereth passed, thinkin' that what was between us couldna be changed. That was how we felt about it before, but, ..." Gortruk smiled, "I have been what I am for a long time, friend. I can understand how you might feel. It will be said, if I am given the chance for it." They bowed to Gortruk and walked out. In the hallway, Thiery said, "Didja see them muscles, Illa?" "Aye," she grinned, "I couldna help it. But didja see that hair, Thiery? I'd give a lot te have hair like that, I tell ye." "What's wrong wi the lovely hair that ye have?" the imp asked, "I love yer hair, Illa. Besides, if ye had that hair, I'd never be able te find ye in it. Ye'd crash inte things when ye was flying from not bein' able te see." "Oh, ye know what I'm sayin', " Illa said a little impatiently, "I'd just like te have hair that thick and long on me – not as long as it is, ye fuckwit. I'd be a mop wi' wings like that." "Although," the kobold said as they began down the stairs, "It might come in handy. I could just wade inte it and we'd have privacy fer our fun wherever we were, yeah?" The stairwell echoed with her gasp and then she hit him playfully. "Yer an ass, Thiery, but I love ye anyway." The conversation had been overheard by Gortruk, who under other circumstances would have laughed and been charmed, but as it was, ... -------------------- "You need to know how the speech is changed," Brinack said as Gortruk listened, "I was told that Tereth should get better soon. We have lived to ourselves all of this time and the way of the speech has left us behind a little." Tereth's eyes opened slowly. Across the room, he could see two of them speaking, two of the most lovely and powerful creatures that he could have imagined, and one of them was Gortruk, who stood listening intently with those massive arms folded across her chest. Gortruk nodded, and then the slayer began to repeat the sounds of the verbs and participles, the pronouns and the adverbs in current common use. It wasn't difficult. It was only different, Gortruk thought. Besides, if Tereth was going to recover, Gortruk had a lot that had to be said. Tereth found that he still had trouble maintaining his focus and he closed his eyes with a soft sigh. The others in the room snapped their heads around toward the sound, but Mother smiled a little, "Our casualty woke for a few seconds, but is gone again now." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 18 -------------------- The slayer stared as Mother finished her tale and the expression before her caused the storm demon to laugh softly. "Yes, mighty Gortruk, legate of the scout legion, leader of slayers, that is everything that has happened, and perhaps all that I know of Tereth the hunter." Gortruk picked up the goblet and sipped thoughtfully for a moment, "I do not wish to annoy you, Old one, but there is no way that I can think of to ask, ..." "Ask then, Legate," she smiled, "in any way that it makes sense to you." "There is no chance that you might be mistaken in this history of Tereth that you tell me?" She shook her head, "No, why?" Gortruk began to laugh, "Nothing, Old one." "How do you feel now, then?" she asked, "knowing the darkest things?" "Nothing more than my want for Tereth to be well remains unchanged." Mother smiled for a moment, "It is said that you are known for your beauty. I can see why this is, but I think that you are at your best when you are happy like this." ---------------------------- The slayer was a little unprepared for the scene in the dim cavern of the hot pool when Brinack led them in answer to the polite request. Maezou lay on her back with Illa lying on her and Zele was not far off being serviced by Thiery. "Hullo again," Illa smiled happily, "Is Tereth – " "No," Gortruk said quietly, "Though I have been told that a full recovery can be expected. I will pass your message when my friend awakens." He looked at Maezou. "We were summoned." Maezou kissed Illa and asked her to get off. "Yes Mistress," she grinned as she looked at Gortruk a little hopefully. "I'm sorry, but it wasna said before, and I've only just learned that yer name is Gortruk," she said, "I'm Illa. Do ye fancy feelin' an imp girl's lips on ye, as long as I'm nearby? I'm sure that my mistress will no mind." "Thank you, no," the slayer smiled, "I was told that this was for a military purpose. As sweet to see as you are, I do not mix – " "Illa," Maezou scolded gently, "the legate's thoughts in that regard are elsewhere, I think. Please, General Brinack, and you, Legate Gortruk, please make yourselves comfortable." "That's alright, Gortruk, "Illa laughed, "but if ye change yer mind, then let me or Thiery know, and we'll ask our mistresses if we can come and play." She lifted herself off Maezou carefully and sat down next to Zele. After encouraging Thiery a little, Illa found the end of Zele's tail and sat sucking it happily as she watched. What she was doing pushed Zele to her finish, and Illa looked down at her a minute later, "Are ye done wi' Thiery, Zele? If ye are, then I could use him fer a bit, so's I don't get te feeling neglected, since he didna finish and all." She sighed loudly, "It'll be down te me te finish what ye started." Both of the sisters sputtered and laughed in surprise. "Neglected? Illa, you came in here and began this with us after having us watch you both," Maezou said. Zele smiled, "Surely it has not been an hour since you had Thiery last." But Illa now toyed with Thiery and Gortruk watched in amazement as they laughed and tussled together on the floor. It reminded the slayer of two little spiders fighting, but the pair ended up on their sides with Illa's wings around them as they made love. "Thiery ye handsome thing,"Illa chuckled, a little out of breath, "don't ye listen te them. I've been missin' ye fer all this time, even if it's only been an hour." She sighed as she rocked him, "Nobody does this for me like my Thiery." He didn't stop, but he sounded a little petulant, "If I'm so good fer ye, why did ye call me a fuck-it or whatever ye said?" "Thiery," Illa groaned quietly, "just love me. I called ye a fuckwit and that's what ye are. I don't mean that yer stupid. I'd never think that, it's just that ye make me laugh and I love ye so." She reached to pull him to her tightly for a moment. "I'm a fuckwit too, dear. But I'm a batty one, aren't I?" He lifted his head to look at her, "I thought ye said ye was part hare. Yer a batty fuckwit?" "Aye, yeah," she laughed in joy like a child as she pulled his head to her so that he'd kiss her throat, "I'm anything ye say, sweetness. Just never stop fucking with me and I'll be a happy one." The others smiled at each other with raised eyebrows before Maezou decided to press on with the business that she'd wanted to talk about. The imp and the lobold on the floor were forgotten by all but Zele, who laid one of her wings over them and watched under it. "Our males are off together scouting," Maezou said to Brinack, "I was told that the full and careful assessment will fall to you in another day or so, Gortruk. If Tereth is better by then, I suggest that you go together, since you both have a part to play in my mother's plans with Toby. There are other locations that will need your assessment as well." "What part is Tereth to have?" Gortruk said with concern, "I do not know if –" "Something which will need your careful judgment is whether Tereth will be able to fly at the much higher speeds that will be demanded in all of this. We need for Tereth to be able to fly much faster than ever before, due to the smaller body mass and shape. It's very important," Maezou said. Maezou shook her head, "Legate, I cannot do that much to affect the timing of this, so there is not much more time available. I do know that Tereth's part in everything is crucial to our winning a clear victory – and that is what must happen, Gortruk. Anything less will only show vulnerability on your Appolyon's part as well as my lord's. This must be won in no uncertain terms. Forgive me if I make this sound at all desperate, Gortruk. I do not think that it will be, necessarily, but there are a lot of parts to this – and therefore more things which might go wrong at a bad time. General Brinack knows of this and she can explain the details." She sat up and leaned forward, "Now that I've gotten the stuffy parts out of the way, have some wine and tell me about Tereth." "I was hoping that you might tell me, Maezou," Gortruk smiled. "I find myself caring about Tereth quite a bit these days, "Maezou said, "Maybe it's a little bit of guilt for what I did, though something was clearly needed. I will not speak badly of Tereth, but you ought to know that there were few redeeming qualities before. I've only known Tereth for about a hundred years, but in that time, it was as much more of an adversary of mine than a coworker just being a plain bastard about everything for the way that Tereth often got in my way as I hunted to make stupid suggestions or try to distract me. And it didn't matter what I said, Tereth wouldn't stop. If our paths crossed while hunting, Tereth's hunt went out of the window while I had someone obstructing me in every imaginable way. But I'd bring the soul that I'd been commanded to bring, while Tereth would point to me and accuse ME of thwarting the Great Hunter Tereth's plans as an excuse for his own failure. It only improved when I finally began to respond – by sending messages of pain. Tereth only came here to hunt me because Lord Gorek commanded it. That's the only reason – because Gorek was already hurting Tereth, so I chose to help my old adversary, though it was not seen that way, believe me. I do not hate Tereth. I never have. From what I have been hearing, I am a little hopeful that Tereth has found a friend in you. You may not see it yet, and perhaps Tereth does not either, but what is planned is for the good of all of us who want our freedom." She sipped her wine a little and said, "We don't really know each other, Gortruk, but I can say that I'm really hopeful to get to know you and all the rest of your Appolyon's legions much better when and if this ends well. I already count your General here among my friends and I have heard that you and Tereth seemed to have found a friendship between you before you brought a great hunter home to us. I meant those words, Gortruk. Tereth has come in for a lot of scorn because I was a better soul hunter, but I think that Tereth has other skills that I have not mastered as well, so I give your friend credit for what was done. If it had been me, I likely would have laid waste to the whole cavern and it would have bought us all nothing. For what happened, Tereth is a great hunter in my eyes." ------------------- When he woke, Tereth looked around as far as he could – which wasn't far at all. He found himself in bed lying next to a very naked Gortruk. The tall slayer was lying front down, propped up with pillows under that chest, reading from a table of symbols prepared by Lily. It related to patterns of speech in the newer tongue. What had awoken Tereth was the sounds that Gortruk had made while practicing. He looked at that fine shape and his eyes took in the muscles there at rest. His eyes slid along until they stopped as he regarded the most immaculate set of buns that he was sure that he'd ever seen. They even made him hungry, besides the other emotions that he felt. He thought about his position as they lay here together and couldn't really imagine a reason for it, other than his own incredible luck at the moment – and he knew that he absolutely never ever had this sort of luck in the normal course of his life. He kept admiring that fine ass. Wonderfully fine Gortruk was lying naked next to him, and those haunches were at rest – and they almost looked as though she was clamping them together, though she wasn't. As the minutes went by, he saw no change, so he concluded that the girl that he felt so much for was even more remarkable. He had to touch them, he thought. His head only hurt him a little, he decided. He didn't even really know if this was a dream or not quite yet. But he knew that he had to touch them. Caressing them would have been a wonder, but he didn't trust his luck that much. He just needed a harmless pretext, but what? He sighed, closing his eyes, and pretended to roll that way a little, draping his arm so that his hand could lie right on that beautiful bottom. He wanted to hold his breath, but he knew that he had to keep on breathing audibly if he was going to have a chance to pull this off and be allowed to keep his hand there. He heard Gortruk stop breathing and then he felt her body go a little rigid. Tereth stayed the course and tried to keep up the pretense of sleeping. He felt the loveliest slayer of them all turn her head to regard him for a moment, and the motion caused his hand to slip too far down from her immaculate ass to the sort of thighs that he wanted to chew on almost as much. Gortruk appeared to have decided that he was still asleep and turned back to her reference table to practice a little more, only quieter now. But then Tereth felt a miracle happening. Gortruk reached behind herself carefully to lift his hand and place it onto her ass again very softly. There was silence for a few moments before Gortruk spoke. "Did you know that you smile so sweetly when you pretend to be asleep? That smile is almost as nice as the one that has been on your face all afternoon while you really were asleep. I mean, here you are, awake and pretending." Tereth opened his eyes to thin slits and watched as she turned back to her reference table. "A pity that you can't pretend to be asleep the way that you really do sleep when you are next to me. You have been sawing wood all afternoon, with your fingers in my hair or playing with my ass. I like it better than only holding your hand there. I enjoyed what you did for at least an hour." Gortruk rolled facing Tereth, who found himself in those arms and looking up at that incredible smile. "Tereth, my wonderful new friend, I've been waiting for over a day. Please kiss me before I die." Tereth couldn't believe what his ears told him, but after a moment, he smiled and nodded. Gortruk leaned down and that first real kiss between them - where no bloodshed or archery was involved - caused them both to groan and drift in each other's soft sighs for many minutes. "Where are we?" Tereth asked finally after they'd stopped for air and to exchange smiles. Gortruk grinned and kissed him again, trying to remember what had been taught by Brinack of the newer form of their speech. "We are in a bed, in a chamber given for as long as it takes for you to get well and to stop thinking that I am a female. I did hear what you said about me as you slept. This is new to me, but I have the wish that you will still like me. I followed you around all day and then waited for you down below. After you were brought to be healed, I have wandered and spoken to many about the one that I now long to hold tightly to me. It seems that you and I are very popular heroes now, you especially. I've waited for a day for you to wake up. I hope it matters as little to you as it does to me, but we each thought that the other one was something else. Once I found out my mistake, I have laughed about it ever since and I am so happy that I was wrong." "Are you sure?" Tereth asked, "I am not really anything anymore." The smile above him didn't waver. "Yes you are. I was afraid for you, but I already knew that I wanted to know you. Maybe it was a good thing, what happened – other than that you were hurt. They came and cared for you, and you woke up twice, but only for a moment. My general came with our Appolyon, and I told of everything, saying that I was sorry that you were hurt anyway. I was told that you would likely be alright, and then an old one came. She was very beautiful, and she told me of your past – all the things that you have done, because I asked, Tereth. And I still want to know you. I want you, and I am in a little fearful agony hoping that you like me." He held Tereth's head and kissed those lips softly again. "Tereth, this what and who we might be – this does not matter to me at all. What matters is what we have here. This is what we can have – now. I don't care about anything else; only that you sigh when I hold you and kiss you and how much I love it when you kiss me. Tereth thought about it and then he smiled as he pulled Gortruk down to kiss him again. He found that he couldn't move too much without his head pounding painfully, but he sighed anyway at the soft and gentle kisses that he was given. He also felt the press of something else against him, but it was gone when Gortruk pulled the covers off and moved to place himself over Tereth. "Forgive me if I do anything wrongly," he said, "I am on some unfamiliar ground here, but I think that I know what it is that we both would want, and I will do my best." Tereth nodded as he sighed, feeling the large and very strong hands that he'd admired as they began to caress him everywhere. He began to relax when he felt the way that the shaft of Gortruk's hardness seemed to be able to part his furrow a little to rub in a delicious sort of way. Tereth reached up and ran his fingers through that impossibly long mane. He didn't think that he could ever get tired of seeing it and touching it. He moved it a little and toyed with it. Even when it got in the way, he found that he liked it. Soon enough, Gortruk began to work his kisses down lower, agonizingly slowly as far as Tereth was concerned. He wondered why it was that he felt an increasing sense of unease over it. That ended when Gortruk's lips found a nipple. Tereth gasped at the feeling as he arched his back up involuntarily. It felt incredible to him, but after a second, he wondered at this as well, since something certainly felt a little different from what he'd expected. He didn't want the male above him to stop, so he ran his hand over the other side of his chest. His eyes opened wide and he struggled to speak. "Ssh," Gortruk whispered as he nuzzled his face there a little longer. "The old one changed you while you slept, but only a little. I did not think that it would matter to me, but I like it, and they are not large at all." Tereth stared up in shock, "I have ..." "Yes, as I've said," Gortruk looked up, "Aren't you listening to me? Should I stop or should I stop talking?" He dragged his lips across the nipple that he'd been paying attention to, "They're not big. More like swells, really. It's not up to me, but I didn't think that you needed them. I was wrong, I guess. They suit you and I liked to put my head there while you slept. There was another change made." "What was it?" Tereth asked, "I wasn't used to how I was. Do I need to look?" Gortruk looked up, and Tereth couldn't stop his hands from touching that hair, that face. He'd never fallen in love before. "There is nothing to see," he said, "and I do not know what it is that was done. The old one said that your friend Sharon asked her for it." He pressed his mouth to the other one and Tereth groaned as he felt his leg being raised. "Wait, Gortruk," Tereth gasped, "I – I don't know what to do, I –" "Well," the male said with a smile that Tereth could have sworn that he could feel, "I can stop and we can discuss things, or you can just allow me to bumble along here in my own way. I cannot promise much, since I know little of what I do here with one so wondrous as you are. But I promise that I will do my best, and I will never hurt you." He began to kiss a little lower down, and Tereth felt the slayer's hair on him everywhere like the softest caress. Gortruk's chin was riding just on his little furrow as he kissed and gently bit over the hard belly that he loved to see and touch. Tereth forgot all about whatever it had been that he was objecting about, though the vague sense of unease remained. Gortruk stopped abruptly and looked up. Tereth looked at him, seeing those soft eyes and trying to reconcile the sight with the way that the slayer had killed so many foes in so little time. He remembered the way that Gortruk had stood over him protectively and howled out his feelings. "How long have you been a slayer?" he asked. "Almost from the beginning," the male replied, "I am no stranger to loving with a female, though I have never loved with a male. I feel that you are nervous about what I do, and now I want to know why. What is it that I do wrong here for you?" "You're not doing anything wrong," Tereth said with a sigh, "It's just that I'm ..." The slayer rose up on his elbows. "Tereth," he said, "Until now – or in a moment or two, this has been the same for me as it might be with anyone. I just did not know that it would be. If you would calm down, what I want to do next is as new to me as it is for you, but for my part, I am not afraid of it and I can even say that I am smitten, I enjoy this so much with you. I want to kiss you in that place which gives you so much trouble. Please allow me this." I know what you have," he said with a small nod, "and I have seen what you do not have. I know what has happened to you and what was done. It changes nothing for how I feel. I think that there are ways that we can have what anyone might have with another." Tereth was stuck for a moment, and then he said, "Gortruk, in my eyes you are so beautiful, and I love what you are doing to me now, but, ... " He looked down and away as he continued, "This will lead to something else. Like many where I come from, I have been forced to lie still while someone stronger than I was did what they wanted to me. I have never enjoyed it. I do not want you to be disappointed with me, that's all. I am afraid of the pain. I have hurt others and now I am afraid of the same thing." Gortruk leaned his head down and kissed Tereth's mound for a moment. "Listen," he said when he looked up again, "please give me a chance, lovely Tereth. That is all that I ask of you. I will not hurt you, and I have been coached by two demonlords, the two consorts of one of them, the old one and her human lover about how this is to be done. When I began as a pit fighter, I was taught less than I have learned for this. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 18 I am in no hurry, and we can try again later if you feel pain. We can even give it up if you cannot abide it at all. This is different for me. I have never done this with anyone, male or female. But I want to try with you, Tereth." That face was so earnest and sweet that Tereth finally nodded his assent. "I am tired of being alone. I could not be a part of anything before. Here there are a few who are kind to me, you especially, Gortruk. I will try, but be gentle." "I will be," the slayer smiled, "as much as you need, though I will curse myself if I am so gentle that you fall asleep again." "I do not think that it is possible," Tereth groaned, "I do not mean to sound as though I am immune to what you do, because it feels wonderful to me this far. Just go on and we'll see." Tereth lay back hanging on to his lover's horns as the slayer licked him. He wanted to warn Gortruk, but he was overtaken so quickly when his gush came. Gortruk didn't mind, and caught all that he could. After feeling such soft kisses in that spot, Tereth felt the slayer's tongue everywhere on the lower end of him and asked what he was doing. The answer that he got came to him as a chuckle. "I am ... painting with my tongue," he laughed softly. Tereth was about to ask further when that tongue found a different place and he threw his head back from the sensation. --------------------- "I have to make water," Tereth said softly as he ran his fingers through Gortruk's mane. His lover was lying with his head on Tereth's stomach. "Is there a place here for this, or must I walk to the pits?" "There is a place," the slayer's voice replied, seeming to come to him from out of a dream. He lifted his head, and that little smile made Tereth realize that he was indeed falling in love. "I will help you there." The trip wasn't all that far, only across the chamber. "That's it? That uh, pot?" Tereth was surprised as he walked carefully, trying to avoid having his head pound again. He was looking at a large earthenware pot, almost two feet tall. "It is emptied and washed out every day," Gortruk replied, as though it was a commonplace thing. "I will help you if you wish, so that you don't fall off." Tereth managed it all by himself, but it made him grin to see the way that Gortruk looked at him. "You are enjoying this, aren't you?" "Well, yes," he admitted, "I think that I am more fascinated, really. I now know that I could likely watch fascinated as you did anything. Well, maybe not one thing, but in anything else, you captivate me. A small movement, raising your finger, and my eyes go there enthralled." Tereth stood up. "Well while I am captivating you, could you help me back to the bed?" The trip took them near to the balcony. There were the usual night sounds of mating demons. In many places, quiet grunting could be heard, and in some there were cries of joy now and then. The pair stopped and Tereth pointed at some small islands of green in the middle of a largely dark sea. "Look," he whispered, "There, and there, over there, those look like, ..." Gortruk nodded as he released Tereth's hand to put it over his shoulder, "Those are the goblin females that we found down below. They offered to grow the food for us all in exchange for a little love." Tereth stared, "Look there, that one is being forced. Her legs are held up and her arms are pinned." "No," the slayer said, "it is something of a common custom. Often, a female slayer likes to be held like that, if there is trust to the ones holding her. She asks for this from her friends, while she ruts. They help and caress her. Sometimes, she offers her thanks by allowing them this as well. It depends. Besides," the slayer smirked, "imagine what might happen when a strong female thrashes in a crowded place where others are mating or sleeping." He turned his head to kiss Tereth for a moment. "I saw this last night. It seems that these goblins really enjoy what they saw and many now ask for this. For some of them, it is only what they had, but here, they are not forced and so they like it." They watched for a time until someone down below noticed them, and then the hall began to hum softly with whispers as one slayer noticed and told another. Many waved to the pair on the balcony. "You have many friends, I see," Tereth smiled up at Gortruk. His lover smiled a little shyly, "I am known, yes, but I do not count this many among my friends. I think they wave at you more than me. You are a little famous among us now. All have heard of Tereth the hunter, who found food for the legions before we were forced to go a long way to raid again." Tereth looked out and smiled, feeling a little less useless for the moment. He tried a little tentative wave, and it was returned to him by the hundreds. "Do they know you? This many?" "Well, these ones had better know me," Gortruk smiled, "The nearest ones are my group." Tereth was interested now. He wanted to see how well-known Gortruk was among them. "Which ones?" The slayer grinned a little, "The ones that you can see, the nearest group. I am a legate." "This means little to me, slayer," Tereth grinned with a shy shrug, "How many? A dozen in the middle? Point them out to me. I wish to see them." Gortruk chuckled as he leaned down and kissed Tereth's ear, "A legate commands a legion," he whispered. "Four thousand, two hundred slayer scouts, and a little more, since we seem to have attracted a few of the prettiest goblin girls." Tereth's jaw dropped. He suddenly wanted to step away from the balcony. "Why are they pointing?" he said to Gortruk, who looked a little embarrassed after a moment. "It is, ... it is another custom," he said rather uncomfortably. "My charm. It is still on your leg. I wanted you to wear it to keep you safe and then I forgot about it. It carries another meaning here. You should take it off." "I don't think that I want to," Tereth said, with a hint of a shy little grin. "Maybe I am proud to wear it. What do they know of me, other than this?" he asked. "They believe that you are a female, as did I," Gortruk smiled as he looked down. "Only a very few know the truth, and all but one of those who were here before we came have some love for you. The one who does not is now under a geas from the old one. If she says one word of what you are, she will be destroyed. Even the small ones who hated you have come to ask about you and wish to say that their score with you is settled." "Does this charm on my leg mean that I am your female? Is that what is meant?" The slayer nodded. "Are you ashamed over it?" Tereth asked. Gortruk shook his head, "No, only that I forgot. Please forgive me, and do not touch it now." "Would you walk with me into the middle of them and tell them that I am no female if I ask it?" Gortruk looked right into Tereth's eyes and said, "If that is the task that you set for me, I will do that – " "For me?" Tereth asked. Gortruk nodded, "For you," Tereth was having a little fun now, but he was also testing just a bit. "You told me not to touch this. What does it mean if I touch your charm while it is on me?" "That would mean that you have accepted me. You should do this only if you -" But Tereth had always been the sort who could never abide having a line drawn in the sand before him. He reached down while smiling at the ones below and he touched the amulet, rubbing the stone in a slow and sensual way. The cheers grew louder. "I thought as much, "Tereth said, "and I do not think that I mind in any event. I am whatever I am, and I cannot change it much. Actually, I do feel proud." He turned to face Gortruk and looked up with a smile. "I do not really want to change anything anyway, I think. I saw you cry for me, Gortruk. No one has ever cared about me. I've caused a lot of tears, I guess, but never for me. No one has ever wept over me. I thought that you were a female then, and I felt badly that I had caused you to cry. I never cared bafore, but I did then." "I have been in many fights," Gortruk said, "I have seen much and lost friends. But I have never felt fear as I did then." They looked at each other, the hunter smiling up at the slayer. He reached to touch the long hair that hung down onto Gortruk's powerful chest for a moment. "I so enjoy your hair," he said. The slayer reached for Tereth and kissed his head, "And I yours, and everything about you." "Well," Tereth smirked a little, "if I am seen as a female here, then I think that I ought to get busy cementing that notion." He reached up to Gortruk's thick neck and slid his arms around as he stood on his toes a little to kiss Gortruk, meaning every little movement of his lips and tongue. It caused a few quiet cheers. Tereth pushed away gently after a few minutes and he began to kiss Gortruk's chest as his hands found places to touch and caress on the heavy muscles that they could reach. "Tereth," Gortruk groaned softly, "we are in the view of many here. Don't you mind this?" Tereth's breath hissed out past his lips as he held a large pectoral muscle in his teeth gently. He pulled back only as far as he needed to reply. "I know that, and I don't care if you do not. If I am famous as you say, then I wish more to be famous as the one who pleases Gortruk if he wants me, and if I am his now." "I want you," the slayer groaned as his hands found Tereth's head. "Do you want me to be, ... yours?" Tereth asked as he found a nipple and drew it between his teeth without waiting for a reply. "Yes!" Gortruk hissed, "So much!" "Then let them share my joy," the hunter sighed, as he worked his way a little lower and began to nip and chew on the hard ridges of abdominal muscle that he found. More slayers began to look up and tell others, watching the couple on the balcony. Tereth sank slowly to his knees. He leaned back a little and he reached around to hold Gortruk's haunches for a moment with a little smile. "I would imagine," he said softly, "that if I were to find all of the females that you have loved with and asked them to name one feature on your wondrous body which gives them pleasure only to look at," the smile turned to a grin, "then it surely must be these." Gortruk smiled as his lover squeezed his cheeks once in appreciation. Tereth sighed, "But, I think that I will enjoy them later. I am faced with something else which gives pleasure to look at, but cannot be left alone on one like you. That would surely be a crime." The ones watching cheered again very quietly as Tereth reached to caress the maleness in front of him. He thought about what Sharon had said as he licked his lips and opened his mouth. The rest watched spellbound and there was no sound from down below. The only sound in the hall was the very quiet flutter of the flame in the great firepit and it did very little to mask the groans from the two lovers on the balcony when Tereth began. He reached to take Gortruk's hands and placed them on his own head as he worked. And Tereth worked this warm rod in his mouth for all that he was worth after a little while. He held in with one hand, stroking and kneading. Now and then, he pulled back to regard it for a moment as his hand worked on. Gortruk looked down whenever he could to watch as Tereth loved him. When he felt that Tereth had stopped sucking, he made sure to look. Tereth was masturbating with his free hand, and of course to the ones in the hall who could see, it had a very feminine appearance, not being much different, if at all. Tereth looked at the head of the maleness that he wanted and he extended his tongue to slide it wherever he could in a bit of a show and to change the sensations for a little while. When he was ready, he made a point to look up into Gortruk's eyes to tell him that Tereth would give him what he wanted, that Tereth was his. Gortruk held out for a good while, but he hissed that he was close. Tereth groaned loudly and when the slayer came, Tereth made a point of allowing his mouth to be filled so that some of the semen ran out and dripped visibly to the thousands who now watched intently with glowing eyes. When Gortruk had given Tereth all that he could, Tereth stood up and threw his arms around the slayer for his kiss. There were more quiet cheers, but the great hall was quieter after a moment as hisses and buzzes of quiet conversation passed here and there when they walked back to the bed and out of sight. Then the hall buzzed a little louder and for a long while afterward. It took a long, long time, but Tereth was determined. He did his best to hide his discomfort when gentle push came to well-lubricated and incremental shove. He wanted this now. The trouble was that Gortruk was long. The good part was that Gortruk wasn't huge in girth, which had pleased Tereth because he now enjoyed sucking it so much. Even so, it was a struggle. He looked down on that hopeful face and pushed back once more. It wouldn't fit. Tereth thought about things and he knew that it would go in. A lot of others had over the time, and none of them had any lubrication beyond a little spit if he'd been lucky. He pushed back in little motions over and over with only the tip inside of him, trying to prepare himself for what he wanted. Finally, he tried to relax as much as he could as he sat smiling down and touching the ridged stomach in little motions as well. He reached back to grasp what he could and then he just pushed. Tereth froze just as Gortruk's eyes opened wide. "Stop, Tereth, "he said, "I see this hurts you too much." Tereth shook his head as he knelt there frozen in place. "No, "he gasped, "We are almost there now. I just... I just need a little time." But once he'd gotten used to it, Tereth was happy. They did it in several positions and each time, he was amazed to see how much he was pleasing the slayer who seemed to want him so much. As he lay under Gortruk with one leg over the slayer's shoulder he thought that he was now as close to being a female as it was possible for him to be and he said this to Gortruk. "Really?" The slayer seemed surprised. "Not really, no," Tereth sighed, closing his eyes to the delicious feeling of it. After a few moments, he opened them again and smiled, "I am only a very pale imitation of something wonderful, that's all. I know that what I feel is not what they feel, though I love having a male inside me now, well, one male, anyway." He raised his other leg to try to wrap it around Gortruk's waist with a little success. "I do not wish to split hairs," Gortruk said, a little out of breath as he worked, "but I think that you are not so much an imitation as you might be an approximation in a way, and I am happier with you than I could imagine." The statement got him a puzzled look and Gortruk had to laugh a little. "You do not see it, beauty, but I am looking at the other change that was made to you, I am sure of it. "Have you felt the bed?" he asked, "There is now a bigger wet spot than I have ever known when I have loved with anyone. The bed is soaked with what seeps out of that little hole of yours. When we do it like this, I see it run out and down the fold on you. I guess that some of it keeps you wet for me, but the rest runs off to soak the bed." He kept up his gentle fucking as he watched Tereth's face. In a moment, Thereth reached out with his hand and he felt the flow. He was wet. Really wet, and even better, he'd forgotten about how good it felt to caress himself there. Tereth began to moan and buck. The sight of it spurred Gortruk on and he began to fuck a little harder. Tereth still had a prostate gland and it still worked. With what he was doing and the way that the slayer was beginning to pound him very carefully, he found himself rushing toward his orgasm. He lowered his leg, and it helped the feeling quite a lot as he cried out and the first pulse of his gush hit Gortruk in the stomach. The slayer responded and seized Tereth's legs, raising them as Tereth continued to cry out. The sensation caused Tereth to tighten, and Gortruk almost roared out his passion as he let go to fill his lover. The chain reaction continued, since Gortruk's maleness now swelled and grew very hard. It hurt Tereth, but he was past caring at that point and it only added to his joy. The little fountain spurted upwards a few more times and then subsided to a trickle before it stopped. Tereth was out of breath. His chest heaved as he clawed for oxygen. He looked at Gortruk and decided that he was in fact, now a happy slave to that thing inside of him, though he'd keep that little bit of truth to himself if he could. "I want... I-I want to say something, I- " "Oh shut up, Tereth," Gortruk groaned with a smile, "I'm seeing stars here. Give us both a minute, and I'll discuss the meaning of the universe if you like." Tereth looked up and thought that Gortruk might fall on him if he stayed like that. "Come down here," he smiled, "It's where you'll end up anyway." "I'll pull out," Gortruk warned. Tereth shook his head, "I don't think so." Gortruk leaned down slowly and Tereth wrapped his legs high around the slayers ribs. He found himself inside a dark forest of Gortruk's hair. Tereth took the slayer's head in his hands and he held him like that for a minute while they looked at each other. "Tell me that you love me," Tereth grinned a little, "I don't care if it's not true, just tell it to me and make it sound as though you mean it." Gortruk looked confused, "But I can't say it like that. I have never done anything like this before, and I don't think that I'd want to, but with you, I don't want to do anything else. I know how I feel. I knew it before this. I knew it when you asked me to kiss you. I just didn't know that we'd made this mistake and how happy I could be because of it." He smiled down at Tereth, "It is too early to shout it just yet, but I can say that I will not have to lie very much at all. So if you need to hear something, then I love you. If you wish to meet a legion tomorrow, then stay with me, and if you want me to tell them anything, ask me then and I will. I ask only one thing for myself. Please honor me and keep my charm on your pretty leg." Tereth's grin turned into a laugh. It caused Gortruk to get to the point inside Tereth as he softened where he was ejected and it caused them both to groan. Tereth wrapped his arms around his lover's neck and he just told him how he felt. ------------- When they began again, slayer suggested a different position and once that was accomplished, they went on with Gortruk plowing Tereth from behind. After a few minutes, Gortruk began to work a little more and a lot deeper, taking long, slow strokes that caused Tereth to moan. "It is not as confusing as I first thought, "he said as he reached to hold Tereth. "You see, I love having a female to hold against me. You feel better against me than that, though it really ought to feel the same. True, it does not feel quite the same, but it is so good, isn't it, the way that I've been able to fill you a few times already and the way that we both like it. I know that you feel confused, thinking that you are not a female and not really a male either. It doesn't matter to me, Tereth. You should know that. I don't care what word is used if I have you." "I don't know what I am anymore," Tereth whispered, "I look different, but I don't feel much different unless I am with you like this. I will decide tomorrow, and it may be better or simpler to be as a female. All that I want to be tonight is yours, Gortruk." "Are you happy with me, Tereth?" the slayer whispered as he caressed Tereth's body. "Yes. Very happy, why?" "Because then there is nothing wrong," the slayer said, "I am happy too." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 18 He began to really work at it now. Tereth was on his knees gasping and bucking his hips back as much as he could, though he was not always able to keep the rhythm going. He wanted to do a hundred things now, change position, something. But he couldn't. He was a happy bitch now, who felt his own feelings rising within him. He raised his head and he cried out in his passion, loving the feel of it so much now. There was nothing that he could do and suddenly, there was nothing else that he wanted to do, no place that he wanted to be, other than where he was now, being serviced by this one male. He lowered his head again and just began to grunt along. He panted as the rush came to him and Gortruk saw the look on Tereth's face as he grunted with his mouth open. Tereth lifted his head once more as he cried out and felt himself clamp down on that hardness inside of him.. Gortruk knew that this must be what had been described to him and he froze then, settling for little thrusts. He knew what was happening to Tereth. Down there, under that fine hard little belly, farther back, and right between the most lovely thighs that Gortruk had ever seen in his long life, he knew that a tiny opening was spurting. He felt the contractions and he pushed with each one. When Tereth eased himself down, Gortruk pulled out very slowly and pulled Tereth onto his side to wrap his arms around him and whisper to him. "If you wish for a male," he said, "then you should know that you can always have one in particular." "I only want that one," Tereth groaned. "A pleasant coincidence," the slayer smiled as he kissed Tereth softly, "I only want what I have with you." Tereth raised one of his legs as he pushed back a little, "Then if you are still hard, put it back in. You did not finish." "I think that you must surely be sore," Gortruk objected. "Oh, I am," Tereth smiled as he reached back to hold Gortruk's head against his, "but I want you to finish. I can be sore later." --------------- Across the great hall, a single being stood at the railing of a balcony looking toward that one balcony and the room behind it opposite to where she stood. Behind her, she could hear the soft sounds of Sharon's soft breath as she slept. Lily smiled to herself. The past two days had been about perfect, she judged. Other than this pair finding each other and helping in their way to secure a source of food for the Appolyon's legions, she was also pleased that they found ways to please each other. It was important to her, not in any romantic sense, though she knew that he had it in her to feel that way. The proof of that was lying in the bed asleep behind her. Lily was pleased that this pair had found each other for another reason. With this between them, she knew that they'd fight for each other in the struggles ahead of them all. For what she felt was coming to them, they'd need to very much. She smiled to herself once more. They were ready for it now. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 19 **The showdown looms, though it's over the horizon at this point. There is a feeling of it, though, and that manifests in this just the way that it does in humans faced with uncertainty. Still, I've added a bit more of the small ones in this, since they're such a joy to write. For someone so mercurial, Illa is such a saucy thing that she often brings a smile to me. O_o ------------ Down below the great hall where so many demons now lived, Lewis was so very pleased at having had the chance to see and meet so many of the creatures that he'd always known had existed. He'd been introduced to so many, and he'd have been immensely happy to have had the chance to meet even one true demon. But he'd met so many and heard a little of their tales - the ones that he could converse with at any rate, the ones who had come here first, and now so many of the others. Some of his favorites were the very few slayers that he'd been allowed to meet. The short conversations had required another to translate, but he'd felt a little honored that they'd expressed an interest. The very humbling feeling that he also felt came from standing before such remarkable beings and the way that they'd treated him as though he was someone of a little importance to them - which felt odd, given that the smallest of them could crush his skull easily. He knew that his poor old laptop was going to have its keyboard worn right off for all of the notes that he was going to be transcribing from the paper notebook that he always carried with him. But he was tired now. It was past the middle of the night of his second day here, and since these wondrous creatures were going to be staying, he knew that he had at least a little time to get some rest before he came back tomorrow. Besides, there was also his regular job to do and he kept wondering just how to do that, given the new tenants, as it were. He looked for Grrta, doing his best as he wandered around not to wake or disturb the few groups of slayers who were still bedded down in the main hall. Not all of the legions had found homes for themselves here yet, though the vast majority had. Mostly, the ones left here in the hall were the slayer scouts. They did not expect to be moved into other quarters tonight and were bedded down near and under the balcony where their legate was. The floor of the great hall was mostly empty now but for the scouts. -------------------- After trying to sleep for a time, Zele extracted herself from the tangle of bodies that were the three of them; Toby, Maezou, and herself. She felt something, but it was the vaguest thing, not really a feeling or an idea or anything. It was just there. She walked off to the hot pool, thinking that after a soak there, she might get back to sleep. Instead, she found Grrta there alone, and they talked for a while. Grrta told her about how she'd come to be under Lewis' roof, and Zele mentioned that she was aware of how it had gone. Grrta didn't understand until Zele showed her by assuming her four-footed shape and then it became clear, so they sat on the rocks in the middle of the pool and were silent for a time after Zele had assumed her more 'normal' demonic state, looking like a darker sister to Maezou. "Zele sees that Grrta is a little troubled," she said, "What is wrong?" "Nuthin'," Grrta replied as she watched the water vapor curl up from the surface of the pool, "or at least, nuthin' much, Zele. It's just that the girls down below, well they all seem te me te be lookin' at me fer advice and help. I try te help them, but I don't know much about this place down here, besides the part where I was kept. I just try to do the best fer them that I can. They come te me with questions about where they'll sleep, and the best way te introduce oneself te one of them great big demons that they're fancyin' fer themselves. I don't mind and I want te help, but it's all a bit much. I thought that they had a leader in the one who was te bargain wi' Brinack and her lord there, but she only comes te me the same as the rest." She looked up from the steaming surface of the water and saw her brother and Illa as they got in. She was about to apologize for having woken them, but Illa waved her hand, "We was up anyway. We heard what ye said, Grrta." "Aye," Thiery nodded, as they waded over carefully, mindful of the deep hole somewhere in the pool, "We'll help ye, Grrta. Don't ye worry. If yer needin' a pair of assistants, well we're here te help." Illa nodded her agreement and the next second, Grrta found herself in their arms. "I'm wantin' te be a proper big brother te ye," Thiery smiled, "I'm a just a wee bit late is all." "And I'm happy te have another small one here with us," Illa grinned, "and if ye're my Thiery's sister, then I'm even happier te know ye and I'm wantin' so much te be yer friend." "What did ye mean by that, Illa?" Thiery looked confused suddenly, "Grrta's my sister. She knew my name and our mother's name is the same. What we figured out is the only way that it all fits – and it does." Illa looked a little uncomfortable. "Ye're right, Thiery, I just wasna there and I didna hear it all." "Illa," Grrta said, "what did you mean, really? I can see that there's somethin' that ye're no sayin' here." Illa looked really uncomfortable now. She looked down and spoke more to herself when she said, "Oh, I'm really the fuckwit now." She looked up at them, "I wish I'da held my foolish tongue just now. I didna really mean anything by it. I'm just wonderin' about somethin'. Just from my own travels down here, I've found at least two more kitchens, no just the one here, and both of the other ones had cages big enough te keep ones our size in. Didja no see the goblin girls, Grrta? They all look like you. They've wee tusks like yours that don't stick out much. Didja no see that? It's the first thing that I thought of when I laid eyes on them – how much they look like you. Anyway, please, Grrta, forget what I said. I'm afraid that it was somethin' which I shoulda kept te maself." She looked as though she was about to cry. "What's the matter wi' ye?" Thiery asked. "I'm afraid that I've ruined somethin' wonderful," the imp said as she lowered her head. Grrta and Thiery looked at each other for a moment. "No ye haven't," Grrta said, putting her arm around Illa, "We just need te find out, that's all." "I feel awful for what I said, Grrta," Illa said, "and it's all the worse comin' from one like me. You've got a lot of goblin in ye. We're not exactly known te be the best of friends, my kind and goblins. I don't have much love fer goblins, and I've killed a few in here when we was takin' it all over because goblins killed my mother. But I want ye te know that I'm not holdin' any of that against ye. I really want te be friends, you and me." "I feel the same," Grrta said, "and I'm not enough goblin te mind what ye done, and I can understand why, Illa. They wasna very kind te me either." She hugged Illa's shoulder a little for a second and said, "So we're still off te a great start, you and me, aren't we?" Zele stood up. "Zele has something to find out down below. She is going there now. Who comes with her?" ---------------------- Lily waited for a time, thinking about other issues and details as she stood out on the balcony. No matter what was said about her by the so-called scholars of several human faiths, the truth was that Lily had given life to one demon girl and raised her to adulthood before she'd spawned Maezou. Not long after, there had been the little foundling Zele to raise as a sister to Maezou, and among them all, she was known simply as Mother. It seemed to fit and that was that. But now she found that from its beginnings in the practical sense of being the mother to three demon girls, the name seemed to be expanding in its scope as many more now thought of her in a more matriarchal way – though it was never anything that she'd sought for herself. She wasn't anything like a mother to Tobias, but he sought her guidance at times. Alecto looked to see her in a motherly sort of way as well, and it was so easy to adopt some of that role whenever she spent time with her and Tisiphone. Racephet often stood somewhat aloof, though he conferred with Lily often. And the pair of lovable small ones, the kobold and his imp girl, well, they were almost like a pair of ten year-olds, despite their true ages for the way that she was proud of them. But now there were these others here, and she knew that the only practical path forward for them all was that they be treated as parts of this large and really extended family which seemed to be growing around her – all ninety-odd thousand of them. The goblin girls as well had latched on to Grrta as some sort of defacto leader of sorts. It was something to think about. And then, she decided as she looked down, watching a solitary human form wandering in a searching sort of way, there was Lewis Crowe, the only other human in this. He and Sharon would need to be placed out of harm's way when the fire fell. She knew that they had some sort of distant working relationship between them, and she decided that it ought to grow a little closer. Lewis looked up in surprise to find Lily in front of him there in the darkness. "You look so lost, Lewis, "she smiled, "I was watching from above there and I saw you. What is wrong, and if there is anything, then how might I help you?" "Well I, ... "he stumbled over his words, "that is, I, ... well I'm looking for Grrta. I'm tired and I want to go home to bed. There's so much of interest to me here, and there seems to be so much which requires Grrta's attention that I thought it best to just go home and start again in the morning. But I can't find her anywhere." "Well I know a few things, "Lily said, "It helps sometimes to be an ancient demon. I can sense that Grrta is with Thiery and Illa. I feel that they are down below and wish to speak to some of the goblin females. Your Grrta has been such a help these past two days, and like many of her kind, she needs far less sleep than humans. I would suggest that you go home and that I'd find a way to tell her, but you know that it is a long walk in the dark to get out of this hall and then you have a way to go to get home through the December wind in the full dark. There are no area lights here. Why not stay the rest of the night here, and I'll still make sure that she knows where you are? Come and walk with me, Lewis. I'll take you to a bed where you can 'crash' as you would say, and on the way, we can talk a little about what will happen here soon. At some point, there will be an aftermath which will likely not be visible at all to your kind, but it will still require the kind of care that you have provided to the old castle. Indeed, I believe that the job will grow larger for you and some lord, either Tobias or maybe even I will need to pay you what that sort of job is worth, I think." They walked off together and Lily led him to the chamber where Sharon slept. By that time, Lewis was feeling completely relaxed and looking forward to the good night's sleep that Lily's quiet and persuasive voice was leading him to. She guided him and he stood looking at Sharon as she slept. "What ...?" Lewis was bewildered and the sound of his voice caused Sharon to awaken. Lewis would have expected some form of fearful shock in her features, but there was nothing like that. She smiled at him very softly and told him that she was happy that he was there and what a pleasant surprise it was to wake to find him there. "I've been wanting to talk to you anyway," she said as she clutched the covers to her, but that was about all of the modesty that she appeared to want to show. As hard as he tried, he could see that she seemed to be absolutely sincere. Lewis felt his jaw begin to open in amazement. "I doubt that you'd understand my reasoning or my purpose, Lewis," Lily said as she smiled down at him, "but there is really nothing untoward about it. I need for you both to get closer. There will be lasting effects of course, but there will be nothing bad or terrible for any of the parties. I love Sharon very much, Lewis, so I obviously do not want anything very wrong to happen to her either. But this needs to happen between you." He looked from Sharon to Lily. "Grrta, ..." "She thinks that you hung the moon, Lewis," the demon smiled, "but things are a little different between goblins, imps, kobolds, all of these sorts of creatures than they are with humans. You might have a relationship with a human, and it is almost understood that while it lasts, it is to be exclusive. Sharon here is a bit different, because she wants to feel how it is to mate with a few demons, though she has the desire to be in a relationship at some point that is exclusive. I believe that you both have this in you, and it is my belief that you are about to find what is possible for the two of you." He looked at Sharon, and though he had a sense that Lily was helping this along somehow, he also saw that Sharon nodded in her own understanding, so it wasn't as though they were both being forced into this. Lily continued, "Unless you and Grrta agreed to be monogamous, she can still love you with all of her heart, even after what is about to happen. She may also want to mate with others, since that is the way of the small ones that I have mentioned." He nodded absently as he stared. Lily's wave removed Lewis' clothing. With a thought from the demon, Lewis got into the bed and they sat looking at each other with shy smiles. "I must go now, children, but you should each know that the other one has always admired parts of your personality or appearance and knowledge. What has always gotten in the way has been the professional relationship. That does not exist here. You both carry my charm on you here. Let it guide your actions and enjoy this time, free from worry and doubt. Nothing is wrong here and there is no harm in expressing how you feel." Lily smiled as she saw Sharon move to sit closer to Lewis, still holding on to her coverlet. She could feel how much they wanted to touch the other one now as she turned and stepped silently from the room. Lily thought about another individual who was important to her. That one had connections to a few of the others. Maezou knew who had been kind enough to hide her when she was a very young female just learning to be a huntress. But there was another who did not know of any relationship and perhaps never would. That changed nothing in Lily's eyes. She knew the reasons – all of them. But she also felt something rising inside herself at the same time - something which had remained dormant for ages. This night of all nights, it had awakened in her once more. What she now felt was a want in her that she hadn't felt since ... -------------------- It took a while for them to work their way to the lower level. Zele and Illa had simply walked to the first landing not all that far below the storeroom floor. From there, they'd just spread their wings and glided down. Thiery and Grrta walked, talking between themselves, each wondering now. When they reached the bottom, the foursome walked along the path and before long, they found themselves looking at several female goblins, the one who had acted as the spokesperson among them. Thiery and Illa drew a lot of attention and stood a little ways off with Zele. Before long, there were almost a hundred standing around Grrta, wanting to know the answers to many questions and asking why the other ones were there. "I'm run off my feet," Grrta said, "We're not here te answer questions now. We've got a few of our own." "Just tell us what those ones are here for," one of them said. Her name was Bera and she stood pointing to Thiery and Illa, "there's one of them at least that doesna belong here. Get ye gone, ye foul thing!" Illa did her best not to snarl back at her traditional enemies. Zele tried her best not to look too amused. "One's an imp," Grrta said, "but she's a friend of mine, so keep yer thoughts te yerself. She's one of the ones who overthrew the king, so you should be a little nicer. The tall one's one of the pair who ripped the nine queen's lives away from them, so ye owe her as well. The male is my brother – as far as we know. That's what we're here about. We want te ask ye a few things." This time, Grrta noticed that many of them here did indeed resemble her. She wondered how she'd missed that earlier. "So what we wish te know, "Thiery said, "is how many of ye know of one girl that had a kobold fer her male at one time?" It got him far more raised hands than he'd have ever believed possible. "Our goblin males were nae much in the way of husbands te any of our mothers," the 'leader' explained. "They didna do much of any work, and they was always drunk. The only thing that they ever agreed on was forcin' one of our mothers for their pleasure while three others held her down and waited their turn, so most of us don't really know who our true fathers even were. Well how would we? There was no goblin male here who knew a thing about actin' like a father." "Aye," another said, "and they was no much at fightin' either. Most of 'em just gave up and left us all, hopin' te be spared by the bigger goblins. It didna work too well fer them either, not that we miss them." A third one spoke who looked quite pretty and appeared to be a little closer to a kobold than she was to a goblin, though she had the skin tone of the others, "It was much easier and I daresay it was nicer te take a kobold male te bed, since they'd never hurt us. The truth be told, they smelled a sight better and they knew how te make a goblin girl laugh so much that she couldna keep her knees together. And a kobold in yer bed is a sweet, sweet fuck," she said, "the kind that ye can lose yerself in so easy." she said, looking at Thiery. "Here, "she said, "we're all seein' that this big male here, well he's got a lot of kobold in him, but he's the nicest one that we've ever seen, ye can bank on it. So I know that we'd no mind if - when ye get this business here done te yer satisfaction, if ye could find a way te just leave that boy here, we'd all be obliged te ye fer it." They all looked around themselves in a bit of curiosity at the low moaning sound that they heard. It seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. After looking around for a moment, it slowly dawned on them all that the source of the sound was Illa, who now stood with her head lowered a little and glaring through the light of her blood red eyes at them. Thiery cleared his throat. "I'm thinkin' that it would be a bit better if ye could just keep thoughts like that ye yerself, "Thiery said, frowning. "Illa's my girl, and well, I'm with her, so I'd like it if we could just get the answers that we're lookin' for. Ye don't know it, but if ye could give her a try and not say things te make her spit and growl, ye'd find that she's a good one te have as a friend, and not the kind that ye can piss on and expect te live long fer it." "Well if she hangs about here," Bera sneered, "she may find that it's no too healthy here fer her kind." "Illa can take care of herself," Zele said, "but Zele wishes for it to be known that Illa is her sister's pet, as well as Thiery's mate. Thiery is Zeles's pet. Harm either of them - even if the goblins could, and Zele and her sister will feed the goblins their own skins." "And who the fuck is this Zele, that we need te take such care te handle these ones wi' soft gloves?" Bera called from the back as she stepped up. She was a little bigger than the others, and used to getting her way through volume or intimidation or both. But she lost her nerve when they all stepped back, seeing the hellhound there suddenly walking up to her to stand close enough to cause the female's hair to crinkle from her hot breath. "Zele is me," she rumbled, "it may delay your thoughts for an hour, but you should think before you squeak." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 19 Zele could see that this would take a while, so she spoke to Grrta for a moment and excused herself to turn and wander around in the large open area that they'd just walked through. "I think that I know a better way te ask things," Grrta said. She called out, "How many girls here ever went up te work or live up above? Show us yer hands." They were a little astounded to see that most of them now held up their hands. "Alright," Grrta continued, "put yer hands down again." She called out, "How many here know of one called Hafna?" It turned out to be a very common name, with almost a third holding their hands up. "How many of the Hafnas that ye know or knew lived up there and had a girl, a daughter named Grrta?" That narrowed it down to seven. "How many had a son as well named Thiery?" That got them only one hand. "There was one, years ago, who was named Hafna. She had a girl called Grrta and a son. His name was Thiery," one of them said from the back. "Are ye sure about the boy's name?" Grrta called out to her. "As sure as I am about my own," the one said, "The boy ran away and we never heard of him again before the girl was born. Hafna and her girl was caught and they must be dead now. They was te be served up for a great banquet together between the goblin king's tribe and the ogres a while ago. But if ye want the best answer," she paused, a little uncertainly, "well I think that ye ought te be asking Oree there and not me." The leader looked at them as though she was in some physical pain. All that she could do was to look down and whisper. Grrta and Thiery had to stand close to hear any of what she said. "I was young," she said, "no much more than a child meself, and I had no one as it was." She sniffled and tried to look up, but failed in the attempt. "Ye see, I could barely get enough food together te feed maself enough to make a bit of milk for me boy, Thiery. We was starvin', him and I." She shuddered and went on, "I gave him te me sister, Hafna. She had no babes, but she found a bit of work fer herself and she had a kobold male who loved her. I never saw them after that, but I was told that she killed her male one night when Thiery was still a wee thing. But he turned out te be a good boy and he took care of her. Then I heard that he ran away. Well, Hafna took te drinkin' more and she got herself with child, and a few years later, we heard that they'd been caught for fattenin'." She hid her face in her hands as she wept. "I never ran away. I was taken far from here. So from what you say," Thiery said very quietly, "you are my mother?" The weeping one nodded a little tentatively, "I might be. I don't know. Who's te say? But ye've got the hair of the one that I fucked with, and I think that I can see some of my eyes in yours there. The rest, ... ye're no like any kobold that I've ever laid eyes on." Her hands had gone from covering her face totally to beginning to be lowered as she spoke and looked at him a little. When she 'd lowered her hands away from her face, Thiery took hold of them gently and he kissed her softly. She gasped and stared as she found herself picked up bodily in his hug. He kissed her cheek and then he hugged her off her feet again. "I think that ye are my mother," he said quietly into her ear, "I can see some of my eyes in yours too. It's late, but I've got what I came te know. If I can, I'll be back soon enough so's we can talk and get te know each other better, Oree." She was still feeling so many things as she stared, trying to blink her tears away. She saw Illa standing there, the red glare fading fast, to be replaced with a very soft smile. When Thiery set Oree down again, she was in Illa's embrace, wrapped up in her wings as well. "Thiery's a bit bigger," she said, as she kissed Oree's cheek quickly, still holding her, "He got that from me, because he made an imp girl lose her heart te him. We do that te the ones that we love, Oree, but there's somethin' that I didna change. Yer boy's got a great big heart in him. Please find room fer him in your's now, and I can promise ye – though ye may not want it, but you'll have my love too. At least I'd like that. Ye did what ye had to, and there's none who could say that it was the wrong thing te do, is there? Not me, fer one. So yer the mother of my Thiery, and I love ye fer it." She lowered her wings and Oree's shocked face turned into a huge soft smile through her tears. "Will ye come back with him when he comes, Illa? I'd love that. I've never known one like ye. Ye make me want te laugh and ye're so lovely. If he's mine as I'm hopin' now, then my son's chosen well." "I'll come with him, Oree, but as far as choosin', well, I think that it's more me what did the choosing." Illa smiled and nodded. "My mother's dead, but I'm happy that Thiery's found his ma. I want te get te know ye so much." "Did ye really overthrow the king?" Oree asked. Illa shrugged, "I wasna the one who done that, but Thiery and me, we're for each other in anything. We was together in the fightin', him and me, from start te finish." "Ye was killing' goblins, "the loud one said, regaining her nerve with Zele not nearby now. "Oh," Illa said, "so ye're sayin' that there's no difference between ye and the ones that was killed, then? Are ye the sort who could kill my friend Grrta te eat her? I guess it's my mistake then because I'm fer killin' off them who'd do that te Grrta and her ma." The imp began to grin very coldly. "I'll just add ye te my list then." "Ye shut yer gob, Bera," Oree said, over her shoulder in an attempt to keep this from getting ugly, "unless ye now want te tell us just whose side yer on here – as if we didn't know from havin' te hear ye piss and moan all the time. One ogre fucks ye and fergets ye, as is their way, and ye ferget that he'd eat yer liver as soon as lick yer ass. It's a fine thing te almost be accusin' these of murder now when all's said and done. If ye felt so much like that, then why weren't ye up there defendin' the rapin', murderin' bastards all of this time? Ye might have gotten a seat at the banquet table when they served up yer own children roasted to a turn, ye stupid tit. What have ye done besides complain? Why weren't ye there fightin' them that's saved us all and given us great males te help us and fuck us silly? The rest of us woulda liked that, I'll warrant, since ye'd be dead now. We wouldn't have te listen te yer foolish talk." Before Bera could answer, she found little Illa before her, smiling enough to show a few of her teeth and dragging her claws very lightly down Hafna's front slowly. It didn't really hurt at all, but each razor tip left a long line seeping black blood. "Ye don't need te worry about Zele, Bera," she smiled. "Ye need te worry about me. Before she could get te ye, I'd have already been at ye and gone. In case they was yer friends, well I'll tell ye that I killed many, many of the big goblins in the fightin', Bera. I blinded them and I tore them. I pushed my nails inte their brains, and long ago, I used te hunt them fer food when I couldna get anything else, Bera. I could get more than a week outta you. A pity that you never came up te visit wi' me then." She hefted one of the large breasts for a moment. "Now, I like the goblins down here, and I'm happy that ye all were spared the fightin' above while it was goin' on, because none of us woulda stopped te ask ye a thing before ye was dead, since we didna know a thing about ye all. But now that I do know, I like ye all, and I'm findin' friends here. I can be good te have as a friend, because I like te help my friends te stay alive." She let the breast drop abruptly, "I even like you, and I'll be back here soon te visit with Thiery's ma, so I think that ye ought te take good care of her Bera, because I'll be lookin' fer ye then. You know, te see if ye've learned to keep yer mouth shut. I do hope that nuthin' happens te her until then, untoward-like." ---------------- They'd have wanted to stay, but the night was dragging on, so they promised to be back with Grrta and then they took their leave. "Well I'm guessin' that we have our answer," Grrta said as they walked back, "So we're no really brother and sister. Will ye both still help me with the females there?" "We will, Grrta," Illa grinned, "I'd love that. I've never had a friend besides Thiery, and that's only lately, isn't it? We can have a lot of fun – if you'll tell them that I'm not always fer killin' goblins. I really do like some that I saw, the ones near our age, I think they was. It's a wee bit hard te tell." Thiery put his arm around Grrta while Illa slid her hand around Grrta's waist. "I'm still thinkin' that I've got a sister in a way, and Illa thinks the world of ye too." He looked over at her with a smile, "I'll even share my new mother with ye. She's not the one that ye lost, but at least ye've found yer aunt." "That's true!" Grrta laughed, wanting to slap her forehead, "I forgot all about that!" As they wandered back toward the stairs, they looked for Zele. They found her burying the goblin that Gortruk had shot two days earlier. As they watched, she stood and turned to the alcove and walked inside, lighting the interior with her eyes for a minute or two before walking back out to them to begin heading upstairs. "What was that about?" Illa asked. "Zele does not know, "she said a little blankly, "she just felt that that place was to be cleaned out a little." It was all the answer that they could get out of her and so they all just went upstairs. As they walked, Illa nudged the others, "Have ye noticed something? Last night, there was a little quiet fucking goin' on in the hall. Now most of the slayers have found places for themselves, but there's a lot more goin' on here, isn't there? Every doorway that we've gone past, I've seen some mating in there. Even here in the great hall, they're lovin' like, ..." "Like demons?" Zele grinned. "It is because there will be a fight soon. It is natural for all creatures who know that they could die soon. They wish to mate more then. It even happens with the humans." Thiery turned, "A fight?" "Yes," Zele smiled, "Toby's fight with Gorek. It will likely be tomorrow night or the next night after. That is why Mother and Toby have spent so long in planning." They walked on a little until Grrta stopped, remembering, "I guess that I've got te make my way te find Lewis," Grrta said with just a hint of reluctance to her voice, "I expect that he'll be worried about where I am and with him in the middle of all these demons, I'll admit that I'm a bit worried fer him too. I don't know what I'll do if he's lost here someplace." Zele smiled at her, "Zele feels that Lewis is safe. Mother has told him that you are with Illa and Thiery. She knows much, much more than Zele, but Zele knows this and can say that it is so. Illa and Thiery are happy to be with Grrta. Zele thinks that Grrta does not need to go anywhere so late. Grrta should stay with her friends this night. That would be safest for all, Zele thinks. Lewis is with Sharon." Grrta nodded, "He said te me that he's always liked her and her books. She doesn't know of it, but he's bought every one of her books. He showed them te me and we sat together looking at them." She looked up at Zele, "Here, can ye tell me if they might be gettin' a bit closer, Zele? I like her, and if that was te happen, then I'm hopin' that I'll be gettin' te know her better as well. She gave me a good feelin' when I met her, so I guess that as long as Lewis cares for me, I'd be happy with it all." Zele nodded and smiled, "Grrta has Lewis' heart, but she should think that Sharon might as well, soon. His heart is large." She said goodnight and went back to her mates with a wide smile after they were out of her sight. She could feel the need to mate in the air around her. She wondered if Thiery and Illa would be able to make it to their bed before they began, now that they knew in no uncertain terms. ------------------- As they entered the little room that they'd found and cleaned out as theirs, Grrta looked around. "This is so nice, Illa. It's done up perfectly. I like a wee place te snuggle in and hide." She looked around further, her eyes catching things in the dark as Thiery lit a little lamp which only gave a little light. "Oh, and there's places te store food and drink that close up tight. Ye've thought of everything." "Well, ye know," Illa smiled warmly, "if ye think about it, we're not all that much different, are we?" We live in different sorts of places, but once we're in them and makin' a home fer ourselves, we make them much the same. We found this and we just loved it, and once we cleaned it out, it got a little funny, Grrta. Thiery was doin' everything and anything that I asked him te do; moving' things around, searchin' fer the things that make a home. I thought at first that he was just doin' it because I'd asked him to, but I found that I was wrong. He'd show up with somethin' and I'd keep still on where it oughta go, and he just knew right off exactly without askin' me where I wanted it." "Where'll I sleep?" Grrta asked, "There's no much room in this fine little place that ye have. I guess that I can sleep in the corner if ye've got a blanket." "Don't be daft, Grrta," Illa said, "Yer sleepin' with us. We're all small ones who like a wee place te snuggle in and hide as ye said, aren't we? What could be better than that after a long day? Thiery, go and take out the other sheets. We've got company, and I'll no sleep a wink fer thinkin' about it if we don't have clean sheets and blankets." Grrta stood with a shocked smile on her face. Illa was absolutely correct. Though Illa was an imp, and Thiery was mostly kobold while Grrta was mostly one of the small goblin types, there was the commonality between them that given the choice, all of those creatures would have preferred to sleep in close groups in a sheltered place. It stemmed from their beginnings as small creatures, often hunted by larger ones in their distant past. This had been lost in the larger goblin types, but it was still present in Grrta and Thiery, just as it was in Illa the imp. The difference was, that since they'd been with their mothers, all of them had slept alone and had always felt vulnerable. There had never been those close groups for any of them, and they felt the want of that with each other now in the little den that the small couple had found for themselves. If their upbringing had been more normal for what they all were, they'd be sleeping close together in bunches anyway, though there was an unspoken ranking of sorts. If one wasn't important to them, they'd never even be invited in at all. If one was to be recognized in some way or shown some hospitality, they'd be in the corner with a blanket as Grrta had assumed her place to be. It was just what they were and how all three of these types did things such as this. To be offered the chance to sleep like this with friends was the highest form of compliment that Grrta could imagine. She bowed a little, "I am in yer debt," she said, as her friends quickly made the bed – if what passed for such a thing could be called that. It was more of a great pile of futons and coverlets with the odd pillow thrown in. In a few minutes, the three of them piled in under everything with happy sighs and the odd giggle in the very dim light of the tiny lamp. "Ye fergot te blow out the lamp," Illa said to Thiery. "I left it lit on purpose," he said, "Grrta may need te find her way te pee. What sort of wee hostess are ye, Illa, te leave a guest te stumble through the dark, needin' te pee?" Illa chuckled as she wriggled against the others, "Yer right, Thiery, that's very thoughtful of ye." There were practical aspects to this sort of sleeping arrangement. In the darkness, and in a group of more than two individuals, there was a sort of anonymity. It allowed for little hugs, kisses and caresses to be passed among them, out of nothing more than a slight desire to do so because one liked the close company of the others. It was considered only polite among them, and in the dark, there were no specific thoughts of gender. It was really more about liking another an awful lot. It made the groups close, so that no one felt uncared for and left out. It allowed someone who liked another of either gender to express a feeling for a few minutes, a way to show one's feelings of close friendship or thanks over something in a neutral way. It also allowed one who hid a shy interest and liking of another the same thing. This was one of the reasons why were really wasn't such a thing as an overly shy individual in these types of creatures, for even the most timid could find at least a little loving this way. Someone who felt extremely shy and withdrew from the group would soon find another against them in the dark, wanting to share the closeness and the warmth, or seeking it. Sometimes the affection moved up to a quiet mating as well if what was felt was mutual enough for it. If a pair wanted to be alone together, then they were considered mated and they began another little den of their own when they could. In this way, the mating pair was safe from their predators while the pair was otherwise too distracted to be more watchful. Like the others, Grrta hadn't had this, living alone with her mother, but she knew what this was and was also aware that little touches were allowed and expected among friends in the dark. She also knew that it was just possible that Illa might offer her a little comfort and pleasure with Thiery, though she didn't think that it would happen, and anyway, they were related somehow. It did nothing to remove her sense of the warm feelings that she was being shown here and she was thankful for it. Grrta was a little shy at first, but it didn't last. They were tired, but they all just fit somehow and liked to share kisses between them so much that she found herself taking an active part before long. One or another of them might fall asleep since they were all tired, but they'd wake up again before long, feeling something pleasant that another one of them was doing and not wishing for it to stop. Grrta herself often lost track of who was caressing or kissing parts of her body and after a moment, she'd begin herself. She felt someone's hands on her and she wanted to hold Thiery's tackle at one point, but she couldn't quite get there. Illa felt it when she tried. "Oh here," Illa chuckled, taking Grrta's hand and guiding it, once she'd slipped over to Grrta's other side, "Grab what ye want of his, Grrta dear. There's enough te share, since it won't wear off." Grrta was still feeling a little removed from this, not having had any of it in her adult life that she thought it best to ask. "Ye'll no mind, Illa? I just want te hold it fer awhile." Illa blew past her lips, "pht. No. I'll no mind. But Thiery will – if all that ye want te do is te hold it. Do what ye want, Grrta, not just hold it. Besides," she grinned as she slid her little hand over Grrta's breast, "I'll want te see it when ye two start fuckin' the way that I think that ye will soon. Thiery's had his hands busy on ye and I can tell that he fancies ye. I think ye should just have yer way with him if it's what ye want. I'm right here, and I'm sayin' that ye can. Ye have the chance at a fine fuck if ye want it." Grrta's hand froze, but Illa seized it before she could pull it away. "I'm not joking, Grrta," she whispered good-naturedly into Grrta's ear. "He's no really yer brother, and he was gone before ye were born, so there's not even that between ye. There's only me here with ye and it's alright, Grrta. I'll get mine, don't ye worry. Have a little fun before ye drop off te sleep, is all I'm sayin'. We're all three close enough te the same creatures aren't we? So we understand when the bigger ones might not." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 19 Grrta groaned quietly from the way that Illa was manipulating her nipple while the kobold's fingers were playing with her inner lips. Illa pressed her mouth to Grrta's ear a little more. "We're so happy that we met ye," she sighed, as she felt Grrta's hand over her backside, "and we're so happy that ye're here with us. I want te share Thiery with ye tonight." Before Grrta could think of an answer, Illa kissed her again and slipped her forked tongue over Grrta's little tusks and into Grrta's mouth. This was going beyond just being polite to Grrta, but she felt so good with them, and she finally nodded when Thiery looked down as he rose to mount her as she lay in the nest of covers in that little dark place. They were three different sorts, but they began to feel more like a sort of close structure growing. It seemed a lot more complete with Grrta there. She felt Illa helping to get Thiery lined up so that after a few careful nudges, he slid into her slowly and Grrta groaned as she reached for Illa to kiss her in thanks for a minute before she settled in with Thiery. Grrta moaned a little, raising her legs as Thiery began. Illa continued kissing Grrta but she made sure to leave her the room to breathe, knowing how it was to be fucked by her male. "I'm so happy seein' yer faces," she smiled before she sniffled a little. Grrta asked if there was something wrong, and Illa shook her head and kissed Grrta again. "You really mean that, Illa?" Grrta asked. "I do," the imp whispered, wiping a tear from her face, "It was awful fer us before we met, sleepin' alone and all, and it's so much better te have someone te love and sleep with, but with three of us, I'm feelin' like this is a proper home te small ones now. It's so good te play and cuddle wi' ye here. Oh, I'm makin' a right fool of maself here, but I cannae help it, Grrta." Grrta felt some of the emotion too, and so she just pulled Illa to her and hugged her tightly while she felt Illa's hands trying to help her. Illa waited, cooing soft encouragement to them both and caressing here and there as the pitch rose past the slow beginning strokes. Illa smiled to herself. She really was enjoying this so much. Even so, she was an imp, so she held one little thing back as she caught one of Grrta's breasts for her mouth. She reached down carefully between them a little, so that she could very gently rub the little pea there in tiny circular motions. Grrta gasped and began to buck hard, calling her pleasure to Thiery, who groaned his back to her. Illa still waited, wanting to choose the perfect moment. It didn't take long, and when she saw them working so hard to please each other, little Illa the imp said it in her quiet little way. "I never in my wee life woulda thought that it would be so nice te see two cousins fucking each other so sweetly." The words brought them to a stop – just as she knew that they would. The stared into each other's eyes, but Illa knew her male. He was right on the edge. She lifted herself quickly and reached under him to squeeze his scrotum and hiss in his ear, "Give it te Grrta, ye wonderful male. Come on, fill her! Don't ye see how she's needin' ye?" Thiery groaned and cried out, right over the edge as he slammed into Grrta hard as she gasped with her eyes wide. "Look at him, sweetness," Illa said to Grrta, moving her hand back between them, "That's what he has fer ye. Clamp down on him and take his seed." Grrta came violently, bucking and shrieking as she felt Thiery's contractions. They froze as Thiery thrust hard one last time and Illa thrilled to hear Grrta's squeaking cry. When she'd calmed a little, she looked at Illa with wide eyes still and the imp kissed her lips once softly before the feeling was past. "That was fer ye both," she said, meaning it, "I knew what te say te get ye there, didn't I?" She was feeling very proud of herself. When Thiery rolled off to lie gasping on his back. Illa took his place, rubbing with her little mound on Grrta's. She kissed the shocked goblin girl's breastbone and laid her head there with a sigh as she humped. "What – what are ye doing, Illa?" Grrta asked breathlessly. "I'm enjoyin' ye a little," the imp sighed, "I want te be here in a minute when some of him runs out. I want a little fer me too, ye know." She lifted her head to look into Grrta's slightly shocked eyes. "Oh come on, "she grinned, "Don't tell me that ye're regrettin' what ye done. Ye only met us a little while ago, and I've known that ye've fancied Thiery for a while." Grrta began to feel what Illa was doing and she rolled her hips back to make it better and bring the imp higher up on her. "De ye like me, Grrta?" Illa asked. Grrta nodded as a smile began on her face. "Well good," Illa huffed a little, "because I like ye too, and if we can keep this up a while, well, I'd be happy te share with ye, and Thiery can fuck us both. He's got the juice fer us both, ye can rest assured. We'd be three fuckwits then, but I think that we can be happy. Ye're no feelin' guilty over fuckin' with yer cousin, are ye? I mean, ye never really knew each other." "No," Grrta smiled as she whispered, "and we'll likely never know fer sure, will we? But between us girls, Illa, I'm thinkin' that he is my cousin. It's just that I don't care." "I don't care either," Thiery whispered, "I'm with two wonderful girls and I'm happy fer it. As long as we're talkin' between us like this, I can tell ye that I agree wi' ye, Grrta. Ye both forgot about Ma's dress that ye was wearin'. I'd know that one anywhere. So no matter what we are, Grrta dear, I still think the world of ye both." "Is he always such a charmer, Illa?" Grrta smiled. "I was gonna say no," Illa sighed, "But it wouldna be the truth. He is a good male. There's no doubtin' it." Grrta sighed her pleasure as Thiery hugged them bit gently, "If we was in a big bunch of goblins or kobolds or maybe imps like you, sweetness, well in the dark, there'd be a lot of cousins doin' that anyway, wouldn't there? I'm happy that ye're letting me share, and I like ye so much anyway." Illa smiled up and began to work harder as she felt the slickness of Thiery's semen running out of Grrta against her. ----------------- Lily walked and wandered until she was near to the high ceiling of the great hall. From there, she had to spread her wings for a very short flight to an almost deserted place near a little-known exit. Well, it should have been almost deserted. Instead, she found two slayer sentries, an uncomfortable-looking Megaera who hung suspended in mid-air, and the one that she sought as he considered her with a great deal of sadness. He didn't turn around as he began to speak. "Sometimes I wonder if I have been alive for too long," Racephet said, "Long ago, I found Megaera selling herself in a large city on this world. It later became what is now called Istanbul, though at the time, it was Constantinople." He sighed, "She was selling herself as a whore to get some silver, but when she could, she would practise her love of killing men. It was enough after a while to bring her to the notice of those who lay out the orders for the retrieval of fouled souls. I went there myself to see it, and I offered help to her. We found that we liked each other's bodies, so I told her that I could help if she wanted to change - if she wanted to learn a better way to live. I did not tell her that a hunter would be sent very soon for her. I did not want to influence her choice. She did not believe me, but she said that if I really could do that, then she would want this with me. Two hunters arrived as we were walking to an inn to eat. To me, for there to be two hunters together, it meant that they wanted her badly enough to incur the higher cost, and so the bounty must have been high for her. While she thought about which way to go, I slew them both. Then she knew that I was true in what I had offered. It cost me so much, but I brought her back myself, and I paid the lord who had sent the hunters, and then I bought out her bounty contract and made some enemies for myself. Such a thing had never been done, but it was allowed. I had to kill a few lords over it, regardless. I left my hell then taking Megaera with me." He looked down for a moment, "Now I know why I did it, of course, but not at the time. That was so long ago now. Sometimes, I would see that she was gone, but a little work on my part would lead me to where she was, still trapping males unfairly and never doing that to the females who did the same thing. She did this three times, hundreds of years apart until I told her that I was the only protection that she had. Since that time, she has not done this again. But now she tells me that she wants to begin again, that she wishes to be free of me, as she put it." He looked back at Lily and smiled sadly, "Of course, she did not use words as nice as mine." After a moment, he looked to the Fury once more. "What has happened here is that she cannot contain her hatred of Tereth for some reason that she does not even know herself, yet she knows that she lives under your geas and cannot say a word about him to anyone. So she thought to leave and was caught by the Appolyon's sentries. The one who held her is healing now, and the other one came to tell me of this. I told them to release her to me so that I might calm her, but she told me of what had been hidden from me in her heart for all of this time. It is my fault, since I chose not to look. I forced truth into her speech to me and asked where she sought to go, and she told me that she would go to see Gorek and offer to tell of what she knew if he could remove the geas from her. Then she told me what she thought of me and tried to fly. But I hold her here like this." "Gorek cannot remove my geas," Lily said, matter-of-factly, "To try would injure him badly. The geas would destroy her and hurt him. Likely, he would force her to tell what she knew without doing anything for her at all, if I know him. He may not be very bright, but he excels in meanness and cruelty and uses it in everything. It is his way." Racephet nodded, "I know this and I said it to her, but she does not believe me. I have also told her of the other geas, the one which was not spoken about. I placed my own on her last night, and if she leaves through any of the ways out of here, it would be the same thing. I am all that saves her from herself here, yet she does not believe me, and she tells me hurtful things in her mind." He laughed a little, "One would think that at an age like mine, things such as this would find no place in me to hurt. And yet I do, Lily. Not for what she says – that is the raving of a succubus. What hurts is my admission to myself, I guess." "What are you doing here with her now then?" Lily asked. He shook his head as he stood up, "Proving to myself that I am still a fool after all of this time. Trying to help and teach one who is not worthy of my thoughts and never was." They both watched as Megaera's face began to show her fear, coming at last to believe what he'd been telling her. "Look there," he said to Lily, "it takes a little while, but she now shows that I am to be believed, can you see it? If I didn't hold her like this, she would now find that she could indeed be contrite for what was said. I have heard this from her many times before." He looked at the injured slayer, "Because of me, a warrior was injured, trying to hold a Fury who is worthless." He nodded at the injured one, and the wounds began to heal much quicker while the face showed that she felt no pain now. "Forgive me," he said, "You would have been right to slay her as you should have done." The slayer nodded her thanks. "So really, Lily," Racephet said as he looked back at her, "I am really only here wasting my time." He turned back to Megaera and with a wave, he released her again. She began to say that she was sorry, but with the same hand, he flung his fingers outward, away from himself. It cast the Fury into the opening to the night air above. As she flew through the opening, she screeched once and imploded into nothingness. The tiny spark that was Megaera's soul flashed and went out with a thought from Lily. Racephet looked down, but Lily held out her hand and took his, "Walk with me for a little while?" she asked. He nodded and they left together. They stood in the wind and the light snow which fell, not much bothered by it at all. "What do you think of my daughters?" she smiled at him. He smiled back, "All of them are as lovely as their mother, and have become such powerful females in their own right. You should feel very proud of them." "I do, "she chuckled, "I am only thankful that I did not have to raise them all at the same time. That would have been a task. But I am very proud. You ought to feel pride too over one of them." He sighed, "I do. I have always been sad that I could not have been as a father to Tisiphone. It would have been a little different for our kind – that a male wishes to have a part in the raising of his spawn. But I know that you were not ready to allow that and it was just not done. Now, well, it has been so long that I doubt that it would have much of an effect on her – to find out about me, and I think that she could have only one reaction and it would be only loud." "I do not know," Lily smiled, at him, "She is like her mother – very changeable in the way that her winds blow – and that is when she is not being quiet and thoughtful, like her father. Perhaps I ought to watch and only choose the right moment to tell her. How would you take it if it went well?" "I think that I would welcome it in any case," he said, "And of course, it if went badly, then I'd have to weather that storm. But then," he smiled at her, "I seem to remember that I have had a little practice at that sort of thing. I am still a little sad that it could not have been at the time, that's all. We were both so busy. And there were other things to think about for us both. I was just rising then and taking my place in the dark realms as a lord." "And I wanted nothing of the role of a lord's consort," Lily smiled, "I had my own struggles then too. I had to prove that I was the strongest storm demon, and at the time, I really wasn't yet. To make it all worse, there were always the humans to think about. Two or more storm demons fighting could have wiped them all off the planet by the time that it was all over. I had to be so careful then. Long before any of them had thought of the phrase, I had already defined the meaning of choosing one's battles. But I always had feelings for you and I watched to see it when you took a consort. I guess that I was waiting to prove something to myself about you, but you didn't do that for so long." He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb as he spoke. "I hoped for you," he said, "but then you fell for the human, that king of yours." Racephet smirked a little, "That was something that I did not see as it came." "Nor did I," Lily laughed, "No one could have been more surprised than I was then, but what we had was deep, he and I, Racephet, though it was not long. I only got over that just a little while ago. I guess that while you waited, you found Megaera." He nodded a little sadly, "Yes, though now I see that I was only looking for someone who does not exist." Lily turned to face him and she pushed his hair back a little. "She does exist, Racephet. She always has. We have always been a little star-crossed, you and I, that's all. What would have been perfect would have been that I had accepted you, not only as the male who I loved to mate with and hold to me, but as the mate that you wanted to be for me. Our bad fortune that it was just not done then among our kind, though it can be now in this place. We had our troubles and our fights, but we had each other's hearts." He looked into her perfect golden eyes as she smiled a little at him and then she spoke again, "I should have been consort to you. That would have solved everything, but then, ..." "I know what you would say," Racephet nodded, "If that had happened, then you would not have taken that king. You would not have spawned the red-haired hope that we all have now, and you would never have found the little one who never knew just what she was, but she found a sister in Maezou and a mother in you. I know this. It makes me a little sad for myself, but I am happy with the way that it happened." "Do you know what I have always loved about you?" she asked, "It is the way that you have always been a walking contradiction. You are like two individuals. I have always known you to be an amazing warrior, and yet you never show the killing rage. You can argue a point with a whisper which speaks louder than a shout, and other than in your passion, you were always the most gentle and caring lover to a young demon girl as I was who needed you so much." "We were both young then," he said, "I did what we both needed. Almost all males, even today, do not think beyond their want to mate." He sighed as he looked up at the rolling clouds above them in the night sky, "But I have never been in it for that alone. I wanted to love one demon girl, and I did it in the way that we both needed then. I tried this with Megaera later, but she could never understand. With you it was easy, Lily. I knew right away what was wanted from me whether it was soft caresses or all the passion that we could throw into it." He looked down at her face with a slightly sad expression. "I still miss this, both ways." Lily smiled and looked down in a little shyness as she remembered, "The passion between us was something that I heard of in legends long after we were parted, old friend. You might imagine how it felt to find that what I'd been told was about you and I." She sighed, "I have such warm memories of it – and yet I also remember when you could say so much to me with a single touch or a small thing that you thought to give as a gift when just such a thing was what was needed by a young mother." She reached up with one hand and then she kissed his cheek softly, "I still treasure those times, both ways, as you say." She looked down, "Everything just went wrong. I even knew then that what I had was more than anyone had a right to want, but we were both destined to BE someone for ourselves, when what we should have done was to just accept what we had and been what the other one should have had all along." "Do you know what I did the other day as we were freeing the Appolyon? I needed to put something inside him to give him perhaps the barest strength so that we could get him out of his prison and on the way here before it was noticed. I was able to will myself to make something for him in my breasts." Lily grinned at little, "It worked, obviously, and though I held my face still for the most part, I doubt that anyone there was more amazed than I was to get milk from these old things of mine." Racephet shook his horned head, "Firstly, the Appolyon ought to know his good fortune to have suckled there, and secondly, Lily, you are not fair to yourself. We are both so old, but we are demons, not worn by the passage of time. What I see are the same as they were when I had the love of the most beautiful demon girl that there surely ever was, and I was allowed to kiss them for as long as I wanted." "You are being kind to me," she said, as her hand lifted his to one of her breasts, "They are mine, after all, and I am able to tell that they are not the same, or perhaps your memories blind you. In any event, Racephet, I wish for you to know that if you wish, you may kiss them again, and I would welcome it from you. We parted, but you never lost my love for you, just as I know that I never lost yours." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 19 He smiled, and it was not quite a smirk as he kissed Lily for a moment, "Lily, what are you saying to me? What am I to hear in your words? Should I hear what I want to hear? Even I do not know what I would want now. You and I, Lily – I do not know if we have had our time and can never hope to regain it, or if we might forge something new now – as I feel coming from you as a hope to me. Do you really want me, Lily? Why? Why now? What has changed? You have your human lover. Why would you want me?" She nodded as she thought about it and she kissed him over his heart, knowing what the gesture meant to him, "Well I can think of a few reasons that I might string together as an answer to you," Lily sighed, still holding his hand over her breast, "While I love Sharon, at some point, I would need to make her my pet so that we could go on. That is one reason. You know that if I were to do that, she would need to leave her life. I think that she might want this, but I can see that there are others who could come to need her as well – here. Another reason is that the male who I loved with so wildly ages ago has this night given up trying for the succubus who really only used him. If that had been a real love, Racephet, you would not let me hold your hand where I have been holding it, would you? I know you, old friend. When Racephet loves, he loves only one and holds no interest in any other female, though there are so many who would be happy to have him. It may sound cold and calculating to you if you think in ideals, but this night, you have removed the reason that I sought out a lover for me. I was waiting for you – once more. And I can see that if I keep on with Sharon, and what you had with Megaera came to an end as it has, then you would be the one waiting for me – once again, Racephet. So I make a decision. I choose this night to end this waiting game that we are in. We both still have such feeling for each other and the emotion of love – whether it lies between humans or much more rarely, between demons such as us – it is really a selfish thing at its heart, isn't it? I am being selfish here and I know it full well. I choose this night, before what may come to us for good or bad, to declare that I want more than anything to love with you again, Racephet. I ask you to be selfish as well. You know what we can have, and you know that we are still young enough for it. Let's end this waiting and love each other. That is my wish and my hope for us." She looked down and her gaze took in his chest there before her, just as it had always been for most of the time that they'd known each other after they'd parted as a pair. He was in his reptilian shape. Though she loved it, she wanted now to see him as she had the very first time that they'd met, many thousands of years ago. The first inkling of his answer came to her as she watched that shape fade into the male demon whose honey-colored hair had taken her breath from her that first day. She looked up and Racephet saw her golden eyes fill with her tears. "Do not cry, Lily," he whispered. "Tears in those eyes are sins. I have always been a little thankful that I saw them so seldom." She felt him turn his hand in hers to grasp it gently. For an instant, she thought that perhaps he was going to lower his hand in gentle rejection and for the briefest sliver of time, Racephet saw that the storm demon was afraid. It was something that he hadn't known since they'd begun. But it didn't last for longer than an instant. It was gone when he lifted her hand so that she might put it the rest of the way around his neck. Lily smiled through her tears with a soft sob as she threw both of her arms around him to hold him tightly. "Very well," he sighed in between them, "Woo me then." Lily marvelled at the way that it felt to hold him. It was the same as it once had been all that time ago. She reached up across the small height difference between them and she kissed him for a long time, lost in the way that she felt. --------------- "Twice now," Sharon smiled as she hugged Lewis and sighed, "I am so sorry that I wasted all that time, never making the effort to get to know the quiet man who worked on and on so carefully as he looked after the little bit of Yester that we all knew about. "You're a little amazing to me, you know." Lewis lifted himself up and smiled down at his boss, "At first, I thought that you were just another of the young administrative types, sent to run things for a time until they landed the job that they really wanted and were gone again. But you stayed. I was always careful in our dealings with each other. I gave my reports, but I did have the time to admire you. I just knew my place, that's all." "Well I wish that I hadn't been so stuck up, Lewis, "she said, "If I'd only given it a thought, I'd have seen. It took me a little while, but I did come to admire you too. You always got it done, no matter what I asked, or how stupidly I asked for it. So now we're here, aren't we?" She grinned a little as she ran her hand over his shoulder, "Can you imagine how it felt to me when I found that the man that I'd been sneaking little peeks at – when I made my way here on whatever pretext that I could find to do that, was a demon scholar all along? There's so much that we have to share." "I have all of your books, you know," he smiled a little shyly. Sharon laughed and then she hugged him again. "Hey," she said up to him, "how would you like to work on my next one with me? I know that I'd really enjoy having your help." ---------------- "Woo you?" Lily asked when she remembered what had been said, "Have we come this far that the female now woos the male?" He smiled, "Well, I did it the last time, if you recall. I thought that it might be your turn now." It made Lily laugh and she felt like the young female that she'd once been as she kissed his throat and nuzzled her lips against his ear lobe. "Do you wish to hear my offer?" she whispered. He sighed, "I wish only to hear your soft voice like this. But you were about to plead your troth to try to move my ancient and stone-cold heart." Lily smiled as she looked up at him, "Your heart is not cold. I can feel it from here where I stand. I am glad of its heat," she smirked, "for without that, I would not be able to feel the other heat from you," she said as she leaned forward against him just a little so that she could feel his hardness as it began to rise to meet her. She didn't need to look. She knew that it was already beginning to glow a little. "You were hated in the hells because no one understood you, and so they called you the Feared One because you never did what was expected, other than to leave a trail of corpses behind you when you were forced to. But I have always understood my old lover Racephet. When the knowing of it came to me, I just knew everything all at once, and that was when I gave myself to you. I just didn't know that our joining was of more than our bodies. It lasts to this night, and now I know that it always will." He held her and whispered to her, dragging his lips against her cheek and her ear, "Your offer," he reminded her with a soft smile that she could feel against her, "I wish to know if what I feel from you is in your words." Lily chose her thoughts carefully, wanting to express what she felt and knowing the meaning of it all. "I offer my heart and more," Lily whispered, leaning in more, "I offer it with no reservation and with everything that I can put into it for you. There really is not anything holding us back anymore, Racephet. All that we must do is to survive what comes, and after that, we are free to set what limits there might be ourselves. All that I ask in return is your heart as well and in the same way." She hesitated just long enough for him to sense in her that she was genuine. Because she was. "I offer a binding - between two of the most powerful that there ever were. I offer a binding to Racephet the Mighty, Racephet the Wise. I wish to be bound together with Racephet the Feared One forever." Racephet had some thoughts and just maybe a hope springing to life in his breast. He pulled back to look into her eyes to be sure of what he'd heard. Lily smiled very softly and nodded as he gazed at her. Barometers all over that part of Scotland began to plummet, registering the sudden drop in the barometric pressure there. Above them, the clouds roiled and tumbled as the winds began. If he accepted, Lily knew that this event had to remain hidden until the right time. That moment would not be too far off, but she wanted no one to be able to see that it had happened here. That would bring too much attention a little too early for them all. His gaze didn't waver, "Is there more, Lily? Are you offering this to be consort to a lord with no hell?" Lily looked a little shocked, "Do you need more?" "No," he grinned, shaking his head a little, "I was just hopeful that there might be more in your words. You forget, I know you as well. You never seek to bargain without more hidden in your hand, little things with which to sweeten the deal or turn it so that you might get what you seek. To an adversary, this is a maddening ability that you have, but to me, I have always thought that it was so nice to see. You might have been trying to get me to agree to something – whatever your heart wished for when we were young, and you always smiled when you won whatever it was from me. But I always enjoyed seeing this – even though I would have given you anything anyway." Lily rolled her golden eyes. There were very few anywhere who would know her enough to be able to see it, thinking them to be featureless, but Racephet above all knew what he was looking at. It made him chuckle, and of course, Lily knew that he saw it in her. "If you need to hear it," she smirked again, "then I offer to be storm consort to mighty Racephet , lord of the dark realms, who holds no hell because he has no want of one. You are the only lord that one like me can be bound to anyway – for you hold nothing. I need some time to shape my thoughts, but I have the beginnings of a better offer as far as that goes." She pulled his head down a little so that she could hold hers there, cheek to cheek as she whispered something so that he knew just how serious she was in this. "I want to be your storm consort in any place, at any time, and I would be proud and happy to stand beside you. You will never be alone again because I will never allow it anymore. If you leave it to me, Racephet, I will stir up something wonderful in the cauldron of my mind, and then I will give it shape and then, my love, ..." She said nothing else as she thought about it, and realized that it was just barely possible, depending on many outcomes. But it was worth working toward and she could see no reason against it once the pieces were in place. Racephet waited, thrilling to feel the soft heat of her breath in his ear. He was about to ask, but he felt her smile in that way of hers, the way that told him that she'd found a way toward something. He didn't know what it was, but he knew Lily well enough to believe in her. He'd always believed in her, and still she'd amazed him so often. "Give me your heart together against mine for as long as we can last, Racephet, and if I am able, I will make Racephet the Fallen into a mighty king." She heard his breathing stop. At least she had his attention now, she thought with a quiet chuckle. "How do you know that I would want this?" he asked, as he slid his hand over her long thigh. "I believe it is what likely must come anyway, now that I think on it. But I do not wish to think about it now," she sighed, running her hand over his chest. "I have other things to say to the one that I choose for me at long last, one who I should never have let go in the first place." She leaned in a little more, feeling the thick heated poker pressing against her. She'd never shown it to anyone other than this one male long ago and in the dark places where they'd gone to hide themselves and make love. No one else knew that Lily had her own secret, and it was easily unlocked by this demon who had once ruled her heart, just as she'd ruled his then. Lily had her own heat which matched Racephet's, and what he felt now was that heat, beckoning to him and threatening to drive him mad, just as his could push her to the edges of her ability to reason and beyond. They groaned together as their bodies touched tightly. They each knew the signs, though they'd gone without what was coming for millennia on end. They recognized the next signpost as it flashed by them. The ancient and powerful pair stood writhing together, each wanting to move against the other one, yet needing to be held tightly at the same instant. It was the recognition between them that they'd gotten to the want, and were well on the way to reaching the need. "Slow a little, fiery one," Lily hissed into his ear, "or my mist will begin far too soon. I have other things to tell you." "Speak then," she heard him say in the deep and wonderfully grating voice that thrilled her to hear. Lily knew that there was no one on any of the planes who knew this voice. She was the only being that he'd shown it to. She was the only one who could bring it out in him, and it made her wet only to hear it after all of the centuries. "If my breasts can still make milk," she moaned as she stopped to work her lips against his for a moment, "then I believe that I can still spawn, Racephet." She paused to wait for his reaction. When she felt his chest shudder against her, Lily wanted to cry out in her joy, but she settled for her own shudder of pleasure from it instead. "I wish to spawn again," she growled, "as I have never felt this want in me since our time. Dance with me, fiery one," she hissed into his ear, "fly with me in the old way that no one knows anymore." She moaned as his hardness twitched against her thigh like a hot bar of steel. But this was nothing like the phrase which might be used by a writer of dime-store novels. The thing which throbbed there was actually hot, - dull red near to his body and a light straw yellow at its tip. Lily knew that it was. She didn't need to look at all. She remembered how it looked and just how it would feel. Underneath her want of it, she knew that she had to be ready when the yellow glow became close to white-hot. "Mate with me," she said, "I need you so and I see now that I always have and I always will. This must happen for us this time, feared one. You need it from me for the power of my love. I need it from you in the same way, Racephet. Mate with me." Her hand slid between them so that she could feel that heat in her hand as she squeezed it gently, already beginning to work that foreskin back. There was no stopping this now. Lily knew it as well as Racephet did. She just didn't know if they could last like this as she said the rest to him. Racephet stood gasping, barely holding himself in check, but true lord that he was, he waited to hear it all from the one who was his own personal goddess and always had been. Racephet had his own pantheon. It held only one, and that one was telling him that it was now their time. Lily shuddered a little again from the way that she rubbed the glowing tip of him against her heated furrow. She moaned into his ear, "I want to spawn with you, Racephet. Breed with me. Make me spawn once more at least, and you will have the chance to be the father that you always should have been to our brood." She whispered to him so hoarsely that she sounded nothing like her normal and always well-controlled self. The voice that he heard was her true one, sounding almost as two voices, much like the one that Tobias had heard from Maezou. When it is meant with everything that they have in them, the most powerful female demons can only say it one way. "I need you," the voices said. "I have always needed you. Give me your heart and your shaft, and you will always have me. I make this promise to you, fiery one." She pushed herself back, away from him for a moment to get a full breath into her. It was just as she expected, though she had to struggle on the edge of her own wavering control. Lily felt the thrill of the cool night air where she'd been warmed against him a moment ago. He stood like the powerful demon that he was, breathing heavily as he tried to contain his lust for her. His hot breath shot a plume of steam into the cold air between them each time he exhaled. They matched the ones coming from her. She watched a snowflake wander down between them to land and disappear with a soft little hiss against her breast. They looked at each other with softly glowing eyes and it brought her memories of all the times that they'd stood just like this in quiet places long ago where they could finally be alone, two young demons who loved each other in the chaos where very few of their kind ever had. "Speak," she growled down low to him in her double-voice, "Only say it, Racephet, and it is done. I am yours from now unto our end. This is what we have always been. Say it, that I will have your heart forever and it will always be between us." He tilted his head, staring as he spoke. It came out of him sounding as though his words were spoken through the whirling blades of a turboprop engine, and it signalled that the last of his control was about to leave him if she said the words that he needed. "Are you mine at last? Do we bind ourselves?" She closed her eyes and a long sigh left her. When she spoke, her voices matched his, only a little higher in pitch and doubled, "I think that I always was, as you have always been mine, or we could not even speak of this, "she groaned in her own quiet way, as though she strained to say it while her body sought to wrest the last of her control from her will. Lily threw her hands down in a motion that brought bright arcs of lightning to the ground around them. The couple was illuminated in the glow as she raised her arms up over her head. "All of me," she cried out through the crackling heat of the incandescent curtain around them as her winter storm winds blew past them in hisses and low moans. "All of me bound to you forever, if you give your heart and breed me now." Her hands touched above her head and the lightning was extinguished instantly. The thunderous bang was heard miles away, but, ... In the space which separated them, it was almost silent. "Please," she whispered so that his heart felt as though it was breaking, "it is the only way out of our long sadness and the empty places we carry in our hearts for each other. If you still have love for me, take me and end this for us both while we can." His voice turned louder as his own winds came rushing out of the southwest to whip the trees in the forest nearby. He sounded strained, as though the engine which powered him now ran at near to its red-line. "Ages have passed and I still love you," his own chorus of voices cried out as he stamped his foot and flames sprang from the spraying earth and light snow around them, "I still want your heart and I still hate the ache of wanting one who was parted from me. If it means an end to this, I will bind all of me to you while we live." Racephet seemed to stand trembling, his head down and his eyes closed, feeling torn between his lust and his endless sadness at what he'd lost for so long. But his heart still beat inside him, and as long as it did, the ageless male could feel hope and the same want that Lily felt, since they were an old pair and not all that far apart in their nature. He opened his eyes and looked into that ageless beauty. He'd always believed in her. He always would. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 19 And so his grating voice softened as he put as much of what he felt into his soft and quiet reply. "Begin it, Lilitu." The clouds in the low overcast flickered and rumbled as their bodies touched together again. They stood holding each other up as they shared the kiss which sealed their contract. The wind rose up again to whip their hair around them for the long moment of it. And then Lily stepped back so that they could look at each other. Their eyes glowed bright orange for a moment and then she was gone in the flare of her lightning. He looked up and grinned with a growl when the clap of the thunder roared around him. Racephet's great wings opened above him and he sprang upward with a quiet roar. ------------------- "What was that?" Thiery asked, looking up from where he was under the comforter as though he could suddenly see through it and the yards of stone between him and the surface. There wasn't much to see anyway. The little lamp had gone out. "I dunno, but don't ye start with yer farts now," Illa threatened. "We've a guest here, and I'll knock yer head so ye see stars if ye do." It made Grrta laugh, and Illa smirked at her, "That wasna you was it, Grrta?" "No, "Grrta chuckled, "and it wasna Thiery either. That was something else, way up there above us." "Oh," Illa blinked for a moment, "Good then." The three of them slid their bodies over one another like otters in a river. They found that they loved to do this, since they always came up together in a different sort of way. Grrta found herself leaning back against the edge of the shallow pit that was the bed. She was thinking of the little scene that she'd watched while the lamp still had a little fuel left in it to give them the barest light. Most small ones preferred absolute darkness when sleeping like this, but Grrta found that she quite liked being able to see what they all did. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd been so aroused, and all from watching Illa as she rode Thiery so frantically. The sight of Illa's sweet little breasts moving the way that they did from her body's motions had really stirred her in a rather surprising way. When she'd spoken of her admiration to Illa, the little imp had exhaled a little breathlessly and said, "Well, if they're makin, .. ye so hungry, .. Grrta,... why don't ye come here and, ... have a wee taste? ... They'll no mind, you, ... know." It hadn't been that easy. To get into a position that would have allowed her to manage that, Grrta had to try to kneel over Thiery. She did it though, careful to stay as high over him as she could. When she'd leaned forward, Illa had seized her, hugging her tightly to kiss her hard for a moment before she'd pushed away a little. "My tits," she groaned, "please, Grrta." And so Grrta had leaned down. Illa settled down right then and moved only the lower parts of her so that Grrta might get a chance and Grrta heard Illa's soft little voice then, "Ohhh, Grrta, ..." She hadn't thought that she could maintain this position for very long. It was uncomfortable to lean like that, but Thiery had solved it by pulling her hips down to him. She'd have never thought that having her haunches bitten could feel quite so nice. But at the moment, Grrta was lying back, feeling the most delicious sensation of having fingers caressing her mound so lightly as someone's mouth fastened itself to her nipple. She heard the hungry suckling at her breast. Grrta sighed and tried to present her boob a little better when she felt her thighs being pushed apart. Thiery," she breathed, "Your fingers feel so nice. Tell me if you want me to spread my legs for ye again." She heard his voice from her chest as a chuckle. "That's no me, Grrta," he said. There was the sweetest laughter from down there. "It's me down here," she heard Illa's voice a little muffled under the covers until they were thrown back. The she heard it clearly. "I don't care what Thiery wants. I'm wantin' ye te spread yer legs for me." Grrta was a little shocked, but she felt her knees being moved, and a moment later she felt Illa's forked tongue working the quiet little miracles that she wanted to give to Grrta. "Oh, Illa, ..." Grrta sighed. The tongue was replaced by fingers for a moment. "Oh Illa," the imp said in her mocking tone, "It was 'Oh Thiery' only a moment ago when ye thought that this was him at ye down here. Huh," she exhaled in mock disgust, "now ye find that it's me ready te work so hard fer ye, and now it's 'Oh Illa,' is it?" The imp felt Grrta's hands on her head as they caressed her long ears for a moment, "Please," Grrta groaned, "ye lovely impish girl, just shut up and lick me to death, now that I know how good ye are at somethin' like this." "Well that's better then," Illa said with a laugh as she started again. "Oh Illa," Grrta moaned. Illa stopped again, "I've an idea," she said, "Thiery, could ye please fill Grrta's mouth with somethin' before I start te hate my own name?" It made Grrta laugh. "Alright, Thiery. Stand up on yer knees then and give us a suck of ye, since I talk so much." He was almost hard anyway, and as he felt Grrta's tusks slide along the length of him, Thiery groaned. He'd never felt anything like it. He expressed his pleasure and it came out as "Grrta, ..." Down between Grrta's thighs, Illa began to curse over their sappy sighs, but it only lasted a minute as Grrta guided Illa's head and held her there. ---------------- As he ascended, Racephet heard Lily's soft laughter as she flew around him from behind to reach out and caress his glowing rod for just a moment. "Almost hot enough for me," she chuckled, showing him her dull red labia, "Soon I will be ready, fiery one." She turned with a quiet cry and dove straight down. He followed, gaining speed with his wings. The sentries were startled when she hissed through the opening. They had the briefest instant to see her as she threw her head back in joy before she folded her wings again and flitted downward toward the great hall. Racephet came through with a roar of wind and they saw nothing else. He was moving too quickly. They conferred together briefly, and then one of them flew down to tell Brinack. ------------------ They'd been loving the whole evening and night, and Brinack marvelled at how Kerry still went on. She sighed in her happiness as his balls slapped against her mound even still. She knew that he had at least this one time left in him for tonight, she thought, as she stood leaning onto the edge of the pool while he pounded. She'd lost count of her own, and she didn't care. They had thousands of years of what might have been to catch up on. Or, she wouldn't have cared if not for the faint beating of wings out in the corridor. When she noticed that they were growing louder, she clamped onto his shaft as hard as she could, though she was a little surprised that she still had any control left in those muscles as she pushed back. But it had the desired effect and he thrust into her deeply with a cry. He was just beginning to soften as the sentry came around the corner a little cautiously on foot. Well, Brin thought, she was sure that she'd seen something like this before. "Yes?" Kerry said as he leaned on Brinack a little, caressing and stroking her skin softly. The sentry tried to avert her eyes, trying to give her general a little privacy, but not quite having the ability to tear her eyes from the scene. "Your pardon, Appolyon. General, there is something going on in the great hall." "What, specifically?" Brin asked, not being able to help the little backward thrust against her lord a time or two. There are two demons in the air there," the sentry said nervously, "the old one and another. I think that he is the lizard lord. That is who was there with her when they went out. When she came back inside, there was a different male chasing her – I think that it is the same one." "What are they doing?" Kerry asked, and he watched with Brin as the sentry seemed to struggle for a reply. Finally, she held out her hand to them, "This, I think. It looked to me as if they will mate soon, in the air over Legate Gortruk's legion. I have never seen anything like this." "Well done," Brin nodded, pushing back again, "Return to your post and close the exit for tonight. I will go." The sentry was around the corner and airborne an instant later. She'd been a little embarrassed to give her report like that, but now she grinned, happy to have news to tell that the Appolyon and General Brinack were indeed mating. It was just a bit of idle gossip, but it was something to keep the others amused. She was one of the youngest of the newer legions, and still took lessons from her parents about how to fight. She was happy for that, and couldn't wait to be given the chance to prove herself in action. She just wished that she'd soon get a chance to mate with someone herself. But one thing at a time, she told herself as she gained altitude nowhere close to the pair who now danced in the air over the high flame of the firepit. ------------------ "Look at that," Lewis said as they stared from their balcony at the two demons chasing each other around the huge great hall. He felt Sharon's hand cupping his scrotum gently. "They look as though they're about to mate or something." Sharon smiled a little softly as she let go of him to stand leaning on the railing looking back at him, "Does this give you any ideas, Lewis? I know that I'd love to watch this little airshow while you're fucking me again." Lewis Crowe didn't know who he ought to thank for this night of good fortune to him – other than Sharon, of course, but he sure felt like thanking somebody as he stepped behind the lovely blonde and began again. It crossed his mind to say his thanks to Lily, but then she looked to be a little busy herself at the moment. ----------------- Brinack and Kerry found Maezou, Toby and Zele already awakening from the sounds that the couple made out in the hall. "What's going on?" Toby asked, seeing the glowing flickers of light as they danced across the ceiling over the balcony. "It looks to us as though Mother is mating," Kerry said, "Though I don't know who the male is." "Mating?" Maezou asked, as they almost ran to the balcony. It took only one look and they knew from what came to them. "Racephet!" Maezou exclaimed in a little wonder. "Oh, man," Toby said as he shook his head, "Megaera's going to be some pissed." But then he thought about it and he knew that the succubus no longer lived. He found that he wasn't upset over it at all. The flame in the firepit roared and streamed skyward, driven by the emotion of the pair who now circled it. Zele watched for a moment and then she nodded, "They are old lovers from long ago. Zele feels this." Maezou nodded, "Before she met my father." The slayers on the ground stood staring, and Gortruk was there on his own balcony with Tereth, bellowing out commands to stand well back. The pair still circled out very wide from the high flame. Mother shot past the balcony and Zele pointed as she looked back at her sister. "Zele sees, ..." Her sister nodded, "I see it too, Zele. I didn't know that anyone could do that. It looks like it must hurt. I wonder why it's glowing hot. What could it be for?" Racephet's passage by the balcony came with a blast of wind, but his pass caused the females to look at each other with wide eyes after seeing what glowed hotly on him. "Oh," Maezou said. She'd never heard of something like this. Lily and Racephet circled closer in to the flame now, and often showed their fronts to each other as they did it. There were roars exchanged, and it all made Toby think of dragons. His first consort read his thoughts. "That is not what this is," she said holding him as Zele came to stand on the other side as they watched it together, "They aren't dragons, are they?" "That's just what this reminded me of," he said. "They are mating," Brinack said from where she and Kerry stood with their arms around each other beside the others. "Or they will mate soon. This is the Dance," she said. "It is something from long ago. I have not heard of this happening in an age. Well, many ages, actually. No one does this anymore, and one must have great power to do it at all." "Mother told me something about it once," Maezou said quietly, "but she didn't say too much about it. She only said that it was something wonderful when it happened." "I know what it means," Brin said, holding Maezou's gaze, "We all just fuck," she said, "we make love and we mean it with the ones who hold our hearts. This is the same thing, and it's meant every bit as much and more, but for one thing," she said. "When it is our time, the pathway in us opens and like anything else which lives and has two sexes, the demonseed will find the egg. This isn't a mating that we will see here. This is your mother being bred, Maezou. If she still can, she seeks to spawn with Racephet from this. The Dance opens the pathway. That is what this is all for. She spawns deliberately. They mean every motion." They'd changed back to wide and fast circling now and Lily flashed by the balcony. Everyone there looked and turned to the others when Racephet roared past. "It will be soon," Zele said with a sniff, "Mother lets her mist go now." "It's to draw him," Brinack said, "so that he'll do nothing other than follow and try to catch her. He wants to follow anyway, but this is to keep him from trying to cut her off. He won't change direction to fly anywhere else. It means that she has decided and wants him to begin. But this is not over yet. The Dance goes on a while first. She can't stop herself from leading him until she feels that she's ready. She must be able to stay ahead of him until then, or it will not happen for them if he catches her before that." She found the three of them looking at her curiously. Toby's eyebrows were heading for his hairline. Brin shrugged, "My mother told me how it is supposed to go." They nodded and turned to watch again. Lily flew straight up and Racephet followed, though at the opposite side of the fire. When she slowed to a stop, she beat her wings and called to him in a harsh and ringing cry. He met her there and they roared at each other for a moment before beginning something that no one could have foreseen. Lily's wings began to flicker with thin white-blue flashes of lightning along them which snapped and snarled from the tips to the rock walls. Racephet's reply was to throw his head back and beat his wings. His cry signalled his change, and he hovered there enveloped in flame and smoke. There was now a wind inside the great hall. It blew in a circle around the fire which still roared. Dust began to blow and everyone had to squint. "This is something else as well!" Brin shouted over their sounds as she looked at Maezou. "I know," the red-haired one replied, "I can't believe what we're looking at." "What is it?" the general shouted, "I've never seen something like this." "I think they're going to bind themselves." Toby stared, "Who will be bound?" Maezou shook her head, "I don't know," she shouted, "it's not like our binding. It means the same thing, just not done in the same way." It was like watching eagles courting in a dust storm. They soared and fell, turning to reach for each other and screaming their love at the same time. It went on for a long while, though there were moments which made everyone nervous. Lily disappeared for a moment in the smoke of her lover. Before he could sense where she was, she collided with him purposefully. Racephet fell onto his back with a crash from at least fifty feet up, and Lily held him down as she lowered herself onto his glowing phallus to copulate there on the floor for some minutes before she rose into the air again with her lover in fast pursuit. Another lap around the hall, and he dove for the floor, rocketing along far underneath her until he spread his wings with a groan at the effort that something like that took to accomplish. He soared upwards so that he'd be in the space where she'd be when she reached it. Their bodies crashed together in midair. They screamed and roared face to face as they fell, but Lily turned and ran, beating her wings to go as fast as she could with a laughing cry. The flames on Racephet roared on their own from the wind and everyone could see him coming from the other side of the hall as he made his turn, dragging the long trail of smoke behind him. They circled twice more before Racephet caught up to her and seized her to force her down, beating his wings to slow them. Even so, Lily hit the floor hard and they slid along until they came to a stop. She raised her hips as soon as he allowed it and he took her there, pounding and grunting as she screamed and bucked back against him. "I kind of like the way that you do it," Maezou said to Tobias as she laid her head back against him, "We might get pretty hot for each other, but you're still a lot nicer to me than that. I'm not sure that I'd like to do it like that." She saw Zele's eyes looking back at her from the other side of Toby, wide now and nodding emphatically. "Zele likes Toby's way." "Look at the way that their parts are glowing," he said, "I can feel the heat of it from here on my face." The pair of lovers slowed for a while, and everyone saw the challenging way that Lily regarded them all as she was being mated and bred in plain sight of everyone. Her expression showed her feeling of triumph while her fluttering wings as they trembled revealed her pleasure, and if it could be said that her gaze threw a challenge, then Racephet's expression was all that and more. At different times, her mist shot out as spray to rise as a cloud of steam when it hit her male. He began to thrust harder again, pounding her relentlessly, but she threw him off at last to spin over onto her back and lunge at him. It looked as though there was now going to be a fight, and this made less sense to them all than anything else that they'd witnessed. But that hadn't been the intent. Lily seemed to calm right then and she looked at Racephet as she reached for his hardness and caressed it. Racephet's fingers sought her glowing lips and he ran his fingertips along them gently. It lasted for a little while, maybe a minute, before the pair kissed and said something to each other that no one could hear as they embraced with only one arm since they kept up their gentle manipulations with the other. Toby felt Maezou's fingers tighten a little on his forearm, "I know what they're saying," she hissed in a loud whisper, "they've just sworn their love to each other until they're dead. I didn't know anything about all of this." "It's very tender," Brin smiled, "to pledge like this. What are they saying now, Maezou? Can you hear any of it?" There was a pause while Maezou strained to hear more, "She offers her heart, her body and her soul to the one that she binds herself to. Wait, ... He's saying the same thing. So this is a double-binding, with no lord here over the other, like what I have with Toby." Maezou hadn't turned to say what she'd heard, and so she didn't see it as Brin looked at her curiously. After a moment, Maezou felt the back of Brin's fingers against her thigh and looked. "You are bound with Tobias?" Maezou nodded, "It had to be, Brin. There was no other way for us." "When we have a little time," Brin whispered, "would you ..." "Are you interested, or, ..." She looked at Brinack and that expression made her smile a little, that such a creature, almost made for so many forms of mortal combat could look like that. Brin knew what Maezou was thinking and she smiled with a sort of helpless shrug, "I never really had much of a chance for anything as nice as I have now. I want to enjoy it, not always shout commands. I was a demon girl once, and there are times now when I think that I'd love to find moments to be like that again." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 20 ***I thought I'd see if I could wind this a little tighter even as it begins to hit the fan. This moves around a little, mostly in only a handful of places: A deserted island off the east of Scotland. Under the island where Kerry lay imprisoned. In the underhalls where Maezou et al are living and in an Air Traffic Control center. A little of Lily's distant past comes out and poor Grrta is feeling lost again. The names: I use the current spelling for Isis, but Egyptologists these days like to remember that a 't' was used as a feminine suffix in names, so it's pronounced 'Ee-set'. For Ylva, your guess is as good as mine. ~shrug~ I'm betting on 'Yilva'. You can look up the meaning of 'drude' and 'cambion' at Wikipedia if you need to. One good example of a cambion of legend would be the mage Merlin. 0_o ---------------- Lily lay in Racephet's arms thinking. They'd both come so far from where they'd begun. She knew it would surprise a lot of her kind, but neither of them had come from the dark realms originally. They'd come from Earth and she at least at one time had a family. She was the youngest of seven children and had never known the older four. She knew only that their mother had been bred at times not to her wanting by their selfish father. She sighed. Now she was so old and had gone so far in her life. And yet ... And yet here she was in the arms of the one who had first taken her all that time ago. She felt the tiny fire in her belly which told her that his breeding of her had been successful. She couldn't think that she'd ever be bred again after this, but then she smiled softly. She never had the thought that she'd ever be bred again long before this and yet here she was, wasn't she? About to be made into a mother for the third time, not counting lovely Zele, the foundling who she loved as much as the others. She was full of Racephet's seed again and a little of it had found her egg. They'd made another life. She looked up then and watched as Racephet slept. She was as filled with wonder at him now as she'd been when she was just a girl, barely old enough for it, when the young lord had claimed her heart and mounted her for the first time. He slept now, happy and at peace, knowing that he finally had the only one that he'd really ever wanted in her. She knew that he needed her, just as she knew that she needed him. They were together once more and neither one would ever allow this to come apart again. He slept as though nothing monumental hung in the balance of fate. He always had; and she'd always admired him for it. Well they now knew one thing, she told herself. They knew that he was a much older and more powerful beast than he had been so long ago, and they knew that he could still make her quiver when they made love. That meant a lot to Lily, and she silently promised him that he could have her whenever he wanted her and for him – and only him – she'd do as she should have done for him long ago and she'd come to him meekly if he wanted her to, throwing off all of her power and pretense. She'd also bring all of that with her if it was what he wanted then. He liked her both ways – even demanding that she be the haughty queen for him sometimes, because it was what she was as well. She made the promise solemnly because she meant it. But he surprised her yet again when he opened his eyes to smile at her softly. Lily almost wanted to laugh. He knew her so well. She'd made her promises and he'd felt them. It had caused him to wake, and she felt his shaft heating and hardening against her. Lily knew. She just knew. So she lifted her leg and situated herself so that he could take her again in the quietest way. He slid into her once more – where they both knew that he'd always belonged and a few moments later, the most powerful storm demon in all of the dark realms sighed and whimpered for her male as he pleased her. She knew what was happening and she wanted it now where she'd never been one to admit such a thing to herself before. Racephet was such a powerful lord, but he was the most quiet as well. If there was anything that he needed to prove in his quiet way well, he was proving it now, wasn't he? The strongest storm bitch lay in his embrace just as awestruck and meek as she had the very first time. Lily would never submit to anyone. She was famous for her laughing scorn and her ability to destroy any lord who demanded that she allow him to mount her as though she had to in the face of their imagined supremacy. She'd shown many of them the error in their thinking during the last second of their existences. But tonight, she'd given her heart away for the last time and though no one knew of it, Lily trembled in the arms of the only male she would ever submit to from this night forward. They were bound forever now. --------------------------- About a mile and a half from Yester Castle, a small and weary group walked and stumbled through the dark night. It was the twenty-seventh of December, still dark, still damp, still cold and it was still snowing as the group shuffled on silently. Still searching for the one that the adults said they needed to see. They'd been close a few times before, but the one they sought tended to be rather mobile. The children said nothing, they just walked. They didn't travel along the thoroughfares and roads as a plan. If they found themselves on the shoulder of a road for a time well, that was merely coincidence. Mostly, they just walked through fields and forests. If it happened that they found themselves walking along the sides of roads, they might be seen as two adults and two children, dressed in the dirty and ill-fitting clothing of the homeless, pushing a pair of shopping carts along in front of them. It kept most of the people who saw them away. If they encountered a human who felt suddenly that he or she was the more fortunate, they'd stop to smile and nod, offering thanks and blessings over this holiday time as they accepted the pocketful of small change. They'd continue on then, mostly unseen by anyone. But if one could have stood and watched them unnoticed as they passed – which was not possible – the observer might see a few things. There was a good four inches of snow blanketing everything in sight, while none of it landed on their shoulders and not even a little accumulated on the children's boots. Anyone who has ever attempted to push a shopping cart through snow might attest that it is a thing much easier said than done over any sort of distance – and that is over asphalt. Harder still over snow-covered gravel. Yet the adults had no trouble at all, the carts moving in front of them unerringly and without a struggle. More than once, a police patrol car slowed to turn onto a road where they walked. To see them; a family with nothing and two children, it was a procedural point to stop them and see about getting the group into at least a shelter for the night. But that sort of attention wasn't wanted and again, if one were an unnoticed observer, one would see the little procession walk on, fading into transparency for the length of time that they might have been in the constable's view and reappearing once the car was gone. --------------------------- Lily opened her eyes. After a moment, she felt something that she hadn't felt since near to her own beginnings. She'd been spawned and grew up before it had been decided for her that she was to be something for this spinning ball. It had resulted in a second spawning here long ago. That had been the trouble. She looked up and saw her male looking at her, "I feel it too." A few minutes later, they walked out through the doors and into the Goblin Ha up above. Their hands just naturally gravitated together so that when they reached the top of the steps to look out at the snowy nightscape, they stood like the pair they'd begun as many millennia before. Neither one said anything as they waited, seeing the small group as it came slowly nearer to stop before them and look up. Maezou walked up behind her mother with Toby and Zele. The others drifted there as well, Tisiphone holding Alecto's hand. But any sort of changes which were not expected were noted by the slayer sentries and one had run to report, so that news brought Kerry and Brinack up only moments later. None of them needed any light to see clearly here. Lily tried not to stare at faces which she hadn't seen in so long. When it grew difficult even for her, she looked into the faces of the children. She'd never seen them before, but she knew what they were. Their eyes weren't dead and they held quiet interest and curious expressions, though they tried not to let that part of it show, since they'd been brought up with manners. They were attractive enough for a pair of ten year-olds whose parents were down on their luck and had nothing for them such as a home or regular meals. A closer look might tell that they were only weary and that was the reason for the look. But Lily knew that it wasn't completely so. She looked at the adults once more. Even for demons, there can be awkward moments. "Well," she said," I can't find a way around the discomfort of a meeting like this all by myself." "We beg your pardon," the man said in an extinct Semitic tongue last spoken near where the Tigris river flowed over ten millennia ago, "and we mean nothing untoward, ..." He seemed to hang there, stuck right at that point. "We have traveled, seeking you," the woman added in the same tongue, "Hoping that, ... " She looked down, "We are tired and cold." Racephet was about to say something but he knew that it was not his place in this, so he waited. The man shifted on his tired feet for a moment and then he looked up, "Lilitu, we – " Lily didn't want to, but she crossed her arms then, "I wait now as I waited then, ages ago, for you both to say a thing to me, one thing. Over all of the time, I have not heard it yet, and I now find that I have gotten out of a warm bed to face the same thing as before? Is it such a large thing to have stuck in your throats for this long? How hard can it be to spit out and say?" She shook her head, angry with herself now, seeing the way that her words had stung them. It was the nature of the curse they were all under – the only one that none of them could dispel. It had gone on for ages, the three bickering angrily in minutes when they met. Now, they hadn't seen each other in thousands of years. To Lily, they weren't quite what they appeared to be, and yet they were as well. She could see and feel that they had nothing. She'd had her troubles, but they'd obviously borne the brunt of one being's hatred. Perhaps it might be different this time. "I'm sorry. It just came out of me and I didn't mean it. I forgot the nature of the curse. He is dead?" The woman nodded, "He was silent to the end, though by then, he could only quake before me. I smashed every wall and defense to reach him. He refused to lift the curse, thinking that the threat of it would keep me from him. His second curse to keep himself protected became mine to bear alone. I didn't care anymore. He had to die for what was done to us. I crossed the line which was drawn to protect him after I covered the walls with the blood of his followers and then I took him at the last. I slew him many centuries ago and had to wander alone until I was found." "Such a thing," Lily muttered, "A regal scheming necromancing bastard whose words bind us to this night, long after the one is no more. Surely it has weakened. It must have by now. It is all that has ever come between us; such a little thing, and even now it hangs here still? There was a time when I begged and pleaded but I was scorned as I scorned him when he wanted me. Now you are here, at a moment when I could use your help and still we are bound to this foolishness?" She shrugged helplessly. "I can do nothing until it is said." The children looked at her not comprehending, while the adults looked as suddenly torn and every bit as upset as the tall female before them. The male hung his head and the woman hid her face in her hands as she began to weep. "Lilitu," the man said as he attempted it one more time, his voice already hoarse as though he'd cried his own silent tears for an age, "Lilitu, you were right, ... and we are sorry. I have searched for so long, first for Ardat and together, we searched for you." "Yes," the woman sobbed, "So sorry." Lily began to cry as well. When she could manage to speak a few words, she said only, "I have held three words in my breast for longer than any nation has existed on this old world, hating what was done and how we were cursed and held apart." She wiped her eyes and it seemed to do no good, but she still smiled through her tears suddenly, "I forgive you, Brother. My sister, I forgive you. You have paid so much for what I said. I am sorry as well. You cannot know." The children looked uncomfortable as their parents hugged the aunt they'd never known. Feeling overlooked and forgotten for the moment, they gravitated toward each other as they'd so often done, holding hands and watching silently. Racephet came to his senses suddenly; knowing what they risked to stand here like this. He stepped forward and before the young ones could have a thought to feel even more uncomfortable, he scooped them up, one on each arm and brought them inside the old hall. He spoke then and he was glad that the adults still remembered him as he hurried them inside. Lily's fingers danced in the direction of the outside world and three seconds later, the first of the unsettled winds began to lift some of the snow from the ground to skitter and blow around. It presaged the rest – the howling blizzard, the likes of which this part of the world had never seen before during the time of man. Lily spoke quickly and earnestly and with their nods of assent, she finally felt absolute confidence and she drew them inside of the doors so that the three could have an hour to talk – as difficult as that was for three siblings who'd been apart for millennia on end. But it was a start and Lily was happy. The travelers sat down and a little of their weariness fell from them. Platters of food were brought and the eyes of the smaller ones looked ready to leave their heads. Introductions were made and the boy and the girl found themselves smiling shyly as everyone tried to engage them to hear them speak a little. After a little coaxing – especially from Zele – the worn-out clothes disappeared and the two stood smiling, a pair of children who caused everyone who saw them to love them. With a look between them, they became youngish-looking half-demons who still charmed everyone and flew around the large hall at intervals of three minutes or so only because they were finally safe from human eyes and wanted to stretch their wings. "Tell me about the young ones," Lily asked, as her eyes followed the pair through the air enthralled with them. "Well in the first place," her brother said, looking now as demonic as everyone else, "They are not that young. They are only smaller and it was always my hope that they would grow large in a place where they could. The road is not that sort of place." "I do not think that they will grow at all anymore," Lily's older sister said, "It has been eight hundred years. I count us lucky to have two such as them. They look like us, Irdu, just as we looked then, dark-eyed and sweet. They just stopped growing one day as a choice they planned between them." "They are very beautiful," Lily smiled genuinely, "Did you breed together to make them?" "No," Irdu smiled, "though it was our thought to do that if we ever found you and if we could make a home." He sighed sadly, "But I wasted so much time before I saw my mistake. You were gone and Ardat as well before I set out. The people no longer wanted me for the weather, and feared me as a night demon instead. I heard of a mystic woman who was seeking me. One night, I went to her and from her sleeping thoughts, I saw that she wanted a child, but she had been wed and cast off a few years before for being barren. We all know that in most cases, it is not the female who is barren but the man. I came to her the next night and we talked. After that, we were lovers until she found herself with my child Aram there. When she saw that he was a cambion and took no breaths and had no pulse, she was going to kill him. I knew of course that a cambion draws his first deep breath at seven years of age and at that time, his pulse becomes unhidden as well. She said that he had to die, but I took the babe and raised him myself." "I found myself in Egypt," Ardat said, "I found work as a weaver, the same as I was where we grew up if I wanted it. But there, no one had seen the sort of things such as I could make, so I grew to be a little popular for it. I met a young man, the son of the shop owner, and he began to romance me. It was all very nice and after a time, he promised to marry me, so I spread my knees for him. Once it was clear that I carried his child, he told me that he would never marry a foreign girl, though I could work in his shop and after the babe had starved from my having to work a loom from dawn to dusk, he said that he'd be pleased to do it over again to me and keep me chained to the loom until I died." She smirked a little then, "I have never found out just where these men grow their stupidity. He told me that after he snapped the lock on the chain shut there on my ankle. Well it was the middle of the night and there was no one there, so I broke the chain and filled his mouth with my weaving and tied him tightly over the loom. I fucked him with the spindle until it broke off inside him. Then I flayed him with the chain slowly until he was dead." She sighed, "You know that I have always had the worst temper of us three. I flew to Philae and lived in the old temple of Isis there. I spawned my daughter all alone and I named her after the old Egyptian goddess and we became a mother and daughter pair of attendants long after it closed and sat empty. To look at us, one would never think that we were not Egyptians anyway. Isis and I keep our hair in the old royal style and now Aram a little with his topknot, because he is so close to her." She smiled, "I love to see them together just to watch them. They are no closer than cousins but I have never seen a pair who need each other so, just like us; Irdu and I. As we were leaving the country, thinking to go to Greece after finally deciding to go, I found Isis asking me one day if she could play with a boy that she'd met. As soon as I saw Aram, I knew and asked him to take us to his father and then two of us were together again and we began to look for you." "They look like such a set, it is like my first look at you when I was little," Lily smiled, "I cannot take my eyes from them. When they look human they are a pair stuck at what? Nine or ten on the outside and over eight hundred years old on the inside? Yet when they are demonic like this, they still have those bodies, and the horns and everything else. They do not look so innocent and childlike now, but they are still sweet. They look just the same. Even now, there is no muscle to see on either, no hips and yet, now both have the barest swells on their chests – yet I can see that they are both very strong." "Both are good with a blade, and both can use their minds for many things" Irdu said," We taught them this, because they are half-demons, not only the sort of cambions born from the efforts of weak demons. They needed something." Ardat laughed a little, "What they need the most, they already have, Brother. They love each other so." Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 20 She turned to Lily," They might look like children, but they have been lovers for a long time now. Sweet or not, they are deadly when they wish to be. We have been attacked on the road many times, though not lately. Sometimes, we only smile to each other and our children do the work." Lily watched a little more, completely charmed. "If these are what you make with humans," she smiled, "I think that you ought to make some just between you. My sister and brother are still as beautiful as they ever were." ----------------------------- What followed was a strange sort of meeting and conference for the purpose of meeting the newcomers. "I never had the thought of anything like this one night happening to me," Lily said, "and I have carried a pain in me that has long been covered over in callouses." She shrugged, "So I must beg forgiveness from many who know me here for never telling of this, but there is now something which you must know." She sipped her mug of tea as she held up her hand for a moment. "Long ago, there was a land where we three were born. It lies in dust now, Irdu?" She turned to the man, who now looked to have grown, just as the woman had, now that they were free of the moth-eaten disguises which they'd worn. He nodded, "The mountain where we were spawned had been worn away by the winds so that the soft sandstone itself blows in the wind and there is nothing left, Lilitu." She nodded and looked at the other major players in this, "Most here know me only as Mother, and some know me as Lily. I have been misrepresented and mistakenly accused and ascribed to have been many places and done many things. Many of my supposed doings have surprised me to hear of them. A corruption of my birth name and I read that I was someone's wife and he was displeased with me. For the most part, I couldn't have cared less, but now, ..." She looked over at the newcomers there and smiled, "This is as good a time as any to set a few things straight. At the heart, though not quite at the beginning, it can be said that I am an air demon, a bringer of storms. But I was not that when I came to be spawned again in Akkadia. My mother was Ninlil and I learned at her hand. My father was Enlil, while he lived. This is my second chance at a life as it is also Racephet's. Because I'd lived before, I guess that I was always a willful girl and my father took me to the marriage market when I was not yet of age and tried to have me sold to a wealthy man. Imagine the shock that I would have been the first time that a human man tried to beat his young wife. As I recall it all, the incident resulted in three things; I grew upset and it became worse when my first woman's blood flowed in that place. My father called out that it was proof of my desirability, so the second thing happened – I slew for the first time in rage for what was being done and for what he'd done to my mother long before. It is not a marriage when one is only forced to be bred. I wanted none of it or the market and knew only that I wanted a lilu – a young demon with whom I was smitten. He heard my cries and came then to take me away from there and the market ran with fool's blood before we were done. But there was one whom we could not kill. There was a powerful one there in the market who wanted me and kept raising his bid – even as we slaughtered everyone. When I told him that I would not be sold to him as a wife, he cursed me and my family. It has kept my siblings and I far from each other for longer than human people have kept records. Until tonight; for we three have finally freed ourselves of it. I lived with the demon for a time and I spawned Tisiphone. You know him as Racephet and I love him still. My name, the whole thing, is Vardat Līlīṯu, though I am Lilitu to my family and that – again, for the record - is Akkadian, not anything else - not anything which some scholar somewhere copied down from one clay tablet to another and not borrowed by any other later culture or human religion. I have a brother and a sister as I said, and they have come here this night. He is Irdu lili there, and my sister is Ardat lili. Ardat sought the mage who cursed us and slew him, though it cost her many lifetimes of wandering until Irdu found her. Together, they sought me. Sad to say that it took this long. All of us are air demons and all of us have been worshiped in our time. For a long time, my siblings believed that they were to be what their worshipers' thoughts of them were. I ignored my own and was what I always was – as our mother taught us. Ardat and Irdu became other things, a succubus and an incubus, specifically, because the focus of the ones who prayed to them changed. They are those things no longer and have not been for a long time. They have two children; the girl Isis and the boy Aram - both of them cambions who were spawned with humans and then not wanted. Their young appear as children, but they are far older than that. Still, the young ones are sensitive and bear their family's heritage so there is ability there. What that means is that they look like us, wings and all, as you see them. I'm thrilled to have a niece and a nephew, and the only thing that bothers me is the timing, because we'll all be busy soon. " She looked over to the younger pair, "But sometime in it, I make you the promise that you'll get to know your family." ------------------------ "What are these things?" Aram asked as Zele and Maezou led them to the hot pool. He was referring to the large slayer demons that they seemed to pass an unending stream of as they walked. "And where are you taking us, Maezou?" Isis wanted to know. Maezou had to grin a little, "I'm taking you to a hot pool that's heated from down below. We found it here and it's a good place for my new cousins to get warm in, after trudging for what must have been ages. And those things are demons. Some of them can even understand you. There are thousands here now and they're friendly." "Thousands like in fifteen hundred or two thousand?" He asked, "I think I've seen that many just on the way over here. They're everywhere I look." "More than ninety-four, if you need to know that." Maezou said. "Hundred?" he asked looking up. "Thousand," Zele smiled and he fell silent. "We didn't walk all the way," Isis said, "We got to fly a little now and then. It just felt like we walked all the way." They reached the pool and began to bathe. Maezou wanted to ask about things and the pair inquired about what they'd heard – that there was to be some large fight at any time. Maezou explained in a concise way and then she asked about them. "Why do you make this choice for the way that you look?" "Easy to hide when you're smaller," Aram said as he reached out to touch Maezou's breast lightly once. He was a little in awe of her and he said so, "And most humans would never have the thought to harm a child. There are advantages, though I'm pretty sick of looking that way right now." "We chose to stop at a certain size and what would have gone to further development in a physical way," Isis smiled and then chuckled a little, "well, Aram and I love each other. We decided that we would always be together when we really were demon children. We just channeled everything into what the other one liked in our bodies and after that, everything went into hidden strengths. That's why we look so alike." She crept out of the pool as the small demon and looking Maezou's sister right in the eyes, she smiled softly and slipped her arms around the dark one's neck to nuzzle her cheek against Zele's surprised face. An instant later, Zele sighed as they shared a kiss. Isis ended the kiss and looked back at Maezou, "See? There are advantages, as my Aram always says." Zele put her arms around Isis and grinned, " Zele already likes her new cousins. A very nice kiss. Thank you, cousin." Isis chuckled at herself, "For us, it's easy to charm almost anyone and only a thought to get them into bed, but Zele, I could fall for you as easily as you might fall for me. You're both so beautiful." Maezou sat smiling in spite of herself – until she suddenly noticed that Aram sat in her lap and was bringing her hand toward his own genitals. She stared at his upturned face and she saw his little horns and the way that he could almost beg her and yet say nothing. She laughed a little, "And I thought I was beguiling. I can't hold a candle to you two." "Then don't even try," Aram whispered as she looked into the soft eyes of the most beautiful boy-demon that she'd ever laid eyes on. He reached for her neck and she felt his fingers in her hair. The next thing that she knew, she bent her head down and they were sharing their own kiss as she caressed him. As though they'd only been trying to make a point – to a partial degree, they admitted – the pair gently pulled out of the embraces of the sisters and began to make love with each other. "We like you a lot," Aram smiled as he held Isis and she kissed his throat, "But we've just met. With the lord Tobias' permission, we'd like nothing better than to go further with our incredible cousins. But now ... with some big deal about to happen, we think it's better to just wait a little. We've found out what we wanted to know and we'll fight for you, since we're not strangers now. Zele moved over to hug Maezou from behind as they watched the beautiful pair of demons fuck. It was something that they'd seen and known for all of their long lives, but to see these two was, ... well it was inspiring. They were tired by their own admission, and yet though it was quiet, there was a gentle intensity there which left no doubt in the sisters that the while the two would be happy to make love with anyone they fancied – and there was something intimated about a desired relationship with them and Toby, this pair's main focus was in loving each other. "You're right, I think," Isis smiled lazily to Zele when she asked if that was what she felt. "Aram and me, we don't care what's between anybody's legs, as long as we're appreciated and we want them. I already know that Aram feels the same way that I do. We could love you – all three of you and be happy. Aram likes men almost as much as I do, though I think that he's a little more choosy than me." Aram nodded and she grinned as she held his head to keep his mouth on her nipple, "but for some people, there's a danger. Most especially for humans. Some loves can be hopeless, and humans tend to fall victim to that most often. We try to stay clear of them for that reason. Both of us have left unhappy humans behind, and when you hear afterwards that you were the reason for a broken-hearted person to take their own life, well, that's all the reason we need to stay away." It wasn't long before they just looked drowsy, as nice as it felt to get warm and clean again. "Come on," the red-haired demon smiled, "We'll show you where you can sleep before you fall over. You look really beat now." "Kay," Aram said quietly. "Thanks," Isis mumbled. They got to their feet and walked off, one sister each leading a tired and small demon with her arm around their young shoulders. They took them to a chamber with a couple of beds in it, thinking to offer one to each. "No, we just need one, "Isis groaned as she flopped onto a bed, "We can fit in one bed and we always sleep together anyway. We pretty much always have." Maezou had to think about it for a second and then she shrugged as Aram crawled after Isis. "We're like nearly a thousand years old," he said, "but I could get used to sleeping in a bed like this. Thanks, Maezou. Sorry if I'm sounding weird. We're not used to having beautiful cousins." "Or beds," Isis moaned pleasantly. He crawled up the bed as though he was at the end of his endurance, and then he eased himself down to lie against Isis, who put her arm around him in a gentle hug without opening her eyes. "Or beds," he said, "My father said that you'd be giving us something to do tomorrow." "Yeah," she smiled, taken with the way that they were here, "I heard that you two are good with blades. I'll explain it all in the morning, but I need you guys to protect some friends of mine. We could put a couple of slayers in there with them, but it's a small house and the people aren't large themselves. They'd feel like they were in jail or something. With you there, it ought to feel a lot better for everybody and you can meet them too." "Kay," Isis sighed. "Deal," Aram groaned. "Good night then, " Maezou smiled, "I'm really glad to meet you." "Zele thinks that she has maybe met her matches in her cousins," the dark female said thoughtfully as she kissed the pair and stepped aside for Maezou. "I dunno, Zele, "Aram groaned as he hugged Isis, "I'm not sure if anybody could resist you guys." It caused a little quiet laughter for a moment until Maezou stepped over and kissed them both on the cheek before she stepped back to leave. "What were the kisses for?" Aran asked and she smiled, "We're not used to having beautiful cousins either." With that, they were gone. -------------------------- Tereth and Gortruk stood before the one called Mother and waited. After hearing their report, she'd sent for the Appolyon and his general needing a solution or at least a workaround to an issue. They'd gone to test Tereth's wings that morning to see if he'd have the speed that Mother had told them that he'd likely desperately need- especially at lower altitudes, and as planned, it had taken them over the small island of Staffa. The fog had been thick lower down, but that hadn't been a factor to them, not really. Well it hadn't been at first. All that they'd needed was the airspace around it for what they'd wanted to do. Mother had told them that the island was uninhabited and was to be a staging area for some of the legions, so the other thing, the last thing that they were to do was to ascertain the overall layout and suitability for their purpose. That had been the trouble. It was not uninhabited. None of them knew why, but there were a pair of archeology students from the University of Edinburgh on the island originally. They'd been there for four months and were to look for signs of human habitation long ago as a general survey. No one thought that they'd find much of anything, since the island had no known supply of fresh water. That had been the accepted theory, anyway. While their professor, like many before him, had originally bought the tale, he also knew that the island had been used for a few centuries to keep sheep on, safe from predation, since other than birds and a few rodent types, nothing lived there. And sheep need to drink. It might be possible for a ewe to glean enough from the moisture on the grass as dew, but what about a large flock? Nobody was going to make the trip there to drop off and recover just one sheep. That was why he'd wanted to place a few students there to look. It had been a good year for funding and he was a little flush, so why not? But rather than the five or six that he'd had in mind for this little side project, he'd needed to scale this back to just two who had volunteered. It made a little sense. The rocky shore and the waves created a multitude of hazards for insertion and resupply. It would have been a worrisome thing to him to have to rely on a means for that from the sea. But two people have far fewer needs than six and it actually didn't work out too badly to do it by commercial helicopter once the food and supply savings were factored in to offset the cost. But one of the students, the American male, had come down with appendicitis the week before and had been airlifted out to hospital. He'd be fine and said that he was eager to return to finish the half-year-long study. In the meantime however, the female student had made serious progress of a sort, not having to deal with the young man's awkward and constant attempts at relationship-building any longer. No one said anything of it, but the man was smitten with her and it wasn't mutual and the constant hovering had driven her to distraction. It had only gotten a little better when she'd hit him. Now, without him there for the past week and a half, she was making progress by leaps and bounds. It caused the professor some trouble. On the one hand, he'd have loved to allow the woman to continue. But there were safety aspects, so he couldn't allow her to continue alone. That was why he'd radioed her to prepare for extraction. He was going to put this on hold until the next year. Things had gone pretty much to hell after that. The young man had experience at camping in remote areas, but not in anything like the Hebrides Islands. The girl was an Orcadian, as she'd pointed out repeatedly. Her view was that if there was anyone on his staff who could handle and indeed flourish on a cold rock off the coast of Scotland, it was her. But that wouldn't allow the professor to sleep one bit better. From the Orkneys or not, she was somebody's little darling and if anything happened to her while she was out there alone, his cherished career was toast, and rightly so, he considered. As the two demons had rocketed past overhead, Tereth always pulling out in front easily, they'd spotted a helicopter trying to land in nearly impossible visibility near to the fairly flat ground on the large plateau which dominated the island. The pilot made four attempts and had to abort, the crew stating flatly that the young woman was in danger of their tailrotor even if they'd been successful and that they had no intentions of dying for it either. So they'd gone to Plan B and dropped off supplies for her, saying that they'd be back for another attempt as soon as possible the following day or maybe the next, depending on when the fog lifted. The student had wanted to justify her position to them as well, but their fuel state was the thing which had closed off the discussions and the helicopter pulled out of the mist and turned for the mainland. Not one of the demons knew of these reasons. All that was known was that the presence of even one frail human on that island even now was unwanted and there was no time to seek for an alternate island which was uninhabited and of a sufficient size to be suitable for their needs. Brinack and Kerry saw it that way too. "I need someone to remain in our old hiding place," the general said, "I have a feeling that if not now, it will be known soon that we hid there while waiting for the now-missing Appolyon, and there are still old enemies – one in particular who cannot let the matter rest. I need one to stay there and hide for a little time and to let us know if he comes then." "I know the one, Brin, " Kerry said quietly, "I have the same score to settle with that old lord." Brinack nodded and turned to the legate of the scouts, "Give me one. One scout only. And let it be my nephew Ulfr, if you have nothing against it. He is just barely old enough for the duty, a good learner from your telling to me, but this fight is nothing for a young slayer's test. It will be test enough for the veterans, I think. I want him nowhere near the fray. He will take the human to our old place. Once there, he will keep her safe until this is over, one way or the other, and if the hated one comes, we will go. She will be safer there regardless, if she can be still for a time, and then Ulfr can bring her back." The legate nodded and bowed, speaking his agreement. An instant later, the call went out. Ulfr was only two decades and a bit old, if one looked at it from the view of how time was measured here. He was painfully aware of his tender age here and cursed his luck. He was also painfully aware that his name was NOT demonic in the least, and it had caused him to become a bit of a scapegoat and the butt of many jibes and much laughter among his peers. Perhaps goaded by it, Ulfr drove himself in all things to excel. Once he'd begun his learning while still small, his parents had always made it clear in a gentle way that he'd likely be placed in one of the two new legions with the other young slayers. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 20 But at the same time, they'd pointed out that they'd always taught him their ways, the ways of the slayer scouts, who were to live on their own and far from their comrades if that's where the duty took them. As he'd grown, he'd learned the fighting well and it had built him into a large male, though not quite as large as the main corps fighters. That hadn't been the plan anyway. With a little careful conversation and a lot of luck, the lord's general Brinack, Ulfr's aunt, had made a place for him among the slayer scouts the previous year and he'd taken to that like a duck to water. By his nature alone, Ulfr was extremely self-reliant and was well-suited for the role. To his young mind, though, he felt himself to be ready for anything – and he likely was – even in his legate's view, but he was too new and each situation naturally caused him a slight few seconds of hesitation. He always chose correctly in the event, but there would be no time for any hesitation once the main clash began, if it indeed came to that. As he stood before the Appolyon himself, very nervous now, and listened to things as they were laid out for him, well, Ulfr didn't like it. Brinack smiled at him, trying to avoid having to say it as a direct command, mindful of the feelings of a young slayer who had to be feeling the weight of his lineage. "I will not call you nephew here, "she said, "This is not the time for it. But what I have for you is a task, Ulfr, and that task, like any other which a slayer undertakes, has value and is of importance. While you might stand before me and silently curse your luck to be pulled out of the main force, consider that you have been chosen to do the things that a slayer scout does and seek to know if an old enemy is there or comes. You are not to even try to deal with him alone for it would likely be your death, and a wasteful one. You are to summon me if that happens. I will allow you into that fight by our side and be glad of your help, but not alone, Ulfr." She outlined what he was to do, where he was to go and why. "If you wish, lay that the human asleep and keep her there if it makes things easier. Just keep her safe if you can so that you can return her there later." Ulfr bowed and then straightened, prepared now to hear the details and memorize them. He still didn't like it, but it was to be his task, and a task which one can grasp is better than being held back from the fight in reserve like the other young ones. It almost made him smile. ------------------------------ Pamela Dougherty looked away from her display to pick up her phone. The little LED indicated that it was from Robert, one of her sector controllers. "Yes, Robert," she sighed as she pressed her fingers against her forehead, cursing whatever factors had conspired to make her vulnerable to migraines. They weren't the sort which caused most sufferers to seek a dark and deathly still place in which to suffer. She could function through most of hers. She thought that made it a little worse in her case, like having to chase after sheep in a field of thistles. "There's something here that I think you ought to have a look at," her subordinate rasped. They'd both been here together for years on end, neither one liking the other much from the first day, but all of the other adversaries had drifted off to collect their pensions now and the younger crowd just didn't know much about being able to quietly and legitimately piss each other off like she and Robert did. It had been a long and strange road for them. When her second marriage had hit the skids, she took it harder than the first time, yet surprisingly, Robert had been there for her like none of her friends had. It was as though her friends had all figured that if your marriage tanks when you're in your forties and for the second time, then you ought to be able to manage things better. Only Robert knew how shattered she'd been then. When his wife had gotten ill and passed on, it was Pamela then who has sat with him for hours, listening to him cry. One night, they'd just ended up in bed together and had just gone on quietly with it ever since. But they could still annoy each other like nobody's business. "Lovely," she smiled sarcastically as she got up. "I get to step away from the mountain of paper for a minute." He pointed to a side display, "I saw these a while ago and ran the usual queries, which got me nothing. Policy dictates that I have to bring it to my supervisor's attention. Sorry, Pam." "Oh, it's ok, Robert," she sighed, rubbing her nose under her glasses, "I remember when they told us that computers as business tools would cause the paper to disappear. If I'd known then what a crock that was, I'd have likely quit on the spot. So what are these tracks?" He pointed at the screen. "Something moving in loops over Staffa at a high rate of speed. Two somethings actually and too low to be legal. I checked with RAF and even USAF, but they've got nothing up for fast-movers there today. I can't even point to the Russians here because they originated from out of the south and then went right back there into the clutter and I lost them. There are no small aircraft there, other than a commercial helicopter who is about to leave. They've been trying to get an archeology student off that rock for about a half an hour, but I think they'll scrub it due to the fog soon enough. So what I'm left with are high speed anomalies," he said, "There have been reports of faint sonic booms from the mainland coast. I made calls on all of the designated frequencies, warning about the overspeed below ten thousand. I heard nothing." "What about a Speedbird flight?" she asked, looking over at him. Robert smiled, his mouth doing its damndest not to smirk as he remembered that now-retired call sign. "I think you've just dated yourself. Pam. There hasn't been a Speedbird flight through here in years. There hasn't been a Concorde in the sky anywhere for a long time. They're all retired. And anyway," he pointed. "they never flew in patterns like that." Pam rubbed her forehead again, "Is it still going on" He shook his head, "Nothing for the past forty minutes." "Put it down as a glitch then, or a transitory return. Christ, call it a flock of birds. I'm not going to ask RAF to send something to check out what's no longer there. I'll call for a dish recalibration. It's coming due anyway." She walked off and Robert cleaned his glasses, muttering quietly to himself. He moved the cursor to one section of one track and saw the velocity value. 1.82 Mach at 382 feet above sea level. Some birds, he thought. ------------------------ Nothing happened that day, though there was a little probing done by both sides. On the remote island of Staffa, a young woman struggled a little with dragging her supplies off to the place where she had her tents, though this was the last trip. The water containers were the biggest bitches in it, but thankfully, they were cylindrical plastic jugs and she could always roll them. All the same, the grass was a little long and their size meant that she couldn't roll them comfortably. It caused her to have to stop now and then to straighten up for a few seconds. While she did, she thought about her project partner Steven. Thinking about him at all in the past four months had been something that hadn't come to her willingly. Julia Linklater had always been a bookworm and an excellent student. Her love of archeology often gave her a little fuel, and the historical romance novels that she liked to read for a bit of recreation gave her a lot. There was something of a symbiotic relationship there between them in her mind. Being a young woman and a lover of history, she supposed that sort of pre-disposed her to have a rather healthy sex drive in an old fashioned 'I'll take that Viking over there - no, the big one,' sort of way, not that she'd ever experienced anything like that to much of any degree. There had been the occasional thing during her teens, and though she'd found the experiences pleasant, there had been nobody that she wanted to go long-term with. And Julia recognized that she wanted that to a large degree, otherwise she was left with little more than more of the same sessions with unimaginative louts – each one interchangeable with any other and a girl can't just go and fuck everybody in her search for Mr. Right, can she? Well she could, Julia supposed, but the logistics alone, ... But Steven was off the menu. She had an allergy to idiots. Her sex life these days normally consisted of her books and a little private play with a toy. The past four months had been worse than a nun's sex life, she supposed. At least with him gone now, ... The result was that Julia, a young Orcadian woman was like many women, she supposed, a bit of a hopeless romantic. "Alright," she admitted to the grass around her, "I'm a lot of one. I love the idea of love," she said to herself and whoever might be listening among the mice of the place. "And I want to have my own love, and most of all, ... " She looked around, and wondered why. There was nobody here; no other humans for miles. She didn't know why it suddenly seemed so important to her to say it out loud, but dammit, she wanted to say it now. She smirked as she even went so far as to check her radio to make certain that she wasn't just about to blurt something stupid over the open channel by keying the microphone while it was in her pocket. That was something that Steven had done- mutter to himself while the radio faithfully transmitted his vapid thoughts to anyone listening. She smiled and turned it off for just a moment, and then she looked around again. "And I want to be fucked – really well and very often, in about any way that it's even possible to, by a really nice man, a kind of warrior, not that I'd ever find one, but still, ...." She surveyed the fog around her, "I'd like to be in love with him, whoever he might be, but I'd take what I can get. As long as it isn't Steven, or a smarmy pimpled puke like that." She listened to her words in the cotton of the fog around her and thought that she detected an echo, so she went with it. "I WANT TO GET FUUUUUUUCKED!!!" she called out at the top of her lungs. She listened to the echo of her voice before it was gone and she chuckled as she turned the radio back on and resumed her task of rolling the water containers along in a little herd of three. "There," she smiled, "That feels better." Julia was twenty-one and she wasn't the usual nubile sort of young university goddess. She'd have liked to be, but she guessed that her DNA had sealed her fate in how she looked long before she could have had the thought to make her wishes known. As a child, she'd been a little rounder than a lot of her friends, though not much, she supposed. When puberty began to take hold in her some years ago, she'd been dismayed to find herself even, um, rounder and she'd almost despaired, not liking it. But her mother had told her – along with her aunt – that all was not necessarily lost and to beat herself up over what she'd been dealt wouldn't make it any better. "No matter what your feelings might tell you, there's little comfort in food, other than to keep you alive. I'm telling you, Yulya, "she said, using the more correct pronunciation," just give it time. A little exercise hurts nobody and you know how you love to be outside. Find something that keeps you going – and wanting to, and you'll soon see. You take what you get because you have to, but you also enjoy what you were given." This from her aunt, the lively and cheery amazon of her family, who Julia had always looked up to. From her, Julia learned that not all goddesses had to be slim little nymphs. Well, it hadn't been soon; not soon enough for Julia, but they'd been right. Somehow, her interest in hiking, history, the learning of it, archeology, and even the slightly naughty novels that she loved to read had conspired to compel her, and this was the result – what she was doing now. It hadn't happened that the pounds had melted off her. They wouldn't have anyway. Some did though; she'd gotten a bit taller as well, and somehow, everything had gotten distributed a lot better. Julia saw it as a minor miracle. She wasn't sure if there was a tie-in to history, but during her time at school and even now in university, she'd excelled at the javelin. She was just good at it and she saw it as a sport which was too often overlooked and overshadowed. Not surprisingly, her very favorite movie scene contained a handsome actor playing a part in a film about the Trojan War. That one long spear throw was the best one that she'd ever seen in a film. She liked the actor, but not all that much. It was the way that he'd portrayed the Greek legend and mostly for that one scene. As far as her heart went, she always felt a bit of a throb for the champion killed by Achilles at the beginning. Oh yeah, Julia thought, just lead her to a man like Boagrius. That had been a legend and long before the time of the Vikings. But Julia wasn't one to quibble. She'd never be the nubile goddess in the typical slim and nymph-like interpretation, but she was nubile in the exact meaning of the word. She liked her body a whole lot more these days and she took care of herself. She was still just a little round and she supposed that next to one of those goddesses, she might even look a little heavy, but to her, she was heavy in a nice way now and it got her all manner of attention. But by then, Julia was already into her studies deeply and it left little time for much. She hardly dated and had no time for a boyfriend. Which was stupid; the way that she often thought of her situation. Here she was, likely at her peak and there was no time and no one to enjoy it with. But she told herself that if she ever met her 'Viking' and they hit it off, well she knew what she wanted, and best to leave it at that. She'd figured out her quiet desire for a large man just from things about herself. She liked the way that she looked these days, but at 5-10, she knew that she wasn't for a lot of men – and they weren't for her. She thought that for a girl such as she was, her best bet was to go large and hope that he was a little large too. She already had to buy the 'extra large' pads. She was just big there. So far sadly, there hadn't been one who could ah, measure up on her Viking scale. She didn't think much about other men. A thought which she sometimes had without wanting it was that she was only doing the archeological field assistant thing to help her stave off the inevitable. One day, she'd have to settle for a big round guy and have their kids and that was it – whether he was large or, um, not. On top of it all, there was the 'other thing', as she thought of it. Julia even knew what it was; If you spend a fair bit of your formative years in a body that you like (because it's yours ), but you don't like the way that you see it, well even if it changes for the better quite markedly, that doesn't mean that you accept the accolades at face value – even if pimply Steven leaves a comment on your Facebook wall categorizing you as being built like a 'brick shithouse' in his American way. He might have gotten somewhere with her were it not for that little bon mot. But he was gone now and Julia was on a roll. If she got the chance of it, she'd still try to dissuade Professor Guildstone from pulling her out, but even so, she already had his word that she'd be his first choice for next year on this same island. She just hoped that the next partner was a little more, ... interesting. She stopped and stood up once more to stretch a little. She was almost there. Fog or not, she knew where her camp was. As she bent down again to roll the water jugs some more, she saw only them and the barest outlines of her camp and its two tents. Just about home. She didn't see what passed by almost silently behind her only about thirty feet off the deck from one side to the other. If she had been looking that way, she might have stared for the second in which the apparition would be visible to her before being swallowed by the mist again. Julia was a modern day Orcadian, and as such, she didn't place a lot of stock in the old legends of the sorts of beasties which were supposed to inhabit pretty much all of these islands in ancient times. Those were the legends and beliefs of the Norsemen who had settled there long ago. But she was familiar with the legends themselves. It was a part of the island culture, after all. She was from the one of the Orkney Island chain, a fair bit away off the northern coast. Staffa was a deserted rock off the east coast. None of the legends said anything about demons. Of any sort. And there wasn't a single word in any text about slayer demons. Such as the one who had just passed within fifty feet behind her. -------------------------------- Ulfr wheeled away to open the space. He was wondering about this. His original plan had been to just fly by, lay the human out asleep, and then land. Once he's satisfied himself that she hadn't hurt herself in any way over the fall, he'd planned to just wrap her up in the blanket that he'd brought for the purpose, and they'd be away. But he'd heard what she'd said to herself; most of it anyway, and it puzzled him. Remembering the sounds in his memory, he searched for their meaning. The slayer scouts had been given some instructions of how to transfer the words of a few human languages over, English being one, since there were some common thoughts to a demonic tongue, little used anymore, but it was hoped that it would serve as a start. The trouble was that after a few moments, he understood what she'd said – most especially what she'd shouted – and now he wondered why. He had a little time, he thought, so he decided to try to observe a little more. He knew what humans were; he'd just never really seen one up close before and though he couldn't understand why she'd want to cover herself in clothing as much as he'd seen, the hint that he'd gotten of her shape had been a pleasant surprise. And she had reddish blonde hair. He'd never seen that either. Ulfr smiled. ---------------------------- Julia reached her camp and got things squared away in only a minute or so. She'd been given instructions to do that the day before in preparation and though her heart wasn't in it, she'd complied so there wasn't much to do. She stood around for a moment with her hands on her hips and thought a little. The fog was here because the ground was warm and the damp ocean air was cool. But not cold. There was a thing about Julia and to her, she considered it only just layers to her onion, but her name had caused her trouble as a child. Like anything else, she'd learned to deal with it. To her cohorts and friends at university, she was Julia, but back home, it was Yulya; the same name, just a different style. She was all alone out here – well, unless there was a fishing trawler rather close to shore now. She'd seen them before, though always a long way out, and it was foggy. She couldn't see the coast or the water from here. And she was alone. And in a mood, she chuckled to herself. And she only had about one day to do something that she'd wanted to do for months. It hadn't been possible before with Steven here. Her clothes were off in seconds, and then her hiking boots went back on. This was more like it, Julia grinned. Julia couldn't see Ulfr as he stood and watched her through the fog which didn't do as much to affect his vision as it did hers. He was careful to keep his distance as he observed her. Her hair was already wet from the moisture in the air, but as far as he could tell, she was having a grand time. Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 20 The whole episode was curious to him, but though he knew little about humans in general, he was beginning to like this one, and he knew that he didn't understand all of this – or her and her sudden want to be naked. Ulfr didn't have much of a grasp of the modern English lexicon, but if it were to be explained to him, he'd likely nod and smile and agree that she was fucking awesome to him just for this and her smiling laughter at herself for doing it. And the longer that he watched, the more intrigued he became with her body. He was looking at it from the viewpoint of one intelligent creature regarding another. They weren't exactly made for each other quite obviously, he thought, and he had no mating interest in her - that he was aware of. He just liked her. But something else came to him then as a sense of foreboding. They weren't alone here on this rock. There were hunters here. At first, he didn't know which lord had sent them. He wasn't up on these things, after all. He wished now that the one called Maezou were here now. She'd have been able to tell him this in a heartbeat. But she wasn't and his task had been to keep this human girl safe, getting her off the island being part of the process. Julia knew nothing of all of this. She decided that she'd had enough of the nudism for the moment after a little while, the chill having gotten to her at last. So she went to her sleeping tent to towel her hair dry and put on a simple and spacious dress. She'd planned to have a little bit of an early supper, and then she'd read a little and shake the cobwebs out of her pocket rocket. She hoped the battery still had a little life left in it. For the second time, Julia didn't see the slayer as he passed by not far from her. Like the first time, if she'd known that there was a being like him nearby, she might have heard the quiet rush of his wings. The place always seemed to have at least a slight breeze. She'd thought that was what she'd heard. If she'd seen him, she'd have run. It wasn't immediately apparent to Ulfr that this was actually a lot worse than it seemed to him at first glance. Due to his relative position in things at the outset, Ulfr missed the first pair of hunters. They were a lot closer than he'd have imagined. He only noticed their presence after he'd passed the tent. But he picked out the others in the fog a few heartbeats later as he began his own hunt, and it wouldn't take very long. When Julia stuck her head through the zippered tent flap, she'd been seized and pulled inside. Ulfr knew it was getting worse for him when he felt the second pair to be behind him just as he heard Julia's startled scream, but he couldn't be in two places at once. The male-female pair in the tent were amazed at their luck. They hadn't been sent to seek out naked human females on this windblown stone, but they hadn't been instructed to leave any that they might find alone either. Finding her was just a stroke of great entertainment value. They'd made it here and there was no sign of any demonic force here, militarily speaking. So their task was done. But why would they want to return to Gorek now, this soon after, when there was this one to be played with? Julia couldn't understand what was said between the pair and it was just as well. Especially when the female suggested to her male that he fuck her until it came out of her eyes, just as an opener. Julia found herself pushed to her knees, the female's hand on her head as she pulled the human to her belly and moved her feet apart. Julia didn't understand and she was terrified, but she found her head pulled so that her face was somewhere where she'd certainly never have wanted it to be. When she resisted, she felt the claws against her scalp. The huntress hissed at her in English, "Lick, fool. And it had better feel far past only nice." Julia began to whimper as she was pulled even more forcefully and her neck felt as though it might break for the angle. She gagged, but she began, hating the sharp taste. She felt the other one's hand on her hip and she knew what would happen. She could already feel the way that the male was trying to find her opening. Julia began to cry, and it made the female laugh quietly. But things grew a little tense for the three when a thin squeal came to their ears, followed by an agonized shriek. One hunter looked at the other, neither one releasing the distraught Julia - who was screaming herself now in her struggles with her face still against the labia of a demon. "Go and see what happened," the female hunter said in their speech. "Fuck you," the male responded, "You look. The ones we were sent to meet here are dead, can't you feel it? They no sooner get here and they die. What do you suppose caused that, a sheep?" The female dragged Julia by the hair struggling and fighting desperately as they left the tent. Julia was on her knees, trying to catch up so that she could try to duckwalk wanting to ease the tension on her scalp. The pair thought that she might be useful as a bargaining chip. Maybe whoever was here might want a little fun with a human, they decided. It was better than nothing. There was a sound a little like a roaring wind off in the distance and then there was nothing to be heard for several moments. Other than Julia's, the heart rates of the hunters had begun to return cautiously to normal. They whispered between themselves, cursing their employer for confusing hunters with spies. A body landed near them, bloody, torn and looking as though it was a posterboy for the term 'violent end'. Julia screamed a little involuntarily and wherever he was at the moment and unseen, Ullfr was pleased. Since he knew that she was where the hunters were – exactly. The body hadn't been on the ground in their sight long enough to have completely come to rest on the wet and slick grass when a second one arrived in much the same fashion and condition, though this one was torn almost completely in two and lived still, shuddering and twitching in a paroxysm of agony. "Shibola!" the female cried out as she stepped forward, "Can you speak, sister? Who did this?" The second female was shaking, well into her death agony now, but she managed a name, and in plain demonic, it bore the same root as the old Egyptian term for something far removed from what she wanted to warn her sister about. To them, it had another connotation entirely. "Abū al Hūl!," she hissed violently in her rapid gasping way, quivering even more as her blood ran from her to soak into the grass. The unhurt female groaned and the male had no clue. "Abū al Hūl?" he repeated, and then he said it in the English that he knew, since it made more sense to them in the translation, "The Terrifying One?" "No," his partner whispered as she noted the passing of her sibling, "One of them." He gaped and together, they peered out into the fog, and while any demon can see through fog far better than any human, they can't see through almost a kilometer of thick and heavy fog such as was evident here. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Ulfr wasn't there. He was above them and now dropped from the sky to land on one knee with a crash near the bodies of those that he'd slain. Julia screamed and tried to struggle to her feet and run, but the female held her fast. What knelt there was over seven feet of dark terror to any living demon. It was something not known to humans at all. More than seven feet of demonic might, clad in coal black light armor. What musculature was evident to their eyes was thick and corded, and it wore a glossy back helm with spikes protruding from the mouthpiece like teeth only a little lighter in tone than the rest. There were thick hooves mostly covered with shiny black fetlocks and the tail was as a horse's tail, other than the demon tail which twitched slowly while long hair settled around it. One fist was curled there in the earth beside it to steady itself a little in this position. From this view, the thing was obviously a male by the heavy bulge which was visible and that male was looking down for the moment, as though either recovering from the fall for an instant – or remaining in this posture while listening and gathering his thoughts. Julia gave a little cry as she struggled and had her hair yanked again. The head looked up then, directly at the three. There were eyes there in that helm and they glowed a deep red as he regarded them all. He'd heard the English and he considered its effect on the human for a moment, since Mother had ascertained that it was a language which she was fluent in. The hunters stood behind Julia now as they held her up – still by her hair as though they tried to hide behind her a little and the sight was ludicrous to watch. It was clear that they wanted nothing more than to be gone with their lives. "Holding that one out before you will buy you nothing from me, " the beast said, "Unless you wish to seek your own passing soon." "Look Slayer," the male said, unwittingly angering the dark beast before them, "We do not wish for trouble. We were about to have a little amusement with this human. There is no one here, and no one will know. I doubt anyone would care. If anyone cared for her, she wouldn't be all alone here and asking for it. We heard her cry, so we came to, ... , you know. Here, take her for yourself with our best wishes, of cour-" The rest was an unintelligible gurgle and he fell over backwards, grasping at his own throat as though trying to pull an invisible hand from it. The eyes in the helmet glowed only a little brighter as the voice slid a little lower and the malevolence in it left little doubt as to his thoughts of these two hunters. "Release her, huntress – or you join your male." The female's hands flew from Julia's hair and body and she stepped back, almost tripping over the struggling male there in the grass. Julia's feet weren't responding to her intense want to be gone herself. Her legs felt as though they'd barely hold her up and she hardly felt the warm trickle down her thigh. "He is not my male," the demon said, trying to contain her fear and distance herself a little, "I barely know him, Slayer. We only work together sometimes and, -" "For whom, liar?" The question came out flatly, "Which lord owns you?" She seemed to find a little courage then and she tried to raise herself to stand a little taller. It was all just a desperate ruse and fooled no one; other than perhaps the human, "We were sent by the powerful demonlord, Gorek. He is mighty and will not like the way you interfere with his servants." "You think to cow me with threats?" he asked as his eyes glowed hotly. The huntress began to back away, her terror of him plainly evident, "No, I, ... Slayer, I meant no –" There were two hunters hanging onto their own throats then and Julia's eyes almost left her head to see the beast stand then to walk over a little slowly. "Perhaps you are correct," he said and Julia saw her first glimpse of the little to be seen in the helm as she saw the long teeth slowly form a smile. The smile itself was striking to her and not all that threatening. But the rest ... The size, Mother of God; the size of him as he stepped nearer. She was certain that she could even feel it through the ground whenever he took a step on those hooves. Amazingly, she felt another trickle down her leg when he spoke again. She backed up slowly until she stood next to the struggling female. "He would most certainly not like what has befallen the four fools that he sent here. But he will know nothing, other than they are gone and lost to him. It would go better if he used hunters who HAVE souls instead to trying to substitute the mindless for the skilled, and then use those for the wrong thing. He should teach his fools better. I know what you are, and I am aware that you know only rumors of my kind." She was shaking her head, still trying to speak when he nodded with an expression which might be read as disgust. The pair of them became simply clouds of screaming red mist the next instant. Then Julia was alone with someone who defied her knowledge of any of this. The beast's head turned to regard her for a moment. The nerves which commanded her legs seemed to have re-connected at least a little and she stepped backward and slipped on the bloody grass. The next thing that she knew, she was on her back, still naked but for her boots. She was shaking in terror herself as she tried to get to her feet with wild eyes, pushing backward with her heels and clawing with her hands. "Stop." It was all that he said and it was spoken quietly. She stopped. "You can run away if you like, Yulya" he said in a much softer tone, though still in a low voice, "I will allow it for a little time if it is to make you feel better, but first I need to know if you are unhurt. Did they harm you, either of them? I can aid you if they did in any way." Julia shook her head, in more than a little terror of him herself, and yet surprised at the change in his demeanor, speaking to her in a different tone, "N-nnn-nn-n-...o". It was the best that she could do. "That is well," he said, uncomfortable with the speech. "We must leave, you and I, and it should be sooner than ... after. No," he shook his head a little and looked down, "Later." He looked up a little pleased that he'd found a better term. But he saw only her abject fear, once she understood that he intended to take her somewhere. She didn't know who or what the four things were that he'd killed, but she'd seen that the last two plainly feared him. Ulfr was about to try to calm her, but he gave it up, doubting that he could convince her no matter what he said or tried to tell her. He'd already been here too long. He had to keep her safe and it had almost gone badly in only minutes. He sighed and raised his hand wearily. Julia would have screamed, thinking that he was going to do what he'd just done to the others, but she fell into darkness instead. ------------------------- In the hall under the ruins of the old castle, many miles away in Scotland, another pair of eyes opened wider at having a thought and a realization. The eyes belonged to one who had mated with Ulfr twice only the night before, having chosen him out of the thousands there and she liked him very much. She saw him as young and so serious in the way that he performed his duties, but she also loved his sweet nature, once you got close enough to see it and were given the chance to. She knew that in other circumstances, she'd have loved to keep him as her mate and she knew that she could please him. That wasn't in question, but there was the matter of who they were, so it wasn't something that they could have gone on with. Besides, it wasn't her way. Any need in her to have a fine mate for herself was already well looked-after and she was such a lucky girl to have the ones which her heart needed. She'd just had the want of it and the permission of her lord, that was all. It had been good, and she'd developed feelings for Ulfr from it. Those feelings had caused her to think of him and the thoughts had ... She saw something of a chance for him with someone else and she saw nothing odd about how they were different. She was different to him as well and that had gone so nicely. She smiled and looked around a little, seeking for a reason. The reason came to her and she went to make her request. She'd thought of a valid concern which would suffice. But her own concern was actually about Ulfr and the human. She knew nothing about the girl who had been mentioned as being at risk, but she knew Ulfr. A few minutes later, Zele was in the air, with Thiery clinging to her back and Illa flying beside her as they climbed and turned toward the island of Alsay. --------------------------------- Grrta wasn't happy. She wasn't particularly unhappy, but she was stuck here in Lewis Crowe's cottage – a little out of harm's way, as it was pointed out to her. That was all fine and good, she supposed, but she didn't really want to be here. Grrta still thought the world of Lewis. He'd saved her life for one thing, and he'd treated her so well. But he and Miss Sharon had sort of found each other and Grrta knew what that was - or she could make her surmisal. For whatever reasons which were likely far above her head, Grrta guessed that Mother's focus had shifted. She really knew very little about the now-revived ancient love between two demons or what lay behind the mating aerobatics the other night. These things were far beyond the knowledge and understanding of a girl like her. She only knew that now, the two humans were building a relationship and a lot of that had to do with Miss Sharon's books and Lewis knowledge of the arcane. She didn't want to be here to see the way that she wasn't needed or wanted particularly. Grrta wouldn't really care much, she supposed. She'd thought there was something there between her and Lewis, but she guessed that his interest had waned and why not? Grrta wasn't his kind where Miss Sharon was. It was natural. She didn't really blame him – she couldn't. He'd saved her life. Grrta had been happy with Thiery and Illa and they'd made her feel welcome. It had been a lot of fun as well. But they'd gone with Miss Zele somewhere and with Thiery being carried on Zele's back as she flew and with Illa carrying some provisions, there's been no room for her. Grrta could even handle that – if all that she had to do now was miss the two. They seemed to be important here, from what she could tell, so it stood to reason that they could be needed elsewhere. That was all fine too. But it hadn't taken long for Illa and Thiery to notice that someone like Grrta did need to eat and she had nothing. Grrta had been saved and all, but there was no way that she could contribute. She'd never learned to hunt. They said that they didn't mind, but Grrta knew better. She felt bad enough about it anyway. Actually, she felt less than useless, so she didn't blame them. It hadn't escaped her notice that when her cousin and his imp left to go with Zele, neither one of them had even said goodbye. That had been the thing that had hurt. So here she was, in a cottage with a couple of humans who kept looking at each other and then at her while Grrta felt slowly worse. As though someone had somehow known of her plight, there came a polite knock at the door and General Brinack walked in. The general was someone who Grrta knew and respected. She felt in a bit of awe whenever she saw the tall general, but she liked her and this was a welcome change in her day, even if she was only here for a visit. But no, she'd come for her! "Hello, Grrta," the general said, "Do you have a bit of time for me? I need you to come with me to speak with the goblin women again. It seems they've gotten wind of the changes in our stance here in preparation and they have some idea that we'll leave them for some reason. It's not true of course, but, ... Well, could I ask you to come along and have a word with them all? I want to offer them some reassurance, but I think it would go better if they got the news from someone who doesn't scare them to death when she speaks." Grrta jumped up and said that she'd be delighted to help. As Brinack walked (and Grrta trotted), she explained her position and Grrta knew that she could help things. Other than the walking, it only took a minute and Grrta was happy to see Thiery's mother again. The older female asked about her son and Grrta told all that she knew, and then they were on their way back. "I may be an old soldier, "the general said gently, "but I don't need to be bashed over the head to catch the wind, Grrta. Something's bothering you. Can I ask what it is?" Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 20 Grrta didn't want to burden Brinack with her troubles, but the general was gently insistent, so after some reluctance, Grrta spilled it all. To her surprise, Brinack smiled then. "Of course I can understand the way that you feel. Who wouldn't feel like that under the circumstances? Before you were captured by the goblins, what was it that you used to do?" "Well I used te work leather," Grrta said, "Some the sort that ye'd want fer te hang on te a sword better with, and some was just things that y'ed put on yerself, like thongs or simple jewellery, or, ... " She looked down, noticing something on the general's ankle. She looked away toward one of the slayers who'd accompanied them. "If ye don't mind me askin', General, ..." "Please, Grrta, the commander smiled, "call me Brin. I have to swim all day up to my chin in General this and Commander that. I'd like a rest from it once in a while. What were you going to ask?" Grrta pointed, "I keep noticing these thongs that ye all wear. Well not all, but a lot of ye. What are they for?" Brinack shrugged, "It's a little bit of fashion these days and a lot of superstition Grrta, but originally, these were charms to protect us. They have to be leather to stand up, but originally, many of them had stones woven into the leatherwork, the type of stones were said to be something that the spirits of our ancestors lived in." "How dya mean, 'originally'?" Brin shrugged, "The art of it is lost to us now, mostly. None of us can craft and weave leather anymore. The old ones who did this are gone now and none of us have the ability or the time to devote to learning it. What you're seeing on some of my people are heirlooms, priceless family relics." Grrta was wearing the beginnings of a little smile now. "Dya think your folks would pay te be able te have new ones made? Do they have any money?" Brinack saw it then and began to laugh. "Of course! But where would you get the stones from?" Grrta chuckled, "Unless I'm wrong, Brin. What I see ye wearin' is called granite here and half the planet's made of it. I just need te get a bit of leather and my tools from down in the hole where I was livin' wi my mother before all this began. That's if they're still there an all and there's no tunnel beasts down there now." Brinack saw a worried expression cross Grrta's face for a moment. But before that, she saw Grrta look happy and it also seemed to her that she was developing a plan. She decided that she liked that look on Grrta's face better than this one. "I can't give you any slayers right now," she said, "We're deploying so quickly that I can't keep track of the individual units anymore without looking at my list. But come with me. I think I know someone who might help." They walked up to the main hall. As they strode across it, Grrt looked up, "Dya think that many of yer people might want something like I could make?" "I don't see why not," the general said, "The ones who still have these things wear them proudly. To a lot of them, it's like taking your ancestors to battle with you and asking them to look out for you. And there are all the thousands of them, aren't there?" She winked at the smaller one who stopped suddenly. "Pick me up, Brin." Brinack was surprised, but she picked Grrta up and looked at her curiously. Grrta threw her arms around the warrior's neck and hugged her tightly, "Thanks fer this, Brin. I'm feelin' a bit hopeful now, and that's not a little thing te me." A little later, they walked into a large area that was now used a little for training. There were ten slayers in the room of various ranks and abilities. Mother stood off to one side looking amused and there were two others there; a pair of rather young-looking demons. Grrta tried not to stare, but she'd never seen a more attractive pair in her young sixty-two year life. She also saw that the floor was littered with pieces of wood. One of the slayer officers snarled a little angrily, "AGAIN!" Things became interesting after that. Five slayer troops took up a diamond pattern and began to advance on the smaller demons, who only smiled a little and waited. Grrta noticed that they held staves of wood in their hands like swords. In the blink of an eye, the pair stood at the other end of the chamber, looking as though they'd just walked there. They were looking away as though nothing had happened, but the staves in their hands were broken and shattered. The slayers stood in a loose group, their formation broken and ragged-looking. Two of them appeared to be slightly injured. Mother looked strangely pleased. The officer looked almost apoplectic. "What's goin' on?" Grrta asked Brin. She sighed, "The same thing all morning. Slayers are demons. Demons can sense other demons whether they are visible or not. Slayers do not need to see their opponents to kill them. What those ones there used were the same tactics which have always worked for us anywhere. Every time, those two defeat and get past my troops. And they are stronger than they look by far. This began with thirty troopers .We are down to six now. I am thankful that we didn't allow live blades here." --------------------------------- "What are we doing here?" Thiery asked as they looked around, making their way down a long hall and peeking in every doorway as they went. But Zele only held up her hand, indicating that she wanted quiet. The two understood and their footsteps became as inaudible as hers. The smells of the place around them carried only the hint that it had been occupied by large numbers of beings who were now absent; the slight odors cooling to the nose like the way that a barn can plainly tell that it has been used, but after a month, the smell is cool and fading. She paused at one intersection and led them that way until at last, they stood in a fairly large chamber where water could be heard as a quiet backdrop and the air was warm and humid. Zele told them of Ulfr and what he was to do in this place. Zele said that her presence was not to be known by Ulfr but that she was there only in the extreme case that he needed help. "Illa and Thiery are to make them welcome and not say a thing about Zele. There will be a human with him and she will be afraid, so Zele wants you to try to make it better for her. But say nothing of Zele," she whispered, "and always think that an old enemy of Kerry may come – if he is not already here somewhere. Zeles goes to look now. Remember; as quiet as you can be. Zele needs her little loves to be very quiet now, and not argue and bicker." The nodded and she hugged them before she stood and walked off. Thiery looked at all of the food they'd brought, some of the meat still very warm from the hall's ovens. "That's not for you or me – at least it isn't tae start with, Thiery my love," Illa whispered as she looked over his shoulder at the chamber behind him. "There's a great fire pit there behind ye. I think we'll be needin' it lit for a start, not a great roaring thing, mind, just a quiet bit of light and some heat. He nodded and saw her smile as she spoke her next thoughts. "But I think we've a bit of time yet," she smiled to him softly as she began to fondle him very gently. "And my little place is needin' te be filled again." She put her free arm around his neck and she kissed him softly as she felt his hand begin to toy with her lips. She moved her feet apart to help and she sighed. "I love what ye give te me and how I can feel it when I walk or do anything after. But it canna stay long where I want it, Thiery. Can I have a little more?" ----------------------------------- Brinack whistled and waved everyone over. Mother wore a slightly proud look. "Alright," Brinack said, "How?" "They are not as young and inexperienced as they appear, " Lily said, "that is one thing which misleads the others here. They are small and quick as well," she said, "remarkably so. Yet though they are less than half the size of a slayer, they are very nearly as strong. The rest? Even I don't know. I could stop them, but it would be outside what was agreed upon for rules and they'd be dead." "We can help," the female said, "You're not seeing it correctly, Aunt Lilitu." Lily nodded, "I see the air elements that you use. I expected that, but – " "We're cambions," the male said, "It gives us an edge and makes it hard to sense us. We know what these fighters will do before they do it. Before they think to do it, we're already moving." "And we're drudes," the female one smiled, "You see us fade and even expect that. These opponents do the same. But we split off from ourselves then. This time, five were ordered to attack us. They were fighting six of us. It can only end this way." "How many of you can there be?" the officer asked. The pair shrugged. "We don't know," the male said, "The most that we've ever tried to drive was ten between us. We've never needed more than that before." "Just tell me one thing; Are there any more of you?" "Exactly like us? No." the girl said, "None that we've ever met or heard of. We've seen other cambions, but most are just wrecks; unfortunates who live their lives just trying to find something to eat. A lot of them are just, um, very simple because no one takes the time to help them learn anything so they just stay empty. We think it has a lot to do with the demon parent. Drudes are pretty rare these days." She stopped speaking then, noticing that the male was looking elsewhere. She looked as well and joined her brother in staring at Grrta, who stared back. It only lasted a moment and then all three looked painfully shy. Brinack saw it and had to look away. When she did, she found herself looking at Liliy, who looked as though keeping back her grin would be the death of her until she forced it down. She did manage it though. She just wondered at the way that her niece and nephew seemed to be affected this much. From the little that she knew of them, they never had an issue over being shy in any way. "Did you find out what you wanted to learn?" Brinack asked Lily, "I'd say that they can more than look after themselves, and I don't want to put more people in pain to prove a point," she glared at the officer, "long after it's plain. If you're not satisfied yet after the whole morning at this, Trontag, then I'd suggest that you try to take them on yourself." She spoke to Lily about Grrta's idea, but that she felt nervous about going to look for her leatherworking tools. As they spoke of it, the two cambions walked to where Grrta stood cursing her shyness and plain looks. She couldn't help herself. She had to look again. She blinked then, not comprehending. The two were still walking toward her – But she could also see them just as they had been a second ago, standing and listening politely to Brin. They still were doing that. Way the hell over there. "What's your name?" Isis asked as though the effort was the most daring thing that she'd ever attempted. "I'm Grrta," the goblin-ish female mumbled. "He's Aram, my stepbrother and cousin and, ... well he's a lot of things to me. And my name's Isis." Aram looked as though he didn't have the nerve to say very much. He just stood looking as amazed at Grrta as Isis. "He usually talks more, though." If Grrta could have felt her attraction to them any more strongly, she'd have been a puddle. It confused her. All of her life, she'd just been someone whom another person might have been attracted to on a sexual level for as long as they could force themselves on her, but other than recently, it hadn't ever been with her feelings in mind. These two were out of her league to have even a slightly naughty thought about, she told herself. She just knew that she wanted to be near them. In fact, she'd never been more than someone who – at best - had accepted and acquiesced with Lewis and the smaller ones. The most overt thing that she could remember doing – unless it was in the pitch darkness of Illa's bed had been to reach out shyly to hold and caress Lewis until it was clear that she could use her mouth because she'd felt so thankful to him. But she knew what she wanted to do with these two. Her mind filled with possibilities and hopes that she was surprised to find herself having. She wondered if she ought to be feeling a little guilty over it. Her thoughts seemed that foreign to her. A young female slayer ran up to Brinack and passed a message. She asked a few questions and the messenger nodded. Brinack looked at Lily, "It is time." Outside, above them all, it wasn't a fit night out to walk or even stand. So there were no humans standing out there in the wind and snow. Had there been, however, they'd have seen the darkness of the long exodus of large bodies as slayers ran out from the lower hall out into the upper one and from there to the outside, taking flight to their staging areas. They stayed fairly low, most of them, the weather not much of a factor to them. There were groups which climbed to get above the storm, however, and these ones, ... ----------------------------- Another sigh and Pamela reached for the phone again. This freak storm wasn't helping her throbbing head, mostly because some of the staff hadn't been able to get in yet and the ones at their stations stayed on to provide the coverage required. "Hi Robert," she smiled a little tiredly, "please tell me that all you have for anomalies now is one slow-flying sleigh piloted by a jolly fat elf dressed in red, a little late on his way home." She heard him sigh, "Sorry Pam. I've got traffic. Loads of it on screen, none of it announced or scheduled, none of it responding to radio calls, and I could really use coffee and a little help diverting the scheduled traffic around whatever this is." She put her hand over the receiver and muttered a curse and Robert chuckled. Pamela heard it and walked over, since his station was just outside the glass door to her office. She asked and he moved his boom microphone away from his face. "We've known each other a long time," Robert said, "That's the first time that I've ever heard you say that word – other than as a request to me." ------------------- Minutes later, the three smaller creatures were walking together as Grrta led them to the entrance to the section where she'd been born and grew up. Mostly, it was an underground wasteland. If one thought of the whole of the underground there as a city, which it had been to a degree, well Grrta came from the Kobold Quarter; where the lower ones lived. But centuries of abuse and oppression had reduced them to only a few dozen by the time that Grrta had come to be spawned and the culinary desires of the goblins had caused her to be the last. There were no more kobolds here. All that were left were people with varying degrees of mixed blood, and none lived here. Nothing lived there now. It was a ghost town far underground. All three could see in the dark well, needing no real light for it, but down there, well, they'd taken torches along. Other than a few half-starved rats and some large head-sized spiders, there wasn't anything there and it was mostly just a long walk in the dark for them. Whatever had lain there decomposing had done that long ago. Grrta found her mother's little hiding hole and it took her only minutes to gather her tools, a little rusted and pitted, but mostly everything was fine. ------------------------------ She opened her eyes and found that she was wet. More correctly perhaps, she was alone, lying on a low stone bench in a rather dark, warmish and somewhat humid chamber. She was wet and cold; shivering a little in her dress which clung to her, being soaked through. She thought for a moment, trying to remember the sequence of the last events which she could recall. She was thinking that she must have been wrong somehow. She wiggled her toes. This wasn't the way that she recalled things, though she supposed that she'd prefer it if she were wrong – though she knew that she wasn't. The last thing that she could recall was being in terror of a large demon, and her state of dress at that point had been that she ... um, hadn't been. Dressed, that is. She wanted to groan, wishing that none of it had happened, but it quite plainly must have, for her to have been on fog-covered Staffa one minute and then awoken here – wherever this was, the next. She might not have awoken in comfort, but she was here and dressed. She was even wearing her hiking boots by the feel of things and she even knew by the way that they felt to her that they were not laced up. She also felt that they were wet on the inside and she wanted to groan, but didn't dare to make a sound yet. She remembered why it might be that her boots could be wet on the inside. She looked around for a moment, using only her eyes and the range of motions allowed by her head and neck movements. This was a large place. She couldn't even see the walls, any of them. She saw the way that the dim light flickered a little and by turning her head in the direction of the glow, she could see a small fire there not more than ten feet from her. By the light, her sense of smell, and her hearing, she learned several things. There was water in this chamber - a lot of it and some of what she saw gave her the notion that this place was a sort of steam bath, though she saw no steam in the air. She couldn't see far because it was dark. She also learned that she wasn't alone. There was a pair of ... individuals, for lack of a better word, some distance from her. She had to revise her thoughts a second later. She couldn't really make them out clearly, but she now knew that they weren't as far away as she'd first thought. They were perhaps twenty feet distant from her. It's just that they weren't large and she couldn't make out a lot of details. But she knew what they were doing. It was easy enough to tell, by the sounds they made; the quiet sighs and soft speech between them and the slow and soft slapping noises. She sat up very slowly, not daring to make any noise, since she wanted to get a better look at this. Her first impressions were of the man's back – and he had to be a man, because she'd never imagined muscles like that on a boy. She doubted that it was even possible. The next detail she noticed was his blonde hair and the way that it was held in a thick braid. The one thing which gave her a slight impression of a boy was his bottom, but that impression had to be revised in her mind almost as soon as she'd formed it. Lying next to the pair on the stone floor was an obviously well-used fighting axe. She couldn't see much of her, but the female was even more intriguing. She could make out a very pretty little face when the male's head was beside hers. She saw long black hair and the blissfully closed eyes as she smiled a little in her joy said a lot. These two were obviously lovers and that soft smile, ... She began to stare, thinking it a trick of the poor light. That smile showed teeth, long teeth which were very easily visible for the two or three seconds that they were shown. Her legs were wrapped around her mate tightly. That detail had taken a little time to come to her because there had been a blanket, or a ... a cover which sometimes appeared for a few moments to wrap around them and then it was gone once more. She couldn't understand a lot of what she was seeing. She had to look twice and three times when she'd seen what looked like smallish horns on the female's head. She was sure that had been a trick of the light as well. "No trick," She heard a quiet voice say out of the darkness beside her in a soft whisper. She almost jumped off the bench and she peered around with a gasp. She could see in the direction of the sound for more than ten meters, but the sound had seemed to have come from a lot closer than that.