2 comments/ 15389 views/ 10 favorites A Stab in the Dark By: xenophile Chapter 1 Ashley drummed the mithral buckler on her arm as she watched the sun set on the port city of Calimsha. The black metal airship she was riding slowly descended into the city's dwarven enclave for repairs, which would give her enough time to cash in several days worth of shore leave. While she had not been in Calimsha before, her roommate had grown up in a port city, and Ashley figured that Antonia would probably know her way around this one as well. How different could they be? However, the wonders that Calimsha had to offer would have to wait for tomorrow. Ashley was feeling tired and needed a good meal and some sleep. She walked into a stairwell and descended past the cargo hold to a long corridor at the bottom of the ship, which ran its entire length. Fourteen glowing blue portals led to extradimensional rooms, which allowed the ship to carry much more than its physical size would have permitted, such as a small library, a medical ward, twenty five mercenaries, an impressive armory and a well stocked kitchen. The first person Ashley saw when she entered the corridor was a red haired, green eyed tiefling with curled ram's horns leading an Alsatian into Ashley's room. The dog wagged her tail upon seeing Ashley, oblivious to the tension building between the two. "Kathryn!" Ashley thundered. "You've been sneaking the dog into my room? Do you know how annoying it is to get woken up each morning by a slobbering bitch?" The tiefling had a very good idea of what being woken up by a slobbering bitch felt like, but decided it was in her best interests not to say so to Ashley. "Hey, I thought it was funny," Kathryn said defensively. "Hilarious," Ashley snarled. She quickly grappled Kathryn with magic and bound her limbs, rendering the woman helpless. "I think we should have a little chat." "Fucking bitch!" Kathryn struggled to free herself in vain from the hex. "Let me go!" "Oh, I will... eventually." An invisible force pulled Kathryn behind Ashley as the sorceress walked into her room and sealed the portal behind her. Kathryn found herself helplessly suspended in the air as articles of clothing were slowly peeled off her body by Ashely's magic. "Let me go, I won't ask again!" The tiefling snarled menacingly. Ashley did not even bother to respond as she directed the magic to undo Kathryn's chest bindings. A full set of breasts popped free of the restrictive bandages, and Kathryn found, much to her embarrassment, that her nipples were already hard. Ashley smiled smugly and made a gesture with her hand, causing Kathryn's belt to unbuckle and everything below the waist to slide off, leaving her in her boots. "I'm an assassin, I could kill you in your sleep!" Kathryn threatened, lashing out at Ashley with her tail in the vain hope of striking the sorceress with it. "Let me go and I might spare you." "Assassin?" Ashley sounded amused. "Funny; right now you look more like some kind of love slave." A pair of ropes slithered out from under Ashley's bunk bed like snakes and tied themselves around Kathryn's wrists and tethered themselves to the top of the bunk, forcing Kathryn to stand upright. Kathryn heard Ashley rummage through her dresser for something, and turned her head to see the sorceress retrieving a whip. It was not so much a weapon as a sex toy, enchanted by drow courtesans so that it would inflict pain with a minimum amount of damage, for those who did not have the time or ability to learn how to truly master the whip. It suited Ashley, for she was the type to attack the psyche rather than the body. "Come on!" Kathryn yelled in an attempt to catch Ashley's attention. "All I did was play a joke on you!" "That dog has been sneaking into my room and making itself a nuisance for the past two years. Pity we don't have two years to deliver your punishment." Ashley circled around Kathryn, slowly unfurling the whip. Kathryn had just opened her mouth to protest when Ashley decided to strike with the whip. The blow caught Kathryn across the breasts, right on the nipples, and set her skin on fire. The ropes went taut as Kathryn strained her arms. Her body danced from the pain, jiggling her breasts comically. The next lash caught her in the left calf, and she jerked her let upwards in response. The sole of her foot was exposed and Ashley struck it, causing Kathryn's toes to curl. The assassin was forced to balance precariously on her right foot until Ashley had the idea to lash it, forcing Kathryn to alternate between her legs. Kathryn hopped back and forth until they hurt too much to support her weight and gave in so that she hung from the bunk by her arms. "Is that all you got?" The assassin snarled defiantly. "You can't break me like this." "I don't need to break you," Ashley stated. "You're already broken; I just have to make you realize it." Once, long ago, a pirate captain had caught Kathryn stowing away on her ship and taken the assassin as her pet, breaking her so thoroughly that even after Kathryn escaped from the captain's clutches, she could not shake the conditioning. After a year as a free woman, her freedom came to an end when the captain had shown up in her room one day and demanded that Kathryn submit herself again. As much as Kathryn hated the woman, she could not bring herself to fight her captain and served at the captain's personal whore until the pirate's death two years later. Ashley knew the story and was determined to use it against Kathryn. The whip cracked and left a mark across Kathyn's stomach, eliciting another cry of pain from the tiefling. Ashley thrashed Kathryn up and down the length of her body, often focusing on the woman's back and bottom for minutes at a time. When the whipping stopped, Kathryn could barely stand on either leg and had to hold onto the ropes to support herself. "Wow, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ashley teased, running the handle between Kathryn's legs. "Admit it, you like it." The tiefling moaned under Ashley's ministrations, but refused to give in. There was no way that Kathryn would let the sadistic witch have her victory. "I'll kill you!" Kathryn yelled in desperation. "I swear I'm going to get you for this! The moment I get out I'll wring your neck and kill you!" "Oh, no doubt," the sorceress purred. "You'll be killing me many times before we're finished... but I think I'm going to make you die first." The whip handle circled around Kathryn's opening before slowly sliding in. The air was filled with the sound of labored panting as Ashley thrust in and out of her. The assassin clenched her pussy, though whether it was to try and keep the whip out or enhance the feeling of it fucking her Kathryn did not know. "What's this, hm?" The whip handle was pulled out and hovered in front of Kathryn, wet and smelling of desire. Kathryn squeezed her legs together to prevent any of her juices from leaking out and embarrassing her further. "It's nothing," the tiefling denied. "I'm... I'm not excited! I'm not a slave anymore! I'm my own master now!" "Maybe you're right," Ashley said. "Maybe you aren't a slave, in which case you'll take the whipping and spend the night on the ground. Of course, if you decide that you are, I might let you get off after we're done and spend the night with me in bed, where a slave would belong. Your choice. You have ten lashes to decide." Kathryn bit her lip as Ashley's whip played on her back. One lash, two lashes, three lashes... she eventually lost count as the pain overwhelmed her. The tiefling was only brought out of her stupor by the feeling of cold liquid splashing over her back. It stung as it washed over her wounds; judging from the smell, it contained a bit of alcohol. "That was nine lashes," Ashley informed her. "You'll have to make your choice after the next one." "I'm not a slave," Kathryn panted, defiant despite the pain. "Really?" Ashley asked. "Then why are you here?" "You caught me," Kathryn snarled feebly. "You tied me here." "Bullshit," the sorceress snorted. "You're a trained escape artist. You could wiggle out of those knots in less than six seconds if you really wanted to. You're here because you like it." Kathryn roared in anger and struggled against the ropes holding her in place like never before, dying to get at Ashley and teach her a lesson. A warm wetness made its way down her right thigh, and Kathryn realized to her horror that this liquid came from her. No! This wasn't possible! She couldn't have lost control of her own body like this! Could Ashley see the trickle of Kathryn's excitement? Could she smell it? It was down to her ankle by now; surely Ashley had to noticed. "I've seen you get out of straight jackets, manacles, and giant spider webs," the girl continued maliciously. "No, you're not here because of anything I've done. You're keeping yourself here. No matter how hard you try to cover it up with that hellspawn persona of yours, deep down you're just a slave. Probably why you're making a mess of yourself, in fact." Fuck, she had seen it. There was no point in Kathryn denying it anymore; her shame was evident now. The sorceress raised the whip one more time, but Kathryn gave in before she could bring it down. "You're right," Kathryn sobbed. "Stop, Ashley, you've made your point." "What was I right about?" Ashley asked. "Say it." "I'm... I'm..." Kathryn struggled to find the words Ashley wanted to hear. "I'm just a love-slave, a fuck toy, a sex doll, nothing more. Please make me your bitch, mistress." Each word was like a knife to the heart, but it was the only way for Kathryn to end her torment. "Take me," Kathryn pleaded. "Use me. Put the whip back in my flower. Make me climax, make me storm, make me die." "There's a good pet." Ashley stroked Kathryn's hair from behind and worked the whip's handle back into the woman's slit. Kathryn spread her legs like a slut to welcome the whip, gasping as she felt it fill her cunt again. Her tail instinctively wrapped itself around Ashley's thigh and squeezed it, which prompted the sorceress to run her hand along its length. Kathryn's eyes rolled back into her head as she felt Ashley's warm hand on her tail. "Please... my bud," Kathryn mewed desperately. "Hold it in." Ashley shoved the whip into Kathryn as far as it would go and left it there so that she would have a hand free to work on the woman's clit. "If it falls, I'll leave you hanging." Kathryn clenched her muscles around the handle and brought her legs together as the girl reached between her legs. The assassin hung her head down and rolled her hips to meet Ashley's fingers as they dance on her bud. The pleasure was so great that Kathryn forgot about the whip and let it slip out an inch. Her walls spasmed with the stimulation and Kathryn was forced to squeeze the whip even tighter to prevent it from escaping. Soon it would all be over, Kathryn thought. Soon I'll be able to climax, and sleep in a nice, warm bed. Just a little longer. Kathryn closed her eyes and lost herself in the euphora that Ashley had awoken in her. She was so close to an orgasm that she could feel it building up like a lightening storm. Thunder and lightening, she was going to burst right then and there! Ashley gave the panting assassin a firm push on her nub before drawing her hand away from the woman's cunt and letting go of her tail. "You promised," Kathryn whined, her voice strained with need. How could Ashley leave her like that, on the brink of achieving relief. "I think I could use some more incentive," Ashley whispered as she nibbled on Kathryn's ear. A string of kisses was planted on the back of Kathryn's neck and ran across her shoulders. Kathryn's hardened nipples had been aching for attention thought the entire session, and they now found relief as Ashley began to pinch and pull them. More honey dripped out of Kathryn's slit as Ashley took a breast in each hand and began to massage them. The girl's hands and tongue explored Kathryn's body leisurely, giving her just enough pleasure to keep her hot and bothered. It seemed Ashley would touch every part of her except where she needed it most. "I'm begging you, isn't that enough?" Kathryn cried in shame. "Ashley, you've made me a slave again. It was wrong of me to have lied and pretended otherwise. You've taught me better now; you've humiliated and humbled me. Please, just let me have my reward, mistress. Don't be so cruel, don't keep it from me like this." "Shall I do it with the whip?" Ashley asked, pumping the handle in and out of her. "Or would you rather I use my fingers? Maybe you would like my mouth?" "Your mouth!" Kathryn whimpered helplessly. "I want your tongue to spread apart my petals and lick my bud! I want you to make the nectar flow and drink from my flower!" The sorceress plucked the whip from Kathryn's pussy, eliciting a cry of pleasure as she did so, and climbed between Kathryn's legs to reach the bed. Ashley stuck her tongue out and kept it just out of Kathryn's reach, forcing the assassin to stretch herself so that her pussy would meet Ashley's tongue. The instant they touched, Kathryn felt an electric shock flow through her and became weak at the knees again. Ashley gave the assassin a shallow lick along her cunt, which was enough to send the frustrated woman to indescribable heights of ecstasy. Kathryn's hips moved of their own accord as she sought to bring her lover deeper within her. The sound of a woman lost to lust caterwauling shamelessly floated through the room, and Kathryn realized that Ashley's mouth was too busy to have made it. It was as if Kathryn had been reduced to nothing more than a puppet for Ashley to manipulate. Oh, how she danced as Ashley pulled her strings... Eventually, Kathryn came down from the dizzying euphoria her tormentor had brought her to and noticed that Ashley was making her kneel on the lower bunk, which stuck out a foot more than the top. It seemed that Ashley had decided to leave Kathryn unsatisfied once again, prompting a needy whimper from the tiefling. "You know, I've always wondered why you have a foot fetish. Acquired taste from your last mistress?" Ashley taunted. " Or are you just wired that way?" The truth lay somewhere in between. Although Kathryn had been conditioned to enjoy footplay when she was a slave, the assassin had spent the majority of her youth running around barefoot and rather enjoyed the feeling of different surfaces. The memories distracted by her so that she did not notice Ashley's hands moving towards her feet until it was too late. Smooth nails raked the bottoms of Kathryn's feet and the assassin curled her toes in response. Laughter bubbled from her lips as Ashley tickled her mercilessly. Once Ashley was sure that Kathryn had run out of breath, she switched to a firm massage, with her thumbs pressing into Kathryn's soles. As much as Kathryn wanted to kick Ashley away, she could not bring herself to. While Kathryn did fear the sorceress' retribution, part of her was actually enjoying the foot massage. Blood rushed to her flower, which pulsed from unmet need as Ashley worked on Kathryn's feet. Kathryn's ears burned and nipples ached as the throbbing in her groin intensified. The muscles in her legs spasmed with a sudden need to to straighten themselves, but Ashley managed to keep them in place and continued her kneading until Kathryn's world exploded. Kathryn's cheeks flushed with shame as she realizes that Ashley had made her peak from a foot massage. The humiliation nearly triggered another orgasm, but the lack of any further stimulation after her climax prevented her from experiencing anything more than unsatisfied arousal. Squeezing her thighs together only served to worsen the feeling, for Kathryn just could not reach the right spots. "Please... again..." Kathryn whispered to Ashley. "Do it again..." Chapter 2 Iago stood in the Church of the Drowned Martyr listening to a priest describe his problems. Though he would have been hard pressed to describe himself as a religious man, Iago was not picky about where his job offers came from. Besides, churches - at least the more decent ones - tended to have an drive for honoring the contract that shadier customers lacked, so everything worked out well in the end. Currently, Father Ivan Renard was pacing circles around in the chapel, worried over a series of assassinations that had taken place over the past few years. A total of fifteen men had died; politicians, spellcasters, warriors, and even a gangsters. They had all died of a critical loss of vital energy, and it was suspected that a succubus was behind the killings. Iago supposed it was reasonable; succubi were some of the most frequently summoned demons - for obvious reasons - and their talents made them outstanding assassins. That being said, life-drain could have also been inflicted by certain curses, so perhaps the priest was worrying over nothing. If Iago accepted, that meant that he and his men would spend their time in this city chasing smoke. "Certainly we will be happy to hunt demons with you," Iago smiled. In his book, a job with no risk and guaranteed payment was a godsend. It was about time things started going their way. "I have a team in mind as we speak." The mercenary pointed to several members of his company who were standing at attention right outside the chapel. An automaton with two large tanks fixed to his back walked out of the line, followed by a cheerful girl with an elvish cast about her face, a brunette with burning red eyes, and a tiefling with prominent horns and tail. "Brent, Antonia, Aiva, and Kathryn." Iago introduced them each in the order of their appearance. "I believe that they will be able to assist your investigations admirably." "Good, good," Renard beamed. "With any luck, we'll have that demon exorcised in no time." The priest snapped his fingers and a young paladin sprung out so fast that Iago could have sworn that Renard had conjured him out of thin air. He had muscles to rival an ox, but bore the handsome features of a court noble. Iago surmised that he was probably the third son of some powerful family; often the first son would be groomed for politics, the second for war, and the third for religion, despite the fact that a good priest wielded much more power than either a baron or general combined. However, that power helped little when it came to court politics as it was dedicated to his god first and foremost. "Sir?" The paladin inquired politely. "Eugene, be a good lad and take care of our friends," Renard instructed. "Right away, sir." Eugene bowed and motioned for the mercenary team to follow him into the church's inner chambers. They walked wordlessly until they reached a small room in the back. It was a spartan room with six small beds. "Allow me to present you with your quarters," Eugene bowed with a flourish of his hands. To everyone's great surprise, Ashley curtsied in response before walking in. It was an oddly polite gesture from the abrasive spellcaster. Kathryn supposed it might have had something to do with the fact that Ashley was, despite all appearances, a noble-born. "Thanks," Antonia said to the paladin right after Ashley had entered. "When do we start?" "I've no doubt that we shall hunt on the morrow," he replied. "Whatever fiend stalks our streets shall soon see its days numbered, Miss...?" "Hall, but you can call me Tonia. All my friends do." "Charmed." Eugene clasped Antonia's hand in his own and kissed it softly. "Good sir, I fear your efforts are in vain," Ashley cut in upon seeing Eugene's flirting. "The lady you behold is already spoken for." There was much awkwardness in the room as Eugene tried to recover from his blunder, without much success. Eventually, Brent was forced to place a heavy hand on the young man's shoulder and lead him out so that the women could have some privacy. Ashley burst into a fit of giggles the moment Eugene had left the hall and collapsed onto one of the beds, while Kathryn busied herself with moving another bed next to Ashley's. A Stab in the Dark Antonia, for her part, was happy to sleep by herself and set herself up in bed far away from her two friends so as to give the couple plenty of privacy. It had been a long day for all of them, and she was sure that they would want to 'relax' extensively. Perhaps it would be best for her and Brent to take an afternoon stroll and leave her two horny friends to their fun. "I'm going out," Antonia declared. "I think I'd like to sight-see before our job officially starts. Brent, do you want to come with?" "I would be delighted," the automaton answered. "That's not a bad idea," Ashley agreed. "We could all go." "You know, I've always wanted to go out in public disguised as a drow," Kathryn suggested, wrapping her arm around her lover. "I bet you'd love to be seen with one." The girl's eyes brightened. "Leading her, or being led?" "Whatever floats your boat, kid." "Such a move would seem to make us highly conspicuous," Brent objected. "Brent, you're a walking machine," Antonia pointed out, amused by what the construct considered unusual. If he had an expression, Brent would have no doubt looked surprised. "That is quite right. I had forgotten that." "I'm surprised you're ok with this," the sorceress said. "Oh, don't get me wrong," Antonia clarified. "I still think your love life is disturbing. I just don't plan on being anywhere around you two when it happens." Ashley rolled her eyes. "What are friends for?" The afternoon was spent walking around many of the shops and attractions of Calimsha. Ashley and Kathryn behaved themselves very well while in public, though they did go about the city holding hands in a manner more reminiscent of lovers than friends. Antonia was quite surprised at that, but she supposed that it was out of a respect for her feelings. Heaven knew what the two would have gotten up to if she was not around; the last thing they needed was to scandalize the town with one of their crazy sex games. While Antonia did not really oppose their love - if that was the right word for it - she found some of their practices off putting. It was not so much that two women were having sex with each other, but rather how they did it; Ashley would often come back to the room that they shared with bruises all over her body, as if she had been tortured. Each time Antonia would makes sure that it was not because Kathryn had gone overboard, and each time Ashley would deny it. Antonia never found the denials reassuring, and for that reason, she always kept an eye on Kathryn, even if they were friends now. Speaking of Kathryn, the woman was looking at her strangely. "You look a bit bothered, Tonia." Sometimes Antonia wondered if the assassin could read her mind. Kathryn's ability to intuit people's thoughts was uncanny at times. "Oh, just getting used to being in a city again," Antonia lied, making sure to guard her body language more closely. "You really don't know how much you miss it until you're back." "You can say that again," Kathryn agreed. "I can't tell you how glad I am to be around indoor plumbing." "I'm just happy to be around you," Ashley said with a great deal of affection. "We haven't had any personal time for weeks." "I bet you cried yourself to sleep every night," teased Kathryn. "I, uh..." A red glow became visible on Ashley's cheeks. "I actually wrote poetry. About you." "Really? I'm flattered. Do go on." "It's nothing," the sorceress muttered evasively. Kathryn's grip on her hand tightened as the assassin pulled Ashley close. "You know I'll force it out of you if necessary," the tiefling whispered. "Even if we are in public." "Fine!" Ashley succumbed much more quickly than Kathryn expected; it was almost disappointing. "Clothed in shadows and cloaked in night, Hidden to all save but my mind's eye. Beneath wan moon and restless sky, She walks, and sets my soul alight." The brief poetry reading left them all shocked The idea of Ashley actually writing poetry was so incongruities with her persona that Antonia, for one, would not have believed it if she had not been present when it was composed, and she actually had to convince them that Ashley had indeed authored it. "I think that was very well done, Aiva," Brent complimented. "An ABBA rhyming scheme with trochaic tetrameter and a steady rhythm is one of the hallmarks of Fifthy Dynasty poetry. Where did you learn it?" "Just something I picked up." Ashley's eyes were fixed on Kathryn, waiting for her judgement. "It was lovely," Kathryn placed a chaste kiss on Ashley's cheek. "Come on, let's get back to the church. I think I should try to inspire you some more." - The acolytes had been busy after their departure, replacing the sparse accommodations of the room with several colorful paintings and a nice bowl of fruit. Some of it was quite exotic, such as a cluster of bananas that Kathryn snatched up immediately before asking if Antonia and Brent would vacate the room for the next hour or so. Brent did not mind as he had no need to rest, but Antonia was a little irritated at the inconvenience. Still, Kathryn and Ashley were generally much more agreeable when well sexed, so she decided to let them have the room and wander about the church. The architecture was devoid of the elaborate stained glass windows or arches that adorned more lavish houses of worship, but it had a simple elegance to it. Most of it was empty as the priest and his followers had chosen this time for their meditations, though Eugene was sitting in the chapel by himself, evidently deep in thought. Despite her best attempts to sneak through without interrupting him, Antonia found that Eugene had a sharp sense of hearing and turned in her direction. "Oh, hello!" He said in surprise. "I do hope your visit to our city is going well?" "Blindingly so," Antonia replied. "Really enjoyed the food. Dinner was top-notch." "That is good." The smile that Eugene flashed her was shy and genuine. "I do apologise for my forwardness earlier. Had I known you were taken, I would have shown more restraint." "Don't worry about it, there's no harm done." Antonia smiled back and tried to make him feel comfortable. "So, why are you here?" "It is said that a wealthy merchant, a Mr. Barsoom, will be throwing a ball later this week. We have been keeping watch on him for many months, as he is a key financial contributor for many churches, and fear that the ball may present the perfect opportunity for the succubus to attack him. There have been several unsettling divinations about his life expectancy recently, and the church would hate to lose such a valued supporter. I sit here now praying for guidance and his good health." "Sounds important," Antonia nodded. "But don't you worry, we're some of the best mercs in the business. We won't fail you." Chapter 3 "Charmed, Lady Rothain," Mr. Barsoom greeted in an unctuous voice, pressing the woman's hand to his forehead as he bowed. It struck Ashley as an odd gesture, for she had always thought of it as a distinctly Remulan custom. Then again, there were many strange things about the eccentric merchant. Perhaps it came with the territory. The Barnabas Barsoom Ball was in full swing, with innumerable wealthy and influential guests walking about oblivious to the security presence in their midst. Brent was currently pretending to be one of the many suits of decorative armor that lined the walls, while the others disguised themselves as the catering staff, partially because they had all been assigned kitchen duty at one point or another, and partially because good looking women made for a good party, even if Ashley and Kathryn had to disguise themselves to fit in. It gave them the perfect opportunity to wander around guests and observe them for unusual behavior. "The lady over there isn't wearing lipstick," Antonia whispered into her hand. She held a broach inside of it, which transmitted the message to an identical broach in Ashley's possession. "Her lips look red to me," Ashley replied. "But look at her glass; there's no marks on it." "So she's using something that bonds well to the skin, or maybe a bit of cosmetic magic. There's some very vain rich people out there." "If you say so. I'm still going to keep my eye on her." This was going nowhere, Ashley decided. So far there had been no sign of anything unusual, yet she could not shake the persistent feeling that she had missed something. What would she do if she was a succubus? The sorceress considered the question long and hard before the answer struck her. Barnabas was chatting merrily with an attractive older woman by a chocolate fountain on the opposite side of the room. The sorceress ran towards him and gave him a firm punch to the back of the head. "What the hell is your problem!" The merchant roared. "I hired you to protect me, not assault me!" "Nice try," Ashley smirked, "But the real Barsoom has a chipped front tooth." Barnabas's mouth gaped open to reveal a set of perfectly formed teeth. "How in damnation did you know that?" That was all Ashley needed to hear. "I didn't." The impostor found his arms bound to against his body as Ashley caught him with a binding hex. Unfortunately, he seemed to have had allies, for a variety of deadly demons soon burst into the room upon hearing the girl's spell. Guests screamed and ran through the halls of the mansion in a panic, though some chose to stay and fight. Ashley's eyes darted towards her companions, who had joined in the melee to the best of their ability. Blasts of pink energy issued forth from Antonia's hands, while Kathryn stood facing down a scaly creature with a mouth full of serrated teeth. True, Brent was feebly swatting at a pack of imps with a ceremonial spear, but Ashley supposed it would have been a poor idea to use his flamethowers when there were still guests about. "So tell me, what was it that really gave me away?" The impostor asked. "How could you have seen through my disguise?" "Call it a stab in the dark." Ashley shifted her attention off of the spell to blind a group of demons with a cloud of glittering dust. It turned out to be a mistake; her captive cast a teleportation spell the moment Ashley started on her spell. Only Antonia's intervention, which came in the form of a disruptive blast of raw magic to the impostor's throat, stopped the spell from reaching completion. Unfortunately, the impostor had another trick up his sleeve; a protective enchantment discharged and surrounded him with a field of magic that dispelled the grappling spell. He hit the ground and took off towards the next room at full speed, vaulting over an upturned table as he did so. Ashley clicked her heels together and activate a trinket on her ankles, which teleported her past the table and allowed her to chase him through several rooms, pelting him with curses and dispelling his attempts to shift away. The impostor soon grew frustrated at his inability to escape from the persistent sorceress and whistled. A nightmarish canine the size of a horse leaped in through a window and blocked Ashley's path. Flame shot out of its mouth and its eyes glowed with unholy energy. It was a hellhound, the same animal depicted on the broach she carried with her. Ashley was ready to simply shift it when she was hit by a thin green ray which immediately anchored her body to the material plane. While not a problem in and of itself, it did prevent her from teleporting past the hellhound. It was now a barrier she would have to overcome with force now that she could not bypass it. It leaped at her with its mouth wide open; powerful jaws clamped shut inches from Ashley's face, nearly taking her nose with them. The only thing that stopped them was a quick magical shield Ashley conjured at the last second, which held the hellhound off. The sorceress quickly went for an all-out offense in hopes of ending the fight and let a wave of pure force erupt from her body, which cut into the hellhound's flesh like a flaying wind. Fire leaked from the creature's body as its skin was torn, but it survived the attack and bit at Ashley again. While the sorceress managed to shield herself against the first bite, but the second took her by surprise and she found herself knocked onto the ground by the force of the blow. Before she could get up, the creature leaped onto her and they became a tangled mess of limbs as they struggled for dominance. It ended with Ashley on her knees and facing the ground, held down the hellhound's mouth clamped around the back of her neck. Sharp teeth dug into Ashley's skin and she could feel the heat from the creature's demonic breath roll off of her. Ashley closed her eyes and waited for the beast to finish her off, but the coup de grace never came. Instead she felt it adjust its position until something fleshy and solid hit her in the thigh. The sorceress' eyes shot wide open in horror as she realized what it was. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" A quick glance confirmed that the hellhound was not kidding. "There's no way that'll -" Whatever complaints she had lined up were cut off by a firm pressure applied to her neck. It was becoming clear to Ashley that the only reason she was alive was because the hellhound had other plans for her. "Alright," the sorceress muttered in defeat. "I got your point. Just let me get undressed, ok?" The pressure on her neck relented, allowing Ashley to stretch her arms down to her waist and slide her pants and underwear off in one motion, exposing her sex to the air. The hellound sniffed the air approvingly and released her neck so that it could move forward and mount her properly. He kept her pinned down by its stomach as his long member slid against Ashley's thigh as the creature advanced, and she began to desperately think of ways to delay it. "Wait!" She cried. "I... I'm not ready. Please, it won't fit if I'm dry. Just... just let me prepare myself, I promise it won't take long." The hellhound gave an impatient growl and humped her behind, though it took no further steps to coerce her. Ashley figured that was its way of giving permission and began to toy with herself, remembering the first encounter she had with Kathryn over six months ago. The memory of their week of intense sex managed to make her wet even under these trying circumstances, and Ashley found herself well on the way to orgasm by the time the hellhound started to hump her again. What would her friends think if they saw her like this, shamelessly masturbating underneath a demon? The reputation that she had worked so hard to build would be shattered forever if this got out. The sorceress was almost ready to risk death rather than let it defile her, but before she could take action, his large member found its way into her moist slit and slid in. The pain was like nothing Ashley had ever felt before. Kathryn had fisted her once, taking care to stretch her to the point where a woman's slender hand could fit in, and Ashley had thought that was as far as she could have stretched barring childbirth. Now, a demonic hound the size of a horse was splitting her in half. Her vision swam as the monster filled her completely, his pointed tip only stopping when it reached her cervix. He immediately began leaking a hot liquid in her that could only have been its seed. For a moment, Ashley wondered if it would pull out, but the hellhound chose instead to push even further in. Ashley went wild as his essence was released directly into her deepest spot, clawing at everything and anything in the desperate hope of freeing herself from the womb fucking. Her stomach bulged against the ground as it became full with heat and the beast's giant length. The pain was so distracting that Ashley did not notice her pussy being spread apart further until a half-formed knot had filled her cunt, sealing in all of her juices and the hellhound's cum. Unable to pull out now that its knot had formed, the hellhound thrusted back and forth in Ashley, using all of her insides to slake its lust. He moved around in her smoothly, and Ashley realized that she must have been lubricating him all thought the ordeal. That heat in her was not just his hot seed; part of it was arousal. She was excited by this! No, this was impossible, Ashley denied. She couldn't have lost control of herself like some bitch in heat. The sorceress tried her best to focus on the pain, but whatever was in the hellhound's semen was playing havoc with her nervous system, and eventually all her body registered was pleasure. Jets of fire shot out above her in labored pants as his thrusts became staggered, and Ashley knew that her ordeal was almost over. If she could only get though it without climaxing, she could at least salvage some of her dignity. With one final thrust, the monster plunged into her as far as he could go and exploded. Ashley gritted her teeth as her womb filled up like a balloon, desperately trying to rein in her orgasm. A wave of heat rode along with the semen, and Ashley felt like warm satin was running through her womb, out though her pussy, around the hellhound's knot, and down her thighs. The sensations hit all of her deepest spots and caused her cunt to clench around the hellhound's member. Each squeeze drew out more cum, and brought about more pleasure until Ashley realized that she had crossed the line at some point and was bursting freely on the floor as she was completely filled with the demon's seed. Sharp teeth closed around her neck again, but were stopped before they could break the skin by a spray of freezing liquid. The hellhound yelped in pain as it turned around to face Brent, who was spewing coolant from his mouth. It tried to run off through the broken window, but it was still anchored to Ashley by its swollen knot. Ashley grabbed onto a suit of armor with one hand to keep the hellhound from escaping while she shot its brains out with a series of conjured darts that flickered with a soft blue light. - "So Barnabas is dead, eh?" Antonia made sure to speak with Eugene immediately after her wounds had been successfully treated by a dedicated healer. She found him in the wreckage of the mansion's dining room, where Ashley had uncovered the impostor. A thoughtful expression had taken root in his face, just like when Antonia had seen him in the chapel. "It seems he was killed quite a while before the ball began." One of the ruined dinner plates littering the ground found itself meeting with Eugene's foot and flew over to the opposite side of the room. "Perhaps the plan was to lure many high profile targets to one place and kill them. That would explain the presence of so many demons." "We came really close to being ambushed there. Damned if it doesn't make me shiver a little." In truth, the fact that they had shared a building with a demonic horde was enough to make Antonia's skin crawl off of her body and seek safe refuge in a departing ship. Why hadn't anyone noticed? Paladins had combed the building before the party, and Kathryn had helped them. If anyone would have detected the demons, it would have been Kathryn. "Thankful must we be for your friend's sharp eyes," Eugene nodded. "Has she recovered from her ordeal?" No one knew exactly what had happened to Ashley after she had broken away from the group save for Brent, and he put up a wall of stony silence whenever he was asked. Whatever it was, it had left Ashley inconsolable for a good few hours. Only Kathryn had been allowed to see her. "I wouldn't worry about that girl, she's tough as nails," replied Antonia, though the thought of what could trouble Ashley so deeply disturbed her. It must have been quite devastating. Oh, their man would pay when she caught the, Antonia swore on that by her beating heart and flowing blood. A Stab in the Dark Vengeance, however, would have to wait until they tracked him down. While there was little evidence of where the man had escaped to, he had left a few of his possessions behind; his ostentatious gold dinner fork laid right on the table where he had left it, and the priests hurriedly confiscated it so that they could use it as a focus for divining his current whereabouts. One hour later, they came back and informed Antonia that their target was currently holed up in an old mill on other side of town. Antonia smiled. It was great when a plan came together. - After the battle, Ashley had refused to see their healer and retreated to her room in order to attend to her wounds herself. The trauma of being raped by the hellhound was still fresh in her mind, and perhaps it would have been a better idea for Kathryn to see her another time, but the tiefling was too concerned about her lover to wait. She had been there before, and knew what it was like. The wards guarding the room were quickly undone and Kathryn stepped in to see Ashley curled up on the bed, hugging the stuffing out of her pillow. Judging from the smell in the room and the mess of water on the floor, Ashley had tried to clean herself at some point. The sorceress glared at Kathryn through teary red eyes and demanded to know what she was there for. "I just wanted to check on you," answered Kathryn. "You... you were hurt pretty badly." "I'm over it." The tone of Ashley's voice indicated that she was near bursting with pent up rage. "Fuck off and leave me alone." "Really? Because I think you could use some sexual healing." The blanket covering Ashley was cast aside as Kathryn reaching for the girl's pussy. Ashley crossed her legs in an attempt to hider herself, but she was no match for Kathryn's muscles and soon found herself exposed. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, it's still as beautiful as ever," the assassin cooed. The expression on Ashley's face lightened as she heard the compliment. "You really think so?" "Of course." Two fingers were inserted into Ashley's slit and stroked her insides softly. "Tight as ever. You did a great job fixing yourself." The soothing touch of light fingers was a welcome relief to the sorceress's abused pussy. Warm, clean, guiltless pleasure flowed through Ashley as Kathryn confirmed, quite thoroughly, that there was been no permanent nerve damage. Sounds henceforth unknown to the church quarters filled the air as Kathryn dedicated herself to Ashley's body until the sorceress was nothing more than an incoherent, quivering little doll. The two lay in bed for quite a while afterwards, with Ashley driving in and out of consciousness while Kathryn tended to the rest of her with a sensual massage. "Kat, will you be here when I'm an old hag?" Ashley wondered in her post-orgasmic daze. "I'm afraid not, kid." A knot formed in Ashley's stomach. "Oh..." "If it makes you feel any better, its because I think we're going to die young. Probably in some sort of huge explosion." Kathryn made bursting gesture with her hands and supplied the appropriate side effects. "For some strange reason, it does," Ashley laughed. Chapter 4 Gunthorne's mill was composed of many buildings, all resting on a hill right outside Calimsha. From its vantage point, one could see most of the city and surrounding roads with ease. Needless to say, that made sneaking up on their target much harder. It was fortunate, then, that the city guard had several high ranking wizards on payroll, one of whom was able to teleport a small group into the mill. Kathryn had snuck into the compound to do a bit of reconnaissance earlier, but had not reported back or answered her teammates calls since. The broach around her neck was supposed to transmit everything perfectly to distances of up to ten miles, but there was always the possibility that something was jamming it. It was also possible that something unfortunate had happened to Kathryn, but Ashley preferred to consider other options first. Finally, after the longest thirty minutes of Ashley's life, the broach connected with her mind and Kathryn's voice filled her head. "I've found a spot," she said in a shaky voice. "Northeast building's empty." "You alright there?" Ashley asked with concern. "I'm fine, let's just get it over with," Kathryn replied. The order was given and their mage shifted Ashley's team and Eugene into a corner of the building. It was abandoned and smelled faintly of grain; this must have been where they stored the final product. Although it was dark, they could still see Kathryn standing in a stream of sunlight on the other end of the building. She waved at them and started to move over, but the harsh twang of a bow string broke the silence and caused her to stumble. Ashley saw her fall down face forward with an arrow in her back. "Ambush!" Eugene yelled, stepping in front of the women and taking several arrows for them. Demons were shooting at them from the darkness of the empty room, filling it with a cloud of arrows that the humans barely managed to survive due to the lack of cover. The wizard cried for everyone to gather around him as he waved his hands, conjuring up a thick wall of ice which created an impromptu barrier. It was just high enough to block the volley of arrows that descended upon them from the rafters. If only they could see! Seeing no way to create a light source, Ashley decided to take the direct route and let it in. Her hand stretched straight out towards the ceiling and let loose a concussive blast that tore a gaping hole in the roof, which let in enough light to illuminate at number four-armed demons wielding two bows apiece. Ashley counted five, though there were likely more hiding about the building. A quick glimpse around the wall confirmed that Kathryn was still alive, so Ashley hexed all the demons she could see while the others started to return fire. The joints of every creature she hit immediately swelled up painfully, preventing them from launching off quite so many arrows. It evened the odds rather nicely, but there were still many more unseen enemies who were not affected, and could still shoot off an obscene number of arrows with their four hands. Both sides exchanged fire for almost two minutes before a succubus stepped out of the shadows and revealed her naked form to them. Succulent red lips slowly pursed in a sensuous manner as the demoness blew a kiss towards Ashley. The scent of some rare and exotic fragrance was carried on her breath and filled the air around the sorceress. It was so intoxicating that Ashley nearly forgot that she was in a battle, but the sound of Antonia cursing in pain soon brought her back to reality. "Fuck off!" Ashley yelled, sending a wave of wild magical energy at the succubus. It broke upon her protective enchantments like a wave and swept them clean off of her body. Before she could respond, their wizard caught her with a binding spell that tethered her body to the material plane, just as she had done to Ashley last night. Unable to teleport away and inept at physical combat, her only choice was to run for the nearest exit, which was right next to the corner the humans had holed up in. She almost made it when Eugene threw himself through the air and tackled her to the ground. They struggled for a moment before she breathed on him and caused his eyes to glaze over. He promptly let go of her and turned on his friends. Brent was the closest to Eugene and promptly found his limbs locked in place by a series of well timed grapples. The succubus escaped in the midst of the chaos, and Ashley knew that she had to find the demoness or else their raid would have been in vain. She shifted past Eugene and ran out the door to see the succubus moving across the courtyard. Ashley pelted her with jinxes that slid off of her skin and gave determinedly gave chase. The sorceress followed her target into another building, eager for combat, and was promptly caught in the stomach by a piece of timber. As Ashley lay winded on the ground, she saw the succubus standing over her. Her demonic eyes fixed on Ashley's own and she knelt down to kiss the girl. More than just saliva was exchanged between them; Ashley felt as if part of her soul was being ripped out through her mouth, leaving her weaker and empty of magic. The sorceress tried to teleport away, but found that she had too little energy for it and was forced to activate one of her trinkets. It was an emergency teleportation device, but could only take her ten feet away. The distance was pitifully short, but it got Ashley out of the demon's embrace and allowed her to make a run for it. There was a brief incantation and the floor beneath Ashley turned into a fleshy red mess, out of which sprang innumerable tentacles. Ashley struggled in vain against the appendages as they held her tightly and slipped articles of clothing off of her one by one until there was nothing left. The succubus eyed her naked form hungrily and moved in to feast on her prize. The next kiss she planted reminded Ashley of cherries, and she found herself licking her lips after it was over in effort to savor the taste. Ashley wanted more, even if it came at the price of her soul. The succubus smiled and stole kiss after kiss from the helpless mage, feeding off of her life force. Soon, there was almost nothing left and the succubus nearly laid claim to Ashley's soul, only to notice at the last moment that her body was slowly wicking away into the air. "It appears that my corporeal body is fading," the demoness commented with faint annoyance. "Consider yourself lucky, witch; you won't be losing your soul today. Oh well, I suppose I'll just hang around and enjoy the show." The succubus' hold over Ashley was broken the moment they stopped kissing, and the sorceress came to her senses just as the tentacles started to come alive. One forced her wrists behind her, wrapped itself around them, and then slithered through her hands so that she was forced to masturbate it. Another wrapped her ankles together and wormed its way between her feet. Her breasts were squished together so that the valley between them could be fucked. They bent her knees so that her pussy was spread open in order to fuck her legs, and worked their way into her armpits. "Get them off me! Get them off!" Ashley yelled, ashamed at the degradation of her body. She was a proud sorceress, not some succubus' fuck toy. The sorceress strained against the tentacles in vain, letting out a litany of foul curses at the succubus. "Such a mouth," the demon grinned, entertained by Ashley's plight. "I think it's time we moved onto the main course, don't you agree, my pet?" "No!" Protesting, in hindsight, was probably a poor idea as it allowed a tentacle to dart into Ashley's mouth. It ignored her muffled cries and feeble biting attempts and slid past her tongue and down her throat. Ashley gagged at the taste; it was as bitter as quinine and made her want to throw up. The tentacle pulled back just before it blocked off her air passage and withdrew to her lips before driving itself back down her throat, fucking her face at a torturous pace. A sudden flicking motion across Ashley's cunt drew her attention from the invader in her mouth. Another tentacle was playing with her pussy, rubbing itself across her slit and pecking at Ashley's nub to excite her. The sorceress clenched her pussy closed and refused to let the tentacle in despite its best efforts at arousing her. Ashley vowed that she would not become wet like some drunken slut; she had more than enough self control to endure this rape. Unfortunately, it was a vow that she would soon break. The other tentacles started pumping harder and harder, driving themselves to climax on her body. Long streams of yellowish cum shot out of their heads and got in everywhere; her skin, her eyes, and even in her hair. A wave of semen filled her throat and though she managed to cough some out of the sides of her mouth, the tentacle dumped so much directly into her stomach that her efforts were insignificant by comparison. Almost immediately, she felt a tingling warmth spreading through her body, from her full stomach and her drenched skin. It caused her muscles to relax and her body to spiral out of control with lust. A small, sane part of Ashley screamed in horror at the change, but her body ignored it and opened up shamelessly to the tentacles. The one toying with her pussy soon wriggled into Ashley and began pumping at a frenzied pace, eager to reach the release that its companions had already achieved. It plunged in right up to her cervix and savored its new home for an instant before withdrawing halfway and thrusting forward again. Ashley's body now welcomed the invasion and did what it could to facilitate her rape, squeezing the tentacle with her muscles in order to bring about its climax. It was not long before the tentacle exploded and withdrew, leaving Ashley's pussy dripping with cum. It moved downwards and found the girl's rear entrance, which relaxed to allow safe passage. The slick tentacle dove in and stretched the little rosebud obscenely as it merrily violated Ashley's backdoor. Her inexperienced body strained as its tightest hole was filled with such a prodigious mass. At least the tentacle seemed to realize that she could not have taken a hard fucking in the backside, for it moved at a much gentler pace this time. Ashley cringed mentally as she started to feel pleasure come from her ass. It was sick and wrong - only whores would use that entrance, and Kathryn was the only exception Ashley would ever make to that rule. After a few minutes, the other tentacles recovered and set about Ashley's body again. The girl was lost in a writhing ball of flesh as they defiled every part of her. Even her pussy was taken again despite the fullness in her ass. Never before had Ashley been taken in both orifices at the same time, and she felt sure that she would burst from the two frenzied appendages rubbing each other through the thin wall that separated them. Two tentacles explored her mouth this time, and filled it with a river of cum. Ashley gurgled helplessly as she was covered with another coating of seed, which ran down her body in rivulets and pooled on her now swollen belly. The succubus' laughter filled Ashley's ears as she was brought to orgasm again, and again, and again... - One again, Ashley had turned the church's guest room into her own fortress of solitude after the battle. Not even Kathryn could get in this time; not only were the abjurations guarding it more potent, but it appeared that a bed or two had been moved in front of the door. Antonia, who also had a background in thievery, tried her best to help Kathryn get in, but gave up after half an hour of determined pushing. This prompted Kathryn to try for a more direct solution, which involved explosives and a very sincere note of apology to the church. When the smoke cleared, she Ashley standing on the other side and levitating beds to fill the space where the door once stood. Kathryn dove in through the doorway just before Ashley could cram a bed into it and landed at the girl's feet. "Why do you keep butting in, eh?" The sorceress growled in an unnervingly low tone. Tears welled up in Kathryn's eyes. "We're your friends, dammit! We care about you! Do you know how much it hurts me to see you like this? Hate me if you want, but don't hole yourself up in a room by yourself." "Why the hell not? I don't want to be around any of you!" "Look, just calm down alright?" "Calm down? Why the hell should I calm down? I'm tired of getting fucked!" The bed rattled as Ashley gave it a hard kick in the leg. "Did someone stick a 'rape me' sign on my back when I wasn't looking?" "It won't happen again!" Kathryn wrapped her arms around the sorceress and hugged her tenderly. "It won't happen again. I'll be there next time, I promise." Ashley leaned into her lover and cried. - While the demons had eventually been cleared out of the mill with no human casualties, the succubus had escaped once again. This time, all attempts at divining her presence proved fruitless and the mercenaries were forced to idle as the hours crept by. Brent and Antonia had decided to play a game of chess in one of the back rooms, joined occasionally by an incredibly apologetic Eugene and, though it was for only one game, Ashley. Kathryn's talk had apparently done the sorceress some good, and she apologized for her temperamental behavior before the couple withdrew back to their quarters. Antonia could not sleep after all the violence that she had been through that day and Brent was a machine, so they ended up playing deep into the night. At some time in the early morning, they heard a series of soft footsteps creeping around the church and saw to their surprise that it was Kathyn. The tiefling was wielding her favorite quarterstaff and seemed dressed for combat. Before either of them could say anything, she struck Antonia on the back of the head and then delivered a precise blow to Brent's chest, disabling them both. She then moved past them and headed deeper into the church's basement, whose vaults were swiftly unlocked to reveal a multitude of holy relics. Kathryn pulled out a bag with extradimensional space inside of it and quickly swept in the contents of the entire vault before throwing it over her shoulder and running for the exit. Eugene was just about to enter the chapel for another prayer session when he walked past Antonia and Brent. His eyes went wide as he noticed that they had been assaulted and he quickly called for help. The first person to respond was Kathryn, who appeared to be armed and ready, with a bag of loot over her shoulder. "Thank heavens you're..." The bag on her shoulder gave him pause. What was she doing at this time of night that would have required it? Eugene then noticed that she had come, not from her room, but from the basement. He went for his sword, but Kathryn reacted first and struck him on the wrist with her quarterstaff, knocking his hand away from the weapon. Undeterred by the blow, Eugene then slammed the assassin into the hard stone walls of the church and wrestled with her for possession of the bag. The sound of heavy boots and metal greaves soon resounded through the halls as others came to see what the fighting was about. Many were armed, and those that held no weapons wore vestments that denoted them as spellcasters. Among them stood Ashley, her eyes wide in shock upon seeing what Kathryn had done. The assassin gave Eugene a swift kick in between the legs before sliding herself along the ground and through the crowd of onlookers trying to stop her. She smashed a tightly stoppered glass flask as she passed them, clouding the hallway in smoke. When the air was clear again, she was nowhere to be found. - The moon was just about to set when Kathryn appeared in a public garden. It was empty save for one other occupant, an old man who sat on a bench watching the sky in silence. Kathryn walked up to the man and tossed the bag onto the ground in front of him. Without a word, the old man changed into the succubus. "Well done," she said, giving Kathryn an affectionate pat on the head. "It's nice to know that you'll still listen to me, even after all this time." "Yes, Ephais," Kathryn said quietly. "I am yours." Ephais reached for the bag only to find it pulled out of her grasp by some unseen force. It flew through the air and landed in the hands of a young girl. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Ashley tucked the bag into her belt. "Come on, you've got to think outside of the box if you want to win this one." "Soon shall you regret your arrogance, mortal," the demoness hissed. "An eternity of torment will I prepare for your soul."