tags: f/f, masturbation, some gore(not in sexual situations)

The morning sun poured through the dirt speckled window. Lazily Yuya's eyes opened. She had not slept much and when she did her mind's eye filled her dreams with nightmared visages. With the speed of a tortoise she rolled herself from her straw mattress. Her long, dark-brown hair shimmered with red as the sun wiped across it. She slipped her black blouse over her pale, slender arms and pushed through her fatigue. The young woman, barely in her teens, stepped out into the already bustling street. She wavered and swayed as she made her way to the town's market district. The sea of people seemed to be more lively than usual. Yuya breathed deeply and put up her best facade. Her blanched lips curled into a smile, her nearly golden eyes held their distant, somber shape. As she approached the rickety wooden stands her stomach lurched in horror at the many vegetables and fish among them, knowing she would not be able to keep it down. Despite the disgust her gut was conveying Yuya bought a bushel of flavorful herbs, an entire trout, and a plethora of colorful vegetables. Holding her canvas satchel of her purchases close to her chest her ears shook with the hushed voices of horrified citizens.

"I heard it last night,"

"Were there any survivors this time?"

"Every night, there's another corpse,"

"It's only a matter of time before everyone's devoured,"

Shaking her head clear of the whispers and stifling her tears, Yuya pushed on towards her next errand. A worn, wooden sign hung from a scroll of iron, "The Imp's Spit Tavern," it read. As she opened the heavy wooden door her nose was assaulted with an amalgamation of sweat, yeast, and mold. It was barely past noon and the chairs were nearly filled. Making her way to the bar she winced and grimaced at the fowl characters adorning the wooden stools. The bartender, Ulric, smiled at Yuya through his thick beard. His clothes were of modest cloth adorned with a simple family crest. He pulled a pail of water from behind the bar and set it upon the counter.

"Here ya go, lass," His voice spoke as if he had eaten gravel for breakfast, "Had it all ready for ya."

"Thank you," Yuya's distant eyes never grabbed the vision of Ulric's nor anyone else in the bar, she couldn't bare looking anyone in the face.

"Ya know, if ya tire of stew every night, I'd cook ya up a fine meal free of charge." the bearded bartender boasted.

"I may come to you for a meal," Yuya's grave and almost pensive tone unnerved the man.

As she retreated towards the door Yuya was stopped dead in her tracks by the man who had entered the heavy wooden door she had planned to exit. His face was smooth, yet his features defined. A leather patch covered his left eye and a jagged scar crept out of the seams. He stood well above two yards and his platinum blonde hair was pulled back tightly into a short ponytail. Heavy armor, as black as night, fell upon his shoulders and a large greatsword was sheathed upon his back. Yuya's heart skipped a beat as her frightened eyes quickly scanned the man. She knew who he was. He was the man who would free the village from the darkness that plagues the city at night. The man who would end the terror deep inside her soul. As Yuya nervously attempted to step around the mercenary, a gauntleted hand gently grasped her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss," The stranger didn't smile, his eye tried to meet with the scared girl's.

"I'm sorry, but I must be going," Yuya pulled away and hurried back to the lonely four walls she called home.

Once inside her gentle oak door her canvas bag and pail of water fell to the ground as she dropped to her knees. Her eyes wept and every inch of her body shook. Her low and docile whimpers echoes around the empty stone walls. Her shaking hand collapsed on her mouth as if to silence the noise that poured from her lips. She felt as though she could hear her parents still roaming the halls, their feet shuffling amongst the hemp mats along the floor. But there were no hemp mats anymore, the blood had soaked through and Yuya couldn't bare to look at them anymore. She thought that if she had gotten rid of all the blood soaked mats and cleaned the the floors, walls, and ceiling she'd feel better, but just being alive reminded her of the horror.

The purple sky was littered with swirling orange and red clouds as the sun poured into the horizon. As he finished his ale, Sal let out a low groan. His shoulders rolled in his dark armor and the shoulder pauldrons gave a small chime. Since his life as a mercenary Sal had procured a bit of a reputation. Sure, he was still known as the man who killed a king but most townsfolk could care less about what a man did in his past when there’s a monster running amuck. 

"Can I get you another?" Ulric asked the mercenary.

"No, I should be getting out there." Sal gritted his teeth as he looked out the yellowed windows. 

"And you should get somewhere safe."

"How're ya gonna get that thing when no one's ever seen it?"

"There's one person who has." Sal's permanent scowl seemed a bit more defined.

"Ya mean that girl? Poor thing hasn't been the same since her folks got eaten that night. They were the first to go you know.

"The first, huh?" Sal stood from the bar and threw four copper pieces on the bar. "Thank you for your time."

"Hey wait!" Ulric shouted at the man as he neared the door, "I want to thank you for what you're doing here,"

"There's no need to thank me yet." Sal's hand gently pried on his brow, "Tomorrow morning there will be the corpse of the monster in your streets. Then you can thank me."

Sal pushed out into the darkening streets. He walked softly, keeping his ears open. With the nearing night all the people were hustling into their homes, shutting their windows and locking their doors. As the last bit of light fell from the sky the city fell quiet. The stale air held no sound. It was as if even the night birds and the insects were afraid of the creature that lurked in this town.



The yellowed eyes of the beast scoured the empty streets hungrily. Swiftly, it made its way through back alleys its feet never made a sound among the stone. It's nostrils flared in the air. The stench of human rolled to the back of it's head. The smell is sickening, yet delectable. Pushing hungrily past the simply latched doors of it's own personal buffet, it scampered to it's meal, laying in bed. It's jaw widened and it aimed for the neck. The scream of its victim was muffled to a gurgle. With its victim subdued, the beast dove in tearing flesh from bone and devouring the mass of gore. Before its meal was finished, a clatter is sounded from within the house. As the beast turned its face was met with the cold steel of a sharp blade. The blade that rested upon the beast's cheek was not that of mystic metal, its guard was not adorned with golden scrolls, its grip was not made of fine wood nor wrapped in rich cloth, its pommel held no gem. The blade that rested upon the beast's cheek was of a simple iron, it's guard was a simply shaped bar, it's grip was of basic oak and crudely wrapped in leather, and it's pommel was a hastily hammered out circle. The beast's yellowed eyes wandered up the to meet the face of its wielder. The platinum blonde hair and jagged scars held a familiar tone in the beast's mind. The warrior who held the blade hesitated. He had not prepared for such a beast. Expecting a demon, or a troll, or perhaps some other horrid beast which had a maw filled with razor sharp teeth. To the warrior's dismay he only saw a girl barely in her teen years with darkened hair, that shimmered with red in the moonlight. Her golden eyes filled with sorrow and guilt, not bloodthirst or anger. Tears fell from her eyes and slipped past the blade on her cheek, mixing a light red pallette as the salty tears mingled with the viscous blood. Her eyes wept as she felt Death's hands grip her pale, slender neck. Sal came to kill a beast, though, his eyes deceive him. He sees no beast, yet, he knows that only a beast could be capable of what he's witnessed. The blade falls from his victim. Death's hands go limp.

"Why did you stop?" The child weeps, "You came to kill a monster!" her words weigh down her jaw. Sal looked around.

"I see no monsters here," he said as if his words were a deadpanned jest. "Though, I do see a girl who doesn't seem to fit in with these folks," His hand sways, gesturing towards the mutilated corpse. 

The child wept, her body fell into the warrior. Her stifled tears seemed to only be consoled by the one who had come to take her life. Whines and gasps echoes through the stone streets.

As the yellow sun rises, no ghastly monster's corpse litters the street, no mercenary is found, and no scared Yuya dons a mask of emotions as she walks through the town that calls her a monster.



As Yuya slept upon his shoulder, Sal knew he would need to get some answers. He had heard of a wizard not far from the town he had found Yuya in. This wizard apparently had knowledge far beyond that of most men. Just as Sal walked into the town he was greeted by large crowd of villagers all shuffling towards a small ramshackled stage. 
	
“C’mon, c’mon.” The man on the stage started. His moustache was curly and blonde. “Be prepared for wonder and amazement.” His wispy blonde hair was coiffed high and bounced as he walked about the stage. The man wore a cloak with vivid colors tied with a golden brooch with a small pearl pressed into it.

Yuya had awoken from all the excitement. She watched as the man was excited pumping up the crowd. She pulled herself higher on Sal’s shoulder to watch the man. Sal had come to assume this man was the great knowledgeable wizard he had heard this town housed. But just who was this mysterious man?

“Lowen B. Hold!” The wispy haired man shouted from the stage. Sparks flew from his hands and a bright flash of light appeared behind him. The man then proceeded into the crowd. The ecstatic people greeted him. As Yuya looked at the man she noticed that his smile was just as fake as brooch he wore. At least, the gold was fake. The pearl seemed to be the most expensive thing on him. It had been crudely grafted to what she assumed was iron painted gold. Some paint had even smudged onto the pearl. She shook her head at this terrible use of a beautiful stone. Her eyes then caught a more pitiful display.

Mr. Hold had wowed the crowd by pulling a small gold coin from a crowd member’s ear. He then placed the gold coin in the man’s hand. The villager thanked the mage profusely, but Yuya suspected that if he had seen Lowen B. Hold take that gold from the man’s pocket before his little coin trick the villager wouldn’t be so excited. She also suspected the man wouldn’t be too happy to know about the eight silver and twenty-two copper that Lowen had put into his own pocket. He performed some more minor tricks, some slight of hand, others seemed to be his own minor prestidigitation, but one thing remained constant. Lowen took many coins, sometimes entire coin purses from the people in the crowd. Each of their amazed faces showed they had no idea they were being conned.

It wasn’t long before Lowen had made his way to Sal. 

“Are you the wizard I’ve heard so much about?” Sal asked the man whose grin was wider than his moustache.

“It would seem my reputation precedes me.” He chuckled as he brushed some of his wispy hair from his face. 

Yuya dropped herself from Sal’s shoulder before the mercenary could speak. “I’m a huge fan, Mr. Hold.” Yuya’s face was bright and bubbly. She had experience looking happy when she was in the depths of depression. It’s no surprise she could look ecstatic when she was happy. She was much more believable than even Lowen. Who now smirked at the girl with pride.

“Please, call me Lowen…” He trailed off, but soon decided that now was no time to be modest. “B. Hold.”

“I’m simply amazed by your power. Could I see some more? Please?” Her golden, brown eyes widened like a puppy’s.

“Certainly, for a girl as beautiful as yourself.” He winked and materialized a small ball of light and rolled it around his and and atop the back of his hand as he reached to feel for her coin purse. She had nothing, so while he failed to find anything of monetary gain he decided to cop himself a feel of the young girl.

Yuya chose to ignore this, showing off her new found acting abilities. Besides, she had her own hands busy. Her fingers were snatching up several of the satchels that held his victim’s coin. The great Lowen B. Hold never could have predicted that his own tricks would be pulled upon him so expertly. 

“Wow, that really is something Lowen B. Hold.” Yuya stepped in front of Sal so that Lowen couldn’t pickpocket him. Lowen seemed almost creeped out by Yuya’s excitement and moved on to the rest of the crowd. 

“Why’d you do that? I needed some answers from that wizard.” Sal fumed about Yuya’s intervention.

“He’s no wizard,” Yuya’s mouth was agape as though the was going to speak, but the voice had come from behind Sal. “He’s merely a street urchin posing as one.”

When Sal turned his head he was greeted by a girl with ghostly white hair and hauntingly red eyes. She continued to speak. “If it’s a wizard you’re looking for I may be of some service.” 

“And just who are you? The great wizard who was supposed to be trained by a dragon?”

“Yes, that’s me. My name’s Ami. I’m a student of Jarun the Uproarious.” She grabbed the skirt of her glorious blue dress and gave a polite curtsey. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sal. I need you to have a look at my friend.” Sal pushed Yuya forward. “She’s sick, with... something.” 

“Come with me.” Ami beckoned the pair with a pale white hand. “Let us get away from the streets.” Her red eyes shot a cold stare at Lowen.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Yuya nodded so vigorously that the gold within her pockets clinked together. 

Ami lead them to her home away from home. The abode was not nearly as lavish as the cave she was used to. To her companions however, it was far better than their usual. 

“Wow! You live like a princess!” Yuya blurted out as she examined a small desk. Ami’s blush was all too obvious to the two. 

“Sal, was it?” The man turned to Ami, “You may want to step outside while I examine your friend. Do not worry; I have the discretion of a doctor.” Sal nodded and stepped back out the door. He seemed vigilant and stood as a guard at a palace.

“What was your name, sweetheart?” She had a warming smile that Yuya found quite comforting.

“It’s Yuya.” Her words were still quite nervous.

“I’ve see the look on your face before, Yuya.” Ami said as she approached the young girl. “I saw it in the mirror a thousand times.” Ami sat on the bed and patted the seat beside her. “Tell me, what could a cute girl like yourself have done to make your town cast you aside?”

“How’d you know that?” The young girl was now wary of the wizard. Perhaps she was also a mind reader. 

“My town thought I was a bad omen.” Ami started. “Even my parents were fearful of my presence. They left me on the steps of the church as a baby. My entire life there was no person I felt close to because every villager saw me as an albatross. So, believe me. I know the look a girl gives when she’s been outcast by her town.” Even talking of her past brought a resurfacing pain to Ami’s mind. 

“I kept myself from them.” Yuya blurted out, on the verge of tears. “They saw me as the only survivor of a beast that plagued the town, but I knew the truth. I was the beast. I ate them. I was just so hungry. One day I couldn’t take it anymore. It was like my hunger took over.” Yuya’s tears filled her eyes as she began to wail.

“Sh, sh. It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.” Yuya’s watery eyes fell to Ami’s shoulder who in turn stroked Yuya’s dark hair. “Let’s see if there’s anything else I can figure out. Perhaps you’ll feel a bit better with some answers.” Ami pulled Yuya from her shoulder and looked to her sniffling face. “Does that sound alright?” Yuya nodded with a heavy sniffle. “Alright, give me your hands.” Ami held out her pale hands and let Yuya set her small hands atop them. “Now, I will be examining your very soul, so this will feel a little odd. If it’s too uncomfortable simply pull away, alright?” Yuya nodded and soon she felt Ami’s presence within her soul.

The feeling was not entirely unpleasant. In fact it was almost calming. Yuya felt the feeling of relief simply telling Ami what had happened, but now she was practically showing her what had happened. Ami felt over every inch of Yuya’s soul until she found the answer she was looking for. Her fingers found a tether. A spectral string that connected Yuya’s soul to some unknown area. 

Releasing her hands Ami paused thoughtfully before she started explaining. “I don’t mean to alarm you, but your soul is tethered to another being. These things are usually formed with a contract to a demon or devil, and I doubt that was your doing. Should I have to form a guess I’d say it’s a... demon of gluttony. Just as you are sharing a bit of your soul with them, they are sharing some of theirs with you, causing these… urges of yours.” 

“How do I get rid of it?” Yuya asked, nearly pleading.

Ami didn’t want to give the next piece of news. “You really can’t. I mean aside from tracking down the exact demon and killing him, there’s little you can do.”

“Alright.” The somber voice of Yuya was all too much for Ami to handle. 

She reached beneath the bed and pulled out a book. The cover read ‘Stealing Hearts: A Rogue’s Tale’ and she pushed it to Yuya. “Here.”

“What’s this?” Yuya asked as she took the book in her hands.

“The best pick-me-ups gold can buy.” She mimicked the words she herself heard when she was handed the book. “My teacher gave it to me. You might like it.”

Yuya’s eyes widened as she quickly opened up the book and began reading. 

“Now stay here and read a bit, I’m gonna go talk to Sal.” Yuya nodded and read happily. 

Ami stepped out the door. Sal’s eye looked to her, concerned. “Is she alright?”

“She’s been alright, but she’s going to need to be fed on a regular basis. Humans, or something similar. I know, it’s… far from ideal, far from pleasant. At least once a week. I’d suggest visiting gallows after they’ve finished their work. You need to be the one to look after her.” Ami’s words were a command, not a suggestion.

“I will.” He paused, amazed by his own willingness to take responsibility. “I can’t imagine what she must be going through.”

“Don’t try. Just be there for her. Be her friend and her savior. That in itself will be enough to keep her spirits high.” 

Sal merely nodded at this. 

“And, one more thing. Get her a sword and teach her to use it. She looks like too easy a target for those out to harm her, like that street urchin out there.” 

Sal’s mind flashed to the last woman he had trained to use a sword. The first and last woman he felt he truly loved. Unfortunately for him, he was the first person that she had felt a true and honest hatred for. The woman took his eye with the very same skill that he taught her. He heaved a sigh before responding.

“I’ll see what I can do about getting her a sword.” The mere mention of teaching another swordplay brought back all his memories with Princess Tohru in one painful flash. Even the pleasant memories hurt because he knew he would never reunite with her and relive those.

“Good, I’m gonna go check and see if she’s all good to come out.” Ami stepped inside to see Yuya on the bed, the book was closed and her feet were drawn up on the bed with her knees pulled to her chest by her arms. 

“I’m so sorry Miss Ami.” She was on the brink of tears once more. 

“I was just reading the story and I felt… weird. There was no warning it was just… wet all the sudden.” Ami had an idea of what had happened. 

“Well, let’s just have a look, shall we?” Ami sat down beside Yuya atop the bed and pressed a finger to the small puddle that had grown on the sheets near Yuya’s groin. She pulled her finger from it slowly, a small string of the slimy substance clung to her finger. Yuya’s eyes saw the consistency of the substance and was confused. “Just as I suspected. Tell me, were you enjoying the book?” 

“Y-yeah, I guess so. Why?” Yuya cocked a confused eyebrow.

“What happened? How far did you get?”

“Well, the rouge met the guard and…” The girl blushed, she knew what was happening in the book. “They had sex. The book described it.”

“And you were curious, maybe jealous, huh?” 

Yuya nodded shyly.

“The good news is, there’s a solution. Let me show you a way to tide yourself over when that happens.” Ami pressed a finger gingerly to Yuya’s clitoris and began to gently press it through her panties. “Do you feel that?” 

Yuya nodded and bit her lower lip. She was feeling such a pleasantly strange feeling she could not form words properly. 

“Bring your hand down here, I’ll show you what to do.” As Yuya brought her hand down Ami had scooted her panties down to her thighs. 

“Right here, you’ll feel it,” Ami’s hand guided Yuya’s to her clitoris. “That’s the sensitive little bud. You want to rub that, not too roughly though. You’ll know what’s best. You have to find just that right amount of pressure.” 

Yuya pressed down on herself with Ami’s hand guiding her. 

“Then just make small little circles, like this,” her pale hand slowly moved Yuya’s in small, rapid circles. “That’s it, now keep that up. Repetition and consistency are your best friends here.” 

Yuya was sharply inhaling her breath. The feeling was better than filling her hunger. It was better than anything she had ever felt. She could feel the sensation not just in her groin but through her whole body, like the pleasure was shooting straight up into her stomach. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better is when Ami pushed a slender finger deep into her and curled it slightly to press against another sensitive place. Yuya twitched as the sensation of haver her tight walls spread, even by just a little finger was too much. Ami moved her finger in at out slowly, rubbing with it. With this new sensation added to the mix Yuya didn’t take long to orgasm. 

And what a feeling that was! It was the exhilaration of jumping from a tree branch into a lake, the moment when gravity started to pull her down and an explosion of relief as she fell into the warm water.

Yuya remembered the time when a merchant from a far land brought chocolate to her small town, back when she could each normal food without feeling sick. She remembered the sweetness of the small bar and the sensation as it melted on her tongue. She remembered the pleasure she felt as that small bar melted in her mouth. This new sensation was similar, but ten times stronger. She clamped around Ami and fluids gushed forth from her loins. She fell back to the bed, panting. Her nostrils flared as she took in the scent. Even the smell of it was better than the chocolate. She thought that if she couldn’t have chocolate ever again, that was fine so long as she could have this.

As she pulled herself from Yuya, Ami’s finger was still connected by several strands of Yuya’s fluids. “My, my. You seemed to enjoy that.” 

Ami pulled a small kerchief from her bedside table and wiped her finger clean. “Let me get that for you.” She then proceeded to wipe down Yuya’s groin. Yuya’s little bud was still so sensitive it sent another set of quick shivers down her spine as Ami passed over it with the cloth. “Now, you can’t just go around doing that whenever you feel like it. It’s a private thing. You’re supposed to do this alone.”

“Is it wrong?” Yuya asked, somewhat worried. 

“Oh, not at all dear. It’s perfectly normal. It’s just something people do, just not spoken of in polite company. Certainly not with men around. It’s sort of a manners thing.” Ami tried to explain.

“I think I understand.” Yuya got up and pulled her panties back up to her waist. The fabric was still a bit wet and it felt so good against her. “Thank you, Ami. Thank you for everything.” 

“If you need anything else, please stop by. And feel free to keep the book.” She said as she picked it up from the bed. “Now that you know how to really enjoy it.” She gave a cheeky wink.

Upon meeting back up with Sal, he and Yuya said their goodbyes to Ami and made their way out of the town.


“Where to now, Sal?” Yuya was happy to have made a new friend. She felt much better. She felt almost human.

“Now? We’re gonna look into finding a blacksmith.” His voice and face were stoic, but Yuya could almost see the sadness behind it. She said nothing.