The preparation of the map had continued for some time after they assembled everyone. Ebusuku, unlike the other Succubi, didn’t seem impatient. From her continued focus on those present, she seemed intent on learning everything possible. Julia had expected a planning session to be a military operation, not the auction they conducted with strange stakes at play. The organisers were the ones that decided the winning bids, with no apparent logic in their decisions.

The bidding exchanges between teams ranged from polite to barely controlled rage, and the ones that set Julia’s nerves on edge were always the former. Attitudes varied so greatly it was hard to get an idea if any plans actually existed. Refineries, regardless of material, weren’t popular; settlements with enchanters or alchemists might attract lots of activity or almost complete silence. Pleased murmurs and pained hisses from the winning teams seemed to show assignment being avoided were the best or worst at what they did. No one wanted to raid a skilled enchanter, while bad ones, no one wanted loot from them.

The teams gaining some were clearly regretting their victories, as bidding wasn’t optional for teams assigned to a region. The organisers had marked one tiny settlement on the map with a placeholder clearly showing it was to be avoided, unless an icon of a broken-winged Succubus meant something else. Though Julia felt it was possible to get beyond the surface thoughts of various Succubi, it held less appeal than bobbing for apples in a sewer tunnel. It was nearly a full cycle from being gathered in the planning room before the organisers declared everything settled. When it finally came time to move, they handled everything efficiently, opening Portals to set teams in their assigned regions.

When it was their turn to depart, Julia caught the first glimpse of the attitude Ebusuku had warned her about. Once the other Sisters were on their way, the Senior opening their portal wore a displeased sneer as though on garbage duty. Through the Portal, Julia could see a rocky region of hills; Ebusuku waved her through and followed close.

Their arrival in Àluga made Julia want to scream in rage and sheer disgust, even under Zen State's calming stability. The sky was a crisp, beautiful blue and from a golden sun came a lovely warmth. Yet it was a warmth that gave growth to the most twisted of existence. Everywhere she looked among the rocky terrain, and far down into the swamp kilometres away, life seemed diseased and bloated with decay. As if every sort of pestilence had found a place to call home, and was thriving in its energy.

A bush nearby oozed fluid from puss-filled sores that pushed their way up through bark that otherwise looked healthy with life. A feral feline nearby sported enormous growths that were clearly painful, as it hobbled away, leaving bloodstain prints behind. All Julia could do was to have Zen State catalogue the sights and let each fuel her determination to make Set pay for all the pain he lorded over. The breeze carried with it an odour of foul rot, and the dankness of soil overladen with rotting fruit.

“Have a good cycle,” Julia said before the portal closed, wanting to leave the place behind.

“Perhaps Trouble does suit you after all. Why not wish her eternal boredom instead?” Ebusuku asked, clearly amused.

“I’ll use that next time. So sending me first, did I play bait, or was I avoiding a portal closing on me?”

“Both. You don’t get to die till I say so,” Ebusuku said. After pausing for a moment, she gestured toward the highest peak in sight. “Stay on the ground; we need to get to know it while staying unseen.”

“Why don’t we change to look like Àluga Succubi?” asked Julia.

“You don’t even know BrÍn hand sign and you think you can impersonate a different species of Succubi. Do you have one of their outfits with you?”

“Don’t any wear dominator leathers like these? I thought it was just the wings and shape of horns that varied,” Julia said, gesturing towards her outfit.

“Assuming isn’t thinking, learn things properly. I’d say we need to scout multiple positions towards that peak. I doubt we’ll find a single spot where the two of us can kill hundreds if they focus on us alone. If they have any serious support, or can get some quickly, we’ll need fallback positions. Both for teleporting and physical retreat if they’ve got any surprises on hand. Though something else takes priority now.”

Ebusuku paused for a moment before she locked a hard gaze on Julia and danger started prickling away at the back of her neck. In an instant, Julia realised the danger’s source was staring right at her. Instead of fleeing, she just waited and held herself ready to move. Long minutes passed before a smile danced on Ebusuku’s lips and the danger eased away.

“You need to stop using Protean to wear your skin as clothing. If you know the Power, it’s a giveaway.”

“What do you mean?” asked Julia, silently cursing her own inexperience and whatever slip she’d made.

“Your outfit is skintight, and doesn’t dimple when you move. It flexes like it’s your skin, yet it bears no enchantments.”

Fuck, given away by perfection!

“I used Shape Change to form clothing,” Julia said, dropping back on previous experience while ensuring she kept to the truth.

“Nice word choice. Used. No doubt you once used it for clothing, but you don’t now. Shape change shows up in various ways. Protean takes on the reality of the material formed. I’d say one of a few things happened: either you are so far beneath the Castellan that she didn’t care, more important matters had her distracted, or she was just too arrogant to pay enough attention. From now on, form the outfit and then separate it from yourself. The downside is it won’t adjust with you, but it will act like the leather you made it appear. Your eyes don’t blink and mostly don’t shift direction. What Power are you using to see?”

“I thought I had that covered,” Julia said, either her unfussed tone or evasive response eliciting a quick frown from Ebusuku before she replied.

“You have lots of the details right, but I spent a cycle standing next to you with no interesting distractions. I discovered some things once I started looking properly besides the physical cues. I can’t scry you directly; even scrying the location, you were hard to make out. Yet you don’t have enchantments on you beyond a few trinkets. You feel as if a born Succubus, but Culerzic Succubi are all corrupted Souls converted by the stone.”

“I came out of the stone cliff face overlooking the impaled Souls that form the Dretch,” Julia retorted, wondering where it was leading, apparent threats being mixed in with tips to improve.

“Darn, you are interesting, every word true. What brothel or harem did you live in?” asked Ebusuku, a persistent tone entering her voice.

“You can tell the truth?” asked Julia, as she sought time to pick a path amid the trap laden path that had appeared before her.

“I can taste lies, and I tasted none from you.”

Damn, word games will make a noose for me. I’m not bending my knee again.

“My oath says I need to do my utmost to obey a Senior member. Not tell my history to every Sister of the Order. But then, even the first doesn’t count for you, since you told me yourself you’re not a full member of the Order, merely an associate.”

“I could kill you and hunt you down on your home Plane.”

Julia just nodded calmly as Ebusuku spoke, not bothering to argue otherwise.

“You could kill me. Doing the job without me to play bait won’t be a challenge for you. Though how would you hunt me down, when you can’t scry me? Where oh where would you even start?”

“How do you know I’ve not read your mind?” asked Ebusuku, her tone smugly confident.

“The Lady couldn’t read my mind, so I doubt you can. It’s why they made me swear the Oath on Leviathan’s blood.”

“You’ve been in the chamber!”

Ebusuku’s words hissed and clawed at the air in sheer outrage as her fists clenched hard enough to drive long nails into palms.

“Feel sensitive about that chamber’s contents?” Julia asked, her tone digging.

What’s the deal with the chamber? V?

(( I don’t know why they are interested. It’s made from the bones of the Leviathan.))

“That is not your concern. Why should I not just expose your secrets?”

Julia let the flesh mask fall away and locked gazes with Ebusuku. The fires suddenly burning within her gaze, though calmer than before returning to the Stronghold. Her face having been held so long in mask-like stillness came alive, and though every millimetre of flesh looked exactly the same, energy and force of will shone where before she'd been a beautiful statue. Muscles shifting under ivory skin set a stamp of determination to go with the words that flowed.

“I’m not playing your game. You’ll get no bribes or whatever you have going on with other Sisters. You were watching them like a hawk for weaknesses. I have secrets, so does every Demon with half a brain. No more questions answered. I’ll ask you a question instead; what chain does the Lady have around your Progenitor’s neck? I could help you free her. Otherwise, if you’re going to kill me, go right ahead!”

Julia’s proper face was eerily calm as she held her hands out to either side, palms towards Ebusuku.

“A tiara of horns and steel eyes still showing the inferno’s heat. How many cycles since you Ascended to full Succubus? Why does the Castellan still think you’re only Lesser?”

“You avoided my questions, I’m not answering yours. Decide what you’re going to do.”

“How high should that imprint have shown your Willpower?”

Ebusuku’s hand suddenly held a serrated edged sabre pointed towards Julia. In response, Julia just smiled sweetly and said absolutely nothing. After minutes, the unflinching white fire and steel in her gaze were enough of an answer for Ebusuku’s blade to disappear.

“Fall at your feet indeed. More like beg you to walk on them, so you don’t muddy your bone white feet.”

Cycles of preparations later, they’d learnt the terrain around the peak well, the gullies and cave mouths where they’d set up preparations marked with trail signs. Julia had given up one secret and admitted to knowing BrÍn hand sign, and they’d worked in soundless cooperation. Now she stood looking down towards the outpost set before the mine shaft. They’d laid the outpost out in a curve around the main square, but shaped it away from the mine not towards it. They’d set the square overlooking a lower region of the peak, overgrown with trees that hung ripe with the bodies of the Damned. Their own intestines were used to shape the stem binding each to the branches of their tree.

An outpost? There are hundreds of demons in that main square.

“That outfit is going to attract attention,” Ebusuku said, her own attention having been on Julia’s form.

“That’s the purpose of it,” Julia said, glancing down at the layers of gossamer silk wrapping her figure. The outfit seemed a tiny slip away from exposing all her flesh to an observer’s gaze. As Julia had worked on the mental image for it, B had constantly been humming softly in the back of her awareness. The sense from her Id carried with it less restraint and more excitement than a kid informed no limits applied to their candy binge. Though Julia had set some firm rules, B was still abuzz. Rock rifts had been playing in Julia’s mind since the moment the material had formed, and she’d mentally separated it from herself. A sheer mesh teddy formed the inner layer, built outwards with different gossamer silk pieces that could tear away, black and red layers contrasting with ivory skin. Overall, it was one very risqué burlesque outfit.

“Where do you plan to start?”

“I’m just going straight for the courtyard’s centre stage. I’ll keep them distracted while you work the edges of the crowd.”

{{I’m so excited! }}

I’m so glad.

“Your dancing has gotten better with practice. I hope your Dominion can add enough force to turn them as you believe.”

Julia just nodded and teleported down to the edge of the mining town and started walking towards the target location. Dominion turning on before she even took the first step, the sense of it filtered outwards through Zen State perceptions. The power did not hit them like a flood instead spreading out like a mist around her, a whispered siren’s song calling and attracting notice. Julia could feel its effect working through the crowd with each swaying step, as their gazes fastened on her. Notifications provided feedback on its effectiveness as she sent subtle variations of the Power pulsing through the air and felt their hunger grow.

When she reached the central stage her course continued upwards as if stepping into the air. Her motions became one exaggerated sway at a time, letting the outfit’s scarf skirt hitch teasingly upwards for those watching from behind. Demons, it seemed, had so long focused on drowning their senses they’d forgotten what it was like to have them teased. The performers looked at Julia wide-eyed before a shooing gesture sent them from the stage. Succubi scattered in the air like poisonous butterflies while land-bound Demons dropped to the ground around the stage. As Julia’s gaze looked over the crowd, Analysis fed her information on a range of Demons. Fortunately, even the giants among the crowd were of least or lesser tiers, though she didn’t have time to check everyone.

There were horned and red-scaled reptilian lesser Skëll, but the solid thuggish Dretch were a majority within the crowd. From what she could spot, only a bare handful of other species were present. A few of the squid Xhaliáma but fortunately no golden armoured Kralcí whose hive mind likely gave them resistance to her plan. The humanoid frog-headed Zrlser, the fluttering presence of several Succubi and others. Giants loomed among the crowd with crocodile rough skin, walking about completely exposed to all, Analysis naming them Wenga. Though roughly humanoid, their arms were longer than they were tall, and tortoise-like necks held reptilian crested heads aloft. As much as Julia wanted information, she needed to get things started.

A hand raised and stayed motionless, the crowd falling silent as Dominion’s pressure started pulsing. The stillness of the air writhed hard against them before Dominion hit again. This time the energy echoing the pulsing beat of a masterful drum solo at a rock concert. The energy didn’t just drown them, it screamed, pulsed down deep into their bones and made them beg for more. Then the dancing started, Julia’s will and grace holding them in her palm. A burlesque style teasing dance stirring strange feelings as Stimulation rode through Dominion’s reach and didn’t strike with lust, hate or rage but an intense physical longing. She teased the emptiness of their existence with the potential of an answer to slake their thirst and held them tight in its fist. The longing pulsed out through them in time to the music that B provided within Julia’s mind. ‘Tainted love’ started, Julia let her movements grind to the beat of the song, while Marilyn Manson’s voice growled within her mind.

She held them spellbound with a strange desire that seemed just on the edge of their understanding. Every motion as she danced, gyrated, kicked, swayed, and ran fingers along her own body drew their gaze, inflaming their hunger. The sheer cloth almost translucent in the light, shifted with every motion. Energy continually pushed deeper into them as a growling Ebusuku worked along the back of the crowd that had risen to watch. She gave the crowd more, and their intensity surged as she stepped from the stage into the air, her feet supported as if by an invisible dance floor. The elevation offering them an unobstructed view of the impossible teasing delight on display, driving their desire higher.

Motion held them captivated in growing desire until the first of them moved; the Demon was airborne and grasping when black flames writhed over Julia’s body. As she came within his reach Julia moved first, spending a spray of Demonic blood and flesh cascaded across the crowd. Ki Strike not caving in his skull, but severing the head completely, black claws coated in blood having grown into a single blade. The arterial spray from the plummeting form didn’t break the trance as Julia changed the tone, and the crowd went berserk with blood lust.

The moment of battle decision that rose through the Zen State rode hard into Dominion’s cry and the settlement ran awash with violence. The wave of sensation that they felt holding them changing to something they’d never known, the pain of mortal heartbreak, fear, and longing; pain that was amplified by her will and Powers set their minds on fire. Demonic rage was a powder keg held an instant from the flame, Julia had compressed it tight, loaded it with emotions to serve as shrapnel and then set the whole lot on fire.

Julia plunged into the crowd, blood showering nearby as she began working her way through those at hand. Blows ladened with as much power as she could muster soon turned the ground beneath her feet into a quagmire as Demonic flesh tore open. Attacks came from unexpected directions: protean shaped fists, claws, daggers, and even spears ripping into anything coming close. Barbed tips driving deep into flesh, only to vanish the next instant, or punch through one to reach another foe behind. Punches came crashing into ribs, driving pieces deep into chests, sundering Demonic flesh on fragments of bone. Hands fluttered as flowers opening in a breeze only for their dancing grace to grasp and throw the dance partner into another’s path. Graceful fingers which had been pressing the flesh they still craved, came to them in liquid motions, and gouts of blood flowed from the caresses.

Hands grasping and striking, filled with lust and rage, found rending maws consuming their limbs even as the object of their desire was so tauntingly close at hand. Succubi attacking from the sky were borne upwards, forming living banners decorating barbed and jagged flag poles that appeared in their path. When the poles fell among the crowd, they found themselves ripped apart for separating combatants competing for the prize.

Demons had seen where the prize descended and fought to claim it for their own. Wings shifted into a nest of claws and maws sprouting from her back as the butchery was only gathering steam. Jealousy, heartache, and longing continually rippling through the square incited the Demons to world burning rage. Emotions they’d never known turned them on each other, even as Julia and Ebusuku began killing everything in their path. Even those not in the central square felt the force of its power, and violence’s siren call swelled within them.

[Least Dretch x89

Lesser Dretch x4

Lesser Succubi x2 (10% share)

Lesser Wenga x2

Wenga x1

Lesser Xhaliáma x1

Xhaliáma x2

Least Zrlser x4

Lesser Zrlser x8

Demonic Shards gained: 4.993

Total Demons returned to the Abyss: 121

Total experience gained for distribution: 142,612

Monk: +71,306

Monk Levelled Up!

Succubus: +71,306

Death Strike (9 ->15)

Dominion [Ad] (8 ->11)

Flight [Ad] (19 ->20)

Stimulation [Ad] (8 ->12)

Protean [Ad] (25 ->28)

Ki Armour [Ad] (34 ->35)

Ki Movement [J] (20 ->23)

Ki Infusion [Ad] (45 ->46)

Ki Strike [Ad] (46 ->47)

Agile [Ad] (6 -> 9)

Advanced insights gained for successful synergy of Dominion, Ki Movement, Agile and Zen State with Erotic Dance.

Erotic Dance [Ap] (8) -> [J](8)

Zen State [M] (6->7)

Unarmed Combat, Bite, Claw, Spear and Dagger combined and evolved into new skill Silent Storm.

Weapons used in any form of martial arts will now utilise the skill rank of Silent Storm.

Silent Storm [M] (26 -> 28)

Manipulator Class unlocked for future selection.]

{{See, I told you it would be fun. }}

I was more comfortable with the killing.

{{That’s fine, I enjoyed that as well. }}

Talk about diminishing returns. One-thousandth of a shard for the least Demons now. Will they even count when I go up another Tier? Fuck!

As the combat summary brushed Julia’s awareness and the last Zrlser slid from her elongated claws, Ebusuku was suddenly beside her. The Succubus gaze was blazing with blood lust even though Julia had switched Dominion off. At a gesture from her, they vanished from the square and reappeared kilometres away.

As they vanished an unseen spectator appeared from out of the shadows nearer the mine, slowly unclenching his fists. His massive size should have made hiding where he had concealed himself impossible. The long fingers of his third hand made reaching motions and suddenly held a globe of lightning. Ebusuku’s name from his lips set a guiding arrow forming from its energy before he allowed it to dissipate.

“The little fucker’s information was right. Damn, I hate this job. Still giving me black balls.”

Lêdhins sighed regretfully before a step put him back into shadows that bulged and darkened before they returned to normal.

“You fight like a bloodthirsty predator, Trouble.”

“Voice of experience?” Julia asked, bemused even amid the calm by the glib tone in Ebusuku’s voice.

Ebusuku just laughed and gestured at the tattered remnants of sheer silk soaked with blood clinging to Julia’s healing form.

“No need for experience when you look as if you rolled in their corpses. There are pieces of something’s guts hung in your hair.”

“Things got a little messy.” Julia quipped as she looked down at the mess.

“They all wanted a piece of what you teased them with before the real fun started.”

“What next?” asked Julia, even as she ignored Bs wordless shouts of glee in her mind.

“Just as well you turned your Dominion off before I came close to you. I’ve never felt such sensations in my existence. What do you call that?”

“Mortal love and heartache. Not been in a Mortal’s mind during moments of love and loss?” Julia asked, raising an eyebrow at Ebusuku, unsure why a Succubus wouldn’t have experienced it for fun.

“Why would I do that? Now to the important question, feel like doing that again?” Ebusuku questioned, her tone carrying an edge of excitement. While she’d accused Julia of fighting like a bloodthirsty predator, Julia could see exactly that shining out of Ebusuku’s eyes.

{{OH BABY YES! }}

“Dancing or fighting?” Julia asked, as the mess of blood, flesh, and torn scraps of cloth disappeared from her and dropped to the ground. A set of Dominator’s leathers appeared, and the material shifted position ever so slightly after it manifested.

“Definitely both.”

{{Please say Yes! }}

“So, repeating that in the bigger population centres?”

“We’ll still need to set up first, but fewer fall-back positions. We’ll either kill them in a massacre like this or break off.”

“So where next?” Julia asked.

Ebusuku’s clothing vanished and her form blurred into a Succubus from the square, complete with scant clothing. The fabric initially tight against her skin relaxed slightly and settled a moment later. The tiny outfit, purely to present her breasts and crotch tighter than a picture frame, covered nothing essential at all.

“Protean.” Julia groaned.

“It’s a very rare power. How else did you believe I knew it so well?” asked Ebusuku, the excitement had remained in her voice, but now a sense of strange playfulness also laced it.

Far more dangerous than Naz’rilca.

As Julia changed into a copy of a Succubus she had shooed from the stage, Ebusuku was already flying away. Quickly adding similar clothing, Julia leapt upwards and pushed on Flight to eliminate Ebusuku’s brief head start. With a sharp eye out, Julia ran hands across her new Egyptian appearance and checked the dual hooked horns that had replaced her own. It provided however only a short distraction from what the wind of their passage was doing with the new apparel.

Analysis: Silent Storm

[Silent Storm: This skill is a full-body weaponry approach to combat. Its techniques focus on the erratic destruction of foes, either immediately seeking to kill them or at least removing their ability to deal damage. Weapons used within this style don’t follow standard techniques instead treated as an extension of the wielder’s body. Its practitioners fight in silent focus, letting the world and combat flow around them, as their attacks flow through their foes in return. ]

A skill being created doesn’t make things right between us.