When you are in a hole, you should stop digging. After my glorious fight where I almost got strangled with my robe, I decided to keep a low profile and let Flo do the fighting for a while.

She could kind of throw luminescent patches of light. I carefully watched what she did: she was generating something like a tiny grain. It was not really a grain but a small magic field. That field had a consistency of a snowflake and flew slowly through the air until it hit something. Then it simply remained there. After some thirty seconds, it started to emit light, and it ceased after some two minutes.

As I was not very happy with the quality of the light, she shrugged:

“It's about all I can do with the available mana and Andy's mana control.”

She sent one such luminescent snowflake along the tunnel, observing the area carefully. She sent a second one, and after two minutes, when both were extinct, she flew directly into the darkness.

I hardly abstained from screaming. She landed almost perfectly on a stone, entirely out of mana.

Oh, fuck, three seconds of flight is all I have with the current mana! OK, my dreams of flying will have to be postponed for a while.

She repeated the progress, advancing slowly, waiting again and again for my mana to replenish. Now and then, she simply ran a little piece of land, but most of the time, she made small jumps or a short flight.

As I was standing in the darkness waiting for my mana to replenish, I heard a song. A timid girl's voice singing some naive and sad tune. Moments later, I saw her. She was barefoot, strolling along the path, with a candle in one hand, dressed in a semitransparent gown and a basket in the other hand. Her hair was black and her skin very white.

She was obviously singing to keep fear at bay. She stopped and looked around. She spoke with her melodious voice:

“Hello? Is anybody here? Hello?”

As nobody answered, she shrugged and walked further, coming my way and then, at about ten meters from me, she stopped again, looking at me.

“Oh, hello. I thought I saw some lights in the corridor before. Why do you stay in the darkness?”

As I gave no answer, she looked down.

“Are you mute? Do you want to murder me? Or worse?”

As I gave no answer, she hesitated, then came a couple of steps closer with her head bowed.

“Is it you I have to meet here? They told me I should bring food and drinks... and... and... and tell you that you can do what you want with me!”

I sent another small snowflake of light up in the air. It was lit from the very first moment and illuminated the whole cavern.

She came closer hesitatingly.

“We are alone” - she confirmed what I was seeing - “nobody dares to come into the cavern anymore. I was sent to ask you to refrain from killing us. Is my offering enough? Would you like more? Girls or boys? I can go back and get you what you want! I'll be back, I promise!”

She came even closer and undressed her gown, letting it slip along her body. I protested and asked her to dress back, but she kneed in front of me and took my hand in hers.

Her hands were very soft and had a satin-like quality to them. I shook my head:

“I do not need any offering. I don't plan to kill anybody!?”

She raised her head and looked innocently into my eyes:

“Did you leave anybody alive?”

Ahm. No, but I did not answer. She was kissing my hands. As I retired them, she started kissing my feet.

I grumbled:

“Look, stop that. I just want to get out of this cavern!”

I took a step back. She approached me, still on all four. Her hand came timidly towards my leg as she watched me slantwise:

“This was the wrong way to get out; you should have gone the other tunnel at the bifurcation. Did you not know that?”

What bifurcation? I sighed.

“Leave that!”

She froze with her hand in the air. She kept her head down, looking at my feet.

“I am sorry. Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me? Do you want to punish me?”

I rolled my eyes and looked around. The spark that I've sent up had ceased, and only the candle she had brought was spending some light. The whole scene had something surreal. There was no other sound in the cavern except my beating heart. She spoke again:

“What is your name, young demon?”

“I'm not... Andy”

“Andy, do you want to take me?”

I rolled my eyes again. I'll get some eye-roll problems if this continues.

“I have no intention of taking anything or anybody.”

She sighed. Was it in relief? She came closer, still on all four.

OK, probably those lunatics have sent her to appease me. The poor slave must have been terrorized to behave like this.

“May I kiss your legs?”

“No!”

“Please? They'll kill me if I don't appease you!”

“That's a lie!”

“Probably because what would happen would be much worse?”

This time she probably spoke the truth. Flo has her methods to know when people tell the truth, but what kind of spells can she say in the Andy suit?

“Please, let me kiss your legs!”

She said that so softly and naturally. Oh, whatever, I can talk to her and get my info meanwhile.

“OK. So, who sent you to come here?”

“The grand master himself.”

Her leg kissing was strangely soothing. Now she touched my left leg with her hand, and it was not unpleasant. A faint touch that sent shivers to my mind.

“Hm, what do you think you are doing?”

“What I am supposed to do. Serving you. Are you hungry? Thirsty?

Her hand kept caressing my calve. Interestingly it did not feel invasive or wrong; it was rather soothing.

“Who is the grand master?”

“The one who decides over our life and death, over our well-being or suffering, the light and the darkness, the...”

“OK, OK. Name?"

"He is called many names, our light, the one that gives a meaning to our lives, the..."

I sighed.

"What does he want?”

“I was sent to learn what you wish. How could I know what the great master wishes when I do not know what you wish, even when you are here in front of my eyes? What do you wish?”

“Currently... Oh, what are you doing?”

“Is this unpleasant?”

“No... but that's not.. eh?”

“I can make you a massage? Would you like it? I am very good at it! Your muscles feel exhausted, so much in need of a massage! I can feel that!”

Her magic aura was weak. Something that a level one or two would emit, but people can trick that. I do not have an identify skill, so I must rely on what the aura tells me. So close to her, it was probably right. Her hands were now gently wandering on my thighs; I felt embarrassed but also good. She had undoubtedly some skills in play. OK, these skills were more than what a level one should be able to do, or... I don't know? Exercise?

A sigh escaped me, and she raised her head to look at me. Her face was happy that she succeeded in extracting a reaction from me.

It's a trap, it's a trap, it's a trap, my brain repeated in a loop and yet I decided to let her and see where the trap was. If she was going to attack me, she would have done it already. I saw the little slime as it was watching me from a corner of the cavern. It moved slowly and was inspecting the chamber.

“Would you like to sit?”

A pillow appeared out of nowhere, then another one, then a third.

“Please, sit down, it would be more comfortable, or do you prefer to continue our conversation like this?”

She continued her gentle movement when I did not answer. She asked me again:

“What do you want?”

“As I said, what I want is to leave. I need a portal to a city, and then I want to help my friends. Can you do any of these?”

“Oh, sure! Of course, I'll have to ask the grand master, but” - she answered happily - “I think I can get you a portal to any city around. To what city would you want to go?”

OK, we are coming to terms. Probably she is only some kind of a slave negotiator. Do I want to clean up these caves of cultists? Not necessarily. Maybe I can find better places to level; who knows what awaits me here from now on. The lunatics are now warned and may attack me with force. The last two... OK, I do not want to remember that. I sat down on one pillow, and she smiled happily at this small victory.

“Do you wish to drink something?”

She brought out a glass and a bottle. She filled the glass under my eyes, drank half of it and then offered me the glass with a smile. I shook my head.

“No?”

She seemed a bit disappointed; she placed the glass beside the bottle and started again to take care of my legs.

“To what city can you get me a portal?”

“Oh, to many cities.”

“What city is closer to us?”

She watched me, surprised, then smiled again, kissing my left leg. She drank again a little from the glass and then kissed my right leg. As I raised a brow, she answered:

“Stoneborrow, Terwania, and Coredra are the closest cities. Stoneborrow to the north is the closest, but it is a very small city. Terwania, about two times further away and to the East, is the best; the coredrans to the South may be... not so welcoming to your race.”

Oh fuck, I have no knowledge of these cities. Can it be that I am on a different continent?

“What about Constancia?”

She watched me, surprised.

“That's far away but can be done. Any city on this continent can be arranged, but are you sure you want to go there?”

She started again to kiss my calves. OK, so it means we are on a different continent. The continent with Constancia. I protested:

“That tickles!”

She giggled.

“Really? Are you ticklish?”

“Don't even try!”

I relaxed. She's here to negotiate. The fact that she showed some concern for me to go to Constancia is a good sign. So let's see what I can extract from these lunatics. I made myself more comfortable whilst she continued with her soothing movements. Now that I sit, that feels much more relaxing for the muscles; she really knows her work!

Since when is she kissing my thighs? Why am I lying on my back on those pillows? What is happening?

I was feeling bleary, foggy-brained but in ecstasy, waves of pleasure flowing through my body.

I'm so damn sleepy, and it is so good... Where am I?

Why am I half-naked? She was moaning. What is she doing?

An intense light appeared in my hand. She screamed and disappeared. I struggled to sit up. I was feeling weak and woozy.

“Fucking fuck! A vampire!”

I looked at my inner thigh. Two small drops of blood, like two black pearls, were growing where she had planted her teeth.

“Oh, come on, we were having such a good time? Did you have to scare me like that?”

I turned to where the voice was coming from, struggling to stay awake. That's when the candlelight I've spelt went out. I sent again some light high towards the ceiling. She continued baiting me:

“You are such a sweet girl!”

This time the noise was coming from a different point. I healed myself, but the dizziness remained.

“Can we not continue from where we left? You were feeling good, didn't you? I promise you will feel so good as you never did in your life!”

“You want to suck me dry, eh?”

“Oh baby, not true; I am not the wasteful type. Come on. I want to have some fun. Just the two of us. Trust me. You know I do not lie!”

I could hardly concentrate. Whatever she did administer me was having its effect. She tapped me on my shoulder. I turned as fast as I could and shot a firebolt, but she was already gone. I heard her laughing from somewhere in the cavern.

“Tsk, tsk. Is this the reward for all I did for you? I only took my due, darling!”

Again darkness.

Where is my inventory box? Where is my staff?

“I promise I don't want to kill you. At least not now. I want to have some fun! Oh, and drinks! Of course, drinks!”

I shot another firebolt where I thought she would be and jumped at its light towards a different place when something sharp flew behind me, cutting my wings in one movement. I screamed in pain, falling down, rolling over the gravel.

“Tell me, do you have something to do with the escaped slave? Oh, we will have so much to talk about, so much fun. It was boring here! Do you want to follow me free or chained? It's your choice!”

I healed myself, and when the wings were healed, she cut them again. She was so damn fast. It was not a clean-cut this time, but the damage was enough.

“We'll stop at one hundred, OK? Are these comestible? Or maybe we can make some potions with them! Oh, sure, potions! I will harvest you, baby! Come on, if you think about it, cattle have it good; they get fed and taken care of!”

I made light, but the instant when I made that light, I got a foot slap in the face that sent me tumbling back. An intense ball of light flew in her direction. She protested.

“Tsk. That's so annoying!”

Again darkness.

“Now, when you have enough of it, raise your hands. I will stop... when I get bored, you know.”

She flew again behind me, scratching my buttocks as she passed. Oh, fuck, she has some claws! I sent a blast her way. Well, in the direction I thought she was, just to get another foot-slap to my face. She is dispelling my light sparks as fast as I can spell them.

How on Earth is she moving so fast? What level is this vampire?

“Fuck you!”

“Hm. Interesting proposal, but no, thank you.”

She flew again, cutting my healed wings.

“Three!”

She sees me; I do not see her. She is faster and stronger than me. She only played with me from the beginning. What can I do? Run? Shoot bolts randomly? That's such a good tactic!

I tried to make some light to see in what direction I should run and got another foot-slap to my face that sent me in a backwards somersault.

I landed on my knees. That was painful. I cursed and healed myself again, standing up whilst the light went off again.

“You start to like to kiss my foot, isn't it? It tickles, you know?... Four!”

I screamed in pain. I waited to have more mana, trying to move away in the darkness. She giggled:

“I can see you!”

I healed myself, and the next moment she passed behind me.

“Five! Where should we put all these wings? Inventory full; I hate this! You'll have to carry them, ok?”

I healed myself again. Should I raise my hands? What then? Embrace my future as vampire thrall or cattle?

“Oh, by the way, is this little slimy yours? It is so cute! A pity to extract its core, isn't it? Maybe I...”

That was an error. I know where Bubble is. A very scared Bubble. I can feel it. Instantly I jumped forward with all my power, with my horns down to hit just above Bubble. I'd break my neck against the wall if my gamble was wrong, but I did not hesitate a second.

She did not finish her sentence as I hit her. I pinned her against the cave's wall. She croaked and remained inert there. I was lucky that she was relatively soft. My head had hit exactly between her breasts; her hands were now flailing without power. I felt Bubble clinging to my hand. I kept pressing as much as I could, my wings pushing hard.

With a last effort, she pushed her right hand up, searching for my heart. She missed, hitting at first Bubble, then snapped a rib, missing my heart. Even mortally wounded, she almost killed both of us with one strike.

The next moment with a long wail, she started burning as a wrap of paper would. I rescued Bubble in my hands, not letting him fall down. We were high in the air. Uneasy, at the dim light of her combustion, I saw the ground six to seven meters down, and then I fell as my mana was over.

Fuck, I think I broke my leg again, but pretty bad this time. It is quite bent in the wrong direction. Yet I still counted in my mind:

“Two!”

“Two times that you broke your leg?”

“No, two kills with the horns!”