Flame of the Succubus Page 10

  Allura stroked Ember's necked, then tightened her hand around Ember's throat. She milked Ember's throat as Ember lay still, massaging my cock through Ember's throat.

  "You never gag?" I asked Ember, amazed at her deepthroating ability.

  "Do you want her to?" Allure asked.

  I shook my head. "No. Too messy, and kind of messed up. This is better."

  Allure kept rubbing my cock through Ember's throat. Her other hand was once again between her thighs.

  "Finish me. Make me finish," I ordered Allura.

  Allura milked Ember's throat faster and faster. Ember began moving as well, in rhythm with Allura, but in the opposite direction.

  With Ember's throat and Allura's hand massaging my cock, my climax approached swiftly.

  I groaned and slammed myself all the way into Ember's throat, shooting gobs of my cum down her throat. Ember's eyes rolled into the back of her head as my cock throbbed for a full half minute inside her. My Flame surged, and I saw a torrent of it sweep I into Ember as her body shivered.

  Next to me, Allura moaned, her hand moving rapidly between her thighs.

  It was over.

  The three of us slowly pulled apart. My eyes grew heavy, and I fell asleep soon afterwards for the first time in the Abyss, with one succubus on each side of me.

  ***

  By the time I woke up, the Night Fog had rolled away, revealing a daunting, mountainous terrain outside our shallow cave.

  "You slept well," Allura said with a smile.

  "And you fucked my face well," Ember said with an even broader grin. She drew close to me and whispered into my ear. "Remember what I mentioned before? I think we were close to a breakthrough of some kind. Maybe one more time. Your Flame grows stronger." Then, she stepped away and acted as if she hadn't said anything.

  I wasn't sure how my Flame would interact with two succubi, but from what Ember had said, it hadn't hurt. And the possibilities for sex were endless.

  I stepped outside the cave to get some fresh air. I looked up the mountain as I raised my hands in a stretch.

  Most of it looked unclimbable, at least for someone like me without any climbing gear or experience, but Allura assured us that she could find the mountain pass. Sure enough, a few minutes later, we were hiking along a small valley that cut through the rocky obstacle.

  "Stay alert," Allura said. "Drakelings nest in these mountains."

  "Drakelings?" I asked. "Like the ones we fought before?"

  Allura glanced at Ember. "You fought drakelings?"

  "A summoned variant," Ember said.

  "I see," Allura said. "These mountain drakelings are nothing to be toyed with. Careful"

  I looked up at the pinkish-blue sky to search for any signs of the winged beasts, but everything was clear for now. We continued for another ten minutes undisturbed when Ember hissed softly to the rest of us.

  "Up ahead." Ember pointed to an upcoming bend in the mountain pass. A dark shape moved. When it stretched out its wings and raised its neck, I could make out the clear silhouette of a drakeling.

  "Should we wait? Or attack?" I whispered. I didn't see any other drakelings nearby and figured one wouldn't be too much for the three of us to handle. But Allura had warned us to be careful.

  The drakeling caught sight of us and let out a screech. It took off into the air, then circled around towards us. The drakeling was smaller than the ones the god had summoned, and its scales were a light brown. I drew my sword, and Ember crouched with her wings spread, both of us ready to meet the creature with steel or claw.

  "This one doesn't seem that bad," I said.

  Allura moved in front of us. "Wait." She glanced sideways at Ember. "You haven't been here before, have you."

  Ember shrugged. "Not this particular way."

  The drakeling rose higher into the air before diving straight at Allura with a screech. Allura spread her wings to their full width and replied with a shriek of her own. The drakeling swerved at the last instant, barely avoiding Allura. It landed on the ground and hissed at Allura.

  Allura approached slowly with an outstretched hand.

  "Good girl," she said softly. "Good girl."

  The drakeling bobbed its head up and down several times and stopped hissing. When Allura's hand touched the top of its head, the drakeling snapped its jaws but the succubus was too quick. She tried to pet the drakeling again.

  To my surprise, Allura was successful on the second try. She stroked the drakeling's head. It hissed once before apparently deciding that Allura was not a threat. It moved closer and curved its neck to expose a larger portion to Allura's caresses.

  "It wants its neck scratched!" Ember cooed in delight.

  "Natural drakelings are distant kin of succubus," Allura explained when I gave her a skeptical look. "We share a natural affinity."

  "What about the drakelings we fought earlier?" I asked.

  "Summoned drakeling aren't like their natural counterparts," Allura said.

  "I didn't know they were so easy to tame," Ember said. She reached for the drakeling, and it responded with a content murmur, almost like a purr.

  I reached for the drakeling, but it snapped its jaws at me.

  "Damn critter," I muttered.

  Allura laughed. "You're big and scary to it. We're friendly succubi."

  Watching the two succubi play with the drakeling was strangely satisfying. I had no illusions about what they were capable of, and I doubted most people back home would consider them good. Yet even Allura, who had seemed prickly at first, had a soft spot for creatures. Or at least for drakelings and other winged demon beasts.

  A giant shadow fell upon us, accompanied by a terrible roar.

  "Fuck." I whirled around. In the sky above us was a large drakeling, about three times the size of the summoned drakelings. It landed next to us with a violent thump, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

  The first smaller drakeling screeched and scampered over to the larger drakeling. The two creatures nuzzled each other, before both rose into the air without paying any more attention to us.

  I stared. "Wait. Was that its mother?"

  Allura smiled. "I had a suspicion it was nearby. It's why I didn't want to fight if we weren't ready."

  I nodded. "Smart move." I looked to Ember. "She's older than you, isn't she?"

  Ember didn't seem upset by my question. "She is," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

  "Good. We could use an experienced hand."

  Allura beamed at my remark. "I can show you just how experienced I am. Any time you want."

  Ember looked uncertain, but I patted her hand. "You're my first, though. Don't forget. Plus, I like the young, nubile type, too."

  Ember grinned. "I'll make it up with extra effort."

  We stood in place for a little longer as we watched the receding figures of the mother drakeling and its offspring in flight. They flew further down the mountain pass, rising higher and higher, when the mother drakeling screamed.

  It reared up and raised its clawed feet. A brilliant white bolt of light shot out like a spear from the mountain ahead. The bolt of light pierced the drakeling, and the drakeling plummeted to the ground.

  The younger drakeling flew erratically with wild motions. A second bolt of light streaked through the sky but it missed the smaller creature. The younger drakeling flew higher, then turned a corner and was out of sight.

  Damn. I couldn't forget for even a moment that this was the Abyss.

  "What just happened?" I asked, glancing between Allura and Ember.

  "Seekers? Here?" Ember asked.

  Allura bent low, listening to the ground. "Worse. The Blood Army."

  Ember's eyes opened wide in fright. "Hurry!" She turned in circles, looking upward at the rocky terrain surrounding us. "We need to hide!"

  I didn't waste any time questioning them further.

  "We just passed a bunch of large rock formations," I said. "If you can carry me up there, we could use them to hide.
"

  "Good," Allura said. "Ember, take him. I'll clear our tracks."

  "On it." Ember held me in an embrace and lifted me into the air. We stayed low until we had backtracked about a hundred yards. Then, Ember flew higher, depositing me on a small outcropping with ragged rock formations.

  We were about two stories above the floor of the mountain pass. I peeked out to watch Allura clearing our tracks. She flew from side to side a few feet off the ground. She sculpted the ground as she passed of over it, using her hands, wings, or feet to cover any obvious signs of our travel.

  She backtracked further than us, then returned to join us on the outcropping.

  "I went back another two hundred yards," Allura said. "I wanted to come back before being sighted."

  "What exactly is the Blood Army?" I asked.

  "An army of Seekers. They do the Emperor's dirty work," Allura said. "Burning down cities. Hunting down wanted criminals. The usual.

  "I take it they're quite dangerous."

  "Very," Ember said.

  The rock beneath me trembled slightly.

  "They're coming," Allura whispered. "Stay down."

  The sound of marching grew louder, and the ground beneath me shook. I reached for my Flame to steady myself, chanting my mantra in my mind, but Ember grabbed my arm.

  "No!" she whispered harshly. "If even I can sense your Flame, so will a master from the Blood Army."

  I carefully shifted along our rocky hiding place. I could make out marching figures coming down the mountain pass far below us.

  "They can sense me? Even at that distance?"

  Allura nodded in silence. She spoke in a hushed tone. "Seekers can learn to mask their aura, but from what I've seen, you're not quite a Seeker yet. Am I right?"

  I hadn't told her everything I had worked out along with Ember about myself, but Allura had figured out the gist of it. I started to reply, but Allura held up her hand to indicate we should be silent.

  The Blood Army was close enough so I could make out individual faces as they marched two by two through the path we had taken.

  Most of the soldiers looked human, or human enough. I had expected them to wear some sort of uniform, but everyone seemed to have a different outfit. Some wore robes. Other wore various kinds of armor, ranging from lighter leather or chain mail to full pieces of solid metal.

  The soldiers also carried a range of weapons including swords and spears, as well as more exotic multi-jointed or chained weapons. Many of them carried no visible weapons.

  The only unifying mark of the army was a dark red band tied around their upper right arms.

  Were those bands steeped in the blood of their enemies? Or their own in some kind of blood vow?

  Someone near the front gave a sharp cry, and the entire column halted instantly.

  I mentally whistled at the crisp display of troop discipline.

  Several of the figures ran up and down along the column.

  What's going on? I mouthed the words silently while pointing to the Blood Army below us.

  Ember pointed at me. Your aura, her mouth said.

  Damn it. Just how sensitive were high-level Seekers? What kind of sixth sense did they possess?

  The three of us waited. I held my breath, worried that someone in the army could detect even the slightest breath.

  We waited anxiously for what seemed like minutes, but there was another sudden shout. The Blood Army immediately began marching down the path at a full sprint while somehow managing to stay in lockstep formation.

  We waited another minute after the Blood Army had disappeared from view.

  Allura broke the silence. "It should be safe to talk now."

  "Where'd they go?" I asked. Whatever had caught their attention had possibility saved us from being detected.

  "I don't know," Allura replied. "Possibly another Seeker's aura. I couldn't hear anything."

  Ember shook her head. "Neither could I."

  We crept out from our hiding spot. "Let me scout," Allura said. She took off into the air and swooped over the path ahead of us. She returned and beckoned to us with her wings.

  Ember took that as her cue to grab me and bring me back to the ground.

  It was strange being hefted around like a piece of luggage by a winged woman. If Seekers could learn to fly, that would be one of my top priorities. It seemed too damn useful for getting around. I didn't want to keep getting carried around by others.

  Hell, we could have probably reached the city in half the time if I could fly.

  Allura landed next to us. "All clear," she said.

  I moved forward at a brisk pace. "Hurry. I can't wait to get to the city."

  "Eager for our appointment?" Allura asked as she matched my stride.

  My eyes went down to her long sleek legs, following the contour of her slim thighs up the wide slits of her dress.

  "Sure, but you should know that the more I learn about being a Seeker, the more I can probably give to you and Ember."

  "Then, we're in agreement," Allura said.

  I paused, changing my mind about getting carried around. There was no point making a fuss about it. The sooner we got to the city, the sooner everyone would be happy.

  "Actually, can you give me a lift?" I asked. "Can't we reach the city faster if you take turns carrying me while flying."

  Ember grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

  Allura chuckled, too. "As did I."

  Ember took the first shift, and I continued along the mountain pass on the wings of the two beautiful succubi.

  After swapping turns with Allura twice, my destination was finally in sight.

  We had arrived at the city of Duskfall.

  CHAPTER 11

  Duskfall was essentially a castle built high against the side of the mountain a short distance to the right of where we exited the mountain pass. Another winding trail made its way up to the city's gates.

  Tall gray walls of stone surrounded the city on three side, with the rocky mountain serving as the fourth wall. Guard towers lined the wall at regular intervals, and the steep slope of the castle's base was set apart from the path leading up to it.

  A giant black drawbridge of iron crossed the chasm serving as the moat.

  Ember caught me craning my neck to admire the slender guard towers. "Long ago, the Obsidian Emperor battled with the Heavens itself. The aftermath created the Abyss, a place of endless dusk." Ember pointed to the ever-present sunset above us. "They say Duskfall was a castle that fell from the Heavens to plant itself on this mountain."

  I raised an eyebrow, unsure by now what part of Ember's tale was an exaggeration and what part was real. In the Abyss, I couldn't take anything for granted.

  "It's merely a legend," Allura said. "Although there's some truth to it. Duskfall's walls were forged from stones that fell from the Heavens. They're impenetrable to most magic and might."

  "Like meteors from space?" I ventured.

  Allura tilted her head. "Not quite. The Heavens are another plane, as removed from the Abyss as the Abyss is from Earth. Your idea of space is still from the mortal plane."

  "I see." The Abyss. The Heavens. Damn. I had barely gotten here! I needed to focus on one plane at a time.

  "Is it usually this busy?" I asked.

  We were still a good distance away from the drawbridge, but I could make out uniformed guards in dark gray robes with yellow insignia milling about the front entrance. No one else was approaching the gates, though.

  "I don't think so," Ember said. She looked questioningly at Allura. "She might know better."

  Allura shook her head. "No, this isn't normal. Wait here."

  Ember and I backtracked a short distance along the path while Allura walked towards the gates on her own.

  "A moat wouldn't do much good against someone who can fly," I said. Someone like her could hop across the gap with no difficulty.

  We moved off the path and sat down next to an outcropping. Ember pointed to the towers. "Approach
ing the city on wings is generally considered a threat. See those tilted columns next to the towers? They're a kind of ballista, infused with their maker's Flame, for use against hostile flyers."

  "Do cities face threats often? Or does the Emperor enforce peace in the Abyss?"

  "The Obsidian Emperor lets us do as we please, as long as we uphold his ultimate authority. It's not common, but cities rise and fall in war, or change ownership. The current ruler of Duskfall last came to power in a rebellion several millenia ago."

  "Millenia? How long do demons live?"

  "Oh, lesser demons are hardly immortal, but greater demons and Seekers can extend their life by cultivating their flame. Those that reach godhood are effectively immortal and will only die from severe wounds inflicted by someone of a similar strength."

  Immortality? Holy shit. I had only been focused on getting stronger, but the thought of immortality hadn't even occurred to me.

  Death. I wasn't old enough to worry about passing away yet, but I had seen too much of it in my former life.

  It was Ember's second statement, that a god could only die at the hand of another god, which intrigued me. She implied that at a certain level of power, I wouldn't have to sweat the small stuff.

  That was huge. Even the best MMA fighter on Earth could be knocked off by a couple of two-bit thugs carrying cheap guns. Here, it seemed that the odds were actually more fair. Not even, but fair.

  I liked that.

  Allura returned after spending some time in discussion with the guards at the city gates.

  "There's a new decree," Allura said. "All Outsiders must register with the authorities. The guards will take care of it."

  "Outsiders?" I asked.

  Allura nodded at me. "Those from beyond this plane. Like you. That's not all. There's rumors of a human on the loose in the Abyss."

  I frowned. "Are there more like me? I thought humans can't come here."

  "I still don't believe you're human," Ember added.

  Allura looked at Ember for a second before speaking. "There are quite a few Outsiders in the Abyss. In fact, many Seekers are Outsiders from other planes."

  "But not humans? The Seekers in the Blood Army looked rather human-like."

  "While they might look human, most are races from other mortal realms, not your world," Allura said.