
After a night of binge drinking, Kanae awoke with a pounding headache. She tried to get up, but Claudia was clinging to her arm and Alicia laid on top of her. They were all naked. What happened? Swimming through the pain and foggy memory, she remembered Kris suggesting that they have a drinking contest.
Something about 'commemorating new friendships' or whatever. It didn't help that Renya and Edina were all enthusiastic since Kris was paying for their drinks.
Kanae pressed a hand to her head and groaned. They had managed to make it to a room somehow. Judging by the stone architecture, this was the same tavern where they were drinking at. The humid embrace of Dry Gulch erased the need of a fireplace to warm a room, but that left her and her bedside companions sweaty. A gross feeling first thing in the morning, to be sure.
When Kanae tried to leave the bed, Alicia subconsciously wrapped both arms around her tighter. She sighed and returned the affectionate hug. Eventually, the succubus returned to a deep sleep. Her hold soon loosened, and Kanae was able to sleep away. As she did, Claudia and Alicia instinctively reached out to hold each other, entwining their hands and legs.
The only light in the room was a wax candle, in which the wick had nearly burned down to the bottom. Kanae snuffed out its flame with a pinch. Alicia seemed to have overcome her fear of the dark now. Good for her.
Sitting on the nightstand was Cockcalibur in its base form, the ancient weapon that Jhene and Elaine sought to claim for the Cult of Lust and Depravity, and by extension Queen-Mother Zariah and Ambrosia. The weapon was certainly strong, but Kanae wasn't sure if it was powerful. So, it could change into any penis she had sex with. Aside from transforming it into the dragon Maelstrom's enormous size, this didn't appear to be any more useful than a large club. Why did they want this so bad?
Kanae wanted to sheath or stow the weapon somewhere. It didn't make sense to throw Cockcalibur into her bag. Drawing her wand from there always proved to be a detriment compared to having it on her waist, where she could quickly grab it with her tail. She also highly doubted that leatherworkers made sheaths and scabbards in the shape of dicks.
Wait. The thought struck Kanae like a bolt of thunder. She did have a sheath!
"Alright. In you go…" Kanae slid Cockcalibur into her pussy, expelling a deeply satisfied sigh as she did. A perfect fit. Pleasure constantly tugged in the farthest reaches of her mind, and the urge to transform it into a big throbbing cock while inside her was great.
The intrusive, horny thoughts won out. Kanae swallowed hard and thought of Titan, and his massive equine member. It knocked the wind right out of her. She collapsed to the ground , a shuddering mess.
Cockcalibur grew in size, shape, and emanated the living heat of the real thing. Titan's cock filled her pussy, pushing against the walls to accommodate. Although it was inside Kanae, half of the dick was sticking out due to the sheer length. She clenched a fist and nibbled on her lower lip.
"Okay, maybe I shouldn't walk around with something this big— ahh!" Kanae jerked forward from a push between her legs.
Did Cockcalibur just… just move? No, that wasn't the right word. The weapon had just thrusted on its own. She needed to pull it out now before—
Another thrust, this time with more force behind it. Kanae drew a sharp breath as the will to resist left her body. Cockcalibur, or rather Titan, pistoned into her with the exact same fervor as if he were really here. His dick pummeled her pussy with powerful thrusts, leaving her breathless and in the throes of ecstasy.
Kanae's eyes rolled back. Her lower belly bulged each time he pushed deep. She slapped a hand over her mouth. Depraved moans of a bitch in heat threatened to wake Claudia and Alicia up. Unable to pull the weapon out or stop Titan, she laid flat on her back to let him mate her to satisfaction.
"I'm… cumming…" Kanae's cries were muffled behind the palm of her hand as she climaxed.
Soon, Cockcalibur pushed as far as it could go, and Titan blew a pent-up load into her womb. His twitching dick gradually grew soft. Lubricated by all his cum and Kanae's juices, the weapon slid out. Or maybe he pulled out.
"I need to… be careful about thinking… of dick… with that inside me…" Kanae panted.
By a stroke of luck or the consequence of a night of heavy drinking, the sisters didn't wake up. Kanae cleaned herself up, pushed Cockcalibur in its regular form back inside her, and stumbled out of the room with a slight limp.
Most of Dry Gulch had already awakened by now and gone to work early. Laborers in work clothes and hard hats shuffled to the mines in droves. Kanae passed by some men who blushed or got hard at the sight of her, then hurried off before being tempted.
Glancing down from the second floor banister, only a few people were hanging around. A man and a woman asked the tavernkeep for beers before they headed to work. A snoring drunk sat slumped over the table in the corner of the room. An unexpected pair that Kanae didn't expect to find alone together were in a heated discussion.
Edina and Petyr were seated across from each other. Untouched plates of food, their breakfast most likely, had long gone cold. The only thing being consumed was a jar of desert nut, which the squirreling reached in to grab and eat by the handfuls.
"What's with the commotion so early in the morning?" Kanae asked on the way down.
"Kanae, talk some sense into this foolish necromancer you call a friend. She is an idiot with a death wish searching for the Necronomicon. Wielding the Scythe of Soul Reaping and Pillar of the Damned isn't enough for her, and evidently, it speaks volumes about her reckless ambition that leads all necromancers down a dark path," Petyr explained.
"I survived Hax'gorah, alright? Unlike the other necromancers, there's no more devil of greed whispering to me anymore. Petyr knows something about the Necronomicon and won't spill. Kanae, charm her and make her talk," Edina implored seriously.
A burning glare from Petyr oozed with a single, violent meaning— 'try it'.
"I'm not going to charm our loose cannon… How does Petyr know about the Necronomicon anyway?" Kanae tilted her head.
Petyr's sigh came with a click of her tongue. "The greater houses of Ortesia are privy to a great many secrets and history. We have a library called the Forbidden Archives, where any 'erased' history is recorded for safekeeping. Obviously, high elves aren't that much of a fool to eliminate what we can learn from the past. One such event was The Great Travesty, when the necromancer Mathilda besieged Radevic during my kind's reign."
"Mathilda!" Edina gasped, pointing to the female skull on the Pillar of the Damned.
"In the records I read, it detailed how she was accompanied by a black tome that seemingly levitated around her. That they also spoke to each other. Mathilda most certainly wielded the Necronomicon at the time," she said.
"And your people defeated Mathilda, which reasons that the Necronomicon fell into their hands," the squirreling reasoned.
That was when Petyr clammed up and refused to say more.
Edina's reasoning was sound. The Pillar of the Damned likely vanished after its wielder perished, and then needed another necromancer to conduct the ritual with the Lich Lord's Skull to will it into existence.
However, the Necronomicon was a living grimoire. It didn't just disappear. The high elves of Radevic at the time held onto the book of the dead. Kanae highly doubted that they would just throw such a powerful artifact away, even if they did consider its existence foul and sinful.
"Come on, Petyr. You would probably get a kick out of Ortesia freaking out about the Necronomicon falling into a necromancer's hands," Kanae said.
"I suppose I would." Petyr suppressed a smile. "Not that I would ever be threatened by the likes of a necromancer though. Look, I don't know where it went. Records say the then emperor called for an Ecchlesia, a tradition where the highest ranking clergy assembled to discuss the empire's path forward. The Redbarons and Stormclouds were among this conference given our religious backgrounds, and my house's involvement was why I had been allowed to read about it. The Ecchlesia declared it too dangerous to keep within the confines of the city. They sent a small cell of trusted vassals to bury it in Savir… and end themselves, so knowledge of the location died with them."
Edina threw her paws in the air and groaned in displeasure. Kanae was both shocked and not surprised that the high elves of Radevic went through with something so drastic. The necromancer Mathilda did almost topple their empire, even going as far as to name that point in history 'The Great Travesty'.
The squirreling rose from the table, grumbling to herself.
"Where are you going?" Kanae asked, thinking to follow her friend.
"Gonna go find a casino or some losers who wanna play cards. Nothing like winning some sad sap's wealth to make me feel better," Edina complained on the way out.
Petyr waited until Edina was gone and said, "I'm not lying, by the way. Ortesia really doesn't know where it is. We're better off not looking for that wretched thing."
Kanae's gaze lingered on the door where Edina had just stormed out of. Petyr finally started to eat. Surprisingly, she ate a lot. Plate after plate, food just disappeared into that gullet of hers.
"What?" Petyr returned her stare with a mouthful of food.
"I-I was just thinking you're not as picky of an eater as Arenade!" Kanae blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Hmph. Believe me, if I had a choice, only food made by the best Ortesian chefs would grace my tongue. But I am a soldier first. In order to stay at my best to fight, I must not go hungry even if it means eating this slop. Your friend left without eating more than a jar of nuts. A mistake. Rectify that and finish her food in her place. There are cooks who worked very hard to make this," she said while shoveling oatmeal into her mouth.
Kanae helped herself to Edina's cold food. Something Petyr said pricked at the back of her mind though.
"Hey, you keep referring to Edina as my friend. Edina's your friend, too, you know. We're all in this together," Kanae said.
"None of you are my friends. I am simply here to fulfill my role in aiding you, as a member of Amethyst Hall. That's it. Nothing more." Petyr huffed as if trying to convince herself of that.
"About Riley—"
Petyr waved a dismissive hand and stopped eating. Her eyes watered a little. They wandered everywhere around the room except Kanae's.
"I don't want to hear what you have to say. Just listen to me. It matters not that Riley hates me. Her despising me doesn't change that I… saw a friend in her back then. Riley's playing a dangerous game by involving herself Savir's civil war, and it won't end well. I have to protect her. I failed her once. There won't be a second time. You will help me, won't you?" Petyr lifted her tense gaze to Kanae at last.
"Of course, I will." Kanae nodded. "I'll help whether or not you think of me as a friend. That's what friends are for, and I'm going to keep saying that until you feel the same way."
The corner of Petyr's lips twitched. She caught herself, turning it into a scow and stuffing food down her throat again.
"Who let this bitch drink so much last night? Someone call a doctor! Petyr, you got something, don't you? Detoxify her or something!" Renya exclaimed with Kris leaning against her shoulder.
"That's a crowned Priest spell, renegade. Also, I doubt she has any traces of alcohol left in her after vomiting the entire night. Let the headache serve as the consequences of indulging too much in vices." Petyr rolled her eyes.
"Uuugghhh… This is the worst hangover in my life. Ever!" Kris cried.
Fortunately, there was nothing like a big breakfast and a lot of water couldn't fix. Kris perked back up in no time. The sisters hadn't woken up yet, so they decided to let the two sleep in a little longer.
Kanae, Petyr, Renya, and Kris set off into Dry Gulch. The wide open cavern and glowing whitestone buildings were a breathtaking sight. They didn't get a chance to appreciate its unconventional yet marvelous work of architecture being in such a hurry yesterday.
People were still cautious of succubi. They had been charmed for the first time in their lives and made to do Jhene and Elaine's bidding, only to be beaten up by Kanae and her companions. They shot looks mixed with anger and gratitude.
"Where's that new weapon, Kanae? I want to see the dildo!" Renya smirked.
"I'm not going to just whip it out! I have it tucked away somewhere, uh… safe." Kanae coughed nervously and clenched her pussy where it was hidden.
"I shudder to think about such a disgusting thing. We should have left it hidden, or casted it into the darkest depths to never be found again." Petyr grimaced.
They chanced upon a potion shop and figured it was a good idea to stock up on consumables. What an incredibly nice change of pace for Kanae to enter an atelier without explosions going off. The alchemist, an old dark elven gentleman stirring a jet black cauldron, waved a… mechanical hand at them from the back of the room.
Much of the potions were displayed on wooden wracks. Etched into the wood beside them were the names of each vial. The more expensive ones were at the top shelves, locked behind glass display cases.
Petyr grabbed a dozen mana potions. As a paladin, she could heal herself. The only limiting factor was running out of mana. Renya, on the other hand, went straight for alchemical reagents. Specifically, dried herbs. Without even waiting to pay, she crushed them into a pipe and started smoking.
Meanwhile, Kris mulled over a display cabinet of potions labeled as 'experimental'. Kanae recoiled at her own experiences with Rosaline's experimental potions. Maybe alchemists concocting weird stuff was just a common quirk of the trade.
"Kris, if you want to buy something, I can cover for you. Do you even have money to spend coming all the way from Suvius?" Kanae asked.
"For real? Aw, Kanae. You're the best! I'm actually flat broke. I tried using the compass to help authorities find new veins in exchange for compensation, but would you have guessed they found everything already? Since you're offering, I could use some elixirs of speed or potions of invisibility! I'm not really capable of fighting, so I very much would rather avoid it as much as possible," Kris explained.
The alchemist gladly stopped brewing potions to ring them up at the counter. Kanae only paid for herself and Kris. Petyr and Renya had their own gold to spend. As they left the atelier, however, the group walked out to a large number of Dry Gulch guards that had been waiting for them.
Petyr stepped forward aggressively until Kanae pointed out that they didn't look aggressive. A centaur guard captain came to the front and bowed.
"Siress Vandyss, mayor of Dry Gulch, would like to speak with the hero who repelled two succubus invaders. Which one of you outsiders is Kanae? I assure you, none of you are in any trouble. The siress wishes to extend her thanks and has requested to meet you personally. I am asked to escort you to her manor," he said.
"That's me, but what about the rest of my companions?" Kanae asked.
The guard captain shook his head. "I'm afraid they will have to refrain from following. The contents of the discussion is to be secret, but she cannot stop you from declining or informing your companions afterwards."
At the very least it looked like Kanae would be returning from this meeting with Siress Vandyss.
"I'll go." Kanae sighed, then to the rest of her friends she said, "See if you can find Edina. We'll meet back up at the tavern after my meeting with the mayor."
"Thanks for spotting me!" Kris patted Kanae a little too hard on the back. The dildo shot right out of her and plopped on the ground to everyone's confusion first, and then realization next.
The small army of guards glanced away, and Kanae turned beet red and thoroughly embarrassed.
"Hahaha! Somewhere safe, huh? Might want to come up with a better place than the only toilet in a town." Renya fired finger guns before walking off in laughter with Kris and Petyr.
"Ahem." The guard captain cleared his throat. "Please, collect your… belonging so that we may be on our way."
Face burning hot, Kanae dejectedly picked up Cockcalibur and stuffed it into her satchel this time.