The two families stopped by a park with a jungle gym built out of the bones of a monster, likely Edina's handiwork. Children slid down the slide of a large femur, played in a sandbox grounded down from quarry stone, and chased each other around in a game of tag. Meanwhile, Kanae and Ambrosia sat together on a bench like a pair of suburban moms on their day off.

They watched their kids make a hideout underneath a steel dome. Kanade cradled the infant, Vanressa, and Feraline and Suvee wagged their tails in her face as she tried grabbing at them.

"You must be proud of your children," Ambrosia said beside Kanae's right. "Even for their age, they accomplished and encountered so much. They were captured for a brief time, yes? I think you were too merciful to their captors. If it were up to me, I would have those cattle sleeping naked in the pens beside dire boars enchanted with Turn Horny."

"Look, the war's over. I'm just glad my kids and country are safe, and we don't have to fight anymore. We won't be fighting anymore, right?" Kanae asked tensely.

The Mistress of Desire flashed an enchanting smile. "We're allies, are we not? You even bedded my mother. It stokes in me a kind of smoldering envy that I'm the only one left who hasn't tasted your touch."

Kanae choked on her own spit.

Ambrosia returned a watchful vigil on the children and continued, "Fear not. It bothers me little. A time will come when I inherit all that my mother owns. Afterwards, I shall come to claim you and sate my desires."

"Eh? D-Don't tell me you're pining after me, too?" Kanae stammered.

"Of course. The entire sea could not quench my thirst until you're mine," she admitted as a matter of factly.

This high elven succubus was about the most beautiful person Kanae had ever laid eyes on, perhaps even more so than Queen-Mother Zariah, and she was in a league of her own already. There was something about Ambrosia when she spoke, a voice tinged in a sultry drawl and brimming with sheer confidence. Being known as the Mistress of Desire, her life must have been a spoiled one to have gotten everything she ever wanted.

Then there was me, who was just out of her reach. Kanae sighed.

But wait. Ambrosia was a lot more reasonable than the Queen-Mother. Maybe she could get through to her.

"I want to include Radevic into our alliance. Your mother makes it abundantly clear that allying with 'cattle' is a stupid idea, and bringing her and Lord Charron to the table was hard enough. Do you think you can convince her?" Kanae asked.

"I can. Very easily, in fact. What would you offer me in return, however?" Ambrosia shifted a hand on top of Kanae's.

"Let me guess: you want to have sex with me? Because I'm down!" she confessed eagerly.

The succubus erupted into laughter, leaving Kanae wondering if she had read the Mistress of Desire wrong.

"There is no joy in desires fulfilled so easily. I want to savor the tantalizing wait in coveting a prize. My mother and my sisters partook of you like breakfast. When I finally have my turn, it shall be a full course dinner, desserts included. For now, I would like something else. You, to join the Cult of Lust and Depravity," Ambrosia said.

To no surprise, it led back to the cult and the devil of lust.

"I… I can't. I mean, your sex cult sounds fun and all but I have my own. I also promised to help Claudia find out what happened to her sister, Alicia. The cult had something to do with it, and I can't very well join when they might have even been the ones to do her in," Kanae explained, causing Ambrosia to recoil just a little.

"And why would you think the cult had a hand in our sister's demise?" Ambrosia asked.

"For the very same reason why neither you nor Zariah will tell Claudia what happened to Alicia," she said.

The discussion had grown tense. At least, Kanae thought it did. Ambrosia's smile widened. Her eyes showed of deep, insatiable lust. Then as quickly as it came, her demeanor returned to normal like the beast had been locked away. Temporarily.

"You're smart, unlike my sisters. That's why I desire you and shall one day claim you. Very well. I have not yet forgotten that you played a significant hand in reuniting me with my father. There will be no alliance between Temptation and Radevic. That being said, we will look the other way should the Commonwealth, Artaggon, and Radevic pursue an alliance of their own. Will that compromise suffice?" Ambrosia asked.

"Better than nothing." Kanae shrugged. "Arenade and I are going to have a wedding after meeting with Lord Charron. I'd be bummed if you and your sisters couldn't at least come since it'll be in Radevic."

"Oh, a wedding? I understand that to be a cattle tradition. Congratulations are in order, I suppose. Mother will undoubtedly refuse, but we shall find time to be there. I will just have to imagine myself in your high elven pet's place," she leaned in to whisper.

As the evening drew near, their children also grew exhausted from playing so much. Kanade was almost unwilling to part with Vanressa, and it made Suvee a little jealous that her older sister doted on someone else so much.

The transportation of Ortesian slaves continued well into the week until only a handful remained in Ehmvier. Kanae hid Errenard DeSalle and Petyr Stormcloud's whereabouts, including mages of House Viviren due to their unique ability to craft portals. Queen-Mother Zariah, Labelle, and Ambrosia were departing the city alongside the last caravan of slaves, leaving Hilde and Claudia behind. Or rather, it was more appropriate to say they decided to stay behind.

Kanae and Arenade saw off the monarchs of the newly-founded succubus nation of Temptation. The sister-Mistresses were saying their goodbyes.

"Whaddya mean you ain't coming? Hilde, you too? What the fuck?" Labelle threw her hands in the air.

"Don't pretend like you aren't glad to see me gone." Hilde folded her arms.

"Tch. Fine. Be like that! At least I won't have to deal with the stank of monsters again." She flipped her the bird, and Hilde did the same.

Ambrosia's gaze was fixed on her sister, Claudia. They stared each other in the eyes, and Kanae had a hard time guessing what either of them were thinking. Without a word, the eldest sister did an about face to enter the carriage. Only then did Claudia find the courage to speak.

"Mother! You can give the title of Mistress of Pain to someone else, because I don't want it anymore!" Claudia exclaimed.

That made Ambrosia whip around and gape in shock. There was a little hurt in her eyes. Even Vanressa, snuggled into her mother's arms, reached up to tug a handful of hair to comfort her.

"It's no hard feelings to you, Amby," she added with a smile.

"Claudia, if you seek answers about what happened to Alicia, then search the temple. Until next time, sisters." Ambrosia nodded to them both and entered the carriage, followed by Labelle who gave her farewell by sticking her tongue out.

When they were finally gone, Claudia bodyslammed Hilde for a hug.

"I can't believe I did that! Hold me, Hildy! I need comforting for the next week— no, month!" Claudia squeezed.

"Sister… you're going to… kill me… help…" Hilde gasped for breath.

"Well, then. I feel a lot more at ease with only one succubus queen to deal with." Arenade folded her arms.

"Claudia, Ambrosia said to check the temple. Do you want to go now?" Kanae offered.

Claudia released Hilde before suffocating her to death and nodded.

"You guys go on ahead then. That place gave me the creeps when you resurrected me in there. I couldn't tell you what, but… it felt like the whole temple wanted to shove a dildo in me." Arenade shuddered.

They set off immediately. Along the way, Kanae couldn't help but notice Claudia's troubled expression.

"Are you feeling alright?" Kanae flew next to her and asked.

"I will be!" Claudia brushed off the concern and grinned. "The pain I feel of discarding my title is nothing. I have a new life here in Ehmvier, and alongside someone who can dish out the hurt."

"Glad to know you're still the same. Was there any importance in losing the Mistress of Pain anyway?" she pressed the two sisters.

"They were Mother's recognition of our strengths. To discard it is to say we have no need of her anymore. I wish I had the same courage to do the same." Hilde frowned, only to have Claudia throw an arm around her shoulders.

"You're too hard on yourself, Hildy! You staying behind is a big F-U to Mother!"

They eventually made it to the lake by nightfall. Signs of their previous battle here still marked the earth and then some. It was Hilde's first time since Kanae and Claudia had visited the place before. A temple, built by the Cult of Lust and Depravity in worship of the devil, Satine the Lustful.

A couple of guards posted at the entrance saluted Kanae as the three entered. Their first stop were the giant doors that she and Claudia had spoke in a trance in front of. It had opened when she uttered the devil of lust's name.

"So, this is the Cult of Lust and Depravity. Mother, Labelle, and Ambrosia are apart of it, but they never told us becuse we weren't worthy? How frustrating." Hilde clicked her tongue.

"Don't tell me you're only here to gain the devil of lust's favor?" Claudia asked.

"I'm clearly not suited to her favor since I hadn't left with them." She rolled her eyes.

They entered the worship hall. The giant crypt that Wendy and the Lights brought Arenade in hadn't moved an inch. As the three approached, a strange sensation from one of the statues beckoned them to the back of the room. Kanae traded uneasy glances to each of her fellow succubi before pressing on.

There was magic all around them to begin with, but this statue of a bare naked— possibly high elven— woman making an ahegao face and holding an unlit torch emitted a stronger force.

"A voice in my head is telling me there's something funky with this statue. Should I hit it?" Claudia asked, taking her paddle out.

"No, you brute." Hilde groaned. "It is obvious we're missing a component to reveal its nature. That component is most certainly not physical violence."

"Hmm…" Kanae flew up to the torch and fired a single Scorching Ray bolt from her ring.

It lit up. The eyes on the statue glowed. No, not just this one. All of them around the worship hall did. But only this statue turned on its platform, stone grinding on stone until they were seeing its bare back and rear.

"Hildy, I really think we're supposed to hit it!" Claudia insisted.

"Why is hitting and getting hit the only thing ever in your mind?" Hilde argued.

"Hold on, maybe Claudia's onto something. This is a cathedral of the Cult of Lust and Depravity. Think about it! Spanking? That's pretty lusty and depraved, right?" Kanae suggested to Hilde's dismay.

Claudia, having been validated, strutted up to the statue. Her sister sighed and stepped away. The former Mistress of Pain spat on the end of the paddle and— WHACK! Swiftly struck the statue's rear end.

A bellowing moan echoed across the worship hall. Every single one of the female statues stuck their tongues out and rolled their eyes back. The statue in front of them sank into the ground, revealing a hole that led below.

They descended into the temple's depths and were floored by how deep it went. There was no possible way anything other than someone able to fly could make it down. Like succubi. It was stone, stone, and more stone, like they were falling down a well with no bottom. Light finally flickered from the bottom, and they slowed their descent to touch ground.

None of them could believe their eyes at the gigantic underground chamber. Hundreds of man-made recesses in the wall contained Rift-like portals encircled by some kind of ringed machinery. Steel and glass tubes connected to the bottom of each portal funneled mana into a human-sized magic crystal. Gold bands wrapped around its rigid surface.

Kanae had no solid proof, but instincts told her this was powering the temple's magic. The architecture and construction was reminiscent of the Arcen which powered Eliza's tower. However, it looked more sophisticated and had the polish of dwarven engineering that she recalled from Tortuga and Ha'vavish.

"What is this place?" Hilde wondered aloud, walking up to a portal and gasping when she into it.

Claudia and Kanae followed her gaze, and they found a human woman and demon man having sex inside. They were really going at it, too. The woman was cowgirl riding him with unabated passion. In the adjacent portal, two women performed cunnilingus in the 69 position. And in another, a group of mixed races and genders were giving each other oral in a circle. The deeper into the chamber they went, the more depraved the sexual acts became. An elven woman was trapped in a pillory, moaning like a beast as a languisteed fucked her from behind and a blew a gorag from the front. A man was getting spanked and pegged by a demon woman. 

"This has to be made by the dwarves. They were the horniest race after succubi," Kanae muttered.

"I don't care what they were up to. Amby said I could find answers about Alicia in here, but I'm not finding a damn thing!" Claudia complained.

"I'm right here, Claudia." A demon woman stepped out from behind the large crystal. Instead of blonde like her sister, she sported long, jet black hair. Her horns were the same ones inherited from the Queen-Mother. A long, flowing purple contrasted with her brilliant crimson red skin.

Claudia and Hilde were stunned. Their mouths hung open.

"Alicia!" Hilde gasped.

"Alicia? I thought… They said you died… is it really you?" Claudia muttered in disbelief.

"Of course, it's me." Alicia smiled.

"Claudia, wait!" Kanae shouted after sensing something off about her sister.

As tears flowed from Claudia's eyes, she raced to meet her sister long thought dead— and froze. Her body went stiff. An outstretched arm and fingers hoping to reach Alicia were only inches from reaching her.

"Unfortunately… the three of you don't belong here. This place is only for the chosen of Satine, and as Her custodian, it is my job to dispose of you. All of you." Alicia lifted a hand, and Claudia levitated of her feet.

One harsh flick of the wrist flung the succubus into one of the portals.

"Claudia? What do you think you're doing?" Hilde growled, spreading her wings and flying forth to attack Alicia.

However, she too, froze up and was thrown into a separate portal.

"Damn it. What the hell is going on?" Kanae thought to escape and return with help, but upon turning around, Alicia was right there.

"You're not a daughter of the Queen-Mother. A surviving succubus of one of her sisters? No… I don't recognize the heritage of your horns. No matter. You will produce sexual energy for the temple just as well as anyone else." Alicia grabbed Kanae by the shoulders and flew them both into a portal.

Everything went black. When Kanae opened her eyes, she was staring up at a jungle canopy. The atmosphere was warm and moist. It was incredibly muggy. Her body was already covered in sweat.

As soon as Kanae sat up, however, she came face to face with a group of centaur men. Their body and build were just like Bardell. But these centaur… had women fastened underneath them and cocks buried in their pussies.

"Looks like the custodian sent us a succubus! That's a first. Shall we decide who gets to use her as a cock sleeve?" the lead centaur asked with a smirk.