PoV: Jack Thorn

"I remember the first time I saw her."

The young man took a starting sip on his mug of ale, then set it down cautiously. The second man at the table, an older gentleman maybe in his mid to late fifties, held his expectant gaze to the man slightly older than a third his age.

"It was this very same village, in fact; and the muddy street just south of here too. Now I won't regale you with bright tales of love at first sight, or start out all melodramatic like 'it was a dark and stormy night' ― even if it was late in the evening, and the sky was dark with rain. Probably more either curiosity or lust at first sight, too. No, the story is simply, I was on the way out of the bar here, heading to my inn room; and she was being hassled by a couple no-good drunks I'd also avoided. It seems my fortune was her misfortune-"

"This does not tell me anything to make a decision on whether she is a threat to the kingdom," the haughty other man glowered.

"Have patience, Pembley; I will get to that, or let you see for yourself."

"It's Mister Pembley to you. I don't like long tales, Jack. Cut to the chase and tell me what I want to know-"

"-in time, I will. I promise you'll get everything coming to you-"

The older man harrumphed and looked aside, but otherwise did not interrupt further.

"So as I was saying. This girl was being harassed by others, and I just called out and shooed them off, not knowing the young lady. But still I caught a glimpse of her face and hair, as she did an impromptu bow, then turned to run off."

Jack took one more sip of the ale, savored the taste of this blend, then swallowed it down his throat.

"Of course the very next day I was out trying to complete a task from the local guild and ... got rescued instead by her. I was outnumbered by a larger tribe of goblins; I turned my back on them to look for a way out of the forest, and ― all of a sudden, she and some of her minions came rushing through and defeating the gobs. Damnedest thing I ever did see; a girl appearing in her late teens and seven orcs swarming through about seven times as many goblins, and winning. Only as the last one fell did I note the goblin's crude arrow sticking in my leg. So did she; she came over to heal me, and I fainted. But I woke up later in her place ― honest, she brought me into her place and gave me healing, as thanks for helping her the night before. I thought she was just a demon girl ― but she showed me she was so much more than that."

"... so, a threat, then?"

"Hey why you being so dramatic, so polarized? Did you not hear me, she rescued me? Despite the difference in race?"

"Yeah, yeah, so what. I'm charged by His Highness in investigating cases such as this. And by my honor, I am going to do my job earnestly!"

"I can respect you for following your orders; only, don't be prejudiced or given to a knee-jerk reaction, okay?"

"It's only right to be concerned about the war potential of an enemy-"

"-like I said, don't think like that-"

"BUT I HAVE TO!" the older man banged his fist on the table, making the plates and mugs rattle slightly, and glared his hardest gaze yet. Others in the bar fell into silence, watching this spectacle.

Jack fell silent too, only considering how best to not anger the man further.

In a few seconds, most of the room returned to idle chatter; so Jack could now continue in a subtle response.

"Her 'war potential' is not what you think. Even she is more pacifist than-"

"She is a dungeon. So why the hell wouldn't she be a threat to the kingdom?"

"No, she's not."

"Huh?"

"She is not, in fact, a dungeon. She is a dungeon mistress. A female entity in control of the dungeon, not the dungeon itself. Yet she can come outside of it, just like she can send and bring her minions outside of it."

"That's why she may be a threat!" the man retorted hoarsely, trying to keep it subdued, for fear of another silent stretch. "She might come out, and spy on us, and, and-"

"Eh ... then why not talk to her, yourself, like your wife over there is doing-"

Jack pointed, and the man's gaze followed to observe his own wife talking to the young dungeon mistress in human attire, trying and mostly succeeding in blending into bar culture.

Rose sat at the bar counter beside an older woman, the match to the man sitting at Jack's table. But even being shorter and smaller by half a head height, she had a classic hourglass figure, dark brown hair which ran straight down to her mid back, and pink eyes which denoted one not a human being. Honestly aside from the eye color, she could pass for human, entirely ― like the bonita latina she once was, plus the new succubus like traits. Her hair even covered her slightly enlarged ears well, ears I had loved nibbling and sucking on, in the night. Then of course the fact she also had a demon race's tail ... was also a hidden feature, one I often got more than a little play too. But no; Rose would still think of herself in terms of her humanity ... despite being brought to this world as the manager of a neophyte dungeon realm in a backwoods sort of area.-

The investigator's jaw dropped open as he fought disbelief at seeing the one he was charged in investigating so close, and within 'human society' ... even close enough to his own wife, for him to fear her existence in this world.

"They have been talking a good fifteen minutes, same as us; so if she had any malevolent thoughts, she would have done something already. Likely, my Rosita only wanted to connect to another human, like she once was."

"... once was ... what. Human?"

"Yes. As has been told me, the dungeon leaders are taken from around the cosmos, and nearly all are or were human, and thus put in charge of dungeons in human lands ― because they should understand humanity. Problem is, some reactionary humans like to go in and destroy the former humans, who only want to coexist, or who are forced to be as they are."

Still in a moment of shock, the investigator struggled for words, or even for calling out to his wife.

"Here, let me call them both over-"

Reaching out through the mutual mental connection between them, Jack told Rose it may be a good enough chance to bring herself and Mr Pembley's wife over to the table. Jack saw Rose glance his way giving him her private smile and a small nod, then she leaned in to whisper to the older woman. At once, both of them rose from the bar counter, and ambled along to this corner of the room.

Rose was gracious enough to know, this situation required finesse. She extended a hand for the man to shake.

"Hello, Mr Pembley; I am Rose ... Jack's wife."

"... uh ... what-"

The man remained still, until his wife embarrassed him, speaking with a gentle grin. "Oh go on, take the girl's hand, Grant, and shake it ― you old fool."

---

Much later, a couple hours in fact, and both Jack and Rose were walking out of the bar in peace. Their chat with the agent of the kingdom went much more smoothly than both thought it might go; no doubt spurred on at Mrs Pembley providing an amiable nature and humor.

Rose sighed, and leaned in against Jack's shoulder. "I need a hot bath, warm milk, gentle massage, and a night of passionate-"

"-I need a bath too, and the milk would be nice."

She groaned. "But I do, need all those things. You don't know how hard it was to be in the room and be afraid of him calling for the guards to capture me ... or you-"

"But your plan worked, the stone you put the small trick on seemed to hold down the volume of the conversation. Except for that one point where he banged the table, I had no worries. Here, you can take this stone back-"

"Keep it, you may need it again; it's also our communication device, you remember? Just put it back in your storage space, or leave it attached to your outer clothing."

"Okay, will do. But the rest of the heavy weapons you had me store, you may want that back now."

"Later." Rose hummed a soft tune, then stopped suddenly and asked her thought. "Jack ... would you ... carry me across the threshold? Like you did on our wedding night?"

"Sure, dear, if you do that other thing for me tonight."

"Aw, why does it always have to be this for that?"

Jack chuckled. "Oh I'd do it for you anyway; I just hoped ... you know, to also get something in payment for my obvious effort and labor."

"I am not fat!" She punched at his arm, but with only a slight look of moodiness.

He laughed even more openly. "No no no, not calling you 'fat'; I'm saying, even if you are your thinnest, in my own life I wasn't in the habit of lifting such body weights on a regular basis. The life of a former hero aside, I may be declining to the state of fitness I was before my summoning."

"But my legs are tired, and it's far, and you're still stronger than me-"

"Only half a kilometer more. Look, we can sorta see where the entrance could be on the side of the hill from this point. You can do this, dear."

"Hmm. How about we go behind that clump of bushes there, and do that thing now ― so you can rest up ahead of time now ― then will you carry me the rest of the way?"

After the diversion, Jack had made it to the dungeon entrance, with Rose in his arms.

"Unf-" he shifted position, and set her down again ― the third time setting her down to stand, despite her protestation of it not being fair. "I think I'm beginning to miss automobiles."

"Well I don't. From all I heard from my grandparents and great-grandparents, Earth became much noisier due to just having machinery and mechanized vehicles. I'd always wondered since being young what it would be like to live in a world before machines. Now, I do ... and I'm thankful for the experience."

"Eh ... yeah I guess I agree. I say, I've never had such good sleep on Earth as I did when arriving here. And waking up to the birds calling outside a window ― priceless."

"Um. Are you wishing to have a cabin outside of the dungeon? Because I know you wanted that; I heard you say it once to some friend before we met."

"Oh so you were watching me?" Jack grinned, surprised in his own way at the news.

"No comment."

So Jack took an initiative, turned his face and hers to meet, and kissed her softly. "Still no comment?"

"Mm. Okay I did see you, a few times. You kind of had this same feeling about you that I felt on Earth, that I sort of felt homesick-"

He kissed again, feeling their tongues mingling and the saliva mix between them.

"Mm, okay I followed you-"

He doubled down, kissing even more eagerly for her further admission.

Rose let her eyes go sparkly, just for him, while she moaned with expectant desire. "Honey. Let's make a family-"

He pulled back, and away from the embrace and intimate moment. "Whoa, I'm still not ready."

"But I am, and it's the right time for it. My body is ready, and we can do it all the way. If we're married now, and I as your wife would do most of the work for them and for us, then ... you know-"

A part of him shrunk at these words. "Aah, what a way to kill the mood."

"What-" she frowned. "What do you mean in saying that-"

He just glanced to the waiting entrance, still before them, before sighing. "Forget it. A thought for later."

Still, he bent to pick up his wife, and carry her over the threshold. Rose was not as happy as she should be, either.

---

Inside the dungeon, in the secret area of the first floor which served as her private residence, Rose's head maid, a combat-trained maid nekomata name Prissy, nodded to both of them. "Mistress. Mistress' consort. All is well, your bed is ready. A glass of warmed milk is waiting for each of you, on your nightstands."

"Thank you Prissy. Good night."

"Yeah um thanks Prissy-"

"Mistress. Sleep well."

No parting words were given for Jack; but this entity looked firmly at him with such focus, before turning and leaving them behind.

Both husband and wife plod forward, and Jack shook off the nervous sensation as he took a first sip of his warmed milk.

"Gives me the chills sometimes, the way Prissy looks at me."

"Pay it no attention. She's only pondering how to tear you apart slowly if you should betray me. Nothing to worry about, dear. Now, shall we talk again about having a family?"

"... you did not tell Prissy yet how I am not a danger to you?"

"She can figure it out herself. Now; talk of family-"

Her eyes flashed a more vibrant shade of pink, and Jack gulped.

---

PoV: Rose Thorn

Letting her clothes slip off her body and onto the floor, Rose pondered how much she wanted this, wanted a family to properly fill the vacant spot in her. Even on Earth, her fellow eighth grade classmates thought she was weird for wanting to be pregnant as a nubile teenager. For a latino couple, family is supposed to be its strength, and she was needing to feel her strongest ― for the various reasons of her own family situation. And for the reason she spoke so openly about wanting it, was how strongly the boys she sought out would turn away from her for being a weirdo.

But she could understand this: something in her wanted, not merely sex, but the assured pregnancy and the little ones to come into her life. As much as other teens around her merely wanted the sex without a sure responsibility of reproduction, to this amount of desire she wanted many children.

She died because classmates who could never understand her, set a trap and planned to shame her publicly; but their trap backfired, and she unexpectedly died. Just as well; Rose wanted to be someone else ― then, to say as much to the glowing lady before her gave the other an idea she could take this opportunity to put her into an empty dungeon realm.

Rose wanted children though; not merely spawning minions, but her own kin, sentient children. Even in this new life ― this dungeon mistress might have just as much if not more moral imperative to procreate or otherwise expand the roster of dungeon minions and monsters; her intended pregnancy could now have a legitimate purpose. Only, the trickster goddess made sure she could not get pregnant by her own minions ― only by another human.

Through a link between her and Jack, she knew earlier tonight of Jack's description of their earlier meeting; but this did not tell him for how long she had watched and waited, trying to find the best logical mate to do those things with. Rose's observations went through the fifty some dateable guys in the village, and even some who were married or attached but 'playing around'. Too many of them did not really fit her profile, or were not fit enough to be her equal ... until she came to watching Jack.

She had seen him just once or twice after having heard of a 'new guy' in the village, so she knew what others said of him behind his back. He had come from the capital of the kingdom, cast out of its army or heroic unit or something, whatever the background story was on that. But his scent ― a thing only a dungeon mistress like her could detect ― reminded her of all the times of Earth ― and true to what Rose had told Jack before, she really did feel homesick, and more. Lust. But this lust, she could form a long term plan to get her way.

Rose came here direct from Earth as a thirteen year old girl, bearing thoughts of a woman in her mid to late twenties, from a 'biological clock ticking' someone told her she must have. They also called her a pervert and a slut, without proof she ever did any of this. But yet she'd only been in this world two weeks before settling on the newest young adventurer here in the village. They'd dated for a month before she suggested a marriage to each other right away ― this is now the third week of their marriage ... and somehow she sensed he had things in his recent past.

As the last piece fell down to her ankles ― lace panties which would otherwise be out of place in this world with less gentle materials ― she tilted her head to Jack, and watched him sip slowly on the glass of milk. He'd been watching her in such an attentive manner, and she liked this.

When the earlier goddess let her customize her body and racial profile, she'd taken some rather odd options as a baseline. Taut brown skin tone of the senorita she was before; long dark brown hair to match; other bits which came from some demon character profile, just for the fun of it ― with fertility traits to aid in copulation and pregnancy and then later birthing. She'd thought ahead, and wanted to have her own brood of strong future dungeon bosses.

But the problem in this, she didn't really want to make her dungeon so prosperous; heck, she didn't even want to be inside the dungeon so much, if human culture was just out there. Is this all there is for a dungeon mistress? Even one who wishes to stay pacifist, and alive?

Rose felt a change within her body; even without calling forth any abilities or spells, she was already this ready to enjoy a sexual moment.

"My husband, caro mio. You're still dressed?"

He raised an eyebrow, grinning back at her. "Was I supposed to be naked too? Eh, I knew there was something I was forgetting-"

"Jack. Come on." She came around to his side of the bed, and straddled his legs to rest her bottom and pelvis on his lap, and let her tail curl under her groin and between her thighs, to caress the bulge seen through his pants. "A woman has needs, you know-"

"Ha. Usually it's the man who says this, though."

"But I do. Call it a desire left over from Earth, or call it something in the race traits I picked up, or call it just plain 'you drive me crazy weak in the knees' ... I want to do it, with you. I want to have your children. I want you to want this too, so we can be working for the same purpose ― for you to be a father to our children."

Jack sat silent for a second, softly placing the glass back to the nightstand, and then cleared his throat. "I ... haven't explained yet, about my romance back in the capital ― it's a long story, involves a princess who did want me as much as you do, but for entirely the wrong reasons. I'll spare you the worst of it; but sad to say, when she did come to be with child, she cast me aside. I ... don't want that, ever again. To be cast away is ― oh so terrible a fate."

Rose breathed hard at the telling of his past, of which he'd only just now even hinted at something having happened. Well of course he'd been sexually experienced when they first did it; she hadn't, for her own reason; but together the difference in experience did not matter ― they were good for each other. But yet, in these few months, he'd always held back from allowing her to get pregnant, and she never knew why.

"There's more I should tell you too ― I was a summoned hero, sent on missions of fighting dungeons. And then later given as a 'gift' for the princess, when the old king decided he needed an heir, and his only child ― the still unwed princess ― had to take me. All because the summoned human being's genetics adds serious bonuses to every child born through a mating-"

Rose gasped at all of these words, and finally pushed her fingertips across Jack's lips.

"I am not her, Jack. My husband. My life, my soul mate. I am here, with you, and I will not abandon you nor push you away. I am not using you, either. Just ... follow through on your vows, and ... be mine, as I am yours."

She leaned in close, holding her lips just inches from his, waiting for him to meet her ― and then he did.

Driven by lust, the both of them, they met in as good a kiss as they'd ever had. Jack unbuttoned his jacket and pants, and ― standing up while carrying not just his own body weight but hers too ― he let his pants slide off and shrugged off the jacket and shirt in a rough dozen seconds of passionate kissing.

Jack would have bounced her onto the bed except she now had her legs and tail wrapped around his bared waist; she held on and moved her pelvis slowly around his groin. Didn't matter whether he'd inserted into her or not; this was enjoyable too. They toppled to the bed, and rolled around for a few seconds, until-

He pulled back his head for a second, then admitted his internal thoughts. "I do, I want family. With, you, I ... I think I can, finally. I love you, mi Rosita-"

She wasted no time, guiding his penis to the right place with her tail, and they began the night of lovemaking.

---

PoV: Jack Thorn

Two hours later and three bouts of hot passionate ... whatever was beyond just sex now, whatever that could be ― he was now sleepy, and fading out slowly.

Had he ... really ... told her all that? All that he wanted, no needed, to keep private? Or, is it as she said, time to start something new, a family, anything to push away the past?

Rose had been mumbling, giddy for the turnout of tonight, for some of her inner thoughts. "If the firstborn is male, how about naming him Adam or Michael or John? And if a girl, what about Rachel, or Bethany, or Jill-"

He mumbled a soft, "Isn't it too early to say that yet?"

But she didn't hear him; she just kept running through lists of names, depending upon the results of the birthing. "-and mom once said she'd like it if I used her middle name for a girl too. Anita; how is that for a girl? Oh wait I also want one of Grandpa Ben's middle name, how about Howard-"

'I thought she was just a demon girl ― but no, she is completely devoted to her maternal instinct, regardless of race.'

He noted, Rose continued to count off even more names on her mind. A calm smile crept across his face, while he considered how making her happy, also made him happy.

As he went to sleep, he wondered if she'd get to her favored warm milk before it soured-

---

PoV: Grant Pembley

"Steady, men; the dungeon is just beyond this hill."

Grant Pembley led the twelve knights to the edge of the dungeon's territory, watching carefully for signs they had been detected. Despite the night being a clear one, the air was still, not even a nighttime insect's calls could be heard.

Young knights, too ― the youngest of them having just taken his vows before the king; the eldest barely a decade older than the first. All had shiny armor, barely ever tested in battle; one kid's armor still had not a scratch on it ― from a kid clearly too gentle to really be worth anything in the battle to come.

He pushed back a sense of foreboding, and a remembered warning from his wife to not mess with this one; but a test of the mettle of a dungeon was that, a test. One tiny probing raid, and ... then he would see this dungeon's capabilities, for himself.

"There-"

Grant pointed out the nearly hidden entrance to the rest of his team; he saw somber nods of acknowledgement, and then they all continued forward.

"Alright; on the count of three, we enter-"

"Ugh!" ― "Aah!"

Grant cursed out the stupidity of two novice knights calling out so loud, they would wake up anyone so resting near here; until a thought came to him of something having happened-

Two more knights hit the ground, and Grant saw why. Some clever daggers, thrown with deadly accuracy, had found their mark, one of the few places on the heavy armor where such a small thrown item could reach. One third of his siege force was now ... dropped.

"There! Movement! Ugh!"

A fifth and sixth one, also fell.

"What the hell is going on!"

"Boss we must retreat-"

"No! Carry on!"

This time, just one fell, and another skittering sound indicated the entity fled to a new position. Whatever creature was running around out here, it was making a mockery of the best trained knights in the land. Men who should have had a half decade or more of frontline combat experience, but who were too soft. Damned fine men in one sense ... lost, or heavily wounded.

The king would not like to hear of this. Down to less than half of the original force, just five out of twelve, in under a half minute.

"Alright, retreat-"

The attacks stopped; but Grant had a suspicion, whatever was out there would not stop following, at least for a short distance away from here. After all, Grant would, were he in the opposite position.

The opportunity came not but five minutes of slowly dragging their companions back to the wagon. Two separate trips for four men to take the seven downed ones to it, with Grant and the senior knight watching their surroundings and each other.

A small rustle back at one shrub they'd passed, and Grant threw his own needle blade in this direction. Success; he heard a weak groan, then a cloaked form ran back toward the cutting against the far hill.

"One creature did all of this? Oh no, the king would definitely not want to hear of it. Or have it heard-" Grant cleared his throat, then turned back to the group. "Alright, men; let's get out of here."