POV David
I jerked awake. My room was a mess. Wait? Was this my room? My computer… stack of Xbox games, same mess of clean clothes in the corner.
"Honey?" I heard my wife call.
I pushed my doubts aside as my wife walked out of the bathroom, a towel around her. "Your turn in the shower."
"Thanks." I replied, I hopped in the shower. It'll help me clear my head.
Let's see. I had work later, after that I had to get groceries… Why did that feel wrong? Like some part of me was screaming at myself this didn't make sense? I stared at the bar of soap and two bottles of shampoo.
Where was my wife's? Wait… what was her name? The longer I stared at the bar of soap the more questions popped into my head. What was going on? I finished my shower but the questions remained. I walked back into the bedroom after putting on some clothes and looked at my pile of Xbox games.
Halo Reach, Ruse, Call of Duty 3… the hell? Kitten simulator? I certainly hadn't bought that. Why did it look like a porn game? Why did it feel so… weird? What was this odd marking? I tried rubbing it off but nothing happened. Something definitely wasn't right.
"Honey, breakfast is ready." My wife called from downstairs as I cracked open the box.
"I'll be a minute." I replied as I peered into the empty box. No, something was wrong. I looked at my bookshelf, most of the books were missing. In their place were books with blank spines. The hell did my light novels go?
I clutched my head as a headache overcame me. "Honey?" My wife walked in wearing nothing, a concerned look on her face. I hadn't ever seen her before… No… I had… those scarlet eyes.
"Is something wrong dear?" She asked with concern as she put her hand on my arm.
I punched her in the face. There was a sound of everything shattering and I found myself back in a familiar stairwell. The woman was sprawled on the ground before me, blood flowed from her nose like a spring.
"You heathen!" She shrieked.
I lunged forward with a roar and punched her again. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
She collapsed again and I jumped on top of her, starting to lay into it. "Playing with my memories like that? Forgetting my damn books?"
I clocked her across the jaw. "I lived alone for Christ sake!"
I grabbed her horns and slammed her head into the floor.
"Stop! Please!" She cried.
"Shut it! Fucking Sucubus…" I grabbed her by the neck, dragging her to her feet and slammed her into the wall. She had a wild look in her eyes as she flailed.
I felt something press against my head, like a heavy blanket. Was this what a psychic attack felt like? I could feel my consciousness slipping.
"No you don't…" I growled and imagined a soldier throwing her back. Blood started freely flowing from her nose again as I slammed her into the wall again.
Her eyes locked with mine, I could swear they glowed for a moment before a look of pure horror came over her face. She stiffened and stopped flailing as her lips trembled.
"What did you do to my companions?" I growled.
"They're… fine… master." She choked out.
I slammed her back into the wall. "Stop playing games!"
I grabbed my pistol from where it had fallen and made sure to keep my hand firmly on her neck. I shoved the barrel into her abdomen. Fear colored her expression.
"I'll let them go! Please master… don't kill me!" She pleaded.
"What… Rena?"
"Veria?" The two of them snapped out of whatever trace they'd been in and looked at each other with confusion. They looked around and noticed me pinning the succubus to the wall.
"I let… them go… master…" she pleaded, weakly prying at my fingers as I tightened my grip.
"David?" Veria asked softly… "you subdued a sucubus?"
"What does it look like?" I growled back as I pulled the trigger.
"Ahhh!" She screamed and flailed as the pistol discharged into her gut. Her wings spasmed and I forced her back against the wall.
"No! You shouldn't kill it!" Veria cried.
"Why not?" I glared at her, still entangled with Rena.
"It's a daemon. Make it submit to a contract!" She insisted. "My mother has an imp she subjugated years ago that does her bidding!"
Tears were streaming from the succubus's eyes as she pressed a hand to her wound. "I… serve… master…"
"What?" I growled at her.
"Master… please…" she begged.
"Don't kill her!" Veria cried out as she rushed over, having finally freed herself.
She grabbed my arms and Preis it away from the succubus's throat, she was quickly joined by Rena. "Don't kill it!" They shouted.
"Fine." I grumbled and let her fall to the floor.
She collapsed and started heaving, coughing as she sucked in new air. "Thank… you…"
"What will it be? I asked as I drew my sword and let it touch her shoulder. Blood trickled from the tip of the blade down her ample chest. We stared into each other's eyes before she looked down at my feet and prostrated herself.
"I… Shyora vow to serve my master." She whispered.
I glanced at Rena and Veria. The two were smiling widely at me like i'd just won the lottery. "Go put you clothes on."
"You still need to accept the daemon's fealty." Rena insisted with a wide smile.
"Fine, Shyora was it?"
The succubus flinched as my gaze turned back to her. She lowered her head to the floor. "Yes master?"
"I'll accept your fealty… if you so much as think of betraying me." I lowered my voice to a growl. Shyora was practically trying to become one with the floor.
"I will serve you with every fiber of my being master!" She cried.
I looked back at Veria and Rena. "Will you put your shit back on now?"
"Afraid you can't handle yourself?" Veria teased.
"You want to walk back like that?" I asked pointedly.
"We can take our time…" she replied. My stern look told her all she needed to know. "Spoil sport."
Shyora slowly climbed to her feet, clutching her wound. She seemed to wither under my gaze.
"If you can heal yourself, do so."
"Yes master." She closed her eyes for a moment and her wound closed in seconds. I took a moment to look her over as her bruises faded and the blood on her vanished.
She wore little, go figure… she had that alluring golden brown skin tone. I suppose her dress was satisfactory for now, though it revealed far more than I thought was appropriate for a walk through the woods.
"How strong are you?" I asked.
"I am at level seven master."
"Seven?" I asked. "You can see levels?"
"You cannot master?" She asked, equally confused.
"No…" I replied after a moment, there was every chance she was pulling my leg here.
"Rena, Veria. What levels are you?" I asked.
"I'm a level two cleric." Veria replied.
"Level three warrior." Rena replied
"Wait… you can't see levels? The status screens?" Rena asked.
I shook my head. They exchanged glances with each other. "Oh… gods." They muttered.
"Master. Would you like me to tell you your level and stats?" Shyora asked.
I nodded slowly.
"Class, Hero Level one. Strength 5, Constitution 4, Dexterity 4, intelligence 8, wisdom 11, charisma 9." She stared at me, yet it felt like she was looking through me.
"By the gods…" Veria whispered.
"Is there something wrong with my stats?" I asked.
"Master, I am a succubus, Level seven. Strength 3, constitution 2, dexterity 3, intelligence 4, wisdom 2, charisma 5." Shyora said.
"I suppose this is humbling." Rena whispered quietly.
"Most knights stats never exceed fifteen points…" Veria muttered.
"Mine don't even reach nine points…" Rena mumbled.
"What's the average person like?" I asked. Suddenly interested in how I compared to the peasantry.
"Most peasants have a point or two throughout their life, a soldier normally has two or three…"
"My master compares favorably with many strong daemons." Shyora puffed her chest up with pride. God I wanted to clock her so badly right now.
"Whatever. Let's just get back to the rest. We still need to make progress today." I stopped Veria's and Rena's mopping and hurried them along. Shyora brought the loot the dungeon had been dispensing over time. A few weapons and a Helm, I let Rena and Veria have their pick and they took the staff and sword respectively.
I looked at the helm that looked so much like my own bar, the plume and the spear. "Keep them. Maybe they'll come in handy."
"Thank you master." Shyora donned the helm and it melted away after a moment. The spear vanished as well.
"You can hold your gear in an inventory?" I asked.
"Inventory?" She asked.
"Like a sub dimension of real space?"
"It's merely like a second layer of skin master." A moment later and she was covered in some of the most revealing armor I'd ever seen, bikini armor might have been better. She had a few thin ass chains over her breasts and crotch. Then there was the helm and the spear and some sandals.
After a moment she let it all disappear and her dress appeared once more. "I'll get you some proper armor later…"
"Thank you master." She bowed her head. The whole walk back Rena and Veria were quiet. Even when we emerged back onto the road they barely helped inform everyone why I suddenly had a succubus shadowing my every move.
"How do we know that the daemon doesn't have the Baron in its clutches and holds the Viscountess and Her Highness in her dominion?" Liscia cried.
"I'm fine." I assured them.
"I would never subdue my master." Shyora supplied helpfully.
"He seems himself, a bit exasperated though." Juliana remarked.
"You'd better not be dominated Baron! How could I learn about that wonderful explosive powder without you?" She wailed.
I sighed and tossed her a cartridge from my pocket. She held it up and inspected it, sniffed it then held it close to her chest like a cherished prize. "Yes! He's not corrupted!"
"He only threw you a packet?" Alexious muttered in confusion.
"A sign of our true love!" Liscia decreed before skipping off.
Shyora sneered. "Surely my master doesn't hold you in that high regard…"
"Let's Go. Juliana… could you find Shy a horse?"
"I shall fly alongside my master!" Shyora decreed flapping her wings.
"You will ride a horse." I said firmly.
She whispered a spell and a black unicorn walked from the shrubs, nearly everyone started swearing by the gods. She lowered her head. "As you wish my master."
This was torture… I should have killed her.