I stood in front of the pyramid, waiting for Sara. It had been quite some time since I'd last seen her. We'd never been close in the sense of spending a lot of time together, or checking on one another frequently. Most of my "interaction" with Sara came through Granberia keeping me updated on how she was doing personally, the rest I gleaned from reading the news, since Sara was a celebrity and all. She was the most beloved monarch in the world. The fact that Sabasa had transitioned into a parliamentary democracy hadn't hurt. Rather than having to make decisions as the country's authority, she only had to be a figurehead, a constitutional monarch. I'd even seen her several times over the years at various events that we both happened to attend. But this day would be the first day I'd spent any time alone with Sara since that night in her bedroom. We'd both been so young, so immature. I smiled at how her father had tried to take advantage of that to trick us into marriage. In the end, he'd gotten what he wanted for Sara, just not through me. Sara was happily married and had borne two lovely children, the older of whom would one day be king.
I came to the pyramid at least once a year, however, to spend some time with Sphinx. She was no longer the lonely, ancient monster she had been when I'd first met her. Her pyramid had been transformed into a tourist attraction, with a small, extremely expensive hotel, and a casino. Yet she still preferred my company, since she thought me intelligent, although she never hestitated to point out my foolish moments.
"Hey there, young dude," I heard a voice say behind me. I turned to look right into the lovely face of Sara.
"Hey there yourself, young lady," I said back. "I love what you've done with your hair."
"You like it? I grew it out after I became queen. This style is all the rage with Earth women. You know how it is."
I did indeed. Earth technology and culture had infiltrated my adopted world in a big way, especially in Sabasa. Earth fashions were popular among monsters and humans alike. Sara had styled her blonde hair after the supermodel Heidi Klum. While her short hair style had suited her in her youth, it had been somewhat tomboyish. As queen, she had decided to go for a more feminine appearance.
"You know, you look like you haven't aged a day yourself," Sara kidded.
"I cheated," I chuckled. "I have this ring. I don't age as long as I wear it."
"I cheat too," Sara admitted, and transformed into a much more mature, yet still attractive older woman.
"Is that part of your shape change ability?" I asked in wonder. Even Alice couldn't change her form in such a way as to hide her aging, although at a mere sixty-five she was barely showing it. Sixty-five for a lamia was late twenties for a human.
"It really is very versatile," Sara replied. "I go with my natural look in public, but with my husband I prefer to look as I did when he married me. To be honest, with you it's just envy. I don't want to be some old lady hanging out in the pyramid with a guy who looks twenty."
"How are you out here alone?" I asked. "I would think your royal guard would at least accompany you. There are still some dangerous monsters out in the desert."
"They have no idea I'm here," Sara giggled.
"Sara! You haven't changed a bit! How did you evade them this time?"
"Back in the old days, I'd have to jump out a window, but now I can teleport. Granberia taught me how and I guess I had the magical affinity. So why don't we go in? My guards are pretty good at their jobs. They'll know I'm gone in less than thirty minutes. Then they'll get here in a couple of hours, because this will be the first place they'll look."
"Why go to all that trouble?" I asked. "Why evade your guards? Habit?"
"Because today is special! We haven't been alone since…. That day. I wanted to get some time just with you."
I was touched. Although Sara and I hadn't spent much time together, and none alone since then, we still had a strong bond over what had happened to us in that pyramid. We'd nearly been killed twice, and then we'd been sexually assaulted.
"So how have you been doing?" I asked. "This place doesn't trigger you, does it?"
"Not at all. I'm good friends with everyone here now."
We entered the pyramid. The main entrance had been transformed, with a casino off to the left and the small hotel to the right. The woman at the counter was a monster, a Nefertiti lamia. I immediately recognized her as the youngest of the group that had attacked us. She hadn't looked a day over twelve back then. Now she was a lovely young lamia in her fifties. The lamia rushed from behind the counter to hug Sara.
"Sara!" she cried happily. "So good to see you again! And you brought a plus one! Hey, Luka!"
"Hello, Lauren," I replied. "You work here now? I mean, besides what you were doing before?"
"I needed the money," Lauren shrugged. "Marcus doesn't work cheap."
"Marcus?" I asked.
"Her hair stylist," Sara explained.
I wasn't sure why a lamia who had looked absolutely lovely for decades just living in the desert needed an expensive hair stylist, nor could I see much of a difference in Lauren's hair style. Perhaps women noticed these things more than men did?
"So, are you here for the usual?" Lauren asked Sara, giggling.
Sara made a cutting motion at her neck. Lauren immediately understood.
"Ah, so… no "refreshments" today," Lauren clarified.
"Sara!" I exclaimed, not nearly as oblivious as I used to be.
"You know how it is, Luka!" Sara said defensively. "I did confide in you that night that part of me wanted to come back and enjoy these lamias more fully."
"The offer is always open to you as well, hero," Lauren offered. "Isn't it your birthday today? Every monster in the world knows what that means."
"Um…. I've got a lamia at home, but thank you," I said hastily.
"But do you have four lamias at home?" Lauren teased. "I get it though. It can't be easy having women throwing themselves at you all the time. I deal with sexual harassment every day in this job."
"We're going to go ahead and pay Sphinx a visit," Sara said. "If my royal guard arrives while I'm with her, please inform them that I'm safe and will be out shortly."
"I know the drill," Lauren assured her. Wait, was this something Sara did to her bodyguards regularly?
While the pyramid's chambers near the entrance had been given a modern sheen, the deep interior was still as it had been for thousands of years, albeit restored for the safety of its denizens and tourists. Most tourists stayed in the resort area, but some brave men, who Alice would call perverts, would venture deeper, in search of an audience with the Sphinx, who would relay her wisdom and advice, as well as a vague reading of their fates, if they made it to her. It was much easier to make it in to see Sphinx than it had been. None of the monsters that stood between tourists and the Sphinx were trying to kill anyone. Their purpose now was temptation, offering men all of the pleasures they had to offer, so that only the most determined men who weren't in the pyramid to score with monsters made it to Sphinx. Once they arrived there, they were still getting drained, but by the legend herself, rather than her underlings.
"Good day, Queen Sara," a mummy girl greeted us. "And to you, hero Luka."
"Thank you," I said. "Good to see you again."
Since I was a frequent visitor, I generally didn't get tempted by any of the monsters except for the Nefertiti lamias, because they were incurable flirts. And also very hard to get past, with their offers of four on one loving. They had been so difficult to resist, that Sphinx had allowed particularly tasty men who succumbed to them to enter her chambers anyway, so long as they were still able to stagger in. She had to eat, after all.
"Hey, Luka!" a scorpion girl I didn't recognize said, waving at me. I involuntarily flinched. Scorpion girls were still frequent violators of the peace between monsters and humans.
"Down boy," Sara said gently. "Rachel's a good girl. I know we came up in a different time, but try to control your prejudices."
"Sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions," I said, feeling bad. After all, if Rachel was working in the pyramid, she was obviously a good citizen.
"No problem," Rachel assured me. "I know you've both been attacked by scorpion girls."
"Yes, but you're not responsible for the behavior of others just because they look like you," I said.
"And you're not responsible for your gut reactions based on experience," Rachel countered. "Sara, sorry for asking since I'm new here, but am I supposed to tempt the great hero?"
"No," Sara laughed. "We're just here to see Sphinx. Is she with anyone at the moment?"
"As far as I know, no," Rachel said. "It's been a slow day. No men have even made it as far as the lamia sisters yet. If you hear cries of ecstasy up ahead, that's our strongest customer of the day. But even he succumbed to Lila."
Ah, Lila, the cobra girl who had been working in the pyramid for decades. The new world had been quite an adjustment for Lila, as she was the most sadistic of Sphinx's servants. Men who were into sadomasochism were easy prey for her temptations, and even many men who weren't could be persuaded to try it. The main problem was that Lila didn't believe in safe words. And that's why everyone proceeding into the pyramid had to sign a release.
Further in, very near to the Sphinx's chambers, we encountered the three other lamia sisters. Their greetings were enthusiastic as always. The oldest was really beginning to show her age, but I'd long had a thing for older women, so I admired her mature beauty.
The sisters escorted Sara and me to the chamber, pausing in front of it. I could hear sounds coming from inside. I recognized the unmistakable sounds of Pac-man.
"Is she… playing video games?" I asked the lamia.
"Sphinx is fond of this Pac-man game," the lamia informed me. "It is a highly detailed simulation of her old life, chasing men around her chamber and swallowing them after they failed to answer her riddles."
I had no response to that. The lamia carefully opened the heavy chamber doors and peeked in. The sounds of the game halted and we were ushered inside.
"Ah, Queen Sara, and Luka!" Sphinx greeted us happily. "I have not seen you two together in my chamber in a very long time! Is there a reason for this unusual pairing? A quest, perhaps?"
"No," Sara laughed. "We just realized how long it had been. The lives of royals aren't easy. We see each other at public events, but we never really get to DO anything together. This place has great significance for us."
"I can imagine. How are Phillip and Phylicia?"
"They are well," Sara replied. "Phylicia still works at the law firm. Phillip is, well, Phillip."
"Ever the playboy," Sphinx chuckled. "Isn't he getting a bit old for that kind of behavior?"
"I'm sure he'll grow up when he's close to assuming the throne."
"The Sabasan line is strong. They always find their path when they must. His current behavior is due to how easy his life has been. Luka, are Nero and Neris well?"
"Still doing great, thank you," I replied. "Nero and Olivia just had their fourteenth child."
"Fourteen?!" Sphinx exclaimed. "I see that Nero's genes are compatible with this world's denizens in a way that yours were not."
"I suspect it's how enthusiastically they try," Sara teased.
"She is a succubus," I shrugged. "He is able to have children with her, but his genes are still dominant. The children are entirely human, at least outwardly. I'm sure a genetic test would reveal they are more than that, of course."
"And Neris?" Sphinx prodded.
"She hasn't remarried and I don't think she will. Her and her daughter live together in Iliasburg. She still writes books for a living."
"Takes after her dad, eh?" Sara cracked.
"I guess so. I never thought I'd be a writer."
"You are so much more," Sphinx said, making me blush at the praise. "I hear that you are expecting a third child."
"The third one isn't mine. Since I can't produce an heir to the Monster Lord's throne, Alice had to find a suitable mate."
"And how does this make you feel?" Sphinx asked.
"Alice has been extremely generous in allowing me certain…. Er… liberties over the years. I can't get upset that she has another man in her life, especially since it's not fun and games. She has responsibilities as Monster Lord, and her line is unbroken. She has a duty to have an heir. And as you know, since the heir must be powerful enough to win a succession battle, we can't just adopt."
"But how does it make you feel? Recognizing intellectually that something is necessary, even fair given Alice's tolerance of your relationships with the Four Heavenly Knights, that does not mean you have to enjoy it."
"He's a good guy, he really is," I said. "And Little Alice. Have you ever been in love with someone before they were even born? I was sent back in time when she was nine years old. She's amazing. I couldn't imagine her not existing."
"It will be interesting to see how having two good men in her life will affect her outlook as a future Monster Lord," Sphinx mused. "When she is mature, bring her before me. I'd be interested in reading her fate. I am saddened, however, that you will outlive them all."
"I still haven't fully processed that yet. It seems so far away."
"Because you are still young. One day you will look back and see how fleetingly short their lives were. When that day comes, I shall be your comfort, should you desire it."
"I appreciate that, I really do."
"It is very unusual for a human to outlive monsters. It is not the way of things. And yet, I rejoice for Alice. You shall be there in her golden years. Ah, but I see my musings on such things are troubling you. I must apologize. As you know, such things have been on my mind ever since my husband passed away."
One of the lamia sisters entered the chamber. "Your greatness, a man has managed to make it far enough to see you. Should we keep him occupied?"
"No," Sphinx answered. "If he has made it this far, he deserves to see me. I respect men who can resist temptation. Although he shall not resist me."
"No man can resist you," the lamia replied.
"You flatter this old woman. Luka, Sara, it is always wonderful to see you. I apologize for this conversation being so short. Return later today, and we shall speak of lighter things. I am eager to hear your thoughts on whether Lebron can take the Lakers all the way."
"I will definitely come back later," I promised. "I'm on vacation. I have all the time in the world."
"That is a foolish statement," Sphinx scolded. "I have eaten men for less."
Sara and I talked on our way out of the pyramid, taking time to catch up. She had returned to her younger form, in part to avoid being accosted by tourists. She would occasionally get comments on how much she resembled the queen, but obviously she couldn't be the queen, since the queen was over sixty years old! As we arrived outside, she held up her wrist, showing me her dragon seal tattoo.
"Isn't it crazy that we're the only two people in the world still alive with these, and neither of us ever married a dragonkin?" Sara mused.
"We both have a relationship with Granberia," I pointed out. "I think she likes it that way. I was actually surprised that you two never got together."
"The responsibilities of royalty," Sara sighed. "Going on that journey with Granberia, even though it was cut short… it really opened my eyes to the fact that there were bigger things than just my romantic desires. I'm not complaining, though. I have a wonderful husband, two amazing children, and I still get to spend a lot of time with Granberia. If you'd told me that I'd get even that much, I would have slapped you for mocking me. I'm going to tell you a little secret. When you arrived here that day, and saw me standing outside this pyramid, I'd already lost my nerve and made the decision to go back. In my room at the castle, I had dreams. Standing out here, about to face greater dangers than I ever had in my life, I suddenly became very realistic about how foolish and unlikely my dream was. But here we are. You gave me the courage to pursue my dream. I got the tattoo, I sorta got Granberia. And I got to meet you."
I'd never been in love with Sara, but it was easy to imagine being in love with her. She had a way of making me feel like a hero. I was reminded just how much of a connection we'd had. And still had.
"We really should spend more time together, Sara," I said. "I can't believe we let all this time pass."
"Well, whenever you're on vacation, come see me at the castle," she suggested. "It's the only place we can really be alone. The guards give me space in there. My duties are light ever since Sabasa became a democracy."
"I'm definitely going to do that," I promised. "I really like you, Sara."
"I like you too, Luka," she said. "Do you ever think about what it would have been like if you'd said yes?"
"I was incredibly stupid not to take your offer," I laughed. "It all worked out for me in the end, but at the time I was sure I was going to be dead, or a slave."
"I was pretty sure of that as well. I didn't think you were going to die. You're too tasty. I assumed you'd just be the plaything of monsters for the rest of your life. It doesn't seem that you avoided that fate."
"No, I guess I didn't," I laughed. "Although it's not as crazy as it used to be. About thirty years ago I decided to be Alice's alone. No more hall passes."
"I didn't know that. Even on birthdays?"
"That was the plan, but after a few years, some gratitude debt built up with a lot of monsters again, so she had to give me a day to allow some monsters to show their appreciation. So yes, my birthday went back to being a day to spend some er… quality time with other monsters."
"And this year she's pregnant," Sara pointed out.
"Yes, so she was…. Very encouraging about me taking a long vacation. Since she's carrying another man's child, she's been rather affectionate towards him."
"It's the father of her child," Sara pointed out. "You sure you're okay with that?"
"I am, I really am," I insisted. "I actually feel bad for him. As you know from my books, I lived this particular time period twice. I know that she won't be as warm to him later on. She'll still be friendly, and I'm sure she loves him on some level, but right now it's just hormones. She's carrying his baby, so for the moment, she's probably more into him than into me."
"I always feel bad for Edgar. He knows Granberia is my true love. But he wouldn't trade his life for anything. He gets to be king, he has a beautiful wife who can shape change into a different woman every night, and he even gets to join Granberia and I from time to time. It's a weird situation. I also recognize that Granberia is more in love with you than with me. Don't…. don't say anything. We both know the truth. You're the only human on the planet that is a match for her. I never rose to that level."
"She loves you for who you are, Sara," I said gently.
"I said, don't," Sara scolded. "You're not telling me anything I don't know, and I'm not resentful about it. I can relate to how you feel about that other man. I believe you when you say you aren't upset about it. I used to be, but I'm not anymore. You're a good man, Luka. I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to see close to Granberia. Wow, to think it's been almost forty years since that first birthday of yours. It was fun to be a part of that."
"It was… pretty amazing, that's for sure. You being there was quite a surprise."
"Last minute addition," she chuckled. "So how about another last minute addition? I know you probably have dozens of women on your itinerary for this vacation, but is there any chance you'd like to pencil me in?"
"Sara!" I exclaimed, shocked. "Why would you want to do that? You're not even into guys!"
"You're an exception," she replied.
"Well, I don't actually have an itinerary. It's one reason I came to Sabasa. No one here owes me anything. I assume that when I get back to the castle I'll have the Heavenly Knights waiting to ambush me. Since Alice is pregnant and spending a lot of time with Frederick, I've got a special hall pass for at least the next couple of months. But I'm actually making an effort not to use it. I just want to… relax, you know?"
"Spoken like someone who gets way too much sex," Sara teased. "But I'm going to at least try to tempt you. Just for my own edification. Want a blowjob?"
"Sara!"
"Maybe something more exotic? When last we were together, I couldn't do this."
Sara transformed in front of my eyes into a succubus. A powerful one too, assuming the body art wasn't just for appearance's sake. Succubi's power could often be determined by how extensive their natural tattoos were. It never rose to the level of tattoo enthusiasts back on Earth, but one could usually observe patterns all along the torsos of powerful succubi, sometimes with markings even on the face.
"When you transform, do you get the magic as well?" I asked.
"Only in my succubus form," Sara answered. "For some reason I don't get it in my other forms. So, are you tempted?"
Given that she was naked, I was a little tempted, I had to admit. But something about her appearance put me off. It was a bit much. Alma Elma had a certain innocent beauty to her, despite her nature. Sara looked anything but innocent in that form.
"Maybe you like lamias better?" Sara asked, changing into a lamia form. That was more to my liking, but….. "Ah, but I remember you said you already have a lamia at home. A harpy, then?"
Wings grew out of Sara again, but instead of the reptilian wings of a succubus, she had the feathery wings of a harpy. She did look lovely as a harpy, I had to admit.
"Maybe you need something much rarer," she said, becoming a moth girl. That wasn't really a rare monster girl, but I guess moth girls were quite uncommon in Sabasa, preferring the forest environments.
"Wait, I bet I know what you want," Sara said, changing back to her human form. "Did you ever get the nerve to ask Alice for that thing you wanted?"
I flushed beet red. I had indeed become quite the pervert over the years, but I'd never had the guts to ask Alice, or anyone else, to swallow me. For one, it was scary. That made it even more exciting, but also difficult to ask for. The only reason anyone even knew about that secret dark desire of mine was because I'd been thinking it while in the presence of a woman who could both do it, and could read minds: Sphinx. She'd been threatening to tell my wife about it ever since, although I knew, or hoped, she was joking. I'd shared that secret with Sara as well, in her bedroom. I was beginning to regret that. Or was I?
"Yeah, that's it," Sara said, her tone changing abruptly as I noticed a predatory glint in her eye. "Today is the day, Luka. You're going in my belly. Only for a second, because I'll cought you up right away, but it's happening."
I neither objected nor consented, but Sara wasn't waiting. She changed shape again, or more accurately, simply grew. And grew. And grew, until a giant Sara stood over me, nearly one hundred feet tall. Reaching down, she gently lifted me off the ground and brought me to her face.
"Clothes off!"she giggled, and with a simple gesture of her finger, my clothes disappeared, leaving me naked in the middle of the desert.Her aptitude with magic was apparently strong. She didn't intend to let me be exposed to the elements long, however. She lifted me above her head and opened her mouth wide, extending her tongue. Oh. My. God. Was this a lovely dream, or a nightmare?
"Last chance to beg me to put you down, Luka," Sara warned.
I said nothing, either out of petrification or anticipation I couldn't be sure. Her mouth opened again and I was dropped into it, sliding along her tongue towards her throat, which closed before I could reach it. My naked body simply lay there in Sara's mouth, being toyed with by her tongue. Whatever my misgivings, my curiosity was being satisfied, as was my penis, rubbing against that enormous tongue as I was tossed around her mouth.
She began sucking on me, which made my ears pop from the pressure changes. It also vastly increased my arousal as my entire body felt the sensations of being sucked on. I began sliding further back into her mouth, her tongue encouraging me, positioning me, at the entrance to her throat. I felt her try to swallow. I didn't go down. She moved me around a little more. I felt my legs slide down her throat, my dick sliding along the rougher back parts of her tongue. I was sure I was going to have an orgasm soon.
Her tongue flexed upwards and I went down her throat all the way, but I was only there for a split second. Sara had a fairly sensitive gag reflex, and I was expelled from her mouth, fortunately into her hand, covered from head to toe in her saliva. Her hand began to shrink as Sara reduced her size, slowly, letting me down easy. When she released me and my feet touched the ground, I noticed that Sara was mortified. Then I turned and saw why. Standing before us were four members of her royal guard.
"Queen Sara!" one of the men said, saluting. "I apologize if we caught you at a… private moment."
"We were out here in the desert, in the open," Sara said sheepishly. "It's to be expected."
"Please, your majesty," the head of the guard pleaded. "Let me take you back to the castle. If you wish to be alone with this man, there is privacy in your royal limousine."
"Thank you, Jake," the queen said graciously, her own face still red from being discovered in the process of having a man in her mouth. The guards were discrete, however, as all royal guards were. We were ushered into the back of her posh limousine. The car began to drive back towards the castle, it's all terrain wheels churning and bumping as we moved through the desert.
"Did you like it?" Sara asked hopefully.
"I'll have to get back to you on that," I replied. "It was… very interesting."
"You still seem pretty excited," Sara said seductively, noticing in my still naked state that I was rock hard. "Let me help you with that."
As the queen's limousine made its slow way back to the castle, Sara slowly and lovingly sucked me off. It would be the only sexual encounter of my 62nd birthday vacation.
Sabasa. The largest city in the world, although it was dwarfed by the original Remina, and would be dwarfted again by New Remina towards the end of my life. From time to time Grand Noah and Grangold had been larger, but in every world I'd been in, Sabasa had dominated the present. Part of that had been the leadership of the royal line. It was a poorly kept secret that the royal family of Sabasa were descended from monsters. I still had recollections of the king of Sabasa battling the queen vampire in his underwear. For a human to defeat a monster queen in single combat was unheard of. Yet at the time, it was just one huge event among many, and so never achieved the legendary status that my exploits had. I'd actually felt bad for the king, as if I had stolen his thunder. But he was an egoless man, treating the queen vampire's personal attempt on his life as merely an inconvenience he'd had to deal with.
It was an unusual day. Neither Ilias nor Alice were with me. Ilias had given up on desert travel around day two, her lovely blonde hair matted and sweaty, her robes drenched. The city would bring no relief, so rather than come with me into the city to rest and equip, she demanded that I buy her a few comfortable, light articles of clothing, since we still had to spend some time in the region. Sonya, for her part, could take the heat, but Alice opined that she didn't want to be stinky and unkempt around me, knowing that she could make up for lack of Luka time back at the castle. I'd been wondering why Sonya had made a point of sitting next to me at dinner. Alice didn't mind the heat, but she had taken on the bulk of the travel, my constant accompaniment during those nine days in the desert. We'd estimated seven. No, we didn't get lost, Alice would simply cut the day short early if she was annoyed, and she was frequently annoyed. Various monsters joined us for brief periods, but none of them appreciated the desert, so the bulk of our time from the second day to our arrival in Sabasa had been spent alone with Alice. I liked to think that traveling alone together had brought us closer.
That didn't mean I was alone. Once we'd reached the city, I had no shortage of volunteers wanting to accompany me on the streets of the city. The three imps were eager to shop, Regina wanted to help me choose new equipment for her, and Hild expressed an interest in shopping for the first time. As in, she literally said, "Hild is interested in shopping." Sonya was eager to come along as well, to maintain order, to explain things to Hild, and to keep me company.
At the moment, we were in a clothing shop. My first order of business was to see if Rami could be made a bra. She'd been eagerly awaiting this day, having lived with the discomfort of her disproportionate chest for her entire life. I was hoping to alleviate that discomfort somewhat.
"What can I do for you folks?" the shopkeeper asked politely, although I couldn't help but notice his stares. Monsters were common on the streets of Sabasa in this world, but Hild was a different matter entirely and Regina's style of dress resulted in some staring, which she clearly resented.
"The first thing I need is something less revealing for our devil fighter here," I said.
"We're good, Luka," Sonya said, pulling Regina towards a clothing rack.
"Okay, I guess the girls have already found a good place to start. Do you do custom tailoring?"
"I would hope so, given that I'm a tailor," the shopkeeper chuckled.
"What is that outfit?" Hild asked, pointing at two thin pieces of cloth behind the counter. It looked like a bikini, something more common in Los Angeles than this still mostly medieval world.
"That's a swimsuit I designed," the man said proudly. "Sells huge in Pornof."
"Excuse me, Pornof?" I asked. "There's a place named Pornof?"
"Yep, on Ilias continent. Most of the folks there go nude, but some of the women like these swimsuits. Allows them to fit in and be close to nude, but with their bits still covered."
"Hild would like a swim suit," Hild said.
"You're a big girl, but I suppose I can make one for you," the man replied. "Might cover up those….um…. what are those exactly?"
"Those are Hild's breasts," Hild informed him. "They are used for semen extraction."
"Hey, I'm a tolerant guy, whatever works for you," the man shrugged. "I can get you a swimsuit by tomorrow."
"I want one too!" Rami piped up.
"And a smaller one for you," the shopkeeper replied happily, clearly seeing visions of gold pieces dancing in his head.
"Okay, Rami,we'll get you a swimsuit, but remember what we're really here for."
"Oh, I can't wait!" Rami replied enthusiastically. "C'mon, touch my breasts! Do the thing!"
"Should I look away?" the shopkeeper asked as I placed my hands on Rami's breasts, covered poorly with her usual tied together piece of cloth.
"You might as well look," Rumi said. "Everyone's seen them already."
Rami blushed but was quite excited as her simple cloth turned into a very tasteful, supportive brassiere. Which Remi snapped off of her with one deft movement, undoing the clips at her back. That fully exposed her to everyone in the shop. Rumi got behind Rami and placed her palms over Rami's breasts to give her some cover.
I placed the bra on the counter. "Do you think you can duplicate this?" I asked.
"You know, I've had an idea about something like this for quite some time," he mused. "This one might take me a coupla days to figure out. Very elegant design. You conjured this through magic?"
"I think it's technically transmutation. I'm actually pretty bad at magic. I won't be able to let you keep it, you'll have to work from memory. It'll revert to that simple piece of cloth as soon as I stop focusing on it."
"I think I've got the idea," he replied. "Little lady, congratulations. You're going to be the first one to wear my new product line. I wonder what I should call it?"
"Where I come from, it's called a bra."
"Bra?" he said, trying the word on. "Eh, I don't like it. This is Sabasa, we need more flair!"
Our business with the tailor done, we browsed the store. Remi got my attention and pointed at a tiny children's dress.
"Do you want that?" I asked her.
She nodded silently. I could have sworn that she smiled as I took it off the rack and handed it to her.
We shopped in the small store for about an hour and brought all of our loot to the counter. The shopkeeper happily added it all up and quoted me forty gold.
"Forty gold?" I asked. "We have twelve items here and none of this would go for even one gold piece each on Ilias Continent.
"This is Sabasa," he replied mildly. "I'm also the best tailor in Sabasa. This is high quality clothing."
"We'll take it," Sonya said, reaching for my money back and counting out forty gold. "Luka, he's not idly boasting. This is really fine work."
I wouldn't know, and I guessed we had a pretty good amount of money. Then I was quoted another fifty for the swimsuits and bras.
"Fifty!?" I exclaimed.
"You want custom made items," he replied. "Also, I said bras, not bra. Your little friend there is just going to wear the same one all the time?"
I had to admit he had a point, so I counted out another fifty gold. I was beginning to miss Alice wanting only food. It had really helped with my meager budget on our original journey.
Our next stop was the weapons shop. I took charge of that one, selecting a sword for Regina that was must more suitable for her size. She seemed dubious at first, but it was an excellent sword and it allowed her to improve her quickness drastically. The armorshop achieved similarly good results, covering Regina's body more to her satisfaction without adding much weight. All it took was an Enrikan shirt and a decent helmet. A light but strong fabric provided a measure of leg protection. I wasn't sure I liked the look Regina gave me when I complimented her on new outfit that I'd bought her. I knew how monsters took that sort of thing. I'd probably have to be on the lookout for the imps as well. At least I didn't have to worry about Hild.
The shopping excursion took most of the day, then we left Sabasa for the short walk back to the Pocket Castle. I was worried that I might not be able to locate it, but Regina, used to the desert, had an unerring sense of direction, so we made it back without getting lost. Now I like sex as much as the next red blooded male, but the last couple of days had been a bit much even for me, so I was relieved when no one accosted me on the way to my bedroom, or tried to sneak into my bedroom during the night. I understood, however, that a day off just meant that everyone was getting hungrier. The mere four men in the castle besides me were not nearly enough sate everyone, and due to my greater ability to absorb that kind of punishment without dying or passing out too soon, I knew there was no chance of two straight days without feeding someone.
The next morning, our plan was to take our core group of Alice, Sonya, Ilias, and myself back to Sabasa to look around. Ilias wanted information on the warfare between the kingdoms of the Sentora continent, and Alice wanted information on the Tartarus rift in the region. Our entrance to the city didn't go as well the second day, however.
"You there!" I turned to see two city guards approaching us near the entrance to the city. "You look like spies for Grangold!"
"Are you being serious right now!?" Alice asked.
"Yeah, we're just a man and his wife and our two lovely children," Sonya said, pulling me close with one arm.
"Mommy, may I smite the mean old guards?" Ilias asked sweetly.
"Uh huh," the other guard said. "Two humans gave birth to a monster and an angel?"
"We're adopted," Alice lied.
"A likely story. But I'd be a lot more willing to believe it if you gave us one hundred gold."
"A bribe?!" Sonya exclaimed.
"Pay it, Luka," Alice urged. "We don't need a confrontation here. It will only draw more guards and more suspicion."
Grumbling, I parted with one hundred gold and the guards walked off, telling us to enjoy our time in Sabasa.
"Sabasan troops are usually more disciplined than that," Ilias said. "The king of Sabasa that I knew would never have allowed such behavior."
"Oh, you didn't know, Ilias?" Sonya said. "The king of Sabasa died. Sara is the queen now."
"I remember you mentioning that," I noted. "But I know Queen Sara. I can't imagine this happening under her rule, either."
"We'd better ask around," Ilias said. "Remember those rumors that Sabasa was pulling out of the alliance? Something very strange is doing on here."
So that's what we did. Fortunately, Sabasa didn't have the oppressive atmosphere of some placed I'd been. It wasn't so much that Sara was ruling with an iron fist, so much as she was barely ruling at all. Citizens speculated that she had gone crazy, or was being mind controlled. Whatever the case, she was acting nothing like the sweet Princess Sara that the citizenry had loved. Perhaps the pressures of ruling had gotten to her? One of the more disturbing rumors were surrounding an assassins clan that was loyal to the old king. Due to Sara's "condition", it was thought that they intended to assassinate her. She'd already dismissed them from service, so they would have reason to be disgruntled. That made me resolve to deal with this issue as a top priority, despite the urgency of exploring the Tartarus Rift and contracting with Gnome.
The amount of useful information we gleaned wasn't limited to just that, however. Despite Sonya's belief that the king had died, it turned out that he'd been lost in a Taratarus Rift. That meant he might still be in there. We also learned of a city called Grandeur, near where Gnome was located. I didn't remember such a place in my world, and I'd been around that part of the country many times. Grandeur on this world was famous for its theater. But a succubus had apparently taken over the theater. I wasn't sure why I was supposed to care about that. If she was popular and audiences loved her, what was the problem? But both Alice and Ilias seemed concerned for some reason, so it was decided to check things out on the way to the Safina Ruins.
The most disturbing rumor of all was that Queen Sara was a succubus. No one was quite sure if she had become a succubus, or a succubus was disguising herself as the queen. That belief may have explained the assassination plot rumors. I knew the truth, and told my companions.
"Interesting," Alice mused. "The rumors about the Sabasa royal family are true, then. I wonder what would have brought that out in her?"
"On my world, it was a ritual done by the elven and fairy queens," I said. "it didn't really complete, so she wasn't transformed in that instant, but later on she developed shapeshifting abilities."
"So she could become multiple monster races?" Alice asked. "I don't think I've ever heard of that before."
"Well now I'm definitely going to the castle."
"To see a succubus?" Alice asked derisively. "Of course you are."
"Not for THAT! We need to find out what caused her change and see if we can get her back to normal, at least mentally. I'm pretty sure the shapshifting is permanent."
That decided, we went to the castle at the center of the city. To my surprise, we were simply ushered in, with no weapons checks or demands for identification. The guards didn't even care to ask what our business was. The lackadaisical security continued deeper into the castle, with guards appearing to be either drunk or laying around napping.
"That one is in critical ecstasy," Alice noted of one guard snoozing on the ground. "He has the smell of succubus all over him. Queen Sara's doing, I would suspect."
"A new succubus is ravenous," Ilias added. "It takes them some time to achieve their true potential. They feed as much as possible in those early months of development. I don't think these guards are just slacking off. I think that the Queen ordered them to just pass men through. She can only feed off of her guards so much."
I knew how to find the throne room, which was upstairs. Two guards finally stopped us at the stairwell.
"The man is free to go up, but you ladies have to stay down here," a guard told us. "Queen's orders."
"Grrrr….." Sonya responded.
"Luka, do not give in to her evil temptations!" Ilias warned.
"I agree," Alice joined in. "This is not the pocket castle. She is not your friend, whatever relationship you had with her back where you came from. You know how dangerous a succubus can be. If you give in, she might not hold back. You're a traveler, not a citizen here. No one would notice if you disappeared."
"I'm not going to let her do anything to me," I promised. "I'm just going to talk to her, see if I can get through to her."
"Good luck with that," one of the guards chuckled. "See you in a few minutes, when you're carried out of there on a stretcher."
I curtly nodded to the guards and headed up the stairs to the throne room. There was no one present in the throne room except for Sara. To my relief, she was in human form, showing me the kind face I knew and loved so well. She was dressed in pure white, although that version of her royal outfit had always been revealing up top. The royal family of Sabasa, being descended from monsters, had always had sexual morals more closely resembling those of monsters than humans. Back in my world, rumors had told of dozens of bastard sons sprinkled all over the world. It reminded me why it was a good thing that there were no male monsters, just males with monster blood.
Queen Sara rose from her throne to greet me warmly. "Oh my," she said. "What does a traveler like you want from me? You must have heard of my reputation. Well then, pull down your pants. Show me your dick."
"Oh,Sara," I said. "You need help. What happened to you? What caused your transformation?"
I'd thought that Sara would express surprise at my knowledge, but she was so focused on feeding that she had barely heard me.
"What a strange person," Sara said. "You'd prefer to talk over being sucked?"
"Sara, I want to help you. There's nothing wrong with what you are, but your kingdom needs you."
"Get out," she ordered. "And tell the guards that next time I want a man who will obediently whip out his dick."
"But Sara-!"
"I said, GET…. OUT! I don't normally rape men, but you're strongly tempting me. Are you that perverted? If so, keep it up. I won't be gentle."
I gave up and returned downstairs to my companions. The guards were amused.
"Heh," one said. "That was quick. Wait, you're still standing?"
"I said I was going up to talk, and I did," I shrugged. "She wasn't happy."
"Do you think we should….?" The other guard said.
"Yeah, she'll be in a mood otherwise," the first guard replied. "It's near the end of our shift anyway. Let's go on up and do our duty."
"Damn perverts," Alice muttered. The guards eagerly rushed upstairs.
"So now what?" I asked.
"Well, what did you do about Sara's change last time?"
"Nothing," I replied. "There was no need. She never got out of control."
"So we don't know how to cure her. Damn. If I had my full power, I'm sure I or Ilias could. I know this isn't our primary mission, but this seems bad to me."
"I wonder if it's related?" Ilias mused. "This seems similar to what happened to the harpies and Meia. Not exactly the same of course, but the same general idea."
"It sure sounds like it," I agreed.
"Any chance you could use your power?" Sonya asked.
"As a last resort we could try it," Ilias answered. "Now I wish Nero had kept that spell on your.We could have done to her what we did to the Queen Harpy."
"Didn't you say you could use some of my power still?" I asked.
"Wait, what?!" Alice exclaimed. "Why haven't I been told about this?"
"Oh, did you expect that he'd only share his secrets with you?" Ilias said smugly.
"It's not a secret, Alice," I said, trying to mollify her. "Ilias just figured out that there was still a latent connection. I have full control over my power, but she can still use it. A little bit."
"Unfortunately, not enough to cure what ails Sara," Ilias said. "we need another solution."
"You know what this means, don't you?" Alice asked. "Meeting time! Aside from Sara, there's a lot to go over."