I'm not evil enough for two cliffhangers in a row! In fact, I got my patrons this chapter the same night as the one before it... And let me tell you, it was a struggle not to release it to the public and screw my buffer, too, while I was at it. ;; (Though that might have less to do with me being evil, and more to do with how eager I was to see people's reactions to this chapter, tbh.)
I couldn't really fall asleep that night. Usually I was out like a light, safe in Eena's… Devilla's arms, but this time… I just kept going over all the information she'd given me. It was a lot!
Like, apparently she'd been taught about the war very differently than I had. The church told me that it was a holy war instigated by the goddess, so that humanity could overcome their sins and in the process expand to cover the land, and while I'd never fully believed that… Well, Eena's… Devilla's… I was just going to have to ask for permission to keep calling her Eena, wasn't I? Either way, her version was very different!
Apparently the demons said that the angels had started the war without the Goddess's permission, while she was away doing… something. Except Eena couldn't really fill in what that something was, or what could possibly make the Goddess leave heaven. Supposedly, though, the angels were just siding with the humans of their own accord, except for one particular angel named Luci - like my name, but with an i - that came down from the heavens to lead the demons… and defeat the Heroine.
Also, apparently Demon Queens are actually fallen angels? Which did sort of make sense - I mean, she showed me her angel wings, and all! They were super pretty! Though I guess the black color could potentially fit with the Church's explanation, which was that they were a 'mockery of the angels.' There was also the fact that she could cast holy magic, though! Not a perverted version of holy magic, but actual holy magic! I heard her say the words of a healing spell, and I felt the flow of it. I knew that magic better than anyone else alive did. Anyone except her.
Which meant an angel definitely did come down to lead the demons. Which meant the church version had to be at least partially wrong, but did that really mean the demons were right? Just because one angel thought that other angels shouldn't interfere with mortal things didn't mean that the other angels were working against the Goddess's will. It could just be one rebellious angel, instead of a whole bunch! I mean, why would all the angels but one go renegade to begin with…?
Eena didn't have any answers. She said that she might have been able to tell me more if she'd completed the 'Rite of Insight' - which I guess was a really big deal for Demon Queens? It was supposed to give them knowledge from their ancestors, but she kinda messed it up somehow, and got memories of a past life instead. Which might actually be for the best, since it helped her to realize that she'd been behaving really badly and had to clean up her act!
Though I was kind of confused about what she did that was so bad? Like, she was apparently a really bad boss, and I understood that she made some people's lives miserable by pushing them into things? She made a really terrible bluff about not turning slime girls back to flesh, too - that's why she needed the depetrification spell, actually. She thought she might be able to free the slimes by mimicking the magic of the cockatrice, but she wasn't sure.
There were also a bunch of other details I didn't really understand- something about vid-ee-oh games that held knowledge of our future? Which is why she knew that she could trust me from the moment she met me… She still struggled a bunch, though, because apparently I did something really horrible in the game and enslaved her with a magic collar. There was no way I could imagine myself doing that in real life, though!
…I mean, maybe if she wanted to do something special for a night we could pretend, but I really wasn't into the idea of making her kiss my feet or anything like the video game version of me seemed to be! Which meant either something really strange happened to twist my personality, or else the game itself was suspicious… I was leaning towards the latter. No matter how bad Devilla was as a ruler, could I really have convinced all of her generals to turn against her? And by sleeping with them?!
There were enough questions to keep anyone up at night… and that wasn't even getting into all the little things we'd discussed! Like her mother's sword. I tried to give it back to her, but she said she'd rather I wield it. She said she knew I'd use it to bring peace to both our people… and she didn't know how to wield it, anyway. Which was just like her!
The dramatic speeches where she did really nice things and cared about everyone around her, I mean. Not her lack of skill with a sword… Though I guess that's also like her, since she didn't really need one, being the Demon Queen and all. A foe so powerful only the Heroine could defeat her. A being so incredibly strong it was said no Heroine ever survived facing her in battle - not even when they won.
Yet here she was just… sleeping. In my arms. Totally innocent, totally defenseless! Because she knew I wouldn't hurt her… That was also pretty like her. Trusting me, despite all the history between past Demon Queens and past Heroines.
Then again, she always said she didn't trust me because of my Heroine status, didn't she? If anything, I bet she trusted me despite it! Because of the game she'd played, she said, but… she'd admitted it was more than that, too. That every minute we spent together had reinforced her idea of me, made her believe in me. I mean, the fictional version of me apparently enslaved her, and yet here she was laying in my arms, head against my breasts, silky hair under my fingers as I gently stroked her head…
She was really pretty when she slept. And when she first woke up. And when she walked and talked. And when she just… existed. She was always so amazingly beautiful to me. From the moment I met her, I thought that… and then she'd offered to have sex with me! Which… maybe she wasn't entirely serious about it at the time, looking back at it? But she did it anyway! We slept together, and I started to think about her all the time, and… at some point, I just started to fall for her. A crush, I guess? But I wasn't sure it really qualified as one, anymore. I mean, it felt so much more solid now than it once had. I knew so much more about her! I knew she was the Demon Queen. The one who'd supposedly had Mom killed - even if I no longer really believed that - and yet… I still loved her…
I still wanted to hold her.
To kiss her.
I really wanted to kiss her… Maybe I could ask for permission when she woke up? Who knew how long that would be, though? I didn't want to wait… which meant there was only one choice for me.
I had to go to sleep, so that she'd wake up first, and I could ask her the moment I got up!
Assuming I could even sleep with all the things bouncing through my head... but I was going to try! I was just going to close my eyes, and drift off to… slee…
***
Feyra
***
I glared at the journal in my hands. If looks could burn, this thing would be ashes by now. Better yet, if looks could wish things out of existence, then… Well, I guess I wouldn't even be here, because I'd have banished Devilla out of Lucy and I's lives already. Not that I was entirely convinced that was a good thing anymore… I mean, she was the Demon Queen, but she did care about Lucy. …And maybe the church got a couple things wrong?
Maybe… Maybe they didn't know as much as they claimed to. Maybe they weren't the be-all and end-all source of knowledge on what was right and wrong like I thought they were… Maybe they could make mistakes. About who the Demon Queen was.
About who I was…
Devilla had told me her theory- that I had a demon - or a monster girl, I guess? - in my family tree at some point. It did make some sense. It kinda fit in with the whole 'cursed bloodline' thing, even if it wasn't exactly what the church taught, but she was pretty sure the 'blessed bloodlines' came from the same type of source, and as much as I wanted to call her a liar… I mean, I was friends with Amessa. Amessa wasn't exactly what I'd call a bastion of blessings. There was nothing particularly angelic about her. Nothing that made her good or me bad. Nothing I could name, except our blood, and if Devilla wasn't bad… If Devilla was even maybe by some stretch of the imagination good… Then didn't that mean my blood wasn't bad, either?
Blasphemous thoughts. Heresy. They could get me killed if I said them to the wrong person, and that… that wasn't even the worst of what I was thinking. The worst of what I was thinking was about the journal in my hands… Well, it was found in something that at least claimed to be a monastery, and was clearly written by a religious fanatic who seemed to think he was doing the Goddess's will.
Of course, Lucy had pointed out that there wasn't any proof the church as an organization was behind all this. Rightfully, too - anyone could put up a plaque, but as cover stories went, wasn't it a bit flimsy? Couldn't someone just… check with the church as to whether such a monastery existed? Unless they got permission to set it up, but lied about the purpose…? Hopefully it was just that. I definitely preferred to believe someone fucked up whatever oversight procedures were in place over… over the church being involved with this…
Lucy clearly didn't know what to think. She kept saying she wanted to gather all the facts, to check in with the head of the church and figure out what was what for herself… She was always big on thinking for herself, but she also had a bit of a blindspot - she didn't want to believe that the church was bad. That the people who'd helped raise her might have purposefully lied about who killed her Mom. That the church might be up to dubious things…
Not that I believed any of that, per se. I mean, I didn't know any more than Lucy did - not enough to reach any conclusions. Not even about the journal in my hand…
The one written by religious fanatics. Found in a monastery, in a monster infested woods that church guards helped to keep people out of… Supposedly just out of worry of an early Monster Movement going off and causing issues for everyone, but… was that really it?
Maybe I was overthinking things… At least we'd solved the fucking Monster Movement mystery. We found some paperwork on the final floor about monster behaviors, and apparently cockatrices were super territorial during their mating period. Not that there was anything for this particular cockatrice to mate with, they apparently needed at least a normal chicken to manage that, but the dumb clucker didn't seem to know that there was nothing around to fuck her. Or maybe it just didn't care when mating season came…
Guess we were just lucky a cockatrice's mating period was an every-few-years type of thing, or the Monster Movement could have been so much worse. Much, much worse. As it was, the fucking thing started stoning and eating everything that it came across when it was like this… and the amount it could eat was insane.
Insane… like me, for trying to keep Devilla from telling Lucy the truth? Or insane like me for thinking the church might not be involved…
Fuck it. The life-ruining questions could wait until morning. I was going to bed.
***
Bailey
***
I stared at the skies. Stars bright. Moon bright. World bright above, but dark here. Everyone in tents. Everyone believes in Heroine's alarms if bad things come. I keep ear out, too. Listen. Keep listening. Make sure nothing comes back, now that cockatrice gone.
Not sure why anything want to come here though. Bad place. Not that I know much about it… but Mother… Before dying, Mother used to talk about Bad Place. Bad Place, with iron bars. Kept in cage, force fed strange meat… Not that she say in words. She not know words. Only impressions. Iron bars were hardness and containment. Strange meat was odd taste and flesh. Forced was feeling. Unpleasant feeling.
Concepts I can only put together because now know full truth. Now know where Bad Place is…. Don't like it. Don't want to stay. Don't want to be here. But will stay, anyway. Will stay for Queen. Will protect Queen. Will help Queen.
Because Queen good. Queen help me, when not need to. Fed me.Washed me. I know just felt pity… but she gave warmth. Care. Things not felt since Mother's death. Things never thought feel again…
Queen deserve those things, too. Deserves warmth. Love. Holding. Being told she is good girl.
That's why I will protect Queen and Queen's love. Protect Heroine. Protect Maid.
…Also protect bitchy green girl, since Heroine sad otherwise… and probably put self in danger again to protect her.
Failure on my part. Letting her be hurt, instead of me. Letting her be bit, instead of me… even if Queen fix.
Won't let happen again.
Won't let anyone be hurt again.
Will protect.
Not dumb enough to think can do on no sleep. Have to sleep.
Just… not too deeply.
First off, sorry for posting so late - my proofreader has been a bit busy of late, and I have been sick, myself. (It is blech, and likely to remain blech for some time, but it'll get better.)
Second, I know I sent some people into a panic when I called this chapter the volume 3 epilogue, so I just want to reassure you all that volume 4 is already underway on Patreon! I've written rough drafts up to chapter 47 so far. (48 may or may not end up delayed due to sickness, but I should be able to update properly for at least the next couple weeks.)
With that out of the way, I do hope you enjoyed these differing PoVs - I feel like most (if not all) the conversation held after the Big Reveal would be repeats of information we already know, so I figured it would be better to skip the telling and just show everyone's reactions to different bits of news.
Feyra's view of the journal surprised even me, though... I kinda expected her to be dismissive of it. But she's too skeptical and jaded to not question things a little, so here we are!
Bailey, meanwhile... I'll be honest, it was partially for the word count. This is a short chapter even with her. But also we found out her backstory! It would have felt wrong to skip her entirely, no?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Do let me know what you think, if you're up to it?
Thanks as always to FallingLeaf for the proofreading, and Lulla for beta reading!
PS: I'm putting up the "Ask Me (or my characters) Anything" answer post in a couple days - tentatively Friday. If you've got any last minute questions to ask, now's the time!
Is it actually the norm, that people use in writing?
I must admit, I didn't read a lot of classical and modern English literature and I am not a native speaker, and my understanding of this language is mostly intuitive, rather than academic.
If you'd ask me to write this particular sentence I would go with "...I'd have banished Devilla out of mine and Lucy's lives already." instead. Simply because "I's" doesn't sound all that easy on the ear, somewhat stilted. Like a forced third person. Not sure if I'm correct on this.
I must admit, I didn't read a lot of classical and modern English literature and I am not a native speaker, and my understanding of this language is mostly intuitive, rather than academic.
If you'd ask me to write this particular sentence I would go with "...I'd have banished Devilla out of mine and Lucy's lives already." instead. Simply because "I's" doesn't sound all that easy on the ear, somewhat stilted. Like a forced third person. Not sure if I'm correct on this.
depends on the individual and how they'r efeeling. the phrasing for her internal monologue is formal bordering on archaic, but when folks are upset it's very common for the register to become more formal. more informal would actually be "me and lucy's lives" (yours is probably a middle ground of "formal but definitely not archaic"), even if there's a solid case it's technically incorrect - turns out native speakers do not care what linguisticians think they just do their thing xD
Is it actually the norm, that people use in writing?
I must admit, I didn't read a lot of classical and modern English literature and I am not a native speaker, and my understanding of this language is mostly intuitive, rather than academic.
If you'd ask me to write this particular sentence I would go with "...I'd have banished Devilla out of mine and Lucy's lives already." instead. Simply because "I's" doesn't sound all that easy on the ear, somewhat stilted. Like a forced third person. Not sure if I'm correct on this.
depends on the individual and how they'r efeeling. the phrasing for her internal monologue is formal bordering on archaic, but when folks are upset it's very common for the register to become more formal. more informal would actually be "me and lucy's lives" (yours is probably a middle ground of "formal but definitely not archaic"), even if there's a solid case it's technically incorrect - turns out native speakers do not care what linguisticians think they just do their thing xD
More random thoughts and queries based off the premise, because it's how my brain works:
1. . Mechanics of reproduction between demons/monstergirl couplings (and VERY possibly, demons/monstergirls + human female couplings). How does that happen? Is it some form of magical process or entirely biological? If the former, do humans also have access to it at all? What determines who is the mother and who is the "father"/dam? What about demons/monstergirls who are entirely artificial in nature (like that golem-girl that got mentioned), can THEY reproduce? Not to mention the question of couplings of demons/monstergirls + human males...
2. Though speaking of which, demon/monstergirl conception and/or knowledge of males. Obviously Devilla has all the deets and is just "whatever" about it, but I recall her mentioning a "man" to Abigail and Abigail basically going "wot's dat"? That suggests it is at the very minimum uncommon knowledge, but is that because it's something that ONLY the Demon Queen knows, or just the Demon Queen and her generals, or just the sort of pen knowledge that isn't part of the common curriculum demon/monstergirls tend to learn because it isn't really relevant to life in the tower? And I guess you can imagine all the related societal and political spin-off questions this would raise in the event of both a formative and solidified peace forming, resulting in humans and demons/monstergirls coming into regular contact...
"Are you sure this is what you truly desire?" I questioned Lucy, unable to conceal my nervousness as I toed the ground of our tent's floor. "It's… I mean… it's a bit soon, don't you think? We've just barely begun dating…"
"I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to!" Lucy promised. There was no anger, frustration, or even a hint of manipulation in her voice - she truly meant what she said. Yet I could see the hunger in her eyes. Just because she wouldn't force me to take this step, didn't mean she held no desire for it on her end.
"It's… not as if I'm entirely opposed to the idea," I confessed, my cheeks bright red. "It's simply… well, it's… it's my first time! Outside of sex, at least."
"Then we can wait!" Lucy declared. "I don't want you to make you do anything you're uncomfortable with."
I nodded slowly, appreciating her understanding. Yet, for all that my head moved, my eyes stayed locked upon Lucy's lips. My girlfriend's lips… Was I truly not ready, I wondered? Or was I simply scared? Maybe I could push myself to-
"Don't worry about it, Eena," Lucy said, her voice firm. "I don't want you to do this because you feel pressured! There's no way it would taste as sweet if you weren't willing."
I nodded again, a tension I'd been unaware of dissipating from my being. It wasn't as if I didn't want to kiss her. In fact, the way she respected my boundaries only made me wish to kiss her more. Still, it was nerve wracking to declare my feelings for her in such a way. For demons sex was casual, little more than a pleasurable activity - I could literally name boardgames that felt like more of a commitment - but kisses? Kisses were romantic. They were declarations of love and affection. I… the mere thought of messing it up frightened me, almost as much as confessing my identity once did.
"Why don't we talk about something else?" Lucy suggested. "Like your upcoming meeting with General Sallina and the others!"
I grimaced, my mood instantly shifting from romantic to reluctant. "You're still intent upon coming along, I take it?"
"You're the one who suggested making peace between demons and humans with my help," Lucy pointed out. "And the meeting is all about trying to figure that out, right?"
"It'll be dangerous," I warned her. "I've gotten Abigail on board, and I think Chloe and Nivera have more or less come around to it, but I still haven't told Sallina about you. If she reacts violently to your presence-"
"Then you'll be there to protect me!" Lucy interrupted. "Though it's not like I can't handle myself! I might not be as strong as you, but I am strong - and I feel like I'm getting even stronger, lately!"
"Strong you might be, but Sallina's the General of the seventieth floor. She's…" I paused. Was she actually stronger than the Generals of lower floors? She certainly was in the game, but it wasn't like I'd picked my Generals in ascending levels of strength. At least not purposefully… In fact, my little scuffle with Mifa was the closest I'd come to seeing any of them fight. "Well, she's strong," I finished lamely, unable to properly quantify her level of power. "And she might hurt you before I can react."
"You can just heal me, then!" Lucy declared. "And it's not like I'm unwilling to go into danger, you know? I'm the Heroine! It's my job to take on things others can't!"
"I know," I admitted. "I just… don't want you to be hurt. I don't want either you or her to get hurt, if I can avoid it…"
"We can't make peace without some risks!" Lucy declared. "I mean, we're trying to end two thousand years of warring! How can we ask your people to trust me with that if I won't even show my face?"
"...Fine," I conceded, sighing. "But you're going under a disguise."
"But-"
I held up a hand to forestall her complaint. "I'll still introduce you properly," I promised her. "But I don't want any random maids noticing a human in the tower, whether they realize you're the Heroine or not."
Lucy nodded, albeit with obvious reluctance and a slight pout upon her lips. It faded quickly, however, as she moved towards me and wrapped me in her arms. "I can't wait to meet your friends and family!"
"That makes one of us," I muttered in return, shaking my head even as my arms made their way around her form. "How is it that you're literally walking into enemy territory and being introduced to the closest thing your girlfriend has to family, and yet I'm the one who's nervous?"
"Because I believe in you more than you believe in yourself," Lucy declared with a smile. "That's okay, though! We can work on your self-confidence issues together!"
"Hah… You're not wrong," I confessed, running a hand through my hair. "I just… After what happened with the cockatrice I suppose I'm a little extra wary that things might go wrong…"
"I told you that I don't blame you for that," Lucy reminded me, frowning.
"But if I'd been willing to trust you with everything - if I'd told you everything from the beginning, then-"
"We'd still be in the exact same spot!" Lucy interrupted. "If we were lucky, anyway! I mean, if you'd told me too soon, there's actually a chance I wouldn't have believed in you… but as things stand, everything worked out ok! You depetrified me, shared your story, and we worked through everything together!"
"The end results are good," I conceded, "but that doesn't change the fact that the road was wrong. You could have been permanently maimed or killed due to my negligence. Due to my fear."
"Would it help if I forgave you?" Lucy asked. "Not that I think you need forgiveness, but…"
I shook my head. "I just… don't want to make that same mistake again. Yet the people we're dealing with today… I don't know how to protect you without hurting them."
"I can protect myself!" Lucy protested. "At least long enough for you to intercede. Hmm, maybe I should give you some fighting lessons later?"
"Fighting lessons?" I questioned, arching an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh! So you can learn how to take people down safely!"
"I'm… not sure how well human methods would translate to demons," I admitted. "The body types can differ rather dramatically… but fighting lessons in general might be nice. If nothing else, I'd appreciate it if I could stop getting caught in my head during decisive moments."
"We'll work on something, then," Lucy promised me. "Later. Right now, we need to go to your meeting!"
I nodded, a touch reluctant, but ultimately unable to deny her request. "Come on, then, I'll set up the teleportation circle."
***
Lucy
***
Eena's teleportation was really interesting to see up close! Also to experience, for that matter! I mean, she'd basically filled me in on what she was going to be doing, but being wrapped up in someone else's holy magic was still pretty novel to me. It only lasted a second, though - first my vision went white, then there was this feeling of sorta being stretched and then it was just… over! Everything was different!
Sorta. The circle I was standing on still looked the same, and I was still wrapped in Eena's arms, all warm and safe, but everything else was different. We were standing in a room, instead of a tent, with carpet under our feet instead of dirt, and there was another person here. A demonic person! With black wings and a thin tail tipped by a spade. She had blonde hair, cut right above the shoulder, and pitch black eyes that were staring at me in what I thought was maybe shock? It was kind of hard to tell, actually.
"You must be Abigail!" I said, gently pulling away from Eena's grasp so that I could hold out my hand. "It's nice to finally meet you!"
Abigail didn't say anything for a moment. She just looked from me to Eena, and back again. Then, when she did speak, it wasn't to me. "You… brought the Heroine?! To the tower?!"
"Her name is Lucy," Eena said, the corners of her mouth pulled down into a frown. "And she insisted. She wants to be an active participant in the discussion we're about to have, and, considering said conversation is partially about utilizing her influence to bring about peace between our peoples, I couldn't bring myself to reject her."
"She did try, though," I pointed out. "Really hard! Is she overprotective with you, too, or is it just because I'm her girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend?!" Abigail demanded. Still ignoring me.
"Girlfriend," Eena confirmed, blushing a little. A lot less than the first time she said it, though! "It's… new. It came up after I told her everything…"
"Girlfriend…" Abigail muttered again. There was something weird in the way she said it, though. Like, there was exasperation, and a little annoyance, but also kinda… hurt? It reminded me of how Bailey had first brought her up to me as another girl who was interested in Eena.
Maybe we needed to have a talk later? I didn't mind sharing Eena - there was nothing wrong with polyamory, after all! Though… I guess I'd need to experiment and see how it actually made me feel in practice? Either way, it was something that needed talking about if this relationship was going to work! Which meant that the first step was to get her to pay attention to me…
"My name's Lucy!" I declared, deciding that the best way forward was just to dive in. "Bailey told me a bit about you already, but it's nice to actually meet you!"
"...Same," Abigail replied, finally turning her gaze towards me. Or at least I think she turned her gaze towards me? Again, it was really hard to tell without individual eye-bits like pupils and stuff! "Though I got my info from Devilla. She mentioned you were interested in dating her, but I never really thought… I mean… She did tell you who she is, right?"
"Devilla, the Demon Queen!" I confirmed, nodding. "But she's also Eena, a sweet girl who I really like! That'sd more important to me than her title."
"Well, that's good," Abigail muttered. She sounded a tiny bit irritated, though. We definitely needed to have a talk later! Maybe when Eena wasn't there to hear it? She seemed sort of oblivious to Abigail's feelings.
"Anyway," Abigail continued, turning her head more towards Eena again. "What's the plan? Please tell me you aren't just going to spring the Heroine on everyone the moment they walk through the door."
"Of course not!" Eena scoffed. "I'm going to cover Lucy in an illusion. At least until after I introduce her properly."
"I could do it myself?" I pointed out. "I mean, I know I don't have as much magic capacity as you do, but I can at least keep up an illusion for as long as needed! And it'll be less obvious that way since there won't be any threads of magic between us for anyone to stumble across."
"I… suppose that makes sense," Eena confirmed. She sounded reluctant, though. More of that overprotectiveness?
"Don't worry," I told her, reaching around her for a hug. "I can take care of myself." Saying so, I drew on my magic, deciding to go with a relatively subtle illusion - maybe just a couple small horns? I probably needed to cover up my armor, too… I probably should have asked Eena for demon forms that I could turn into, actually, but if my first idea didn't work out I'd just change it after the fact!
At least, that's what I was thinking originally, but the moment my magic started to form into an illusion it suddenly just… fell apart!
"Huh…" I muttered, before trying something else - namely, forming an illusion in front of me. That fell apart, too, but this time I had a better idea of why. I could feel something in the air - so light that I hadn't even noticed it before. Something holy. "It looks like there's some sort of holy magic keeping me from casting illusions!"
"Really?" Eena asked, arching an eyebrow. "It never stopped me…"
"Well, you are the Demon Queen," Abigail pointed out as if that explained everything.
Which maybe it did? If the holy magic came from the tower, and the tower belonged to her…
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, causing Eena to send a panicked look my way. A wave of her hand sent her magical energy towards me, coating my body in what I guessed was an illusion. I couldn't really see what she'd done to my face, but my armor was definitely different - it had turned into a green tank top and a red skirt, neither of which covered much of me. In fact, it showed more skin than I'd ever shown anyone outside Eena before! Even if it was illusionary skin… Not that I really minded showing off my body, though? I mean, it was a little embarrassing, but only because I wasn't used to it!
"That should cover you, for now," Eena said as Abigail moved to open the door.
"Nivera," she said to someone out of sight. Probably at least partly for our benefit, so that we'd know who to expect, but also possibly just to be polite. "Chloe. And you must be General Sallina?"
"Just Sallina is fine, dear," came a warm voice, moments before its owner slithered her way inside. She was a lamia from what Devilla told me - not that I couldn't have guessed, anyway, since they were a species the church had taken care to warn me against. Between the fact that their wild magic made them incredibly difficult to detect, and the fact that they could paralyze people they met eyes with, they were a pretty big threat to low level Heroines! If you kept your cool, though, you'd realize you could still use your magic, even paralyzed.
This one didn't really scream danger at me, though. At least not in that way. I mean, sure, her bright red scales were sort of flashy, and I was pretty sure she could crush me in her thick coils if she really wanted to, but… something about the confident way she moved made that feel more like an offer than a threat…
She had big hips, right where her flesh melded with the scales, and big breasts, which seemed to sort of strain against the green breast band she was wearing. Which was all she was wearing… Thankfully the only thing on full display was her toned stomach - if she had a visible vagina, I probably would have ended up blushing worse than Eena did when kissing came up!
"You're staring," Abigail whispered in my ear, causing me to flush anyway.
"Sorry," I whispered. "I'm not used to seeing people show… so much…"
"Right…" Abigail muttered, parting from me as two more guests came in. One of them was another lamia, this time with green scales and a slender build. She was wearing a pitch black breast band that left her just as exposed as Sallina. The other was a kitsune in a black and white dress. Both of them were staring at me - the former with her eyes narrowed, and the latter with her eyes wide open and her tail swishing rapidly back and forth.
"Queen Devilla," Sallina said, drawing my attention. Her voice sounded a little… stiff. Uncertain. "It's… good to see you…"
"And you as well, General Sallina," Eena replied with that same stiff tone. She looked to the side, then, where Abigail was standing and mouthing the words 'go on.' "I… It occurs to me that I haven't really been the best with keeping contact. I more or less cut you off after you took Nivera in, after all. A mistake on my part. If… If I hadn't… If I'd listened to you…" She trailed off. I could see the tears building up in her eyes and I really wanted to go hug her.
Before I could, however, Sallina swiftly slid forward and snatched up Eena in her arms, burying my girlfriend's head against her chest. "It's not all on you, dear," Sallina whispered, her own voice suddenly hoarse. "You were a child. Alone, and feeling betrayed. If I'd handled the circumstances with more tact… been more careful about bringing you two back together… It was stupid of me to think I could make you two get along again just by forcing you into the same room."
A soft sound came from Eena. Then it repeated, again and again, until I realized she was sobbing. I'd seen her cry, before, a little, but I'd never seen her break down and sob.
"At least you tried something," she choked out. "I'm the one who made that idiotic law about not saying Nivera's name in my presence… who cut off all chances of us rebuilding our bonds. Who snubbed you, at every turn, when all you wanted was to include me… Blaming you for taking her side, as if it was ever a choice. She needed you, after all, and you're family…"
"You both needed me," Sallina said, stroking Eena's back with the tip of her tail. "And I wanted to be there for the both of you. It wasn't a matter of priorities, dear, nor family. I just went after the child in front of me first - when her parents told me she wouldn't need tutoring anymore… When they started talking about her the way they did, right in front of me, I couldn't help myself. But that doesn't mean I ever gave up on you."
"Even when I was a total brat?" Eena asked, sniffling. "When I'd chased everyone away, and convinced myself I didn't need them? When I ignored your every word, just because it came from you, and pushed my ideals and desires onto others without a care in the world?"
"Even then," Sallina insisted, backing up a little so that she could kiss Eena on the forehead. "Even then, all I've ever seen is the little girl who used to cry whenever she got a question wrong during our lessons, because she was worried today was the day I wouldn't praise her for her efforts…"
Eena didn't say anything. She just continued to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks as Sallina embraced her again, face full of motherly affection.
It was… eye opening, to be honest. I mean, I already knew Eena was a good girl, and I already trusted her, but… well, maybe some hidden part of me had still worried about how Eena claimed that she was terrible all the time. Worried whether she'd done something that actually deserved all that self hatred.
She hadn't. I still didn't know the full story, of course, but I could at least tell that much… She wasn't a ruthless tyrant, who'd come to regret her actions far after the fact. She was just a girl who'd been hurt to the point where all she had left was regrets… and maybe some of them were there for a reason, but I was more and more sure that the reasons weren't anywhere near as bad as I'd once thought.
"Sooooooooooo," the kitsune drawled after a long moment. "I'm Chloe! And you're…?"
"I'm Lucy!" I replied, forcing a smile to my lips. It was important to smile when making new friends. "The Heroine!"
So, bad news - as some of you may already be aware - I'm sick. It's been interfering with my ability to write, so Patreon is currently only one chapter ahead - or one rough draft, rather, since it still needs proofreading. Unsure if I'll be able to release a chapter properly next week, but we'll see what I can do. Future chapters are almost definitely going to be delayed. Hopefully this sickness doesn't last too long, and I'm back to writing sooner than later. In the meantime, I just hope you enjoy today's update.
As far as the chapter itself goes... Well, it definitely didn't go as I expected. For one thing, I thought I'd be able to cover the whole meeting in one go... and for another, I honestly expected it to be more immediately focused on Lucy? But then Devilla and Sallina came face to face, and there were emotions. More than Devilla and I were prepared for... It kinda makes me wonder if I should have done it from her perspective? But at the same time, I feel like Lucy's reaction to it is pretty invaluable.
Next chapter continues from her PoV for that same reason - these chapters are less about Devilla explaining her plans, or even building new ones, and more about Lucy seeing another side of Devilla and finding out how other people view her. And maybe learning how demons view the Heroine, too, for that matter...
Thanks, as always, to FallingLeaf for proofreading and Lulla for beta reading! And thanks to you all for reading, in general. Hope you enjoyed!
Lucy never really saw the point of subtlety. Surely everything would get resolved faster if everyone knew what everyone else knew about a situation? Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet, after all, and friends help each other.
Of course, that only works for her because everyone she's been around up to now knows she's pretty much definitionally off-limits for any sort of theft, scamming, etc. - after all, no one wants to be the guy that made the Heroine fail to kill the Demon Queen...
Shouldn't they have depetrified the slime girl folk first, to secure the alliance with the.. person who literally runs everything in the Tower and already knows about the grift? Would be easier to get other generals on your side once you already have one capable general (begrudgingly) backing you up. And with the slime girls depetrified, she can delegate and finally stretch her metaphorical back.
I think Lucy and Devilla are jumping the shark here several crucial steps ahead before literally anyone in Devilla's innermost circle even could get a chance to be briefed about it.
I know that the institute of Demon Queen monarchy is hopelessly broken at the moment, but even as a absolute monarch of all monster-girl-kind you definitely should run all your decisions by a 5 year old your advisors, versed in politics and common sense insanity that is Tower politics. Like, literally 5 minutes and two extra teleport casts is all she needs. Blindsiding them and not getting their input can hurt relationship with them now and also lead to a potentially serious disaster.
I think, Devilla really should learn the consequences of rushed actions, no matter how lucky she is.
P.S. Get well and take as much time as you need. 🫂♥️
Shouldn't they have depetrified the slime girl folk first, to secure the alliance with the.. person who literally runs everything in the Tower and already knows about the grift? Would be easier to get other generals on your side once you already have one capable general (begrudgingly) backing you up. And with the slime girls depetrified, she can delegate and finally stretch her metaphorical back.
I think Lucy and Devilla are jumping the shark here several crucial steps ahead before literally anyone in Devilla's innermost circle even could get a chance to be briefed about it.
I know that the institute of Demon Queen monarchy is hopelessly broken at the moment, but even as a absolute monarch of all monster-girl-kind you definitely should run all your decisions by a 5 year old your advisors, versed in politics and common sense insanity that is Tower politics. Like, literally 5 minutes and two extra teleport casts is all she needs. Blindsiding them and not getting their input can hurt relationship with them now and also lead to a potentially serious disaster.
I think, Devilla really should learn the consequences of rushed actions, no matter how lucky she is.
P.S. Get well and take as much time as you need. 🫂♥️
Trust Devilla to delay matters with Sylvanna whenever possible... But also this meeting was preplanned, so she has a semi-valid excuse for attending. Beyond just the desire to reunite with Sallina and Nivera after all this time.
Lucy, meanwhile, is just Lucy...
Which is not to say that their actions won't have consequences.
So, bad news - as some of you may already be aware - I'm sick. It's been interfering with my ability to write, so Patreon is currently only one chapter ahead - or one rough draft, rather, since it still needs proofreading. Unsure if I'll be able to release a chapter properly next week, but we'll see what I can do. Future chapters are almost definitely going to be delayed. Hopefully this sickness doesn't last too long, and I'm back to writing sooner than later. In the meantime, I just hope you enjoy today's update.
Shouldn't they have depetrified the slime girl folk first, to secure the alliance with the.. person who literally runs everything in the Tower and already knows about the grift? Would be easier to get other generals on your side once you already have one capable general (begrudgingly) backing you up. And with the slime girls depetrified, she can delegate and finally stretch her metaphorical back.
I think they're still waiting on the depetrification spell? I imagine courier + bureaucracy time is slower than OP sprint mode + teleport xD and, well, I think we're at striking while the iron is hot territory
I think they're still waiting on the depetrification spell? I imagine courier + bureaucracy time is slower than OP sprint mode + teleport xD and, well, I think we're at striking while the iron is hot territory
