The Hero Became a Succubus! - Chapter 189

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Chapter 189

Moira erupted into laughter each time Kanae recounted a story about Mitty and their children. Sad, touching, boring, near-deaths… No matter what they were, she found humor in everything. The belly laughs were incredibly boisterous and came directly from her diaphragm. Kanae, who carried Moira on her back, had a hard time staying steady as they flew towards the tributaries of the Hellfire Badlands.

However, the feeling wasn't so bad. Kanae had a bigger family than she expected now and couldn't wait to show everyone their grandma. And aunt.

Aisha flew beside them after brewing and drinking a potion to grant herself wings. Getting her away from an alchemical laboratory stocked full of reagents and ingredients was like telling a bookworm to leave a library.

After all, Kanae had a job to do as Knight of Amethyst: the whereabouts of the Knight of Copper and Lord Charron's sentiments on a union with the Queen-Mother succubus. There were two places left to investigate, and chances were the others had found themselves knee-deep in their own problems, too. The journey to Devil's Veins, the massive tributaries that fed water throughout all of the Hellfire Badlands and parts of Suvius, was a long one. To pass time, Moira wanted to hear about the family she didn't know she had.

After Kanae had gotten done telling them about the stone-borer, the wizened goblin woman bursted into another fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Mom… it's not that funny. They could have died, you know?" Aisha said.

"Of course, it's funny! Who thinks to mate one last time in the belly of a stone borer? It's hilarious since they survived, and it would be hilarious if they died, too. What a goblin and succubus thing to do! " Moira cackled heartily.

"As much as I like reminiscing," Kanae began, sounding a little hoarse, "I think I talked enough that my throat is sorer than deepthroating a hundred dicks… I want to know more about where we're going. Like who rules it and what kind of place it is?"

The family pair exchanged glances, then Moira nodded to her daughter.

"Devil's Veins is a stretch of wetlands made up by nine major rivers that feed into the massive stream called Stolas. The streams come from the uncharted north, splits into the countless rivers, converges into Stolas going east, and finally turns south to empty into the Cup of Carsin, a basin that lies between Suvius and the badlands. As you can tell, that makes the tributaries a vital water source to eastern and southern Artaggon," Aisha explained.

"Which would also make whoever controls Devil's Veins the real ruler of Hellfire Badlands," Kanae quickly surmised.

The witch doctor nodded. "As expected of the Commonwealth of Sin's Demon Queen. Lord Charron always thought the lands south of Artaggon was too wild and untameable, but you proved him wrong. Yes, controlling Devil's Veins is where the real power lies in the badlands. It rests in the hands of Sire Amerys, a bombastic dark elven man who arrived here a few years ago and usurped the previous master of Devil's Veins. Many believe he is the greatest power here."

"And that's long pissed off Gabrul!" Moira added and cracked up.

Amerys, Yesenia, and Gabrul… These three vied for control of the Hellfire Badlands to earn Lord Charron's favor. The hobgoblins were much stronger than Kanae anticipated. Her Sisters of Sin and the Queen-Mother's succubi might even have trouble against them. Yesenia's dark magic was still unknown, but hopefully Lapis, Esta, and Eliza were faring well over there. Lastly, Amerys. He might be even stronger than the other two combined.

Kanae shuddered to think she had let Arenade go there alone.

"Speaking of which, there's Stolas now!" Aisha pointed head to a gargantuan river hundreds of feet in width flowing eastward, both ends stretching and disappearing into the distance.

Fishing boats and trawlers moved gently along Stolas. Others fished along the sandy banks. Inhabitants made their homes and communities in tight clusters of huts, built high on stilts above water. A few even stretched into the river and were connected by walkways.

"You must be tired, sweetie. How about we find some lodging down there and rest for the night? Sun's coming down anyway. The night's treacherous this far north," Moira said.

"I-I can keep going!" Kanae insisted, though her shoulders were beginning to ache.

"No, my mom's right. Even Sire Amerys has called for a curfew around these parts before sunset. There are monsters and undeads that we don't want to encounter. Capillis City isn't too far, so we can easily make the rest of the journey in the morning," Aisha explained.

Undeads?

Kanae acquiesced and descended into the river village below. She casted Human Form as soon as she landed. Right then, a group of languisteed riders bolted down along the bank.

"Sundown, sundown! Finish up your work and return home! Dock your ships or stay low!" they shouted.

Two of them broke off and rode up to Kanae's party. They were a beastman and common elf pair dressed in leather lamellar and wielding spears.

"You there!" The lupine beastman pointed his spear at them. "A hobgoblin, goblin, and human? Let me guess… more runaways from Warchief Gabrul?"

"Ah, yes! I hear Sire Amerys won't tear the women of his lands a second ass just to get them pregnant. We were hoping to find work in Capillis," Moira explained.

The elf grimaced. "I didn't need the image of two assholes in my mind before night duty… If it's Capillis you're trying to get to, then find shelter until morning."

They were let off with a warning before the riders rejoined their companions. Kanae, Moira, and Aisha entered the village from a rope ladder let down for them from the walkways above. Light from standing torches and braziers replaced the dwindling sunlight.

The villagers were very generous. They showed them to a small, unoccupied hut and fresh fish to roast over a fire. A far cry from the savage hobgoblins under Warchief Gabrul. The people here also wore leathers but dyed in an array of colors reminiscent of Highgreen's dark elves. Neck bands around their necks seemed to symbolize age by color, seeing as children wore red, young adults wore blue, and the elderly wore black.

Kanae almost thought she was vacationing in Okinawa or Hawaii. Water splashed gently beneath them under the huts. The smell of smoked fish and fruits filled her nose. They ate their fill, and Moira soon fell asleep first. It was only Kanae and Aisha, sitting across the smoldering coals inside their hut as night pulled across the horizon.

Outside, villagers began to shuffle back home. Ships pulled into the docks. The bustle of village life was replaced with guards and their languisteeds, riding up and down the riverbank.

"It's my second time here. I can't help but get the creeps." Aisha pulled a blanket over Moira's shoulders, then got up to close the curtain of leaves that covered their windows and door.

"What's this about the undeads?" Kanae asked.

"Beats me. I only know that they travel down from up north. They used to do a number on hob lands. That is, until Sire Amerys came to power to repel them. Heh. It really hurts Gabrul's pride. I love it whenever he bitched about 'that damn elf'," she explained.

The more Kanae learned about this 'uncharted north', the more uneasy she became. Undead seems to be the common theme. Amerys might know more. Just what the hell did Edina get herself into with the Pillar of the Damned?

"Hey, quit spacing out." Aisha bonked Kanae on the head with a staff.

"Ow… Sorry. Did you say something?" Kanae frowned.

"I wanted to know if the Commonwealth has any strong mates. The other hobs… they wouldn't look at me. Said I got no underbite and my skin color is dirty. Tch. Ticks me off just thinking about it," she snarled under her breath.

"There's a lot of pervy goblins if you're into them—"

"As if I want to take a puny goblin as my mate! Human, elf, orc. I don't care as long as they can fight and produce strong children."

Kanae had half a mind to suggest herself, but she thought better than to complicate the family tree.

"You're just going to have to find out for yourself when we get there." Kanae shrugged.

They were about to turn in when a distant roar made the hair on their neck stand. Kanae shot Aisha a look. The two went to the window and peeled back the blinds. Soldiers were battling a hulking creature shrouded in darkness. It was hard to see from here.

Kanae went for the door until Aisha grabbed her by the arm.

"What are you thinking? Leave this to the guards. We don't owe them anything," Aisha said.

"No, but we owe the villagers who gave us hospitality. I'm going. You can stay here and protect Moira." Kanae wrenched away and raced out of the hut.

Villagers cowered within their homes, only going as far as their windows to peer out from. However, Kanae ran into a red-skinned demon woman desperately calling for help.

"What's wrong?" Kanae asked.

"My son! I can't find my son! He was collecting shells along the bank with his friends, but when I asked them, they said he stayed behind!" the worried mother cried.

Along the bank… When Kanae gazed over the walkway, she was horrified to find skeletal humanoids wandering the shore.

"Stay here. I'll find him," Kanae promised, then vaulted over the rope fence.

A horde of nearby undead lumbered towards her. Kanae cracked her whip, then at the incoming foes. They crumpled into a pile of bones. It didn't take much effort to destroy them, unlike Edina's much stronger summons. These didn't have armor or the like and only wielded primitive weapons.

Until a bone brute came rushing out from the darkness.

A glass vial shattered on its head, drenching it in luminescent liquid that began to smoke up. The bone brute collapsed to the ground and broke apart.

Aisha landed down next to Kanae and said, "Don't get the wrong idea. If you get done in, my mom will scold me."

"You should be more honest with yourself. Guys tend to be into that." Kanae teased.

Together, they fought through stragglers before coming across a young boy with a red neck band on the ground. He waved a stick at the undeads that were soon to be upon him.

"S-Someone… mommy… help me!" the boy wept.

"You get the boy, and I'll take care of the undead!" Aisha exclaimed and conjured ghostly, flying skulls to hold the undead at bay.

Kanae abandoned Human Form and unfurled her wings. She flew past undeads taking swings at her with rusty swords. One was about to slash the boy until she bodied it into the water.

"You're safe now!" Kanae picked him up and flew beyond the undead's reach.

"M-Mommy…" He gulped hard, face buried in her bust.

"Yeah, okay. I'm about to bring you to your actual mommy, so hang tight." She landed in the village and returned the boy to the relieved mother.

While they hurried home, a battle was still going on below.

Kanae dove back down to where she had left Aisha. Broken bones littered the sandy bank around her.

"Alright, goody-two-shoes. I'm guessing we're going to go save the guards, too?" Aisha asked with both hands on her hips.

"I'm glad you cared enough to ask." Kanae grinned.

The two hurried to join the fray, but the sight of a raging death knight gave them pause. Especially Kanae. Weren't these supposed to be created through rituals by a necromancer? What was a death knight doing here?

The hulking undead monstrosity swung a club that knocked mounted riders away. One of them rolled up to Kanae's feet.

"Ow… A succubus? I must be seeing things…"

"You idiot, that is a succubus!"

They jumped to their feet and brandished their weapons at Kanae instead.

"I think you have more important things to worry about than a succubus." Kanae pointed to the death knight devastating their ranks.

"You're more capable of fighting that than I am— Take this!" Aisha tossed her a couple of potions.

Kanae didn't hesitate to down them all. Her STR stat rose from D to C in exchange for her INT dropping from S to A. Although her vision at night was better than most people, it suddenly became as bright as day. The stars in the sky and torchlight in the riders' hands illuminated the entire bank. She casted Bestial Strength and Heightened Haste, raising her STR stat again from C to B, then DEX from B to A.

"Let's hope this is enough… Titanic Blow!" Kanae cracked her whip on the death knight over and over again, breaking off pieces of armor until it was bare bones.

However, a death knight was a powerful foe. They were difficult to summon for good reason. It took a running start. Everyone jumped out of its way, and Kanae picked up Aisha to fly. A giant hand grabbed her by the ankle and yanked them both down.

Kanae crashed into the bank and ate a mouthful of sand. The death knight loomed over with the club poised to crush her.

"Shit!" Kanae shoved Aisha away and shielded herself with both arms.

"Sacred Exorcism!"

An exceedingly blinding light forced Kanae to cover her eyes. The beam seared into the death knight's back. It lost hold of the club which dropped to the ground next to Kanae's head.

"By the Supreme One's hairy backside, death knights are tough…" A familiar voice groaned.

Kanae glanced up to find what might as well have been a star. She squinted to get a better look and made out the silhouette of a busty elven woman, cloaked in divine light.

"Arenade?" Kanae gasped.

"Huh? Kanae, is that you? I thought you were dealing with the hobs! What are you doing here?" Arenade asked.

"I'll explain later! The death knight is still alive! Cast your Sacred Exorcism again with my Bond!" she yelled, covering her eyes on the way up to the high elven priest.

One slap on the back imbued Arenade with Bond.

"Uuugh… I didn't miss this… but fine. Sacred Exorcism!" Arenade bellowed into the night.

Kanae squeezed her eyes shut, but it did little to escape the glaring beam of light. Aisha's potion had made it so that she saw too clearly. But as soon as the light subsided, the death knight was nothing but a charred pile of bone dust in the sand.

They had another matter on their hands. Kanae turned to the mounted Capillis riders intending to charm them. Instead, her jaw dropped to hear them cheering for Arenade.

"We're saved! The Light of Capillis is here!"

"Sire Amerys hasn't forsaken us after all!"

When the darkvision from Aisha's elixir subsided, Kanae was able to see Arenade clearly again. She wasn't dressed in her usual ivory robes, but leather lamellar like the riders over a flowing black gown with purple accents. The golden hair and Halo of Holy Radiance was the only thing that hadn't changed about her.

"A-Arenade, is that really you?" Kanae stammered.

"It's a disguise," Arenade whispered. "I got into Sire Amerys' inner court and—"

"Lady Arenade! Please, don't go ahead of us next time!" an elven woman shouted from afar.

Kanae made the mistake of thinking they were harpies. No. They were a group of elves riding upon winged horses.

The one at the front who had called out to Arenade was also a golden-haired elf— high elf most likely— locked eyes with Kanae and panicked.

"Succubus! Brothers and sisters, on me! Lady Arenade, fall back to us!" she shouted.

"Oh, uh… Fear not the succubus! I have this sex demon under control!" Arenade assured them.

Bands made of divine energies wrapped around Kanae's body. Unable to fly, she plummeted to the ground and ate sand a second time.

"Arenade!" Kanae growled.

Arenade landed a second later and whispered, "Play along or you'll blow my cover! I'll think of something, okay?"

Aisha and Moira, both bound by rope, were tossed down next to Kanae.

"Huh? What happened? I was snoozing and dreaming of my grandkids, and then I find myself here!" Moira complained.

"These two came with the succubus! Good chance they were trying to infiltrate Capillis City," the beastman rider from earlier said.

A dozen high elves landed and dismounted from their pegasusses. They were all dressed in the same manner as Arenade, but with less regal designs. Kanae found herself on the business end of their spears and lances.

"Shall we slay them where they lay, Lady Arenade?" that same elf asked, this one distinguished by her winged tiara.

"Right, uh… Ahem." Arenade awkwardly cleared her throat before answering. "Check the perimeter for any more undead and destroy them. We're bringing these three back to Sire Amerys for him to decide!"

"Yes, Lady Arenade!" they boomed.

"I knew we shouldn't have helped… If anything happens to my mom, I'm cursing you all the way down to the three hells," Aisha grumbled.

The high elven pegasus riders went around annihilating the undead around the village with great prejudice. It was… quite the sight. Kanae, Moira, and Aisha were hoisted onto a pegasus each to be brought to Capillis City.

"So… Lady Arenade. Mind explaining what's going on?" Kanae asked.

Arenade had taken it upon herself to carry 'the accursed demon whore' as the others had branded Kanae. Moira and Aisha were some ways ahead on other stallions.

"You remember that cloister of high elves Esta mentioned?" Arenade reminded her. "They're called the Light of Capillis, and I'm leading them now! They love and worship me, it's great! When I first got to Devil's Veins, three hells was I dying of hunger. I came across a couple of villages being attacked by undeads. Undeads of all things, can you believe it? Anyway, they weren't a match against my divine magic. A couple of Light of Capillis saw me and asked me to help them. That's what I've been doing the past few days, just slaying undead and bathing in their lavish praise."

"How about the Knight of Copper? Did you find him?"

"Who?"

If Kanae could put a hand to her own face right now, she would. Unfortunately, the bindings were in the way and casting Turn Horny on Arenade would only draw attention.

"The guys we're supposed to find! One of the reasons why we're here? Hello!" Kanae sighed.

"Man, dark elves are a dime a dozen in these parts. I'm not going around asking them all if they're Mr. Copper! By the way, it goes without saying— we absolutely can't pretend to know each other. My reputation is on the line here," Arenade explained.

"I feel like you're having too much fun up here…"

"Capillis ahead!" someone shouted from the front.

Kanae gasped in awe of the massive stone and concrete dam that spanned the width of Stolas. Along the wall, water poured from the open mouths of giant horned demon heads. The city of Capillis wasn't like any of the riverside villages they had passed. It was upon the dam itself. Far beyond it, like Aisha had explained, were multiple rivers feeding into the large stream.

They landed in an opening on the dam's wall. It appeared to be a roost or stable. Dried straw cushioned the floor. Younger pegasus foals lifted their heads and brayed. Stablehands who were tending the young came quickly to guide the riders and their pegasusses in.

"This is… Capillis City?" Kanae stammered.

"I'm in just as much shock as you, dear. I've never been this far into Devil's Veins territory," Moira whispered.

Members of the Light of Capillis gave them a light shove to start walking. Arenade led the way, but it was her followers that held the chains of their prisoners. Kanae had no other choice but to go along with it for now. Whatever Arenade had planned, it better be worth the trouble.

Though… that was probably asking too much.

Capillis was a giant city with many large, open chambers. Planted trees and gardens emulated a typical town. Various pockets of communities even had entire fields of crops growing down here. Places of business, stores, and bars were built into crevasses and dugouts. Unlike the many slaves in Gabrul's domain, people here sported neck bands rather than shackles.

They entered a round marketplace where a large hole extended all the way up and down the dam. Moonlight poured in from above and water rushed from below. The party stopped in front of an archway guarded by a few lamellar-dressed demon soldiers.

"I, Lady Arenade and First Captain of the Light of Capillis, seek an audience with Sire Amerys! I've come to inform him that we saved a village from yet another death knight and brought him a succubus prisoner," Arenade announced.

Both guards expelled a weary sigh, like they had heard this haughty spiel plenty of times already. They stepped aside to let them in. Sitting within the cool room upon a throne seat at the very back was a dark elven man. He seemed busy, reading from a parchment alongside his stewards. A row of seats fashioned into the side of the walls currently sat empty. Water cascaded down between each seat, disappearing into a hole in the ground and small channels in the floor.

"This is giving me a headache… Just send this message I'm about to say to Yesenia. Ready? Alright… Dear you stupid bitch, stop attacking my villages or we'll poison you downstream. Signed, Sire Amerys. Got it? Should I repeat that?" the dark elf asked.

"Uhm… Sire, won't this provoke more attacks?" his uneasy steward stammered.

"Just send it already! I don't want to deal with her anymore. I already have Gabrul breathing down my balls," he muttered.

The stewards hurried out of the room, and Sire Amerys rose from his throne seat. The dark elven man stood tall and proud. Long, platinum hair draped down his shoulders. He didn't have a single piercing or jewelry on his pointed ears like many of his status would. He wore a light blue robe, not one for battle or to exude scholarly pursuits. It seemed like he had been woken up recently and didn't care to change into something more appropriate.

"You are in the presence of Sire Amerys," he began in a high and mighty tone. "Lord of Capillis, Devil's Veins, and Stolas. To whom do I owe—"

Kanae and Sire Amerys met each other's gaze. He looked dumbstruck. He rubbed his eyes, cocked his head to the side, and then fished into his robe pocket for something. The lord of Capillis pulled out a folded piece of paper and stared at it for a good few seconds.

"Sire Amerys! The Light of Capillis and I are here to make a report," Arenade said.

"One moment." Amerys raised a finger for silence, then erupted into panic. "Alright, alright. I want everyone out. Now! Go!"

Everyone was struck dumb by the sudden outburst.

He raised his voice several pitches higher. "You fools! You brought a SUCCUBUS here? For all we know, you could be charmed already. I cannot be, for I have been blessed by Lord Charron's boon. Hurry, before it's too late! Begone lest you wish to put me in danger! Find a mage to dispel you just in case!"

The fear that Amerys put in his people worked. They shuffled out of the chamber. The Light of Capillis left and left their precious Captain Arenade behind, who was too stunned to move.

"Uh… Am I missing something here?" Kanae asked, eyes flicking about for any traps and funny business.

"You tell me." Amerys descended from his throne and shoved a poorly-drawn image of a busty succubus on wrinkled paper titled, 'Amethyst' and by 'Marwin'.

It clicked into place for Kanae the very next second, but the outrageousness of the situation made her not want to believe it.

"You're Copper?!" Kanae and Arenade exclaimed.

Kanae kicked Arenade in the shin.

"Why are you surprised? I thought you were capturing us because you knew something!" Kanae groaned.

"How was I supposed to know? I didn't know what he looked like!" Arenade cried.

"Can someone explain to us what's going on?" Aisha asked from the side, and Moira nodded to express the same befuddled sentiments.

"I'll explain everything in a more private setting than here, but… I didn't expect the Knight of Amethyst to drop in like this… Which means my new First Captain of the Light of Capillis is the Queen-regent of the Commonwealth?" he asked Arenade.

Both of them nodded.

"We've been looking for you! What are you doing here?" Kanae asked.

"About that…" Amerys lowered his voice. "The Grand Eye must have filled you in that my purpose up here is to infiltrate Artaggon? Well… Lord Charron has unwittingly granted me the title of demon lieutenant."

"Eh? EHHHH?"