Succubus Quest Ch. 7

“... basically a closed barter economy,” Jerry explained, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. He’d been talking for a solid half hour, mostly about how much money he was going to make once he ‘got things going’ in Kampi Village. “There are the outlying farms on the plains to the north, the hunters who kill things in the forest, that sort of thing. I think some of the villagers gather and potion stuff from there too - I really need to ask Mia about that stuff, but once you get her going it’s all she talks about.”

Vivian nodded along as the man spoke, trying to pay attention and only half succeeding. They’d completed a rough tour of the town, which hadn’t taken long given Kampi’s size: a few dozen charming homes, a blacksmith, an apothecary, and a few other miscellaneous businesses labeled with hand-carved wooden signs. There was a small chapel that was barely larger than the little houses around it, surrounded by a quaint garden filled with purple flowers, stone benches, and a weather-worn statue of a familiar goddess. The succubus scowled, but said nothing. At the heart of the town, however, was a three-story structure that was clearly new construction. It didn’t take much detective work to realize this was where Mayor Jericho lived.

“... that I wasn’t going to host her for free. This is my town, right? I’m the one paying for everything. And I own most of the buildings, with the rest on the way. So if she wants to stay, she better work for it.” They’d stopped in front of the chapel, but Jerry hadn’t stopped talking. “It ended up working out - she wanted to hang around and study alchemy, I had a project for her to help with. Everybody wins.”

“Sure,” Vivian said. “That’s so great! Where did you say she was working?” She looked around, smiling in what she hoped was a guileless expression.

Jerry shrugged, waving vaguely toward the entrance of town. “Eh, it’s over there, next to the guild hut. But she’s always head down in that stuff. And some of it’s for my project, so don’t bother her. Anyway, I don’t mind if you hang out for a few days, level up, whatever. I’ll cover you at the inn until then. But after that, you have to earn your keep too. I don’t want any lazy people loitering around town and getting into my stuff. Got it?”

Vivian’s answer was cut off by a heavyset man with mutton chops ambling up to Jerry, clearing his throat, waiting, then doing it again until Jerry turned around. Vivian sized up the newcomer: a normal, pleasant enough looking man, slightly fat around the waist, slightly hairy around the arms and chest. It occurred to her that this was the first citizen of Kampi Village she’d seen since arriving, aside from her initial captor. Were the rest of them hiding, or did they work outside the village?

“What?” Jerry snapped. He glanced at the man, then turned back to Vivian. “Sorry, they just always need something from me.” He smiled at Vivian, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Mutton chops shuffled his feet, staring at the ground. “Well sir, the thing is… you told me to tell you if anythin’ were to happen at the lake. And the beast almost et Rufus and his brother. Thrashin’ about somethin’ awful and - ”

“Yes,” Jerry hissed, “Yes, alright, shut up.” He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Not around other people, remember? You’re just supposed to say there’s been an event at the work site.”

“Sorry, m’lord…”

Jerry rolled his eyes. “Whatever - I’ll just go now.” He turned to Vivian. “I have to take care of some business. You should, uh. Stay in town today. For your own safety. And don’t show anyone the horns - they might freak out. Definitely don’t bother Mia.” He paused, considering. “Actually, just don’t talk to anyone. But feel free to walk around. Check out the guild hut if you want, though it’s not much. I can give you a… tutorial. Or whatever. When I get back tomorrow.”

Vivian fought to keep her mouth from frowning as the two men headed out through the gate, moving at a brisk pace. She still had half a dozen questions to ask, but it was his matter-of-fact instructions that had most irritated her.

The succubus sighed. To be honest, she was most annoyed with her own predicament. She’d spent the majority of the conversation trying to draw Jerry’s attention to herself, but Vivian had eventually given up when it had proved fruitless. Maybe the man was too caught up in his own accomplishments. Maybe it was because Vivian wasn’t wearing any makeup or a cute outfit, or because the hooded cloak obscured most of her features. But mostly, she suspected, there was something wrong with her brain. She couldn’t quite remember how to flirt properly, how to draw a man’s eye without him realizing it was being drawn. Her efforts had been ineffective at best, clumsy at worst. Maybe it was for the best that Jerry was too self-absorbed to notice her fumbling attempts.

“It just isn’t fair,” Vivian muttered to herself. “You’re supposed to keep all your memories in a fantasy world. Otherwise, why pick me?” But of course, the goddess hadn’t picked her. Or hadn’t meant to. Was this some kind of punishment? Was it normal for the newly-arrived? Maybe Vivian having a non-traditional race had something to do with it. Whatever the case, Vivian was miserable, angry, and a little frightened.

The succubus spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the village, shadowed by a lanky, long-haired guard who would neither speak with her nor allow her to leave. All she wanted to do was sneak into the alchemist’s lab, steal the few ingredients she needed, and run back to the safety of Granny’s cave, but the guard’s presence prohibited most parts of the plan. So she walked. Around the village, over and over. It only took 20 minutes to make the full loop, and that was going the long way. It gave her time to think. And perhaps it was wishful thinking, but it seemed to irritate her silent chaperone. By the time night was falling, she’d memorized Kampi’s layout without really trying to do so. More importantly, she’d calmed down and was thinking clearly.

Jerry had said she could spend the night at the inn and that he’d be back the next day. So that was her window. The guard wouldn’t be able to follow her into her room and she doubted he’d stay inside the inn just to observe her. Given those parameters, the plan was simple: she’d go to sleep, wake up early, and sneak into the alchemist’s place. Steal what she needed. Then slip out the gate and return to Granny. Sleeping would presumably restore Vivian’s mana, so she would have a single Charm spell at her disposal to distract whoever was guarding the exit to town. And while the potion Granny had promised was certainly appealing, what Vivian really wanted was someone to talk with.

The innkeeper was a sour-faced woman who handed Vivian her room key without speaking. The inn and Vivian’s room were comfortable, if spartan - a down mattress was more than she’d been expecting. Burdened with worries and possibilities, Vivian drifted into a dreamless sleep. Night rolled over Kampi Village, wrapping the little houses in a blanket of sullen starlight.