Stolen Ch. 02

The incessant sound of knocking woke me up. Groaning I sat up and looked around with sleepy eyes. The unfamiliar setting and the feeling of shifting weight on my chest reminded me of what had happened. It wasn't a dream and my breasts were still stretching out the borrowed gray shirt.

Rubbing my head, I slid out of bed, stumbled a bit, and tapped the control turning on the lights. I was probably rocking an epic case of bed head but that knocking wasn't stopping. With a hand on a wall for balance, I shuffled to the door and pulled it open.

Standing at the door were two women who were a head taller than me, one a dirty blonde and the other a brunette. The blonde was wearing a frilly blue skirt that hung to the middle of her tan thighs. She had on a loose white shirt; it had short sleeves and a wide v-collar that showed off a respectable cleavage. On her feet were sandals with straps wrapping up her calves. The blonde's hair was done in two fishtail braids that draped over each shoulder. Her blue eyes crinkled as she gave me a welcoming smile.

The brunette also wore a white shirt, it was long sleeved and buttoned up to her pale throat with wide pressed collars. Her black skirt hugged her hips and reached to her knees. She was wearing small heeled, open toed shoes, the same shade as her skirt. Her hair was in a ponytail, tightly tied back giving her features a severe cast. Her brown eyes looked warm and she had a slight squint. Her arm was partly raised, her hand held in a loose fist inches from the door frame.

Both lacked horns, wings, and a tail and I found their pretty but normal features reassuring. They weren't succubi then. I smiled uncertainly at them and watched as both their gazes shifted from my face down to my chest.

"Whoa," exclaimed blondie.

The brunette just nodded and stared.

I pushed my hand through my messy hair and sighed. I had a feeling that I should get used to that open gaze at my tits. The brunette's eyes darted away from my chest and she murmured apologies while blushing. She jerked her raised hand down and hugged her arms across her torso.

Blondie stared at my tits a moment longer before shaking herself. Holding out a hand in greeting, she gave me a friendly smile. "Good morning, brah," she said, her voice had a pleasing scratchy burr to it.

I shook her hand and stared pointedly at the hazy purple sky, it was the same brightness as before I went to sleep.

"Morning? How can you tell?"

The brunette unfolded an arm and pointed in the doorway at a small quarter sized circle in the middle of the lintel. It was blue, illuminated from behind and said, "The day indicator. They split their day into sixteen hours of light and nine hours of night. The only way to tell is to look at the dot. Once you know what to look for you'll spot them everywhere."

She spoke in a clipped tone, her voice accented slightly, as if she was used to speaking about topics with precision. Her other hand moved up towards her face in what looked like a habitual action before falling down to her side. It reminded me of a mannerism people who wore glasses would develop over time from fussing with their lenses.

Blondie spoke up with a grin saying, "I'm Emmet and this is Bale. We saw the new name on the roster. The warden said you were in our block so here we are."

"Warden?" I asked. "Like in a prison or zoo?"

"Not precisely," answered Bale. "They keep an eye on us to make sure a lilim doesn't abduct us. Again."

I groaned and rubbed a hand through my disheveled hair. "You two huh?"

They both nodded in affirmation.

"So why did you girls decide to attack my door?"

Emmet said, "To check on you." Bale nodded in agreement.

"Check on me?"

"Yeah brah, sometimes girls don't take to the changes well. Some refuse to believe it's real and will hurt themselves pretty badly. A few even try to kill themselves, it gets pretty gnarly," Emmet said with a grimace.

"So we make sure they're up and talk to them, show them the roster in the warden's office and show them around our little section," added Bale.

"Oh," I replied blinking.

Sure, it was a shocking change, life-changing even, but suicide hadn't occurred to me. As I looked from Emmet to Bale, it dawned on me that I was shifting my weight from one leg to the other. There was an uncomfortable pressure in my lower abdomen, it was like I needed to pee. My eyes got bigger as I realized that I really did need to pee. It felt far more urgent compared to when I was a man.

"Uh, girls, do you wanna come in? I need to take care of some personal business, like now."

Emmet smiled and nodded in understanding while she watched me awkwardly dance from leg to leg. Bale giggled, it sounded surprisingly girly coming from her. Not really waiting for their full response, I dashed into the shower room. I was relieved to see a sink and toilet in the room that looked normal, just made of black stone.

The toilet was cold and I made a girly squealing noise as I sat on it and clutched at the borrowed skirt to keep it dry. My new plumbing was loud and messy though relief did come much quicker than I was used to. I had always complained about how much toilet paper girls used just to pee, looking down I now knew why. A quick inspection of my surroundings showed an ample supply of toiletries, as well as a flexible metal hose attached to the toilet that served as a bidet.

Finishing up my business, I paused at the sink and looked into the oval mirror just above it. It was the first time I had gotten a look at my new self. The woman Briselen had me imagine was staring right back at me. I had to admit, I was very pretty despite the messy bed head. I tugged my fingers through my red hair, trying to tidy it or at least pull it into a presentable state.

I stopped and stared at myself, taking a longer look as I thought about the new me. Why wasn't I panicking? I should be freaking out in anger, fear, or confusion or even all of them at once. Instead, I felt mostly calm and still a little sleepy. Any irritation I felt was due to the state of my hair. Was this part of the magic that changed me?

I frowned into the mirror and tried to comb my hands through my hair again. My previous emotional turmoil hadn't reared its head since I had the hiccup fit. Too little was known about what was normal here, I'd have to file away this emotional oddity and see how things developed.

Voices in the apartment jerked my attention back and interrupted my ineffectual grooming. Opening the door and walking in with a smile, I apologized for the delay. Bale and Emmet seemed amused and reassured me that they understood. I stared at Emmet's braids in envy for a few moments.

Braided hair would be out of the eyes. It would stay in place and not require fussing to keep presentable. More importantly, braided hair would stay out of the mouth when speaking or eating. At the moment, having my hair trussed up and out of the way was extremely important to me.

"So you girls are going to take me to the roster and show me around?" I asked, trying not to stare too hard at those twin braids.

Bale nodded while Emmet fidgeted under my not so subtle gaze.

"Before that. Emmet. Please show me how to braid my hair? Please?" I pleaded. "Cause mine is a mess," I added pulling at my tangled red tresses.

Emmet laughed in her hand and nodded. "Sure, take a seat there," she said pointing at the small desk and chair in the corner of the room. There was a large square mirror attached to the desk, nearly flush with the wall.

Smiling and sitting on my bed, Bale watched me walk over to the chair. Emmet opened the single drawer in the desk to reveal a plain brush and some hair accessories. There were ribbons and some hair ties in the drawer along with some barrettes and hair pins. As Emmet started to brush out my hair, I looked in the mirror towards Bale.

"So Bale, where are you from?"

"Erenem."

"Is that a city?" I asked frowning.

"It's my world," she replied curtly.

I glanced at Emmet who said, "I'm from Alense."

"Wait, if we're all from different worlds why are we speaking English?"

Bale's reflection smiled at me and said, "We're not."

Seeing my confusion she elaborated, "Part of the magic that changed us into factotum instills the knowledge of the lilim language. We're speaking lilim but our minds believe we are speaking our birth tongue."

"That's convoluted," I said glancing at Emmet who simply shrugged and resumed brushing out my tangled locks.

Bale nodded and explained, "It's easier for them if all new arrivals speak their tongue. It was probably taxing to teach new factotum how to speak lilim and the major trade language of all the worlds they visit. Having the use of magic simplifies some of their problems."

That was an involved answer to what I thought was a simple question. Most people probably would've just shrugged and said that they didn't know. I studied Bale's reflection in the mirror. She seemed the studious type and she seemed to have insight into how the succubus lived.

Curious I asked her, "So what did you do before getting Stolen and turned into a girl?"

Smiling, Bale answered, "I was an archivist at the Royal Library in Crown City."

"I was crewman on a fishing ship," Emmet volunteered.

"What profession were you," Bale asked, watching Emmet struggle with a particularly nasty tangle of my hair.

"I was a contractor."

They both frowned at me in confusion; I guess their worlds didn't have a need for expendable help.

"I did tedious stuff for my government, er, nation," I explained.

Bale nodded in understanding as Emmet shrugged indifferently. I knew an archivist was a just a fancy name for a librarian. I was right; she was definitely the studious type. Bale also seemed to be working the sexy librarian look. She also appeared to know more about what going on in this world and might have answers for me.

Looking back at her reflection in the mirror I asked, "So Bale, we're supposed to be factotum. We get snatched up, changed into girls and provide the succubus with magic power, sex and children."

Her reflection nodded, "Correct."

"Right, that sounds great for them but what do we get out of it. Cause from where I stand, they get all the benefits and we get screwed."

Bale's hand moved back up towards her face before falling back down. She looked off into the distance, her eyes unfocused as she considered her response. That wasn't a good sign. If she had to wrack her brain to come up with a good reason for a guy to become a factotum things were definitely not looking up. Emmet hummed to herself as she brushed out the tangles in my hair.

"Long life would be the greatest benefit we would experience from the bond," she finally answered, her lips pursed in thought.

"That's it!" I exclaimed while staring in disbelief at Bale's reflection. "Long life?"

She shook her head at my reaction before continuing, "When I say long life I'm referring to centuries. Those that bond to the succubi will live to see their fourth century, maybe longer. They will appear young and vibrant until their last few decades. Then they will seem to age normally and pass."

Frowning, I mulled that over as Emmet continued brushing the tangles out of my hair. She would apologize as she yanked on my hair when dealing with the knots. Bale watched me for a moment before speaking again.

"In addition to the long life, we would gain resilience. Not like the lilim, but we would heal and recover from injuries far faster than normal."

Emmet smirked and said, "That's to recover from all the sex they want to inflict on us."

Bale blushed and nodded, "That may very well be. Lilim are immune to disease and illness. The bond imparts that immunity to us as well."

I rolled my eyes and said, "So no sexually transmitted diseases from them whoring us out. That's just great."

Emmet snorted a laugh while Bale chuckled bashfully. Having removed the last tangle from my hair, Emmet split the red mass into three parts with her hands. Making sure I was watching she started to braid the sectioned hair together.

"It's harder to do a braid by yourself but with a little practice you'll get it down. Totally easier than mending fishing net," she said as she slowly but steadily wove the parts together, demonstrating how it was done.

"It still sounds like we're getting hosed. Not getting sick probably benefits them more than us. They don't have to worry about us being too ill to bang," I complained.

Emmet tied the end of my braid down with a couple of hair ties. She returned the brush to the drawer and removed a bright green ribbon. Winking at me, she tied it in a bow around the tip of the braid, covering the ties.

"Really?" I asked as I held up the bow wrapped braid and shook the green ribbon at her.

"It's totally cute, brah," she answered with a grin.

I found myself returning her grin and turned in the seat, facing Bale who still looked thoughtful.

"The greatest benefit is in the change," she finally said.

Looking down at my chest I disagreed, "I admit they're really nice but it hardly seems adequate compensation for how they want to use us."

Bale and Emmet giggled as their eyes glanced over my breasts.

Still smiling Bale continued, "During the change, we are essentially remade and reborn. All previous ailments or inadequacies are done away with. I wore glasses all my life, now my eyes are perfect."

Emmet nodded, "My hands were getting all warped from broken fingers and getting in brawls. I'm good as new."

I sighed while thinking about it. I suppose many guys would jump at the chance at a do-over, even if it meant being female. Someone with a chronic or terminal illness would certainly consider the change. Then I frowned, Briselen and the other succubi didn't strike me as the sort to be interested in prey too sick to be sexy.

My gaze moved from Bale to Emmet. "So were either of you old?" I asked.

Both shook their heads.

"I had just turned twenty and was celebrating my leaving my apprenticeship and becoming a full archivist when I met a woman," said Bale trailing off as she looked down at the floor with a grimace.

Emmet shifted her weight before saying, "We were in port celebrating a huge haul when I met this super hot babe. Why do you ask?"

Standing up, I smoothed down my skirt making sure my lack of underwear wasn't visible. I suddenly felt very resentful at Briselen for taking and changing me. She probably could have had her pick of people eager to go with her. Right then I wished I had struck out at her harder.

I fought the feeling down before saying, "Just confirming a suspicion. So, what is this roster you were talking about anyways?"

Bale slid off my bed, stood and said, "Its shows your position in the queue to return to your world."

Feeling excited about going home I gestured towards the door with a grin, "After you, ladies."

Following the pair out of the apartment, I paused to look around. I hadn't gotten a good look at the surroundings when Nenny had escorted me in. The apartment was one in many along the side of a plain black stone building. The units looked level on the sloping stairs, separate smaller stairs led to each door. Instead of numbers on the doors or on the walls, there was a small narrow pillar next to the doorframe with alphanumeric characters carved along the length.

My apartment was the corner unit, a wider path started at the edge of the building and opened into a mid-sized plaza. Turning around, I had a clear view of the purple sky still filled with sweeping orange and red clouds. We were on a modest hill, across the stairs, the buildings were built on a lower terrace carved into the slope. All the structures were made of basalt, giving the city a dreary appearance. Many slender towers reached up towards the sky, most topped with miniature battlements. Some supported towering edifices, resembling mansions on pedestals.

"Brah, where's your shoes?" asked Emmet as she and Bale stood at the corner leading to the plaza.

"They didn't have any I could borrow," I replied peering down at my feet.

The dark stone of the stairs were warm and I wondered how that was. Nenny had said that they didn't have a sun, as hard as that was to believe, she didn't seem to be lying. I certainly hadn't seen a massive illuminating star overhead yet, just the purple haze. Turning around, I walked over to them, carefully placing my feet. The last thing I needed was a nail or glass through my toes.

"Oh, that sucks," said Emmet while Bale nodded.

"Yeah," I said agreeing with them. "It hasn't been a fun day, night, or whatever it's been."

Cautiously walking up to the pair, I looked around curiously at the empty plaza. The center courtyard was made up of equally sized stone slabs. Circular patterns were set into the semi-smooth stone surface of the area made up of lighter shades of dark stone. The walls facing inwards to the plaza were solid and plain, opposite the entrance stood an open double door. It was the only opening in the blocky facade.

Plain stone benches sat along the walls at regular intervals, the overhanging eaves of the roof extended a few feet over the seats. I wasn't certain if the eaves were decorative or would provide cover from the weather, assuming Asphodel had weather. They led me to the double doors and inside what appeared to be a reception area or waiting room.

There was a long stone counter along the south facing wall and behind it, I could spot a few chairs. Individual seats were placed in a neat row on either side of the entrance. On the wall behind the counter hung a large gray slate, covering nearly all the surface area of the black stones. Names were written in dark black on the lighter surface. This must be the roster.

Moving up to the counter for a closer look, I felt a sinking feeling as I looked at the names. There were a lot of them. My eyes ran down the numbers looking for my own. There, at the end, stood my first name, numbered 2,642.

"There you are," said Emmet pointing at the last name on the roster. "No new arrivals since you got here."

"Is this a lot? Cause this seems like a lot." I asked staring at the names. "These are all Stolen?"

Stepping up beside me, Bale nodded and said, "It's the most I have seen, and yes, every name on here is a Stolen."

"They're pretty good about sending guys back," added Emmet trying to sound helpful. "They mostly leave us alone unless we're at the Lounge."

"How long does it take for them to send someone back?"

"Roughly two days," answered Bale.

"Oh, that's not so bad. I guess two days to explore a new world is okay," I replied, feeling relieved.

"No," she corrected. "It takes two days for them to send one person back."

My mouth hung open as I stared at Bale who nodded at me. My gaze swung back to the roster. Two days a person and I was behind 2,641 people. In my shock, I was able to process that it would take over 10 years for me to go back home. For over a decade, I would be a woman in a place where succubi wanted me to fuel their magic through sex. But wait, if I had sex I wouldn't be able to get my body back!

Rage swept away the numbness brought on by surprise. An immediate seething fury filled me, it coiled around the building pressure of whatever made me a catalyst. It felt like the building was starting to shake as the anger boiled over. My hands balled into fists while I started to see red.

"Over ten years?" I snapped out whirling to face Bale who rapidly backed away, her hands out with her palms up defensively.

"Ten years of being stalked by demons! Ten years of being here, like this?" I nearly screamed pointing at myself.

"No brah! Not so long," said Emmet talking quickly, in a rush to explain. "Girls are always dropping off the roster as they shack up with the succubi. If we want to bond, we set the terms and a lot take the offer."