Stolen Ch. 03

Before heading to the Lounge to meet Emmet and Bale, I needed some coffee or at least the kaw substitute. It didn't take long to get to the vendor who sold it. She recognized me and happily poured me a mug while I struggled to figure out what coins to pay her with. Kaw was one tetrobol, which could be its own coin or two diobol or four obols, or some unholy mix of new combinations.

Thankfully, she was patient as I muddled my way through the currency and soon was seated at the counter, trying not to breathe in the smell of kaw while savoring it's bitter coffee flavor. I enjoyed the taste while watching the ebb and flow of succubi as they passed the stall at the intersection. It all seemed so normal, the pedestrian traffic, the colors of the clothing they wore, and the snippets of conversation.

Despite their appearance of being winged and horned demonic creatures, they were surprisingly human. Some strode head down full of purpose and others walked in a leisurely fashion. In pairs or small groups, the lilim gossiped and griped about normal problems. I overheard succubi bitching about their bosses to teasing each other over mistakes. For creatures that needed sex to live, they spent a large amount of time engaged in the normal tasks for a city to function.

After I finished the kaw, I waved goodbye to the vendor and headed to the Lounge. It wasn't far from the intersection the merchant had her stall at. I could feel a lot of attention from the passing succubi. Their reactions to the lack of a collar around my neck brought surprised looks and quite a few friendly smiles that hinted at other things.

My pace sped up, every time a lilim would give me that speculative smile I'd remember the blonde factotum being bound and bred. That blissful smile she had on her face while the lilim emptied herself into her just wouldn't go away. Being able to see the bond happen, to see the flows of magic that wrapped themselves around the woman's neck while seemingly appearing to come from the succubus's heart, had set my own racing.

Just shy of running, I entered the Lounge and paused to look around. There were very few succubi in the courtyard or first floor of the building. The numbers of women looked to be about the same as the previous day. Most were gossiping as they ate.

It didn't take long to find the girls, they were on the roof at the same table as before. Bale was still rocking the sexy librarian look with a tight white button up long sleeved shirt and knee length black skirt. Emmet was wearing a blue half shirt that left her tan abdomen bare, paired with a white skirt that almost covered half her thighs. Bale still had her brown hair in the tight ponytail while Emmet had her blonde hair falling forward over a shoulder in a loose braid.

I waved over at them before making my way to the bar. The succubus working, a pretty one with dusky skin and black hair crushed my hopes of getting another cup of kaw. She pushed a drink of warm spiced wine forward that she called torpon and sent me on my way. Bemused, I wove my way through the tables over to the girls.

Both smiled sleepily at me as I sat down and set the heated wine on the table. The construction on the plaza must've got them up at the same time. Emmet looked pale and slightly hung over. Neither spoke as they ate toasted bread with sides of cheese and fruit. I kept quiet out of guilt; it was my tantrum that had caused the damage that was being repaired.

While they ate, I had a sip of the mulled wine and started choking. I had expected something with wine in the name to taste like wine. The mulled wine was very fruity but hot with a sweet and spicy aftertaste. It didn't mix well with the bitter taste from the kaw I had earlier.

"Are you okay?" asked Bale.

I nodded while coughing to clear my throat, wiping at the tears squeezed from the corners of my eyes. Emmet stirred enough to see what was going on.

"Go down the wrong pipe?"

"No," I managed to say. "Just tastes weird. It's not what I expected."

Bale looked puzzled and asked, "What tastes weird about it?"

She took a drink of hers and said, "It tastes fine."

"Never had mulled wine before," I said while patting my chest with a palm. "I wasn't prepared for all the sweetness."

"You haven't had mulled wine before? What did you drink to help wake up?"

"Coffee," I answered. "We drink coffee or tea or other drinks that give us an energy boost to face the day."

They looked puzzled and Emmet said, "We have tea but I've never heard of coffee."

Emmet looked questioningly at Bale who shook her head. I waved dismissively while I caught my breath.

"Found out yesterday that there is no coffee here but there is something that tastes like it. They call it kaw and it looks like muddy puddle water and smells like dirty sweaty feet. It does taste like coffee and it works. Lots of caffeine."

Bale nodded and finished her wine and Emmet shrugged before doing the same. I pushed the cup of mulled wine away from myself and waited for them to finish breakfast. Once they were done, we left the Lounge and turned into the street.

I followed them around a turn and down a wider avenue that followed the curve of a hill. Emmet walked while yawning while Bale started to explain some of the goods that were sold in the market in some of the fixed shops. Trade between the city-state of Naamah and many other worlds meant a steady influx of new and unique goods.

Traffic on the path was brisk with narrow carts pulled by small horses rumbling down the avenue. I was delighted to see a familiar animal doing an ordinary task. The horses were little bigger than ponies, but had shiny coats and looked to be well treated. The carts themselves were thin and featured tall wheels bound in metal frames. After some time we arrived at our destination.

We entered the market and stepped to the side next to a stall. The girls watched me take in the view with smiles. The Old Market spanned several hundred feet with long rows of stone and wood stands selling all manner of items. Some of the market stalls had stone roofs but the majority that I could see was covered in bright canvas. The colors seemed brighter next to the dull basalt the market was paved in.

The market itself bustled with activity. Succubi leading carts kept to the outer edges of the bazaar. A large crowd filled the market; many were carrying packages while others browsed at a leisurely pace. All of them were lilim; there were no other humans.

A large wall ringed the market with gates inset in the facade. Against both far corners were massive iron grates set into the ground. The walls, gates and grates looked old, making me think that the city had long since grown around them. Set against the dull black of the stone wall were more permanent shops, built flush against the facade of the obsolete barriers.

"Where do you recommend we go first," I asked excitedly. Exploring the offerings of the Old Market sounded fun. It promised to be more entertaining than listening to construction or drinking mulled wine.

"Well, is there anything you wanted in particular?" asked Bale as she smiled at my reaction.

"Ooh, a watch like what you have. And a portable mug or drinking container so I can always carry kopi or kaw around with me. And books, any books about here and magic and the bond. Wait, how much was the watch? I did spend five dekas yesterday."

Emmet had woken up enough to chuckle at my enthusiasm while Bale answered, "It's about a deka. There will be plenty of travel cups for you to choose from. Books can be found here but the subjects may be limited."

Emmet gave one more yawn then gestured to the middle of the market. "The watchmakers congregate around the middle."

"Wait," called out Emmet as I eagerly headed into the crowd.

They caught up while laughing and they pointed out interesting items as we threaded through the throng. Some merchants were selling custom leather clothing, while others sold items made from leather for intimate activities. Quite a few vendors were selling objects of a sexual nature ranging from bondage gear to custom dildos crafted from various materials. None of them were made with plastic or rubber.

For the moment, I was surprised at the number and types of sexual aids for sale in the open. I'd been in shops selling such items before, but to see it in the open and accepted as normal still came as a bit of a shock. No matter how many times I remembered that I was in a hell populated by beings who lived on sex, it still managed to startle me.

The girls giggled at my reaction before leading me deeper into the bazaar. Quite a few merchants were selling jewelry, silks, small statuettes, and other trinkets. Some showed off imported weapons and armor crafted from a mix of leather and steel. As we got closer to the center of the market, more and more items made of clockwork and gears were being offered for sale.

I was wondering if they were going to lead me to a vendor selling clockwork mechanically powered vibrators when they stopped. Bale gestured at the gray slate-sheathed stone stall in front of her. A number of pocket watches were displayed under glass panels set on red velvet. The succubus running the stand was pleased to see Bale and was happy to show me the different varieties she had on offer.

Bale gave me advice while Emmet played with a mechanical statue at the neighboring stall. I settled on a plain silver timepiece in the shape of a heart. The inside of the cover had a horned skull carved into the surface. Engraved with black roman numerals, the face of the watch was a polished steel surface. I let Bale haggle for a bit before I paid one of my dwindling numbers of dekas for the timepiece.

As I slipped the pocket watch into my stipend pouch there was a deep booming noise followed by the tortured scream of sundering iron. The sound filled the market and silenced the multitude of shoppers and merchants. A second deep booming rang out accompanied by the sound of breaking stone and falling metal.

Screaming started near where I thought the sound had originated. Succubi near us were standing on their toes, trying to see what was going on. Emmet quickly walked to us with a worried look on her face. I glanced at the girls and the merchant trying to figure out what was going on. I was way too short to try and peer over the much taller lilim standing around.

"You think this is an incursion?" asked Emmet with wide eyes as she nervously looked about.

Bale looked scared and didn't respond. She looked rooted to the spot. The merchant who I had just bought the timepiece from jerked at Emmet's question. The frightened look on her face didn't reassure me. She started to frantically close the display stands containing her watches.

"You girls need to go. Run back to your residencies and stay near the city guard," she said as she hurriedly packed up her goods.

Whatever was going on it was time to go. I grabbed Bale by the arm and pulled her along. Emmet twitched then followed walking close to my side.

"Incursion as in invasion or raid?" I asked dragging the frightened brunette.

Emmet shook her head in apprehension and said, "Not sure. I've heard that the shedim sometimes find their way into the city and snatch a bunch of succubi before escaping. Could be one of the other cities they're fighting with."

"First time this has happened while you've been here?" I asked.

Emmet shook her head again and started to look afraid. In a trembling voice, she said, "There've been other incursions but never so far away from the outer wall."

The way back out of the market was packed with surprised succubi. Many were standing still trying to see what was going on. Others were trying to push their way through the growing crowd. Horses pulling carts started to prance around in a panic, further clogging the area.

I pulled the trembling brunette through the throng and Emmet followed closely. Succubi near us started to scream. Many took to the sky, bounding up with powerful flaps of their wings and landed on the rooftops of nearby stalls and shops before jumping and gliding towards the avenue out.

Some had a glowing aura about them as they soared effortlessly up into the sky. Others jumped into the air only to collide with another lilim and fall. Succubi fell through roofs that collapsed under their weight. Many were pulled down by other panicking lilim in an effort to clear space for their own attempts at flight.

Gusts of wind from lilim wings flipped up my skirt and kicked rocks and stones into our faces. A stone struck Bale in the head and nearly knocked her down. I pulled her to me and covered her eyes as the flapping of fleeing lilim continued. Screams and cries filled the area as the panicking mob rushed to escape the area. The crashing sounds of breaking carts added to the chaos as the horses broke and fled, trampling those between them and freedom.

Emmet grabbed me by a shoulder and helped guide us through the debris-laden gales. When I could blink my eyes open, most succubi were gone, bounding over the rooftops of the permanent shops against the old walls. Some were struggling to their feet while sporting injuries while others climbed out of stalls whose ceilings had collapsed under their feet.

Screams of fear and pain came from the market behind us drawing near. Whatever it was that had panicked the lilim was coming closer.

I swore and pushed Bale into Emmet's arms. "Go!"

The surprise I had felt at all the succubi running was giving way to anger. They had left us to save themselves from whatever was coming. I was pissed that in their rush to flee they had hurt Bale. Grime their wings had kicked up into my eyes had caused them to sting and water.

I was getting furious and the pressure within me had surged to life. Mingled in the rage was fear. Succubi were taller, stronger and could use magic. Whatever caused them to run in terror was going to have an easy time with three human women.

Blinking my eyes clear of grit, I took stock of my surroundings. The ground was littered with small rocks and fist-sized stones. Clothes, packages, and shoes lay scattered around, cast aside in panicked flight. The merchant stalls were vacant with wares for sale left unattended. Stragglers too injured to fly or jump into the air were hurriedly staggering in the direction of the market's exit.

There was a crunch of stone, accompanied by the tapping sound of claws striking a paved surface when the creature trotted out from behind a stall. It stood on four legs, the rear being powerful squat limbs rippling with muscle. A short tail protruded from its rear, solid with muscle and as thick as its torso before tapering to a clubbed end. Its body was narrow, like that of a hunting cat, but solid with flesh and covered in bony plates. The thing was longer than the shops, at least eight feet long from nose to tail.

The forelimbs of the monster were shorter than its rear legs and ended in three toes tipped with solid black claws. Limbs rose from the tops of its front shoulders, slender and narrow; they swept back almost its full body length. The appendages looked like plucked wings missing feathers and membranes. The tips of the extremity resembled spear points and were the same solid black as its forelimb claws.

A third set of limbs extruded from the side of the bulging muscles of its front shoulders. These were pale pink, the color of a fresh scar, withered looking and ended in the hands of a person. The fingers twitched and curled with each movement of the creature's body.

The front of the monster swung towards me on a short neck covered in thick scales. The head was wide and looked heavy. The face looked strangely human, only stretched wide as if covering a drum. Its bulging eyes were that of a person, forward facing and full of awareness. Strips of hair dotted the top of its head and its mouth was a gaping maw, full of long sharp teeth in orderly rows, like that of a shark.

It was covered in sickly pale flesh like a corpse where it lacked scales and bony plates. The creature had paused when it had spotted me. When my eyes met its own, it lunged forward at a run. The spear tipped limbs on the top of its shoulders flipped over and faced forward, like a praying mantis ready to strike.

I had been frozen when it had trotted into view, transfixed by its nightmarish appearance and the horror of its face. The moment it moved the trance broke and I struck out with the coiled power within me. I didn't lash out directly at the creature, I lashed out at a fist-sized stone. My hand whipped forward in a gesture at the charging beast and the magic power inside me surged.

All I could think about was how nice it would be to hit it with a high explosive missile. Time slowed to a crawl while thoughts skittered across my awareness. I knew a small bit about missiles. They were basically copper needles with shaped charges stuffed behind the point. The tip was just the single point of contact the kinetic energy from the explosion would be focused behind.

The stone I had focused on shot forward with a bang sounding like a gunshot, its speed breaking the sound barrier as it hurtled into the monster. Somehow, I knew that I had stuffed that rock with kinetic energy and had shaped it behind the pointy tip of the stone. The rock hit the beast below its chin, impacting against parts of its neck and chest.

There was a short burst of sound as the explosion from the improvised magical missile penetrated the creature. A bright red spray surged out of the impact area followed by ropey chunks of flesh being shredded by the release of energy. Its torso tore under the force of the blast and it split apart with a meaty tear. The bulk of its body tumbled into a stop, the forward momentum stunted by the force of the burst.

Time seemed to resume its normal movement and I felt exhaustion pull at me. It felt like I had run up half a dozen flights of stairs as fast as I could. I was surprised and stared at my hand in wonder. The magic had worked the way I wanted with no involved imagining or focus. With just a gesture and the willed desire behind the gesture, I had done magic with just the barest thought and intent. It was much easier than I had supposed.

The body of the creature twitched and shuddered as its internals surged out. Just as I had known that I had infused the stone with kinetic force, I knew I had put too much power into the strike. The speed the stone had traveled at may have been enough to seriously hurt or kill the monster with just a little bit of added power.

A succubus limped from around the opposite corner the beast had come. She was frantic, her face frozen in wide-eyed terror, as she staggered towards me closing the yards between us. Another creature, identical to the first, pursued her around the edge of the stall. One of its spear-like appendages darted forward and knocked the lilim off her feet. She fell on her face, sliding forward a few paces, before the monster pounced on her. Its spear tipped upper appendages jabbed down, pinning her wings to the masonry.

She screamed in pain, fear and despair under the beast. I focused the roiling power in me on another large rock and gestured. Sounding like the crack from a snapped bullwhip, the stone hurtled forward and into the creature's twisting flank. This time, I used just the force required to send the stone at it faster than the speed of sound. The impact was much quieter with no accompanying explosion.

It flinched from the strike as the stone pierced its body. The spear limbs released the lilim and it focused its gaze on me.

"Oops."

A fast throw wasn't going to put them down after all. I need to use more power. Just propelling the rock that quickly was almost easy compared to the first. The amount of magic was significantly less. I had barely felt the drain.