The Clan Wars Pt. 20

"Dayna?" said Bann, opening his eyes, his cock flexing weakly in her jizz packed rectum.

"Bann?" said Dayna, exhausted. She turned her head to look back at the youth who had just used her ass so thoroughly.

Bann pulled his deflating cock out of Dayna's asshole and staggered backwards. Cum oozed from the mage's gaping hole, pouring down her legs. Panting heavily, Dayna groggily turned over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Wha... what's happening?" babbled the confused northman.

He stumbled forward. Dayna jumped to her feet, grabbing the dazed young man by the shoulders as he collapsed and guiding him onto the bed.

The next morning found Bann sitting up in bed. Hedda sat at the foot watching as her clanmate powered through a plate of sausages and eggs while filling him in on the happenings since the fight in the tower. Dayna sat on a chair by the window, nearby. All the young barbarian's comrades had stopped by at some point that morning - Mila had given him a hearty embrace, almost smothering the lad with her bountiful bosom, while Alagar licked his hand and wagged his tail, almost knocking over a table in the process (the warg filled the small infirmary room to a ridiculous extent). Cress had lavished him with attention, hugs and a rather disjointed and rambling version of the past two weeks' events - Hedda was attempting to clarify the story at that very moment. Frieda and Pointer had dropped in to visit as well, wishing him well and giving him a firm handshake, respectively. Even Gomp had given the youth a not quite curmudgeonly nod when he had ambled in to see what the fuss was about.

"...so that's what's happened over the past two weeks," finished Hedda, wrapping up her summary.

She had told Bann of Jon's funeral pyre, and had shown him the small, lead sealed pouch that contained their friend's ashes. She had told him of how the fighting had ceased upon the disappearance of the demonic invaders, about how the warhost had retreated outside the city walls, their bloodlust more than quashed by the demonic invasion they had helped trigger and that had subsequently decimated their ranks. She went on to tell him about the arrival of reinforcements from the other Free Cities, who were helping to restore order, and the arrival of the Redtooth clan, who were helping to confuse matters, and the arrival of Queen Lisbet and her attempts to broker a lasting peace.

"I miss him already," said Hedda softly, thinking of Jon after the two had sat in silence a moment..

"He was..." Bann's voice caught in his throat. He swallowed. "He was a good friend."

"When you're well enough to travel," said the blonde warrior, "we should take him home."

"That'd be nice," agreed Bann. "I feel like it's been a year since I saw the valley."

"Um," Dayna cleared her throat, "about that..."

"What?" said Bann. "I feel great - if I knew where you guys had hidden my clothes I'd be out of bed already."

"I'd still like to know what that is," said Dayna, tapping her chest and giving Bann a pointed look. "I'm not sure you should be away from the university's resources until we've a better idea about what happened to you."

The northman looked down at the peculiar white circle on his chest. It gave him no discomfort, but just thinking of the strange mark drew his mind back to the bizarre dream he had experienced while he had been unconscious.

"She's got a point,"agreed Hedda. "We should probably stick around a while longer while we figure out what happened. Besides, I'm sure Jon wouldn't mind taking a bit longer out in the world before heading home."

"It's true," said Bann, nodding. "If he were here he'd be out questing to find the strongest drink this city made."

"Or trying to chase down the local girls," laughed Hedda. She put on her best Jon voice; "Know why we have to wear kilts up north, lass?"

Bann snorted at his friend's terrible impression. "Cos it's too big for pants!"

Meanwhile, deep below the infirmary, Mila and Pointer were being led through the university vaults by a robed acolyte.

"You're telling me she's different?" said the orc to the mage guiding them. "Different how?"

"Well, she wasn't talking before, when you brought her in - barely moving at all, really, unless you pushed or pulled her," explained the brown robed wizard. "Then, suddenly, in the middle of the night, bam! She's up and pacing around and babbling all sorts of crazy."

The mage unlocked a heavy, iron door and led the elf and orc into the small chamber beyond it. There was a table and a few chairs in the centre of the circular room. Two more brown robed acolytes were seated at the wooden table. Barred cells occupied the walls of the small gaol, all empty, but for one.

"Where is she where is the master so close so far where is she come to me," Kalliya murmured ceaselessly as she paced to and fro in her prison. A plain metal collar with a small blue gem set within it was fastened around her neck - Dayna had explained to Mila that it was a magic dampening device.

"I think she's lost the plot completely," said the acolyte, watching the dusky-skinned mage ramble and pace. "Might've been kinder to hand her over to the clans and let them take her head off."

Mila and Pointer walked over to the bars and watched the addled sorcerer that had so recently caused them so much grief. Kalliya didn't seem to notice them.

"Sounds like she's talking about Gaermeon," grunted Mila to Pointer. She raised her voice and spoke to Kalliya directly, "Your demon's dead, asshole. She won't coming to save you any time soon."

Kalliya's head snapped up and she looked wild-eyed at the orc. "Not dead so close bring her here!"

Pointer sighed. Mila put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe Dayna will be able to figure this out," said the greenskin. "C'mon, let's go see if there's a bar left standing somewhere in this city and you can tell me what it is you need this crazy wizard to tell you."

They eventually found a tavern that was mostly intact. An elven barkeep was on a ladder outside, pulling arrows out of the wood frame of a window. Upon Mila's query, he climbed down and opened the door for the rogue and fighter.

"It'll have to be wine, I'm afraid," said the apron clad elf. "Someone, or something, I suppose, staved in all my ale kegs and drank all the other stuff."

Mila glanced at Pointer, who grinned. "That's fine by him, I see," she shrugged. "Wine'll have to do."

The barman bade them to have a seat and brought over two tankards. He filled them from an amphora. "No glasses seemed to have survived," he said apologetically. "Hope that's alright?"

"I'm not picky," smiled Mila, peering into the large mug. Pointer gave the proprietor a friendly nod. "Leave the jug," added the orc, reaching for her purse.

"On the house," objected the elf, waving off Mila's attempt to pay. "I've heard about you and what you did for the city."

After the barkeep had retreated, Mila grinned at Pointer. "Perks of being a hero seem pretty good," she chuckled. "Alright, get writing, Mr Mysterious."

This could take some time, signed Pointer, his fingers flickering.

"We've got a jug of free booze," shrugged Mila. "I've got the time."

Pointer cocked his head at his orc companion and pulled out his slate and chalk. He began to write.

The tale he spun was fantastic. The elf described how he and his sister had been smuggled from the city as the empire had collapsed around them. He wrote of his itinerant existence, he and his sister travelling the roads of the fallen empire, making their way by wit and wile, often using their aristocratic upbringing to pass as bards until they fell in with a troupe of actors from whom he had learned the ways of a thief and his sister had first discovered her magical aptitude. After years on the road, the troupe eventually dissolved and he had followed his sister to Ceres Bay where she had apprenticed to an enchanter and he had joined a small smuggling outfit. He tapped his boots, describing how his sister had enchanted them for him - one of her first creations.

As they reached the bottom of the wine jug, he told the orc of the underworld war that had resulted in the destruction of the smuggling ring he had managed to rise to a role of leadership within. Mila noticed a flash of sorrow flit across Pointer's handsome features as he continued - the rival organisation had captured him and tortured him ceaselessly, finally cutting out his tongue when they realised he wouldn't inform on his contacts. After years as their prisoner, he had escaped his bonds and had slaughtered his way through the organization's ranks until they were all dead by his hand. He then sought out his sister, only to discover she had been kidnapped by the same group while they had tortured him. For many more years he worked as a contract thief and killer, becoming infamous for his abilities, but never giving up on his search for any clues as to his sibling's fate, but finding no sign until, in a tavern in Ceres, he had been put in contact with Kalliya.

The mage had sung a snippet of a song that only he and his sister knew - an old melody that the two had created new words to while they had travelled together. On the promise of further information upon the successful theft of the Omnigarch Stone, Kalliya had obtained his services, only to betray him.

"Damn," whispered Mila, downing the last of her cup. "I'm sorry, mate."

Pointer gave her a nod of thanks and drained his own tankard.

"Well, that settles it, then," said Mila, her mouth set with steely determination. "We get Kalliya to talk, whatever it takes."

As the city's shadows grew long in the late afternoon light, the orc and the elf got unsteadily to their feet and, leaning on each other for support, stumbled out into the darkening streets.

Epilogue - Bann

Bann stood on Dayna's balcony, looking out over the city of Drasich as the sun turned orange and the day slouched into evening. The young warrior idly ran his hand over his chest.

"I almost had it, you irksome shit."

A woman's voice broke his contemplative silence. Bann spun around, but the room behind him was deserted. Dayna was out visiting Trellis - the beholder, as the most senior member of the university faculty left alive, had been made arch-mage by default and was dealing with the monumental problem of trying to get the college back into working order. Hedda was off with Frieda and Cress, observing the negotiations between the clan leaders and the Free City representatives.

"Who said that?" growled Bann.

"Me," said the voice. It seemed to be coming from within the confines of his own head.

"...Gaermeon?"

"Of course, fool," replied the demon.

"What are you doing in my head?" stammered Bann.

"Well, if you hadn't trapped me here, this wouldn't be an issue, you idiot peasant," complained Gaermeon.

Bann wondered if he was going crazy.

"You're not losing your mind, not that you had much of one to begin with," snapped the voice in his head.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"I'm... I'm going to make you murder your asshole friends and take over the world!"

Bann stood in silence for a moment, turning the demon's words over in his head.

"You can't actually do that, can you?" he said, finally.

"Of course I can!" snarled the succubus.

The northman closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest. The darkness behind his eyelids shifted imperceptibly to become the dark void he had found himself in during his time unconscious. Standing before him, resplendent in her overripe, purple-skinned, naked glory was Gaermeon. Bann realised he was naked as well. The demon appeared startled at Bann's sudden appearance.

The boy stepped towards the demon, who backed up. Thanks to the warped space they were currently standing in, however, the succubus was unable to retreat from Bann's approach.

"What... what are you going to do?" said the demon, concern heavy in her voice.

Gaermeon was clearly worried and watched Bann anxiously, but the lad noticed that the hellspawn seemed to be radiating arousal, despite her consternation. The purple creature's pierced nipples stood painfully erect on her gargantuan tits and the large phallus she sported pulsed and inflated. Behind her balls, he saw a thin, glistening strand of fem-lube ooze to dangle obscenely from her concealed pussy-lips.

"You can't really do anything from in here," he stated.

He realised, just as she seemed to be able to read what he was thinking, he was also inside her head. He could feel her seething anger at him and her frustration at her circumstances, but he could also feel her roiling lust.

He cocked his head, eyes locked to the succubi's gaze. She stared back at him, her expression smoldering with a combination of desire and indignation. A peculiar sensation tickled his brain and the demon's skin suddenly flickered to red, then green and then back to purple. Bann's eyes widened as realised he could exert control over the demon's shape-shifting abilities.

"Hmph," grumbled Gaermeon. "I suppose you think this is funny?"

Wondering precisely how much control he had over the creature's form, Bann levelled a shrewd gaze at her. Gaermeon's oversized cock and balls suddenly disappeared, replaced with a smooth mons and revealing her dripping cunny.

"Hey! I liked that toy!" objected the succubus bitterly. She pouted and glared at Bann, who boldly returned her stare. "Fine!" she spat. "I'm stuck in here and at your mercy. What do you want, boy?"

"Nothing, to be honest," shrugged Bann. "You're the one who let me know that you were even in here by insulting me. What do you want?"

The demon looked at her feet, kicking the ground with annoyance before raising her head once more and looking at Bann, shamefaced.

"I'm hungry," she finally mumbled, pouting, her eyes locked to Bann's groin.

Bann looked down at his swollen penis and realised what the demon was asking for.^