War of Lust

The battlefield resounded with cries of pleasure.

His breath coming harsh and ragged, it was all Simon could do to throw himself behind cover. One wall of a barn had collapsed against the adjacent house, leaving a triangular space between them. Judging from the burn marks, the barn had been destroyed by simple fire magic, not some orgasmic spell, so it was probably safe enough.

Moments after he leapt inside, he felt the wave of sexual energy shudder over the earth. It swept past everything, but just like Wendis had said, it followed the contours of the land. Hidden between the buildings, most of it rolled past him. A few wisps might have gotten inside, clouding his mind with thoughts of lust, but that could have been the impact of the battle itself.

Simon bit his lip until he could taste blood. He knew some veterans who could push aside the lust with a few deep breaths, but he'd never been able to manage it. As soon as he felt clear-headed, he got back up and crouched beside the entrance to his hiding place. He could still hear a few whimpers and the sounds of the enemy taking their pleasure, but they wouldn't be able to build up a wave like that any time soon.

Simon emerged, doing his best to relax his body. It wasn't just the tension of the battle, it was the aching sexual need that the succubi produced in their enemies. His cock was rock hard in his pants, desperate for relief. If he didn't watch himself, he'd end up doing something embarrassing... and fatal.

At times like these, he could almost understand how some soldiers decided to throw down their weapons and surrender into the arms of the Incubus King's hordes. It was certainly an easier death than being killed by orcs or even worse creatures. Simon squared his shoulders and reminded himself of how much had been lost. He just had to make it through until he could get back to Wendis.

The thought of his wife brought a smile to his face, but not for long. Amid all the other cries, Simon realized there was one that was more discomfort than pleasure. And it was close. He quickly scanned the ruined village until he spotted the source: three figures wearing light armor, slumped against the side of one building. They must have tried to leap out of the way of the sexual wave and still taken the majority of it.

In other words, they'd be prime targets for any succubi headed their way. Simon headed toward them, though he kept his sword out just in case it was a trap of some kind. While he didn't think any succubi had gotten this far, it never hurt to be cautious.

Once he got closer, he rubbed the ring on his left hand. Not his wedding ring, but the one beside it that Wendis had enchanted to detect illusions. When he was out in the field like this, it was hard to say which ring he valued more.

Since no illusions were detected, he could trust that the soldiers really were what they appeared to be. Sheathing his sword, Simon examined them. Three humans, all wearing light armor. It looked Aramite in design, but given how ragtag a lot of the new legions were, that might not mean anything. Simon shook all three to try to wake them up, but it looked like they were caught in the magic's grip.

One day, he really hoped someone figured out a way to break the grip of lust magic. Until then, he'd have to carry them back to relative safety. The higher-ups seemed to accept that battles with new soldiers would have heavy casualties, but Simon tried to save as many as possible. After this many years of war, they desperately needed more veterans.

Taking them one at a time was going to be difficult, especially since ground troops would be closing on their location. But as Simon started to heft the first soldier up, he was surprised to see one of the others begin to stir. As the unknown soldier tugged at helmet straps, Simon realized that it was a woman.

She tossed it aside and gasped for breath, trying to clear her head of the magic. It gave him an uncomfortably long amount of time to look at her. Like most Aramites, she had dark tan skin and straight dark hair, though she'd cut it into a bob around her head so she could wear a helmet. She was young and surprisingly attractive - or maybe that was just the lust magic talking.

Abruptly her gaze swung up at him and he saw pink light swirling there. She gave a soft moan and took a step toward him.

"What's your name, soldier?" Simon spoke as sharply as he could, bringing her up short. She stared at him a moment, then shook her head again. It seemed to clear her mind a little, but it also tousled her hair and that did not help Simon's desire any. He forced himself to keep staring in her eyes, needing the professional barrier between them as much as she did.

"Linda." She massaged her forehead with both hands. "I feel... Goddess, I've never felt like this."

"Stay focused, it will pass. My name is Simon. Where are you from, Linda?"

"Aram. Little northern province, nothing a foreigner would know... well, I guess it doesn't matter now. They took everyone there, made them into..." Her eyes fell as she remembered what had happened to northern Aram. He could see her beginning to waver and took that moment to grab the front of her armor and pull her up to meet his gaze.

"Remember what they did," he growled. "Focus on your sadness. Or anger. Or hatred. Just concentrate on some other emotion to keep the lust at bay."

Linda blinked rapidly, seeming to come back to herself. "You're... you're right. But the priestess said we shouldn't focus on hatred, that it would harm us too..."

"Fuck that. You're in a war, soldier - use whatever weapons you have at hand."

"I'll try. But I didn't expect it to be like this... I want to fuck so bad, I-"

"If you're feeling better, then help me carry the others." Simon gestured toward the two soldiers who remained stunned and immediately bent down to lift one. His movement pulled Linda into action as well, working with the other soldier. She only had to remove a little of the other soldier's armor before she was able to lift him, which spoke very well of her strength.

They began heading for the church while Simon eyed the horizon. He could see the advance parties of orcs coming now, but he was more worried about succubi who might swoop down at any moment. Though most of them were occupied with the orgy that had set off the lust wave, some might be left out or still have the presence of mind to keep up the attack. He couldn't relax yet.

Meanwhile, Linda obviously needed to keep talking. "I thought... I expected to feel magic hitting my mind, or something. But instead I just feel so hot... so desperate..." She swallowed and shifted her soldier uncomfortably. "This man... I barely even know him, didn't like what I learned of him in this battle, but... Goddess, I almost jumped on top of him."

"It might feel like you, but these feelings aren't yours. Stay focused." Simon tried to give her an encouraging smile, though he didn't feel it. It'd be so easy to throw her down, tear off her armor... "It isn't far now. The church is the best-defended point in town, so these men should be safe there."

"Then the feelings... they'll fade? After the battle?"

Simon winced and looked away. "No. Not easily, anyway."

"Then what?" She stared at him as if desperate for an answer and he did his best.

"The easiest way is to find a priestess, let them purge the energy. But they're busy these days, so you might have to deal with it yourself. Do what you have to do, just stay focused until the battle is over."

"Goddess, I feel so... I have to wait until the battle is over? Are you sur-"

"Careful," Simon said sharply. "If you let down your guard, you'll be defenseless when the next wave comes. And believe me, if a succubus gets to you then, that's it. Even if your body survives, you won't be yourself anymore. Never let yourself think it might be easier that way."

She nodded grimly and they walked in silence for a time. Simon felt a sense of relief when he finally saw the church ahead and sped up. Though he was tired from carrying the soldier, it was even worse holding it all in. He could carry on well enough on his own, but talking about sex with this young woman... well, he was glad she hadn't removed any of her own armor.

A priest and priestess were maintaining the barrier surrounding the church, and eyed them suspiciously when they approached. Simon had learned it was easier not to try to prove himself in battles like this, when everyone was so suspicious. Instead he set down the soldier he was carrying just outside the barrier.

"We're not asking for you to lower the barrier. Just purge these two until you're satisfied they're human. Linda here will defend them until you're done. Treat her too, and don't let her fall asleep."

"What?" Linda had been setting her soldier down, but now straightened abruptly. "Why are you leaving me here?"

"That was your first major lust blast, right?"

"Yes..."

"The first one is always the worst. Take as much time as you need to clear your head, prepare yourself for the next battle."

She didn't look happy, but she also didn't refuse. Simon doubted that he actually outranked her, considering he wasn't an officer and she was from a different country's army, but maybe she would follow his orders anyway. Hopefully it would keep her alive.

Plus, he really needed to get away from her. Simon headed back into the town and drew his sword again, getting ready for the coming assault parties and trying to clear his own head. Though he was still in control, there was a dangerously thin line between that and abandoning himself.

His entire body was burning with desire. He tried to focus on his wife, and without an attractive young woman beside him it was much easier. Wendis would be happy to greet him when he got back and they could relieve their stress together. Images of their bodies intertwined flashed through his mind, and though Simon knew he was partially succumbing to the lust in his mind, he let it happen. Anything to ease the tension.

The technique worked well enough, so long as no succubus ever figured out how to take advantage of it. Most just trusted their impossibly beautiful bodies to seduce men, but he could resist that. If one ever looked inside his mind and made herself look like Wendis, though, his defenses would probably crumble like dry leaves...

Abruptly Simon spotted a troop of monsters ahead, and their twisted bodies pushed most of the sexual thoughts from his mind. Killing would make things a little easier, though he wouldn't be able to throw himself into battle the way many warriors did. He didn't know where they got such superhuman strength, but he clearly lacked something they had.

That didn't mean he was useless, however. Simon moved in the path of the orcs enough for them to spot him, but then retreated in the doorway of a house. The monsters came at him mindlessly, not considering how effective a choke point he was occupying. One on one, Simon could cut down the monsters as they came.

If they were smart, they'd move archers into position and drive him back, but instead the horde split around the building. Simon kept hacking at the ones who came through the door, ignoring the burning in his arms. They were stumbling over the corpses in the doorway now, making them easy targets, but he was also getting tired. One mistake and he might be dead.

Eventually, though, the stream of monsters ended. Simon dropped down to one knee and tried to catch his breath. He hadn't stopped the troop, but he'd split them in half and killed at least some of them. That was about as much as one man could do, on a battlefield like this. As soon as he felt able, he wiped his sword off and pulled himself to his feet.

"Th-thank you, mister." A soft female voice emerged from deeper in the house. Simon looked up and saw a young woman there, staring at the corpses with fearful eyes even as she came closer. She wore only a simple white shift, which clung to her shapely breasts and swished around her thighs. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus on tactics.

"Why are you still here? You should be a-" Simon felt the ring on his finger burn and realized the answer to his own question, but it was too late.

The woman lunged forward with inhuman speed, her illusion tearing away. By the time she collided with him, her form had twisted into the succubus she truly was. Simon was slammed back to the floor, but he barely felt the impact - it was nothing compared to the succubus landing on top of his hips, her pussy rubbing against his crotch.

For a moment he could only stare up at her, eyes drinking in her beauty. She looked like a woman, but no woman's body screamed to be fucked like this. Except if he gave in, she'd suck out his soul and leave behind nothing but a husk. Simon started struggling, but the strength was already leaving his limbs.

"Ooh, you're strong! You're going to taste great!" The succubus smiled down at him lasciviously, wiggling her hips from side to side. "I should really eat you right away, but I feel kind of bad killing you after you fought so hard. So... how about I let you die happy?"

Not waiting for an answer, she began to slither down his body, her curves swaying enticingly. She tore off the plate that guarded his crotch easily and pawed at his pants, finding his cock achingly hard. Grinning, she licked the outside of his pants, and even that made Simon groan.

"Not bad, for a human. Now, let's see what you have for me..."

He had a knife. Simon slammed it straight into that gorgeous pale throat before he could stop himself, then collapsed onto his side, panting for breath. The succubus dropped to the floor lifelessly, sexual magic dying around her but leaving him aching even worse.

It had taken all his focus to overcome her control and yank the knife from its hidden location. He had barely even noticed that she had gotten his cock out of his pants. In a few more seconds she would have gotten him into her mouth, and though it would have been heavenly, that might have killed him. Once he had resisted a blowjob from a succubus, but he'd barely kept his sanity, and that hadn't been after such a long time away from Wendis.

Getting his cock back into his pants was painful, with it still so hard. The lower plate of his armor was ruined, but thankfully she hadn't destroyed his pants. Simon stood back up and tried to shake the stiffness out of his joints. There was nothing he could do about the stiffness of his cock, of course.

He found himself staring down at the succubus. Even dead and without her magic, she was incredibly beautiful. Part of his mind insisted that it wouldn't hurt to fuck her now, use her body to relieve some tension. He knew it would be a fatal mistake and yet part of him still considered at least getting his cock between those incredible tits of hers.

Instead, Simon focused on the pool of blood by her neck. He recovered his sword, then gave her corpse an awkward salute. Whatever her methods, she was an enemy combatant who had nearly killed him. Though he wasn't sure if that really deserved respect, that was all he had to cling to with the lust burning so hot in his mind.

When he emerged from the house, however, Simon realized that he had bigger problems. The main army might not be advancing on the town, but there were orcs everywhere now, trying to scavenge. They looked scrawny, and would have been nothing to a disciplined regiment, but alone and tired? He could very well die on a rusted orc spear.

"Human die!"

Without the mindlessly shouted warning, Simon wasn't sure if he would have jumped in time. As it was, he only barely threw himself out of the way of the axe that whirled overhead and embedded itself in the wall of the house. A huge orc was stomping toward him - it had stupidly thrown its axe, but it looked like it could tear him apart with its bare hands.

Holding his sword at ready, Simon went perfectly still. He waited until the orc got in range, then uncoiled in a flashing motion. His slash opened a long wound on the orc's chest, but it ignored the blood. Instead it kept charging, grabbing ahold of him and driving him to the ground. Laughing, it grabbed for his skull, claw-like fingernails going for his eyes.

Simon's sword went through the orc's stomach. It grunted in surprise, and that gave him enough time to disembowel the orc. After fighting enough of the big ones, Simon had learned that he couldn't count on killing them in one blow, he just didn't have the strength. But they usually let down their guard after they staggered him, and then he could land a fatal blow.

He stood up and tried to wipe himself off. It showed just how much the lust was starting to affect him that even the orc's guts didn't soften his cock. If he didn't g-

No, he had bigger problems. The sound of the fight had drawn several more orcs. Small, but they were coming at him from several sides. There was just no way he could kill them all, not in his current condition. If he accepted that he was going to take a mortal injury, maybe he could take one out in the first exchange, then turn on the others, but...

Without warning, one of the orcs fell in a shower of blood. Behind it, Simon saw Linda lunge forward through the spray. She had cut down the next orc before it realized she was there, her blade severing its arm and going deep into its side. Yet she was able to yank it out easily, whirling underneath the next orc's attack and slicing through his chest on the way up.

As Linda slaughtered the remaining orcs, Simon realized that he'd misjudged her. She might be an amateur dealing with sexual magic, but she'd fought before. Whatever warrior's talent he utterly lacked, she had it in spades. Fortunately, she finished off the orcs before he could stare.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm uninjured. Thank you." He averted his gaze so that he couldn't see her catching her breath. It was all too easy to imagine her out of breath underneath him, or on top of him, or... "You didn't go into the church?"

"I couldn't let you go off alone, could I?"

She stepped closer to him and Simon realized that he really should have been looking at her. Though she had thrown off the lust magic stunning her, some of it had worked its way in deep. The hunger in her eyes now was nothing natural. He took a step back and bit his lip again to keep himself focused. The coppery taste barely helped.

"Well, I'm grateful you saved me. But we need to get back soon, before we're overwhelmed."

"I... right." She nodded stiffly and moved after him, no doubt struggling with the lust magic on her own. Simon left her to that struggle and tried to focus on getting back. He'd mapped the town in his mind on his way here, but he had no idea what had happened in the meantime.

"Did the priestesses say anything about the counter-spell?"

"Uh, I didn't talk to them long after I made sure the others got inside. There's some kind of spell?"

"They've spread themselves too thin here, so the High Priestess wants to hit them back. Purity magic against their lust. But I have no idea when it will happen." He wasn't even sure if it would be today, but he desperately hoped that it would be soon. Not only did the spell mean that Wendis and the others had caught up, but he didn't think he could survive another battle like today's.

Fortunately, when they neared the town square, Simon finally spotted more soldiers. They had wiped out all the nearby orcs and were laughing - in fact, they were acting like the battle was won. Several succubi had been tied up in the town stocks and a few soldiers were lining up to use them. Simon immediately stopped and raised a hand in Linda's path.