Reaching God

"Why does he keep looking at me like that?"

.

Aryn turned his head to follow Aisha's gaze, locking onto Morgan, a girlish, short boy, clad in a leather adventuring jacket, various straps crossing his chest, as well as shin and knee pads.

.

"Because you are a heathen." Morgan spat quietly. "God said so himself. I heard him say it. You are a beast. A monster."

"Oh lord." Aisha mumbled, catching the glint of a cross on the boy's neck. "Not this shit again."

"Tell me it's not true!" Morgan demanded. "Do you not consume the souls of the innocent!? Tell me you don't live in a den of debauchery, engorging yourself on corrupted women - demons and sluts!"

.

Aisha just sighed, shaking her head, as she dropped her walking pace, making her way over to Aryn.

.

"Sorry." Aryn smiled. "He's… um…"

"Damn brainwashed church-dregs." Aisha muttered. "Annoying."

"He's pretty cute, though." Aryn giggled. "You know, last night, he was talking about you. Not positively, but… you're on his mind!"

.

"...What."

"You can't blame it on him." Aryn said, smiling gently.

"Blame what on him?" Aisha asked, baffled. "His choice to believe in this garbage?"

.

"It gives him hope." The blonde elf shrugged, kicking his legs up girlishly. "Can't blame him for hoping."

"Hope for what?"

.

"Can't you tell?" Aryn asked curiously.

"Tell what?"

"He's one of the humes… uh… lower rings. Grew up real poor… it's the reason he looks so boyish. His growth is stunted from malnutrition..."

"Maybe he's part-elf." Aisha said sarcastically.

.

Aryn shook his head. "Can't you have more sympathy for him? I've visited the lower rings… it's disgusting how humes can treat… well, each other. Left to just starve… to waste away in the rot of the capital."

"It's not my problem." Aisha mumbled.

"But can't you understand that maybe a god is all that they can hope for?" The blonde asked quietly.

.

"What does the false god have to do with it?" Aisha asked irritatedly. "I've never heard anything about him visiting the lower rings. His church is in the middle ring."

"He gives them hope." Aryn offered.

"How cruel of him." Aisha mumbled.

.

Aryn was silent for a bit, staring at Aisha through her black hood and mask, hiding everything. The way that the elf looked at her changed a bit.

"That's quite the bleak outlook, Aisha." Aryn shook his head.

"Hope is just a tool used to make people more miserable." Aisha said darkly. "Just empty promises."

.

"Mmh." Aryn affirmed unsurely.

.

.

.

"Alright." The merchant clapped his hands, wringing them slightly. Aisha's eyes locked onto them. "We're here. We spend two nights here, and then we meet back here at dawn. Okay?"

"Sure." Kayle nodded.

"Thank you, boys." The thin merchant smiled awkwardly. "You're doing a great job."

"Thank you!" Aryn smiled back.

.

The merchant exchanged a few more words with Kayle, while Aryn slung an arm around Morgan's shoulders, speaking in a hushed voice to the taller boy and leading him into the town. Aisha herself just walked off in the opposite direction, meandering about aimlessly, hot sun blazing on her entirely black-clad form.

.

Aisha sighed, sitting down on the curb of a sidewalk, watching as the townsfolk carefully avoided her, rushing around her like a stone in a river. Strangely enough, Aisha wasn't the only fey in the town. More than a few animal-eared men and women wandered the streets, and with a bit of hesitation, Aisha decided she was getting tired of the stuffy mask, sliding it off.

.

After a bit of waiting, Aisha's fingers twitched impatiently. What the hell was she going to do for a day and a half?

.

With reluctance, as she grumbled to herself, she resigned herself to trying to find some secluded corner to go train her abilities. It wasn't as if she hated training, but progress was frustratingly slow. Without a proper teacher, she had nothing to go off of, save for the ghost of Mihyang, yelling unhelpful things at her while she threw punches at Aisha's head.

Aisha's eyes narrowed, as she saw a crowd of people who were… walking slightly faster than normal, flushed expressions on their faces, all walking away from the same place. Aisha pushed aside a few people, before she suddenly caught the sound of what they were rushing away from.

.

It was moaning. Extremely pleasured moaning - mixed with the sounds of wet kisses, as well as the squelching of wet flesh on top of flesh, echoing lewdly from a single alleyway. Mixed in with the sounds of debauchery, were the sounds of giggles - Aisha heard three female voices, but heard only two sets of giggles.

.

Aisha knew that she should probably just walk on and leave the perverted voyeurs to their business, but filled with morbid curiosity, the little fey poked her head in, craning her neck to try and see what was going on, the sounds of sex echoing and assaulting her ears.

.

"N-no!" A meek, female voice whimpered. "P-ppuhhhlEEEEASSSE! No more! No mooooore! I can't-"

"But you're still so hardddd…" A bubbly voice whined. "That must mean you want it, right?"

"That's not how that works, Raffy." A third, more mature voice chided. "Just because she looks so cute, and she's moaning so deliciously… mmm… huhu… I… mmm… what was I talking about?"

"I think she's close." The bubbly voice panted. "I can feel her-"

.

Aisha quickly popped her head back out of the alley, covering her ears in an attempt to get the moaning out of her ears, and out of her head.

.

She could not get the scene out of her mind. Two of the women, tall and busty and beautiful, sat atop a fey woman, face contorted by pleasure, twisted into a fucked-stupid expression, big, dumb smile on her face. One of the assailants sat atop the fey's crotch, bouncing up and down, pleasuring herself, while the other held the fey's head in her lap, showering her with kisses and headpats and nuzzles-

.

Aisha had to get away, before - before she exploded. Aisha wasn't exactly a sexual woman, despite the people that she hung around with, but even she had a limit.

.

Even though she knew she shouldn't, she peeked back into the alleyway, and suddenly, her entire head was smothered by a pair of squishy, wet breasts. Aisha was thrown onto her ass, and began to stammer, blushing profusely as the woman looked down at her with glee.

.

"Oh." She giggled, wiping a swirling mixture of bodily fluids off her chest. "A voyeur."

"I-I-I-I- I- w-wasn't trying to peek! I-I- swear!" Aisha squeaked.

"Awww…" The tall woman licked her lips. "Its okay, puppy. It gets me excited when people… watch…"

"P-puppy?" Aisha whispered. "I-I'm- wait, where's the other-"

.

Suddenly, a warm, tranquilizing ecstasy flooded her body, and Aisha realized she had fallen into a trap, as an excited pair of hands cupped both her ears, stroking and kissing them lovingly.

.

"PUPPY!!!" A giggling girl cried. "ANOTHER PUPPY! SHE'S SO CUUUUTE!! GABI, CAN WE KEEP HER?"

"Raffy, no." The taller woman giggled, watching as the strength left Aisha's body. "We can't… keep the puppies. Unless they're bad."

.

"W-wuhh?" Aisha drooled dumbly, falling to her knees as sensation sent her mind into TV static. "I-I…"

"But she's so cute!" Raffy whined. "Who's a good girl? Who's a gooooood girl?"

"Me me…" Aisha mumbled reflexively, face going bright red as a curious hand shot down her pants, grabbing her pelvis.

"Aw… no cock on this one." Raffy pouted. "But so fluffy! So fluffy fluff fluff fluff-"

"I think she's already been trained." Gabi tilted her head curiously, as curious hands roamed Aisha's chest and stomach. "Haven't you?"

"U-uuhh… Aisha covered her face. "M-maybe…"

"Soooo cute." Gabi giggled. "Who was it? A big girl? Someone as cute as you? Another puppy?"

"Um-"

"It better not be a stinky man." Raffy pouted from behind her. "Like those big hume men. Ugh."

"N-no, it was… my mistress… wah…"

.

The insistent touching was beginning to fry Aisha's brain, turning it into mush. If there was anything the girl was weak to, it was hugs and kisses from a pretty, busty woman, and there were two of them right next to her, lavishing affectionate gestures onto her. Fuck, she was so horny, and she had gone so long without a good, proper pampering…

.

"Woof for me, puppy!" A soft voice giggled into Aisha's ears.

"A-ah…" Aisha blushed. "Wan!… wan…"

"SHE'S SO ADORABLE!" Raffy squealed, eyes lighting up with glee. "CAN WE KEEP HER? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!"

.

"Raffy…" The tall woman chided, licking her lips as Aisha leaned her cheek into her hand. "I… we can play with her for a while, but… oh. I mean… we have to ask the puppy what she wants first. That's right. Oh… we forgot to ask for the other one. Oops."

"Come play with us, puppy!" Raffy begged, squeezing the back of her head tight. "Please! I'll feed you, and give you treats, and as many headpats as you want! We can play sex if you want- anything anything anything!"

.

The danger sensors in her brain were shooting off signals in her head, and Aisha could have sword she heard a voice in her head yelling at her, but the heat in her loins said otherwise.

.

And, well, Aisha was never a girl who had a ton of self-control.

.

"Okay." Aisha blushed.

.

.

.

"Puppy…" The shorter, bustier woman cried softly, rolling around with glee as she held a blushing Aisha in her arms, tangling them on top of the bed they had rented from the inn.

"Such a good puppy." The taller woman agreed. "So obedient! So subby. "

.

Aisha blushed, before managing to stammer out a few words.

"S-so…" She mumbled. "Um. Who are… you two?"

"Just two sluts." Gabi smiled. "...But I guess you probably want a better explanation than that.

.

Aisha nodded, and Gabi snuggled up closer to Aisha, close enough to pet Raffy on the back of her head. Which she did, the white haired woman smiling and giggling in response.

.

"We serve the goddess-" Gabi raised an eyebrow at Aisha's dark look. "Oh, don't be like that. She's just our… leader… and our… ooohh."

.

Gabi shuddered.

.

"So… sexy…" She moaned, before shaking her head. "A-anyways, we're from a… organization called… heaven. "

"Heaven?" Aisha raised an eyebrow. "Like… angels and stuff?"

"Silly puppy." Raffy mumbled into her ears sleepily. "Angels aren't real."

"Aww…" Gabi cooed at Raffy's peaceful, sleepy expression, snuggling into Aisha's head-fluff like she was cuddling a stuffed bear. "Feeling tired, after a full day of playing?"

"Mhm."

.

"Oh dear." Gabi giggled. "Look at her. All tired out… Oh, um, anyways… we're knights. I'm Gabriel, and this is Raffelessia. But just call us Gabi and Raffy. They're cuter. We're knights."

"..."

"Don't be like that!" Gabi whined, at Aisha's flat expression. "It's true! Our job is to find bad girls… or cute boys… and convert them."

.

If Aisha wasn't already suspicious, at the words "convert," her gaze fully hardened, turning dark and angry.

.

"Hey, hey!" Gabi threw up her hands in a submissive, defensive gesture. "You're… probably thinking of… Ifrit's conversion, right? Ours isn't like that."

"Then what is it like?" Aisha whispered menacingly.

"We just…" Gabi looked to the ceiling, lolling her head gently. "We just… show them… what they get if they become good girls."

"You have sex with them." Aisha said flatly.

"Yeah." Gabi shrugged half-heartedly. "We do. But there's no magic or brainwashing. I promise! We just show them a good time. And then... um. Then, they join us!"

.

Aisha was reluctant to trust the tall woman, especially given how… strangely intelligent she seemed. But her love of big women triumphed. She avoided the question nagging her mind. That being... what happened to the girls who refused.

.

"Okay." She mumbled, blushing as she received a sweet, gentle headpat, accompanied by a soft hug. "Um… what about the other?"

"Oooh…" Gabi licked her lips, giggling. "Raffy was my first…"

"First… what?"

"First everything." Gabi whispered dreamily. "Oh… Raffy… she was so beautiful, and adorable too… you know, she used to live alone, in an abandoned barn… they told me that they thought it was some sickness, draining people of their energy, turning them pale, but it was just a scared little succubus."

.

Suddenly, Aisha felt aware of the thin, leathery appendage wrapped around her waist, spade-tipped at the end. Her eyebrows raised. Raffy looked exactly like a human, minus the tail.

.

"She gave in so easily, after a few kisses." Gabi giggled. "She says I tasted too good to resist. She's so sweet. Never wanted to hurt anybody. That's what I agree with the most. All demons are just innocent souls that want the fighting to stop. And heaven… it's a place with no fighting. So yeah, I guess the name kind of fits."

.

Gabi reached behind Aisha to tweak Raffy's nose, the white-haired succubus scrunching her face up cutely. The taller woman sighed with a lopsided smile, staring longingly at the busty succubus…

.

"You love her?" Aisha asked, more of an observation than a question. She did not expect the hardened look that Gabi gave her.

.

"No." Gabi mumbled.

"...The way that you look at her-"

"No!" She yelled suddenly. "No! I don't love her! Love is- I don't love her! Love is selfish! I don't… I don't…"

.

Suddenly, the tall woman got out of bed, thrusting herself into the middle of the room and getting dressed. Aisha watched the woman with a curious expression, sitting up. Raffy's hands shifted to wrap around her hips, which Aisha gingerly replaced with a pillow. The succubus whined at the lack of a physical body, but as Aisha left the bed, she returned to restfulness, albeit with a frown.

.

"Where are you going?" She asked Gabi.

"I-It's still light out." The tall woman mumbled, strapping on a surprisingly modest t-shirt and pants. "There's more… bad girls hang out at night - let's just go, okay?"

.

Aisha took a backwards glance at Raffy, curled up pitifully on the bedsheets, and bit her lip, reluctant to leave behind such a… naive, sweet girl, but she felt like she was intruding on whatever these two… "knights" were doing.

.

.

.

Well, after a nice meal, and a nice shopping session, how could Aisha complain? Clad in a set of new clothes - well, if you could call a crop-top and mini-shorts clothes - Aisha was feeling a little slutty, similar to her new friend, who was dressed in a pair of form-fitting jeans, and a tight blouse. Oddly enough, she was dressed more skimpily than the woman that she had just found having a threesome in an alleyway.

.

She looked down at herself, looking like someone who spent a little too many mornings waking up in unfamiliar beds. Oh well. She was here to enjoy herself, so what the hell. If Serith had a problem with it, she could smite Aisha down where she stood.

.

The lightning never came, so Aisha just shrugged, following Gabi around. The girls visited various shops, browsing jewelry, magicite, clothes… It was clear, though, throughout, that Gabi didn't really have her heart in the window shopping, the way that her gaze sank suddenly after pointing out a cute necklace, or the way that she stared off into the distance as she walked. Her mind was on something else.

.

Soon, they settled on a little tavern, rife with lively banter from both hume and fey, brought together by the fact that they were drinking when they shouldn't have. Gabi quickly left Aisha to pursue a looser woman, leaving the little fey to sip on her lemonade and mull over her thoughts.

.

(Another church girl, huh?) Her shadow mocked.

(She's different!)

(Different how, exactly?)

(She's… I don't know… she's just different from all those other dregs. She's got a different god!)

(You just like her because she's tall and has a nice figure.)

(That's not-)

.

Aisha was yanked violently out of her thoughts by a tap on her shoulder, the dull sensation echoing through her head. Aisha slowly turned her head to see who was courting her attention, but when she actually saw who it was, her expression went annoyed.

.

"Oh shit." She mumbled.

.

Morgan reeled back, retracting his finger with a hurt expression.

"I-I'm sorry miss." He whispered, his expression downcast and disappointed. "I… Okay. It's… If you don't want to talk to me."

"Huh?"

.

Aisha furrowed her brow, looking at Morgan's girlish face, and saw no hostility, in fact, not even any recognition. Across the room, she spotted Aryn, who gave her a playful wink and a wave, looking quite out of place with his mug of mead, sweatshirt sleeve wrapped around the handle of the mug.

.

Aisha suddenly realized that Morgan probably didn't recognize her. Without her mask and form-hiding clothes, it would seem that Morgan couldn't recognize her, since the boy had never actually seen her face. Aisha groaned internally, but decided to not make a scene. Besides, she was here to have fun, and well, she was alone, so why the hell not.

.

"Ah, wait." She mumbled. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"O-Oh." Morgan mumbled shyly. "C-can I sit here, then?"

"Sure." She said, with a smirk.

.

Aisha smiled at Morgan's shyness. Unlike Kayle, the boy didn't seem to be naturally stubborn, and Aisha sensed a kind of shy submissiveness, rather than a childish petulance. OVerall, it made Aisha more inclined to like the two boys - at least they were actual adults.

.

"S-so…" Morgan mumbled. "W-what's a beautiful girl like you doing a-all alone- Oh, I can't do this! ARYN!"

.

Morgan looked around desperately for the blonde elf, but he was nowhere to be found. He looked nervously at Aisha, who just smiled slyly at him.

.

"I'm sorry, my… um… friend." Morgan stammered. "H-he told me to go talk to you - oh, I'm so sorry, y-you probably don't want to be bothered by."

.

Aisha put a hand on top of Morgan's, relishing in the way that the boy yelped, blushing intensely at the bodily contact. OH, she was going to have a bit of fun with the kid.

.

"It's alright, boy." She reassured, but quickly frowned at the way Morgan looked away with a dejected look. "What's wrong?"

"Ah." He mumbled. "You think… I'm just a kid, don't you."

.

Aisha didn't answer, the rowdy conversation around her going quieter, as the silence between the two grew deafening.

.

"I'm not a kid." Morgan mumbled. "I'm thirty."

"...Oh."

"I'm sorry." He said resolutely. "I'll leave."

.

Aisha quickly gripped Morgan's hand, feeling bad. She knew he wasn't a child - Aryn had told her. She was just teasing him, but it seemed like Morgan felt differently about his tomboyish look.

.

"Wait. I'm sorry. Why don't we talk?" She reasoned.

"No." Morgan sighed. "It's okay. Women don't want… childish guys. Much less a thirty-year old man who looks like he's fifteen."

"That's not true." Aisha said. "There exists a woman for everyone. Always."

.

Aisha knew from experience.

.

"Maybe." Morgan mumbled. "But I just- I… I want… I wish I wasn't like this. It's unfair. I'll never be normal!"

"Being normal isn't such a great thing." Aisha smiled softly.

"Why?"

"Because you'll be content being normal."

"..."

.

"Why don't you tell me where you're from?" Aisha asked, after a terse silence. Morgan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, stretching his neck and rubbing his fingers.

.

"Uh. Chizen." He mumbled.

"Where in Chizen?" Aisha pressed.

.

"...Durcheszen" Morgan mumbled.

"Where's that?" Aisha asked, meeting Morgan's shifty, uncomfortable gaze.

.

"You don't…" He raised his eyebrows. "Er… it's a bad place. That's… I'm sure you don't want to hear about it."

"I do." Aisha insisted.

.

Morgan shifted in his chair a little bit more, but after a few moments, and at Aisha's curious look, he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Do you know Judge Tylich?" Morgan mumbled.

.

"The…" Aisha stilled her tongue. She wasn't supposed to know him personally, although her work often put her in contact with the putrid man. "Yes."

"It's his district." Morgan sighed. "People call it the sewer of the capital. Because it is. It's where… all the waste of the city goes. Dumped into massive landfills in the lower ring. Decayed magicite… Nepenthe scrap. Tanning acid, used coolant… You know, everything. It creates a… mist… but… worse."

"A mist?"

"Like in the wastes, or the feywood… it bends… magic, you know. But the mist in the landfills, it's… poison. It's… terrifying. How just hume waste… the things that we don't want, that we throw away, either out of carelessness or worthlessness… it makes a place more poisonous than the worst places that nature could ever hope to create."

.

Aisha was quiet.

.

"Most people that come even close to the landfills die." Morgan whispered. "Instantly. But there's just so little space, and sometimes… sometimes you forget where you're going, or someone forces you in… I only spent an hour there, but oh god, it burnt me- it hurt- I felt like- like-"

.

Morgan started to hyperventilate, and Aisha furrowed her brows, placing a slender hand on top of his, watching his eyes rapidly dilate. He clutched the cross on his neck tightly, almost piercing his skin.

.

"Are you okay?" Aisha asked coarsely, unused to showing concern. Morgan's hand balled up into a fist underneath hers, but after a few deep breaths, he blinked rapidly, looking away in shame.

.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "This is probably the last thing you want to hear about from a random stranger."

"It's fine." Aisha assured.

"No, it's…" Morgan sighed dejectedly. "I just… I can't ever get over it."

"Maybe you won't." Aisha agreed. "But that's not a good reason to make yourself miserable."

.

"...You know, you're pretty introspective for someone dressed like that."

Aisha tilted half of her face into a lopsided smile, fiddling around with the hem of her shorts.

.

"Thinking about things doesn't always mean that you have to come to a bad conclusion." Aisha whispered.

.

Morgan gazed thoughtfully into Aisha's eyes, and Aisha looked back, her bright red eyes soft, like the flames of a hearth.

.

"A woman blessed by Ifrit, truly." He mumbled. "Beautiful, and smart. I cannot believe you were alone, for even a single second."

.

Aisha could not stop the annoyed expression from coming into her face, her mouth flashing into a frown, and her eyebrow twitching. Morgan noticed, and he curled his hands inwards, fiddling around with his lap uncomfortably.

.

"I'm sorry. You probably receive many compliments like that." He mumbled. "I-"

"No, no." Aisha sighed, cutting the nervous boy off. "It's not that."

"Then I don't…"

.

Aisha sighed. "It's nothing."

"But-"

.

The table was interrupted by Gabi, who crashed into their table, arms outstretched and protecting herself against a large man, face slightly flushed with alcohol. The blonde woman had an irritated expression, and was clearly restraining her urge to retaliate against the man physically.

.

"Come on, slut." He taunted. "You-"

.

Aisha rose to help her new friend, but Gabi beat her to it, showing an unexpected agility as she dropped to the ground, kicking one of the man's feet out from under him. He toppled to the floor in a heap, and Gabi stepped over him, huffing as she made her way over to the door.

.

"I'm going." She mumbled to Aisha, her mood ruined, and the fey obliged, hurrying over to her side and catching Morgan's glance.

.

"Bitch!" The drunk on the floor yelled, stumbling up on his feet and hurling a ball of ice at the two girls, icy mist trailing the object like a comet. Aisha was about to blast the man's head open, but was again beaten to the chase by her tall friend, who held out a hand.

.

The light shimmered green around them, and the ice ball didn't shatter, like Aisha expected, but instead bounced off an invisible bubble, crashing back into the drunk's head and knocking him unconscious. Aisha marveled at the barrier around them, quickly disappearing, but leaving a small rippling effect in the light where it had reflected the ice spell.

.

(That's some high level magic!) Her thoughts echoed, surprised.

.

Aisha raised an eyebrow, but soon shrugged, taking Gabi's hand and walking out of the tavern. But as a boot crossed the doorframe, Morgan's voice shouted from behind her, and she nudged Gabi to motion to her to stop.

.

"Wait!" Morgan yelled. "W-what's your name?"

.

"Ah." Aisha's face went flat, a list of fake names running through her head, but unable to think of anything that wasn't completely ridiculous. "Uh, Izec."

.

(Idiot. You might as well have given him your first name.)

.

(Shut up.)

.

.

.

Aisha's teeth were close to chattering when they got back, the girl desperately rubbing her exposed sides for warmth. It had been all fun and games when they had bought the outfit, giggling at how skimpy it was, but Aisha had not thought far enough into the future to think of bringing her jacket with her.

.

Gabi opened the door to their room in the inn, and was suddenly tackled by the short succubus, accompanied by an anguished cry.

.

"Gabiiiiiii!" Raffy sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she buried her face into Gabi's crotch. "Where were you!? *Hic* I was so scared! I woke u-u-up, and then-then- then you weren't- weren't theeeeeerrree! *Hic* Waahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

.

Gabi's face instantly fell, and instantly she scooped the succubus into her arms, squeezing her as tightly as she could, dropping onto her knees.

.

"Oh, god! Oh, Minerva, Raffy, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I'll never leave you again, I'm so sorry." Gabi cried pitifully, aggressively stroking the short girl's white hair. "I'm so sorry, I'll never do it again, oh, don't cry Raffy, my precious precious little good girl, I'm so sorry!"

"No, you're lyiiiinggg!" Raffy wailed, hiccuping. "You hate me you hate meee…"

.

"No, I-... I-" Gabi glanced at her feet, ashamed. "No, I… I love you. I love you Raffy. I'll kiss you! We can cuddle, and hold hands, and… and kiss, all you want, Raffy. I'm so sorry."

"R-really?" The succubus asked, wiping her teary eyes. "E-even though- even though you…"

.

"Yes, yes." Gabi mumbled, blushing. "I was just… I didn't know it yet, before, okay? I love you. So please, don't… don't cry."

"A-and… and… and can puppy stay with us?" Raffy whimpered.

.

Gabi gave Aisha a pleading look, one that the girl returned with a roll of her eyes. But nonetheless, she nodded, and Raffy's eyes stopped leaking their crystal blue tears.

"Yes, yes." Gabi whispered. "Anything you want, okay. I'm so sorry, for… for being so cold. I just… it doesn't matter now. What matters is that I love you, okay?"

"Then…"

.

Aisha averted her eyes as Raffy took Gabi's hands in her own and leaned in for a kiss. It seemed like a moment that she shouldn't have seen, but nonetheless had inexplicably caused, and was now a part of.

.

(It's weird.) She thought. (The succubus is so… innocent. And the tall one is almost… I don't know. She's kind of like… her den mother. But it's just… it's kind of weird.)

.

(This coming from a girl who worships a mistress who's still in school.)

.

(Nnnnh.)

.

Aisha shook her head as Raffy scooped her up and put her into bed, cuddling the little fey like a cat. Aisha didn't mind, even as the wet lip smacks of fevered kissing, and moans of repressed feelings assaulted her ears above her. They felt… strangely familiar, somehow.

.

(Are you forgetting? It is familiar.)

.

Aisha's blood went cold.

.

That was right. It was familiar, familiar because Aisha… it was… so incredibly similar to what she had gone through with her mistress. The fact that she didn't… was she…

.

Was she… starting to forget?

.

Aisha shook her head violently. There was no way. Mistress was literally ingrained in her being. She owned her. Soul, body, heart, stomach, mouth, everything. There was not a single thing about Aisha that mistress didn't own. To think that she could ever forget was… preposterous.

.

"Hey." Gabi whispered quietly. "Are you… okay?"

.

Initially, Aisha didn't answer, assuming that the woman was talking to Raffy, but when she felt the soft, even breathing of a sleeping body behind her, she quickly realized that she was the target of the question.

.

"Uh." Aisha mumbled. "Er, no. Yes. It's fine."

"Hmm." Gabi breathed out a deep breath through her nose, gazing at Aisha through those intelligent, stormy eyes. "Whatever you say. But if you are okay, then I have a question for you."

.

"Um. Sure." Aisha said quickly. "What is it?"

.

"You said your name was Izec?" Gabi asked.

"Ah, uh, last name, actually." Aisha mumbled. "But... Yes?"

"Do you… know what Izec is?"

.

Aisha's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't. In fact, she had never really paid any attention to her mistress's last name, although she supposed it was strange. Demon's didn't have parents. Well, not living ones, anyways. They didn't have last names. But Lorian did. Aisha had always just assumed that she had made it up to blend in with the humes.

.

"Um. No?"

"Hm." Gabi murmured quizzically. "I thought so. If you did, I don't think you would be here."

"What do you mean?"

.

"The knights of Izec are…" Gabi lolled her head, thinking. "They are our ideological… opposite. So to speak. Or at least, practical opposite."

"I don't… get it."

.

"Where did you get your last name from?" Gabi asked. "Not from the feywood, I'm guessing. I'm also guessing you didn't run into a knight, since you don't know who they are."

"No, it's… it's my mistress's last name." Aisha tilted her head curiously, her ears flattening on her head. "Wait, what do you mean… practical opposite?"

.

"You know how… my job is to… er…. save misguided girls, right? Mostly demons?"

.

Aisha nodded, although a pit opened up in her stomach, dreading what the woman would say next.

.

"The knights of Izec… they say that they want to cleanse the world." Gabi whispered. "Er well, to put it in short…"

.

"They hunt down, and kill demons."