Chapter 192

Skana practically danced through the street, almost prancing as she went through the shops. In her coin purse were a mix of silver and gold coins that totalled more than all her lifetime of earnings combined before she met her Lady. "Albedo is the best, oh Albedo is the best, Albedo is the best best best best best in the whole damn world!" She sang the tune to herself and shook her ass back and forth when she bent over a fruit stall to buy fruit that actually had no blemishes or evidence of rot on it.

It was expensive, but for once that didn't matter. She bought a fresh pair, then two more besides, one for Albedo and one for Illyana, and walked with a cocky, happy, bouncy strut back down the street. Seducing the priest was easy, seducing him where his wife could catch him in the act was easier once she made that enticing. And then Illyana's use of the doppelganger to get the wife to try to murder him… and get caught, was even easier.

It confirmed one thing in Skana's mind. 'Most people are really terrible when you get down to it, Gustav had someone murdered in a fixed trial, Remedios bribed and threatened jurors, is there really not one honest person in this cursed Kingdom? The priests screw their flock, the flock turn on each other over lust, greed, or jealousy… I guess I'm no better, the gods know I'm getting paid well for all this… but still.'

The promise Albedo made to her lingered in her mind. It assuaged Skana's moments of conscience when she watched people destroy themselves. 'If they were only decent in the first place, they wouldn't fall into these traps.' She told herself, and regretted nothing very much.

So despite the occasional pang, she waltzed back into their makeshift headquarters munching on the delicious, soft, juicy fruit. The sweet flavor of the soft flesh as it molded itself to her lips and gave itself up to her hunger was a delight she longed for for far too long. And now it was hers, in her very hand, she sucked the juices from every nip and nibble that exposed more beneath the skin, and arched her back, tilting her head back, Skana let out a moan of bliss at the succulent taste of that which had long been beyond her reach, and now was hers to indulge in whenever she wished. "Mmmoah, sooo good… I want more…" She said and looked with a pang down at the pouch which held the other two plump, ripe fruits. But she steeled her resolve to deliver them to her companions, and lingered to finish her own.

When it was reduced down to the core and the little stem, she tossed it into a refuse bin and entered the building. She wiped her mouth with the back of her arm and sashayed into the door where her much praised employer waited, and tossed a pear to Albedo, then took out another which she tossed to Illyana.

The pair caught her offerings, "Okay, it's done, I wish we had more doppelgangers, but it's all fine, the wife was as enthusiastic a seducee just like her pervert husband, and the doppelganger I have did everything just well too."

Illyana was devouring the fruit as if she'd never eaten food before, tears were running down her face as she did, and Skana watched with the deepest sense of pity that she was capable of. Every gift Skana gave to her, the elf girl cried over as if it were a fortune. Every bite, every nibble, every flavored drink. 'What did they do to her… what did 'we' do to her…?' It was so impossible to imagine the beautiful sylvan woman being harmed, that knowing she had been, only made Skana resent her country more. And more. And more.

And with it, the months of work made her dislike humanity itself.

Albedo did not say 'thank you' when the pear was offered, but she did eat it in front of Skana while she worked, which was a kind of thanks in and of itself. Eager to distract herself from the pathetic happiness of the elf woman, Skana looked over to her working Lady, the demoness and herself seemed like night and day at first glance.

But their common ground, their passionate natures, their diligence, it made the demoness easy to work with, predictable, and trustworthy. Though it was clear Skana was looked at as a useful inferior, that was a familiar state for the peasant woman. 'When am I not, after all?' She reasoned, and within those limits, they got on quite well.

Which was why Skana felt comfortable speaking up when Albedo's quill went down. "My Lady, the Lord you serve… Can I ask some more about him?"

That was always a winning opener. Albedo would go on for hours about him if given the opportunity.

The demoness' face brightened, her vibrant yellow eyes glowed and went wide, her wings trembled with happiness that bordered on orgasmic bliss. "Yes of course, ask, ask human!" She rubbed her hands together and spun to face her tool.

Skana sat cross legged on the floor and asked, "Is there anything he can't do?"

Albedo thought it over, on the one hand it seemed blasphemous to suggest that this was the case, to say there was something beyond him, struck her as wrong. On the other hand, it was also obviously true. Even among the Supreme Beings he was not their most powerful member.

"I suppose," she said diplomatically, "there are things he couldn't do, though perhaps if he wished or had reason, no- yes, he could learn to do them or gain the power to do them."

"Like… change the race of someone?" Skana gently pressed.

Albedo shrugged, "He can already do that, it's child's play to do that on say, weak creatures like you."

Skana spoke very gently next, treading as lightly as she could, "Then… I know you're offering me great rewards already, and've given em, really, it's great, and I'm thankful… but, is it possible for me to ask for that?"

Albedo stopped and pursed her lips. "Why?"

"I don't really like humans much anymore. I didn't really mind when it was all in good fun, but this, and… that?" She inclined her head toward Illyana who was devouring the pear's core right up to the stem.

"Can I… I don't know, could you turn me into a succubus or something? To be honest I'm just not comfortable in my own skin… after we're all done, I'll stay your servant if you'll have me. Just, I don't like being in a body that reminds me of all the terrible stuff that is just… yah know, far too easy to get people to do. Lot of awful, and I don't wanna be part of it. I'm assumin you haven't planned on killing me after we're done, course. And if I'm right, well I'd like to leave not just this Kingdom, but this body as it is. Can I ask for that?"

Albedo let out a silvery, beautiful laugh, and when Illyana heard the request, she stared at Skana in disbelief.

"You'd give up your humanity?" The elf woman blinked her blue eyes slowly, opening them and leaving them wide as the human she worked with gave a sharp nod of affirmation.

"Yeah, I mean, I didn't do anything to you," Skana said and rubbed the back of her head while looking down at the floor, "but a lot of my kind did. I like this job, I like working with Lady Albedo, I don't want to leave it, and if I'm going to work with you, I want you to be able to look at me without disgust or fear. An… I don't think you ever will, not as long as I look like this. So it's a fair trade, call it… call it a present. One less human in the world, that's not so bad, right?" She gave a fragile smile to the slender elf, and Illyana only stared at her as if the human's race changed right in front of her.

The moment was so very intense that it was several minutes before they noticed the noise of rioting outside.

As they listened to the riots for several seconds, one more thought came to Skana's mind that filled her with bliss as she imagined wings on her back, steel for fingers, and strength of the sort she loved in lovers and loathed in brutes, 'It would be nice… to have some real power all my own too…' She looked again at the pitiable Illyana whose body already began to tremble in fear of human hatred and anger. 'Never. Never will that be me.' She vowed, as the riots went on.