The Calm After the Storm

An ear-shattering crash booms in the distance. Eudora's tower has finally landed just outside of the southern gate. Whatever has happened, it seems the battle has been won in our favor. From up here, I can see many of the soldiers and knights laying down their arms. Past the gate, those who have the chance are fleeing from the city.

"Why do you side with the genocidal witch?" Behind me, Belle is putting her clothes back on. The collar is still fastened around her neck and the leash is in my hands. "Mira I can understand, her actions in Randover proved she's just like Eudora. But you? You were such a gentle junior. You wouldn't hurt a fly, but now you would kill without a second glance."

"We aren't on Eudora's side. This is only out of convenience. Belle, I know this is hard to believe, but Headmaster Anora isn't the same instructor we had years ago. She's willing to frame witches, order the assassination of kings, and strike political deals that could hurt tens of thousands of innocent people."

Belle's silence informs me that my words have taken some sort of effect. For better or for worse, I wish I knew. I do know she isn't stupid. She didn't just graduate second at the top of the class for nothing.

Her scholarly contributions to the Academy has made her a contender for a seat on the Elder Board— the highest honor a witch in the pursuit of witchcraft can obtain.

Wait…

"Headmaster Anora promised you a seat on the Elder Board, didn't she?" I ask.

She didn't need to answer. The astonished look on her face tells me everything I need to know. More than anything, Belle seeks recognition for the work she's done. There is no higher accomplishment than being on the Elder Board, and Anora's departure in becoming a member of the Council of Kings, means a seat is ripe to leverage as bait.

"Belle, I know—"

"You can never understand!" She shouts, her eyes welling with tears. "My family never even knew the comforts of a thatched roof, let alone a warm meal. Everyday is a struggle to live. I can finally be of use to my mother and father. If I make it to the Elder Board, I'd finally be able to afford them a mansion to live in."

I kneel down and put my arms around her. Hot tears trickle down my shoulder.

"My service is the only way I could give them a warm home to live in. I never even wanted to become a witch..."

"Humanity has no place in the world Anora wants to create," I say, raising her face to meet my eyes. "You saw the lengths she's willing to go. Defiling the Order of Piety with profaned soul-bound weapons, regicide, all this deception is so that she can revive the Crimson Wars."

"And Eudora is any better?" She asks.

"No, but right now, Anora is the greater threat." I can't tell her that Eudora also has plans to reforge the world. Whatever that means. Mira seems to be the only one with an inkling, but we're both clueless to whatever grand scheme she has.

Belle points to the leash in my hand. "You could just order me to help you, and I would have no choice but to obey otherwise."

"I can't be the one to make this decision for you," I say, shaking my head.

Talos flies into the room. Mira likely sent him to call for us.

"Wait, I need to find something—" Before I go looking, Belle grabs my shoulders and procures a hand-sized lockbox from her satchel.

"I presume you were looking for this?" She says, handing it to me. "Don't think I didn't notice King Marcus handing you the key."

"And you didn't open it?" I ask.

She bites down on her lips. "It felt… wrong to tamper with a dead man's belongings."

Talos caws impatiently.

My dick still hasn't disappeared yet. I really hope this thing is temporary and disappears when the substance's effects end. Mira could only take this in one of two ways: be disgusted by it or wouldn't leave me alone. And I feel like the latter is the more likely scenario.

We gather our stuff and follow Talos down to the lower wards of the city. The destruction is just as I expected. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, razed in the battle that just took place. The presence of demi-humans in the city isn't helping our case either.

Kobolds and orcs are on the receiving end of the abuse. Lotherain's residents hurl rotten food and debris, and the demi-humans have no choice but to take it. With the battle over, the witches direct the demi-humans, Lantessa, and Zeke back to the tower.

"Where's Eudora?" I ask Alira, who is rounding up the last of the kobolds and orcs.

"She's already back in the tower experimenting on Humility. That knight was something else, she maimed six of us before Eudora finally put her down. Regular humans, witch hunters or no, should not be wielding such powerful weapons." Alira wipes the sweat from her face and blocks a plate thrown from the human crowd.

A few able bodied witches remain in the city to help repair what they can. Even though we're being branded as the invaders, it goes a long way to help others when it's not your problem. I'm glad my fellow sisters haven't abandoned what it means to be a witch.

In our past, we were bred to wreak havoc. In our hubris, we were made to pay for our arrogance. We know now our place is by humanity's side, to help them pave a future in which we can co-exist.

Yet there are those who would jeopardize this symbiotic relationship— namely, Headmaster Anora.

"So, Parabelle was on the enemy's side?" Alira takes a long look at the collar and leash around Belle's neck.

She declines to answer and instead says, "As you can see, I've lost."

"Heh. Seeing as you're wearing a collar of domination, I hope you're ready to receive your due punishment later." Alira remarks, licking her lips.

Talos takes off from my shoulder and lands on Mira's as she returns from the north gate. One would think she'd be happier now that the fighting is over, but she appears disappointed.

"The remnants of Juna's soldiers made a full retreat north, meaning they're escaping back to their kingdom. On the other hand, knights of the Order of Piety are headed southeast." Mira glances up to the sky as though making calculations in her head. "Presumably to regroup with the secondary force that was with Glory and Abstinence."

"Where did you just go?" I ask her.

She points back where she came. "Taking care of the rabble. The traitor Semyon had fled before the battle took place. You wondered where the Parthun army was when the Order of Piety laid siege— it was because the magistrate bribed several commanders to stand down."

High Magistrate Semyon was an opportunistic thief all along. To think I willingly took his abuse when he stationed his soldiers outside of my home.

By Mira's suggestion we head to the tower, leaving Lotherain to Alira and the other witches. As soon as we teleport onto the gazebo, Gurk races up to hug me. The stimulation causes my penis to twitch, and he backs up suspecting something strange.

"Mistress feels weird?" Gurk's head tilts to one side, staring at my crotch.

Mira snatches the leash from my hand. "Be a good girl and see to the goblin's sexual needs, will you?"

"Wha?!" Both Belle and I are shocked by Mira's sudden order.

The collar begins to tighten around her neck. "Guh, with a goblin…? C-Come here, mister goblin… I'll make you feel really good…"

"Gurk doesn't want anyone else but Mistress!"

The two of them make circles around me until Gurk takes off towards the forest with Belle closing in.

"Ah! But Gurk is my goblin…" Though I don't think he'll accept me with the way I am right now.

On second thought, this might be for the best. Belle can be his cum dump for a while until I figure out how to get rid of this penis.

Inside the mansion, we're treated with the familiar moans of Valor being sexually tormented by the alraune. His voice, however, sounds a higher pitch than I last remember.

"Eudora's experiments are strange, to say the least." Mira opens the door to the alraune's room.

Valor, or his real name, Noah's body has undergone some changes. I remembered him as a boy, but the breasts on his chest and hair reaching down to his waist makes him indistinguishable from a girl if not for his penis.

He's been completely feminized in the span of a few days. Valor and the alraune are locked in a passionate embrace. The alraune's vines are buried into Valor's ass, while he is penetrating the alraune's pussy.

The protesting groans I heard before are replaced by eager moans and tongue-tied suckling. The pious knight that was Valor is now just a whore indulging in a sea of pleasure.

I shut the door.

"I didn't need to see that."

"Mira? Ellori? I'm in the room across from you, come in!" Eudora calls from another door.

Inside, Humility— Aurelias is on her knees shackled to the stocks in the center of the room, stripped naked of her armor and clothes. Every inch of her body is toned and chiseled, a testament to her raw strength but useless to her without the enormous sword.

There are ethereal hands fingering her pussy and ass, pinching her nipples, and fondling all over her body. Despite being stimulated in her erogenous zones, Aurelias is putting up a brave front.

"This is what you call experimenting, Eudora?" Mira chuckles.

Eudora strokes Humility's back. "Faith is what connects their bodies to the soul stone dwelling within their weapons. In order to draw out the soul, they must be broken in mind and soul. What better way is there than this?"

Sweat is beading on Humility's forehead. "Nnngh… There is no greater trial than to withstand a witch's foul perversion of lust… this is nothing…"

Eudora snickers. "I could throw her to the orcs. That body of her's is sturdy enough to handle it, but I don't believe that will be enough. As I understand, she killed your sovereign. Perhaps you would like to have a turn, Ellori?"

I have plenty of things in my great hollow. The anoragrathi, a sensitivity wand, among other things. "I do have some ideas."