“...Well?” the succubi tried, gesturing broadly at him.

Aleph proceeded to just stare at her, completely dumbfounded, for an entire ten minutes.

Even the succubi didn’t know what to do with such totalic silence, and the two were locked in an almost comical staring match for the duration. It was only when the rune glowed that the two broke their standoff.

A familiar scaly head popped in, followed by a set of telekinetically raised drinks for the two of them. Top-set eyes took in the two of them for a moment, eyes twitching in their only equivalent of confusion. They came to an agreement with themselves by the time their drinks set themselves the table, as they promptly left in such a haste that one of their scales snagged on a piece of the curtain. They quietly swore, but that too decided to leave them rather fast as the runes kicked in again.

Concerned at their sudden entry, Aleph stared at the space formerly occupied by the barman, “Can he just…?”

Ravanaughtilus scoffed, “Yes, you pink dimwit, I would allow him to just leave after knowing terrible dark secrets of mine. No, I’m… licensed.” She finished, feeling slightly embarrassed despite themselves.

I’m not sure what I expected, but a Succubi needing a license from the government wasn’t on my roster for today. I don’t think any of it was, but there was at least a theory going. Now, all bets are off. Nothing can top that.

“So you’re not a demon, then.” She said flatly, taking his silence as some kind of answer. “Surprising isn’t the extent of it. You know things the average intThis may end up being an… expensive deal.” She whistled through her teeth in a terrifying display of dismay.

And there I go jinxing myself.

“...so, we may have gone off on the wrong foot here, Miss-” He paused, “Vauntergale. Who I am is a man named Aleph Schteim. Perfectly normal human being- as far as I know. From where I’m standing, it seems as though you know more about me than I do.”

One of her ever so mildly chitinous eyebrows raised in response, “You know, I was actually excited to be all haughty and pretentious for once. It usually is too overbearing on a client- then you go and ruin it. Our ability to exchange comes with the ability to sense what it is we can exchange, and you know a lot of things a normal person never so much as passes by. I actually thought I was playing it too easy.” She then took a long sip of her drink, savoring it melodramatically.

It didn’t take much prompting for Aleph to take a sip of it too. Carbonated and faintly alcoholic, it left a surprisingly nice tang in your mouth, best comparable to Root Beer or some types of Champagne. “Sorry, but your thoughts are your own. I told you my whole story. And, speaking of which, you’ve yet to tell me yours.” Aleph curtly replied, appreciating the drink.

“I think you missed a few steps. See, usually we get in bed first, perform the-” She indicated the act with an ill-described gesture, “-Exchange, and then it’s storytime. And that’s for clients I like. You- don’t get me wrong, but you’re not that material, even after I realized you weren’t just an imp in disguise. In fact, I have something prepared as an alternative. I assume you don’t know how a Demonic Exchange works?”

His face was still it’s very own tone of red, but Aleph managed to disguise it well enough as he shook his head. “No, but I can assume it involves at least two separate things being-” He, too, mimicked the act with his hands, “-exchanged?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t have to be.” She explained, “Living beings are composed of Mind, Body, and Soul. But for an exchange to happen between a succubus and their partner, well, two of those need to be exchanged. The problem is that the Soul is fickle- it’s who you are. Inexperienced Succubi fall to either exchanging fluids while trading memories or sharing deep secrets about themselves while modifying their bodies. We need to delve in there, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an arbiter- there is simply a physical cost to forcing to stand-in for the body. And that is a Soul Catalyst.” She clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and blue light shone through her closed fingers. Once again, her coat matched it’s glow, and when she parted her hands, there it lay, floating between her hands in a bold rebellion against the force of gravity.

What- What is that? And why is it so familiar to me?

Unbidden thoughts made themselves clear in his mind, as soon as he gazed upon the shimmering transparent octagon that contained what he immediately recognized to be a Ō̴̷̵̷̴̷̷̶̷̶̵̶̵̸̸̷̵̵̵̸̸̵̴̸̵̷̷̵̸̸̸̶̴̴̸̵̸̵̷̷̷̶̵̴̵̷̶̸̶̷̵̸̶͓̗͉͓͓̔̂͝͠r̸̸̸̴̵̵̶̴̴̵̸̶̴̶̷̸̴̷̸̵̵̴̴̶̴̵̶̷̶̴̴̶̴̶̵̸̶̴̷̵̶̸̵̶̴̵̵̸̵̴̴̴̵͕̝̰͈̺͒̂͛̽̄b̸̸̴̸̶̷̸̶̴̶̶̷̷̶̷̴̴̸̸̷̶̸̸̷̵̸̸̴̷̸̴̶̵̶̴̵̴̶̴̶̴̴̵̴̵̵̸̴̸̸̴̴̴̢̠͔̦̆̈́͒̍̿ͅ ̶̵̷̵̵̵̸̵̵̸̵̴̸̷̸̴̵̶̵̸̶̵̴̵̶̸̵̵̵̶̵̴̶̴̶̵̸̷̵̵̶̴̸̶̵̵̶̶̵̸̸̴̷̧͉̹̠̹̾͌͌̾̕ȍ̶̷̶̷̵̸̸̸̴̴̶̶̸̷̵̶̷̵̶̸̵̷̸̶̷̴̷̶̸̸̵̸̷̶̵̶̶̵̸̶̵̴̷̷̴̸̶̵̶̶̷̶̶̢̡͓͉̘̉̈́͛̚f̵̷̶̷̵̵̷̷̴̴̵̸̵̸̴̶̸̵̵̸̸̴̷̷̵̵̸̵̵̵̸̷̶̶̵̶̶̶̴̶̵̵̵̷̴̸̵̵̴̴̴̵̵̡̣̘͇̰́̓̾̈͠ ̶̵̴̷̴̴̵̸̸̵̷̸̴̵̸̴̵̴̴̷̴̸̴̴̶̷̵̸̵̵̴̵̶̸̷̵̵̸̴̷̷̵̸̵̵̵̴̴̷̵̵̴̸̰̦̱̜̜͌̈́̔͗̐e̷̵̴̵̷̸̸̶̶̶̶̵̵̸̴̵̸̴̶̸̵̷̷̸̸̶̴̷̸̴̸̸̶̴̵̶̵̷̵̷̷̶̶̸̷̷̸̶̵̴̶̸̷̲̘̞̘͇͌̏̇́̚ň̷̷̵̷̴̵̵̵̸̸̵̸̵̷̷̷̶̵̴̶̵̸̶̸̶̸̶̴̴̸̶̷̸̴̷̶̵̷̴̵̴̷̷̸̸̵̶̷̶̴̴̷̶̤̳̲̹͇̌̒͠͠d̵̶̷̸̷̶̵̴̶̷̴̴̶̴̶̵̷̵̴̶̸̸̸̷̷̴̸̸̶̶̵̷̵̶̸̸̶̸̶̷̴̷̶̵̷̵̶̶̸̷̴̶̶̟̜͓̜͚́͊͂͊̎l̴̷̶̶̶̷̵̴̶̷̷̷̶̴̸̵̷̸̶̶̵̶̵̷̸̸̷̴̸̸̷̶̸̴̷̸̴̷̷̵̸̵̷̶̴̵̸̵̶̸̴̶̵̞͉̰͉͎͆͒̎̈̑ė̴̴̷̶̷̵̴̴̵̴̴̸̷̸̸̴̸̷̷̴̵̷̷̶̷̴̸̶̵̵̵̴̸̵̸̷̷̸̵̵̵̸̵̴̶̶̶̸̶̸̴̸̷̹̠̦̤̘̃̓̂̓s̴̴̴̷̵̸̶̵̵̶̵̵̵̸̷̴̵̵̶̵̵̵̸̸̶̸̴̷̸̵̶̵̴̴̶̵̶̸̶̴̴̷̸̷̶̸̸̷̷̶̴̷̴̟͓̘̼̝͑̇̃̓͝s̴̶̸̸̶̸̶̴̸̸̶̶̷̶̶̴̷̸̸̶̷̴̵̸̶̷̶̵̷̶̷̷̴̴̸̵̷̵̸̵̷̸̸̶̴̷̵̵̴̸̶̸̷̝͕̬̺̖̿̍̋̔̕ ̶̵̴̴̵̸̴̸̶̸̷̷̶̸̴̴̶̵̸̸̴̵̶̷̸̵̵̸̶̸̵̴̵̸̵̷̴̵̶̵̵̸̵̸̷̸̴̷̵̶̸̶̴̩̱̮̜̭̿̓̑̽̓p̷̷̷̸̴̵̸̸̷̶̸̷̶̷̷̶̸̸̵̵̸̶̷̷̴̶̶̷̸̷̵̸̶̴̴̸̷̸̴̶̴̸̶̷̸̴̸̸̴̶̶̶̷̧̢̞̼̽̏̓̒̚ͅo̵̷̶̷̶̸̴̵̶̸̴̴̶̷̸̸̵̸̴̶̶̶̷̴̷̴̸̶̴̸̵̴̷̵̸̴̴̶̶̵̶̷̴̸̸̵̶̷̷̴̴̴̸̡͕̣͈̥̾͛̽̿͘ẗ̵̶̸̴̴̷̶̶̸̷̸̴̷̵̵̵̶̷̶̵̵̷̷̴̴̶̶̶̸̶̶̸̵̵̵̶̷̴̷̸̷̶̴̴̴̶̶̸̴̸̵̸̵̬͇̦̦̺́́̍͂͂e̷̷̷̸̷̵̶̶̷̴̸̴̶̷̸̶̷̶̸̸̵̶̵̸̶̷̸̸̴̴̴̵̷̷̴̶̶̶̸̸̶̴̶̵̵̸̷̶̸̴̴̷̶̩͍̰̼̹͋͛͐͋̇n̶̸̴̷̸̴̷̴̴̵̷̴̶̶̵̴̶̴̵̸̷̷̷̵̴̶̵̸̵̶̸̵̸̴̷̸̴̸̴̴̷̸̷̵̷̵̷̶̶̶̸̴̶̪̪̪̬̪̆͗̉̋̔t̶̵̸̷̶̶̸̶̸̵̴̷̴̶̴̸̶̵̵̶̷̶̶̴̵̵̵̴̷̶̴̶̷̴̸̶̶̴̵̸̵̸̶̵̷̵̶̶̷̸̴̸̵̺̤̖̺̗̃͑̊̒͠i̴̵̷̴̶̵̵̷̴̶̶̶̵̶̶̸̵̸̷̷̴̸̴̴̷̵̷̸̴̷̶̶̷̵̴̵̵̷̶̵̵̸̴̷̵̶̸̸̸̷̴̴̵̡͉͉̝͎̽͂̋́̊a̵̷̷̷̶̷̶̵̶̵̴̴̸̶̴̴̸̶̵̵̶̷̵̶̶̷̷̶̶̴̴̴̸̸̷̸̶̸̴̵̴̵̸̷̶̷̷̶̸̷̵̵̷̧͕̗͉̯͆̋́͑̕l̷̶̴̶̷̸̴̴̷̴̴̴̴̷̷̷̸̸̸̸̸̸̵̷̵̴̸̵̴̶̴̷̶̶̴̶̶̸̸̴̶̴̶̵̵̷̵̴̷̷̸̶̷̡̥̫̥̆͆͒̌͒͜.̷̷̶̷̷̴̴̶̴̵̷̶̵̸̴̶̷̷̸̶̵̷̵̷̸̷̴̵̴̴̶̸̴̶̶̷̷̴̸̴̵̵̸̷̴̸̶̶̵̴̸̵̸͍̰͈̩͎͒̍͆͒͑ ̸̴̷̸̷̷̴̷̸̵̸̶̴̴̶̶̶̶̶̷̶̷̴̷̴̶̶̵̶̸̸̷̸̷̴̶̸̵̴̴̷̸̸̶̸̷̷̶̵̷̶̵̴̣͇͍͓̣̔̋͒͗̔

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

--ammonite fossil that spiralled around a O̶̸̵̸̴̶̘̙͝r̴̷̷̵̸̖̾b̷̷̴̴̸̙̑ ̴̶̸̶̴̵̫̕͘o̶̸̷̵̷̴̧̞͝f̶̷̸̸̷̸̸̙̖̀̈́ ̷̷̴̵̴̤͠e̵̴̷̸̴̷̖̐̊n̴̵̷̵̷̵̠̝͌d̸̴̴̶̸̳̎l̶̸̵̵̷̹͛é̵̷̷̴̸͕s̶̴̸̵̶̸͇͆̚s̷̷̷̶̶̡̅ ̶̸̵̵̶̵̷͇̝͊̐p̷̴̷̸̴̷̶̟̤̊́o̶̴̶̸̶̴̭̅̍ṫ̴̵̷̸̶̤ĕ̶̵̵̶̷̟n̷̵̵̸̶̶͈̝̿ẗ̵̵̴̸̴̴̺͝ȋ̸̷̶̸̵̶̸̠̰̌a̸̸̴̸̷̵̡͊̄ț̶̸̸̷̴̵̂̾í̷̷̴̵̵̶͇͝ó̵̸̴̷̴͖n̸̸̵̸̴̸̸͚͈̄̑

--hypercube that unfolded to reveal an Ǒ̵̱̖̓r̶̢̿͂b̵͍͉̉̓ ̴̜̉ǒ̶̞͍f̸̳̈́̈́ ̶̠̓ę̷͇̓͝n̵̝̖̂d̷͈͎͛͒ḷ̴̳͌ḛ̷̇s̶̛̟̙͑s̴̨͕̆ ̷̡̧͆͠p̸̹̽́o̷̖̍t̶̛̳̦ḙ̷͋͝n̸̟̤͝t̷͎̆ȉ̵̯̹ā̷̖͒t̸̰̃i̸̇̅͜o̷͉͠n̸͎̏

--Hands, reaching from every conceivable direction, of every race he ever laid eyes on, reached and clawed at the object of their desires- they touched it, pulled it, some even managed to briefly grab it, but it was naught to be theirs, for they all ultimately failed to hold it as desperate fingers slipped off of the Orb of Endless Potentiation.

Aleph lurched in his seat as soon as she placed the catalyst on a cloth of some sort, an item that held it aloft while blurring it from view. As his mind slowly rewound itself and his body stopped twitching, Ravanaugh explained what happened. “What you just saw was mortifying without a doubt- but you lasted an impressive amount of time before giving into it.”

He fixed her with a bewildered stare, “Who- when-”

“Yes, the Soul Catalyst has that effect on people.” Said Ravanaugh, with no small amount of amusement in her voice. “It gets conceptualized based off of your innate understanding of reality. What matters, though, is you lasted long past the point needed to use it properly, a barrier that would prevent the second option from working. So, yeah, sorry for the scare.”

Aleph rubbed his forehead, “Why- How do you even use something like that?”

“Most only use them for strengthening themselves with their soul. They’re very expensive. But I have one regardless, as they’re the physical cost to forcing the soul to arbitrate an exchange. A useful premium option for those that aren’t up to snuff, and I’ve done it this way a few times already so I can guide you through the process. This leaves us two options.”

“First option” She said, raising up a finger, “We take the prude option. You use the soul catalyst to arbitrate the exchange. If you’re not confident down there, or if you’re simply not comfortable with it, we can take this option. No skin off my back. However,” she said, in that smug way of hers, ‘If you want to take the prudent option, I’ll let you use the soul catalyst. How abou-”

“Or, we can exchange secrets instead, as you previously described, and let the body act as the arbiter.” Aleph interrupted her.

The demon’s brows rose, “I may have missed a critical part of it. See, the action in the real world needs meaning to each side. The mind doesn’t play with the soul because, the Soul is the summation of your being. It includes memories as part of it, which surfaces into the domain of the soul- that is to say, since the goal with going through your soul is for each of us to draw on each other's experiences, to ameliorate your apparently complete lack of knowledge, us telling eachother their most secluded fears, their darkest desires, would cease to have meaning. This is an Exchange; one where each of us has something on the line. One between Aleph, with knowledge from untold lands, at enough value to be worth an expensive trade. Something that could change this city that is so of and for Death. And Ravanaughtilus, bringing to bear decades of information brokerage, adaptation to cultures above and below, and even a little of that magic you love so very much."

Aleph palmed his chin, considering that. "You would give up so much?" Her eyes widened a bit at that, and he realized his own error, "No, the exchange- we literally share who we are. We don't simply scoop it up and run off with it, we... supp in eachother's existence. I think I understand now. This costs you little, you've taken in hundreds of different flavors of people and it hasn't left you worse off. I envy that, but I suppose I'm now going to benefit from it all the same. A costly deal, though..." He thought, recalling what she said before, "What did you mean by that? This is my last question- then I'll make a decision."

He held his glare, then, and they took in the fullness of one another’s features. Sizing him up for a moment, she answered, “I didn’t just call it an exchange for convenience. There is a need for a fair trade. Your soul is denser than mine, somehow, and I’ve lived for-” She stopped herself, “-well, quite some time longer than you have. Someone of your age and appearance doesn’t typically have such a dense soul. It’s unthinkable. On the plus side, it will make this process much easier.” As soon as she said this, Ravanaughtilus made a show of licking her lips, “But it all needs to be equal- including the physical part. That process is still up to you. But you need to decide, Aleph.”

He gave her an inscrutable look. Inwardly, he felt oddly validated by the remark about his soul. Also Inwardly, he can’t believe he was actually considering trying to match a sex demon in their own territory. Long past were the frat parties of his early years in college, so his confidence in that aspect was since diminished.. So much so that his thoughts drifted, even as he solidly sat there, taking in some more of that fantastic drink.

And people say you don’t need a degree to succeed. That does bring up even more questions, though. Like how haven’t they- wait no, stay focused Aleph.

His mind was a turmoil, but in the end, greed won over. And, an idea formed. “What if, instead, Ravanaugh, I used the Soul Catalyst before making the attempt?”

This left the seductress bemused, “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I can buy another if necessary- but then you’d be even deeper in debt. You have a strong soul, I’ll give you that, but enough to make a difference here?”

The two once again took a momentary standoff, “Yes. Yes I do.” He grasped the soul catalyst, spurred by a mixture of pride and a half baked plan for how he’d be using it.

Aleph then watched it disintegrate in his hands.

Hmm. Was that supposed to happen?

The smoke that resulted swam up his nostrils.

I may have made a mistake.

For all that Aleph was shocked to a standstill, Ravanaughtilus Tinrankus Vauntergale was appalled beyond comprehension. “You can’t just pick up-" Her following words went unheard as his ears rang, his vision blurred, and bile expelled itself unwilliingly from his mouth.

Yes. Yes I definitely made a mistake.

Those thoughts were the last thing Aleph understood before he fully went under, unconsciousness claiming him for perhaps the third time in under 24 hours.