Maxine makes good on her promise and by Restday, I’m secreted away with Geneva in a basement beneath an old workshop in Quest. I doubt anyone would wonder what’s going on beneath the surface with the building above us in shambles, but just in case, Bell is patrolling for unwanted attention.

“Lou, shall we get started?”

“Let’s do it.”

I strip, tossing my clothes into a neat pile. With a mental shrug, I drop my human skin. Then, I mentally browse the forms available to me before picking one I’ve never used before.

My perspective shifts as I gain several inches of height. I hold up my arms, seeing green and a flash of silver hair from the corner of my eyes. I try to keep my gaze away but they’re inevitably drawn to the large orbs of flesh on my chest. I can’t help but give them a squeeze.

“Try not to get too carried away, my summoner,” Geneva says, grinning at me as I continue fondling my, or really my wife’s, chest.

“I’m good. Go ahead and do the thing.”

“Very well.” Geneva closes her eyes as she concentrates. “It is complete. Do you smell anything?”

I give the air a good whiff. Huh. I never knew how well Kierra’s nose works. It’s not as good as an animal’s but stronger than a human’s and certain smells jump out at me. Specifically, Geneva’s and my own. I’m used to Kierra’s smell; a warm, earthy scent, like the outdoors after a heavy rain. However, with her nose, I notice how complex it is. It’s hard to describe as I can’t relate most of it to anything I’ve smelled before.

Geneva is even worse. She smells like…something ancient. Not in the old and dusty sense but more in the aged sense. Like a fine wine. My vocabulary isn’t extensive enough to try and describe anything else about it.

With Kierra’s pure affinity, her intentions become reality. From the stories she’s told me about her childhood, she probably developed this sniffer while learning how to track prey. Ugh, I can see how this thing can be useful but it’s a bit much. Having something like this full-time…it’ll be an adjustment process but I’ll get used to it, hopefully.

“Nope.” Heh. Good to see she isn’t perfect.

“Ah. One moment.” Her eyes close again. I amuse myself by fondling more of my wife’s body until I inhale something…strange. It smells like Geneva but there’s another element to it. One that draws my attention. Completely. My eyes snap to her as the rest of the room falls out of focus and the next thing I know, I’m walking toward her. I grab hold of her, burying my nose in her hair and breathing in deeply. A warmth spreads from my navel as my thighs rub together.

Then I snap back to attention as the heat is ripped away. My mind clears and my thoughts slow as I recover from…whatever just happened.

“It would seem we have reliably reproduced the pheromone.”

“Yeah…” I reach up, just noticing a trail of drool hanging from the corner of my mouth. Oh, forget this.

I revert back to my elemental form and the fogginess clears. No brain to be befuddled, hah. The burdens of flesh.

“What did it smell like?” Geneva asks.

I couldn’t describe it if I tried. The moment I smelled that stuff, I doubt I could tell someone my name. I was one second away from rubbing against my succubus like a dog in heat. It is scarily effective against her.

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“Never mind then. I can assure you as to its quality. The next part.”

It’s Geneva’s turn to strip and she goes about it far slower than necessary, making a show of it. I know from the look she gives me as a finger traces her collar before undoing the buckle. After her underwear joins the pile, I feel a pounding start between my eyes as she transforms into a mass of pulsing red flesh.

[You can open your eyes, Lou.]

I do. My cute succubus has transformed into a monster. Whatever it is, it’s tall, a head taller than even Kierra. Its skin is white as chalk, unnaturally pale. A view enhanced by its gaunt frame. I can see its ten ribs. Long, gangly arms hang past its waist, the crooked digits tipped with fearsome claws. It steps forward with a strange gait given its bowed legs and lays itself on the ground. A red light covers it and Geneva crawls from its back, a horrible facsimile of birth.

“It has been a while since I have done something so strenuous.” She rolled her shoulders. “Separating flesh is as taxing as I remember. With the subpar density of mana on this plane, it should take a total of nine days to create all the forms we’ve decided on.”

I bob in agreement before looking at the body on the floor. Saints, the thing is still alive. I can see its chest rising and falling, but it’s simply meat. A statue crafted from flesh. Alive but not one of the living. I put the thoughts out of mind as I ooze over the creature, enveloping it.

I’ve learned that the larger something is, the longer it takes to dissolve it. Nearly a minute later, I’ve gained more mass. With a thought, I shift into my new form. Immediately, I understand why Geneva chose it. The thing is practically four sticks glued to a torso but I can feel its strength. What’s it called?

“The inhabitants of Burning Earth refer to them as, hm. Loosely translated, pale void stomachs.”

That’s terrible.

“It is factual. They are constantly driven to consume prey, to the point their world is barren of all other creatures besides themselves. No matter how much they eat, they are never fulfilled. They will even eat their own kind.”

Doesn’t excuse bad naming sense. How about…gangly. Ganglies for a group. You know, because of the arms.

“And you mock our names.”

It’s cute and it’s catchy, something very important when you need to remember dozens of different realms and all the creatures within. Oh, don’t forget to write down records for all of these creatures. Just in case.

“I doubt you could contract a…gangly. If they have any form of communication, none has been able to decipher it.”

Still, the more you know. Ready for the next one?

“Mm, yes.”

I close my eyes when the red pulsing starts. When I open them, has flesh has turned to crystal. Through the transparent stone I can see strange nodes of light, pulsing with each movement as she works her new body, moving back and forth again with a strange fluidity I wouldn’t expect from her appearance. Once she determines everything’s correct, she lays down and separates from the body. I quickly consume it. Then I swap back to my human form.

Geneva grins, tail wrapping around her waist. My eyes are drawn to her hips, then crawl up to her modest chest, specifically the dusky nipples standing at attention.

“We still have some time until Master is expecting us. Perhaps you would like some…instruction.”

My lips twitch. Part of me wants to smile while the other is offended. “Instruction?”

She stalks toward me, tail whipping back and forth. I shiver as her hands brush over my abs, which are sculpted from my wife’s efforts. “Mm.” I stifle a yelp as one of her hands abruptly cups my sex, her thumb teasing me. “There isn’t much need for technique when it comes to Master and her fetish. And since you appreciate honesty…”

I see her tail lash and the next thing I know, I’m falling. I hit the ground with a wince but there’s no time to be upset about it with Geneva crouched over me. She crawls up my body, putting her mouth by my ear. “You could be the absolute worse lover in all the realms and I would scream your name.”

I pout, my emotional scales dipping further into offense. “I’m not that bad.”

“Not at all,” she practically purrs, eyes bright with amusement. “But I see you, Lou. I know what you want.” She pokes my chest playfully. “You enjoy being the center of attention. To be desired above all else. Why else would you deal with a crazy elf who wants you for your power? Contract a creature known for driving its summoners mad? Entertain a woman who can see through you in a literal way when it is one of your greatest fears?”

Um. When you say it like that, it sounds unhealthy.

“No worries, my summoner. As your wife says, embrace your desires. And they are vast. If you want all those you fancy to orbit around you, willingly, then you would do well to expand your repertoire.”

She chuckles at my slight frown, slowly grinding against me. “Don’t worry, Lou. It’ll be fun.”