Bliss stepped into the courtyard of the Demon King’s Castle. The sky was mostly clear with just a cloud here and there. A lone bird flew, fluttering its wings. Bliss smiled as the warm sun hit her. The morning sun feels nice. She stretched her wings, both her bunny ears and tail twitching. She raised her arms for a deeper stretch, yawning as she did so. Blinking a few times, she continued on, walking deeper into the courtyard.

She came to a bed of roses. The rose bushes were large yet looked to be meticulously kept. A plethora of blossoms filled them. She hinged at her hips, bending over towards one of the flowers. She gave it a quick sniff. Absolutely heavenly. A dumb smile crossed her face, her golden eyes closing, her long, light-brown locks blowing in the slight breeze. Wait. Why was I here again? Oh right! The envoy!

She straightened up and quickly looked over her outfit to make sure everything was in place. OK. Looking good. The tie-dye might be an odd choice for meeting an envoy though. She was still glancing down at her outfit. Should be fine. She looked up and continued deeper into the courtyard.

In time, her eyes fell upon another woman, a woman with long golden hair, hair much longer than Bliss’s. The gray-eyed woman had hair that reached her thighs in length and a cream complexion a bit darker than Bliss’s ivory. She stood clearly taller than Bliss and possessed an aristocratic look to her. A fetching green dress clad her, accentuating her impressive (though not quite as big as Bliss’s) bosom and (clearly larger than Bliss’s) backside. Something about the beautiful woman was off though. Something about her gaze. Though she looked at Bliss, her gaze seemed vacant, as if she was not actually looking at all.

“Hi. I’m Bliss, the bunny succubus.” Bliss blinked, a sweatdrop running down her cheek. Why is this chick giving me such a weird feeling? “You the envoy?”

The green-dressed woman tilted her head. The movement seemed off somehow, almost unnatural, though it was hard to say how exactly. The woman’s gray eyes did not move from Bliss’s, that same unnerving stare still on her face. She did not speak, just watched.

This is so weird. I almost feel like I’m talking to a corpse. “Are you OK?” Again, Bliss got no real response other than another tilt of the woman’s head. “Hello?” Bliss raised her right hand and waved it in front of the beautiful but bizarre woman. Again, nothing. Oh hell. I think she might actually be dead. How am I going to explain this to Dexlo?

Laughter started up from the woman’s location, yet said woman did not move even one muscle. The beautiful but possibly dead woman just stared vacantly forward as the high pitched laughter continued, as if a mischievous spirit had taken up residence inside her. Bliss took one started step back and then another. The woman in front of her crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap. Bliss’s fears were right. The woman was very much dead.

Someone looking very much like a jester appeared behind the corpse, literally looking to have appeared out of thin air. “You should have seen your face.” The figure continued her laugh, her voice wispy. Her jester outfit was black and gray, and a mask covered her face. Due to her manner of dress, she showed no skin. However, her mask did allow for her brown eyes to be seen.

“A-Are you the envoy?” Bliss stepped around the corpse and up to the jester. She was taller than said jester and more developed in terms of curves. Why does she seem almost too small? The woman she addressed was clearly short but not abnormally so. Why does her stature seem wrong?

“Yes. Yes. I’m the envoy.” The jester bounded back spreading her arms. “The envoy called Snek. Snek is spelled like sneak but without the ‘A’.” She spun around for a second before vanishing and reappearing in front of Bliss. “I’m Snek of the Sect of Sneak.” She extended a hand.

“Nice to meet you.” Bliss shared a handshake with the woman before looking to the blonde corpse at their feet. “What is with the corpse?”

“Corpse?” Snek’s high-pitched voice sounded surprised, as if she had forgotten all about the dead blonde. She turned to said blonde, Snek’s movements rather silent. Some jesters have bells, but Snek did not. Well, she was in the Sect of Sneak after all. “Oh, her! I remember her.” She looked back to Bliss. “Don’t worry about her. Just some chick I met on the way over.”

“Wait. You mean you killed her?” Bliss took a startled step back. Seriously, what is with this jester?

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“May~~be.” Snek clasped her hands together in a way that was somehow both cute and disturbing, her brown eyes flashing red for a moment.

I sure hope Dexlo knows what he is doing meeting with this lunatic. She is really starting to look like some sort of murder-hobo. Bliss sighed and then composed herself. A task is a task. As disturbing as she is, I just have to take her to the throne room. I can do that. “This way please. I’ll deliver you to the throne room.”

***

“My king.” Bliss curtsied before the throne. “This is Snek of the Sect of Sneak.” The bunny succubus referenced the jester standing behind her.

Snek swayed from side to side in a strange, almost-drunken manner. “My king. My king.” She laughed her high-pitched, wispy laugh. “I am Snek. Yes. Snek of the Sect of Sneak.” Her eyes flashed red, and she held out a sealed letter.

Dexlo stared at her for a moment and cocked an eyebrow. He reached out and took the letter. The parchment was yellowish and the seal blood-red. “This does appear to be the Sect of Sneak’s seal.” He broke the seal and opened the letter.

“Do you accept, my king?” Snek leaned forward.

“This is acceptable.” Dexlo put away the letter. “Rex, show our guest to her lodging.” The throne room fell silent other than the snoring coming from the corner. After a sigh, Dexlo took his ruby ring off and chucked it at the lazy demon.

“Ouch! Alright, who did that?!” Rex’s blue, tired-looking eyes met Dexlo’s purple. “M-My king, do you require something of me?”

“Show this envoy to her lodging.” Dexlo gestured to the jester.

The lazy demon yawned and nodded. “This way please.”

With Rex and Snek having left the room, Dexlo slipped his ruby ring back onto his right hand and then turned his attention to Bliss and Lati. “You two will be working on a joint operation with the Sect of Sneak. You two will leave tomorrow with Snek. Understood.”

“Yes, my king.” Lati curtsied deeply, her tongue flitting out.

“Yes, my king.” Bliss also curtsied, though not as deep as the other demonic woman. Why does this strike me as a bad idea? Her bunny ears twitched. “My king, there is kind of a corpse in the courtyard.”

“Kind of a corpse? Explain.”

“Well,” Bliss’s succubi wings fluttered nervously, “Snek kind of showed up with one.”

Dexlo placed his right palm onto his face, his ruby ring displaying prominently. “What kind of an envoy brings a corpse with her? Deal with it.”

“M-Me?” Bliss blinked, both her bunny ears and tail twitching. Her black succubi wings stiffened and then fluttered a bit.

“Lati, help her.”

“Yes, my king.” Lati glanced at Bliss, the snake woman’s tongue flitting out.