On the other side of the door was a human woman in a red and gold dress that matched the wallpaper.
“May I come in?”
I nodded and stepped to the side, closing the door behind her. Standing was still difficult so I sat back down on the bed. She moved the chair from the desk so it was in front of me and sat down.
“General Karter hired me on your behalf. My name is Victoria, and I am at your service until we reach Marticourt.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t add anything else, I was trying to decide if I wanted her services or to try to sleep again. I wasn’t uncomfortable sleeping with prostitutes, it was how I survived, but something about not hiring her myself made it feel a little awkward. She took my silence as a chance to talk.
“I don’t mean anything by this, I ask only because of a natural concern for others, are you well?”
“That obvious?”
“To me, it is part of my work.”
“I am well enough considering the past couple days, or week and a bit really I guess.”
“The General didn’t tell me anything, or tell the brothel anything I mean. All I was told was that you were a succubus, and it was the General who asked. I had actually assumed he would be here, hence the dress, but I guess not. My madame chose me as I have relevant experience.”
“With succubi? What demon is rich enough to afford someone like you?”
“The experience isn’t professional.”
“Ah.”
I found the silence awkward so I decided to tell her what happened, I would have to get in the habit of it anyway.
“It was two days ago now. All our officers were dead and we were going to be overwhelmed. We had been under bombardment for a week. Myself and the three out there stayed with a gatling gun, to buy time, then when the Varenites were almost on top of us I called our artillery on our own forward trenches. I don’t know what happened after, but we made it out and the General thought it was enough to make us war heroes, so we are going to Marticourt to get royal shields and I guess make some speeches, talk to some rich fucks, stuff like that for a while.”
“Just two days? That is fast. How long were you in the trenches?”
“Week and a half, a week of that was the bombardment. Why?”
“Before that?”
“Two weeks in the trenches, a few days off, that's normal.”
“How many months have you been doing that?”
“Four, five?”
“And how old are you?”
This was already strange and that was a little too weird of a question to play along with so I just looked at her, waiting for clarification.
“Sorry, I worry too much, I haven’t even asked for your name.”
“Zalgeth.”
She nodded. “I work as a prostitute to pay for school, to be a healer, and my girlfriend is a succubus, so I have a better understanding of demon physiology than most, and you don’t look well. It seems like army life hasn’t treated you kindly. Of course I can perform the duties expected of me, and only those, but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t offer what I know, I might be able to help.”
I didn’t want a stranger involved in my business, especially one tied to the general. He seemed like a threat, and I worried whatever I told Victoria would be passed onto him. If she could help though, I was in pain a lot, and less of that would be nice.
“I don’t want to burden someone hired by the General with frivolous problems.”
I was proud of that, didn’t say no, and hopefully I could get a feel for how close they were.
“What prostitute shares things about their client?” Victoria sounded a little offended.
“I’m not the one paying you.”
She nodded. “What if I told you something about the General, would you talk then?”
She said that too quickly, it seemed like she had thought of that ahead of time, or was planning to tell me anyway. As suspicious as it was, the offer was too good to refuse.
“Okay Victoria, deal.”
“He’s gay. He pretends to be a womanizer, to explain why he never married. He bought me this dress to make the lie seem more believable, and brings me and other women to various parties and what not. This isn’t the first time I have been in this train car, but it is the first time I have without one of his men here as well, hidden away in this bedroom or disguised as a servant.”
“That’s surprising, he seems, not like us.” I meant it, he seemed so, straight, normal, it was hard to believe.
She shrugged. “He doesn’t see it as important, as part of himself. He enjoys it in private, but in public he is a politician through and through.”
This could make blackmailing the General possible. I would need evidence, but if I felt the General had laid a trap for us I could maybe find a way out with what Victoria told me. It was such a huge relief I could hug her.
“Now can we talk about your health?” She asked.
I nodded.
“Do you mind undressing?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. She knew why she was here, why should I care. I shrugged and started to take off my jacket before I remembered my new revolver.
“I have a gun, can I take it out and unload it?”
“I would prefer that, thank you.”
If she was wondering how I ended up with a revolver she didn’t say anything.
There was something unsettling but not necessarily unpleasant about being naked while a fully clothed woman looked over me with no hint of sex.
“Okay Zalgeth, what hurts most?”
“Upper back, thighs, feet.”
“The feet is not what I expect.” She said, thinking out loud.
“Could it be the bad boots and the trenches?” I asked.
“Your boots look new.”
“They are not what I had before the General gave me this new uniform.”
Victoria nodded, taking a closer look at my feet.
“It looks like you have some skin damage, but –” she roughly poked at my feet, “feels like it’s minor.”
“I thought I couldn’t get trench foot, it being an infection and all.”
“Demons fight off infections well, but you are not immune, and your skin heals backwards, outer layer first, and that stops new infections while your body fights off what is already in there, it makes it looks like there is no infection at all. Your feet seem fine though, should be healed in a day or two.”
“That’s good.”
The certainty she spoke with was convincing.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“Roll over,” she told me before asking “Can I touch you?” Another strange question from her.
“You were going to have to anyway.”
She sighed at me, seeming frustrated, I didn’t know why she would be. Her hands were warm, and even though she was digging around trying to feel my muscles she was clearly trying to be as gentle as possible. It still hurt of course, but it wasn’t too bad.
“Zal, how old are you?”
“Right, 27.”
“A little young but not that uncommon. Okay sit up.”
She sat on the bed with me and took one of my hands in both of hers.
“You have a thick accent, so I assume you are from the interior, rural?”
I nodded. She continued.
“I am too, not rural, but I practiced hiding my accent, it doesn't sell well, and I’ve lost it now. Just letting you know because I don’t want you to think I am insulting you.”
I laughed. “I don’t think anyone had ever seen past the demon to make fun of me for coming from deep in the continent.”
Victoria laughed politely, before holding my hand tighter and switching to a serious tone.
“Basically,” She said, “Zalgeth, you’re malnourished, chronically. Our best understanding, which isn’t great, is that whatever in demon physiology that allows you to sustain yourself off magic limits how much you can get from food. Your horns are a dead giveaway.”
She reached out to touch them, but stopped right before she did. I leaned forward to close the distance, I figured she was asking to touch me again.
“Feel how the base is wide, but they quickly thin, then are thin for the rest of the length.”
Her touch was nice as she traced them coming out of my forehead and curling up over my head. It was distracting, I had to focus to listen to her words.
“They should be growing at an even thickness until they quickly taper into a dull point, not the long thin points you have now.”
I took her word for it, not like I had met another succubi.
“That isn’t too bad though, I don’t care what they look like.”
I knew malnourished couldn’t be good but I was mostly fine. I found it hard to care.
“How often do you have sex, of any kind?” She asked.
“Once every two weeks about. My mom got what books she could on demons and we figured that was enough.”
“For an adult, an older adult, it might be, if they don’t exert themselves or get stressed and eat plenty of food. There is no way the army fed you enough, they don’t even feed humans enough.”
She was mad, not at me, but I was still scared that she considered it serious enough to get mad about it. I was used to Anne’s gentle concern. Victoria was much more direct and insistent.
“You should be at three to four times a week during war, that is, if your body wasn’t trying to go through second puberty.”
“I thought the wings and bigger horns just came with age?”
“Yes they do, but they grow quickly, that is the second puberty, and it is all energy, mostly magical, and there are more changes than that. Did you not talk to another succubus about this, or any demon?”
“No, I have never met another succubus.”
“Oh you poor dear.” She pulled me onto her lap and hugged me. She seemed so upset by that, and if a stranger was that upset about how I lived I could understand why Anne, Kate, and Rebecca were always worrying about me. I took the isolation as part of who I was, but in the capital there would be others like me, I could choose to be with people like me. I didn’t have to be alone. The possibility hadn’t occurred to me before. I had planned to move back in with my mom after the army, but she liked living alone. Not that she didn’t want me with her, but she would want me to put myself first. That would give her the most comfort.
I don’t know how long Victoria held me, but it was no more than ten minutes.
“I want to send a telegraph to my girlfriend,” I could feel her chest vibrate as she talked, “she might know of some safe places in Marticourt where you could meet people like you, and someone who knows more medically. Can I?”
“Okay.” I replied.
“Are you going to be okay alone?”
“I think it is clear I do fine alone.”
She glared at me for that, and I lifted my hands apologetically. I knew as soon as I said it the joke was in bad taste. Victoria gently pushed me off her lap and went rummaging through the desk, presumably looking for paper and a pencil.
“When I get back we should have sex. You should be at twice a day, at least until you recover, then one a day at least. You should eat more too, doesn’t take any healer schooling to see you are too thin.”
I resisted the urge to cover myself, but not well enough, Victoria noticed.
“Not that you aren’t beautiful, just the healer side of me is in charge right now, not the woman side.”
She found the paper and pencil and wrote something before leaving, closing the door behind her. It would take a few minutes for her to find a steward who would take it and pass it on to be sent from the next station. I had plenty to think about but I didn’t think about any of it. I just lay in bed listening to the clickity clack of the train.
Victoria opened the door as quietly as she could, until she saw me staring at her.
“Good, you're awake.”
I shrugged. She smiled warmly at me and sat on the bed, her back towards me.
“Can you help me get out of this dress?”
I struggled a bit with it. Dresses were never my thing, and the claps on it were beautifully hidden making them hard to get. I wasn’t surprised to see her underwear matched the dress. It was kinda cute. She had this way about her that wasn’t there when she was talking about my health. The way she took off the dress, how she looked me in the eyes when she took off her bra, how cute her butt was when she turned around to take off her panties, every detail was perfect. I don’t know how she drew me in. It was like she was an actress and I was onstage performing with her, desperate to match her elegance.
“What do you like?” She asked, standing in front of me while I was sitting on the bed, looking up at her.
“I, uh, what?”
She sighed, clearly annoyed with me.
“Dick, pussy, both, neither, which parts of yours get you off best.”
I was a little confused. “Well, dick, you’re a woman, it’s easiest.”
For the briefest moment she looked like she wanted to hit me.
“I’m not dealing with that right now.” She said, rolling her eyes and pushing me onto my back.
Seeing her naked, standing over me, she was this wonderful combination of delicate and commanding. Her small breasts, the slight curve of her hips, how she worried about me, even her frustration made me want to hold her, brush her long black hair, rub her back. I didn’t know what to do with that. Normally when beautiful women were standing over me I wanted to fuck them, but now, I didn’t know what to do. Thankfully she took the lead, leaning down and kissing me as she gently lay on top of me. She played with the head of my dick while her other hand took my tail and wrapped it around her wrist. It was a revelation, I couldn’t believe I never thought of it myself. I could hold her hand while having both my hands free to play with her breasts, which I happily did, even though the angle was a little awkward with her laying on top of me. I felt myself getting wet, precum leaking. I was embarrassed as Victoria sat up and watched herself spread it over my dick. At least she wasn’t looking at my face so she didn’t notice. It would just frustrate her more if she knew how I felt about my own body.
She leaned down and kissed me as she guided me into her. I suddenly knew what Victoria meant when she said I was malnourished. I was starving for this. I came as I entered her, but it just made me want more. I was shaking a little but she held me down, whispering sweet things in my ear, not that I could make out the words. Victoria kept a steady rhythm when I couldn’t, gently rolling her hips against me. I collected myself enough to look at her and she smiled. In that moment I realized I had all the time in the world. She wanted to help, and there was no war here, nowhere to be, nothing to do except this. I wrapped my tail tighter around her wrist.
I came again after a while. It was the longest time I spent fucking someone in years. I didn’t realize how it changed things. There was normally this tension in me when I came, like my body was trying to push every drop out. This time I was so relaxed, so turned on, not even thinking about what about my body might embarrass me. There was enough cum that it just flowed out of me, no need to push myself or tense up. The orgasm didn’t stay in my dick, it spread through my whole body. My heart raced, my limbs felt weightless, every part of me Victoria touched tingled. I could feel every muscle in my body relax and the pain fade. To my surprise I had a fit of laughter. Victoria stopped moving and lay on top of me again, keeping me in her, gently stroking my horns as the aftershocks faded.
I hugged her when I could move my arms again, and she gave me a little kiss on my forehead, right between my horns. I expected to go soft, but I didn’t. I knew how to, and I could, but I didn’t want to.
“Can we try another position?” I asked. Victoria was surprised, and I guess I was too. I hadn’t expected to enjoy myself and I didn’t think I would feel well enough to move so soon.
“Whatever you want. Glad you are feeling better.” She replied. The healer and prostitute combination was strange, but I didn’t hate it.
I started to sit up and she understood the hint and got off me. I put my hands on her shoulders, and pushed her down onto her back so her head was on a pillow at the head of the bed. It was a bit awkward as I reached over her to get a pillow to put under her cute little butt but it was worth it. She looked perfect like that, her legs around my waist. My tail wrapped around her ankle. I didn’t remember doing that, I guess I just wanted to hold her. I don’t know why but I needed to make her come. I knew she was a prostitute, that it wasn’t expected of me, that the effort of it would probably annoy her, but the thought of it consumed me. I started fucking her again, watching her face closely to see if I got the angle right. Her face didn’t tell me anything but I could feel her squeeze me a little bit with each thrust, and I figured that meant it had got it right, so I started playing with her clit. I just teased at first, not touching it directly, just putting pressure in what I hoped were the right places. I took my time to build anticipation. She gasped a little when I finally touched the hood of her clit. I wasn’t sure if touching it directly would be too much so I kept going as I had been. Again Victoria knew exactly what to do, moving her hips up ever so slightly so my thumb that had been teasing her was right on it. I slowed down now that I was touching her clit directly, rubbing in time with my thrusts but that quickly wasn’t enough. I move my thumb against her faster and faster, encouraged by Victoria’s face getting redder and redder as her breathing sped up. I was nearing my limit, and my hand hurt, but she seemed so close, so I took one of her nipples in my mouth, and pinched the other with my free hand. That was enough, thankfully. Her leg shook a little, and I felt her spams a few times around my dick. It was a little orgasm, but I didn’t care. I had done what I wanted to, and it was cute, and beautiful, and made me feel warm, and comfortable. I, by contrast, lost control when I came shortly after. I was exhausted and shaking so bad I couldn’t stay upright. I let myself fall on top of Victoria, thankful for the first time in my life that I was so light. She rubbed my back as I came down. I wanted to get off the disgustingly wet bed, to eat, have a drink, shower, but a bigger part of me knew none of that was going to happen, and I didn’t want to stop touching Victoria so I rolled off her and pulled her in to spoon me as I quickly fell asleep.