Grey looked upon the House of Pleasure filled with dread. He didn’t like the place at all. A certain image flashed across his mind. No, dislike was not the correct word. In the end, he had to be honest; He did enjoy the service but the cost was way too steep.
He was cautious of this place because the mages there were experts at charm magic and other spells of subversion.
Grey took a deep breath gathering his resolve. He resisted their charms once, he will resist them again. It was a matter of willpower. Also, he wasn't an animal driven by carnal desires like a lowly human. In other words, he had full confidence that he will prevail.
He stepped through the entrance. At that moment the familiar scent of incense filled his nose channels and his eyes landed on a familiar receptionist. Seemingly nothing had changed, only that this place was now ever busier.
The receptionist shoved a customer she was dealing with away and greeted Grey with a smile, ignoring the protests by the said customer.
“Isn’t it our favourite peacekeeper Grey, welcome! How can we be of service?” She chirped.
“I want to see your boss.” Grey went straight to business.
“Eh? But she isn’t on the menu! Not even for you. May I suggest…”
Grey glared at the receptionist. She had gotten the message.
“Ah, yes. You didn’t come as a customer. Sorry I made a slip, please wait here and someone will get you to her shortly.”
Grey sat on a way too small a couch. It creaked under his weight. While waiting he watched people go in and out of the place. No one even spared him a glance, in their eyes, he was just another beastkin here for a routine shag. No one apart from the receptionist. Grey knew she was sneaking glances in his direction. She was subtle in her actions but Grey had four eyes after all.
Aside from that, since Grey somewhat was familiar with their race, he could smell a certain smell coming from the receptionist. While, yes, there were an obscene amount of pheromones she was omitting it wasn’t all that. The other smell grey picked up was the smell that would be best described as anxiety. In other words, despite her polite demeanour, she didn’t like him being here.
Which was understandable since he was the assigned peacekeeper. His visit wasn’t good news for their house. Grey knew all that, and he too didn’t like this place. He wouldn't be here if he didn’t need to.
“Peacekeeper Grey.” A mellow voice purred at him.
The succubus in front of him was just like her other sisters. Well endowed and scantily clad.
“Come.” She grabbed him by his arm while pressing her chest onto him from the side.
She dragged Grey past the corridor passing the numerous rooms. The obscene noises and scents filled the air. The place indeed was poplar and busy. The succubus walked slowly as if dragging for the time. Despite the animalistic smells coming from all over, her close proximity allowed Grey to take in her personal scent. She too carried the smell of anxiety on her skin, even her fingers seemed to tremble ever so slightly.
Grey tensed up but only for a fraction of a second. The gears in his mind began to spin various scenarios. Whatever this was, something was off. Grey couldn't help but wonder if she was leading him to a trap. After all, it wouldn't be that hard to deal with him here. The enemy surrounded him and he felt like an animal up for slaughter.
“Is something the matter, sweety?” She meowed innocently.
“No, all is fine.” Grey said more to reassure himself than to answer the woman.
Likely he was just paranoid, and if push came to shove he will deal with it; his mana was full to handle that type of situation anyway.
The succubus gave him an uncertain look and then just continued leading him towards the stairs and up to the second flour.
Grey gave a suspicious look at the change of scenery. Even at the glance, it was more luxurious. The doors were spaced out more, indicating larger rooms, and there was a lack of smell or sound coming from the said rooms.
“This is where our VIP suites are.”
“VIP?”
“Very important person. People just like you, sweety.”
“Why are you calling me sweety?” Grey asked still full of suspicion then added. “I don’t think I would taste sweet at all. If anything, my meat would be tough and hard to handle.”
“Nothing, I can’t manage I assure you.” She let a playful giggle at the end of her sentence.
Grey pushed the succubus away from his body.
“Where are you taking me? This is not where her office is!” Grey growled.
“Ah.” The woman yelped at the direct animosity. “I just thought I give you a taste of our best service while you wait. The queen is not yet ready.”
“I thought so!” He said accusingly. “You lot wanna drain me so that I can’t fight? Not happening!” Grey took a stance.
“Fight?” She asked in puzzlement and alarm taking a few steps away from Grey.
Grey glared at the succubus waiting for her to make a move. Yet she didn’t even attempt to cast a spell or call for help.
“I… I think there was a misunderstanding. I… I should get someone else.”
Her demeanour was weak and there wasn’t even a sliver of fight in her eyes. That and her body language told Grey that she was a no threat.
“No!” Grey grabbed her slender arm. “You are not getting away. Lead me to your boss, now!”
“Yes!” She nodded meekly.
With the undesirable playfulness gone and the quick pace enforced, both welcome additions, Grey found himself by a set of two sturdy doors.
“But this is not her office.” Grey stated the obvious, his voice laden with hostility.
“It’s the queen's bed chambers. She’s there getting ready.”
“Oh.” Grey gave a heavy knock.
“Who dares?!” an annoyed voice rang out.
Hearing it Grey had second thoughts. Maybe this was a misunderstanding and he ought to have waited. Oh well…
“This is Grey the peacekeeper, I am here for business.”
A completely different manner of speaking rang out. “Grey! Yes. You are way too soon, I am not presentable yet.” hurried rustling and slamming of drawers accompanied her words. “Did anything happen with the escort I have sent for you? Not to your liking?”
“I just didn’t want to wait.”
“I see, you might come in then.”
The doors opened and there it was a regal variant of the succubus. She was wearing a white dress, a dress which struggled to keep her bountiful breasts from spilling. Her four horns were adorned with jewellery and right in between her chest hung a necklace. The necklace, unlike her other trinkets, was more than just jewellery – it was magical in nature.
Grey ogled the piece with suspicion. He wasn’t an expert on magical devices but he could tell it was a ward of some sort.
“Like what you see?” She puffed her chest for better display.
“A magnificent set.” Even at the glance, Grey knew it was extremely valuable.
The queen succubus smiled at the praise then directed her gaze upon the escort Grey came with.
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Once again her pleasant personality evaporated in an instant. “You! You useless bitch - Shoo!” She waved her kin off and away.
With her eyes back on Grey, and with the welcoming mask back on she asked. “So what business do you have in mind?” She asked while nibbling her index finger playfully and blinking excessively.
“Well, I can see you are doing good for yourselves and the city isn't bugging you anymore, right?” Grey asked instead.
“Since we pay our taxes they leave us be. So what?” She asked cautiously, the playfulness gone.
“You owe me.” Grey stated sounding all too entitled.
“Do we?” She asked playfully back. “And what do we owe you?”
Grey sighted. “You know you got a good deal. I didn’t extort you. I didn’t even take my cut.”
“So this is the speech you have prepared. Come…” She motioned to come further inside. “Take a seat and cut the crap.”
“Ah…I am not good at bullshiting anyways.” Grey had to admit. “You promised me favours and I came to collect.”
“That I did. And we will deliver. Of course, that is, if you stay quiet on the actual money we owe to the city.”
‘Oh… so they were cooking their books. The half-elf was right.’ Grey made a mental note.
The succubus continued. “Since you don’t bite our girls, is it the money you want? No… information, but on who?”
“Information yes.” Grey nodded. “But the info I desire is on you.”
“I don’t follow?” Succubus leaned closer to Grey across the desk, in doing so she exposed her breasts for his eyes.
“Your secrets. Your precious secrets. The drain magic. I want to learn it.”
“That is quite a request.”
Grey knew the size of what he was asking.
“Give me that and we are square.”
The queen tapped her fingers on a wooden desk in thought.
“If it's all you want then it would be a good deal… but I don’t think it’s something that can be taught or learned. Are you aware of racial skills?”
Grey nodded.
“Then you must understand the folly of what you are asking.”
“If we don’t try we won't know.”
“Hah! That is true. Yet, there are no humans with such skills, or even beastkin, hence the name – racial skill. I am sure that it isn’t due to a lack of trying.”
“Yet I am not human nor beastkin. I am sure it’s something I can learn.”
In reality, Grey just had a gut feeling. That, and the fact that he and succubi had the mana cores inside their body.
“And you won’t blame us for your failure? Demand me more?”
“Even in failure, I will think of us as even. I won’t harass you further. But teach me properly.”
“Ha-Ha, properly he says. Who decides what is proper? And to begin with, you aren’t even female…” She laughed at the idiocy of the idea. “But fine, for the matter of fun and curiosity, be my guests.”
“Where do we start?” Grey asked giddily.
“A demonstration perhaps.”
The queen snapped her fingers and in a short moment a succubus courtesan entered her chamber. She was naked and her skin was sleek from sweat which wasn’t hers. Her chest was covered in stripes of suspiciously viscous substance. It was obvious that she rushed here straight after the finale of the pleasures she offers.
The succubus approached the queen and their lips locked in an obscene kiss. Grey watched the scene with great interest. His sensitivity to magic allowed him to see that the queen was draining her subject of energy. The mana tickled slowly so thus their kiss continued. The courtesan squirmed in pleasure, her hand slipped in between her thighs. Having no qualms about Grey being there she began to pleasure herself with fingers.
With a wet smack of the lips, the queen withdrew from her subject. The courtesan was panting heavily either from the drain or the pleasure, or both.
“As you might have guessed, I took all the energy she had gathered. This is the privilege of the queen and no simple succubus can replicate this skill. They gather energy by other means, to which you have been already privy.” The queen instructed.
Grey nodded in response recalling the experience.
The queen continued. “Seeing is not the same as feeling it yourself. May I?” She smiled sheepishly.
The queen leaned across the table towards Grey. Closer and closer. Despite her bold actions, Grey couldn't not notice her hesitation. The queen's hand clutched her necklace tightly as if seeking protection. Her hesitation didn’t last more than a second and then her lips pressed to Grey’s maw.
Grey waited patiently with interest. It was obvious what was supposed to happen, his mana would transfer from his core to hers. Yet, even after a few awkward seconds, nothing had happened.
The queen pulled an inch away. “That’s odd… Are you wearing some sort of ward or protective medallion?”
“No, I have no such trinkets on me.”
She looked at him with suspicion. “So it’s not just my charm you are immune to but my drain skill too? Without a magical device that should be impossible!” There was a streak of indignant annoyance on her face. “But I know that you can be drained by our skills. So does it have to be that?.. No, let’s try again. Can you let your guard down a bit? Actually, will your mana towards me, imagine it flowing from your body to mine.”
“I can do that.”
They kissed again and Grey did as asked. It was harder than it sounded. Subconsciously he didn’t want to lose even a single sliver of his mana. But for the sake of the lesson, he willed his mind to loosen up. A strange sensation invaded his brain. His mind felt… dulled, clouded, in a fog – it was hard to describe. There was a budding attraction towards the scandalously dressed woman right in front of him. There was a desire to take her, make her his. And at that moment Grey’s mana moved from his core and towards his lips. A single point was drained.
Enough! The mental barrier fell back in place almost out of instinct.
The queen pulled away, her brows were furrowed. “Did you not enjoy it? Never mind, It worked. I can still do it!” She sounded relieved. “Let your guard down completely this time.”
This time Grey put a stern expression. “How will this help me to learn the skill? I want to drain and not be drained.”
“You need to understand how the skill works first, so I am showing you… but even then I doubt you can learn it.”
“But I’m losing my mana!”
“There is always a cost.” She lectured. “So you wanna learn it or not?”
“I do, Let's continue.”
Once again their lips locked. “Drop your guard! Relax!” The queen instructed.
Grey relaxed. Once again his mind was flooded with strange wants and desires. The mana began to flow from him. He hated the idea of his core draining but he kind of liked the other feeling which was tickling his brain. So he concentrated on that other feeling.
The queen's tongue invaded his mouth and began to wriggle like an angry snake. Surprisingly it felt pleasant. He wanted more of this feeling. He wanted more pleasure. He wanted more of her. Grey’s hand mowed towards her melon-sized breasts and squeezed on one of them. The queen didn’t seem to mind and continued to kiss him vigorously.
Grey could feel hunger building up inside him. He hungered for her flesh, but he didn’t want it in his stomach. It was an odd sensation Grey wasn’t accustomed to.
The queen pulled her tongue out to take a deep breath.
No! Grey was about to protest but he didn’t need to. Their lips locked once again into a passionate kiss. It lasted maybe a minute but it felt much longer. Grey just couldn’t have enough. He wanted her, he wanted her all. He grabbed her and pressed her body tightly towards himself. He was running out of air but he didn’t want to end this.
The queen pulled her head away despite Grey’s attempts to prevent such a thing. She was stronger than she looked.
“And here you finally lost to my charms.” She smiled at him.
Grey stared at the queen with feral hunger.
“Grey?” She sounded tense and even her body tensed up. “Grey?” She repeated.
He wanted her. He wanted to taste her flesh.
The queen blew air towards his face. It felt cold, frigid even, but it was refreshing in a sense. The fog cleared from Grey’s mind.
“What was I doing?” He blinked twice.
“What do you think?”
He let the queen out of his tight grasp. It was hard to ignore his massive erection of which he had only become aware only now.
“I lost it.” He admitted.
“That you did. A succubus charm is a mighty thing. Now try to control your mana. Do not block the flow but manage it.”
“Are we going again?”
“We are.”
She kissed him again.
Thus the training continued. Grey found it extremely hard to find that balance where he let his mana be taken away but stayed lucid enough to resist the succubus charm. After a few tries, he had achieved that balance.
“Good, now…” She paused dramatically. “Now the hard part. You need to reverse the flow. If you do this, the skill is yours.”
Grey nodded ready and roaring to go.
He tried and he tried. But in the end, he couldn't do it. All he could do was control the resistance. His mana was nearing the bottom.
“It doesn't work.” Grey had to admit. “What am I doing wrong?”
The queen shrugged. “If honest, I think it's impossible for you to learn the skill…” She leaned in closer again, but this time kissed his forehead. “On the positive side, didn’t you become even more resistant to mind spells? That’s scary you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“After you opened your mind, and by the end of our session I expected you to become a feral beast which only wanted to ravage my body. However, you lost your control only once. I know I have charmed you properly, yet you retained the control. That is… impressive.” Despite the praise, she sounded disappointed as if something ate her from inside.
“Wait. Did you try to actively charm me?”
“Actively, no. It’s a side effect of succubus drain skill.”
“Does that mean I have to learn Charm for me to learn the Drain?”
“That is a good hypothesis. Maybe?”
Grey thought some more.
“Your drain only works when I open my mind, then I begin to have peculiar thoughts and desires.”
“Hmm… that kinda makes sense.”
“Can you teach me Charm then?”
“Ha-ha. That might be even harder than teaching Drain. Where would I even begin?” She gave Grey a meaningful look. “You definitely need to be a succubus or a mind mage first for that. And mind magic I cannot teach, once again our skills come naturally to us succubi.”
“Hah.” Grey sighted. He had hit a wall again.
“But, what if you practised on an already ‘charmed’ subject? Someone who desired you and your touch. Technically they would count as charmed.” The queen suggested. “I might had it backwards. You should do it with my subjects first. My resistances are too high anyways and I cannot be drained.”
“But don’t your subject use other techniques?”
“Yes, and they have less control over them. But since you have good control now, I think you will be okay.”
Grey thought about it. She was correct, if he wanted he could resist the Succubus drain. However, there was one big problem. The method he would need to practise was not entirely to his liking.
“Wanna give it a go? You can pick any girl you want, and of course, we won’t charge you.”
The money was not the problem, the diminishing mana in his core was. However, if he learned the skill he would be able to get it back easily. It would be ironic to see the succubus drained by their own racial skill. He liked the idea.
“I’ll give it a go.”
The queen snapped her fingers and in no time at all a wild succubus let herself in her chambers.
“Lead this man to VIP reception. Give him the best of our stock.”
The succubus attendant bowed to her queen, then she wrapped her arms around Grey and led him away.
Once the two left and the doors closed the queen sighed a sigh of relief. Her hand moved away from her necklace.
“To be able to resist me, the Succubus Queen, even after I put a charm on him. He must be a mind mage of sorts.”
Her hand went back to the necklace.
“Darn! He made me wet.”
She snapped her fingers again.