Maeve the Merc part II

by ticktickboom

Maeve woke up, but no one looking at her would be able to tell for sure. Keeping her breathing the same, and not moving a muscle, she took stock of her situation. She thought it was around twilight; she and her demonic captives had fallen asleep around dawn, so they had slept about ten or twelve hours. She was naked, and a warm weight was on her midsection, but she didn't seem to be in a stomach. It was unlikely anyone could swallow her without waking her up, but it had happened before. Not that it had done the sneaky bitch much good.

Opening her eyes, she was treated to the sight of Tash and Eliza using her thigh and abs as pillows, spooning facing her, Tash's dark wings surrounding the pair. Tash had her tail jammed up Eliza's pussy, her breasts crammed against the succubus' bound arms. Maeve grinned. Shame she didn't have a camera. Flesh Fane demonesses, in chains, cuddling, using their captor as a pillow? They'd jump down the nearest throat to avoid the embarrassment!

Smile fading, Maeve wondered just what the hell she had gotten herself into. She should have just sent Eliza to join her demonette 'associate' and polished off as many of those Demongut cunts as she could stuff down her throat, grabbed what gear she could, and head for the coast. Unless there was a dragon lair she didn't know about, she could make her way to a Black Crescent port and...

And what? Go back to taking out beasts and monsters that she could kill in her sleep? Take up pirating with Black Crescent? Well, that idea had merit, but she wasn't too fond of boats. Mermaids and octo-girls were one thing, but kraken and worse... At least she had a chance against a dragon.

No, she'd see how this played out. Eliminating Demonguts was a service to the planet, and she could think of a few villages on the other side of the mountain that should be culled from the gene pool. Gurglemeisters would probably put the manacles on themselves, and there were always those tasty Whitethroats. Whitethroats and Firebellies were on her Bitches That Need To Be Digested List, right under Demonguts.

Bringing herself back to the present, she was somewhat surprised neither demoness had tried to eat her in her sleep, chains or no chains. They would have failed, but they should have tried. She doubted they were cowards. Most demonesses would've preferred death to humiliation from a mortal. There was some angle that she was missing. Still, she should reward them for their cooperation, even if they had an ulterior motive.

Gently sliding out from under her captives/lovers, she turned to face them and lifted the demonesses to her breasts. Still mostly asleep, they automatically started sucking. Maeve had plenty of honey, and she figured they needed it more than she did, and she needed them healthy, at least for now.

There were few more pleasant ways to wake up than to a mouthful of breast, and once conscious thought returned to her, Tash decided to repay Maeve by slipping her tail out of Eliza and sending it towards Maeve. Maeve glanced at it to be sure it didn't have a stinger or something, which was not unusual amongst most demonettes, but hers seemed designed for pleasure, not pain.

If she did have a hidden poison or something, it probably wouldn't do much good anyway. A quick suckle at Eliza and Maeve would be fine, Tash would be digested for the second time in less than two days, and the succubus would soon join her. However, none of that proved necessary, as Tash simply dove her tail deep into Maeve, triggering a full body orgasm, and sending a torrent of honey down the two demons throats. When Maeve recovered, she grabbed the chains dangling from her slaves' collars, about to pull them into another orgy, but an unwelcome pressure in her bowels reminded her she still had her 'guest' from last night to evict.

Instead, she used the chains to pull the demons up and lead them to the bathroom. Most of the cave system had a naga feel to it. The bathroom, however, was definitely a recent demonic improvement. The toilets were obviously designed for girls with legs, and several frames were obviously meant to hold a slave for use as a living toilet, a demonette specialty. The toilets and bidets were activated by foot pedals, so there was no need to unchain slaves.

After sending the three Demonguts to their final fate, Maeve decided it was time to hit the showers. Soaping up her bound captives, she noticed their tits and hips were much smaller than they had been the night before, although it was harder to tell with Tash, as she had only felt her up a few moments before swallowing her. Clearly, resurrecting someone and being resurrected took a lot out of anyone. There'd be problems if they were too weak to go back and forth between here and Faneglut. But Maeve had two solutions, both of which were quite pleasant.

First, feed them Demonguts; seeing those dumb twats get digested never got old. Second, Maeve had a problem most girls would envy: she ate so many monsters and girls that her breasts tended to get big enough to get in her way without frequent milking. No one could confuse her for a Maizer, but her tits could get out of hand if she didn't get rid of excess honey. Fortunately, getting rid of excess honey was very enjoyable with the right partner(s), so she could solve two problems at once.

After drying off, Maeve decided to check up on the other slaves. The sight of a girl leading two demonesses in chains should have resulted in at least some respect, although fear and terror would have been more logical. After all, someone who could not just defeat, but enslave TWO demons at the same time was not somebody you wanted to fuck with.

However, these were Demonguts. Yet another barrage of insults greeted the trio as they entered the holding chamber. Maeve grabbed a hose and began spraying the whole lot with frigid water. That didn't even take any of her power; the water came straight off the mountains. The screams of rage turned into incoherent shrieks, much more satisfying to her ears. Sweat and dirt were blasted off the slaves' bodies, joining the filth on the floor. Wide drains carried the mess away.

“Let me guess,” Maeve said. “This used to be a naga bathroom, right?”

“How'd you know?” Eliza asked.

“I was in charge of a naga battalion for a while during the war. Some of them were great builders. They did a better job with sewers than most girl towns I've been in. Still, I prefer a real toilet to a hole in the ground. Perfect for this, though.” Satisfied, she turned off the water and started to leave.

“Hey, bitch, aren't you going to feed us?” one of the Demonguts asked. “We're starving over here!”

“You seem to have me confused for someone who gives a shit,” Maeve said, walking away.

“Um, Mistress, if these slaves starve to death, they won't be worth anything. Most of them are reserved for the naga; these are their tunnels, and they can make things difficult if they want to.”

Tash felt a slight thrill at calling Maeve Mistress. She shook her head slightly. That was a dangerous line of thought. Demonesses might enslave enemies of their own kind, but allowing a human to do so was...almost blasphemy. Demonguts started sputtering at hearing they were destined to become naga snacks. Maeve thought the matter through.

“It seems a demon cares more about your welfare than I do. If you had the brains the goddesses gave a frimbo... fuck it, I'm wasting my breath. I take it you two know where the 'regular' food is. Take care of these idiots. Feel free to have your fill. There'll be more where they came from.” Maeve walked behind the demonesses and unchained their wrists, then reshackled them in front. “Feed them,” she ordered.

Eliza and Tash went into a storage chamber, gathering bins of fruits and vegetables. They dumped them in troughs in the slave pens. Demonguts were forced to eat without their hands, feeding like farm animals. Maeve simply watched the demonesses at their menial labor. Strangely, it seemed to Eliza that Tash was taking it better (or worse, from a demonic point of view) than she was. She really needed to talk to Tash alone. Something was wrong, and she had a bad feeling she knew what it was. Once the chore was done, the pair walked over to Maeve.

“Eliza, from what I overheard last night, you spent some time among these... creatures. I may be wrong, but aren't there too few real warrior types for a Demongut village?” Eliza blinked a bit. This woman was very perceptive.

“The best warriors went to the river. Some Black Crescent ships ran the guns at Fort Demongut, heading to Gurglemeister territory. They were hoping to catch the ships in an ambush. I doubt they'll be back for a few days.”

“Good, the timing sounds about right.” Right for what?, Eliza wondered. Maeve seemed disinclined to elaborate.

Watching the slaves eat reminded Maeve she hadn't eaten since she woke up. Apples and carrots had little appeal to her, so she grabbed a nearby Demongut and wolfed her down without ceremony. Grabbing two of her meal's cell mates, she pushed them toward the demonesses with a grin.

“Enjoy.” That was an order any demon would be happy to obey. They preferred to take their time devouring their prey, but the pair was ravenous. The Demonguts quickly found themselves churning in the guts of real demons. Maeve led them back to the sleeping chamber. Getting comfortable, she decided it was time for some serious conversation.

“All right, now that we've gotten to know each other a little better, it's time to lay our cards on the table. If I let you go, I can't stop you from returning with a company of the nastiest demons you can scrounge up. I'd go down hard, but I'd still go down. All your talk of future business arrangements is just that – talk. Now, you went through a lot to bring back you girlfriend here, and don't give me that bullshit about 'business', I could tell doing what you did took enough out of you to be dangerous. And anyone who saw the two of you cuddling in your sleep wouldn't fall for that heap of shit either. I can guess why you two stayed behind to look after things – it's so the others don't get any funny ideas, right?” The two demonesses seemed stunned at this. Tash didn't seem likely to break her silence, so Eliza answered.

“You are a very dangerous woman. You're right, of course. It wouldn't have been so bad if we were both succubi, we're notorious for things like that, especially in the Flesh Fane. But, maybe because Flesh Fane demonettes have so much succubus and human in them, they often feel the need to prove themselves more demonic than others. Especially since any hint of weakness is suicide in Faneglut.” Maeve looked at Tash, but she didn't even look up.

“Naturally, if word got out that you were taken prisoner by a girl, even one with my... reputation, the next time you showed up at a demonic party you'd be given a tour of your host's digestive track, right?” Tash nodded. She seemed more resigned than frightened at the prospect. “Obviously, all the girls in there can never leave this cave except as lumps in intestines.” Tash looked up with hope for the first time.

“You'd do that? Cover up my... failure?” Tash asked. Maeve nodded. She still didn't know what to think of Tash, but she was curious to find out more. “I don't know if you should bother, though. Ever since I... came back, all I can think about is...” She looked at Eliza, blushed, and started contemplating her fingernails again. (Maeve noted for the first time that they were, in fact, more like fingernails than talons.)

“Oh, Saclia,” Eliza sighed, “I was afraid this would happen. Ever since Sorax...” She trailed off.

“Tell me,” Maeve said. “I want to hear what happened.” Eliza gave her a stubborn look. “That's an order.” The succubus seemed intent on defiance, when Tash spoke up.

“Sorax was a powerful Bone Fane demonette, and an utter bitch. She could fly better than most, and was famous for swooping over battlefields, sending blizzards of razor sharp ice at the enemy. Her Legion attacked an outpost of ours last year. We never had a chance. By the end of the 'battle', I was an ice sculpture, frozen solid. She kept me like that for a while; I didn't impress her enough to give me a chance to join their army as a 'conscript'. You, on the other hand,” she said looking at Maeve, “would have been made an officer very quickly. They don't care what you are, as long as you can fight.”

“Reasonable of them,” Maeve said. She had never put much stock in one race or clan claiming it's inherent superiority unless they could back it up. Darkswallows tended to view others based on their ability, without regard to whether they were girl or monster, angel or demon. Most of Maeve's military career was spent with what most clans considered pure evil: monsters and demonesses. She had often found them more reliable than most girls, and as far as she was concerned, reliability was much more useful than foolish things like 'charity' and 'compassion'. Being nice won no battles.

“Sorax set up in our outpost, turning it into a fortress. She made the survivors she thought useful part of her force, and ate the rest. I watched the culling. Those she considered weak were eaten. The ones frozen like me were last. We were forced to watch it all. Finally, only I was left. She gulped me down easily, even though I was stuck in an awkward position. She may have been an ice user, but her stomach was as hot as any. It quickly thawed me out, and started to melt me down.”

“Unlike most, we know that being digested is one of the most enjoyable things one can experience. I didn't feel any of the revulsion most girls feel at the thought of becoming food. I always have a vial or two of Eliza's honey, so I drank it before it was digested along with my gear. I didn't expect to be revived, I just wanted to make it last. Being broken down into mush, but still feeling everything, the sensation of becoming part of another's body, it was – indescribable. I could feel her breasts, her thighs, her lips. It was wonderful!”

“But all too soon, it came to an end. I felt myself waiting to be squeezed out her backside. Even that was pleasant. Sorax crapped me out, but I was still aware of her, so I felt it as someone swallowed her. Then I felt a warm glow, and I had a body again. Eliza had saved me.” She turned to her lover, and smiled. Eliza blushed, and started to tell Maeve what happened from her point of view.

“I was away when the Bone Fane struck,” Eliza began. “By the time I got back, only Tash and a couple other 'ice sculptures' were left alive. I snuck in and studied the occupiers. Sorax was obviously in charge. I had heard about her, mostly bad things, but typical for a Bone Fane Legion Commander. I intended to save Tash, and get out of there. Unfortunately, Sorax got her before I did. Fortunately, I had a back-up plan.”

“She had a lieutenant that she shared her bed with, a succubus from Kamaruga knows where. Not Bone Fane originally. I ate her and disguised myself as her. Sorax usually got horny after eating someone, so she dragged me to bed. I fucked her senseless. When she woke up to let what was left of Tash out, I was waiting. As soon as she was done, I jumped her mouth first. She was so surprised I was able to get her in my belly before she could react, and by then it was too late. I revived Tash, grabbed Sorax and the lieutenant's gear, and we teleported home.”

Maeve mentally chewed through what she had just learned. It was ironic. It had been often said that Maeve should have been born a demoness. Here were two demonesses who should have been born as girls, maybe as angels. The look on their faces if she were to voice that last thought brought a smile to her face. Another thought wiped it away.

“I can guess the reason you never wore or sold Sorax' gear. The Bone Fane, or at least her Court, would be looking for you. Assassinating a Captain tends to piss off her comrades. I can also guess why you want to pawn it off on me. I'd be the perfect patsy, whether you know it or not. It's well known I was fighting along side Wallachia's Court of the Blood Fane. They've been going at it hammer and tongs with the Bone Fane for years. The Bones would assume I got it from the Bloods, and that the Bloods were responsible for slaying Sorax. The Bloods wouldn't even deny it; they wouldn't care.”

“Does this mean the deal's off?”

“Did I say that? I'm already on the Bone Fane Shit List. This'll just move me up a few places. Their pride won't allow them to attack me en masse. They'd have to duel me individually, and the last one-on-one fight I lost was against a dragon.”

“Then how are you still alive?”

“Really good armor, a ton of health potions, and a lot of wriggling. I've never been able to get gear nearly as good as the enchanted Blacksteel I lost that day. This Sorax's stuff sounds like it might make a good replacement. Of course, if you're trying to saddle me with a target made out of Bloodsteel, well, you haven't seen me pissed off yet.” Her eyes turned as cold as the depths of space. Eliza was quick to appease her.

“It's all pure Demonsteel, I swear to Kamagura. Everything was made specifically to augment an ice demoness. That wouldn't help most girls, but you can harness it's power. In single combat, you'd have a chance against anyone short of a Kyosar or Empirisai. That's what has the Bone Fane so pissed. They assume Sorax was offed by someone very powerful, but they don't know who and it has some of them looking over their shoulders. If they found out it was a lowly Flesh Fane succubus, who's never exactly covered herself in martial glory, well... I'd be a long time dying.”

That, Maeve definitely could believe. Better to jump into Zaera's stomach. The Bone Fane would accord Maeve some level of respect, even if that meant they simply ate her if she fell into their hands. It was even possible they'd try to force her into their ranks. These two, on the other hand... if word got out, Maeve had no doubt that the only chance the pair had was to hide somewhere the Bone Fane would never find them. Depending on how pissed off they were, that might leave only Brightwind as a haven, and maybe not then. The Bones hardly needed an excuse to invade, although if the pair were killed there they'd probably be reincarnated as angels. That might be the best fate for them. Maeve, on the other hand, shuddered at the thought of becoming a cherub.

“Okay,” Maeve said. “We'll deal with Sorax's gear later.” She looked at Tash. “What in Zaera's name is going on with you? I've never heard of a demoness with Pervertia's Disease!” Once again, Tash blushed, which Maeve thought of as a most un-demonic reaction.

“I already said, being digested is one of th most erotic feelings anyone can experience. Demonesses just dispense with all the 'eww, icky' nonsense girls seem to be born with. I take it you've been swallowed many times, but have you ever gone all the way?”

“No, obviously, since I'm still alive. I don't have a succubus girlfriend to bring me back if I get turned into a steaming pile of shit. I admit, being in a digestive track is sensual as hell, but that never stopped me from getting out and returning the favor.” Maeve didn't mention she was getting damp just thinking about it.

“Well, it's one thing to know that feeling yourself become part of someone else is rapturous, but it's another to experience it first hand. Ever since Eliza brought me back, I've wanted to feel it again, but held back. Now that I've tasted that joy a second time, I...” She looked at Eliza. “I want, need, to feel myself become part of you.” Now, it was Eliza's turn to blush.

Maeve wondered, not for the first time, if she was the only sane person on the damn planet – no, universe. She found being in somethings digestive tract pleasurable, true, but it wasn't worth dying. She enjoyed wine, but not enough to drink when foes were nearby. There were other, more sinister draughts that induced bliss in the drinker, but Maeve avoided them, as users invariably were rendered lethargic and helpless, prey for the next monster or girl to come along. Some had far worse side effects...

It was said that in Brightwind, there was no true death; upon being digested, one was reborn just as they were, with body, mind, and memory intact. If that was more than traveler's tales, Maeve could understand allowing one's self to be eaten there; no permanent harm was done. But to lose one's knowledge and experience, to be reborn as a different person, was not something Maeve would accept while she had the strength to fight.

“This is all... interesting, but the two of you don't seem to have recovered just yet, and we have a lot to do over the next few days. Right now, I'm going to walk the perimeter. I should've done that last night; I'm getting sloppy in my old age.” Maeve stood up.

“How old are you?” Eliza asked.

“Almost thirty.”

“How old is that in standard reckoning?” Most planets had different seasons, so a year on one could be the same as ten on another.

“That is in standard reckoning.” The two demons were dumbstruck. Angels, demons, and some dragons were about the only things that could expect a long life. Most girls counted months, or a few years, at most. In a full fledged clan war, lifetimes could become as little as a few weeks or even days.

There had been lulls in the fighting over the last decade. When Maeve had said she had been born before the current war, they had thought she meant the current round of heavy fighting, not the whole thing. There were very few girls still alive who remembered the beginning of the war, and Maeve was three times older than that. Hell, she was older than most demons.

“I want this place spotless before I get back.” Maeve left the still mute pair, brushing up against an empty vase as she did so. Neither captive noticed the odd way her fingers danced over it. A few minutes after she left, Eliza shook her head and started cleaning up. Tash immediately followed her lead. It never even occurred to them to defy their Mistress. When they finished the room, Eliza began a conversation she had been both dreading and anticipating.

“If you want, I'll bring you back as many times as you want. I can more honey from my brothels, and I'll eat as many girls as it takes to keep brining you back. I don't want to lose you.” Tash smiled at the mention of brothels. The pair had met each other in one. Eliza, as expensive courtesan, Tash as enforcer, keeping the clients from damaging the succubi. If they damaged the human, demi-human, or monster girls, they were simply billed for the cost of a replacement.

“I'll try not to let the urge overwhelm me too often,” Tash said. “Maybe I'll even learn the resurrection magic myself, and let you know how it feels. I warn you, though, we might both end up jumping down someone's throat, and who will save us then?”

“You're right. Maybe we should...” go to Brightwind, Eliza didn't say. “Never mind. We can worry about this later. What are we going to do about...her?”

“If you have one problem, you have a problem. If you have two problems, they can solve each other, if you're smart enough. We happen to have three problems, but I think one of them can solve the other two.”

“Three? I can only think of two: her, and the Bones. I can see She Who Must Be Obeyed and the Bones canceling each other out, but what about whatever the third is?”

“First, we should make sure we're useful to her. That's probably the most important thing. Everything else depends on that. She won't keep us around just because we're good in the sack, or having a pair of big bad demonesses makes her feel important. She doesn't care. I felt her very soul last night. Comparing her to Sorax is like comparing tin to steel. If she told me she had spit in Kamaruga's eye and goosed Zaera, I'd believe her.”

“Okay, okay, she's practically the incarnation of Trina. So we put ourselves at her disposal. Then what?”

“Problem number two: the Bones. Anyone they send after her will be in for a surprise, especially after we gear her up. I think things are starting to come to a boil back home, and even if you didn't really mean it when you said she'd be useful when they came knocking, it's true. I doubt any of our brethren will complain after the first battle she wins for us. We just have to make sure our esteemed leaders don't try to cheat or betray her. Think of her as Blood Fane. What would happen if we broke a deal with them?”

“Eek. I get the idea. Besides, I figured all that out last night, while you were getting your jollies in her belly.” Eliza's jibe was rewarded with yet another blush. “Explain how she solves problems three O most devious one.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere. Problem three: I am, without a doubt, a voraphile. I can barely talk in front of her. Saclia, I can't even say her name. I even think of her as 'Mistress'. The thought of her just grabbing me and...” Eliza pulled Tash's hands away from her flower, trying to get her back on track.

“Ahem. It takes more than a few breastfuls of honey to bring me back, and that's the easy way. It's still dangerous for you, although they say it gets easier with practice. If we do this more than a couple of times a year, we need lots of money to buy slaves and honey, or better yet, slaves who make honey. Not many succubi are born into the Bone Fane, but plenty get shanghaied into it. Besides, it's not as if all the succubi in our brothels are there by choice.”

That was true. The pair owned several whorehouses in Faneglut, and acted as suppliers to many more. Eliza seduced or captured malleable girls, and Tash 'trained' them. Their stock included not just girls, but succubi, dopplegangers, monsters, imps, even the occasional angel, although those didn't last long.

“I don't know if I ever told you this,” Eliza said, “but I think you're honey might be useful for bringing digested meals back, at least if you mix it with mine. You have almost as much succubus in you as demonette. Her's might be useful too, if she can learn to, how can I put it, boost the energy content. I've heard of adding honey from powerful Naga sorceresses to make the spell more effective. Actually, you might be able to pull the spell off yourself, if you had enough resources. We need to dispose of the slaves we have now, so we can afford to experiment a bit.”

“Speaking of slaves, I could go for one more. Come on, let's continue the culling.” The pair walked off to the holding pens. Soon after, Maeve quietly strode into the room, immediately heading to a certain vase. Placing her hand on it, she closed her eyes and started chanting, then her eyes darted all over the place behind her lids. After several minutes, she pulled her hand away and smiled.

“So that's how it is,” she said to herself. “This is turning out to be very interesting. Hmm, it's not often I'm glad I didn't eat someone.” Surprisingly, it seemed unlikely the pair would betray her. Instead, they wanted her to protect them from the consequences of their actions. They wanted to avoid the normal results of word getting out they assassinated a Bone Fane Captain, specifically having every up and coming Bone champion wannabe looking for them.

Maeve had long ago concluded that most pain and suffering was the result of people trying to escape the reality their choices had created. Take what you want and pay for it, she always said. She lived by those words and survived, while those who tried to have their cake and eat it, too, died. She would give the pair the chance to learn that lesson. But if they made poor students, well, Tash was delicious, and Eliza even tastier.

Maeve marched out, plans within plans, plots within plots, spinning away in a devious, ruthless mind Kamaruga herself would approve of.