Uncertain Magic 7: Uncertain Battles

by Nuit du Loup

Note: This story is sinificantly longer than most individal chapters of my stories on this site at about 41k words, so just a friendly warning about that.

"Let me tell you a fun little story, about a people who are tied to the very stream of life." Sarah began in a mockingly dramatic tone.

Sarah felt her lips quirk up in a wide smile, as she prepared to tell a condensed version of Succubus history and a personal explanation about herself. She had been a bit secretive about her past life before coming to the Academy, but she'd had reasons for that. Those reasons could possibly still apply, but her own embarrassment now ranked very low on her list of priorities. People she loved were more important than her own discomfiture.

Across the glass table, bathed in the cheery afternoon sunlight that had blessed their free-day, Eva sat watching her. Those ice-blue eyes, just below thin, snowy brows and wispy white hair, waited with intense concern. In her belly, Sarah felt the first wriggle of nervousness. Unlike Kat, she had never been able to just brush aside the sheer magnitude of Eva's personality and aura. The girl was strong; not just in a physical sense, but magically as well, and there was just something about her that was naturally daunting.

Partly, this was because Eva was undeniably beautiful in many ways. Even just sitting still, there was a sense of the predator about her, the same kind of feel that had only just started to build around Kat lately. Eva's body had the lean muscle tone of a person that trained hard every single day and fueled herself right. Sarah let her eyes trail up strong arms leaning on the table and then down to the firm and wonderfully large chest Eva's uniform only enhanced. Cassie would love feeling those; not-so-secretive breast lover that she was.

That idle fancy broke her momentary freeze of nerves and a small laugh escaped her lips. Glancing to her right, she slid a hand over and took comfort in the feel of Cassie's smooth thigh. Cassie just quirked a thin black brow in question, but she smiled in support as well.

"Sorry, got lost in my own head for a moment!" she laughed aloud again, amused by the confused frown on Eva's face. "It happens from time to time, but I eventually find my way back out again. Daydreaming is a bit of weakness I've never let go off."

"You were starting a story?" Eva responded in that husky burr of an accent. Sarah could well understand why Kat went all gooey and girly at that voice. Sexy as anything!

"I was indeed!" she agreed cheerfully, back into her good mood. "What you need to understand though, is that a lot of Succubus history isn't talked about very much, and we most certainly don't advertise it among the public outside our own lands."

"Why's that?" Eva asked, openly curious now.

"It makes all sorts of folks uncomfortable," Sarah replied, leaning back to get into a better position. If chairs were not specifically designed for people with tails, they could be awkward at times. "Regular people going about their ignorant lives would be bad enough for sure, but there are plenty of crazy coots wearing the vestments of various gods and other religions who would take exception to some of the things in our past."

Eva's frown grew thoughtful, and then she nodded in acceptance. The Yuki had a deeply religious element to segments of their society in the frozen North, but there were plenty who didn't ascribe to such things and she was relieved Eva seemed to be one of them. The strongly dogmatic had the very worst reactions in her brief experience. "Plenty of idiots out there," Eva agreed, apparently matching Sarah's thoughts. "What's so bad about you guys? Other than the reputation you guys have for hedonism?"

"Our race is as artificially created as Reshik's," Sarah said simply. "Our existence has nothing to do with any natural evolutionary path."

Eva stared, probably expecting a bit more, but then her brain accepted what had been said. "How?" Eva asked in rising surprise. "The succubae have always been around; at least as far as I knew from my own schooling. You've been a part of Iskar almost since the Nation's founding and before that you were the largest civilization in this part of the world aside from the growing Vampire Empire back then."

"Not according to our archeologists and historians," Sarah replied with a small smile, thankful that Eva was a smart one. "We have been around for most of recorded history with the rest of world, sure enough, but that word 'most' is important. The archeological records can't lie. Up until a certain point, all the inhabitants of my homeland were the antecedents of modern humans; most of whom lived in a pre-bronze-age."

"What point?" Cassie asked quickly, clearly interested in the story. Cassie was doing very well in her academic courses; due largely to quick mind and a curiosity that had been given its freedom. Cassie people though, stifled the study of history in their lands with the exception of stories that glamorized the local landed rich like her father. In response, Cassie now enjoyed her freedom of education and absorbed history classes like a sponge. She was doing even better in them than Kat!

"That's the frustrating problem actually, dear Cassie," Sarah laughed. "Some unknown hundreds of thousands ago, the Rosette was not a ring of huge islands, but a smallish continent with a number of city-states spread across it. Up until then, the people there were something like plain old humans going about their business of praying to the sun and sacrificing their enemies to strange underground deities. Then..." she smacked the table, startling both girls. "Whammo, something big struck the middle of the continent and blew the middle out of it. It was an event so devastating that the rest of the world experienced what is still called the Long Winter."

"The Sapphire Sea," Eva nodded. "The whole sea is thought to be a huge crater caused by a rock that fell from the sky. I've read a little about that."

"Right in one," Sarah agreed with a grin, happy Eva was getting involved with the discussion. "The hit was so hard it cracked the shell of the world and let the hot liquid rock inside come dangerously close to the surface there, creating a great big fissure from the conflicting pressures. Dozens of volcanoes were birthed in a span of a few centuries; which is insane on a geological time-scale. The ocean came roaring inland as well, but by that time everyone within thousands of miles should have been blasted dead. Being drowned in the tsunami probably finished off any stubborn ones. Strangely though, there are many indicators that there was a group active there almost immediately afterwards. In less than a couple of decades it's now thought."

"How do you even know that?" Eva asked.

"They left plenty of archeologically traceable evidence all over the place," Sarah replied. "But this is the important part. The land that was left should have been a dead wasteland with minimal large flora or fauna for a very long time, but it wasn't. Something, probably a group of people, interfered with the natural healing processes and life returned with a swiftness and vibrancy that defies any explanation we've come up with. A deep magic like few the world has seen was certainly involved; because the interfering group also left behind caretakers of that magic towards the end of their project."

"The succubae!" Cassie gasped.

"That's what it seems like to our historians anyway," Sarah shrugged and gave the girls a wry smile. "You have to admit, our biology is rather convenient for a lot of things?"

"Convenient?" Eva asked, blinking rapidly as she visibly digested what she'd been told already. "How so?"

"For one thing, there is no evolutionary purpose for our tails!" Sarah laughed when two sets of eyes settled on the indicated appendage, and she gave it a sensual wriggle that made Cassie giggle. "It exists entirely as an extra tactile and tool using limb that just so happens to be the right size, shape and flexibility to be used for inserting into female vaginas to pleasure them. There is so survival need involved in that at all, and our horns are entirely impractical for anything other than decoration and as a visible sign of the maturation process."

"Also, it's rather odd that we can somehow mate and reproduce with almost any humanoid race, while being entirely female in our secondary sexual characteristics," Sarah added, leaning over to give Cassie a small kiss on the cheek that made her turn red. It was so hard to behave...it was even odder to be aware of her hormonal swings and still be tempted by them. Being a hormonal mess was not going to be fun outside of the bedroom; of that she was certain. "Our physical appearance is always talked about, but no one asks why an entire race has statistically improbable beauty, and is considered attractive to every human-type race."

"Why would someone design you the way you are?" Eva asked; a hint of red showed on her face from seeing Sarah's flirtation with Cassie. Her milky-fair skin showed lovely color, which she hadn't noticed before. Sarah glanced momentarily down at Eva's bust and wondered idly about other places flushing as well. Then she brought herself back to task with a mental admonishment to stop with the distractions.

"Because the natural magic that we generate from our bodies helps heal and grow the land around us requires a great deal of fuel to work," Sarah said. "When we have sex, and lots of it, we borrow energy from that sacred act of love and life, and make it part of us. It's then channeled into that magical ability in a steady radiance. We are symbiotic with nature; we receive energy and then use it to benefit the world."

"This magic worked great, except there was a serious problem with the design of the first few generations; and that was with inbreeding. There were too few of us to have a viable and diverse population, especially considering how slowly we reproduce. There's ample evidence that we were then tweaked to be able to take a sample of the lifestream from of any lover, regardless of race, and combine it with our own. This has made us stronger and let our children grow up healthy and beautiful, and with a startlingly diverse genetic heritage."

"This is all written down somewhere?" Eva asked.

"Now it is," Sarah laughed; she idly took Cassie hand into her own and began stroking that arm, enjoying the feel of a girl she loved. "It's the collected knowledge and research done over hundreds of years by archeologists and other smart people. We knew something was strange about our origins, but the full truth only became known seventy-four years ago after a breakthrough find. We exist because someone made us to heal a disaster that destroyed an entire land, and once we knew that, most of us embraced that calling. It's why our crops have the highest yields anywhere and our biggest industries are in the life sciences."

"You also make some really good wine," Cassie giggled happily. "My father always hated that because it competed with the whiskey made by one of his companies."

"Never tried any though" Sarah admitted. "You can't drink until you're sixteen, and I only turned that right before I came here."

"So what has all that got to do with this situation?!" Eva grumbled, clearly impatient to keep moving. The girl had such a fierce frown, Sarah mused before moving on.

"Well..." Sarah gave Eva and then Cassie a long smile. "That second tweak to the Succubus race did something funny to our development as we grow up. We have to go through two distinct stages of adolescence. The first is as you can plainly see; physical body growth and the activation of the glands that generate the life supporting magic around us. We get all the fun things like breasts and the desires that come with them. This all starts around eight years old though, which is a bit earlier than a standard human."

"I'd say so!" Eva grumbled, this time glancing down at her own body. "I was flat chested as a boy until I was thirteen and then I seemed to explode. Do you guys even have periods?"

"Nope, sorry, the magical glands and other Succubus reproductive organs replaced the human ovaries and fallopian tubes," Sarah grinned. She thanked whatever gods there might be that her people got to miss out on that part of being human. "But that's the next part."

"The second stage of puberty is the development and maturation of our reproductive organs and associated processes, which just so happens to include a lot of chaotic hormonal activity during the change. This usually happens in fairly unpredictable shifts and swings as well, just to double down on the confusion."

"You're saying that you are a hormonally confused and horny teenager?!" Eva asked in surprise. "Like some randy boy trying to get in a girl's pants?"

"Pretty much, that's exactly what I am," Sarah sighed, hating to admit it even now. "My judgment right now is not at all what it should be as far relationships go; not just because of the changes, but also because I'm entering into my very first estrus period on top of it. Normally that happens after the adolescent changes are done, but intense physical training, like Valkyrie training, can cause an early onset. It's not dangerous to me in any way, but it can be incredibly distracting."

Eva gave her a long look, and then shrugged. "I can't remember what that word 'estrus' means."

"She's in heat," Cassie supplied with a giggle. "Her body wants to make cute little babies."

"Thanks for that, Love," Sarah said with a new sigh and a smirk at her girlfriend, and then she laughed at Eva's bemused expression. "Were you expecting something a little more romantic, Eva dear?"

"Well, yeah, actually," Eva said slowly. "I mean, every time I've seen you, you've had this smooth, sexy way of talking with everyone. You seem to know exactly how to look beautiful at all times. I'm kind of jealous of that ability. God's below! You make our uniform look like they designed it personally for you!"

"I've had some practice at it, and I had a few good teachers back home. If it makes you feel better, it's also sort of a racial obsession as well." Sarah admitted with a grin, liking how this was going so far. "Unfortunately though, biology often has a few messy details to go along with the beauty. For the rest of my life, I'll go into a phase like this, which lasts about a week or so, twice a year. During estrus, my body is ready and willing to accept the lifestream of my lovers to build a new life in my womb. In another day or so I'm going to be a horny pain in the ass because the peak day is the worst for that, and the very first one always lasts much longer than all the others; sometimes up to a month and half in the worst extreme cases I've heard of."

"Which explains the harems," Eva said mostly to herself. Then she locked back into the conversation at hand. "You were competing with me for Kat because you instinctively want her for yourself so that you can have a child? You want a baby?"

"Grandma's tits! Not yet and not for years!" Sarah laughed. "I'd love to have a child with Kat and Cassie, but I'm far too young for that; and for many other practical reasons as well. The motivation of my actions is close though. I wasn't thinking about it that clearly, but I basically wanted to horde my girls to myself. I was letting my body dictate my choices; passion over logic and all that messy stuff. I want Kat because I love her and it's almost physically painful not to touch her; seeing you so close to her made heart ache."

"Eva, I have never really hated you. My dislike stemmed only from how close to Kat you were and I was rather stupidly jealous of your being able to live with her every day, even knowing that was what is best for her. Part of being a Succubus is living together with our closest loved ones because we quite literally become addicted to them. The scent marker I tag Cassie with also releases a chemical in my own brain that helps in creating that light addiction when I smell it. I wanted so badly for Kat to be a part of that as well, that I ignored the harm I was doing to you and Kat. It was selfish, petty, and stupid."

"For all I really know, you might be an amazing person as well, Eva," Sarah trailed off quietly for a second, only just now accepting the proposal she herself had come up with. That sentence was the entire truth of the matter. She had no real evidence that Eva was a bad person; only her own silly prejudices and insecurities. Gathering her courage and swallowing her embarrassment, she stood, letting Cassie's hand slip from her own. Her face felt warm from her shamed blush.

Resolutely, she walked in a slow glide around the table, letting Eva see her coming. For her part, Eva was watching her warily, but there was no hostility. That was good. Sarah was also thankful that the top floor of the Dining Hall was empty now, because this might end very shamefully for her. If that happened, having no witnesses would be a weak salve on the emotional wound it would leave.

When she reached Eva, who seemed to be thoroughly confused by now, she dropped to her knees and was rewarded with the satisfaction of seeing Eva's mouth open in astonishment. Carefully, using magically augmented strength like they used in training, she grabbed Eva's chair and rotated it smoothly to face her, leaving the older girl looking down on her kneeling form. The floor tiles were warm from the sunlight, which was oddly soothing in a weird way.

"What are you two doing?" Eva said softly, sounding almost worried. Thankfully, she stayed in her seat, arms resting in her lap.

"Two?" Sarah asked, and was immediately answered by a small hand on her shoulder. Cassie had come with her and was standing proudly behind her. Had she been standing as well, she would have kissed Cassie to within an inch of her life for that trust. Instead she smiled up at Eva and gently took one of the older girl's hands into her own. She was kind of surprised there wasn't any resistance; but Eva just let Sarah caress her callused palm, evidence of the years spent training with a sword. It was a strong hand, and pleasant to hold.

"We don't want to fight with you, Eva dear," she said calmly, using the endearment and meaning it for the first time. It felt right in a way. "Hells afire, you're strong, beautiful in a great many ways, a natural leader, and from what I've seen between you Kat, you're also kind and caring when you want to be. You are a worthy person, and one I think we would like to know better."

"You're making me sound like one of those pious Elvan monks," Eva mumbled, eyes locked on hers.

******

Eva felt like her mind was going in a hundred different directions. When she had started this day, waking alone in bed with tear crusted eyes; she would never have guessed that her main rival in love would be kneeling on the floor before her. Sarah's ruby eyes held a determination to do the right thing, and the praises she'd given voice to made her feel strange. Cassie was standing patiently there with Sarah, her soft green gaze pleading for understanding and acceptance. Acceptance of what though?

Sarah was still stroking the hand she held and Eva was more than a little disturbed by how pleasant it felt. It was soothing. Almost involuntarily, she began to feel what was so special about this girl. "W-what are you asking of me?" she asked, unsettled by the hopeful quaver in her own voice. She was supposed to be the older, stronger one here; not a heartsick whiner.

"Nothing much, really," Sarah said in her musical, lilting speech. Eva marveled at how someone could sound like they were singing, just by talking normally. Today had been the longest she'd heard Sarah speak first-hand, and it was a wonderful sound. She could understand what had drawn Kat and Cassie to her. Sarah was a lovely person, both physically and personally. A girl who was now entreating Eva in such an intimate fashion that she felt a little flummoxed in a way she had rarely experienced.

"What about you?" she asked, looking directly at Cassie now. The girl seemed impossibly young, but she had eyes that said she'd had a hard life, and Eva had seen her in Kat's training recordings. Cassie could probably defeat even her without trouble with a sword in her hand; as long as magic was kept out of the fight. That Eva could respect; taking the crap life through at you and surviving could be an amazing accomplishment, and Cassie was clearly a survivor. It helped that Cassie couldn't lie worth a damn and kept her word once given.

The younger girl smiled back; almost shyly tucking some of her dark curls back behind and ear. "I don't have the gift of gabbing like Sarah has. She says I swear like a pirate and we'd all end up killing each other behind the Dining hall in ten minutes if I was the one doing all the talking. I'm not sure it would be that bad, but I can sometimes have a short temper and spout things without thinking, and I mumble a lot when I get nervous. I'm even rambling right now and I don't know how to stop!"

"You could always close your mouth," Eva suggested with a laugh that surprised her.

Cassie did just that, and made promptly a rude sound, which sent both Eva and Sarah laughing together. "She's no cleaner with her mouth shut, honey," Sarah grinned, touching Cassie affectionately on the leg. Eva became suddenly aware again that Sarah's other hand was still holding hers. Sarah must have seen that awareness because she gave the hand a soft caress with just her thumb again. Looking down as she was, Eva had a rather splendid view of Sarah's magnificent, armor clad chest. It was a strange scene, but it wasn't unpleasant.

"See?" Sarah said, matching her gaze again with a wide, friendly smile. "This is what I was hoping the four of us might have together, dearest Eva. We could have a lot of fun times together; laughing and getting into trouble."

"Oh gods!" Eva understood then, what was being proposed. She had barely noticed Sarah's use of familiar endearments toward her earlier, but this one she couldn't just ignore. It had been direct and intentional, and the meaning was obvious. The idea of it rocked her to her soul. "I never—"

"You never thought about sharing and having more friends?" Sarah laughed lightly, but in a gentle way. Ashamed embarrassment colored Sarah's cheeks again and Eva realized this was meant with the utmost sincerity. Sarah truly felt awful for the way things had happened and she was dearly trying to fix it.

"I'm not saying we absolutely have become lovers," Sarah continued, her mouth quirking up in a silent laugh, "But I do think that I personally, would like to become closer to you and see what it is that Kat sees in you. We love that girl, and I think Cassie and I would like to discover what Kat loves. At the very least I think we could be friends Eva, or something a bit more than that if that is what we become, but less then lovers if that makes you uncomfortable. I hope though that it does not."

That wasn't what was making her uncomfortable. In fact, she felt rather guilty for the light arousal that had quickened between her legs at the idea of these two girls being her lovers as well as Kat. Her body and parts of her mind had been all too ready to imagine them all in bed together. From a purely physical standpoint, both girls had great sexual appeal. "I've never had any close friends before," she admitted, feeling ashamed at the confession. Today was a day of truths, so it was appropriate that she should lay her own soul bare in turn.

"Why ever not?!" Cassie asked in a surprised gasp. "I thought popular girls always had lots of 'em?"

"What makes you think I was ever popular?" Eva laughed bitterly.

"Well, you're so calm and collected, and you always seem to know what to do. It's kind of cool in bossy way," Cassie replied with a firm nod. She was going to continue, but a hand pat from Sarah stopped her.

"You were alone growing up?" Sarah asked softly.

Eva hated talking about her life before coming to the Academy. She made herself calm down and remember that Sarah was trying to be kind and friendly. "The village I am from was very small, so everyone knew I was the daughter of a fiend-smoke addicted prostitute. I was ten when my mother tried to sell me to her male clients, some of whom were the fathers of other kids who knew me at school. Unfortunately for her, I saw that dark day coming and I was ready. I fought them off so fiercely that one even lost a finger. The local Civil Guard was never called, but the men and their children told stories about how filthy I was anyways. No one wants to be friends with the child of the village whore. I was alone in almost every way you can think of, so I spent my time getting tough."

"What about later on, when you came here?" Sarah asked, almost in a whisper. A small tear fell down her cheek and Eva marveled at how such a simple display of empathy could make her feel better about her life. Usually she got angry when people tried to sympathize with her, but Sarah was actually crying for her. She could see in Sarah's eyes, a desire to heal her old pains, and the equal knowledge that she could do no such thing.

"I didn't know how to make friends, it was never a skill I needed, so I just blustered along," Eva mumbled after an awkward silence. "I was good at fighting and I proved to be quick at learning magic, so I focused on that. My thought was that if I could become really good and strong, others would like and respect me for my skill. Instead it pushed most of my peers away. It's not like they were mean or insulting to me really, they just didn't know how to relate to a big, quiet Yuki girl who could beat them all in sparing matches. A few tried to be friendly, but I'm terrible at talking to people and it's taken time to learn. I've gone to a tutor for that too, which has helped a lot. My Aunt, who brought me here, arranged that."

"I think I've been doing better these last couple of years though," she continued, trying to stay upbeat. "Until I fucked things up with Kat, the older girls in the Mentor Dorm have been friendly and willing to talk to me. It's the first time people have stopped me just to ask how I'm doing and ask to eat lunch with me because they want to. This mess might have screwed that up some. I think they're really disappointed in me as a Mentor. Astrid keeps looking like she wants to smack me silly!"

"We don't care about any of that though!" Cassie sputtered in open exasperation and pointed a small finger at her. "We do want to be friends with you, and if things work right, we were even thinking of having sex with you!" By the end of the exclamation, Cassie's face had turned an interesting shade of pink, but her expression was of determination and honesty. "All you have to do I say 'okay!' and we'll be set!"

"I thought all this was about us and Kat?!" she responded, suddenly made even more aware by Cassie's words of the other two girls' bodies. An unbidden image of Cassie, naked and sweaty from an orgasm popped unbidden into her mind and she shivered even as she tried to suppress it; only for the first idea to be replaced by a similar notion of Sarah's lush beauty. Ye gods above and below! It was like being tempted by the demons some religions claimed existed!

"That's the whole, silly point," Sarah laughed, rising up eagerly to lean in, resting her arms and large, firm breasts on Eva's lap. Eva felt the weight and was oddly turned on by it. No one had ever done that with her before, and it was kind of sexy. "The four of us would be one, fun unit. Sharing Kat with you and Cassie would just be a natural part of a greater whole. It's something I should have thought of at the very beginning! We can all share in each other if that is what we feel like, in a true partnership. Cassie and I talked about it, and we're both sure about giving it a go. Now all that is needed is for you to decide whether or not this is something you'd be willing to do as well."

"Sharing," Eva mumbled, truly thinking about the possibility. Imagining herself as part of a Succubus style Harem relationship with three younger, but very attractive girls was incredibly tempting. Just the possibility of having girls that would love and care about in the way Sarah and Cassie were suggesting made her heart ache longingly. She had been so sure that Kat was the one meant for her. Was it possible that Kat was actually meant for all of them; and was a catalyst for something greater as Sarah was suggesting?

Just by being in the room, Kat made the world feel more alive, and that wasn't just her own opinion. She had watched enough of Kat's recorded classes, her interactions with instructors, and the others in the dorm, to see that she affected people in some special way. Kat was a powerful, and yet unknowing force unto herself. Could Sarah and Cassie also see that special gift and love Kat for it just as she herself did? Did they lay awake at night and ache inside for a person that wasn't there, but was a part of their hearts anyway? Was that why they now wanted her to join with them?

Eva fought her instinctive fear of opening her heart to others and truly considered both girls for who they were. Cassie was almost sweetly innocent in many ways, with her thoughts right there on her face to read, and was almost painfully earnest despite a past filled with paternal cruelty. She could also be passionate and forceful when the mood struck her. It was an intriguing mixture.

Sarah though was the natural crux. She'd seen other Succubae before and had been amusingly envious of their harems of pretty girls, and yet here she was being offered to be included in such a lifestyle. Could she allow herself to become a part of such an intimate and intertwined relationship? Sarah was also gifted in her own ways. Eva had observed numerous instances where Sarah gently and subtlety guided those around her. It was a sign of a leader. Not a general in front of the troops, but the type that worked calmly in the background like a good Sergeant. Despite the current subject matter, Sarah was usually a smart one too. She had also showed a strong sense of loyalty.

"What was it like..." she murmured absently, her mind rumbling along the path of strange new ideas. They were just so...tantalizing.

"What was what like?" Sarah asked, confused.

"Kissing her," Eva said weakly; both wanting and not wanting to know. "Kissing Kat."

"Do you want the honest truth?"

Eva nodded. "Always."

"It felt like a moment of oneness. Not something as carnal as an orgasm, but an affirmation of my feelings for someone that I love so dearly that it is almost painful," Sarah said calmly. "Together with Cassie, I lost myself in that precious moment and just let myself feel them both. I will remember it for as long as I live."

"I almost wet myself I was so happy," Cassie admitted with a goofy little grin. "It was raining so hard I just hoped that if it happened Kat wouldn't notice. That's probably not as romantic sounding as Sarah, but I wasn't thinking too clearly at the time. I was happy and that was what mattered."

"I've heard of pissing yourself in fear, but in happiness?" Eva asked, amused by the notion.

"Wierded me out too," Cassie giggled with a lightly sardonic little smile. It was a pretty sound, like wind chimes. "Why did you want to know?"

"Because even if I agree to this, the very first thing I'm doing when I see Kat again is to kiss her. Even if she hates me for it, I have to make sure she knows how I feel. I hate not having her around, and these nights alone have been the longest in my life. If it can make her happy, I'm willing to give 'us' a try, but I just want a few moments to ourselves so I can apologize without utterly humiliating myself, and tell her straight out what I've been wanting to say since that night." It came out in a long rush, but it felt surprisingly cathartic. "I just want to start it with a kiss. It's really important."

"Is that all you need?" Sarah laughed delightedly. In a surge of movement, Sarah came all the way up from the floor and Eva found the girl sitting smoothly onto her lap. All that separated their legs were two layers of supple armor that did little to diffuse the sensation in its inactive state. Large breasts pressed into hers, and Sarah's soft lips kissed her left cheek affectionately. Sarah's grinning face moved to only inches away and Eva felt a soft tail caressing up and down her legs. "Honey, we are going to be an amazing team, I am damn sure! You take all the time you need, kiss her all you like, and then we can all make Kat see proper reason. In fact, you drag her mopping butt into bed and get what you both need out of your systems, and you'll both be happier!"

"Both of us?" Eva squawked, unused to having hot girls plonking down onto her lap to chat casually about sex. Sarah's enthusiastically warm personality would take some getting used to, but that prospect did not seem unpleasant. Her hands had unconsciously gone around Sarah to hold her steady, and she was very aware of a rounded backside under them. She felt another quick, hot kiss on her other cheek and turned her head in surprise to see a smirking Cassie, one hand propped on her hip in a jaunty, teasing pose.

"You and Kat need to get unwound," Cassie said knowingly with a blush and look to Sarah for a moment. "She's been driving herself way too hard lately, and you've been a hot mess, as and old tutor of mine would have said. We won't be upset if you want some private time first. As long as you come back and do the same with us, I won't mind at all."

"You're both serious about all four of us being intimate?" She asked, trying to keep a little class to the conversation.

"Oh yeah," Cassie nodded quickly, her smile friendly. "I wasn't so sure about Sarah when she first started coming on to me, and that turned out to be pretty amazing, so I trust her judgment in this case as well. Plus, you are really good looking." Cassie's gaze slid quickly, but pointedly down to Eva's chest and back up.

"Cassie has a funny thing for breasts," Sarah said conspiratorially, just loud enough to make sure Cassie heard. Then she smiled wider and spoke in a more joking manner. "Are we so ugly you aren't interested in us perhaps?"

"Gods no!" she admitted, starting to get uncomfortable with the arousal slowly building from the girls' flirtation. Sarah's body felt good, and Cassie's frank enjoyment was very nice as well. "You're both very attractive."

"You sure? Maybe you need a better look?" Sarah said in a teasing lilt. In a single move Eva could never have emulated even if she tried for decade, Sarah's armor split along its front seam and a pair of firm, creamy-skinned breasts fell out, hard pink nipples only inches from her mouth. Eva had seen them briefly once before, but only one word generally described the breasts of a Succubus; magnificent. The temptation to take a nipple into her mouth was strong, but she resisted and felt more amusement fighting her arousal for dominance.

"Sarah!" Cassie gasped, flushing and looking around to make sure the room was still empty. "This isn't the place to take your clothes off!"

"Is this how she convinced you?" Eva asked, feeling hot and wet. If this was what Cassie lived with every day, she could understand why the girl was all smiles in the morning.

"Basically," Cassie admitted with a playfully sardonic smirk, her eyes flicked back and forth from the stairs and Sarah's exposed chest. They certainly were an amazing pair of breasts; there was no doubt about that. Sarah's training was starting to show too in a flattening belly and muscles that were becoming a little more defined. The girl openly preened under their combined attention, clearly pleased with herself. "Except with me she kept her clothes on for the most part, at least until we were in bed together. By then I was too sick to notice until we woke up again. She's been generous since then though."

"You should join us here, Cassie love," Sarah laughed, holding out a welcoming hand.

Eva felt pleasant warmth and surprise at the open temptation on Cassie's face at the invite. In a move she couldn't remember deciding to execute, she reached out her own longer arm, caught Cassie about her slender waist, and pulled her in closer. Cassie yelped once but didn't resist, and settled in against Eva's side; where she promptly reach up and fondled one of Sarah's breasts with a cheeky smile. "Sarah was right in her warning about me," Cassie said with a happy laugh, when Eva raised an eyebrow in question.

Cassie's hand left Sarah, settled it on Eva's chest instead, and boldly cupped her left breast. "Wow, you're so firm!" Cassie said in pleased amazement. Eva felt her nipples hardening almost instantly at the contact. It only got worse when she felt Sarah take one of her own hands off Sarah's butt and place it where Cassie's had been a moment before. Not wanting to be rude, Eva smiled and gave a polite feel.

"How's this for a bonding experience?" Sarah laughed, visibly pleased with how things were progressing.

"It's interesting, but what about that Reshik guy?" Eva asked to fill time as she tried to keep from getting carried away. Weeks of sexual depression were being wiped away in a hurry. After she found Kat again, and finally, truly, made love to her, she would come back to this. "He's a friend of yours, right?"

"Reshik is a sweat boy, but he has no romantic interests in us or Kat," Sarah laughed delightedly. "He may not look it, since he's so quiet most of the time, but he sees a lot of things and he's a very good friend. You'll like him if you give him the chance."

"Okay, so what you're saying is that Kat will belong to all three of us, and that anything sexual between any of us is also acceptable, providing those involved want to be? Is that how Harems really work?"

"It's just a little more complicated than that, but is the general idea," Sarah replied happily, clearly enjoying herself. "We can just play it one step at a time, and let a friendship grow to what it will be. Who knows? Maybe sometime down the road all four of us might share a real love with the others. That's what binds the truly happy relationships of my people, and it's what I personally hope we can have together. We need you, just as much as you need us, and I mean that in the best possible way."

"Really?"

"Why not?" Cassie interjected, giving Eva's breasts a circular rub about where her nipples where under the armor. It was incredibly distracting; thanks to how long it had been since she had even tried to pleasure herself. "Between Sarah and Kat, I've already come to realize I can love more than one person, and that each can be special in their own way. You aren't running away right now, so maybe I'll come to love you too. I think it could be pretty fun too."

Eva sat there, and she mulled it over in her head. It wasn't the dream she'd been having ever since Kat entered her life, where she had the girl all to herself. Could she live with the knowledge that even as Kat shared her bed and affections; she would also share them with Cassie and Sarah? It was true that Kat would live with her and she would have a different kind of relationship with her than the other girls in the short term, but the other two would also have their own special times. It would require trust, but she could make that happen.

"If we were to try it this way, someone would have to convince Kat," she said cautiously.

Sarah rolled her eyes, and Eva scowled at her, but the girl raised a placating hand. "Eva dear, that is the easiest part of the whole plan. The problem all along was making her choose; now she doesn't have to. So you can just do your thing and she'll agree."

"My thing?"

"You and Wallova are the only two people that make her completely stop moving and listen," Sarah said with a wide smile. "Just plonk her butt down somewhere and give it to her straight like you always do. You are a blunt and outspoken person, Eva, and Kat likes that. She'll probably be relieved."

"You think so?" she asked, knowing how hopeful she sounded.

"Sure," Sarah laughed.

"It's what she probably already wants anyways," Cassie added.

Taking a big, deep breath, she forced herself to be calm. "Then, I think I would like to agree to this plan of yours. I'm not sure if it will really work, but I would like some friends, and if it lets me keep Kat in some way too, I want it to happen. I might need help on the friendship part though, since I don't have much experience with that."

"It's not hard," Sarah grinned, visibly excited and then laughed with a new expression.

"What now?"

"Nothing really, just wondering what you look like naked is all," Sarah said in musing tone.

She was about to try replying with a playful retort of her own, when a loud ping sounded inside her head. From the way Cassie and Sarah jerked their heads back, they had heard it too. Then communication links forced themselves open to everyone at once and a loud announcement boomed out. It also sounded from emergency PA speakers mounted at discrete intervals all over the campus and nearby city. Normally they were used to announce things like hurricane warnings, but they were also used for other serious events.

<...Warning! Warning! A wide-scale state of emergency is now in effect for anyone hearing this message. Martial law is now in effect for all of the Academy Island and the Capital. Civilians are to seek defensive shelter immediately. All military assets in the vicinity of hostile intrusions are to engage the enemy as necessary and obey local commanders when they arrive on scene or aide in the evacuation of civilians to safer areas. Troop deployment is already in progress; expect a rapidly changing combat environment. Remember Iskar and be strong! End of warning...>

Immediately after the forced Glass message ended, loud sirens began wailing all over the campus, and probably in the City as well. Those horns were also used to warn of incoming violent weather events, but today the cadence of the sirens sounded out a Cry of War. Without even thinking, she gently extricated herself from the girls and crossed to the window to look out it. She felt a strange camaraderie and a sense of responsibility when the other two girls joined her, Sarah already fully clothed again somehow. They stood at her side, and shared with her trusting smiles in her leadership. If this was what friends were like, it wasn't bad at all.

"There!" Sarah suddenly pointed off to their right and Eva nodded, spotting the cloud of dust spuming up from between a pair buildings. In the further distance, she could see skyships swarming up into the air over the city like terribly lethal wasps. The specks of aerial mages were joining them. Already, the violent flashes of war spells were flickering like random static discharges.

Before she could say or suggest anything, a solid fist of blue-white energy slammed up into the sky in the far distance, nearly blinding them all. It shoved the few wispy clouds aside into rings of suddenly condensed moisture on its way into the heavens and concentric circles rippled outward. Loud shouts of surprise sounded from the floor below. A couple seconds later a crack of thunder sent every tree to rustling and the windows vibrated dangerously in their frames. It was incredibly loud even indoors as they were, but that was not what made her blood suddenly run cold.

"Kat!" Cassie almost hissed, and clung to both her and Sarah with painfully clenched hands. Cassie was stronger than she looked!

In an area so largely populated with mages and other magic users, it was hard to detect individual magical signatures over any significant distance in the City or on campus. The backwash from that untamed bolt of raw power however, swept over everyone like a storm surge. Her skin tingled as her body absorbed a little of it, because she knew its taste more than anyone else's and recognized what it felt like. From the floor below came noises of disquiet, afraid of the kind of mage that could generate that fearsome of power.

Almost as one, the three of them turned and ran for the stairs, dodging through the confused groups of other mage girls. Some of the older cadets that were better trained were trying to get their younger peers into some semblance of calm for when orders arrived. They ignored all that and ran straight outside. Before they had gone more than a few meters down the street, they noticed a figure running hard, almost frantically, towards them from the crossroads ahead. It quickly showed itself to be Reshik, almost gasping for breath in his worry.

"Kat is..." he began in a concerned rasp. He flung a hand out and pointed it firmly where the bolt had risen.

"...In a lot of trouble," Cassie finished for him. "Come on!"

They never slowed their steady, ground-eating run. Eva knew she could fly to Kat faster than she could run, but without flight clearance in a chaotic situation like this, she might be stopped long enough by Guardsmen or soldiers for something bad to happen. After a short while she realized that she also didn't want to leave Sarah and Cassie behind. Together with the strange lizard-boy, they would find Kat, and as friends, they would make sure she was safe.

******

As she surveyed the aftermath of her initial, deliberately excessive spell, Kat wondered if her excited grin would frighten most people. She could not help it. Once she had fully accepted Eva's assessment of her nature, something inside that had once been tense, relaxed, and it was as if she could show her true self in a situation just like this. It felt right to be holding her blade in her hand, and to feel the soft crackling of magical power fizzling, sometimes visibly, in the space around her. The air was hot with little wind, as if her tempest had shocked nature back for just a breath, and the sun bathed the evacuated street in its radiance. She rolled her throbbing shoulder, speculating what the chances were that the same one would get hit in two different fights, and let herself enjoy the strange moment of calm.

Directly across from her, over the planter and across the street, the soulless group of half-alive men and women was still bumbling about; too brain-dead to quickly regain a semblance of order without direct commands, and the puppeteer had vanished from sight overhead. The ugly thing was probably still in whatever shelter it had taken from her spell. Debris was still falling and settling down, and the little hunter monsters were spitting and writhing in a fury down the alley between the two law offices. Both buildings had taken her spell head on, without a single pane of surviving glass, and she felt conflicted between excitement and regret at the damage.

To her right, forty or fifty meters away and among a large cluster of abandoned vehicles that had been pummeled into a mess of metal and plastics, was the squad of beast soldiers. They had acted smart, and had taken shelter quickly enough that they had mostly avoided injury. In their midst, the strangely human shaped enemy stood calmly in the exact same place it had before Kat had cast her spell, unruffled, relaxed and mumbling softly to itself as if it was having a conversation with someone. The sun glinted off something metallic on its right hip; possibly a blade. A left-handed fighter?

She was dimly aware of the shouts of distant fleeing people, the screaming sirens, and the warnings being broadcast from emergency PA systems on utility poles, but the sounds that concerned her were the approaching roars of challenge from what had to be more than one of the big Collectors. The massive creatures that rumor claimed were able to rip the souls out of people and could nullify magic in a short radius around them were the toughest opponent she would face unless more of the beast-men showed up. Other sounds of battle and monsters were coming closer as well. That meant her time was short and she had something to protect.

Under that opaque barrier a short distance to her left, a little girl was taking shelter with her bodyguards. Kat did not care if the girl was some rich brat; the child was under her protection. That barrier could stop a lot, but a determined attacker could always wear one down if they had the time and weapons to do so. Eva had done that enough times to her during training, that she knew the limits of defensive spells of that type. Cute girls weren't allowed to die on her hunting ground, and that was simply that.

Resolute, she spread her legs in a stable stance Eva had shown her very early on in her training, ignoring the furiously scrambling pack of hunter monsters and the soulless humans for a few seconds, half bowed her head, and breathing steadily as she focused internally on her magic. A quick flash of light glinted from the corner of her eye, from inside one of the shops, but she ignored that as well. When she felt ready, she held her blade forward in both hands, just as Cassie had taught her almost every day, and began to apply some of her power to her muscles and bones. The smell of electric tension grew stronger, and a slight dappling of bluish light rippled over her body and the ground around her like sunlight on the bottom of a swimming pool. Her grin widened when she saw the beast soldiers crouch down again warily among the cars in the street. Hopefully she would teach them what there was to fear.

The one thing she surely did not want to do was repeat the performance of her last battle. There she had almost been overwhelmed, along with her friends, by sheer numbers because she had chosen to defend one spot when movement would have been significantly better. Without any support, that kind of tactic would doom her quickly on this wide-open street. She would be swarmed and gunned down from multiple directions, and that didn't even add in whatever abilities the two new types of enemies might offer. One alternative remained, and it was the one she preferred in any case. She must attack.

Soulless had begun to clamber across the street through the cars, and perhaps a dozen of them were still on the opposite sidewalk retrieving their dropped guns. She bounded up onto the planter, took a single quick step, and then leapt long and fast onto the roof of a red-painted taxi. Her weight crushed down the weak metal a little, but she crouched further and scythed her blade down with brutality, across and through the reaching arm of her first soulless attacker. The pale limb splatted onto the ground amidst a rapidly growing pool of arterial blood; scenting the air with the coppery perfume of red life spilled, which caused a shiver to run through her nerves.

Dropping to the ground, she ignored the exsanguinating former human being and went for the next enemy in a snappy double-step. This one reacted better, moving just a little faster too, and tried to tackle her down with a quick lunge. Kat did a side-step in her run and simply rammed back and down in a power assisted bash; she crushed the back of what had been a middle-age man's head in with a soft squishing sound. With two down, she kept moving as fast as she could. Gunfire erupted from both the soulless on the sidewalk and the beast men, adding a new thunder to the already loud battlefield. A bullet glanced off her the armor over her stomach, then another almost made her trip when it hit just above her ankle.

"Ooh!" she gasped, biting down on the flash pain. It felt like someone had driven in a hard punch to her gut. Yet another clipped her left thigh, leaving a heated burning sensation. It was incredibly annoying actually. She fed the anger into her battle lust.

Barely thinking, she absently positioned a Vector between herself and the beast-men. It was as easily and casually done as she might interpose a blocking hand made of flesh, and a hemispherical shield crackled open in a bluish-white corona. Incoming fire coming from that direction was deflected into the ground or other harmless locations with loud pops and bangs. A soulless tried to flank her by came lunging around a car to her left like a slobbering animal and she swatted its punch to the side with her sword, and then reflexively drove a return blow into its face. As brain-fried humans, they had the same frailties as any other person. This most recent foe blinked in concussed confusion, not even caring to fight anymore when she cut across its throat to make sure it was dead and out of her way.

Pausing in the temporarily relative safety of a point inside a group of four cars, she cried out wordlessly and raised her left hand. Instead of her usual three energy spheres, she spun up six that were about half the size of her fist. Her lonely practice sessions with only her Glass for company had improved the spell a lot, and Eva had helped in a few places as well earlier on. It was much more efficient and controlled than the last time she had fought with it, which was kind of saying a lot if she thought about it. They still crackled loudly, little sheets of lightning curled over their surfaces, and they orbited about her body like crazed electrons. The closest enemies foolishly halted their movements when they saw her bring up the spell and she laughed at the oppertinity.

The gross little hunters, who had mostly remained in a cowardly huddle in the alley, tried to rush out at her in a disorganized mob of howling feral hunger and panic, trying to get at her before she could fire the spell. They were far too late for that, and too far away in any case. Fast as thought, she mentally designated six target points where enemies were or would be, and let loose with a snap-flick of her sword hand. Ripping through the air in rapid succession as they swung in front of her body, her spell bolts rocketed upwards in a short arc, turned sharply, and then came slamming back down like screaming blue meteors. Kat raised a second shield in the direction of her assault, just in time. More laughter burst from her lips when six explosions of harsh blue light flowed down a short section of road and sidewalk, ripping everything apart in unleashed magical rage.

Brick, concrete, trees, and the bodies of monsters were decimated in her wrath, and scattered in every direction. Part of the right storefront buckled downward and fell, spewing more dust and rubble out into the street and air, then the other to the left began to smolder ominously from its second floor. One of the unlucky little scavengers was blown straight into her shield where it broke with a dull crack. The new version of the spell had worked very well for its first real combat test. She was just about to lower the shield to see if she needed to finish off anything, when waste heat from one of the explosions cooked off the alcohol-based fuel of a nearby car. It burst merrily into flame and was so close that she raised a blocking arm out of reflex.

Before she could turn to face the beast-men, who were still taking pointless shots at her, an eruption of building materials burst outwards from her left with a tremendous crunch, followed by the clatter of raining rubble. With a roar of triumphant rage, a Collector bulled its way out of the structure it had simply plowed straight through. Kat stared in surprise for a moment and almost laughed again. She was between two sets of enemies now, but she only felt more excited. Eva had been right about her. She really wasn't normal. Maybe even a little insane, but that would have to be thought about later.

The Collector never stopped its onward charge, only redirecting its mobile anger in her direction. It was immediately followed by another of the massive creatures that clambered out of the hole conveniently provided by the first, its strange glass attachments glowing ominously with stolen power. Kat didn't want to face them head on, because that seemed like a stupid idea, but she was unprepared for just how fast the Collector could run. Its long legs, corded with muscle, ate up ground so fast that it was in her face in only seconds. A reek of foul musk like an unwashed body preceded it, almost making her gag in reflexive olfactory horror.

In reaction, Kat desperately whipped up her sword into a ready position and when the creature wound back an arm to punch her into a pulp against the ground, she met fist with magically enhanced alloy. To her surprise the blade hummed with her magic and effortlessly bisected the massive limb, pocked with soul containers, and blasted it open lengthwise to the elbow from the combined forces of their strikes. Blood erupted out onto her, hot and sticky, but the thing just bellowed in pained anger, snapped her up about the waist in its other meaty hand and flung her like a ball through the air. Kat flew in a graceless, panicked arc and the ground vanished from beneath her for a heartbeat.

Her armor automatically sucked down her magic hungrily on the brief trip back across the street, where she went straight through the somehow intact glass window of the clothing store, and landed cruelly among metal display racks. "Ahh!" she gasped in wordless pain, rolling as she could among the metal struts. Agony flared across her left side and back in a cascade of throbbing torment, despite all her armor had done to mitigate the force of the impact. That was going to hurt for a while, she was sure. Lesson learned: Collectors were fast when they wanted to be and her armor wasn't a perfect shield.

She had to use a small pulse of magic that expanded a shield outward from her body to tear the tangle of clothes and wooden hangers off of her. When she clumsily made it back to her feet, breathing heavily from the pained complaints of her abused body, she heard a loud gasp from nearby. "What in all the hundred goat-fucking hells are you still doing here!" she screamed when she saw a well-dressed young man peaking at her from behind the jewelry counter at the back of the big store. In his hand was an expensive looking camera with a big lens mounted on the front. "Run you idiot!"

"But I—," he tried to complain, but was cut off by the roared battle challenge from one of the collectors outside.

"Move it!" Kat yelled again, already turning toward the store front, trying to ignore the pulsing pain coming from multiple places now. Both collectors were pounding meaty fists at the barrier protecting the cute little girl, though the injured one was slowing drastically, and one arm hung limply, bleeding uselessly onto the concrete from the bifurcated end. The barrier over the limo rippled with every blow and a musical chime sounded, like a hammer onto an anvil.

Rage and battle lust boiled back up in Kat's blood. Her hurts seemed to push into the background somewhere to be dealt with later, smothered by her desire to eliminate the enemy that attacking someone that belonged to her. She felt so hyperactively alive that it was scary. It was completely fucked up, but it was also true that she was excited even now, and the world seemed to impress upon her with some kind of super, adrenaline-fueled clarity. The challenge of enemies that could toss her around like a toy was exhilarating and she wanted to take pleasure in destroying them utterly. It was wrong in so many ways according to polite society, but according to Eva, this was her true gift and calling.

"I'm not dead yet!" she howled at them, trying to get their attention, and ran back out the window she'd entered by. Kat couldn't let them harm the girl. That was an absolute certainty. That girl was on her ground and under her protection.

Both beasts saw her immediately, and moved enthusiastically to resume their pummeling assault on her. This also brought her back into sight of the beast-men soldiers, who opened fire without hesitation, sending more bullets flicking around her. She didn't remember when she or her Glass had pulled them protectively in, but she simply brought a Vector back out of a pocket space and made a new shield. The beast-men could wait, even though she couldn't understand why they weren't rushing at her as well. The only theory bouncing around her battle filled mind was that the strange female hadn't commanded them to attack, so they weren't doing so. Why they would do so, she had no idea.

This time she ran straight past the behemoths, which seemed to confuse them a little, and Vector followed as an artificial extension of her body. She stopped, breathing in some fresher air, a short distance down the street. Her main goal was to get them away from the cute girl, which was successful since both beasts were no intent on killing her again. That thought almost distracted her for a moment. Why did she keep thinking of how cute the little girl was? "Gods above and below, I'm probably a pervert," she thought in amusement. That was something to worry about later in any case.

The Collectors lumbered around or just plowed through some of the cars in their way on the street, and then ran in pursuit of her. Kat hadn't gone far, just enough to clear the protected limousine and past two pairs of street lights on decorative metal poles standing on either sides of the street. Sweat was already pouring down her face from the effort and pain thus far, and she knew she really needed to keep working on her endurance. She had plenty of magical power left, but that would hardly matter if her physical body couldn't channel it; but that task was for when she wasn't about to be thumped by two giant monsters bent on turning her into human jelly.

The wounded creature was dragging its useless arm, clearly weakening, but it kept up enough for what Kat had in mind. She turned slightly and began gathering a great deal of power, almost as much as he had used in the signal blast. She had to take the risk of dropping her shield, and brought out and all three Vectors in a triangle formation around her body, where they helped form anchor points for complex set of spell arrays that connected with the one spinning open beneath her own feet. Screaming hoarsely in effort, she shoved more and more power into the spell, and in her head her Glass was seamlessly giving the necessary sigils and array forms in a constant stream of data that was starting to make her head hurt a little. When both creatures were inside the four posts of her trap, she executed the spell with a sharp slashing motion of her right hand.

"Just die already!" she yelled, exhilarated and breathing so hard that she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Four azure spears of light zipped away from her and her Vectors in the same instant, each heading for a different pole. Upon impact, the packets opened and new spell arrays bloomed, each connecting to the others in a complex geometric construction with spell circles anchoring each corner. Magical power gathered from the spell itself and from the immediate environment, and licks of electricity began to flare out from the posts. The beasts stopped, confused by the magic they weren't nullifying. It was the wrong move, and the one she had hoped for.

Thousands of tongues of lighting exploded back and forth between the posts in a deafening, and constant flowing roll of thunder that shook the ground. Errant bolts of power that escaped containment blasted into the nearby buildings and they quickly began burning, or had small holes punched clean through them. The rest of the kludged together spell focused entirely on the contained volume between the posts however, and Kat grinned at the accomplishment, enjoying how her stray hairs were standing and tingling.

The behemoths thrashed and swatted, trying to use their ability to neutralize the spell, but it only half worked. They could only keep a small space safe, and as Eva had demonstrated in that first battle, something originating outside that influence could hurt them. So instead of attacking them directly, she simply filled the small area with concentrated lightning.

The wounded one fell to its knees as a shadow in the contained storm, its howl swallowed by the rolling discharges. The other followed soon after and both clawed desperately at their own skin, especially at their throats. When the spell finally ended, after one of the longest full minutes of Kat's life, neither creature was moving or making a sound; except for the pop and hiss of escaping steam from what remained.

Their skin was blackened or cracked where red insides hissed and sizzled. The concrete of the road itself glowed in a couple places, and the lampposts had melted down like the stubs of candles that were rapidly solidifying. Several cars inside the spell area and behind it were blackened shells or burning hulks. The odors of overcooked meat, hot metal, and burnt plastic filled the air with a redolent haze that hung stubbornly in the windless stretch of road.

"It worked!" Kat laughed happily. The Collectors might be able to defy spells directly, but they couldn't stop her from superheating the air around them into a furnace. By stopping, they had doomed themselves to roasting to death. She just wished she hadn't used so much energy. Her stomach was rumbling for food, even though she had just come from a large lunch, and her muscles had that strange feeling they got after a good run. She missed Eva and her bagels.

"Impressive!" a smooth, female voice said loudly. It sounded young, melodic, and not at all threatening. "That was really amazing!"

A figure appeared on the opposite side of the heat haze that was creating a wavy optical illusion over the baked roadway. It wavered and wiggled, but Kat could see enough to recognize the female human-like enemy that had shown up with the beast-men. It was finally making a move, right when she was starting to really feel her fatigue. She'd heard the warnings in class that a battle could quickly rob you of your energy, but experiencing it first hand was a wholly different thing. "You can talk?!" she asked in surprise. The female's voice was strangely familiar, and there was something about its shape too. Kat could almost recognize her.

The figure turned its head to regard one of the beast-men that walked up and stood at her side. Its helmet visor was heavily tinted; enough that Kat could see nothing of her face, other than a vague shadow. "I am what you might call an improved design," the female answered pleasantly, and reached up to give the shaggy companion a scratch under the chin. It rumbled in pleasure. "My men here are the Master's soldiers, and have been waiting to show off their training for months now. I was only born two weeks ago, but I've been granted the task of proving my worth and that of my new sisters." The female paused and tilted her head, as if hearing something interesting. Then the girl laughed as if pleased. "My orders were to find the Academy's newest source of pride, so here I am to kill you. He just told me to have all the fun I want with you too."

"You sound like you aren't a person then," Kat replied, thankful for the momentary respite. Already, the medical functions of her armor were soothing her bruises and strained muscles, leaving her with her arousal and hunger for battle. As long as there was something to fight, she suspected it would not be sated. The pain in her left side and back would have to wait until after things settled down. Worrying now would only be a distraction.

"I was created to serve," the creature said simply, as if that was a simple truth. The air cleared for a second and Kat got a closer look. The thing definitely looked like a young humanoid female. She was just a bit shorter than Kat, with small breasts held within a sleeveless leather-like under-suit and an open combat jacket that looked salvaged and dirty. The mottled green and black coloring was unfamiliar, but the short blade the female wore looked serviceable enough, even if a couple discolored spots showed where it had probably rusted at some point. "My first objective, to observe your combat methods and suitability to enhance the Master's projects, is now complete, and I must kill you. It was interesting watching you fight, but he's seen enough and wants some of your blood to add to those that made me. The gate will soon be open, and I wish to rejoin with my sisters. If I bring your blood with me when I do, the Master will be very pleased."

"You were delaying me?!" Kat barked in alarm.

Beneath her feet, the ground shuddered and then tried to kick up at her. She let herself drop to all fours, raising a shield between herself and the enemy group, and tried not to gape. In the extreme far distance, she could see a huge globe of light expanding at the edge of the City. She only saw it for a second before a loud, dull boom rattled through the Academy around her, coming from her right. When the female raised a hand, and covered herself with a hemisphere barrier, Kat hurriedly did the same, only she used her Vectors to create reinforced projection points. A breath later a concussion of air slammed hard into it.

Pressure pushed onto her barrier and she could feel it drawing power from her to remain functional. The downside of her current barrier was that she couldn't see through it when it was deflecting attacks from all over like this. She almost dropped the shield when the first wave of pressure ceased, but before she could, another slammed home from ahead of her. 'Explosions?' she asked her Glass.

<A high probability,> it agreed. <Cause unknown with currently available data. Yield of enemy weapon is very high, proceed with caution.>

From what she had learned in class, the only things Iskar knew of that could devastate such a wide area of a city in a single attack, were S-class mages. They carried a Special rank for a good reason. They were living weapons of mass-destruction and were carefully monitored by the government because of that. If someone else could cause that kind of wide-spread damage with a mage or weapon, it wasn't good news.

This time she waited for the incoming pressure to abate and calm for a ten-count before making an effort to look around through a window she opened in the barrier. The female enemy had shielded her soldiers as well, and they crouched faithfully under energy domes. Otherwise it looked as if a powerful hurricane had struck. Trees in all the planters were ripped and broken. Dirt and dust floated in the air like a cloud, settling back down slowly. The worst sight however was straight down the street she was on.

She could no longer see all the way downhill to the strait. Between her and the water, a distance of several kilometers, was a giant, pulsing sphere in the air that touched the ground over the street. Through the hole that opened during the active pulses, Kat saw a dim, tropical looking world that was not the same as the one she herself was standing in. Creatures were disgorged out of the hole with every opening, like an invading army. It was an invading army!

"Dark night above!" she cursed softly. After a moment to take it in, her body trembled once and went still. The animal part of her brain that knew he should be feeling terrified, had briefly fought the stronger part that loved all the fighting and blood, and lost. If that mass of enemies found her still here, she would likely die, but she simply didn't fear that. What she did fear, was not being able to touch Eva, Sarah, and Cassie again. She ached for them.

Among the smaller forms exiting the strange translocation magic, was a mammoth form large enough to look over a small house. It was grey and hexapedal, with legs like tree trunks and a head the size of her entire body that had a pair of strange tusks jutting out from under its chin. It bellowed a deep, basso rumble she could hear even over the great distance of several kilometers, and a lance of violet power shot out from one of the tusks and blew a building to tumbling wreckage.

"It's got fucking cannons in its head?!' she asked the strange female.

"It's one of the Master's more interesting War Beasts," the female replied, and laughed in open amusement. Then she drew her short blade, and Kat readied herself for the resumption of battle. "Wait until the flying ones get figured out! Then you guys will have some real fun. Well...not you, because you'll be dead, but you get the idea. Right?"

Kat purposefully gave a nonchalant arching stretch of her back, feeling a sharp twinge of pain from several locations. "You can say that all you want, but the way I see it, you're just standing there because you're afraid of me," she taunted, grinning wildly. Raising another mass of magical power from within herself, she let tendrils of electricity play over her skin and armor. She was tempted to pull her cape on too, but that might have been a little much. Instead she flicked her blade to send a small spray of crimson toward her foe.

"I fear you not!" the female responded, almost spitting in sudden anger. It's voice sounded just like that insane man there for a second. The female was tensed, and she snapped the fingers on her free right hand at the beast-man. "You. Get the others out of that stupid barrier. The Master is curious about the girl."

"Yes," the shaggy thing responded, barely able to articulate that one word. It then rumbled and barked at two others behind it. One took something cylindrical with one rounded tip and a flat base from its belt and tossed it to the second, which shoved the object into the under-slung tube on its gun.

Kat had never seen that type of weapon before, but she'd only had a month of classes on the subject, so there was a lot she didn't know yet about military hardware. What she did know, was that she didn't like how confident all the monsters and the female, were about success. Instead of a bang, the tube fired with a dull thump of pneumatic pressure being released. The projectile flashed and a short lived rocket motor popped it into the barrier surrounding the girl's vehicle. Kat expected it to ripple like it had before when struck a blow; instead it jiggled like a gelatin mold.

Rips began to form in the fabric of the barrier, and gaps opened up, revealing the contents in flashes. The strange female began to laugh slowly, again in the voice of that strange and insane man. "Never seen a disruptor shell before?" she/he mocked. "They're handy for fighting mages, but they are dreadful costly to make apparently. I stole mine though. If they don't turn off their barrier generator soon, it'll fry itself into scrap." Sure enough, at the end of her sentence, there was a sharp pop, and the barrier simply vanished. The generator tines on the limo roof were blackened and smoking.

The cute young girl sat on the ground behind the front portion of the car, her three guards arrayed around her. The bald Hebi snapped up as soon as the barrier cleared and his large handgun barked twice. The beastman that had fired the shell let out a single yelp of pain, and then dropped slack to the street. Before the others could train their weapons on the guard, he had already retuned to cover and bullets skipped off what seemed to be armored paneling. Kat was impressed, but she was also furious that the people she had been trying to protect were now vulnerable.

The girl, despite the efforts of the men, peaked around the side of the car at her. That strange, forest-green hair and darkly-tanned skin tone were a lovely combination, but Kat's gaze settled onto a pair of eyes that were no longer hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. They were a bright, almost luminescent gold that shone in the afternoon sunlight and slit in a reptilian fashion. In them, she saw intelligence and the knowledge of danger. Then those eyes focused on her, and widened perceptibly.

Kat gave the girl her predator grin, and waggled her bloody sword in a jaunty greeting. She hated thinking of her as just 'the girl,' but she didn't have a name to use. It was easy to like the little girl, with her high cheekbones, angelically fine features, and large, clever eyes. Kat was glad for the loss of the sunglasses, because it was an almost inhumanly beautiful sight. They locked gazes for only a moment, and then the girl matched her grin with a laughing smile and a reminding gesture of her head towards the bad guys.

"Distraction, distractions," Kat muttered, wondering at her susceptibility towards cute girls with nice eyes. "Not that Eva's all that cute, even with those blue eyes of hers."

"Enough of this!" the enemy female said in exasperation at the remaining beast-men. "Just kill them before the rest of the hoard gets here! I want the credit!"

All of them, and Kat counted a total of seven now that they were mostly in the open, began to raise their weapons in compliance. Unfortunately for them, Kat had rested enough to catch her breath. Her right arm darted up, horizontal to the ground, with her sword pointed at the closest beast-man to the car. Conveniently, there was a second one right behind the first, which made her smile turn a little more predacious. Magic flowed, and a circle bloomed to life beneath her feet. Her Glass already knew what she wanted to do, and was assisting where needed.

"Down!" the female shouted in desperate warning, this time in her own voice, but it was far too late.

Rings of spell sigils and bands of arrays coiled in a cylinder around the length of her sword and spun very rapidly. She aimed carefully, and then fired. A blue-white beam no thicker than her finger blasted out hard enough that the recoil almost dislocated her shoulder. Secondary flares and flickers of power arced from and encircled the primary bolt. When it struck the first beast-man, it didn't even slow down.

The creature's body simply evaporated away from the path of the beam in an explosive vaporization. Blood and remains sprayed across the ground and into the air, then the second beast-man was hit and the same thing happened. Only when the bolt struck a car and blew it apart in a fountain of molten, shattering metal and burning fuel, did it stop. All this happened in less time than it took to blink an eye. Then the boom-crack of thunder and rapidly expanding air reached their ears end sent them to ringing. Two of the beast-men had been close enough that their eardrums must have ruptured because they were clutching at their heads in howling agony.

The air still felt charged when Kat spoke slowly to the female enemy. "Your fight is with me," she said, hoping her voice carried the right tone of threat; but she suspected some of the fun she was feeling had leaked in a little. With a calm wave of her hand, she brought a Vector out of her pocket space and sent it gliding sedately over to the limo. The girl and her guards regarded it speculatively, but only until they vanished under a new barrier. Kat invested it with what she hoped would be enough power and focused on the fight.

"Very well," the female agreed and raised her blade in a mock salute. Then her hand flicked forward and flame roared towards Kat in a thick cone.

Surprised, Kat caught the attack on a shield, only to dart left with her sword to deflect her attacker's incoming blade. She'd never truly fought against another person with a sword before; only endless forms in class and with Cassie. Her defense was clumsy compared to her foe, which was unfair when she remembered that the female claimed to be two weeks old. Her saving grace was that the enemy lacked any finesse. The attacks were straight forward and fast, aiming for a quick kill, and she moved more like a machine than a living person. When one of the strikes slipped in through the barrier generated by her armor and pricked her left arm, Kat realized the enemy's blade was similar to hers, just as Ajax had warned them might happen in his first class.

One of the beast-men came rushing in on her left side, gun raised for a sucker-punch flanking attack. Without even thinking about it, Kat caught her foe's blade, flicked out her left hand, and shot one of the single bolts she'd used countless times in training into its face. The female cried at her when the beast-man fell forward, most of its head now missing, and tried to speed up her attack with tears rolling down from under her helmet. Kat just laughed, ignored the new coating of blood and probable brain goo on her armor, and fought on.

Her arms began to tire only minutes into the strange, new fight where neither combatant was proficient. The female kept backing off whenever Kat looked like she might gain an advantage and would send more fire attacks at her, which Kat would block, and then they would resume the sword fight. The fire spells came in only a few varieties for some reason, almost as if they were programmed that way. Exploding little balls, the cone-shaped blasts, and one where a wall of fire would roar up between them. The last had almost caught her up, but she'd thrown herself backwards in time. She could not understand the lack of change in the spells. Mages were supposed to be fluid enough to adapt to different situations and alter their magic to suit.

Kat wasn't silent with her own magic though. Whenever she had a gap or a breath to move, she'd send a sizzling bolt in to try and distract her enemy with flares of light or slivers of energy. Several had managed to hit, but her enemy was wearing some form of protection as well, and none of the hits had been direct enough to cause more than superficial damage.

Both of them could hear the approaching roar of the attack force like a background hymn. Guns were chattering like mad, explosions boomed with alarming frequency, and shouts rose up among bestial roars. It provided a morbid scene to their darting, progressively vicious attacks. Kat used everything Cassie had shown her, and it was what kept her alive. Soon they both sported bleeding cuts that stung from their flowing sweat. It was the most fun Kat had experienced in a long time, since Eva had had her way with her after the last fight in fact. She almost didn't want it to stop.

The strangest part was how it ended. The fight ended not with the roar of fire or the boom of her lightning, but with a whimper. Surprising them both, a pair of fighter skycraft rumbled by over their heads, so close they could hear their engines whine higher in acceleration. The two skycraft swooped down on the approaching wave of monsters and opened fire with machineguns that sounded like band-saws, and twin lances of belly mounted cannons that tore apart that massive sex-legged War Beast. The distraction was larger on the part of her attacker, and before Kat realized what she was doing, her sword punched into the female's belly.

As soon as her blade touched flesh, she realized her opponent's armor hadn't been all that impressive. There was only a tiny hesitation before magically enhanced metal sheathed itself inside the vulnerable torso of Kat's foe. Hot blood oozed out slowly onto her fingers and pattered onto the damaged roadway.

"Oh!" it was a surprisingly soft, frightened sound that came out of her enemy. The remaining beast-men looked on in shock, and Kat killed them all with a swarm of little bolts fired from her remaining pair of Vectors before they could recover. She had no compunction about cutting them down summarily in that manner. Surprising herself, Kat gently guided her opponent to the ground.

"It's not supposed to hurt like this," the female rasped, her voice much changed compared to the prideful, almost child-like boasting of a moment before.

Kat found the catches to the helmet she wore; it was attached to a strange looking collar that was covered in magical circuitry. Her fingers flicked open both connection points and she stared at what she had suspected the entire time. Looking back at her was a pair of pained blue eyes, very pretty ones in fact, that were leaking tears freely. "A girl?" she asked; not sure who to since they were alone but for the monstrous dead.

The young girl was around Kat's age physically, with a small mouth, a button nose, and almost innocent eyes. She allowed Kat to lay her out on the ground, no longer putting up any fight. The features seemed very familiar somehow. "Why are you fighting with the monsters?" Kat asked, still holding onto the hilt of the blade buried into the girl. She wanted to be connected to this person; because this was the first time she had killed someone that wasn't a hideous monster.

The girl gave a liquid sounding laugh and blood flecked her lips and cheeks. "There are plenty of humans like me with the monsters, serving the Master. I'm but one of many sisters created for the purpose of leading the beast armies against mages like yourself." the girl answered, and winced, clutching a hand to the collar, which had made a sharp hissing sound. Without hesitating, Kat placed two fingers on the collar, and used a pulse of magic to sever it from the girl. It clattered to the ground, and she was rewarded by a genuine smile from the girl that was so very sad. "The Master promised me so much, but I suppose they were lies in the end. I was supposed to prove his genius, and kill you because whispers have begun to spread about you. You're like a mythical monster yourself back home, because you are the only enemy with a face and a name the beasts know of. Anything the Academy takes pride in, my Master wants to destroy. He hates you all so much that it hurts him inside his mind. It has broken him. I just wanted to be useful so I could live in the world he wanted to make."

"How do you even know all this if you're only a few weeks old? You should be a baby and hardly able to feed yourself."

"Its knowledge torn from the minds and possibly souls of living mages, and donated from my original life-code models," the girl laughed again, a bit bitterly. "I wanted to meet the ones I am made from, even if I had to kill them afterwards. They gave me and my sisters an impossible legacy, and cursed us with existence. That collar you destroyed connected me to a computer that gave me my spells, knowledge, and fighting skills; not that they were of any good. It also let the Master into my mind directly." Blue eyes locked onto Kat's; hard and yet pleading at the same time. "Can you stop the hurting? Ever since I woke for the first time, it always hurts somewhere. Can you make it stop?"

Taking a deep breath Kat nodded firmly, and followed an impulse that seemed important somehow. Leaning down and in, she placed her lips on those of the girl's and kissed her gently, but fully. There was nothing sexual about the act, but it was a kind of intimacy all the same. If she was to take the lives of real people, and more abused girls like this one who had been made for a sickening purpose, she wanted to take something of them inside herself as a memorial. The girl gasped in surprise, but didn't pull away or struggle. Instead, she simply cried.

Kat pulled up for just a moment, to gain something she needed. "What is your name?" she whispered softly.

The girl coughed up more blood and gave her a sad, knowing smile. "I am Prototype," the girl answered.

Understanding, Kat kissed the girl again, and in her free hand, formed a short blade of crackling energy that resembled a standard issue combat knife. In a sharp lunge, she drove it down and in towards the dying girl's struggling heart. Something blocked the blade's path, something that broke with a glass-like crack, and then she was all the way in. Prototype gasped once, and then something powerful leapt through Kat's magically formed weapon and followed the connection with her magic faster than thought.

"No!" Kat realized that the girl must have had one of those strange soul containers implanted inside her body, and she had stabbed it open. Instinctively, she tried to shield the core of her own power from the unexpected onslaught but it was a flailing effort. Expecting to die in a fall of black ash, Kat was shocked when the rush of strange power touched her own, and seemed to merge with it, spreading throughout her body. A second later, it was as if nothing of the sort had happened, and she was kneeling over the girl she'd just killed.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Kat cursed loudly, standing and sending her two free Vectors back into safety for now. When her hand itched, she absently raised it up, careful of the sword, and licked. When the flavor of blood, human and metallic, coated her tongue, her eyes flew all the way open in horror. Not at the blood itself, but by the fact that she liked what she had just done; it had sent a shiver up her spine. She almost ached to lick her hand clean, because it had tasted good. That was a dangerous temptation.

"What am I?" she asked the blasted and broken battlefield she had temporarily cleared of enemies; at least until the approaching army arrived. Kyshin had said during their meal that they were the same in this regard; both of them were women of blood and war. Did that make the two of them something other than human? The older woman claimed to have made peace with herself through her partner and lover, and used her nature to serve a purpose. Could she do the same, and protect more cute little girls? Or would she become like those she had just destroyed, and fight for causes that made no sane sense?

Behind her and close by, the deep rumble of engines approached rapidly, and she turned, wondering what new threat was coming. Two cross streets uphill and deeper into the island, a large vehicle slewed through a turn and come barreling towards her, leading a convoy of seven similar military trucks. They were as big as busses with armor and auto-cannon mounted on top, and covered window slits. Soldiers occupied the visible weapons, which trained around steadily in search of foes. The lead truck sported a strange plow attachment on its front that it was using to smash abandoned cars out of the way. The Iskaran flag, a rising series of five suns on a field of sea-blue, was emblazoned on each truck.

"Ho there!" shouted the soldier on the lead truck when it was close enough for the call. All seven vehicles braked and came to a shuddering, engine rumbling halt a few paces from her. Protective metal plates with narrow slits covered where a windshield would normally be, so she hoped the driver was either good enough not to have run her down, or had been cautious enough to do the same. At the back, a hatch squealed and swung open to let a dozen heavily armed soldiers come pouring out.

The soldiers moved in swift, trained precision; with each man or woman knowing his or her task. Most took up covered firing positions behind cars or other protective barricades. Similar actions occurred with the other trucks as well, and soon Kat was surrounded by a platoon of heavily armed soldiers in full combat gear. Others began to set up heavier crew-served weapons as well.

A woman with officer's insignia approached her directly, and Kat saluted tiredly since she thought that was what she was supposed to do in this situation. The woman smiled pleasantly enough. She wore heavy combat boots, rugged crimson and black fatigue pants, and a magically enhanced armored vest over her combat jacket. Kat knew it would be powered by a storage cell on the woman and only turned on when in battle. Ajax was loudly proud of the device and others like it. "You must be Cadet Genaria," the Officer said after giving Kat a quick, professional once-over.

"I am," Kat replied, suddenly feeling tired. Once the sense of danger vanished, even though her brain knew there was a whole bunch of enemies just a couple kilometers down the road, the adrenalin rush ended. Every ignored pain and injury came rushing forward into awareness and clamored in her head. Her knees tried to buckle under the strain, but strong arms caught her. Fire seemed to be coursing down her every nerve, traveling back and forth from the core of her power.

"Careful there," the Officer said softly near her ear; her voice was soothing, and it made her want to trust the woman. Kat finally noticed the tags on the Officer's jacket and it took a hard moment of thought to remember that a chevron and star denoted a Captain, just like Kyshin. She should have remembered faster. The last thing she wanted was to disrespect the person in charge of her rescuers. Her nameplate said Lishon.

"I'm okay," she said, regaining her feet. "I'm just a little tired."

The captain gave a telling glance at the local destruction. "I can guess why," she said and then nodded her head at the still shimmering barrier. "What's under that?"

"Civilians," Kat answered, and then remembered she should be specific when giving a report to a superior officer. "There's a young girl around ten years old and three adult bodyguards, all of which are armed. Their barrier failed, so I put up a new one of my own."

Around them, soldiers were quickly and efficiently unfolding steel barricades and running out razor wire from spools, blocking off the street in the direction of the oncoming enemy, who were still being harassed by the strafing fighter craft. A deep thrumming sound began to edge into hearing and she looked up in the opposite direction to see a skyship frigate coming to join the defense. Small flecks dropped from the ship, eight in total, and Kat sensed intense magic from them as they changed vectors and light flared around them.

"Mages?" she asked, and then blushed at speaking out of turn to the officer.

"Indeed!" Captain Lishon replied happily, accepting an assault rifle from another soldier. In motions that were fast and routine, the older woman checked the weapon out and chambered the first round. Kat knew a little of what she was doing, but it was so fast that the exact how was impossible to see. Cadets didn't receive firearm training until much later in the program, and they were only taught how to identify different weapons at the early stages. "They had to clear a mess out by the skyport first before coming here. This is a much smaller incursion than the others. That's why we're so late."

Kat blinked at that. This was a small group? And there were others? That made sense, if she thought about how long she had been on her own. The priority of rescuing her was lower than clearing the port and saving civilian lives. Her thoughts were drowned out by deafening booms from above. Four lances of energy fired from ship mounted magical cannons hit around the base of the strange teleportation portal. Something, it was too far to see what exactly, blew up and fountained into the air from the fireballs; and the pulsing hole in the world vanished as if it had never been.

Then the mages descended among guided rocket support fire from the ship, and began tearing the invaders apart with a variety of spells and weapons. Kat watched interestedly and then looked at the officer, realizing that the woman was babysitting her while her men got into defensive positions. It had been subtle, and Kat admired the older woman for it. "Are you guys a net to catch strays?" she asked quietly, so as not to sound intrusive on someone who knew their job.

"Basically, that's the idea," the woman agreed, still watching the fighting in the distance. "My company, the 48^th, has a dozen more points set up like this one on the cross streets, and ambush teams on rooftops with good sightlines. Most of the rest of the forces in the area are protecting the City and cleaning up the bigger groups that attacked the ports. I was also asked to pick up the person who was the first among many to sound the warning. Good job on that by-the-way!"

"Thanks...I think," Kat mused. "Should I help if they come this way?" The Captain gave the remains of Kat's battle a considering look again, and then looked down at her. "You look tired as shit girl, but would you be able to put up a barrier wall in front of my barricade? That would be plenty helpful."

Kat smiled and nodded, glad to be doing something to distract her thoughts from the dead girl that lay only a few meters away, and what her blood had tasted like. So she brought her Vectors out of their pockets and positioned them parallel across the width of the road in front of the defensive position. The soldier gave the machines wary looks, but had probably seen weirder things already today, since they didn't shoot at them. It took an effort of will to push past her physical fatigue, but she wove an array over several points on the road, and a waist-high wall of crackling force leapt into being just in front of the barricade set up by the soldiers.

"Will those stay standing without you tending to it?" the Captain asked, pointing at both the new barrier and the one over the limo.

Kat nodded wearily. "I'm not drained of magic yet, it's my body that's tired," she answered. She felt like she'd spent the whole day running sprints, and her muscles had that odd, loose feeling she got after a hard workout.

The older woman smiled and gestured at the nearest truck. They had repositioned them all a little to give clear firing lanes for each mounted weapon. "If you think you can rest with machine gun fire over your head, why don't you go lay down inside. Let us do our job now and recue you like we are supposed to. Okay?"

Kat nodded again, liking the sound of a flat surface in a safe steel box on wheels. She turned around and clambered into the truck, and when she found padded benches running down each side, she grinned and claimed the left side for herself. Then she settled down onto her back and relaxed, just awake enough to keep her barriers from falling.

In the muffled shadows, she could smell all the blood on her body and armor. She had lived through another fight, and this was her reward; blood and a nap. That made her smile, and she felt almost tranquil. It had been a good battle.

Drifting into a sleepy haze, she thought again to Sarah, Cassie, and Eva, and wondered where they were.

******

"How did you find us so fast?" Eva gasped out to Reshik, trying not to bite down on her tongue as she and the others ran at a fast but steady pace down a sidewalk. There were people everywhere; all of them trying to figure out what to do in the current crisis.

Those that wore rank insignia and were full mages were clearly moving with determination towards their duty station or to help with the defense of the city, but the rest were another thing altogether. Cadets and regular students caught out when the announcement came and the explosions started were confused and milling around in confused clumps. Some of the older and more senior cadets were trying to organize their juniors, but it took time to get through the shock. Eva saw some of her own peers involved in the effort, and she felt some guilt for ignoring them, but Kat needed her.

"I...was already coming...to speak with Sarah and Cassie," Reshik hissed. His physiology was even more inhibitive towards speaking and running at the same time, but he was understandable. "I had some free time...and wished to see if they would be willing to study a little together."

"Study on a free day!" Sarah laughed, sounding positively mortified at the idea. Running as they were, with monsters attacking the city, Sarah was still drawing eyes to her lush curves. They enticing way her breasts moved probably helped too. Despite the laugh, Eva could see the worry tensing the girl's face up. There was tightness around those full lips and her brows were knitted in concern.

"We'll get there in time," Eva said, trying to assure the girl. "It would be quite troublesome of her, if she went and got hurt right when we're finally friends of a sort."

Sarah gave her a tight smile and Eva returned it, feeling strangely happy. Sure, she had been getting along with the other Mentors in the dorm, and there had been some signs of growing friendship with her peers there, but this was something different. Sarah had invited her to be a part of something larger and closer knit; something much more intimate and powerful. She could almost feel the bonds trying to form, and her heart wanted to let that happen.

Cassie remained a quiet, but resolute presence beside them. Her lithe, athletic form was eating up the distance with a casual kind of ease. The girl showed no signs of flagging, and her face said much about her mind at the moment. Gone was the blushing and giggling. For Kat, Cassie was ready to wield her blade. She would puke her guts out afterwards, but she would fight. It was the kind of courage and strength Eva could respect.

With that air grim certainty about them, they ran on, entering into the Academic district. Overhead, skyships of all types were zipping around, heading towards the problem areas. Eva itched to fly herself, but the others could not do that yet and she would not leave them to go on alone unless something dire occurred. She also knew she would be denied clearance to do so anyways. There was probably enough chaos without her adding to the mess.

The chatter of gunfire slowly grew in volume and quantity, coming from multiple directions. Most was of a type she'd heard countless times during training; the military standard issue A-24b assault rifle, which most infantry carried. It was a calming sound actually, since it meant there were many more defenders than enemy.

She could also feel and hear magic being worked for war as well. The normally diffuse and muddled local auras were throbbing and pulsing as powerful spells were let loose. Through it all, she could feel that tantalizing sizzle she associated always with Kat. Kat's magic felt like fireworks to the other's sparklers. There were other strong mages mixed in of course, but Kat just felt so distinct. Kat, loved one of them all, was like storm just over the horizon, felt but unseen.

They had just turned a corner, intending to use a wide avenue to cut through towards Kat's location, when they all felt a very familiar magic coming rapidly closer. Eva snagged Sarah's arm out of a panicked reflex and tried to pull the girl with her under the covered metal awning of a bus stop pavilion. Before she took more than three steps, red cables of magic leapt like serpents from an array beneath her feet and she slammed down onto the cement. Only her armor's protection kept her from getting road rash. Sarah tottered for a second, momentarily off balance, when she too was snared and sucked down.

"That will be quite enough of that," said Wallova's droll voice from above. The woman's boots set down close behind her, and Eva flexed her muscles in an effort to see her. Nothing budged. "I knew before I even checked on my girls that you wouldn't be where you're supposed to be."

"It's an exercise in initiative," Eva ground out, her face pressed awkwardly against the hard ground. There was no give at all in the restraints and her magic felt strangely loose, as if it wouldn't form right while held in this binding. That meant she was being held in a Grounding Bind-type spell and her magic would simply drain away into the aether if she tried to use it. She'd trained on it as well, since it was useful for restraining criminals. "We are an independent rescue mission."

"Independent rescue, my gorgeous pale ass!" Wallova snorted and tapped her leg with a foot. "I expected something foolish from Sarah and these other two, but I thought you had some sense, Miss Eva."

"Kat's in trouble and she is my responsibility," Eva growled.

"She's our...friend as well," Cassie added with anger clear in her voice.

"I know exactly what she is to all of you," Wallova laughed. "We're not idiots enough around here not to recognize a bunch of love-sick teenagers. That's why I checked on all of you so promptly. My wisdom was thus rewarded with the sight of you all running through campus. Now I need to decide on the proper reward for your...initiative."

Eva winced at that last word. Wallova was the school terror. She was of the old type that believed that good, grueling work was just the thing to make trouble makers see reason. What made it worse was that Wallova could get very creative if she was inspired to the cause. Eva had once spent an entire day with a bucket, moving sand a mile down a beach, one bucketful at a time, to build a mound right on the water. Even as her sand was washed away, Wallova would send her back for another bucket.

"Maybe I need to come up with some fun, new group projects that—" Wallova cut off sharply and Eva yanked her head up as far as she was able, because she had felt the strange magic nearby too. Then they heard it, the bellowing battle cry of a Collector. Wallova continued on in a more serious tone. "Alright girls, time for a live fire exercise. Weapons are now free."

As she finished the sentence, the binding collapsed into nothing. Eva rose, along with the others, as fast as she could. Taking her sword from her pocket dimension, she indeed found the blade to be live. The other girls followed her example and their faces all held a grim knowledge. Eva turned toward Wallova, who had donned her full armor.

The woman was on the petite side, which her dress uniform normally hid, but she looked tough in her armor. She had a number of additions to the standard kit. Bracers of a back material with steel buckles were strapped behind her gloves and her boots were of a more rugged looking design. There were other small changes, but now was not the time to investigate them. "Your command," Eva said formally.

Wallova nodded. "My command." Thus affirming her command responsibility for the record. "Eva, get them in a star formation with me on the forward point. Reshik is in the middle where he can use his skills to support the rest us. It sounds like they're going to be right on us in a second."

"Aye, ma'am," Eva confirmed. Turning, she saw the others already moving towards their spots. Reshik placed himself directly behind Wallova and began murmuring one off his odd spell chants. Sarah looked to her and Eva pointed at Wallova's left side. "Cassie, you're our rear guard."

"Got'cha!" Cassie nodded, turned and faced behind them. Her face was pale, but Cassie had her fear under control. The sword in her hand was absolutely steady.

Even as she stepped into her own place at Wallova's right hand, leaving plenty of room for the woman to work her sword, a screaming and fleeing mass of people poured out from the next intersection down; about a hundred feet away. There were only about twenty people, nineteen after an older tengu man leapt into the air for safety, but they were followed by an equally loud mob of the disgusting hunter monsters. Two of those tried to scurry forward after a man that was lagging behind the others.

"Oh no you don't!" Wallova snorted and raised an imperious left hand. Four crimson cables of magic lashed out like whips, crossed the distance and instead of binding the monsters as Eva expected, they sliced cleanly through, searing as they went. This of course caught the attention of the following creatures.

"Oh goody, there's only about twenty of the little stinkers," Wallova laughed.

"That's not all there is!" Sarah said. She was holding a strange, translucently glowing sphere of magic in her hands, into which she was staring. Small lights where flickering in groups inside the sphere.

"We haven't covered sensory spells yet," Wallova responded curiously. "And certainly not a weird looking thing like that one.

"Kat's been encouraging us to find our strengths, and we've done a little work with her on some stuff," Sarah shrugged. "But as I was saying; I think there are some bigger things coming. Smaller than the Collector, which is that dark spot there, but bigger than the regular creepers."

"Those?" Wallava asked, raising an eyebrow at the shaggy, beast-like humanoid that rounded the corner, holding an over-sized military rifle. The thing snarled at the hunters in bestial rage and the hunters began running as a group towards them. "Ugly, hairy brute of a thing; ain't he?

"I got these," Eva said. Raising her own left hand, she cast out one of her favorite spells. The white ovoid flashed over the beasts where it flashed and a visible wave traveled inward towards it, sucking most of the heat out of everything within a four meter spherical volume. Then that gathered energy was released in a kinetic wave with a sharp explosive pop that finished the already dying brutes off.

In response, more of the beast-men entered the fray from around the corner, along with their Collector friend who was hanging around at the back of the ten-beast-man squad. "It's like a pack of wolf men, sorta," Cassie quipped. "But kinda ass ugly.

"I dunno, some asses look pretty good to me," Eva smirked, feeling her normal cockiness returning. "Why do you think I put you behind me?"

"Ooh! Battle flirting! It's a nice change, Eva dear," Sarah laughed delightedly, along with a pleased giggling sound from Cassie. Then her gaze snapped back down to her sensory spell. "There's another group coming around behind us, just like this one!" Sarah yelled. "Same size and composition as this first one."

"Oh what fun! They've standardized!" Wallova chuckled. "You gonna be okay back there Cassie?"

"Probably," Cassie answered. "But I'm gonna hurl again when were done. Just a fair warning."

"Not a problem, puke all you need to, as long as you keep alive," Wallova replied. "Reshik, do your thing and cover her. Sarah, you swing and help whichever side is getting the worst. Eva, you're with me for now."

Wallova capped off her orders with a snapped set of three spell bolts toward the beast-men running towards them from the front. The Collector roared and bulled its way up front, where the bolts shattered mid-air into harmless sparks. Behind them the second precursor mob of hunters rounded the previous intersection with its own beast squad in tow. Both sets off beast-men opened fire, trapping their small group in between the streets. Thankfully all the civilians had done the smart thing by taking cover inside the buildings to either side.

"I shield!" Eva yelled, knowing Wallova was more experienced and probably the better fighter. So, for both sides, she raised curved barriers of frosty-white magic that came up about shoulder high. Both caught and refracted the sunlight prettily with a partial translucence, but they were as solid as concrete.

Reshik thrust out both hands towards the rear attackers and a dark mist rushed out and into the wall of a single-story restaurant building. Bricks and every other building material for several meters ripped away from the structure and flowed into a golem that stood almost three meters tall. It was much better formed than Reshik's previous example. The beast-men retargeted on it immediately but it cared as little as a creature made from brick would about bullets; instead it reached out with one long arm and smashed down the closest one into a mess against the street. Its grating brick-on-brick rumble almost sounded like a victory roar, and then it was moving onto to its next target.

Remembering what she had done the last time, Eva formed a spear of ice in the air above her. She crushed it smaller, making it as dense as possible, and then launched it at the forward group Collector. This one tried to raised its arm to block, only to have the heavy spear tip plow right through. Several of the glowing glass containment vessels shattered and the loosed glowing things zipped towards bodies. The Collector's magic negation ability was not proof against them, as it was one of the first victims. Four beast-men also disintegrated into black dust.

"That's a severe design flaw," Wallova laughed. "Nice shot."

"Wanna kill ours next?!" Sarah asked flicking her hand towards the rear foes, and a slim needle of magic crossed to the edge of Eva's barrier, where a beast soldier was peaking around to fire its weapon. The needle perfectly entered through its right eye and in a flash, fried its brain. That was a nasty, and yet elegantly clean spell; very much Sarah's style.

"Sure. And nice shot, Sarah!" Eva responded, already gathering the power and moisture needed for a new spear, then something strange hit her barrier and it started to fracture. "Shit! Disruptor shell!" She'd only felt that effect once, since the weapon wasn't at all cheap, and it had a distinctive feel.

An arm wielding a gun shoved through a weak hole in the barrier, but before it could do anything, Cassie's sword slashed the air and a nearly invisible ripple crossed the distance, severing the arm and cut a deep score into the remaining barrier. Cassie moved closer to the barrier and met a bolder beast-man that tried to bull through bodily by removing its head; Sarah flash-fried another. Behind the collapsing barrier, the massive Collector suddenly flew up into the air and slammed back down into the ground with a crunch. Reshik's eager golem followed in a long, ape-like leap, bringing both fists down together on its downed adversary. A minute later, the entire enemy force against them was dead.

"That went well," Reshik said, once it seemed like nothing new was going to attack them. He ended his spell, and the golem crumbled into its constituent pieces and black mist that dissipated into the aether. With a funny sort of fastidiousness, he pulled out a handkerchief and began cleaning his talons, even though he hadn't used them directly in the fight this time.

"Things are going well over-all," Wallova replied, holding her Glass and reading the information it was providing her. "Most of the incursions are already dead and the rest will be soon. The largest attack forces are being met by the military. One of those has met up with Kat already and reports her to be alive, but out of the fight, whatever that bloody-well means."

"Does that mean she's hurt?!" Cassie yelped, distracted from her gaining nausea by the news. Sarah was already beside the girl, ready to give comfort if needed. Cassie was not a killer at all by nature and it hit her hard. Moving over to them, Eva took a water bottle she always kept in her pocket space for convenience and offered it. Cassie took it with a grateful little smile, but still looked at Wallova who was frowning at her Glass.

"It could mean almost anything!" the woman replied grumpily. "We may as well head there now. The fight'll be over by then anyways. The navy destroyed whatever they were using to anchor the translocation point, so nothing new is coming in, and Strategic Command has already come up with a disruption field even if they try. Four S-class mages will have the whole city and island locked down tighter than an Elvan monk's ass!"

Thankfully, they encountered no new difficulties on the way to Kat's location. There was a little mess and damage, and confused people trying to clean, but not anything dangerous or excessive. Civil Guard units were already set up in patrols and checkpoints to assess and monitor the situation, and they were presently organizing people to clear ruble and search for the injured or dead. They came upon Kat's location in a heavily commercialized area of the Academy that Eva visited infrequently since most of her needs were already provided for. Though there was a bookstore nearby she liked that served amazing coffee.

They were stopped at an organized military checkpoint consisting of seven heavy troop transports, the kind normally used to invade a city rather than defend one, and a full platoon of soldiers cleaning up their gear. From the scattered shell casings all over the ground, they had defended the spot; but Eva's eyes caught on the damage done to a number of the dead beasts and frowned. Kat's magic had a distinct result and the whole area reeked of her power. The air still felt charged, and the abundance of collateral damage was almost a calling card for the girl. Kat still had no idea how to restrain her tremendous power. A loose warhead was exactly the apt description for her in a fight.

"Did Kat do all of that?!" Cassie asked softly, pointing at charred buildings, cars, and blasted ruble all around the site. Dead monsters were littered all over as well, most of which were in several pieces. Multiple collectors lay in massive heaps, and some of the beast-men were here too. A section of the street even appeared to have been partially melted, as well as most of a set of cars.

A short distance in front of the barricades, two soldiers with corpsman insignia armbands were loading the body of a strangely dressed teenage girl into a body bag. Then, off to one side, was the flickering dome of a barrier that was distinctly Kat's. It flickered and pulsed defensively, ready to snap away any violence against it. Even Kat's shields were built to attack. Just seeing it made a tight knot in Eva's stomach unclench.

"Is that the girl's name?" asked an approaching soldier. She was a tall, middle-aged woman wearing Captain's tags on her full combat kit. Her uniform was still mostly clean, but the sweat on her face and an escaping brown curl from under her helmet told the true tale. This was an officer that worked hard alongside her men. Behind her was an awning covering a table, which was probably the woman's command 'office' or the closest equivalent. Multiple sensor screens were open, along with a dedicated communications unit. Several young officers were bent over that table, talking in low, serious tones on their comm. headsets.

"She's one of ours," Wallova said, holding out a hand. "I'm Major Wallova.

"Captain Lishón," the older woman said, accepting the informality. Technically Wallova was senior, but in this moment, the Captain was in command. Valkyrie mages held officer ranks, but only commanded Army units if their own officer was dead or otherwise indisposed. Eva though, as only a cadet and well below both women, saluted the Army officer, followed clumsily by Sarah, Cassie and Reshik.

"Your report says Cadet Genaria is 'out of the fight,' so I came to see if she was injured," Wallova continued on.

"Minor injuries I think, but she might have a case of power-burn as well," Captain Lishón replied with a small smile. "That's girls a tough one, but she threw around too much power, way too fast for her current conditioning level. I'm guessing she's fairly new?"

"Part of our very newest intake in fact," Wallova answered with a worried expression. "How bad is she? That barrier is hers, right?"

"It's protecting a group of civilians," the Captain frowned at the barrier. "I kind of forgot about that in all the commotion. It sorta faded into the background. I should probably get them out of there and check on them. But as for your girl, yeah, that's hers. Somehow she's maintaining it even while asleep; which as far as I know about magic, shouldn't be happening."

"That's bloody impossible!" Eva blurted in surprise, and then felt the combined stares of both women. Having Kat nearby, but unable to see her, was grinding on her patience. Hearing of Kat doing the improbable had startled her into speech.

"It's not impossible, whatever the textbooks say," Wallova answered in a considering tone. "But it's not common either. Captain, can you show us our girl? I'll see to having her drop the barrier."

"Sure thing," Lishón led them to the troop carrier placed in the middle of the defensive line and they all ducked under its low ceiling.

"Kat!" Cassie rushed forward into the dim space, towards a person lying on the left-side bench. When her eyes adjusted for the light, Eva realized Cassie was right, it was Kat sleeping there, curled onto one side. She would have looked serene, except she was almost coated in blood. "She's hurt!"

"Almost none of that is hers," Lishón said quickly. "I had a medic take a quick look at her. Her armor's diagnostics say she took some hurts, but most are bruises and minor cuts. The only worry is her left side and back. My man thinks she might have cracked a couple of ribs and her armor supports that conclusion. Not broken, but cracked."

They all moved to Kat as a group, except Cassie who was already kneeling at her side, using a clean swab of cloth from a medical kit sitting nearby to wipe blood from her face. Eva anxiously looked Kat over, but saw no serious wounds. There were a number of places where her armor was lighter from healing itself and the likely cuts below, but no huge gashes.

Kat's chest rose and fell in the steady rhythm of exhausted sleep of a predator after a kill. Kneeling as well, Eva placed one hand supportively on Cassie's shoulder and the other on Kat's forehead. Even covered in blood, Kat was gorgeous in her eyes. The first month of training had already started on building muscle and burning excess fat, not that Kat had had much of that to begin with. She was starting to look like the mage woman she would eventually become, with that cute butt of hers fully intact.

Eva loved Kat's slightly rounded face, with its strong nose and light dusting of freckles on slightly dusky skin. Her hand itched to stroke Kat's cheek, so she began to rub Cassie's back instead. Kat didn't yet know of the discussion that she, Cassie and Sarah had had a short time earlier, but it would have to be told as soon as possible. Cassie gave her a quizzical look, and then a little smile of appreciation, not once objecting to the touching. It was just a friendly expression.

Eva gently flicked some of Kat silky, purple hair aside with her other hand, so she could see her resting face. Even in slumber, Kat radiated the aura of a predator. To her mind, Eva thought Kat looked sated and content, like a lion after a successful hunt. It was all a part of what she loved in the girl. Kat was strong, but didn't yet know how to use that strength, though her passions were just as powerful as magical prowess. Eva would teach her, right alongside the Academy, and now with the other two girls as well if that was the right way to go forward.

"Kitten," she said roughly, letting the relief she'd been holding back free. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Kitten, you need to wake up. You've been slacking long enough and you've got people waiting."

Kat grunted in sleeping disgruntlement, turned slightly and then gasped painfully, jerking awake. Before anyone could say or do anything, a strange machine materialized in the air among them in a flicker of light motes and power began to gather dangerously. A spark leapt from the machine to the wall of the compartment, leaving a small dark smudge. In the center of the roughly spherical device, a circular piece of translucent material began to glow ominously and three petal-like outer protrusions opened to reveal arrays engraved insides. Everyone but Eva quickly began backing away and out of the confined space.

"Who—?" Kat asked in weary confusion, her head snapping up. In her hazel eyes, something dark and dangerous stirred.

"Kat! Stop!" Sarah gasped, dropping to her knees as well, where she leaned forward, putting her hands on Eva and Cassie's backs for support. "It's us! We came to find you!"

"Sarah?" Kat paused, blinked, and her eyes focused, moving from face to face. On Eva's, Kat paused long enough for Eva to give her a cocky smile. Kat frowned in pleased confusion but didn't say anything. Instead she rolled upright and lunged forward, trying to hug Eva and Cassie, who had only made it a couple steps, at the same time. "Ow!" Kat gasped, jerking back in a quick abortion of the movement. Seated on the padded bench, she glowered down at herself. "Why does it feel like my body is on fire?"

"That is a rather silly question," Wallova snorted. "I would think someone with cracked ribs would do a little less jumping around, and that burning sensation is the first sign of power-burn, which you should have covered in your basics class. What's with the mechanical guard dog?"

"That thing?" Kat asked with a proud smile, patting at the now quiescent machine, which had gone silent next to her. It simply floated there, still and quiet; the crackling power of a moment before gone. Eva felt a grin tug at her lips, half-knowing what was coming. "That's one of my Vectors. I built three of 'em. They're still a work in progress, but they worked great during the fight."

"Dammit Ajax! I'm gonna fry that brain of yours!" Wallova muttered loudly and then glared at Kat. "We'll talk about that later. Just put it away again before I crack my skull on it!"

Kat shrugged tiredly and the odd machine faded away into a pocket space. It was a completely smooth transition. Kat's gaze slowly slid back towards her, and Eva felt that spark that fizzled between them before regain some life.

Not bothering to think her actions through, Eva held out her hand. Kat only hesitated for a breath, and then took it. Before Kat could change her mind, Eva yanked her up and pulled her tight. For just a moment, Eva met Kat's eyes and saw that wonderful, spirited girl gazing back at her in challenge. Eva grinned, dropped one hand to hold tight to Kat's butt, and moved in.

Her lips met Kat's and there was no resistance. Both soft and firm at the same time, their first kiss was like getting reacquainted all over again. Their fight suddenly felt stupid and Eva knew just how childish she'd been. Kat tasted of blood, and most of all of her. Sure, she smelled strongly of sweat and the metallic tang of the crimson coating her, but under that was again, that deeper smell that was all Kat.

Instinctively she raised her other hand and this time she indulged herself. With her long fingers, which she had always thought of as too masculine, she traced the line of Kat's cheekbone. Kat gasped once, but once they both had a little air, they kissed again, and some of Kat's natural aggression began to show. Eva felt Kat's body against hers and through their skintight armor, she felt her own arousal being matched.

A polite cough sounded from over her shoulder. Eva reluctantly relinquished Kat, and was quite pleased by the disappointed frown she received in return. Grinning, she quickly gave Kat a light smack on the ass with the hand already there. Kat's smoldering look as she plopped back onto the bench again sent a jolt of pleasure through Eva's strong body. "Sorry Kitten, I promised Sarah and Cassie that the first thing I planned to do once I saw you again was to kiss you. Amazing as you are, there are other matters to attend too."

"Unfortunately," Cassie giggled nearby in agreement, the apparent source of the polite cough. "Other people still need Kat for a bit."

Then Kat frowned, her face flushed a little, and visibly clamed herself, though her eyes moved frequently between her, Sarah and Cassie with curious light in them. She finally glanced at the steel wall of the vehicle, and then looked up at the calmly waiting Army Captain with an expression of a person remembering something all of a sudden. "Should I let the girl out now too?"

"That's why I'm part of this little reunion," the Captain agreed with an amused smile; not put off in the least by the sight of people kissing in front of her. A very unflappable woman; and Eva found herself respecting her more with each moment. "I need to get them processed and checked out."

Eva stepped close again and after meeting Cassie's eyes for a moment, they both smiled and held out a hand. Kat blinked, having noticed the shared glance, and settled with giving Eva one of her fierce, questioning looks. Eva just smirked. "You gonna stand back up or are Cassie and I gonna have to drag you out of this tin can? The girl's almost as strong as me and can probably carry you like I did after the last fight we had."

"I am perfectly fine," Kat snorted indignantly with a full blush that everyone pretended not to notice, and made to stand on her own. Her legs shook before her butt had even lifted an inch. Which of course made her scowl adorably at them all in turn, even the Captain; then she finally took their hands. Eva clasped hers tight, as saw Cassie doing as well; just to feel a part of Kat in their hands. Then, as if they had rehearsed the movement, they pulled as one. When she was upright once more, Kat stood on shaky legs.

"I feel like a wet noodle," Kat mumbled and scowled some more when she had to be helped out into the evening sun. It was fairly obvious she was embarrassed to be so out of sorts and run ragged. Kat countered that emotion with bluster and grumpiness. Eva nonetheless helped Kat over towards the waiting barrier dome, with Cassie and Sarah hovering close by. Kat raised her right arm in a dismissive gesture at the barrier and the dome fizzled out, revealing another of the machines. It too vanished in a little wrinkle of light, and the aura of Kat's power in the area began to diminish rapidly.

Eva couldn't help her eyes drifting down Kat's lithe form, now that they were close once more. There was a slight distance to Kat's stance, which Eva knew came from the girls confusion about where they all now stood, but she was so damn beautiful that Eva wanted to just clutch her close and assure her that things were going to be better. Other than that, there was a new sense of confidence to her dear Kitten. Even though she was currently held upright with help, there was still that air of predatory pride. Kat must have felt her regard during all this because she turned and fixed her sharp, hazel-green gaze back on her. The pause lasted only for a second.

"I gotta pee!!" screeched a very young female voice. It was a sweet voice, with a very clear, and concise accent. From the behind a limousine the barrier had been protecting, a strange looking girl that was maybe ten or so, and with dark green hair, leapt up to her feet and began looking around frantically. "Where's a bathroom! Tell me now!"

"You're gonna have to use the sewer grate like the soldiers have been, or go behind a car," Captain Lishón said in open bemusement and a gesture toward the indicated sewer grate. The military was not really a job that exposed a person to a lot of young kids, so Eva could understand a little of the woman's reaction. She herself had almost zero experience herself and would have no idea what to do if she had to care for one. Telling a young girl to pee in front of a crowd however seemed kind of mean though.

"Out in the open!" the girl gasped, looking at them in turns. Exactly the reaction Eva had expected, and she snorted in amusement despite herself. "With everyone looking?"

"Not really," Kat replied calmly, with an overly careful step towards the young lady. She gestured towards a decorative alcove between two buildings. The storm drain lay there in the ground and next to it was an upturned bucket upon which several rolls of toilet paper sat; the impromptu Army bathroom. A second later a flickering, opaque curtain blocked it from view. Kat grinned at the girl, though all the blood on her face took away some of the humor. "Best I can do."

"Thank you!" the girl gushed, and almost dived for the offered privacy. Once inside there was only a second of pause before the sound of a person urinating profusely filled the silence. Amused grins spread around every person there. Hardened soldiers many of them might be, but potty humor transcended almost all boundries.

"I apologize for her rudeness," said one of the men who had also been sheltering with the girl. He was completely bald with the scale tattoos of a Hebi worshiper and built to the size of a refrigerator. His voice was a deep, cultured baritone and he moved exactly like the bodyguard he appeared to be. "I'm afraid this has been a rather long day for my Lady."

"Lady who?" Captain Lishón asked.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid her identity is classified," the man responded promptly, but without any heat. "For her daily interactions, she prefers to go by the name Mirielle."

The Captain and Wallova exchanged knowing glances; their expressions growing a little more serious. Eva wished she knew what they did, but they certainly weren't going to tell her; not if it warranted this reaction. Classified meant it was supposed to be none of her business. However, having even her name obfuscated meant that the young girl was someone very important. That had to be a short list.

"Did you already find the guy in the shop?" Kat asked calmly, breaking the silence. Kat was standing more surely now and looked much less wobbly. Eva greatly appreciated her view from behind. The skintight armor was meant for three things: protection from harm, to establish her identity as a combat mage, and to create an imposing image. It worked to great effect on Kat and Eva loved how these last few weeks had given all the sift curves that subtle, but important definition.

That Kat had an incredible brain inside her head only sweetened things. To look at her now, one might think she was unfeeling, but Eva knew the truth about Kat and saw the real signs. Kat had enjoyed herself today and fought the kind of battle that was in her nature to fight. They would all need to talk about this. It was her job, and her calling in life to guide that hungry part of her lover down toward places it was useful and good.

"What guy?" both Officers said almost together. Wallova grinned, gave the Captain an apologetic wave and stepped back, conceding jurisdiction. It was probably a reflex on the woman's part by now to respond to the questions of cadets.

Kat pointed behind the limo a little ways to a shop whose front display was smashed in. It was on the other side of the Army barricade. The area directly in front of it was thoroughly demolished by the results of magical battle. A bunch of the mindless formerly-human husks and the little hunter beasts lay dead. "I got thrown through that window and there was some guy hiding in there. The idiot was just cowering behind a counter or something. I yelled at him to leave, but I'm fairly sure he ignored me."

Kat redirected her focus on a trio of soldiers close by, clearly waiting for a polite opening to approach their senior officer. They also appeared a little unnerved by Kat's bloody regard, with only the most senior willing to meet her gaze. Eva knew it well. When Kat's brain was fully focused on you like that, it was kind of intense. In her case though, as it was with Sarah and Cassie, she found it arousing. It lasted only a moment before Kat turned back to the Captain. "If you haven't seen him yet, he's probably still in hiding. It would probably be a good idea to take a quick look."

"I'm on it Ma'am," said the senior soldier with a Lieutenant's silver bar on his uniform. After a quick, confirming nod from the Captain, he gestured at the two older men with him, a sergeant and private first-class. "You heard the lady. Let's find us a survivor!" Both men gave a hearty agreement and the three set off.

"Any other civvies around?" Captain Lishón asked, looking between Kat and the bodyguard for the girl. Eva had expected a comment on Kat's intrusiveness with her soldiers, but it was not forthcoming. Instead, a note of respect had crept into her voice.

"Not that I saw," Kat said thoughtfully, glancing about the battlefield. "Most of the people scattered really quick after the first explosion went off. They were the smart ones. When that truck down there exploded, everyone got clear. Then, when I gave that signal I was asked for, they seemed to get that something big was going down and I was the only one left."

"What about that girl?" Eva pointed at the blue and white body-bag she had seen being filled upon their arrival. It sat alone, since all the other casualties were the monsters. It was a good sign that there were so few senseless deaths.

Kat's gaze snapped onto hers, and Eva saw in her eyes that something had changed inside her young love. This battle had caused the girl to grow in some new way that she knew must be explored between all of them. Sarah and Cassie had just as much a right as she did now, to be involved; hopefully Kat would see reason and accept that. Anything regarding Kat's inner beast couldn't remain hidden where it could turn into something ugly.

"I killed that girl with my own hands," Kat said calmly.

Wallova gasped, but Sarah beat her to speaking. "Why?" the girl asked, confused. "What did she do?"

"She was a mage, and fought alongside those strange beast-men," Kat answered with a small smile. It was not a mocking smile; more like one of fond respect. "She said her name was Prototype and that she had more 'sisters' like her. That insane man was inside her head, ordering her directly, because she was only two weeks old." That last sounded almost sad. "She barely got to live at all, but I killed her."

"What insane man?" Wallova asked carefully. Everyone was silent now. Even the soldiers nearby had gone quiet, waiting for the name or identity of their true enemy. Eva felt that ominous expectation as well. With a defined foe, Iskar could end him and be done. With the enemy known, the Sovereign would declare war, and the council would give its approval in the next breath.

Kat nodded, and her face hardened into that predatory mode Eva had seen during the last battle and in glimpses during their sparing. If Kat saw the man again, Eva knew without question, that Kat would try and kill him. The beast that lived in Kat would not allow the person to survive, and that realization made Eva shiver. Kat and her beast had grown stronger today; and closer together. "I met him when I was finishing lunch with the woman who sponsored me to attend the Academy. He knew her personally, and Ajax too, since my sponsor was friends with him." Kat's voice was level and serious. A single, bright spark of power curled up Kat's body in an anticipatory display that Eva knew to be a completely unconscious reaction. Kat's magic was becoming a natural extension of her will which was both impressive and scary. Sometimes, Eva was sure that Kat didn't notice when she sparked off like that, or filled a room with her aura. "He is filled with hate to the point you can almost taste it in the air." Kat continued, pushing a loose set of her purple hair back behind her left ear. "My sponsor called him Zhaspar Phinion, but she indicated that he went by a lot of different names. There was something very unnatural about him too; as if he's done things to his own body that are even worse than what he does to those monsters."

"By all the unholy gods!" Captain Lishón whispered harshly upon hearing that strange name. "Major, do you know that name as well?"

"I do, I received the same history lecture you probably got," Wallova said; absolutely grim. "He's supposed to be long dead."

"He's not," Kat laughed darkly. "He showed up to say hello, just to point that fact out to everyone and flaunt his madness. He flat out told us that this is all for his personal enjoyment."

"Who are you all talking about?!" they all turned and chagrined smiles spread over several faces. The girl, Mirielle, was standing right there next to her bodyguards, arms crossed in annoyance. They had all forgotten about her, Eva included. World changing events did that, but she could imagine how it might seem to the girl. She probably felt excluded, even though she was right there with them.

Behind the girl, the three soldiers were loudly successful in their task. A rather huffy and complaining man was being hauled along by them towards a break cut into the barricade. His diatribe at his supposed mistreatment filled the awkward pause. The man noticed and scowled into silence. Then he dug into a satchel hanging from his side and pulled out an expensive looking camera. He pointed it at them and began taking pictures, even as he was hauled toward the awning.

"That is not something that needs to be discussed here!" Captain Lishón said finally, casting dark looks in the man's direction until he was far enough away not to hear them easily. She turned to the bodyguards. "Is your vehicle compromised or do you need to have transportation called in?"

"Do you know who she is?" Eva whispered to Cassie, as the Officer and guard worked out the girl's situation. "Your father is a politician, right?"

Cassie snorted and gave her a wry smile. It was a cute expression, and Eva found that it was kind of endearing. "My father hates my very existence, Eva. Even if he knew who the girl was, he wouldn't tell me. He'd probably just laugh at my ignorance and give me that stupid smile that makes me want to punch him. I barely even know what he does, since I've done my very best to be ignored by him. I know you better than I do him."

"Good thing you like me then," Eva said, trying a joke to lighten things. She hadn't meant to touch on such a dark subject.

"We're still seeing about that," Cassie replied, but kept the smile in place. "I'm kinda interested to see how you get Kat all riled up. It's kind of fun to see her on the receiving end instead of me."

"I want to know what's going on!" Mirielle yelled loudly, breaking into the conversations around her again. When it was silent, she gave her bodyguard a dark look with those strange, golden eyes. "Stop trying to treat me as a normal child. I am no such thing. You know this better than most, Michael, so don't play games with these people about my business." The girl gave a playful smile in Kat's direction. "One of them even saved our lives."

"You were mine," Kat huffed uncomfortably at the praise. "So you were not going to die."

"Were yours?" the girl asked, confused.

"It's just part of how Kat is," Sarah broke in, smiling brilliantly. "She has a rather unique outlook on the world."

Mirielle gave Kat a speculative look. "Was that a compliment or an insult?"

"Probably both if Sarah's angry with me, but a compliment if she's not," Kat replied, in turn giving Sarah a hopeful smile.

"I was worried about you, love, not angry!" Sarah laughed, though her tail did twitch a little. "I want to hug you so hard right now, but Eva's got first claim."

"Are you all friends or something?" Mirielle asked; a look of eager interest on her cute face. She spoke in a way that seemed older than her apparent years, which was a little disconcerting.

"Or something," Eva said with a knowing grin at Kat. "Definitely something."

Kat visibly squirmed under her hit gaze and bit her lower lip; then she gave each of them a slow, considering evaluation. Her expression changed to something disbelieving, but hopeful, when Eva crossed deliberately to Sarah and pulled the girl into a one-armed hug, which was quickly and eagerly returned. Sarah even added her tail into the mix, which Eva would admit felt strangely good on her leg. Cassie just smirked lopsidedly and put one hand on her opposite shoulder.

"I think we need to have a talk, Eva" Kat said slowly, but with a wonderfully happy sound in her voice. Then her gaze landed on the final member of her supposed rescue party. "You're awfully silent back there Reshik."

"Things are progressing splendidly without my interference," the boy hissed with a laugh. "I'm just glad my friends are safe and happy once again. You are unharmed and we have all won out battles."

"You missed his new golem, Kat," Cassie laughed. "This one was cool looking and it totally smashed one of those Collectors. He's been practicing I think."

"You can make golems?!" Mirielle exclaimed brightly, giving Reshik a wide smile. "Can you show me? I've never seen one before!"

"Not right now!" Wallova grunted, stepping physically into the conversation. She jabbed a finger at Kat and poked her in the chest. "You need to see an actual doctor. Carousing with your...friends, or whatever they are, can wait until later. Or did you forget about cracking those ribs?"

"I was trying to!" Kat groaned, and glared at the woman. Wallova, as usual, blithely ignored it.

"Well you can be a tough bitch on someone else's watch. You kiddos are my responsibility, which means you are headed to the medical clinic. I need to get back and check on your peers as well, since that lot is likely to set a building on fire or something if I'm not watching."

"Can we accompany her?" Sarah asked; her accent heavy. Eva understood then, just how worried Sarah was for Kat. If stress and excitement were what brought the succubus's native tongue out, she would have to pay attention to that in the future. "Kat is our dear one, you know, and we would like to be there."

"You'll find some way even if I say 'no,' so what's the point of saying it," Wallova sighed. "Fine. Bring the whole damn circus for all I care. Just start walking!"

"You think I need to see a medic and yet you're making me walk?" Kat asked. Eva just smirked, already hearing the coming reply.

"Your legs aren't broken are they?" Wallova grinned, and cast it over the lot of them. "Besides, I still need to punish four foolish cadets. I need to start on 'em early."

"Okay, okay," Kat groaned, already turning to face back down the street into the island.

"Wait!" Mirielle rushed forward, slipping easily through the surprised hands of her reaching guards, and hugged Kat hard from behind.

"Oh! Okay! That seriously hurts!" Kat gasped, arching her back.

"Sorry, but I needed to thank you," the girl said, releasing Kat quickly. Kat turned back a little towards the girl with a warm smile. "You were kinda cool when you saved us."

"How could you even see inside the barrier?" Kat asked, clearly surprised.

"We have military-grade scanning gear mounted in the car," one of the guards answered and held up what looked like a bigger, chunkier version of a Glass. It had a metal frame that had cord that went into the vehicle. "Works well enough for a short range connection to the local public security scans as well."

"Oh...well you're welcome I guess," Kat shrugged, gave Mirielle a toothy smile and ruffled the girl's green hair. It looked for all the world, like an older sister doting on a younger one. It was an aspect to Kat she had never seen before, and Eva liked it. "I don't let cute girls get killed, and besides; I enjoyed it."

"I know you did," the girl said seriously, matching the smile. Eva felt her own eyebrow climb at the sight of enlarged canine teeth. Not like a vampire at all, but more carnivorous. The girl was not entirely human. "But I wanted to be polite because you seem like fun."

"She can be," Eva said, unable to help the knowing smirk that spread over her face, which drew a very familiar scowl from Kat, but smiles from Sarah and Cassie. "Once you get to know her.

"That sounds very interesting," Mirielle said eagerly. "But I'll let you go now. "Have fun with the doctor!"

"Since when are doctors fun?" Cassie asked, bemused.

Wallova shrugged. "Let's go see if Kat's will be. Start walking girls!"

So they did.

Eva placed herself at Kat's right as they began to head back toward their part of campus and home. Cassie took Kat's left, so Sarah walked in front. Kat gave her a long look. "Eva. Did something happen?"

"Something did," she replied proudly. "We decided that you belong to us."

"Us?!" Kat squawked.

"Yeah," Cassie grinned victoriously. "Us."

******

"Sir, all the men are in place, and your ship is on the way now."

"Very good," Cassius replied to the Guardsmen that matched his rapid pace at an intersecting hallway of the Sovereign's Palace. The corridors were otherwise empty, seeing as an evacuation and lockdown went into immediate effect once the relevant authorities became aware of the attack on the city. Cassius couldn't hear any of it from his present location, as it was deep into the hillside. He was focused on his own goal in any case, and the few men he'd managed to turn to his cause.

The corridor itself was floored in flawlessly polished white marble, with cherry paneling on the walls. Frequent sconces of burnished bronze bathed it in warm light. It was the kind of subdued, ordered décor the Sovereign's Heir preferred for the entrance to his private residence. Only Cassius, the Heir's staff and his guards had access to it. It was meant as a place of seclusion and rest rather than a working office, which was located elsewhere.

"Have the men all received their blades?" Cassius asked; his voice low and gruff with tension. He had planned this several months ago, but he had not expected to execute it at such drastic short notice. Originally, he was supposed to have at least a week of lead-up practice and warning for his men. It had taken a lot of money and corruption to turn the few he had. Iskaran Guardsmen were stubbornly loyal and he'd had to have three assassinated wen their damnable consciences prickled at regicide.

"They have, my Lord," the man answered promptly. This man had been one of his loyal personal guars before infiltrating the Iskaran Guard and was one of his most loyal. Good servants were what made a Lord prosperous. "They await us up ahead."

Unable to help it, he placed a reassuring hand on the long sword riding on his left hip. Dragons were fearsome, near unbeatable creatures; especially the ones that were multiple centuries old. Luckily, they were not invincible. Though they were immune to most of the poisons that would kill a human like himself; they were susceptible to others. His sword, like those of the men he'd planted in the Sovereign's Protectorate years ago, was plated with an alloy made mostly of Gallium, a metal that melted easily from body heat. It was ridiculously expensive to procure in large quantities and easily traced back to him, but Cassius wouldn't be concerned with that after today.

Today he would commit a new treason.

Shortly before the hall terminated, there was a discrete security room on the right side. Six men exited that room and joined him at the massive vault-style door. The panel lit up and he carefully used his finger to write fifteen digits, each of which vanished once completed, and then four basic pictures coded to his identity. A green light and a chime was his first reward; the second was the metal door spinning ninety degrees, and then rising upward. Behind it was a plain glass door meant only as a sound barrier.

"Make it fast," he reminded the men, as he grabbed the handle on the inner door and flung it open. They ran inside, and immediately came to an abrupt halt.

"Hello, Cassius," said the Heir. He was taller than the average human he currently wore the resemblance of. He had muscles resembling corded steel cables, as dense as titanium that moved with casual, deadly grace; like an amalgam of human physical perfection; all just to cross arms with a deliberate, insulting casualness. He stood nude in the vast chamber, uncaring for modesty he had little patience for in this, his private place.

His skin was a nearly glowing copper and utterly hairless, and perfectly formed in every way that mattered to a man. The Heir's smile was fanged, and his bald pate gleamed under the fierce lights on the vaulted ceiling above. He was a predator in its den; and one of the deadliest of its kind in the world.

As far as anyone knew he had no personal name. He was always called the Heir, and nothing else. Dragons didn't think the same way humans did. This creature before him was utterly patient and had no ambition to supplant his sire. Pride was a dragon's most treasured possession, and the Heir had always been content to work on the shadows, tending to problems before they became big enough to require attention at a national level.

That frightening lack of corruptibility and competence from centuries was a large part of why Cassius would kill the Heir. The rest was a desire to destabilize the comfort Iskaran' all took for granted. They believed they didn't have to worry about their nation's leader and they go about their business. With the Heir dead and the Sovereign secretly aging closer towards death, it would create a power vacuum like Iskarans hadn't dealt with since the country's founding.

The room itself was built for both forms; human or draconian. In the shape of a half cylinder a hundred meters long, one third contained amenities for the human form. There was a bed, a bath, a lounge, and a substantial library, as well as recreational space Cassius had never been in. The rest was an open hall with concrete slabs with deep scores and rents as a floor, and an armored hanger door on the end. Also on that end was a deep, tiled pit with nozzles next to it. It took two large cows a week to feed a rested dragon and that pit was where the dragon ate when in that form.

"You were expecting me?" Cassius asked, unruffled.

"I suspected someone would make a move," the Heir shrugged with total assurance in his place and power. Cassius had always hated and envied that. "I am always a possible target, so I prepared for it. You, however, are a pleasant surprise. I thought I would never get the chance to remove your rot from my midst"

"My enmity for you was never a secret," Cassius acknowledged. "Though serving you had its perks, I only did so for the power and access accorded to my current position. Why did you ever agree to let me run your staff?"

"Because in the lifespan of a dragon, one bothersome climber like you is but an annoyance," the Heir rumbled in amusement. Cassius gritted his teeth at that sound. The Heir must have heard or saw, because he grinned. "You and your fellow Palcian Oligarchs despise the rest of Iskar. That has ever been your lot since we defeated and annexed you in our last war, three centuries ago. Why your ancestors chose to attack Iskar was never known in the end, since we killed them all in the final battle, but the rancor and rot has always been a part you."

The Heir nodded, as if coming to a conclusion. "Let me make a guess. After my assassination, you and the other so-called Great Lords of Palcia plan to secede. Will it be a violent uprising? Another war? Or a political farce? Where will the other pompous old fools arise?"

"The war has already begun," Cassius answered, gesturing toward the hanger door. "Out there, one of my allies is testing our new army. We have the strength to regain our true birthright and remove ourselves from the filth and inhuman dross we have been forced to live beside these long years. They will return to the chains they belong in."

"What about that daughter you spent so much money on?" the Heir smirked. "I personally signed the paper that allowed her to attend the Academy; even though there were several on the school governing board that were willing to cast her aside, despite your bribes. She has remained remarkably uncorrupted by your ambitions, and I like her style, so I let the little bit of favoritism slide. Will you leave her here?"

"Why should I care," Cassius snorted. "The fool girl joined up with those filthy creatures and some bumpkin Family's cast-off. I gave her a chance to prove herself, and all she's done is burry herself deeper into the affairs of lesser people. I hear you are found of human women, but I won't be giving you a chance to claim her. Men! Kill him!"

Just as they had rehearsed dozens of times, he and all seven men bared their blades and rushed the heir in a crescent formation. Cassius himself led the charge, wanting the dragon's blood on his blade. The men were all competent with their swords, as he had trained several of them personally, and the rest had met that standard already. The one thing he had always agreed with the rest of Iskar on, was martial prowess, and he was deadly with steel in hand.

"Fool!" the Heir rumbled, both aloud and directly into their minds in a deafening admonishment. The dragon opened his jaws, far too wide for a human, and a speck of blinding light awoke between then; bright and hot as a solar flare, something too great to be called a simple flame, blasted two men into nothing. The jet struck the back wall and it simply sloughed down into a molten pile. When the torrent cleared and acrid smoke began to fill the air, the Heir closed his mouth with a pleased expression.

Another of the men, wielding a throwing blade instead of a sword, whipped his arm forward. The weapon flashed through the air, but the Heir flicked a finger and a glass-like magical barrier winked into existence, blocking them all. The magical abilities of dragons were a long, ages-old subject of debate. They were incredibly secretive about what they could or could not do. The accounts Cassius had read in preparation for this moment had been far too salacious for easy belief. One had even claimed dragons could travel to other worlds, which was a preposterous idea.

Another man, two over from Cassius's right, ripped a band of copper and cloth from his right arm. Then he thrust both hands forward and a lance of magical energy struck the barrier and shattered it into pieces. The Heir simply laughed, as he and the disguised mage volleyed spells. Their attacks and shields flickered wildly, with neither exerting themselves overmuch. Cassius saw the truth however; the Heir was simply playing with his food.

"Clever," the Heir chuckled after a particularly fierce blow, retreating slowly back towards the hanger door. It began to rise ominously.

"Kill him before he escapes!"

Cassius dug his free hand inside his coat, to the device clipped to the back of his belt. It was a trump card he had hoped wouldn't be necessary, because it was literally a single-use weapon. The Master gave it to him before returning from the disturbing pocket world, but he hadn't made it. It was one of the many artifacts the Master had dug up, and there had only been two of them. The first he had used to kill the supposed god of the island he stole; the second he had never been able reverse engineer. Cassius now held it in his hand.

"What is that?" the Heir mused aloud, seeing the jumble of wires around an oily looking sphere in his hand. "I have not seen devices like that in an Age.

"An anti-magic bomb," Cassius said, and before he could hesitate, crushed the sphere.

A visible ripple rushed outwards from Cassius and he felt the magic unraveling in its path. The mage faltered, and felt to his knees, grasping at his chest in pain. To a mage, the weapon was agony. When it hit the Heir, the dragon grunted in discomfort. The Heir tried to do something, because he frowned in concentration, and then scowled.

"You can't assume your true form, can you?" Cassius asked, smirking. It had only been a theory, but it seemed to have panned out. "Right now, you are simply a man; a man with a slow and heavy body."

Cassius rushed forward, unwilling to leave this to the others. With a proud cry of triumph he thrust sharply forward in a deadly strike. The Heir simply stood there, and allowed the first three inches of the blade to penetrate his body. Surprised, Cassius glared at the dragon. "You are simply accepting death?"

"Hardly," the Heir growled. "I'll admit this was a clever stratagem, but relying on this poison was your folly."

"It kills dragons like you!"

"Young dragons," the Heir corrected smartly. "After a few centuries, we go through several physiological changes, much like human puberty. Most we never mention such personal things to you humans, because you have a strange habit of sensationalizing these things. One such change removes the deadliness of the metal you chose to kill me. It will hurt and I will shortly enter into a coma-like hibernation for a year or so, but my body will purge the toxins in that time."

Still grinning, the Heir simply backed off the sword and ran at the now open hanger doorway. The gaping hole in the hillside showed only sky, for that was all a dragon needed to fly. The dragon reached the edge much faster than any human could have and jumped, vanishing downward and out of sight. There had been no hesitation.

"That's a fucking hundred meter drop!" one of Cassius's men swore. "They designed it that way on purpose!"

Indeed, that part of the hill had been shorn off and was a smooth hundred or so meters of polished stone all the way down. "He'll leave the null effect zone first," Cassius growled, furious. He wanted to kill something. Instead he made himself remain calm, and approached the doorway himself. He knew when the null effected ended, because it felt like something that had been missing from this chunk of the world rushed back in.

Pulling a small, compact gun from his coat's left pocket, he pointed it up into the sky and fired. A bright red flare hissed upward, trailing a thick cloud of gray smoke. He only had to wait ten minutes before a skyship frigate sidled up carefully to the doorway. A hatch opened then and a long, wooden gangway dropped down. It had been rigged up just for this mission and was not a normal piece of the skip. That was why Cassius crossed it as quickly as possible.

"Did you kill him?!" Asked the very first Officer he saw, uniformed in the old Palcian colors, green and gold.

"No!" Cassius said, slammed his fist into the nearest bulkhead and glared at the man. "Tell the Captain to leave as fast as he possibly can. We will have pursuers shortly."

The man stared at him briefly in disappointment, then gathered himself visibly and ran off to obey his orders. Cassius just glared back at the now retreating Palace before the hatch was closed with a punctuated bang.

Silently, he vowed then and there, that the resurrection of the true Palcia would never be enough. For this humiliation, he would see Iskar burned to the ground.

******

When they finally reached the Academy's medical clinic, Eva was very amused by the reactions of her new friends. The clinic that focused on the Valkyries and Crows shared space, personnel, and facilities, as was natural, with the regular medical school; not that there was a lot of 'regular' about the place. Like the whole Academy, it was designed and run as the premier school of its kind in the nation. There were others with better prestige and reputation, like one in Sarah homeland, but any hospital in the world, except maybe the Empire, would hire a graduate from this place.

I was only a kilometer and a half to the west of their dorms, and easy to find. The medical complex took up an area equal to several city blocks with interconnecting structures and its own housing facilities for medical students. As with anywhere else on the campus island, the lawns and other copious greenery was proudly maintained, and there was a plentiful supply of clear signage. It was also the site of one of the rail stations, since many citizens of the neighboring city came here for their health needs.

"Fancy!" Kat commented, openly admiring the busy place.

Due to the days attack, the hospital was swamped with people. The buildings were not all that unordinary, but they looked like they served a purpose. Emergency vehicles, as well as military ones, were pulling into bays and up to doors in a coordinated mayhem that looked the next best thing to chaos. Eva knew better. The hospital could handle the casualties of an all-out war, an earthquake or a hurricane without faltering because it had been built with that kind of load in mind. It was just another part of Iskar's proud martial traditions.

"Stop gawking, my young ladies," Wallova chided, guiding them up a busy sidewalk and into a smaller building with a sign: Mage Primary Care-non emergency. The lobby was as clean and orderly as Eva remembered from all her previous visits. As part of her patrol duties, they sometimes had to bring people here when they were hurt or sick. This time, the lobby had a number of full mages with injuries; one even appeared to have a gunshot wound on his arm that was being looked at by a pair of nurses. Since they had obviously walked in like they had, they were not the emergency kinds of hurt. More serious cases were handled by the dedicated trauma centers.

They receive a few curious glances, at least until a tall male nurse making the rounds of those seated and waiting their turn to be seen in wide, comfortable chairs set in front of the reception counters. Those counters were flanked by pairs of swinging doors, through which patients, doctors and nurses traversed with a regular frequency.

"May the gods save us all!" the nurse gasped, locking onto Kat with open alarm. He was a lanky guy, wearing a dark-blue set of nursing pants and a matching shirt, with a tied kerchief covering his hair. His eyes swept over the lot of them in a professional evaluation before setting solidly back on Kat's face. He looked ready to call in an ambulance and summon and ER team. "Where are you hurt?"

"Cracked some ribs," Kat replied blithely, pointing at her side. "I got thrown through a window like a ball."

Eva hurried to intervene, seeing the consternation on the nurse's face. Kat could be a little obtuse at times, but that was part what she loved about the girl. "Very little of that blood belongs to her; that is from her enemies."

"Ah..." he faltered for a moment and then nodded in decision. He pulled a small Glass from a pouch on his right hip. He tapped in several commands, and then a communications window snapped open to a youngish woman in a matching uniform seated at a desk with her fingers poised over something.

"How can I help you Carlos?" the woman asked in a friendly tone.

"Gonna need a decontamination shower for a young cadet, and then a full work-up on her. She hasn't been process here before and we need her stats. So we may as well give her the whole deal."

"Full?" the woman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," the man replied, casting a disapproving eye towards them. "When I pulled the young lady's information, there are a few things that have lapsed. She's due a full dental check, a gynecological exam, as well as a standard blood test. The latter two she hasn't had done at all as far as her transferred records go, so they need to set her baseline. A standard immunization battery is also recommended."

"All I need is by ribs checked!" Kat protested, alarm growing on her face. Kat pointed sharply down at the indicated side. "Right here!"

"You don't like doctors?" Sarah said, clearly guessing. Eva agreed with the girl's amusement, but she tried hard not to show it.

"Who doesn't like being poked and prodded in funny places," Kat grumped. "And he mentioned getting shots."

"It for your own good," Eva told her with a knowing smirk. Approaching her, she gazed down into those hot, dangerously brown eyes. Kat met her head on as they always had before, and Eva felt heat rise within her. Kat face flushed a little and Eva could almost feel that connection they'd had reforming. "They won't let me kick your cute ass around the training rooms until it all gets done, Kitten. We need you back to your normal bitch self, and I for one am looking forward to it."

Kat frowned in thought, and then signed, giving Eva a return smile. "We'll see who gets their ass kicked." Kat's eyes flicked to Cassie who stood very close by with an amused grin on her cute face. "Unless Cassie here is on your side now, 'cus she can whoop me every time with her sword."

Eva knew Kat was fishing and dangled the bait further. "We can handle anything you've got. We've had a nice chat and I think they'll both help me out."

A polite cough interrupted the banter. "Excuse me, but we are very busy," the nurse said. He gestured to the right set of doors. They were then led down some corridors to a new set of doors and they were handed off to a new, older, and female nurse that was built like a professional wrestler. She then led them inside a wide, square room where multiple woman were being examined inside curtained alcoves set in a U shape.

"Into number six please," the nurse said to Kat, and to rest of them she pointed at a group of chairs, "please have a seat and wait. It will probably take a while so get comfy."

Kat walked away with the nurse, and Eva watched her disappear behind a gauzy blue curtain. Just having Kat out of sight so soon made her ache, but she was a big girl and she could handle it. What she did like was that new confidence in Kat's stride. Kat had always been bold, but now there was a self-awareness of her power and abilities.

"She looks like she bit into a lemon," Sarah chuckled, seating herself next to Eva when they went to the indicated area. She felt something soft caress her leg, and smiled at the feel of the girl's tail. It was strangely soft, with firmness underneath that allowed a succubus to use it for a number of tasks. Eva met her ruby gaze and Sarah smiled warmly. "I'm just glad she's okay, but I suppose it's even more of a relief for you. Kat seems quite hopeful about us."

"Yeah, it's like a world of stress and pain are draining away," Eva agreed, letting the relief she'd wanted to express show in a deep sigh. Sarah seemed like of those people that made people want to confide things to her. If they were going to be friends, trust would have to be a part of it. "I've never cared about anyone like I do Kat, Sarah; it actually hurt when I thought she might be in serious trouble. I've only known her for a few weeks, but she makes me feel alive, just by being around."

"This whole love thing is kind of ridiculous, when you think about it," Cassie giggled on her other side, sitting with perfect posture. Eva turned towards her and the girl's laugh grew richer, and less girly. "What I mean is; Kat's got the three of us going crazy, and we have only known her for a month, like you just said. It's the same with Sarah here. As much as I complain about it, it would be painful to lose her in any way. The same thing will probably be true soon about you. The four of us are probably idiots, but it seems like it could be kinda nice."

"I thought we were starting off as friends," Eva asked, raising a snowy eyebrow.

"Sure, sure," Sarah argued playfully, leaning in to rest her breast on Eva's arm. It was a warm, pleasant weight, and she knew Sarah was doing it on purpose to tease her. "But Cassie, my love, has a wonderful point. From her very arrival here, we have all gathered around Kat, because we are each drawn to her in some way. We each ache at night for that someone that is nearby, but missing. Yet I adore having Cassie with me, and love her deeply. My heart is not some cup with a finite capacity. We can love more than one person, and I do. There is room there for you as well, and you have much to contribute, lovely Eva. You are strong and knowledgeable, caring and stern, and you have a lot of passion."

"That's not the way most people live, you know," Eva pointed out, though she was certainly intrigued now. Sarah had a warmth when she spoke that was heartening. Eva would guess that the girl had a difficult time lying in any convincing way; she wore her heart out in the open. That was part of that had cased all this, but Sarah had apologized and meant every word.

"We are not normal, dearest Eva," Sarah said seriously. "Even as Succubus's go, I'm not normal. For most people, it's perfectly natural to live together as just a couple, and that makes them happy. Hell girl, it's basically the way humankinds have lived for all of history, but for my people and a few cultural exceptions. We are not that kind of normal, Eva. Part of what can make this all so wonderful is that we are something that can be special."

"I'm certainly not normal," Kat said, snorting in amusement as she approached. "What this discussion all about? I like the sound of it so far."

"We are getting to know Eva better," Cassie said and then giggled uproariously. "Cute smock Kat!"

"Oh shush it, you," Kat glared, and then laughed, looking down at herself. Kat was completely showered clean, and was now wearing a flimsy blue hospital smock. Her damp skin was making it cling in several places, including the enticing curves of her round breasts. Eva felt a flush of wet heat and a desire to pull Kat to her. Even with her hair hanging in a wet sheet, Kat looked so damn good.

"Hey, you're not done yet!" the older female nurse said, striding out of the alcove Kat was supposed to have remained in.

"Ugh, fine," Kat grumbled and turned back with a jaunty wave. "Have fun guys, but I want to know what's going on."

"Is it weird that seeing her in a hospital gown kinda turns me on," Cassie asked after a silent minute, giving them both a crooked smile.

"Tcsh," Sarah scoffed with a laugh. "Eva here was locked onto those lovely nipples. So it's perfectly fine, hon."

"It's hard not to look," Eva argued. "But it did nothing to show off her amazing butt."

"You keep mentioning that," Cassie said inquisitively. "You really like her butt?"

"It's amazing," Eva repeated. "Firm and soft at the same time, and nicely rounded too. After her eyes, I usually check out her ass. I can't help it; it's some kind of instinct."

"Different people enjoy different things," Sarah shrugged in amusement, which was a languid motion that showcased her lush figure. "Cassie loves breasts like crazy, and you like Kat's butt, so you're in good company. Nobody is going to think it's weird."

Cassie blushed at Sarah little revelation, but didn't deny it. Eva looked back and forth between the girls. "You think we really could work well together; even though I'm a few years older than all of you?"

"I do!" Sarah agreed emphatically. "Once we tell Kat how things are now, I'll give you all a little tutorial about how successful harems work back home and you'll see what I mean. For now though, just trust that I want this, and so does Cassie. It's inevitable that there will be arguments and stupid squabbles, but what relationship doesn't involve a few rough patches? We can weather them and come out happy on the other side. Our harems work because they are based on family partnerships and a willingness to care for every member. Family is more than blood Eva, it include bonds of friendship and layers of love."

"As much as I love this discussion," Wallova interrupted, giving them all an amused grin. "I do not need to know about the personal and sexual lives of my cadets. Now that Kat is in capable hands, I am going to go and see how the others have turned out. I can't turn my eyes from any of you for very long."

"I will be leaving as well," Reshik added, standing with polite haste and a nod to Wallova. He hissed with an amused laugh. "Kat will not need me when she is finished, and there is no reason to leave an awkward situation for later on. I will find some dinner and an early bed, as I have a need to meditate on today's events. Rest well, my friends, and I will hope for your success."

"Reshik, you are such a polite dear!" Sarah cooed, standing to give the Alhawashi a hug. He returned it carefully, but with a reptilian smile. "We'll look to see you in class in the morning!"

"Which we will have, on schedule," Wallova promised with a fierce grin.

"Not even put off by a war?" Eva laughed.

"Never," Wallova agreed and turned to leave. "Just make sure the girls get to class on time Eva."

"Why me?" Eva asked aloud, even as Reshik and the older woman left, talking quietly together.

Cassie rolled her eyes dramatically. "Where do you think we are all going to sleep tonight?"

"All of us?" Sarah and Cassie nodded as one and Eva felt her heart beat faster. She had no idea what the rules were for guests in the dorm. This had not been a part of her plans for the day, but the idea seemed very nice.

"You have a promise to keep, about out lovely Kat," Sarah said softly, and Eva shivered as the girl ran a gentle finger up her inner thigh. It stopped dangerously close to her still heated womanhood. Sarah made a pleased sound deep in her throat. "You have amazing legs, Eva. They're so long and muscled, but smooth and lovely to look at."

"I think I need to make a call," Eva managed to get out. Sarah was dangerously good with those fingers.

"You do that," Cassie chuckled happily, watching Sarah's flirting with amusement. "Otherwise, Sarah's just going to have more fun with you. Once she gets that look on her face, you're caught; and I know it first-hand. Give her half a chance and you find yourself naked and wondering how you ended up in your bed."

Swallowing to clear her voice, Eva made her call. It was time to swallow her pride.

******

"Ow!" Kat yelped, even though she had known the small pinch of pain was coming. Normally, a little pain was only an annoyance, but needles were a special exception. Today she had seen a number of the low-spawned things already. If she had known she was behind on her shots, she would have had them done before coming to the Academy, but that was too late now.

"You're dehydrated and in need of rapid nutrients for your bone treatment," the nurse replied unapologetically. The nurse wasn't cold exactly, but her bedside manner left a lot to be desired. "If there was time I'd also feed you full meal too. As it is, you'll just have to settle for the IV instead."

"Can I eat after we're done?" Kat asked, feeling a rumble of hunger at the reminder.

"Of course, but that'll be a couple hours from now," the nurse replied uncaringly. "I'd recommend it in fact."

Kat groaned inwardly. She'd already gone through the full battery of exams and check-ups, and she felt like her entire body had been looked at. That had included a chastising from a dentist and the most un-sexual examination she'd ever had between her legs. It was nice to know everything was working right, but the clinical atmosphere was not conducive to arousal. Not that she's actually wanted to be turned on by the woman looking at her.

What did intrigue her was the way Eva, Sarah and Cassie were acting with each other. Instead of the previous semi-hostile jealousy and cattiness, there was an awkward kind of flirtation going on. There was a new, raw edge to it, but the relaxed attitude on Eva's face when Kat woke to see her, had been like seeing a sunrise. She hadn't seen it in so long, almost two weeks now, that the longing in her belly had doubled its effort to propel her into the arms of all three girls; except she'd been hauled off to be poked at by nurses. It was entirely unfair.

She hadn't told them yet of her decision, but this new friendliness boded well for the idea she'd cooked up. It would have to be told as soon as possible; while things were going well. But that would have to wait for when she wasn't half-naked in a paper gown, getting prepped to have her bones knit back together. She'd never broken a bone before, but she had heard tales about bone-knitting machines. Everyone agreed it was at best, uncomfortable and painful at worst, but quick and clean.

In the end she waited much less than an hour for the specialist. It was an older, graying woman wearing a clean, white coat and a tired smile. "Good evening, Cadet," the woman said pleasantly, pulling a Glass out of her pocket space. That made her a mage as well. A lot of the doctors were, no matter how weak thier natural ability.

"Hmm, cracked ribs is it?" the woman continued before Kat could form a reply to the initial salutation. "Not too bad either from what the notes say. Strip down and let me have a look at you!"

Sighing at the expected command, Kat shucked her gown and sat back down onto the examination table. The momentary shock of cold sent goose bumps rippling over her skin, and her nipples hardened at being bared to the air. The woman took a square, brass framed piece of what looked like regular glass with a metal chain and clip dangling from it, from her coat pocket. The clip was then attached to the doctor's Glass.

"Arms up please!" the woman commanded and Kat obeyed. The doctor held the new piece of equipment up and looked through it at Kat, tapping at her Glass in a rapid tattoo of commands. "Hmm, definitely cracked the sixth and seventh on your left side, with some bruising and micro-fractures on the fifth. No full breaks which is good, because that would hurt like hell to knit together."

"Is a Bone Knitter really that painful," Kat asked, curious.

The doctor wiggled her hand. "Depends on what needs to be fixed. If we have to set a bone, we have to do it before running the machine, which is never fun. The worst I've heard patients complain about are collarbones. Never mind that though, we've got a line of patients after this damned battle, so let's get you fixed and out of here. Leave the gown; you won't need it again."

Kat stepped out of her alcove to follow the doctor, and was immediately aware when certain eyes snapped to her. Her feet paused, caught in the hot, lustful regard of Cassie, Sarah, and Eva. All three were huddled close on their chairs, though Sarah was half-draped onto Eva with her tail caressing the older girl's leg. Almost at once, Kat felt herself warming, and wetness quickly began to gather in her pussy. She'd thought her nipples had been hard a moment ago, but now they stood out eagerly, begging to be touched.

Frozen in place, Kat shuddered and felt her knees weaken. Want filled her, and she gazed back, biting her lower lip. She was unsure what to do with herself under such sexually intense stares. Eva's glacial-blue eyes held a promise that made Kat think of all the times Eva had pleasured her; especially that first time, being taken in the showers with such boldness. Gods above and below! Kat shuddered again and shifted her gaze to her cute Cassie.

Cassie wore a knowing, playful smirk, and when she saw Kat was looking at her, she sat straighter and grinned a little shyly. So slowly that it made Kat want to scream at her, Cassie lounged back, rolling her toned belly and small breasts, and spread her legs just enough to let Kat see all of her. Right there in the middle of the gods-be-damned waiting area, Cassie was presenting and offering herself. There was no doubt about; not when Cassie gave a quick, questioning glance toward Sarah before she started playing with the top portion of her armor's front seal.

Kat needed no translation of Sarah. The delightful, and achingly beautiful girl, smiled with such welcoming warmth, that she wanted to just say 'fuck the doctor!' and climb onto her lap. To cap it all off, Sarah leaned in and lovingly planted a kiss on Eva's cheek, which only made Eva laugh.

"Oh gods!" Kat muttered quietly.

"Better keep moving Kat" Eva called teasingly. "The doctor is starting to look a little annoyed."

"What?" Kat turned and found Eva was right; the woman was looking a bit peeved at her dawdling. "Right, ribs first. Dammit."

Following the doctor down a long corridor off the examination room, Kat was very aware at the sheen of wetness leaking in a thin line down her legs. They passed several other patients, and a few gave her strange looks, but she hardly cared. All she wanted was to go back to what had been promised just now. Her arousal burned hot, and images of the girls she loved filled her mind. One patient, a mage woman in her twenties caught her gaze for just a moment, and went pale at the beast she saw within Kat, just a breath beneath the surface; though Kat herself noticed nothing.

They finally turned into a smallish room with only one table and a nurse. The table had strange device attached to its right side. Power cables from the wall led to a white-painted metal box, atop which was an armature that held something that almost looked like a camera. It was square with a narrow tube and lens that stuck out. The nurse saw her and directed her to the table with a friendly smile and greeting.

Once on the table, the nurse stood next to Kat, held both hands palms up and out, and closed her eyes. So smooth it bordered on art, a warm field of magic engulfed Kat and flowed inside her body. She'd never experienced direct healing magic before; only the automatic functions of her armor, and this felt much better. It was as if all her minor hurts and aches were being slowly pushed away.

"This won't take long at all," the doctor said, as she unfolded the machine arm until the aperture of the device at its tip was pointed down at her belly. The woman then put on a pair of gloves and raised her hands into the air. A deep hum began to gather within the table and a light began to glow around Kat. A complex and horrendously intricate pair of spell arrays bloomed above and below the table.

There was a soft crackle of magic, and an image leapt up into the air over Kat. It only took her a heartbeat to recognize what it was. A perfect representation of her skeleton floated there, with a red line Kat guessed was for aiming the knitter. Past her still smoldering arousal, Kat's natural curiosity itched to know how it worked. Maybe it was a type of resonance imaging? It looked so real, that it was a little eerie.

"It's a fancy toy, sure enough," the doctor said with a small smile, noticing her interest. "Bones are a lot easier to separate out from the gooey stuff, so they are the first application of this technology. The tech guys keep promising imagers that will show selectable sections of anatomy, but so far we only have this bone table. For the rest we do it manually as we have one for years."

Kat had no idea how the doctor identified the problem areas on the floating model, but it only took her a minute or two to position the device for the first treatment. "Hold your breath," the doctor said, and when Kat complied, a strange burning sensation flared on her left side. It wasn't nearly as painful as it felt when she'd cracked the rib to begin with, but it wasn't nice either.

"Nice, got that one with one shot," the doctor commented in a pleased tone, adjusting the device for the next one. "It's always easier with young patients."

"You weren't kidding about how it feels," Kat grumbled.

"Better than having broken bones!" the doctor chuckled. "Alright, hold it again!"

Another stab of fire, followed quickly by a third, fixed the second rib. From the way the doctor moved the machine, its effect was tightly focused and could only fix a small bit at a time. When the third and final rib was fixed, Kat was let back up off the table. Some of her ardor had faded, but not much and it must have showed.

"You're done," the doctor chuckled. "I'd say to relax and refrain from heavy activity for a day, but I think that's probably something you'll disregard as soon as you leave. At least you know where to go if you break something again."

Kat gave her a smile. "Where can I get my armor back?" she gestured at her nude self. "It's actually a little cold in here."

"It should be back in the alcove you were in," the nurse answered, checking something on a device that looked very similar to the Glass-like thing the bodyguard had used earlier. It had the familiar translucent material, but that was encased in metallic frame. "Logistics and Maintenance has already repaired and cleared it for use. Nothing but superficial damage, and monster gunk everywhere."

"That's good," Kat sighed. "I only have a pair of them, and they're probably expensive."

On the way back she once again traversed the gauntlet of lustful stares, and responded as she had the first time, and it was much harder to finish the final few steps into her alcove where she indeed found her armor sitting on the table. It had been folded and cleaned lovingly. She was so wet and hot between her legs by then, that it felt wrong to put the bottoms on. When she stepped back out, and pushed the 'privacy' curtain aside, Eva was standing right there, with Sarah and Cassie right behind her in a conspiratorial manner.

With those blue eyes boring into her own, Kat's mouth went dry, and all the guilt she'd kept buried these long weeks combined with her sexual fervor to make a confusing mix of emotions. "Eva," she said softly. "I—"

She was cut off quite abruptly, by Eva stepping forward in a quick stride. A strong, familiar arm snaked around her waist, and Kat was yanked tight to Eva's chest, her big, firm breasts pressed to her own. "Apologies are the last thing we need to be saying," Eva purred, her sexy, husky voice a deep, penetrating growl that went right between her legs. Slowly, giving her plenty of time to object, Eva drew their faces closer. Trembling from a wash of conflicting feelings, including a bright joy, Kat closed her eyes and let Eva kiss her again.

At first, it was a soft, testing kiss; just a quick press of their lips. The strange fluttering in Kat's stomach lurched, and she quickly reclaimed Eva as soon as they parted. This time, their embrace was deeper, hungrier, and filled with many unsaid things. "I was so worried about you," Eva rumbled, when they stopped to breathe. "When Wallova said you were out of the battle, I was ready to tear the place apart to find you, but our friends needed me. You don't need to apologize for them."

"Our friends?" Kat said in a soft pant, still reeling from the kiss. Eva's hand was clamped tight to her ass, quite openly fondling her. She didn't care. She would let these three fuck her right there in the middle of the floor, because she was that desperate after the weeks of desperate wanting.

"Of course," Sarah whispered in her right ear, nearly making jump out of her skin. A new pair of hands settled on her back, near her shoulders and caressed downward. Another soft appendage slid between her legs, and Eva's eyes widened momentarily in pleasure. Sarah was being generous. "As Eva mentioned, we had a nice talk and realized what fools we all were. I especially needed forgiving and Eva is a lovely girl."

"We came to an understanding," Cassie giggled on her other side, where she kissed Kat on the cheek, and then Eva's. "You belong to us now."

A loud whistle interrupted the moment, and they turned in a confused jumble to see a greatly amused tengu woman peaking around the curtain of her alcove. A large bandage wrapped around her arm, but her white, exposed wing was very beautiful. "Sorry ladies, but can you take the reunion home? There are injured women here, and this little drama is a bit much to handle."

"Right away, ma'am," Eva responded promptly, with a grin to Kat.

Before she had a chance to even get her cloudy, sex laced brain into gear, she was being pulled bodily away again. "Hey! Where are we going?" she cried.

"You heard the woman, she said to take this discussion home," Sarah replied with a laugh. "As wonderful an idea as I've ever heard."

"All of us?" Kat asked, surprised even now that things had swung completely around. This was moving very fast.

"Guests are allowed, and no one is going to ask questions after the fighting today," Eva said, heat in her voice. "I asked Astrid. After she finished calling me some creative versions of 'you idiot' she agreed with the idea. Then she said something about winning a bet and disconnected."

"You asked Marna!? And did you tell her why?"

"I did indeed," Eva chuckled. "She gladly told me to do what I wanted with you, provided we don't bother the others in the dorm. Sarah's been providing some fun suggestions, and I'm curious about them."

"Like what?" Kat asked trying to look at Sarah, while dodging a surprised pedestrian who they nearly plowed over. Eva was setting an amazing pace and after the long day, Kat's muscles were already starting to complain.

"She thinks you shouldn't be allowed to wear clothes anymore," Cassie giggled, easily keeping up. Her dark curls bounced adorably with her rapid stride. "At least not when you're at home and out of public sight. You seemed to think it was amusing when she said almost the same thing about me, and I don't mind it all that much anymore."

Kat felt a shiver go down her spine. She wasn't adverse to her own nudity. Getting naked to masturbate and sleep in open sunlight was an old pleasure of hers, but the idea of always being naked was new. "You mean in the room? Cus I don't see why I need to parade around for everyone."

"That takes some of the fun out of it," Sarah laughed, breathing a little hard herself. "After the last couple of weeks, that show you put on at the clinic inspired me to think big!"

"Inspire my ass!" Kat argued. "You already walk around like that when you can. Cassie's told about that."

"But people expect a succubus to be naked," Eva laughed and Kat felt a sharp, tantalizing sting on her ass. "You they expect to be killing monsters and being adorably grumpy. A naked Kitten would make friends a lot easier."

"It's hard to be scary when you're totally naked," Cassie added helpfully. "And it's distracting as all the hells."

"Why do I think you are all ignoring my objection?" Kat growled, frowning at her girls.

They arrived in a hasty, gasping halt in front of the mentor dorm, where Eva hurriedly fished out her Glass and waved it over the lock plate. Sarah helped push the door open, and Kat was glad that the lobby was empty. Loud music and laughter could be heard, coming from the direction of the lounge at the back of the first floor where instead of a dorm room, there was an open space and some comfortable couches. After the stressful day, most of the girls were probably having fun to let off steam.

"Lead on, Eva dear," Sarah encouraged, once they were all inside.

"Aww, I thought we were gonna strip Kat now," Cassie laughed, pressing up against Kat's back. Cassie had fast hands, and they slid around before she could stop them and slid down in the required way, making the armor seam split all the way open.

"If we do it now it now, we'll never get to the room," Eva objected, but before Kat could temporarily fix her armor, her hands were held still by all three girls. "But that doesn't mean you need to cover back up, Kat."

"I'm certainly enjoying the view!" said a bright, cheerful voice Kat knew instantly. "Welcome home girls!"

They all turned more-or-less as one, and found Darlina and her mentor Astrid standing by the left-side hallway entrance. Astrid, as tall, blonde and striking as always, crossed her arms and smiled. "It's about time the lot of you stopped moaning about."

"She's just happy because we won the bet on how long it would take you all to work things out!" Lina laughed happily and settled her cheerful eyes on Sarah. "So your Kat's succubus friend 'eh? Lovely to meet you! Whereabouts are you from?"

"Gildaire," Sarah replied with a matching smile. "You?"

"I'm a spoiled Port O'Neill girl!" Lina laughed with a delighted clap of her hands. "I really want to chat with you some, but Atti wanted to come gloat a bit before we go back to the party. Ow!"

Having flicked her mentee on the forehead, Astrid smiled and nodded. "I'd invite you all to come and let of some stress with the rest of us, but you appear occupied already."

"We do have plans," Eva agreed, but she smiled. "I think we'll need to apologize to the others later."

"Tsch, we expected you to butt heads sooner or later," Astrid scoffed. "The addition the other two girls just made it all the more entertaining. We weren't actually all that mad at you. Just settle down and we'll be good. It was a lesson you had to learn on your own."

"We're going to do exactly that," Cassie said cheerfully.

"Good, and I hope there will be more proper introductions in the morning?" Astrid asked, pulling a smiling Lina to her side. The girl laughed happily and gave Astrid an affectionate smile.

"Of course," Eva agreed.

Nodding, the pair silently turned and disappeared back down the hall, and the last they saw was a flirtatious flip of Lina's tail. Kat felt both relieved and a little peeved that they'd been part of a joke like that, but then it was her own fault too.

"Are we still taking Kat's clothes off or what?" Cassie asked into the silence.

"Off!" Sarah and Eva said almost as one.

Once they were safely inside their room, encountering no one else thankfully, Sarah let out a pleased sigh. "This room is much better than ours. There's so much room and the bed is so much bigger!"

Kat found herself moved into the middle of the room by excited hands, placed dead in between all three. Eva cast glances at the others with an amused smile. "Sarah, you're experienced at this kind of thing, so how does this work with all of us?"

"Improvisation is all part of the fun, Eva," Sarah cooed playfully. Her tail was whipping back and forth in an excited rhythm. "Plus, I've yet to experience more than one partner at a time. This is also a first for me."

"Do I have a say?" Kat grumbled, getting wet again under their combined regard. Maybe she was some kind of exhibitionist? That would explain a lot of things. She cast the thought aside for the moment. It hardly mattered. She was determined to just let herself enjoy things and stop being afraid of the people that wanted to love her. As Kyshin had said during their long chat, she had let her old self, rule her life. She needed to be a new, stronger Kat and build her life here with these girls.

"You can either let us all have you, right now, or say no to everything," Eva replied seriously, her voice once again deep. Kat could see it was also affecting the others and she found that amusing. Eva's sexy voice just had that strange quality that could crawl inside you and make you feel all warm and tingly.

"But that's what I was going to tell all of you!" Kat argued, unable to keep the surprise inside. "I was all set to confront you..."

"Are we taking the wind out of your sails?" Cassie giggled. With a gesture, Cassie swiped her own armor, which split to expose her small, conical shaped breasts. A blush colored her face and chest, but she stood proudly. Sarah had worked wonders on her self-esteem it seemed. "You took too long Kat. We fixed things all by ourselves. You are ours, and that is that. How hard is it to just let us fucking love you?!"

Kat licked her lips, enjoying the sight of Cassie's cute little nipples. Taking a deep breath, she held her right hand out towards the back of the dorm room and with a single command; her armor vanished and reappeared on her armor stand. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, because if it was all true, then the problem was solved. She wouldn't have to choose between them.

"I'll take that as an agreement," Eva said huskily, right before Kat found herself being kissed again. Eva's lips were an exciting combination of firm and soft, it made Kat's wetness clench in anticipation what might happen there soon. She knew Eva's touch and that part of her that was her inner beast, reveled in the knowledge that she could accept this. From now on, she would happily kiss all of them. This was that choice she and the others had made.

She didn't have to be afraid of letting go. Being scared of this, of letting herself enjoy Eva's powerful form of love, was silly. She'd known that before, of course, but after talking with Eva's aunt, she had the right perspective to push it aside. So when Eva's strong, familiar hand clenched in her purple hair, and gave an insistent pull, she let herself gasp and enjoy the flash of pleasure her body gave her. Before she could take Eva's lips again, she was spun around.

"Cassie's turn," Eva said, and nipped her ear as she had done almost since they first met. Instinctively, she arched her neck to try and receive a few more, but it was for nought.

"Yay!" Cassie giggled happily and practically leapt at her once Eva was clear.

Surprised, Kat caught her and quickly slid supporting hands to hold the girl's well-formed butt. This was because Cassie had thrown both legs up and around Kat's waist. Wet heat and smooth skin pressed into part of Kat's hip, and she realized Cassie had finished removing her uniform. Cassie's kiss was one of ecstatic excitement. Kat groaned into it, feeling the girl grind sensually against her. Remembering her earlier temptation, Kat yanked Cassie up further and cut of her objection by taking a hard nipple into her mouth.

"Ooh," Cassie moaned, squirming delightfully. "Please keep doing that!"

"Wow," she heard Eva say in an impressed tone. "Cassie's got some spirit to her."

"Yep, once she lets go, she's amazing," Sarah replied from close by. "I was surprised too."

When Cassie dropped her legs and settled back to the ground, they both let out a groan of disappointment, Kat had surrendered the firm, little nipple and wanted it back. She loved the way Cassie's smooth, muscular form felt against her. The look Kat got from her was a hot one, but Cass turned to regard Sarah with a pleased smile. "I'm always amazing," she laughed. Then she let go completely and bounced back on her toes.

Kat was unsurprised when Sarah glided deftly into her empty arms. Unlike Cassie, Sarah was taller than she was, so she had to tilt her head up to kiss her. As she had experienced that night in the rain, Sarah was much different than the others. Her body was much curvier and softer in feminine places, but she was no less loving in her embrace than the other two. Sarah was the first to gently tease her mouth open with her plump lips and play with her tongue. It was a delicious feeling.

"I have waited so long for that, loveliest Kat," Sarah nuzzled their faces together and Kat felt hot tears from the girl. Kat knew she was being entirely sincere, because that was what Sarah was. "We all found ourselves loving you, and we will all have you. I was a fool before. I made everyone hurt."

"I think we all were a bit stupid, as Astrid said," Eva snorted. Kat and Sarah both turned to watch Eva gently pull a bemused Cassie into a hug "Wow girl, you've got some muscles!"

"Thanks, I think," Cassie laughed, and looked curiously up at Eva, with her bouncy dark curls drifting down to partially cover her eyes. "Are you gonna kiss me or am I supposed to wait for later?"

"Now's fine," Eva laughed in return, and Kat felt a smile curl her lips upwards at seeing Cassie being kissed thoroughly by the older girl. Cass wasn't idle either, as her hands had dropped to claim both of Eva's firm breasts, which she bared in another deft set of movements. Cassie was strangely good at that.

When she was released again, Cassie wore a funny smile, but still continued her fondling. "Hehe, whoo Eva, that explains why Kat looked like she might have fried her brain a moment ago. I think I could like kissing you."

Eva's gaze settled on Kat and Sarah, and Sarah smiled hopefully. Then she looked back down at Cassie with amusement. "You have a thing for breasts, just as Sarah warned?"

"Yeah," Cassie answered with another laugh and pulled away. "Now kiss Sarah like you did me."

Cassie and Sarah swapped places again, except this time it was Kat's turn to have her breasts played with. Cassie's hands were adroit and her mouth eagerly claimed Kat's right nipple. Moaning in appreciation, Kat stroked down Cassie's back and watched Eva and Sarah almost shyly come together. After a long moment of silent consideration, Sarah grinned and moved in. Eva returned the kiss and after another second or two, they both relaxed, enjoying it. It was kinda sweet really.

******

Eva was happier than she could ever remember being. Here she was, standing in her room with three beautiful girls, including Kat, the love she had craved for so long, living something of a dream. Sarah's lush body was molded to her own, and she was amazed again at how natural it felt to have the girl in her arms. They were of a similar stature, but Sarah's breasts were much more generous than even her big ones, and the contrast was very appealing. Sarah was a sumptuous delight, both in body and in personality.

When she'd kissed Kat, she very nearly had an orgasm right then and there. As it was, she was almost on fire with the desire she had suppressed these long couple of weeks. Sarah was only stoking it higher, thanks to a roaming tail that teased between their legs. Sarah's kiss was a full body experience, with soft lips and stroking fingers, and Eva could happily admit that she loved every second of it.

Gently, Eva brought a hand up and pushed it into Sarah's soft, mobile head of cyan hair. While not as long as Kat's beautiful purple tresses, it felt pretty nice. Right above the temple and only a few centimeters past the hairline, her middle finger rubbed over a sizable bump. In her arms, Sarah groaned with surprising force and Eva was forced, and quickly, to hold the girl upright as her knees seemed to collapse.

"Frozen gods!" she swore with her heart leaping into her chest. "Did I hurt you Sarah?"

"Mmm," Sarah moaned softly and nuzzled her neck, then kissed there tenderly. "Not at all, Eva dearest."

"She just a getting a little horny," Cassie snickered, temporarily relinquishing Kat's nipples, which were now glistening from the girl's near worship of them. They were visibly swollen and hard from so much attention. Kat's eyes were mostly closed and her normal tan complexion was flushed. Eva was still getting to know Kat's body language, bit her arousal was like a flare at the moment. Cassie had her very close to the edge.

"That's an awful joke no matter how many times a Succubus hears it," Sarah complained, still kissing Eva's neck. "That spot you touched is where one of my horns is growing in. It's a bit sensitive and you were perfect, Eva dear. Your soft side and tough side go so well together."

"You are...mmm...doing some good yourself," Eva replied. On her own, she never would have thought of a girl with Sarah's generous attributes to be her type, but she was enjoying herself now. The feeling of plump lips on her neck felt amazing, as did the large pair of breasts pressing against her own. She stroked her hand down Sarah's side, feeling the wide hips and long legs her aunt would have called 'sexily maternal' and smiled. "Maybe we should have tried being friends from the beginning."

"No point arguing about it anymore," Sarah glanced up with her startling ruby eyes. "All we need to do is trust each other and make it work."

"Ohh!"

They both turned to find Kat seated now on the edge of the bed, where she was apparently returning the favor again to Cassie. The petite spitfire was straddling Kat's closed legs and leaning back, supported by Kat's arms. Her round, well-toned butt was hunching in an instinctive motion, flashing them her tightly closed pussy on every back stroke. It was puffy with arousal, and right before their eyes, a single viscous drop of liquid connected by a strand slipped down to the floor.

"Cassie's a bit quick on the trigger the first time," Sarah confided in a soft, admiring whisper. She stood more steadily, and Eva held her to her side as they watched. Eva was kind of surprised, but she wasn't feeling jealous of Cassie. Instead she felt very comfortable in Sarah's embrace.

"You're saying she's close?" she asked at the same volume.

"Very," Sarah laughed, reached over, and playfully caressed her long fingers over Eva's big, firm breasts. "She was already pretty excited; I am just surprised she's gotten there just from some kissing, and mutual breast play. That's probably a very good thing."

"Why is that?" Eva asked, not objecting to the fondling.

"Because she's been too focused and distracted this evening to think about the fight earlier," Sarah sighed and gave her a rueful smile. "She really would have been puking her guts out otherwise. Instead she has us around her, making sure she is having a good time."

"You really do love them," Eva said softly, hearing it in Sarah's voice.

"I didn't really expect to find someone so soon after leaving my comfortable home," Sarah replied, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. "Eva, I think there is something special about the four of us. Look at what we can have. Your strength and solidity, Cassie's honesty and good nature, Kat's passion and intelligence, and whatever it is I add."

"I'd say you provide a heart of compassion, and determination," Eva said, starting to see what Sarah was saying. "You think we fit together? I'm not a big believer in destiny or things like that, but I'm not sure I even want to argue with you on this."

"Whether we are two or four, doesn't matter," Sarah said, emotion gathering in her expressive beauty. She leaned in close, until they were almost nose-to- nose. "We are here now, sharing in each other and not just to sate out bodies, though that will happen as well. It's more a matter of the soul. I can feel it even now, lovely Eva. Had I succeeded in my greedy desire to have Kat for just Cassie and I, there would have been something missing; you. It would have been the knife to drive us apart."

Standing in a comfortable silence, filled only with the sounds of Kat sucking and kissing Cassie's body, and Cassie's pleasure noises, Eva could feel a truth in Sarah's words. She finished the approach and gave Sarah a long, warm kiss. "Is it strange that we all focused on Kat at first?" she asked eventually, smiling when she saw that Kat was watching them too. She suspected both girls were listening, even as they made love, as their pace had slowed a little, and they were a little less ardent about it.

"Kat is something different, all on her own," Sarah replied, also seeing that their conversation had been silently joined. "To me, she fills a room by being in it. Even if she had never spoken to me that first day, I think I would have been drawn to her. Part of me needs her, and I am perfectly happy with that. I ran away from a life I dreaded, and found something real. Cassie too, does more than warm my bed. She is like a bright light, and she makes me grow. Now I have you Eva, and I very much want to see what you are to me."

Eva nodded slowly. "I think Kat needs us just as badly as we need her. You saw her today," she looked at Sarah and smirked a little. "It might take some effort, Sarah, but being friends with you two appeals more and more every moment. You're gonna have to teach me about the harem stuff though."

"It's not complicated," Sarah laughed. "Not once you're family. In the end, past the words, that is all it truly is."

******

Kat could feel her cheeks burning with a combination of embarrassment and recovering pleasure. Cassie's lean, lithe body felt amazing, and having her in her lap was incredibly exhilarating. Her lips were sealed around the turgid little nub of Cassie's left nipple, and both hands were stroking down a smooth, muscled back that was slick with sexual sweat. They'd both heard every word of Eva and Sarah's conversation, and that had been the only thing keeping them from getting more deeply involved. It was hard enough to think already, because with every forward grind of Cassie's butt, it caused her own thighs to squeeze on her pussy.

"I do love all of you," she gasped out, looking deep into Cassie's eyes. "You're all incredible."

She hadn't planned to yank Cassie onto this position, but it had just turned out this way. She had actually expected Eva to take charge as she usually did. This however was a lot of fun too. Making someone she loved moan was thrilling and she realized what Eva had enjoyed with her until now. The simple act of exploring the naked, open body of someone you loved was like accepting a gift, and it was a precious thing.

It didn't matter that Cassie was still dirty from the fighting earlier, or that she smelled strongly of her sweat, arousal, and of something a little more earthy. She want wanted to experience everything, and it only made her hotter inside. Instead she breathed deep, and slip her tongue around in a circle, playing with Cassie's nipple. She loved the way it was so firm and flexible, and having her face that close, she could see and count the few little freckles gracing the curve of skin.

"We know," Cassie giggled, and Kat felt something hot drip onto her foot. Cassie leaned forward, pushing her back and fully upright. They kissed. Cassie's lips were the smallest of the three, but she was the most enthusiastic when it came to using her tongue, which was actually kind of long. Kat refocused on Cassie, and let the conversation move to the back of her mind.

Though she had never done it to anyone except herself, Kat let her hand slip down over Cassie's firm rear, over smooth skin and a few very fine hairs, and sought her cleft. Soft, damp heat met her fingertips and Kat couldn't help smiling wide when Cassie almost shoved herself back into them with a tiny squeak. There was second of pause and resistance as they both maneuvered a little, and then Kat's middle finger popped inside, clasped by Cass's hot, wet vagina. There was a quiet, wet sound, and internal muscles squeezed.

"Oh, gods...finally," Cassie murmured. Before Kat could do more than seat her finger fully inside another girl for the first time, and press her hand to a smooth vulva, those same muscles clamped tight in a sudden series of spasms, and Cassie cried out wordlessly. "Ehhhaahh!" It might have begun as a real word, but she simply voiced her release.

Not really sure what to do or what Cassie might like, Kat tried what normally felt good to her when she was climaxing. Quickly finding Cassie's slick, but noticeable clit, she gently rubbed around it with her thumb. Her reward was Cassie squeezing her tightly with both legs, as she trembled in place. After only a few seconds of this, Cassie let out her breath and slumped forward in almost liquid relaxation.

"Whoa," Kat said softly, in awe. This was the first time in her life that she had actively brought another person to an orgasm, since that time with Eva she'd been more of a masturbation aid. Slowly, she withdrew her finger, and then caressed Cassie's butt fondly. "Did I do alright?"

"Fucking right it was good!" Cassie giggled and popped up, apparently recovered already. "Sarah was right, I'm kinda a quick on the first go, but that was crazy fun."

Glad she'd done a good job; she pulled Cassie back down and kissed her again. Kissing was something she could get addicted to. It made her feel connected and loved. Next to them, the bed depressed and they both turned to find Sarah smiling warmly at them. Her large breasts were capped by equally impressive nipples and it was clear she had enjoyed watching them. That gave Kat another thrill and deepened her suspicions about herself.

"Is it weird that I liked you guys watching us?" she asked. Keeping things inside was what had hurt them before, and she resolved not to let it happen again.

"I already knew you liked that," Eva chuckled. She came up behind Cassie, who was upright again, and enfolded the smaller girl in her long arms. "When I got you off on that picnic table, it was probably the most intense I've seen you cum. Plus, you didn't fight very hard when I hauled you naked back to our room that first time."

"Phht! Hey!" Kat protested, even though she felt the grin tugging at her lips. "That second one was all you! I distinctly remember fighting you on that."

"Sounds like we missed out on some fun," Sarah laughed and cast a look at Eva. "Could you tell us about those later?"

"Yeah, it sounds funny," Cassie agreed, smiling down at her.

"You may as well," Kat replied, kind of liking the atmosphere they had going now.

"I'll tell you when we eat after this," Eva assured them, and tightened on Cassie. "Do you mind switching with me? It was fun watching you, but Sarah and I want a turn too."

"Sure!" Cassie laughed. "Wanna help a girl up?"

Unaided, Eva did just that. She held Cassie tight about the waist and lifted her up. With an impressive display of strength and manual dexterity, Eva flipped Cassie around in a spin somehow and plopped her butt-first on Kat's other side. Cassie's eyes were wide and her dark curls settled back down to frame her grin. "Shit! That was fun!"

"You're the only one that's light enough for me to do that without using magic," Eva replied proudly, standing there in her full, naked glory.

Eva looked just as amazing as always. Her pale skin and snowy hair were perfect, and she was visibly more physically mature than all of them, even Sarah who was probably a year older than she and Cass were. Eva was solid while remaining sexily feminine and Kat looked up at her with an anticipation that she knew she should have given in to long before. There was nothing to fear in Eva strength. Almost unconsciously, she felt herself slowly opening her legs, offering herself.

Looking down at her, Eva licked her pale lips with a visible, hungry desire in her glacial-blue gaze. It was then, seeing Eva so prominently on display for her, that Kat noticed new thing. She had known that Eva had more prominent labia than she or the others did, though hers and Sarah's peeked out a little, but at the top Kat saw the pinkish-red nub of her clit peeping from it hood. It almost seemed painfully aroused. Eva noticed her looking her body over and just smiled.

Then Eva knelt on the very small spot of between Kat's spread legs, and swooped down over her. Gasping at the sudden pressure of smooth thigh against her aroused sex, Kat let Eva claim her. Those tough, warrior hands slipped under her knees and rolled her legs up towards her belly, which only rubbed them together some more. Eva leaned in close and Kat shuddered when her earlobe was nibbled. That was always one of her weak spots.

"I have wanted you so badly," Eva rasped, and Kat felt wetness in her eyes at the raw desire and longing in her lover's voice. "Will you let me take you like this?"

"I am done being afraid of you," Kat replied back, trying not to cry, because that was just stupid. "I want to belong to all of you, but not I'm afraid of this anymore. I want this! Just take me Eva, and let me handle it."

In one, sliding motion, Kat's left leg was pushed up unto the air and Eva lunged forward. Their pussies came wetly together, with plenty of natural lubrication, and in an almost simultaneous cry, they let their joy of the moment loose. Eva's hips rolled, and after a second of lust-blinded hesitation, Kat tried to match her. This was what Eva had promised weeks ago, when the girl vowed to fuck her silly. Now, Kat wanted it too.

Eva ground into her, changing the rhythm and angled occasionally and without warning, and Kat loved it. She could feel their wetness coating their thighs and welcomed the slick mess. When a hand clasped onto her right breast and pinched at her nipple hard enough to feel wonderfully delicious, she took one of Eva's into her mouth and nibbled. They moved almost as one at Eva's direction and Kat felt free somehow. It didn't matter that Eva was in control of her when they had sex and that she liked that. She was allowed to give herself, just like this.

"Oh man, wow!"

Kat shivered at the reminder of their watchers. Cassie's voice had been close enough that her breath tickled. She wasn't sure how long they were at it, sliding and pumping with abandon, but she loved every second of it. Sometime close to the end, she realized she'd lost Eva's nipple in her arousal, because Sarah's plump lips began kissing her in earnest. Over her, Eva gave a throaty growl and shuddered hard.

Kat felt her body tighten in anticipation, and she tried to hold back, to let it last a little longer.

"No!" Eva hissed desperately. "Cum with me!"

Kat did so, and let the orgasm sweep over her like rolling waves. It seemed to pulse through her with every thrust of their hips, and it was wonderful. Sarah continued to kiss her gently, stopping to let her breathe every little bit. When she could focus again, she saw why Eva had sounded so desperate at the end. Cassie was also joined with them, except she had focused on Eva's breasts again. Eva was grinning down, panting from her own climax.

"You're not even close to done yet," Eva declared. "We still want more of you, Kitten."

"Didn't ask if we were done!" she replied cheekily, grinning. Then she turned and met one of Sarah's kisses face-on. "Thanks for that, Sarah."

"Anytime, hon," Sarah laughed. She was lounged languidly alongside her, with a hand slowly running between her own legs. They were so long and sensuous, and Kat wanted to touch them too.

Eva pulled back, and laid on her other side, her hand replacing her thigh between Kat's legs. Kat groaned happily, though she was still a little sensitive. A finger pushed in and pressed against the physical evidence of her virginity. It didn't hurt yet, but Kat could feel the pressure of the intrusion. She knew what Eva was asking of her, but she got a surprise anyway.

"Girls, Kat is still intact here," Eva said, looking at them in turns. "I think we should do this together somehow."

"You are not shoving three fingers in there!" Kat protested, though a strange part of her was thrilled at the idea of all three girls taking her virginity like that. It was impractical though.

"We don't need three," Sarah said soothingly, running her own hand down to meet Eva's, where it stopped short and began teasing her small clit. Kat gave an involuntary hum and rolled her hips in appreciation.

"I'll just work down here then!" Cass volunteered perkily, dropping to her knees on the floor between her legs. Kat only had a moment to wonder that she was planning, before a soft, wet tongue lapped up one side of her spread lips. "Kat tastes a little different than you, Sarah."

"Hmmm," Kat flopped her head back at the deluge of sensations from all three girls.

"Everyone is different," Sarah said, moving her fingers a little faster. Kat could hear wet sounds from her and felt a little bad.

"Sarah!" she gasped out. Between Eva's unmoving finger, Sarah's teasing, and Cassie's enthusiastic licking, it was an assault on her sexual senses. "What...about you?!"

Sarah's finger paused, and the girl looked down onto her in surprise. "Right now?"

"Why not?" Eva laughed. "Kat's game it seems."

"Definitely," Kat smiled and looked at Sarah's other busy hand. "Can I lick you? I've never done it, but I've wanted to."

A bright, wonderful smile lit on Sarah's face, "thank you, Kat!"

Sarah's hand left for a moment, as the young woman rolled up and carefully placed herself over Kat's face. Kat looked up and saw another girl's pussy close up for the first time. The first thing she noticed, was the strong, pleasant smell of Sarah's aroused pussy. It was visibly wet, with a sheen coating the pink lips that enticed her. Below that, Sarah pink little anus winked as if the girl knew she was looking there, and Kat could kind of see what Eva liked about other girls' butts.

Sarah's clit rubbing resumed a little more energetically than before, and Kat grinned. Sarah was very, very wet, as she'd heard a succubus could get, and stuck out her tongue in a questing search for some. Sliding her tongue up the inside of the girl's thigh, she found exactly what she wanted and continued upward.

"Oh!" Sarah twitched when she made contact with her closed labia, and Kat smiled in mutual agreement. Sarah tasted wonderful. Not quite sweet, but something close that was actually really nice. Using both her hands, she held Sarah's hips still, and this time she lifted her head up and pushed her tongue inside her new lover. It was once again a new experience, but Sarah was so responsive and patient with her innocence, that she really enjoyed her first time licking another girl. Sarah's tail though was lashing the bed from her happiness, stating her own opinion of Kat's actions.

Kat was feeling really good when the pressure from Eva's finger increased. "Here we come," Eva warned gently, and pushed.

"Ow!" Kat yelped at the sharp sting and burning sensation that flared up from her poor virginity, now gone forever. To distract herself, she focused on Sarah, using one hand to rub around the base of her tail, as that had proved a favored place for attention. With almost dreadful slowness, Eva's finger pushed all the way inside her to the knuckle, and some of the pain was dulled by that sensation of being filled. Surprisingly, Cassie never stopped licking too even though there had to be some blood involved.

"That was the worst part," Sarah cooed, petting her belly, before returning to her clit. "You're doing wonderful."

Her pussy remained a little sore, but she loved the way it felt to have Eva's finger inside her like that; which was why she groaned in protest when it departed.

"Patience!" Eva chided, giving her a playful slap on the thigh.

There was a shuffling of movement, and then fingers entered her again, except this time she was sure it was a pair of smaller ones and hey moved much differently. Since Sarah was still diligently and happily working her clit, that had to be Cassie, and the new tongue had to be Eva. She moaned her own happiness with the apparent desire to share her, and got a shock. The vibration from her moan must have been the last straw for Sarah, because she shot upright a little and a stream of thick, sweeter juice that was much different than her own orgasm discharge dribbled into her mouth in a stream.

She hardly got to experience that, before Sarah leaned back forward and swapped her finger for her tongue. Kat might have giggled at how busy and crowed it was between her legs, except her body had other ideas. The orgasm that built this time seemed rooted deep into her bones, and it simply swamped her over. She convulsed, and though her pussy felt sore, the rest of her body was swallowed by that physical exultation. The orgasm seemed to take all the energy she had when it passed, she felt completely sapped, and lay limp on the bed. After a minute or so, she slipped briefly into a recovery nap.

She only knew she had because she came to in a warm cuddle Sarah, who was humming something cheerful, and draped half-over her, watching something. Kat turned her head to find a sweaty, panting Cassie on all fours, with a smiling Eva gently stroking her bottom. Cassie was breathy hard and a drop of sweat fell from one of her hanging breasts. On her face, was a wide, happy smile.

"Did I miss something?" she asked, feeling a little parched.

"Eva just gave me a 'thank you' for earlier," Cassie laughed and simply dropped belly first onto the bed with a thump. "Whew. After today, I'm beat...and I think I missed lunch and dinner!"

"I had a very nice lunch," Kat smiled teasingly, until her belly rumbled in sympathy with her friends and lovers. But that reminded her of something important she needed to tell. "Eva?"

"Hmm?" Eva replied inquiringly, taking a seat between them on the edge where she raised both arms in a languid stretch.

"Since I've decided that I shouldn't hide things from you all anymore, I need to tell you who my sponsor is."

"It's someone I know?!" Eva asked in surprise.

"Uh yeah," Kat licked her lips. "My sponsor is Captain Kyshin; your aunt."

"Your aunt!?" Sarah repeated, looking at Eva.

Eva just sat there in silence for a moment, and Kat grew a bit worried. Expect Eva lurched forward and began to laugh. She laughed so hard that she began to cough and Cassie rolled up to slap her back. The mirth didn't slow until a solid five minutes later, when Eva seemed to run out of steam. Even when she calmed down, there was a residual chuckle.

"Are you alright?" Kat asked; having sat up in concern; though Sarah had only shifted enough to keep her head resting on Kat's lap. Sarah was very cuddly when she was tired apparently, and Kat liked it.

"Yeah, but I should have known she was involved," Eva chuckled, wiping tears from her face. "These two have heard a part of my story, but the short version is real simple. Every good thing so far in my life has been helped along by my aunt. She's the mother my real mom should have been and then some. Whenever I need someone to talk to, it's been her."

"So you're not angry?"

"Nope," Eva stood. "So you ran into her?"

"She rescued me on Corbado!"

"Sounds like her!" Eva laughed and looked them all over. "No offense meant, but you all look a mess."

"Says the sweaty ice queen," Sarah chuckled and opened one eye in a teasing smile. "But a point well made."

"So a shower and food?" Cassie asked hopefully.

"A fine plan as any," Eva agreed, and glanced at the door hopefully. "I wonder if everyone is still downstairs, because we would not be making a good impression right now."

Kat closed her eyes and with barely a thought, willed one of her vectors to materialize out in the hallway. "No one is out there right now," she said.

"And how do you know that?" Eva asked curiously.

"I used this," she said proudly and made the device slip into her pocket dimension and the back out into the room. The little spherical machine spun under her control to face Eva. "It's connected to me."

"Ooh, the thing from earlier!" Cassie leaned forward to get a closer look, so Kat simple made a second pop out next to her. Cassie grinned and patted it. "Do you feel it when I touch it?"

"No, it's not that complex," Kat replied. "The sphere part is actually a security camera housing that there was a surplus of in the parts storage. None of it is custom, because I wanted to make the first ones cheaply in case the idea didn't work out."

"Fun!" Eva smiled. "You can tell us about it at dinner.

"Yes, at dinner," Sarah agreed sleepily. "After a shower though, because we smell like everything we've done today."

And that is what they did.