62. Murder and Monsters
After the next slippery slide down Eloisss' coils, Bonny was distracted by Kanae, back in fox form, sniffing at Miu’s ass and rolling around in the cum that still dribbled out.
Bonny ran over to pull the fox away. “When I said no swallowing, I meant no playing in it either.”
Kanae whined and dropped her head.
“Don’t look so sad. Do I need to leash you and leave you with Willow tomorrow?”
Kanae shook her head and rubbed against Bonny’s legs, smearing some of the cum from her coat to Bonny in the process.
“Really?” Bonny summoned the two plugs and inserted Miu’s. It slid in easily. “Let’s just keep the rest in there. Kanae, turn around.”
When Kanae did, Bonny inserted the second plug. It slipped in easily as well, Violet’s lube still in place. “We might need bigger plugs soon, what do you think?”
Kanae wiggled her butt, then sat and dragged it across the floor.
“Stop it!” Bonny sighed and turned to the slime girl. “Violet, do you want to eat a fox?”
[[yes, she tastes good]]
Bonny laughed. “If she keeps acting up, then I may let you. For now, you know that none of my companions are food, right?”
[[they are friends, not food]]
“You’re amazing, Violet. Sorry I didn’t get to return the pleasure you gave me. We can continue later, if you want.” Bonny looked over at the slimy lamia. “You too, Eloisss.”
“I am ssatissfied, Bonny.” She slithered over and hugged Bonny, smearing more slime as she did.
Bonny looked around at the room after they released the hug. Miu still lay on the floor where Bonny left her, purring contentedly. The four men in stained robes still sat against the wall. An unpleasant odor emanated from them.
“Violet, can you clean up the slime or should I try to purify it?”
[[I can reclaim it]]
“Please do. How long have you been here in the tower and how did you learn so much about sex?”
Violet started oozing around them, soaking up fluids as she did. [[I have had five masters, the last one was alva, who liked sex play]]
Bonny stepped into Violet, letting the slime girl clean off the fluids and dirt from the slide. There was a tightening and teasing lick at Bonny’s dick as Violet slid over and around her. “What hap … uh, mmmmm, that felt good. I mean, what happened to Alva?”
[[she was the last tower master, nestor killed her]]
“What?” Bonny turned to look at the one handed, gray bearded man cowering back against the wall. The other three men scooted away from him.
“I didn’t! It was an accident. I swear!” He protested. “I didn’t mean to.”
[[he pushed her off the stairs I think, then fed her to me in pieces, when I refused him the crown]]
Bonny stalked over to Nestor, activating her Retribution aura, as she got close. The area around her grew sharp and dangerous. He shrank back, raising his arms in a defensive posture.
“Did you?”
He shook his head.
[[he also fed me an apprentice, who he feared would earn the crown]]
The three apprentices moved further away, almost a quarter of the way around the tower room and near the stairs down. Bonny turned and glared at them. “Stop. Did any of you know or see that?”
They shook their heads.
“How long have you been here? What do you do here, or are you learning from him?”
The otter kin answered, “I’ve been here the longest, two years. We mostly make …”
“Hold on.” Bonny held up a hand and turned to point at Nestor. “Eloisss and Violet, please watch him closely. If he moves, you can eat him.”
[[thank you, mistress]]
“Yesss.”
Bonny started questioning the apprentices again. Rube, the reddish brown otter, answered most of her questions. The other two were very new to the tower and had been living on the streets prior to that. All three stared at her, since she had not dressed and was questioning them naked. She dismissed her cock and shifted her legs occasionally, giving tantalizing peeks when they were helpful.
None had learned much magic, though they each had a wand that would allow them to shoot basic arcane bolts. They spent their days mixing potions according to various recipes, then adding a few drops of “arcane essence”, which was just digestive acid taken from Violet with a knife, tongs, and vials. The acid added a slight glow and bite to the potion that made it seem more magical, though did little else except help dissolve some of the ingredients.
As far as they knew, Violet had never spoken before Bonny slapped her. They did dispose of bad mixtures, rats, and insects by dropping them in her tank, but thought she was a monster and never imagined she was intelligent enough to talk.
“Who makes the wands?” The conversation was winding down, but Bonny thought back to her attempts to make artifacts on the way out of the forest.
“Nestor.”
“Of course. Thank you. One more thing. Spirit Triage!” She didn’t need to ask Rube to undress, since she had no interest in him, and the spiritual spell wasn’t hindered by things like clothes or flesh. “You are sick. Go to the Healing temple in the morning or Brothel tomorrow afternoon. I’ll see if I can help you.”
Bonny turned to see Miu still curled up on the floor, asleep. Kanae had curled up beside her. Were they really that worn out? Bonny was tired, from staying up most of the night. Maybe they had waited up for her? She should ask later.
She stalked back to Violet, Eloisss, and Nestor. “I’m sorry about Alva, Violet. But I think we need more proof than your testimony. I’m not even sure if we can get you out of here without causing a scene.”
[[we were not close, I was not the only monster she fucked]]
“You are not a monster.”
[[am I not? all of my masters have called me one]]
“Are you trying to cause the downfall of society or do you help improve civilization?”
[[neither, I exist]]
Bonny laughed. “You’re helping me and I’m going to stop a demon from destroying the world. Just don’t eat people and you’re not a monster.”
[[if you say so]]
Bonny gave up and turned to the wizard. “Nestor. I need the knowledge in this tower. If you can help me, I would appreciate it.”
“I will.” He choked out the response and avoided looking at her.
“I need more info about the other artifact. I also need to know how to create magic items, like your wands. And artifacts.”
“Artifacts? Impossible. Those are created by the gods. Entire civilizations have tried to create artifacts and failed.”
“Oh. I think I was pretty close already.” Bonny looked around at all the bookcases. “Find me any books about crafting.”
He nodded. “Just don’t let it eat me.”
“Her. She’s not a monster. Oh, and I need to talk to the council and some clerk is blocking me. You said something about voting, can you get me in? Say tomorrow at noon?”
“That clerk is an ass. I will try.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.” She turned to wake up Miu and Kanae. “Time to wake up, cuties. It’s getting late and time to head back. Violet, do you want to come with us or stay here and try to find the information I need? I think you can handle Nestor if he tries something, right?”
[[go with you, I would like to see outside this room]]
“Okay. We’ll take you with us.”
They dressed and found an extra robe, with hood, for Violet. It was a little big, but she loved it and flapped the sleeves up and down.
As they headed down the stairs, Bonny carrying Kanae, she saw an eyeball on a tentacle poke up above the hood and look around. “Stop that, Violet. We need to hide you for now.”
[[I’ve never been allowed downstairs]]
“I’m sorry. But you’ll have to look around later. Try not to talk either, until we get to our friend’s place.”
There were no incidents on the way out, but they did grab the glowing vial and pass it to Violet, who reclaimed the fluid and drop of slime.
When they stepped outside, it was dusk, more time had been spent inside than expected. Their immediate area was still lit, due to Violet’s Arcane Light, which had followed her. The roads to the sides were empty and dark.
Eloisss suddenly lurched to the side and grunted. “Enemiess! Defend Bonny!”
Miu and Violet stepped in front of her, one on each side of Eloisss. The light zipped off, flitting among the shadows, searching. Kanae jumped down a moment later and sprinted into the dark, after it.
Bonny touched Eloisss on her coils and whispered her spells, “Triage! Mending!” The first spell indicated a deep cut to one of her biceps and the second spell didn’t heal it as much as she expected. She triggered the next four spells quickly, feeling the drain on her mana. “Spirit Triage! Panacea! Divine Mending! Demonic Ward!”
Nothing new showed in her spirit sight and neither the cure or heal stopped the bleeding. If they were attacked again, hopefully the ward would highlight the attacker with red lightning. “Eloisss, it’s resisting healing. I’m not sure what’s wrong. Pain Management!” She dialed Eloisss' pain sensitivity down to a three, just in case.
The arcane light finally lit up a corner where two men had just stabbed each other. Kanae stood near them growling. The two collapsed as the four ran over to them.
“Check them for potions, nya.” Miu ran up and grabbed the knife from each of them. Black ichor dripped from the blades. She started patting them down as the other three approached.
Just as Eloisss reached down and revealed a red fist tattooed to his wrist, Kanae whirled and barked warning.
A blade struck Bonny in the back and she felt her retribution aura and ward retaliate. There was a muted scream behind her and she turned to see the red lightning playing over a man crouched in a shadow near the tower, hidden from where they had emerged.
[[ARCANE BLAST!]]
A jet of purple light burst from Violet’s sleeves and lighting up the street like daylight for a brief instant.
The party could see four other figures in dark robes closing in around them.
Miu whipped the two knives at two of them that stood close together. Eloisss struck at another, her body crossing the twenty feet in an instant, and she buried her fangs in his neck.
[[Arcane Blast!]]
This time, the shout and cast were quieter, not quite lighting the street to the same degree. The brief light still showed the four figures down.
“Are any still alive? We should hold them for the guard. For questioning.” The pain in her back was intensifying, so she turned it down. “Pain Management! Miu, check my back. Violet, more light, please.”
[[Arcane Light!]]
A second tiny sun burst into being and the two started rotating around them, at a distance far enough out to light up the area.
Miu pulled a four pointed star from Bonny’s back. It dripped the same black ichor as the knives, and had pierced both Bonny’s robe and leather armor.
“Only one ssurvived.” Eloisss had checked them quickly. The one she had attacked was missing most of his neck and blood pooled around him, but didn't spray, his heart had already stopped. The two men that Violet had blasted were burning with a dim purple flame, clearly gone. One of the two figures that Miu had thrown knives at was hit in the heart, and was already dead, the other was a beaver kin, curled up into a ball.
Eloisss grabbed and lifted her by her robes, pinning her against the side of the tower. The knife clattered to the ground, already removed. Instead of blood, ichor oozed from her stomach where the knife had stabbed her.
“Panacea! Divine Healing!” Bonny cast the spells on herself, noting the pain decreased slightly. Why had the three men died so quickly when her and Eloisss were still alive. The beaver kin was still alive as well, but clearly in pain. The ichor was suspicious and it wasn’t cleansed by magical healing. “Eloisss, how are you feeling? Any worse?”
“No. But I have a bad feeling about this. We sshould leave before the guardss arrive insstead of turning her over.”
“Okay. We can question her back at the warehouse. Can you carry her?"
"Yess."
"Okay. Triage! Divine Mending!”” Bonny checked herself again. The wound didn’t appear to be worse, but it also hadn’t improved. What could … Something occurred to her and she pulled up her skill list. “Status Skills!”
Skills: (no skills available)
Create Water (all)
Mending (all)
Pain Management (all)
Panacea (all)
Sacrifice (demonic)
Spirit Triage (divine)
Triage (all)
Ward (all)
Wound Transfer (demonic)
Non-Class Skills:
Invigorate (arcane, divine)
Mending allowed all magic types. Not all of her spells did. She recalled a vague memory of being warned not to use Demonic for Mending or Pain Management. Why?
There was a sound from the other side of the tower, in the plaza. The thought would have to wait.
They set off at a shuffling run, dousing the lights.