But first a Different Detour

Fals called back as the cart came to a stop, "we're stopping here for the night, it's not safe to go any closer to Grimaire while it's dark out," she explains, "feel free to get out and stretch your legs," she says as she hops off the cart. In the back Malcolm, Espia and a few others they had picked up got out and walked around. Even this far from Grimaire the atmosphere was tense. The ground here was dead and scorched in places. Espia knelt down, running a hand over the parched grass. the ground here was the same as she remembered. The towns and cities that lived along the borders with Grimaire had to struggle with the harsh ground unsuitable for most crops, the dangerous demonic storms and of course incursions from Grimaire itself. It made her strangely nostalgic as she grabbed and pulled out a few bits of grass that quickly withered. She was startled when she suddenly felt hands on her shoulders.

"You used to live here?" Malcolm asked and she glanced up at him nervously.

"How... How did you know that?" she asked, trying to shrug his shoulders off, but his hands stayed in place.

"Sorry, it was just a guess... You looked rather melancholy. I assumed you stayed in Grimaire for a time, but you weren't looking towards Grimaire..." he suggested and she sighed.

"Yeah I didn't live here exactly I imagine, I mean it's been years, my village might have been here, but regardless it was somewhere along these borderlands," she said and she felt his hand slip off her shoulders and then his hand was on her head, ruffling her hair gently.

"You can never go home again," he suddenly said and ice filled her veins as she froze. She felt a sudden sharp pain from her dead hand and winced, "ah... You okay?" he asked.

"Why would you say that?" she yelled standing up and turning on him, using her good hand to bat his hand from her head.

"It's just a saying..." he responded putting his hands up protectively. She paused. It was indeed a common saying, a simple reference to the idea that things change over time. She felt stupid for reacting like that and he could clearly see it as she looked away from him.

"Your home... Doesn't exist anymore does it? I imagine something bad happened to it, but... I'm sure whatever happened and whatever you might have done..." he starts and she visibly winces a bit at his words, "you shouldn't feel guilty, you did what you had to to survive," he responds and she feels herself relax, before suddenly she feels his arms around her.

He's hugging her. Her mind races, she can't remember the last time she's felt someone hug her, at least like this. The only hugs she's received since her childhood were generally not the kind that give comfort. She felt tears in her eyes and her working hand moved without her intending to and gripped his side as she laid her head against him, crying against his chest.

She couldn't ever remember feeling like this, like someone actually cared about her and she felt all the weight of her past falling away as she let herself be **** crying in this man's arms.

One hand moved from her back to pat her head and she heard him speaking gently, she focused on the words.

"Relax, let it all go. You've had a hard life, but you don't need to carry that burden anymore. I'm here for you," he spoke in a gentle whisper and she felt like it was true.

"Th... Thank you..." she said weakly. She felt lighter, better, more happy than she had in a long time, but at the same time it felt wrong. All the defenses she'd built up broken so easily. She felt a strange sense of defeat, a weakness. She'd always been so strong, so unshakeable and now it was all gone and she was crying like a child. She pushed him away, gently, but forcefully and felt a slight relief when he easily let her go.

He looked at her with such an understanding expression that it made her feel embarrassed again and she stepped back and looked at the ground, unable to look into his face full of sincere concern and compassion.

She hears him move and glances up to see he's stepped a bit away and is watching as Fals and the others are setting up small tents and bedrolls, "we should probably prepare for the night as well, you want help setting up a tent?" he asks and she shakes her head.

"I was going to just sleep in the back of the cart..." she says weakly and he scoffs.

"Nonsense, I refuse to let you sleep like that, you'll share my tent, it has room," he commands and she feels the words like an unshakeable order.

She wants to reject his proposal, but instead what comes out of her mouth is mortifying, "yes, daddy," she responds meekly and then covers her mouth, her eyes widening with horror at what she just said. He laughs.

"My my... Is that how you see me?" he asks and she stammers as she tries to respond.

"I... Not... Not like... I just... I've never had a father figure I can remember," she says and realizes that's not quite true. At one point that demon who had saved her had been like a father to her, but these days her memories of him are tarnished by the cynicism she grew as she aged. she' come to believe he never truly cared about her and was just using her like the others.

"If it makes you happy I don't mind," he assures her and she blushes a bit and nods.

"Thank you... Daddy," she responds weakly. It did feel good.

A bit later she helped him set up his tent and then the two of them crawled inside. She lay facing away from him on her bedroll and she found herself deep in thought. The next morning they'd be continuing to the border to Grimaire and there she'd have to make the choice whether to return to Grimaire or not. Malcolm had offered her the chance to stay with him and his family, but she had trouble believing it wasn't some kind of trick at least she'd had trouble before, but now...

She moved her hand to her chest, she didn't want to be away from him now. He made her feel safe, more importantly he made her feel... human. For so long she'd felt like a tool, something to simply be used, but the way he talked to her, the way he... cared about her made her feel like a person, like someone actually worthy of love as opposed to something simply useful. As she thought about these things she felt something, a hand slide over her arm.

"You're still wearing your clothes?" Malcolm asked.

"I.. Can't exactly get undressed around you..." she argued with a weak chuckle.

"Nonsense, it will be uncomfortable sleeping in those clothes. If you have something more comfortable to sleep in you should change. It's not like there's a problem, after all I'm old enough to be your father," he says and as he speaks the words she feels a rush of relief.

"That's right... I'm being silly. You're like my father, there's nothing wrong with changing in front of you," she agrees and sits up. Malcolm watches as she uses her good hand to carefully undress.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked and she stopped and looked down at her injured hand.

"I... Damaged it. The nerves don't work anymore. It's unusable, but it's not a danger to me," she answered and he shook his head and then his hand was grasping her injured hand. She winced slightly as he moved it and then gasped as she felt warmth spread through it.

"My..." he says as his hand continues to hold her hand as she feels sensation returning to it, "my lovely daughter used some forbidden magic didn't she?" he asked and she swallowed.

"How did..." she started as she could feel her hand again and with only a little issue she could even move her fingers.

"An Archer family secret I suppose you could say," he responds and this vague answer immediately set alarm bells off, but they quickly stopped as he continued to speak, "now sweety, I believe you were in the middle of something?" he prods and she proceeds to slip her shirt off, exposing her small breasts beneath a simple white bra and then she gasps as his hands move, slipping around her and unhooking her bra.

"Ah... D... Daddy..." she says weakly.

"I'm just trying to help," he says gently and she lets him slip her bra down her arms and off, her small breasts now fully exposed. She is herself somewhat surprised to see her nipples are stiff. After all nothing is happening. She's just undressing for bed after all. She lifts her legs as she slips her skirt down and off. Her plain white panties just slightly stained with wetness and she gasps as she feels Malcolm's hand slip between her legs and gently rub her slit.

"Daddy!" she yells a bit louder and his hand covers her mouth.

"Not so loud, you'll wake up the others and that would be very naughty of you," he exclaims and she feels ashamed and closes her mouth. She feels his hand continue to rub her slit through her panties until her panties are quite a bit more wet and then he slides her panties down, small strands of girl cum sticking to the fabric as it's pulled away until they snap from the tension and her panties are pulled off. She's naked now except for her socks, but when she goes to pull them off he stops her. "Leave the socks," he commands and she pulls her hands away.

"but sleeping in my socks is uncomfortable," she argues and he runs his hand gently through her hair.

"I know, but if there's an emergency you should have something on your feet. The rough ground here could be dangerous if you have to run away barefoot," he explains and she starts to nod, but then stops.

"If that's the case shouldn't I have just stayed fully dressed anyway?" she asks and he just stares at her.

"Isn't that a silly question, daughter?" he asks and she feels ashamed though she's not sure why. The question seemed intelligent to her. Still she didn't want to argue further, he was wiser than her and if he thought it was a silly question then it obviously was silly and she'd just look sillier for questioning it further. She nods and lays back down on her bedroll. She does feel more comfortable now. She feels his hand run down her arm again. "Much better," he says as he rubs her arm and she gasps, but quickly covers her mouth as his hand then slides to grab hold of one of her breasts. She feels a little awkward as he holds her breast and then she feels his own naked body press against her from behind, his cock hard and pressed between her ass cheeks.

"Daddy, what are you doing?" she asks nervously.

"What do you mean? It's going to be a cold night. This way we can both be comfortable and warm," he tells her.

The logic of his words made sense and she felt him pressing against her, his hand gently squeezing her breast and his cock grinding between her ass cheeks. She snuggles back against him, feeling her cunt dripping wet. She falls into a nice gentle sleep and she even knows now what choice she'll make. There's no way she could leave her daddy.