Kidnapped?

Generally speaking, when living a particular way of life, one naturally grows to accommodate and work around some recurring issues. For example, in my case, fear is something I learned to accept and live with. From day to night, all I had was myself. And I'm a classless human, nothing special in that regard. Sure, I had a friend in the form of a feline assassin who was around on occasion. But for the most part, it was always me, myself, and I. Naturally; I was almost always in some state of fear.

So having lived with that emotion for the majority of my life, the general feeling of fear should lose its impact. Right?

False.

False. False. False. False. False.

'I'm going to die.'

'I'm going to fucking die.'

The first thing to greet me upon awakening was the two twinkling eyes of a blasted succubus. A girl, young-looking, sat with crossed legs at the edge of a bed while I seemed to have been laid out at the headboard. The girl's bright eyes appeared to have a curious glint to them. She was beautiful and clearly excited. Especially when she noticed I had awoken. From the limited knowledge I have of succubi, I knew the younger they are after coming of age; the more deadly they can be. Deadly as in how their natural nature is chaotic and entirely irresponsible. The only reason I hadn't already been brought to the gates of **** was undoubtedly because of her inexperience. A knowledgeable succubus would know exactly where to start with her pray, whereas a youthful one wouldn't have the faintest idea of how to start.

So, of course, upon realizing I was still alive, I did the only thing that came to mind.

I ran.

Directly towards and behind the door that wasn't blocked by her path.

Which was why I knew my life was essentially over.

The door wasn't a way out of this hell hole. No, my luck stat was far too low to allow that...

It was a closet. A rather luxurious one. Large enough to more than double the size of the cramped alleyway that grew to become my makeshift home. But still a closet nonetheless. Meaning the only way out was back through the door I had just rushed past.

I pressed my back against the door and awkwardly slid down towards the carpeted floor.

'My adventure is over before it even got to begin.'

The thought wasn't saddening. Upsetting, yes, but... well... It was just disappointing... Somehow during my sleep, a succubus chose me to be nothing but a toy to use until ****. I'd be gone, and the world would continue to move on without a care. Would Arya even notice? Was she looking for me now? Or did she already move on?

None of these questions would receive any form of closure. Not for me, at least.

I slammed my fist against the floor and let out a sigh.

'Why. Just. Why me...'

Right when things started to shift for the better, I...

I felt something brush against my hand?

Out of instinct, I raised my hand and away in a protective manner. Half of a small card poked itself from under the closet door. I flinched at the sounds of a moving figure from the other side of the door. Something zipped closed, followed by footsteps, the sounds of more shuffling, and then finally, the clear click from a door slamming shut. And, after a few seconds of silence, I hesitantly.

After that, silence oozed out; all the while, I tried to hold my breath and make the intakes of air I did take as quiet as possible. Succubi love to tease, arouse, scare, and toy with their prey, primarily the younger ones. Ninety percent of me fully expected the girl to be flying on the other side of the door, just waiting for me to open it. She could clearly **** the door open herself and overpower me. But waiting for me to poke my head out like some mouse must be the outcome she's anticipating.

Clearly, the only option I could go with...

...was nothing.

And that's what I did.

Nothing.

For what felt like and actually became...

Hours.

I yawned at multiple points. Adjusted my position. Popped my shoulder and played with my spiky hair as I waited for the succubus to get board and finish the job. But it... never happened.

Hesitantly I brought my attention back to the card that was seemingly pushed below the door. It had words written on its surface.

Upon moving to a location near the side of the door to make use of the thin crack of light that illuminated the darkened room, I made out the words.

'I have got to depart for the Academy. There is bread and water on the other side of the door if you feel hungry. But please, DO NOT leave the closet while I am absent.'

'Wait...'

I blinked.

'What?'

---

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

*Tick* *Tock* *Tick* *Tock*

In sync with the ticking clock that floated rhythmically in the vast room of dark open space, Glaudia's fingers drummed atop the hard surface of the elongated table. It glowed white and was in the shape of a crescent, with a run planted on the floor before it. Along with the rest of the council, she sat in one of the luxurious seats; their cushiony comforts failed to drive off the lingering air of complete disinterest. To her left sat her brother, who was nearly asleep with a book concealing his face. Her ever quiet sister was to her right and fully awake. But she might not remain that way for much longer.

Fortunately, this shouldn't take long.

Not a single soul in the counsel room desired to be present. Still, everyone was fully aware of their responsibilities and was ready to adhere to the task whether pleased to do so or not.

"It is time."

"Is it?" Glaudia questioned her sister and glanced up towards the clock.

"Indeed." Her cousin spoke from two seats down to her left. He jabbed his elbow towards her brother to awaken him from his brink of slumber.

"Ackk'hem it..." The man blinked with tired eyes. "What tim- eh.. I..Is it time?"

"It is." Her sister spoke blankly.

"Alright. Alright." Glaudia took charge of the room and raised her voice. "Let us begin. And hopefully, handle the situation in swiftness."

With her words serving as the crucial warning for her family and counsel members to prepare themselves, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Then, in a simple purple puff of smoke (one without any outlandishly fantastical effects or flashes of light) appeared the reason for this whole gathering of the realm's neutral deities.

Heleva Mhyrlisa. The powerful and quite ruthless succubus queen. Someone who obtained a potent name for herself that drives many in fear solely by the mere thought of her. Shame how succubi as a whole are seen in a dangerous light because of the actions of a queen they may have not even met. But that deep-seated fear of their kind doesn't go without merits. By the way they are raised, succubi have natural instincts that would consider them threats to most. It might not be their fault; in most cases, it is the way they are brought up. Regardless of the reason, they are still considered to be deadly by sufficient cause. With a loathing queen who actively advocates for the belittlement of any and all men, naturally, her subjects would grow to hold a similar animosity.

"It is a pleasure to meet you once again. Runewish." Heleva stood before the council that floated above her on their elevated seats. "You and your extended family of genies." She held a smile, one consisting entirely of sarcasm and ill will.

Though, that clear disinterest didn't phase Glaudia or the rest of the council in the slightest. And it was for the very same reason the gods and the genie goddess herself allowed her kind to consist on earth with their magical prowess untouched. In current times, genies born and raised as free individuals hold no animosity towards anyone or anything. The past misconceptions of genies having to be restricted to hold back their chaotic potential were true, yes. But, in the same vein of how succubi grew to become more feared because of the past actions of their queen. Genies are now seen in considerably improved light based on the past actions of their queen. Glaudia, and her extended family, have access to mystic wish-granting powers to create, change, rewrite, or destroy all of reality around them. Capabilities that literally match those of gods.

But, their queen was able to keep the gods from interfering with that freedom of power by simply raising her children to live with a fair-minded state of mind. Freed genies are born to coexist with others while maintaining a neutral standpoint on life. They do not help others. They do not harm others. They hold power to completely alter the twelve realms but do nothing but use those abilities to live their daily lives. It is why they were chosen to be representatives of the council. No matter what happens, genies will hold zero animosity; they will do what must be done and judge fairly, nothing more, nothing less. Many genies have positions of power for that very reason. Oftentimes people look for beings who are absolutely neutral from any and all standpoints. Someone who can stand on a line, never leaning on either side. Genies fit that role perfectly.

And if at any point a collection of genies decide to act out and **** their powers. The queen has every right to restrict them back to their past states of restrained magic. All the while fixing the damages that those rouge genies had caused.

It is the perfect way to give genies freedom while simultaneously keeping the gods from interfering with their power.

Heleva was aware of all of that, yet she still stood before them with a confident sneer. Perhaps she wished to entice one of them into acting on emotion? Well, unfortunately for the succubus, the council were the ones who granted wishes, not her.

"Good afternoon Heleva," Glaudia spoke drily and snapped her fingers. Right before her on the desk appeared a large rolled-up scroll. "Let us get straight to it." She unleashed the tie which sealed the scroll, and the massive sheet of rolled paper began to tumble downwards, where it eventually ended right at the succubus queen's feet. "To continue your treaty with realm six for twelve more months, we need your signatures on these twenty-five separate documents. Singing here gives us the right to duplicate said signature on the following twenty-four documents," She had to pause for a second if only to let out a soft sigh. The monotony of this rehearsed line was truly agonizingly dull. "Where it will then be transported to the elders. Do you underst-

"Get on with it Runewish! We've done this eight times now." Heleva rolled her eyes while her arms were crossed beneath her massive breasts. "Yes, I understand."

In response, Glaudia raised a brow and snapped her finger. The bottom of the scroll then floated up into the air directly before the succubus's chest.

To her right, Glaudia's sister snapped her fingers.

A pen appeared right next to the floating scroll.

Heleva glanced at Glaudia's sister and winked. She took the pen in her hands and proceeded to sign the document.

"And here is to another year of peace." Heleva licked her lips.

"Right," Glaudia spoke abruptly. "It's been a pleasure. Good day." She snapped her fingers, and with a puff of purple gas, the queen was gone.

"Alright! Job done." Her brother grunted. "Now I require rest."

"Of course," Glaudia said and began to roll up the splayed scroll. "After we are done with the certification process."

Her words failed to communicate with him as he was already dozing headfirst on the table.

---

I'm hungry.

But not hungry enough to step foot outside of this damn closet.

Nope.

Not at all.

*Grumble*

Shit.

I...

*GRUMBLE*

Okay fuck it.

The bread tasted amazing. Gods it was filling! My mouth consumed the food faster than I could even perceive. From having ever tasted real food as a rarity; this was an experience, I didn't even realize the food was gone. It was an entire loaf, one glazed with warm butter that melted into the food's spongy pores. My mouth watered to an unhealthy degree; it was to the point where I proceeded to stop caring about the whys of this situation. To hell if this was her plan.

She may have wanted me stuffed and prepared before she feasts on me. But... if she also had the intent to feed me well for the first time in my life...

Well, fuck. At least I get to have a nice meal before dying.

*THUMP*

Went the sound of a faint door slamming shut.

It was also a sound similar to the one my heart made at that very same second.

Footsteps crashed in a swift repeating ruckus that grew louder with each second. Then-

*THUMMMP!*

"Heyy! Are you still here!?" A soft female voice shouted in a lively, upbeat fashion. There was the sound of something like a body collapsing directly outside the closet door. "Aww you ate the bread? Hmm?"

I held my breath and stayed stock still.

"You're warm..." There was a pause. "That's great! I can sense your heat. You know you were really cold when I found you."

Of course, I was cold. Living in an alleyway would do that. And this just confirms that she wanted me healthy before feeding off m-

"I promise I won't hurt you. You know.. if you're scared of me. Here..." Another pause stretched from the opposing side of the door, though there was the faint sound of rummaging. "I bought you some Hydra Custard on my way back from the Academy. It's warm so... please have some. Mother and my sisters will be home promptly. I must head down to meet them. If you hear anyone approaching, back away from the door. They'll be able to sense you through it. Okay?"

I didn't reply and instead continued to hold my breath until my head began to grow queasy, and I was **** to inhale.

"Okay," After the silence drew on for a few minutes too long, she let out a sigh. "I will return in a few cycles... Stay there! Mother will be displeased if... just stay quiet."

There was no chance in this realm that I intended to stir up a noisy ruckus; to prove that point, I proceeded to stay as silent as a mouse hiding in fear of a panther. The succubus left, or at least I assumed, after a few moments. I exhaled a somewhat audible breath and rested my back against the wall.

This is close to ****. And it's not even a quest. I am being fed, kept in a comfortingly warm lodging away from the harsh weather, and verbally pampered by this chick. Almost like...

Like some kind of pet...

---

He was terrified.

Poor thing.

But an improvement from a few cycles ago!

Earlier this morning, the human was both afraid and in need of food. Now he was more frightened and confused than hungry. Hopefully. That loaf should be enough for one young man. But if he still hungered, there was more for him if he dared to peek his head out of her closet again.

And food is one of the greatest ways to build bonds with others; perhaps he'd trust her more if she continued to fill his starved stomach. He'd love the leftovers from the feast Mother had planned for the night. Only... Mother isn't the easiest to fool. It's hard to remember any time she or her sisters were successful in pulling the wool over Mother's watchful eyes.

Speaking of Mother. Her carriage was stationed at the plaza in front of the mansion. Which indicated that everyone must have returned and are present...

Somewhere...

Well, there was no point in spending the time to locate them in this giant mansion. Zellira's sister Winlia was fond of the outdoor air and lush environments; she could be in one of the five gardens outback. Lillyn might be easier to find. She loves to tease and screw about with the slaves, so wherever they are, she can't be too far. But then there's the headmistress herself, Mother... oh, she could be anywhere. Hopefully, she'll be in the kitchen preparing the feast that she tasked Zellira with gathering ingredients for. That, of course, is dependent on her feeling up to the challenge. If Mother does not feel like cooking, she can easily order the slaves to do it while she relaxes wherever she desires.

As long as that place of desire isn't in Zellira's room, more specifically the closet in that room... then she has no complaints.

Zellira went to the kitchen and started laying out the ingredients for the dinner feast that Mother had specified. She couldn't decide if she should chop the food, steam it, or do something else, so she opted to leave it out and open for Mother's arrival.

"Dear me. Is my favorite daughter excited for tonight's meal?"

"Hey! What? Favorite?" Another, less matured voice said. "I thought I was your favorite!"

"You are my favorite as well. No need to fret."

"But-"

Zellira's back stiffened right as a firm hand clamped onto her shoulder.

"Now now..." She was turned around by the strong hand and what met her was a face-full of cleavage from two massive breasts. "Step away, daughter. I can't have you muck up the process."

"Oh! Mother," Zellira's gaze shifted up from the full-frontal view of her mother's creamy cleavage. "I was-"

"Assorting the ingredients, I am aware." Mother's calm voice cooed as she ushered Zellira aside and gently patted her head. "But you're wasting your time." She flicked aside her silver hair and stepped before the countertop; beneath the large black overcoat, her slender sensual body swayed with each subtle step. Both of her feminine hands rose upwards and wavered slightly before she chanted the word, "Infuse~" under her breath.

The food Zellira had separated began to glow in sync with Mother's fingers, which were also starting to shimmer with a gleaming yellow aura. Zellira watched as the food she had divided began to move together and unite as Mother's hands slowly shifted together. Brown potatoes and orange carrots were combined to create a brownish-looking carrot with a root instead of leaves at the top.

Corn and cabbage transformed into cobs with yellow leaves that sprouted kernels of corn, and beets merged with flower to become a purplish red-looking powder substance.

Zellira's eyes widened from awe. "Mother! You have to teach me that!"

"No, I do not. That is what I am paying the Academy for." Mother chuckled. "It's a primitive spell. Even the most braindead and under-leveled clutz could figure it out. You should be capable of using it by now. Of course, that is implying that you have been paying attention."

"Yeah!" Zellira's sister, Lillyn, stuck out her tongue. "That's literally a basic merging spell."

Mother frowned. "Enough, Lillyn. Go fetch me my cooking gloves. The laundry servant might have his hands on it."

Lillyn blinked, then glanced towards Mother and bowed. "Yes, Mother." Then, when Mother returned her attention towards the food, she stuck her tongue back out towards Zellira.

"Did I not tell you to stop?" Mother's voice boomed in a manner that caused both girls to jump, how she was able to sense Lillyn's teasing gesture without even being able to see the girl surprised both of them, though by now both of them should be well aware of Mother's kneen senses.

"Yes, Mother. Sorry, Mother." Lillyn nearly stuttered and abruptly left the kitchen.

Mother shook her head and sighed as she flicked her wrist to extend her razor-sharp fingernails. She turned on the sink and proceeded to casually rinse them clean in the running water. And, after she patted them dry with a cotton cloth, she shot out her arm faster than Zellira could even make out with her eye. The next thing she knew, the brown potato-carrot had multiple even cuts in it, and the food started to slide apart and collapse onto the table in equal-sized pieces. "That girl..." She breathed.

-

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