"Good girl."

"C'mon, whore, give it a go." Theo said with a shit-eating grin. He held out a long branch, wagging the end incitingly.

Anna took it hesitantly, biting her lip as she looked between it and our newest addition. She took the stick and gave that same crooked grin as before. "Good girl, fetch."

She send the stick twirling across the clearing, with Sonia following after it. She ran on four legs with her tongue hanging out, chasing the stick like an animal. Anna flushed as Sonia pushed her face into the dirt, grabbing the stick in her teeth, her trigger drawing a slight moan. Sonia came back to us and dropped the stick, her eyes snapping back to lucidity as the trigger ended.

"Good girl." I said, pointing to my side. "Heel." Sonia crawled to my feet and sat on her haunches, panting. Anna pressed against her mound, her knees unsteady. I chuckled and pointed at Anna. "Good girl, lick her face."

Anna staggered back and fell as Sonia tackled her, lapping at her nose and lips. Theo tilted his head and we took a step away from the pair, leaving Anna to laugh and moan at the absurdity of it. "Why we giving my whore-sister a good time?"

"One, I'm just testing out my powers. You can never know too much. And I just enjoy using them."

"Good point."

"Second, I'm curious how long it'll take before Anna ends up snapping or becoming a willing ****. Making her take part in this corruption, making her enjoy it, is part of that." I closed my eyes a moment, memories surfacing. "Besides, you'd be surprised what someone can get used to, best way to hurt them is to give them joy or hope, anything to break the monotony of despair."

"Alrighty." Theo shrugged. "Long as you ain't going soft on her."

"I wouldn't, don't you worry." I clapped his back. "Made my choices."

Anna pushed Sonia off, saying, "Good girl, chase your tail."

Sonia obeyed immediately, crawling around in circles after her ass. Anna started rubbing herself through her dress, her trigger growing too strong to resist. "Anna, play with the bitch for a while. You might be our ****, but you're above that one."

"And what'll we be doing?" Theo asked.

"Making plans." I replied, walking back into the shed.

I sat Theo down in the war room, which doubled as the living space and fining space, as well as the bedroom and a derelict shack; a versatile place, our war camp.

"So, how'd the scouting go?"

"Fence around his property's pretty high, and its got some nasty edges for intruders. I saw at least two torches making their rounds, but I doubt Old Craimer got that many guards. Maybe enough for three shifts like that."

I whistled, "He's got a bit of gold to burn."

"Got a lot of property. Hear he uses his 'maids' as farmers, among other things." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "They say he's got more wealth than anyone else in the Graven."

I tilted my head at the word, lost until my memory found me. A 'Graven' or the land ruled by a Langrave or a Belgrave; I'd gone even further than I'd thought, and said as much to Theo, " And, which Graven are we talking about? Who's the Lord?"

"I dont remember. Thraxicar, or something. You know how old blood has weird names."

"Thaxicar, Thrax?" I mused, other question coming concurrently. Questions of language, for one. "Could it be Thandicar? Of Weismeira?"

"Sounds familiar, and Weismeira is down south." Theo hesitated. "You're a foreigner, my lord? Where you from?"

"North, and west and north. I've been on the road for half-a-year." My memories took on a painful edge as thoughts of home and family overtook my questions. "My home. . ."

I had drenched myself in sin since leaving there, over the last weeks in particular. I had allied myself with insanity to compliment my demonic heritage. And still, thinking of that place brought me a measure of peace and joy; for the land, if not the people.

Theo waited for the answer, respecting whatever emotion the question had brought, even if he didnt understand it himself.

"At the furthest reaches of the north, in a land where good horseflesh is worth it's weight in silver, there is a jewel where all wealth flows." I recited, choosing the words of an old philosopher. " The place where all voyages end and begin anew, where all travelers touch the stone of Saint Norin, to pray for strength and good fortune."

"Pretty words, but it don’t answer the question."

"Old Sardeus, or as it's better known Norindel." I sketched a seated bow. "Which more properly names me as Ikarus Vhalnich Bel'Norindel. Which is a fucking mouthful, so I usually don’t bother."

"Sounds blue-blooded." Theo smiled. "Appropriate for a Demon Lord."

I heard a moan and turned to find that Anna had finished humiliating our new pet and was now putting her tongue to good use. I looked back at Theo. "It's complicated. My father was born a poor fisherman, and didn't have a name to pass down, and our stepmother was disowned when she eloped. So she took one of the branch names of her family, and passed that to us."

"Sounds pretty blue-blooded to me." Theo raised an eyebrow, looking over at two girls. Anna was getting really into it, grabbing Sonia by the hair and humping her face. "Got off topic."

"Little bit." I shrugged. I turned my mind from home to focus on Craimer and his manor. I had a few basic ideas, but simply airing them would be detrimental in the long run. "Your thoughts?"

"Right." Theo took a second. "Craimer claims he earned most if his wealth as a young mercenary. Claims he was pretty famous. We could. . ."

"My father had a habit when he was faced with a descision. He always asked himself what he had in his pocket." I said after a few moments of silent consternation. "When making a plan, he said, it was best to start with your resources."

"Then, Craimer likes pretty young bitches. We've got two bitches here. We could send them in and have them stab the fucker."

I nodded, as if I hadn't concidered it on the way to the shed. "That’s not all we have in our pockets."

"We have a bit of magic, and your spunk, and a knife."

" Resources aren't just physical things, Theo. We've also got the initiative, and a willingness to do ****. We have a certain resolve, as well, and that is a precious tool."

"Pretty words, my lord." Theo gave a sheepish smile, so perfectly fake that even I believed him genuine; right until I looked in his eyes. "But why can't we just stab him?

"Because that's not really the most profitable choice. Some of the girls could catch wind and run. And we want as many women as we can seize." I leaned in and gave him a toothy grin. "Think on it, Theodore. Prove how useful you are to me."