Growing children cont. and Aimi's surprise

Their quiet moment was interrupted by a growing commotion in the corridor, many small footsteps blending together into something approaching a stampede. Fenrir heard it first, but as it started to become louder first Safara and Saeko, then the succubi picked up on it as well.

"Brace yourself, boss," Kira grinned up at him. "Here comes Mitzi and her kids."

And so they did. The door opened, allowing all eleven of Mitzi's children to flood in. In their midst, Nelith and Mitzi herself walked and talked together, providing something of an anchor for the goblin children to touch base at before making new forays into the surrounding space. Of course, that all went out the window the instant they laid their eyes on Fenrir.

There was the barest pause of complete silence, then with various shrieks and yells of delight, the miniature horde made a beeline for him. Mitzi tried to call them back, but it was useless. They were far too excited to pay her any mind.

Foreseeing trouble in the form of some very unhappy toddlers if the goblins were allowed to swarm him as he now sat, Fenrir acted fast. Activating Sand in the Hourglass, he lifted everyone in his lap and slipped out from underneath them, placing them safely in the seat he had just vacated before taking several steps out to meet his approaching brood. There was a sharp intake of breath from behind him as Safara registered the sudden change in position and a distant part of his mind realized that with the relative speed of his movement it would have seemed almost like he had teleported out from under her.

But he didn't have much time to worry about that, because the horde was almost upon him. Dropping to one knee, Fenrir spread his arms wide and braced for impact.

Impact was rather softer than he had expected, as rather than hurling themselves into him, the goblins swarmed up his body to hug any part of him they could get their tiny little arms around. Fenrir scooped up an armful of giggling jabbering goblin bodies, a warm laugh of his own rumbling from his chest.

He glanced over the heads of the few remaining goblins who were bouncing in front of him, clamoring for attention, to meet Mitzi's eyes. She was beaming like the sun as she watched; manifestly, the sight of him with her children like this was a joyous sight.

Turning his attention back to the miniature horde, he laughed, "Alright, alright, settle down now. I'm happy to see you too."

They did as they were told, albeit with a little **** here and there. Not from rebelliousness, but just because they were too happy to easily calm down. One by one they quieted, however, and Fenrir was able to finally take a good look at his and Mitzi's offspring.

Superficially they looked much the same as the goblin children he had seen in Shazrak's domain, but upon closer inspection differences quickly became apparent. For one thing, they were much cuter, with better developed foreheads and more balanced features, particularly in the case of the males. Most of the girls seemed to take after their mother, with the result that Fenrir found himself looking at four miniature Mitzis scattered throughout their seven brothers.

In contrast, most of the boys' skin was considerably darker than their mother's, almost olive green at the darkest. This had not been the case at birth, with all the babies having had about the same shade of skin as Mitzi, and Fenrir found himself wondering if they were going to become darker still as they grew. There was also a small part of him that was more than a little surprised at how much the males and females differed, but a moment's further reflection reminded him that that had always been the case for goblins, with the males of Chief Shazrak's tribe differing so widely from the females that one could have believed they were from a different species of goblin. Though he couldn't remember any of Shazrak's tribe being this dark in coloration, not even the chief himself.

They were dressed in simple sleeveless tunics that came down to about their knees with loincloths on underneath. Fenrir imagined the tunics were a consequence of some of his other followers, as Mitzi had chosen to continue wearing only her loincloth despite the availability of other clothing. Or perhaps the greater chill of the castle's environment had prompted her putting them in heavier clothing.

"Wow, they listen to him even better than Mitzi," he heard Kira say behind him.

"They really do," Safara replied, a faint note of wonder in her voice. "I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised, but I admit I expected them to be impossible to control for a while once they caught sight of him, with how rowdy they usually are."

Tuning out the conversation behind him, Fenrir turned to the more important business of giving each of his goblin offspring some personal attention. Each in turn was picked up, cuddled, and given his undivided attention for about the space of a minute before he placed them down and did the same for the next in line. Unlike the rest of his children, the goblins were already talking pretty well, so he was regaled with stories from each, told in the disjointed, guileless manner unique to young children. Several tried to go for a second turn, necessitating a laughing spank on the bottom as he sent them back into the crowd that surrounded him.

A minute or so into this, Safara grasped what he was doing and vacated his spot beside the fire where he had placed her, gently pulling him back into his seat so he could enjoy his children's company in greater comfort. Fenrir gave her a smile of thanks, reclining back into his usual position before going back to listening to the goblin currently on his lap. The others crowded around, uncharacteristically quiet, their wide, shining eyes fixed on Fenrir and whichever one of their number that was currently being given the spotlight. Even the baby direwolves joined in, the goblins wordlessly making room for them to sit near the front.

It surprised Fenrir; he hadn't expected such a show of maturity from what were, as far as he could tell, the equivalent of three- or four-year-olds, but he certainly wasn't going to reprimand them. Instead, he gave them a warm smile as they did it, which brought out happy smiles on each young face in return.

By the time he was done with each of the goblins, most of the other inhabitants of the castle had filtered into the kitchens and the place had grown quite lively with talk. Fenrir scanned over the crowd, noticing how Myrina was studiously avoiding his gaze and the beaming smile that Chellise, now awake though still moving a bit gingerly, gave him. She was practically glowing, prompting some slightly envious looks from some of the other succubi.

On the other hand, when his eyes fell on Violetta, who was sitting with Tsavani not far from the fire, she didn't flinch away from his attention. Instead, after a moment, she raised a somewhat hesitant hand in a little wave.

If Fenrir's eyebrows hadn't been firmly attached to his skull they might have flown off with how hard and how quickly he raised them. A little wave didn't seem like much to the outside observer, but it was by far the most welcome she'd ever given him. Anxious not to snub this advance, Fenrir was quick to bring his facial features under control, giving her a smile and a wave in return.

A small blush rose to her cheeks and she looked down, but Fenrir could see the edges of the smile that stole over her face. He was tempted to go over and sit next to her, but, reminding himself of his policy to allow her to make the first move, he contented himself with what had been given. 'And anyway, trying to talk with her in the middle of all this noise wouldn't work out very well anyway, as she's sure to be shy even if she doesn't mind my approach. Soon, though.'

Instead, he carried on looking the room over. The children had been shooed away to play in a corner under the watchful eyes of Yumiko, Mitzi, and Nelith; it was where most of the noise was coming from. Catching Mitzi's eye, he waved her over, and after a word to her two companions, she obeyed.

"How are you doing? Have your children run you ragged yet?" Fenrir grinned as he asked the question, prompting an almost shy smile from Mitzi in return. Motherhood had not lessened her adorability in the slightest, he noticed.

"No, but they keep Mitzi- I mean, me, busy," she replied, allowing Fenrir to pull her down onto his lap.

"Well, with that many, they were bound to," the direwolf nodded.

"Mitzi is- I am glad they were born, though. Finally I feel like a real goblin."

Fenrir looked down into her face. He supposed it made sense; with the shorter life expectancy and the general skewing of the sex ratio among goblins, a female who couldn't or wouldn't have children would be shamed and shunned, as each female was important enough to be considered a strategic asset for a goblin tribe. Not that that seemed to be the case for Shazrak's tribe, but the culture was likely slower to change than the situation.

But just in case... "You know that I don't feel you need to bear children to be welcomed here, right? I'm happy to give them to you if you want them, but it was never a requirement."

"Mitzi knows," she said simply. "Mitzi- I mean, I never understood why you care so much about me. I'm not special. I never even thought I was very pretty. But you do, and I'm not going to question it anymore."

"Good, because in this case it's a matter of taste, and I likely couldn't explain it to satisfaction even if I tried. But you know, Mitzi, if you want to refer to yourself in the third person I don't mind."

The goblin looked up at him in confusion. "Third person...? What is that?"

"Referring to yourself as 'Mitzi' instead of 'I'. You've already corrected yourself several times; I'm just saying you don't need to do that on my account."

"Oh. Mitzi has been trying hard to learn Kharov- Kharovian, and everyone else says 'I'. Mitzi thought that was the right way."

"Technically speaking, it is, but that doesn't mean using third person is wrong. It's just a bit more esoteric. -Less used," Fenrir clarified before Mitzi could more than open her mouth. "And honestly, you calling yourself 'Mitzi' like that is kind of cute."

Mitzi ducked her head in a blush, but then peeked back up at him. "Really?"

"Really." Fenrir pulled her a little closer, and she snuggled into his embrace. After a quiet moment, he spoke again. "Were you able to keep up with breastfeeding all your children? None of them seem malnourished, but..."

Mitzi nodded. "Mitzi's nipples got kind of sore, but I had enough milk for all of them. They're eating other food now, but Mitzi's breasts are still making milk. I have to milk myself every day or it hurts."

"Ah, it's supposed to taper off once you're no longer breastfeeding, but I guess my upping your production messed with that. Not to worry, I can fix it. Don't let me forget, okay?"

"Okay. Mitzi likes that they're bigger now, though."

Fenrir smirked down at her, the goblin having placed a hand beneath each breast and presented them for his inspection. They had indeed gone up a size or two, nothing absurd, but still a noticeable increase.

"So they are." He fondled one, Mitzi letting out a little sigh of pleasure as he gave it a gentle squeeze. "Maybe I'll have to explore them more thoroughly later."

A hint of excitement came into her eyes. "Mitzi would like that."

Fenrir grinned, but then assumed a more serious expression as he remembered one particular item he had acquired on his way home from Eldfall. "Do you remember how I told you about us clearing a dungeon while you were in the capital with Elmeria?"

Mitzi nodded, cocking her head to one side in an adorable display of curiosity.

"Well, we were able to acquire the dungeon core, among other things. It's goblinoid in nature, which makes it incompatible with all of my followers ...except you. I didn't say anything about it before now because you were pregnant and I didn't know how it might affect you or your unborn children, but now that's no longer a concern. So what do you say? Would you like to try absorbing it into yourself?"

"...What would it do?"

"From what Saeko's told me, you would gain some of its power. I don't know much more than that, I'm afraid, except that if we found enough of them for you, you could eventually become a dungeon master yourself."

Mitzi thought about it for a long moment, then turned her large blue eyes up to him. "Do you think I should?"

"All things considered, yes, I think you should. I don't believe there is much risk, and if it does give you power, it would set my mind more at ease to know you are capable of defending yourself, even if only a little."

"Then Mitzi will do it," she said simply. Fenrir was struck again by how much trust she showed in him. She didn't need anything more than his recommendation to be decided.

It was humbling.

He knew most of his other girls had a similar level of trust in his abilities and judgement, but the simplicity of Mitzi's belief in him brought it home to him in a way that the others rarely did. He hugged her close. "Then we'll do that tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

Mitzi nodded, snuggling into his embrace with a happy little smile, not seeming at all concerned about the possible dangers of the proposed procedure. Fenrir couldn't help but shake his head in amazement.

They didn't get to enjoy each other's company much longer as an argument developed between two of the goblin children that Mitzi was called off to settle, but as the food was now nearly ready, the moment would have been broken up before long anyway.

As his eyes swept over his gathered followers one more time, however, he noticed there was someone missing. Aimi was nowhere to be seen. She had been present in the courtyard when they had arrived, so he knew she was around, but she wasn't in the kitchens.

This was unusual. Normally, she'd be front and center, doing her best to seduce him into fucking her again, if only by showing herself off. He turned to Kira. "Where's Aimi?"

Kira looked up from Penumbra, grinning. "Sorry boss, she made us promise not to tell. You'll see her soon, though. She's planning a surprise for you."

Fenrir quirked an eyebrow. "Aimi's planning a surprise? Not sure if I should be excited or concerned."

"Oh, don't worry, we helped her with it. You'll enjoy it," Kira said, leaning over to retrieve a toy Penumbra had accidentally thrown beyond her limited reach. "At least, I think so."

"...You're not doing much to increase my confidence," Fenrir replied, but he grinned as he said it. Kira smirked back, and a moment later Lilli was calling them to eat.

The evening meal was largely uneventful, Fenrir simply enjoying the presence of his family as they all talked and laughed together. He related the details of his trip to them all, Nelith and Koreen chiming in here and there with details to the appreciative audience. Though she hid it well, Fenrir noticed one or two calculating looks thrown his way by Saeko, particularly while he was telling them about his clandestine operations. He pretended not to notice.

Once the meal was over and his succubi started towards their sex den in anticipation of another orgy, however, Fenrir took a moment to pause by Myrina and tell her, "Meet me in the courtyard tomorrow morning. I wish to spar with you again."

The look she gave him was very much akin to that of a deer caught in headlights, but he didn't give her a chance to respond, instead immediately moving on towards the door. If she showed up, great, but even if she didn't, he would simply hunt her down. Either way, he intended for the morrow to be decisive for their relationship.

For the moment, however, he had other things to focus on, such as Aimi's surprise. He found it, and her, in the sex den, where she was thoroughly trussed up with some of the soft rope they had brought back from Eldfall and hanging from one of the racks that had been brought in for the purposes of storing the bondage gear. "So this is the surprise," he commented, admiring the careful shibari she was encased in.

The brilliantly dyed rope crossed back and forth over her chest and stomach, forming scarlet diamonds which stood out against her milky white skin in striking contrast. It also accentuated her already large breasts, two loose lengths of line cupping each boob and lifting it slightly, not that they really needed the support what with the trademark perkiness of succubus breasts. That seemed to be the only place where the rope had any slack, though, everywhere else Fenrir could see being tight enough to dig slightly into her skin as if to highlight just how soft her body was.

Her arms were lifted behind her back in a strict reverse prayer, forcing her chest out still further, and locks of her hair had been incorporated into the bindings to limit her head movement considerably. Further down, her legs were lifted to each side and bound with her ankles to her thighs in a rather **** 'M' shape. Three different ropes looped around her crotch, two on either side and one directly over her pussy with a knot artfully positioned to press against her clit. This last looked a little looser than most of the rest, and Fenrir suspected it was so it could be easily shifted to one side if desired.

Lengths of rope extended from her knees, her shoulders, and several other strategic points across her body to meet at two equidistant points above her head, and it was on these that she was suspended. It didn't look particularly comfortable, but her weight seemed to be evenly distributed across the various lines so that no one point took too much strain. Even the gag she wore was made of rope, a large enough ball to completely fill her mouth having been somehow fashioned from the same cordage as all the rest. The only thing on her which wasn't made of rope was her blindfold, a simple swath of thick black cloth, but even that was secured by means of the scarlet line.

Overall, it was a masterful work of art that Fenrir took his time to properly admire. "It was actually Saeko that did most of the work," Kira volunteered from beside him. "I had no idea she knew anything about this kind of thing, but she's apparently an expert."

Fenrir nodded somewhat absentmindedly, running his fingers along one of the ropes that crossed over Aimi's belly. She trembled under his touch, a muffled moan leaking out through the gag. He'd known Saeko had an interest in shibari from God's Eye, but it seemed that it was an interest she had thoroughly explored to be able to tie Aimi up with such skill.

"That isn't the entire surprise, though, Master," Lilli said, coming up beside him with a sheet of paper in hand. She placed it atop the shelf created by Aimi's bountiful chest and withdrew a step or two so as to be out of the way. Fenrir took it up and read, in what he believed was Aimi's -rather hurried- handwriting:

My wonderful perfect master,
I've been super patient and let you think about it for weeks, but don't you think it's about time you made your decision? I want to belong to you completely. I want you to own me. I'm positive about my decision, which is why I've tied myself up like this. See the way I can't move or talk or do anything? I'm completely at your mercy, and that's how I always wanna be from now on.
Please make me yours. It's everything I've ever wanted. It's what I've been looking for ever since I was old enough to know what I really wanted. YOU'RE what I was looking for.
I'd do
It's not that
Please, Master.
Your favorite toy,
Aimi

Fenrir couldn't help but smile as he read it, despite his misgivings. The crossing out of certain passages was eloquent of Aimi's thought process, helped rather than hindered by the time pressure she had been under when writing it. Nor was she wrong. He had been deliberately dragging his feet on giving her a definite answer, not least because there was a reason aside from her own desire that urged him to do it.

Namely, experimentation. Marking Aimi and then comparing how she reacted versus how Elmeria had would be invaluable in pinning down just how Mark of Submission affected those branded with it. However, he disliked thinking of her as just a test subject, even though, ironically, Aimi herself would be delighted with being treated as such.

It was more than just the thought of taking such a detached view of her personally. He could feel the Dark-race side of himself pushing him to view not just her, but all his followers as pawns, resources with which he could expand his reach and power. It was something he had slowly become aware of over the first month of his reincarnation, and he had carefully guarded against it ever since.

He could see where following that path would lead him. While it did have an excellent chance of working, the throne from which he would eventually come to rule would then be a cold one, with everyone that could have shared in his joys and sorrows long pushed away by the ruthless calculus that had brought him there.

Needless to say, it was not a future he desired, for multiple reasons. And making an experiment of Aimi would be the first little step down that road, so he had hesitated.

But in the end, she was right. It was time he gave her his answer, one way or the other.

The direwolf sighed. "Very well, Aimi, you get your wish. I'll brand you with my Mark of Submission."

Despite being almost entirely unable to move, the bound succubus practically vibrated with joy. A muffled squeal which could not be mistaken for anything other than delighted excitement **** its way past the gag, and Fenrir had the pleasure of watching her muscles strain against the ropes as she tried to push herself closer to him. As she had nothing to push against, this was of course entirely futile, but it served beautifully to highlight just how helpless she truly was.

Fenrir couldn't help but laugh at her display of eagerness. "All right, all right. Calm down, I'm not going to make you wait any longer." He placed a hand on her lower stomach, then paused. "You ready?"

Aimi nodded emphatically in a manner that had to be painful with how it yanked at the locks of hair that had been incorporated into her bindings, but she paid that no mind. "Mmm mm mmmm!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Fenrir turned to the process of applying the Mark. Unlike with Elmeria, there was no resistance the first time he reached into Aimi's psyche. Rather, he was almost pulled in, Aimi not only allowing his presence but inviting him in wholeheartedly. He was welcome here; there was no secret she wanted to keep from him, no corner of her mind that she wished to remain hers alone.

It was this more than anything else that convinced him she really did mean what she had said. Not that he had ever thought she was lying, but he had not been completely convinced she fully understood what it was she was asking for.

Heartened, he unleashed the final stage of the spell, engraving upon her body, mind, and soul the chains that would bind her to his will. As before, it only took a few seconds, and when he lifted his hand from her stomach the familiar symbol was engraved there.

Well, not completely familiar. While it shared many characteristics with Elmeria's Mark, Aimi's was bolder, many of the lines thicker, and there was less gold but more pink in her design. Fenrir didn't recall Ariel mentioning anything about the Mark changing from target to target; he had been led to believe it was only unique for each caster. But then, Ariel had also mentioned it was supposed to be an easily concealed mark on the collarbone, not a womb tattoo, so Fenrir had to assume this was another change to the ability caused by his nature as a Dark-race.

"Wow," Yumiko breathed, staring at Aimi's new brand in open fascination. "It's so pretty..."

There were various head nods from the other succubi, all of whom were now crowded around and admiring their sister's new decoration. "Makes me kinda want one too-" Chellise began, but Fenrir didn't even let her finish her sentence.

"Absolutely not. I'm not giving you a Mark of Submission just because you think it looks pretty."

Chellise pouted. "Why not?"

"Have you forgotten what I told you all back when I asked you to decide whether you wanted to follow me and Nelith wondered why I didn't just enslave you? I said it was important to me that you choose to follow me of your own volition, and that hasn't changed. This" -he gestured towards Aimi's Mark- "takes that choice away. Aimi no longer gets to decide whether or not she wants to obey me. If I tell her to do something, she doesn't get to decide to obey me. She is **** to. I have in large part removed her free will. I will not be doing that to anyone else without a very good reason."

Aimi let out another muffled moan at these words, but Fenrir ignored her, glaring at each of the other succubi as though challenging them to disagree with him. None did.

"Master." Lilli's voice was soft, and when he turned his head to look at her, her eyes were shining with a deep respect. "I'm never going to ask you to Mark me, but if you ever felt the need to do so I would allow it, and it is in large part due to that very mindset. Most, put in your position and given the powers you have, would enslave each and every one of us, preferring absolute control rather than the loose hold you exert." She paused, wrinkling her brow briefly. "No, that is not the right word. Your hold over us is very strong indeed, but it is each of us that chooses to make it so, because it is what we want. As Safara said earlier, you inspire rather than **** us to follow you."

Kira nodded. "I won't lie, the thought of giving up my free will like that scares the shit out of me, but if you asked me to do it I would. Because I know you wouldn't ask without a reason."

Fenrir inclined his head in acknowledgement of both succubi, and a momentary silence filled the room.

It was broken when Chellise spoke up again, now looking thoroughly chastened. "I understand, Daddy. I'm sorry for asking."

"It's okay," Fenrir told her, tousling her hair with one giant hand. "I just wanted to make it very clear that I won't be Marking anyone on a whim. Aimi knew exactly what she was getting herself into and she was actually ready to commit to it, but even so, I would have refused if that were the only reason I had to do it."

"What were your other reasons?" Nelith asked.

"I wanted to know more about the ability as a whole. You know I've Marked Elmeria as well, but she's the first and only person I've ever Marked; well, until now anyway." Fenrir patted Aimi's thigh, earning another increasingly needy moan from her. "Considering how powerful she is, I thought it wise to learn more about how exactly the Mark of Submission affects a person mentally, and comparing Aimi's behavior to Elmeria's should be useful in determining that."

Nelith nodded slowly. "I get it. So you think your Mark affects people mentally?"

"I know it does. What I don't know is just how deeply it does it. I've noticed that Elmeria seems to take more than a normal amount of pleasure in my praise, but I can't be sure that's not just a side effect of her past."

"Her past?" Kira asked.

"Yes. Before she rose to prominence as a Saintess, she was **** to be a prostitute to survive. Which doesn't sound so bad to you, but for her it was a truly terrible experience. Only made worse by the fact that she then had to keep it buried lest she face judgement from- well, pretty much everyone. No one would have been happy to learn their Archbishop used to be a whore, even if it wasn't something she had any control over."

"Do the other Saintesses know?" This came from Lilli, her brow furrowed.

Fenrir shook his head. "No. Aside from the people who were directly involved back then, only she and I, and now you know anything about it. And I'm not convinced any of the people from back then would put together that the 'Ria' they knew is now Elmeria the Archbishop of Marstolle."

Nelith wrinkled her brows as well. "Okay, but why are you telling us this?"

"Because sooner or later you'll meet her, and I'd like you all to try to get along with her."

No one said anything, but Fenrir could see the hesitance on several of their faces.

"Come now, you don't have to be best friends with her, I just want you to be civil, and if you can, try to empathize with her a bit. She's very lonely, after all, since none of the Saintesses could really be said to be real friends, not with a secret like that lying between them. You were able to do it for Safara, weren't you?" He gestured to the elf, who had just entered the room. She hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain, but then seemed to pick up on the fact that the doubtful looks currently directed at her didn't have anything to do with her specifically, and approached with a little more confidence.

"...Well, alright. But if she acts like a bitch to us I'm treating her like one. It's not easy to forget that she meant to take you away from us forever, not to mention that she killed thousands of Dark-races during the war," Kira finally conceded.

"She feels that keenly," Fenrir replied. "It was a war of survival for the Light-races, but even so, the guilt is something Elmeria will likely carry the rest of her life. But we got sidetracked. I've got a delightful new toy here" -he patted one of Aimi's boobs, causing it to bounce deliciously- "and I'd like to have some fun with her."

Over three weeks this time. Bah humbug. On the other hand, the chapter is a bit over five thousand words, so I've at least got something to show for the delay. Most of the reason I'm late is because I caught a rather persistent bug towards the end of last week, so that took a lot of energy out of me. Barely enough to call myself properly sick, but enough for me not to want to do much of anything I didn't actually have to. That kind of condition isn't really conducive to quality writing so I mostly just poked at my story last weekend, writing a couple sentences here and there but not really making any significant progress. I'm still not back to a hundred percent, but I got my motivation back and that's good enough for me.
We finally properly meet Mitzi's children and also get to see how Mitzi herself has been holding up. Violetta's starting to make overtures of friendliness, and Aimi is willing to go to whatever lengths are necessary to convince Fenrir that yes, she really does want to be his ****.
Enjoy!