Aaralon makes a discovery

After a while Aaralon turned back towards the demoness. His eyes sparkled spitefully. "Well, I wonder who will come looking where these lusty screams came from?"

Pursha gave him a quick glance with her ebon eyes and said in an abyssal voice "Oh, don't worry bout that, sweetheart. I put a sound shield around this room just in time. And a physical block as well. We won't be disturbed til daylight comes." Her smile was vicious and triumphant.

Recognizing his defeat Aaralon sighed. He might as well settle in for a long night. Still a bit shaken from the recent development of things he slowly gathered his clothes and dressed up again. A silent sob reminded him of Winna. He cursed his luck for drawing her into this mess. As much as he had longed for her attention he'd never have wished such a fate for her. She wasn't even a magician apprentice but a simple serving maid. If anything, Winna just had an unexploitable awareness for arcane matters. Not even enough to learn the most basic cantrips. Beyond that she was only a pretty, young girl. And innocent. He had a feeling that she wouldn't stay like that.

Cautiously he went over to the crouching blonde girl. When he squatted down and lifted a hand to adjust a disordered strap of her nighty, she winced back.

"Shushh" he said softly, trying to hide any uncertainty in his voice. "Relax. I mean you no harm."

She sniffed and lifted her head. Her weak, green eyes filled his heart with sorrow. "What's happened? How did I get here? One moment I was drifing into sleep... and then..." Her voice broke.

Aaralon put an arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her closer. Like a scared child she leaned into him, and silently sobbed against his chest. "It's just a dream" he lied. "Just a very strange and disturbing dream."

For quite some time he held Winna like that until she fell into a light, uneasy sleep. Her head was bedded on his lap and he absent-mindedly stroked her wispy hair. His focus had fully shifted to the succubus who now stood motionless in the middle of the room. Her eyes were closed and her dark wings neatly tucked against her back.

What was she doing?

Aaralon cursed himself for his stupidity. How easly had she tricked him into using the wrong binding focus. She was dangerous. Very dangerous. And yet, something felt wrong. In the books he had studied, succubi had been described as being unrestrained and sexually unbridled when released. They fed on emotions and passion. And they wouldn't bother much about their victims and drain them off their life blood with lightning speed.

So why was he still alive?

He needed to know more about this alien being. Why did she just stand there, apparently lost in thought and away from this world? Quickly he gathered his strenght and wispered a silent spell. His perceiption opened up, slipping onto the plane of thoughts and memories. Cautiously he sent a weak thread towards the succubus. When he could sense her presence on the psychic plane he stopped. She hadnt discovered him yet.

Even more carefully he started to probe for psychic shields. There were none! Taken aghast by this unexpected discovery he almost lost his concentration. What would he find if he probed on? He had to decide quickly. Screw luck, and lords of magic may help! Bundling his thoughts into a tiny needle-thread he pressed on. For a brief instance he grazed the succubus' mind. As swiftly as he came he withdrew and slipped back to the plane of life.

Aaralon was really surprised.

He didn't know what he had expected. A whirlwind of lust, passion, sex, power and emotions. Whatever. Instead he had looked upon an empty plain - arid, barren, just like abandoned country. Only in the far distance he had more felt than seen an unsaturated hunger. And a searing rage. Like a caged tiger. Just when he had left again, he had discovered the tangled web of beaming lines and spirals floating behind a frame of black spider silk strands.

At least now he knew what she was doing. The web of lines and spirals was nothing but the intricate pattern of spells of protection spun by the head magicians of the college. Whatever Pursha was... she was no fool. Her studying the enchantment web before she took her next steps proved that much.

And he had discovered something else. Way more important. Might be he could not directly attack the succubus, he still could cast spells at her. Interesting. Intruiging. A time would come when he could exploit this weakness. Until then he would be Pursha's helpful assistant.