Explanations

The camping site was indeed an excellent one. Emma did most of the work of setting up camp, as Pamela, Ashley, and Ben had little or no experience at such things. Ben handed out the refreshments, mainly cupcakes, chips, and fruit drinks, with some beef jerky for protein. Emma built a small fire for warmth, but warned that it would have to be put out when they went to sleep to make an ambush less likely. Ben was beginning to enjoy the cameraderie of a group. Pamela alone was a bit of a drag. That's when it hit him that he hadn't told his parents where he was.

"Oh my god! My parents! I haven't called my parents!" Ben yelled frantically. "Oh my god, they must be so worried! I didn't bring my cell phone! There's probably no reception out here anyway!"

"Keep your shirt on, Ben," Pamela said, tossing him a cell phone. "You can use mine. It's untraceable and gets reception anywhere."

Ben held up the phone and found that it indeed had four bars. "Where did you get this thing?" he asked. "I've never seen one like this before."

"Custom made, by me," Pamela said smugly. "Semen powered, so unless you want to power it, keep the conversation short."

Ben dialed his parents' home number. They shoud still be up, he thought, it's only 9PM. His father answered.

"Hello?"

"Dad! It's me! I can't talk long, but I just need you to know that I'm all right!"

"Ben!" his dad exclaimed. "Honey, pick up ! It's Ben! Ben, what were you thinking! You don't come home, then I see you on TV in the Queens Cup, getting your ass beat and then….. again, what the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was with a girl," Ben replied. "I was trying to impress her."

"A girl?" his father asked. "You have a girlfriend? Is it that minotaurus girl that used her breasts on you on TV?"

"No, dad, it's not the minotaurus girl! It's a human girl."

"Diane, pick up the damn phone!" his father yelled. "Ben's got a girlfriend!"

Ben heard his mom pick up the other line, "You have a girlfriend? Are you with her now? Turn the camera on and show us!"

Ben gave a questioning look to Pamela, who gave a thumbs up. Ben turned the camera on and focused it on Pamela.

"Oh, she's pretty!" his mother said. Pamela smiled and blushed.

"Isn't she a little old for you?" his dad asked.

"Dad, you're on speaker!" Ben warned.

"Oh, sorry, miss," Dad said apologetically. "I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that my son only turned eighteen a month ago."

"He's actually with three women," Emma interjected in a teasing tone.

"Three women?!" Dad exclaimed. "Wow, you went from showing almost no interest in girls to this?!"

"It's not like that, Dad," Ben said. "I'm just traveling with them."

Ben winced. He shouldn't have said that. Now his parents would have a million questions.

"Traveling?" his mother asked. "Where are you going?"

"Um…. The Monster Lord's castle," Ben said.

Pamela began putting her finger across her neck. Ben realized that he was definitely talking too much and had been on the phone too long.

"Look, it's hard to explain," Ben said. "Just know that I'm safe and I'll call you again when I can."

"You're an adult now, Ben," his father said. "So if you want to travel, that's your right, but please don't worry your mother. Call us every day if you can."

"And be sure to use protection!" his mother said.

"Mom! Please don't do that!"

"Well, you know there's diseases out there and you don't want to get a girl preg-"

"Mom! I know! I know! Look, I really have to go, this isn't my phone. I'll call you again when I can. Bye."

Ben hung up and handed the phone back to Pamela, who stuffed it back into her purse.

"Well, we better turn in," Pamela said. "I'd like to make sure we get to the castle before nightfall tomorrow."

"How about I take first watch since I already slept?" Ben offered. "I doubt I could get back to sleep this soon anyway."

"We don't need a watch," Pamela said.

"What do you mean, we don't need a watch?" Emma protested. "Did you miss the bandits?"

"My phone can detect any life forms within twenty miles," Pamela said. "In this terrain, that's at least three hours. When someone besides us gets within five miles, an alarm will go off. The phone is the only watch we need."

"Another feature you added?" Ben asked.

"Yep," Pamela confirmed. "Along with a whole bunch of others."

"I wouldn't worry about not getting sleep, Ben," Ashley said. "I'm due for another pill."

Now that she mentioned it, Ben had noticed that she'd refused his offer of snacks. He guessed that she had only one meal on her mind. Emma looked at him questioningly.

"It's a medical thing," he said, embarrassed, and removed his pants for Ashley, who fished out a pill and a bottle of water and repeated what she'd done earlier in the day. The difference this time was that she finished the bottle of water without ever taking his penis out of her mouth. The result was similar, as Ben released his semen into her throat again. He wondered if anything could possibly ever feel better than that. Staggering back to his place by the campfire next to Emma, he sat down in a heap. I'll be going to sleep really soon, now, he thought. Emma was staring at him like he had two heads.

"What?" Ben asked.

"Is Ashley your lover?" Emma asked.

"Ashley? No! I told you, that was a medical thing. You see, she has a sensitive gag reflex…."

"It's true," Ashley said. "Wow, Ben, normally I have to wait an hour for the pill to take effect, but your semen is so amazing it coats my throat just right. Could I have a twinkie?"

Ben reached into his bag and tossed Ashley a twinkie, which she dove into, having no problem swallowing. Emma continued to stare at him. She backhanded him in the chest.

"Dickhead!" Emma said.

"What'd I do?!" Ben asked.

"She's not your lover, so you let her feed, but the other monster with you has to go hungry?"

"I know, Ben," Pamela teased. "Have you no manners?"

"Wh-? I didn't know you were even hungry!"

"Of course I'm hungry!" Emma exclaimed. "I've been walking out here for two days and you denied me a meal an hour ago! Don't you dare go to sleep without feeding me too!"

Ben looked helplessly at Pamela. "Is this what it's like traveling with monsters?" Ben asked.

"This is exactly what it's like traveling with monsters," Pamela said, smirking again. "You might want to think twice before letting any more of them tag along."

"Sure, then, you can feed too, I guess," Ben said. "I just came though, so it might be more work."

"Don't you know anything?" Emma asked. "You don't have a refractory period when monsters make you come. You can just keep on coming again and again until you're dry."

"I can? Is that true?"

"Take down your pants again and find out," Emma said, raising an eyebrow.

Ben did as he was told, removing his pants and sitting back down. Annoyed, Emma pushed him into a prone position on his back and positioned herself between his legs. She began sucking him, with no attempt to start slow. Her technique was aggressive, with long strokes, her rough tongue stimulating every inch of him from tip to base, with her soft lips providing contrast. Ben gasped at the new sensations, hardly believing that it felt that good despite him just having ejaculated in Ashley's mouth.

"How are you so good at that?" Ben asked. "How many guys have you done that to?"

Emma stopped. "How come you didn't ask the succubus that?" she asked, annoyed again.

"I dunno, I guess I just assumed she's done that to hundreds of guys."

"Wow, Ben, really smooth," Pamela said. "No wonder you were such a hit with the ladies before."

"Actually, I've only sucked off eighty-two guys," Ashley said. "Eighty-three, counting you. My mother has been so disappointed in me. I should have sucked off at least two hundred by now. I'm twenty-one, after all."

Emma looked at her the same way she had looked at Ben. Then she shook her head and went back to work. After a moment, she stopped again.

"You're only the second guy I've ever done this to," Emma said. "I'm not really that great. It's the magic."

"Magic? Magic isn't real," Ben said.

Emma stopped again and looked as if she was going to say something snarky, but was cut off by Pamela.

"I'll explain it to him, Emma," Pamela said. "Just enjoy your meal."

Emma shrugged and began attacking Ben's penis even harder. He arched his back in pleasure. Even though succubi were renowned for being the best monsters at sex in the world, he realized that all Ashley had given him was the absent-minded treatment. She needed to take a pill and drink some water, and he just happened to reach orgasm as a result. What Emma was doing was an actual blowjob, and the difference was astounding. It felt even better than what Ashley had done. But what if Ashley actually did this to me? He thought.

"You say you don't believe in magic," Pamela said. "But what do you think critical ecstasy is?"

"I'd heard that critical ecstasy was caused by monsters just giving more intense stimulation to men than human women," Ben said. "Monsters often can do crazier techn- Oh my god! Please do that again!"

Emma had decided that he was talking too much, so had thrown in a twisting motion to see if it would cause him to lose his train of thought. She smiled and obliged him by doing it twice more. He gasped and dug his fingers into the soil.

"Is that why the minotaurus' boobs put you out?" Pamela asked. "I assure you, there's nothing special about her breasts aside from their size. It's magic. Is it normal for you to not have a refractory period?"

"It must be…. Oh! Wow! Hormones or something!"

"Hormones are chemical and detectable," Pamela countered. "Science has still not gotten to the bottom of why monsters cause critical ecstasy in males."

"Magic…. Is just…. What we call… things we don't understand yet…. Ahhhhh!!!!"

Emma had decided it was fun making him stutter, so she'd gone to only the twisting motion whenever he tried to talk. She was rewarded with his semen splashing into her mouth. He was rewarded with his best orgasm yet, as the wonderful twisting caused her rough tongue to stimulate him just under his head in an incredible motion that just made the orgasm grow and grow until he was finally spent.

"Wow! That was super delicious!" Emma said. "Really thick, too. I love it!"

Ben was sure he would definitely pass out now. Emma began to rise, but Pamela gestured for her to stay a moment. Emma looked at her questioningly.

"A little scientific experiment," Pamela explained. "Ben, still with us?"

"Huh?" Ben asked, turning his head to look at Pamela.

"So your dick is getting soft," Pamela said. "Two orgasms. Is that the most you've ever had?"

"I'm not going to discuss my masturbation habits around three ladies," Ben said tiredly.

"We don't need details, just give us the number," Pamela asked.

"Two is the most I've done in one day," Ben said. "I tried for three, but it was kinda painful and I had trouble getting hard."

"Emma, give him just one lick," Pamela instructed.

Emma complied, and added a little mustard to it, starting at his balls and licking slowly and firmly all the way to his tip. His penis became rock hard instantly.

"Now bite it," Pamela instructed. "Hard."

"What?!" Ben exclaimed, now fully awake. "No, do not bite me!"

Emma flashed a wicked smile. Before Ben could protest again, she put his penis in the side of her mouth and bit down with authority, so that almost all of the teeth on her left side clamped down on his head and shaft.

"Oh my god!" Ben said. "You've destroyed my dick! Wait a minute, that actually felt really good!"

"Want me to do it again?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Ben said. "As an experiment, of course."

"Of course," Pamela said, smiling. "Careful though, Emma, no matter what you do it'll feel good, but you don't want to actually cause injury. He'll feel it in the morning if you do."

Nodding, Emma bit him again, then opened and closed her mouth in an exaggerated chewing motion, her teeth biting his head and shaft again and again. Ben leaned back, moaning in pleasure. Emma rewarded him with another long lick and then stood up and went to unpack her sleeping bag.

"I didn't know I could do that," Emma said. "That was interesting."

"That's the magic," Pamela replied. "It's an evolutionary response. Monsters needed semen, so everything about their sexuality evolved to make semen extraction fast and efficient. No refractory period, everything feels amazing even if the monster isn't skilled, and if she makes a mistake, such as her teeth scraping him, or squeezing him too tight, it still feels amazing. That way the men don't try to get away."

"So why's your semen so thick and yummy?" Emma asked. "I've never tasted anything like that before."

"The taste is his Earth heritage," Pamela explained. "Earth guys taste a lot better than native guys."

"I've noticed that!" Ashley interjected. "Earth guys are super delicious!"

"As for the thickness, that's his slug heritage," Pamela said.

"You have a slug ancestor?" Emma asked. "Weird. I understand the thickness, but I would assume it would taste all mucous like, which would be a little gross."

"What do I taste like then?" Ben asked.

"Kinda like a vanilla milkshake," Emma replied. "Like I said, never tasted semen that good before."

"A vanilla milkshake? Really?" Ben asked.

"Yep," Emma confirmed. "I'm definitely gonna want that again."

"Ben, don't fall for it," Pamela warned. "She's pranking you. She's going to try to get you to taste it and then laugh when she sees your face."

"No, he does actually taste like a vanilla milkshake," Ashley said. "No prank."

"Really?" Pamela asked. "Now I'm going to have to taste him some time. For science, of course."

Ben drifted off to sleep to the sound of his three companions discussing the taste of his semen. That was not something he ever envisioned himself experiencing.

The group made it to the Monster Lord's castle late in the afternoon, having set a somewhat slower pace than planned. Pamela's phone app had detected possible threats a few miles to the west, so they had taken a more northeasterly course to avoid the likely bandits.

The castle was even bigger than Ben had imagined it would be. The photographs didn't do it justice. Pamela seemed unfazed, but Ashley and Emma stared in awe at the majestic spires that must have been at least three hundred feet high. The drawbridge was down. Ben had read that the drawbridge was almost always down due to the Monster Lord fearing no attack, but wanting to welcome visitors. In ancient times, only monsters could visit the castle. Humans had resided there only as slaves, lovers, or mates of the monster residents. Today, the castle was supposedly open to all tourists, although Ben had long wondered whether the welcome mat was really extended to humans, given how hard it was for humans to get to the place.

As the party crossed the draw bridge to the entrance, they were stopped by security guards, monsters of course, who used metal detectors to check for weapons. To Ben's surprise, they had no problem with Emma's sword, but were very bothered by the beeps she was generating elsewhere on her body. Was it her light armor? Annoyed, Emma pulled a pistol out of a concealed holster on her left side and handed it over to the guards.

"She has a gun," Ben said to his Ashley and Pamela. "All this time she's been packing! Oh my God, she has a gun! Did you know about this?"

"No," Pamela replied. "Does it matter? Looks like she has more than one gun."

Emma was also handing a small pistol to a guard that she had hidden in her boot, then reached to her back and pulled out a sawed off shotgun that had been concealed in her jacket.

"This is all the firearms in your possession, ma'am?" one of the guards asked her. "We don't like throwing people in our extremely old and poorly ventilated dungeons, but that is the penalty for bringing a firearm into the castle."

"That's all of 'em," Emma confirmed.

"We'll return these to you on your way out," the guard assured her. After checking Ben and his other two companions, they were waved through into the castle proper.

The first thing Ben noticed were the portraits of the Monster Lords, starting with the Dark God herself, Alipheese the First. That portrait was almost abstract art. It was impossible to tell what the Dark God looked like. The portraits after that were much clearer. Saja, the second Monster Lord. Alipheese the Eighth: Black Alice. He'd expected her to look sinister, but she actually looked kind of adorable, wearing pig tails. Alipheese the Sixteenth, the wife of the hero Luka Fateburn, another famous Monster Lord. Alipheese the Seventeenth, the longest reigning and greatest of the Monster Lords. The Fateburn line ended after Alipheese the Twenty-third.

"What happened to the Fateburn dynasty?" Ben asked, noticing for the first time that a tour guide, a friendly looking echidna, had joined them.

"A lot of tourists ask me that," the echidna said. "It's one reason that I got this job. I am Alice, a direct descendant of the Fateburn line."

"Really?!" Emma asked, surprised and delighted. "Wow, you have their characteristic pattern!"

"I do," Alice said proudly. "Had the Fateburn line not ended 1200 years ago, I would have competed in the succession battle as the first born of my generation. Of course, there are no succession battles anymore."

Pamela looked decidedly uninterested in all this, but Ashley and Emma were enraptured. Ben was interested himself. He thought he knew his history, but somehow he'd neglected memorizing the seemingly endless succession of Monster Lords after the Seventeenth.

"The reason the Fateburn line ended was simply that the Alice who should have followed Alipheese the Twenty-third was not very interested in being Monster Lord. She competed in the succession battle out of a sense of obligation, but due to her lack of commitment was unable to prevail. Many Fateburn descendants tried to recapture the throne over the centuries, the last one about seven hundred years ago. None succeeded."

"Wow, what an underwhelming end for such a distinguished line," Ashley commented.

"More than a distinguished line," Alice explained. "The original line, an unbroken string of Monster Lords for twenty-three generations. No dynasty managed to replace it for the next one thousand years. No family held the throne for more than three generations after the Fateburns were deposed. Today, of course, the Hatano line rules, and has ruled for three hundred years. Since the position is now strictly hereditary, they will rule as long as they can produce offspring."

"Since the Hatanos are kitsunes, I don't think that will be a problem," Pamela snarked.

"No, kitsunes reproduce with far more ease than echidnas do," Alice said. "It is good that the Hatanos are on the throne, however. The position of Monster Lord is almost entirely ceremonial today, and has been for the last two hundred years. Kitsunes are more… telegenic than echidnas."

"I dunno, most of the Fateburns were really beautiful," Ben said. "Especially Alipheese the Fifteenth. I just can't take my eyes off this portrait."

"Yes," Alice laughed. "Our histories say that she could seduce a man with but a look, even if he was an Ilias follower. Alas, she did not marry. She mated with a man and never saw him again, then she died tragically. She was a superb Monster Lord, but her reign was very short."

"The next two reigned a very long time, though," Emma commented.

"Indeed," Alice confirmed. "Alipheese the Sixteenth ruled sixty-eight years, and her daughter ruled an incredible one hundred and eighty years."

"Will we get to meet the Monster Lord?" Ashley asked eagerly.

"You will," Alice said, smiling. "Due to our remoteness, visitors trickle in slowly, only a few per day. The Monster Lord usually has time to meet with all of them. But first, we must complete the tour. The short tour, anyway. You've arrived late in the day, so there is no time to show you the entire castle. However, if you wish to stay and get the full tour tomorrow, you may."

"I'd like to stay here forever," Ashley said in wonder.

"You may stay for a good long time if you wish," Alice said. "But any stays past one week must be paid for with service. As a succubus, you would make an excellent tour guide."

"I don't know if I want a job, but I'll give it some thought," Ashley replied.

Alice guided us to a room with no windows and soft lighting. The room was filled with photographs on the walls.

"Do not try to use any photography in this room," Alice warned. "There is an enchantment to prevent it, as it could damage these ancient photos. Your phone or camera will cease to function, never to be used again. We also wish to keep these photos exclusive. We want people to visit to see these wonders, not simply look them up online."

"What are these photos?" Emma asked. "You say they are really old?"

"Very," Alice confirmed. "The oldest ones are in the corner. They were taken by Luka Fateburn himself. For a short period of time when he was still very young he became obsessed with photographing those he loved. That picture is of Tamamo, the nine tailed fox, and the greatest of all foxes. Legend has it that she was an Ancestor, and immortal."

"Wow," Ashley breathed, pointing to a picture of a lovely succubus. "Who is this?"

"That is Alma Elma," Alice answered. "The queen succubus during the reins of Alipheese the Sixteenth and most of the reign of Alipheese the Seventeenth."

Emma squealed in delight when she found a picture of a grim looking dragonkin. "That must be Granberia! I've seen portraits of her but I never imagined there was an actual photograph! I love the way she's holding her sword! She looks fierce!"

"If you are a Granberia fan, I have a special treat for you," Alice said. "Come into this side room where we keep many more photos. I can show you dozens of Granberia. Luka was especially fond of photographing her. We simply placed the best one out here."

"Yes!' Emma exulted. "Please show me!"

Pamela simply put her hands in her jean pockets as she browsed the photos. The only one that Ben noticed a reaction to was a photo of Luka Fateburn with one arm around a very reluctant to be photographed woman. The expression on her face was one of wry amusement, trying to pretend she wasn't enjoying being photographed, but in fact quite happy to submit to it. The woman had unruly brown hair and wore a lab coat. In fact, she looked a lot like…

"Pamela, is that an ancestor of yours?" Ben asked. "She looks so much like you!"

Pamela didn't respond, caressing the picture with a soft smile on her face. "I'd forgotten that this existed…." She said quietly.

"It is pretty remarkable, isn't it?" Ben observed. "He's the guy who brought a whole bunch of the technology we take for granted today to this world. It's awesome that he took high quality photos of such key historical figures. I never thought I'd see actual photos of…. Oh my God, this is Alipheese the Sixteenth! Who is the little girl she's holding?"

Pamela pulled herself away from the photo she'd been staring at to see what Ben was asking about.

"Oh, that's Alipheese the Seventeenth as a child," Pamela explained.

"Yes it is," Alice said, reentering the room. "Luka loved her as if she was his own child. He even insisted that the true father be part of her life, which was as unprecedented in the Fateburn dynasty as marriage. It is believed that having two such wonderful men in her life was the reason her reign was so successful. Her mother and grandmother had believed in coexistence, but that was despite their mistrust of humanity. Alipheese the Seventeenth loved humanity with all of her heart, and completed the work that her mother and Luka began."

"The guy was a saint," Ben said. "Did he have a jealous bone in his body?"

"I'm afraid I didn't know him, but the histories seem to indicate that he was never jealous," Alice said. "His wife rewarded him by occasionally letting him enjoy sexual escapades with other monsters, especially the Heavenly Knights. For any lamia, especially an echidna, to allow that is almost unheard of. Lamias have been known to be so jealous that they will wrap their mates up and never set them free. Many men have spent their lives coiled in a lamia's tail."

"A fifteen foot leash," Pamela chuckled.

Emma emerged from the side room as well. Alice signaled that it was time to continue the tour. The rest of it was interesting, but not nearly as impactful. They saw a training room, a server farm which was the "brain" of the castle's sophisticated technology, and the Monster Lord's residence. Ben knew that what they'd seen was only a small fraction of the castle. But it was getting towards nightfall, so it was time for Alice to clock out. She took them to their last stop for the day, the throne room.

The Monster Lord was waiting for the group in the throne room. Ben was enraptured by her beauty. She was an eight tailed fox girl with long, flowing red hair and a face that would be imprinted on his memory forever. He'd seen pictures of her before, even seen her on TV. The screen did not do her beauty full justice. Ashley and Emma were similarly enraptured, assumedly for different reasons. Even though the Monster Lord wielded little temporal power in the modern world, she was still an important historical and spiritual figurehead to monsters, and even to many humans.

The Monster Lord smiled broadly as she descended from the throne to greet her guests. She shook hands with Ashley first.

"Are you from Succubus City?" the Monster Lord asked.

"Yes, I am!" Ashley said. "I came because I have a medical problem I was hoping you could help with."

"After you leave here, go to our infirmary," the Monster Lord said. "Our healers have access to certain magics and technologies that the rest of the world does not."

Ben scoffed, albeit silently. He still believed all that stuff was superstitious mumbo jumbo, but perhaps her problem with her gag refles was all in her head and whatever the healers did would help. After all, she could swallow one thing, why couldn't she swallow other things? Had to be mental, Ben thought.

The Monster Lord shook hands with Emma next. "A dragonkin warrior!" the Monster Lord said approvingly. "Your people have been the backbone of the world's militaries for hundreds of years. Do you plan to join the United Provinces Army?"

"I'm afraid not, your majesty," Emma replied. "I'm from Hellgondo. I'm not a United Provinces citizen, nor am I interested in becoming one. I learned to fight for the joy of combat."

"Ah, well if you are from our continent, perhaps one day you may be called upon to defend it. I know that we can count on you."

"Always, your majesty!" Emma said proudly.

"And you," the Monster Lord said, shaking hands with Ben. "A human? We don't get many. Congratulations on making the tough journey. You have an interesting smell. Are your ancestors from Earth?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ben replied.

"Most humans with Earth blood also have monster blood," the Monster Lord said. "I can't place the smell, though. May I taste you?"

"Say yes," Emma whispered.

"Um….."

"it is a great honor to be licked by the Monster Lord," Emma whispered, elbowing Ben's side.

"Sure," Ben replied.

The Monster Lord licked Ben where his shoulder met his neck. Even though it wasn't a sexual thing, the feeling of her tongue sent shock waves of pleasure through him. Maybe there was something to this sexual magic thing?

"Slug!" the Monster Lord exclaimed. "A very honorable race. Now, who are you?"

The Monster Lord shook hands with Pamela, sniffing her. The Monster Lord wrinkled her nose.

"You aren't human," the Monster Lord said matter of factly. What? Ben thought. If Pamela's not human, what is she?

"I'm afraid not," Pamela said. "Nor am I here as a tourist. I have business with you, your majesty."

"What kind of business?" the Monster Lord asked.

"The world is in great danger," Pamela explained.

"Then why come all the way to see the Monster Lord? The President is the appropriate person to see. I have no real power."

"You have a weapon that we need," Pamela answered.

"Do we?" the Monster Lord asked, arching an eyebrow. "May I ask which weapon you are referring to?"

"That one," Pamela said, pointing at a sword on display in the throne room. It was the weirdest looking sword Ben had ever seen.

"Angel Halo?" the Monster Lord asked. "Oh, is that all? You only need the most legendary, sacred sword in the entire castle? And why would I give it to you?"

"Because every Monster Lord for the last one thousand years has been taught that one day a legendary figure from the past would come and request the sword in order to save the world."

"And who among you is this legendary figure?" the Monster Lord asked skeptically.

"I am," Pamela said.

"Really," the Monster Lord replied, smirking.

"I see you don't believe me," Pamela said. "Go ahead, taste me. You'll know for sure when you do."

Ben wasn't understanding any of this. He was now quite convinced Pamela was mad. The Monster Lord thought for a moment, then, making a decision, licked Pamela in the same place she'd licked Ben. She smacked her lips, and wrinkled her nose again, as a look of disgust crept across her face.

"Wow! Great going Pamela!" Ben yelled as the group was roughly escorted out of the castle. "You're a solid oh for two now! No ring, no sword!"

"At least they gave me back my guns," Emma said, showing her weapons back into their holsters one by one.

"I don't understand," Pamela muttered. "Did she not recognize my smell? Did her tongue not tell her how old I was?"

"You're really smart, but you're a crazy person!" Ben shouted as they walked across the drawbridge. "Now we get to walk two days just to get back to New Remina! I'm going home! Whatever this quest is, find someone else!"

"You're on a quest?" Emma asked.

"Yes, we're on a quest!" Pamela said with frustration. "And you're right, Ben. I've done a pretty crappy job so far. But I'm going to make up for it now."

The group had reached the other side of the drawbridge. The security guards had taken their posts again. Pamela turned to face the castle. She seemed to be preparing herself for something.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"Shut up!" Pamela said sharply. "I need to concentrate. This is dangerous. If I don't get this exactly right I'm going to be in a world of hurt."

"You're going to try to teleport indoors, aren't you?" Emma said.

"That's the idea," Pamela confirmed. "I can do this. I know the castle well. I've got an eighty percent chance of pulling this off. Only a five percent chance of dying. It's not that risky. I can do this."

"What? Teleport?" Ben asked. "You are so crazy! You're a madwoman! Believing in all this magic nonsense!"

Ben was talking to nothing. Pamela had already disappeared. Ben stood there in shock.

"What just happened? What did she do?" Ben asked.

"She teleported, dumbass," Emma said. "Isn't that what she said she was going to do?"

"B-but that's impossible! Does she have an app for that or something?"

"I didn't see her using her phone," Emma replied. "So yeah, magic."

Pamela reappeared about ten feet behind them, a sword in her hand.

"We need to run!" Pamela shouted, taking off.

"What?!" Ben screamed. "Did you steal that? Oh my God, I'm an accomplice to a felony!"

"Shut up and run!" Emma shouted, kicking Ben in the rear.

Ashley was already flying ahead of Pamela. Ben and Emma caught up to her. Ben looked back to see if they were being pursued. They were not, because there was some kind of glowing barrier blocking the castle entrance. Security guards were trying to get through it but couldn't seem to get past it.

"Did you do that, too?" Ben panted.

"Yep," Pamela replied. "I can't keep it up long though, so run like hell!"

They had evaded pursuit for the time being, although Ben didn't think they could evade it for two days. Great, now I'm going to jail, he thought. There goes my dream of college.

"So where to next?" Emma asked.

"Where to next?" Pamela answered, repeating what Emma had said. "Why, are you coming with us?"

"I'm a warrior, you're on a quest," Emma replied, folding her arms. "If the world is in trouble, then it's my duty to help save it. Therefore, I pledge my sword to Ben."

"I guess we could use someone who is good in a fight," Pamela said, shrugging. "We also need someone to teach slug boy how to use a sword."

"Please don't call me that," Ben said.

"I can do that," Emma said. "Slug boy, we'll do a quick lesson when we set up camp a little later."

"I assume you're not sticking around," Pamela said to Ashley.

"As much as I'd like to leave you for denying me my shot at getting what I went to the Monster Lord's castle for," Ashley replied. " I'm not about to leave my medicine just yet."

"Your medicine?" Ben asked. "You still have your pills, don't you?"

"She means you, dumbass," Emma said. "She can't take her pills without you."

"I haven't decided where we're going yet," Pamela said. "I'll have to think tonight."

"I think you owe slug boy an explanation," Emma said.

"My name is Ben," Ben said with annoyance. "Ben. B-E-N."

"He's not ready for that explanation," Pamela replied.

"Why not?" Emma asked. "He just saw you perform two pretty crazy feats of magic. I knew you weren't human as soon as I met you, although I'm not sure what you are. So what are you?"

Pamela sighed. "Can it wait until we're sure we've evaded pursuit for the night? I promise to explain as much as I can when we set up camp."

"Fair enough," Emma replied. "Let's keep walking, then."

They walked for another three hours, mostly in silence. Ben was now convinced that Pamela wasn't crazy, or maybe she was, but she was also not imagining magic. And if she wasn't imagining magic, and magic was real, then it made it more likely that the threat to the world was real. Which meant that he himself was in grave danger. It was a lot less scary when it just seemed like the ravings of a woman who fascinated and aroused him. Now it seemed very real, and all the more frightening because he had no idea what he was supposed to be scared of.

When Emma had found a good spot, well concealed and comfortable, she inquired of Pamela if there was anyone in the area aside from themselves. Pamela had been checking her phone constantly, and replied that pursuit was still being successfully evaded. There was no one within ten miles. They began to set up camp. Ben's role was once again to hand out snacks. Pamela ate a couple of potato chips. Ashley said that she had to wait until she'd taken her medicine. Emma, however, was enjoying some beef jerky and a bag of chips. They gathered around the fire, eager to hear what Pamela had to say.

"Okay, so where do I start?" Pamela began.

"You can start by telling us what you are, since you're obviously not a human or a monster," Emma prompted.

"Okay," Pamela said. "I'm an angel. Mostly, anyway. I did a lot of experimentation and alteration on myself. That might be why the Monster Lord didn't recognize my scent."

"An angel?" Ben asked in disbelief. "Don't angels have wings and halos?"

"I did once," Pamela replied. "Like I said, I altered myself. I look human, I have a few monster attributes, and I still have some of my angel attributes."

"Makes sense," Emma said. "No one's seen an angel in hundreds of years. Most people don't even believe they exist."

"Wait, so if angels are real…." Ben said. "Oh my God, if angels are real then heaven is real!"

"It sure is," Pamela said. "That's why I can do some magic. Humans have never had much of an affinity for magic. It's generally been limited to monsters and angels, although some humans dabbled in it in ancient times."

"Aren't angels bad?" Ashley asked. "I was always taught that angels were bad."

"Oh, I'm bad," Pamela replied, chuckling. "But don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or any other monster. I don't hate monsters. The only beings I hate are gods. They think they are entitled to rule everyone's lives."

"Wait, gods are real too?" Ben asked.

"They sure are," Pamela said. "I even know a couple."

"So what's your real name?" Emma asked. "I doubt you're an angel named Pamela."

"My real name is Promestein," she replied. "I'm almost three thousand years old."

"Wow!" Ashley exclaimed. "So did you know Luka?"

"I worked for him for a long time," Promestein replied. "That's why I'm on this quest. You see, Luka was almost a god himself. He just didn't have ambitions of ruling anyone. But he was also mortal, unlike real gods. So he had me create a ring that would hold his power, in case his power was needed again. Only someone worthy of that power could wield it. Unfortunately, I was never in possession of it. So I have to find it."

"So is that what slug boy is doing here?" Emma asked. "You think he's the one worthy enough to wield Luka's power?"

"That's my hope," Promestein answered. "He's got a good heart and he's brave. We just have to teach him how to fight."

Despite being called slug boy yet again, Ben was touched. Pamela, who he guessed he should start calling Promestein now, had chosen him because he was a good guy. Ben had always thought of himself as a good guy, but to hear a woman like Promestein say it made him feel ten feet tall.

"Now's as good a time to start as any," Emma shrugged. "Give him that Angel whatever it is."

"Angel Halo," Promestein said, handing the sword to Ben.

"So what's so special about this sword?" Ben asked.

"It seals opponents," Promestein answered. "What that means is that it doesn't kill. It just leeches out an opponent's energy until they can't hold their true form together. They eventually become a smaller, weaker form. For example, if you used it on Ashley, she'd turn into a bat."

"Would I stay a bat forever?" Ashley asked, alarmed.

"No," Promestein replied. "Just until a monster with powerful magic restored you, or given enough time, your power would restore itself. A couple of months in your case. But the most important thing about that sword is that it can hit and seal any being. A normal sword wouldn't be very effective against what we're facing."

"And what are we facing?" Ben asked.

"Well, that's a bit of a story," Promestein said. "I don't know if we have time for it now. You need to get a quick lesson in, help Ashley with her medicine, and then hit the sack."

"Okay, well, before I start, I need to go pee, if that's okay," Ben said.

"No problem," Emma replied. "No one but us here, right?"

Promestein double checked her phone. "Nope, we're clear."

Ben left the sword by the fire and went deeper into the woods. He undid his pants, and sighed in relief as he let out all of the urine he'd built up in the day's journey. Just when he finished, a hand slapped over his mouth and something wrapped around his body. A voice whispered in his hear.

"Be very quiet," the voice, a female voice, instructed. "We're going to walk slowly back to your camp, and I'm going to trade you for that sword. I assure you, you cannot resist me."

"Okay, okay," Ben whispered. "Whatever you say, just don't eat me or rape me or anything."

"As tasty as you smell, I want the sword more. So if all goes well, you shall go to sleep tonight without my teeth in your neck."

They slowly made their way back to the camp. When Ashley and Emma caught Ben's scent, they turned. Emma reacted first, drawing her sidearm and pointing it at whoever was holding him.

"Easy now, easy!" Ben said. "She just wants the sword!"

"Listen to the boy!" the woman hissed. "the sword is not worth any of your lives!"

Emma continued to train her gun on Ben's captor, as he was nudged forward to where Angel Halo lay near the campfire. Ashley and Promestein stayed seated, ready to spring into action if an opportunity presented itself.

"Pick up the sword!" Ben's captor commanded. Ben reached down and did as he was told. At that moment, he heard a loud clap of thunder as Emma fired at the form behind him.

His captor staggered back, then flew at Emma, knocking her down. Emma quickly gained the upper hand on her assailant, however, mounting her and raining punches down on her head. Enraged, the creature threw Emma off and charged at Ben, who was holding Angel Halo. In a panic, he swung Angel Halo, making solid contact with the caped form. The creature hissed and backed away, then surged forward again and knocked Ben silly with one punch. Ben dropped the sword as he hit the ground, dazed. He fumbled for it, attempting to protect it long enough for Emma to get back in the fight.

Ben needn't have worried. Emma picked up the sword and with great skill struck at the creature, striking it again and again with Angel Halo. The creature hissed a final time before being sealed in the form of a bat. Emma turned on Promestein, enraged

"I thought we were alone!" Emma yelled.

"Damn vampire!" Promestein exclaimed. "One of the few beings my app can't pick up!"

"This sword is weird, but it has nice balance," Emma commented.

"Why did that vampire want the sword?" Ben asked when he regained his breath and composure.

"I doubt she was working for the Monster Lord," Promestein said. "Otherwise she would have reported our location and waited for backup. No, she was trying to take it, either to sell it on the black market, or take it back to the castle for a reward. One thing's for sure, I know where we're going next."

"Oh really?" Emma asked. "Where?"

"We're going to the Forest of Spirits," Promestein said. "Ben needs the spirits. Ben, you may be strong and athletic, but you have no concept of combat. You're not going to get there getting sword lessons here and there from Emma. You'll need the edge the spirits will give you."

"The spirits?" Ben asked, "What are the spirits?"

"Help Ashley with her medicine," Promestein instructed. "I'll explain it while you're doing that."