I am Succubus!

Chapter 295

The first merchant vessel we found came with us. There was no telling how many people we needed to save, and having an extra ship could accommodate a lot more bodies. As we sailed closer to the Triplets, the tension in the air grew thicker. The light elves weren't cautious of us succubi anymore. Everyone was more worried about what lurked under the sea.

I peered into the waters. It somehow looked a lot darker and foreboding than the sea around Raelon Island. Mio fearlessly sat on the edge, kicking her feet and humming merrily. The winds sent her hair fluttering, and she enjoyed every moment of it.

"Mio, can you come down from there? What if you slip off?" I asked.

"What are you, stupid? If I slip off, I'll fly back up. You can fly, too!" Mio laughed.

"R-Right… Seeing how scared everyone looked almost made me forget. Do you think it's possible the succubi flew back when the ship sank?"

"We're pretty far out. Hell, I dunno if I'd make it. Remember, we fly using our magic and wings. If we run out of sexual energy, it's over for us. I think it's more likely they didn't wanna take that risk, seeing how far it is from land," she explained.

I walked to the aft of the ship. The merchant vessel sailed behind us off to the side. Some of the succubi and sailors waved to me. Rowessa, who was at the helm with the captain, flashed a thumbs up.

Then a dark silhouette passed between both ships. I rubbed my eyes to make sure if I'd actually seen it. Nothing. Rowessa noted my concern and alerted the captain. The figure underneath the ocean showed up again from their port side.

"Behemoth! Behemoth to the port of the merchant ship!" I shouted.

Erma shot a tense look at me from the helm, but she didn't hesitate.

"Everyone to your stations! Open the sails and get our starboard-side gunports facing south! Every single cannon better manned in sixty seconds, or it's mop duty for the rest of the way home!" Erma boomed.

The entire ship groaned as it veered a hard 90-degree turn. Meanwhile, the merchant vessel sailed full speed ahead past us. Whatever it was hadn't moved an inch, but everyone could see the silhouette visible in the waters from the starboard. Mio landed next to me and squinted.

"We might be in for a fight!" Mio shouted.

A gigantic pair of octopus-like tentacles sprung from the ocean. They must be a meter in width and as tall as the highest point of the mast. My mind couldn't fathom anything of such size back on Earth. I stood there stunned at the sight of it, wondering how much bigger the creature could be. But my shock lasted only for a second—

"Open fire!" Erma bellowed.

The entire world rocked. Explosions sounded off like point-blank fireworks. Gunpowder filled the air, and its bitter taste spread across my tongue. Cannonballs whistled across the ocean. Most of them missed the behemoth's tentacles. One managed to hit an appendage, and it shrank back into the ocean. Four more rose in its place and slammed down on the waters, sending a large wave right for us.

"Shit. Aft to the wave! The ship won't stand a hit like that from the side!" Erma yelled to the helm.

The captain spun the wheel, but we weren't going to turn in time. That wave was coming way too fast. Mio thought the same. Our gazes met, and she nodded. We flew off the ship and channeled as much magic into the palm of our hands, then it let loose at the coming wave. The sheer force of impact dispersed the energy, sending smaller ripples out in every direction.

A smaller wave hit the ship and jostled everyone on board, but not strong enough to topple it. Mio and I breathed a sigh of relief. We turned back in the direction of the behemoth, but the silhouette and tentacles were gone. 

"What was that?!" I cried.

"Dunno for sure unless we see the body. Could've been a veraquid. Barsepod maybe? Definitely not a ravager. Those things would've swallowed the ship whole instead of messing with us," Mio wondered aloud.

"Ugh… I really don't want to be out here anymore. Let's get back to the ship…"

When we landed back on the ship, the crew gave us a hero's welcome. They gathered around and cheered. Heck, it was probably the happiest I'd ever seen them look at a succubus.

"Saeko, Mio!" Erma squeezed through to get to us. "It's not an exaggeration to say you're quick thinking saved everyone on board. Well done!"

"Thanks, but what the hell almost sank the ship?" I asked.

"Your guess will be as good as mine." She shook her head, just as unsure as we were. "There are so many different kinds of behemoths, it's far too difficult to tell. For now, you two seemed to have repelled it. Or, it lost interest in us. Either way, we're not being hunted anymore. We're almost upon the Triplets though. Time to start divvying up search parties to cover as much ground as possible."

Even from here, I could tell the islands' jungle canopies were way way too thick for us succubi to search from the sky. We could easily fly over someone without even realizing it. A ground-search was the only way.

The Triplets consisted of the Little Triplet, Big Triplet, and Runt Triplet. They were all fairly big islands, but the difference in sizes between them were very apparent even from afar. A scouting party confirmed that there were monsters on the islands. Erma split her soldiers into two groups, one led by herself and the other by the ship captain. They planned to search the Little Triplet and Runt Triplet.

Myself, Mio, and the succubi volunteered to search the Big Triplet. We might not be able to search by flight, but I had a better idea.

"We're going to split up into groups of two," I instructed my succubi subjects on the merchant ship. "Then spread evenly along the edge of the island and enter to look for them to cover the most ground. By the time we meet in the middle, a pair should have found them already. If not, we'll know this wasn't the island they got beached on."

"Yes, Queen Saeko!" Everyone saluted.

I noticed Erma smiling at me from her ship. Was she impressed by my leadership? I'd be lying if I said that didn't give me a high. After all, the legate was a legend among her people. And also an exceedingly thirsty about being my sex slave.

The light elves took lifeboats out to the other two islands. Meanwhile, the succubi and I flew across Big Triplet. With Mio making my pair, we took our spot on the eastern side of the island and entered the thick jungle wall. Curtains of vines impeded our every step. Flying around would be dangerous and risk us getting entangled.

"Okay, Mio. This time, no throwing magic willy-nilly. I don't want us burning another island. It'd be worse this time around since there are people here," I said.

"I get it, I get it! Give me a break. That was a total accident! I swear on my succubus soul, I won't burn down the island," Mio replied playfully.

We paused when the shrubbery ahead of us rustled. Mio ignited a fire spell into her hand, only to remember half a second later and changed it to an ice spell instead. Something sprung out. A white and black striped boar monster the size of a wheelbarrow with horns on its head.

The two of us fired our spells, but the thing was too quick. We dove to the side to avoid its charge. It let loose a harsh squeal and went into another sprint. Mio clicked her tongue and conjured her signature chains, seizing it in place. I fired an icicle that pierced the beast through its skull. Momentum carried it up to our feet.

"Is it dead?" I nudged the boar with my foot.

"Oh, hey! These are island swines! Commonly found in islands across Elza. Whenever the larders went empty on a ship, you can always count on finding these piggies for some food," Mio explained, kneeling down to poke it with a stick.

"It looks like pigs from Earth, too. Not very appetizing though…"

"Maybe not to you, but— Wait, that's it! If those dummies are stuck on this island, then they're probably hunting island swines for food!" she exclaimed.

We followed its tracks deeper into the jungle. Mio created a blade of ice to hack at the vines and foliage in our way. Soon, we came upon a village made of wooden huts lean-tos. There was a skewered boar roasting over a campfire. Some succubi were carving up fresh game to get cooking.

Drying racks made of sticks and bones had clothes drying on them. Tanning racks pulled skinned leathers taut. One hut even had a freaking bird singing within a birdcage from twigs and the ribcage of a hunted animal. It was a whole community!

One succubus finally saw us. She was carrying a woven basket filled with foraged mushrooms. It slipped from her hands the moment we locked eyes.

"Queen Saeko? Everyone, it's the queen! Are we glad to see you!" a succubus shouted.

In seconds, Mio and I were swarmed by relieved succubi. 

"You guys made a whole tribe out here. It's only been what? A week and a half since you went missing?" I asked, trying to recall.

"Well…" Another succubus rubbed the back of her head. "Some of us were thinking about starting families with the light elves. If we were stuck here, we might as well."

"Kahahaha! What the fuck? You guys were about to go all domestic on this island?" Mio cackled so hard, she keeled over.

"Didn't work out. I'll give you one guess which race chickened out. It wasn't us. Limp dick pansies." A rather peeved succubus thumbed over her shoulder, to where a commune of light elves had gathered inside a large hut.

I asked them to show me where the light elves were. They led me to the largest building around, which wasn't saying much. It was a longhouse built from logs, and tree leaves layered the floor. About 50 lethargic light elves suffering from utter despair, exhaustion, and boredom sat or laid on the ground inside. Many of them showed no signs of being drained, at least not too harshly. Not a single one noticed me or Mio. They probably thought we were just part of the succubi group that ended up stranded with them.

Actually, upon closer inspection, many were glossy-eyed. I waved a hand in front of an elf staring forward, and he didn't so much as register my movement.

"Wait a minute… You guys charmed them. They're all charmed!" I exclaimed.

"On my heart, they wanted us to charm them! They couldn't stand the thought of being stranded and asked us to give them dreams of being back home. The light elves just stay here all day, go out to shit and piss, and eat whatever we give them," a blonde succubus explained.

"Help's here, so free them from their charm. I have good news that's going to lift their spirits."

The succubi who had charmed the light elven sailors released their hold. One by one, clarity returned to them. They blinked a couple of times, stared down at each other, and then to us in confusion.

"THERE'S A GIANT TSUNAMI COMING, AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" Mio screamed suddenly at the top of her lungs.

Every single light elf started shrieking and crying in absolute terror. Some of them prayed to the Everlight. I slapped a hand to my face, then jabbed Mio in her ribs. She was laughing too hard to have felt it.

"Listen up! You're not going to die; Mio's just messing with you. Legate Erma is here with a ship to rescue you. If everyone will just stop sniveling and follow me in a single file order, I'll take you to her," I explained.

The search parties eventually ended up in the tribe, too. They brought other succubi and elves who were out hunting and foraging. I checked with the ones in charge to make sure everyone was accounted for, and they were.

Mio and I led them back to the shore, where Erma's ship and the merchant vessel were waiting. Lifeboats ferried them on board, and many of the elves dropped to their knees in relief as soon as they climbed up. Mio was having the time of her life catching up with the succubi of Elza. They were all old friends and probably had a lot to talk about. Erma, however, after speaking with her rescued kin, came to me with an uneasy demeanor.

"I thought you'd be happier now that we found the second ship's crew," I said.

"I am. But… The third merchant vessel is still missing. I talked to the other crew at length. It appears they do not know what happened to them. That does not bode well for us. Or them," Erma muttered worriedly.

Right. There was one more ship we needed to find. I noticed Rowessa speaking with a succubus we had just rescued. She had long pink hair like Hana. Unlike Hana, she was much taller, bustier, and had the tender air of a demure, motherly woman about her.

"Rowessa!" I hurried over to see what they were talking about.

"Oh, Queen Saeko. This is Lady Miriam, the squad leader who led the raid on the second ship. I was just asking if she knew anything about the remaining vessel," Rowessa said.

"Queen Saeko." Miriam bowed elegantly and offered a warm smile. "Thank you for rescuing us. I take full responsibility for the mess we have found ourselves in. When the time comes for me to accept punishment, I'll not shirk from it."

"Is it true you might know where the third ship is?" I asked.

"It's only a hunch. While we were adrift and in the throes of an orgy, I had overheard a rather drunk succubus talking about sailing to an atoll northwest of here. She flew to the other ship to suggest a new course. However, that was in the dead of night. By morning, they had disappeared. When I thought to tell the captain of the ship I was on, a behemoth attacked us. We were forced to take refuge at the Triplets after," she explained regretfully.

"An atoll?" Erma butted in full of panic. "I hope you don't mean Greshen's Atoll? Behemoths of all kinds frequently beach themselves there to rest!"

"Oh." All of us gulped.