I am Succubus!

Chapter 296

According to Erma, Greshen's Atoll was named after a light elven admiral of the same name, who had commanded a flotilla of ships during the war. He had been tasked to search for suitable islands to construct a staging ground for a larger fleet, which would attack the demon forces' armies from this side of the continent.

The only reason the manor, home to succubi and dark elves alike, still stood today… was because behemoths decimated the flotilla under Admiral Greshen command. At the time, Greshen discovered the atoll and found it to be the perfect place to build a wharf. He was sorely mistaken. When they had drawn close, a pair of sea behemoths attacked them in broad daylight. Six warships, staffed with the light elven best sailors and officers, were lost on that day. Only a single ship, on the verge of falling apart and whose crew looked like they had seen hell itself, managed to return home.

"Ahhhh! I don't want to hear this anymore! And we think the crew and succubi might still be alive? Are we the crazy ones?" I asked, interrupting Erma's recounting of the event.

"Oh, come on. The light elves got ambushed and had their shit kicked in. We're expecting behemoths this time. Everything's gonna be fine!" Mio threw an arm around me and squeezed reassuringly.

"We only have one warship and one merchant ship. That's nowhere near the seven warships they originally had. I'm suddenly not even horny anymore. I was just working as a glorified escort a few days ago. This is beyond what I'm capable of!"

"Saeko." Erma came up to me with a serious expression on her face. "You and Mio have done more than enough. If you wish, you two can board the merchant vessel and head back to the coast. I intend to send them off, because it is far too dangerous to sail with us any farther anyway. I also… do not wish for harm to come to you. And besides, this rescue mission falls entirely on me to begin with."

I wrung my hands together worriedly. If I still had the Blade of the First Temptress, it would probably tip the scales in our favor from sheer magical prowess. That weapon was long gone though. I was only as strong as any other greater succubus, but…

When I glanced around the conference room, the light elves who had come to rely on me were biting their nails and anxious about their next move. If I were to leave, the succubi would go back with me, too. Erma and the rest of them would be left to fend for themselves. I swallowed the fear lodged in my throat.

"I'm seeing this through. There are still succubi stranded, and I might as well also save those elves." I smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Mio hugged me from behind and rested her chin on top of my head. "I didn't wanna go back too soon anyway. My sea wings are feeling great!"

"You can stand to be a little more worried about the situation…"

Erma laughed into the back of her hand. She turned to her crew with a hardened look, full of resolve and with none of the panic from before.

"The succubus queen has found the courage within herself to brave the behemoths. We cannot afford to show weakness either, can we?" Erma asked them.

"No, Legate!" They straightened up and saluted.

"Good. Relay to the merchant vessel that they are to return to the coast. As for us, full sails ahead to Greshen's Atoll!" she ordered.

Spurred by the legate's command, the light elven officers immediately split up to fulfill them. Mio and I ascended back to the upper deck as the other ship began to leave. Two groups of succubi landed before me and kneeled. They scared some of the light elves who were running from place to place to get the ship moving.

Rowessa and Miriam, each with a group of five behind them, lowered their heads in deference.

"Queen Saeko, we have come to lend you and the elves our aid. It is the least we can do for the trouble we've caused. Joining us are ten capable soldiers and able-bodied enough to fight. We are all ready to lay down our lives to save the others," Miriam explained.

"Oh, you guys… Alright. This is going to be extremely dangerous, but I want to make one thing clear: we are all coming out of this alive. Does everyone understand?" I asked.

"Yes, Queen Saeko!" they shouted resoundingly.

The succubi in the back must have thought I couldn't hear them whispering.

One of them nudged their peer and said in a hushed voice, "See? I told you she's so much better than Queen Beatrice."

It was hard not to get giddy over their comments about me. When we went to tell Erma the good news about the extra help, she was both overjoyed and relieved. Probably the first time a light elven military officer ever felt that way about succubi.

We sailed for Greshen's Atoll immediately. Every second that passed, the stranded succubi and elves' lives continued to be at stake. The crew manning the cannons at every gundeck were glued to their stations. They had to be ready at a moment's notice not if but when we sighted a behemoth, which was practically a given now.

As I walked through the lower deck, the tension could be tasted in the air. No one joked. There weren't any boisterous and merry laughter. The ship was silent save for the groaning hull and splashing waves. Only the succubi weren't all that much concerned. Mio, Rowessa, Miriam, and the others sat on the mast like perched seagulls, yapping away. I looked for Erma below deck in the meantime. A kind sailor noticed that I seemed lost and he gladly directed me to the legate.

At the bottom deck in the aft, every light elven ship had a small chapel dedicated to Goddess Everlight. Erma had apparently gone there to pray. When I arrived at their little temple, I noticed she was kneeling in front of the altar and deep in prayer.

The room was small, no bigger than half the size of my bedroom back on Earth. It had cushions for seating instead of pews. At the very front, a small stone basin of water and statuette of the goddess rested atop the altar. Candles hanging from each corner were all that lit up the otherwise dark chamber.

"Tell me, does Earth have a god?" Erma asked.

"A lot, now that I think about it. Whether they're all real, I'm not sure. I do know that the gods from my culture are real. Heck… I'm actually married to one…" I answered.

"That must be quite the tale." She laughed into her hand and beckoned me inside to sit.

When I did, Erma grabbed my hand and dunked it into the water basin. She pressed that same hand to my chest, then urged me to clasp both hands together. 

"And in doing this, we bless the Everlight and beseech that she bless us in return. A safe voyage is all we can hope for. Do your gods also answer the prayers of their devotees?" Erma asked.

"I like to think they do. But I also think it's silly to hope they answer every single time. If we want something done, then we have to do it ourselves. Are you worried about the ones at the atoll?" I questioned her in return.

"I worry… for myself. For all my life, I've lived to serve. To my people, to my goddess, to my rulers. I did not fear dying, because if I did it would be in service and purpose. Yet lately, I find myself concerned about staying alive. I want to spend more time… with you," she said, still holding onto my hand.

Not good. My hunger was starting to act up again. Seeing Erma so innocent and sweet made me want to mess her up. We closed the distance until our lips were just about to touch— but pulled away at the sound of approaching footfalls.

"Legate! Greshen's Atoll is within sight. Your orders?" the ship captain asked.

"Slow us down and get our bearings. Have Queen Saeko's subjects scout from high in the skies. I'm nearly done praying here and will be above deck soon," Erma said.

The captain saluted and hurried off.

I wanted to finish what we started in here, but Erma had already stood up. She dusted her uniform and extended a hand down to me.

"Shall we rescue our stranded comrades?" Erma smiled.

"Let's do it." I nodded and clasped her hand.

We saw the atoll from the upper deck. A large ringed landmass, elevated from the ocean and encircling a lagoon. There weren't any trees or vegetation, just sand and stone all around, and a rocky archway cove that led into the inner body of water and cave. The floating wreckage of a ship confirmed one of our fears— that they did end up here.

It was eerie out here. Clear skies, calm waters, and gentle waves. But no sightings of behemoths yet. Somehow, that made me more scared than if we had seen any. Rowessa and Miriam were just now coming back from scouting Greshen's Atoll.

"We saw cold campfires and lean-tos, probably constructed from the remains of their ship. Haven't been able to locate them on the atoll itself. The cove maybe?" Rowessa suggested.

"Why didn't you go down to check?" I asked.

"There's a slumbering behemoth at the entrance…" Miriam shuddered as she recounted it.

When Erma asked for a description, Miriam gave a detailed account. It appeared to be a gigantic black eel, with extremely long appendages coiled around the main body. Two loppy antennae dangled from its head. Yellowish striations ran along the face and splotches on the underbelly.

"Oooh, I know that one. A tutu-khan. Not maliciously aggressive, but too playful for any sailors' liking. Swims fast, so if it decides to make this ship its toy, we're fucked," Mio explained.

A nearby light elf sailor outright fainted. Some of his fellows carried him off in a stretcher.

"How should we approach this then?" Erma asked her.

"Well, we don't have to sail into the cove. Just let us succubi give your people the first class flight treatment," Mio offered.

It would take a couple of trips, but that was their best option to avoid waking and dealing with the tutu-khan. The other option that everyone had in the back of their minds was to kill the behemoth. However, they only barely escaped the encounter with one earlier.

"In that case, I leave my people in your capable hands. Take this— a manifest of the crew aboard the third merchant vessel. May you find your subjects in good health, too." Erma placed a parchment into my hand, which I stuffed into a secure pocket.

I, Mio, Rowessa, Miriam, and their squad of succubi took off from the ship for Greshen's Atoll. My fingers were shaking. My tongue was so dry, I tasted cotton. Mio held my hand and steadied my trembling.

"It's going to be fine! Tutu-khans are heavy sleepers. Oh, I got an idea! Let's take a selfie with the ugly thing!" Mio insisted.

"NO!" I groaned.

We made it to the cove, and the giant behemoth that Miriam had described was lying in the shallow waters with half its body submerged. The long antennae reminded me of those on anglerfishes, but these twitched every so often. Its appendages wrapped around the body, making it look like a weird and slimy coil. Behind the behemoth was a cave that led underneath the atoll.

Rowessa conjured a small flame onto her hand as she led the way into the cove. I held out hope that the ones stranded here didn't meet an early grave by the behemoth. My heart sank when we reached a dead end… until a light shone from a large crevasse in the cave wall.

A wiry-haired succubus poked her head out.

"Yep. That's it for me. I'm definitely hallucinating," she said.

"Huh? What do you see?" someone deeper inside asked.

"It's Queen Saeko. Ain't no way the queen's out here looking for us. Damn. The hallucinations are even making me feel her aura…" the succubus grumbled.

"Guys, it's me!" I exerted my aura wider to touch them, and the two burst into tears.

They led us deeper in. The crevasse extended far inside and even had several chambers like an anthill. Even the light elves were glad to see a new face, and everyone was elated to hear that we had come to rescue them.

This group of succubi didn't have a squad leader commanding them. I guessed that it made sense they were less prepared than the other two. They subsisted on caught fish and crustaceans, as evidenced by the bones and shells piled around the campfires. Cheeks were gaunt, eyes were sunken, but hope was beginning to return to them. Some looked like they were on their last legs, and a day later would have made things go from bad to worse.

Fortunately, the captain was alive. I pulled out the manifest to check with him that the crew was accounted for. They were. Next, came the hard part. Carrying them back to the ship. Even the stranded succubi had a hard time flying, so we needed to help them, too.

It was going to take four round trips and a few to go back for the remaining ones. I held my breath each time I flew over the tutu-khan, fearful that it was going to wake up. On our fourth trip back, everyone was beat. Rowessa and Miriam's faces were covered in sweat and couldn't stand anymore, they were so tired.

Two more succubi remained at the island, out of mana and too tired to beat their wings. Mio and I exchanged nods, so we volunteered to go back. Even though my wings were sore and my back muscles throbbing, they were still my subjects. As their queen, I wasn't going to abandon them no matter what.

Both of them were waiting for us in front of the crevasse when we arrived. The relief on their faces was capable.

"You took your time, so she thought you abandoned us. I never lost hope." The succubus pointed to her friend and grinned.

"Did not!" The other pouted.

"Come on. It's the home stretch now," I said, kneeling down to let one climb onto my back.

Once Mio picked up the other nice and tight, we made our way to the ship. I could already taste the tea Shayle had waiting for us back at the manor. As we crossed the cove mouth, I looked back down at the tutu-khan one final time— only to notice it staring right back with one black, beady eye. A dozen more snapped open.

"Go! NOW!" I yelled.

The tutu-khan let loose a high-pitched shriek. I'd never beat my wings harder in my life.

"Is it still following us?" I asked the succubus on my back.

"It's gone!" she cried.

"Not gone!" Mio exclaimed. "100% dove into the water. Just keep flying!"

The ship was already beginning to move. It faced the starboard side toward us.

"Fire!" Erma ordered.

Cannonballs boomed and soared across the sky, screeching past us. They pummeled the behemoth dead on. It let loose a terrifying shriek. Everyone pressed their hands to their ears. Mio and I, with the succubi on our backs, crash landed on the deck of the ship.

When we checked again. The behemoth was gone, leaving behind seafoam and ripples. Sailors cheered and threw their hats into the air— only for it to resurface and come straight this way.

"Load and fire at will! Don't stop until you're out of ammunition! Mages, form up on the upper deck. Cast gale winds south and waves on the aft— put as much distance from that thing as possible!" Erma yelled.

Everyone on the deck stumbled forward. Spellcasters conjured magic to forcibly move the ship against nature. The entire frame groaned as if in pain from it. Mio and I ran to the aft. The behemoth was gaining on us.

"We're not going fast enough. I'm going back out to battle it!" I exclaimed.

"No, you can't! These are creatures even the demon king dared not face!" Erma warned.

"Now I'm having fun! This is my element! Kahaha!" Mio launched off the ship to face the behemoth head on.

That idiot!

Before I had the chance to go after Mio, Erma squeezed my arm and kept me from leaving the ship. I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a deep kiss. It took her by surprise, but she didn't fight back. Nearby light elves and subordinates stared at the legate, slack-jawed and in disbelief.

"I'm coming back," I said.

Erma finally let go. I beckoned for Rowessa, Miriam, and their squads to join me. They rested long enough after all. Together, we flew from the ship to intercept the behemoth. Mio was already there, lobbing volley after volley of spellfire. Most of them hit the waters and sent a geyser spout into the sky. The gargantuan silhouette didn't look fazed at all.

Squid-like tentacles shot up out of the ocean, each tipped with jagged spikes. They flailed everywhere in an attempt to swat us. We might be faster and more agile, but one hit was all it took to turn us into a quick meal for the behemoth.

"Kuh!" One succubus had her ankle snatched by a tentacle.

Rowessa swooped in and casted cold magic, freezing the appendage. I came in like a wrecking ball and punched through it. Frozen chunks of calamari went flying, but more importantly, we freed the succubus from being pulled in.

"We only need to distract it until the ship is far enough! Focus less on the offensive and more on not getting caught!" I shouted.

The ship was getting farther and farther away. So far, it wasn't worth firing cannons anymore. But I let my thoughts get the better of me. A tentacle had grabbed my legs, sinking its spike into the flesh.

"As if I'm letting you be behemoth chow!" Mio lassoed the tentacle with chains and pulled.

A succubus grabbed onto her back, and the others did the same behind their fellows like a conga line. Rowessa opened her palm to cast magic, but nothing came out. She was spent. Miriam traded desperate looks with her.

Just as I thought they were going to lose the tug of war with me, a bellowing horn sounded loudly. The ship came back. It cut through the waters, leaving giant waves in its wake. With incredible precision, they stopped just to the side of the behemoth.

"All cannons point to the water. Give this oversized fish a taste of light elven naval supremacy!" Erma shouted.

"Yes, Legate!" was followed by the repeated explosions of cannonfire that just didn't stop. They must have kept going until the ammunition ran out. It even got to the point where I smelled more gunpowder than the salty seabreeze.

The behemoth finally let go of me, retreating into the ocean's depths. We jumped back into the ship, out of strength to even stand anymore. Especially, too tired to cheer alongside the celebrating sailors.

"Did we… do it?" I asked as Erma came into view above me.

"We're not under attack. I believe we did." Erma smiled.

"Heh… Best vacation ever…" Mio sighed in deep satisfaction.