I am Succubus!

Chapter 299

Emerald Dardaria was a jungle fit for giants. Gargantuan trees reaching up to a thousand feet in height, root flares large enough to create embankments on the surface, and boasting countless wildlife in its canopy and branches. I thought the jungle would be quiet like the forests back in Japan, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Flocks of birds screeched their songs from above. Ethereal tigers briefly became tangible to lunge on unsuspecting prey. Two gorilla-like creatures beat their chest, sizing each other up. Luckily for us, we had mostly been left alone.

According to Erma, it was a part of an even greater and vaster jungle network with far too many names. Every beastkin tribe called it something different. The elves, dwarves, and succubi collectively refer to it as the Great Jungles of Elza. Funnily enough, the Great 'Jungles' of Elza also consisted of numerous other biomes like a savannah, desert, plains, and more.

During the war, the Demon King who led both the dark elves and succubi against the armies of Everlight, attempted to sway the beastkins to fight for him. A powerful lioness beastkin named Kiara, the Pridemother, united nearly every tribe in the Great Jungles under a single banner. She gave him a big fat middle finger, which kicked off a war. Fighting on a second front and facing constant guerilla ambushes in unknown territory ended in the Demon King and Queen Beatrice's defeat.

The beastkin comprised of races with more animalistic features than what anime and manga back home in Japan depicted them. Before Kiara, they constantly fought each other and vied for territory. The light elven people recorded only 200 known tribes, but estimates placed them as high as one thousand. On this single continent. Most of which allegedly had been united by this Pridemother.

"And as you can see, they may very well pose an even greater threat than the Demon King did. Princess Amira's parents, the king and queen, have gone to the dwarven kingdom in the Armored Mountains to reaffirm their alliance specifically to deter the united beastkin tribes," Erma concluded after the history lesson.

"Wow." I applauded. "You had me at the edge of my seat with how detailed you recounted everything. I could listen to your lectures all day. If only college was as interesting…"

"Why, thank you. It is my duty as a military officer to have an understanding of my enemies. Unfortunately, our people have had little experience in facing the beastkins in combat," she explained.

"That sure as hell gives me some comfort!" Shayle exclaimed sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes.

The dark elf continued, "I'm sooo glad we got to come out here in a big caravan, with mounted riders, and elite palace guards, looking like we're about to go to war with the beastkin. All because the princess just haaaaad to tag along."

Erma had a hard time replying, probably because Shayle was right. I took a gander at our merry adventuring party… if it could be called that. We were more like an expeditionary force with two carriages, a long wagon, ten riders, twenty foot soldiers, some scientists, and a couple of miners.

If any beastkin saw us, they would 100% mistake us for invading. I wouldn't even blame them for thinking that way!

We stopped at a gentle flowing creek to let the horses drink. The poor animals didn't look like they were doing so hot in the jungle, which was not their kind of environment. Too uneven terrain, extremely humid…

I climbed down from the carriage to drink from the creek. As I cupped a handful of water, the vegetation on the other side rustled.

"What's got you spooked?" Mio asked.

"I thought I saw something." I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "Say, Mio? Last time I came to Elza to find the chronomancer, we ran into some beastkins in the Fiora Plains. They were led by Chief Dolanna, and she was kind of nice. What're the chances we'll find some nice beastkins here in Emerald Dardaria?"

"Psh. What do I say? You got lucky. We're deep in Pridemother territory now. The farther we are, the fiercer and less willing to talk they are. Ain't that right, Shayle?" Grinning, she glanced over her shoulder.

"We'll be lucky if they don't chuck spears first," Shayle said as she descended down the muddy bank.

A spear flew out from the shrubs on the opposite side of the creek. It embedded into the earth, inches from nailing me. Mio, Shayle, and I stared at the weapon, our jaws hanging open.

"Like that?!" I cried.

"Like that! Beastkin ambush!" Shayle shouted. 

Arrows whistled through the air. Spears arched precariously overhead. The mixed cries of beastkins dominated the jungle's already cacophonous chorus. We ran back to the caravan, flinging spells back in the direction of enemy projectiles.

"Form up! Phalanx formation on Princess Amira's carriage! Riders, scatter and return fire!" Erma ordered her people, and they immediately acted on it.

The elite soldiers encircled the carriage. Spellcasters created a magical barrier around us. Meanwhile, the mounted infantry shot back a volley of arrows into the jungles. Some of them took some close calls before realizing this wasn't working, so Erma ordered them back into the safety of the barrier.

"Excuse me!" Princess Amira kicked open the carriage door and stormed out in a fury. "I'm trying to have a nap, and this—"

Vanessa and Leandra yanked her back inside, apologized to the soldiers, and shut the door. The arrows and spears were still coming, as were bolas, stones, and… that was probably someone's poop that splattered on the barrier just now.

We were safe so long as the barrier held up, but how much longer could the mages keep this going? I wanted to go out and fight them. However, if there were more than I was able to handle… These were the same beastkins that repelled the Demon King and Queen Beatrice.

"Shayle, Mio? What's the chances of us overcoming this ambush?" I asked.

"Zero," Shayle said.

"100% if we win! I wanna fuck some beasties. The chicks have the wettest and juiciest pussies when in heat." Mio wiped the drool slipping down her chin.

Great. Now I was horny.

"Erma, give us a hole! Mio and I will try to drive them off," I explained.

The legate signalled to the mages, and they created a gap in the barrier at the very top. The two of us flew out and immediately fired spells into the underbrush across the creek. Surprised yelps erupted from their direction, so we must have hit something. But the projectiles were now aimed for us.

We weaved and dodged, jumped behind trees, attempted to dive bomb them from above, but the unceasing attacks wouldn't end. Mio ripped open portals, which shot chains into the vegetation.

"I caught someone!" Mio gasped, seemingly not expecting to have.

"Mio, let go and get to cover! You're a sitting duck!" I shouted.

An arrow fired out right for her. I threw myself onto Mio, and we both fell to the ground. My shoulder stung. Hot blood ran down my arm. The arrow had nailed me.

"Saeko? Shit!" Mio's eyes watered.

"Better me than you. I'd rather not see you hurt," I said, wincing as I tried to move my arm.

A barrier erected around us. Behind, one of the mages had stopped channeling over the caravan to provide us safe cover instead. Erma nodded to me.

Minutes passed, but not a single arrow or spear flew through the air. The ambush had finally stopped. At least we hoped it did. A couple of riders rode out first to see if the beastkins were still out there. When no one fired back, Erma had four phalanx infantrymen escort a priest in chainmail to us.

I ripped the arrow out of my shoulder, and the light elven cleric administered healing magic to the wound. Warm restorative energies numbed the pain and stopped the bleeding, then the injury slowly closed.

Mio pushed the cleric away and hugged me tighter than I expected, practically squeezing the life out of me.

"My bad… I thought we could reel one of them out." Mio frowned.

"Be more careful next time." I pinched both sides of her cheeks.

The barriers faded. Erma and a group of infantry rushed over.

"Our riders have reported that we're clear of enemies. They seem to have retreated," Erma explained.

"Probably because they thought nailing a succubus was enough," Shayle kneeled down next to us and said. Her eyes continued to scan beyond the creek for any signs of attacks, even after Erma suggested that we were safe now. "That's how beastkins operate, at least out here in the Great Jungles. They do this a couple of more times to whittle us down, then send a large force when we're weak to finish us off. No amount of elite soldiers will be enough to keep the princess safe. We should have come as a smaller group."

The legate sighed at the carriage.

I'd only met with Princess Amira for a short time, but even I knew convincing her to turn back would be a fool's errand. Before long, we were back on the road. What little dappled sunlight we were getting through the thick jungle canopy dwindled, a sign that night quickly approached. Erma had gone to the princess a couple of times during the trek to talk her into going back to the city, but she vehemently refused.

As darkness fell, the upper floor of the jungle lit up with fireflies and other illuminating insects like stars. We still ignited torches, and mages casted light spells. Of course, Shayle was against it. Doing so was practically shining a bright beacon and invited beastkin ambushes.

Fortunately, we didn't encounter any more ambushes. By a stroke of incredible luck, our expedition stumbled upon a fallen tree partially hollowed out from within. Erma had the long wagon and one carriage form a triangular barrier against the trunk. The other carriage was the one Princess Amira and her cousins took residence in, with all the fine furnishings and luxuries within to behold, situated itself inside where it was safe. For the rest of us, soldiers, and experts, the hollowed interior of the trunk would be our shelter.

"Pssst!" Mio shook me awake and beckoned me to follow her.

"Mio, it's late… What are you doing up?" I groaned.

"Just follow me already." Her tail pulled on my hand.

I relented and followed Mio out of the trunk. Some of the sentries on watch duty gave us a look over before returning to their vigil. She wouldn't tell me where we were going or to do what, just that I needed to follow closely and quietly.

Glancing ahead, I made out Princess Amira's carriage in the darkness. If Mio was leading me there, then it couldn't be good. There were only two guards posted at the door, and they were nodding off. We came in from behind, skirting along the long wagon to stay hidden.

"I-I don't know about this… We're going to hang if they catch us peeping inside," I whispered.

"We're succubi. If anything happens, we can just charm them and tweak their memories. Now, fly up here. Look!" Mio urged me.

I levitated off the ground and peered into the gaps between the window drapes. Nothing prepared me for what I saw inside. Looming over a servant was a succubus— No, not exactly. It was Princess Amira, adorning horns, wings, and a stiff-looking tail to appear as a succubus.

"I am not satisfied with this tea. Remake it. Perfectly this time, or there will be hell to pay!" Princess Amira snarled at the poor servant.

"Yes, my lady!" He bolted to the other side of the carriage to fulfill her orders.

"And you." She turned to another, whose head was bowed low in subservience. "Jump repeatedly for my amusement. Do not stop until I say so."

The floorboards beat rhythmically to the servant jumping up and down in place. This couldn't be anything else. Princess Amira was pretending to be a succubus… to order people around? But she was a princess. People followed her orders anyway.

"Have you just been watching her this entire time?" I asked.

"I was taking a piss earlier when I heard some yelling. So, I came over and lo and behold! Bitch must have a screw loose. Or she gets off to the idea of being a succubus. Think the princess likes getting it on, too?" Mio purred.

"I doubt it… But I'm also so weirded out, I don't even know what to—"

Princess Amira locked eyes with me and turned white as a ghost. I stood there completely petrified. She stomped over, each step causing quakes in the carriage and threw open the window. One hand grabbed me, the other grabbed Mio, and yanked us both inside. The furious princess was no longer pale, but crimson red. Furious even.

The cousins were sitting in the corner pretending not to pay us any mind. Really though, they were probably hoping the princess laid into me and Mio. It seem Vanessa, Leandra, and their immediate servants were the only ones privy to her predilections.

"How much did you see?" Princess Amira asked.

"Nothing… We didn't see a thing. Right, Mio?" I nudged her.

"Not a thing!" Mio nodded. "Except for the part that you were ordering people around like a succubus!"

I slapped a hand to my face.

"Okay, we saw. We really didn't mean to and promise not to tell anyone. I swear!" I assured her.

"I will let you live, only because we are out here in this jungle surrounded by Everlight knows what, and your continued existence is key to my survival. However, breathe a word to anyone of what you saw, and war between our people will be the least of your worries. Do you understand me?" Princess Amira asked.

Mio and I nodded slowly, then she showed us the window, since leaving through the front door would only make the guards suspicious. The two of us went to bed, but not without Mio giggling throughout the night over the princess' secret hobby.

Morning came, and the sentries reported no attacks through the night. Even Shayle and Erma were surprised that the beastkins didn't ambush. Everyone was getting ready to continue on the trek again when one of her personal guards came up to me.

"Princess Amira would like to have a word with you in her carriage," he said.

Not wanting to keep her waiting, I followed the knight there. He knocked twice on the door, and Princess Amira answered it. She wasn't in her usual beautiful dress, but in a blue and white blouse embroidered with floral designs, and balloon sleeves that puffed out her upper arms.

"Come in," the princess demanded.

I gulped hard and entered. My fear vanished as a deep-seated hunger gnawed at the bottom of my stomach. Now was definitely the worst time to feel hungry. But I did use up a lot of sexual energy yesterday during the ambush.

Inside, only three servants were going about fulfilling whatever orders Princess Amira had given them first thing in the morning. I did notice Vanessa and Leandra were missing.

"Where are your cousins?" I asked.

"Vanessa fancies one of the knights, and Leandra has a strange habit of collecting and pressing flowers. But… on the topic of strange habits, I wish to speak with you about last night. I… apologize for losing my temper. It is not my intention to threaten you with war. Forgive me." Princess Amira had enough humility to apologize, which took me by surprise.

"It's fine! Really. I know how it feels having other people discover a secret you want kept."

"You must think it strange though. An elf such as I, masquerading as a succubus. It's just that I've always wanted to feel that power. The power of compulsion. I may be royalty, but the true power lies with my parents, the king and queen," she explained.

I felt a sudden connection with the princess, who must have noticed the same thing.

Amira continued, "Do you also have overbearing parents?"

"Oh, I can go on for hours about my folks." I rolled my eyes.

"In that case, Queen Saeko, how would you like to join me for breakfast?" she asked, gesturing to the table that the servants quickly filled with tea and snacks.