Chapter 569 – The Exchange

The Imperial Span shortened their journey by half. Rown Company had perfected their transportation and efficiency, with rest stops at every interval when the mounts were beginning to tire. It enabled the settling of small towns close by or just below the continental highway. Both ended up serving each other with patronage and prosperity.

Gretchen and Hilde had fallen asleep beside Kanae, who stayed awake to watch the clawed mountains around Lograin coming into view. Once they passed the City of Sin and Peity, only the final stretch through Orturic remained before reaching Port Kandis. She yawned into her hand and squeezed tears out from the corners of her eyes.

"Maybe I can get a head start to Lograin to say hi to Eldora." Kanae quietly opened the cabin door, stepping out into the chilly night. She was about to take flight until a quick look around proved to be a mistake and locked eyes with Saint Priest Vestrid. The drakeling was riding atop a languisteed to the side of the caravan.

"Going somewhere?" Vestrid asked, arching a brow.

"Oh, uh. No where. Just stretching my wings…" she answered nervously.

"Hah! Can't fool me, Amethyst. If you want to take off, don't let me stop you. I'm not overbearing enough to force you to stay put."

Kanae thought for a moment and sat down on the coach seat. Drakelings normally carried themselves in a very stoic and stern manner. This was true of the von Cleisseldor family and others she had met before. Well, except Feraline, but daughter was a wild exception. Vestrid had an air of casualness and easygoing about her. That ever-present welcoming smile had a lot to do with it.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen you sleep yet this whole way. Do Saint Priests even sleep?" Kanae asked.

"Oh, no. I haven't slept ever since taking my vows and mantle. I hear things sometimes but brush it off as ramblings from the back of my mind." Vestrid grinned.

"Wait… really?"

"I jest! We sleep, yes. Can't do our job properly without a full rest. All of us have to be in top shape to guard our wards. Personally, and this is just me, I only need about three hours of sleep a night," she explained.

Kanae gagged. She couldn't imagine sleeping less than at least six hours. Her stomach growled uncomfortably, gnawing at the deepest pits.

"Hungry? I've got some meatballs from the last rest stop to share. They're cold now, but nothing a quick breath of fire can't heat up." Vestrid didn't hesitate to rummage through her bag.

"Ugh… I appreciate the offer, but this is a different kind of hunger…" Kanae groaned, feeling the heat and wetness between her legs.

"Can't help you there. It would be treasonous for me to have sex with you," she replied bluntly.

"Wait— what?!"

"Yeah. After you and Ulric had your little playtime, we were expressly forbidden from intimately engaging with succubi. For fear of making you stronger, of course." The drakeling winked.

The caravan stopped at a Rown Company lodge in Lograin. Together with Vestrid and Gretchen, Kanae did a headcount of their prisoners just to be sure no one was missing. Her satchel rustled as she counted the last ones.

"Psst. Hey!" Isabella kicked about inside Kanae's bag.

"Shut up. 97… 98… 99…" Kanae tried to focus on counting.

"I can tell you're horny. Don't you just want to go fuck something? Anything! Imagine being drenched in hot cum right now. Mmmm!" The living grimoire wasn't letting up.

Every word out of those pages pricked at the most sensitive parts of Kanae's body. Why was this happening? She should mostly have control ever since becoming a succubus. It used to be hard in the beginning, facing the constant state of heightened libido. Recently, that feeling had gotten worse.

"That's everyone." Vestrid signalled the squad Lograin guards.

They escorted the prisoners to the dungeons to be held until morning.

"Kanae?" Hilde dipped into her field of vision. "You're sweating profusely."

"I… might just be running a fever. Should be fine after a night's sleep!" Kanae assured her.

"Well, alright…" She sounded unconvinced.

Gretchen walked past them, saying, "I need to actually lie down. Days sleeping in the carriage is killing my back."

"Old." Petyr sneered.

"You're lucky I'm not your archbishop anymore, Stormcloud."

Hilde, Vestrid, and the Aidenhall Knights followed them into the Rown lodge. Kanae was about to head in, too, until she noticed the languisteeds being led around back. Presumably to the stables. She gulped hard.

"Yes, that's it. Give in to your desires, my mistress. Imagine how many hard equine cocks are in there. Imagine how much bigger they will be after casting Baggus on them," Isabella whispered.

"Big… beastly… cocks…" Kanae drooled.

However, a few steps towards the stable and Petyr emerged with Motta and Vesh.

"Kanae?" Petyr squinted.

"W-W-What are you guys doing here?" Kanae cleared her throat.

"Paying for Glory's spot in the stable tonight. I could ask you the same." She glared knowingly.

"Oh, just heading to the lodge…" When Kanae spun around dejectedly, the living grimoire thrashed around a little.

"Cock block!" Isabella muttered.

Kanae went to bed that night and woke up feeling slightly more refreshed, but the undercurrent of lust roiled like the summer sun. They set off early the next morning. She didn't have time to visit Eldora and wrote her a letter delivered by courier instead.

The last stretch of the journey ended at last when the seabreeze wrinkled Kanae's nose. She shook Hilde away, pulling her up to the window.

"Port Kandis!" Kanae exclaimed.

"Mmm. I haven't smelled the sea in so long." Hilde drew a deep breath.

Glittering waves crashed gently against the port. Dozens of fishermen set off and returned at a time, hauling in fresh catches from the sea. Kanae practically tasted the seafood on her tongue.

"First things first, take us straight to the docks. The Ortesians are waiting for us there," Kanae said, hopping out of the carriage to stretch her wings.

The port authority permitted them to pass as soon as they saw the caravan coming. Archbishop Patrice had sent them a letter ahead of time, and few officers in Port Kandis wanted to get in the way of Ortesia. Some likely had their pockets lined with imperial gold.

Kanae and Vestrid led the way to the docks, most of which were currently occupied by a flotilla of Ortesian galleons. Five in total. All owned and manned by House DeSalle and their subjects. The rails were trimmed with gold and hull fashioned from the finest lumber.

They arrived to a man in a sailor's uniform accosting a pair of Ortesian knights. One of them shoved him to the ground and landed in a puddle amidst their laughter. Kanae landed to help him up, then turned to the Ortesians.

"Run along and fetch your commanding officers. We've brought your prisoners," Vestrid said.

The sight of the drakeling looming over them with a glare did in fact send them running. Moments later, Donald Aespir was among the Ortesians hurrying down from a ship. He was accompanied by Lanel Rind and Anton Welltaker, both of whom Kanae remembered during the meeting.

"Your Majesty— er, or do you prefer Amethyst?" Donald coughed into his hand.

"It's a shame you missed the wedding. Since your son and I are married now, you may refer to me as daughter-in-law." Kanae smirked.

Both Lanel and Anton turned away to snicker.

"Congratulations, but I will refrain from disrespecting… someone of your stature. Amethyst, it is…" Donald said through a clenched jaw. His eyes shot to the carriages behind Kanae. "We're ready to exchange prisoners. Would you kindly release Darren von Cleisseldor, Arnault Pyrelle, and the DeSalle brothers to us first?"

Kanae waved to Hilde and Gretchen. They opened the carriage door to let them out, and Aidenhall knights unshackled their manacles one after another. All four of them looked weary after the journey.

"My lords!" The Ortesian delegation and their soldiers dropped to one knee.

"I'll be home soon at last," Darren said, then flashed a smile at Kanae. "Thank you, Amethyst. Let my sister know I shall write to her when I have the chance."

"You got it." Kanae returned the grin.

The high elves marched up next.

"Tsk. I cannot be rid of this place too soon…" Arnault Pyrelle walked past them, grumbling.

"Will someone give my doddering fool of an older brother a hand? Lanel, on your feet. Now!" Vernon DeSalle snapped.

"Yes, my lord!" Lanel jumped to lend a shoulder, but she was only a small high elf and had trouble carrying Errenard properly.

"Oh, and there is also that small matter of my ship?" Kanae reminded them.

"Your what?!" The younger DeSalle gasped.

"I… may have promised them one of your ships, my lord. C-Coerced, I mean! During the negotiations!" the shipwright exclaimed.

"Argh. Take it. I don't fucking care." He groaned.

Lanel Rind escorted Darren and the high elves to their finest ship. A line of prisoners followed the Ortesian knights to the other three. Meanwhile, Donald walked them to the fifth ship, an Ortesian galleon like any other, but stripped of its gold trim and imperial markings. Up on the deck, cheerful Radevic and Commonwealth prisoners of war jumped for joy.

"Bring the ramps and let's get these brave soldiers fed already!" Vestrid roared, drawing an even louder cheer.

"This is your ship. Now, if you will excuse me, my people and I would like to return to Ortesia. Your continent's stench will take weeks to wash off," Anton said and spun to leave.

Before Donald could leave, Kanae stopped him.

"Runald wanted me to give you this." Kanae handed him the sealed letter.

"Thank you, and… congratulations," Donald mustered the strength to say.

The four Ortesian ships sailed from harbor. Bells rang across Port Kandis in celebration. Sailors and dockhands breathed a sigh of relief to be rid of hoighty-toighty high elves.

As Kanae watched them leave, Petyr strolled up to her and said, "I'm going to burn the look on their faces into mind. If there is one thing I miss about living in Ortesia, it's putting my own fellows in their place."

"You could have left with them. Imagine the chaos you'd wreak back home," Kanae joked.

"I considered it. Oh, and you will want to find an expert shipwright to look over your ship. I don't trust they left it to you all in one piece," she said before returning to Motta and Vesh.

Left to the ocean mist and crashing waves, Kanae spread her wings to feel the wind against them.

"Looks like the taverns will be full tonight." Gretchen came up from behind with Hilde in tow. "Courtesy of Vestrid. Did you know she brought bags of gold with her for that very occasion?"

"Do we get to join in?" Kanae asked.

"You best hurry then." Hilde thumbed over her shoulder.

No one had made it to the tavern yet. The freed prisoners cracked open a cask. Vestrid lifted it over her head to pour down their throats one at a time. Some poor dockhands stared in disbelief. That was clearly their cargo.

"Oh, no." Kanae slapped a hand to her face.

By the afternoon, everyone had drunk themselves into a stupor. They hadn't had a good drink or meal in years since the war ended. Kanae even took a couple of men back to remind them of good sex. It wasn't enough to quench her lust though.

Kanae's eyes opened slowly. She sat up, and a naked man rolled off her. The room was strewn with unclothed humans, elves, beastmen, and a dog. Her sore and gaping pussy gushed with cum when she got to her feet. She tiptoed past the mass of men to fetch her wand and clothes. It took an absurd amount of casting Prestidigitation to clean all the spunk off. All that sex left her legs shaking and…

Wait.

Her legs weren't shaking. The room was! The dog woke up barking in panic. Men around the room were jostled awake as the walls and ceiling creaked. Cracks snaked through the floorboards.

Kanae dressed quickly and rushed out of the tavern. The earth rumbled violently. People around them lost their footing and tripped. Hilde and Gretchen rushed out after, and they instinctively lifted off the ground. Even then, they still felt the vibrations in their bones. Shanty shacks and hovels collapsed. Cargo near the waters toppled over, plunging into the depths. People scrambled away from the docks as powerful waves tossed ships around like toys.

"What in three hells is going on? An earthquake?" Hilde cried.

"Amethyst, we need help!" Vestrid hollered from the docks, pointing to a merchant vessel, where the crew desperately held on to anything at all. Some clung on to the side of the ship, screaming for help.

"Gretchen, you take left. Hilde, take right! I'll rescue the ones in the water!" Kanae instructed.

They stared at her, confused.

"You mean port and starboard?" Gretchen asked.

"What… What does that mean? Port and starboard?" Hilde hesitated to go.

"Is this REALLY the time? You can grill me on the proper nautical terms later. We're looking straight at the ships right now. Gretchen, left. Hilde, right!" Kanae groaned.

Both succubi split off to either side of the ship. Kanae dove low to the surface of the water, stopping short as two vessels smashed their hulls into each other. Scores of debris crashed over the desk as they tipped over precariously.

"Help! Please!" Someone waved their hand before submerging.

"Magic Hand!" Kanae fired her spell into the water and lifted a human man right out.

Above, Hilde caught a dockhand falling off the side of the ship. Kanae fished up two more, one in each hand, and brought the three back to land. Petyr, Motta, and Vesh rushed over to help, only to stop cold in their tracks. They looked utterly awe-struck.

"What are you guys staring at?" Kanae panted and followed their gaze.

It was too large to miss. She could have mistaken it for someone playing a trick on them with an illusion if not for the earthquakes. An enormous volcano had risen from the sea in the distance, vaguely obscured by clouds and sea mist. It had to be far. Kanae could barely make out the outlines and the massive lava flows that poured down the sides.

Finally, the quakes and waves stopped. The ocean receded from the port. A shiver ran up Kanae's spine.

"Get away from the port! Now!" Kanae yelled, giving the men she rescued a hard shove.

A small wave approached Port Kandis. Small from afar, but Kanae knew better than anyone having lived in Japan, a large enough tsunami could wipe them off the map and draw everyone and everything into the sea. Dockhands and port authority dropped their things, making a mad dash inland. Fishermen were hastily rowing back to shore.

"I guarantee you that it's going to be a lot larger in a few minutes! We need to evacuate the city!" Kanae urged.

"I believe you, but we're not going to outrun a wave displaced by that giant fucking volcano!" Petyr growled.

"No," Vestrid stepped forward and said. "We'll have to shield the city. Petyr, come with me to the docks. I'll need your help to draw the magic circle. Amethyst, you and your winged fellows gather as many spellcasters as possible!"

"Vestrid, I know you're a competent Saint Priest. So suggesting something this outrageous is foolhardy!" Gretchen exclaimed.

The drakeling smirked.

"You're fucking crazy. Fine." Petyr followed Vestrid to the docks.

"You heard the Saint Priest. Fly across town. Yell as loud as you can, like the harpy criers during the tournament. Tell them you speak with the authority of the Knight of Amethyst, who demands their help," Kanae said.

Everyone nodded. They headed in different directions across Port Kandis. Most citizens stayed put, and only a few scrambled to leave. The city didn't have its own adventurers hall, but as a transitory hub between Kandis, Ortesia, and Nu-hauta, there should be a modest number of adventurers around.

Kanae spotted an elven woman levitating debris away from the main street. She wore a green robe and held a smooth wooden staff. Nothing could scream 'spellcaster' more than that.

"You!" Kanae landed down.

"Eep!" The debris the elf was lifting with magic crashed back down.

"You're a spellcasting class, aren't you?" she yelled.

"Y-Yes, ma'am! Level 31 crowned Telekinetic, at your service, ma'am!"

"Good, we need your help at the docks. Go!"

Kanae went on to find four more spellcasters, all on the lower level spectrum. She couldn't afford to be picky though. When she returned to the docks, a little over twenty people were standing on the stone pier. Many of them in despair, looking up at the looming tsunami that threatened to consume them.

"W-We don't need to be here… right, Vesh? I-I'm sure they can handle it from here." Motta gulped.

"You can go if you want, but I'm not leaving Petyr," Vesh said.

Petyr cracked a subtle smile before checking herself. She cleared her throat and asked, "Vestrid, how much longer is this going to take? We don't have all day!"

The drakeling was down on all fours, lips together and breathing a thin jet of flames to scorch the stone they were standing on. She had created a large and simple magic circle. Flowing lines fed into a small central circle.

"Done!" Vestrid jumped to her feet. "My dear former Archbishop, the center is yours. Everyone else, around the circle and begin channeling!"

"Hm. I had a feeling it was coming to this. Very well." Gretchen entered the magic circle, holding her staff with both hands and muttering an incantation.

Kanae joined the nervous group in a ring around Gretchen. Hilde stood beside her and nodded.

"Power Word: Barrier!" As soon as those words left the high elf's lips, a bubble expanded outwards from the top of her staff.

However, it wasn't big enough to encompass the whole of Port Kandis. Both ships on either side of the dock were partially enveloped within.

"Channel! Channel now!" Vestrid ordered.

Kanae dug deep inside herself to will forth her unfathomable well of mana. The magic circle beneath her feet shined with incandescence. One by one, the rest joined in the ritual to lend their mana and channel alongside them. The barrier expanded by incredible proportions.

Supplying this big of a magical shield was draining. Everyone broke out into a sweat despite the cool winds around them.

"You." Vestrid singled out Motta. "Fly up and tell us if the barrier has surrounded Port Kandis!"

Motta did as asked, shoot up into the sky.

"It's not! We're still short!" He pointed north and south along the coastline.

"Oh, I know what to do," Kanae said.

"What?" Gretchen glanced over her shoulder.

"Bond!" She pressed a hand to the half-succubus' back.

"Wait, don't— mmm!"

The barrier grew so large, they could no longer see the shimmers of magic against the backdrop of the sky. Thunk! A flock of seagulls fleeing this way smacked right into it, and they collapsed down the side.

"Oops… Alright, well… some sacrifices are necessary," Kanae said.

"You're good!" Motta waved.

"It's coming!"

"J-Just how tall is it?"

"Brace and hold! No one drowns today!" Vestrid shouted.

Large enough to cast a shadow over the town, the nearly fifty-foot wave smashed right into the barrier. Gretchen winced. Sections of the barrier faltered briefly, letting in gigantic dollops of seawater that crashed down and drenched them. The waters washed away two unprepared spellcasters. Petyr picked one up by the scruff of his neck, and Motta helped the other back to her feet.

The worst was over. The second one that hit wasn't as large as the last, and the third looked even smaller. Violent waves continued to collide against the barrier, but their intensity was no different than if Port Kandis faced a storm.

Kanae caught Gretchen as she teetered backwards. Without the primary spellcaster sustaining the spell, the barrier dissipated. Seawater showered Port Kandis in a gentle deluge.

"I've never had… that much magic channeled through me before… Did we do it?" Gretchen asked.

"We? You did it." Kanae smiled.

"I see. Good… Now, can you release me from your Bond? I'm feeling significantly hornier than usual," she said.

Kanae severed their connection, and Gretchen breathed a sigh of relief. The other spellcasters, many of them their legs had given out, dropped to the ground to rest. Hilde walked forward, joining Petyr by the edge of the dock.

"How serendipitous that this volcano rose after the Ortesians left," Hilde remarked accusingly.

"I very much doubt the Empire of Ortesia is capable of that," Petyr fired back.

The volcano was plain and simply gargantuan. So much lava spilled forth into the ocean that steam was beginning to envelope it in a light shroud.

"Hey, guys? Quick question: is that the direction of the Nu-hauta Archipelago?" Kanae asked.

"It is." Petyr nodded.