The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!
Chapter 384 – Edirashok Odika

Everyone in Jayir had a job to do on the day the edirashem arrived at Spineridge. When Rasheena caught someone not working, she barked out a fresh order and sent them running. Kanae and her companions couldn't escape the resistance commander's instructions either. Better than Kanae could ever hope to do, Rasheena quickly identified their strengths and found the perfect tasks suited to them.

Edina had gone ahead with an army of restless undead to load cargo from Jayir into the edirashem. Renya facilitated the logistics of who did what, where, and how regarding the transportation of goods. As the chairman of Rown Company, she excelled in streamlining the process for the undisciplined Savirans. The others had been put to work elsewhere, and Rasheena had given Kanae a specific task only she could do.

"These are prisoners we captured over the months while operating in Jayir," Rasheena said about a large iron cage holding a mix of races in chains. "Some are spies, assassins, turn-coats, and ne'er do wells. I'd like for you to charm them into our service. Everyone must work, that includes captives. We will put them to use on Odika's edirashem as… gifts."

"You mean slaves?" Kanae asked.

"Are you opposed, Demon Queen?" The commander's words sounded like a test to gauge her as a person.

"Not if they deserve it." She turned to the cage and casted Mass Charm, placing them into her control. "All yours."

Rasheena nodded to the warden, who promptly unlocked the cage. Kanae compelled the charmed prisoners to emerge in an orderly fashion. The hell hound woman glowed with glee. A glint in her eyes told Kanae that Rasheena would readily do the same if she had the power to do so.

Their procession marched through the now less inhabited Jayir, whose people had already ascended to the surface to board the edirashem. Rasheena ordered a skeleton crew to stay behind in the city outpost, whose only job was to guard the Under Roads entrance. Glancing down, Kanae wondered if Archmage Donnu and Sultana Dudula had caught on by now. Charming the expedition should have bought them time, but not an eternity.

When that happened, Bravost might finally send a sizable force straight to Avanesse. Kanae's only hope for avoiding war was to free Sultan Cerberus from Ortesia and the cult's clutches, pin the blame on the puppeteers, and pursue peace between Bravost and Avanesse. Hopefully.

They took the lift to the surface, where Guin met them at the illusory barrier. He bid his Rasheena goodbye and good luck, since she had ordered him to remain here to take command of Jayir. The illusion at the entrance dropped, and a shuttle wagon awaited them.

For the second time, Kanae traveled back to Spineridge to board an edirashem. Only, this caravan turned out to be nearly twice the size of Zayn's. It consisted of ten giant wagons and over fifty smaller vehicles that orbited them, all linked together by a series of walkways and bridges. Instead of wheels, they had long runners like skis that allowed them to slide effortlessly across the sand.

The forewagon didn't have a manor, it boasted a palace. Although nowhere close to the likes of Aidenhall or Ehmvier's modest castle, the edirashok's residence looked like a formidable fortress anyway.

"If it didn't occur to you yet," Rasheena began, her chest puffing up pridefully, "Zayn is among the lowest on the rung. The size of an edirashem determines the strength and influence of an edirashok. Odika is a dear friend of Cerberus' late father and mother. We can trust him. Well, as long as we can make it worth his while. However…" She eyed Kanae with an appraising look. "Like all of the edirashoks, he can be rather eccentric."

"Eccentric how?" Kanae asked.

"You will see." She grinned.

As they arrived at the edirashem, the forewagon didn't drop a ramp for them. A large lift lowered down instead. Their shuttle rolled on, and it raised them into a station-like terminal underneath the forewagon, where heavily-armed guards better equipped than those in Zayn's service. Other shuttles like theirs came in from separate lifts.

Unlike those, however, the one Kanae and Rasheena were on received a welcoming party. Six bare-chested servants in traditional Saviran skirts carried a palanquin up to their shuttle. Sitting on top of it, smoking from a pipe and being fanned by young, attractive women, was a short, elderly human man. Heavy silver earrings tugged his lobes a little longer than an average person's. His light tan complexion compared to the servants was evidence to a long life in shade and out of the sun's blazing rays. A blindfold wrapped around his eyes. Gem-encrusted, ornamental claws of gold on the right and middle finger of his left hand clicked together whenever he reached for his pipe.

The palanquin came to a stop, and the frontmost servants prostrated on the ground to serve as steps. His scantily-clad harem guided him down to the ground, where he threw out both arms to welcome them.

"I am Edirashok Odika! Where are you, Rasheena? Let me fondle that bosom of yours so I know it's really you," the jovial old midget exclaimed.

"Touch me inappropriately, and I will slit your throat!" Contrary to the threats, Rasheena kneeled down and politely embraced the edirashok, both of them offering quick pecks to either sides of their cheeks.

"Hah! Now that's the mangy hound, I know." He smirked.

"Odika, this is the succubus I mentioned in my letter. Queen Kanae Toyomi of the Commonwealth of Sin. She professes no love for Ortesia or the Cult of Lust and Depravity. We can trust her," she insisted.

"A pleasure to meet— eek!" Kanae jolted when two hands groped her breasts.

The goblin of a man fondled them with incredible skill and dexterity. Kanae grew weak in the knees. She glanced at Rasheena, who had averted her gaze and turned slightly red.

At the mercy of pleasure, Kanae let Odika do as he pleased. He realized she wasn't going to resist, and so lowered one hand down to her crotch. His finger plunged into and pumped her pussy repeatedly, while a gyrating thumb rubbed her clitoris.

"Hmm. I see. Not much different than any other vagina. It is certainly wetter and tighter though! I figured a succubus would be more in control. Maybe this one prefers to be dominated instead?" Odika wondered aloud.

"Odika." Rasheena cleared her throat. "I'll remind you, this is the Queen of the Commonwealth. There is also the matter of tribute I have brought for you."

"No, it's okay. Let him finish me… I'm getting close— ahhh!" Kanae shuddered from a powerful orgasm and collapsed to her knees.

"Hohoho! I like this succubus" He flicked her juices from his hand. "Come. Join me atop the palanquin. Forewagon Conductor, put the slaves to work shoveling refuse from the guardhouse latrines."

A huge gray minotaur, larger than any Kanae had ever seen before, marched over and shot her a scrutinizing look. He wore pauldrons made of mammathion-sized monster skulls and had a giant mace propped on his shoulder. She gulped hard and couldn't help but wonder how large of a thing he packed between his legs.

As soon as Kanae and Rasheena climbed onto the palanquin, several of the women cozied up to them. Kanae welcomed their tender embraces, but Rasheena shooed them away. The palanquin servants carried them to another lift, this one bringing them to the surface of the forewagon. While Zayn's manor was situated in front of a bazaar, Odika's shared the same space as a lush green courtyard. In fact, the entire first wagon was a beautiful garden, where families and visitors lounged on grass and under the shade of trees native to the north. There was even a small pond with fish swimming within it.

"How did you manage to grow all this?" Kanae gasped at the courtyard's beauty.

"With painstaking stubbornness. Really, the hardest part was transporting tons and tons of soil. The rest was… still difficult, but time took care of the rest," Odika explained, and as though on cue, the entire wagon lurched to begin its journey.

"Any news about the Meeting of Sands?" Rasheena asked.

He shook his head and said, "Nothing we don't already suspect. At the urging of the Ortesians and cult, Sultan Cerberus intends to declare war. We edirashoks are duty-bound to heed the call. But do you see my beautiful edirashem? These are built to house the common folks, not soldiers. Where will the citizens go, if we must shelter an army? The answer— conscription. Most have not known war their entire lives. This can only end in disaster!"

"Which is why," the resistance commander continued after him, "we must sever the strings holding my nephew captive. Our first and foremost task is to cut off their docks, preventing any attempts to supply or reinforce the imperials already here."

They let Kanae in on the plan to ultimately lay siege to Avanesse. Step one, destroy the docks. Step two, Odika would participate in the Meeting of Sands to identify every edirashok sympathetic to a war. Finally, Kanae, Alicia, and Claudia would charm them to stand down, thus depriving the bulk of Ortesia and the cult's manpower for Rasheena to confront her nephew.

It sounded so simple, but Arnault Pyrelle, Elaine, and Jhene weren't going to make it easy for them. The cult also had a flying ziggurat that Kanae and her companions needed to worry about, too.

The palanquin crossed a chain bridge leading to the next large wagon. It swayed precariously over the sands and was a lot more sturdy than the appearance let on. Tall manors and residences, though much smaller than the edirashok's palace, furnished the second wagon. Citizens of wealth and noble status strutted as they paraded themselves with an air of self-importance. However, all of them dropped to one knee or bowed in deference when the edirashok passed through. Even though Odika couldn't see, every single person gave their due reverence.

They came to a stop in front of a mansion made of adobe and wood. The two-story residence had a veranda around the outskirts of the building, a balcony that jutted out from each room, all together looked well-cared for. Kanae heard a commotion from within, as well as Petyr bickering with Edina and Claudia, and Renya and Kris laughing at their expense.

"Here is where you and your cohorts are staying. It once belonged to a traitorous lord who tried to usurp me, but I've since reacquainted him to the sands. I hope you will enjoy your stay. Before this journey's end, I'd like to invite you back to my place, Queen Kanae. We should get to know each other more," Odika said lecherously.

"Only if you show me what else you can do with those fingers." Kanae bit her lower lip, and Rasheena made an audible groan off to the side. As soon as she hopped off, the commander motioned her to come back.

Rasheena took a deep breath and said, "I have been debating whether or not I should tell you this. But I believe it necessary if this alliance is to continue. Swear that you will keep this a secret."

Kanae hesitated for a second. It seemed almost malevolent to spill a secret like this when they were already crossing the dreaded Saviran desert on an edirashem. She eventually nodded, and Odika shot Rasheena a look to give her the go-ahead.

"Perhaps you have already suspected as much. This heat?" Rasheena brushed a hand over the sky. "It is magical in nature. Powerful magic. Centuries ago, my ancestors made a pact with an elemental fire lord… to purposefully intensify the heat on this side of Savir."

"What? Why?" Kanae gasped.

Odika added, "To serve as a double-edged sword, to keep Bravost and Elusis from moving armies into attacking Avanesse. Back then, edirashoks were simple merchant lords. Now, they are practically kings of their own. Avanesse prospered because all of Savir relies on edirashems for safe travels and trade."

"But now," she continued, "the Harpy King has tapped into the elemental plane, and his forces need no protection to traverse western Savir. As a result, the heat hinders us with no disadvantage to our greatest enemy. We also fear that the Harpy King may seek out the old elemental fire lord, bind him to his will, and cook us alive where we sit. In order to prevent that from happening, the pact must be broken. It is done by a ritual that demands a sacrifice from the family who created said pact. When we retake Avanesse from the imperial scum and cult, I shall be that sacrifice. I ask you, in my sister's name— in the place of Cerberus' mother— to see to his protection."

At a loss for words, Kanae wasn't sure what to say to such a heartfelt request. A somber shadow fell over Rasheena's face.

"I will." Kanae smiled reassuringly.

"Good!" Rasheena's mood shifted to a more playful one. "But now is no time for grim talk. Odika and I must break tea, as is tradition. We shall speak more later. The journey from here to the coast is a long one. We may have need of your strength along the way."

The palanquin left back the way it came. Kanae heaved a sigh. She was about to enter the rowdy manor when Alicia dropped magical stealth by the door. 

"What the— were you there the whole time?" Kanae asked, hand pressed to her chest.

"Rasheena rubs me the wrong way. There's something about her that I don't trust. I can't quite put my dagger on what it is though," Alicia muttered.

"I thought she sounded genuine. Listen, I trust you completely. Do you really think Rasheena and Odtika are lying about something?"

"Hmm. I'd like your permission to investigate them on my own. Perhaps I can dig up skeletons in their closet," she explained.

They had just made an ally in Rasheena and Odika, but now risked losing it all. But Alicia wouldn't bring up a concern if it was nothing.

"Do whatever you feel is necessary," Kanae said.

Alicia fell into Magical Stealth again. Kanae felt their lips connect briefly, and she disappeared like the wind.