Foxy didn't need a guide to help her find what she was looking for. The painful cries of a woman giving birth would have been easy enough for a normal person to hear, even without her sensitive ears. Their owner had brought their papers but explained that he had left them in the servants quarters for the imminent birthing. Hannah had told her to take care of it so Foxy sought them out. She entered the room unnoticed, the noise and distractions keeping them far too busy to register her entry. There were three of them, all Emberborn. The woman on the bed struggling to push at the directions of the midwife on her knees at the end of the bed. The father was behind the mother holding both of her hands. Foxy waited at the far end of the dank basement room for everything to be over.

It was only a few more minutes before the midwife lifted up a tiny form, the sudden silence was horrifying. The midwife plunged her finger down the tiny snout to clear any blockages. The exhausted couple started to wail in despair at the silence and Foxy winced in sympathetic pain until a high pitched howl filled the room. Emotions flipped from pain and grief to utter joy and relief. The midwife handed over the howling pup to the parents and wept with joy. A rare thing for her to ever see. It was only as she turned to fetch a clean towel that she noticed Foxy standing there in her uniform with the rifle slung over her shoulder.

“Oh!” she gave the midwife a start.

Foxy was weeping herself and waved at her to relax. “Don't mind me.”

The parents looked up at her, confused. They didn't recognize her and had never seen one of their own armed or bearing the seal of the Duke on her uniform.

Foxy noticed a piece of paper on the table. It was a bill of ownership, name and description blank. She walked over and snatched it up. Then, with the bills of the other three Emberborn in her hand, she put them over the candle that had been providing light. They watched as they burned to ash.

“The Duchess ordered all Emberborn free.” Foxy looked at the parents. “I will help you cut off your collars. But your child,” She paused to muster her conviction. “Your child will NEVER wear one!”

They were stunned as Foxy went about cutting them free. They hadn't been told what had happened and she explained in more detail. Free and resting, they watched Foxy leave.

Only a few feet down the hall, Foxy collapsed on the floor, crying hard. In all her life, she had always dreamed of being able to do what she had done. It seemed a fantasy for so long and now she had done it. Her body could scarcely handle the emotions that roared through it.

****

Hannah watched as the last of the tents, normally reserved for carnivals or other special occasions, were set up in the garden to house the Emberborn. More and more flooded onto the palace grounds after news spread. Some were even already free but were searching for their families. Hannah made it clear that they were all welcome and all to be fed.

“Well,” Cat started. “Unemployment is already down.”

“Good. Busy people are less likely to cause problems. What about the other kind of unemployed?”

“Liddy is taking care of that.” Cat replied.

****

Liddy moaned as best as she could with her throat full as the man holding her legs in the air thrust between them. Her head hung off the edge of the bed to make it easier for the man down her throat to get his full length inside. The brothers had thought they fooled her into agreeing to the entanglement but Liddy had kept their minds focused on it rather than the terms of their agreements that weighed heavily in her favour. While doing the mental arithmetic in her head while two men penetrated her wasn't easy, Liddy had the practice and was happy with how things would work out. She just hoped that Ving was as successful with the man she had sent her with.

****

The man wretched his guts out on the deck of the landing pad after scrambling out of Ving's racer. After boasting about his constitution being better than any woman's, Ving had decided to test it. She smiled politely, waiting for him, and feeling relaxed after the free-flying fun she had. The man was a mess, unable to stand, and she tried not to let on that she was amused.

“Your cook should be more careful with your food,” she commented, throwing his pride a lifeline.

“Yes,” was all he muttered as he nodded.

Not that there was much food in his belly to begin with, but Ving knew he would be easier to deal with if he felt vulnerable without being disgraced. She wished he could have just been more polite and had fun in the racer with her like she had planned.

****

Cat was on her knees, running her tongue along the stiffened shaft in her hands while Hannah stripped him of his jacket. He had come in, upset that the food stores were dwindling and insufficient for the birthday celebrations of the young Lady Louise. Now, he was sufficiently distracted with the lips of his Duchess on his while her silk covered breasts pressed against his chest. Cat lifted Hannah's dress and slid him inside her as she jumped to put her legs around him.

He took Hannah against the wall and, rather more gently than she prefered, thrust her against it. Feeling Cat pressing her breasts into his back as she kissed and caressed him, he forgot entirely why he had come in. It didn't matter, he was going to enjoy himself rather than be afraid it was all a dream.

Hannah turned his head to kiss Cat as she came around, relieving some of the pressure on her so she could slide down to the floor. Taking her turn on his manhood, Hannah pushed it deep inside herself and worked her head vigorously until his knees got weak and he stumbled to the floor.

Cat wasted no time and straddled the man, letting Hannah guide him inside, before working her hips over him. She kissed Hannah who came to face her, also straddling the man. Cat felt her breasts pressing against Hannah's and moved off the man to let Hannah feel him inside herself again. She gripped the breasts in front of her and bit down on them when she was ready to have the man penetrate her body again.

They switched back and forth several times before his seed burst inside Cat just as she had gotten him again. Hannah stood up, and while Cat felt him flowing into her, she pulled her by the black hair to taste her. Hannah let her dress fall over Cat who worked her tongue inside the Duchess until she had satisfied her other partner. When Cat was let go, she fell forward to kiss the man on the floor, feeling Hannah putting her hands to work, finally letting Cat climax. It didn't take long, and the man was still inside her when the fingers exploring her made her shiver.

The details of the party would have to wait until everyone had caught their breath.

****

Vile walked through the throng of Emberborn, holding a pallet of food over her head and set it down where volunteers were preparing meals. The one thing they didn't lack were people able to prepare food. They tried to have everyone doing a little bit of work to keep them busy. When she caught some slacking off, she just smiled at them to let them know it was alright. People doing nothing was better than the handful who still thought they had to steal to survive. She spotted Easy with her mother gathering a gaggle of children to get them some food. She knew Inky wasn't happy with the chaos while trying to admit guests into the palace for the birthday celebrations, but she was managing.

****

Inky wanted to pull hair out -- hers or someone else's. It wasn't that her job was difficult so much as the guests. Why they couldn't follow directions and stop asking the same questions was beyond her. They had all the information, they could see what was going on, and they could all ask each other. Yet they insisted on speaking to someone with rank before they believed her. When she heard a voice bellow she thought someone had snapped, but her eyes quickly locked on the most recent guest to arrive. Duke Ostenburg from the capital had arrived and was calling for everyone to order. When they finally got face to face, Inky sighed with gratitude and relief.

“My thanks. I thought taking orders from nobility was frustrating until I had to herd them like…” Inky cut herself off before comparing them to livestock. “My thanks.”

He laughed, grinning. “My dear, it gets worse when you have power. Imagine this, but instead of trying to ignore you as much as possible, they quest for favours.”

“I think I'd be a tyrant, ruling through fear and an iron fist. I suddenly understand the old emperor.”

The Duke laughed again. “A healthy bout with violent fantasy is the mark of a sane person. Now, I hope you don't mind my escorting soldiers. I brought a few dozen since I heard what had happened here. Figured you could use the help.”

“Most appreciated. Your troops are about the only ones I can trust beyond my own.” Inky replied.

****

Mari was keeping an eye on the soldiers. In part, because they weren't entirely trusted to act intelligently, but also because watching fit men run about was arousing to her. They had been managing the inflow of Emberborn as well as party guests all while trying to keep up their regular duties. Troops from the army had been tapped, to supplement their forces as well, so it was an organizational shitshow. At least it was until Hannah had swooped in and sorted them out. Now, all Mari had to do was see if anything looked out of place. Unfortunately for her attempts to ogle, something was.

A Leftenant was sweating with concern as a few men approached him, all shaking their heads. Mari walked up to him and, as he put his hand up to dismiss her, she struck him in the nose like Hannah had taught her.

“Don't you dare presume to dismiss me!” she shouted at him as he cradled his nose, bleeding. “You look like something is wrong. Report!”

“I don't report to you!” he shouted from under the hands that tried to stop the flow of blood.

“You can report to me or I take you to see the Duchess directly. Your choice.”

One of the other soldiers spoke up. “We can't find the young Lady Louise.”

“Oh, you colossal fucking idiots!” Mari spun around and dashed towards the court where she might find Hannah.

****

Hannah looked up from the message to the young man who had brought it. He tried to avoid her gaze by smiling at Leira who he had shared the fountain with. It seemed to her that he had no idea what was in the message.

‘Abdicate by dawn or I will do it for you.’ was all it said.

It seemed obvious to Hannah that he was simply being used as a messenger, though it surprised her that someone would use their child to deliver such a message. “You said this is from your mother?”

“Yes, M’Lady,” he replied, nodding, still glancing at Leira.

Hannah handed the note back to him, indicating he should read it. His face ghosted the instant he read it. She knew he was ignorant of the plot but the note itself seemed thin. It offered nothing to back up the threat. The other shoe didn't take long to drop as Mari burst into the court and was soon followed by a few guards, one with a bloody nose.

“Louise is missing. Morons can't find her,” she blurted out.

“That fucking bitch!” The young man shouted, tearing up the note in anger. “My mother!” He turned to face Hannah. “My bodyguards left me when I arrived.”

Hannah snapped her fingers at Astra who had been standing guard, “Rally everyone on the ship.” She approached the young man. “What was your name again?”

“Walen, m’lady.” His reply was angry and upset.

“If your mother is behind this then I will fucking crush her. Whose side are you on?” Hannah asked in a tone full of menace.

“Yours,” he replied, more than a little angry at being put into that position.

“Good. Now tell me everything that has been going on lately at your estate. Nothing is unimportant.”

****

Ving had been waxing her racer when she noticed the eyes watching from the balcony. One of the guests was trying not to be noticed. She stripped off her jacket, leaving only her sleeveless shirt to cover her breasts, and kept her motions subtly sensual. Her tight pants came off next, her simple boxers clung tightly to her since she had been working up a sweat. It didn't take long for a woman to emerge on the balcony, intent on enjoying the view. Ving could see the young woman trying to look casual but she could see her body twist and shift with arousal. A little more time spent teasing her, Ving looked up at the balcony and smiled, then got into her racer and tossed out her clothing.

By the time she looked through the cockpit, the woman was gone, and she waited. A few naked minutes passed before a soft knock came at the door. Ving extended her hand and drew the woman in before closing the door. The woman was terrified and desperate, Ving knew the look. She wanted a woman but had never had one, scared she would get caught or that it was all a dream. Letting her look, Ving sat, open for inspection. The woman was wearing a nightgown under a jacket, fancy enough for it to pass as a dress at a glance. Although probably her age or younger, the woman before Ving had shocking white hair.

The noble lady reached out and touched Ving on her breasts, shuddering at the feeling. It was no longer a dream, a woman's flesh was in her hand. Her other hand reached out and went between Ving’s legs. Ving met her eyes and smiled, letting her know the touch was welcome. The woman choked a breath and started to cry. Ving responded by leaning in for a kiss as she hooked her arm around the neck of the noble lady. She stripped off the woman's clothing and pressed her breasts against hers. She felt the woman embrace her tightly as she started to work her hips and rub herself over Ving’s thigh. Ving helped her hips with her hands and nibbled at her neck before lowering her head to the bare breasts. Not as big as her own, but full and begging to be tended to by a woman. The lady moaned as Ving worked her tongue over the soft flesh and bit lightly before giving special attention to the nipples.

Ving switched one hand to rub the womanhood sliding over her thigh and got an immediate response as she gasped and begged her to stop. Ving knew she was just scared of the new sensation, and kept going until she screamed and spasmed with her first climax. It was always easy to tell a person's first, they were always scared. Ving wasn't finished. She pushed a pair of fingers inside the woman and laid on her back. Then, pulling her into place, Ving got the woman to kneel over her face. Ving began to enjoy the woman who quickly lost her balance and fell forward. Resting on her thighs, she didn't need prodding to return the favour. The woman only put a single finger inside Ving before attempting to mimic what was being done to her with her tongue.

As she picked up the pace, Ving felt the woman doing the same. Feeling another finger pushing into her, Ving started moaning harder until she let her climax rip through her body. The woman squealed as she suddenly felt a rush of fluids flowing out of Ving and felt her body spasm again in pleasure.

Adjusting themselves, Ving moved over the woman, kissing her body up to her lips. Both of them enjoyed the taste. Not wanting her to miss out, Ving let the woman lick and suckle on her breasts as she hung them over her head. She reached down to keep playing with the woman who was still aching for the pleasure so long denied to her. Ving felt her bite down on her breasts when she climaxed again, spending the last of the noble girl's energy. They laid there, Ving on top and to the side.

Before letting her get dressed, Ving rubbed the nightgown all over her sweaty body. Spending a long time between her legs. Then watched the noblewoman get dressed. She handed Ving her clothing that was lying on the platform before giving a cute curtsy and leaving without a word.

The radio clicked, and Ving reached over to turn it on. “Yes?” she asked while still getting into her pants.

“Get to the Harlot as quickly as you can,” came Liddy over the radio, sounding stressed.

“On my way,” Ving replied before dashing out of her racer and putting her clothes back on.

****

Walen hissed at Emma to be quiet as he pushed her towards the east side servant's entrance to his estate. The two guards at the door noticed quickly and grinned at the sight of the tiny elf being dragged along. They took a good look at the tiny figure, barely concealed by her dress. The makeup she had put around her eyes, running from the tears.

"Well, hello, young sir. Having some fun for the night? I thought you didn't approve,” the first guard commented, unable to stop looking at Emma.

“Well, that was until I had a real taste of it. Now I get what you all talk about,” Walen replied, grinning at Emma.

Emma darted her eyes over the three men, shivering. She started to back away.

One guard stepped forward to stop her. “Hey now, you either play with him or play with all of us in the barracks.” His comment covered the muffled noises his friend made as a knife sliced his throat. As he heard the fall of the body behind him, he turned to see Hannah staring into his eyes as a knife plunged under his chin into his skull.

“Grab their gear,” Hannah ordered, peering around the corner towards the front door on the west side.

Hope approached with the duke, her holy robes showing far too much cleavage for good taste -- but that was the point. Hannah flashed a mirror in the moonlight and saw Hope flick her long blonde curls indicating she had noticed. Turning back, she helped roll the bodies into the bushes, and then went inside with Emma and the boy.

****

Hope was relieved the first part of the plan went well. She, holding the Duke's arm, squeezed it tightly to let him know things went well. Her gear was stored on the backs of his two personal bodyguards that were ahead of them. The rest of his men were behind, managing to make their escort look tired but formal. There were a dozen guards at the front entrance, a set of heavy oak doors that belonged on a castle rather than an estate.

“Sir,” a guard held his hand up to stop them. “What business brings you by at this late hour?”

The Duke put his best smile on, “Well, there has been a bit of a scandal. There is a birthday party tomorrow and the only people not present are your lady and the birthday girl herself. I thought I might be of some service, given the unusual political elements at play here.”

The guard spared a glance at Hope, trying not to blush, before looking at the large escort behind the Duke.

“Oh,” The Duke remarked as he looked back as if noticing his men for the first time. “They can stay out here. Needn't worry about them. Just inform your lady that Duke Ostenberg of the Capital is here to see her.”

The guard finally clued into how important the man was and rushed over to an intercom on the wall. A few moments later a scratchy voice mumbled something back and they were waved inside. The Duke left the bulk of his men outside except for the two bodyguards, a herald who didn't speak for his duke when he should have, and Hope.

After being shown inside and the door closed behind them, Hope saw the backpacks of the two bodyguards sag. She looked around, their escort ahead of them. She quickly grabbed both bags off their backs and disappeared down a corridor. After finding the room Walen had told her about, she quickly stripped out of her robes and donned more suitable undergarments that made wearing her armour more comfortable.

****

The commotion at the front door drew the attention of the guards, allowing Hannah and the rest to slip past them. Walen had said the most likely place they would hold someone would be only a short distance from the servants' entrance. It was also the most convenient way to get bodies out. He was right, and the door they wanted was soon in sight. It was rather nondescript given the luxurious surroundings of the rest of the estate.

“It should be guarded,” Walen commented, confused.

Hannah gestured for Emma to stand to the side of the door while she took the other side. It was, as Hannah inspected, slightly ajar and unlocked. She pushed the door open slowly and swept her trench gun across the room. Emma, noticing a look on Hannah's face, peered inside.

“I don't get it,” Emma stated.

****

“Lady Riven, you won't get away with this.” Louise threatened while struggling against her bonds. She was bound to the iron chair, trying to ignore the gaze of the two men with bloodstained aprons leering at her.

“Listen, you stupid little girl,” the middle-aged noblewoman hissed. “I didn't go through the trouble of hiring an assassin and manage all the chaos that caused just to let you take the title that is rightfully mine. I would have been happy to let you marry my son after it was mine and let you have it when I was done with it. But then your half-sister shows up and ruined everything. I know she told you something, something that would let you get rid of her if you wanted. You are going to tell me so my plans get back on track -- or I will have these men pry it from your screaming jaw.”

“You can't figure it out yourself and you call me stupid? Letting you be Duchess would just be negligent of me. Give it up now and maybe I will let your son inherit your title after your execution.”

Even the torturers were taken back by the audacity of the statement. Lady Riven certainly was. She was about to slap Louise across the face when a rap at the door came before a messenger poked his head in.

“My Lady, Duke Ostenberg of the Capital has arrived to discuss… politics.”

Lady Riven was surprised, “I will meet him in the study by the inner garden.” She turned to the torturers. “Find out what I need to know. Do nothing that will leave a mark that can't be covered. She just needs enough of her mind intact to obey my son and her body still needs to provide him children.”

They nodded and she left.

Louise saw the two men, a master and apprentice, grinning as they looked between her and their tools.

****

The ship made almost no noise as it glided downwards. As it kissed the water of the pond, several figures leapt onto the manufactured island at its centre before scrambling out of the way of a larger demonic figure. Without stopping, the ship rose back into the air after igniting only the engine opposite the estate.

The girls were already moving over the bridge as Vile got to her feet. She had been carrying a great deal of weight with her and took out one of the airship's machine guns for her own use. She saw Inky covering her girls as they moved through the garden in the darkness. Thankfully it wasn't a full moon, but there was enough light on the water to let the Lucky Harlot take off again without being noticed.

Inky saw the ship heading away to wait and a small racer taking off from its deck. Laurel and Conna were on it with Ving. She hoped things would go according to plan, and that they could leave without incident. The longer things went without gunshots the better, but it also got on her nerves. Knowing things have gone wrong is more comforting that worrying about it. Assuming it was something she could do something about. She saw Vile crouch beside her, plate armour they had liberated from the armoury covered her body. It had been made for a large and heavy-set man, and she had heated and shaped it with her own hands to fit it to herself.

“Keep to the shadows, you reflect too much light,” Inky whispered.

Vile moved behind a statue that cast a long shadow and looked back at Inky, who gave her a smile saying she wasn't any less aroused than she was when she first saw her covered in armour. They had tried to dull the shine, but their time was short, and it only worked so well with what they had on hand.

Crossing the green garden was tedious, but there didn't seem to be any guards besides the ones at the estate itself. Those were busy, focused on the commotion of the Duke being seated.

“We wait here. When things get loud, we storm the rear.”

“Doesn't that cost extra?” Astra asked, earning a few quiet giggles.

****

“My Lady will be with you shortly,” the man said to the Duke. He cast his eyes around for Hope, but quickly assumed she had been left outside with the rest of the Duke's men. There was a pang of jealousy for the men at the front entrance who he thought got to speak with her -- but they were actually quite dead by then.

****

Ving got as close as she could to the clock tower that overlooked the central rock garden of the estate, and right into the room where the Duke had just been shown into.

Laurel waited as Easy made the jump first, her wings fluttering hard and letting her land softly. Then she followed, not making it as far, but the quick grasps from the fairy's outstretched arms pulled her to safety.

Conna started tossing the rifle and ammunition to them before grabbing the machine gun that they had mounted on the racer. They took off while the two girls went about setting up their snipers nest.

****

Hannah had closed the door behind them so they could talk privately. They stood over the corpses of two guards who had been stripped and two men who looked like butchers. The chair with restraints was empty.

“So what happened?” Emma asked.

“If they hadn't taken her here or if they moved her, there wouldn't be corpses. If Hope had gotten here first, she would have marked the door. The, I’m going to assume torturers, were killed with several bayonet stabs each. The guards by something less ideal, like a kitchen knife into their necks.”

“Servants?” Walen offered. “They would be the only ones who wouldn't have real knives.” He trailed off for a moment. “And we just had to hire a bunch to make up for the loss of the Emberborn.”

“You think they could have recognized her?” Emma asked.

“Maybe, but even I hardly ever saw Louise. And my mother wanted us getting married. I really can't say.”

“Well, either way, they couldn't get her out without the guards noticing, so where would they stash her?”

“Oh, I know,” he stated with dread.

****

Standing up to greet the Lady Riven was difficult for the Duke, his gut throwing him off balance. The Lady was also thrown off, as she remembered him being exceptionally fit the last time they met only several months ago.

“Greetings, m’lady. I hope I am not disturbing you.” The Duke kissed the offered hand.

“Not at all, a pleasant distraction from current frustrations. Though I must say I am surprised.”

“As am I. With the speed that things are changing, I thought I’d come pay my respects to the woman I’m most likely to be dealing with for future business,” the Duke explained, not mentioning his respects being part of the rescue plot.

She smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. Can I count on your support then?”

“Of course, assuming no harm comes to the young lady. I do like to avoid that kind of politics if it can be helped.”

“That's really up to her,” she stated, frustration creeping back into her tone.

****

Hope was peering around a corner when she saw Hannah dart out of a room and away, followed by Emma and the boy. She didn't want to call out and had not been noticed. The young lady didn't seem to be with them either. She started to move again, taking a hall in the direction they had moved so she could catch up.

There were suddenly some raised voices as she moved, and as she got closer, she could see a group of people in the middle of a hallway. Six were guards, though two stood with a group of servants.

“Don't give us that crap,” one of the guards remarked. “If you were out entertaining anyone, you wouldn't have two of you dressed in our uniforms and armed.”

As she moved closer, Hope noticed one of the guards had caught a glimpse of her and turned to aim his weapon. The moment he did, it got slapped upwards with a wave in the air and a hand clasped over his mouth before the life started to drain from his eyes. His friends turned to face Hope, who swung and crushed the skull of the guard closest to her. The two guards in the group of servants lunged forward with the bayonets on their rifles, both skewering the guard closest to them. One guard, having had the sense to back away a few steps while seeing his friends die, tried to bring his rifle around on Hannah before it was slapped away. Without missing a step, he drew his pistol, but it only just cleared his holster before the boom of the trench gun tore through his chest with a solid slug.

****

“Was that a gunshot?” the lady asked, suddenly very alert and moving away from the Duke.

“Rifles don't sound like that,” one of the Duke's bodyguards commented in full honesty.

****

At the front entrance, amidst the dead bodies, some of which still had the cigarettes offered by the Duke's men burning in their dead lips, the assault team twisted the detonator only a few moments after they heard the gunshot.

****

There was a moment of silence before an explosion tore through the front entrance.

“That was also not a rifle,” the same bodyguard commented with a smirk.

****

Inky, with her hand in the air, listened as the sound of battle kicked up. She saw the doors she would enter by open up as a whole mess of guards flooded out. Within their group was their lady. Inky lowered her hand sharply. The spray of bullets tore through the escorts from the shadows of the garden.

****

The Duke kicked off the floor to push his chair backwards, like the instructors of his youth kept warning him about when he tilted them during lessons. His bodyguards flipped a couch and took cover behind it. He ripped open his tunic and let the mess of cloth wrapped magazines fall out of his shirt. After picking up his pistol, he started to fire into the throng of guards that had seemed to ignore them in the excitement rather than suspect him. Although they shielded their lady, he needed to keep them busy.

“This, my boys, is why unscheduled visits should always be suspicious!” the Duke shouted.

His supposed herald drew his own pistol from his ostentatious outfit and joined his duke in firing at their opponents. The first volley had dropped several of them before they reacted. The Duke shook his head at the low standards others kept with their guards.

****

Hope and Hannah listened to the battle kicking off.

“Very quickly, what's your deal?” Hannah asked the servants.

“The Lady Riven, she keeps our husbands' prisoner here. We got work to get closer and free them. That's when we overheard them bringing in the young lady. We thought if we could keep her safe, she would help us.”

“Where is safe?” Hannah asked.

“The harem, the guards won't ever go in there.”

Hannah was confused, it didn't quite make sense but it didn't matter. That's where she was going. “Right, Emma with me, everyone else grab weapons and be helpful over with the fighting. Hope, you are in charge. Walen, if you can do anything to get people out of your way, then do it.”

“Right,” Walen understood, though he doubted the guards would listen to him at a time like this. “Though you should see a door on your right as you go that way. Old oak like the front door, it leads to the clock tower.”

Hannah nodded and left them to get sorted. The northeast of the estate was mostly a rock garden enclosed within the house. She and Emma moved down the east corridor towards the northeast corner while Hope and her group moved west, lengthwise along the southern edge of the garden. The glass walls in between the supporting columns giving them a view of the fancy rock garden. Everyone else was in the west part of the estate shooting it up.

****

Easy looked through the spyglass. She could see the Duke and his men behind the furniture holding their own, and the guards trying to kill them.

“Why don't we start shooting?” she asked Laurel.

“We don't want to give away our position,” came the reply. “We are only to do anything if it looks like the Duke might be in trouble or gets wounded.”

“What does it look like if not this?”

Laurel fired a shot. “Like some asshole coming out of a false wall.”

****

The Duke was surprised to suddenly find a corpse falling behind him and turned to make another corpse out of the man who followed. The hidden door led down a narrow hall. It was empty for the moment, but he knew it might not stay that way for long. He gave a thumbs up where, if the hole in the glass was any indication, someone who had just saved his life was hidden.

****

Hannah rapped on the heavy door as Emma opened the lock with her spectral hand. She only opened it enough to call through it.

“Going to the northeast corner, she should be there!” she shouted before closing it again.

It was impossible to miss the heavy doors to the harem. The cast iron was at odds with the rest of the decor. She motioned for Emma to keep watch outside as she turned the lock with the keys the servants had given her. Past the ante-room with two dead guards on the floor, she came into a gloomy hall lined with the creepiest stone statues of men she had ever seen. They were all naked, caught in motion and terror. She heard something moving in the dark, something big, but it didn't walk with normal steps. It slithered.

****

Vile pulled the trigger on the machine gun again, letting out a mighty warcry that made it difficult for Inky to focus on the battle instead of her lover. They had moved closer to the estate, taking cover against the stone of the estate, and firing inside through the windows and doors. In the brief moment of distraction, Inky noticed a twitch in the expression of the demon. Vile let one hand go of the weapon and raised it in front of her in time to catch a blast of ice that sent her flying.

Inky saw a man dressed in robes like a walking cliche of a wizard passing through the wall, the stone shattering like glass as he did. “Inside now!” she shouted, knowing to be caught in the open with him was far too dangerous.

The girls lept over their cover and charged inside the estate, firing as they went. Inky followed and glanced back at Vile who was getting back on her feet and looked suitably pissed off. It was clear that Vile didn't want to be anywhere near her lover either, as she didn't want to hold back.

“Foolish creature!” the man yelled, hurling water from the fountain he had frozen into a shard and threw it at Vile.

Vile evaporated it with a fiery glare before snorting at him, “Foolish man.”

He repeated his attack with more water from the fountain, but Vile wasn't just going to trade shots. She charged him and hurled a ball of fire at him before swatting the ice away. It hurt, touching the ice, but she warmed her skin up quickly enough. As the flames around him disappeared, she could see the shine on his skin like a layer of ice. She smiled as she struck him hard -- but unlike the wall, he didn't shatter under the impact. Getting back to his feet, he took the look of a man who suddenly found himself having to make a much more serious effort than he had planned.

****

Hannah dove out of the way of the powerful tail that swung at her. It was the width of her own shoulders and twice as long as she was. At least the part she could see was.

“Louise! Are you in here?!” Hannah called. “I don't want to accidentally hit you while trying to kill this snake thing!”

“Hannah!” she heard immediately. “No! Stop! Both of you!” Louise came running out of the gloom waving her arms.

Hannah grabbed Louise close and pushed her behind to aim at the slithering movement following her. “Get back to the door.”

“No, stop!” Louise pleaded.

“Why?!” Hannah shouted.

“Because we aren't enemies,” came a soft, smooth, voice. “My apologies for the misunderstanding.”

From the gloom came a breathtakingly beautiful woman on the body of a snake. There were a few notable deviations to her from beyond that as well. Firstly, at her shoulders came a pair of arms for each side. The lower set rested on her hip area. The other set of hands were held open in a non-hostile gesture. The other difference was that instead of hair, she had a mess of snake tails writhing upon her head.

“Fuck me…” Hannah muttered.

“That would be a welcome relief. I've been guarding this harem for years. Although there are many worse tortures in the world I expect, being in a room of fine men and feeling guilty every time you get aroused is still not very pleasant.”

“I don't get it,” Hannah commented, looking around.

“You see, this is a…” she turned away on her coiled snake body. “Lights! Please! Thank you!” She waited until they came on and Hannah could see the mostly naked men lounging around on soft furniture. “She likes married men, so she finds ones with pretty wives and grabs them. Says she will kill their spouse if they don't do as they are told. So the men please her, the women her guards. If the husbands do anything she doesn't like.” She gestured to the statues. “I have this effect on men. That's why she keeps me here.”

Hannah struggled not to stare at the soft pair of breasts hidden under the silk sheets the snake woman wore. “Why do you work for her at all?”

“So I am not hunted and killed on sight. My kind is always hunted down. If we look enough like people we get made into slaves. But not a thing like me.”

“Eh, not wrong per say, but things are changing. Slavery is illegal now either way. Is there any way we can undo this stone thing?”

“I can't. Lady Riven keeps saying the curse can be broken by a holy man if their wives keep behaving. Of course, those are the same wives who just came in here with the young girl. Said to keep her safe until tomorrow.”

“Right. Well, we have another way out and a battle to get stuck into. Help us and we can all be free tonight.”

“Fair enough, I won't hold you to that expletive then.” She smiled.

“If we get through this without any of my friends getting killed, I’m game if you are,” Hannah replied with a smirk, wondering if the black snake tails on her head would make sitting on it more interesting.

****

Hope understood very quickly that the women she was with were not trained soldiers. They cowered in cover, and she could only calm them with her aura so much. Gunfire struck all around them, and the glass windows into the rock garden had shattered all over them. She knew it wasn't the plan, but she needed help. Ripping the flare from her belt, she tossed it through the window after igniting it.

Moments later, the racer swooped in and Hope pointed at what she wanted Conna to do. The moment after that, Conna let rip from her machinegun and tore through the glass and men who threatened Hope’s small company. Taking advantage of their distraction, Hope charged, feeling a few bullets bounce off her holy armour and blasted a stream of holy fire into their ranks before laying in with her mace. Conna held fire and the racer took off again.

Several mighty swings and a finishing backhand that snapped the neck of the guard behind her, Hope stood alone and went back to check on her group.

****

Vile was thrown back by the blast that shattered her armour, what little was left from being burnt off due to her own magic. However, instead of being thrown off balance by the sheet of ice that covered the ground, her hooves held firm. The ice mage seemed confused until he noticed the metal spikes. Vile, thinking they looked intimidating, had taken the spike-covered horseshoes for herself from the armoury.

“Why don't you just die!” her opponent raged.

“The closest I get to near death experiences is when I orgasm, and I'm sorry to say, you just aren't that good!”

Caught off guard by her response, he almost didn't notice the fact she had started a charge to tackle him. He knew he had superior knowledge, but unlike most magic users, she didn't have a frail body. Her heat could match his cold, and his only option was to keep her at bay. The idea that an amateur could maintain a stalemate with him was galling.

****

Laurel was firing at regular intervals now. The Duke's men had linked up with their Duke, the Harlots pressed on their flank and kept them from moving. Without Vile, it would be a slow grind. She didn't know what was going on exactly, but there was no mistaking the flames in the garden being thrown around.

Easy was guiding Louise onto the racer for her escape and wondered what Hannah had meant when she told Laurel not to shoot the snake.

“Oh, that might be what she meant,” Laurel commented, almost casually.

Easy turned and didn't need a spyglass to see what she meant.

****

Inky was hurt. She tied a one-handed tourniquet on Juno’s leg because her other arm was clutched to her chest. Pushing through the windows had caught their enemies by surprise, but it put them a lot closer. She knew they couldn't advance any deeper, but also knew that getting out would be just as difficult. They were in a bedroom and at the very least had plenty of makeshift bandages to go around.

****

Not so far away, the Duke was fighting with his men. Though when he was taking another shot, careful with his bullets, he saw something and ducked back down quickly. “Take cover now!” he bellowed.

“Sir?” his bodyguard herald asked, the other two guards dead.

“Well, this is one rumour I hadn't expected to be true. Just stay here a minute. Actually, let's use this hidden passage. Just don't look backwards.”

He ran, and his man followed.

****

“Duke is running! After him!” Shouted one of the guards, but when he pushed his subordinate he didn't budge. Instead of his man, he saw a stone statue that just looked like him. Following his terrified gaze, he met the glowing eyes that made his own turn dark until he felt nothing.

****

Vile was sore and angry. She had never felt cold before, but as she grew more exhausted she felt it in her bones. She could see her opponent was also tired, and more than a little worse for wear yet still standing.

“You can't manage your power. Impressive, but your fire is fading and my skin is still as hard as a rock.”

“Not yet it's not,” came the smooth voice behind him.

He turned and would spend the rest of time frozen in shocked bewilderment.

****

After a few frantic minutes of making sure all enemies and allies are accounted for, Hannah walked up to Lady Riven and slapped her across the face. The woman wasn't entirely unattractive with rusty hair and an ample chest. Hannah was sure her personality was the reason she needed a harem to get herself laid.

“Originally I was going to kill you outright. But I have decided that you will be the first matter of the court when Duchess Louise takes her place in the big chair.” Hannah hit her again when she tried to retort. “Shut the fuck up. You don't get to speak to me.”

She let the Duke's men take her away.

****

Vile stared at the snake woman in surprise. She wasn't quite expecting the fight to end so suddenly, but was thankful that it did.

“You are naked,” the soft voice came.

Vile looked down at herself and noticed everything but her horseshoes had been stripped away in the battle. “Yeah, that happens. What's your name?”

She looked back towards the estate where her owner was being taken away before turning back to Vile. “I haven't decided yet.”

“I know that feeling.” Vile responded, thinking of her own names.

****

Inky was feeling good, really good. Between the magic Hope used and the tonic she had been given, her body felt energized and her wounds gone.

“Well, this feels good,” she commented to Hope, who was doing the same with Juno.

“Be happy I saw an alchemist on the way over. We got a whole case. The tonic aids healing, but mixed with my magic it's almost a miracle.”

“Why didn't you do this with Hannah? It took her a lot longer to recover when she got bit.”

“I did, but massive blood loss and breaking a vampiric curse are a bit different than gunshots and shrapnel. Even collectively, you haven't lost as much as she did. Speaking of breaking curses, I need to undo the stone men in the harem.”

****

Ving found Hannah standing in the rock garden. Setting down her weapon and dropping her bandoleers, she raced over, almost tackling Hannah in her hurry to get a kiss.

Hannah decided to fall over anyways and bring Ving down on top of her. She felt Ving’s hand slide up her combat skirt and start to massage the stress out of her body.

Louise, who had followed Ving after she landed, stood surprised until Walen came over to give her a sly smile. He was about to say something suggestive when Hope grabbed him by the ear and started dragging him away.

“Her birthday is tomorrow and this is your mess now. We need to take care of the stone curse and get these people out of here. The real party is about to start and I do NOT want to miss this.”

Louise, a little disappointed, decided she would help and followed Hope.

The Duke noticed the women with the red and green hair tumbling in the sand, stripping bits of clothing off each other, and decided her and his men needed some relief. After all, the healing had energized them and their fallen comrades wouldn't have begrudged them honouring their names in such a way. He turned to see Vile walking in and saw Inky being picked up in her arms for a deep kiss. Tails wrapping around her legs.

The army troops that had shown up, rather late, were escorting the prisoners away when they noticed things were going on and they hadn't been invited.

More and more, people made their way into the rock garden. The naga, resting on her long snake tail, watched her new demon friend as she stripped the dark-skinned woman out of her clothing and laid her down on the sand. Then, bending over, put her mouth between her legs. The woman grabbed her by the horns and pulled her tight while the well-dressed man stripped out of his clothing and moved in behind. She watched as his manhood slid inside the red demon who moaned deeply. Her own body ached and she felt the scales below her navel withdraw almost involuntarily to reveal her own womanhood. It hurt, deep inside her, knowing she couldn't be desired in quite the same way, that she was just too different. But, there was a chance, the woman with the red hair had hinted. She slithered on over to see her in the sand with her woman. She tasted the air, her long tongue getting the scent of the two women below her, and a fainter third.

Hannah kicked out and flipped Ving onto her back, then moved to straddle her face before reaching up to grasp one of the four hands of the naga over her. She pulled her down and felt the long tongue slither into her mouth as she kissed her. Hannah spotted the dripping from the scales and reached up to push her fingers inside. She felt the hard gasp into her mouth as she worked inside the snake body.

Ving suddenly felt a long thick tail sliding between her legs, moving back and forth to rub against her. It was too big to take inside her but the sensation was amazing. She looked up to see Hannah having her breasts covered in saliva from the long tongue moving over them while four different hands gripped and tugged them the whole time.

Mari was watching in amazement at the sight, wondering where to involve herself, when she noticed two of the Duke's men trying to urge each other to talk to her. She stripped out of her clothing, more of it than normal since she had expected to be possibly fighting, and smiled at them before running off to the rock garden. Finding a smooth slab to lay on, she turned to see them rushing to catch up while stripping down. Mari sat on the edge of the slab and rubbed herself so she could make sure they were ready by the time they reached her. The first one who did got in her mouth first and stayed only a moment before she leaned back to let him between her legs. His friend moved behind her on her direction as she hung her head off the other edge of the slab and felt him push all the way down her throat.

Foxy let out a low howl as the man inside her pushed her back against Conna, who was in the arms of another man. Back to back and their feet off the ground, they clasped hands as they felt the men inside them thrusting against each other to make each thrust stronger.

Juno was wishing the Duke had brought some lady guards with him, until she felt hands up her skirt. She felt the breasts pressing into her back expand as the nibbles at her neck started. Reaching behind her, she found there wasn't any clothing in the way of her hands as she pressed them between the legs and pushed inside. With her free hand, she started stripping off her clothing, assisted by the free hand of Leira, who wanted her naked just as much.

Liddy wasn't about to stay on the sidelines. As she saw Vile hold Inky in her lap, spreading her legs for the Duke to push inside, Liddy dove under her and felt tails pushing inside the moment she put her tongue to the demon. Liddy could feel the pulsing from Vile, her body aching in pleasure from watching the Duke penetrate her love. Inky, writhed, licking the massive breasts her head rested between when she could, was unaware of Liddy until she felt a hand reach up to caress the man sliding in and out of her. On her knees, Liddy felt the tails twisting inside her.

Cat wasn't sure who was pushing their way inside her, since her face was firmly fixed with a long tongue inside her mouth, kissing Easy. She put the only hand she could spare between the fairy's legs and felt her tighten on the fingers that were inside her. Cat twisted and turned her fingers in the sparkly woman who had badly needed this release. The thrusting inside her own body felt amazing and wondered who it was and why they felt so smooth.

Astra had warmed the metal shaft inside herself before using it on Cat, and loved how it gripped her own body and pressed on all the right places. She loved the sight of Juno being pleased the way she liked and wondered what she had noticed behind her -- until Astra felt someone gripping her hips and pushing into her bum. It surprised her that whoever it was had taken the time to find some kind of oil, since it slid inside her with ease instead of the usual pain. She laughed, it made everything feel better.

Emma was trying to scream but her throat was full. The man she rode was big enough, but the one pushing into her bum was the same and it hurt. Her skull was being shaken by the man in her mouth, used like a toy. Why two more men were waiting their turn with her instead of finding another woman she wasn't sure, but she held each in a hand. The pain would have been too much if she hadn't felt her climax dull it so much. She touched herself with her spectral hand as the three men penetrated her and the regular orgasms kept her tiny body enjoying it. It occurred to her that she finally understood why Mari liked pain so much.

Kilty and Tara kissed as their breasts pushed together, each having a hand between the other's legs to feel the men sliding into the other from behind and to please the other. Breaking their kiss occasionally to breathe and nibble the other's neck, they enjoyed the sight of seeing the other getting rammed from behind.

Laurel lay in the sand, enjoying the sounds of the more creative positions as the fake herald of the duke laid on top of her while thrusting into her. He had put his jacket down under her bum so the sand wouldn't get in the way and ruin the experience. She loved the simple grips and kisses on her breasts as the man on top of her had his way with her.

Hannah and Ving were kissing again, kneeling over the naga, who had two hands between their legs each. Both of them were massaging her breasts while pressing their own together. To their surprise, one of the Duke's men had straddled the snake and pushed inside her, furiously working his hips to thrust into the part reptile. As a shock to everyone involved, her orgasm made her wrap the man with her tail and almost crush him to keep him inside. Hannah and Ving watched as his face started turning colours before he moaned and climaxed himself. The tail let him go and he laid on it breathing heavily, while Hannah and Ving laughed at his discovery of his new kink.

Hope, frustrated at her responsibilities keeping her busy, rushed into the garden. She had seen the curses lifted and let Walen lead them out of the estate. After sending Louise back to the ship, she spotted Emma and decided she had men to spare. Almost ripping the man away from the elf, who thankfully let his manhood go, Hope threw him to the ground. She straddled him and kept him pinned as she worked her hips so she could feel him inside her in all the right ways that she liked. Hope only let him go when the other man came in front of her and she leaned back to take him in her mouth. Kneeling upright with the two men inside her, the man she was no longer pinning started gripping her breasts and she let out her first climax.

Hannah felt the snake tails on the head she was sitting on wriggle and writhe much like the long tongue that was inside her. They teased her thighs and her clit while Ving ground against the snake tail again while licking the man's seed out of the snake body. He laid on the ground exhausted.

On the ship, Louise sat with the two Emberborn, trying not to listen to all the lustful noises.

****

Hannah was trying not to nod off as she sat at the table. The assembled nobility, dukes and duchesses from other cities, were there wondering how a simple birthday could have been so exhausting for her. Lady Louise stood behind her, also quite tired, but it made a bit more sense since it had been her birthday. The Duke from the capital masked his exhaustion by calling the meeting to order.

“Alright now, the party was fun but politics must intrude. As we know, there are plans to make the Lady Louise the new Duchess Stirling. But before that, we need to decide things that require a more experienced eye.” He paused to pinch Hannah, who woke with a start before nodding. “Now, ever since I had started to receive rumours of cities in the west forming alliances, I have been working towards my own. Now, it has been confirmed that instead of these competing alliances grinding each other down, they have named a King and are moving west.” He looked at Hannah who was starting to wake up. “As a result, since we weren't in on the ground floor of this monarchy, we stand to lose a great deal if we don't do the same. I've spoken with the others during the party and secured support for my nomination. Duchess Stirling? Any thoughts?”

Hannah smiled at the Duke and said, “Nope, I support your nomination.” She was happy to let him make the choices so she could get back to normal.

“Oh good. Because I nominated you.”

Hannah was now very much awake and almost in a panic, “No no no no no no!”

“Too late, already done. I feel like we need a general and the others agree. Also, in my experience, authority should seldom be given to those who want it. This way, we can win the war and they can position themselves to take over afterwards. If it makes you feel better, you can still abdicate your duchy title.”

It didn't make her feel better. Not at all. Hannah suddenly understood how she made Liddy feel every time she opened her mouth.