Hello, MrDawnFluffles here! This is based on XFiction's Transylvania. Enjoy!
CW: Futanari, Monsters, Slight ENF
*****
I snuck through the wilderness, the cover of night hiding my movements as I slid from tree to tree. I'd set out a few days ago and was running out of food, but I could finally see the oppressive castle in the distance: Mount Scieriy. Dubbed "Mount Scenery," it certainly lived up to its name. The massive shadow loomed in the distance, blotting out the light of the moon and obscuring my path in darkness.
I came to a forlorn gate along the path not long after. The road wound up the cliff-face to where the castle rested atop a plateau among the clouds. As I approached, the gate screeched open, and I slid through, onwards and upwards along the cliff.
My feet were aching by the time I reached the top, but I tuned out the pain. The road wound around through a depressing yard, with a small thicket acting as a guard rail to prevent wanderers from falling hundreds of feet to their deaths. I approached the front door and slammed the knocker into it three times, casting an echo through the empty courtyard. After an eternity, the door opened, revealing the small shadow of a desolate man illuminated by the light of a nearly-dead flame. He waved for me to come in.
"Greetings, Madame Aly," he said, his French accent betraying his upbringing. "Let me take your belongings up to your room." He pointed with a long, pale finger down into the darkness before me. "Down that hall, you will find Francis with a warm meal for your consideration." He bowed, took my things, and headed upstairs.
I walked down the hall, feeling naked at the lack of my backpack for the first time in days. I stretched my shoulders and followed his directions, searching with my nose.
It didn't take long to find Francis' cooking. The smell wafted through the night palace air, and I came face to face with the muscly cook. He bowed as soon as our eyes met and handed me a plate of eggs. I felt drawn to his gaze, but my mind clouded over and I was forced to look away. There was something about his eyes that I couldn't quite place.
I thanked him and devoured the food after being seated in the dining room. I hadn't eaten anything but stale bread and ration packets for days. He gently poured me a glass of wine before giving me directions to find my quarters and retreating into the kitchen. After I had filled my belly and quenched my throat, I followed his directions and headed upstairs.
Eventually, I found my way to a flight of stairs and onto the second floor. After another few minutes of wandering, I found the short butler dressed in black fiddling with a lock. "Madam Aly. Pardon me, but I appear to have forgotten your key. I will be right back," he said. "Pardon me," he mumbled again as he hobbled away.
I waited in the dark hall, the window across the way shedding depressing moonlight through the terribly-ineffective blinds. While I waited, I saw another shape making its way up the hall. As it neared, the figure of a tall, elegantly appointed woman carrying a purse came into view. She came to a stop right next to me.
"Oh dear, has Thibeaut forgotten this beautiful young one's key?" she asked, her words flowing nearly out-of-sync with her lips. I nodded in reply. "May I ask your name, young one?"
"Aly, madam. I'm a guest of the Duke's."
She nodded. "Well, Aly," she said, her accent dripping my name. "I happen to have a spare key. I will inform Thibeaut that I have helped you settle in."
As she unlocked my door, she stood up fully, really letting me see her horrifying height. "Where are my manners? My name is Duchess Celine." She led me into my room, and I heard the clicking of her heels across the ground. It relieved me to know that at least some of her staggering height was artificial.
She watched me explore my room and retreated into the hall. I heard her converse briefly with Thibeaut before her heels clicked away down the corridor.
Eventually, after exploring every ancient nook and cranny of my room, I unpacked. There were cobwebs in every crevice and dust on every surface, but it was still more comforting than the cold night sky. At least there were no wolves here.
I managed to find sleep late into the night, only after updating my journal with today's adventure. I kept a log of every interesting person I met, and I had certainly met quite a few. Before bed, I resolved to learn more about the Duchess tomorrow and to meet her husband, the Duke, who had invited me here with the promise of bounty.
Light cascaded past the thin veil of the curtains in my room, revealing the staggering sunlight beyond. I cast open the drapes and was awestruck by the view. The clouds hung low in the sky, practically within reach as the forests of Wuhrmann stretched into the horizon. This fortress stood almost exactly on the border between France and Switzerland, and I'd heard tales of people from all over Europe having stayed here.
The wildest were of Nazi experiments gone wrong, but they were all superstitions. What the Duke had told me was supposedly real. His testimony was backed up by most of the staff, and I truly hoped they were right.
I stepped into the brightly lit hallway after getting dressed in my traditional black garb, and my nose was instantly assaulted with the scent of incense. I followed it down several winding hallways before I arrived at a massive set of double doors that were held open by a pair of servants. The one on the left was a tall, dark-skinned woman, the right a statuesque man, with pale, nearly-translucent skin. There were no boring people at Mount Scieriy; everyone was a story.
I strode through the doors and into a huge chapel adorned with golden lanterns along the walls. The church felt much warmer than the rest of the castle, but it was equally as foreboding. Looking at the intricate tapestries decorating the room filled me with a sense of disbelonging. The cross hanging at the end seemed eerily macabre, despite the welcoming atmosphere.
I pushed away my fears and took a seat near the front, figuring it would be a good idea to attend church since it always drew so many people. I hoped that the Duke and Duchess would show and that more interesting characters would arrive for me to document. I did have a habit of objectifying interesting subjects, but I was working on it. While I tried to reframe my state of mind, a woman dressed in priest garb appeared and stood upon the altar.
Her presence illuminated the already bright room. Clouds drifted past the windows behind her, making her seem like she was floating along the ground until she came to a stop.
"Welcome," she said. "A few are still drifting in, so I would like to take a few minutes to meditate before we begin. For those who are new, simply sit with your eyes closed and feel the breath flow in and out of your lungs."
I was well versed in meditation, but it wasn't often I got to experience it in a group setting. It was not something I wanted to miss. I closed my eyes and allowed the auras of the people surrounding me to carry my consciousness into a peaceful state. The energy of Mount Scieriy was electrifying and rife with life, but something felt... off. I couldn't place the feeling. But before long, the woman spoke again, her words glowing, and my musings were interrupted.
"Now that we are centred, we shall begin."
She opened a huge book adorned with golden runes and began reading, "
rripa teero rotlaierrkarrupo kin yonen rhen yonenu rripa teeru kinna
"
She paused. "For those unfamiliar with our language, this translates to 'oh great god above, we see you, and we will continue to see you.'"
"
rotlaierrkarrupo geru rripa ika kinna
"
She paused again. "Oh great god above, please fix our mistakes."
She continued this way, praying in her native tongue and then translating for those of us who didn't speak it. It seemed to be a fairly traditional prayer, though lacking detail. I just assumed she didn't bother translating all the intricacies.
Before I knew it, she was stepping off the stage. Her words were entrancing, and after a few minutes, I had been completely enthralled. I resolved to learn the basics of that language at some point, at least. With any luck, I'd be on the Duke's retainer for a while.
As I let out a deep breath, collecting myself in the aftermath of that experience, I spotted the Duchess talking with a few other odd-looking folks. As I approached, an admittedly tall man, though nowhere near as tall as her, slipped his arm through hers.
The man wore a bright blue suit with a red tie. He drew my attention away from the other interesting figures as his gaze met mine. "Ah, you must be my guest, Aly," he said, his French accent dripping just like the Duchess' had. "I am Duke René. It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear. Come, let us excuse ourselves. We have business to discuss. Pardon me, my dear friends. Thibeaut, take care of them," he said, grabbing my shoulder and carving a way through the crowd.
He led me down a handful of hallways until we reached the dining area. The golden morning light shone through the windows. A small table had been set, and he bade me take a seat across from him.
"First of all, welcome to Mount Scieriy. I hope you had a pleasant sleep. I know you didn't get much chance to fraternize, but I'm sure you will. Madam Odette is incredible, no?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, of course. The priestess, Madam Odette."
"I see. She was wonderful. I'm not much one for church, but that was fascinating. Where is that language from?"
"It is from this small region. If you mean to ask where its roots come from, I could not tell you. All of the books we have on the subject are long, and I am a busy man. But you will be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of this land who speaks it. Even here, it's only myself and a handful of others, including Madam Odette and the Duchess."
He leaned back in his chair, giving me some room to breathe. "Now, on to this business. I'm sure you have many questions, which I will be happy to answer."
"Yeah, so, you said there were things in the surrounding area? Things that you want me to get rid of?"
"Yes. Many horrible creatures lurk in this land. I want to hire you to... take care of certain ones. Most are harmless, but a few are dangerous to my guests."
"So, you'll tell me which ones to kill, and I'll go do it, right?"
"Well, you don't have to kill so long as they are no longer dangerous. I have struck deals with many in my lifetime, though I am far too old to be risking my life so, which is why you are here."
I nodded. "Where would you like me to start?"
"Well," he said. He started fidgeting with the tablecloth. "One of my guests is very suspicious. I hope I am wrong about my assumption, but I would like you to investigate her."
"Alright. Details?" I said.
"Yes. Her name is Kissa. Thibeaut can tell you where to find her."
I nodded. "Is that all? You want me to find whether or not Kissa is a danger?"
"Precisely. Good luck, Aly. We will talk again when you have finished," he said. He excused himself and left me alone in the bright, sunlit room.
I stood in turn and left the room, heading back down the hall. I peeked into the church once more, only to see most people had left. The Duchess was talking to Madam Odette, and the male doorman remained, returning my gaze.
I tracked down Thibeaut, who gave me Kissa's room number. I stalked down the hallway to where she was staying before walking up and knocking on her door.
A woman, quite a bit taller than me, though not too large for a normal female, opened the door. As my eyes crawled up her body to meet hers, my jaw dropped a bit. She was beautiful. One of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Her skin was golden and incredibly smooth. Her curves were ample, and her face was elegant. Her long black hair flowed down her back, and her meagre clothes left nothing to the imagination. She wore naught but a loincloth and bra, as well as quite a bit of gold jewellery.
