The Submissive Urge 16

In the morning you are in a hangover state. You gave the artefact to Minthara, effectively betraying your party and your squid master. It was not an ideal decision in the moment, but she sat on your face. That is worth something to you. If it gets you all killed or worse, so be it. You sit up and stretch, yawning. As you blink the sleep away you notice Minthara leaning against a wall in front of you, her arms crossed confidently under her perky breasts. You rub your eyes. She smiles.

"Good morning, 'partner.'"

"Partner? I thought you left?"

"I considered leaving. However, there was a long conversation with a denizen of this device and now it seems I am free of control." She frowns.

"It is jarring to be free, yet still carry the source of my domination to the absolute. Stranger still that the one who did this to me sits in front of me now, in opposition to those forces she founded and raised."

"I don't remember it, though." You argue.

"Are you sorry?" She lifts a curious pale brow at you.

You smile insincerely and nod. "Yes."

She snorts, detecting your insincerity with ease. Instead of calling you on it she nods to you and offers you a hand up.

"Good. Though you have changed, in some ways you are still the same brazen woman I remember."

You stand up, immediately leveraging the hand into a naked hug. As you try to embrace her she keeps you at bay with one hand between your breasts and another on your face.

"Minthara..." You whine.

"You are in many ways similar to the woman I knew." She observes calmly.

"Now is not the time."

You step back and stop trying. "Okay. What's next?"

"A difficult question. I am free, yet I am still a leader of this cult. However low level I may be. I control an army, but this rabble can be taken from me on a moment's notice if I act out of line." She sneers.

"Plus, they are goblins."

"I know what you mean." You tap your chin in thought.

"You're here for the artefact but we obviously can't bring it back." You look at her slyly.

"Right?"

"I am led to believe that I will explode." Minthara says seriously.

"Not in the fun way, I assume."

She shakes her head and says gravely. "Not in 'that' way, no."

"What is special about this thing? Is it who is inside, or is it something else? Can it be faked?"

"It would be a gamble. I am not willing to bet my life on that chance. There is another option."

"What option?"

"You may not like it in your weakened state but it is necessary. We are here to assault the grove. It is a hidden location in the mountains and we are led to believe the artefact is with them. If we do not slaughter the grove we will be under far more scrutiny. Anything we do must start with slaying the grove and all its inhabitants."

"Why don't you just lie and say you did?"

"A lie would be found quickly. The truth would not put me under scrutiny. If I am scrutinised, they will torture me and attempt to read my thoughts."

"I know where the grove is, obviously."

"Tell me."

"Not. Yet." You smirk.

"Don't be coy, you dolt!" She slams you against the wall, surrounding you and bringing her face close to yours.

"Relax. It's just because if you know my plan, they can possibly read it off you. You'll also probably feel weird about what you're gonna do. You know... The best operative are those who do not remember their orders... Minthara. It allows you to get in, say all the things they need to hear and gather everything we want without anyone knowing there is a predator among them." You stare at her with an unintentional amount of pointedness as the implication sinks in. You did not mean to suggest the source of your amnesia, but she took it as such. Slowly, to your confusion, Minthara gulps and stumbles back.

"I- I see. Yes. Go ahead then..." She looks in shock.

"Hm. You're acting weird." You begin to walk.

"I'm going to tell the others about my plan."

"We can't do this, Dove. Slaughtering the Grove!? I know you're a little sick in the head but killing all those innocents is monstrous." Karlach stated vehemently.

"I can't be a part of this group if you go through with this plan."

You stare at her sadly. "B-but-"

"This is fine. If it gets us closer to our goal, we should do it. They were never that good to us, anyway." Shadowheart chimes in.

"Agreed." Asterion nods.

"Listen..." Karlach says in a shaky tone.

"I guess this is where we part ways."

"You're not listening, though..." You lift a brow.

"What am I not listening to?" She stares you down.

"I only want the druids to get killed."

She squints. "What? Just the-" She shakes her head.

"What's the bloody difference?"

You lean in and begin to list off reasons. "They killed a refugee child, they are kicking the tieflings out selfishly, regardless of what happens to them. They would all turn on all of the refugees on a dime and kill them, I know that much. They are very, very, very brutal and isolationist."

Karlach softens, but does not bend. "Does that mean they deserved to die?" She asks.

Asterion chuckles. "They poisoned our mentally ill friend with Wyvern venom when she was asking for healing. She trusted them and offered a hand in friendship and those druids would have happily seen her rot from the inside out for their comfort."

"I kind of l-" You began to say. Shadowheart clutched you from behind covering your mouth. You enjoy this kind of play, so you barely struggle. You enjoyed the poisoning as a kind of emotional play, so you did not bring it up. You respected it.

Karlach's hands balled into fists. "Are you- Are you kidding me!? Just like that?"

"That's right." Asterion lays it on with a serpent's tongue.

"Well... Fine. I'm no angel. But how are we gonna save the refugees? They're all in the same place and they wouldn't be there if they had anywhere else to go." Karlach questions.

Shadowheart lets you go as she asks. "I'm also curious, Surge."

"The answer is simple." You say smugly.

"The refugees are stupid."

They all blink collectively at you. "I'm sorry?" Karlach cocks her head to one side.

"There's a big empty ruin a mile away. The tieflings have supplies and there is game and herbs and fishing to be done in the area. The ship landed on a fishing settlement and took out all their competition. The ruins are defensible and FAR more hidden than the grove. I don't know why they're obsessed with staying there..."

They exchange glances. "That-" Karlach begins to say.

"Is surprisingly cogent for you, Surge." Shadowheart admits.

You grin proudly. "I can be smart when I put my mind to it."

Asterion laughs. Shadowheart stares at you in disbelief. "Y-yes. That is what being smart usually entails, no?" You shrug bashfully, blushing. Minthara swoops in to save your pride.

"You..." Shadowheart stares her down.

"Relax Sharran. You and I have no quarrel. I simply mean to say that there is far more to being smart than intelligence. Sometimes you need the nerve and the will to utilise whatever is at your disposal." She grips your shoulder like a vice.

You bend. "Ow ow ow..." As she loosens you eye her.

"I didn't say stop..."

Minthara leans back distastefully and removes her hand from you, wiping it. "We have no plans to remain in this region after the grove is taken. That means that even if the grove is a preferable settling location for those tieflings, we will soon be gone and they can simply move in safely."

"Alright. I'm sold on this plan." Karlach nods.

"Good thinking, Dove." She winks at you.

"For the record, I think you got brains and guts."

You smile warmly. "Haven't checked yet, so I can't be sure I have either."

The group laughs together at the joke. "Good one!" The laughter echoes through the halls.

You blink. "Wuh... I- I was serious."

Asterion bends over, laughing harder at that. "I just can't!"

As everyone calms down Shadowheart interjects. "We just have one little problem."

"What's that?" You look at her.

"The druid, Halsin. He can't cure us, but he seems to have knowledge of the towers. He doesn't seem like he'll be thrilled about our plan."

"Druid?" Minthara asks.

"He was posing as a bear." As Shadowheart says that Minthara nods in recognition.

"I am familiar, then. Why is this druid so important?" Minthara questions.

"I also know everything you need to know about-"

The conversation fades into the background as you retreat into your own mind. Druid. Beasts. Animal Shape. Animal play. Is he dominant, submissive? Either would be good for you. You want him. You want him so badly. A druid. More than an attractive drow. A DRUID that can turn into a bear. You lick your lips.

`I will speak to this druid and attempt to convince him.` You think, drooling.

"Real animals are so uncooperative when it comes to..." You blink.

`Ah, I said the quiet part out loud! Maybe they won't notice.` You begin to sweat a little, then grow aroused from the attention.

`They are staring. Quick, do something cute and distract them!` You open your arms.

"Karlach! Hug me!"

"Uh, okay?" She opens her arms and hugs you.

"But... What was that stuff about real animals?"

You nestle yourself into her chest as you wrap your arms around her toned waist. "Mmmn. Don't worry about that! Unrelated to anything I said a moment ago, I will speak to the Druid and attempt to convince him." As Karlach rubs your back they all exchange shrugs and inquisitive glances.