Lemuria

The Founding of Lemuria

Before all else, there were only the two. They were the Goddess and that which is now known as the Exile. The Goddess created the land, teeming with life. Seeking like-minded company, she then channeled much of her strength to create the elves: few in number but eternal in life. From their city of Ephira, they aided the Goddess as she carefully tended to the world.

Pleased, but drained, the Goddess sought to populate her world further. And so, she created humanity: imbued with only a small amount of her divine essence, but brimming with infinite potential and creativity. Unlike their elven kin, they rapidly spread across the world, creating settlements, cities, and soon entire nations of their own.

The Goddess's twin watched its kin's work with envy. Possessing only the talent to alter, not to create, it tried to find solace in teaching the Goddess's creations how to craft and build, to reshape the world around them. However, still dissatisfied, the being sought to create a people of its own. In the lightless depths of the Verdant Womb, the vast forest from which the first trees had sprung, it set to its spiteful task. The Goddess, dwelling among and caring for her beloved creations, was none the wiser.

The Womb was abundant with creatures of fur and claw. The Exile wormed his way into these beings like a rot, filling them with its essence and corrupting them, gaining the foothold that allowed it to twist them into the beastkin: feline and canine creatures similar to humans in many ways but retaining feral instincts and appetites. The Goddess took no action as the beastkin spread across the wild parts of the world. She simply hoped her sibling would find the same joy in creation as her.

However, the Exile's ambitions only grew. Dissatisfied with its first creations, it began to make use of humans and elves as materials. Specimens snatched by its most loyal beastkin were corrupted, twisted, and imbued with the Exile's power, becoming the first demons, beings of vice and depravity. Seeing this new, horrific result of her counterpart's machinations, the Goddess finally took action.

The War of the Gods was brief, but forever altered the world. Neither of the twins was capable of destroying the other, but their creations perished in droves in clashes across the land. Finally, as Ephira itself was put to siege, the Goddess channeled all of her remaining strength and used it to cast the Exile out of this reality at the expense of her own life.

Decimated in number, and facing a world without their deity, the remaining elves gifted Ephira to the first, most noble of human bloodlines, those blessed with an abundance of the goddess's essence almost equaling their own. The city soon became the epicenter of the nation of Lemuria, a beacon of hope for the world. A kingdom home not only to humans and elves but also to those beastkin who agreed to renounce their loyalty to the Exile. And so the thousand-year peace began.

Chapter 1

Fool's Bargain

Muttering River Pass

The moons hung like twin beacons of light in a cloudless sky. Under their ever-watching gaze, two figures crossed a narrow, ill-maintained bridge over the Muttering River. One strode deftly and with purpose. The other followed closely behind, taking three short, shuffling steps for each one of her companion's. Soon, they reached the south side of the crossing, exiting the nation of Lemuria and coming face to face with the impenetrable wall of trees that was the Verdant Womb.

The first of the pair took in the foreboding forest ahead. Marlow stifled a nervous gulp, steeling himself for the task ahead. Everything he had worked towards over most of his 35 years was about to come to fruition. He had always been nondescript at best. Average of build, average of looks. His icy blue eyes were the one thing that stood out among his otherwise unremarkable appearance, which was not helped by the bulky, pocket-filled coat he wore, obscuring his form and giving him a misshapen silhouette.

Marlow's companion caught up, looked at the trees, and swore in frustration. "Okay, the fetters were adorable while we were on the road, but this is just ludicrous, darling." The figure raised one of her perfectly-shaped feet slightly, wiggling it back and forth and causing the short length of chain connecting it to its matching limb to catch the moonlight. "Do you want me to keep up with you or not?"

Marlow took in his reluctant travelling companion. He had caught her going by the name "Verity" in a small village near Lemuria's southern border. She was enacting a typical succubus scheme, playacting as an innocent travelling entertainer in order to use her demonic pheromones to drive the townsfolk into fits pent-up frustration. Then, she would feed on their seed, and through it their life essence, at her leisure. The townsfolk were all too thrilled when he snapped a Goddess-blessed collar around her neck, stripping her of both her powers and the glamour that allowed her to disguise herself as a human.

He slowly raised his eyes up from her manacled feet, rising past her perfectly-proportioned legs and taut ass, impossible to ignore even in the unflattering travelling cloak draped over her body. Verity wore a heavy metal chastity belt that, much like her collar, was imbued with holy blessings. Short chains connected it to the cuffs around her wrists, providing just enough arm motion to catch herself should she fall but not enough to let her make any meaningful trouble for her captor.

Marlowe moved to make eye contact with her, struggling to raise his eyes past her large, perfectly-shaped breasts. They strained against the coarse shirt he had provided, and even in this dim light he could see the outline of large silver rings, one piercing each dark blue nipple, pressing against the fabric. Mustering his will (she WAS a succubus after all), he managed to raise his gaze and look directly into her smoldering red eyes.

She fluttered the aforementioned eyes innocently. "I'd hate to be the reason for you missing your big, important meeting. Whatever it is. Besides, where would I go even if I could run?" She quickly turned her head to either side, causing her long, pale violet hair to whip from side to side. "I can't remove this collar and belt, and I don't think I would last too long in your nation of whore-Goddess worshippers looking like THIS." Using her limited arm motion, she gestured to her bluish skin and spade-tipped tail.

Marlow sighed. In many regards, he had been incredibly lucky stumbling across a higher demon. Any succubus was either descended from one of the very first demons or, if he was exceptionally lucky, actually among their number (In all his research, he'd never he'd never seen any evidence of them reproducing). A being like Verity certainly possessed the knowledge and power he required. However, a lesser demon, something like a snivelling imp or a stupid ogre, would have been far easier to control. He brought a hand up to his clean-shaven chin, as if mulling over her request.

"Fine, but just the legs. And you lead the way. There's no way those glowing eyes of yours have as much trouble in the dark as mine." Verity smiled graciously at her captor. "But of course! After all, the sooner we reach the altar, the sooner we amicably part ways. That was the deal, yes?"

Marlow nodded as he knelt, removing an overstuffed keyring from one of his many pockets. "Of course. It is all in the contract, signed in blood. The moment that the ritual is complete, I relinquish all of my power over you, remove all of your bindings, and allow you to continue to carry out your master's will in this world."

The leg manacles fell to the ground with a dull thud. "See, I'm not going to ru--" Verity stopped as she heard another click. Glancing down, she saw a leather leash running from her captor's hand to the collar around her neck. She gave him her most disdainful look. "Really? Fine. I'll be your little guide dog."

Just you wait, little sorcerer. Our contract doesn't say anything about me not tearing out your throat when this is over.

Verdant Womb

Vraka glided effortlessly through the sea of trees, following closely behind his mate, Cyan. The two lupine beastkin couldn't see a thing in the blackness of the forest, but their powerful noses let them hone in on the night's prey from miles away. It had been months since Vraka had hunted a human, and he relished the thought of tearing into that delicious red flesh once again. Unlike the pathetic lapdogs and housecats that had accepted Lemurian amnesty after the war, he and his kin were true to their instincts. Their purpose.

Cyan came to a stop ahead of him, sniffing the air to confirm her goal. Coming up behind her and resting his head on her shoulder, Vraka didn't need his eyes to appreciate her sinewy form. In the light, the nude pair could pass for fairly hirsute humans, albeit with canine ears, bushy tails, and razor-sharp teeth and nails. But here, in their element? No one would make that mistake for long.

Cyan brushed her lover's chin from her shoulder. "Two of them. One human, one succubus." Vraka grinned. Dinner and a show.

Verity sensed the attack a moment before the strike fell and, lacking any better options, simply dropped to the ground. If the beastkin wanted to gobble up dear Marlow, that was perfectly acceptable to her. Demon flesh was completely unpalatable, and if the beastkin wanted anything ELSE from her she'd be all too happy to oblige. There were far worse ways for a succubus to spend a week or two than getting dicked down by a pack of lupines in heat. Once she grew bored with feeding off their essence she could surely convince one to remove her bindings (assuming they were even able to stand anymore at that point). Besides, the irritating human hadn't fucked her once since taking her captive. She was starting to feel a deep hunger, and even the mangy cum of a feral beastkin was better than no sustenance at all.

Marlow spun to one side as the feral-looking beastkin swiped at him, receiving a deep cut up his arm rather than across his belly as his attacker intended. Quickly fumbling through his pockets, he pulled out a small glass sphere, whispered an incantation, and hurled it to the ground.

The beastkin man, along with a woman that Marlow hadn't noticed mere inches away from his face, recoiled as a sphere of white-hot light illuminated the woods with a glow brighter than any the tree-lined depths had ever experienced before.

Marlow knew this distraction would not last long. He grabbed two small woven packets, each containing pieces of leather, metal, and rubber. Muttering the incantation needed to activate the magical components, he hurled each bag at one of his foes. Immediately upon impact, they exploded in an enchanted mass of straps, hooks, and plugs.

Cyan, the closest, was the first to find herself ensnared. Leather straps secured her torso first, circling around her breasts tightly and causing them to swell uncomfortably. The straps quickly glided down her limbs, shaping into cuffs on her wrists and ankles. Chains erupted from the cuffs, embedding themselves into the ground and nearby trees before tightening and forcing her body up into a rigid vertical "X" shape. As she yelped in protest, a solid rubber ball formed in her mouth, connecting to a harness that wrapped around her face. She gasped as the portion of the ball in her mouth extended into a phallic shape that pushed down into her throat, nearly causing her to gag. Next, another thick leather strap formed, running down from her chest and over her pussy and ass before meeting the harness behind her back. Cyan's eyes bulged as two massive, ridged, rubber intruders extended into her lower holes, held firmly in place by the strap.

Behind the helpless Cyan, Vraka was facing a predicament of his own. He was stuck in a punishing hogtie and blindfolded. Much like his mate, his mouth and ass were stuffed, while his cock was crammed into a metal cage. All he could do was writhe uncomfortably on the forest floor.

Verity awkwardly returned to her feet. She'd heard that some sorcerers focused their talents into transmogrifying objects, utilizing the divine spark of the goddess's essence within their bodies to alter shapes and forms. However, transmogrification was often dismissed as the tool of lazy carpenters and the like. Marlow's approach certainly wasn't as flashy as conjuring a lightning storm, but it clearly drained very little of his power. It was quick, too. The conflict had lasted mere seconds. And, on a professional level, she had to appreciate the humiliatingly lewd nature of the attack. And a pent-up, perverted sorcerer is much easier for little old me to manipulate than a well-adjusted one.

Marlow nonchalantly picked up Verity's leash and gave it a gentle tug. "Places to be, remember? Oh, but first, something to keep those two occupied until someone or something finds them." He snapped his fingers and the plugs in Cyan's stuffed cunt and both stretched assholes buzzed to life, causing the beastkin to yowl into their gags.

He turned conspiratorially to his demonic companion. "I'm fairly proud on the enchantment on those little toys. The vibration should get them close to cumming within seconds. However, the moment they are about to blow..." As if to complete his sentence, Vraka let out a muffled howl of anguish as his anal intruder applied a stinging shock, leaving him panting desperately into his gag as precum dribbled pathetically from his trapped cock. "I find it is an effective way to stop a foe from even starting to think up an escape plan."

He gestured for Verity to lead the way as the light from the illumination orb began to fade. She hoped it had already darkened enough that Marlow would be unable to spot how sopping wet she was. Behind her, Verity heard Cyan's whine turn into a sharp yelp as she too had her first would-be climax of the night painfully stolen away.

Exile's Altar

The crude altar, carved from the stump of a massive, ancient fallen tree, seemed to glow in the moonlight that permeated the clearing. Marlow couldn't help but feel a brief flash of disappointment. While none of his studies at the Ephiran academy had provided illustrations of any of the Exile's few remaining fonts of power, he had always assumed there would be something more...imposing about them. The thought passed quickly, though. He had come too far to have any doubts now.

"Remember: our deal stands whether your little ritual works or not." Verity's melodious voice chimed in from the clearing's edge. "You wasting your time on some futile endeavour is in no way my fault."

Ignoring the doubtful infernal for the time being, he carefully extracted a weathered notebook from a deep pocket. Much like its owner, it was unassuming to the eye. However, it contained a lifetime of meticulous translation, interpretation, and educated guesswork. Quickly throwing out another light orb, he opened the tome to a dog-eared page that contained his magnum opus: a ritual wholly of his own design. Although he knew each ingredient and each part of the process as if they were parts of himself, Marlow still forced himself to reread every step as he proceeded. No point in taking unneeded risks this late in the game.

First came the modification of the runes on the altar itself, a tedious task but one that merely required a carving knife. Minor alterations here and there would allow the flow of magic to come to move along his desired path. The dull task completed, he moved to the next phase. Extracting a small, empty vial from his coat, he returned to his reluctant companion. A quick prick of the finger (to Verity's chagrin), and he had the demon blood he needed. Next was one of his most treasured possessions: a much larger flask, glowing slightly as a result of the copious preservation runes that lined its body.

"What could be important enough to warrant THAT degree of protection?" Verity's curiosity has gotten the better of her, and she now peered with interest over Marlow's shoulder.

Marlow couldn't hold back a brief, prideful grin. "The dying blood of one of the first elves. Extracted from my former mentor at the academy on what I considered to be my graduation day. The poor fool had millennia of experience, but was a spectacularly bad judge of character." For the first time, Verity felt a flicker of concern. Could this fool actually know what he was doing? And, if so, to what end?

Placing a small, wooden bowl in the centre of the altar, Marlow upended both the flask and vial, the life fluids blending smoothly together in their new vessel. Noticing the utter lack of, well, any result, Verity began to speak, but stifled her planned mockery upon seeing the knife reappear in the sorcerer's hand. However, instead of targeting the demoness, Marlow swiftly drew the blade across his own palm, grimacing slightly as he squeezed his hand into a fist, dripping yet more blood into the waiting bowl below. "Fresh blood of the Ephiran royal line. Being a distant cousin does have its perks."

Staring down at the sanguine offering, Marlow took a deep breath. Then, he uttered a short, guttural sound. The most important of his discoveries. The Exile's name.

A pillar of pure darkness erupted from the altar as its runes glowed a sickly purple. Within the towering void, he could feel a presence. Ancient, powerful, and frustrated. Behind him, Verity fell blankly to her knees, turning her gaze to the ground lest she offend her long-absent deity with her mere presence.

"How..."

The word came not as a sound, but as a feeling that reverberated through Marlow's very being.

"Years of work. But, to be blunt, our time is short. The ritual will not last long, and I have much to offer. I would hate to waste your time with pointless explanations."

The Exile chuckled at the man's impudence, a wave that shook Marlow's bones.

"Speak..."

Seizing the invitation while the primordial being was in good spirits, Marlow launched into a practiced pitch.

"You cannot exist in this realm. The very laws of reality have been rewritten and no longer allow it. However, I know that you CAN still observe us. And do. So I ask you to lend me some of your power. Actually, quite a bit of it. As much of it as a mortal vessel can hold."

"Why..."

"Why would you help me? Simple. You are banished and, frankly, have no need of your power anymore. So give it to me, and watch. See what I do with it and, I promise, you will not be disappointed. Allow me to be your agent. Give me the power to fill beings with your essence, and to warp and remake those that are corrupted by it. Watch as I twist everything the Goddess loved into ruin. Or, deny me. See if the next several thousand years lead someone else to find you and make a more tempting offer."

The pillar quivered slightly as the ancient being considered the human's request. From her prostrated position, Verity was shocked at the man's offensive arrogance. How dare he expect--

"Agreed..."

She was so shocked that she couldn't help but look up. Where Marlow only saw darkness, Verity glimpsed her god's true form. A mass of tendrils, eyes, and teeth, constantly twisting and reshaping in a seething, chaotic mass.

She was so enthralled by the glorious sight before her eyes that she almost missed the altar's runes abruptly shift to a vibrant green as the Exile poured his power into them. The glowing symbols seemed to lift off the altar, swirling in the air before streaking toward Marlow, piercing his body and vanishing into the core of his being.

Report

Gasping, Marlow quickly took stock of his limbs. All still present and in the correct shape, meaning his calculations when adjusting the runes were correct. The Exile's essence dwelt within him, but he was still fundamentally himself. Smiling, Marlow returned his gaze to his benefactor as the ritual's power began to fade and sever the Exile from reality once again. The presence again took stock of the human, sensing something more. A desire.

"More...?"

"One minuscule favour, if you don't mind. There are certain tasks I must complete that will be made far easier if I have a bit of help. So could you please bind the soul of your little demoness here to mine as my slave for all eternity?"

The Exile didn't bother to answer as it felt the wall of reality reform, cutting it off once again. After the human's initial bold request, such a minuscule demand wasn't even worth acknowledging.

For a less cosmic being, however, the demand did not feel minuscule at all. "You lying piece of--"

"Quiet." The order was flippantly given, but Verity found her jaw clamp shut nonetheless. Marlow snapped a finger, causing all of Verity's bindings to fall to her feet. Not going to need those to keep her in check anymore. He let out a brief, relieved laugh. It worked. He now possessed the Exile's power to corrupt, shape, and reshape living matter. No more alchemical formulas, no more trial and error. And no more putting up with those pompous Lemurians. All of his ambitions could now come to pass. That bitch will finally pay.

First things first, though. It had been a long, stressful night. "I didn't lie to you. I removed your bindings. I gave up MY power over you. And not only can you still carry out the Exile's work, you now have a direct mandate from him. It just happens to be one that makes you my slave."

Verity glared daggers at her new master, but could not speak a word. "For the time being, only speak when spoken to. Oh, and you are NEVER to use your pheromones on me." Marlow was well aware of how the chemical secretions Verity and her succubi kin made use of muddled the senses and incited lust. "And no lying. Not to me, anyways." He stepped toward the demoness, who briefly considered fleeing before realizing the futility of any such attempt. "Out of idle curiosity, what was your original plan when our deal came to an end?"

"I was going to kill you before you had the chance to react and then eat your heart to consume your very soul." The words tumbled from her unwilling lips.

Marlow raised an eyebrow. "Well, I certainly can't let you do that, but I suppose I should at least give you something to feed on. I wouldn't want my new pet to starve, after all."

Another snap saw the drab clothes he had given her unspool into a pile of threads, joining the discarded bindings at her feet. Another of the unspoken benefits of being a transmogrifier, Verity supposed. Marlow grinned as he stared lasciviously at his new toy. As a succubus, she was no stranger to being nude. This, however, was the first time in her life that she had ever felt naked.

At another gesture of Marlow's hand, the fabric and bindings at Verity's feet leapt back onto her body, taking on new forms. The detested shackles made an unwelcome return to her ankles, as did the chastity belt. This time, however, the demon felt two massive intruders spring forth from it, filling her pussy and ass. Leather straps twisted around her arms, drawing them behind her back before solidifying into a punishing armbinder. A new collar coiled around her neck. Unlike the previous rune-covered metal device, this one was simple, leather, and, humiliatingly, had a bell dangling from its front. Her nipple piercings soon found themselves similarly adorned. More leather crafted a blindfold, plunging her into darkness.

Marlow grinned at the trussed-up demoness. "Before this goes any further, I want you to beg me to fuck your mouth. Be creative, too. Have fun with it."

"Please, my master, scion of my god's eternal night! Dispose of your glorious seed using this worthless whore's upper fuckhole! Feed your pet, sate her hunger so that she can remain at your side for eternity!" Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the absurd statement that had spewed forth unbidden from her mouth.

"Very well," he said mockingly. "But first, let's get your...what did you call it? 'Upper fuckhole' ready to receive me." Another thick strap soon ensnared her head, this time featuring a ring gag that forced its way behind the bound demoness's teeth. A massive phallic plug dangled from the chain, swinging lewdly between her breasts. Something to keep her mouth busy when not needed elsewhere.

"Kneel."

Bells jingling, Verity's body unresistingly obeyed. As she did, the plugs buried deep within her began to pulse, twist, and writhe. At the same time, a series of nubs formed along the portion of the belt covering her clit and began vibrating as well. The sensory assault elicited an animalistic moan from her wide-open lips that was abruptly cut off when the sorcerer's rigid penis plunged into her mouth.

So strong were the sensations rocking Verity's body that she barely noticed her new owner grabbing her head and pumping it back and forth along his length. The first orgasm hit with an intensity that made her, for the first time in her existence, want the feeling of pleasure to end. But Verity could not even rise from her kneeling position, let alone try to free herself from her tormenting intruders.

She was just cresting the peak of her fifth orgasm when she tasted Marlow's seed fill her mouth. He held her head tightly against his shaft, his pubic hair tickling her nose as she instinctively suckled, swallowed, and cleaned every drop she could choke down into her starving gullet. Finally, he withdraw from her mouth with a wet popping sound, quickly replacing his shaft with that of the gag's plug.

"Up." She obeyed to the best of her ability, small spurts of liquid escaping from beneath the belt as she rose on quivering legs. Marlow decided to take pity on the mewling creature before him. With another gesture, the intruders slowed their movements, allowing some of Verity's senses to return. She felt yet another climax building, but far more slowly than before.

Feeling refreshed, Marlow decided to prepare for the journey north, back to Lemuria. He had no interest in removing his guide's blindfold when he could simply reshape his own eyes for better vision in the dark. After all, what was the point of being able to alter corrupted beings if he wasn't going to improve his own body? However, testing his newfound powers on himself felt risky. Best to experiment first, if only to grasp the basics. Especially when there was another corrupted soul right next to him. He extended a hand toward his blinded companion and focused on the changes he wanted to make.

As she was still preoccupied with her intimate companions, it took Verity a moment to realize that her breasts had begun to swell. All she could do was protest into her gag as each of her tits grew to match the size of her head. The unfamiliar weight caused her to stumble forward, leading her plugs to shift unexpectedly and send her reeling in the throes of another orgasm while her bells jingled prettily in the night air.

"Don't worry, I will probably change them back after a while. Or, at least make them a bit more manageable. Besides, that was just a little cosmetic tweak." He picked up the leash, bifurcating one end with a quick spell. "I have much bigger plans for your body," Marlow added as he clipped the two new ends of the lead to each nipple ring. "Come along, we have a long day of marching ahead." He gave the lead a quick tug and was promptly rewarded with another jingle and a pained yelp. Unable to do anything but obey, Verity began shuffling as quickly as her ankle chains allowed her, bells clanging and vibrating intruders shifting with every step. "Feel free to cum as much as you want along the way. But keep on walking until I tell you otherwise."

Demon in tow, Marlow stepped into the woods, willing his eyes to warp, allowing them to effortlessly perceive his surroundings in spite of the thick canopy above. The tools he had long sought were now his. Finally, his ambitions would come to fruition. And Princess Cleome will wish she had never been born.

End of Chapter 1