Toofy Ch. 16

Toofy's eyes sprang open as the smells hit her nostrils. The cat scrambled from her perch, and was through the door before it was open wide enough to fit the width of her shoulders.

She was into the main eating area where the grill was fired up and frying meat before anyone even heard her coming. Crash tackled excitedly into the succubus sitting at one of the tables.

"Saia!" She squealed excitedly, rubbing her face into the woman's chest and mewling happily.

The succubus laughed, and hugged her, "Mistress. You really are here... With... Isn't that the salamander that attacked you when you were a kitten?"

"Mmm." Toofy continued rubbing and trying to climb inside Saia. A deep and happy purr emerged from her, as she pulled her legs up to sit in the woman's lap. "You really here with that bastard lord?"

Westcolm smiled tightly at her, "Lady Twenty Four. It appears you have yet to lose your mind. That's a good sign."

"You smell bad." She growled at him, and then went back to rubbing her scent all over the succugirl. She playfully grabbed for Saia's tail that quickly yanked itself out of her reach.

Saia sighed heavily, "I'm still sore, Toofy. Because first Efina, and then the palace guard, fucked me over. You let me get caught. Efina's scheduled for execution, by the way."

"What?" Toofy said and then turned slowly and glowered, "Oh, you fucker! Toofy smells your guilt! The Westcolm had to protect Lord Yu. Had to take advantage to get rid of the Efina, didn't he? Couldn't just wait for Toofy to burn the priestess."

The man glared back at her, "I am the Grand Inquisitor. I did my job."

"No, you were fucking stupid. I'm disappointed in you." Toofy snapped, "You, stupid bastard. Where did Lady Efina get Menes' book? She didn't find it on her own. Emperor said he destroyed it. You fucking idiot."

Westcolm frowned, "You know, then, that it was the magic of Menes. That his magic is the magic now rotting your soul."

"Toofy's soul has nothing to do with Menes. She never looked at his spells." She shook her head, giggling, "She's not that stupid. She doesn't know why she knows what is in book, but she never touched it. Toofy just knows things, sometimes."

The lord frowned, "But... There is something wrong with your soul, isn't there, Madame Sai?"

"Wrong? Mmm... No." She shook her head and cuddled into her succubus. Kissing frantically across her face, and briefly scratching her horns with her teeth.

"Gods. I forgot how determined you are." Saia muttered, "This is serious, Toofy. Menes' magic is..."

"Evil incarnate." A tired voice said, as Tyre and the elf stumbled in. The groundskeeper waved to Lord Westcolm, and gave a yawn. "What are you doing here, asshole?"

"He chases the stars as well." The elf said esoterically, "All of us are bound to this moment, and the fucking bitch cat. Feeling a bit less rude, this morning, cunt?"

Toofy stuck out her tongue at her, and then went back to kissing Saia. She enjoyed playing with her succugirl, especially when she was about to have to tell her about the horror to come.

She sniffled as she remembered it, bursting into tears.

"Don't." Saia misread it, growling at the elf. "I'm not in the mood, and I will do worse than scratch your eyes out, elf."

"Princess Trician." Tyre said with a yawn, and bowed to Saia, "I would be tempted to fulfil our deal, Elia, but it looks like someone else is in the way."

"The Godkiller." Westcolm said in surprise, "You tried to kill Astadia, didn't you? But failed. Too bad. Your sister is not as stable an empress as you would have been."

The last member of their party arrived. The salamander drifted in, gnawing on a nekan thighbone. She looked around, made an annoyed growl, and then curled up at Saia's feet.

Toofy sighed heavily, "The pieces in place. Stupid elf can start."

"Stupid is a step down from insane, I suppose." Trician said, sitting down but making a face as the chef offered her some fried bacon. "The world is ending. The goddess of mischief chose Lady Twenty Four as her avatar, and bound me to her. All of us, to her. I have no idea why."

Westcolm frowned, "The world. Ending."

"I saw an army of draug, leaving the border, and heading inland into our empire." Tyre said quietly, "Trust me, m'lord, our world is in danger. A lich, would be my suspicion. Though I don't see all the pieces, yet."

Toofy took a deep breath, "Emperor recently sent Meerakeilian to kill Toofy. To eat her up. Thankfully, Mia wasn't entirely stupid. Surrendered when Toofy used the Devourer's Rite."

"He... Saw you as a threat. Curious." Westcolm stated.

She shook her head, "Not curious. Fucking obvious. The Westcolm is still too slow. Toofy was sent off to die. Her master, though, was sent to die at ork hands."

Tyre suddenly sucked in his breath, "Oh, shit. We're all connected. Each of us..."

"Mmm." She nodded, and looked back to the lord, "The Westcolm is slow. Does he remember how Menes fucked him up?"

"Hundreds died." He snarled, "Of course, I remember. I remember everything that bastard did to me."

"Nekos. Hundreds of nekos." Toofy whispered and let out a ragged sigh, "But Menes' magic is ork magic. Sacrificing orks in massacre, after Sai losing battle as excuse, makes much more evil magic than just nekos."

Westcolm's face fell, "He's planning to make more of us?"

"Uh uh." She shook her head, "Saia's turn. When she was looking for present for Isaac, she found penpal of master. Say."

"Astadia. The princess you tried to kill, elf." The succubus said in confusion. "Why is it important that Astadia wrote to Sai, regularly? There were no responses. Probably some kind of report."

Westcolm slammed a fist on the table, "Fuck! Astadia was the apprentice. She has to be the one that Menes was training, before he was killed."

"Menes was purified before dying." Toofy said quietly, "Orks hated him bad. Astadia... Got fucking royal burial. Because the insane elf wasn't the one who killed her. Astadia knew Menes' magic. Astadia had rotted soul."

Westcolm twitched, "You said a lich, Tyre? I think we know who. The draug are supposed to protect the elves. She could do it. She would do it, if our emperor asked... Why does he need both an undead army, and an army of dead orks?"

"Orks are sacrifices. Menes' made emperor a demigod." Toofy said quietly, "Not enough. He wants more. Emperor wants to ascend. Which is why all the gods are currently fucking with Toofy!"

Trician sighed heavily, "Why you, cat? Why does everything hinge on a bitch of a kitten who was raised to be a whore?"

The salamander stirred dangerously, but Toofy thrust her back onto the ground with a booted foot to her shoulder. "Because, insane elf, Toofy has no fate. Go ahead. Try and read her."

The elf looked at her in consternation, "What the... Fuck? Everyone has a fate. How in the hell were you born without one?"

"Toofy was. It just... Didn't happen." She said quietly, "That's why gods fuck with her. Always fuck with her. She hates it. Hates all of the gods. She will become empress, and they will leave her be."

Saia wrapped her arms around her waist, "None of this is a surprise to you, is it, mistress?"

"Bits." She mewled, "She... She knows that the Sai cheated on her. With kitsune."

The succubus started, "Lord Sai cheated on you?"

"With orkgirl and motherfucking fox." Toofy wailed, and shoved her face into the woman's chest. Curling into a tighter ball.

Westcolm twitched, "How the hell do you know that? How do you know any of this, neko? You're not a prophetess, like the elf. What the fucking hell are you?"

"Angry. Toofy is... Angry." She breathed out slowly, "She hates being manipulated. 'Specially by gods. She wanted to deal with emperor, her way, in her time. But now she has to stop a lich, and stop a war."

Saia kissed at her head gently, "You have all of us, apparently. I guess those divine assholes arranged it because they have a plan."

"Bad one." Toofy sneered.

Westcolm laughed, "Really? You just enjoy the role of heretic so much, don't you, cat?"

"Gods plan to stop emperor. But that is all. He stays emperor. He waits, and then one day he tries again." Toofy growled. "Bad plan. Stupid plan. He not try again, when Toofy is done with him."

"So, it will be treason, then?"

Toofy smiled at him sweetly, "She was planning to let the Westcolm live. He is useful to her. Protecting her Arina. Blackmailing Lord Castelle, over little Lady Vanhern. Protecting Toofy, from assassins."

He sneered, "You can't kill me, cat."

"Not Toofy." She shook her head, "She thought it odd, when Mia told her that emperor bragged that he killed Irrlichdan. Emperor didn't fight on frontline. He may be the Immortal, but he only fought when nekos overrun defences. He was emperor and acted as emperor. Was defended by a bodyguard."

Westcolm frowned, "Yes, I had that dubious honour, after the black salamander attacked the emperor."

The cat looked down and smiled, "Do whatever you feel like, Mia. Only spawn of Irrlichdan."

Saia swept the both of them out of the way as there was an eruption of blue flames. The neko snuggled into her, shielding her face from the sudden and very violent destruction that had the tavern owner ducking for cover.

It was unfortunate.

Westcolm was a powerful ally, but he was also one of the Sons of Menes. Their green eyes weren't just a reflection that they had been tainted by evil magic.

Toofy wasn't sure how she was going to free her Sai, but she knew that so long as any of the abominations continued to live, then so too would the emperor.

When the opportunity presented itself, she would have to follow through. Westcolm had been the idiot to try and make himself a thorn in her paw, right when she was at her strongest.

Toofy gave a brief glance towards the fight, unsure of who would win it.

Westcolm would not make the same childish mistakes that Daen had.

However, Mia was utterly enraged to be facing the one who had killed her ancestor. The salamander was a flying ball of flame and claws, protected from most attacks by her scales and bones.

Lord Westcolm was an expert in almost everything exotic. He had memorised more about more species, than any other warrior in the human empire... And he was a skilled warrior.

Toofy frowned, thinking for a moment, and then gave a small wink.

Westcolm's sword unexpectedly snapped in the air, mid-strike. The end of the blade melting to bluntness. Mia had been ignoring the swing anyway, but the one she was attacking was knocked off-balance.

The catgirl hugged Saia tighter, and whispered, "She didn't mean for her to get hurt. She really thought Yu would end up dead. Toofy is sorry. She has to try harder."

"The bastard on his back is quite good at the game." The succubus acknowledged, "Are you punishing the salamander for breaking your arm? You're not really helping her."

"Mia wouldn't forgive Toofy if she realised she interfered. Dragon pride is annoying." She whispered, "Toofy means it. Yu is her priority, now. Saia has to get what she was promised."

"An army of undead, a lich, a possible genocide." The succubus said tiredly, "I don't exactly figure into things."

"Yu dies first. Dies in pain." Toofy growled angrily, "Until that happens, Toofy refuses to help the gods with their own fucking problems. Toofy is just a cat. Why should she care about big things?"

Saia laughed, red eyes twinkling, "Oh, this is why I love you, mistress. The world comes ranting and raving to your feet. Telling you to fix it all. You look sweetly at it... And tell it to fuck off."

"Toofy isn't heroine. Toofy is just Toofy." She said happily and kissed her chin, "Speaking of... Mia is getting aggressive with Toofy. Wants to mate with her. Can Toofy maybe... Steal Saia?"

The succubus laughed, "You get me back, and instantly want to sleep with me?"

"Mmm." She nodded.

The woman frowned, "I want to say yes... But I also want to say that I want to have some rough and angry sex with Tyre. Who you hate."

"Blegh." Toofy stuck out her tongue, "Saia wants a threeway with man who smells like wet dog? Blegh."

"I wasn't expecting you to share. More like... Can he use me first, and then you have me after?" Saia asked, her heart frantic in her chest.

"No." Toofy pouted.

The succubus sighed, "I understand."

"If Saia has to be stupid and love the monster, then Toofy has to share. She gets to do anything she wants with Saia's tail, when he's inside her." The catgirl stated firmly.

Red eyes looked at her in excitement and surprise, "You'll share me?"

"Saia is Saia. Toofy is Toofy. We don't change just because we love someone. Toofy is angry at Sai for cheating on her, but she still plans to go to him. Slap him, too... But also love him." The catgirl shrugged.

"You're my mistress. You named me." The succubus said slowly, "You don't have to tolerate anything. You can order me around... And well... You know I like it when you do."

The catgirl grinned, "Oh, she knows. And she really wants to suck Saia's tail in front of everyone, just to watch her squirm... But Toofy also loves her Little Saia. So she will share, not because she has to, but because Saia will be happier if she does."

The succubus shivered, "I am so fucking wet, right now."

"Then go to Toofy's room and tie herself to the bed." The catgirl ordered, "She and the Tyre have to talk about rules. Toofy will come to her, when she's good and ready."

"Oh, fuck." Saia whispered excitedly, before turning and walking away.

Toofy sidled up to the servant, putting a hand over her face to cover her nose. "He was listening."

"I was." Tyre frowned, looking at the battle still taking place in the room, "Frankly, I'm surprised you're not more concerned that Westcolm might survive."

"If he does, he does. Toofy doesn't care." She shrugged, and gagged into her hand, "Can't he do anything about his smell? She doesn't want to throw up when we play."

The man rolled his eyes, "I assure you, I have already bathed this morning. I am not certain what more I could do to not trigger your sensitivities, Madame Sai."

"He is not to touch Toofy, during." She stated firmly into her hand, "We share the girl, not each other. Unless Toofy changes her mind."

He frowned, "You haven't asked me, if I am okay with sharing her."

"You either are, or aren't." She shrugged, "So either Toofy gets to play with her Saia, alone, or with smelly company. But he stinks of lust."

Tyre nodded slowly, "I heard her say that you named her. Is that why she no longer wears a collar? You freed her, and made her your equal?"

"Mmm." She nodded, still clasping her hands to her face tightly. "Saia is pretty. Named like Toofy's master."

He rubbed at his chin, "She and I... They were not kind dalliances. She wanted me to lie with her, before speaking to her. She likes... Bruises."

"She is a succugirl." Toofy rolled her eyes, "Also, she all tied up, now. Succubus like it rough. Toofy has very sharp teeth. She won't like it if the smelly one hurts her Saia, or degrades her, but Toofy has no problem with roughness. Saia can cum if you shove her by her horns. It's adorable."

Tyre chuckled, "I must confess, I have never had a conversation of the likes of this one. A lover, tied to a bed, whilst I discuss methodology with her mistress."

"Toofy has an idea. She thinks Tyre might enjoy it, too." She said cheekily as her golden eyes lit up, "Would he like to hear it?"

---

The elf smiled at him, one hand sliding down his arm, "I've been instructed to assist you, m'lord, in whatever capacity you see fit."

"The belongings of the catgirl." He restated firmly, ignoring Esmerelda's poor attempts to seduce him. He was well aware that she was owned by Domina Florence, but was still on Lord Yu's payroll.

Since Elia had been purchased by Lady Twenty Four, this elf had stepped into the gap. She had been quite active, tangentially connected to the poisonings of four ministers.

Han just hadn't had the time yet to find the proof necessary to nail her to the wall. He would, but other concerns were currently more pressing.

Esmerelda gave a cute and disappointed sigh, walking away with a hip sway to make the bell on her hip jingle. "This way, m'lord. We're not sure we found everything. She didn't keep things in a travelling case like the rest of us. Liked to hide things in the walls."

She showed him into a room where several piles of objects had been laid out carefully onto tables. The elf smiled tightly, "They're categorised by location where we found them. I can tell you more, if you only ask. M'lord."

He drifted over the items.

Several ragged robes. Acolyte outfits, in the main. One of them was child-sized, but bloodied and torn. So, she kept the one from when the salamander scarred her. Curious.

"She took none of this with her, when she went to the House of Sai?" He asked in surprise. She'd kept some of these objects for two decades, and then suddenly abandoned them.

The elf nodded, "Yes, sir. As far as I'm aware, she took a single outfit of clothing with her, and her bell of course, when she became Madame Sai. She didn't attempt to take anything, and she didn't send for anything."

The neko had started a new life, and abandoned her previous one. Not an altogether surprising approach, but her motivations for doing so might assist his investigations.

"This. A scorpion skeleton." He tapped it lightly, "Has Lady Twenty Four always been associated with scorpions, at the temple?"

The elf frowned, "I'm not sure that associated is the right term, m'lord. She always enjoyed them for a snack. And if you annoyed her, she tended to have one tucked away in her cheek she'd use on you... My memory is not flawless, but the first time I saw her eating a scorpion would have been the day after she dominated Meerakeilian. Ate the tip of her tail, sir."

"I'm aware of the event." He said absent-mindedly, tucking away the factoid for later. He wasn't sure exactly what it meant, but elven memories were long and tended to be accurate.

He paused as he found something surprising.

Paper was expensive, the domain of lords and ladies. Yet, here was a pile of the stuff, loosely bound together with two rusting hairclips. The contents of the papers was boring, and not the neko's work. Reports and letters.

However, someone had used dyed beeswax to draw haphazard and strange images all over the papers. Possibly stealing them from some archive to make the artwork.

"What can you tell me of this?"

Esmerelda frowned, "I'm afraid, not much, m'lord. That particular set of items was found in the chambers of Lady Efina. They were in a trunk at the back of her wardrobe, with the number twenty four scratched into the lid. Things we believe she confiscated. There were other, similar trunks, for other girls."

The hair clips came back to his attention. They had rusted badly, but they were of slightly higher detail than he would expect an acolyte to wear. Efina had clipped the papers together.

He picked it up, detaching the clips carefully and began laying out the papers on the marble flaw. His hunch had been correct, the images weren't random. They were part of a greater whole.

The entire stack was one singular artwork.

He spread them out, carefully matching every side to every other side, until it covered most of the floor in the room, but he could look at it and see it, complete.

Esmerelda frowned, looking disturbed by the imagery, and he couldn't blame her.

At the bottom of the artwork, was depicted an underground city. Within it, two groups of people were fighting. An army of orks, with two banners, was attacking from one side.

One of the banners was known to Han. It was the banner of Hammerhand. The terrifying warlock who had managed to destroy Menes, and stop the emperor's slaughter of the orks.