Chapter 23

Well, this was certainly a catastrophe. After Morala Fray, your titania friend and guardian went crazy and tried to use some serious teltomancy to keep you away from everyone else, you were now stuck with no real friends in this mamono world.

	Morala’s family had quickly arrived to take their daughter back to their land in the fairy kingdom. They apologized profusely for their daughter’s behavior and promised to cover the cost of any damage caused to the school or the other students. There were rumors about what had transpired, but the college, town, and Fray family managed to save face and sweep the incident under the rug. It would have been a nightmare for everyone if word had gotten out.

	Too bad that you were the one to suffer the most. Having a normal conversation with mamono was almost impossible. At most they could only get out a sentence or two before trying to make a move on you or crumbling into a stuttering spaghetti spewing mess. The worst ones were the girls who just sat there and eyed you over. They would only give single word answers while they imagined what it would be like to get you alone.

	Sitting at the fairy table was out of the question. The schism you had caused between the Morala loyalists and the fairies that had tried to stop her prevented ANY conversation. When you sat down, the talk dried up and you all ate in spiteful silence until the fairies left or you did. Lately, you had taken to sitting with the few human men of the college. That was a mistake; the culture gap between the you and the other men was too great. From healsluts to wimpy mages, it seemed like there were no other men in the school who were focused on anything other than domestic or utility spells.

“Don’t you guys ever want to blast things?” you asked them one day.

“Blast things?”

“Yeah. You know, leave your enemies as a smoldering crater, turn your foes to ash, that kind of thing.”

The silent looks of contempt and confusion dissuaded you from bringing up the topic again. Maybe you would just have to teach yourself some combat magic. Or transfer schools.

You took a bite of steamed vegetable and looked out the window. It was a big world out there. For all you knew it may be bigger than earth. You couldn’t spend the rest of your life in one town, right?

Well, you might if some wacko chains you up in her basement. Such a thing had seemed impossible in this utopian setting. But the more time you spent in this world, the more you realized that these were people just like you; with their own fears, aspirations, dreams, and lives to live. Morala was proof that not everything would go according to plan, or be easy to get out of.

“Did you hear the news from Tomb Haven?”

“No, what’s happening? Is it their festival season?”

“Nah, that’s later in the year. My brother is married to a zombie there and he says that the von Chiropta family is raising an army.”

You perk up at the mention of the name. Emballandae von Chiropta had been one of the more memorable monsters to solicit sex/service/power from you. The last time you had seen her was when she was in the hospital. You hadn’t paid her much mind as a gigantic fairy was about to curse you and do unspeakable things to your dick. The only thing you do remember was that she was coated in puke.

“An army? For what? Are they raiding a human city?”

“I don’t know. It sounded like it was a covert operation. Everyone is nervous, but Lady Petropa won’t tell them anything. My brother’s worried that his wife will be drafted.”

“Do you really think they would do that?”

“No. He’s just worried. He’s been anxious ever since he met that poor girl. Every time she falls or bumps into something he always comes running over.”

“That’s so sweet!”

“I know. The way he dotes on her is adorable. Once when we were at a dinner party, she…”

	You tuned out the conversation as the mages began to gush about couple things. The fact that you couldn’t form a close relationship with mamono without dying was beyond frustrating. All day every day you heard about how great it was to have someone loving you and how wonderful it felt to reciprocate that love. Then again, it’s not as if you had a specific person or species in mind. The closest thing you had to a plan was a book of scribblings you kept by in your nightstand to collect and organize your thoughts. It was filled with pros and cons of certain mamono, ideas on how to find and attract said mamono, and which ones to avoid. While the encyclopedia had given you a good idea of what this world was like and what its denizens were like, there was a good chance that there were even MORE monsters than the ones already created. For all you know, your ideal species may be one that was not yet added to the book.

Staring out the window, you reminded yourself to visit the library and find an atlas.

~~~~~~

“Are preparations complete?”

“Yes, Lady Petropa.”

Petropa von Chiropta looked over the packet of papers handed to her. A list of troops, supplies, expenses, and logistics sprawled across the parchments. She blazed through the documents in a minute and set them down on her desk.

“Very good, Marshall Goeth. Has the message been sent to Admaz?”

“Yes, Lady Petropa. The messenger harpy was dispatched this morning. She should be arriving at Admaz shortly.” Replied the wight.
“Then we await their reply. I’ve no doubt that they will refuse to surrender the human…” Petropa glanced over at a dossier detailing Anon. In addition to a sketch of his face, the file also had his height, weight, theoretical dick size, estimated mana output, hobbies, interests, fears, and routine. The space for his blood type was left frustratingly bare. Though Petropa was committed to her husband, she was deathly curious as to what his blood would taste like.

“…’Anon’ to us without coercion. Have the criers and news sources of the town been bought off?” asked Petropa.

“Yes milady. If we are refused, the narrative that we are entitled to Anon since we summoned him here will be pushed. It will be implied that the College is being selfish, hoarding him for fame and money without taking his needs into account. Lussazan will provide enough data from the experiment to prove our claim, without revealing our secrets.”

“Excellent. So long as they believe that we are best suited to keep him healthy, there will be no intervention by the lilims or sabbath.”

“What shall we do if the human refuses to come?” asked Goeth.

“Marshal Goeth, when a human man refuses a monsters hospitality, she MAKES him come~” Said Petropa with a smirk.

The wight sighed. “Very well Lady Petropa. I await your orders.” She gave a quick bow and hurried out of the room.

Petropa returned to the stack of papers, reviewing the articles she had drafted to be published by the local papers.

~~~~~~

“Hey Anon, you’ve met Emballandae right?” asked one of your dorm mates. Ever since Morala went off the deep end, you had been forcing yourself to spend more time in the lounge getting to know the other bachelors in the “single men” wing. There was a predictably high turnover rate, and at least once a month someone would be dragged screaming out of their room in a “surprise habitation reassignment.”

“Yeah, it was a while ago but we… met…” you said. It was a bit disingenuous to call it a meeting, she had proposed to you and you had turned her down. The entire affair was painfully embarrassing for you; you could only imagine the shame Emballandae felt.

“Wow, you’re lucky! I wish I could attract someone like her.”

“What did you two talk about? Did she try to seduce you?”

“Not really. She just barged in and tried to propose to me.” You said.

“What?!”

A few other men scrambled over to take seats around the couch you were sitting on.

“She proposed to you?!”

“Yeah…”

They were visibly confused when they realized that they were not getting further explanation. “…And?”

“And what? I turned her down.” You said flatly.

The others gawked at your nonchalant answer.

“Anon… You don’t just turn down a von Chiropta…”

“You at least let her down gently, right?”

“I tried to.” You said. “But then she started yelling at me…”

“Fuck…”

The rest of the room was silent. Some of the guys whispered to each other and others skittered off to their rooms. Most looked more nervous than they had any right to be.

“Anon, I know this is all new to you, but you have to understand that there are things you just DON’T do here.”

“Relax. The college has my back and there’s no way the town would just let her waltz in here and take me. They’ve stopped plenty of other threats before.” You said with a wave of your hand.

One by one the other men scooted away from you. The last to leave gave you a pitied look, and slipped back into his own room. They were probably just envious; they didn’t know that Emballandae wasn’t the refined lady they believed her to be. You looked over at the guard protecting the stairs that led to your room. She appeared to be on edge.

“Hey…” You asked her. “That’s all just talk, right? There’s no way they really have the power to just take me.”

The werewolf shifted and looked at the floor. “It’s getting late, Anon. you should get to bed.”

After contemplating the situation for a few moments, you stood up and ascended the stairs to your warded dorm room.

	Flopping down onto your bed, you did some quick mental calculus. Admaz was primarily a college town, with a population of around fifteen thousand. So far, they had managed to keep you safe from every threat to your virginity (and consequently your life), albeit with some close calls. You had always assumed that the rest of the world was incapable of tearing you out of Admaz; but you had no idea what the rest of this world was like. Whenever you asked about other places and cities, people would go out of their way to give you elaborate descriptions of geography or culture without really telling you much about the place itself. Admaz was by no means a capital city; you knew enough from the encyclopedias to know that this must be a small or middling sized city at best. There must be other cities with larger armies, and other monsters with more power than Admaz. Hell, you should really be thankful that dragons hadn’t decided to come knocking yet.

You looked out the window at the waxing moon. Maybe you did fuck this up a little…

~~~~~~

“Ma’am, a message for you.” Said a succubus knocking on Oroba’s door.

“Bring it in.”

The succubus shuffled in and handed Oroba the scroll.

The president sighed as she saw the seal and parchment. “Not again…”

Breaking open the wax seal with the all to familiar von Chiropta crest, Oroba steeled herself for another droning message from Petropa.
“What does it say?” asked the secretary.

“Nothing yet…” said Oroba as she read the second half of the missive. Undead really needed to learn that other races didn’t have an eternity to read paragraphs of boasting and supercilious language.

Her brow furrowed as she reached the informative section of the scroll. Her brow furrowed as she scanned the page.

“Is something wrong?”

“Quiet, I’m reading.” Growled Oroba.

Her hands clenched the page as she reached the last paragraph.

“President…?”

“Call everyone here, now. I don’t care what they’re doing.” Said Oroba.

“O-oh… What should I tell the-“

“JUST FIND THEM! 	I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU TELL THEM JUST GET THEM HERE!” shouted Oroba.

The succubus bolted out of the room. Oroba sat back down and fixed the stacks of papers she had knocked over.

“Fucking vampires…”

~~~~~~

Crowlyne, Hicera, and Nevkya arrived at Oroba’s office a few minutes later. Oroba refused to tell them anything until they were all present.

“What’s all this about, Oroba. That poor secretary of yours looked scared to death.” Said Nevkya.

“I’ll make this short because we don’t have much time: Petropa von Chiropta has laid claim to Anon and is on her way to collect him.” Said Oroba.

“What?!” shouted Nevkya.

“She has no right!” said Crowlyne.

“That’s the problem, Crowlyne. The reason she makes the claim to Anon in the first place is because she asserts that she oversaw the experiment that brought him here.” Said Oroba.

“Experiment?” whispered Hicera.

“Indeed. Petropa has been sponsoring magical projects for decades, and according to her, one of those projects was to summon humans from other dimensions of planes of existence.” Said Oroba.

“That can’t be done.” Scoffed Crowlyne.

“I didn’t think so either, but they sent a copy of their findings and methods. The details are missing, but it looks like it could be viable. The only problem is the energy; the amount needed to preform a summoning even once would be astronomical.” Said Oroba. She passed a copy to Crowlyne.

“But what about Anon’s health? Surely Petropa knows about his condition. They won’t be able to resurrect him as an undead incubus if he dies.” Said Hicera.

“I’m certain that Petropa is aware of the current situation regarding Anon and his aversion to demonic energy. They may know more than us. If they do, they’re holding it over our heads as an excuse to become Anon’s caretakers.”

“That’s ridiculous! They’d be endangering him by withholding that information.” Said Hicera.

“I know, but this is about to become a political battle, one we cannot win. I will do everything in my power to keep him safe and secure here in Admaz, but I have the feeling we’ve been outmaneuvered before we took Anon in.” said Oroba.

“This… is an interesting theory…” muttered Crowlyne. “I’m afraid that I don’t know how or if this could work. We would have to have it verified by other colleges if we hope to invalidate the claim on a scientific basis.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Said Oroba. “We both know that Petropa wouldn’t go this far on a bluff. Do you remember the accident in Tomb Haven all those months ago?”

“Aye. The whole town drained of spirit energy in an instant. Traders that rolled into the town said that people were just lying in the streets where they had been standing. It took them months to replenish everyone’s energy.” Said Nevkya.

“Around the same time that Anon entered this world, if his estimates are correct.” Said Oroba.

“You think that the ‘Tomb Haven sleeping sickness’ was a summoning?” asked Crowlyne.

“It would explain the symptoms, and why it only affected Tomb Haven…”

The four monsters sat in sullen silence.

“Well, are we going to just hand him over then?” asked Hicera.

“I see no other way. The letter made it very clear that Petropa would take ‘drastic measures to ensure the human’s safety’ if we refused to comply.” Said Oroba.

“We can’t just leave him there!” protested Hicera.

“We won’t!” snapped Oroba. “They caught us by surprise, but we can get Anon back. All we have to do is make an appeal to a lilim and work this out legally. As soon as the lilims see that Anon is upset, they’ll overturn his custody to us.”

“You do realize that you’ll be up against every legal professional in Tomb Haven, right?” said Nevkya.

“I never said it would be easy. Or quick… But it’s the only way that Admaz can take him back.” Said Oroba.

“Does Anon know about any of this?” asked Hicera.

“No. And I’d like to keep it that way. If word gets out that Anon is leaving Admaz, there may be… resistance. I already know that he would do something stupid; just like that whole titania fiasco.” Said Oroba. “For now, everything will be business as usual. Nevkya, you’ll need to assign extra protection for Anon in these coming days. And keep watch for Tomb Haven spies.”

Nevkya nodded.

“Everything else will be business as usual. I… will send the message to Petropa. Be ready, I expect that this will happen quickly.”

~~~~~~

Sumthin aint right…

It had taken you a few days to realize it, but there was treachery afoot. There were more guards posted along your normal routes than normal, and all of them looked anxious. You never really talked to them besides a greeting or salutation, but they quickly dismissed you when you asked them what was wrong.

“I know something’s happening. There’s twice as many guards as normal and you’re all armed to the teeth. What gives?” you asked a succubus.

“Nothing, Anon. Just get to class.” She said flatly.

The stern tone was jarring. You had come to expect every monster or person you met to be cordial and amicable after spending so much time in the monster realm.

Shrugging off your growing doubts, you continued to class. Whatever it was, you were sure that the College could handle it.

“Wow Anon, I didn’t expect to see you in class today.” Said the dark elf who sat behind you.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“Didn’t you hear? About the army that’s headed this way? That’s why there’s so few people here.” She explained.

“Army?”

“Yeah. From Tomb Haven. I can’t believe that they haven’t stuffed you into some bunker. Then again, I’m sure that would just make it easier for them to corner you~” she giggled.

“Well, what if they aren’t here for me?” you suggested.

“Anon, they’re here for you.” Interjected a nerdy succubus from one of the front rows. “Why in Lilith’s realms would an army of mamono from a friendly city-state march on our city if not to capture you?”

“…Trade disputes?” you offered hopefully.

The succ groaned and shook her head. “There’s no point in explaining this. You wouldn’t understand monster politics. Just make sure that none of us suffer for any of your poor decisions, alright?”

“Hey! I make great decisions!” you said.

“Like that time you told off the daughter of one of the most powerful vampire clans? The clan that owns most of Tomb Haven and is notorious for taking revenge on those who dare disrespect or oppose them?” said the dark elf with a smug grin.

“Ooh… that’s where I’ve heard that name before. That Emballa girl.” You said.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Muttered the succubus.

“I really hope you don’t expect to get out of this unmolested Anon.” said the dark elf. “I’m sure that ‘Emballa’ is going to do things to you that would make ME blush~”

“They’re bluffing right? They wouldn’t REALLY just drag me out of the city if I didn’t consent, right?” you said.

“Of course not.” Said the dark elf.

You relaxed a bit knowing that this was all just a display of force. All it would take was a half-assed apology and a lecture from Oroba and you would be free.

“I’m guessing that they’ll airlift you so that everyone can see and hear you as you’re screaming and begging for mercy.”

Fucking dark elves. You stood up and looked out the window. The fields around the city were still pristine and unoccupied. Perhaps it was a good idea to talk to Oroba before things got out of control. Again…

Aegoli entered the room and took attendance; almost half of your classmates had skipped the lecture.

~~~~~~

“Hello, I need to speak to the President.” You said to the secretary.

The succubus squirmed and adjusted the papers on her desk. “What do you need to ask her?”

“That’s personal. Is she in? I’ll just stick my head in and ask her. It won’t take more than a moment.”

“The President is very busy. Please fill out a formal inquiry or complaint form and your concern will be addressed at our earliest convenience. We thank you for your patience and hope you have a wonde-“

“DON’T GIVE ME THAT CANNED BULLSHIT!” you shouted. The succubus whimpered and clutched her tail. “I know that she’s in there! Why can’t I see her?! I’ve been up to this office for less and you’ve never hesitated to let me in before. What gives?”

“T-the President is very busy, plea-“ she whispered.

“YOU JUST FUCKING TRIED THAT!”

“Please don’t yell!” she whined. “I’m just doing what I’m told. So don’t be mean.”

You swept past the desk and pounded on the double doors to Oroba’s office.

“Oroba! Please open up, it’s important! You know what this is about!”

“Anon stop! She’s in a meeting!” pleaded the succ.

“I promise this is more important than whatever is going on in there.” You said. Waiting a moment, you pounded again. On the second swing, your hand caught some kind of barrier. There was a sharp electrical sensation in your fingers, and you withdrew your tingling hand.

“Damnit, Oroba! Enough with the games! Let me in!” you demanded.

The ornate wooden doors remained shut. In a fit of frustration, you summoned a small amount of magic to your hands and punched the door. The energy caught the ward with a loud crackle and your arm shot back. The shock wave rustled papers in the lobby, but Oroba’s defenses remained unscathed.

Cursing you turned your attention back to the secretary. She slid out of her chair and hid under her desk as you approached.
“How long is she going to be in there?” you asked.

“I don’t know!”

“Well how long has the meeting been going on?”

“An hour?” said the succ.

Before you could continue your interrogation, Oroba’s voice came in through the magical intercom.

“That’s quite enough, Anon. I’ll have to have a word with the rest of the faculty; clearly you’ve been spoiled by their good nature and patience.”

You hurried over to the doors and waited for them to open. The heavy doors swung inwards. Oroba sat at her desk with a scowl.
“My manners aren’t important right now. Is it tr-“

You faltered as you saw the guest she was entertaining. Some sort of undead, in regal armor. The gaudy outfit would look more in place at a parade than on a battlefield. There must have been several pounds of gold trimming on the torso alone.

“Oh my…” said the woman easing herself out of her chair. “So THIS is the human I’ve heard so much about.”

She strode over to you with an unnerving confidence. The citizens of Admaz knew to keep away from you to avoid the guard protecting you, but this woman was fearless. You took a step back from her as she approached.

“Who are you?” you asked.

“Hmm? Are you talking to me? You’re here to see President Oroba no? You caused such a commotion trying to get in here a moment ago. She was so embarrassed that our meeting about you was interrupted, but I told her that it was no trouble and that she should let you in. After all, what you have to ask her must be VERY important~”

The woman moved around you and you stepped further into the office to get away from her.

“What is it, Anon.” growled Oroba.

“Why are you meeting about me?” you asked.

The buxom woman leaned over your shoulder. “Do you want to tell him? Or shall I?”

You glanced back at her and then to Oroba. She glared back at you. After a few seconds she looked down at her desk and sighed.
“It would seem that… The College of Admaz may not be in custody of you very much longer…” said Oroba.

A chill ran down your spine as the knight giggled.

“What are you talking about?” you said.

“A group of Mages in Tomb Haven claim to have been the ones to summon you here. From the notes they provided, we are inclined to believe them at this time.” Said Oroba.

“They what? Oroba, I wasn’t summoned here. Whatever brought me here spat me out over a lake in the middle of the jungle and left me to die.” You said.

“A minor miscalculation.” Said the undead.

“Miscalculation?! I almost died, you maggoty bitch!” you said turning to face her.

Her piercing red eyes didn’t blink as she stared you down. “I’m sorry that you had to endure that. If you would just come with us, I’m sure that we can repay you with our hospitality.”

She offered an armored hand to you.

“No!” You said swatting her hand away. “Oroba, tell me that this doesn’t have anything to do with the army I’ve been hearing about.”

“It does.” She said curtly.

“Well don’t just let them take me! Can’t you do something? Isn’t there anyone who can stop them? They won’t do it without my consent, right?” you said taking a step towards Oroba’s desk.

“Doing things to men without their consent is what monsters do best, boy~” giggled the knight.

“I’m afraid not. Despite our time with you, the fact that they summoned you means that you are technically their charge. The laws regarding this matter are nonexistent; this is the first scenario of its kind. I’ve contacted the nearest lilim and have received a reply. Until this matter can be settled by a third party, I cannot help you.”

“I won’t just let myself be taken!”

“You won’t have a choice.”

Taking a step back you slump back into the chair. The undead woman placed her hands on your shoulders and started giving them a massage. You tried to wrench yourself away but she tightened her grip and pulled you back towards her.

“Please don’t make this any harder than it needs to be, Anon. If you just come quietly and behave yourself, it will go smoother for everyone. And the mamono I serve…” she leaned in to whisper in your ear. “… Are not monsters you should anger.”

“Can’t the town guard do anything?” you asked desperately.

“Town guard? Anon, it’s a fucking ARMY!” shouted Oroba. “We would be lucky to slow them down! We’re a college town, not a fortress.”
“I know this is scary dear, but no harm will come to you. I can promise you that.” Said the knight.

“You mean besides the fact that I’ll vomit my soul out after I’m raped by someone I don’t love?”

The knight huffed. “My patience is wearing thin, Anon. This is happening with or without your consent. As an act of good faith, I’ll give you one day to say goodbye and collect your things. But don’t even think of abusing my hospitality.”

“Fuck you. Do you think I-“

“JUST TAKE THE DEAL, ANON!” screamed Oroba. “Do you not understand the gravity of this situation you spoiled brat?! There’s nothing we can do and you’re picking a fight with the people who are going to own you in a matter of hours! Have we been so doting that you’ve forgotten that there is danger in this world?!”

You floundered for words and found nothing to say. As much as you wanted to be mad, Oroba’s words held an uncomfortable amount of truth: you really had ignored the fact that the mamono of Admaz had broken their backs to keep you safe until now.

“Go collect your things. Don’t say goodbye to anyone. That will only make things harder.” Said Oroba.

You sat in the chair, uncertain of what to do.

“Go, Anon.”

With a gulp, you slowly walked to the door. Your feet felt like lead.

“And Anon…”

You turned to Oroba as you reached the door.

“… If you decide to run, we’ll hunt you down ourselves.” She said coldly.

You glared back at her, then the knight, and left the office.

~~~~~~

“What a charming man.” Said the wight taking a seat in the chair Anon had been sitting in. "I can't wait to see what kind of faces he'll make when Lady Petropa gets through with him~"

“Get out of my office.” Demanded Oroba.

“Very well, I’d say our business is concluded anyways. I just hope that he minds his manors, before someone minds them for him~” chuckled the wight.

Oroba clenched her fists. The whole affair was going to be the biggest humiliation that the college had ever faced. An extra dimensional human, slipping through her fingers. Not only that, but Tomb Haven would surely rewrite history to claim that Admaz had stolen Anon from them. Those who knew the truth would know that Admaz gave him away as an appeasement.

As the wight passed through the doors, Oroba lashed out with her magic. She shoved the wight through and slammed the doors shut behind her.

The woman yelped and laughed. “I see where he gets that temper from!” called the undead from the other side of the door.

Oroba muffled the door with magic and pulled out a decanter of liquor. Pouring herself her first glass, she prayed that this nightmare didn’t get any worse.

~~~~~~

	You hurried through the halls at a quick trot. Ignoring the mamono who called out to you, you tried to devise a plan to escape. No, escape was impossible. The mamono who were after you were faster, stronger, smarter, and actually knew where they were going. If you ran, there was a good chance you would die in the wilderness. Hell, you may even end up in Tomb Haven.

	The more you considered the situation, the more apparent it became that you were going to Tomb Haven whether you liked it or not.
Pausing at a stair landing, you listened to your heart race in panic. Taking a deep breath, you tried to calm yourself. You were going to Tomb Haven, that was a fact. But that didn’t mean you were going to be staying there for long. If the encyclopedias were correct, and they had been so far, (mostly), something like a lilim or baphomet could use their clout to free you. And just because you were going didn’t mean you would have to go quietly.

No, if they were going to take you, they were going to be just as bruised and battered as you were.

Deviating from the path to your room, you hurry up the alchemy lab. You threw open the door to see Ergine stirring a small pot of sludge over a heating rune.

“Ergine! I need some potions.” You said.

The kesaran pasaran cocked her head. “Huh? A-alright what do you need?”

“Everything you can spare. I’ve got a long day ahead of me.