The stench of brimstone kept me awake until my body started reconstituting itself, and once that began it was impossible to get any rest.  My whole body felt like it had a hundred needles jabbed into every square inch, causing pain so intense I could not even scream.  As the process continued, I wistfully remembered the agony of being flattened.  At least that was over quickly, and once my body collapsed under blunt force it went numb, making whatever was on top of me easier to endure.

Kirinhalut lifted the hand off me when my body was whole again, and it was well past sundown.  The others were sitting around a fire, and it looked like they had just finished dinner.  Although I no longer needed to eat due to my new bond with infernal powers, the leftover smells made me envious of them.  It had been so long since I smelled food, let alone tasted it, that I just wanted a scrap or two.

I wouldn’t if I were you, Kirinhalut said telepathically.  People don’t like seeing bugs in their food.  She gave me a toothy smile, then struck me with a finger.  It pushed me back until another finger hit me, knocking me onto my face.  Then again, you might end up joining their food.  The fey like to eat insects, and I count two of them here.

She would crush me if I spoke when it was just the two of us, but she should be able to read my mind if I thought loudly enough at her.  You know I’m not a bug, so why don’t you –

A wave of psychic force lashed out, blasting my thoughts apart.  Do I, though?  Kirinhalut’s laughter bounced around in my skull, making it impossible to start another thought.  You look like a bug.  You act like a bug.  You even sound like one.  It’s time to let go of your delusions of being a shrunken human and admit what you are.

If I knew a lot about succubi, I would not be in this predicament.  Some of their abilities were common folklore, however, and any adventurer worth their salt had at least heard rumors.  Their powers of magical persuasion were great enough that they could convince any mortal of whatever they wanted, and their ability to take any form they wished could be forced on others too.  Kirinhalut could simply polymorph me into a bug and be done with it if she wanted, but she seemed to be playing a deeper game with me.  I could be quite the tenacious opponent, though, and I would give her a run for her money.

The others broke the circle around the fire and came back to the wagon where we were sitting.  “Are you sure you don’t want anything, Kiri?” Llelwyl asked.  “We made more than enough, and you’re welcome to whatever’s ours.”

Kirinhalut smiled politely and replied, “I really appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass.”  She held up her free hand to show off a ring she had just made appear there.  “My captor forced me to wear this ring so he wouldn’t have to give me food or water, but it has its benefits on the road, too.  You all enjoy your food: I’ll keep looking out for the little guy here.”

“I could use some food!” I piped up.  “Just a few shreds of venison are all I ask!”

“If you’re sure, then I’ll pack up the rest for breakfast.”  Llelwyl walked away, not even acknowledging I said anything.

The fire began to die down, and the others started setting up their tents around the wagon.  Kirinhalut waited until they were nearly done before approaching Margret with a question that she suddenly found very pressing.  “Excuse me – Margret, right?  Might I ask what my sleeping arrangements are for tonight?”

“The wagon has a mattress and a canvas cover we can put up,” Margret answered, not bothering to look away from the stake she was pounding.  “You and the little guy should have more than enough room in there.”

“About that,” Kirinhalut began with false timidity.  “I’ve been with him constantly for the past two months, and for once I’d like a place to myself, even if it’s just for one night.  You understand, right?”

Margret stroked her chin and furrowed her dark brow.  “Hey Bush!” she called out.  “Mind giving your bed to the little guy for the night?”

Bushwack flew from Llelwyl’s shoulder to Kirinhalut’s with such fury that she made the much larger woman sway when she landed.  “That’s a joke, right?” she shouted.  “Have you bothered to learn a single thing about me the whole time we’ve been together?”  Margret was taken aback, so Bushwack continued, “I’m a follower of Morevar the Sly, so I have to sleep off the ground in a bed that’s been blessed to ward away evil spirits.  I would think that, even as a human, you would know that as a priest and someone who’s supposed to be my friend.”

“Then would you mind letting him sleep on your covers or something?” Margret offered.  “He’s got to sleep somewhere, and I’d rather it be somewhere nice and elevated.”

Bushwack glared and growled at the priest.  “I’ve got a better idea: why don’t you offer him your bed instead of forcing me to share mine with him?”

“So that I can roll over and crush him?  I’m sure you’d like that, but I have a duty to protect those who have been victimized by evil.”

“Well he’s not sleeping in my bed –“

“Mine either!” Llelwyl interjected.

“So it sounds like he’s sleeping on the ground!”

“Where an owl can swoop down and grab him?”  Margret sounded horrified at the prospect.  “He wouldn’t stand a chance!”

“Then he could finally show us what a great warrior he’s supposed to be!” Bushwack shot back.

“Hey, calm down you two!” Sondra shouted over the din.  “Everything within five miles must know we’re here by now!”  She waited for the argument to die down before continuing.  “He’s not sleeping on the ground, and he doesn’t have to sleep in anyone’s bed.  I can make a floating disc in my tent and have him sleep above me, there’ll be more than enough room for him.  I’ll even reduce an extra blanket so it’s just the right size for him.”

“Figures the humans would stick together,” Bushwack snidely quipped, “even when one of them’s tiny and useless.  He’s your problem for tonight, Sond, have fun.”  She flew back to Llelwyl to finish fixing their beds together.

Kirinhalut instinctively curled her fingers inward as a shield when Sondra reached for me, then remembered she was supposed to be keeping up an act for them.  She relaxed her hand, and Sondra gently plucked me out of her palm between her thumb and forefinger.  It was a welcome change from being snatched up like a ball of lint, and she even moved me slowly enough that I did not feel like vomiting for once.  When I was clear of Kirinhalut’s hand, the succubus walked away to suggest Llelwyl “help” her get the wagon bed set up.

The mage held me up to her face, and her wide pupils took a moment to focus on me in the darkness.  “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” Sondra purred, her voice comforting me like crushed velvet.  She walked toward her tent, keeping her free hand palm-up below me in case I slipped.  With each step she rolled her feet against the ground, keeping her gait steady so I would not be bounced around between her surprisingly comfortable fingers.

She paused outside her tent just after pulling the flap back.  “I don’t know what’s gotten into everyone else,” Sondra said.  “We’ve escorted people way more helpless than you before, and Bush and Lell didn’t have a problem with it.  And I’ve never seen Margret so intent on stirring the pot before, she usually goes out of her way to make sure we’re all happy.”

“You don’t think I’m useless?” I asked as Sondra ducked into the tent.

“Not at all!” she replied as she stood back to her full height.  “You may be the smallest person I’ve ever seen, but you’re still an experienced warrior.  Even if you can’t carry a sword, I’m sure you have a ton of advice you can share with us.  If anyone could understand that I’d figure Bush would, but she seems intent on hating you.”

“I just wish there were something I could do to gain their acceptance.”

“Be careful what you wish for.”  Sondra spoke a pair of arcane syllables, and a translucent pink disc appeared in her palm.  It hovered in the air when she moved her hand away, and she carefully lowered me onto it.  When both my feet were flat on it Sondra let go, and I stood unassisted on the platform.  “You have my acceptance, and that counts for a lot.  It seems like you’ve got Margret in your corner too, so you should be safe from any group decisions.”

I was feeling risky, so I asked, “What do you make of Kiri?”

Sondra said another pair of arcane sounds, and the blanket in her hand became the size of a handkerchief.  She laid it down in front of me, then withdrew a small cotton ball from the pouch at her waist and set it down on the edge.  “I’ll say that she’s a customer, and we’re protecting her so we can get paid.  I’ll also say that the sooner we get paid by her, the better.”

She slid into her sleeping bag, and I pulled the blanket she had provided over me.  Sondra gave two sharp claps, and while my ears rang from them the candles inside the tent went out.  “Good night, Sondra,” I said, laying my head on the makeshift pillow.

“Please, call me Sandy,” she replied, nuzzling her own pillow.  “I’ve always liked that for a nickname, but everyone calls me Sond for some reason.”  A few moments passed and she added, “Come find me in the morning if I wake up before you, I’ve got something you can help me with.”  I was too tired to think about what she meant, and we drifted off to sleep within minutes.

“My, this one seems to like you,” she said, leaning in so her face loomed over me.  It was already the only thing moving, but she made it so I could see nothing beside it.  “I was wondering why she was harder to influence than the others.  It looks like you have an ally, though I wonder what she’d do if I dispelled her little cantrip and you fell into her mouth?”

“Can’t you leave me alone for one night?” I asked groggily.  “You cast me to the wolves tonight, and you’ve had me to yourself for two months anyway.”

“Oh, my little idiot,” Kirinhalut began, “that was just so they’d fight over who had to deal with you.  If they weren’t so receptive to my suggestions, you’d be trapped under me right now and no one would be the wiser.”

“Well they are, and it doesn’t seem like you had to try very hard,” I shot back.  “Can I get back to sleep now?  You can do whatever demonic tortures you want to me tomorrow.”

“You couldn’t stop me if you wanted to,” Kirinhalut replied, giving me a smug grin.  “I just wanted to remind you who’s in charge, but I predict you’re going to have a very interesting day tomorrow.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, unable to summon the energy to be properly outraged.  Without even moving she was gone, and I was left wondering if she had ever been there to begin.