I’d every intention to die when I pressed into the cave mouth. The final rays of daybreak filtered past rock and stone until all that remained was the cool coarseness of rock. Most caves led to the Underdark, a world untouched by the sun and entirely alien to the minds of surface dwellers. Tales of profane civilizations and the unknowable terrors that dwelt below the earth were rampant amongst adventurers; a fitting path for one hellbent in dying.
Where my companions had found sufficient methods of rationalizing our botched salvation of Fellbrook I’d found myself incapable. We’d failed those people. Men, women and children, though enthralled by some malefic force, had not deserved to die. We’d killed them, by the Gods we’d killed them all to staunch the unseen infection. Now I couldn’t look myself in the mirror, let alone masquerade as an infallible agent of justice.
The cavern winded deeper, the bioluminescent glow of fat-capped mycelia giving life to the sharp contours of water-etched stone. A breeze slipped down from ahead, wet and fresh with the scent of algae and brackish pooling. Soon I’d come upon it, a subterranean lake, its surface calm save for a few stray eddies stirred by airflow. Along its bank I discarded armor plate and quilted mail until naught but tunic and leggings remained. My sword too would be left behind, cast into the depths where I prayed no one might ever find it.
Abandoning the accouterments of combat was more symbolic than practical, but given I expected to meet death this evening symbolism mattered most. I wasn’t long at the lakeside before the sound of splashing water gave rise to something else: a wet squelch that denoted the slurping pull and release of membranous tendrils. An amphibian monstergirl then? Such creatures abounded near bodies of water and their presence meant little in comparison to my intentions. Still I glanced up, curiosity winning out over apathy. What I saw would haunt me till the end of my days.
From the placid waters rose a figure, human in appearance yet decidedly monstrous in anatomy. Dusky blue skin, silky and moist, rippled beneath the soft light of fungal growths. Her eyes held two concentric pupils surrounded by an iris the shade of glacial ice while her hair seemed woven of thick, ropey strands resembling kelp. And tentacles…so many tentacles, thin and slippery with slime, they spilled down her back in abundance. Mindflayers, monsters of immense intellect and even greater cruelty, were said to wield such appendages with frightening efficacy. “Are you lost?” Sincerity masked whatever agenda she harbored.
I shook my head in response.
“Do you require aid then? It is rare that travelers venture so far into these caves only to discard their armaments at the shoreline of my home.” I’d expected a hint of malevolence, a crack in her outwardly charming veneer, yet it never came. This creature, capable of crushing minds like overripe fruit, seemed nothing short of pleasant. Was it all an act? Another testament to her insidious cunning? Or just another facet of her psyche?
She stepped closer, bare feet slapping softly against flat stone until she stood merely a meter away. Closer now I could see the gentle curve of her breasts, modest and firm, as well as the pout of her lips. She was beautiful, ethereally so, and if it weren’t for her tentacles or sodden, aquatic visage, I might have believed her human. That was a lie of course. Monsters weren’t to be trusted nor trifled with lest you risk your mana and sometimes your sanity.
“I’ve come here to find peace.” Death would’ve been a more appropriate phrasing. She could trace the sorrow upon my features, a pallid hand reaching forth to cup my cheek. Her touch felt wet and cool, yet lacked the slimy film I’d imagined.
A sad smile curled at the edge of her lips, head canting faintly to the side. Confusion? Disappointment? Either way I felt the slightest flutter of regret for coming here. If a monster could show sympathy perhaps other races weren’t so different. No sooner had the thought occurred did it pass. Humans were cruel and murderous, monsters no exception. She too must harbor terrible proclivities if the rumors surrounding mindflayers held any truth.
She sighed, a tentative gesture suggesting she knew exactly why I came. Her voice too matched the somber mood, empathetic and soothing, and there existed an undercurrent of concern. “Poor thing, you are exhausted. I can sense it as clearly as I can see it. May I assist you?” What her squishy, cloying form concealed was a psionic presence only recently unveiled. A predatory presence emanated from the welcoming arms of the sentient cephalopod.
“Wait, I came here to—“ Words died upon my tongue as her fingers slid along the curve of my jaw, tips pressing gently into the recesses behind my ears. There they lingered, thumbs stroking in tandem with her hushed whispers. Whatever mindflayer sorcery she wrought muddled thought and perception. Had I still wished to die? Or was I eager for her assistance? Time was short and decisions harder still.
Her eyes, pale as the moonlit surf, seemed to shimmer in the ambient gloom. Inhuman pupils constricted then dilated, hypnotic and powerful, until my knees buckled under a psychic compulsion. Slowly, without realizing, I found myself sinking to my knees. Though she remained shorter by a good foot her confidence suggested otherwise.
“Hmm, so it was you and your kin who slew my flock. Such a shame. Perhaps I was too brash, focusing on so many potential mates at once. It seems one will have to do. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” Purplish hued cheeks were alight with a bioluminescent warmth that was akin to a deep sea jellyfish. Combined with her enthralling stare, the deft ministrations of two thin tendrils went completely unnoticed; the violation was sharp and quick. It was a bloodless invasion, sweet and sensual in a regard unfathomable to the mortal mind. “Offspring require strong paternal bonds; do you think I’d harm the father of my prospective clutch? So sweet, your naivety. Would you like to come home with me?” Her tone implied a rhetorical nature, tentacles continuing their telepathic intrusion until thoughts of resistance fled in place of subservience.
Did I wish to return with her? Of course I did. How could I refuse such a kind and tender mistress? Tentacles too were quite stimulating, filling me with an insatiable heat the likes of which I hadn’t known since adolescence. All I needed was guidance. Mistress was right. She always knew best.
Mistress smiled at the realization of full assimilation. Though I knelt upon the cavern floor, a willing thrall, it was the satisfaction of achieving total control that brought her joy. She craved affection, love really, and having acquired a mate she planned on cherishing him always.