Lemma the Librarian
Diminishing Returns
by Jennifer Kohl
“Well, shit,” I said, looking down from the edge of the cliff.
“You’re sure?” asked Iason.
“Pretty damn sure,” I replied. Below us, the white cliff dropped sharply down to the gray sea. There wasn’t so much as a grain of sand between them. “The closest book is somewhere that way. Far enough that we’ve gone the length of the Tin Islands and it hasn’t felt any closer.”
“Well, fuck,” said Iason. “What do we do now?”
I considered my options. Scream and stamp my foot? Throw myself on the ground and start whining? Find someone I could justify blowing up, like a bandit or a missionary? Hmm, that last one sounded pretty good...
“Why don’t we visit Iola and Brea?” asked Iason.
“What.”
“Well, if we’re headed to the mainland, that means getting a ship in Kyrno, right? Castle Brinksmoor’s on the way.”
“I... Guess so...” I admitted.
“They have tubs,” Iason reminded me in a sing-songy voice.
I sighed and shook my head. “Fine. Let’s go see how they’re doing.”
A couple days later, we walked through the gates. Brea practically threw herself on me when we entered, giving me a huge hug while she squealed at pitches I had previously believed only bats could make or hear. “LEMMA!”
“Uh, hi.” I patted her awkwardly on the crown of her head. “How’re you?”
“We’re doing great!” she said, squishy-cute and enthusiastic as ever. “How’re you?”
“In need of air,” I replied, trying to wriggle out of her grip. I’d forgotten how strong she was—getting her to stop hugging me was like bending iron bars.
“Huh? Oh!” She let go of me and started leading us into the castle. “What brings you back here? Did you find all the books?”
I scowled and explained what was going on. “So we figured we’d stop here and visit you and Iola and all along the way.”
“Oh,” she replied. “Sorry, Iola’s not here. She’s on a trade mission to the next village over.”
Iason made a disappointed noise. “How long is she gonna be gone?”
“You just missed her,” answered Brea. “It’s only a day’s travel or so, but she’s going to be spending at least a week at their market.” Brea explained that the neighboring nobles had finally agreed to allow the women of Brinksmoor to start trading with them, and recognize their ownership of the surrounding land. That meant they could safely start farming without worrying about military raids—just the usual bandits, bears, fae, and monsters that made life in the Tin Islands so fun—but they needed seed and livestock to start farming. So, Iola had set out with a few of the other girls to visit the nearest market town, sell off some of Brinksmoor’s tackier ornaments and decorations, and use the money to buy the farm supplies they needed.
We talked it over, and decided we’d stay the night, and then set out in the morning for the market town. It’d give Iason a chance to visit with his sister, who I wouldn’t mind seeing either, and anyway, like the castle, it was more or less on the way. But it was just too far to go today, and we both wanted to visit with Brea a bit first.
Plus, spending the night meant, for the first time in mooooooonths, I got to take a baaaaa-aaaaath! I was practically singing, and some amount of skipping was definitely involved, as I headed down the hallway to the room with the tub. The big, steaming tub of hot water, and the white fluffy towels, and the change of clothes Brea laid out for me, and yes, of course I checked every bit of it for glamours, potions, and malicious magic of every kind. I’m not stupid, I won’t fall for the same trick twice. Well... no more than three times, tops.
I slid into the deliciously hot water with a happy sigh, and let weeks and weeks of stress, grime, and exhaustion just float away. I soaked for ages, until I was getting lightheaded and pruny, and then gave myself a good thorough scrub before finally, reluctantly, emerging from the water.
After I dried off, I tried on the clothes Brea had left me and checked myself out in the mirror—clearly, they hadn’t let Iola take the good treasures to trade, and good on them. After examining myself critically, I concluded that the outfit—a slightly clingy cream-colored tunic and black pants, both exactly my size and cut perfectly—looked pretty damn good, especially once I put my usual pauldrons and cape on with it.
Eventually, my stomach started growling, so I stopped admiring how my butt looked in those pants and went searching for some dinner. I’d hardly left the room when I ran into an unfortunately familiar face.
“Mira,” I said. Least I could do, what with the silence curse and all, is be polite.
“Lemma,” she said acidly. “You look just lovely, such masculine attire suits you far better than the dresses my former husband saw fit to clothe you in.“
I glared at her a moment, then shrugged. I was too hungry to argue, I’d just have to set her on fire later.
Fortunately, my timing was good, and the castle—everyone except Mira, apparently—were all just sitting down to dinner when I arrived in the old dining hall.
During dinner, I asked Brea about Mira, and she laughed. “Oh, a few weeks ago she figured out that as long as she was saying something nice, she could use whatever tone she wanted. She’s been handing out backhanded complements ever since.” Brea shrugged. “I guess you really can’t change someone like that.“
I scoffed. “You can change anyone,” I countered. “Long as you’ve got plenty of fire handy, and you’re okay with changing them into a pile of ash.“
Brea sighed. “Yep, you just really can’t change some people.” Clearly still talking about Mira, obviously.
After dinner I went wandering, with the vague notion of finding out what Iason was up to. But instead I ran into Mira, again, coming down the hallway toward me. “Why, Lemma! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?” she asked, fake-sweetly.
“Why, just looking for a place to practice silence curses,” I replied, precisely as sweetly. “I know lots of different kinds. Would you like to help?“
I grinned as genuine terror flashed across her face, and then she pushed past me and hurried on her way. Chuckling to myself, I continued down the hall to find two locked doors. Odd—if I was remembering right, these were Brinksmoor’s study and meeting room.
“Lost?” asked Brea.
I practically jumped out of my skin. She was right behind me! “Don’t do that!” I gasped, taking a large step back. “Yeesh, how are you so quiet?“
“Sorry,” she said.
“Why are these rooms locked?”
She shrugged. “They remind us of... him. None of us like going in there, or remembering... so we locked them up and threw away the key.”
“Ah.” I shifted uncomfortably. This was obviously a sore subject, and I never know how to deal with that kind of thing. “I was just wandering around. Looking for Iason, really.”
“Oh, he’s down in the smithy,” said Brea. “Sharpening his sword, I think. Or maintaining his armor. One of those warrior-y type things, anyway.” She laughed, and I had to as well—it was infectious! Plus I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was as much a warrior-y type thing as Iason. I was going to have to call him that at the next opportunity.
But even while Brea and I chatted on our way down to the smithy, I couldn’t shake a nagging thought. What had Mira been doing in a dead-end corridor? Was she trying to get into the sealed rooms? Or had she been coming out of them? She was the former Lady of the manor, after all—she might have a spare key.
That night, in the comfiest bed I’d slept in since, well, the last time I was here, I found I couldn’t let go of those suspicions and sleep. Well, part of it was the suspicions, part of it was Brea’s snoring—while Iason elected to spend the night in the barracks where Iola’s trainee guardswomen slept, I decided to take Mira’s former room, where Brea now slept, apparently alone. I’d wondered why, but now I knew: she snored. And I don’t mean she snored loudly. I’ve had to share rooms with people who snored loudly. No, she snored like a dragon fighting a bear who was made of dragons. During an earthquake.
Well, when sleep won’t come, snooping is the next best thing, right? I’m sure that’s a saying. Somewhere or other. Look it up or something, you can’t expect me to do all the work for you.
Anyway, I decided to check out those rooms, maybe figure out what Mira was after. Quietly I slipped down to the hallway I’d encountered her in before, and crept along it.
Bingo. There was a light underneath the study door. She was up to something in there!
Carefully, slowly, so as not to alert Mira or anyone else who might be inside, I tried the handle. It turned. Triumphantly, I flung open the door—
“Welcome, Lemma,” said Mira, sounding almost like she meant it, which was not a good thing. She was perched on Brinksmoor’s desk, something softly glowing next to her hand.
“Mira! What are you doing in here?”
She smiled nastily. “Waiting for you, of course.” She held the glowing thing up toward me.
“What!? How did you get that!?” I cried. Or, well, tried to. What came out of my mouth was more like “Whuhhhhhhhooooowwwwwwwmmmmnrfm...” as the pretty lights danced in front of my eyes, inviting me to drift away into their endlessly fascinating depths, so easy, so seductive, and it wasn’t like I could resist anyway, I could never resist...
“That’s right,” said Mira. “Feels so good to let go, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled truthfully. It felt incredible, like sinking into that hot bath.
“I say to let go, you let go, and it feels good.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Doing as I say feels good.”
“Yeah.” A scintillating conversation, I know. As long as the pretty lights swirled, though, I’d agree to pretty much anything.
“You do as I say and feel good.”
“Yes...” Feeling so good. That must be how she was able to say these things... technically saying something that made me feel good counted as saying something nice, right?
“You’ll do as I say, because you’re a good girl.”
“Yes...” Well, and there we were.
“You’re a good girl who’ll remove this curse on me as soon as she wakes up.”
Dammit. “Yes...” I smiled vaguely. It felt so good to agree, and I knew I was going to do it.
She put the stone down, and it faded to a dull glow. I blinked awake, and then, with a sigh, pulled the threads of the curse off her, rolled them up in my hand, and then let them dissolve.
“Well?” she asked testily.
“It’s done,” I replied with a sigh.
“Really?” she asked. “And how can I trust you really did it, you stupid bitch?” She grinned ecstatically. “It DID work! Oh, I can really speak again. Ohh, I am going to tell you just what I think of you... but first, come with me.” Picking up the stone, she exited the study.
“I’ll do as you say because I’m a good girl,” I said automatically, and followed her out. Fuck. Fuck, I’m under Mira’s control! How could this possibly get any worse?
Someday I’ll learn not to ask that question.
Mira unlocked the meeting room—I was right, she did have a key!—and led me in.
Sitting on the large, ornately carved chair that had once been Brinksmoor’s, his booted feet up on the table, was a man. On the floor next to him, facing him, Brea was naked and on her knees. The moment we entered, Mira went up to him, knelt beside Brea, and offered him the stone.
“Master,” she said.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
Hragulf grinned crookedly at me. “Hello again, Lemma,” he said. He slid his feet off the table and stood, taking the stone from Mira.
He actually looked pretty good, to my surprise. He was a lot cleaner than he’d been in Mercia, and his clothes fit. That made a big difference. I was pretty sure he’d lost a little weight and gained some muscle, too.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demanded. I wanted to call up every spell I knew and roast him on the spot... but for some reason, I couldn’t remember any of them.
“Lemma, Lemma, Lemma,” he chided. “So forgetful. You’re the one who told me about this place, remember? Well, maybe not... you were pretty deeply engrossed with my stone at the time. But when I heard about a castle full of beautiful women, with no men, well, it was clear I’d have to help them out, wouldn’t I? I set out as soon as I left you.”
He ruffled Brea’s hair. “And then by coincidence I happened to meet this lovely on the road, on her way back here from Mercia. With her under my control it was easy to convince the women here I was a traveling trader, come to help them. Then it was just a matter of getting the girls alone, one at a time, and the more I got the easier it became.”
“Iola’s not on a hunting trip, is she?”
Mira laughed. “Duh, of course she isn’t! She somehow realized something was up and tried to rally the free girls against Master.”
“Shh,” said Hragulf, patting Mira’s head with his other hand. “True, though. Fortunately I had a mole in her little group. By the time Iola came after me, she was the only one of the six that wasn’t under my control. I had my good girls grab her so I could show her stone.” He rubbed his jaw. “Bitch still managed to get free and cold-cock me. She’s out there somewhere, I guess, but nothing she can do.”
I was rooted to the spot. I couldn’t attack him for some reason—one of his little rules hidden away in me, I was guessing. I could leave, because Mira’d told me to come with her. And, as he raised the stone, I couldn’t resist.
He spoke softly as I fell, and just made so much sense. It was so hard to think of reasons not to agree, and anyway I knew I couldn’t resist. I let myself slip away, sleeping in the lovely swirls of purple and blue and green.
Eventually, I realized there was no light, just Hragulf smiling at me. And he was still Hragulf. Not Master, or anything like that. My compulsion to obey Mira was gone, too!
He smirked. “I removed all the old rules,” he said. “Except you can’t harm me, I left that one in for obvious reasons.”
“You’re... letting me free..?”
“Not exactly,” he said. “Since I took this place over, I’ve been experimenting, trying out different... games with my girls. You’re the latest player.”
Oh gods, I had my fill of games with the Faerie Queen. “What kind of game?”
“Oh, one we’ll both enjoy. You already know the rules, I put them in there.”
I ignored that. I could ignore that—I could resist again! I could choose not to think about the rules, even if he suggested it. Rules like—I cut that thought off. “You’ve been planning this.“
“Oh, from the start,” he said. “Like I said, once you told me about this place, I knew I was going to have to take it over. So I made sure you’d come back here sometime after, so we could get... reacquainted.”
“Why?” I asked. “You made it pretty clear that you don’t think I’m that attractive, despite my obvious charm, grace, and natural good looks.”
“Uh-huh,” he said. “If you like short, scrawny little things with no tits.”
“Fuck you,” I said, trying to sound cheerful. “But why. Why did you want me back, when clearly all you want is wealth and a harem? You’ve got that here.”
“All in due time,” he said smugly. “After all, it’s nearly morning, and you have a game to play.”
And I did. Like he’d said, I knew the rules, and I could only avoid thinking about them for so long: I couldn’t hurt him, like he’d said. I couldn’t tell Iason about the game, or Hragulf, or that I was in any kind of danger or under any kind of control. I couldn’t leave the castle. And...
“Oh you fucking son of a bitch.”
Hragulf laughed. “That I am,” he said.
The last two rules were that I couldn’t cum without Hragulf’s permission, and beginning at dawn I would get hornier every ten minutes.
“Now you’d better get going,” said Hragulf. “Come back here when you’re ready to beg to be allowed to cum.”
Snarling, but with no other real options, I stormed out of the room. It was morning, basically, and Iason would be up soon. Maybe I could somehow... hint to him what was going on? There had to be some way!
I was sure I could get through to him. We were basically old friends at this point—maybe not in time, strictly speaking, but certainly in experience. I’d say something just slightly off, and he’d look at me with those big brown puppy-dog eyes of his and ask what’s wrong, and I’d dither, and then he’d take me into his arms and...
Wait, what? Has it been ten minutes already? Fuck... I could already feel it. I was getting warm, squirmy, tingly, antsy... I needed to hurry up.
But by the time I managed to get Iason up, it was another twenty minutes, and then ten minutes while he went out to the well, filled a bucket of water, and poured it over his head, and then he wanted to have breakfast before he discussed anything, and all told it was almost an hour before he was ready to talk. By that time I was a mess, trying to keep my face straight while I fought the urge to start humping the table leg, or possibly his leg. Hell, by this point I’d take Mira’s leg.
C’mon Lemma, fight! I know you’re out of practice at this resistance thing, but you can do it!
“So what’s up?” asked Iason.
I took a deep breath. “I think you should go looking for Iola,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s the plan,” he said. “I figured we’d set out after breakfast.”
I struggled to think of something I was allowed to say. Something other than Fuck me now, you magnificent piece of meat, I mean. I remembered that time we’d sworn never to discuss again, when I had to get him off to save that village from an Old One, and for a moment I could almost convince myself that the sheer weirdness of our lives could distract me from how badly I needed to be fucked.
But only a moment.
“Something is... different about this place,” I said. Okay, that was technically within the rules. “I want to stay and... investigate.”
“Well, if you think there’s something to worry about, then yeah, let’s do that!”
Shit. He had no idea Hragulf was here, and I couldn’t tell him. If he stayed, it was only a matter of time before Hragulf used the stone on him, too. I needed to warn him, but how? The only person who knew about Hragulf and wasn’t either his slave or unable to talk about him... Ah. That was how. “No, I think you should go looking for Iola.“
He studied me a moment. C’mon, you lug. I know you’re more than just a pretty face and abs I could bounce a silver piece off... mmmm... I attempted the mental equivalent of dousing myself in cold water. It only sort of worked. Figure it out... I could see the wheels churning in his head. We knew where Iola was, or so he thought. Why would he have to search for her if we knew where she was? Figure it out...
“Okay,” he said. “You stay here and investigate, I’ll find Iola and talk to her.”
Yes! He would leave to find Iola. Taking his cock with him. Meaning the only one left here would belong to...
Fuck...
While Iason packed up, I went back to the room I was staying in with Brea. I flopped on the bed and tried to think. Was there some way I could control this? A spell, a glamour maybe? I rubbed absentmindedly at my hard nipples, budding up through the cloth of my tunic. I knew all about spells to increase attraction and desire, maybe I could reverse that, to dampen it..?
Fuck, I couldn’t think. My poor pussy was screaming for attention. I knew I couldn’t cum, but maybe I could just take the edge off a little..? That made sense, right?
I managed to get my pants half off before I couldn’t take it any more, and stuck my fingers into my dripping pussy. I went straight for my clit—I was too turned on to need any prep, too turned on to have the patience for any. I just needed to rub, stroke, pinch, whatever it took to make this squirming agonizing pleasurable emptiness go away for a moment...
But it didn’t. It just got worse, better, more intense, whatever you want to call it. Higher and higher, more and more, while my breathing accelerated, my fingers flying inside me. I could feel that edge approaching, winding up tighter and tighter until I could finally burst...
But I couldn’t. I could go right up to the edge, but then I stayed there, trapped, gasping, panting and pleading...
Hragulf and Mira found me writhing on the bed, practically sobbing as I begged to cum.
“Look at the little slut,” laughed Mira. “She’s a mess!“
“Yes she is,” said Hragulf. “Get in there and help her.”
The bed shifted, and a naked Mira joined me. She dove in with apparent enthusiasm—she didn’t like me, of course, but clearly Hragulf had made sure she liked doing as she was told enough to make up the difference—her fingers, lips, and tongue joining in my torment.
“Bring her to my study when she’s ready,” Hragulf said, and walked out.
“You can end this,” said Mira. “All you have to do is kneel before Master and ask, and he’ll tell you what you need to do in order to cum.”
I moaned. I wanted that desperately, but... I could resist! I had to resist!
And resist I did. For all of maybe a minute and a half before I broke. “Please!” I gasped. “I’ll do it, I’ll do anything, I need it, I need it, please take me to him!” I sobbed.
I mean, not actually broke. This was a clever ruse, obviously. I totally wasn’t too horny to think straight and desperate enough to give anything in order to be fucked until I screamed. You’re thinking of the other Lemma, clearly.
Soon after—but long enough that my horniness went up another notch, from “unbearable” to “ohgodohgodohgod”—Mira led me by the hand into the study. She had to hold both my hands, otherwise I would plunge them into my pussy and collapse to the floor while I frigged myself. We’d learned that the hard way.
Hragulf smiled. “Excellent job, Mira. Cum now.”
Mira gasped, froze, shuddered, and then moaned. It gradually rose into a cry, “Ooooohhhhh Maassssteeeeeeeerrrrr!“She calmed down to merely vibrating after a bit, and curtseyed, which is a neat trick when you’re buck naked. “Thank you, Master,” she said.
“Leave us,” Hragulf said. “Lemma, kneel next to Brea.”
In my state of mind, I hadn’t noticed her, hadn’t noticed much of anything really, but now my gaze fell on her. She was on her knees on the floor, nude, her big blue eyes staring up at Hragulf worshipfully. I eagerly complied with Hragulf’s order, since maybe he’d let me cum if I did.
And sure enough, once I was down there he pulled out his cock. I moaned and squirmed, waiting for him to tell me to lie back, or get on all fours, or whatever other position he wanted—
“Suck,” he ordered me and Brea.
Brea obeyed instantly, scrambling forward to wrap her lips around his cock, but I vibrated on the spot, staring at him. “But—”
“If you ever want my permission to cum,” he told me, “you’ll do as you’re told.”
I wasn’t under his control. I could resist. I could refuse. But... there really wasn’t any question. I needed to cum.
I slid up next to Brea and leaned in. She had his dick pretty well taken care of, so I started licking and sucking on his balls. When Brea pulled back a little to work his tip, I tilted my head back to lick the underside of the shaft.
Somewhere in there, Brea’s mouth met mine, our lips and tongues tangling with each other over and around his hard cock.
“Stop,” he ordered, and I froze, quivering.
“Please...” I managed to whine.
Hragulf smirked down at me, then lay down on the carpet, stretching out on his back, his cock sticking up.
I waited for an order, but it didn’t come. He just lay there, propped up on his forearms, watching me expectantly.
“Nnnnnggg...!” Something in me seemed to snap as yet another 10-minute mark passed. Before I knew it, I was straddling him, lowering myself onto his cock, his incredible, glorious cock, filling me, filling the screaming squirming dripping emptiness inside me...
I bounced eagerly on his cock, desperate to cum, my sex-frazzled brain unable to hold onto the idea that I couldn’t. I thought Mira had stirred me up earlier, but that was nothing compared to this—a cock pounding my hungry pussy, driving me wild. I thrashed on top of him, my torso snapping like a whip, hair flying as I screamed and pleaded and urged him to fuck me harder, harder, harder!
Hragulf grunted and came, filling me with his cum, and still I couldn’t. I was full but still so, so empty, I was going insane as he sat up, pushing me back off him.
I sprawled on the floor, both hands in my pussy, writhing and moaning incoherently as he picked up the stone and held it out. Brea’s eyes locked on it immediately as the colors began to swirl, pulling at me.
A distraction! I could fall into the colors, forget about how horny I was, how badly I needed to fuck and cum... but there was a reason I shouldn’t, a reason I should fight it...
“Relax, Lemma,” said Hragulf. “It’s too late. This is the last thing you have to do before I let you cum... and you know how much you need to cum...”
I groaned. I needed it so bad, and letting myself go into the swirling lights would solve everything. They were so pretty, so easy to just let my eyes rest, let the patterns flow into my brain...
“I’ll have to let you cum to use you how I’m planning,” he continued. “Fun as screwing with you like this is, I need your brain, not your body, so I’m going to have to get your brain working again. Just give in, let me turn you into what I need, and I’ll give you the best orgasm of your life.”
Yes, that was what I needed, all that mattered, I could just sink into the patterns. They were all around me, in me, filling that yawning chasm of need with their light and the promise that soon it would be relieved, I would get the relief I needed.
“It’ll be simple enough,” he said. “It’s why I had you stop sending the books you found back to the library, and bring them here instead.”
What? No, that wasn’t... wasn’t right, was it? I couldn’t think, my head was full of swirling light and my body aching wet need... but I kept the Rite of Uncreation because it scared and fascinated me, and then I didn’t send back the books I found after it because... because... because...
“That’s right,” he said, breaking into my looping, swirling, dissolving thoughts. “You brought them here for me. You’re going to teach me all the magic you know, all the magic in those books. I’ll be the most powerful sorcerer in the Tin Islands... maybe the world!”
No, I couldn’t do that... I had to stop looking into the light, stop following it... and never be able to cum. Oh gods, I needed to cum... I moaned, and just like that, it was over. I couldn’t fight this. No—I didn’t want to fight. I wanted to cum.
I let go. Light filled my thoughts. The room grew distant, even the howling emptiness of my wet, needy cunt faded to a dull roar. There was nothing but swirling light and his voice.
“That’s it, sink away little Lemma, deeper and deeper. When you wake up, you’ll be my teacher-slave. You won’t have any purpose except to serve me, to teach me, to make me better at magic. In fact, just to be sure, I’m going to make sure you can’t use it yourself.”
Another voice sliced in. “Fuck, seriously?” asked Brea. “Shit, and you were doing so well, too. But I’m afraid I just can’t allow that.“
And then she tore Hragulf in half.
* * *