Summoned by Monster Girls

I threw myself into the workweek to distract myself from both the worries of trying to explain the weirdness that my current life was to my friend Jameson (without giving up just how weird it was) and how much I was missing the girls currently.

I’d taken to idly thumbing the runic tattoos on my right forearm whenever I wasn’t doing anything with my hands. I’d gotten them weeks ago as a result of whatever bonding magic the girls had used the first time I’d been summoned. Over the last few weeks, I’d noticed that when I touched one of them, I could get a general feel for the mood of either of the girls, depending on which one I was touching at the time.

The mark that linked me to Kassandra Silverscale tended to emit a sensation of amused mischief or boredom depending on the moment, which felt accurate for the energetic dwarf lamia that I’d fallen for. She was always up to something: teasing one of us, plotting how to tease one of us, trying to make someone blush, or flirting outrageously with me. Sometimes all four at once. I could just imagine the distant, satisfied smile she’d be sporting watching the trouble she was causing grow and spread while wiggling happily back and forth on her brown-and-red-scaled serpentine lower half.

The other mark I carried, just a bit higher up the arm from Kassandra’s, was a bit quieter than hers. Which wasn’t that surprising. Rieka Coldeye was a princess after all, despite her insistence that she barely qualified given she was the fourth princess, and as such she had to know control. I would still pick up the occasional burst of amused irritation, resignation, or determination from her mark when I rubbed it lightly. While my mental image of Kassandra was always a bouncy and energetic one; the image I had of Rieka was one of restrained enthusiasm hidden behind a veil of propriety. Her wolf ears perked up or relaxed to either size of her head while the fluffy mass of her platinum-blonde tail swayed slowly behind her hips. The pitch black dusting that graced the tips of her ears and tail setting off the delicate blonde of the rest of her hair, her brilliant blue eyes, and her reserved smile.

With the reminder of my two contracted companions and how they were doing, I was able to force my way through work for most of the week. I did my absolute best to not let my boss’ annoying commentary and sniping bother me, though it did make me wonder on a constant basis how it was that Dutcher was even able to get the job of a manager, let alone keep the one that he had.

Ever since the freak accident that summoned me to another world to basically be the conjured companion/guardian/servant/space-heater of the girls on occasion, I’d had a harder time ignoring Dutcher’s barbs. I wasn’t sure if it was just because I was actually trying to take care of myself and be healthier both of mind and body, or if it was simply because I was actually listening to my surroundings again rather than just letting myself float through life without much thought.

Regardless of dealing with Dutcher and his idiocy, I still looked forward to getting my ass handed to me twice a week in training. I’d been grateful to Cerebaton for offering to help me with my weapon training and that didn’t change. The massive daemon continued to ensure we had time to practice each week so I could do the job the girls had called me for. It had started out as a means for him to repay a part of the debt that had occurred from the mistakes of the DSR that had led to my being yanked out of my reality and nearly cast adrift into the cosmos. Now it was something that both of us looked forward to, if his banter was anything to be believed.

The Dimensional Security and Repair, or DSR, was in charge of maintaining the dimensional membranes between worlds and preventing damage, leakage, invasion, and other such catastrophe. Apparently business was relatively slow at the moment or that was the impression that Cerebaton gave me after our first practice that week.

We’d transitioned to a mixture of weapon practice and beginners martial-arts now, since my sword had broken on my last trip and I was using a mace as a standby for the moment. Cerebaton had agreed when I presented him with the idea that I should start using my primary power more often. Shape-Shifting had a lot of utility and I’d not been really tapping into it much of late during a fight when it had the ability to actively shift situations in my favor if I was able to keep my mind fluid enough to make the most of it.

It was after work on Wednesday though that I finally got a chance to relax for a bit and chat with someone who would have been considered my greatest supporter.

Dutcher had been his normal, asinine self at work that day. I’d been pulled from my normal dock to help unload on the refrigeration dock. This normally would have been a miserable job since I didn’t bring a jacket with me. It was early summer in Colorado, so a jacket was not something that was generally needed or wanted. In fact, dressing heavily was actively avoided as there wasn’t any kind of air conditioning inside the stuffy trailers we normally loaded. If it wasn’t for the fact I was able to abuse my Shape-Shifting to thicken my skin and add fur under my clothes, I’d have been even more miserable. Instead, I was just exhausted from the extra work when I finally slumped through my front door that night.

The fact that all the lights in my apartment were on would have been a clue that something was up normally. The sight of the person in my kitchen though precluded the need to think about or consider the fact that something might be up.

Especially since I live alone.

The woman standing with her back to me in the kitchen would have been far more startling if not for one factor that made her instantly recognizable. The cascade of straight hair the brilliant red of a fresh strawberry fell from her shoulders down to her mid-thigh with the ends rising up again in a gravity-defying curl. A neat black pencil-skirt wrapped around her hips to mid-thigh with sleek black stockings that covered her legs to match the black opera gloves that vanished under the short sleeves of her crisp, white blouse. When she turned to glance over her shoulder at me though, her alien features stood out even more.

Her skin was a blue-gray color that would have looked strange if not for the unnaturally bright color of her hair. A pair of sea-green eyes sparkled at me under thin eyebrows of the same bright red as her hair while she smiled broadly at me standing there in the doorway, no doubt looking like a goober with how I was staring in surprise while carrying my work stuff in my arms. As the silence stretched on, the hair thin lines that marked her temples slid upwards and a second set of eyes, this pair a brilliant, electric blue in color, blinked open to give me a once over before flicking closed again.

“Good evening, Liam! How was your day at work?” Her words broke the silence that had grown between us and I blinked several times before laughing tiredly.

“It was work, Cari. Not nearly as fun as being summoned by the girls, but a necessary evil after all.” I stepped into the apartment and kicked the door shut behind me. “You know, I shouldn’t be surprised to see you just show up in my apartment like this. It’s not like Cerebaton doesn’t just vanish without a sound whenever we are done with our practices. I’m sure locked doors don’t exactly serve as a barrier for a daemon after all.”

The small smile on Cariad’s features spread into a wide grin as she nodded, leaning one hip into the counter next to her with the elbow of her left arm resting in her right hand while her left hand cupped her chin delicately.

“Very true. Agents from the DSR have quite a few tricks for getting around in the dimensions we look after. It also helps us not stand out nearly as much. Not all of us are able to camouflage ourselves like Mr. Cerebaton in order to blend in with the locals. I didn’t think you’d mind if I let myself in, being your case-worker as well as a friend?” The question in the last part allowed a bit of the tension to show in Cariad’s eyes and I shook my head to reassure her.

“Not at all. As long as you aren’t going to start poking holes in me while I sleep, I don’t mind at all. I’d say you are welcome to visit whenever, but I have no idea how comfortable you are being wrapped up like that.” I gestured to her long gloves and stockings before dropping my lunch pail on the rickety table in my tiny dining room.

“It’s not a problem. They are actually rather comfortable and I know that my touch is dangerous after all. Covering up this much is a small price to pay to be able to check on my client and friend.” Cariad replied with a warm smile, pushing off of the counter with her hip to stand upright once more. The movement drew my attention back to her and I had to agree. Except for her neck and face, the only other bit of exposed skin was a small vee where the top two buttons of her neat blouse were open, showing just a bit of blue-gray cleavage. Just enough to be alluring without being racy.

“So how goes things at the DSR? Any interesting office news?” I knelt down to unlace my boots at the door, not wanting to track dirt and dust into the apartment any more than I had to. How weird is it that I’m just used to extra-dimensional beings showing up in my living room?

“Quiet really. I’ve been doing some inquiring about potential field positions with the DSR like you asked and it has gotten a mixed response. Mr. Cerebaton agreed to look into it some too, in case he can get a more solid response from those in charge rather than what I got as just your caseworker.” I heard Cariad say as she turned to walk back into the kitchen. There was a quiet beep of noise and then my microwave began to hum quietly.

“I appreciate you looking into that for me. Cerebaton didn’t mention it at practice the other day, but he was busy going all Mr. Miyagi on me.” I sighed with relief as I peeled my boots off and set them on the mat next to the door. Shucking off my socks, I stood on the threadbare carpet and just made fists with my toes a few times, enjoying the sensation of more flexibility after the long day in my boots.

“Mr. Miyagi?” Cariad’s question echoed slightly from inside the kitchen nook and I shook my head, walking to the closed door that led to my bedroom to toss my dirty socks into the laundry while I answered.

“A character from a movie. He was a martial combat instructor that trained a rebellious young man to defend himself properly. There were a lot of lessons the kid learned that didn’t make sense at first but came to better light as he expanded his knowledge.”

“That sounds like Mr. Cerebaton. You can trust him to teach you what you will need to know.” Cariad chirped happily from the kitchen just as the microwave dinged. “Liam, come sit down at the table and eat. I didn’t come empty handed after all, I just needed to warm it up.”

The mention of food that I didn’t have to prepare got a happy gurgle from my stomach. I stepped into my dingy bathroom to wash my hands quickly before taking a seat at my little kitchen table just as Cariad emerged from the kitchen and set a plate of food in front of me with a little smile.

The chipped orange plate was one I’d gotten from the dollar store awhile back, it was one of a set of pastel colored dishes that had survived a surprisingly long time despite their cheap origins. Spread about the plate was a mess of chow-mein noodles along with a large scoop of orange chicken and another of broccoli beef.

Taking a deep breath of the scents, I couldn’t help but smile as my mouth began to water. A set of the universal brand of bamboo chopsticks in their red paper wrapper were set next to the plate before Cariad settled into the chair opposite me with a small smile. The smell of the chow-mein was enough to tell me where it came from though.

“You got me Panda Express? How?” I asked while unwrapping the chopsticks and digging in.

“There are a number of ways to get food delivered without contact with another human. I may not be able to disguise myself, but we do have ways to interface with the local technology. The delivery driver was happy to leave it at the door for me to claim. I had to go with delivery though. I’m not that good of a cook to make it myself.” Cariad’s eyes followed my chopsticks as I scooped up a bite of the chow-mein noodles to try.

“It’s good. I don’t care if it’s delivered. Panda is one of my favorites, I just can’t afford it often.” I mumbled while I ate. The long workday had sapped my energy and the easy to digest carbohydrates from the noodles were doing wonders to perk me up.

“I had figured. The restaurant is close to your house and also on your route home from work.” Cariad said gently, leaning her elbows on the table and folding her hands before resting her chin on them. A small, amused smile settled onto her lips while she watched me with her sea-green primary eyes. The electric blue set flicked open once to scan me over before closing again.

“Everything fine?” I asked when her secondary set of eyes closed. I knew that they could see more than her regular eyes, but Cariad had never really explained what all she could see with them.

“Hmm?” Cariad murmured, blinking her regular eyes for a moment before catching on to the question. “Oh, yes. You need to sleep more though. I can tell that you aren’t fully recovering your energy every day and you put yourself under a great deal of stress during your last mission. Your girls would be upset if they found out you weren’t taking care of yourself.”

“How do you know that?” I teased her gently before snagging one of the sauce-soaked broccoli crowns and crunching into it with gusto.

“That’s easy, Liam. I am worried about you too. You’ve told me about your contracted companions and I can tell that they would be just as concerned as I am. Part of why I brought you dinner after all. It’s not the most nutritious, but it feeds the soul.” Cariad explained with an easy smile that made me snort in laughter

“You are right. I know both of them would give me hell. Especially since I’d do the same right back to them if they weren’t looking after themselves.”

“So, you need to take better care of yourself. Meaning you are going to clean up and go to bed early tonight after you finish eating.” Cariad said firmly, leaning forward slightly while giving me a mock-glare.

“Yes, ma’am.” I consented with a faux-chastised smile and a bow of my head. I’d actually been planning on just taking a shower and crashing for sleep without bothering with dinner when I got home. The fact that Cariad had brought me food was a blessing that I wasn’t going to complain about.

“Good. I’m happy that you understand I am just trying to look after you, Liam. You are missing a lot of the support structure that most Travelers have at the moment after all.” Cariad settled back with a satisfied smile on her slim lips.

“Being looked after by a beautiful woman, never mind that her very touch could make me dissolve on contact, is not something to complain about.” The compliment fell from my lips without conscious thought and I winced internally, wondering if Cariad would be offended or not.

Rather than offended, Cariad looked pleased as her smile got wider and she nodded.

“Glad you are learning then, Liam.” She said primly before laughing quietly to herself. “Seriously though, most Travelers have support staff to look after them. Something you should hopefully have in time once you rise far enough in skill and power. You are already rapidly approaching the level that most novice Travelers have with their family sponsorships after all.”

Cariad had explained to me previously that, normally, when a person was summoned between worlds it was because they’d volunteered to do so by consenting to join a roster of Travelers via the System, which was a inter-dimensional supercomputer of sorts that administered travel between dimensions and handed out awards for basically not walking on the grass for these people. With the System’s help, the DSR worked to keep the different dimensions separate without compromising the dimensional membrane, which was where her people, the daemons, lived after all. The membrane itself was made up of a mixture of mana and negatively charged particles that acted something akin to antimatter, only that rather than mutual annihilation when contacting regular matter it instead consumed that regular matter to fuel itself. So keeping the regular dimensions from breaching the membrane was what kept them from being devoured entirely and also why she kept herself covered up as her body had the same negatively charged effect on her surroundings.

But not her hair, for whatever reason…I thought idly as I observed my companion while chewing on a delicious bit of chicken. That particular train of thought brought me to a question that I considered for a few more bites before deciding to voice it to my companion.

“Cari, question for you…If the membrane between dimensions is your people’s realm and is as lethal to our dimensions as you said before, why does the DSR work so hard to keep them separate? Wouldn’t it be easier to just let the membrane devour the positively charged dimensions and then have all that extra land for yourselves? Not saying that you would or should do it, just curious why it’s such a focus.”

Cariad bit her lip in thought for a moment as she considered my question and I ate a few more bites while she thought. When she finally answered, it was in a measured and thoughtful tone.

“This is not the entire reason why, but just how I understand it, okay?” She waited until I nodded in agreement before continuing. “I believe it is due to a need for structure. Even though my species’ home is made of entropically charged energies that consume positively charged matter, that doesn’t mean that it could survive without structure. You remember the honeycomb analogy I gave you before?”

“Each dimension is like a cell in a honeycomb. The bad kind of transit between dimensions is punching through the comb wall and damaging the cell, while the good kind goes up and out of the opening in the cell and then back down into the other one, right?” I said between bites. I was just about to rise to get a glass of water but Cariad was already on her feet and already filling one like she could read my mind. “Thanks.”

“No problem, Liam.” Cariad said while setting the filled glass on the table. “So that example is also partially why we work to maintain the dimensional barriers. The cells also provide the necessary structure for our own spaces. It is self preservation and also racial pride, to a lesser extent. The precursors who built the System charged our species with looking after it. It’s been our duty for so long that many would not be able to remember a time when we did not do such. Also, the mana gathered and the work we do helps us to improve ourselves as well. Not as much as a Traveler, but still some.” Cariad answered at length.

“So self-preservation, pride, and habit? Well, I suppose there are worse reasons.” I teased gently, pushing the now empty plate to one side and draining my glass of water.

“Yes. Altruism is part of it for some of my people. I personally want to help and see it as part of our racial duty. We are the custodians of the System and it is the System’s job to maintain the barriers. I am sure there are more reasons, but those are the ones I’m aware of.” Cariad collected my plate while I was still drinking and took it into the kitchen. She set it into the sink and ran water over it, being careful to not get her gloves wet while I watched her move.

The calculated and sure movements of the daemon woman were interesting to watch. I had spent the last several weeks looking after Rieka and Kassandra and that had given me the opportunity to observe them at length. Now, I turned that observational eye on my daemon companion.

Cariad worked quickly with a sense of purpose to her movements and with a level of personal awareness of her body and actions that showed she was in tune with herself. She swayed slightly where she stood, her wide hips moving like she was dancing ever so slightly. The material of her pencil-skirt stretched and flexed in the dim lights of my kitchen. The way the light glimmered off her oddly colored skin and hair had its own allure as well.

She’s beautiful. I thought to myself. Just like Kass and Rieka are beautiful. I’m lucky to have so many pretty girls surrounding me. Kind of wish I had a chance with Cari but that’s not in the books. I can’t touch her bare skin and that means no kissing or anything more than casual contact.

That particular thought left a surprisingly strong ache in my chest that I hadn’t been expecting at all. I wanted to examine it more but Cariad was already done with the plate in the sink and returned to claim my glass.

“I’ll leave these in the sink, Liam. I’d clean up more, but…” She started to explain but I cut her off.

“Don’t worry about it, Cari. You brought me dinner and chatted with me, I appreciate that. We don’t get to chat often and I like it when we do. I think it would be fun to do it again in the future and I want to make you dinner sometime too.” The smile that blossomed on her face was like a brilliant flower blooming and a delicate blush dusted Cariad’s cheeks. She nodded earnestly and hurried to set the glass in the sink as well. I made a note to load them into the dishwasher in the morning and had to stifle a yawn while getting to my feet.

“Off to bed, Liam.” Cariad chastised. I could barely see her approaching again through my squinted eyes and she poked me in the side lightly with one gloved finger.

“Yes, ma’am.” I mumbled before yawning again. “Good lord, I am tired. I won’t argue, Cari.”

“Good boy.” Cariad replied in her pretend-imperious tone, smirking up at me. A few strands of her bright red hair lay across her face, having escaped from the loose bundle she normally kept her hair in.

“Careful there or you’ll need to start dressing in leather and wearing spike heels if you keep being so dominant and ordering folks around.” The teasing popped out automatically; a result of the verbal sparring with Kassandra from the weekend I guessed. Cariad stared at me in open mouthed shock for a moment before biting her lip while the light blush returned once more.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She riposted with mock indignation before letting it melt off her face. “Seriously, Liam. Off to bed with you. Your girls deserve you at your best after all.”

“It’s cheating to use them like that.” I protested playfully, but headed towards my bedroom. “Have a good night, Cari.”

“Have a good night, Liam. I’ll likely see you tomorrow for your practice so make sure you rest well.” Cariad’s response came from behind me and I heard the quiet ‘clunk’ of the living room lights turning off.

“Oh, that’s right. Had one last…” I turned to look back over my shoulder and saw the empty room shrouded in shadow. Not a single sign of my dinner guest remained other than the dishes in the sink. “Cerebaton is bad enough but now he’s got her doing it…”