| Index |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:52 PM
| Chapter 1 - Day 1 I suddenly found myself lying face down on the ground in the middle of the night. As I stood up a cold breeze made me shiver. "Not a dream then." Clouds covered the sky, giving little light to see by, but I could make out mountains to my right and a light straight ahead. Deciding the best course of action was to find some help, or at least some clothes, I began walking toward the light off in the distance. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, listening for sounds of anything else I found myself at a farmhouse. The light I'd seen came from a lamp in a window beside the door. As I walked closer I heard a shuffling sound from behind. Slowly turning around, I found myself looking at a pair of red eyes. "fuck." Too horrified to move, I watched as six smaller eyes appeared above the first pair. The moon broke the clouds and I could see one of my worst nightmares quite clearly: a giant, black spider. Never mind it had the upper body of a girl with silver hair, that thing was a fucking oversized monster. "... Human," she hissed. The spell broke and I ran toward the house, the arachne right behind me the whole way. Using all my strength I managed to reach the door, swing it open and shut it right in her face just before she caught me. Breathing heavily I sunk to the stone floor with my back against the door. "Next time you won't get off that easily human," was the last thing I heard before passing out. I came to a while later, surprised to feel my face hurt like hell and being propped up on a chair. Across the small table in front of me sat an old man with a braided beard in a dressing gown. He was holding a wooden spatula and looked as though he was about to strike. "Guess that's why my cheeks hurt." Seeing I was conscious he lowered the spatula and gave me a stern look. "Since when do we barge into the home of strangers stark naked in the middle of the night? Who do you think you are, Lord Kioko?" "I-" "I said I was retiring twenty years ago. Twenty!" he exclaimed, tossing the spatula at the wall. "Can't a man have some peace? No, it doesn't seem so!" His fist crashed down on the table, sending a leftover cookie flying through the room. "There's always someone who needs to kill a monster, someone who wants to have something protected or some other nonsense!" He had started yelling and his face was flushed. Spittle flew all over the table. "Have you seen those things?" He gestured toward rusty armour and a bent sword propped on a rack beside the door. "They don't fucking work anymore! They're useless, rusted, bent!" He drew breath to continue his rant, but before he could a pair of large breasts pushed down on his head from behind. "Tom, dear, you know what the doctor said about getting too agitated." The girl who spoke had cow legs, a pair of ivory horns sticking out from under her black hair and a cowbell strapped at her neck. She stooped down and wrapped her arms around Tom's neck, gently brushing her cheek against his, letting out a soft moo. "Fine." He sighed, looking up to see me staring at the holstaurus. "So I take it you're new here then." He told me that he was a retired mercenary and the holstaurus was his wife and was called Eva. Though Tom was retired and wanted nothing more to do with soldiering, he was always pestered by the villagers whenever they thought he could help in any way. That's why he decided to build his farm away from the village, though that didn't help much. The arachne I'd met before was apparently a business rival who often tried to spy at his business during the night. "Let's take the rest tomorrow; you ought to be pretty exhausted after that encounter. There's an extra bed in the attic, Eva'll tuck you in." ----- When I woke up the sun was shining through a small window in the tilted roof. The room was plain, made of wood and decorated with a rug, a stool and a small table on top of which lay a bunch of clothes. The stairs down to the lower floor were at the other end of the room. "Well look who's finally awake, good morning!" Tom exclaimed as I entered the kitchen downstairs. "Good Morning Tom." "Come on, take a seat, help yourself to some breakfast and I'll tell you what I didn't tell you yesterday." I sat down, helping myself to the food spaced out on the table. Tom sat comfortably in his own chair, Eva's arms wrapped around his neck just like the night before. Apart from the table and chairs different tools hung from iron hooks on the walls. There was a stove in one corner and a pile of wood stacked neatly beside it, and Tom's old, rusty armour and sword hung on a rack beside the door. "... So I'm in some deep shit right now. How am I supposed to survive all of that?" "Well, you could always just let some monster girl rape you and hope she'd take you as a husband I suppose." "That's very funny Tom." "I wasn't joking. Besides you've got a huge advantage." "Oh..?" I couldn't begin to think of anything I knew or had being an advantage. "You're one of few human males here. Whatever happens, you're not likely to be killed intentionally. Unless you seriously piss someone off that is. Or you wander off to Zarom. If you do get killed you'll probably get turned in to a rug and foodstuffs, so you won't go to waste." "Well that's just great." "At least I've got a plan to get you up and away. I've heard there's this guy called Peg-leg Jackson up in the mountains. They say he's the go-to for humans who need help." "So what's your plan?" "Far as I know the only reliably safe way is to tuck you into a sack and have Eva carry you there," he said with an unsettling smile. "Yeah, I'm not getting myself stuffed in a sack just like that." "Well it's either that or get raped all the way up the mountains; your choice." "Fine," I said after a moment's hesitation. "If that's what it'll take to get me away safely I'll get stuffed in that damned sack." Tom clapped his hands together and smiled widely as Eva gave me a mug of water. He sure seemed happy at the prospect of getting rid of me. Then again, I'd probably hate people after being constantly pestered for thirty years too. "Just drink that and you'll get smashed out," he said. "Don't worry; we'll take care of you." I eyed him wearily before drinking the water. Just when I started getting second thoughts everything went black. |
chimechuDec 16, 2014 5:16 PM
| Chapter 2 Peg-leg Jackson had turned out to be a real pirate, though he hadn't been at sea for a long time. He became a "landlubber" after an accident involving a pair of mermaids. After that he travelled inland, eventually settling down in the mountain town. "So a favour in exchange for your help?" "That's right mate. Have a look at me map. Best map this side o' the mountains." Peg-Leg pulled a roll of faded paper from his coat and spread it out on the table. The map was dotted with red marks and a sea serpent was drawn in the middle of a forest. "Found a cave here yesterday," he said, pointing on the map. "Need ya to help me explore it." I was just about to agree when it occurred to me. Going into that cave meant possibly being caught and raped by a variety of different monster girls. I wasn't about to throw myself into something like that for a total stranger. "Exactly what is my gain from all of this," I asked suspiciously. "I'm not getting raped or abducted just to explore a cave." "I'm goin with ya, fool. Be perfectly safe ya will," he replied, taking a sip of rum from his canteen and patting me on the back. "It's all about me third leg ya know. Lost it in the accident I told ya 'bout. Girls leave me alone, an' that's fair enough if y' ask me, but I been missing them sexy times." He took another sip from the canteen before walking over to a chest in the back of the house. "So what does that have to do with your third leg?" "Just a second," he shouted back at me before coming back and handing me a pair of boots. "We're lookin' for a weed that'll grow it right back out," he said with a grin. "Now put them boots on and we'll be off before it gets too dark." The sun was setting, casting a yellow light over the streets. They were mostly empty, and the few monster girls we encountered kept their distance. Jackson led the way with a hand resting on the pommel of his cutlass, all the while muttering to himself and glaring at anyone who got close. As we passed through the town gate a scaly claw took a firm hold on my arm. "You sure you don't want to let this one slip Peg-leg?" "Pretty sure I don't," Peg-leg replied, turning around to give the red-scaled lizard girl a cold look. "Remember who's in charge. If yer lucky you can have a go when we get back." "Fair enough," she said, letting go of my arm. A moment later we were climbing up a steep slope. The ground was full of thorny branches and sharp pebbles. If Peg-leg hadn't given me the boots my feet would have been cut to pieces. "So you just agreed to let the gate guard rape me when we get back?" It seemed this guy could be just as bad as Tom. Or even worse for all I knew. Maybe he had a grudge against people too? "I never promised her, did I?" Peg-leg replied as we climbed the last bit toward the cave. "Besides she's gentle; might be a warrior but a gentle one, despite her looks." "That doesn't make it any better." "If it makes ya feel better I'm sorry," he said, though he didn't look sorry at all. "Are we going inside or not?" I asked angrily, walking to the cave entrance. At this point I just wanted to get it over with. Peg-leg was clearly just as much an ass as Tom was in having me drugged and carried in a sack. "That's what you get for being trusting." Too busy feeling angry at the world and myself I didn't notice the cave sloped downwards. Getting in was no problem but there was no getting out the same way. "Course we are." Peg-leg said, moving up behind me. "Time to get this over with." Then he shoved me into the cave. A moment later I had stopped tumbling and lay flat on the cave floor. "Fuck you Peg-leg. Fuck life." I flipped over on my back, opened my eyes and found myself looking into the pink eyes of a monster girl. "You're alive," she said, swiftly straddling me. How was I supposed to get out of this? There was really no good way I could think of. Best bet I had was to throw a punch and hope I was the strongest. The darkness kept me from seeing her though, so that might be too risky. Perhaps if I just went with it as Tom suggested she might go easy on me. Either way I wasn't likely to escape the cave without any incidents. "You know what? I'm not even going to resist." "Where's the fun in that?" she replied, pressing her claws to my cheek, making me hiss in pain. "Oh? You don't like getting hurt?" She cocked her head. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you... much." It seemed I wouldn't get away without having to be patched up afterwards, and I wasn't about to be clawed without a fight. As she pulled down my pants I took the opportunity to throw a punch at her, hitting her square in the face. She recovered quickly, pinning my arms to the ground. "Spirited now, are we?" She grinned maliciously, narrowing her eyes, and stuck her claws in my side. At the same time I felt a sting in my hip, causing a torrent of pain and ecstasy. The sensation was so strong and unexpected that I tensed up and couldn't make a sound. Then she eased herself down on my member, causing the feeling to intensify. The last thing I experienced before fainting from stress was her bending down and biting my neck. |
chimechuDec 17, 2014 1:46 PM
| Chapter 3 I groaned and felt my side. It hurt but didn't seem to be bleeding. I looked up to find myself looking into a familiar pair of pink eyes on the other side of a small fire. They belonged to a wolf-like girl with bat wings and a tail ending in a barbed lump. Not a spot-on manticore but close enough to recognize. She was wearing a black bikini revealing most of her shapely breasts. "You won't die. They're mostly superficial." "Doesn't feel that way." I'd gone in an out of consciousness several times, and every time she had still been there, going at it. At least she'd had the sense to remove the shirt before tearing me up, but I was covered by scratches and bite marks. My breast probably looked like abstract art. "Come now, are all human males as weak as you?" "How should I know? If that's how you feel then why am I here to begin with?" "Because I found you, and I'm not sharing you with my sister or anyone else," she said, coming closer to sit in front of me. Just my luck. No getting away and a sister who apparently lived at the same place. If I was to wither away by being torn up and raped by a pair of sadistic manticore sisters who'd fight over me the rest of my life I'd rather just die then and there. "I'm Vera." She cocked her head and smiled warmly, quite unlike before. "And you're my toy~" She hugged me tightly, pressing me against her breasts. It would have been great if not for the wounds. I mean who doesn't like boobs? As it were it felt more like a near-death experience. "Hnnng..." "Oh, that's right," she said, suddenly dropping me to the ground. Somehow I got the feeling that causing pain was exactly the reason she'd hugged me in the first place. Was everyone in this world hell-bent on abusing me in some way? Where were all the nice people? "We've got to leave before sis comes back." "She can't be worse than you." "She's a slaver. And a bitch. And she'll try to take you away from me." Her sister was clearly a touchy subject because as soon as she mentioned her Vera started smashing scattered bones with her tail and her wings twitched. She had made her point though. No way I was going near a slaver. "Well I'm not walking anywhere like this." She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "What? You're going to beat me until I walk? Good luck with that." This was going to be my win, though I had no idea if I would regret it later. "Fine, just give me a minute." She turned to search a sack on the ground beside her. The "room" was literally filled with bones, tied sacks and a tree stump that was nearly clawed to splinters. To my surprise the thing she finally pulled from the sack was a teddy bear. "I didn't think a girl like you would have a teddy bear." "It's my sister's," she said, tearing off its head with a sinister smile. "Her favourite. And now Mr. Twiggles is dead." I watched in silent unease as she dismembered the plushie, stuffed it with bones and put it on a stone slab that appeared to be a bed. She was surprisingly dextrous, being able to use her paws almost as well as a normal hand. Satisfied she came back and picked me up in a princess carry. Perhaps staying with her wasn't going to be that bad. This would definitely hurt less than being slung over her shoulder. "You're repaying me with hot, steamy sex later," she said and winked as if reading my thoughts. I groaned. It was going to be bad. We'd been going for a while and were almost out of the cave when Vera suddenly slipped into a side passage and hushed me. After a moment I could hear two voices coming closer. "No... Peg-leg and Tom are off the hook, a deal's a deal." "And if he's dead?" "He won't be. Why did you think I let my sister stay here? That clingy cow wouldn't kill a free man even if her life depended on it." As if to confirm what her sister said Vera held me tighter as they passed. One of them was a manticore, her red eyes glowing in the dimly lit tunnel. The other one looked like a female minotaur carrying a large, double-edged axe. "And if she didn't get to him first?" "Then we find him." "Or if she's taken him and left?" "Then we go after them, and..." As their voices trailed off Vera relaxed her grip and looked at me. "Don't wander off alone, okay?" She looked concerned. I nodded. She didn't seem like the kind of person to be concerned for anyone. Regardless, even if some freedom of movement would be nice I wasn't about to gamble my health on it. Better stick close to Vera than potentially being found by someone worse or getting caught by her sister. After all she just showed that she did care, even if not out of kindness. I'd have to think of some way to keep her from tearing me up so badly again though. "Let's keep going," she said, slipping back into the main tunnel. As soon as we got out of the cave she put me down on a rock. Birds were chirping in a couple of trees nearby and there was a stream off to our left. The sun was high in the sky and there were practically no clouds. I watched Vera as she unfolded her wings and looked them over. "You're not planning on flying us away, are you?" "No." She looked slightly annoyed. "I can't fly." I shrugged. "Well I couldn't know." "I never bothered learning. Never needed to fly anyway." She folded her wings again, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me along to the stream. Somehow my side had largely stopped hurting on the way out of the cave. I assumed she must have done something while I was out cold, but wasn't about to ask. She'd probably just tell me something I didn't want to hear anyway. The stream looked perfectly fine to drink from, and even if I would have objected Vera wasn't about to give me any choice. She forced my face into the cold water and told me to drink, so with some difficulty I did. She let me up again when I tapped the ground. "Could you be nice to me just once?" I asked angrily, wiping my face. "Is it too much to ask that you act like I'm actually worth something to you?" She looked at me like I just said something utterly stupid and shook her head. "Come on. We're going west." |
chimechuDec 17, 2014 2:14 PM
| Chapter 4 - Part 1 We had been walking for several hours, the landscape becoming ever greyer and dreary. The greens succumbed to yellowish hues, as if there wasn't enough nourishment for the plants to properly colour themselves. The breeze that had been pleasant at first was now cool. The change in environment had made me doubtful that we were actually walking west, but every time I brought it up Vera had told me off. "Why are we going west?" I asked as we walked through a small forest. "Because I want to," she replied without looking back. "Why? Do you live there?" "No, I don't have a home, stupid." That explained why she stayed with a sister she hated. Perhaps it wasn't that surprising. After all manticores weren't exactly likeable judging by Vera and her sister. Then again I didn't know what to look for when looking for a cave home, so I wouldn't know if good homes like that are hard to find. "Well would you like to have one?" There was a long pause before she answered. "... No." She had been tense and had hardly spoken ever since we entered the forest, scanning the brush and perking her ears as we walked. Now she stopped so suddenly that I almost walked right into her. The rustling of leaves in a tree to our right made her flick her tail to throw a spine toward the sound. When I went to check it turned out to be a small bird. Vera wasn't satisfied, however. "I know you're there, come out in the open." Nothing happened. The woods were quiet as the animals had fled when Vera had her violent outburst; the only sound being the rustling of leaves in the light breeze. "Look Vera, there's nothing there. Let's just continue." I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along. Even if someone was following or watching us it wouldn't do to wait them out. For all I knew it could just be Vera imagining things. When we reached the forest edge a moment later I could see I've been right about our direction. The landscape was even more barren than before, and several of the mountains in the distance had snow-covered peaks. There was no way going in the direction of snow was anything but wrong, especially when everywhere else was snow free. "I'm pretty sure we've been going north all along," I said, keeping out of arms reach in case she would lash out. To my surprise she just turned to look at me. Without a word she grabbed my arm and dragged me back into the woods. "Is something wrong?" I asked. She hushed me, intently searching the undergrowth for something. It turned out to be a plant resembling a bilberry bush. I failed to see how it would help with anything, which I pointed out to Vera. "It'll cover your scent," she said as she rubbed me all over with it. When she was done she pushed me up the nearest tree, urging me to stay hidden and quiet. She seemed so anxious it didn't even occur to me to complain or question why. After a short moment of waiting a trio of white-spotted werewolves showed up and quickly encircled Vera. "There you are," the pack leader said. "Now where's the human?" "He was taken by harpies," Vera replied, adopting an uncaring air. "Is that so?" There was a short pause while they stared each other down. "You're fortunate that I've always been able to tell when you lie," the alpha said with a smug grin. "And that's why I'd never lie to you Mina," Vera replied sarcastically. Funny enough the sarcasm seemed entirely lost on the werewolf. Somehow it didn't really surprise me that Vera would have a nemesis of sorts in an arrogant werewolf. "So we won't find him with you then..." Mina seemed more than a little disappointed. She'd probably been looking forward to raping me pretty bad before handing me over to Vera's sister. At least that's why I assumed she was after us. There wasn't anyone else who wanted to have at us as far as I knew. "She did ask us to rough you up though," she said with a sneer. As if on command the other werewolves jumped Vera from the sides. She charged one of them, taking a slash in the cheek in exchange for a blow to the side with her tail, using the momentum of the blow to smash the werewolves together. As they were thrown to the ground in a yelping heap, Mina pounced from behind, burying her teeth in Vera's shoulder. She was thrown off by Vera's tail but got to her feet quickly. "Stay off, she's mine," Mina shouted to the other werewolf who had got on her feet. She pounced at Vera again and the fight became a trade of slashes. They were on equal footing, landing and dodging slashes in an equal amount. Vera took a slash to her side and slashed Mina across the face herself, and then they separated. They were both bleeding from both light and deep cuts to their arms and chest. "As good as ever," Mina said, spitting blood. "You never could take us all at once though." Vera merely snorted in return. "Come on," Mina said to her pack, "We're out of here." With that the werewolves left the way they came, supporting their injured comrade. For a moment Vera stood panting, and then she slumped against a tree. She looked to be pretty badly beat up; Mina had certainly not held back. As I began looking for the best way to get down to her I noticed I wasn't alone on the branch. During the fight a harpy had landed beside me and watched with mixed interest. She wore a short, navy blue kimono-style dress with white and orange lining, matching her hair and blue-white plumage. She turned to look at me with a pair of amber eyes and cocked her head. "She got roughed up pretty bad, don't you think?" |
chimechuDec 17, 2014 2:23 PM
| Chapter 4 - Part 2 "That's why I'm going down there," I said. "I'll help you out then," she replied cheerfully. Before I could react she had grabbed a hold of my arm with her talons and pushed me off the branch. She wasn't strong enough to carry me, though she managed to slow the fall considerably. To top it off she landed in my lap, making a happy, wordless sound. "So is she your wife?" she asked, ignoring my apparent discomfort. "I don't recall marrying her," I answered, grabbing her waist to pull her off. "Ooh, you're a forceful one," she giggled. "No, that's not-" She cut me off by wrapping her wings around me and gently pressing her lips against mine. They were soft and moist, and the way she brushed them lightly against mine felt wonderful. I was just about to give in to temptation and hug her close when she pulled away and smiled at me. "Marry me?" "Eh?" Her question caught me completely off guard. "Marry me," she said with an impatient tone. "I just met you," I protested. She puffed up her cheeks, looking ready to continue arguing for me to marry her. Thankfully I was spared by Vera appearing to grab her by the neck and pull her off. "He's mine," she hissed menacingly, looking ready to kill the harpy at any moment. The sound of wing beats and rustling of leaves announced the arrival of a flock of harpies. They wore some kind of black uniform dress, adorned with a white crescent moon. One of them, apparently the leader, took a hold of Vera's throat with one of her talons while another of the harpies held down her tail. "Drop her," she said with a tone that brooked no argument. After a moment Vera relaxed her grip on the harpy, putting her down on the ground. She seemed to have calmed down a little. "Good," the harpy leader said. "The hoods, Veya." One of the other harpies hobbled up to us with a pair of grey hoods and pulled them over our heads. Before we were carried off I heard one of the harpies berate the one Vera had caught, apparently called Avia, for flying too far away from the colony. ----- I looked out over the bleak landscape; the harpies appeared to have brought us further north. As soon as we touched the ground Vera had been taken away to someone called Betty and I had been dumped in Avia's cave nest. She had immediately thrown her wings around me and nuzzled my neck, stubbornly refusing to let go when I tried to get free. Eventually I had given up. "Am I stuck here?" I asked, trying hard to imagine a green landscape and warming sun. "Mhm," Avia replied half-heartedly. I sighed. Either she was brutally honest or didn't care what I'd feel about it; or she was just too caught up in the nuzzling. Either way I really needed to find a way out. I didn't fancy living my life cooped up in a harpy's nest with a view of the most depressing landscape there ever was. "Could we please have a proper talk?" I asked, carefully prying her wings apart. She reluctantly let go and sat down in front of me. "Where are we?" "In my nest," she said proudly, nearly making me facepalm. "I mean the mountain." "Oh." She seemed a bit disappointed. It took her a while to explain. They called the mountain Harpy rock, as it was home to a colony of harpies and dwarves. Her tribe and the dwarves had struck a friendship long ago, resulting in the dwarves digging out caves in the mountain face for the harpies to nest in. Meanwhile the dwarves maintained a system of tunnels within the mountain itself. The unlikely alliance stemmed from a feud between a pair of local goblin tribes and the dwarves. Essentially the dwarves had offered the harpies better shelter in exchange for protection. It also meant that there was no way for me to get out without flying or becoming a dwarf. "So how do I fetch Vera and get away from here?" I asked, refusing to give up. "Why would you want to do that?" "Because I don't want to stay here, and I'm pretty sure Vera doesn't want to be locked up either." "You'd have to fly," she said absentmindedly, rubbing her chin. "Why do you care for the manticore anyway? They usually only care about themselves you know." "I owe her from the forest," I said, meeting her gaze. "Besides, I can't just leave her in a prison, it's not right." She looked pensive for a moment. "If I make them take you to the council to make an appeal..." she began slowly, "Can I be your girlfriend?" I sighed. She obviously wasn't about to give up on that possibility. "That's just another way of asking if I'll marry you, isn't it?" "Mhm~" "I don't think they would take any request to let that incident slip with leniency," I said in an attempt to dodge the question. "As a matter of fact I'm surprised they didn't lock me up too." "Well..." she said, fidgeting. "I gave them the puppy eyes." That more or less settled it. This girl was obviously not letting me go, and if she started kissing I'd give in sooner or later anyway. Besides she seemed infinitely more kind-hearted than Vera. "Why are you so keen on getting together with me?" I asked, crossing my arms. At the very least I was getting an answer to that question before agreeing to anything. "Well..." she began, looking down and intensifying her fidgeting. "Because you seem nice, and I probably won't get another chance..." She paused for a moment. "It's just a promise really," she continued, hugging herself tightly. "I don't want to force myself on you; I want you to love me." Ironically she didn't seem to be aware that forcing herself on me was more or less what she was doing, albeit in a subtle way. I couldn't say I didn't like her, though. Something on an instinctive level was making me like her, and I had no idea what it was. "Fine," I said after a moment, bracing myself. "But I've got one condition." "What's that?" she asked. Her eyes seemed to glitter and she looked ready to throw herself at me at any moment. "You're sh-" "Taken!" she exclaimed and threw herself at me, showering me with kisses. Half an hour later she lay soundly asleep on top of me and I had become aware of how it felt to be assaulted with kisses and hugs. When I finally managed to fall asleep I had nightmares about what Vera would do to me when she found out that she would have to share. |
chimechuJan 5, 2015 8:26 AM
| Chapter 5 The council chambers were small, adorned with black banners and lit by four braziers in the corners of the room. A stone table shaped like a semi-circle occupied about half of the room, and balconies were cut from the walls for any who wished to listen to the council sessions. "Preposterous!" "Calm down Welbie, it's not like we're talking about releasing a goblin." "No, I will not have an enemy of the tribe released without punishment!" The two most committed members of the council had started bickering as soon as I had finished speaking. The others seemed bored, and the headwoman was sleeping comfortably in her chair, snoring loudly. "I couldn't care less if they want to marry," the red haired dwarf called Welbie exclaimed. "If he wants the manticore released he'll have to club a goblin!" "Oh come on," a green haired harpy said. "He doesn't even look like a fighter." "I don't care what either of you thinks," a second, blue haired harpy said, apparently having had enough. "I'm waking up Magda." She tickled Magda's nose, making her wake up with a thundering sneeze. "What did I miss?" she asked, looking around in confusion. "He needs to be put in the pit!" Welbie shouted before anyone could say anything else. A purple haired dwarf next to Welbie that had showed an utter lack of interest suddenly pushed herself up from her chair. She drew a hammer and struck Welbie in the back of the head before clearing her throat. "The issue is a marriage proposal and the release of a prisoner." "Oh, thank you Betty," Magda said, still appearing utterly confused. "Well I condone the marriage!" To emphasize her words she smashed a wooden mallet on the stone table in front of her. Then she promptly fell asleep again. "That settles it!" Welbie shouted angrily, backhanding Betty off of her chair. "To the pit he goes and I'll not take no for an answer!" ----- A while later the two dwarves in charge of the pit armoury were making bets with a bunch of harpy gamblers. "Here it is! The most foul, cruel and bad-tempered fighter you've ever set your eyes on!" one of them exclaimed, gesturing towards me. "Where, behind the human?" one of the harpies asked, leaning sideways to look behind me. "It is the human," the other dwarf answered sourly. "Have you taken a blow to the head?" another asked sarcastically. "Look, this human's got a vicious streak a mile wide," the first dwarf countered. "He's a killer!" "He's got huge, sharp teeth," the other dwarf continued, poking my upper lip up with a long stick to reveal my canines. "He can leap about this far!" the first one exclaimed, running off to show the distance. The harpies looked mildly amused and rolled their eyes. "Whatever. Get the bets rolling," one of them said. While the second dwarf made the bets with the harpies the first one handed me a cudgel. "Counting on you to get us some money," she said cheerily. "Just have to knock her out and you're good." She flashed a childish smile before pushing me out into the small, sand-covered arena. A few rocks stuck up from the sand and bones lay strewn all over, other than that the arena was empty. A metal grating was used as a roof, effectively making escape impossible even for a harpy. The crowds gathered on the balconies above were eerily quiet. The portcullis of the opposing gate was slowly raised, the grinding of chains echoing across the arena. As soon as it had opened up enough, a goblin armed with a massive club came out. She was dressed in filthy rags and looked as if she hadn't eaten in days; still there was such fierceness in her look that I shivered. She sneered at me and leapt the short distance between us, bringing her cudgel down hard. I narrowly dodged the blow by throwing myself to the side and lashed out with my cudgel, hitting her in the back of her head before she recovered. "Oh, what was that?" she said, turning around. "Did you hit me?" I jumped back as she tried to backhand me, thinking feverishly about how to defeat her. She had struck so hard that her cudgel had cracked lightly when hitting the sand. She swept at me again, and I jumped back just in time not to have my ribcage crushed. Almost as soon as I had regained my footing she came at me again, her cudgel smashing to pieces as it struck the sand where I had stood before sidestepping. She snorted and threw her club away before coming at me again. This time I was too slow. She managed to grab my arm and threw me to the ground, quickly getting on top of me and pinning me down. "Gotcha," she wheezed, breathing hard. I couldn't tell whether she was aroused or just winded from trying to catch me. It was probably a combination. Suddenly the crowd roared and a familiar figure crashed into the goblin, violently throwing her off of me. Any notion of relief quickly turned into dread as I turned to see Vera holding the goblin by the throat, flexing her claws with a look of cold-blooded murder. At that point I closed my eyes and covered my ears. A moment later she forced my hands from my ears. "You can look now," she said softly. I slowly opened an eye to look at her blood-sprayed face. To my relief she looked normal apart from the blood. "Don't ever do something like that again," she said, hugging me close and biting down hard on my earlobe. "Hey, don't bite him," Avia said with a resentful tone as she landed beside us. Our reunion was interrupted by Welbie, Betty and a couple of dwarves marching on us from the armoury entrance. Welbie was so furious that it was impossible to tell where her face ended and her hair began. "Cheat! Criminal!" she shouted, waving her arms frantically. "No fair, Betty! To the dungeons with them both!" "The goblin's even dead, Welbie, you've nothing to complain about," Betty replied dryly. "STUFF IT Betty!" Welbie screamed. She seemed to be going rabid. "She escaped from jail and killed it for him, they have to be PUNISHED!" "I've had enough of your shit," Betty sighed. Before Welbie could react, Betty took her hammer and gave her an utter beatdown. The other dwarves, carrying grudges against Welbie since a long time, helped her out without second thoughts. When they finished they mercilessly left her lying in the sand. Betty turned to us and crossed her arms. "You'll both be staying in prison until we figure out what to do with you." The wink she gave me before the dwarves walked us back toward the prison made me feel uneasy, and when I turned to Vera for comfort I found her looking at me with a shine in her eyes. "Well isn't this just great." |
chimechuJan 5, 2015 1:03 PM
| Chapter 5 - A different perspective The council was as inefficient as always. Most of the members didn't care what happened and were picking their noses or sleeping, giving Welbie ample room to advocate her extreme opinions. "Cheer up Avia, I'm sure he'll be just fine," Betty said, patting my leg in an effort to comfort me as they led the human away. "It's just one goblin after all." "Still one goblin too much," I muttered. "What if she breaks his skull?" "She's more likely to rape him you know." I sighed. It didn't seem likely that the human would come out of this without some kind of traumatic experience. And I'd just gotten him to be my boyfriend and all, just my luck. "We could use the manticore to let him off the hook..." Betty said suddenly. "Work her up enough to beat the crap out of the goblin. There are a few who don't really like Welbie's attitude, and the pit would be the perfect place to deal with her too." She rubbed her chin as she thought it over. "That's how we'll do it. Come on, we can't afford to be late for this." As we neared the dungeon where the prisoners were kept we could hear someone wailing. It sounded awfully much like one of the wild mountain cats that were native to the area. "Is that who I think it is?" "Yep, it's the manticore. She started when I left and doesn't seem to have let up." We rounded a corner and came to a corridor lined with prison cells. The goblins inhabiting them were trying their best to shut out the sound. One of them seemed to have given up and was busy clawing her cheek. Another one was crying, staring apathetically into the opposing cell. A third one had stripped naked and wrapped her clothes around her head, while others were banging their heads against the wall. Vera was sitting cross-legged in the last cell with her back against the corridor, slowly waving her tail back and forth. She didn't seem to have noticed us arriving. "You can stop now, I'm back!" Betty shouted, striking the thick metal bars of the cell with the haft of her hammer. "Fine," she muttered when Vera didn't react. "If you're going to be like that I don't get why he even bothers to care about you." She turned away quickly enough to miss how Vera tensed up at the remark, and walked the length of the corridor to select a goblin for the pit battle. After a moment of silence Vera spoke up. "What did she mean?" "Well... um..." "Don't push me harpy," she hissed, moving up to the iron bars so quickly that I didn't even have time to begin fidgeting. "He wanted to help you, so I took him to the council and Welbie forced him to fight a goblin," I blurted out, hoping she wouldn't maul me. "Be nice," Betty said as she passed behind me with a goblin. It had an unsettling, malicious grin on its face and regarded us with cold eyes. Vera backed off with an annoyed expression and crossed her arms. "Why do you care about that? And why should I care?" "Because I like him, and he wanted to be my boyfriend," I said, blushing slightly. It wasn't exactly true as I had more or less forced him to it. If I told Vera that however, I was likely to end up as mincemeat and I didn't really want that. She looked at me without any hint of emotion, so I continued thinking she might not be out to hurt me after all. "And he wanted to save you, but then Welbie screwed him over and he needs your help." "Who is this Welbie?" she asked after moment of silence, the soft tone of her voice sending a shiver down my spine. "She's one of the dwarves on the council." "I'll be having a-" "I'm pretty sure you won't," Betty interrupted, pushing me behind her. "Now either you share him with Avia or I'm not letting you out." "What makes you think I would even want to be let out?" Vera retorted, dodging the sharing question and engaging in a staring contest with her. "He got himself into a mess; he'll have to get himself out of it." "Oh, so you don't mind him getting killed or raped by a goblin then? I guess that's okay, maticores tend to be selfish and self-absorbed anyway, don't they? And I guess you won't mind if anyone who wants has a go with him after that? Though I suppose Welbie would hog him all for herself. After that Avia could marry him or whatever she wants, and you'd never see him again, but since you're fine with that I suppose there's nothing left for me to do here." What Betty told Vera was mostly lies. Of course no one would stop the goblin from raping the human as it was part of the spectacle, but there wouldn't be any additional raping. There was always a squad of dwarves with ear muffles who didn't watch and could be called in to clean up. Because Magda had approved of the marriage "proposal" he was essentially mine by law, so the claim on him belonged to me. Regardless, by the time Betty ended her bullying Vera seemed furious enough to punch trough rock. "And I'm pretty sure..." Betty continued, unlocking the cell. "... That the goblin is having fun right now." She swung the door open, prompting Vera to charge out and down the corridor on all fours. Betty and I separated on the way down, and I arrived at the entrance of the pit just in time to see Vera pick up the goblin by the throat. She flexed her claws and slashed the goblin swiftly across the shoulder, took a hold of its lower arm and ripped it clean off, spraying herself and the sand with blood. Smiling cruelly she threw the screaming goblin into the wall and followed up by mashing its chest with her tail. "Too strong for you?" she taunted. The goblin snorted and threw itself at her, a surge of adrenalin blocking out the pain of her lost arm. It managed to hit her square in the chest, though Vera was completely oblivious to the fact that she'd been punched. She slashed violently at the goblin, cutting its belly open and causing its innards to splash down on the sand in a torrent of blood and other body fluids. Before the goblin could even cry out she finished it off by smashing her tail like a spiked mace in its face. What followed was a thorough butchering of the corpse, bones and organs scattering across the arena as she ripped them out or cut them to pieces and threw them away, all the while spitting insults at the corpse. When she finished the arena looked like there had been a skirmish. Vera had cut up the goblin so thoroughly that the dwarves would probably gather up the pieces, wash them free of sand and make a stew with them. Despite the monstrosity of the wanton violence I felt elated that Betty's plan had actually worked, and made a mental note to never, ever get on Vera's bad side. |
chimechuDec 17, 2014 3:15 PM
| Chapter 6 Part 1 The door closed behind us and we found ourselves in a proper room rather than some kind of prison cell. It was lit by a fireplace making it comfortably warm, and food had been laid out on a table close by. A large pile of straw was bunched in a corner, apparently meant as a bed. I would have gone for the food immediately, but Vera had other plans. As soon as the door locked she spun around and pinned me against it. "I heard something very interesting from a harpy... something about being her boyfriend. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" I swallowed nervously. This was the point where I would be spared or royally screwed; the look she gave me made that painfully clear. "She must have made it up to taunt you," I said, making my best "I'm really serious"-face. "I only need one princess anyway, don't you think?" Surprisingly enough the most cheesy line I had managed to come up with seemed to have the effect I wanted. She relaxed her grip on my wrists and blushed slightly before the door was suddenly bashed open; pushing me right into her and making us fall to the floor. She instantly pushed me off and stood up, looking angrily at Betty who stood laughing in the doorway. "Did I just interrupt something... intimate?" she teased. "Mind your own business dwarf" "Oh I will, princess" Betty's taunting made Vera snap and she threw herself at the dwarf. Betty apparently had more experience than her, and a short moment later Vera had to tap out. She had managed to get her tail tied into a knot and Betty had nearly dislocated one of her shoulders. "Well that was refreshing," Betty said cheerfully. "It's been a while since I had a scrap that good. Anyway, the reason I came by is that I figured you might want to wash that blood off. Come on, I'll take you to the collective baths." "I guess I'll-" "You're coming too," Vera interrupted sulkily and pulled me along. Betty led us further upwards for a long time. Apparently the prison was situated at the lowest level of the underground collective. The baths were almost at surface level and got their water from an underground river. The dwarves couldn't explain how the water, or for that matter the mountain could hold a comfortable temperature, but I suspected it would be something along the line of a magma stream heating up the whole place from somewhere deeper down. "... So anyway, people rarely use the baths. Don't even know why we have them really. I guess it's good to keep them around for the humans though." "Wait, there are other humans here? How come I haven't seen anyone?" "Because they're seasonal husbands and are really only here during the harpy mating seasons. Most of them live pretty safe lives away from here." "And you dwarves don't have husbands?" "No, though most harpies are kind enough to share, so it's really not a problem as long as we can fight the tension out with the goblins. Be sure not to go anywhere alone though, I've seen some of the others eyeing you." "Great," I muttered. "That's very reassuring." Betty flashed a smile before turning her attention to Vera. She had been silent and in a bad mood ever since losing to Betty earlier. "So how's your mother?" she asked, slapping Vera's butt. "None of your business," Vera growled, hitting Betty in the head with her tail. "In that case she ought to be good. It's sure been a long time since last, and we were such good friends." "You did nothing but fight." "Well that was the point." Betty chuckled. "Your mother was always hot-headed and there was nothing I could do about it. Still, I managed to turn you into quite the warrior, didn't I?" "I didn't learn fighting from some stinky dwarf," Vera snorted. "Well that's fine if you don't remember, you were pretty young after all." This was interesting. I had no idea that Vera had ties to this place, or at least to Betty. Perhaps that might explain Welbie's attitude earlier. "How do you know her mother?" "Well," Betty began, moving closer to me again. "A long time ago she found this man who dragged her on a great adventure. They happened to come by here, and I figured I'd take a crack at adventure too so I tagged along." Betty's story stretched on for some time. Essentially the adventure had been successful, and they had returned to Harpy Rock. Shortly afterward Vera and her sister were born. Betty had helped raising them as the father apparently was an utterly worthless parent. After a couple of years the family had left, and Betty had remained behind. "I've heard lots about your sister," she said, turning to Vera. "She's supposed to be a slaver, a mean and ruthless bitch and all that. I always figured she was more of a manticore than you and your mother." She rubbed her chin and seemed to drift off for a bit. "Hell, she even managed to fuck this place up once. She never seems to do any dirty work herself, though." "She was always a bully," Vera said. "That's how she's always done things, getting others to do things for her." "I never really understood how you two are supposed to be twins. You don't look even remotely similar, and you are like a manticore teddy compared to your sister in terms of personality." The entrance to the baths turned out to look as inconspicuous as anything else in the underground collective. It was a wooden door with an etching of the great wave on the door. "Well here you are," Betty said, opening the door and pushing us inside. "Get a good wash, don't worry about anyone disturbing you, and have fun!" She closed the door with a wide grin and a wink, and then we were alone again. |
chimechuJan 5, 2015 8:59 AM
| Chapter 6 Part 2 The baths were uncomfortably hot, with a haze that made it difficult to see further than an arm's length. There were baskets for clothes storage on the floor to our right, underneath a row of towels hanging from hooks pegged into the stone wall. "I'll just wa-" Vera interrupted me by yanking my arm and dragging me with her to a large pool in the centre of the room. We stopped just by the edge and she went around behind me. "You know..." she whispered, softly pressing her breasts and paws against my back. "It's bad to lie." "Fuck." She shoved me headlong into the pool. Expecting to hit water, I was surprised to crash into something suspiciously firm and consequently swallowed a mouthful of water when going underwater. Breaking the surface I found myself looking into a familiar pair of amber eyes. "Hey, I've... ooh." As soon as she recognized me, Avia wrapped her wings around me and started rubbing her cheek vigorously against mine. Thankfully the pool wasn't deep, because there was no way I would have been able to keep us both afloat like that. A split second later a paw pushed down heavily on my shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?" "You're the one who pushed me!" "I wasn't talking to you," she said, forcefully unwrapping Avia's wings and pushing me away. "Hey! Just because I've got soft wings and you don't!" "I don't need soft wings," Vera retorted, spreading her wings in order to look more menacing. "Vera..." I was sure I was going to regret this later. "Your tail is still tied up, that just looks stupid." She growled at me and tried her best to get her tail sorted out, failing miserably. Meanwhile Avia used the distraction to sneak up on her. She undid Vera's bra, using her wings to bounce her boobs. "They're so jiggly," she giggled, intensifying the bouncing. "Hey!" Vera exclaimed, swiping at the harpy who dodged out of the way laughing. "At least they seem to have forgotten all about me," I thought. Avia didn't seem like the type to mind, but I was pretty sure Vera would react in a bad way if she caught me looking. Just as the though crossed my mind she looked my way and our eyes met. "God damn it." "Pervert!" In an instant she had closed the gap between us and pushed med underwater, spewing a torrent of noise I couldn't make sense of. Before I had the sense to start thrashing she suddenly let go. As I broke the surface coughing I could see why. Avia had perched herself on Vera's shoulders and was firmly covering her eyes with her wings, causing Vera to thrash about blindly while attempting to get her off. "So he's mine? Oh yes he's mine! Because I love him and I'm his girlfriend, and you're not married," Avia chirped, somehow managing to keep riding Vera. "He's mine because I'm stronger, and I'm prettier, and my boobs are bigger than yours, and if you like him you should have put a ring on him but you didn't~" "He's mine!" Vera snapped angrily, pulling hard on Avia's legs. "I found him first and he cares more about me than some ugly ass harpy who thinks she's a powerful boob queen!" The fight came to an abrupt end when a towel slammed into Avia's face with a force that knocked them both over. "Manners you two, what message do you think that gives the young ones?" "How long have you been here Betty?" I asked the dwarf wearily. "And why are you going around with kids?" "Long enough," she said cheerfully and winked, ruffling the hair of one of the small harpies that clustered around her. "I forgot today is bath day for the youngsters, so I have to make sure you get out of here before they get all worked up, otherwise you'll be pretty much done for." Avia and Vera argued all the way back to our quarters about who had won, who was the best, the strongest and just about anything else there was to argue about. The argument continued while we ate and didn't even stop when Betty came by to check on Avia. They were so busy arguing that they didn't even notice when I stripped and put my wet clothes by the fireplace to dry. By the time they finally turned their attention to me I was half asleep, and since they hadn't bothered to ask my name at any point, Vera had to shake my shoulder after several failed attempts to catch my attention. "What?" I groaned, annoyed at having been kept from sleeping. "What do we call you?" "I don't know," I said, resting my cheek against my folded arms on the table. "What do you mean you don't know?" "... I'd rather you not call me bear." "Why would we do that?" Avia asked, cocking her head. "Because that's what my name means," I yawned. "He sure doesn't resemble one," Vera said sarcastically, looking at Avia. "You watch yourself Vera," I replied grumpily. "Just call me Eric and we'll be fine." "Fine. Then which one of us do you prefer?" "Not this," I groaned. "I'm too tired for this kind of thing." "You either answer or I throw you into the fireplace," Vera said dryly. "Hey, you can't do that," Avia protested, gripping one of my legs with her talons. "Fine... In that case I prefer her," I said, pointing a finger at each of them. They looked at the finger pointing at them, then the other one. They looked at each other and then back at me without saying a word; Avia with a look of confusion and Vera completely emotionless. After a moment of awkward silence and them staring at me I decided I'd had enough. "If you don't mind I'm going to sleep now." I managed to remember I was naked just before standing up. "If you so much as look my way while I dress I'll be the one throwing you into the fireplace." I walked over to the fireplace to put my mostly dry clothes back on before lying down on the straw pile bed in the corner. A short moment of wonderful silence later I was fast asleep. |
chimechuJan 5, 2015 9:42 AM
| Chapter 7 I woke up to find myself lying on my back, wedged between Vera and the wall. She was cuddling my arm against her breasts and purring softly. Avia was sprawled on top of me and had somehow managed to pull down my pants in her sleep. I contemplated which one of them would be safest to wake up first, but before I could come to a decision Vera yawned and opened her eyes. "Eh... it's not what it looks like," I tried nervously. "It's exactly what it looks like," she whispered, pulling down on my arm. "V-Vera, that's..." I blushed furiously. She had pushed my hand inside her panties and was rubbing herself against it, moaning softly into my ear. Her rubbing and moaning made me hard, and she immediately latched her tail to my dick, causing a wave of pleasure as her insides tightened up on me. I managed to push Avia off and roll over to face Vera. Her eyes were half open and her face was flushed. "Inside..." she panted, pushing my hand. She gasped with pleasure as I stuck a pair of my fingers inside her and pressed herself as tightly as she could against me. The rippling motion of her tail's insides became irregular, making it hard for me to hold out. I thrust my fingers as deep inside her as I could and slowly spread them apart, causing her to squirm and bite my lip to keep herself from crying out. She quickly turned the bite into a kiss and placed my free hand on one of her breasts. "You like them, don't you?" She pushed my face against her other breast, sighing with pleasure as I gently sucked and caressed her nipples. I kept working her breasts and varied the fingering, twisting them around each other on each thrust. Curling them slightly toward her belly I managed to hit her sweet spot, making her moan loudly. She jerked her tail, causing violent ripples on the inside which made my dick explode. I let go of her breasts and looked at her, panting. She seemed to have recovered quickly and was giving me a dreamy look. "That felt good," she said softly, placing a paw on my cheek. "I want more." "Wh-" "More what?" Avia asked, peeking up from behind me. It seemed Vera's moan had woken her up. "More Eric," Vera replied with a hint of annoyance, demonstratively kissing me. "He's mine too you know," Avia said, using my arm as a chin-rest. "I take it the plan worked then?" "Plan? What plan?" It didn't surprise me something was up. I'd had a feeling something was wrong when Vera hadn't tried to beat the crap out of me after she woke up. Under normal conditions I figured she'd come to the conclusion that my pants being down meant that Avia had fucked me during the night. That meant she would be out to punish us both; naturally she would have started with me. Now she just looked from Avia to me and back again. "It's, um..." For the first time since I met her Vera seemed to be unsure of herself. She almost seemed to shrink in size. If I didn't know better I would almost have said she did. "She was supposed to be nice," Avia said when she didn't continue. "I told her you might like her more than me that way." "Well I do like her more when she's not violent," I replied, hugging Vera and scratching her ear. She purred softly and rubbed her ear against my hand. For some reason it felt small, almost too small. "Wait, what?" I looked at her. No wonder she suddenly felt smaller. She was smaller. "Aviaa..." The look on the harpy's face told me she knew. "Why is Vera shrinking?" "I must have, eh, mixed something in her drink... I think." "I hope you have a very good explanation," I growled. "And I hope you have a very easy way to get her back to normal." I pulled my pants back up and got into a sitting position, putting the now dwarf-sized Vera in my lap. "At least she stopped shrinking." "We'll have to ask Betty," Avia said weakly. "I just don't know..." I sighed. No matter how cross I was on her it wouldn't do any good to have Avia feeling down while we tried to help Vera. I was pretty sure Vera would want to settle scores herself later anyway. "It's not your fault Avia," I said, pulling her close. "You couldn't know, right?" "Right..." She looked at me with teary eyes and tilted her head just a little bit. "I'm trying to be angry with you here, don't give me that!" She responded by tilting her head a little more and gently wrapped her wings around me. "God damn it you." There was apparently no use in resisting. I hugged her back and kissed her, gently brushing my lips against hers. That was when she chose to close the trap. She wrapped her wings tighter against me and locked her legs around my waist. I broke off from the kiss and sighed. "What kind of deal do you want this time?" She smiled warmly and cocked her head like she always did. This girl possibly had more charm than prince charming. If what she'd given me before were her puppy eyes I had no trouble imagining the entirety of Harpy Rock dancing to her tune. She began kissing my cheeks and leaned in to suck on my neck, careful not to get too excited. After a moment she leaned back and smiled at me again. "I want kisses... lots of kisses." "And...?" I had a feeling she wasn't done, and the fact that she blushed told me I was right. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again, looking down for a moment. "I... I want you to rub my... my belly." It took a whole lot out of me not to laugh. Out of all the things she could have said, being shy about having her belly touched was probably the last thing I would have expected. "What's so embarrassing about that?" I asked, gently brushing her belly with my fingertips. "I don't know," she whispered, making a sound not that different to Vera's purring. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:10 PM
| Chapter 8 I yawned and tried stretching my arms out without knocking over any of the dwarves around me. The council chambers were filled with harpies and dwarves. The reason was the black harpy standing before the council. She had come unannounced a couple of hours earlier and demanded to see the council. For her impudence she had been forcibly bathed and thrown to the harpy children. When she was finally presented to the council she had been thoroughly "groomed" and decorated with various pink rosettes and a lovely rabbit-patterned dress. I was probably the only one who managed not to laugh out loud when she entered the council chambers. "So the best thing for you would be to-" "No." "I haven't even finished!" "You've been talking for two hours straight without making a good point. I say no, we don't have any reason to go help an old hag." Several dwarves grinned at each other and the harpy next to Welbie patted her back, making her puff herself up. She was obviously pleased with herself. A bit too much it seemed. "We should throw her into the pit!" "No pit Welbie. This is your last warning. Next time you're out." Magda had been steadily losing patience over the course of the previous hours and it seemed to be drying up quickly. She glared at Welbie for a moment before turning her attention back to the black harpy. "You were saying?" "Yes, well. As I said Serilda wants our help to... domesticate a human village. It concerns us because this village is close to the mountain and full of savage humans who kill anything that moves." Some of the spectators started muttering and a pair of the council members looked at each other and snickered. "For all we know you could be in league with the goblins, trying to get us off guard. There's no reason for us to trust a black harpy. I say we-" "Welbie would you shut the fuck up!" Magda roared, getting up on the table. She walked over to Welbie's place and kicked her square in the face. "She is a member of the colony and I will not have you demean her for her race!" She kicked Welbie again for good measure and turned back to the black harpy with a disturbingly mild expression. "And we would want to help her why?" "Because the goblins are threat enough to our home. And because we get a share of the spoils... which includes humans." "How many of us does she need?" "How many are you willing to send?" Magda rubbed her chin and looked at her fellow council members for a moment. She called them together and they conferred in silence before coming to a conclusion. "Volunteers will sign up at the barracks when this meeting is closed," she announced. "Is that a satisfying response?" "Yes, of course." It didn't seem like the black harpy was entirely convinced it would be as much as the priestess hoped, but she wasn't in a position to object. "You said there was something else, Betty?" "Yes Magda, it's this little bugger." She lifted her arm and dragged Vera up on the table. She had wrapped her tail around Betty's arm and was biting the leather gauntlet as hard as she could. "Apparently Avia fed her something she shouldn't have." Welbie almost immediately burst into laughter, attracting the irritated looks of every other member of the council. "Not so scary now, are you manticore?" she taunted. "I bet you wouldn't survive even a minute in the pi-" She was abruptly cut off by Magda slamming her face into the table, causing a faint crunching sound when her nose broke. Apparently Magda was as strong as she was normally calm. "Take her out. She will be forcibly drafted to go... after having a round in the pit," she said to the guards before turning her attention back to Vera. "How is this a problem Betty?" "Because nothing we have matches the symptoms. There's nothing she could have added raw to make Vera like this. I checked the ledger and there's nothing we have that would do this to a manticore." "She's not one of us," one of the council harpies chimed in. "We have no reason to waste time in helping her." "Oh stuff it Dorothy, treat others like you would want to be treated yourself," another replied. "She would have eaten us in the wilderness, that's all I'm saying." "So what do you think about it Betty?" Magda asked, ignoring them. "It could be any kind of herb, magic or curse. Are you suggesting we go by trial and error?" "No, we need a witch or perhaps an alraune to tell us." Magda sighed and sat down in her chair again. "You know full well there aren't any left here Betty." "We could always go-" "No! We don't go farther than our own borders if it's not necessary, and we certainly don't go there." "But they already broke the deal!" "And we're not angering them before we get our people back from this war." "Actually..." While Magda and Betty were arguing the black harpy had hobbled up to them. "I think there was a witch at the temple." "How old? If she's too young it won't make any difference." "Do you really think I would ask a witch her age? Some of them would make you into soup for that. Besides I didn't see her; I only heard there was one, together with a man and a baphomet so she should be docile enough." "There's your solution Betty," Magda said. "You don't seem to have any other options," the black harpy said smugly. ----- "You're telling me we have to go to a temple in the lands of a lunatic to get Vera cured, and then participate in a war?" "Yep, that's pretty much it. Cheer up, it'll be fun!" "Like hell it will. And why is Welbie coming?" "Because Magda wants to be rid of that little ass," Betty grinned. I groaned. I had counted thirty dwarves and twice as many harpies. It wasn't a large force but what with the goblins and the feud I supposed they couldn't really spare that many fighters either. The worst part, however, was that we were flying the whole way, and I had a feeling that it'd be painful. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:10 PM
| Chapter 9 I muttered to myself about the unfairness of life while trying to keep a steady pace. Welbie had adopted a surprisingly civil behaviour on the way to the temple, but she had been talking nonstop about the pit and various ways to subdue and decapitate goblins. It had been boring, unsettling, and I didn't remember anything she'd said; at one point I had even fallen asleep. When she finally tired of the subject she demanded a pause and insisted we go ahead. Vera had been insistent on being carried from the very start, refusing to let go of my arm, and after a while Avia had thought it a good idea to piggyback. "You realize if we were to be attacked this would be a very bad position, right?" "I don't like walking," Avia whined. "I can't carry you indefinitely." "Walking feels weird." "Did Betty carry you everywhere?" "No..." "Then-" "I like it when you carry me~" In the end she never got off. Thankfully it wasn't long before we arrived at our destination. We entered a clearing and found ourselves close to a temple that looked somewhat like half a Mayan pyramid covered with erotic reliefs. It was chiselled out from a crag and a river was flowing close by. Two women dressed in black-and-white robes were sitting at the base of the temple, intently watching the stone slab between them. As we walked closer I could see that they were focused on some sort of card game. "Excuse me, we-" "Scch!" The priestesses remained entirely focused on their game and didn't spare us as much as a glance. The tension was palpable. Suddenly the one who had hushed me drew a card and put it face up beside the four cards that already lay on the slab. "Ha! I won!" she exclaimed, triumphantly slamming her cards down on the slab. Her opponent grumbled something inaudible and tossed her cards down. "Can we see the head priestess, please?" The priestesses turned their heads and looked at us as if we had materialised out of thin air, apparently having forgotten all about us. "I'm right here," one of them said, quickly exploiting the situation. "I'm pretty sure you're not her," I replied, making a mental note never to trust a succubi. "But I am," she insisted, moving up to me and caressing my cheek with a warm smile on her face. It felt disturbingly good and nearly made me shiver. "Back off," Avia hissed, pushing the priestess away, demonstratively wrapping her wings around me. "We have an army for the real head priestess." "Fine," the priestess said after a moment of though. "If you're lying she'll have her way with you anyway. Come along." "Try to restrain yourself," I reprimanded Vera as the priestesses led us up the temple stairs. She had tried to bite the priestess before Avia pushed her away. "Hurting her would not have helped." She looked at me for a moment and growled. She had been in a foul mood ever since we ran out of dry meat. After a day or so she had stopped clinging to me and tried to bite anyone that came close. She had even bitten me on several occasions. As we reached the top of the temple the priestess who won the card game motioned us forward and the other stayed as a lookout. She led us to the temple entrance and through a long, sparingly lit hallway; the darkness and shadows cast on the reliefs by the torchlight giving the hallway an eerie air. As we went deeper inside the floor tilted slightly downward and the turns and corridors began to feel vaguely familiar. "Do you suppose this could be dwarf-made?" I asked Avia. "I don't like this place," she whispered, holding my arm tightly with her wing. Apparently I wasn't the only one who felt uneasy. The priestess squinted back at us and snorted derisively. When the priestess finally led us into a huge hall I was pretty sure she had not taken the shortest path. Then again I guessed it was a good precaution in case we were enemies and tried to escape. The hall was covered in murals depicting erotic acts, and a raised stone altar with a statue of a ladylike lamia dominated and overlooked the room. The torchlight created shadows on the statue in a way that it almost seemed to be alive. "High priestess Serilda," our guide said, bowing to her mistress, "a human wishes to speak with you. He claims to have brought you an army." The high priestess was sitting with her back against us on a small carpet in front of the altar. She wore the same kind of robe as the other priestesses and a pair of horns poked out from underneath her blonde hair. A pair of feathered wings grew from her back, and as she stood up and turned around the chain coiled around her long, spade-tipped tail rattled against the floor. She was taller and more beautiful than the other priestesses, but there was something sinister about her eyes. The fact she was even taller than myself didn't help to make me feel at ease either. "I was expecting my messenger or an army," she said plainly. It was impossible to read any emotion into her voice or her face. "You're neither my messenger nor my army." "We are part of the army," I answered as confidently as I could. Between the atmosphere and the lack of safety from a grownup Vera however, I couldn't feel more insecure. "We were sent ahead." "Sent ahead you say..." she said absentmindedly. "Well a human male is always a welcome bonus." She licked her lips and moved closer, looking me straight in the eyes. "... Though I only came to get one of my girls uncursed," I continued quickly, hoping to change her mood. "Are you sure you really want that?" she asked seductively, tracing my jaw with her fingertips. "I might be able to offer you something much better." |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:11 PM
| Chapter 10 - Birds of a Feather "He's mine!" Avia protested, trying her best to push the high priestess away from me. She was apparently stronger than Avia, because it didn't appear to bother her at all that the harpy was feebly pushing at her. She kept Vera from stabbing her ankles by swatting her tail against Vera's sending her into a futile fit of anger. "He's quite the handsome one," the priestess responded, circling me slowly while lightly caressing my shoulders with her fingertips in a suggestive manner. Meanwhile Vera had given up on trying to stab the priestesses' legs and was jumping around her instead. The priestess paid her no mind. "Could we skip the pleasantries and get down to business, uhm, lady?" I asked nervously, fighting the impulse to lash out at her and run for it. "Could your witch remove the curse from Vera, please?" "I'm not taking orders from you!" a voice barked from behind. "I think I will let you introduce our friends," the priestess said, backing away with a smirk on her face. We turned to find ourselves face to face with a human and his baphomet and witch companions. The baphomet seemed to be the leader. Though she looked like a scantily clad twelve year old with horns, paws and hoofs she carried herself with confidence. A large scythe rested against her shoulder and she had a devilish grin on her face. One look from her managed to put Vera on edge and made Avia hug my arm tightly. Though intimidated I found myself happy that Vera was shrunk; otherwise she would probably have picked a fight. In comparison to the baphomet the witch looked normal with her long, silver-coloured hair, dark red eyes and gothic-looking black dress, though she didn't seem much older. At least she was cute. I had no doubt that she could do very nasty stuff if provoked though. The guy seemed to be in his thirties and looked about as tall as me. He had brown eyes, a fresh goatee and short, brown hair. A quilted coat covered his leather armour decorated with iron rings and he was wearing a pair of cotton pants and heavy leather boots. Apart from the dried bloodstains and his messy hair he looked like some kind of medieval nobleman. "You've got to handle this really smooth, or there'll be hell to pay," I thought to myself, forcing any thoughts about the trio's relationship out of my mind and doing my best not to stare. "Umm, hello. My name is Eric..." I said after taking a deep breath to calm myself. "This is Avia..." I continued, pointing at her with my free arm, "... and Vera." "I am Eris Morticia Zkaza. My husband, Adrik and my witch, Morrigan," the baphomet replied, unsurprisingly taking the initiative. The guy seemed a little surprised but quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Yea, I am Adrik. Nice to meet you," he said nodding, the witch merely smiling. "I'm sorry," I said, hoping an apology would make them less wary of us. "Could you please help my friend? I was told she was cursed and a witch may be able to help her." "Sure," Adrik replied, prompting me to push Vera toward Morrigan. As she crouched down to have a look at the sullen creature she burst into laughter. "A Manticore cursed by shrinking. That's just hilarious! You are so cute!" she exclaimed, reaching out toward Vera. "Come here. I promise, I won't hurt you... much." Vera obviously didn't want to be picked up by a stranger that belittled her and tried to sting Morrigan's hand but missed, much to my surprise. Perhaps the witch used some kind of ward. "There are several ways of removing the curse," she said, looking up and me, "but all take time. The fastest way I know is casting a counter spell on her. She will be free, but the curse will backfire ten times stronger on the person who originally sent the curse." I looked at Vera for a moment. Several ways of removing the curse? Backfire tenfold? I was pretty sure no one I knew would get that punishment, though I sincerely hoped it wasn't going to backfire on a short person. "Okay, do it," I said, nodding and deciding I would have to trust the witch on this one. "So be it. You will owe me; I am not doing it for free." I had to help Morrigan to make Vera stand still. She had been in a bad mood to begin with, and the witch patronizing her a moment earlier had made her the definition of defiance. Finally Morrigan raised her hand with the palm toward Vera and started chanting, her eyes turning bright red. Vera froze on the spot and started shaking like a leaf while a dark mist left her body and engulfed her. The ritual was sinister in itself, and the temple's dark atmosphere only served to reinforce the feeling of dread that started to grow within me. I half expected a demon to jump out of the dark mist at the expense of Vera's life, and Adrik had to hold me back to keep me from interfering. "Trust Mori. She knows what she is doing." A few seconds later Vera's body started growing along with the dark mist, and Morrigan's chanting became louder and more intense. Eris grinned and seemed to be enjoying the show and Adrik looked completely caught up in it too. I took a step back just in case and felt Avia's familiar plumage wrapping around my arm tightly. While I was worried and unsettled she was outright afraid. After a moment the cloud of darkness exploded into a thousand snakelike strands of smoke and quickly left the hall, no doubt returning to the one who cast the curse. I cast a quick glance at Adrik before rushing to the unconscious Vera. I tentatively poked her cheek. Unconscious or not, there was no way I was slapping a manticore awake. "You okay?" I ventured, not sure what to expect. I was rewarded with a grunt. "You don't have a sudden urge to dismember someone or anything like that?" Again she just grunted. "Are y-" "Of course I'm fine!" she snapped. Apparently her mood hadn't improved. Meanwhile Adrik was tending to Morrigan who had collapsed shortly after the curse was lifted. I couldn't hear anything of what they said, though Adrik's face gave me an idea. "Lovebirds," I though with a smile before being violently brought back to pressing matters by an angry Vera pulling both me and Avia close. While it probably looked like a gesture of affection reality was a bit different. "You," she hissed at Avia, baring her fangs. "And you..." she whispered softly, looking me dead in the eyes, "remember you're mine." The high priestess stood in front of the altar, overseeing the scene with her arms folded and a triumphant smile on her face. "So, when is your army going to arrive?" |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:11 PM
| Chapter 11 - Black Harpy Down - Part 1 The high priestess had forced us outside to meet the coming "army" and had directed her servants to begin with preparations to welcome them. They were supposed to arrive soon, but when they still hadn't shown up hours later, she grew suspicious and restless. "You told me they would be arriving soon," she said, moving too close for comfort. Unfortunately Vera was busy fending off the shrine maidens and Avia was perched further up the stairs, so I was on my own. "They weren't far behind," I said, hoping she wouldn't touch me. "I'm sure the harpies just got tired of flying." "You realize that you will have to be... punished if you've lied to me?" she asked, licking her lips and brushing her fingertips against my neck. "Yeah." I supressed a shiver and somehow managed a nervous smile. "A dwarf never goes back on his... her word, though." "Well you know the consequences if they do..." she said with a wink before turning her attention elsewhere. I let out a sigh and sat down on one of the steps. I had a strong feeling that Vera's presence was the only thing saving me from being raped by both the high priestess and her maidens. In that respect I already missed the Rock, though it had only been a couple of days. At least it was relatively safe. The fact that I was practically helpless annoyed me; I was entirely dependent on Vera since I had no way of defending myself and couldn't outrun anything but a snail. The only one worse off was Avia, but then again she could fly. Everyone we'd come across so far handled themselves at least decently in combat. Even Adrik had a crossbow and probably knew how to use it. "Is something wrong?" Avia asked as she landed beside me. Apparently she'd grown tired of keeping watch. "Huh? No, I was just thinking." "Oh, okay." She cuddled up to me and kissed my cheek. "Why can't we have a family like theirs?" I glanced at Adrik and found him being cuddled by his girls. They seemed perfectly happy to be apart from the commotion surrounding us. "Funny how Eris doesn't seem to mind sharing. She did say Morrigan was her witch though, so I guess that establishes her dominance..." "Well for one they seem to be genuinely into each other," I said, twiddling her hair. "Nor do they have a vio-" "Kiddy lover," Vera snorted from behind, startling me. "I can't believe that... man picked a pair of kids over a proper woman. Hell, even a weresheep would have been better." "You haven't sto-" "Why is that bad?" Avia asked with a confused expression. "They like each other, isn't that good?" "My th-" "It's as nasty as it gets!" Vera hissed, careful to keep her tone down. "Kiddy lovers are sick. In the head. I wouldn't wish one of those on my own sister." "But they-" "Hush! As soon as you get comfortable with a kiddy lover he starts doing nasty things to you; things you couldn't come up with in your wildest nightmares..." Vera went on to explain in detail the many horrible things that a "kiddy lover" would do to you if you looked young enough. I stopped listening about halfway through; the things she described sounded more like a case of traumatic childhood than pedophilia. Still, thinking about Adrik's relationship with Eris and Morrigan made me feel uncomfortable, though by the looks of it it was more likely that they had forced themselves on him than the other way around. He didn't seem to mind it though; by the looks of it he was rather enjoying himself. "I guess everyone has their own taste," I though with a slight shiver. "... And that's why you're not getting close to him either," Vera said and suddenly pulled me away from Avia. "Eh?" "I'm old enough!" Avia whined. "Give him here." "No. Like I told you he's mine." I sighed. Unless I found out why Vera was so insistent on keeping me to herself there'd be no end to the infighting. She didn't seem like the type to open up though, so that could take forever. "You do realize she is probably older than she looks, right?" "That's right!" "I don't care if she or Adrik's girls are several hundred years old," Vera hissed. "They look like kids and Avia is too young for you." "Well in that case you are too old for me Vera," I retorted. "I'm not!" she snapped. "I'm perfectly aged." "You don't even know how old he is!" Avia chipped in, earning her an angry look. "Compromise, granny?" I asked when Vera looked set to argue further. She narrowed her eyes and grumbled something inaudible, though when I decided to reach out for her ear she gave up. "Fine!" she exclaimed, shying away. "It seems her ears are a weak spot after all." A pair of shrine maidens who had been listening in giggled at us and Vera got up to take out her anger on them; not that there would be much violence. She knew full well that the high priestess would be happy to find an excuse for getting rid of her to get to me. Considering she was a succubus I was surprised she hadn't tried to charm me, though I supposed she didn't want to fight Vera unless she absolutely had to. Careful scheming and intrigue seemed to fit her better than outright violence. "I wish she was nicer..." Avia said quietly when Vera was outside hearing range. She looked longingly at how Adrik was being cuddled and sighed. "Don't worry Avia, it's just a phase." "... What phase?" "The old granny phase." |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:12 PM
| Chapter 11 - Black Harpy Down - Part 2 The dwarves arrived sometime after the sun had set and bonfires lit in front of the temple to act as beacons. I wasn't really surprised to see them beaten up; getting into a fight was just the kind of thing Welbie would do. There were wounded, unconscious and dead among both the harpies and dwarves. The bonfire lighting made the scene look gruesome and Avia instinctively clung to my arm. The high priestess shouted instructions to her maidens, and as they rushed down the stairs to help the dwarves and harpies Welbie barged up the stairs carrying a massive battle axe, closely followed by a pair of dwarves who tried to calm her. She was steaming with anger and spewed insults and swear words all the way up. As she neared the priestess Adrik, Eris and Morrigan made a move to intercept her, but the high priestess waved them off. "What's the meaning of this you bitch?!" Welbie screamed as she reached the high priestess. "You set us up!" "I don't understand, what happened?" she asked, trying to hide her surprise behind a thin veneer of compassion. "You sold us out to the goblins!" Welbie raged, smashing her axe down on the floor, only missing the priestess by a few centimetres. The latter seemed shaken but kept herself together. "Those weren't goblins," one of the other dwarves said. "Of course they were goblins, what else would they be?! I'll crush them, break their bones, cut off their heads!" She went into a fit and flailed, trying desperately to hit the high priestess, but her companions managed to wrestle her down. "Calm down Welbie!" "Like hell I will!" "Goblins don't use traps like that, and they don't hide with bows in bushes. They rush straight at you and try to mash your head; you should know that better than anyone." Welbie managed to wrestle herself free only to have a fireball passing above her head, singing her hair. Eris stood in a combat stance on the terrace below, a wide grin on her face, purple flames dancing around the paw that wasn't holding her scythe. Adrik was pointing his loaded crossbow at one of the other dwarves, and Morrigan stood behind them. Welbie yanked her axe free from the floor and Vera looked eager to go at it with anyone. "Stop it! Put down your weapons, there'll be no fighting in my temple!" The priestess shouted. Everyone stood down reluctantly, Eris taking her time to make a threatening gesture at Welbie who grinned in return after being disarmed by her own entourage. The only one who looked like she still wanted a fight was Vera, but she was wise enough not to taunt anyone. "Now..." she continued when Welbie had calmed down. "Could you please explain to us exactly what happened?" "Treachery!" Welbie shouted, her characteristic lack of conversation skills getting the better of her. "We were ambushed in forest," the other dwarf said instead. "A few of us fell on the spike trap, and then someone rained arrows on us. The harpies tried to take flight but some were hit. We scattered and regrouped after an hour of running around; then Welbie forced us to go back but we didn't even retrieve all the bodies." "Curse the goblins!" Welbie growled, completely oblivious to the facts. "We never saw the attackers," the other dwarf said. "They hid well and circled around. When we ran they picked off those who separated from the group." She paused a moment before continuing. "Goblins are not that clever or that organized. They can set an ambush, but they would charge instead of striking from hiding... Your associate, that black harpy, also died in the attack." "That's unfortunate. She will be missed. May her soul find rest." The priestess didn't seem to be the least sorry though she was politely enough about it. Even if she hadn't I doubted Welbie would have cared. Part of the colony or not, she had made it clear that she disliked black harpies. "There's no way we will go into your freaking war with our people dying, while the damn goblins threaten our home!" Welbie exclaimed suddenly, having got herself together. "Especially not if they know we're here." "This is the threat my messenger spoke about, now you certainly understand..." the priestess answered. Welbie merely grunted at her. "I understand," she said. "Please come in, this temple was built to withstand a siege and the entrance can be closed down with a hidden stone door. I will provide shelter and help for your wounded." Despite her aggressive nature Welbie seemed relieved at the offer. She nodded at the priestess and let out a deep sigh. "Bring in the wounded!" the priestess shouted at the maidens and troops below and motioned for us to follow her inside. "Would you help me against the crazy human villagers should there be no threat from the goblin tribes?" she asked Welbie calmly. "So you are in league with the goblin filth!" Welbie growled, recovering some of her fighting spirit. "Of course I am not!" the priestess replied sternly, dismissing the dwarf from further conversation. Adrik and his girls passed us on the way inside and Vera caught Eris's eyes. I noticed her paws twitching so I put my hand on her shoulder to hold her back. "Please Vera, there's enough death here already." She snorted, shrugged off my hand and stalked away. As the maidens and the healthy soldiers carried the dead and wounded inside, Avia pulled at my arm. She seemed a bit pale, though the darkness made it hard to tell for certain. "Can we go somewhere else?" "Shouldn't we help out?" "... Please?" I sighed, causing her to give me a worried look. Things definitely weren't turning in a good direction, and we'd barely even gotten out of the Rock. Supposing these kinds of occurrences were commonplace I could understand why there wouldn't be any humans around. It didn't help that Vera was mad either. "Where's my protection?!" "Don't worry." I ruffled her hair with a reassuring smile before leading her to a shrine maiden that stood apart from the commotion and didn't seem to want to be part of it. She looked us over as we approached. "Is there any spare room we could use?" "There might be..." she said slowly, eyeing me with badly hidden interest. "I'm taken," I replied sternly. She smirked, evidently unconcerned. "I'll show you to a room then." She led us inside and along several corridors, sometimes stopping to let maidens carrying food or medical supplies pass. Whenever we stopped she'd glance back at me with an expression I couldn't read. We finally stopped outside a plain door, a plaque with symbols scribbled onto it nailed at its top centre. "Here we are then," the succubi said with a smile. "It's yours for the night so make yourselves comfortable. I'll be close by if you need me~" "Thanks, but I think we'll manage just fine." The room was larger than I'd thought. It was lit by a pair of braziers and a comfortable-looking bed occupied one of the corners together with a small dresser. A table and a pair of chairs occupied the centre of the room and the floor was partly covered by a fur rug. Avia immediately darted for the bed and lay down with a contented sigh. I walked over to her and sat down while she cuddled the pillow. "I take it you're feeling better?" "I don't really like being around dead things." "More like you're scared of them." "Why not? Unless they're cut open or died some time ago they're pretty much like sleeping people." "I don't know. It's just feels... uncomfortable." She shivered and hugged the pillow closer. "Well that's just great. A manticore watching over two good-for-nothings." I'd have to come up with some way to solve this, otherwise we wouldn't last long. Vera propably wouldn't want to settle down considering her sister was out to get us, and I had unfinished business with that bastard pirate. "I'm guessing you haven't learned to hunt either then?" "Betty didn't want me to..." Avia said. "She never let me do anything fun." She impulsively lashed out with her talons and managed to scratch my side. "Ow! That hurt!" "I'm sorry!" She hugged me from behind and brushed her feathers against my cheek in an effort to make up for her slip. "Just be more careful next time, all right?" I muttered. We sat in silence for a moment, listening to the crackling of the fire. After a moment Avia wrapped her wings around my waist and nuzzled my neck. "So... what's it like during mating season?" The question had been on my mind for a while. Considering Vera's disposition toward her, knowing how Avia would behave could be invaluable. "I-I... um..." "Um what?" I had a feeling that I wasn't going to like this. "I haven't... y-you know..." "Nope, I definitely don't like where this is going." "Are you meaning to tell me that you're too young?" "... Yes. I mean no!" "Great." I rubbed my face with a deep sigh. "I said no!" she protested. "It's like... puberty? The first time comes at random and then we get into the seasonal cycle, at least for us." She tightened her hold on me as if afraid that I'd try to get away from her. "Puberty can still mean way too young," I groaned. "But I love you..." She sniffled. "I'm not falling for that." "I love you so much, and if you don't love me back then I'll tell Vera that some maidens flashed their breasts and you looked." "Really?!" "... That's just god-awfully mean." "I'll do it, really." "... Fine. But I'm checking with Betty later and if you lied to me I'll let Vera do whatever she wants to you." "That's fine," she chirped, pulling me down for a thorough cuddling session. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:13 PM
| Chapter 12 Unsurprisingly enough I found myself straddled by Vera a while later. "Do we have to do it with Avia this close?" I asked, uneasy that she was fast asleep beside us on the bed. "We do." She undid her bra with a smile and pushed her breasts against my face. They were wonderfully soft, and one of her nipples pushed temptingly at my lips. Her scent and breasts filled my senses and I found myself swiftly losing control. I opened my mouth and sucked greedily on her nipple, causing her to moan happily. "Ah... you pervert..." A surprised yelp escaped her lips as I bit her and reached around to squeeze her butt. She pressed her butt up against my cock and started rubbing herself against me while moaning softly. Her panties quickly grew moist and made the sensation even more arousing. After a moment she pulled away her breasts and cupped my face in her hands, kissing me passionately. She tentatively slid her tongue inside my mouth and I eagerly met her, taking her in as much as I could. When she broke off, leaving a tingling sensation on my lips, I found myself looking at the shrine maiden from before. "Had a good dream?" she asked, smiling at my surprise. "I... yeah..." Without thinking I reached out to pull her in for another kiss but she shook her head. "It's my turn to have fun." She licked her lips and turned around, pulling her panties aside and planting her wet pussy against my mouth. Her mouth closed around me and the sensation of her sucking made me moan, her juices dripping down on my tongue. My mind went blank for a moment before I squeezed her ass again and slid my tongue inside her. She moaned and intensified her sucking and licking, grinding her pussy against my face. It didn't take long for me to come, and she eagerly swallowed it all. "It's been such a long time," she sighed, sitting up and turning to look lovingly at me. She slipped her tail up to my face and forced the tip in between my lips. "Tha-" Something made her freeze for a split second. She motioned for me to keep quiet and looked around the room before throwing a blanket on top of my upper body. A split second later Vera kicked the door off its hinges and burst into the room, causing Avia to wake with a start and fall off the bed. "Eric! Where are youu? Vera wantsh a hug!" She swayed and was dangerously close to falling over but managed to steady herself against the doorframe. After a moment she noticed the succubus sitting on top of me, staring at her impassively. "Why are you shitting on Eric?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "He'sh mine." "I'm not sitting on Eric," the maiden replied. "This is my... sex doll." "Oooh... can I try?" "No." "I'm sure you'll find Eric if you take a bath first," the maiden continued. "Avia can help you, right dear?" "But that's E-" Avia began, before receiving a poisonous look from the succubus. Vera didn't look like she had even noticed her. "A bath..." she said absentmindedly. "... That shounds good! Then I'll get shome frangrance and he'll not turn me down!" She seemed as pleased as if the idea had been hers originally and grabbed Avia by the collar, stumbling against the doorframe before leaving. After a moment the maiden pulled off the blanket and bent down to remove her tail tip from my mouth. "I love it so much to have it sucked," she chirped, her cheeks slightly flushed. As her breasts got dangerously close to my face I found myself getting hard again. She felt the change through my body and chuckled, easing herself down on me. I gasped as her tight insides enveloped me and was overcome by a sudden wave of lust. I placed my hands on her hips and pressed down hard, pushing myself all the way inside her. She yelped and flushed but quickly recovered, bouncing up and down my shaft at a slow pace. Her breasts jiggled seductively with every thrust and I could only restrain myself for a moment before the urge to fondle them became overpowering. I leaned up and caught one of her nipples in my mouth, gently biting her while fondling her other breast. She moaned loudly and her pussy seemed to ripple as if responding to her pleasure. I felt a pressure build up inside and realized I was about to come. She seemed to read my body and ground herself tighter against me, massaging my cock before clenching down tightly just as I released my load inside her. She collapsed on top of me with a content sigh and caressed my face. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" she asked with a smile, her breath still ragged. "No... I guess not." I had to admit it felt good. Whatever spell she had put me under was fading away however, and I gradually realized what had happened and what kind of situation I was in. "... She'll k-" I began, but was interrupted by her placing another kiss on my lips. "Thank you. Going around with no release takes a toll on us you know," she said, getting up and dressing herself. "I'll be leaving before your girls come back," she finished and blew me a kiss before leaving. I had sat myself comfortably in the bed and thought of several ways to deal with Vera by the time she came back, but hadn't found any particularly good solution, so in the end I decided to tell her the truth and hope for the best. Suddenly my train of thought was interrupted by cursing and shouting in the corridor; a moment later Vera burst in. "I'll kill you, you bitch!" She seemed furious and Avia stayed outside, obviously not keen on getting inside Vera's crosshairs. Realizing that the succubus wasn't in the room she calmed down somewhat and walked over to me. "Ugh, you smell like succubus," she said with a frown. "Well yeah, that's because... because she... charmed me into doing her." Vera narrowed her eyes at me and a growled faintly, making the hairs on my neck stand on end. "L-look. I know you're jealous..." I began, pausing nervously to watch her reaction. Nothing. "... But I'd never have done it if I had a choice. Besides, you weren't here either, so who should I have depended on?" "Oh, so you're putting it all on me now, are you?" "Of course not, I'm just saying we all have responsibilities to each other if we want to stay together." I grabbed her paws and pulled her down beside me. "If you can be a nice girl I'll be a nice guy, all right?" She snorted and turned away, but something told me I'd gotten through to her. Meanwhile Avia was still standing outside, unsure about what to do. "You can come in you know," I called out to her, holding out an arm for her to come to bed. "You're not sleeping with her on my watch," Vera snapped with a disapproving look as Avia got into the bed and cuddled up to me. "Oh yes I am," I said flatly. "I'm sleeping with you too so you've got nothing to complain about." I pulled her in to mild protests and resistance but she finally gave up and grudgingly let me bury my face in her soft fur. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:15 PM
| Chapter 13 Part 1 "... For the last time wake up you lazy-ass!" A bucket of cold water to the face shocked me awake and caused me to accidentally elbow Avia in the face. "Oww." "What the heck did you do that for?!" "You didn't get up the first time," Vera said, adopting an air of indifference. "What was I supposed to do, nudge you gently?" I grumbled and glared at her before turning to comfort Avia who was rubbing her cheek. Vera had other plans, however, and grabbed me by the waist, hoisting me up on her shoulder. "Come on, you can dry yourself outside. There's a friend waiting for us~" She marched out before Avia could react and walked through the underground complex at a pace that made it impossible for her to keep up. The only stop she made was to pick up a small bag at the kitchen, refusing to say anything about its content. Avia caught up with us by the time we'd gotten outside and angrily grabbed Vera's tail. "You can't take him away just like that!" "Of course I can," Vera snorted. "Be glad you even got to sleep with him." "No you can't you... bitch!" She hesitated for a split second, then bit down hard on Vera's tail, making the manticore drop me, spin around and backhand her. Before she could recover Vera had her in a vice-like grip. "Don't make the mistake of thinking I'll go easy on you," she hissed, causing Avia to pale significantly. Before she could act on her threat, however, she spotted Adrik and his girls approaching from the temple and shoved Avia away, glaring intently at Eris. I noticed that they were more thoroughly equipped than before which was surprising since they were supposed to be the priestesses' bodyguards. "We're off. It was nice knowing you Eric," he said as they came up to us. I caught him glancing at Eris and Vera and groaned inwardly as they had locked eyes and were measuring each other up. Vera noticed him looking and sneered at him. "Kiddy lover. You smell like Baphomet." "And why shouldn't he? My scent marks him as mine," Eris replied calmly. "Your smell bothers me, demon," Vera replied and tried to wrest the scythe from her. Though Vera was faster, Eris was stronger and held her weapon in an iron grip that Vera couldn't break. After struggling over the scythe for a while she raised her paw to slash at Eris, who got her off balance by releasing the scythe and stepping back. "Let's see if your burned flesh smells better," she said, her paw lighting with magical fire. Morrigan stepped in to help her. "What makes you think I can't put the curse back?" she threatened. Vera seemed to realize that she was in a tight spot, but Adrik stepped in before any of them could do anything rash. "Stand back you two, please. We're leaving anyway." "Why?" Eris asked, sounding more than a little disappointed. "They don't have to bother us," Adrik answered. "Besides, I bet we'll find you plenty of souls to torment in the Elysian Valley to make that trader cooperate." "You say the sweetest things, my dear," she replied, visibly satisfied. "For you, sweetheart, anything." I was taken aback by their casual intimate conversation but still sharp enough to catch Vera's arm before she could strike at Eris who had turned away. She glared at me and I did my best to give her a stern look despite the impulse to get the fuck away from her. After a few seconds she snorted and turned away, letting me turn back to Adrik. "So... You're leaving?" I asked awkwardly. "Yep, we have a job to do. Enjoy your stay in the temple. The beds are soft and the food is great, just beware that bread." He smirked and turned away as Morrigan pulled at his hand. "Perhaps we'll meet again." "I certainly hope not," I thought, answering with a hum. "At least not until Vera learns some manners." It suddenly occurred to me that we hadn't paid Morrigan for removing the curse. "What about the pay for removing the curse?" "The priestess paid us," she answered without bothering to turn back. "You can settle debts with her." Walking out of hearing range, she raised her staff and waved it back and forth as a parting gesture. "Well fuck it..." I hissed as a pair of claws digged into my shoulder. "You are not settling debts with that paranoid snake," Vera whispered in my ear. "Come on, we're late." She grabbed Avia and pulled us along to the river where a familiar shrine maiden was tied up and leaning against a nearby tree. As we approached she glared at Vera. "You brought this on yourself," the manticore snapped and pulled her to her feet. "Jealous bitch..." the succubus muttered. Vera didn't seem to care about the taunt. "Hold this," she said to Avia and tossed the sack to her before leading us down to the river. "Fuck, not this again..." She firmly pushed us to our knees and crouched. "I don't like it when people steal my stuff... and I don't like to be cheated on." I managed to take a deep breath before she shoved our faces into the water but the succubus wasn't so lucky. She struggled and squirmed so violently that Vera had a hard time to keep her under control. When she let go the maiden was coughing up water and looked pale. "I think that's enough Vera. You don't have to drown her." "You're dry?" she asked after looking at me for a moment. "Yeah, but whafh-" Before I managed to finish the sentence she shoved me into the river. When I finally got back up on land she had moved back to the tree and was rubbing the maiden's breasts with bark. It didn't seem to have the effect she wanted though. "Aah, more~" the maiden moaned. She had managed to free herself and was trying her best to hug Vera close and make out with her. "You're not supposed to like it!" Vera yelled, rubbing harder and struggling to keep the horny succubus at bay. "But it feels so good~" She managed to wrap her tail behind Vera's neck and pulled her close, forcing her into a kiss. Vera quickly broke free and slashed her cheek. "That's far enough," she hissed at the whimpering succubus. "Hand me the sack, Avia." The harpy reluctantly handed over the sack to her and she pulled out a weird looking grater. "A grater?" "Yeah." she snapped impatiently, turning her attention back to the succubus. "I'm going to grate her flat." The maiden looked at her with a confused look for a moment before realisation struck her. "Oh no no no, not the horns, please not the horns," she cried, trying to crawl away. She struggled for a while before giving up and starting to cry as Vera pinned her to the tree with a satisfied grin and started grating away at her horns. I watched uneasily together with Avia as the horns turned into a pile of dust little by little and the grater blunted. When they were about half their original size I'd had enough and grabbed Vera's arm. "That's enough Vera, I think she's learned her lesson." She paused to look at the broken succubus and grinned at me. "I suppose she has." "You'll be carrying her back then I suppose?" "No," she answered. "I couldn't care less about her." Her answer caused something to snap inside of me. I could understand her being jealous and wanting to discourage others from going after me, but I wasn't about to let her torture another person to a breaking point and just leave them. "You're not leaving her Vera," I said coldly, causing Avia to back away a bit. "Oh? Giving me orders now, are we?" Vera replied, standing up to match my height. "You will carry her back," I said, feeling my temper rising quickly. "I won't. She fucked you, she didn't apologize and then she took adv-" I interrupted her with a hard slap, taking her completely by surprise. She raised a paw to her cheek and looked at me, dumbstruck. "You were the one taking advantage of her and I'll be fucking damned if I let you get away with it you sadistic fuck!" She flinched almost imperceptively and gave me a long look before finally shrugging. "Fine. You'll have to make it up to me later though." "Fucking lazy-ass..." |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:16 PM
| Chapter 13 Part 2 "Do you think she's angry with you?" Avia asked as we made our way back to the temple. Vera was keeping her distance and seemed a bit spaced out. "Would you be angry with me if I punched you in the face?" "... Yes." "Then there's your answer. It's her own fault for being a bitch though." "I can hear you Eric!" "I don't care Vera!" "Are you sure?" she snorted and thumped the apathetic succubus into the nearest tree. "I'm warning you," I said angrily. "Let her be or there will be consequences." "Like what? Are you going to tie me to a tree and give me a good fucking? I don't think so." "No, I'm going to tie you to a tree and make you watch while I fuck Avia and the succubus." She promptly dropped the maiden and marched up to me, shoving a blushing Avia out of the way and into a thorn bush. "You will do no such thing," she hissed. "I will if you keep this up," I answered, ignoring her tail which swung dangerously close to my leg. "No you won't. You don't have it in you. Besides you're mine and I won't let you." "Look Vera... I'm trying really hard to like you and you're not making it easy for me." She crossed her arms and gave me a quizzical look. "Why should I even care? You're just a toy." "And you're a bitch." "Fuck you!" she snapped and walked away. "Yeah I love you too Vera!" I rushed over to the bush where Avia was still struggling to get free. "Eriic, it hurts!" she whined, doing her best not to be stung by the thorns. I looked her over and found that getting her out would require some sacrifice on my part. "Oh what the hell..." "Hang on Avia, it's going to hurt a bit more before you're out." I gave her a reassuring smile before stepping into the bush. Almost as soon as I'd taken a step forward I was cut and stung by thorns from every direction. They weren't small either; most of them were the size of half a thumb. By the time I had gotten a hold of Avia I was covered in cuts and scratches and had to grit my teeth against the pain. I backed out with her, careful to keep the thorns from cutting her and let her go with a sigh of relief once clear of the bush. To her credit she didn't make a single sound even though she got some pretty nasty cuts. "I hope that bush isn't poisonous..." "Don't worry, it's just got big thorns," Avia said with a smile which turned into a concerned expression at the sight of all the cuts and my torn clothes. She didn't look much better herself. "Are you all right?" "Yeah, I'm all right, it's just a few scratches." I looked around to find Vera and the succubus gone. I wasn't surprised; I hadn't expected her to wait around for us. I just hoped she hadn't gone off to torture the poor maiden even more. "How about we get back and I'll patch you up?" Her face lit up with a smile again and she jumped at me. "Can I ride on your back? Pleease?" She looked at me expectantly and I couldn't really bring myself to turn her down, even though I knew it would probably hurt. "I suppose you can try, but only if-" "Yay!" She clambered onto my back and I groaned in pain as her weight put pressure on the wounds. There was no getting her off though, so I just had to go with it. Several hours later we were back at the temple and she was busy checking up on me, having insisted that we pass by the infirmary. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, awkwardly lifting my torn shirt with her wings. "Yeah, I'm sure. You look like you've been attacked by a werecat or something yourself," I said looking at her torn clothes and tussled hair. "Oh it's nothing; I just need you to take care of me." She looked at me briefly, then slipped out of her dress and gently pressed herself against me. "Or maybe you'd rather I take care of you?" She wrapped her wings around my neck and began closing in for a kiss when Vera cleared her throat and startled us both. "Jesus Vera, don't scare the living shit out of us!" "Whatever. I just wanted to say I'm... sorry... for pushing you into the bush Avia." I looked at her for a moment, completely dumbstruck. Her apologizing about being an ass was the last thing I expected, and judging by Avia's face she was just as surprised. "Well?" Vera asked, visibly uncomfortable with the situation. "I apologized; can I at least get a positive reaction?" "No you can't," Welbie said, suddenly appearing behind her. "We're leaving, so get your stuff together." "Why are we leaving?" Vera asked, adapting and reacting quicker to the situation than Avia and I. "Because I've been called back to the Rock and I'm not leaving a half-competent fool to lead the army." "And the high priestess?" "She'll have to make do on her own. This takes precedence," Welbie answered, pulling a letter from her belt. "What does it say?" Welbie responded by tossing the letter to Avia. Looking over her shoulder I could see that it was written in a language I couldn't read, but Avia seemed perfectly able to understand what was written. "Could you translate that for me?" I asked, giving her a slight nudge. "You don't need to know what it says," Welbie muttered, walking forward and snatching the letter from Avia's talons. "Just be ready to leave in a pair of days and you'll get to know what you need to know when we get back." She took the opportunity to kick one of Vera's shins on her way out, considerably worsening her mood. "Just give me a moment with that dwarf and I'll show her..." she growled once Welbie was out of earshot. "You can't fight her Vera," Avia scolded her with a frown. "You have to be nice to colony members." Vera turned around to glare at her before turning her gaze on me. "I believe you owe me something nice Eric," she said after a moment, a little smile lighting up her face. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:17 PM
| Chapter 13 Part 3 "I don't think I owe you anything." "Oh yes you do." She moved closer and put a paw on my head. "You've owed me since we first met, remember?" "Ugh... Carrying someone you've injured yourself is hardly a favour Vera." "I'll be doing you one now though, won't I?" She ran a claw along the gashes in my back, smiling as I winced in pain. "Either way you'll owe me." "No he won't!" Avia exclaimed, tackling Vera and sending them both to the floor. Within seconds Vera had gained the upper hand and had Avia pinned to the floor. "It's my turn," she hissed. "I've just about had it with you, so how about you go find your own mate?" Avia yelped as Vera applied more pressure on her shoulders and I got up from the bed and took a step forward; there was no way I was letting her go at Avia the way she'd treated the shrine maiden before. Unfortunately Avia decided to fight back and head-butted Vera, causing her to cry out in pain and cover her nose. Despite Vera's weakened state she couldn't get free, and when Vera recovered seconds later she looked furious. "I think I might just play with you for a while." She smiled wickedly and began tearing Avia's underwear apart with one of her claws. "H-hey!" Avia panicked and tried her best to get free, but Vera had her in an iron grip and her head well away from a head-butt range. "You're not hurting her Vera..." "Oh yes I am. I'm going to hurt her so much she won't be able to stand for days," she said, looking up at me with a devilish grin. "Anything you want to do about it?" She sneered at me, perfectly aware that there was nothing I could do. I sighed and went for the door; I wasn't about to get myself killed any more than I had to. "You know what? Sure, go ahead and kill each other. Meanwhile I'll just go find some other girl who wants a man and doesn't have a mile-wide mean streak and jealousy issues. Have fun!" I slammed the door shut and walked through the underground complex, eventually making my way outside. The bird song from the nearby forest and the gentle breeze were a welcome contrast to the ruckus caused by Vera and made me calm down a bit. I walked over to the wooden terrace and lay down to watch the clouds slowly drift by, coloured orange by the last few hours of sunlight. It didn't take long before I dozed off. "Of all places... Damn idiot." I was nudged awake and opened my eyes to find myself looking at Vera's barely lit face. Night had fallen and the only light source was a brazier a short distance away. "Do you even know where we are?" "In the woods...?" I suggested, blinking uneasily as her expression hardened. "We're in or close to Kaori's domain. You make a bad decision and you're likely to get raped by a freak, enslaved or minced for food." "Be glad I didn't go out into the forest then." Vera snorted as I stood up and stretched my arms, shivering slightly from the night cold. A wolf howled in the distance, sending a chill down my spine. "Come on, we don't have time for that." She grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the temple entrance. We were nearly inside when a familiar voice called out to her from behind. "So this is the guy, eh? Didn't think you'd stoop so low, Vera." I turned around and recognized Mina walking slowly toward us. Vera immediately went on guard and pulled me behind her. "Keep your distance and mind your own business," she growled. The werewolf chuckled and smirked at her. "He is my business Vera; especially since he's not with the harpies." A look of irritation flashed briefly across her face and she muttered something to herself before continuing. "I'm not here to take him, much as I'd like to, I'm just here to tell you the pirate is at his haven again." "As if I'd care about that," Vera snorted. "He's an ass and I want nothing to do with him." "You sure about that? He's been an ass to your friend here too you know. And I know you're still mad about that one time..." "Shut it." Mina laughed out loud at Vera's aggressiveness and turned around. "I'll see you around then. Keep an eye on that human of yours or you might lose him." As soon as she'd disappeared Vera dragged me inside. "Hey, was she talking about Peg-leg?" "Yes, but that doesn't concern you." "I think it very much does," I said flatly. "He shoved me into that damn cave of yours." "Don't care." "I'm a human being too, you know," I said, bumping her arm. "I'm not a human!" she snapped, backpawing my face. I cried out and staggered back in pain, covering my nose. A shrine maiden peeked out from a nearby doorway and shot me a worried look. "Anything wrong?" "Everything's fine," Vera said calmly. The maiden retreated into her room again and Vera led me further into the complex. We passed our usual room and continued to the communal quarters where the army was housed. When we got there we had to before getting to a small unoccupied spot in a corner. "Why here?" I asked as we navigated through a barely lit maze of dwarves and harpies sleeping on the floor. "Because I wanted to." We stopped at a small, unoccupied corner and she pulled me down on the floor. "You're lucky I didn't break your nose." "How do you know?" "You wouldn't be talking." "Ah." She pushed me toward the wall until I bumped against something soft. It stirred and brushed a wing past my face, wrapping a leg around mine while mumbling something incoherent and nuzzling my neck. "Avia?" "Yes. If she asks in the morning you got here first," Vera warned. She looked at me expectantly and I hesitantly reached out to put an arm around her waist, pulling her close. The last thing I heard before drifting asleep was a faint purr. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:17 PM
| Chapter 14 “Come on ladies, rise and shine!” I woke with a start, Welbie having dropped the pommel of her axe on top of my head. She was walking through the room, systematically hitting and kicking everyone awake. Before long most of the soldiers were up and complaining about the harsh treatment. I sat up slowly and found that Vera had somehow managed to flip me over during the night, effectively placing herself between Avia and myself. The harpy had clung to the manticore instead however, and Vera woke her up with a punch to the face and an expression of utter distaste. “I’m not your cuddle buddy, damn harpy. Get a stuffed toy or something.” “Hey, I was sleeping!” “Look at my face,” Vera said, pointing a claw toward her nose. “Does it look like I care?” “Yes?” Avia suggested with a hopeful look. She eventually gave up when Vera’s expression didn’t change. “No...” I sighed heavily, earning me a kick. Back to square one again. “What are you sighing about? I’m the one tired of you, not the other way around.” Vera turned back to Avia and slung her over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. “Hey, let me down!” Avia exclaimed, flailing wildly. “Oh no, you and I are going to take a nice, long bath,” Vera told her with a dangerously soft tone. “I’m not even dirty!” “Oh yes you are.” I watched as Vera made her way through the room, Avia desperately trying to get free. As they got to the door, she resigned herself to her fate and gave me a final, sad look before they disappeared. I looked around and realised there wasn’t really much for me to do. The dwarves and harpies handled their business as they would without me and I didn’t have any belongings of my own. Judging by the fact no one came and bugged me about not doing anything, it seemed like they didn’t expect me to do anything either. Maybe it was some kind of racism. Considering humans were rare it could just be some kind of widespread racism. My thoughts were suddenly interrupting by someone lightly tapping my shoulder. “Hey, um... would you like some company?” I turned to find myself looking at a dark-haired dwarf. She was visibly nervous but edged closer nonetheless. Before I could answer or react, she was yanked back by another dwarf who smiled apologetically before dragging her away to a corner, scolding her on the way. “No touching! He’s taken already, you know that!” “But he looked lonely!” “Psh. You’re the one who’s lonely.” I stood up and began to stretch my body. The sheer number of harpies and dwarves meant that everyone had slept on the stone floor due to lack of beds, and while I’d slept on uncomfortable surfaces before, I would always end up feeling stiff. I hadn’t slept particularly well either, so I was still feeling tired. “The floor treat you bad?” Welbie asked, coming up from behind me. “Why no, I sleep on stone floors all the time.” “Hah, figured you’d be a weakling.” “And I also eat babies for breakfast and lift giants with my little finger.” “Of course you do,” she replied with a mocking grin. “It’s so obvious looking at your body.” She walked up and grabbed one of my arms, giving it a squeeze. “Those are some ogre-killing muscles right there.” She let go of my arm, took a step back and gave me a hard look. “You keep that manticore on a tight leash. If she gives me the slightest of reasons I won’t hesitate to put her down.” “You honestly expect me to control her? She’s a fucking manticore!” “And you’re a human. Apply some sexual leverage. Seems like it’s the only thing you’re good for anyway.” “Yeah, thanks...” “You’re welcome. Now come along, we’re supposed to have breakfast with the high priestess.” She led the way out of the room and through a couple of corridors. The underground complex was mostly deserted but every so often we would walk past rooms where shrine maidens were busy doing laundry, repairing torn dresses or cleaning. I couldn’t help but wonder why I was supposed to attend the breakfast too, considering my apparently low worth or lack of skills which could help with anything. I was so intent on trying to figure a reason that I almost tripped over her when she stopped outside the great hall. “Remember that I’m the one doing the talking, you’re just an accessory...” she paused for a moment and looked me over with a disapproving look on her face. “... And not a very good one at that. You should have done something about your hair. You look ridiculous.” “Yeah, because I had so much time or tools for that.” “You have hands. And your hair definitely looks greasy enough.” I gave her my best “are you fucking kidding me?”-look before reluctantly running my hands through my hair a few times, hoping it wouldn’t end up sticking out to the sides anyway. “Better?” “No, you still look fucking ugly.” “Yeah, because you look like the queen of Sheba yourself.” Her lips curled into a smile, satisfied that she’d managed to hit a soft spot. “Now come on, we haven’t got all day,” she said, opening the doors and pushing me inside the great hall. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:18 PM
| Chapter 15 I woke with a start and found myself back at the table in the great hall along with several dwarves and shrine maidens. Beside me, Welbie got back into her chair with an annoyed grunt. A throbbing pain in my earlobe told me she had probably pinched me awake, robbing be of an awesome dream about McGyver and temporal time rifts. “Now that he’s awake we can continue,” Serilda said, watching me intently from the other end of the table. Welbie grunted an acknowledgement. “You understand that I cannot let you leave while there is a common enemy about to strike, yes?” She toucher her fingertips together and shifted her gaze to Welbie. “And even if I did let you go, it is only logical that I receive some compensation for having housed and medicated your company, yes?” “I’ve already told you we don’t sell out our own, priestess,” Welbie replied, demonstratively crossing her arms. “Then I’m afraid I can’t let you go,” Serilda replied calmly, leaning back in her chair. “Either take a small group and leave the human or don’t leave at all, the choice is yours.” I looked over to Avia and Vera. The former looked sullen and had claw marks all over her face along with a black eye. The latter had scratch marks and seemed hell-bent on ignoring the harpy’s upset looks. I turned back to find Welbie looking at me, rubbing her chin. “No need to decide right now,” Serilda said, interrupting Welbie’s thinking. “Just think about it over breakfast.” She snapped her fingers and a number of shrines maidens carried out platters of food and distributed them across the table. It was a lavish breakfast, seemingly intending to make everyone fall over from food coma. --- a while later --- “So what do you think?” Serilda asked. She looked stuffed but composed; severely contrasting some of her dozed off maidens. “We still don’t sell out our own,” Welbie said, waving dismissively at the priestess. “So a small group then, seeing as you don’t have any choice?” the priestess coaxed, a slight smile on her lips. Welbie stared at her for a moment before finally conceding. “Fine. But he stays with my girls.” “That is acceptable.” The priestess replied. “A drink to seal the deal?” She didn’t wait for an answer but snapped her fingers, prompting a pair of maidens to pour her a goblet of wine and offer her a biscuit. As they backed away they glanced briefly at each other. “You’ll find this venture to be most profitable, I’m sure,” Serilda continued, taking sip from the goblet. “When we’re done you’ll have so many men that one man more or less won’t make any difference to you.” She smiled and took a bite of her biscuit. “If that man is a member of the colony then it will,” Welbie said, giving the priestess a hard look. “And we don’t take kindly to threats either.” Serilda chuckled and took another sip from her goblet when she suddenly started coughing. Several maidens immediately rushed to her side to help, but there was nothing they could do. Within seconds, Serilda’s face had gone from normal to flush to deathly pale, while the coughing seemed to make her frame thinner. When she finally slumped down on the table she was pale as marble and thin as a skeleton. Everything was silent for a moment until one of the maidens finally let out a shrill “Murder!” As if on cue, the room exploded with activity. As soon as the maiden screamed, she was jumped by a pair of her comrades. Welbie immediately flipped the table, punched the nearest maiden in the face and pulled me down to the floor. “Get down where you won’t get hurt you imbecile.” She growled, breaking off a leg from the turned table before jumping into the fray. All across the room the dwarves and succubi were using tails, plates and table legs in a fight for dominance. Welbie shoved her improvised club right in the face of a maiden, sending teeth fragments and blood all over the floor. A moment later she was involved in a violent melee against three maidens, lashing at her with their tails. Vera was likewise fending off three maidens with blood running from her mouth, one of their comrades already on the floor in the middle of a pool of blood, while Avia was relatively safe behind her. Despite their numerical advantage, the shrine maidens seemed to be losing the brawl, and I suddenly understood why. Contrary to initial appearances, there were three fighting groups. Apparently the maidens had turned on each other, making the dwarves’ non-lethal approach easier. --- “That’s that,” Welbie concluded a moment later after having clubbed the last standing maiden down. She wiped her blood-splattered face and rested the now severely deformed table leg against her shoulder. “I don’t care what you think or what you did,” she said sternly to the group of conscious maidens huddled together in a corner of the room. “I need to get home and I’m in a hurry.” she spat blood onto the floor and gave them all a long, hard look. “You don’t start a fucking fight with the Rock’s finest and expect to win that easily.” She turned away to look at the wounded helping each other set joints and splint arms and legs. There were a lot of broken bones and dislocated joints, but surprisingly only two dead. One of these was the shrine maiden Vera had killed, the other one a dwarf who slipped and fell on a knife. “You’re lucky I’m in such a hurry that I don’t have any more fucks to give to you,” she growled, “otherwise this room would quickly turn red from floor to roof.” She spat out the last part and threw the table leg at the nearest maiden. “Come on girls, we’re moving out.” We moved out in good order with the rear guard dwarves still armed with improvised weapons in case any of the maidens should get any ideas. As we moved through the temple complex the uninvolved maidens gave the bloodied and bruised dwarves both worried and curious looks. About halfway out, I was bumped from behind and my arm was wrapped by a familiar mix of blue and white feathers. “I’m going to carry you this time,” Avia said, her amber eyes almost shining with excitement. Behind us, Vera let out an annoyed sigh and kept her gaze firmly fixed on the ceiling. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:18 PM
| *COUGH COUGH* For the flying fuck of Jesus balls! *chokes in surprise* |
 "You keep changing the shape of your eyes. How does that even work?" -AbhLeaderKrelian |
| HE'S BACK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN and Vera is still a bitch :D Apart from them it seems you haven't lost in writing quality and nice to see the plot going forward even if I would prefer if the dwarves were the ones losing to the shrine maidens but eh |
| :D Please do note that while I have made minor revisions to chapter 14 (previously 13), the new addition is actually chapter 13 ;) I'll be starting by giving the earlier chapters their dialogue colour back (because that's how I want it). Once that's done, I might gradually start on the actual continuation of the story. At the very latest I'll have something new for you by mid-january. |
| Don't listen to me. Lalalalalala *whispers* I preferred the chapters without dialogue colors. Also seems like a lot of work. |
| Why, does it look too much like christmas to you? ;D |
| Chapter 16 I groaned and turned over, trying my best to fall asleep; being carried by harpies for hours on end puts considerable strain on your limbs. The harpies had managed to cover a considerable distance during the day, but the quicker pace had eventually made them exhausted. As a consequence we had set up temporary camp to let them rest, and Welbie insisted we don’t continue until the next day. For some reason she seemed reluctant to let the harpies fly during the night, though neither she nor anyone else would say why. Deciding I wouldn’t be getting any actual sleep for a good while, I rolled onto my back and looked up at the night sky. It was a clear night, and the stars were only momentarily obscured by the night scouts making their rounds. A cool breeze carried the sound of rustling leaves from the nearby forest, the occasional bird chirping and the soft breathing of the sleeping monster girls around me. A soft scraping announced the next guard shift, and the returning harpies continued their conversation in hushed voices so as not to wake anyone. “… So all things considered, do you think he’ll actually stay?” “I honestly don’t know… I mean she did find him first, and I don’t think she’s the kind to settle down.” “Yeah, I figured the same. At least he’s mostly safe while he stays with us.” “But then what? She’s kind of fighty.” “Well sure, but you’re hardly a rookie either, are you?” “I suppose not…” “Cheer up. Just make sure you keep an eye on him and it’ll be fine.” “Yeah... thanks. You’re a good friend Helen.” “And you’re a friend worth keeping. See ya tomorrow.” I tilted my head back to catch a sight of them just before Avia’s face popped into view. “You’re not sleeping?” “Kind of hard when your joints hurt…” “Is it really that bad?” she asked, cocking her head. “Have you ever been carried like that for hours on end?” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “No.” “Well there you have it. You’re a scout then?” I asked, pushing myself up to sit. “Betty decided I wouldn’t make a good fighter, and I was part of the Midnighters anyway.” “The Midnighters?” “Yeah,” she said, making herself comfortable in my lap. “They’re a harpy tribe. Well... my tribe.” She paused to spread her wings demonstratively. “Some are black harpies and everyone has dark feathers, but most of us are pretty normal . We all see better in the dark though.” “So you’re a special kind of harpies?” “Not really. Betty said we just have some unusual traits.” “Hmh... How many midnighters are there?” “Not too many, and I don't know of any outside Harpy Rock. We used to live in Kaori, but we were forced out of there.” She said, unsuccessfully suppressing a shiver. “Enough about me though…” She turned around and gave me a mischievous smile before pushing me back down. I managed to brace for pain just before my head hit the ground, and the instant after I felt her soft lips pressing firmly against mine. The sound of her breath, the feeling of her breasts pushing against my chest, the faint scent of her hair; it all suddenly felt magnified. She yelped with delight as I squeezed her gently and pressed herself tighter against me as if afraid I’d let go. We kept kissing for what seemed like an hour, and when she finally pulled away she was visibly flustered. “T-that was real kissing…” “It was, wasn’t it?” I smiled at her and she shyly covered her mouth with her wings. “So… d-does that mean you love me too?” she asked with a heartbreakingly hopeful expression. I sighed. Naturally it would always come down to this. In that sense Vera was easier, she just didn’t give a shit. I gave myself a mental note to reprimand myself properly later. This girl expected me to be some shining prince who’d instantly fall in love with his destined princess like any fairy tale. Lying to her just felt wrong, but I couldn’t bring myself to break her heart either. “Can I be completely honest with you?” Her expression instantly reversed. I could understand her perfectly well; indirect answers are seldom the ones you want to hear. “Mhm.” “I don’t know.” “What do you mean?” she asked, slowly cocking her head. “I’m not really sure I know what it feels like to be in love with someone. I thought I did once, but… something happened. I suppose I just forgot after that.” I paused for a moment to let the words sink in before continuing. “I do know what platonic love is like though. I hav- had, a friend I loved like that. I know there’s a difference, but I’m not sure about what it is anymore.” Avia pulled back up and sat looking down at me for a long time with a pensive expression. Her wings hesitantly spread toward my face several times but retracted. She eventually turned to the direction where Vera was sleeping and looked at her for a moment before leaning down again. I felt her warmth as she cuddled up close, put one of her wings over me and her head against my breast. “I’m just going to have to make you remember then,” she whispered. I smiled weakly at that and stroked her hair until she fell asleep. A million thoughts passed through my mind as I looked up at stars, but despite my unrest it wasn’t long before I was fast asleep too. |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:19 PM
| D'aaawwwww... that was so cute <3 C'mon Avia, you can do it! XD |
"You keep changing the shape of your eyes. How does that even work?" -AbhLeaderKrelian |
| Chime is back and better than ever. |
| Signature removed. It was too good for this cruel world. |
| Agree with Sydo... cute/10. Agree with reb... barf/10. |
| *Color barf* lol jk Very pessimistic about relationships huh? Give the girls some love and warm that cold heart of yours :P |
  |
| OMG CHIME COLORS UGH HOW CAN I READ IT NOW IF ONLY THE TEXT COULD BE COPYASTED ARGH WHY U DO DIS CHIME |
| Chapter 17 Part 1 I watched the dwarves pack up and the harpies do their morning stretches from under the shadow of a tree. They were working quickly and it wouldn’t be long until we’d continue the journey back to Harpy Rock. I tilted my head back to rest against Vera’s shoulder and tried my best to ignore the faint throbbing from a pair of new cuts to my face. “Was that really necessary?” “You tell me.” She was pretty much guarding me like a dragon guards its treasure, glaring at anyone who got too close. Avia had begrudgingly given up any thoughts of getting close a long time ago and was busy doing her warm-ups along with the other harpies. I sighed and closed my eyes, listening to the camp bustle. “Do you think it’s fun?” Vera asked suddenly. “Hm?” “Flying.” I opened my eyes to find her looking at the swarm of harpies doing acrobatics in the air. “Suppose it could be. You could always ask Avia to teach you.” She snorted. “A dwarf taught me how to fight, I rather not have a harpy teach me how to fly.” “You prefer not knowing then?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. She grumbled something in response and I smiled faintly, patting her head. A second later her palm connected with my face and I found myself shoved to the ground. “Should have seen that coming…” I pushed myself up again with a groan. “Playing the dominance game again, are we?” Welbie asked, walking up to us with a grin. Vera’s ears tilted forward slightly and her eyes narrowed. “If we are I’m definitely on the losing side,” I replied, shifting into a comfortable position. “I can see that. Who would have thought the legendary ogre slayer would have trouble with a simple manticore.” A low growl escaped Vera and made Welbie chuckle. “If you keep treating him like this I might just have to take him into… custody.” Vera quickly pulled me close and held me in an iron grip. “Over my dead body you midget.” “Ha! You have some spirit, I’ll give you that. When we get back I want you in the pit.” She turned around as another dwarf jogged up to us and saluted. “Everything’s packed up and the harpies are done with their warm-ups Welbie.” “All right. Hustle up and move out. I want us there in a day-and-a-half.” --------- We were welcomed by a blazing funeral pyre surrounded by various harpies and dwarves as we neared the mountain. By the looks of it the diseased one was a human, and eight harpies, one of them evidently the mother, stood out as the man’s family. They were huddled together, looking to each other for comfort as they watched the fire in solemn silence. “Welcome back Welbie!” Betty exclaimed as we neared the mountain entrance. “I trust we didn’t thwart your plans for world domination?” “No, no. Of course not,” Welbie replied sarcastically. “How could you?” She had no intent to stop to chat, and as she walked into the mountain proper Betty smoothly fell into pace. Vera made a point by falling in with them rather than keep with Avia and me in the back. “Did I go too far?” Avia asked with a troubled expression. “She’s just… complicated.” I paused to think for a moment. “What do you girls usually look for in a guy?” “It varies. Some just want someone to… you know. Others want warriors and some just want loving partners. Isn’t it the same with humans?” “Eh… yeah, I guess. So what’s with hooking up with the first guy you meet?” I asked, a smile playing in the corners of my mouth. “Well you have to be aggressive if you want something. I mean Vera could fight over you, but I… can’t really do that,” She said, fidgeting anxiously. “Then if you picked up someone you didn’t like you could always trade them for someone else at one of the markets or have a witch alter their mind.” I repressed a shiver and felt a prickly knot of anxiousness form in my chest. I hadn’t expected reality or her to be so brutally honest, and the thought of what Vera might decide didn’t sit well with me at all. I hadn’t even considered that there might be a slave trade of humans, but it made perfect sense. The question was what to do to keep from ending up there. As if sensing my anxiety, Avia wrapped her wing around my arm and smiled at me. When we arrived at the council chambers a moment later I stopped her briefly outside. “Hey Avia… when we finish this up I’d like some time alone with Vera, is that all right?” “Yeah,” she said after a moment of hesitation. “Just make sure you don’t get killed, okay?” |
chimechuOct 15, 2015 11:19 PM
| Sorry to hear about the family troubles, but this was still a well-written chapter. I would be opposed to losing the colors, but I don't use them myself so that's really your call. =) Hope to see more once you have the chance! |
chimechu said: ...not everyone wants the rainbow of friendship and magic in the post :P ...well... thanks. XD --- Waiting very eagerly to see what the 'alone time' will result in. =D |
| Despite the fact that the chapter was short, and not really eventful, I'd say that I really liked it. The first part was especially good, so relaxing and well written, in contrast with the "brutally honest" second part lol The end of the chapter is intriguing ù_ù |
"You keep changing the shape of your eyes. How does that even work?" -AbhLeaderKrelian |
| This chapter is a lite version of the crossover with emerald. "Real" new chapter Soon™ Chapter 17 Part 2 Welbie had been shouting obscenities at the council for a good while when Betty introduced a trio of companions I’d never seen before, headed by another human. “Ah! Here are our esteemed arbiters now. This is-” “Jam your hammer in it, Betty! They aren’t part of the colony and there isn’t a damn thing they can offer to change my mind--and you all already knew that!” One of the companions, reminding me of a raccoon, stepped forward and gave an elaborate bow. “You are the mighty Welbie of which the colony speaks so highly, yes?” Vera snorted, calling the man’s attention to us. He gave us a quick lookover but lingered on Vera for a moment before turning his attention back to the conversation. “Was that really necessary?” I whispered, giving Vera a stern look. “Yes.” She shot me a look like she could strangle a panda and turned to regard the newcomers. “... and Delilah,” the raccoon girl finished, presenting herself and her companions. I felt Avia loosening her grip on my arm and glanced at her. She was so mesmerised by the newcomers that she didn’t even notice herself leaning forward. “You didn’t tell me why I should care,” Welbie replied. “Taking a man into the pit right now doesn’t sound so bad, though--so let’s do that.” The man stepped forward at that, opening up as if he’d been in some shakespeare play. “I apologize for wasting your time, noble council members. I was certain the mighty Welbie would jump at the chance to take a swing at the hobgoblin Fina-” Welbie’s face took a red shade while he was talking. “How stupid do you think I am!? I know what you’re trying to pull, and Sugartits is already dead! I’m not going to let you get away with dressing up some other-” “You might not have heard, but my companion is a necromancer--able to reanimate the dead!” the man interrupted, wrestling control of the conversation. “We never recovered the body! She died in the goblin village! You’d have to-” “-Convince Chief Sunslayer to give us the body? Bring it here? That’s already been done, but if you don’t think you can beat her even after all of this time…” The entire council room went silent at that. He looked around at us as we were taking in what he’d said, everyone taking it differently. “Could they really do that?” I asked Avia, but she looked just as confused as I felt. Welbie had completely lost her composure and looked between the council and trio as if expecting them to call the joke out. “So how about it?” the man continued, “You could take your chances with the Dragonslayer in the pit--or maybe we give you a crack at the one opponent you’ve been trying to imagine at the other end of that hammer your entire life.” Startled by the question, Welbie looked up and asked, “You must be joking! Sunslayer was the one that ordered-” “Not her style...and you probably already knew that. Not to mention that she gave the bones freely, along with the wagon to transport them.” “And you think this is going to get me to agree to some crazy peace plan?” “Absolutely. We’re also willing to include a special bonus that would be absolutely unattainable otherwise.” After a moment of pause, Welbie finally answered, “I’ll do it...under one final condition.” “Which is?” I asked. “If I agree to this then I want to go a round with Sunslayer in the pit.” “Uh…” I began hesitantly, relatively certain it wouldn’t be a problem but unable to make the decision without the chief present. “That option is open to you, already clearly specified in the treaty, at Sunslayer’s request,” Del added with a nod. “And the rest of the council is okay with this?” “All of us except Morven, and she’ll get over it--your vote makes it a passing majority,” Betty added helpfully. “Fine!” Welbie shouted as she stormed towards the exit, stopping at the door to shout back, “So are we doing this, or what?” The council room started to empty as everyone followed after the fired-up dwarf. I managed to catch up to Vera outside the chambers and grabbed her arm. “You and I need to talk.” |
| Woot, and just in time too! (sort of) =P |
chimechu said: This chapter is a lite version of the crossover with emerald. "Real" new chapter Soon™ Good, some respite... Cause I still need to catch up.... *Hides in corner to read* |
| Compared to the other stories that usually tends to be small novels, this feels rather brief. It doesn't feel wrong. One thing which however got my attention is the comment regarding the crossover. It seems this is one of the old stories that has been suddenly resurrected, which leave me confused where it should stand in the overall timeline as the Emeraldtryst's work is a quite long novel covering a large amount of time. |
 |
Malise said: Compared to the other stories that usually tends to be small novels, this feels rather brief. It doesn't feel wrong. One thing which however got my attention is the comment regarding the crossover. It seems this is one of the old stories that has been suddenly resurrected, which leave me confused where it should stand in the overall timeline as the Emeraldtryst's work is a quite long novel covering a large amount of time. Since you asked... All of the interaction I had with Harpy Rock was part of this crossover. So that would be the Sunslayer tribe, the short (on my end) stuff with Welbie, and Risa trying to settle that debt with Serilda (which was also a Beast crossover item...which was actually intended to be a crossover with Yuda before things got out of hand WAY back in the day) =) |
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