Jonathan A Countyman
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Chapter One Twenty-One New Growth
🕑 Added 2024-05-12 19:25:26 +0000 UTCMisaki stepped out of the house, the last couple of days had been pretty peaceful. It was currently a lovely morning as well, but Phyllis was exhausted. You wouldn’t think much of it, but having a queen in town was certainly something. Misaki had certainly enjoyed watching mother and daughter meet again, but now there was so much to talk about and plan. Especially in regards to the fish girl the queen had brought her, the poor thing was young and lost. Phyllis was doing most of those talks, and Misaki figured she would let her sleep. With that in mind, she’d thought about making her breakfast as a surprise, but the kitchen was short a few things. Sure she could have summoned them with her dungeon abilities, but it was nice out. Pleasant enough that she figured she would have a nice walk in the town, maybe talk with a few girls and see what the local market had to offer. Misaki had plenty of coin that she didn’t have much use for anyway, maybe she’d find something interesting?
Taking the path, she marveled at how much it had changed in a short time. Magic certainly was something, the people of Solkira were just as advanced as her own world, just in a different way. Where back on Earth people relied on machines, here everything was done with magic. One might think they would be ignorant of science given the aspect of magic, but it was actually the opposite, people tended to be better versed in the sciences on average. Magic relied heavily on one’s own understanding, which meant education was important. Mages were powerful and desired, and given how they seemed to replace heavy machinery she could see why. Yet despite the power of magic, the people of Solkira had not visited their moons. The one even looked habitable. Of course it had not to do with a lack of understanding, but more of the challenges found in the void. Many high-level monsters made their homes in the skies above and that included dragons, traveling into orbit was not for the weak.
Her line of thought stopped as a young naked woman came around a corner with an oddly docile monster on a leash. It was a large serpent, covered with armored scales, and a spiked spine down its back. Green markings across its face, and crystal-like growths gave it away, it was a type of lesser Wrym often found in the Underdark. A distant relative to dragons, the monster in question, the Husk Wrym was still dangerous. Husk Wryms were related to lesser Wryms, only a crazed mage had altered them. Those crystal-like growths were actually a natural weapon able to paralyze a victim, and Misaki had read about these things, they were dangerous. Their victims either died, ended up mindless husks, or they ended up in the nest, either as the bearers or the caretakers for the creature’s young. Its ability to make people into mindless Husks however was where it got its name. However since it was still a breed of Lesser Wrym, the thing wasn’t that dangerous. Especially not in the open, Misaki frowned, “Um, what’s with the Wrym?”
The other girl lit up, “Just the girl I was looking for!” she declared with a big smile.”
Misaki barely had time to process that before she was being dragged along. Um, what was going on? Her confusion must have been evident or the other girl must have realized since she started explaining.
“Sorry, sorry you must be confused, but I’m afraid your current level is wholly inadequate.”
“Huh?”
“Have you heard of child eating serpents?”
Misaki shuddered, those things were horrible. From the depth of her being she felt a sudden desire to destroy, kill and maim. She shuddered, where did that come from?
“I’ll take that as a yes. Dungeons and those serpents are natural enemies. In fact dungeons usually come out the winner, unless they are young and weak. Unfortunately for you one is being driven this way and I’m afraid you are still far too weak. So I’ve been gathering these Husk Wryms to help you level.”
Misaki frowned, as she was led into an area where there were dozens more of the creatures. Somehow she didn’t like where this was going. “Um?...”
___
Phyllis came around the corner. It had been a bit strange to wake up with Misaki not being around, so she had gone looking for her. There had been some signs that she had been in the kitchen, but clearly she wasn’t in the house anymore. After asking around the street, she’d ended up out here, past the town fence. Around her the trees grew tall. Not far from her, a thornback wolf lazily lay in front of a burrow. Well it seemed to, but she could tell it was warily keeping an eye on her. At her level, a monster like that one would usually leave her alone. One of the benefits of being strong, was that weak monsters would often leave you be. Especially if you left them be, of course that was only true of the smarter ones and wolves were always intelligent.
A small wolf pup, popped out of the burrow. She giggled as she watched it for a moment, it was so cute! A part of her was tempted to just grab the little one and snuggle with it. Her mind paused for a moment, then she sighed. It seemed that being a girl had changed her more than she realized. Shaking her head she walked on, it wasn’t like that changed much though. Her hand drifted to her belly, it might not have been how she wanted it, but Timura was right she had found love. She’d found what she wanted, and before long she would have the family she was looking for. Phyllis almost couldn’t wait to meet her growing daughter.
Passing by a tree, she started to hear the sound of fighting and she rushed on past several more trees before entering a clearing. Where she came to a stop. Phyllis blinked, this wasn’t what she thought she would see. As she watched Misaki dueling with a Husk Wrym, while a naked girl sat on the side coaching her. “That’s it, dodge left. Now release!”
Misaki followed the direction, and then released a spell before complaining, “Why am I doing this? I have monsters!”
The girl giggled, “What kind of lazy thinking is that? Sure you do, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to know how to fight.”
Misaki groaned, as Phyllis made her way down. Giving her a better look of the area. The clearing was a nicely prepared training arena from the look of it, with a rim of earthen seats around a flat bit of earth clear of debris. Off to the side was a pen full of Husk Wryms, just lazing about, while Misaki was fighting the one in the ring already.
The girl spotted her first, shifting to give Phyllis a better look at her. Phylis found her rather cute, if a bit exotic, if not for a few details she could have been Misaki’s sister. She had bright gold and blue eyes that shimmered in the light, surrounded by puffy cheeks. Her nose was small yet cute, her hair was a light blue and shot through with highlights of gold that seemed to glimmer in the morning light. It was long and well kept. The woman had two pairs of breasts on her chest, the upper pair was bigger, by perhaps a cup, maybe a cup and half, both had cute little nipples and seemed perky. Her chest overall was modest, and somehow looked natural on her. She had a lithe athletic build with a nice tight tummy and precious little hair on her body. Her exposed pussy seemed to be a little moist and gaped slightly as it twitched a little, giving Phyllis a clear view of the pink flesh within and her swollen little nub. Yet her most exotic feature was obvously the two little mounds on her thighs. Soft round flesh, peaked with a pair of fat little pink nipples. Strangely it looked cute on her.
The girl smiled, “You must be Phyllis. I’ve heard a lot about you, my name is Arrieta. If you would like, you could join us.”
“Um, pleased to meet you?”
Following her gaze, the girl giggled, “Oh she was curious too. I promised to let her play with them, if she passes my little class.”
“I’ve never met anyone with thigh boobs before. I can’t imagine wearing panties to be comfortable with those.”
“Oh pants never work, it does feel weird at best but I don’t much like clothes so it works out when I can be naked.”
Phyllis sat down nearby, then gestured at the arena, “So how did this happen?”
The girl sighed, “My sister. I don’t much approve of my family, but this is one of the cases where I agree with what she is doing.”
“Um?” replied Phyllis feeling lost.
“Sorry I should start at the beginning. I’m half Atarli, my sister is a full-blood and I’m sure you know what that means.”
Phyllis gave her a look, picturing those weird abyssals known for cultivating young girls for their brains and babies. Any adventurer who had been one as long as she had; knew about them. “Do you?”
“Eat babies? I do not, Goddess Xeria would smite me the moment I did. Anyway, that’s not important. What is important, is what my sister is doing. A child-eating Serpent showed up near her nest, and she decided that driving it north towards our young dungeon here would be best.”
Phyllis paled, “A serpent? Here?”
She searched the gaze of the other woman, the half-breed, something she didn’t know was possible, but found no sense of falsehood. The girl was being honest at least as far as Phyllis could tell. She started to get up, she was going to have to organize a defense. The queen was still here wasn’t she? She needed to order protection charms. Then her racing mind slowed, wait? Goddess Xeria?
The girl sighed, and then pointed to a pale mark she hadn’t noticed just over her womb, “I’m a follower of Xeria.”
Phyllis blinked, “The pregnancy goddess? She...”
The girl nodded, “Yep, with a few rules naturally, but we are getting off the topic. The Serpent, we have some time before it gets here. Which is why I am here, to make sure our young dungeon here is strong enough to fight it. Well that and recruit more followers for my goddess. Who will be pleased to see that damnable serpent's head on a pike.”
Letting out a breath, she replied, “Sure, but I have things to take care of now.”
Misaki groaned, “Um, help me out here?”
The girl frowned, “right, you should slow down, rushing won’t be...”
She trailed off then brought Phyllis closer, running a hand over her belly, before giving her a look, “Who the fuck taught you how to regulate mana flow? These paths are all wrong!”
Phyllis groaned, “You too!? My mother said the same thing. I know, I’m working on it, its not my fault!”
Arrieta gave her a look, “That’s not good enough, mana flow is very important to the growth of your kids, if you want your daughters to be born healthy and painlessly that is.”
Ignoring the daughters thing, thinking it was a slip of the tongue, she said, “Mom said something similar.”
Misaki interjected, “Yup, Pafi said that.”
Arrieta’s grin turned evil, “Well why don’t you get here, you are doing okay. I’m going to get started on correcting this idiot’s mana flow.”
Misaki smiled, “Sure thing!” Clearly far too happy for the chance to get out of here. Phyllis felt a shudder go down her spine. Why did it feel like she had stepped into a lion's den?
