by Atlas Kane
She wasn’t a 3D rendered picture of a demon girl, she was the real thing, and her proportions and anatomy seemed as natural as Minda’s fur and pointed teeth.
Remembering how close her breasts were, heavy and yielding, didn’t help him relax. Thinking of her thick legs and the squishy expanse of her ass had his heart racing. He fought to guard his thoughts, but it was no use. Ketzal giggled, then gripped his hand.
Sorry, he thought.
Don’t be. I am flattered, she replied.
Knowing it was too soon, and that his body needed rest more than ever, he let fatigue take over. It was the only thing to slow his mind.
The morning came in a blur of inappropriate dreams. His dick was a harpoon, and he found Ketzal had politely tucked a few furs between them. He didn’t blame her. Having a sword at your back all night wasn’t the best way to get sleep.
Realizing Satemi hadn’t woken him, he trudged out of the shelter and found his three women having breakfast by the fire. “You didn’t wake me for guard duty,” he complained, feeling like a caveman with his hair amuck and his posture still bent from sleeping.
“I took turns with Bellows. No worries. You all needed your rest, and I will take a long nap today,” Satemi said, taking a sip of something hot from one of her carved wooden cups.
Minda spoke up next, pointing to Cade’s groin. “Instead of yapping at her, you might want to go take a cold shower up at the falls. Something vile followed you out of your furs.”
Cade blushed but refused to cover himself as he walked over and sat down near the fire.
They left him alone with his breakfast, and though his grumpy mood clung to him, when Satemi handed him a cup of something steaming hot, he had to give it up.
Sipping the liquid, he noted it tasted bitter and earthy, almost like tea but bolder. “Shit! What is this?” he asked, drinking deeper.
“Carmor Seed tea. It has a mild stimulant effect, so it was a favorite at the old village. I found a tiny bush in our grove. Minda enchanted it last week and it blew up. Should help with that tiny splash of asshole you still have on your face,” Satemi said, giggling at the last. “What happened last night anyway? Feeling… frustrated?”
Having the tea warming his hands, and already feeling a tiny buzz shoot into his nerves, he let the jab go. “Yeah, yeah. So, I’ve been thinking, we should call on our shared demon friend. I think we need to find out what is happening with these spiders, if he knows at least.”
Minda took the lead and called out in a sing-song voice, “Pablo! Come join us, please!”
The purple creature formed, this time taking on a long and sinewy figure that looked like a distant cousin to a horse. Its legs stretched further and its feet each had toes that gripped the edge of the log he formed on. Pablo’s form was tremendous, and as he turned slightly, Cade saw sunlight rippling off long feathers.
“I am here, Minda! And a pleasure to see you all. I have some news myself, so be quick.”
“We came across a nasty creature yesterday, a horde spider. Have you ever heard of them before? We were worried, because if there truly is a horde, we might be in serious trouble,” Minda explained.
Pablo nodded his long head, and when he spoke, Cade saw a row of sharp teeth in his mouth. What the blazes is that creature? he wanted to ask, but decided to keep his curiosity at bay for now.
“Horde spiders, yes. They have been here in Antinium since the beginning. Vile enemies, but honestly they can be good neighbors. You didn’t happen to kill one, did you?”
Cade coughed in his fist, anxiety settling in his guts. “We killed a scout.”
Pablo shook his head. The mane of writhing tentacles wavered in the air around him. “That isn’t good, but it might not be a problem considering it was a scout. If you looted the body, it should have disappeared by now, absorbed back into the world. If the horde does not find the corpse, they will not follow. Was it close by?”
“Atop the bluff behind us. Maybe five or six miles up the mountain,” Minda answered.
“Well, that is concerning. But scouts can venture as much as fifty miles away from their nest. So the chances are your new village is still relatively safe. For now, I have more concerning news.”
Everyone focused on the little purple demon and the tension in the air grew considerable. Never before had he approached them with information. It was usually a one-way request.
He cleared his throat and continued. “Normally, I am not allowed to influence this world directly. That includes knowledge of events that are occurring elsewhere. However, Vormer and his foul Aten have broken several rules. Cade, do you remember when you tried to summon me and you couldn’t?” When Cade nodded, Pablo finished. “That was Aten’s doing. The Burning God has been trying to thwart your efforts. This transgression alone was worthy of concern to The Council. But what Vormer has been doing to the portal… is something else.”
“The abyss creatures,” Ketzal said in a whisper.
“Just so. Never before has a citizen of Antinium sought to draw energy from outside the world. It is disrupting the balance here, and will cause serious problems.”
Fear gnawed at Cade’s chest. He had to ask. “What kind of problems, Pablo?”
“We do not know. However, as the rules have been broken, I have been permitted great liberties. A new champion has arrived to Antinium, one that may prove vital in the fight against Vormer. She has escaped the city and is now making her way toward the Toth mountains. A contingent of Silver Guards and Vormer himself pursue her. It is your duty to seek her out and ensure she survives long enough to grow powerful.”
“How can we find her?” Satemi asked, all business and concern.
Pablo shook out his long neck, perhaps his form’s way of expressing anxiety. “I have issued you all a quest as well as populated your map with the location. Take this day to prepare, but if you do not leave tomorrow, you will fail.”
His warning left them all with a sense of impending change, and Cade downed his tea. There was work to be done if they were all to head off on some gallant mission tomorrow. And whoever this woman was that needed their help, Cade just hoped she could hold on long enough without them.
5
A Hell of a Pony Show
Camp Casmeer was alive with activity. Minda was arm deep in the earth, harvesting what herbs and ingredients she could for an evening of planned crafting and preparation.
Satemi had hidden herself in the workshop she’d finally finished, a ramshackle hut big enough to house an elephant and filled with a few tables, stacks of leather, and the crude tools she’d managed to make.
And Ketzal had taken Bellows on a walk to find more food.
Much had changed in the week they’d been here. Their sleeping structure was fully grown, the trees twisting off at the top of the building and even growing a wide ring of branches. Those filled with leaves, and a vast shadow was cast now, providing them with moving but predictable shade.
The waterfall still tumbled down the cliff wall behind them, its constant chatter now an irreplaceable part of the day.
Satemi had been working like a savage. Aside from her workshop, Cade had an Alchemical Hut, as she called it, and Minda had several crude but strong farming implements.
Ketzal didn’t need any structure or tools for her Occupation, and only Minda knew what she’d chosen to replace her old one. Apparently Vormer had forced her to select a Minstrel Occupation, and not only record his “good deeds,” but predictably put them to song.
Two new shelters were growing up as the first had, side projects Minda had begun a few days ago. They could be used for additional storage when the trees that made them up were finished growing, but all of them hoped the village would somehow grow. With news of another woman needing their aid, it seemed their gamble had paid off.
Finally, Satemi had crafted benches for the fire, a more intricate meat-roasting apparatus with a silly but effective crank to turn whatever unlucky beast was cooking over the fire.
Camp Casmeer was the home Cade never knew he needed.
His own efforts were centered around the latest of his creations. After finding some clay in the stream nearby, and experimenting with firing it into something hard enough to endure being used as a grenade casing, he had given up his quest to create an acid bomb. Yet when Minda managed to enchant a seed husk, the results were incredible.
Before she’d augmented the plant, the husks grew to double the size of a walnut. After, it was the size of Cade’s fist. And somehow, when the ether had charged the husk, it made the material durable enough to withstand the acid. In a test run, the seed pod gave way to the corrosion after nearly ten minutes.
Storing another Acid Pod in his Inventory, Cade brought it out a few hours later, then restarted the clock. Sure enough, at around nine minutes and fifteen seconds, a hole opened on the side of the pod. Confirming with Pablo later gave Cade the confidence he needed. If he stored the Acid Pods in his Inventory, they would last as long as he drew breath.
Cade had a pile of a dozen Acid Pods, five Bang Sticks, and two more large Boom Sticks. It was enough to start a pretty rowdy party, and Cade felt proud.
He remained excited to see what other wonders his grubby hands could come up with when his Alchemical Engineering Occupation leveled up once more and he gained access to more nefarious recipes.
His other Occupation, Apothecary, had been less exciting to work with but in the long run, maybe more helpful. Every member of their village now carried three of the Staunching Poultices he’d made with the Scorching Sweet Potatoes.
If anyone was bleeding out, they would most likely be saved, though on a test run when Cade had been injured during a sparring match with Satemi, he knew it was a painful treatment.
Finally, they all had three Healing Tinctures as well. These did very little healing, but had immediate effects. And as a side bonus, instead of burning like hellfire, it only caused a little itching.
His latest recipe unlocked in Apothecary was quite interesting. He read the recipe once more and rubbed his hands together.
Draught of Might (Requirements: Powdered Diaphanous Moth Wings, Horde Fungus Paste, Egg Yolks (3))
Horde fungus, huh? And I’m sure that has nothing to do with spiders. The Draught of Might was most certainly a weapon he wanted. If there was a way to boost his strength or that of his allies, he wanted it.
Considering the use of such an item, he realized that the boar might benefit from it the most, especially if it increased Strength like he thought it would.
Cade’s own thoughts were drifting when he heard someone approaching from behind him.
“Enough to kill a lion I should hope,” Satemi said. Then added, “Minda wants us to meet her and Ketzal down near the clearing. Maybe put those away for now?”
He handed over her share of the weapons and stored the rest to distribute later. Then Cade rose and walked with Satemi down the slope where they could see Minda talking with Ketzal.
Bellows was rooting in the earth, trying to dig up tubers or fungus perhaps.
“What is it? I hear there is to be some kind of demonstration,” Cade asked.
Minda opened her arms and gestured at Ketzal as if she were a prize horse. “Ketzal the magnificent would like to display the progress she’s made in her Occupation. Take a seat over there, guys.”
The demoness smiled, her face showing equal parts nervousness and excitement. Minda ran over to sit by Cade, and the show began.
Ketzal cleared her throat. “Bellows, come here, boy!”
The huge boar didn’t listen. If anything, his hunt was renewed, and he plunged his tusks into the earth.
Expecting such a refusal, Ketzal gave them all a wink. “As you can see, the big oaf prefers food to discipline. But watch when I try this. Bellows, Veni!”
This time, the muscles of the boar’s flanks rippled as he turned and bounded to her immediately. He stood rigid, his chest blowing out gouts of humid breath as he awaited her next command. She shouted another. “Bellows, Custodia!” Bellows promptly moved before Ketzal and fell on his massive rump. Rather than look relaxed, his eyes shone with focus.
Cade was going to clap when Ketzal performed another command. “Bellows, Supplico!”
The boar moved to Ketzal’s side and kneeled before her. In a deft motion, she vaulted up onto his back. When she was seated she commanded him to rise. “Bellows, Scansio!”
When the demoness lifted her hands, the entire village—Cade, Minda, and Satemi—exploded in applause. Their obvious joy in Ketzal’s accomplishment caused her face to blush. It was delightful to Cade how when most people blushed, their skin darkened. Ketzal’s deep purple became more pale, turning magenta in her cheeks, some of the display even coloring her neck and chest.
She released the boar who immediately returned to the hole he was digging up. And they all gathered around her to give more affirmation.
“That is really going to help when we need to ride the bastard into battle,” Cade said. “I wouldn’t want to rely on traditional training. So your Occupation, what is it called, and what else can you do?”
“My Occupation is Beast Caller. I chose it as my sole Occupation unlike all of you. Having two would be nice, but by choosing this one alone, I have increased its potential. For now, I can command our friend here, but have a small chance at communicating with other creatures as well. The more intelligent they are and the higher I level up my skill, the more likely I will be able to achieve that goal,” Ketzal said, staring at Bellows' backside with affection as he tore into the ground.
Satemi crossed her arms, her face shifting into the one she used when considering battle tactics. “And will you eventually be able to tame these beasts then? That could be useful in a fight.”
But Ketzal shook her head. “No. I can train any animal that is already under our command. Yet if you think of it, just being able to speak with something that is about to attack could be more than a little beneficial. Besides, it sure beats singing songs to a bastard like Vormer.”
Satemi begrudgingly agreed, the mention of her nemesis giving her all the excuse she needed to be thankful Ketzal was no longer a minstrel.
Show said and done with, they all returned to camp for lunch.
It was a light meal as there was to be a formal feast that night, and soon, everyone was at work once more. Cade, finished with what he could do with his own Occupation, made sure they had ample food for their journey, and that meant stocking up for Bellows.
He collected as much fruit as their small grove of trees could yield and inspected the spider meat. There were twenty units of the stuff, and when he pulled it out of his Inventory, he discovered it was white, almost like crab.
Tossing a heavy cube over to Bellows, Cade was satisfied to see the beast tear into his meal and then look up at him for more. They didn’t have much to waste, but Cade threw him one more and told him to go hunting. When he wouldn’t listen, Ketzal gave him a few commands, and he thankfully obeyed.
Cade helped Minda finish up her own chores. The sun was only just beginning to set when all was done. Only Satemi remained in her workshop, hammering away and occasionally cursing the gods of creation.
“Satemi! Want to wash up with us?” Cade asked. But all he got in response was a growl.
Removing his armor, Cade thumbed the edge of the great mask Satemi had worn when facing down Ketzal. After the stand down between Vormer’s will and her own, the mask had been damaged.
It remained above the opening to their shelter, a beautiful reminder of their story as well as how much Satemi was willing to sacrifice.
He walked up the hill to bathe in the waterfall with Minda and Ketzal. At first, he was driven by the innocent and earnest desire to rid himself of the dirt and sweat of a day’s honest labor. But as they began stripping off their clothing, everything changed.
To his credit, Cade kept his cool. Watching Minda run into the waterfall, her cute tits bouncing with each step, was a sight h
e had grown accustomed to, if not fully immune.
Ketzal was another creature entirely. She took off the plate armor she had from her service in Tanrial, then stripped off her clothes. Her skin was the same fathomless purple as her face, but he noted that her sex was bare and her nipples were almost black.
Her breasts drooped when they were free of her armor and clothing, the weight and size of them paralyzing Cade where he stood.
She caught him staring and laughed, her tail swishing behind her. Then she turned and entered the spray of the waterfall. It careened off of her horns, making her black hair spill down her back. The two women scrubbed themselves down with stones and talked about the silly man who still hadn’t entered the shower, standing stiff as a spear and twice as dumb.
Finally, he shook his head and walked in. If anything glorious does happen, I should at least be clean, he thought. Dutifully, he scrubbed himself down, scraping away the filth.
Focusing his mind was beyond a challenge though. Each time he felt himself begin to relax, he would see Minda with her mouth open, drinking the water and laughing, her white fur practically glowing in the falls. If not her, then Ketzal would bend to give attention to a foot. Her thighs rising up from the water were pillars of sexuality, and her curved ass was everything Cade dreamed of. She had the proportions of a pin-up girl, her soft belly curving, her hips angled and powerful.
Taking a shower with two gorgeous women had him erect and speechless for the duration. The night’s frustrated sleep hadn’t helped at all.
Minda whispered to Ketzal and the demoness nodded, laughing a little. Cade was about to dismiss himself, not wanting to upset his company when Ketzal spoke. “Come closer, Cade. I want to tell you something.”
He walked forward, staring into her massive brown eyes. “What is it? I was about to leave.”
“You can if you wish. But I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done. And though I am… timid still, to lie with a man, I wanted to give you this.” She moved toward him, her hands cupping his shoulders, and pressed her lips to his.