Though his night with Volka certainly helped to keep his imagination occupied, sex with her had been glorious, and he was certainly looking forwards to more.
Milly finished with her posts and he heard her stomach growl so he sent her out into the field to graze, saying that he wasn’t going to be much longer.
And indeed he wasn’t, after two more armloads, he took a long drink and surveyed their handiwork.
“I do not understand the point of this.” Escrya said from behind him.
He jumped slightly from her sudden voice.
“It’s a line, to show where one person’s land begins and another ends.” He answered.
She shook her head in amusement.
“Do you not know that already? The Saenga know where their land is, and others know because when they trespass we make them regret it.”
“It’s symbolic, like, is there a reason for all the feathers?” Nameless gave a wave at Escrya’s hair.
The Amazon smiled as she watched Milly grazing several yards away.
“I don’t know is there?”
She gently flicked the feather in his own hair and raised her eyebrow.
“Oh, um, Volka gave me this because she couldn’t give me her heartstone.”
Escrya nodded.
“This is true, and there is your answer. Before the Valkyrie fell they would gift one of their flight feathers to their bond-mates, but they would also gift the smaller feathers from their plumage to their friends. I do not know what all of the other tribes did, but the Saenga would braid these feathers into their hair.” She stroked her hand over some of her braids; “Sadly these are just simple goose feathers, a token of remembrance.”
“It’s a beautiful sentiment.” He said.
“Indeed it is, and I thank you for reminding me of it, Escrya!”
Volka called down to them from above as she landed, her wings causing the grass to flatten around them and Nameless and Escrya to shield their eyes.
Once the air stilled again they saw that she had pulled out a small tuft of golden plumage and held it between her fingers, her hand outstretched to the Amazon.
The downy feathers were small and soft, and just as translucent as the feather in his hair.
Escrya looked torn between breaking down and crying and whooping for joy.
With trembling fingers she accepted the sacred gift.
“Th-thank you, Lightbringer, this mean more to me than you can ever know!”
“As does your protection of my husband. I will gift your sisters with more of my feathers when I see them.” She gave a dramatic sigh; “I imagine by the end of the day I will look like a plucked turkey.”
“A sexy turkey.” Nameless countered with a smirk.
Not to be outdone, the Valkyrie leaned in and bit his ear, her tongue working over his lobe.
“Hmmm… gobble gobble.” Her hot breath washed over his flesh as she murmured.
Her hand shot down into his pants in full view of Escrya and without delay she pulled him by his manhood between the new posts and into the trees.
They were not even really out of sight of the amused Amazon when he learned that angels gave amazing head.
Chapter 13:
Courting Cordy
The lone Hornet queen descended on Kettering, her heart aflutter with surprising nerves.
She had never been on a date before.
A blushing Cordelia had suggested it when she dropped by the bakery to finally pick up her pie, though at that point Oldeera could care less about pastry, she just wanted to see the fiery girl again.
She had desired others before this, had sent out her Hornets to bring them to her, to sate her lust and theirs to be sure, but like all monster girls there was more that she craved from them.
All of her previous paramours were good people, and all would likely have made fine bond-mates to some monster girl out there. But even with the very few of them who she allowed to touch her heartstone, she just felt there was something… lacking.
When she had heard there was a new Empath, naturally she reached out to him, as many girls would. She knew little of him before he was brought into her bower, and though she admired, respected, and even lusted after him based on what she had learned since, he still wasn’t the one who caused her heart to pound in her chest so hard she was certain those around could hear it.
Now it was the scowling face of a certain local baker’s daughter who made her nether lips moist.
But the confounded girl drove her crazy! One second she pulls away, the next she dives in for a kiss. She yells at her, and is then crying in her arms moments later.
Oldeera was a queen; she was supposed to be the capricious one!
She shook aside her reverie as Cordelia emerged from the bakery. The brunette was still wearing her blue and white apron dress, the one that had torn the other day, and she had flour on her nose and one cheek.
She started at the sight of the queen waiting for her.
“Oh! Um, you’re early. I was just about to head upstairs to get cleaned up.”
Cordelia fidgeted with her hair as she spoke, the feel of the queen’s eyes sliding over her body making her self-conscious, a fact the Hornet didn’t miss.
“You look fine honey, in fact I prefer you this way.”
Cordelia swallowed and took in the queen’s attire: she was once again dressed in her chitinous armour, though she wasn’t carrying a lance.
She shouldn’t have been surprised; when she had suggested a date, Oldeera was perplexed, and admitted she had never been on one before, something about being a queen and her girls bringing her willing suitors all the time.
“Well, I should wash my hands anyways.”
“Would you like me to wait here?”
“No, you can come up, my dad and my sisters are still inside.” She said with a quick shake of her head.
There were more than a few people on the street, and some of them were openly gaping at the sight of the queen.
Even in her armour she was a knockout, soft curves in all the right places, with her cleavage all but spilling out of her chest-plate.
Due to their wings all of the Hornet’s armour had to have the same design, shaped similar to a tube-top to leave their upper back and shoulders bare.
But while the eye-catching monster girl ignored the numerous eyes on her, Cordelia was uncomfortable at the extra attention, so bringing her inside seemed the safest choice.
She took Oldeera’s hand and pulled her around the right side of the bakery to the stairs leading to her family home.
Once inside she let out a sigh at the thought of what Kettering’s rumour mill would make of her and the Hornet queen.
The locals weren’t malicious or overly nosy with their gossip, but they weren’t shy about it either. With Nameless’s return still shrouded in mystery, everyone in town was afire with curiosity and Cordelia wasn’t keen on being pulled into the center of it.
“So this is your home? It’s very… cozy.”
The Hornet’s eyes shifted around the living room, while the girl with flour on her nose closed the door behind them.
Cordelia’s father had raised three girls here, and it showed. Strewn all around the comfortable furniture of the room were his recipe books, Christine’s textbooks, and to her utter mortification, a pile of Helen’s laundry waiting to be sorted sitting on the couch.
“Yeah, it’s kind of a mess but its home. I know it’s not what you’re used to but-”
Oldeera flapped her hand with a poo-poo gesture.
“Nonsense! It’s lovely.”
“It didn’t used to be so messy, back when mom was around. But now Christine’s always studying and dad keeps me and Helen so busy in the store...”
She was scrambling to pick socks up off the floor, but Oldeera leaned down and took her hand in hers.
“Honey, it really is okay, you weren’t expecting company. Do you really think my hive is so pristine when I’m not having someone kidnapped?
”
She had pulled the smaller girl to her feet, and now they were almost nose to nose.
“Y-yeah.”
“Hmm?”
“Yeah I do think it’s pristine all the time. You do have a lot of hands after all.”
Oldeera wiped the flour off of her nose with her index finger, a smirk on her face.
“Fair point. Tell you what, next time you come to visit, I’ll have my girls empty my underwear drawer all over my bower!”
Cordelia snerked at the image of the Hornets deliberately making a mess in the bower, though eventually the image devolved into a topless pillow fight, the queen draped on her bed in the middle, regally presiding over the action.
She gave a quick shake to dispel the fantasy.
“Right, well, I’ll just be a few minutes.”
She escaped into the bathroom she shared with her sisters, and was even more mortified than before to see the state of the place, but shook it off as she had a quick wash.
A few minutes later she came back into the front room to see Oldeera with one of Christine’s textbooks in hand, absently flipping through the pages.
“Your sister is interested in lost technology?”
“Yeah, she wants to go to Algrade to study.”
The Hornet’s eyes widened.
“Admirable, but I hope she understands just how selective they are in taking on new students.”
Cordelia nodded.
“She knows, but it’s what she wants, and dad is really supportive so she’s going for it. She sent her application in a few weeks ago so we’re all waiting to hear.”
Oldeera set the book down gently.
“And what about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your older sister strives to be a machinist, is there something you wish to do?”
She shrugged.
“Guess I’ve always assumed I’d take over the bakery from dad someday.”
The queen drifted over to her and took her hand again, playing with each of her fingers while Cordelia’s heart fluttered.
“Well, you are a gifted cook, that pie was scrumptious!”
Once again the two were very close as the queen played with her fingers.
Cordelia coughed slightly.
“So we should get going, for our d-date I mean.”
The queen tilted her head to one side with a sly smile.
“Or… you could give me the rest of the tour of your home, I would dearly love to see your bedroom honey.”
Her sweet breath washed over Cordelia’s cheeks as she leaned in, but the baker’s daughter knew that would be a very bad idea and shook her head.
“I share a room with Helen, and she’ll be coming upstairs soon.”
Oldeera’s face fell, but she quickly recovered.
“Well, then, lead the way.”
“Lead the way?”
Cordelia was still stuck on the idea of showing Oldeera her bed, so the queen flicked the pad of one finger over the girl’s nose teasingly.
“On our date, honey. I told you before I’ve never been on one, and I’m kind of curious.”
With that she backed off and Cordelia let out a shuddering breath.
“Okay, yeah! Sure, I figured we could go for a walk? That is, do you… walk?”
Oldeera laughed out loud, the warm peals filling the room.
“I do have legs honey! Or hadn’t you noticed?”
She crooked one leg out, turning her curvy thigh at the knee to give Cordelia a better look.
The Hornet queen simply didn’t know how to stop flirting.
But before Cordelia could react to the teasing display, Helen burst into the room.
“Holy crap!” She exclaimed when she stopped short of plowing into Oldeera from behind.
The Hornet queen wore a warm smile as she turned to face the youngest child.
“You must be Helen.”
Helen’s eyes were wide and her mouth agape.
“Y-yes, I’m Helen.” She leaned sideways to look around Oldeera at her sister and continued to speak through a fixed smile; “Cordelia. There’s a Hornet in our living room!”
Cordelia swore.
“She can hear you!”
“I know that!” She said defensively as her eyes flicked back to the queen.
The queen raised one eyebrow.
“Helen, as lovely as it is to meet you, your sister and I should probably leave for our date.”
Cordelia dropped her face into her palms, now the Katje was out of the bag.
Helen’s jaw dropped as she stammered for several moments.
But then surprised the queen by letting out a squealing noise and vibrating while holding both fists to her chest and stamping her feet.
“Um, what?” The Hornet blinked.
Then Helen threw her arms around the startled queen’s waist and hugged her with her face pressed sideways into her armour.
“That is so cool! I hope you have sooo much fun! Oh Christine is going to flip out when I tell her!” She let out a little gasp; “Are you going to share your heartstone with her? No wait, I’m not supposed to ask that, am I? Sorry! This is just so exciting!”
Oldeera had her arms out to either side while the young girl expressed her excitement. Then she let out a helpless laugh and returned the hug with her arms over Helen’s shoulders.
“Oh! I like her, can I keep her? Pretty please?” She looked back at Cordelia who was doing her level best not to murder her sister.
To make matters worse she could hear her father’s footsteps coming up the stairs outside, and that was yet another conversation she wanted to avoid.
So she leapt forwards and seized the queen by her hand to drag her away from Helen and outside onto the stairs where she came face to face with her startled father.
“Cordelia? What-”
“I’m going out dad! Helen’s messing with your recipe books again!”
“Oh that little-” Completely ignoring the Hornet, he pushed past them both on his way inside; “Helen! I keep telling you, not everything needs to taste like pumpkin!”
With her family distracted, Cordelia and a very amused Oldeera made their escape.
“This is so much fun! I like our date so far!” The Hornet enthused while the breathless girl had both hands on her knees panting from the sprint away from the bakery.
“It hasn’t even started yet!”
“All the same.” Oldeera casually reached out and intertwined her fingers with Cordelia’s; “I’m enjoying myself immensely.”
With a pretty blush from the young girl they went hand in hand as they continued walking through Kettering.
Once they were away from the bustle of the marketplace, Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief; the eyes of the townsfolk had followed them all the way out of town.
Seeing a couple on a date wasn’t unusual, and seeing someone on a date with a monster girl wasn’t unusual either, but Oldeera and the Amazons were a new fixture in Kettering, and the locals still weren’t used to seeing the warrior breeds in the small community.
That and nobody fully understood just why they were there to begin with.
Cordelia knew that when she got back, her entire family would ambush her, even more curious then the rest of Kettering.
They walked in silence for a few minutes before Oldeera spoke again.
“I like your family, and your home.”
“Thanks.” Cordelia mumbled, still embarrassed and eager to change the subject; “So what about you? Your home I mean?”
The queen’s cleavage swelled distractingly as she shrugged.
“Since I pledged my hive to the Aegis my home is wherever they need it to be.”
“That sounds sort of lonely.”
“We are warriors honey, don’t let the crown fool you. I chose to fight to protect monster girls everywhere, and the Aegis is the best way to do that.”
“So you’ve traveled a lot then?”
“Yes, I have been to many of
the city-states. After all, you’ve seen just how fast my sweets can fly.”
Cordelia winced.
“Yeah I have, I’m still sort of queasy.”
“I am sorry about that. If I’d known-”
“It’s alright. I’m over it.”
There was a lull in the conversation.
“How about you honey? Have you traveled at all?”
Cordelia shook her head.
“No, I mean, I’ve been shopping in Wayfelt, they have more stores, and we went to Garland once when I was really little, with my mom.”
“I see, and if I might ask, where is-”
“She died, when I was seven. Wasting sickness.”
Oldeera sucked in her breath.
It was a horrible way to die.
“I am so sorry.”
“It’s alright. We, my sisters and I… mom made dad keep us away when it got really bad, I just remember her being kind of frail and tired a lot, though she was always smiling.”
Another lull as the pair walked, but then Oldeera looked around at the road.
“Where are we going anyways?”
“No clue.”
She blinked in surprise, causing Cordelia to qualify her words.
“I mean, I had a clue, but it was dumb so I changed my mind. Some date huh?”
Oldeera giggled and bumped her shoulder against Cordelia’s.
“I wouldn’t know, my ‘dates’ in the past were usually a lot more graphic than this.”
The girl blushed at the thought, remembering the heat between them in the queen’s bower.
“Yeah, I can imagine.”
Oldeera stopped walking and gave her an amused look with one eyebrow raised and one antennae lowered.
Cordelia backpedaled as she realized what she just said.
“I mean, I can’t! I don’t! You naked! I don’t imagine that!” She sputtered.
“Oh, and why not, am I not pretty?” The queen pouted.
“No! I mean, yes! You’re very pretty!”
Cordelia was completely flustered as she tried to find her way out of the hole she had inadvertently dug with her words and Oldeera grew more amused by the second.
Home of Consequence Page 17