Act IX

by Alexander Gordon

  Kitten gulped and lowered her head while her wings fluttered behind her.

  “I see,” she said gently taking hold of his hand over hers. “So you like your mate to be motherly? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “I like for my mate to show that kind of compassion and gentle nature, especially with children. I’m really proud of you, Kitten. I can see you’ve changed a lot since we first met, and I’m glad. If that was the real you I saw earlier, then I can’t wait to see more of her soon if I’m lucky.”

  “Master,” Kitten breathed out with a quivering tail. She looked up into Daniel’s eyes as she felt her heart beating more quickly from his words. The two smiled fondly at each other, the gentle clacking of the wheels and Lucky’s hooves the only things being heard as Daniel saw the cambion in a new light for the first time. Although her glowing cerulean eyes gave the same imposing presence of a demon behind them, he also felt that there was a softer side to her that he was finally starting to see.

  The two shared their moment of bonding a few seconds longer before Daniel looked past her and showed a confused face.

  “Kroanette? Alyssa?” he asked looking around, and then noticed someone else was missing. “Clover? Where did they go?”

  “MOTHERFUCKER!” Clover yelled out. Daniel and Kitten jumped then looked over to the side, both of them watching in puzzlement as all the girls had gathered near where Clover was now hopping around with Snapper having chomped down on her hand.

  “Dammit, let go!” Clover shouted while waving her arm around, swinging the young swarm like a flag that clung to her with tiny snarls.

  “Yay, she likes you!” Cindy cheered while clapping.

  “Clover, don’t swing her around like that!” Kroanette scolded as she quickly took hold of Snapper. Along with the help of Star they managed to open the swarm’s mouth and free Clover, the elf hobbling away muttering obscenities to herself and rubbing her hand while Kroanette held the swarm up at a safe distance from her face which had a nervous smile on it.

  “Oh my, just look at that… smile,” Kroanette shakily said, watching with a whimper as Snapper kept snapping and growling at her like a rabid animal, which was pretty normal looking for a swarm.

  “She wants a kiss,” Cindy squealed, with the girls turning to her in disbelief.

  “A kiss?” Kroanette frightfully repeated. “I really don’t think she wants that at all.”

  Snapper snarled while thrashing about before she leapt forward and landed on Kroanette’s chest, promptly chomping down on her right next to where Pip screamed from between the centaur’s breasts.

  “She’s coming to eat me!” Pip cried out as she saw the large set of teeth struck into the centaur in front of her along with seeing Snapper’s eye focusing directly on her.

  “WAAAH! Get her off me!” Kroanette wailed while scampering about.

  “She’s kissing you!” Cindy cheered. “She likes you too!”

  “She’s biting her, you moron!” Alyssa yelled while struggling to hold onto the bucking centaur.

  Kroanette ran around in circles screaming before shaking her chest about, the young swarm and her large endowments swinging heavily while also hitting Clover right in the face. As the elf was knocked to the ground by the centaur’s breast hitting her with great force Snapper and Alyssa flew off onto the ground with a soft thump, leaving the witch dazed for a moment before she saw Snapper lying on top of her. The young swarm clicked her teeth with buzzing wings, eyes staring hungrily down at the witch that was shaking beneath her.

  “Easy there, Snapper,” Alyssa nervously said with a weak smile. “We just wanted to pet you, that’s all. You like that, don’t you?”

  She slowly reached up to pet the monster’s head before Snapper, as expected, snapped at the witch’s hand. Alyssa screamed while narrowly avoiding losing a finger to the powerful chomp of the infant swarm, her hands then grabbing hold of the monster’s shoulders as Snapper tried to chew off the witch’s face with hungry snarls and quickly buzzing wings.

  “Help! Somebody get her off me!” Alyssa cried out. She pushed Snapper aside and frantically tried crawling away before a loud chomp was heard, followed immediately after by Alyssa shrieking in pain as she felt the swarm’s teeth sinking into her ass.

  “She’s going to eat me! AHHH!”

  “She likes your butt!” Cindy cheered with a hop. “That must mean she likes you too! Yay!”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Clover shouted at the wraith.

  Squeak and Star quickly hurried to get Snapper off of Alyssa while Kroanette cringed as she held a hand to the bite marks on her chest.

  “Darn it, that really stings,” she whined. Looking down she saw Pip shaking in fear between her breasts, with her shirt having suddenly become damp by obvious means. “Pip, did you just pee in there?”

  “So many teeth,” Pip whimpered with a twitching eye. “So many teeth. And they’re trying to eat me. Protect me, my boobies. Don’t let the teeth get me.”

  “Oh, Pip!” Kroanette complained while feeling the fairy’s frightful release running down her stomach.

  “OW!” Alyssa cried as Squeak and Star finally pulled Snapper off her butt. The swarm kicked about with tiny snarls before Star grabbed her, warped them away, tossed her into the bushes, and warped back to the group.

  “Did you just throw Snapper away?” Kroanette asked bewilderedly, with Star looking up innocently and shrugging to that.

  “Don’t throw the baby away!” Cindy whined as she ran over towards Snapper. “Throwing the baby away is bad!”

  “That fucking bitch,” Clover grunted, standing back up and holding her hand with a cringe. “I just wanted to pet her. What the fuck was that about?”

  “Ow, ow, ow, ow,” Alyssa whined rubbing her rear. Squeak helped her stand and looked around at seeing the girls in pain from their swarm bites, a worried frown forming on her face before she noticed Cindy pulling Snapper out of the bushes. The swarm instantly latched onto her chest and started chewing at her shoulder, something that the wraith only laughed at playfully while calmly walking back towards the group.

  “Don’t worry,” she announced. “The baby is fine. She’s still so cute and amazing! Who wants to hold her next?”

  All the girls jumped and looked to each other nervously, none seeming eager to take up that offer, before everyone noticed Daniel and Kitten watching them from the now stationary carriage.

  “What is going on over there?” Daniel called out.

  “Gee, I wonder,” Kitten dryly said with an amused smile on her face. “Honestly, how desperate are you girls to be my master’s toys?”

  *****

  Under the sky that turned darker with the night approaching Lelu watched as stars began to show themselves behind the clouds. The moonlight from above cast Trixton Pass into a pale hue as the centaur sat atop a small hill near the cottage.

  “Mother,” she quietly said to herself, a single tear forming in her eye before she slowly wiped it away. “Please, be at peace now. I’ll see you again someday, I promise.”

  “There you are,” Max said from behind. Lelu turned to see the boy walking up towards her with a backpack slung behind him and a basket in his hand. “What are you doing over here?”

  “I was just taking a moment to rest,” Lelu answered with a frown. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little tired. Never worked so much before in all my life, except the days I spent running for it of course.”

  “C’mon,” Max ordered motioning her over. “We’re almost done out here. One more thing to take care of and then it’s time to head back.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t much use for you today,” Lelu moped as she got back onto her feet. “I’ve… never used an axe before.”

  “I noticed,” Max said with a raised eyebrow. “You kept falling over every time you started to chop wood with it.”

  “It was heavy,” Lelu whined. “And my arms got so sore after swinging it a few times. I don’t understand how you’re not
tired now.”

  “Because I work every day, this is normal for me. Didn’t you ever do chores back at your home?”

  “Nothing like this,” Lelu said as they started walking together down the hill. “I just went to school and afterwards I usually spent my time in the library or running in our fields. I never did such strenuous chores such as this.”

  “This wasn’t strenuous,” Max corrected shaking his head. “Actually today was pretty easy as far as my days go.”

  “Easy?” Lelu exclaimed. “We chopped a mountain of firewood earlier-”

  “It wasn’t that much,” Max snickered.

  “Then we picked berries and herbs from the field for hours-”

  “You ate more than you gathered,” Max dryly reminded her.

  “And we also carried untold amounts of water from the stream to your home-”

  “You carried those jugs a lot easier than I did,” Max said with a shrug. “Not to mention more at a time than I could.”

  “I don’t like being a pack mule! And aside from all that you’ve been working even more than I in the woods for the past hour, you just keep going and going with working. I don’t understand how you do it.”

  “You really did have an easy life growing up,” Max sighed. “I’m kind of jealous actually. Sounds like you had more time to play and have fun.”

  “Have you always been working so much like this?” Lelu asked as they started to enter the nearby forest. “This is what you do every day?”

  “Of course. Things need to get done around here after all. If I don’t do them who will?”

  “And your sisters don’t help out at all? They make you do all the labor?”

  “My sisters are usually out with their own work to do,” Max reminded her. “Compared to hunting monsters like they do I actually have it easy. Besides, it’s not so bad. I don’t mind running our store or doing chores around the cottage. I like helping out however I can. This is my home too after all.”

  “You’re such a hard worker,” Lelu commented. “I didn’t think human men did anything like this.”

  “What do you mean? What did you think we did all day?”

  “Have sex,” Lelu answered, with Max stopping and turning to her questionably.

  “Do monsters really think all we’re good for is our seeds?” he dryly asked.

  “Um… if I say yes…”

  “That’s all we are to you, aren’t we?” Max sighed as he started walking forward again.

  “I’m sorry,” Lelu quickly apologized, rushing over to his side and keeping pace. “I didn’t mean to offend, I just-”

  “Why are you sorry?” Max muttered. “Why do you even care how I feel if all I am is a seed bag to you?”

  “You’re not a seed bag, you’re my friend!” Lelu shouted. Max halted and turned to her curiously as the centaur huffed and stomped her front feet. “I didn’t mean what I said to sound offensive, at least it wasn’t supposed to. I just… and you… I wasn’t trying…”

  “Lelu?”

  “I’m sorry,” Lelu pleaded taking hold of his hand. “It’s just you’re nothing like what I was taught human men were like in school. All we’re taught is how to use you for making babies, how the process works of extracting seeds and… to put it bluntly the class on how to milk a human is nearly identical to how we learn to milk a cow.”

  “So we’re livestock to you,” Max flatly assumed.

  “Livestock don’t have feelings of compassion and understanding,” Lelu softly said while sitting down before him. “I was told the men that I would someday milk for their seeds would only serve that purpose and nothing more, that allowing us to give birth to more of our kind was their only purpose in life. That they’re essentially animals in this world with no feelings or even a soul.”

  Lelu whimpered and shook her head as she held onto his hand tightly.

  “You’re full of life and energy, you have a wonderful personality, you’re hardworking and love your family, and you’re not just some nameless human who’s only kept by your women to have sex with. You’re strong, brave, and have a heart that would show mercy and empathy towards even a broken centaur like myself in this world.”

  “I’m not… that strong,” Max unsurely replied.

  “You are to me. I had nothing else in this world after those monsters took everything from me, I had nowhere to go or anything to hope for. I was lost, alone, and terrified. And the one who saved me wasn’t a centaur but rather a human, one that I had always thought of to be nothing but… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for not seeing the truth before. I’m sorry for how I used to think of you. I really am.”

  “Lelu, you don’t have to-”

  “I’m sorry!” Lelu cried out, lunging forward and hugging him tightly. He gasped with her breasts pushing against his chest while the girl held him close as she broke down crying. “I’m sorry, Max! Please don’t hate me because I’m a monster, please don’t! I know you’re not livestock, I know you’re not an animal, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had! You understand me, you care about me, and you… oh, Max! Please forgive me for how I used to think! Don’t hate me for how inconsiderate I used to be, please!”

  “Lelu, calm down,” Max urged as he struggled to pull free from her grip. “I don’t hate you, okay? I don’t.”

  “You promise?”

  “I promise, I don’t hate you. You didn’t know any better, you didn’t know how we humans really are. You’re not at fault for that.”

  Lelu whimpered and slowly calmed down then leaned back to show her teary eyes at Max. He finally got free from her hold and backed up, seeing the centaur watching him with sorrowful eyes and low whines.

  “I don’t hate you, Lelu. I mean… you’re a monster, and I’m a human, but… I don’t hate you. Even though I’m supposed to because you’re a monster, I honestly don’t feel any anger towards you. Okay?”

  “Thank you, Max,” Lelu quietly praised. She sniffled and quickly wiped her tears away while getting back onto her feet. “I’m sorry, I’m only causing more problems. Forgive me. What is it we need to do before we head back? I don’t wish to keep you waiting out here.”

  Max remained silent for a while, seeming to be thinking about something while she waited for his reply. Lelu showed a worried frown from his silence before he waved her to follow him again. They walked through the woods, staying close to the edge of the forest and near where the cottage was, with Max leading the centaur through the darkened woodland in silence. As they rounded a tree a small clearing was seen ahead with the moonlight shining through the branches above, revealing the dirt near a larger oak at the edge of the woods appearing to be freshly dug up in a big spot. Lelu stopped and looked around slowly before it dawned on her where they had ended up. She hadn’t noticed as during her talk with Max that he had been leading her towards this spot from the side of the forest rather than taking her directly there from the cottage, because if he had then she would have known right away where they were going.

  “This is…” she breathed out before seeing Max standing beside the oak and looking down at the ground.

  “I need you to tell me your mother’s name,” he requested before looking to her with a sympathetic smile. “I need to know so I can carve it on the tree to finish her grave.”

  “Max,” Lelu squeaked out, hands held over her mouth as tears began to well up. “You… you buried her?”

  “I buried what was left of her,” Max remorsefully said. “Those gremlins… they… anyway, I did what I could.”

  “Why? Why… did you do this for me?”

  “Because I know what it’s like,” Max explained looking down to the patch of dirt. Lelu slowly walked over and knelt down, resting a hand on her mother’s new burial ground. “I lost my parents to a monster attack. A monster killed them and… tried to rape me afterwards. My sisters saved me, killed the monster that took our parents from us, and watched over me ever since in their place.”

  “Mother,” Lelu wept softly
.

  “You may be a monster,” Max told her. “And maybe I should hate you for that. But I don’t. If anything, Lelu, I feel sorry for you, because you lost something precious to you. Something I know how it feels to lose. And nobody, not even you, deserves to feel that pain.”

  “Max…” Lelu breathed out, looking to him in stunned amazement. He smiled a little then set down his bag and basket. Inside the bag the clanking of tools was heard before he opened the flap and dug around inside. He pulled out a small knife and looked to the oak tree for a moment before he handed Lelu the basket. Taking it from him she saw it contained several colorful flowers, all having been picked by the boy from the local flora.

  “Oh my…” she quietly remarked before seeing Max standing up next to the tree.

  “You can give your mother one last gift while I carve her name in this tree for her grave. Lelu, what was your mother’s name?”

  “Jessa,” Lelu whimpered. “My mother’s name was Jessa.”

  Max nodded then began etching the fallen centaur’s name into the tree, leaving Lelu speechless as she started crying. Slowly she started picking the flowers from the basket and weaving them into a small wreath, her tears falling onto the soil where her mother now lay. The two children didn’t speak, but rather worked to pay their final respects to Lelu’s mother. After writing the centaur’s name in the tree and with the circlet of flowers made by her daughter now resting at its base, the two kids stood aside next to the grave while remaining silent, both wishing that the elder centaur would rest in peace now.

  “I can never thank you enough,” Lelu breathed out, eyes wearily going from the grave to Max. “Max… you’ve done so much for me. I can never thank you enough for all this.”

  “You don’t need to thank me,” Max said shaking his head.

  “But I do!” Lelu cried as she dropped to her knees and hugged him tightly. “Max, you’re too good to me! You spared my life, you took me in, and you even laid my mother to rest after she was taken from me! Oh, Max! Thank you! Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would do without you!”