Ch.102: Night of Festival; Enjoying a Meal
“Hey Ally! Over here!” Cole’s Grandfather called to his mother, waving his arm over the crowd. But when she got closer both their eyes popped wide open.
“Mom….? uh, why are you wearing someth-” Cole began with an annoyed look.
“My goddess you look so stunning!” His grandfather cut him off, wearing a big proud smile on his face as he stepped closer with his arm open.
“Hey Dad.” She quickly hugged him, both sides giving a quick squeezing hug. They sorta held the hug for a short while. When they did separate, his mother held a grumpy, almost pissed look as she eyed his grandpa. “So are you going to hang around then?” She asked, her face quickly shifting to a playful smile.
“No, I’ve got a few orders to finish up. But I shouldn’t be too long. I’ll be back an hour or two before solar song even dreams of starting.” He gave her a little wink. “Uh, by the way. Where is Oliver? Didn’t he come with you?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, he’s using that concealer I told you about. Uh, Oly? You can show your presence.” She said.
Cole looked around but didn’t see a big fanged dragon stalking about, just loads of randos walking to one show or to some of the game stalls. His eyes fell back on his mother after almost a minute of looking. “Uh………Mom? Are you feeling alright?” Cole asked with a worried face.
His mother looked around after that, her face mixed with confusion and possibly a drop of worry? Instantly her head snapped to his grandpa. “Dad.” her brows crashed together, her tone slightly shaky. “Go to my workshop. Please.” She said.
“Right.” He nodded before looking over at Cole. “I’ll see you later.” He gave a small smile before quickly speed walking away.
“Looks like your brother got lost.” His mother said as she motioned for him to follow.
“Great.” Cole annoyedly whispered to himself.
Jordy had spent her time being ‘lost’ in what she believed the most productive way possible. Rushing down to every shop that offered anything remotely sweet that she could share or even give to her bonded tree. As she looked at scented oils and even spotted flavor candies, which suggested were perfect to change the taste of bland oral love into something much more sweeter. Jordy easily bought sixteen boxes, along with twelve bottles of skin tingling salve. A failed aftercare product for soothing muscles that instead made the skin slightly more receptive to touch. Or in Jordy's own words, ‘All body lip, clit and gland rub’.
After quickly storing her items in her storage bag, she briefly wondered if she should buy some fairy charms to give her bonded tree an extra umph. Whether she play as a jouster and he the receiver or even back and forth was her main concern. “Last year he fused me to his body and really fed me~! I hope he uses me again oooorrrr~, I pay him back and stuff him so full, he’ll have to be the human girl~!” the prospect of switching roles really sent a shiver through her core and even made her false hair tremble with joy. “Oh, damn it! Oh Novia, why did I give in for a quick splitting?!” She sighed before making her way down an alley and into a resting spot in the middle.
Leaning her head back, she eyed the darkening sky beyond the surrounding buildings. “We’ll be starting soon….. Who would’ve thought a few songs about that grouch would make my family so famous. Sigh. I need a few decades before I can even consider being a deva scealai.” It was then she spotted a small furry animal rush down into the space.
Peering down she saw an adorable brown squirrel with a big bushy tail that bobbed side to side as it looked up at her. Unable to resist its cute little eyes, she approached it. “Aww~! Hey little gardener.” She cooed at it and it reached its little paws up at her as if begging. So she knelt down. “Here to collect some seed little one?” She reached into her hair and pulled something from her neck. “Here you are~. I’ll be replacing that anyway.” She opened her hand, revealing a dozen black bulb like seeds. But the moment she lowered her hand, the squirrel gripped her hand, its claws sinking into her green skin. “HUH?” She tried to pull away but the small squirrel easily held her arm without being lifted off the ground.
It was if the animal was way heavier than it appeared. The animal quivered in place, its right shoulder bulged and with a crack, looked to have dislocated to its back. With several more cracks, its body pulled and popped out of place, its back developed large growths that slowly swallowed the animal. Jordy noticed the paws were also growing thicker and the claws in her skin only grew wider, cutting deeper into her.
“Shit!” She cursed under her breath as the animal was growing larger than a desk. Around its two black eyes sprouted a hundred more eyes, growing as if they were pimples while bones shifted under its skin like bubbling water. She looked down at her trapped arm, bit her lip and began to pull, surprising the animal, making it pull back with its huge meaty paw. “AAHH!” She moaned before she kept pulling. She felt her skin stretching, burning, her muscle fibers cried out as they were pulled to their limit. But both animal and girl pulled, until-
*SNAP*
Was it down this way? Or down that way? I rubbed my chin as I looked at three possible ways I could go. But annoyingly I couldn’t remember which one I took with my mother. “Guess this is what I get for watching the sights and new scenery.” I grumbled as I looked down one street. Gold and silver ribbons hung on the lamposts at the next intersection there.
That looked almost right but was their gold on the main stree-
“Wonder if the Jardin will perform this year.” “Heard they were too busy pounding it last year. Lasted almost two weeks!” “Wha-oh-oo! That’s gotta annoy those weird naga. Out sex that you lizard weirdos!”
Three people were slowly coming up from the sidewalk to my left and worse yet my whole left arm was now flickering like a dying bulb! I could even see a shadow of it, a shadowy arm detached and floating in the air. They would see part of me if I stayed any longer! So I ran down the street to the one with gold and silver. I kept going until I was probably halfway down to the next intersection.
When I finally did stop and began looking for anything familiar only to spot a window filled with white dresses. Some with mesh sleeves, others with white flowers around the skirt, a few showed off cleavage and most seemed to hug the mannequin's rear. Making the thighs and rear look thicker and more shapely. I even saw at least three that had flat chests with see-through mesh in the middle and another one that had broad shoulders and clawed white gauntlets. And hanging to the ceiling was a sign that read, ‘Not local? Our online storefronts are available with sales on select themes and/or seasonal dresses.’
The other side had tuxedos. Some with button up shirts and others without the shirt. Others had odd head pieces, headbands with flowers, one was cat ears with fluffy gray puff balls in front and one was almost like a veil trimmed with gold lace and some shimmering beads. One was almost a normal tux except it had a navy blue skirt wrapped around the hips that looked like a fancy coat tied to the waist. Another had the large shoulder pads some dresses had with a wave, swirl pattern with what looked like some sort of veil like cape. Just like the dress store this one too had a sign for an online store
GOLD?!
I slapped my face. Of course I just had to rush over here! My shoulders dropped as I mentally shouted at myself. Guess this place is more of a maze than I thought….
Shaking my head I slowly began to look down both sides of the street, hopefully I’d spot some familiar landmark and be on my way. I tried to ignore the white dresses but a lot of them just looked at me. Maybe it could’ve worked out if things were different? Would there be a storm if I didn’t…… Would she be happy? But even if it could never be, could I ever?
I shook my head. No. I’m not really sure I’ll be ready.
Maybe I should look around back this wa-
“HELP!”
A scream softly echoed from one of the alleys, cutting me off mid thought. I looked around but there wasn’t anyone else around, just me. I really shouldn’t be worried about someone….. I turned to the alley. I gotta find Mom’s warehouse…..My feet started moving. I’m also not going to be hidden from anyone very soon…… I was already rushing down the alley as that thought popped into my head but I didn’t stop, I couldn’t.
As I ran down the alley, I could hear a few more cries for help and the closer I got the more I heard an odd creaking sound. Maybe it was more of a snapping sound? It only made me pick up the pace as I slammed my feet into the floor, turning my running stride into wide hops.
The moment I left the alley I heard it.
*Munch-Munch-crunch*
I entered a small park nestled between the buildings and the first thing I saw was the owner of the crunching sound. There to my right was a large squirrel the size of a medium bookshelf, its large eyes shimmered with a thousand coin sized shapes. It had a thick muscled tail and its claws were a deep blood color, looking around eight maybe ten inches long. Its black fur looked all matted as if it was covered in mud and the teeth! Inside its maw were several buck tooth curved incisors instead of the normal molars in the back. Its jaw moved, followed by a snapping crunch. Following the sound, my eyes widened as a greenish arm that limply hung from its crimson claws. It raised the arm to its mouth and bit down with another crunch while the arm twitched and the fingers slightly closed then opened.
“Get away! Get away! PLEASE!” Came a horse scream.
My head snapping to the left I saw a woman with pale green skin, white eyes and the bush next to her was bending over to cover her. Its branches and leaves spread wide as if to hide most of her body while she lay in a pool of clear liquid that smelled like a mix between wet dirt and honey. Her eyes were shaking in her skull while her body trembled as if she was dunked into icy cold water.
*Crunch-Munch*
The squirrel kept eating as it stared at the woman with its almost purple eyes, never blinking.
The fuc-
Its tail blurred before slammed down, cracking the concrete path in two with the sound of an uprooted tree crashing into the pavement.
And my right claw flew on its own. I felt them cut into one of its arms, the flesh cutting away like hard boiled egg and something harder popped like sheers through a thin branch. The green arm it was eating plopped to the ground with a hunk of brown goo that slapped the floor. I didn’t wait for a reaction as I slammed my foot into the ground and quickly twisted my body. Sending my tail hurtling right into the side of the squirrel and launching it straight into the brick wall next to it.
*BooM*
I quickly rushed over to the woman and tried to pick her up but she flailed her arm and the another bush slapped my thigh.
“GET AWAY! GET AWAY!” the woman screeched. “I don’t want to die! Go away!” Another branch quickly grew and stretched until her face was nearly completely hidden. “STAY WAY YOU-YOU-WIGHT!” She shouted at me.
That made me step back, only for my eyes to catch my arm in full view, claws dripping from the gunk that creature had for blood. My scales pinched and my wings felt as if slime was stuck between the fingers. “I’m not a-”
Before I could realize it, a tall shadow grew behind me, blocking out the sun. right as it stood above me, I felt something heavy bump into my ribs, easily shoving me to the left and throwing me off balance. My feet wildly shuffled and gouged the cement with its claws as I tried to catch myself.
“RRrRrRRrRRrRRRRoOooOoOooOGGgGGgGGHhhhHHHgG!”
I felt something tightly wrap around my tail as if it were a machine and with an odd pull, I was sent flying fast into a wall. FUUUUUUUCC\Charge/CCCCCKKKK!
Before I hit the wall, my body quickly heated up, my scales burned and my guts felt full of boiling water. My right shoulder and head met the brick first and the brick crumbled and flew out of the way. Sending me into a pipe that quickly snapped away and stopping me. I could see wood and drywall, a few more pipes the moment I opened my eyes. But I also noticed the shards of glass all over, some shards looked like petals or slices of blooming flowers. My body burned, my skin was oozing fire and only one thought raced through my head.
FIGHT.