Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ The Second Day ~~~​

The closeness and teasing told Alex all she needed to know as she felt Aes shifting atop her, but once that hand landed on her exposed rear all she could give was a sharp gasp that actually shuddered as that hand laid its claim upon the dragon's shapely ass. There wasn't anything else that Alex could offer, not with Aes feeling both so very familiar as both herself and as the man she pretended to be.

But even as the demoness lined herself to perfectly impale what was rightfully hers one that hand started trailing up Alex's body. It glided over her flesh, those fingers caressing and teasing the conquered beasts flesh until they finally came to a rest upon her neck, and once it did Alex simply froze. She'd never had anyone lay such a possessive claim over her, not even in those few moments when she'd practically thrown herself into Roko's arms, but as those fingers settled over her throat she couldn't bring herself to do anything. She could feel the strength in them, how easily they could simply choke the dragoness with nothing more than their firm grip, and all she could do was hold her breath and wonder why her sex was suddenly burning. It felt like it was practically screaming to be filled, to consume the prick that was sitting oh so near, but even if it only took a small shift on her part Alex couldn't get herself to move even the slightest of inches. All she could do was sit and wait while that hand gently yet firmly turned her head to the side, her Mate's lip trailing over her exposed neck and jaw, and once they finally stole their first kiss all she could do was moan into her love's mouth as Aes starting easing herself into Alex's drooling folds.

Aescila's advance came to a stop as only that first inch entered the dragon's depths, and though Alex wanted, no, needed more all she could do was sit and whine into the mouth that held her still. As she was kissed a part of her expected Aes to reach into her own mouth with that agile little tongue the demon so loved to use, but this time it was flat and thick. It slid against her own and simply attacked, the skill and grace she'd come to know from her angel replaced by the direct and aggressive stance that was so decidedly masculine that she couldn't help but picture Haedrin bearing down on her. That itself became a temptation, and though a part of Alex fought against it there was no longer any holding back. She simply closed her eyes and gave in, and as her tongue finally started to dance under her partner's lead all she could see was the man her body so desperately wanted.

That total act of submission was rewarded a moment later. Alex felt her fantasy push his way forward, his girth suddenly filling her entirely, larger than she was accustomed to as he gracefully slammed himself against her deepest depths, and though there was a touch of discomfort it was completely drowned by the pleasure of feeling him drag against every inch of her needy sex while he pulled out and gave yet another powerful thrust. His grunted moans were soon joined by her own, and as he pulled back for a third she could feel his primal yet controlled lust pushing him to bury himself as deep as he could and fill his student with his broiling seed.

By that point Alex was so far gone that only the very corners of her mind could recognize the display of skill that belonged to Aes and Aes alone, and even then there was no hope it would ever reach that base animalistic need that now had its claws thoroughly entrenched within the dragon's soul. All she could focus on was the way Haedrin started rutting her, how he held his own animal at bay while he started to pound into her, how his sheer physical presence held her down even while his hands were merely bracing himself against the ground so he could fill her again and again and leave her unable to do anything more than clutch at the grass beneath her hands and beg for more. With every push she could feel him leaving a taste of himself behind, a drop of pre splashing against and past her cervix and promising that when he exploded he was going to fill her until she felt ready to burst.

Alex could feel it would happen soon. She could sense his need to release his flood into her depths just as badly as she wanted to feel him stuffing her. But he held back. He kept his climax at bay and simply pounded her for pleasure's sake. It quickly brought her up to his level, her body's hunger growing with each strike of pleasure Haedrin forced into her body until she felt she would scream if he didn't give her what she wanted, and it only took a couple more thrusts until that desire was finally fulfilled. She felt him throb, his length expanding within her as her prepared to fire, and that was more than enough to set her off as she felt him slam against her inner depths one final time. As his first wave struck her walls were already pulsing against him, their contractions pulling him deeper and encouraging him to release everything he had. He flooded her, that liquid fire clenching the thirst he inspired, and all Alex could do was shudder and moan into their shared kiss, a perfect match for his own while each of hers was punctuated by another spurt into her quickly filling depths.

That glorious descent into sexual madness lasted for gods knew how long, but no matter how long it did it simply couldn't last forever. As Haedrin started dribbling the last of his release into Alex she felt him change. That thick, strong tongue of his lengthened and wrapped itself around her own, and though she recognized it for what it was it was the shift in that domineering grip that finally broke that fantasy. The strength that had held her down became grace, and Aescila's fingers only held Alex's chin with only the slightest touch as their kiss came to an end. Her question of whether Alex enjoyed herself or not was nothing more than a tease considering how Alex completely gave in, but when she shifted within the dragon's pussy all Alex could do was groan as just that tiny shift was nearly too much to bear.

But that wasn't the end of things. Aes's voice rose once more, and though it was still her own it shifted just enough to carry the hint of that masculinity that left Alex descending into her fantasies. The wingless angel asked if Alex needed more, if that desire she held for Haedrin had yet to be quenched, and true to herself Aes was more than willing to help Alex overcome her little problem. It was a question that seemed to stir something deep within Alex, something that urged her to answer, and though her voice was quiet and subdued just as her body remained the hint of eagerness behind it would tell the demon all she needed to know. "Whatever you want..."

Spoiler

Back when Alex finally transferred from DG2 to DG3 you offered to let me add any further flaws to her. I considered adding Fetish (Submission) but convinced myself against it. I think it would be a good time to add it now if that's okay.

~~~ The Fifth Day ~~~​

Angelle wasn't the only one who appreciated the extra bit of comfort, especially not after revealing a small part of how cruel her uncle had been to her mother, but that moment was quickly interrupted by a rather familiar cry. It appeared Anowyn had enough of being coddled, and her hunger was demanding action. Alex could already feel her body preparing to feed her newborn child, and as her immediate family started to pull away she took in a small breath to give out a somewhat tired but relaxed sigh.

But it never came.

Her vision simply shattered, the breath she took remaining locked in place as her mind was pulled in thousands of directions at the same time, and it was all simply too much. Alex simply shut down an instant later, her body locking itself in place, and she was treated to a rather discomforting darkness that could only be oblivion.

But before she could wonder what the hell was happening or why her head still hurt so damned much in the face of nothingness her vision returned. It opened onto a scene she'd never dreamed possible, one where she stood over Aescila in complete and total dominance. One where she was armed for battle and utterly determined as Celestial Nail rose into the air. There was something different about this version of Alex, but that small change was nothing compared to the outright malevolence that had come over Aes. It made her look like some other creature had simply taken her body, and that must have been true since the raised sword fell and lopped off the angel's head in one final cut.

There had to be something wrong. There was no way Alex would simply slaughter her Mate like that, and as if in answer the scene itself reset. Other Alex loomed over Aes once more, her sword raised to deliver the killing blow, but instead of the outright hate the angel had showed earlier this Aescila showed fear. There was still something wrong with her, some sense of change that meant the Aes she knew no longer lived within that body, but something must have remained. Words were exchanged, each lost over whatever distance Original Alex was looking through, and a moment later Other Alex offered a hand to her her changed lover. She helped the angel to her feet, and she payed the price. Aes lunged in that opening, and before Other Alex could offer any kind of defense her soul was simply ripped to shreds as the former demon locked their lips together and stole every bit of energy she could. The once mighty dragon was laid helpless, unable to muster anything more than a look of betrayal behind her nearly empty eyes, and as the dark angel descended the True Alex was given a front row seat to her own destruction. Aescila's hands fell upon the body it knew so well, expertly caressing it through even that layer of armor, and the last Alex saw of herself was full terror as those lips sealed against her other self one final time. The ties that anchored her soul to her body were simply severed as easily as an errant string, her core left open and bare to even the slightest of touches, and with one pull Aescila simply swallowed, consumed, and utterly destroyed everything Alex had ever been. She saw herself utterly annihilated, her own lover managing what Acrasia herself had tried a few days earlier, and though that same mad glint could be seen within Aes the sense of victory behind it made it all that much worse.

The true dragoness was left stunned and shocked, enough so that she would have groaned if she could once the reset restarted a third time. She found herself betrayed anew, her body just as helpless as the last, but as those wings spread to deliver the angel and her final blow a ray of light burst into that descending body and blew it away from the downed woman. A moment later Angelle stepped into view, and if Alex had been struck by how Aescila had changed then Angelle was a complete and total shock. The child had matured into a full woman, the innocence and the naivety she showed now completely lost now that she was an adult, and even over whatever distance this happened Alex could feel the nearly overwhelming power that was fully under her daughter's control. And a few moments later it was brought forth. A few words were exchanged, these also lost amid the gulf of time and the countless other voices that leaked through Alex's mind, and with a look of finality Angelle called forth the Black Dragon. The sheer magnitude of his strength was staggering. Alex hadn't even considered calling on such an overwhelming power, yet Angelle did it with such an ease that it left the former Aescila scrambling to raise her own meager defense. The Dragon itself was a creature that completely obliterated any barrier its prey could call, but when those two powers met that barrier held. In fact it did more. It tried to turn the Dragon's path, send it back to its summoner, force it to betray its user, and if given a chance it would do so without the least bit of regret. But in contests such as these the will of the combatants reigned supreme, and though Aes fought for survival Angelle was determined to prevent this tragedy from going any further. The Dragon was returned to its path, and once that final wall crumbled Alex bore witness to a scream that tore across space and time and filled her with a sense of dread and loss the likes of which she never would have dreamed.

By this point Alex had muddled through all those scenarios, and some part of her must have realized the truth since she wondered if this was the kind of horror all the angels went through when their Insight finally kicked in. But before she could even wonder how the hell she could prevent any of those from happening a fourth vision came to life. It pulled away from the three sights of death, and as it did the threads leading to those tragedies split and frayed and ran through countless other possibilities before they started to converge. A fourth presented itself, and there Alex found Darkness. Death. Madness. The world itself had been consumed, transformed into something that made the few glimpses of Hell she'd gleaned from Aes seem like Paradise. And they all somehow sprang from one point. The circumstances that led to each were lost, but one thing was made painfully clear. Aes could not be told. Knowledge of this future could never reach her, and if it did then one of those tragedies would be locked without any hope for redemption.

With that Alex's glimpse into the future came to an end, and she found Aes rising as if nothing had ever happened. Ria had noticed absolutely nothing as she handed her daughter to the angel, and as Aes returned and offered the girl to Alex the dragon saw that Aes was just as clueless as the massive oni. Only Angelle remained where she was, her face a mask of fixated horror that perfectly matched the same that Alex felt inside, and when her own piece of Dina's Insight brushed against its sister found within Angelle the dragon knew that her eldest daughter had seen the exact same thing she had.

For a moment Alex didn't know how to take this, but with Aes asking her question and both she and Ria showing concern she couldn't ponder how and why that happened. That brought a panic into the dragoness, one she hoped remained hidden as she turned to Angelle and saw the girl was still having trouble keeping that revelation concealed. That look itself had to be making Aes curious, and if she pried then Angelle would most likely reveal what had to be kept secret at all cost. She struggled to find some solution to throw that concern elsewhere, but as she pondered revealing how their Insights had reacted to each other a clear sense of danger washed over her. Even hinting at that felt like it would lock them into one of those deadly futures. But how else could she explain the look in their daughter's eyes?

"I..." For a second or two Alex herself looked completely lost. But then a bit of concern seeped into her face as she wondered if maybe she could brush it off as something else. "Aes, you know how I kinda... connected with Angelle when we were with Ria?" She needed to act fast, to drive her vision down into a place where Aes wouldn't look. "We kinda connected like you and I did during our first time together." Alex looked a little sheepish as if shamed or embarrassed to be revealing this, and in truth she was. She was going to reveal something to Angelle and Ria that she never would have given how a child had just been born, but sometimes one had to take drastic measures to protect another. "I think a little ghost of that was lingering just now. I started thinking about that day, and so was she, and I guess we kinda synchronized. I think she caught a glimpse of my sister holding me upside down for my 'lesson'... But I don't think she saw any of the bloody part..." But she just couldn't come out and say it. It just didn't feel right to reopen that wound so casually. She never did, not even with Aes, and her Mate knew exactly what kind of pain Alex had gone through.

She had no idea if that would be enough or not. She was gambling heavily, hoping that Aes's concern and knowledge of the past would keep her from prying to deeply until Alex had a chance to help both herself and her daughter bury the knowledge of the future where the angel couldn't easily reach. She hoped there were enough distractions for it, what with the birth and the baby and the impending feeding and Ria's presence, and after a bit Alex wondered if maybe she needed to simply dive in head first into her pain to keep her family safe. It was actually scaring her how she was so quickly coming to that kind of decision, but again, she needed to keep her family safe. "Ria, sit down for a second." She just wished she knew if this was the right path to take or not. "There's a rather large skeleton in my closet. It's something extremely personal, something I've only shared with my Mate. I think I may need to share it with Angelle since she caught a glimpse of it, but before I do I need to know something. From you." At that she gathered herself and set all her attention on Ria. If she was going to do this then she would do it properly. "I'd like to know how involved with my family you wish to be. You've already proven your worth to me, and Anowyn here is proof of it." By then the baby was already nursing, and Alex gave her a small look of affection along with a light touch before returning to Ria. "I'll most likely tell her about this when she's old enough, and if I do then you should know before she does. I'm willing to welcome you into our fold with open arms, but before I can I need to know that you're just as willing. Are you?"

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

The worry that Aes showed was both touching and troubling, but at that moment Alex was far too focused to let it show on her face. "No. Just going to say hello." And that was the truth. She had no intention of fighting anyone at the moment. That didn't mean she wouldn't defend herself, but unless he started pushing her buttons she'd remain relatively peaceful.

The mental image of her armor shifting itself was a bit of a surprise, but that still wasn't enough to put a crack in Alex's seriousness as she took flight and brought herself before Ochre's defenders. As miniscule as they seemed from her height the fact that they scurried to and fro meant they'd seen her the moment she took flight, and as she landed she saw that they were all lined and ready to pepper her with bolts. Good. It meant these people were better trained than one would expect from such an isolated community, so there shouldn't be too much for them to worry about when it came to the Clanless raiders.

But alas, all those crossbows were now centered on her, and though they were intimidating in their own right Alex kept her respectful distant and voiced her intentions. The men and women didn't budge an inch as they covered her, but a few moments later someone else stepped forward. The woman that answered was old, the wrinkles she bore and the croak in her face said as much, but there was no denying the power she still held. Alex could see it in her eyes as well as feel it within her aura, a strength that matched that of Aebard and Phyrra and said this woman was quite the accomplished mage even without the robe and the staff. But there was a little more to be found in that voice. When the mage spoke of Akorvick there was a sense of respect for her brother. And the threat that followed showed that these people had the utmost confidence in his prowess and his devotion to his duty. That was enough to break through the rather stern attitude Alex had been showing, and though she didn't outwardly change all that much there was a growing sense of curiosity about how her brother had changed over the years.

But what truly caught her off guard was their reaction to her. While she never intended such her declaration as Akorvick's sister struck a sense of fear and dread through everyone present. Even the Magus was frightened as she gave her ultimatum, and all Alex could do was raise a surprised eyebrow in response. She didn't take a step either forward or back, but the fact that she lingered spoke of how shocked she had been. That ended after a couple seconds, and it was replaced by a small frown as she came to a rather rapid conclusion given how Akorvick had always treated Alex. "Very well, but you are mistaken. My name is Alexandra." At that she started turning as if to leave, but she slowed to a stop halfway through. "If you wish to know more than ask Sir Roko. Ask, do not interrogate. I've been told he's already been through enough." At that she turned her back toward them, somewhat foolish considering how fearful the lot of them had been, but she had to if she was to leave peacefully.

Once she was in the air Alex took a beeline directly for waterfall that marked the tomb that was Akorvick's duty, and as she flew she was left to brood over that little fiasco at Ochre's gate. That in turn distracted her from the beauty of the land flowing beneath her, and she only vaguely recognized her destination until she finally crossed its threshold. The moment she did that unseen miasma of death crossed her senses and forced her to veer off for now more than a second before she circled around and gave her target a more thorough look from the air. The architecture itself was surprisingly well crafted, and once she spied its door she recognized the work of the fae. The fact that they would create such a thing to house such a foul aura had her wondering if perhaps whatever was laid to rest here was in fact imprisoned, and even if it wasn't she understood one thing: Ria must not enter. No good could come from anyone wielding such a poisonous power, at least not from the kind of people who would hire a mercenary to claim such a prize for themselves.

With that realization in hand Alex finally made her landing, and once she did she felt a different magic beneath her feet. It shot off a message, an alarm that could only be meant for one person, and the roar that answered it confirmed that suspicion. At that Alex simply settled herself and forced her body to relax no matter how unsettling the atmosphere surrounding this tomb had become, and after no more than a short wait her patience was rewarded by a dark green blur slamming into the ground before her and nearly forcing her to lose her balance. But after all these years and all her trials Alex refused to let herself be the fool any longer. She would stand strong, just as the figure before her was rising to do, and even if she couldn't see him quite clearly there was no mistaking what she knew.

Akorvick stood before her.

The man rose slowly, his wings unfurling until the spread far and wide and would no doubt blot out the sun had he landed at just the right position and at just the right time. They'd grown massive, far larger than Alex ever remembered, and why not? Akorvick himself had become his own mountain. He stood larger and taller than any titan she had ever faced, but even that was nothing to the other changes he'd gone through since they'd last met. His humanity seemed almost completely lost. His haunches were completely draconic, his legs reverse-jointed and ending in a trio of claws that bore talons that would most likely tear through solid stone just as easily as they dug through this barren earth, his entire body was covered in scaling that would far surpass any mundane armor, his tail was longer than he was and now sported a massive club that resembled a spiked mace only a troll would dare wield, and his head and neck looked so much like their father that it was nearly frightening. There were only a few things that still remained that she recognized as her brother. His general shape, most of his tail, that same dark hair, but most importantly those eyes. They held that same contempt and aggressiveness she'd come to fear oh so long ago.

For a few moments the ghost of that childhood fear rose, and it took Alex a few moments more to urge it back down, but as Akorvick spoke she suddenly realized one thing. He didn't recognize her. There was nothing that said recognized who she was let alone remembered, and that itself helped her to settle her heart and stand her ground. Even if those threats of bodily harm were still the same she actually had an advantage over him simply because she was more aware than he, and though her fear still told her to take a step back she remained where she was and wondered just how exactly to respond.

It wasn't until she started shifting forward slightly that she realized she knew how she would greet him all along. Her shield had long since found its way onto her arm, she would never have been able to fly if it was still strapped to her back, and to make things a tad easier on herself she'd had a special harness installed so her sword and its sheath could lay comfortably within it and remain ready to be drawn at a moments notice. But as armed as she was she simply extended that arm wide before taking a formal bow. Her right arm tucked itself across her midsection, and as she dipped her head she finally gave him her greeting of "Hail, brother," but even so her head remained level enough that she could keep her eyes on him at all times. Even if his personality had changed for the better just as his body had she wanted to make sure she was ready for any sudden attacks he may throw. Her shield would come forward in a flash, her defense raised and strengthened to turn aside any blow he could deliver, but even then her sword would remain sheathed. At this point she had no intention of engaging him in a battle, not if it could be avoided.

"It's been quite some time, and I've seen you've grown quite..." Monstrous. "...intimidating." And the more Alex looked at him the more she felt it was just a little too unnatural. These changes were simply too drastic. Maybe he was transforming himself like Alex had back in Therion's Arena? But then she would have noticed the flare in his aura... Or maybe she was too distracted by that pall of death pouring out of that crypt. It was why she gave him a second, more thorough inspection. "I do apologize for interrupting you, but I felt it best to announce myself before entering Ochre. I would have done so at its gates, but the defense force said you were away." Of course that didn't keep her from speaking, and as she did she kept her tone somewhat light and factual. It would be the farthest thing he would expect from his baby sister.

But of course, she wouldn't stay that way for long. "They also told me that your sister was not to be treated with and ordered me to turn unless I wanted an early death. That was surprising, and it made me wonder." The light tone vanished in an instant, and though she knew it may be taken as a challenge, especially from him since he still seemed rather eager to fight after all this time, but it couldn't be helped. Her eyes locked onto her brother's, and her stare bored into him as if he were on trial. "What has our sister done?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~~The Second Day of the Journey~~~~​

Aescila grinned the predatory grin of one who had heard exactly what she wanted to hear at Alex's subdued reply. “Oh my... Whatever I want?” the demoness purred, and before Alex could offer any sort of response the demoness shifted just a tiny bit. Outwardly, that motion was tiny, but inside of Alex she felt her lover's rod shift in turn, felt it press simultaneously against her inner gate and her g-spot with only that tiny motion. Ecstasy flooded through her again, her hypersensitive body unresponsive to any commands that she might give it, and that situation only got more hopeless as she felt Aes once more taking off tiny flecks of her soul with the same delicate sultriness that she could apply to a cock via her tongue.

For several minutes Alex was helpless as her lover stirred her up inside, Aes never breaking eye contact as she twisted this way and that to make the rod buried inside of her captive audience squirm in such a way that it sent a new brand of pleasure rolling through Alex's body with every new motion. Then she gently leaned down to engage Alex in yet another kiss, this one the gloriously domineering variety that left Alex's tongue wrapped up in that of her dark angel while it was led through the steps of a furious and passionate dance that was intimately familiar.

When she broke that kiss after another few moments of her teasing half-thrusts, however, and when she did Aes would find her head wrapped in shadow through which she couldn't see, a better blindfold than any cloth could ever hope to be. Aes slowly pulled out, leaving her feeling a terrible emptiness that allowed her lover's seed to begin leaking out of her flower, but her hands shifted again, and Alex was roughly flipped onto her back, and had her legs pulled wide apart. Moments passed in which she had no contact besides the hands on her legs, holding in place, and Alex was left with nothing to do but wonder what Aes would do to her next.

Though those moments were brief, they felt far longer after Aes had teased her, but any whining on her part only earned Alex a slow, soft shushing. Eventually, however, her lover's plans would be revealed purely by their fruition when Alex felt Aescila's mouth clamp against her petals, her unnaturally agile tongue diving into the dragoness and doing one of her favorite pasttimes when Alex had been filled to the brim – cleaning her up for the next round. Just as she always did, Aes found every sweet spot that Alex had to offer with her dextrous lingual muscle, she found them and she attacked them as mercilessly as a hungry dragon would attack a sheep, and even though her main goal seemed to be to clean out her own seed from Alex's folds, the build up produced by her earlier motions was a perfect jumping off point to send Alex soaring towards a second peak at a breakneck pace. Aescila took her there, eventually holding the tip of her tongue against the half-dragon's g-spot and flicking it like a serpent sniffing the air until the barrage of raw sensation was too much for her sexually charged body to handle, and every second of it was spent with her legs held up by an iron grip on her thighs, completely helpless to do anything but thrash her arms blindly and revel in the sensation that offered her a chance to melt in her bliss.

Alex was drawn through her second peak until she was well on the way down, a climax that left her a shuddering, helpless mess once more, but that wasn't the end. A silent mental command would filter into her mind in a voice that was most definitely Aescila, [open your mouth and stick out your tongue] and the image of herself kneeling in such a lewdly expectant pose as her Mate demanded she take in part now, a black cloth around her eyes, as a blurred figure prepared to unleash their seed upon her face accompanied that image. She wasn't to rise all the way up to that position, that much movement would be denied to her, but all she needed to do was to open her mouth as she had been shown and then wait. The very moment that she did as commanded, a slow stream of familiar tasting fluid would be gently dribbled into her mouth, the mixture of her own honey and her lover's sweet, aphrodisiac laced seed. It started on her outstretched tongue, landing there and overloading her taste buds with Aescila's intoxicating flavor, before naturally flowing into her mouth due to her still fully prone position until Alex had a small pool of the mixture in her mouth. That last dribble of drooled cum finally came just as it was about to overflow down her throat, and then Aes seized her tongue and dove into a kiss that had she and Alex dancing in that lewd pool for over a minute before Aes finally broke the kiss, taking a small portion of the bounty with her but leaving the lion's share of their mixed love juices in Alex's mouth.

The expectation that she would swallow was obvious, and the moment that Alex drank down her lover's cum she felt whatever portion of her lustful fires had been extinguished lit anew, burning brighter than ever before as the aphrodisiacs began to take effect. She felt her legs released, felt Aes shifting, and suddenly something long and hard that was coated in a familiar smelling wet stickiness was poking at her mouth, and a hand guided her head closer as a decidedly masculine grunt demanded; “Suck on it.” There was no argument to be had with that tone, and even if her body didn't respond immediately she would find Aescila's cock sliding past her lips anyway, pushed there by her insistent thrusts. Her limbs weren't bound, at least not in the traditional sense, but some vague sense that may or may not have come from the subtle connection that Aes had used to deliver her mental communication demanded that her arms and legs stay where they were, that the blinded dragoness was to use her mouth, and only her mouth, in this particular endeavor.

Other than that, however, Alex was left free to determine how she wanted to work her mouth upon Aes's prick, though Aescila's hand and her decidedly masculine mannerisms for this session would guide her to take it deep sooner or later even if she offered her best efforts towards pleasing the tool that had not too long ago been plumbing her depths. Whether or not a second load of her lover's cream was shot down her throat was actually up to her, for Alex would be given at least a degree of leeway in how to take the rod in her mouth. Aes had a position to upkeep in the fantasy that they were playing out, after all, and even though she might normally have reveled in Alex's teasing for as long as she could before she exploded, her dark angel was not so patient this time. The more Alex teased, the more Aes would push her for more, and eventually if she offered too long a break in any real stimulation she would be deprived of the thick tool and the intoxicating pre that Aes had begun to leak as the former demoness pulled out.

Whether she earned a second load of her lover's cum in her mouth, a burst that would undoubtedly erase any trace of her resistance that remained as the deliciously sweet cum erupted onto her tongue, or if she caused Aes to pull out, what happened next would undoubtedly alleviate the burning ache of her loins. Rough hands pushed her, rough but with the delicate gentleness that Haedrin so often moved with when he wasn't engaged in battle, and Alex found her legs once again lifted and pulled apart by strong hands hooked under her knees as a warm body placed itself on top of her. A strong, taught chest pressed itself down against her own soft bust, and a rough but harmless grasp orienting her until her ass was raised into position and the domed head of her partner's rod was once more glancing against her petals. There was no teasing, no hesitation, it simply lined itself up and began to slide into her, sending more delicious ecstasy flooding into the blindfolded dragon's body as her folds parted for the mighty intruder, and even if she might know that it was Aes who started pumping into her, that it was Aes who was about to flood her full of cum, her dark angel was once again giving her all of the things that she needed to replace her with the sidhe knight that she had recently come to lust after.

The discernibly masculine grunts of pleasure as the figure moved, the indelicate to the point of being ferocious manner in which they plunged into her only to pull back to do it again with no pause for her to catch her breath, and the strength of the grip that held her in place all combined to ensure that Alex could envision Haedrin over her so easily that it would be almost impossible not to. Aes hadn't bottomed out with her first thrust, but the aspect of her lovemaking that made it almost impossible to escape her fantasy came when she finally did give Alex's cervix another kiss, leaving Alex's nether lips wrapped around the base of her lover's shaft and what was unmistakably a set of balls resting against her ass. Aes, or perhaps in her mind Haedrin, rested inside of her for a moment as she shifted again, amd the blindfolded dragon found her mouth claimed in another kiss that only served to reinforce her fantasy as her legs were released, free to wrap around her partner's lower back as she started hammering down into Alex's flower with redoubled ferocity.

Pleasure built and built and built inside of the hopelessly enthralled dragoness until she felt as if she were bound to explode at any second, and after only a few moments of their vigorous union exactly that came to pass. Haedrin-Aescila brought Alex to an explosive orgasm, but the insistent milking of her thirsty folds didn't manage to extract her Mate's seed this time, as the dark angel pounding into her just kept on going through her peak without stopping or slowing. If anything, after Alex was through she actually started going faster and harder, until their bodies were meeting with lewd wet slaps and her folds were made to tighten up with every thrust as Aescila's cock struck her inner gateway with enough power to leave her unable to catch her breath beyond drawing in enough air to keep conscious and moan her pleasure into her partner's mouth.

The next build up would be longer, but its ascent would bring her higher than ever until the peak that would bring her down threatened to send her crashing straight down into unconsciousness. The knot grown in her stomach wound and wound until it was so strong that it might crush steel into powder, and still it grew on as the insatiable need to feel one last explosion of heat into her core demanded that she hold on. As before, parts of their session were still unmistakably Aescila's handiwork, for no other partner knew her body as the succubus did, no one else could bring her into such a frenzy and then sate it just as easily, but the manner in which she did it was so intrinsically different from her normal behavior in the bedroom that it could easily once again be Haedrin whom Alex felt throbbing inside of her, who was about to plunge once more into her depths only to erupt potent liquid ecstasy into her womb. The deep grunts of the figure above her, invisible thanks to the blindfold of magical shadows wrapped around her eyes, took on a deeper timber as their thrusts suddenly became wild and frantic.

Their release was coming, in only a few more thrusts.... And then Alex got to experience another flood of hot, thick seed erupting inside of her, the bursting prick inside of her ready to be milked absolutely dry by her folds. It was about the same as her first shot into Alex, in terms of volume, meaning that it was more than enough to fill her up completely and leave some left to be forced out around Aescila's cock via her tightly clenching inner walls. Wave after wave of hot cum filled her to the brim and beyond, producing a mess that leaked out of her sex and ran down her ass even as she and her partner writhed in mutual bliss for the second time since their little act had gotten underway. Still hard but again pausing to let her recover, Alex would feel her lover's mouth pull away from her own, leaving her with at least the physical ability to speak if she so wished.

~~~~The Fifth Day of the Journey~~~~​

Angelle's eyes flared in warning as Alex contemplated what to do to settle the awkward question of what had just happened between her and Angelle, and another instinct would strike. She knew the consequence of speaking the horrible truth, knew it as well as Alex did, and unlike Alex she had been born to hold such power, the tortures of knowing the future and working to prevent it an innate part of the hybrid's angelic lineage. She might not have the life experience to know how to invent a convincing story on her own, but she wouldn't be spilling the beans and ensuring the horror that the two of them had just witnessed would come to pass any more readily than Alex would.

The lie, though it was no casual admission, was easy for Aescila to buy, and her curious expression turned instantly to sympathy as she handed over Anoywn. Ria merely looked confused, hopelessly so, but when asked to come and sit down she followed Alex's command without thinking anything of it, lowering her heavy frame to the floor of the barn they'd been allowed to borrow. Angelle likewise looked confused amidst her horror at what they had really seen, but quickly caught on before Ria and Aes had noticed her look and returned to a decent semblance of her horrified look from before. The hybrid was fairly skittish emotionally and often had issues with concentration, and that she dove into that confusion headfirst was likely a defense mechanism rather than truly forgetting what she had just seen. The act wasn't perfect, but Alex had managed to make herself the center of attention, and though Aes still looked a tiny bit confused she was now mostly worried even as she moved around to wrap Angelle in a comforting hug.

“Uhhhh.... Well alright then,” Ria said awkwardly when Alex said that she wanted something from her. It was obvious enough that the oni was completely out of her depth, and that she felt no shame in letting that show around the odd family that she had partially become a part of. A whole swirl of emotions filtered into her eyes when Alex went on to ask just how involved she really wanted to be, and the oni's eyes slowly wandered down to the child that was suckling gently at Alex's chest, the proof of that acceptance. Even though her action to try and protect Angelle, hurling herself in front of the wretched faerie's spell in order to protect the hybrid and risking her own life in the process, had been as selfless and honorable as one could ask and earned her a great degree of respect from their little family, there was some uncertainty in her still.

“Well.... That's a loaded question, isn't it?” she asked lightly, her effort to produce levity dying with the feeble smile that had briefly appeared on her face. There was fear in her eyes, in the set of her stance, and true to the volatile blood running through her veins the oni's natural response to that fear was to prepare for violence. Such had no place here, however. Rage would offer no answer to what Alex was asking, something that she had clearly never had before now given what she had revealed of her past so far, and even with the tense uncertainty pushing her to a fight or flight response, Ria kept a cool head. Breathing in deep through her nose such that her armor swelled to contain her, she let her breath exhale in a long breath before continuing, “I.... Well, it's not something that I feel like I can say no to, even though....”

She trailed off uncertainly, and Aescila chose that moment to suddenly speak up before her silence could stretch, “I never had a family either, Ria. We're all a bit underprivileged where that's concerned.... Except for little Angelle here~” She gently rubbed the top of Angelle's head at the end of her statement, her voice having turned briefly into an affectionate chirp, and though the hybrid broke her act for a moment to look affronted at having her hair mussed she didn't complain about the gesture. “It's alright.... It was a pretty scary concept for me at first too, Alex could probably complain about how distant I was at first all day!” she continued in a more serious tone, though the hints of lightness in it, of welcome, were steadily breaking down the walls of fear that had risen in the oni in the face of Alex's ultimatum. “But we got through it, and even if you're uncertain, it's not like you're signing any sort of binding contract. What Alex is about to tell you.... Is not something that you'll want to spread around in the first place, but we'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself all the same. Besides, even if the after-party was a one off, which I at least hope that it won't be, you're still already part of the family thanks to little Anowyn.”

At that Ria's gaze again settled towards the squirming bundle of misnamed joy that was steadily relieving the built-up pressure in Alex's breasts, and after a few moments the uncertainty faded and she offered a solemn nod. “I'm not one to air anyone's dirty laundry... But even though you're asking for a bit more, I'm game. One question first though,” she continued as she shifted her gaze back to Alex's face. “You have visions? Since when? That sounds like it would have come in handy before we went down into the catacombs under the arena,” she asked, her voice not accusatory but still more than purely curious. “That's.... Complicated,” Aescila replied hesitantly, but Ria silenced her with a stern glance before looking back to the half-dragon who had just born her child, wanting her answer rather than anything Aes might have said. Whatever Alex chose to explain, however, the oni would simply nod once she was finished, offering no further questions on the subject beyond what Alex was willing to disclose and instead tilting her head to indicate that she was ready to listen. Angelle adopted an uncertain look, but Aes held her tightly and didn't allow her a chance to slip away even though she obviously sensed that she was about to hear something that she wouldn't like.

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine

~~~~Ochre~~~~​

The look of confusion that swept over the frightened soldiers and their mage leader when Alex corrected them on her given name was a sign of something, but what it might mean exactly wasn't precisely clear. Had he never mentioned her? Or had he told them something else? Either way, it didn't change their overall attitude towards her enough for them to invite her to stay, and their shocked confusion redoubled when she told them to seek out Sir Roko, a name that more than a few of them obviously recognized. But then she was in the air again, the scenery below her and the sheer wonder of flying under her own power lost on the half-dragon as she brooded over what had happened at the gate, and all too soon washed in the aura of the tomb that Ria had been sent to raid.

And then, all too soon, the viridian comet that was her brother was landing before her, and she was left to confront the first son of Aureus in the manner of her choosing. What she chose under those circumstances might have seemed strange to many given what had happened between them when they had last met. Akorvick's monstrous head tilted to the side like that of a curious beast as Alex swept her arm out and bowed, a gesture of more than mere respect given the moment of vulnerability it offered. A dragon did not bow to one they intended to kill, not unless they held their opponent in utter contempt or, like Alex, ascribed to a different set of morals from her arrogant kindred. That head tilted back, a recognizably skeptical look appearing on the savage face.

“You are no sister of.....” he began instantly, but then his head retracted further, resulting in his chest puffing out as an almost comical look of shock came over her brother's features even as the rest of him froze, his wings pausing in mid flex and his tail suddenly freezing in the middle of a thrash against the barren earth that would have probably put another crater in the ground. More emotions toppled onto that shock, the beastlike half-dragon's eyes widening further, his reptilian lips tightening and turning downwards, but most of all she would see the sudden swell of feelings rushing through her brother's all-too-human eyes. Shock mixed in with recognition, and then unmistakably fear, and finally regret. When he spoke next, just after her factually delivered report on what had happened just outside of Ochre, it was in an impossibly soft tone for a creature his size, and even more shocking coming from him; “.....Alex.... Alexandra?”

All threat had left her brother's posture, all of his fearsome entrance and immense power left like so much meaningless bluster as he recoiled from her revelation. The question she asked, however, caused him to shift dramatically once more, his shocked look shifting to one of grim discontent and cold fury. Akorvick hesitated for a moment, and when he spoke next it was again short and simple, though now it was a heavy grumble that told of the dire nature of the full answer to her question; “Worse.”

And then he began to change. Scales receded and shrunk along with bone, maintaining the same rough proportions but with every passing second her brother became more and more human. His legs returned to their natural state, though they still ended in fairly impressive talons, and his arms retained an impressive degree of muscle even if they lost much of their armor about halfway between his shoulder and elbow when his scales became the smaller, softer variety like those that Alex normally sported. His face changed as well, transforming into a slightly more weathered and matured version of the face that she remembered. The only physical difference was that his wings retained their proportions, massive even when they shrank, the morningstar on the end of his tail remained even if it had been considerably reduced in size, and that he had grown enough to be of a height with Ria if they were to stand next to each other. Though he was her brother in form, however, Alex would realize with a glance that the man wearing it was not entirely the same as the one who had worked with their sister to abuse and ruin her. The disdain, the barely concealed hatred, were both simply gone, and in their place there was a careful aversion of his eyes from her own that didn't quite manage to fully conceal the discomfort he experienced upon looking at her.

Akorvick crossed his arms over his chest and studied her for a moment, his lips pursed, before adopting a neutral tone as he said; “What are you doing here..... Sister?” There was a detectable wince to go with his pause, but Akorvick didn't stumble over his words, and he directed his question with the same determined look that she wore even if his eyes then were softer then than she had ever seen from her elder brother. It was the first time that he had ever willingly acknowledged their relationship, the first time he hadn't looked upon her with contempt, but what that might mean to Alex would be up to her to decide.

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ The Second Day ~~~​

That small purr was more than enough to send off all kinds of warnings within Alex, but despite the alarms she simply didn't move. A moment later she couldn't. A small shift from the demoness left her cock practically grinding against the both dragon's inner gate and that little sacred patch that always left her toes curling. It drowned her over-sensitive body in pleasure, forced her to flounder as every little motion sought to push her deeper and deeper, and once Aes moved in to dominate her lover with her skillful tongue Alex felt her mind going blank once again.

For a few minutes the dragoness was tortured like this, that gentle rocking stirring the cock that brushed against her pleasure centers while that kiss left Alex helpless as Aescila's tongue wrapped not only around her own but around her soul, but as the angel pulled back Alex soon found an impenetrable shadow settling around her head. It left the dragon completely blind, and in her muddled state she could only wonder how that had happened before she was suddenly flipped and spread. It left her leaking sex obscenely exposed, and as those hands held her in place all she could do was take in some sharper breaths as she waited for what would inevitably follow.

Aes didn't disappoint, and though she was forced to quiet her troublesome little pet her tongue managed to turn the dragon's earlier whining into uncontrollable mewls of ecstasy. It wound its way through Alex's sex, every touch forcing the over-worked woman to writhe and moan just a little harder than the last, and in no time at all she felt like she was going to break. The forced blindness was making every single physical sensation that much stronger, and when that tongue's ministrations were amplified but even that slightest of feedings on her soul all the woman could do was clutch at the earth in some feeble attempt to keep herself grounded.

It failed spectacularly. In an instant all the sexual tension the angel forced into her lover snapped, and Alex simply howled like a banshee. She had no choice. No matter how soon and how hard she was coming Aes refused to relax, and as the dragon's sex clenched on that tongue every spike of pleasure it inspired became a massive stake that drove into her depths and shattered her bit by bit until she was left a shattered, mewling, writhing mass of flesh.

There was no way for her to know just how long she lay suspended there with her legs spread wide and her hips angled to give the demonic angel unfettered access to her filled depths, but as she recovered she was given a small command. It flashed across her mind, the image that went with it a clear example of what Aes wanted, and though Alex wouldn't be allowed to rise even if she could all she needed to do was open up and say 'Ah.' The moment she did a trail of liquid ran down her tongue, and though she recognized her own taste it was the far more robust sweetness of her lover that forced that tongue to reach even further. Every drop of Aescila's seed sent a small thrill through Alex that immediately sparked a need for more, and as it flowed and pooled in the back of her mouth Alex could already feel her libido stirring. Her addiction to her Mate's cum left her wanting to swallow, to consume every drop she could take and ask for more, but with it dribbling down into her mouth with each passing second all she could do was sit and wait for it to finally end...

The moment it finally did her mouth and tongue were captured, and before she had the chance to sate her thirst for Aescila she found herself dueling with the very object of her desire. Her tongue twisted into impossible shapes as its partner wound and dominated their embrace, and as they danced Alex completely ignored her own desire to swallow. She was far too entranced by the kiss they were sharing, and though it lasted for a full minute it ended far too soon for her tastes. But that itself left her mouth practically frothing with the stirred remains of their shared cum, and a moment later she gladly swallowed.

Almost immediately the dying embers of Alex's arousal burst back to life, and with it her eyes started to glaze over just as they had yesterday. It was nowhere near as powerful as that caused by that tentacle god the need for sex simply burned away the desire for anything else. Alex needed to be filled, needed to feel someone spilling themselves into her depths, needed to be fucked by someone's cock right now, damn it! She was denied, but at that point her hunger gladly accepted the length that brought to her lips. She gladly opened her mouth without needing to be told, and though Aes had returned to her impression of Haedrin once more Alex simply didn't care. She only knew one thing: She wanted more.

A moment later that need was answered. Something long and hard pressed itself against her lips, and before Haedrin-Aes could finish her little command Alex was already wrapping her lips around that rigid length. The taste of their mixed fluids along the angel's prick only drove Alex to consume it that much faster, and no one could blame Aes if she was suddenly surprised by the sheer fervor Alex showed in worshiping her Mate. Her tongue slid forward in an effort to loop around every inch it could swallow, but even if it couldn't completely wrap around Aes the low rumble in Alex's throat turned it into a slithering mass of hot, wet flesh. A moment later her head started to bob, and in that moment Aes would find herself being sheathed twice as the dragoness slid up and down her length, once as that cock passed those lips that refused to let it go, and then again as it plunged through the coiled muscle of heat and warmth that managed to slather every inch Alex's saliva.

At that point the woman simply didn't care what happened next. Aes could simply sit there. She could moan out her pleasure and start pressing herself deeper until she started passing into the dragon's throat. She could grab Alex by the horns and start furiously pumping herself in and out of that oral pussy for all she was worth. Neither of those mattered. All Alex wanted was more of her lover's sweet climax, and every drop of pre that ended up splashing against her tongue only drove that need further. She wouldn't let Aes escape until she'd gotten her fill, and once she felt the angel start to swell she would force herself to descend as far as she could. She practically buried her nose against her Mate's mound, and once Aes finally burst all the dragon could do was swallow. It didn't matter how much was pumped directly down her throat or how little actually managed to land on the warrior's tongue, she refused to let a single drop escape.

In this way Alex kept herself clamped over Aes, and the angel would either have to force herself out of Alex or firmly order the dragon to let her go. Either way she would only be freed with a pop, and she would find herself remarkably clean while while her submissive little pet whined and begged wordlessly for more. But that ended a second later once those strong hands pulled her open once again. Her pleadings turned into a gasp as she was rolled and felt that powerful body cover her own, felt that powerful cock line itself and impale her only a moment later, felt it reel back only to plunge even further until it was pressing against her inner gate and setting off a series of shocks that left Alex groaning until her mouth was taken and forced her to moan her pleasure straight down Haedrin-Aescila's throat. The taste of release still lingered upon the dragon's tongue, and as the two started to kiss once more she gladly shared it with the man while her legs gripped his waist and ensured he wouldn't be allowed to escape.

Haedrin held no intention to do so, and in record time he was simply pounding himself into his student and forcing her to cry out in ecstasy in record time. The double-dosing of Aes's cum left the dragon unable to resist the pleasure of the nearly wild rutting she received, and even the light slapping of the knights sac against her rear was enough to urge her legs to squeeze him closer during every thrust. Beyond that Alex could do little else but completely submit, and in doing so she found herself spiraling into yet another climax. She couldn't even make an effort to hold it back, and in only a few short seconds she simply clenched him in every way she possibly could. Her arms wound around his back and practically raked him as she clawed and hugged him closer. Her legs locked and tried to hold him deep, that hold ultimately failing as he continued to relentlessly piston into her depths. Her folds spasmed and pulled, every motion an effort to bury him and force him to spill his seed to sate this overwhelming need to breed, but despite it all Haedrin simply kept fucking her through her release until she felt she was simply going to shatter.

But that wasn't quite right. No matter how she tried to hold him close Alex felt Haedrin simply break through. In fact her orgasm seemed to spur him on, and once she finally finished coming he started pounding her with even more fury. The rhythmic pounding of their hips became the staccato slapping of flesh on flesh, and his length filled her so quickly that it left him knocking harshly against her inner gate. That alone sent flares of ecstasy throughout her body, and since she was denied any chance to sit and rest her hypersensitive body was left to contort itself in agonizing pleasure until she finally managed to adjust. It left her body completely exhausted, her limbs unable to do anything past hold on for dear life while she was simply fucked for the sake of being fucked, and even that was faint as Haedrin's thrusts were strong enough to knock the breath out of her. It would have left her gasping for air had her lips not been claimed in a possessive kiss, and after only a few seconds she felt herself going cloudy while her body simply reveled in being screwed so passionately.

With each passing second unconsciousness threatened to take her, but the feel of Haedrin swelling within her was enough to bring Alex back from the brink. Her body demanded to feel his heat erupting directly into her womb, and it forced her to somehow gather the strength to urge him deeper, to pound that final barrier until it finally shattered and opened so he could spill himself as much as he desired. A few deep thrusts later that demand was finally answered. For the second time Alex was flooded, her depths pulsing all around their guest and finally managing to force him to spill his seed, and as he did they clenched and pulled in every effort to empty his length of its liquid heat even as it filled her and then some. As much as she didn't want to waste a drop she simply couldn't contain it all. His fluids both settled in her core and dribbled around his prick, and as he laid buried like that all she could do was writhe and moan both in ultimate pleasure and in slight disappointment as bits of his release were simply wasted.

There was no way to tell how long they laid joined in their mutual climax, but the moment Haedrin pulled back enough to break their kiss Alex simply collapsed. Her arms couldn't maintain the hold they had on his back, and they flopped to the ground while her legs slowly slid off the small of his back. In essence Alex was simply done, her body, mind, and soul unable to continue in this completely exhausted state, but the moment he shifted even the tiniest of bits it would bring out the quietest of gasps from Alex's lips. Her eyes were clouded over, both by that shadow blindfold and her own fatigue, but that slight movement would cause them to look up. The fact that he was still hard said a lot about the man's stamina, and though she had little of her own left the aphrodisiacs in her system demanded more. It left her hips rolling in the smallest of circles, the barest of movements that wouldn't be seen unless you were no more than a couple feet away, and though it may never be seen it would most certainly be felt. Both of their bodies were descending in the post-coital bliss, and even the tiniest of motions would send shocks through their frayed nerves. For Alex it would be nearly maddening, the denial of her previous refraction even then forcing just that simply little pulse to feel like a violent stab through her spine, but he wasn't done. She could still feel his length resting like an iron bar within her, and if he wasn't done then neither was she.

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ The Fifth Day ~~~​

A revelation fell over Alex, one that told her that Angelle understood the consequences of her father learning the truth, and as sympathy overcame Aes those two facts combined and brought a welcome bit of relief to the dragon's troubled mind. But that relief was short-lived. She had to continue forward, to keep her deception moving lest she give Aes reason to start digging, and though this was far from how she wanted to reveal her past she simply had no other choice.

With Ria taking her place Alex waited for the oni's response, and though the question the giant made was in jest Alex answered her seriously. "I know, and I'm sorry." It was clear that Ria was out of her element, the panic and fear mixing and rushing through the woman leaving her blood urging her to either smash something to pieces or run for the hills, but Ria understood that neither had any place here. This was a solemn request, one that Alex didn't make likely and most likely never would had she not been pressed into it by both her vision and herself, and the woman respected it enough to keep her composure no matter how alien the thought of family might have been.

But even if the oni kept her cool she couldn't overcome her doubt, and as she hesitated for a few moments Alex was left trying to understand what held the woman back. Thankfully Aes spoke up, and in revealing the simple truth between the three grown women there Alex finally realized why Ria was so reluctant. Each had their issues when it came to family, though Ria was arguably the better off of the trio since she didn't have to deal with the betrayal and cruelty that Alex and Aes had. The dragoness herself had felt that same fear when she realized just what her coupling with Aes had created, and the angel... well, she'd had far different problems to worry about. But part of it had been her fear that she may never get to stay with her family but once in a blue moon, and though Alex said nothing of either of their past worries her eyes showed that she was well aware of them.

That seemed to be enough for Ria, the uneasiness she held fading as she watched her daughter suckle at the dragon's teat, but then she asked her question. Alex... really didn't know what to say to that. Aes spoke up to try and deflect the oni's attention, but Ria would not be denied and managed to silence the angel with a stern look.

The giant wanted an answer, and this time Alex hesitated as she tried to figure out just what the oni wanted to know. For a moment she thought Ria was asking about the Insight they all carried, but that couldn't be right. The only mention of it had been back when Aes had been taken by Aebard, so it had to be something else... Something she mentioned recently... When she finally realized what it could be she took her customary blush and gave a small nervous glance toward both her Mate and her daughter. "It's... not quite a vision. I'd say it's more like a shared memory of mine..." Over the past couple of years she'd managed to gain some bit of comfort with sex, though Aes still managed to find interesting ways to get the dragon as red as the oni, but she'd never really opened up to anyone on how intimate the connection she shared with Aes had been. "I'm sure you can tell that Aes has certain needs. Well, there's a little more she can do with that, and when the two of us are intimate the connection that lets her feed on me also lets her share herself with me. At that point our souls kind of combine..." Though it was a bit of a trial with Anowyn within her arms Alex managed to link her fingers within each other, and after a small pause she continued. "At that point we become one entity in nearly every way possible, and we can see each other's thoughts and memories as if they were our own. It's... It's the most intimate thing you could ever do..."

By this point Alex was working herself into a bit of an embarrassment frenzy, and if anyone wondered why what followed would probably explain everything. "I've learned to throw my soul into that connection quite easily, and I guessed I learned to do it a little too well. When you were screwing both Angelle and I that same connection started to open..." Another glance was given toward Angelle, and as she continued she wondered if anyone would notice the slight flush of arousal that was starting to rise from her core. "I could feel how each of your thrusts was twisting her body into knots, and when she came she kinda dragged me with her..." At that she remained silent for a bit to try and regain her composure. She really didn't need her body tingling in anticipation while she fed her newborn daughter. "We didn't go any deeper than sharing what our bodies felt, but it still happened. And I think that's what happened just now. I wanted to comfort her since I really didn't want to scare her that badly, and I guess we reached out to each other and 'touched.' It only lasted for a moment, but whenever I even hint about what my brother and sister did to me I can't help but relive a bit of it. She caught a glimpse of it, and I'm just glad the shock of it broke the connection before she saw anything worse."

Even if it wasn't exactly the truth Alex felt it really was possible, and that was enough to bring her back down to her somber mood. Ria accepted everything she'd been told, and though the nod she gave was a sign for Alex to continue the dragoness decided to wait for a bit. "I want to let her finish before I start." This was her newborn's first feeding, and for her it was nearly sacred. This was her time to bond with her daughter, something that only they would share, and she didn't want to mar it with any of the melancholy she knew would rise once she dragged that day back out into the light. And it would give her time to figure out just how deeply she was going to delve into that memory. A part of her really didn't want to go through with this, and even if this was nothing more than procrastination easing into it felt far better than simply diving head first.

Eventually Anowyn would finally finish, and hopefully her first feeding would ease the child to sleep so she wouldn't accidentally be upset by either Alex's emotion or anyone else's reaction. That also meant she had the stage to herself, but there was no real helping that. A large breath was taken to help calm her nerves, and after another second or two she finally began. "Before I start I need to show you a couple things. First, this is my brother's tail." Once again Alex focused on only that aspect of herself, and once again the massive battering ram that was Akorvick's tail replaced her own. "And this is my sister's." A couple sways later Annabeth's tail swung into view, and though it was leaner than the other the spike on its end was more than enough to catch anyone's eye. Alex herself never turned to look, and once the little demonstration was over a quick flick banished that little trick and left her solely herself. "You'll understand why I showed them later...

"All right. To start things off I'll simply say that my siblings and I never really got along. I am the youngest, and I was the runt. I resembled Mother more than Father, and I had no strength when compared to them. They loved to throw that in my face, and they constantly antagonized me. At times they abused me, harshly, and all I could do was hope they grew bored and left me alone. But I eventually started to mature. My scales started to spread a little further everyday, and while this was happening they approached me. They pushed me as they always did, and normally I would simply take it and be on my way. But that day I stood my ground. I'm not sure why, but once they saw it they didn't like it. They attacked me, and that was fine, but then they started insulting Mother. Somehow that got to me, and no matter how much they threatened me I only got angrier. At one point my sister wanted me to kiss their feet, to show me that was where I belonged, and they completely misread me as I came closer. My head was down, and I was ashamed, but my shame was aimed at them. They insulted our Father and Mother in the worst way, and before either they or I knew it my rage exploded. I curled my fist and struck, and with a single punch I managed to floor my brother and drive my sister into the ground." That was the only time a hint of satisfaction that came over Alex, and just as quickly as it appeared it vanished.

"But I was still the runt. I shocked them, yes, but once they got over it they rose. Akorvick hit me with his full strength, and the only reason I'm standing today is due to his rage. It threw off his aim and kept him from caving my head in. But he broke my jaw and knocked me completely senseless for a few seconds, and though I somehow recovered all I could do was look up and see his foot ready to crush my skull. Annabeth stopped him, but when I finally managed to look her way she wore the most sadistic grin I'd ever seen at that point.

"I tried to run, but I had a massive concussion. It left my crawling for safety, but they simply followed and stopped me. My sister even offered me a gentle hand, but that same grin was still on her face. She said we were going to have the Talk, and a moment later she lashed out with her tail and tore my clothes to rags. Brother lifted me up by my foot and held me while she continued battering me, and after a few seconds I was left a bleeding, bruised, broken mess that was simply dropped to the ground.

"But Annabeth wasn't done. She had a lesson to give. She lifted me by my legs and forced them apart, and once I was bare her tail rose..." Despite all her intentions Alex simply couldn't go through with describing what happened next in any kind of detail, and it left her silent for quite a while. "I'll just say I'm lucky her tail was wide enough to keep her spike from impaling me. At this point she stopped. Her eyes shifted over toward Angelle, and there she waited. Alex avoided saying outright what had been done to her, but the clues she gave should have filled in those blanks. But Angelle continued to prove almost eternally naive, and if she was unable to work through it then the eyes that studied her would rise toward Aes. It was at times like this that the demon-born angel managed to find exactly the right words to say, and Alex was going to rely on that just this once before she continued. "Unfortunately she was rather enjoying herself. The only reason she stopped was because Akorvick yelled at her, but instead of letting me drop she passed me over so he could start where she left off. He hesitated for a moment, but it was only a moment.

"He stopped a short time later, and at his suggestion they simply let me fall and left me there. I couldn't move. I bled a river. It hurt simply to breath. I thought I would die, but Mother eventually discovered me and brought me home. She nursed and cleaned me, and I'm fairly certain she knew what had happened just by looking at me. Eventually I recovered, and following that my siblings never approached me. But I didn't care. They could have simply walked up and finished what they started. I wouldn't have done a thing to stop them. But after a bit I decided I simply couldn't stay. I couldn't face anyone anymore because of my shame, and one day I simply disappeared." At that point she finally stopped, her eyes lowered as they had been so long ago, and only after she let go of a very heavy breath did she look up. Her eyes fell on Angelle first, and though she never said a word the silent apology she gave was naked for the whole world to see. And it was that much worse because of what only they knew. Alex had exposed her daughter to something horrid, more so than anything else she may have seen other than their shared vision, and though it was all done to try and save Aes from whatever fate was conspiring against her Alex still felt like she had just become the worst parent in the world.

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

It took some time for the man to realize what he'd been told, but once recognition set in Alex lay witness to a host of emotions she swore she never would have seen from her brute of a brother. Shock was the first, and it was understandable considering how she practically cut all ties with her family once she left. But fear and regret? That was... Well... Quite frankly it left the dragoness speechless. Here he was, the muscle-bound terror of her childhood that had nearly broken her, nearly killed her, and worst of all made her wish she'd been killed, and now he was showing regret?

He should! That indignant little voice in the back of her mind managed to drudge up those long-buried feelings of pain and abandonment that originally forced Alex to leave her home behind, and for a moment Alex's tail started to thrash wildly about just like Akorivck's had only seconds earlier. But that would do no good. Irritation would lead to confrontation, and right then Alex simply wasn't prepared to engage her brother in any kind of battle. She needed to reconnect with her family, to find Roko and learn just what kind of trials he'd been through, and beyond those she definitely didn't want to fight here. That foul scent of death was aggravating her supernatural senses, and she wanted no distractions to bother her once she'd issued her challenge.

With that in mind she eased herself into a more relaxed stance, at least as much as she could considering where she was standing and with whom, and when Akorvick finally spoke her name Alex simply nodded her head. It was a sign of recognition, one far more draconian than her flourished bow, and though she continued his state of shock persevered. But then she asked her question. Discontent and fury returned, and though it was something she'd known from him for as long as she'd known him she was still a little shocked to find that it was no longer aimed at her. He answered in a word, his posture speaking volumes in itself, and though Alex wanted to pursue that line of thought she simply nodded her head once more. There would be plenty of time to discuss their sister later. For now it was just the two of them.

A moment later he started to recede. The mountain of scale and flesh that was Akorvick shifted, became smaller, and the scales themselves started to peel back to expose the more human aspects that lay beneath. That wasn't to say he shrank down to nothing. He was still a massive beast, his height now lying closer to Ria and possibly still a tad taller. His proportions still remained, his body still looked capable of grabbing and tossing the oni, but with his legs shifting back toward the front, his tail returning to the more moderate size she knew, and his face now resembling the one she'd seen for years on end Alex was quick to realize that he had been bolstering himself. His inner flame had changed him just as her own did to her. It distracted her from the few changes that still remained on her brother as he matured, and as she looked at him now she was analyzing everything she'd seen. It led her to one conclusion: Alex had followed in her brother's footsteps. She never would have thought it possible, but even if she chose to use weapons and armor and relied on her agility to see her though a fight both Akorvick and she were simply two warriors who used their father's flame to strengthen themselves.

That little fact nearly caused her to let out a rather rueful chuckle with an accompanying smile, but she kept them held down as her brother studied her just as she'd studied him. She hadn't missed the way he had avoided meeting her gaze, and she couldn't miss the restraint and the pause he gave as he addressed her. She wasn't sure what exactly that could mean, though she did have a guess or two, but as he asked his own question she found his determination rising to meet her own. He had a valid reason to be concerned, she had simply appeared out of the blue and landed right before what she saw as his ultimate reason for protecting these lands, and after a second or two to think over a response she finally answered. "If you mean right here then it's just as I said. I'm here to announce myself before entering Ochre, though now I believe I'll need your permission given the welcome I received. You weren't available as the mage put it, and I learned a few days ago that you always appeared when this crypt was approached." It would be fairly obvious who had revealed that little fact to Alex. There couldn't have been many other people who regularly tried to raid this tomb, and if he had words concerning Ria then she'd hear and answer them as calmly as she could.

But there was another way his question could be taken. "If you mean what am I doing in Ochre then that's a little more complicated." An understatement, but she didn't want to simply sit here and talk all day. Maybe if they'd confronted each other elsewhere, but not with this miasma spilling through the air. "Basically I'm on a journey to return home. I want to introduce Father and Mother to my Mate and our daughter, and I want to bury my past one way or another." He definitely wasn't going to miss the small implication there. "As I was heading through Therion I learned that someone I thought was dead is living here. Then I learned that you were here as well. With our history that made me a little nervous, so I came to investigate. And I must admit I'm rather surprised by how you've grown." That was the second understatement of the day, but Alex wasn't going to linger on it. At least now now. "If I may ask can we speak elsewhere? This place unsettles me..."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~~The Second Day of the Journey~~~~​

A gasp of surprise in a somewhat poorer approximation of Haedrin's voice came from her Mate when Alex so enthusiastically wrapped her lips around the angel's rod, the thick member easily fitting into the warm cavity of her mouth, allowing the half-dragon to form a firm seal with her lips and provide a second source of pleasure as her tongue coiled around her lover's flesh. So well received were her initial motions that Aes didn't even move for the first minute or so, the former demoness allowing Alex to bob onto her shaft purely under her own power. The angel's hips would eventually start to move, but only to keep pace with Alex and to start gradually nudging her rod deeper and deeper down the half-dragon's throat, claiming her doubled orifice centimeter by centimeter until every trip of Alex's taught lips over her angel's rock-hard member brought her from its tip all the way down to its base. The second ring of pressure formed by her coiled tongue was able to grow tighter and tighter as Aes pushed herself deeper, every inch tasting her lover's fleshy heat while suffocating it in her own. The load that her efforts earned, which she would drink down with her nose pressed into her lover's crotch, was as voluminous as either of the two that had been poured into her depths, if not even more so, and for several moments she felt her Mate's delectable lava pouring down her throat in long ropes, every one dissolving into a puddle of heat in her stomach that steadily made her body burn with an all too familiar insatiable need.

It would be with great hesitance that Aescila would pull out after her eruption down Alex's throat had ended, leaving it in a moment for her tongue to draw out the last dregs of her seed before coming free with an audible pop. "Remind me.... To get you to suck my cock more often," Aes half-panted and half-purred, letting her appreciation for Alex's efforts not go unsaid. From there she would proceed on to their next round, dominantly hammering down into Alex and driving her to the heights of ecstasy and beyond, but even as exhausting and satisfying as that experience had been Aes's aphrodisiacs burning through her system wouldn't let her be done at that, and the constant lust that her Mate experienced would be no less unsated without one more round.

Feeling that Alex was receptive for more was more than enough to stir Aes into continuing, and when the dragoness started lightly circling her hips to let her folds caress the member still tightly held within her, Aes began to respond in perfect timing. Her dark angel began to slowly grind, her motions at the same speed and intensity as Alex at first but, as their bodies descended from hypersensitivity towards pure arousal once more, the inspired sensations shifting from agony to ecstasy, she began to speed up. At the exact moment that that shift took place, Alex felt lips descend upon her, brushing over her neck to warn of the slightest touch of teeth that came next. A trail of kisses and nibbles and the occasional lick trailed over her throat, first up to the lobe of her ear but then back down until they passed over her collar, at which point their pace quickened. Soon enough they were ascending one of her soft mounds until its vulnerable peak was caught, the slightest of nibbles trapping the delicate nub before Haedrin's tongue started gliding back and forth over it. Even a tiny burst of suction was enough to draw out a bead of her milk, and over the next few moments Alex was built back up to the point at which her raw need could override any exhaustion by her partner's attentions. Those slow grinding motions never ended, grazing against her cum-coated inner gate and the patch of hyper-sensitive flesh halfway between it and her entrance, but they never evolved into the thrusts that her body was increasingly demanding in order to finally slake her lust either.

Only when that need burned like never before would Haedrin-Aescila give her what she needed, and as each time had been it introduced something new. Alex felt power flare, the very same vicious power that had so often allowed Haedrin to leap upon foes many times his size like a crimson cannonball and simply rip them apart with savagery comparable to the werewolf Calkis. This version was more controlled and far less intense than what might be used in a battle to the death, and the flare of energy could with a bit of inspection be easily determined as Aes rather than the sidhe knight whom she was fantasizing about, but it was an extremely good imitation for something so intensely personal. That enhancement allowed Haedrin-Aes to stand, curling Alex's legs as her arms hooked under the dragon's knees, the angel's hands working their way under the prone dragoness to come together and finally lock together behind her back, lifting Alex with her as she stood as if the warrior weighed no more than a feather. Suspended in the air, Alex could feel her partner widen their stance to better settle the burden of the dragon warrior's weight, an act that had the iron-hard rod still buried in her sex stirring her delightfully.

There was no preparing for what came when Haedrin finally settled and started to move. A single motion drew the cock that had inspired so much ecstasy already until only the tip hovered at her outermost gates, holding for a half second before driving right back in as if slammed in by a blacksmith's hammer. Pleasure exploded through her, mixed perhaps with a bit of pain from her innermost gate being struck so fiercely, and the sheer power of that thrust was greater than anything Alex had ever felt in a single motion before. Another half second to hold, the tip pressing against her cervix, and Aes retreated only to hover for another half second's pause, establishing a rhythm of thrusts that each hit Alex like an earthquake. A few moments of that were enough for the dragoness to realize how much power was being held back at that point, how much strength was being restrained lest its unleashing shatter her completely, but more than that she could feel the deliberate slowness teasing her. The magical enhancement that Haedrin-Aes had employed could have let her hammer into the dragoness so fast that she'd be taking several thrusts a second, each just as furious as the ones she delivered. Even going just a little bit harder and a little bit faster, just beyond the limits she had pressed against without magical enhancement, would have been an all new ecstasy that would have had her cumming her brains out.

But Aes did neither of those things. It was all restraint, every thrust hitting her like a rampaging bull and ensuring that she was unable to gather herself and receive the second, but enough time passing between them that Alex could just about start trying. Her arms were left to hang limply or wrap around the back of her partner's neck, and she could moan or beg or mewl or scream as much as she liked. None of it would matter. Lust kept her aware even in the face of her exhaustion, and that lust just kept building and building and building without any real relief even though every thrust left her breathless as much from the potent bursts of pleasure that they inspired as they did their sheer impact. After a few moments, the message would be all too clear. It would be heard in the rhythmic clap produced by the meeting of their bodies and the lewd mewls that each joining drew from the blinded dragon's mouth. It was visible in the ripples sent from her plump rear out through every soft portion of her body, and by the flood of mixed juices that was pooling between Aescila's legs as it was left to drip from between their meeting point.

Alex was helpless. She had no control over the pace at which she was taken, had no ability to bring about the peak that her body was left weeping for. The dragoness could barely do more than twitch and curl around the figure pounding into her and beg for more, and that was only if she managed to gather the breath and awareness to form words. Minutes that felt like years followed, the subjective eternity left both glorious and horrible at once, but when it ended it ended explosively as Haedrin-Aes pulled back one time just a tiny bit slower than the last, held her shaft outside of the dragon's flower for a fraction of a second longer... And then the next thrust was followed in the same heartbeat by two more, and thirty furious seconds later Alex was pushed into an orgasm so powerful that it was nearly enough to make her black out entirely, and would have if Aescila hadn't seized Alex's consciousness and forced it to witness the pleasure rolling through her body with magic too strong for even her exhaustion and ecstasy to overrule. And then.... She came, and came, and came, finding peak after peak one after another as Haedrin-Aescila hammered into her helpless form with all the fury her mind had imagined she could and then some, the pleasure she experienced comparable only to what she'd felt when in the tentacles of the mysterious abomination that Angelle had accidentally summoned.

Another period of indeterminate time passed, every second leaving Alex feeling like she would shatter under the pleasure she experienced, before one last occurrence of that telltale throb left her drowning under an even deeper layer of pleasure. She was left to anticipate the coming fire for only a few short seconds before the first rope of boiling, potent cream erupted into her core, filling her freshly emptied womb as the dark angel's thrusts continued to stir her up inside at a furious pace. It set off an orgasm that would have left Alex a drooling mess were it not for Aescila's careful psychic herding, and as it was she functionally blacked out for her orgasm and for several minutes after, the darkness of the magical shadow over her eyes spreading over all thought until the half-dragon was naught but sensation for a few brief, glorious moments as Aescila's potent seed once more flooded her deepest depths. When she finally came down from that glorious peak, Alex found herself on the ground, her vision restored suddenly but her eyes spared since the sun had set at some point in the midst of their union.

Aes was there, and the dragoness would be able to watch as her Mate gradually restored her preferred anatomy after the changes she'd created to enable Alex's fantasy. Her testicles shrank slowly into her body first, followed quickly by her cock until Aes was restored to her fully feminine form. Then, her abdomen shifted, muscle rippling and then softening until her Mate's stomach was soft but still pleasantly flat. Her shoulders, hips, and height were next, the changes less dramatic there but the sight of them warping still decidedly strange as Aes resumed her normal proportions, the ones she'd shifted into not quite accurate but as close as she could get given the difference in body mass between her and the much taller and more muscular Haedrin. Finally, her breasts began to expand, ballooning outward until they were back to their normal size, about equal to Alex's if not a little bit bigger, though perhaps they were a tad smaller now that hers were swollen thanks to the child growing in her belly. Exhaustion was close to claim Alex by that point, and it would be easy and comfortable to fall into that relaxing blackness for the night, but that would leave Aes with the trouble of hauling her back to camp and the embarassment that she would no doubt endure in the morning.

"When we get home," Aes remarked idly as she smoothed a hand over her newly restored stomach, "when our little vacation is done with and we have some time to relax.... I'm going to make you suck me off just like you just did... And then I'm going to knock you up again!" It wasn't exactly phrased like something that Alex could refuse, though it was also delivered lightly enough that Alex could offer some quip back, assuming she could pull herself together enough to do so.

~~~~The Fifth Day of the Journey~~~~​

Ria would accept Alex's response to her demand without question, and though the reminder of what had happened back in Andrast's mansion brought a slight flush to Angelle as well the dragon's daughter held her tongue. No one would object to her request to let Anowyn finish drinking, and the oni and Aes would both settle back and watch while the newest little hybrid nursed at her mother's breast. The young half-oni was ravenous, displaying more appetite than Angelle ever had at the very least, and would take a few minutes to be satisfied before ceasing her nursing and opting to cuddle against her mother's chest instead, blessedly falling into a quick sleep.

When Alex saw fit to continue on, however, the actual display that she put on required a bit of effort. She was no natural shapeshifter like Aes, and every time she changed her body required a bit of magic to pull off, but that wouldn't stop Alex from showing Ria the tools that had been used on her maidenhood by her siblings. The start of her tale, the retelling of her early abuses she'd suffered prompted Ria to adopt a stoic look that was a bit more dour than the one that Aes held, the dark angel having done much more than simply hear this story before. Angelle frowned and unsettled, her feathers ruffling as she began to fidget slightly, the highly sensitive hybrid reacting to the emotional state of her mother with agitation, at least at first. As the story progressed onwards, only Aes would remain as she was when it had started, the angel retaining her calm demeanor while more subtly broadcasting her sympathy to the half-dragon, knowing that retelling what had happened again was no easy task for Alex. Ria would keep her stoicism intact, albeit with a few fractures here and there, right up until Alex told of Annabeth ripping her clothes to shreds, at which point the expression splintered entirely and a look of horror dawned on her. It was about that point that Angelle, despite the strong front she'd been trying to put up, simply recoiled, crawling several feet away and curling up into a heap that was quickly buried by her wings. Despite her attempt to hide, however, the hybrid's eyes still watched Alex, and there was no way that she wasn't listening to every word coming from her mother's mouth. No demonstration or intervention on Aescila's part would be needed for Angelle to understand, as she was very nearly living through the ghost of it just as Aes had when the two of them had first bonded.

By the time Alex had gone over her brother's turn Ria had to bring a hand up to her mouth, her crimson knuckles whitening as the occasional shiver passed over her massive frame. By the time she was finished, the oni was almost green, and it took several moments for her to control herself again before she could remove her hand from her mouth and speak. "That.... By Doraleous.... What the fuck!?" she swore, her words spoken in a hushed voice barely above a whisper until the curse flew from her mouth. Horror and disgust at what Alex had revealed warred over her face, and there was certainly at least some satisfaction to be gained from her completely stunned reaction, one that Aescila had been unable to provide due to having grown up in a realm where that kind of abuse between siblings was a matter of course. The former demon had lacked the cultural context through which to understand just how badly it had affected Alex, even with her earnest efforts at empathy, and it had taken feeling the emotions themselves for her to understand what Ria, despite being an orphan, seemed to simply get.

"That's.... Wow.... I didn't.... How.... Well, I certainly don't think your brother's sexy anymore!" the oni continued, trying for humor but the effort producing something more manic than flippant. "You...." she continued, apparently trying to say something but then simply shaking her head, completely at a loss for words. The oni would lapse into an uncomfortable silence at that point, unsure of what else to say after Alex's revelation, and at that point Aes would go over and gently sit herself down beside Alex, wrapping the dragoness in the comforting embrace of her arms and the slight softness of her raven wings.

At that point, one might have thought she would be better suited to go to Angelle given the hybrid's reaction, but both she and Alex would know from how curled up she was in a cocoon of her wings that it would be best to leave their daughter in her fort until she came out of her own volition. The very moment that Alex's last word was said, the slit through which she'd been watching Alex had closed, and after a brief period of shuffling her form had begun to shudder. Beneath her natural blankets, Angelle was silently sobbing in the aftermath of her mother's revelation, but at that point it was something that she would have to go through on her own, at least at this stage. A part of her innocence had just been destroyed irrecoverably, not only because of the sheer horror of what Alex had said but because of whom it had been inflicted by and upon. Angelle, for better or worse, had always looked at her mother like an invincible champion of legend, and while most others who had witnessed had no choice but to respect her prowess, Angelle had viewed it as much much more. It wasn't purely a matter of physical strength either, as the amount of damage that had been done to Alex by what her siblings had done on a mental level was so plane to see that the hybrid's natural empathy wouldn't even have been needed for it. To know that her mother, the strength she had been born from and the strength she had so often relied upon, had been so victimized shattered that image of invulnerability, one that all children held for their parents to one degree or another but that Angelle had held in spades.

The silent apology that Alex offered, sadly, didn't seem to pierce the barrier around her daughter, but Aes offered a comforting caress and leaned her weight over Alex. Ria, in the meantime, opened her mouth again only to shut it, still completely at a loss for words. She didn't seem to know what to do at that point, and was waiting for someone else to break the air of depression hanging over the previously joyous gathering. Anowyn, unfortunately, chose that exact moment to wake up again, and the sensitive little thing felt the air of melancholy around her and did the only thing that a newborn could do in such a situation. She started bawling her eyes out, tiny hands clenched into tiny fists flailing in time with her tiny legs.

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine

~~~~Ochre~~~~​

Alex's rueful chuckle would earn a brief taken aback look from Akovick, whom evidently did not follow the reasoning behind it, but as both it and the accompanying smile were brief he seemingly opted to let the odd reaction pass. The response to his question also seemed to catch him by surprise, and he briefly glanced over his shoulder at the door from which the foul aura was emanating only to look back with a grimace. "I care not who told you of this place... But I would advise not to come near it again. There are threats worse by far than I protecting this tomb, and they ought not be released," he replied, revealing that he didn't make the connection to Ria immediately. It was a simple warning, and an honest one at that, but there was a small but noticeable note of pleading in his voice.

Her continuation prompted another look of surprise from her brother, first when she revealed that she had not only a Mate, but a daughter, and secondly that an acquaintance of hers lived in the village. While the things he'd missed earlier had perhaps left the impression that her brother had grown dull witted, he didn't miss the implications of her wording when spoke of burying her past, but merely opted to look a little nervous for an instant before his final look of surprise crossed his features. Her request to speak elsewhere, outside of the deathly miasma emanating from the tomb, would earn a nod, and her brother spread his massive wings. "You can apparently use those, so.... Follow me. We can talk back in Ochre," he said, and then waited for her to acknowledge what he'd said before falling to a crouch and then hurling himself up into the air, his wings throwing up clouds of dead ash as they bore him up into the sky.

Alex would be able to do the same, following Akorvick up into the air as he wheeled towards Ochre, and for a few minutes the ground would pass beneath them with a silence between them broken only by the beating of their wings. Akorvick, despite his size, proved a fast flyer, and Alex would have to work to keep up with him. He was also a good bit more practiced than she with his wings, the benefit of having been born with them rather than needing to conjure them with magic, but given the relatively straight path of their flight that didn't really come into play until a glance down revealed the party that Alex had traveled with wandering down the road to the town. "Gods dammit," Akorvick swore under his breath, before speaking up to address Alex, "wait up here, there's a particularly annoying person that I need to go deal with.... Again." His wings then simply folded, and her brother began streaking towards the ground like a comet, already assuming the form he'd worn when he had greeted Alex once more.

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ Day Two ~~~​

With the second dosing of aphrodisiacs running through the dragon's system she was far too gone to even acknowledge Aescila's praise, but that didn't stop her from crying out her own praise for the mouth that traced along her every curve. The little nips at her flesh forced out the briefest of gasps that only made the dragon that much hotter, and though she was far from recovered the small flourish Aes added to that grinding had Alex groaning in both pleasure and pain until those small bursts of agony were simply swallowed by the ecstasy their bodies inspired.

For quite some time Alex was held like that, her body nearly bent over backwards as Haedrin-Aes continually lavished attention along every inch that could be reached, and as the seconds passed the fires within the sex-addled dragon kept rising until all she could do was whine desperately for more while her exhausted body tried to pull her lover even deeper. That was when everything changed. Haedrin let his power flow, that deadly strength that let him tear into beasts that towered over him as if they were nothing more than fodder, and in mere moments Alex found herself completely suspended in his grip while she barely managed to cling onto his impressive frame for dear life. His stance widened, his length suddenly pressing all that much harder against her inner gate, and she gave a small coo of delight before he started to pull back. That slow motion brought another pleasured moan from the dragoness's lips, and when he paused just inside her entrance all she could do was give a small pant of excitement and anticipation for what would undoubtedly come next.

But she never expected this. His thrust hit her like a hammer, her entire body rocking in Haedrin's gasp as both her hips and her inner gate were slammed by his strength, and though a wave of discomfort and outright pain washed over her at that first strike it was quickly overcome by a burst of pleasure that had Alex seeing stars. She could only offer a stuttered gasp as he pulled back, and before she could properly catch her breath he impaled her once more. A rhythm quickly emerged, one that had Alex feeling that rough insertion every glorious second while her partner became a literal fucking machine, and though her body was left abused and breathless she simply couldn't get enough.

That was proving to be a problem. Haedrin was good. Damned good. Too good. Her body was practically singing as he continued to pound into her at that halting pace. But it wasn't enough. It left her excited and thrilled, her own body climbing to one peak before it started climbing some more, but the climax she craved felt so far away. She could feel herself coming closer and closer, her orgasm nearly teasing her with each and every thrust, but just as she felt she would reach it that peak only rose higher. Haedrin simply kept her bouncing on his cock while her body silently cried for release, and no matter what she tried, no matter how she tried to curl her back or grind her hips those rhythmic thrusts of his ground her to a halt. She couldn't gather any momentum. She couldn't gather a full breath. All she could do was struggle to keep her arms wrapped around his neck as each strike forced her head to simply loll back further and further until it looked nearly ready to roll off her neck. And with her grip starting to slip she couldn't even manage that. All of this meant one simple thing, and had she had the consciousness for it she would have realized just how helpless she had become.

Alex was left to suffer yet another eternity of intense pleasure that left her entirely unfulfilled, and after a bit she simply collapsed. Her entire body went limp, her limbs supported only by Haedrin's grip, and as her arms and tail fell flat and dangled in midair the only signs of life were the small hitches that passed for breath and the steady stream of fluid that oozed out of her sex. Her womb emptied itself thanks to gravity and that ever-present fucking, and as it did a sense of emptiness grew until her body was nearly drying itself out as it wept all around the cock that denied it.

There was no telling how long she'd been stuck there. Year after tortuous year rolled past by the second, what shred of consciousness remained wallowing in the glorious yet painful thrill of sexual denial, and in some back corner of her mind the dragoness wondered if she had simply died. But something changed. Her torturer pulled back a little farther, the pause between his thrusts stretching out just long enough for her to catch her breath as his length nearly popped free of the folds that refused to let him go, and that was the only warning she was given. An instant later Haedrin hilted himself once more, and in the second that followed he struck her again and once more and showed no sign of stopping.

That carefully controlled rhythm became a sudden frantic race, and all Alex could manage was a weak cry of painful delight before she found herself rushing toward her peak once more. Her body quaked with each impact, her flesh rippling as Haedrin simply rutted her, and in a few brief seconds the dragon finally felt the dam within her break. She came, and in that moment all she could do was weakly grab at empty air. The first wave that struck her threatened to tear her in two, and before it had even passed a second washed over it and would have left her a writhing, screaming mess if she'd had the energy to do anything more than hang in Haedrin's grip. A third and fourth overcame each other, and soon enough those waves combined into an eternal storm of climax after climax that left the last dregs of Alex's mind sinking into an unfathomable abyss.

But before she could white out in sheer bliss something wormed its way around her and held her tight. It did nothing to stop the continuing parade of orgasms that were even then growing stronger as Haedrin kept pumping himself in and out in his wicked pace, and as each release hit it clawed at that last shred of reason as if it meant to drag her into oblivion, but no matter how deeply she simply wanted to give in her mind was forced to stay alert. The torture of her denial became the complete and utter agony of far too much pleasure for her mortal body to handle.

It was only by the grace of some merciful god that an end finally came. Haedrin began to throb. He couldn't contain himself any longer, and his length expanded as it readied to fire directly into the dragon's woefully empty core. It set off a craving within her body, a need to be filled, and it caused her to somehow find the strength to twist and force him to rub himself all that much harder as he fucked the ever-living daylights out of her. It was the last ditch efforts of a body that was desperate to breed, to feel liquid fire spreading throughout its deepest depths, and that effort was rewarded once the man finally came. In that moment her world became nothing but sex. Every sensation was focused on the heat blooming at her core, the way it filled her entire body, the way it fulfilled the most basic and primal need and triggered a final climax that set all the others to shame. All she could see, hear, taste was an overwhelming pleasure that went so far beyond bliss that it became utter misery as it struck her once again, and despite all the ecstasy and agony she'd been made to suffer in that moment Alex was finally at peace.

But those moments of simply instinctual joy were fleeting, and as she finally climbed down from the impossibly plateau Alex found herself lying on the ground. And somehow she was still aware. Her thoughts were still a jumbled mess of post-coital bliss and disbelief at how far she'd been taken, and that left a somewhat idle and blank bit of curiosity to witness her Mate transform before her very eyes. The sight of what Aes had been during their latest tryst showed that she could never truly became the object of the dragon's fantasies, but that didn't matter. It was close enough. Gods, was it close enough. Even the very vivid memory of their recent coupling had Alex shuddering in climax once again, and that idle curiosity wondered how long that would last before she was finally back to her old self. But she was far more interested in the shift back to that perfect mix of devil and divine, and once the angel was restored the devious minx told the helpless beast just what would happen once the finally managed to get back home and relax. The thought of going through all that again forced equal amounts of fear and excitement through the dragoness, but at that point the crutch that had held her conscious was long gone. All she could manage was a small grunt as she very nearly came a final time, and unless Aes herself took matters into her own hands Alex would finally welcome the exhaustion that was quickly dragging her under.

~~~ Day Five ~~~​

There was no satisfaction to be found within Alex. Though Ria and Angelle could understand the horror of her past far more easily than Aescila could it was still a painful memory. Reliving it dredged up some dark emotions Alex would have preferred to keep buried, and she in know way enjoyed the mix of shock, disbelief, and horror it inspired within others.

But Angelle's reaction brought out another sense of horror. The girl had proven time and again to be highly empathic, and the more Alex spoke the more she realized her daughter was living through the exact same darkness that she remembered. It may not be the same as when Aes had experienced that horrendous memory firsthand, but the emotion and pain that were now running through the dragon were doing the same within the hybrid. It made recalling that torture even harder Alex as she watched her daughter recoil and retreat into herself, and by the time it was all done that feeling that she was the worst parent in the world only grew stronger as she could only sit and watch her innocent girl cry on her own.

A few moments later a new cry rose, and Alex's attention was immediately drawn to her newest daughter squirming and balling in response to all the melancholy floating through the air. In a way it actually helped the dragoness by giving her some place to focus her attention, and after a pause of no more than a second or two she cradled the newborn and gently started stroking the girl's forehead in an effort to help calm her down. They were nothing more than light brushes that started from the babe's brow and rose across her head, and as she did Alex concentrated her power on that impossibly low setting that allowed her to warm her body until she was releasing a comforting heat that would slowly fill the barn and ease the child into relaxing. Considering how upset everyone had become Anowyn most likely would take quite some time to calm, but Alex would simply keep at it until she had. And as she did her eyes would wander over toward Angelle from time to time. She wanted to pull her eldest daughter close and comfort her just as she was for Anowyn, but there was no telling when Angelle would be ready for it. For now all she could do was focus on the daughter she could reach.

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

The fact that he agreed to speak elsewhere brought a measure of relief to the dragoness, and as Akorvick bent down to launch himself into the air Alex waited only a second before she did the same. After that she had to push herself, her brother proving far more familiar with his natural wings than Alex did with the pair she conjured, and just that little display of strength proved just how far behind him she still sat. Her body was strong, there was no denying that, but if Akorvick could outpace her so easily then he was just that much naturally stronger. It left her struggling to keep pace, so much so that she didn't have time to ponder the significance behind his plea to never return to that damned tomb.

Their flight was fast and silent, each dragon quiet for their own reasons, but something caught Akorvick's attention. Alex herself had noticed her family simply because she wanted to see how far they had come, but when her brother spoke of an annoyance and immediately veered off to intercept her group Alex let out a small curse. It took a moment to make her turn, it was nowhere near as sharp as his, and as she raced after him she saw him take that monstrous form once more. And to make matters worse he wasn't simply diving to meet them. He was practically diving directly into Ria, including the newborn that was riding the oni's back, and with the promise he'd made to her flashing across her mind Alex was already in mid-breath to blast the bastard out of the sky.

Thankfully he chose to veer off target as he came closer, and at that Alex swallowed the small fireball that would have exploded right next to his ear. But she still fell after him, and shortly after he landed he would find her touching down with a small flourish that let her land with ease instead of the violent impact he seemed to prefer. And a moment later she was looking him straight in the eye, sour disappointment written all over her face while her wings spread enough to block the others from stepping in. "I hope no further threats will be made against my guide." That small sentence was enough for Alex to claim Ria as her responsibility, that she would be the one to look over the giant and could be held accountable for whatever actions the oni would take.

At this point Alex wasn't sure what to expect. Akorvick had promised violence against Ria if she ever returned, and though she couldn't be certain the dragoness feared that someone from her party may do the same based on what they'd learned of him the day before. She already felt tense at having everyone meet out in the open, and she had to hope that her presence would keep everyone from acting out. She would only relax once everyone appeared calm or controlled enough to keep themselves in check, and once they had she would wait. Akorvick had to have questions for her, especially once he got an eyeful of Anowyn and the rest of Alex's family.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~~The Second Day of the Journey (and the morning of the third)~~~~​

(Alex gains.... Well, a ton of corruption. 572 to be precise. I think that's enough for a mutation.)

As Alex finally offered her surrender to the complete exhaustion that her encounter with her Mate, the last sight that she would see was the grin of absolute smugness present on her angel's face, the slight grunt and the miniature orgasm that she had before blacking out being all the response that Aes could expect. Of course, sessions between them that got that intense were rare since Aes accepted Alex's preference to keep from getting too corrupted. Alex would have to suffer the consequences in the morning after getting fucked that hard.

When morning came and the darkness receded again, Alex would feel a blanket around herself, a pleasant soreness in her womanhood, and a large hand that had slipped under her covers gently fondling her perfectly bare ass. Of course, the source of that hand would turn out to be Ria lying on her back beside the dragoness, who gave Alex a light grin when she turned to look at the source of the palm assailing her backside. "Morning!" she said brightly, her hand unmoving from the dragon's soft buttocks until Alex moved to displace her or told her off.

"Aes had me carry you back when you two were finished," she explained, joining her displaced hand to join the other supporting her head if Alex made her cease her groping. The oni was lying on her back on a large bedroll set up beside her own, clad in pants and her undershirt but no armor. They had apparently had no tent or other shelter set up for them that night, meaning that they had all slept under the Crolian stars. It was still warm enough for that, though the cool morning air nipped at her a little bit where her body wasn't covered by her blankets. "I was jealous~ I didn't realize Aes had that kind of stamina!" she continued in the same bright tone, "it's too bad I didn't get a turn.... But Aes promised to make it up to me. Eventually."

The oni's dubious trust of Aescila, at least where joining her in bed was concerned, had seemingly been eased since their first encounter. Even though Ria had certainly enjoyed it, the length of time that she'd spent on the edge while enduring Aescila's teasing tongue before Alex had provided the object lesson in making children for Angelle had left her somewhat nervous around the demon-turned-angel when the topic of sex came up, no doubt fearing a second helping of extended denial. For some reason that fear was eased, however, and that could only bode poorly for Alex when it came to maintaining her decency around the lewd angel and the lustful oni. "Aes and Angelle are making breakfast," she continued, and Alex's stomach, now slightly distended by the child she and Ria had conceived, would let it be known that it appreciated that idea. By that point Ria would have enjoyed her teasing gropes to the fullest, and if Alex hadn't gotten her bottom away from the oni's hand somehow by that point she would pull it away as she sat up. "Feel free to join us when you're ready!" she added, and with that would wander off towards signs of fire and an alluring meat-like smell.

(This was much longer than I thought it would be, and you can feel free to make your response short or just leave it at that, at your discretion. Either way, probably gonna end this day here. Hopefully.)

~~~~The Fifth Day of the Journey~~~~​

Anowyn would respond to Alex's efforts to comfort her as expected, her crying quieting slowly but steadily as her efforts to calm the newborn bore fruit. It would be a slow process, however, as the continued melancholy in the room was still present after Alex had spoken her story. The barn would warm over the next few moments as a result of Alex's slight use of her inner flame, but other than Anowyn's cries and the soft sobs coming from Angelle, silence would rein. Aes would hold her position, offering what little comfort she could with her presence, while Ria held her position a few feet off, wearing a dark frown while gazing down upon Anowyn as Alex gently rocked her and caressed the hybrid's face.

"You know," the oni suddenly said in a quiet voice, "I don't think I'm in any position to do anything about it either way, but.... Are you going to Ochre to kill your brother?" It wasn't an accusation, that much would be completely absent from her tone as she delivered her awkward question, but it would again be clear that Ria wanted an answer.

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine, Draconic Transformation (enough for wings)

~~~~Ochre~~~~​

When he spotted Ria, it would quickly become clear by his trajectory that Akorvick didn't plan on leaving a crater on the ground this time. A single talon-bearing foot would drop below him, intent on offering a descending strike that would surely floor the oni, and if the flames starting to coil up from his lips were any indication he was preparing a decidedly unpleasant follow up once Ria was helpless on the ground. Whether he felt Alex gathering her own burst of flame above him or not, however, it would all prove needless in the end. As he drew near, her brother would notice the small wrapped bundle that Ria carried on her shoulder, and with a smooth twist in mid air would redirect his momentum to land in front of the group with the same thunderous crash that he had greeted Alex with.

Landing with far more grace than her brother, Alex would be able to interpose herself between her chosen family and her blood as he straightened from the newly made shallow crater in the middle of the packed dirt road, and after the all too recent revelation of his crimes against her it was probably as lucky for Akorvick as it was for Ria that Alex was there to try and keep the peace. The oni that he had nearly floored was bristling at the mere sight of the rising half-dragon, reaching for her club with one hand while carefully positioning Anowyn out of his line of sight, protecting the infant with her own massive, armored body. Aescila had a look of frightening calm on her face that Alex knew was a holdover from her absorption of the angel Dina, a sure sign that she was ready to call upon the immense powers that she had gained from the maddened woman who had twice nearly unmade her. Angelle's reaction was the most dramatic and the most dynamic, her initial fright at the landing of Akorvick fading quickly as recognition dawned, his changed physical form no disguise against the empathic hybrid's spiritual senses. Recognizing the soul that had so badly damaged her mother turned Angelle's look from shock, to fear, to a degree of hatred that Alex had never witnessed on the girl's face before, all in the time that it took the half-dragon to sweep her gaze over her companions and turn to face the man who had caused all of it.

With her wings spread, Alex was left confronting her brother with the glares of everyone but Ria blocked in full, forcing Akorvick to shift his gaze down to meet her glare. He had never been the sharpest of them, but that didn't mean that he was dim, and after a moment or two of watching the math add up between Ria's presence and Alex's title for her the larger dragonkin seemed to come to a conclusion. "She told you that I was here," he remarked in a low grumble that sounded like a mix of thunder and a burning building, "which explains how you knew to go to the tomb to lure me out.... Tell me, did she explain to you what was in it?" There was distaste and accusation lying behind her brother's words, as poorly veiled as any statement her brother had ever made regarding how he had thought Alex deserved to be treated in their youth, but before Alex could answer a surge of power warned of an attack too late for her to make any reaction firm enough to stop it.

That surge did not come from Akrovick, however, but from behind her, and it was accompanied by a shriek of terror and fury and hate. A lance of white light shot out from Angelle's outstretched hands, too quick even for Aes to try and stop it, containing the full measure of power that the girl could launch in one shot without hitting herself. It coiled around Alex, leaving her completely unharmed but preventing her from blocking it, and with a roar like a waterfall it hammered into Akorvick's chest with all of the hybrid's destructive power behind it.

And her brother slid back roughly a foot, maybe two at most, as his talons dug into the packed soil and his body tensed to absorb the impact. A shimmering barrier of power flared around him just before the white lance struck, one that was decidedly not draconic in nature and that seemed designed to block that very sort of attack, and while it didn't have nearly the potency to stop Angelle's furious blast completely it did mitigate the potential of it significantly. The rest of it was spent only against her brother's hide, and just as it might have had the blow been issued against their father, the blast splashed across those scales only for the natural armor to hold defiantly against it. The slight push back, a few singes, and some frayed scales were the only other signs that the blast had hit at all, and Akorvick gave a grunt that at least didn't sound derisive even if it wasn't pained in the slightest.

Angelle was, to put it mildly, stunned at the complete failure of her assault against her uncle. So was Ria, who looked doubly surprised, but Aes was quick to recover from her surprise and turned a stern scowl onto her daughter while shifting to face her squarely. "Do not do that again!" she said, her voice low and deep and displaying just a hint of fury, and that was enough to make Angelle recoil and shrink in shame at her failed outburst.

After Aes had made sure that the incident wouldn't be repeated, she turned back to Alex and Akovick as the latter gave another snort, and once it became clear that there wouldn't be any further attacks coming, her brother opted to diffuse the situation further by starting to shrink. Soon enough he was back in his still impressive but much more human-like form, and after rubbing the slightly bruised scales where Angelle had hit him he glared towards Alex and said; "I will hold off on making good on my promise... For now. But know that if the oni makes any effort to get into the tomb, there will be no more mercy. What lies within that pit must not be set free."

With that out of the way, Akorvick would let some of his hostility melt, adopting wariness instead as he looked past Alex's shoulder towards Aescila and Angelle. "A fallen and... I don't even know what. Who are these people, and why are they here?" Akorvick asked coldly, leaving his disapproval of Alex's choice of company readily apparent. His gaze would flicker to Ria before she could respond, however, and he would add in the same tone; "And why does she have a child over her shoulder?"

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ Day Three ~~~​

Spoiler

Taking another instance of Armored Hide for the mutation. Sheet has already been updated.

With morning rolling around the dragoness was slow to rouse, but with the light and the soreness and a somewhat familiar pressure against her rear all vying for her attention she really didn't have much choice. And that annoyed the hell out of her. Last night was exhausting. She needed to rest. So why the hell was someone rubbing her ass? "Dammit, Aes, haven't you had enough?"

It took a little more kneading and a little more clarity for Alex to realize the hand fondling her was a little too large for her Mate, and once that finally hit she turned her head and found Ria waking her just as Aes would have done. Great, now there are two of them... A little groan was given as that thought passed through Alex's mind, and after a bit of a pause she finally answered the woman. "Mornin'."

It took a bit of a huff to finally get herself to fully awaken, but once she did her tail rose and eased Ria's hand elsewhere so she could stretch under her blanket. As she did the oni happily informed the dragon of how she ended up back at camp, and though that caused her to stiffen and try to conceal her nudity beneath said blanket the fact that they'd done so much more left Alex feeling a little foolish at that sudden display of modesty. Of course that did nothing to stifle the hint of red that was now gracing her cheeks, and though she did rise to sit upright she was obviously a little nervous over yesterday's marathon. It only grew worse when Ria praised her angel's stamina, and the promise that she would get her turn from Aes had Alex wondering if Aes was going to somehow drag her into a threesome.

Thankfully the mention of breakfast broke through the giant's unintentional (or was it?) teasing, and the first faint hint of seared meat had Alex growling in hunger. Ria left a moment later, and that left the warrior the chance to look herself over. Her child was growing, the slight distention the first sign that the oni-dragon hybrid would be born in a few days, and for a second or two Alex simply stroked her stomach. As she did she noticed something on her arm, and after a careful inspection she soon realized that her scaling had spread just the slightest bit. A more thorough search revealed that her draconic hide had claimed at most an inch of her more human skin, and as that sank in Alex took in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. Dammit, she went overboard again... An inward look confirmed that Aes had fucked her hard enough to leave the dragoness gaining another mutation, and though it would be hard to notice the fact that all that magic had settled within her meant she was that much closer to gaining her own bit of corruption. She was going to need to be a little more careful...

And with that in mind Alex immediately plucked ten coins from her purse. She hadn't had the chance to take care of this since her trip into Crolia had started, and if she wanted to avoid that final step then she needed to be a little more proactive. With her coins in hand she took up a meditative stance, and after a more thorough inspection of her own soul she started to focus. Her aura flared at once, her Father's pride blooming and burning at her core, and a moment later a small flame burst between her open palms. One breath was taken to calm her power, to let it burn steadily without taxing her reserves, and once that was set another was taken to calm herself. She needed to focus on her own soul, to isolate the excess magic that clung to her shell, and once she had it in her sight she let that flame enter her body. Once it settled she practically threw her spiritual self into that flame, and as it consumed her it sought out the corruption that still remained. Alex was going to cleanse herself, and though that flame may turn against her she would simply let herself suffer until she was as clear as she could possibly be.

It took some time for the ritual to finish, but once it did Alex would rise and finally get herself dressed. Her gear would be left where it was, all she really needed right then were the simple garments that acted as her armor's padding, and once she was finally ready she would join everyone else for breakfast.

Spoiler

I'm fine with ending it there. And it's finally time to use that Fire Cleansing ritual. But before that...

Dragon's Pride at X=6, Upkeep=0 simply for the added Resistance
+30 Resist

Should bring it up to 60 (not sure if Mage-Hunter works on rituals inflicted on oneself)

Fire Cleansing: 72 EP for 72 Corruption cleared

~~~ Day Five ~~~​

That question... As Alex calmed her newborn daughter she did not expect to be asked something like that. But considering the massive emotional bomb she'd just dropped on everyone it really wasn't all that out of place, so she took a few more moments to calm Anowyn before she actually gave it some thought. "No. A long time ago I would have, but something happened a couple years ago that had me reliving that nightmare in all its grisly detail. I noticed something about my brother, and I want to ask him about it before anything else. After that..." A longer pause was given. "No. I may try to seriously hurt him depending on what he says, but I still won't kill him. Despite everything he's done he's still my brother, and I'm certain Mother would cry if I took it that far."

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

While Alex stood poised and controlled, possibly even defiant as she faced her brother, there was something within her that she hoped he wouldn't see. Anxiety. And not simply because he nearly attacked Ria. Her landing had given her the chance to look over each of her companions. It was nothing more than a glimpse, but not a one of them looked the least bit interested in meeting Akorvick. Ria was already reaching for her club while Anowyn was swung around to protect the newborn from any sudden attack, Aes had that deceptively calm expression that would let her rain all kinds of holy hell against whatever dared to threaten her, and Angelle... This was the first time Alex had ever seen her daughter show any sign of real hate, and it was so focused and bare that Alex needed to focus on Akorvick to prevent herself from staring at the girl in her own bit of shock and worry.

But that was a mistake. She had managed to grab he brother's attention and force him to deal with her instead of whatever intended threat he may have seen from the others, but it left woefully unprepared for the sudden spike of power she felt from behind her. Before she could even hope to turn she heard Angelle cry out in a mix of fury and fear, and a moment later all she could do was watch as a single bolt of pure destruction simply curved around her before it struck Akorvick chest.

Even if Alex could do nothing to stop it she could still feel the sheer destructive power in that blast. Angelle had sent everything she could into him, and when it struck the monster and started to push him back Alex almost expected to see a gaping hole directly where his heart should have been. But there was more to him than meets the eye, and before her daughter's attack landed Alex caught some sort of barrier coming to life. It intercepted the blast, the two waging war for no more than an instant, and though Angelle's was the superior power her blast had lost much of the force behind it. What remained simply splashed over Akorvick's frame, and as it did it simply grounded itself into nothing against his scales and left him only slightly singed instead of gaping for breath.

While her brother let out his grunt Alex had her attention turned behind her. Her head shifted just enough to let her see Angelle, and her body was gathering itself to spring out and intercept another of those shots, but Aes had recovered far faster than any of them and turned to their daughter. The command that followed was controlled fury, and with Angelle shrinking in shame it let Alex turn back toward her brother to see how he would react to this sudden assault. He let out another snort, something Alex herself simply couldn't make any sense out of given what little she knew of him now, and as he released the hold on his own power it only strengthened the sense that he may have become a different person entirely. Ghosts of his old self still remained, that much could be seen when he threatened her by the tomb and promised absolutely no mercy should Ria approach that crypt, but if he were still his angry self he never would have stood down.

But even if his hostility was pulled back it did nothing to prevent his nearly open disapproval as he commented on Alex's family, and though he asked who they were he seem far more concerned with the child that sat on Ria's shoulders. Alex let herself relax a bit, her wings folding up as she considered how exactly to answer his questions, and after a second or two she finally spoke. "The angel is Aescila. She is my Mate. The hybrid is Angelle. She is my daughter. As is the child Dingroria holds." That was the simplest of answers Alex could give, and she wanted to see how Akorvick would react before she went into any kind of detail.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

(Heh, I'm glad I'm changing those rituals for DG4 now. Also the coins are meant to represent the cost of incense and other herbs, but we can safely assume that Alex just summoned the merchant briefly and bought them.)

~~~ Day Five ~~~​

"Mmmm," Ria replied in a thoughtful murmur, a frown still dominating the oni's rough features. "Well.... I guess that works," she continued, "I can't say I'd have the... Well, it's your choice. If you want any help getting payback though.... I've not exactly had pleasant encounters with him so far, and if wouldn't complain at a chance for a bit of my own." With that the oni settled back, readily accepting it should Alex make it clear that she wanted to take care of her brother on her own but falling silent for a while if the half-dragon said nothing that required a verbal response.

For a while Alex would have nothing to do but comfort Anowyn while recovering from her recent birth, and eventually the oni-dragonkin hybrid would contentedly fall back asleep in her arms while cradling one of her hands in her tiny grip. Eventually, however, Aescila would pull back just slightly, not quite ending her comforting embrace but making it just a little bit more distant. "We ought to get some sleep," the dark angel said softly, "we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, but we should reach Ochre soon. Then we can get a proper rest."

Then she would pull away and climb back to her feet, moving over to Angelle before bending down to comfortingly run a hand across her feathers. "Come on little one," she cooed softly, "it's time for us to rest, and you don't want to end up sleeping there. Come on, up!" Aes was gentle but firm, and Angelle eventually responded by coming out of her cocoon. The hybrid's eyes were puffy and red, and she cast only one brief sideways glance at Alex before following Aes to the bed roll that she'd laid out off to the side of the loft in which they had been allowed to rest. Ria would go down the ladder, or rather simply hop down and flop into a secluded corner, and Aes would then come back to rest beside Alex, cleaning everything up one final time with a bit of magic before dousing the floating white light she'd conjured to provide them illumination. The half-dragon could alter sleeping arrangements if she so wished, but exhaustion nagged at her and Aes at her side was impossibly comfortable, especially with the tiny weight of the newborn resting in her arms.

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

When Alex delivered her frank and honest answer, Akorvick would freeze up for a second or two before tilting his head at her, as if he were examining something that he didn't recognize in the slightest. For a long moment he simply stared blankly at her, his expression still containing hints of distaste, but then he looked slowly to Aes, and then to Angelle, and then to Ria and the baby she was still protecting with her own body, and finally back down to Alex. "Yours," he grunted slowly, "and hers," he looked to Aescila who glared coldly back at him, "and then yours," he looked to Alex again, "and hers?" That last one was more a question than the rest of his clipped words, and Akorvick's gaze finally settled onto Dingroria and hovered there for a few seconds before looking back down towards Alex.

"A fallen.... And a half-orc, half-demon bandit for hire," he continued slowly should Alex offer affirmation that Ria was the father of the child she was protecting, disbelief and hints of his old distaste for her slowly creeping back into his grumbling voice. For several seconds he simply stared down at Alex in extremely faint disbelief, the rest of his expression completely unreadable, and then he simply huffed and asked; "Have you been to see Mother and Father yet?" There was some silent calculation passing through Akorvick's mind in that moment, but what it might be adding up to was impossible to tell by looking at him, a sort of blankness that Alex had never seen on her brother's face in their youth taking firm hold of him.

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ Day Five ~~~​

Alex took a moment or two to simply look over Ria as she gave her offer to help give Akorvick some much needed comeuppance, but the quiet yet firm voice that broke spoke volumes on just how resolute the dragon had become. "That man is my brother. He and I share Father's blood, and we share his Pride. That means I need to face him alone." It also spoke of some darker emotions, and once Alex realized it she crushed the slowly rising anxiety with a long and heavy sigh that let her relax before she unsettle little Anowyn once again. "Besides, I need to face him for myself. If I can't do that on my own then I really haven't grown."

It took some coaxing to get Anowyn to settle down, but Alex was patient enough to see it through. She'd done the same thing on occasion for an especially fussy baby Angelle, and once the newborn used her tiny hand to grab onto her mother Alex knew it wouldn't be long until her child was sleeping once again. At that the dragoness started to settle herself, and a short time later Aes suggested that they all rest up for the final push toward Ochre. At that the angel rose to rouse the firstborn, and once Alex saw how Angelle looked utterly devastated she couldn't hold back the sudden wave of sorrow that ended up washing over her. She completely ruined the girl's innocence on a whim, and though they both had the best of reasons to go through with it Alex wondered if there wasn't some other way they could have done this...

Those thoughts were broken by the sight and sound of the massive oni simply hopping down down into the barn proper and finding a secluded spot to flop and rest, and a few seconds later Aes returned to Alex's side. A little extra effort was made to make their little spot a little cleaner, and once their light was extinguished all Alex had was a sleeping baby within her arms and a very familiar and very comfortable body snuggled against her side. The both of them inspired a rather profound drowsiness to overcome the half-dragon, and after only a little shifting the woman simply surrendered. Aes was right, one way or another Alex felt tomorrow would be a long, tiring day.

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

Akorvick would find his stare returned in kind by Alex's stoicism, and as he slowly came to grips with the fact that Aes and Ria had both conceived a daughter with her she simply stood there. The distaste he'd shown back during her childhood was starting to return, but instead of letting herself be intimidated she merely waited and confirmed what he couldn't quite believe. Her head nodded as he made each connection, and though she was trying to puzzle out just how he was taking these sudden revelations he suddenly surprised her by letting out a huff and asking whether she'd been off to see Mother and Father yet. The sudden wall of blankness he became through her for a loop, but no matter how badly she wanted to raise an eyebrow at this sudden display she forced herself to stay calm and collected. "No. As I said, when I learned of you and my friend I changed course and headed here."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine, Draconic Transformation (enough for wings)

~~~ Day Five ~~~​

Ria would only nod in acceptance in response to her demand to face her brother alone, broaching no argument on the subject. Soon enough the strange family would sleep, each taking what rest they could, for tomorrow they would be in Ochre.

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

"Mmmmm," Akorvick let out a wordless murmur, his head slightly tilted as Alex admitted to have not yet seen their parents. The blankness of his expression would remain, and for a moment her brother would lapse into silence while staring down at Alex. "So," he finally said, "you're here.... Do as you like, but cause no trouble. The people here have enough problems as it is. I will make sure that you are allowed in. Goodbye." And with that, unless Alex demanded that he stop, Akorvick's wings would spread, and he would momentarily drop into a half-crouch before simply vaulting into the air, his wings beating as he went off in the direction of Ochre.

"....Huh," Aescila grunted, unless Alex caused things to turn out differently. "Well, it went better than the last time I saw him," Ria remarked dourly, "still not quite sure what to do about him though. Whether I like it or not, I do still need to get into that tomb at some point." Angelle, in the meantime, would try her best to avoid attracting any further attention, an act that she probably didn't accomplish well with her nervous fidgeting and shamed look.

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

~~~ Ochre ~~~​

What the hell was this? The hint of disdain, the sense of incredulity, the attempt to bury it all under a blank and seemingly unreadable expression, it all brought around one thought that simply wouldn't leave Alex's mind. Is he actually judging my choice in Mates? How the hell does he even think he has that right? It was maddening, especially since that same thought happened on that one day that forced her to fight back, and she really didn't need to be reminded of that yet again.

But she couldn't have herself getting pissed at Akorvick. Not yet, at least, so she buried this new wave of ire behind the sense of annoyance that lingered at her brother's near assault on hher newborn daughter and her firstborn's attempt to blast a hole through his heart. Eventually he simply acknowledged his presence before taking flight, and she simply nodded at his 'reminder' to stay behaved.

Once he was well on his way to granting them safe passage Alex took in a breath and let out a somewhat anxious and annoyed sigh. As she relaxed that tiny fraction Ria spoke, and once the oni mentioned her intent on getting into that tomb Alex immediately answered it with a strong "No." The dragoness turned at that, and once she had Ria's attention she spoke with a sense of finality that wouldn't accept any argument on the giant's part. "I've seen that tomb. I've felt the pall of death surrounding it. I don't care whether you know what's buried there or that your employer simply lied to you, but whatever is sealed there will only lead to death and destruction." Here eyes lowered a bit as she crossed her arms and let out the full depth of the frustration she felt at this entire situation. "Quite frankly I'd rather simply destroy whatever's there instead of leave it for some other fool to claim, but I don't think we have the strength to pull that off." But even so she was already planning to learn everything she could about that crypt, and if Ria still looked determined to see her job through... Well, Alex wasn't past doing everything she could to prevent that from happening, even if it meant pissing her off in the worst possible way.

There was probably much more to say and think on that matter, but Alex's attention shifted to Angelle as she struggled to make herself as invisible as possible and failing spectacularly. Alex caught her daughter's eyes a moment later, and though it was muted the was no mistaking the glare she was giving the young hybrid. No matter who spoke or what happened the dragoness would remain silent, and only once she was sure she had the girl's undivided attention would she finally speak. "Do you understand what you did wrong?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine, Draconic Transformation (enough for wings)

(Huzzah, back to only one thing happening! Also, "his newborn daughter" eh?)

When Alex turned to Ria following her definitive refusal to allow the oni to plunder the tomb that Akorvick was guarding, she found the crimson giant frowning in a decidedly argumentative manner. That tone might still Angelle instantly or Aescila at any time that she wasn't being driven by her Insight, but it seemed that it didn't have the same effect on Dingroria. "I've been there too," she said belligerently, "and I do happen to have an idea of what's in there. And it's not what I'm going in for. All I want is a book collection that isn't even supposed to be that deep in the tomb, then the door gets closed again and whatever's down there gets to keep rotting. I'm about as interested in letting out something that's strong enough to kill everything near it by it's mere presence as the next sane person, thank you very much."

Whatever rebuttal Alex might have for Ria's refusal to back down, it could wait for her to deal with Angelle if the half-dragon would still rather address the hybrid's error first. Angelle's head hung low at Alex's question, but she too apparently seemed intent on being at least mildly defiant. For several seconds she held her silence, staring down at the ground and gradually going perfectly still, before Aes turned to her as well. The former demoness was scowling at their daughter again, an expression that she seldom turned upon the hybrid even when she was in need of discipline, "Angelle, answer." The snapped command from her father stirred Angelle to action, it seemed, as she gradually turned her gaze back up to meet Alex's stern glare.

"He hurt you," she said in a small but defiant voice. That brought her courage higher, and she looked up with her own scowl and spoke in a firmer tone; "He hurt you, and he deserves to pay for it!" Frustrated anguish formed on the young hybrid's face, and for a moment she simply bristled with emotion, both wings spreading wide, but after a few seconds of defiance she began to calm. Her wings slowly fell again, eventually folding against her back, and she looked down again in renewed shame. "I shouldn't have attacked him."

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Books. Just some collection of books that didn't even lie at the heart of that crypt. That's all Ria wanted. And yet she would break whatever seal was keeping that evil contained. There was no telling what kind of influence it held, especially if its aura was still managing to stain the countryside even while it was firmly contained, and if it had the presence to worm its way into an intruder's mind then there was no telling how disastrous simply stepping into that tomb's threshold would become.

Ria may know more than she was letting on, but there were still too many unknowns to support her little bout of grave robbing. She needed answers, to everything, and that meant she needed to speak with her brother. And if she really wanted to know everything then Ria would have to follow. Otherwise the oni would simply sneak off to break in no matter what Alex said.

That said, there wasn't much the dragon could do at this moment in response to Ria's defiance, so she kept a measured gaze for a few moments before turning to her daughter. And there she found even more defiance. Angelle kept her gaze lowered, silent in response to her mother and showing some of the backbone that Alex had seen in her Insightful look into the future. Angelle was prepared to stand her ground, and that fact made Alex just a little more proud.

Even so, Alex had asked a question, and she could be just as stubborn as any of her race. She simply stood and waited, her own silence defying Angelle's wish to simply ignore her mother, and even if it took some interference from Aes Angelle was still the first one to break. Alex simply watched as Angelle gathered herself and spoke, and the simple fact of what she said was the truth. Akorvick had hurt her mother. He deserved to be punished. There was no argument there. But when the girl admitted to having acted in haste Alex finally had a response. "Do you know why?" She would wait for a response, and unless it followed Alex's train of thought to a T then she would answer her own question. "I was the one he hurt. I was the one he shamed. My Dignity and Honor were stained, and if I can't reclaim them myself then I have no right to call myself a daughter of Aureus." And that was all. The look in her eye said that no matter how anyone else may feel that simple fact was what ultimately drove Alex to this point, and and there was absolutely nothing anyone could do to turn her from that path. Her Pride wouldn't allow it.

At that Alex was finally finished addressing everyone else, and unless someone really wished to argue their point against her then she would simply turn and start heading to Ochre proper. They were all going to need some time to sit and rest, and Alex desperately needed to clear her head before she went out to find Roko.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine, Draconic Transformation (enough for wings)

Angelle's frown widened in response to Alex's question, but this time she responded more quickly; "Because... He didn't start it. This time." It wasn't the answer that Alex wanted, and so Angelle listened to her true reason for wanting to deal with Akorvick purely on her own. It was difficult to tell what the hybrid thought, her expression shifting into a thin frown, but she offered no further argument.

With the various conflicts with her companions resolved and Akorvick gone, Alex was able to start towards Ochre, still sporting her wings but walking along the ground with her family. No one spoke as they marched along the reasonably well kept road leading to the isolated valley village. They did find some signs of abandonment along the way, a few portions of late-blooming brush growing in the road and a fallen tree blocking it, but the former was no trouble and between her and Ria the latter didn't even require magic to shift out of the way.

Eventually, Alex once again found herself at the walls of Ochre, now with Ria, Aes, and Angelle behind her. The walls were still manned, but this time no one even bothered to hail her and no crossbows were aimed at them. The doors were opened to permit their entrance, and as she passed through them Alex would be able to see that the men on the walls still seemed nervous and that the mage was no longer present.

Inside the walls, the town was abuzz with activity, the walls being reinforced and expanded all over the town and finished on the side bordering the river, where the mud made the construction harder. Others busied about what daily tasks were most vital, and from the look of the townsfolk the desperation with which they moved was not a new one. There were no children visible, at least not near the gate. As was normally the case for Crolian towns, the opening lane was wide and opened to a large open area that would normally allow for caravans to remain in the safety of the town. A market would normally grow around it, but even though it was the end of the trading season there were no caravans present, and the market stalls were abandoned. Several inns and taverns were set up, many with stables to care for animals, but all but one of them seemed to be closed, their doors shut, their windows dark and shuttered.

The one that remained was called the Dancing Shepherd, the plaque over the door having a fairly impressive painting of a man dancing with a sheep. Aes would lead the way towards it if Alex didn't, and while Ria was squeezing in Alex would be able to spot the only person working there and the only person present, a balding man with wisps of red hair leftover from what had once been a full head, the majority of which had seemingly migrated to his thick beard. He was short, rotund, and had the look of a man who was normally quite jolly given how poorly the frown he wore fit his features. It quickly turned into a very forced smile as they walked in, however, and he waved them over and said; "Hello! Come in, come in! What can I do for you?" The bar behind him was well stocked with bottles of wine and liquor, and he shifted from his position leaning on the bar to bouncing from one foot to the other, awaiting an order from Alex and her companions. Ria still seemed grumpy, and Angelle was still morose, leaving Alex to make a request or to leave it to Aes.

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

The trip into town was somewhat quiet and uneventful, annoyingly so given the last few minutes and the tense atmosphere that followed it. It left Alex wondering if Ria would press forward and enter that tomb or how Angelle would react when she saw her uncle once again. Either one could end in disaster, and though she trusted the both of them she also understood that people tended to behave a little oddly when emotions were running high.

But that didn't mean she was oblivious, and as they entered the only remaining establishment for the weary world traveler the dragoness saw that The Dancing Shepherd may soon follow suit. But the proprietor persevered, and though it was forced the smile he gave was welcome nonetheless. When asked what he could do for them Alex eyed the liquor behind him before sliding up to the counter and lightly leaning against it. "Something mild, if you have it." Once they were done here she planned on heading out to find Roko, but if she needed to wait for everyone else to calm then she would. As for her she would ease that along with a light drink, something to help ease her nerves for the next emotional whirlwind she was about to face.

"We'll also need a place to stay while we're in town." She thought about asking if he knew any good spots, but given the state of the town and the other inns and taverns that were simply boarded tight a little levity didn't feel all that appropriate. Besides, the thought of some staying customers would probably put him a little more at ease. Or at least she hoped it would.

If rooms were available Alex would ask her companions how they wanted to split themselves if at all, and once everyone else had a chance to order their own liquid courage the armored dragon would stretch a bit and recall her wings before sitting her sword and shield against her back and taking a proper seat. "Mind if I ask you about something?" And thus began the oldest of traditions: hitting the bar for some information. "I noticed that my options for a drink were a little scarce. I also noticed the brand new wall for your town. I can guess what caused both, so tell me, how bad is it?" With the readiness and competency of the militia and the bolstered defenses and abandoned everything Alex was certain that these people have already faced a war party or two. The only question was to what degree.

The woman would listen, the threat of another invasion something to keep in mind as she went about her business, but after fully processing everything the man had said she would change subjects. The barkeep was probably curious as to what the inhuman menagerie was doing within Ochre let alone his bar and if asked Alex would answer. Otherwise she would just up and ask. "I'm looking for someone who used to be a soldier. Man by the name of Roko. Heard of him?" She waited for his answer, and if he questioned her about it then she one of her own ready. "He's an old friend of mine, back when he used to command my squad. I heard he ended up here, and I wanted to see how he was doing." It wasn't the complete truth, but she didn't need to advertise her past fling with the man.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine

"Sure, sure. I've got a bit of sweetened rum. On the rocks, or with a bit of cider?" the barkeep asked, and once she'd specified he would produce a glass with some ice and the requested drink and said; "three dactyles, none of those imperial slugs if you don't mind." If Alex only happened to carry Badarian denarii he would only frown lightly for a moment before shrugging and taking them anyway. Her question about rooms earned a shake of the man's head, "I've got rooms, but I was told that you lot were to stay in the tower. Lord Akorvick's orders." Aes would take a seat at her right and Angelle at her left, with Ria taking a seat next to Aes. The bartender glanced at Aes first, his gaze briefly settling on her black wings but quickly diverting to her face, "and anything for you?"

"Strawberry sunrise, no ice," Aes replied smoothly, and despite the isolated area the man apparently had the needed materials, as he produced one in short order. "It's hard to get the parts for that up here, you're in luck. Five dactyles," he remarked, and after sampling the drink and nodding her approval Aes handed over the coin for her drink. He glanced at Angelle next, "and for you miss?" Angelle seemed surprised that she was asked, but after a moment she simply shook her head. Going on to Ria, even when seated the man needed to look up at the oni, and he automatically said; "Ale?" Ria shook her head, "nothing but water for me right now. Need to keep a clear head."

The innkeeper nodded and produced a glass of water with ice, and after Alex's wings were withdrawn her gear stowed on her back and she'd taken a proper seat, he would turn his attention to her again. "Go ahead," he replied simply, and then gave a grimace as her concerns were made clear. "Well, it's certainly not great. We've been hit by a few raids over the last few months. The first one almost killed us all, but then Lord Akorvick showed up and drove them off, and we've been more prepared since then. Most of the other innkeeps have packed up and gone West since, and they aren't the only ones. I bought off their stock, and since I'm the only inn left business has been good, but... Lets just say I'd rather have the competition back." He paused and swept off a portion of the bar that was already meticulously cleaned, working an equally clean rag over it, but then simply continued; "I wouldn't stay in Ochre too long if you don't want to get caught up in another raid. We know there's a force on its way, bigger than any we've dealt with so far, and not just clanless like we've dealt with so far."

Despite their odd appearances compared to what was normal in his bar, the innkeeper didn't ask what they were doing in town. When Alex opted to change subjects to one of the purposes of her visit in the newly walled village, the innkeeper simply nodded. "I know him, yeah. Doesn't come by often, mostly likes to keep to himself. He lives near the wall, over to the North side of town. Uhhhh.... House 17 on Dewberry Street, I think. Why are you looking for him?" Alex's simple answer was responded to with a nod, and then the rotund man would say; "Well, I don't suppose the man would mind a bit of company, given how rarely he leaves his plot. Some haven't taken to him well, but when I met him he seemed a decent enough sort. I figured him for a soldier, given the state of him, but he hasn't exactly been open with what happened that put him here."

Aes glanced her way slyly and asked; "You gonna go see him now? I can keep this lot in check in the meantime if you want to go on your own." Her tone was purely innocent, but given what she knew of Roko and her general way of thinking it was fairly obvious what Aes thought Alex might want to do if she were alone with Roko, even if Alex had nothing of the sort planned.

 

[Termite]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

"Rocks." She hadn't really felt much like cider, and once the drink was ready her hand was already pulling her purse open. But once the barkeep spoke of her money as nothing more than slugs she paused and raised a slightly annoyed brow. But a moment later she pulled out three dactyles for the man, the hesitant look from the merchants in Therion suggesting that she should change at least some of her coin for the local currency, and once her drink was in hand she took a small sip. It wasn't bad, it sure didn't beat the excellent mead she'd had at Sir Gregor's, but even then she'd still had better. Ah well...

After nursing her liquor a little more the question of rooms was asked, and to her surprise Alex soon learned that her was welcoming them all into his tower. That rose a surprised brow, and the dragoness shot a look toward her oni companion to see if Ria would be comfortable with it. The two had a past, hell, Akorvick has just threatened to kill her just a few minutes ago, and the revelation of the two siblings' past wouldn't be making that any easier. Alex herself wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but having everyone under the same roof may make things a little easier. At least if they didn't try to kill each other.

When it came to the war Alex wasn't all that surprised to hear that Ochre had faced a few raids already, and after seeing her brother she wasn't all that surprised when the bartender said Akorvick put a stop to that. He always was the most martial of Aureus's children, and he probably had a hand in setting up the militia. Of course the Mage probably had a greater hand seeing as how she had been most likely trained within the Academy to hold such strength, but even so his presence would account for much. One tends to work a little harder with a dragon watching. But as prepared as the town seemed they were still under threat. Word had spread that another force of orcs was on the march, and word said that these were more than mere Clanless. A true war party was approaching, and if they were anything like the exiles she faced oh so long ago then Ochre was in for a real trial. Her host was right in saying it would be best to leave before the orcs showed, but then she'd be leaving the town to face them on its own. And Roko was a part of this town. She couldn't really see herself abandoning him, even if the both of them had changed into completely different people.

That said she could now leave and find the man. The innkeeper knew where Roko lived, and he shared that bit of knowledge a moment later. That in turn brought Alex's anxiety back up, though now it was more in nervousness over finding her lost love than over whether any of her companions were going to get themselves killed. That left Alex a little more oblivious to the true meaning behind her Mate's words before it swung around and smacked her in the face. Thankfully she managed to keep the blood from rushing to her face, and after thinking it over for a bit she decided to take Aes up on her offer. "Sure. It would probably be for the best. I'm not sure how he'll react to my having a family." And unless anyone else had anything to add she would finish her drink and take her leave shortly after. Time to make peace with another part of my past.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Spoiler

Alexandra Alistar: HP = 80, PP = 64, EP = 88, Status = Fine

(New sheet! I'll probably make Angelle's sometime today or tomorrow, and Ria's will likely follow, though you don't get to look at that. Aes is just using a modified template, so that's pretty easy. I'll have to dig up the details on the ring that Alex gave her though.)

"Rocks." She hadn't really felt much like cider, and once the drink was ready her hand was already pulling her purse open. But once the barkeep spoke of her money as nothing more than slugs she paused and raised a slightly annoyed brow. But a moment later she pulled out three dactyles for the man, the hesitant look from the merchants in Therion suggesting that she should change at least some of her coin for the local currency, and once her drink was in hand she took a small sip. It wasn't bad, it sure didn't beat the excellent mead she'd had at Sir Gregor's, but even then she'd still had better. Ah well...

There was no apologetic look to come from the bartender at his words regarding Badarian coinage. It was hardly unheard of for foreign currencies to have reduced or even no value if too far afield from the land of their minting, and even as widespread as Badarian trade was their coin sometimes had their detractors. While it wasn't terribly far from the border, it was entirely possible that Ochre was isolated enough from the trade routes going to and from the land where Alex made her home that it rarely if ever saw Badarian traders, particularly now that the orcs had taken control of so much trade to the East. She had his preferred coin on hand, and so he said nothing further on the subject. The drink he handed her once their interaction was complete, a crystal glass filled about halfway with a light red liquid poured over cubes of ice, was pleasant enough for her palate, if a little strong for being taken straight. It was no honey mead, however, nor was it faerie wine, but it was decent enough at numbing some of the tension that the day's events had produced.

After nursing her liquor a little more the question of rooms was asked, and to her surprise Alex soon learned that her was welcoming them all into his tower. That rose a surprised brow, and the dragoness shot a look toward her oni companion to see if Ria would be comfortable with it. The two had a past, hell, Akorvick has just threatened to kill her just a few minutes ago, and the revelation of the two siblings' past wouldn't be making that any easier. Alex herself wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but having everyone under the same roof may make things a little easier. At least if they didn't try to kill each other.

Ria had been handling Anowyn when the innkeeper had been discussing their sleeping arrangements, gently rocking the newborn back and forth and dabbing a bit of water into her mouth through a cloth, which the tiny hybrid was happily chewing on and shredding with her fangs much to her father's amusement. Ria didn't miss the look shot her way, however, and glanced back at Alex with a frown showing that she didn't exactly like the idea of sleeping near Akorvick. It didn't need to be discussed now, but the significance of Ria's brief gaze back at Alex was unmistakable, and it would be something that they would have words over before making any decision on the matter.

When it came to the war Alex wasn't all that surprised to hear that Ochre had faced a few raids already, and after seeing her brother she wasn't all that surprised when the bartender said Akorvick put a stop to that. He always was the most martial of Aureus's children, and he probably had a hand in setting up the militia. Of course the Mage probably had a greater hand seeing as how she had been most likely trained within the Academy to hold such strength, but even so his presence would account for much. One tends to work a little harder with a dragon watching. But as prepared as the town seemed they were still under threat. Word had spread that another force of orcs was on the march, and word said that these were more than mere Clanless. A true war party was approaching, and if they were anything like the exiles she faced oh so long ago then Ochre was in for a real trial. Her host was right in saying it would be best to leave before the orcs showed, but then she'd be leaving the town to face them on its own. And Roko was a part of this town. She couldn't really see herself abandoning him, even if the both of them had changed into completely different people.

That said she could now leave and find the man. The innkeeper knew where Roko lived, and he shared that bit of knowledge a moment later. That in turn brought Alex's anxiety back up, though now it was more in nervousness over finding her lost love than over whether any of her companions were going to get themselves killed. That left Alex a little more oblivious to the true meaning behind her Mate's words before it swung around and smacked her in the face. Thankfully she managed to keep the blood from rushing to her face, and after thinking it over for a bit she decided to take Aes up on her offer. "Sure. It would probably be for the best. I'm not sure how he'll react to my having a family." And unless anyone else had anything to add she would finish her drink and take her leave shortly after. Time to make peace with another part of my past.

Aes' eyebrow rose when Alex simply accepted her teasing without any significant reaction, but while some might have thought she had missed the point of her jab, she and Alex had shared more than most souls could claim to. There wasn't much to be said on the subject now, however, and the dark angel simply nodded and said; "See yah later!" She moved in to kiss Alex lightly on the lips before the dragoness departed, nothing more than an affectionate parting gesture rather than any further tease, and for once Aes managed to keep her hands to herself too. Ria waved while holding Anowyn, her gaze directed at the giggling baby as she made a variety of exaggerated faces much to the child's amusement, and Angelle waved slightly uncertainly.

With her goodbyes taken care of, Alex was free to head out of the inn and hunt down the address that the innkeeper had given her. Turning North and walking eventually brought her through the more busy section of town and into lanes of presently empty houses, many of them fairly small and all obviously hand-built. Squat structures of roughly hewn wood and stone, usually with chimneys and few if any windows, stood in slightly messy rows. Most houses had a garden, or at least a plot suitable for one, a common enough sight in the wilder lands of Crolia where even those who worked at other needed professions were expected to provide at least a portion of their own food if they wanted to last through the winter. Most also had both an outhouse, the houses too primitive to support plumbing, and sheds for storing tools, though more than one had been converted into a smokehouse for preserving meat. The houses had numbers scrawled on them in various places, obviously not a thing that had been planned in their original construction or standardized given how varied their locations were, and some hadn't even bothered. The road here turned to packed dirt, the lack of recent rain having thankfully kept it from turning to mud.

Eventually, Alex came upon Dewberry Street, and after a short walk found herself standing before a small stone house with the number 17 written it chalk over the doorframe. It had a fairly substantial garden to it, a small plethora of fruits and vegetables dominating the majority of the well ordered plot while the herb gardens that ringed it even including a few minor medicinal herbs in addition to the usual assortment of spices and tea plants and flowers meant to repel pests. The only window had a thick oaken shutter rather than glass, and the door itself was likewise built of thick wood, made to repel the winter cold. No smoke billowed from the chimney, though at that time of day no fire was needed, the valuable wood better saved for when it was truly needed.

As Alex stood before it, however, a woman came strolling around the house through the garden. She was clad in a thick homespun dress of course fabric, but the garb had had a bit of style worked into the coloring, the skirt and the blouse being a light blue while the inner fabric of the vest and the sleeves were white. She was of average height, maybe five and a half feet tall, and had the shape of a woman who had mothered a number of children but hadn't let such keep her from working. Her skin was fair, but liver spots and wrinkles forming in certain places told of her age, perhaps somewhere in her forties if her appearance was any indication. Dark brown hair with hints of grey that looked to be a bit beyond shoulder length was drawn into a ponytail while her bangs were tied back out of the way of her vision with simple wooden clips. A copper ring, the most common symbol of marriage in Crolia, clung to her left ring finger.

She'd been smiling and humming when she came around the corner, glancing among the garden in search of pests or ripe produce, but when she looked up and spotted Alex she came to a dead stop, her humming going silent and her smile going slack and slowly shifting into a look of shock. It wasn't every day that one found themselves confronted with a six and a half foot tall warrior woman with armor and features of a decidedly draconic nature, after all. "May.... Are you, uhm, looking for something ma'am?" she asked hesitantly, her voice uncertain and almost frightened, though her voice also held a tint of reverence that was at least as much from awe as from fear.