NOVEL NEXT 35. Willow and Boar
Recovery’s phoenix returned and the two goddesses vanished, only to reappear a moment later, in miniature, standing on her left shoulder. Lust remained sitting on her right nipple.
Courage spoke, “We cannot provide aid or healing in this incarnation, just advice. No one else will see or hear us, unless we allow them.”
“Thank you.” Bonny spoke to all of them. She waved to Grandma Oak and ran to the tree trunk to leave the scales. A little relieved to put off trying to absorb them for a little while longer.
When she saw the pile, she faltered. There was a mound of scales, hundreds of them, each a separate spirit that would take almost everything she had to absorb.
Recovery spoke, “We will help you when you return. You need not depend on pain to resist.”
“Okay, thank you. That’s just … too much.”
She hurried over to her friends, noticing that none of the incarnations were affected by her shoulders or breasts bouncing.
“Miu, Eloisss.” She called to them, getting their attention before she arrived. Miu was dozing on the blanket with the fox, cat napping naked. Eloisss had dressed and was practicing her sword forms, falcata flashing around her.
Eloisss stopped her training and Miu lifted her head and cocked her ears toward Bonny, who quickly explained that they needed to dress and head out to face Matt again.
Bonny crouched to gather her armor and felt her right breast start shaking. She glanced down to see Lust leering at Miu as the cat stood and stretched. The demon was rocking back and forth on Bonny’s nipple and jerking at her own dick, both hands busy. Bonny looked over at Miu, flushing, suddenly very conscious of the cat girl’s luscious body on display.
She sighed and went back to putting on her own armor, realizing that the demon wasn’t going to let her off easily. She didn’t mind her attention being called back to Miu, but the manner in which Lust went about it could use some improvement.
Kanae woke up halfway through and watched as Bonny dressed, only standing and yawning after Bonny was done.
They packed light, just the gear they wore, some food for each of them, a single blanket, and Bonny’s dildo, of course. They hoped to return before nightfall. Eloisss strapped the pack around her waist, as usual, and they set off.
There was a trail heading west, crossing the river at a shallow ford. They checked for piranha, but found none, the water flowing quickly across the ankle deep area. The trail continued on, heading west and up, climbing into foothills. There were mountains further west and north.
They stopped briefly just after noon for some food, then headed out, moving quickly without conversation, switching between jogging and walking intervals. A hour later, they crested a rise and saw smoke ahead. That must be their target.
They slowed to a walk, but a swift one, conserving strength for the conflict ahead. Wanting to rush forward, but knowing it was dangerous.
They found a small grove of willow trees, with half of them burning. Matt stood in the middle of the grove, flanked by two large boar, all facing a slim dryad with brown and gray skin. One of her arms was charred and burned, the other was green, the color of new tree growth. Her hair was made of broad, elliptical green leaves that fell to her shoulders, but half of it was burned away as well. She stood in front of a large Willow, protecting it.
The central tree was also protected by a ritual circle. A sickly looking rat sat on a low limb, watching the two.
A third boar, larger than the other two, crashed through the trees and confronted the party. Matt and the dryad turned as well.
Kanae ran up to the boar and yipped. It fell over, immediately falling asleep. The party circled around it and gathered near the dryad, facing Matt.
Matt looked over the party with his beady red eyes, glancing briefly at Eloisss and Miu, before focusing on Bonny. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Stopping you.”
“Stopping me from what? You don’t even know why I’m here.”
“’There is other power? I will find it and scourge the earth?’ Do you remember those words?” She glanced at the tree, at the mangy rat, scabs and boils visible through its patchy fur. “Is this what you’re after?”
“Don’t be stupid. You’ve never been able to stand up to me. You’re a weak, little girl who should be thankful I ever gave you attention.” He motioned at her exposed body, visible with the shield still slung over her back. “You’re only interesting because of your tits and ass.”
“You can’t hurt me with words. I remember you begging to go out with me. Paying for private dances to monopolize my time. Where did you even get that money? I know you couldn’t keep a job for long.” Bonny pulled the shield around and slipped her left arm through the emarmes while talking.
“Shut up, you fucking whore.” Matt raised his red hand, patches along the back bare, the scales missing. He clenched it and a wave of anger swept across the party. “You can’t stop me.”
Bonny responded by cycling her mana, pushing courage, regeneration, and desire out to her party, trying to resist the anger aura.
Eloisss slid forward, drawing both falcata and swinging at Matt.
Matt’s fist blazed with light and a long spear materialized within it. He spun it, blocking both of Eloisss’ strikes, then stepped back. “You’re all weak. Without the scary dryad lady, I’ll slaughter you all here and water this tree with your blood.”
He jabbed with the spear, the length catching Bonny by surprise and penetrating her right bicep. She jumped back and pulled the shield in front of her, backing further away, her arm screaming in agony. “Mending!”
The pain receded slightly, but blood still oozed down. She held off casting again, waiting to see if Matt really could compete with Eloisss.
The ringing of rapid strikes and parries filled the grove as the two engaged. Bonny lowered the shield enough to see Matt weaving the spear back and forth, deflecting Eloisss’ swords with ease. The spear seemed to change length as needed, short for quick movements, then lengthening for return strikes.
There was a pause and the two separated after a dozen quick exchanges. Eloisss already bloody.
Matt laughed. “If I had known how good it felt to put women in their place, I would have done it sooner. I should have hit you more, Bonny, then you would have stayed quiet and obeyed.”
Eloisss dropped one of her falcata and drew her shield, her motion quick and practiced. She had it on before Matt could close the distance.
The two boar rushed at Bonny, but Miu and Kanae intercepted them. Miu filled them both with arrows, while Kanae redirected them with some kind of illusion magic, sending them charging randomly, sometimes into each other or trees, occasionally at Matt, who easily stepped aside. Neither of the boar seemed badly hurt, though.
Eloisss and Matt continued circling, the ringing sounds of spear and sword echoing briefly and pausing as they reassessed. Eloisss’ shield was quickly dented. She panted, her impressive strength and stamina clearly losing out against the boar kin that Matt had become.
Bonny ran over, “Mending!” There was no way to engage Matt or the boar to use the demonic transferences. They would have to make do with arcane healing. Though there was one other spell she hadn’t tried to use yet.
“Ward!” She pictured a barrier in front of Eloisss, deflecting the rapid strikes Matt was raining down at her. She had chosen her demonic affinity, since it was the strongest. She didn’t really know how it worked, but it felt like it would exact retribution.
Matt’s strikes slowed slightly, as they passed through the ward, allowing Eloisss more time to block or parry them. Black lightning climbed up the spear shaft, as it penetrated the barrier, striking at him in return. The lightning crackled across his skin, charring it. He stepped back and glared at Bonny.
“Do you think that will save you?” A flare of anger swept across them again. The two boar shook off the arrows that pierced them and they heard a grunt as the large boar suddenly woke and rolled to its feet.
“Oh, shit. Sacrificial Heal!” Bonny took a moment to heal Eloisss by sacrificing her own health, feeling cuts and punctures opening along her arms and abdomen. She ran to each of her other two companions to cast mending, before casting it on herself as well. Her mana pool was deeper than before, but she could feel it draining as she relied more on arcane healing than ever before.
They readied themselves and the fight began again. Matt and the three boar were all a little faster and more resilient. Arrows were less likely to penetrate and the black lightning from the ward was drawn into Matt’s red fist and ignored. Kanae’s confusion and illusions were less effective as well, no longer able to trick the animals into attacking each other.
Bonny concentrated on finding moments to act, allowing the fight itself to fade into the background. She stayed near Eloisss and cast Mending when she could touch her tail briefly. She reached out to Miu and Kanae when they came by her, not able to follow their darting attempts to contain the three boar. She used her shield when one of the boar ran toward her or when Matt was close enough to strike.
Her muscles burned. Her mana burned, the looping channel felt like it had acid running along it. She stumbled and one of the boar took out a leg with a sudden turn and charge, toppling her to the ground. The actual damage was minimal, since it struck one of her metal greaves, but she struggled to get up, unable to mend her companions.
They were losing. Everyone took damage when Bonny fell, the distraction lasting long enough for Matt’s spear and the other two boars to stab and tear at the party.
Bonny couldn’t take it any longer, this couldn't continue. She had to do something else. But what? What could she do to affect the battle? She had no combat skills. Her armor was useless and Matt was apparently way too powerful for them.
Or was he? She knew him, knew what he wanted, what he liked.
She made a choice. “Lust, can I summon the dildo, like Matt did the spear? Is that what bonded means?”
The three incarnations where all there of course, they had faded away during the fight, not distracting her. Lust reappeared, still sitting on her nipple and nodded. “Yes. Concentrate and pull. You can summon it attached, if you desire.”
She did not want that, knowing Matt would hate it. However, the day before, he had mentioned Kandi, and her dance routine included one.
Bonny summoned it to hand, then dropped her shield and called him.
“Stop! You win. Maybe we can come to a, different arrangement.” He did like makeup sex, after all. At times she had wondered if he started fights just for the sex afterward.
When he looked over at her, she motioned to her body, to her naked breasts and groin. She felt his desire spike as he motioned for the three boar to back off. She waved her companions back as well.
Bonny started to dance.
