NOVEL NEXT 38. Acceptance and Rejection
The next morning they awoke, still dirty and bloody from the fight. At least they were all in good health, due to Bonny’s regeneration aura. Even the dryad looked better, less charred.
Bonny looked closely at her left breast. There was a scar about halfway up, but it seemed healthy otherwise. She craned her head down and licked it, close to the nipple.
Eloisss and Miu moved close and looked at her. “You ok, nya?”
Bonny looked up, surprised to see them so close. “Oh, uh, yes. There was just some… I had a weird dream. That’s all.” She smiled. The night before was foggy, dreamy. It was hard to remember if it was real or not.
Kanae and Bonny were the only two that could use arcane magic, so they worked together to disable the ritual and retrieve the rat. It was lifelike, but not, in fact, alive. However, it felt disgusting and slimy, so they wrapped it up in the blanket and stuck it in Eloisss’ backpack.
The dryad introduced herself as Willowbelle and announced that she would be heading back with them. She was naked, like Grandma Oak, and her skin was soft, but colored in a mottled brown and gray pattern. Her arms were different colors, one still dark and charred slightly, the other the bright green of new growth. Her eyes were silver white with a seed shaped pupil.
She reached into the large willow and withdrew a staff made of dark wood. She also took a cutting from the end of a limb and fashioned a small pot with some earth shaping.
“Heartwood. It will allow me to spend time away and will help me bind with the new sapling. I have spoken with Oakleigh about settling elsewhere and would like to travel with you. She has told me much about you.”
Bonny agreed, beaming around at everyone. “I would like that. The more the merrier, right girls?”
They all agreed and the party set off back to The Oak. Miu led as usual and Kanae ran back and forth in fox form.
Willowbelle was the most talkative of them. She asked about past adventures, how they met, where they were going, and what they liked or disliked. Bonny chatted back, happy to talk. The conversation eventually came around to Bonny's armor.
“So, Bonny, your armor is an interesting design. If you’ve only been here for a little over a week, where did you get it?”
Bonny had told her about arriving, assuming that she was safe to talk to, since Grandma Oak had already told her about them. The goddesses hadn’t protested, so Bonny took that as a good sign.
“Eloisss bought it for me. Or made it, I’m not quite sure. Eloisss?” Bonny looked over at the lamia, who had been quiet all morning.
“My ssisster and I worked together to adapt some old piecess sshe had ssaved. Sshe doess metalworking and enchanting.”
“But who designed it, and why? It seemed to work well against the boar kin that was trying to get the Pestilence artifact. Was his name Matt? Did you know him?”
They hadn’t actually told Willowbelle about Matt or much about Bonny’s previous world. Bonny, Miu, and Eloisss hadn’t even shared most of the information with Kanae, since there hadn’t been much time since the fox joined.
“I dessigned it. It was a misstake and Bonny almost died becausse of my failure.” Eloisss sobbed and hung her head.
Bonny looked over to see tears running down Eloisss’ cheeks. “Oh, no. Don’t cry. I don’t blame you. We didn’t know anything about Matt when you got the armor. Plus, I’m fine, see?” Bonny hopped in front of the lamia and hugged her tightly.
“It iss my fault. I will get you new armor to replasce it.”
“Wait, didn’t you say that the gods would like it like this? That they wanted me to stay naked?” Bonny looked at her left shoulder suddenly. “Well? Thoughts?”
Eloisss and Willowbelle both looked at the bunny strangely.
“Well, you were right. Courage likes it and says that I would be less brave with more armor. Recovery thinks that my new skills will be enough.”
The two stared at Bonny.
“No really!” Bonny turned back and waved at her shoulder. “They’re loyal, you should know that. Well, I don’t know Willowbelle very well, but if Grandma Oak likes her, she should be fine, right?”
“I know. Just do it. Wait, I need to call Miu.” Bonny continued arguing with her shoulder, then turned and shouted ahead. The three had stopped walking and Miu had disappeared around the next corner. “Miu, come back her for a moment. Kanae, we need you too.”
Once everyone made it back, Bonny pulled them into a circle, arms intertwined. “Okay, girls, this is a secret between all of us. And Grandma Oak, since she summoned them. Now appear!” Bonny waved her hands in the air in a mysterious pattern.
There was a shimmer and the two goddesses materialized, floating in the middle of the circle of companions, wearing their togas and carrying their office implements.
“Greetings, mortals. You have fought bravely and I appreciate your defense of the Source of Sickness. We cannot let it fall into the …” Bonny flicked the lioness in the butt. Courage turned to glare at Bonny.
“Don’t talk to them like that, they’re my friends.”
“I am a God. You cannot abuse me like …”
Courage trailed off as Bonny held up a finger to the tiny goddess’ lips. Bonny’s finger was almost the same size as the little three inch avatar. “Shhh. You didn’t act like that last night.”
Courage reddened.
The huddle of girls all stared at Bonny, eyes wide.
“Recovery, do you have anything to say?”
The unicorn goddess smiled around at everyone. “Hi. Pleased to meet you.”
“These are the two goddesses that gave me auras. Grandma Oak said they need to guide me because of the trouble they caused. Lust should be here somewhere.” She felt a tug on her nipple and looked down to see the futanari succubus still sitting on her breast, despite Bonny leaning over, in a complete violation of gravity.
Bonny stood up straight and pointed to her mini clone. “Lust, what do you have to say for yourself?”
The demoness looked at the crowd of girls and started eying them up and down, stroking her erect cock. “Anyone want to help me with this thing?” She grinned at their expressions.
Bonny sighed. “Yes, I have to put up with that. Anyway, what were you saying about the armor?”
Courage spoke up first, “I awarded Bonny my boon for going into battle naked, to save Eloisss. I will not revoke it if she wears armor, but that would be less courageous.”
Recovery tossed her head, the rainbow locks and horn dazzling. “Bonny can use mixed affinity healing and warding to cover most danger. She will need practice, but that is why we are here.”
Lust was more selfish. She stood and turned, still balancing on Bonny’s nipple. “This armor is perfect. Why would a succubus want anything more?” She still stroked her cock with one hand and squeezed one of her breasts with the other.
“Well, Eloisss? Do you still feel bad about making me armor?” Bonny smirked at the lamia, then moved over to hug, then kiss her. “It took a while for me to warm up to it, but I do like it. Thank you.”
“I jusst, I jusst don’t want you hurt. I sswore to keep you ssafe.” Eloisss picked Bonny up and hugged her tight. “I love you, bunny. I don’t know how you charmed me sso quickly, but I am yourss, even beyond my oath of sservisce.”
Miu ran over and joined the hug. “Me too, nya. I love you, Bonny.”
Kanae yipped and ran in circles, but she didn’t transform to explain.
Willowbelle just shook her head. “What did I get myself into?”
They continued on, arriving at The Oak in the early afternoon. Bonny and Willowbelle relayed the story to Grandma Oak, while Miu and Eloisss went hunting for boar together.
Grandma Oak took the slimy rat and started to squeeze, power gathering around her hand, seen in waves of distortion.
A rat-kin suddenly shimmered into view. It was gaunt and bony. It’s flesh black and rotting, with open, puss-filled sores. “No! You said I could live!”
The dryad looked at the rat. “I said you could live if you were no danger to the world. Wrath has started seeking weapons. I assume you were aware?”
The rat fell to the ground, sobbing. “I didn’t tell him, I didn’t.”
“But you knew, didn’t you?”
The rat shook on the ground, “Yes. I want to be free. But I didn’t tell. I promised.”
Grandma Oak turned to Bonny, but looked at her left shoulder. “Recovery, can you contain him?”
The rainbow colored unicorn shimmered into visibility. “I can. Do I need to?”
“Pestilence, will you swear to the bunny?”
Bonny suddenly realized what was happening. “Wait, stop. Do I have a choice? I don’t want … just no.” She looked at the sickly, dying rat and shuddered.
“Very well, I will hold him here. When you need power, come back to me.”
“But why? Why me? Why would I need power?”
“They can explain.” Grandma Oak nodded to the goddesses, then led the way to the trunk of The Oak, where Grandma Oak pushed the slimy rat artifact into a crevice, then sealed it closed.
