Writing/Cynabelle/Ceylon - \r\n\t\t\t\t\t
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Part 1: https://inkbunny.net/s/3491697
Part 2: https://inkbunny.net/s/3491705
Cynabelle is a cute little snekken in the western-themed land of Itanobel. She's a nomad, just trying to make friends and allies on the frontier and she'll use her body any way needed to make that happen!
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\tCynabelle remained curled up under the roots of a rockwood tree, her tiny body nestled in the soil and mosses that softened her makeshift bed. Even in slumber her tongue flicked periodically to sample the air around her, making sure there were no predators nearby. While she was quite strong for her size, she was still less than half a meter tall when standing straight and needed to keep herself safe. She was a very rare 'snekken', a hybrid of bipedal snake and terrestrial kraken. While the species was pretty common in ferals, they were exceedingly rare as agens – sentient folk – so she got blessed with the strengths of both her parent species like most hybrids that survived birth or hatching.
\tCynn for short, she always loved to bring that up since it sounded like 'sin' to most ears.
\tShe attributed her unique anatomy to her survival of the ademane plague that ravaged the southern lands of Itanobel. Years prior, a sickness washed over the continent from sea to sea, seemingly originating in the Stonemetal Mountains. It seemed to mostly affect strong magic users such as sages, seers, and shamans, which was likely why it didn't seem to catch up to her. She had latent magic inside her – mostly the rare transformation magic that allowed her parent species to make her – but that was it.
\tAnother major factor in her survival was likely her nomadic lifestyle. While she was the social type and liked making friends wherever she went, she never stayed in one place for long and spent most of her time in the wilds, far away from others. Her snake anatomy meant that she could go days, weeks, or even months without needing to eat sometimes and her cold blood meant that she could bask in the sun and that would keep her energized most of the time. She had no ties to cities or possessions.
\tSo when the ademane plague jumped from person to person in the settlements and villages, she managed to avoid it. Seasons came and went with her only interacting with others for short bursts, and when the plague took others she remained unaffected. Of course she could never be sure why that was – the pandemic claimed the lives in three out of four of all the people who were native to Itanobel – but ever since that happened she knew better than to take any day for granted. She was one of the lucky remnants, and she would never forget that.
\tCynn wasn't from Itanobel, originally. At least that's what she assumed based on a few clues tattooed into her scales. She had tiny black markings etched into her skin, so deep it persisted between sheds. These markings were symbols of cultures and eras around the globe, indicating that her nomadic lifestyle had taken her from shore to shore and that she was older than she thought. While she had vivid memories of at least a dozen years worth of seasons, she knew she was far older than that but had no way to know for sure. Perhaps she suffered from memory loss. Perhaps she had a form of amnesia. All she knew for sure was that she was older than she knew and felt a lot younger than that.
\tEven with a dozen years of established memory she still felt young, with the energy of youth and the maturity of an adult. This ensured that she made friends easily and developed lasting relationships with most of them, but it also meant that she pushed some people away. There were certainly people out there who didn't like her bubbly personality. Most found it endearing but some found it annoying. Fortunately she was mature enough to accept this and not let it bother her.
\tThat was the crux of Cynbelle's past. She was a nomad that spent most of her time in the wilderness, making friends and nurturing companionship wherever she went. She had the boundless energy of a hatchling but the marks on her scales told her she had to be much older than even she knew. An enigma with seemingly unique biology. But did she care? Of course not.
\tNone of that mattered to her. She spent a few years trying to unravel her past, to find out where she'd been and how long she'd been around but gave up on it pretty quickly. The more she thought about it the less it seemed to matter. It didn't matter if she was fifty or two hundred years old, what mattered to her was the here and the now. The past was a distant second place in her mental hierarchy and she did her best to not worry too much about it. She cared more about what lay ahead.
\tWhat mattered most was living a life worth remembering. Going on adventures and meeting friends worth revisiting. Seeing new places and making sure that those new memories helped to make her who she was and who she would be. As a result, she was the most extroverted snake she had met.
\tMost serpents were introverts. It was one of their inherent traits. Canines were known to be social and friendly. Dragons liked to show off. Felines were full of themselves. Some called that stereotyping but it was clear there were visible patterns and that was okay. One of the best known traits among serpents was introversion. Their cold blood and reproductive psychology meant that they were content to keep to themselves, spend most of their days basking or brumating – that's hibernating for reptilians – and didn't really feel much of a need to be social. Most of the time.
\tThis didn't mean they weren't friendly, of course. As agens – sentient beings – each and every one was unique and had their own individual personality traits. It just so happened to be that many snakes were more introverted and calm when compared to the more social canines or dragons around them. That was just a byproduct of biology.
\tBut Cynabelle was not like that. She was bubbly and chipper and chatty and bonded with any person she met. Most of them, anyway. Sure, she still spent a lot of time alone in the wilderness away from people but when she was in the company of others she was regularly the life of that socialization.
\tYears had passed since the ademane plague had dissipated and its effects were diluted to the point it was no longer an issue. The natives of Itanobel – once fiercely against letting outsiders set foot on their continent – no longer had the numbers or the magical strength to do anything about the encroaching settlers that wished to erect cities in the once untouched wilderness of Itanobel.
\tIt was sad to have seen the indigenous people of Itanobel reluctantly allow outsiders in knowing they could no longer control it. While it was clear they didn't like the idea of sharing their land with those who would scour it for resources, they knew there was little to nothing they could do with their numbers cut by three quarters and the ones lost being the strongest mages and shamans. Cynabelle felt sympathy for them but also knew that the future was going to happen whether she participated or not.
\tShe mostly kept to herself so she only got bits of history parroted to her while on her trips to the larger towns, villages, and cities. While by no means ignorant or obstinate, she didn't really care much about how she got to where she was, just that she was here and where she was going. If she didn't care to investigate her own mysterious past she certainly wasn't going to dwell on what history books told her. Itanobel was her current home, she'd been nomadically roaming the wilds for as long as she could remember and that wasn't going to be changing any time soon.
\tThe best part about the worst situation was that the settlement of cities like Port Sanri on the north shore and Rhybute Pass cutting through the Stonemetal Mountains meant that there were more people for her to befriend. She was already one of the only outsiders that the natives of Itanobel allowed on their land before the plague hit, but now she was a sort of interpreter between the settlers and the natives. Which was nice, when it came up. She understood the past and culture of the Itanobel tribes but also was able to see the frontier from the perspective of an outsider.
\tRegardless of her lack of memories long before this.
\tAll of this swirled in the back of her mind as she shifted against the moss, nestled in between the roots of the rockwood tree. She was currently north of Bloche Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Itanobel. It was also the cultural hotspot of settlers looking to advance inland from the million isles of the Ijimulian Archipelago. That was one of two landing points, the oceanic shore west of Bloche lake. The other was the northern shore of Itanobel, which was rebranded as Sosemma as an extension of the Nosemma region north of the strait.
\tShe was currently resting for the night dead center between all of those landmarks. East of the Ijimulian, North of Bloche Lake, West of Rhybute Pass, and south of Port Sanri. Right in the middle of the Rockwood, far from any established settlements. Exactly what she did after any extended period among the people, both settler and native. She needed to recharge.
\tCynn could feel it in her malleable bones. While she was an extrovert who loved to socialize and fed off the energy that came from being with others, she still needed recovery time. A week around others usually led to her having to take a week alone; the farther from people the better. The best term for this is actually ambivert – equal parts introvert and extrovert – but she tended to have more fun when socializing so she considered herself more extroverted. The alone time was just resting up for more people time.
\tShe flicked her tongue again to make sure she didn't sense any potential predators before flopping up over the root. One of her tentacles emerged from her flank and suckered the bark, tearing a small strip off before she got conscious control of it and forced it to let go.
\tAs a snekken she had eight limbs total, not including her tail which was actually an extension of her torso. Two arms in the normal spot and two legs in the normal spots, sure, but she also had one tentacle for each of those appendages. One on either side of her torso under each arm and one flowing out from where her rump cheeks met the base of her tail. All four of the tentacles could be pressed tight to her side, effectively hiding them and covering up the suckers in case she didn't want the extra attention for being a strange hybrid.
\tShe also had suckers on the underside of her 'tail', but those were fused with her belly scales and only functioned and displayed when she actively wanted them to. Which could be fun, since that tail was where her feminine parts resided within her. This made her 'tail' the most sensitive and modest part of her body. Something that other bipedal snekken would do their best to hide or coddle. But not her.
\tCynabelle didn't do relationships in the traditional sense. She was very casual and physical with little to no desire for intimacy or romance. Her serpent lineage made sure of that. But her social needs meant she would do anything to befriend someone she liked and there were few she didn't. As a result, she wasn't shy about using her body to make friends in the same way someone else might use their cooking skills or ability to hold a friendly discussion about any passion.
\tShe adored her sexual abilities and they were something she was proud of even if there was a broad disconnect between her physical and emotional needs. Whether she was using it to bond with new friends or showing off, she loved using her body to play with expectations concerning physical limitations. It was almost a game to her, to see how far she could go and what she could do.
\tHer serpent anatomy meant that she had no fears regardless of who she was interacting with. No capacity limits. Something she was happy to abuse and liberally enjoy. In the simplest terms, she treated sex as casually as conversation. To her it didn't need to be special or cause for modesty. Traditionally, serpents didn't mate for life or get too affectionate aside from the warmth others could provide so she just didn't have that instinct for shame or reservation. This was why she incorporated her sexuality into her personality so easily. It just wasn't a taboo thing to her like it was to some others.
\tAnd it served her well. Sine she was already a very fortunate hybrid that was lucky to be alive, she was virtually sterile. Part reptile, part cephalopod, she already had some of the least compatible genes so being gravid was never a concern for her. For the most part she only cared about the day and what it held in front of her. Sometimes that meant food, sometimes that meant companionship.
\tOn this day, it was the natural beauty of the Itanobel wilds. The majesty of the Rockwood north of Bloche Lake. Her only potential concerns were predators and absorbing enough heat to keep her going for a few more days without having to find a meal. Cold-blooded concerns and all that.
\tAs she yawned and stretched all of her limbs – including her tentacles which lacked bones and thus could extend to nearly triple their length – she flicked her tongue once more to sample the scents of the air to ensure she was alone. To her dismay, she caught no hint of the presence of one of her nearest friends and occasional protector, Woestijn. He was one of her malleable friends, an owl that lacked a fully solid form. Much like her natural transformation magic, this ensured he was able to resist the ademane plague. As an owl, he often watched over her at night or travelled with her.
\tThey had a pleasant relationship. Like any of her companions they were platonic but did enjoy the occasional bit of physicality. However, they parted ways often. He'd go his own way and so would she, always destined to meet up again in the future. Not as strange a coincidence as it seemed. There were only perhaps a dozen major settlements in the entire Itanobel region with a sprinkling of smaller villages and hamlets in between. The chances of them crossing paths in or around one of those towns was pretty high.
\tAs she crawled up over the roots of the rockwood tree, she did a standing slither in place to loosen up her back and tail. Thinking about him actually made her reflect on where they met up last. Port Sanri along the north shore. Cynabelle found herself returning there at least once a season to see how it was coming along; the town was only a decade old or less and was still growing, so it was fun to come back every few months to see what buildings had been erected and what new settlers had arrived.
\tThis most recent visit had her meet up with a lovely group that were arriving fresh off the boat. New settlers to the region. Outside of the inn and pub known as the 'Flash and Bullet', she saw a tall canine with gray fur wearing a semi-formal button-up suit. Ezra. She spent a bit of time observing him because he came with a similarly tall female canine and an attractive, strong-looking stallion.
\tShe wasn't actively trying to snoop on him or follow him around but over the course of the day she encountered him multiple times, eventually meeting him as he rented a steed that Cynabelle knew well for travel to Rhybute Pass. This steed was known as Ocerre, a rare shifting beast that often slid between genders and species between horse and hippogryph. She found herself well-acquainted with many of the hybrids or shifters in the region. Given the fact that they had the highest survival rate from the magical disease that swept the continent, it made sense there'd be some companionship.
\tShared trauma in a manner of speaking.
\tBy coincidence she was heading south from town with Woestijn around the same time this leggy canine was departing early in the morning on Ocerre. It was early morning so Woestijn was about to sleep for the day, so Cynabelle managed to strike up a conversation with Ezra and actually rode on Ocerre with him! He enjoyed her company, she enjoyed his, and Woestijn bundled up while on the rump rack of the mare's backside.
\tTheir time together was quite limited but they made sure to remember their encounter with a bit of fun before parting ways. Ezra was actually in a three-way relationship with the two he arrived with – Afearnia and Vvilfred – but they had an open relationship so he was free to enjoy the fun Cynabelle offered. Like most friendly encounters it just sort of happened. Naturally.
\tShe and Ezra were walking down the trail, with her sitting on the pommel of Oceris's saddle until it disappeared into her. In spite of her being small she still had the malleability of a snake and a boneless cephalopod so it was almost accidental. He made jokes about it, she joked back about how it made riding much more fun, and they didn't think much of it until that night when they set up camp atop a short cliff overlooking the trail.
\tHe noticed that she had a cloaca near the end of her tail – where it would be on a feral snake – and she explained how most of her anatomy worked. He was curious, and before they curled up next to the fire he was knot deep in her cloaca. They were about to fall asleep when she mentioned that it got awfully cold at night and she liked to keep her warmth up if possible.
\tOne thing led to another and she found herself being slid headfirst up under Ocerre's tail. Who was Oceras at the time. Hippogryph mare. Her meaty, velvety lips swallowed her up like a noodle and when her equine clit winked, it actually sucked her right off Ezra's knot with a pop and gulped her down. The ravenous hunger of the mare's walls squeezed her tight, caressing her every scale and massaging her muscles deeply as the orgasmic delight around her made the flesh cavern quiver. Before long, only her tail was poking out from between the thick equine lips, so Ezra pushed her in with his snout, nearly losing his face to the steed in the process.
\tEventually she found herself slithering through the mare's canal, nuzzling the cervix to no avail. She would not end up in the womb that night. Cynabelle spent the night inside Oceras's birth canal, curled up tight with her tentacles splayed out and suckered to the lining to hold her in place and massage the wall around her to keep them slick. The tentacle caresses meant that the mare was never without slick satisfaction, which just meant that Cynabelle's suckers had to work harder to remain adhered to the weakening flesh.
\tIn time both relaxed and fell into sleep. Cynn didn't question how or why she was able to survive inside the equine without air. She'd been unbirthed before but usually with the aid of potions. This was different, but she wasn't worried. Worst case scenario she would simply hold her breath and slither back out; she could have remained inside without breathing for hours if need be. But she didn't.
\tThe next morning she was awoken by the shifting of the mare's flesh around her so she slithered out from under the tail and crawled her way up onto the saddle with Ezra, still soaked in mare juices. Ezra casually cleaned her with his tongue, gave her a bit of a scale massage, and informed her that he'd seen a brown, semi-fluid owl in the night while Cynabelle slept in Ocerre. She explained that was Woestijn but didn't elaborate further.
\tShe considered sticking with him for a bit longer to have some more fun but Ezra was heading to Rhybute Pass. Sad to part ways, Cynabelle explained she had a destination in mind and needed to head farther west than he was going. Since he was heading east to Rhybute Pass for some job detail with the Hardstone Mining Company, she had to bid him adieu. He finished licking her clean of the mare slickness that coated her scales, even got a bit of a pluck by her tentacle suckers on his tongue, and she tipped her invisible hat to him and disappeared into the woods, hoping to see Woestijn again.
\tCynabelle never wore a hat and rarely wore clothes; as a cold blooded gal she needed that sunlight and heat absorbed and clothing would resist that.
\tIt was clear to her that Ezra was a pleasant fellow, even though they only interacted for a couple days. The type of person she hoped she'd meet again. He was cordial but casual in equal measure. Pleasant and horny but without any desire to be affectionate, at least not once she explained her preferred relationship paradigm. Which was none. He was happily mated to a pair of lovely mammals and she was happily exclusively platonic and casual. It worked out for both of them. She was sure they'd meet again and was already thinking up a dozen ways to make the most of the situation.
\tOn route to the west coast, she was once again met by Woestijn, who escorted her for two more days worth of travel until they entered the Rockwood. There, she fell asleep, he kept watch overnight, and must have left early in the morning to go get something to eat because he was nowhere to be found. That was very common of their encounters. He'd come and go sometimes multiple times a day; it was almost like he was watching over her constantly but only swooping by to say hi when she needed it.
\tA constant reminder that she had friends wherever she went.
\tNow mostly awake and ready to start her day, she used her tentacles to climb the nearest tree and get as good a vantage point as she could, hoping to see some signs of other people in the region. This was just in case she needed to avoid outlaws or meet up with groups on her travels. Any smoke or movement would draw her attention. She saw nothing but that didn't stop her from enjoying the view. It was a lovely forest. A unique one, too.
\tThe rockwood was unique in that the trees here were more firm than elsewhere, their bark gnarled and hard as stone with an ashen, slate gray coloration to match. At least on the outside. It meant almost every tree was immensely tall compared to most, resilient to fire, and home to only the sturdiest of fauna. The forest itself was triple layered, as a result. The ground level was overgrown with foliage, thick with bushes and vines and the lowest hanging branches of younger trees while the second level was the canopy of the non-rockwood trees. The highest level were the tall, thick black trunks of the rockwood trees, each tall enough and wide enough to blanket the entire area.
\tAccording to local legend, the hardy forest was the stronghold of their ancestors, serving as an easily fortified place to defend and keep the outlanders from settling the land. The stone-hard wood of the trees crafted into impenetrable structures were one of the most important factors in the Itanobel population remaining independent while the rest of the world changed and mingled.
\tNow the region was being settled, the ademane plague ensuring there were none left to defend the garrison. At least not at the levels needed to keep the outlanders away. All that remained of that once strong population were a series of ruins made of of wooden bricks for the forts, slowly being overtaken by the perpetual life of the rockwood's ashen vines and mosses.
\tThe layered colours of the rockwood made for an interesting view this autumn morning. The orange glow of the sun lit up the white and light gray leaves of the rockwood trees, then blended into the more traditional greens and yellows of the forest beneath them. All was blanketed by the light purple and blue of the dawn sky. Beautiful. The sort of view that kept Cynnabelle smiling for a while.
\tEventually she had to slither and tentacle climb her way back down the tree, using her suckers to grab the thick ridges in between the rockwood bark to best keep her stability. Once back down on the ground among the thick roots and surrounded by the greens and yellows of the trees she jauntily started bounding her way through the underbrush. She leapt and vaulted off rocks and fallen logs, free running through the rockwood while using all four limbs, all four tentacles, and her tail to practically slither over any obstacle.
\tDespite it being the early days of autumn she still had plenty of stored heat and energy within her, likely remnants of her time inside the mare. Serpentine bodies could store heat for weeks and sometimes even months, especially over the winter season. She was using every bit of it to quickly make her way south. In truth she didn't even have a specific route in mind; all that mattered was that she eventually made her way back to Bloche lake. The cephalopod in her was eager to get some aquatic time before it got too chilly to swim.
\tSnow was not common in this part of the continent but it sometimes got a light dusting in the coldest months. That was cold enough to ensure that it wasn't a viable place to stay for winter. Still, she loved being in the water as much as she could.
\tAs a nomad she was prone to whims. Wanderlust. Some days she woke up and just decided on the spot that she was going to travel to the opposite coast. No real reason, it just felt right. This was one of those times. After her time in Port Sanri, she felt she wanted to make her way to the lake. So she did!
\tCynabelle continued through the dense foliage, tongue flicking constantly to sample the scents in the air and make sure she sensed no predators as she bounded over and under any obstacles. She wasn't going exceptionally fast, given the fact she was less than a meter tall, but she was going faster than a walk.
\tHer speed and the absentminded distraction she experienced when zoning out gave her a false sense of confidence as she leapt over a boulder then vaulted over the fallen tree next to it. The density of the leaves and bushes obscured her vision so she didn't realize until it was too late that she'd catapulted herself into an open valley that had to have been at least ten meters wide and almost as deep.
\tThe ground opened up beneath her, a meandering creek with steep rocky cliffs on either side much too far away for her to reach. She careened into the air, all four tentacles extending to double their length in a vain effort to latch onto something before she plummeted into the gorge.
\tTo her, time stopped for a moment as she contemplated what was going to happen next. She hung in the air, gravity having not yet captured her. Was she in danger? She was definitely going to fall, but was she going to land in the creek below or splatter on some rocks? Cynabelle was pretty small and her body was pretty resilient, for all she knew she'd just bounce and land perfectly on all fours. Safe.
\tThe snekken went limp in midair as she reached the apex of her vault. The moment she felt herself begin to fall she got a fluttering sensation in her tail and belly as reality set in. She mentally prepared herself for the worst while trying her best to twist her body midair to best aim toward the babbling creek below.
\tExcept she never landed. Instead, she found herself making an impact on a series of sticky, almost imperceptibly thin web lines that created a net from one cliff to the other. She didn't see them since the morning sun wasn't at an angle it'd highlight them.
\tAnd the webs were strong. As she landed in the net of them, she felt her momentum slow to a stop while the strands plucked and clung to her scales. She tumbled in midair, getting wrapped up in the web, adhering her arms and tentacles to her sides while her tail dangled out behind her. She ended up bouncing in place, the webbing extending in either direction to keep her suspended over the creek.
\t“Well, this might be a problem.” She whispered to herself as she twisted her neck around to see where the owner of this web may have been. If the web was big and strong enough to hold Cynabelle's size and weight it was no common bug that made it. The net had to have been half as wide as the valley, perfectly placed in the middle to capture any birds or flying reptilians that were tricked by the semi-translucent webbing.
\tCynabelle was not a flying reptile yet she still found herself tangled up in a web and the more she glanced around in panic the more the webs wrapped around her and clung to her scales. The more she moved, the less freedom she had to do so. Which truly was a problem.
\tHer troubleshooting mind started to work its magic, desperate to find a solution to this peril. The first thing that came to mind was perhaps a forced shed, allowing her to slip out through her lip gap since she did have some control over full-bodied sheds. That might leave some remnants but it would still mean she'd fall into the creek below. Plus she'd only shed a few weeks prior, meaning it'd take hours of prep to secrete the chemicals needed to separate her layers of scales.
\tNext she pondered the possibility of using her cephalopod ability to alter the texture of her scales, hopefully releasing them from the sticky webs. That wouldn't work, though. Even if she got some of the web off her, it would just stick to other parts of her. That was also the case if she just struggled and flailed; even if she managed to dislodge a limb the redistribution of weight would just have other parts of her get tangled.
\tWhat mattered most was that she was calm. Panicking further would only make things worse. At least that was her mindset until she saw out the corner of her eyes the owner of the web daintily emerging from a tight wedge between the rocks of the cliff. It was another hybrid creature with abdomen and legs of a spider and a torso akin to that of a mantis. This spider-mantis was clearly female, given the size and shape of her body.
\tCynabelle flicked her tongue in fear as the creature extended four of her legs forward, plucking the web to test its integrity before making her way towards the snekken's helpless body.
\tThe creature had a greenish yellow pattern on her abdomen that looked almost like a screaming skull upon a black and orange base. Her legs were long and spindly, with black below the knees and a semi-translucent yellow near her thorax. Her face was sleek, with two jet black compound eyes atop a wide torso covered in gold and pink chitin. Her arms were actually what scared Cynabelle most, as they were both folded up tight, barely concealing the sharp spines that served to capture prey.
\tShe was smaller than Cynabelle, but not by much. Not enough for it to help. The snekken was caught in her web and all it would take was a single bite to incapacitate her. As the reality of the situation set in, Cynabelle started cursing to herself, a string of expletives rolling off her flicking tongue as her chest began to heave. Was this finally it? Had her luck run out? Was she about to be spider food?
\tPart of her contemplated flailing wildly, knowing that there was a chance that it might dislodge her from the web. She also knew that there was just as much of a chance that it'd trigger the hybrid web owner to lunge and put a stop to it. However, as the spider-mantis slowly crept forward, she stopped. The moment she heard Cynabelle silently cursing to herself her many compound eyes shifted until the empty blackness focused into a single iris refracted through a hundred lenses, staring at her prey.
\tThe pair of them stared at each other, unsure how to continue. Eventually, the spider-mantis clicked her mandibles in annoyance. “Now how did one such as yourself end up in my web?” Her voice was kind, yet raspy and accented by a series of clicks.
\tCynabelle gulped and flicked her tongue, careful to not let it touch any strands of web. “I don't know how to respond to that. Absentminded overzealous enthusiasm?” She blinked, something many snakes couldn't do. “So, uh, what happens next, then?”
\t“You need to get out of my web.” The invertebrate huffed. “Because you ruined it and now I have to repair it.” She immediately scuttled across the many strands to dangle nearest Cynabelle's upper arm and tentacle, her pincers extending with a few thick strands of web creating a net between the end and elbow as she did so. She leaned her face down and started sucking up bits of web like it was pasta, glaring at Cynabelle the whole time.
\t“So you're not going to eat me?” Cynabelle whimpered to herself, embarrassingly letting out a gentle hiss of fear. “I just go like that? This isn't some trick to lure me into a false sense of-”
\t“You can speak, can't you?” The hybrid interrupted. “I am no murderer. Though I definitely feel like ending someone right now.” The anger in her voice was clear though it also seemed she was trying to be facetious at the same time. She just kept nibbling at the web around Cynabelle's body.
\tWhen her mandibles got so close to the snekken's scales, Cynabelle recoiled a bit. The sharp edges of the spider-mantis's mouth parts plucked her flesh and tickled her, even as it consumed the silk. The angle ensured that Cynabelle could see in the creature's jaw as dozens of mouth parts cycled and tugged more of the web down her throat.
\tShe remained tense as more and more silk was removed from her arms, tentacles, and back, leaving her to dangle by her legs and tail over the gorge and the creek below. Eventually she gained the confidence to speak. “So are you just going to let me fall, or what? And why aren't you going to eat me? Do I taste bad or something?” She was trying to make jokes but it was clear she was terrified.
\t“Taste isn't a factor, dear.” She said while slurping back the last of the web she'd plucked from Cynabelle's neck. “My name's Maevin, and like I said I'm no murdered. Who do I get the pleasure of banking a debt?” She extended her pincer with some web between the end and elbow, offering the snekken a life line.
\tCynabelle was hesitant but wrapped her one hand and tentacle around the thick strand of silk, noticing it wasn't sticky at all. Just elastic and strong. “I'm Cynabelle.” Was all she said as she tested the strength of the webbing being produced by the spinnerette in Maevin's arm. “Uh, pleasure to meet you, I guess? Though I suppose it'd be better under different circumstances.”
\t“Indeed.” Maevin huffed to herself as she produced more web, ensuring the bridge between her weaver and pincer loosened. She reached over and cut a few more web strands around Cynabelle until the entirety of the snekken's weight was dangling off the webbing under her arm. She let out more of the silk, letting Cynabelle descend onto the shore as she used her other arm to dangle from her web, all eight of her legs gently guiding her.
\tOnce Cynabelle was on the ground, she let go of the silken lifeline and ended up falling onto her face, the webs around her legs still taut and sticky. She rolled over onto her back to look up at Maevin, who was dangling over her by a strand. “So what now?” She asked. “Do I have to give you a life debt or something? Pledge my allegiance to the mantis-weaver people?”
\t“No, just be on your way, dear.” Maevin's voice was calmer now that Cynabelle was no longer tangled up in her web. “And please, in the future, be more wary of giant chasms in the forest.”
\t“Can I bring you something to eat, even? What do you even...subside on?”
\tMaevin laughed. “Oh, sweetheart snakey, that's none of your concern. I can take care of myself.” She glanced up at her mangled web, its shapes erratic and uneven. “Though it's a lot easier when I don't have to spend a day rebuilding.”
\tCynabelle leaned over to wet her fingers and tentacles in the gently running water, using it to dissolve some of the web around her ankles and tail. “You sure there's nothing I can do? I mean, you had me. I'd likely have been enough to sustain you all winter.”
\t“No, my dear. I only eat beasts. Not agens. I'm not a murderer no matter how much our kind are feared. I mostly eat-” She paused before continuing. “You're not running?”
\t“Even if I wanted to, it'd be hard with bits of web still clinging to me.” She said, plucking more of the silk from her ankles and calves. “But why would I? You've already let me go and you seem nice. Besides, why would I be scared? How potent is your venom? I hear bigger spiders have weaker venom for the most part. Never been bitten, though. I mean, you got close. Your mouth bits kinda got me there but I guess if you'd wanted me for lunch I'd know it.” She brushed off the part of her shoulder where Maevin had nibbled the silk off her.
\tMaevin remained dangling upside down under her web, hovering a meter or so above Cynabelle. “I suppose you're right. I apologize.”
\t“No need to apologize!” Cynabelle explained as she got to her feet. She let her tail dip into the water to clean off some of the dirt and silk that was still on her scales. “I guess it was pretty clear you were trying to be gentle. Hey, is this like, your home? Do you live here? Is there a whole cave in the cliffside there?” She pointed up to the small crack that Maevin had been resting in prior to her we being disturbed.
\tIt was clear this was confusing to Maevin. “Not often people want to make conversation with an invert like me.”
\tCynabelle grinned and extended a tentacle towards the hybrid. “Inverts unite! Well, half invert.” She waited for a second for Maevin to touch tips but realized that wasn't going to happen so she lowered her tentacle. “I'm half cephalopod. Snekken. Got some snake in my, got some octopus in me. So I guess we're practically sisters! And for how many of you bugs are-” she paused and gulped. “Wait, is bug a slur?”
\t“No, dear. It's actually a pretty widespread term. Like you I'm a hybrid of arachnic and insect. Bug covers it all.” Was all Maevin said to assure Cynabelle.
\t“Oh, good. Anyway, for as many bugs as there are out there I think you are the first one I've ever spoke to. Honestly, I didn't even know you guys were sentient.” She confessed, unsure if that was insensitive or reasonable.
\tMaevin appreciated the humility. “Our worlds are very different and rarely cross paths. You might be amazed at how complex our culture is.”
\t“I'd love to find out some day! I travel a lot. I see a lot of inverts around but never thought to say anything. Good to know. So is this where I can find you if I'm ever here again?” Cynabelle was unable to contain her growing excitement. Once again she was making a friend almost by accident. And it was borne of a potentially awkward situation, too!
\tFor a moment, it almost looked like Maevin was blushing under her yellow joints and exoskeleton. “No, that's not really how it works for us. I'll be here for a season, then I'll find a new place to raise a web. Sorry.”
\t“That's oaky! That's like okay but silly. I'm sure I'll see you again. I'm just heading to the lake. Does this creek meet up with the lake? Oh, what am I saying, all rivers do eventually. The question is...upstream or downstream?” her meandering mind was as erratic as the web of waterways throughout Itanobel and just as messy.
\tMaevin crawled back up the silk line and started plucking the bits of her web that were damaged. She pointed upriver, which was south bound. “Well, keep going that way and you'll make it to the lake. However, if you're looking for the bird and the other snakes, head north. Downstream.”
\tIf she had ears, they would have shot straight up. “Birds and other snakes?”
\t“Yeah, a black and white gryphon settled a homestead downriver last summer with their snake partner and a few others. Quickly grew an apple and pear orchard atop the cliffs. I assumed that's where you were going. Since you're serpentine.”
\tThe casual stereotyping got a chuckle from Cynabelle. “Nope! I was headed towards the lake to enjoy the last swim of the season but if you say there's a settlement up north here, I think I have to go say hi! Are they nice? Or do I need to worry about being seen as a trespasser?” In most situations this would be an absurd thing to ask. It was common courtesy to not step foot on someone's land unless you were actively trying to take it. But Cynabelle was so far removed from the bandits and outlaws that were roaming the lands west of the StoneMetal Mountains that the concern hadn't crossed her mind.
\tHer lack of awareness amused Maevin. “Heh. Well, they seem pretty nice from what I've observed. I haven't really spoken to them but I've seen the gryphoness make her way through this valley often. Just do be careful, darling. You never know what might happen with strangers. Would hate to miss out on such a fun meal if you're just gonna go getting yourself shot on a ranch.”
\tCynabelle offered a tip of an invisible hat with one of her hands and associated tentacle. “I appreciate the concern but I'd never make friends if I didn't meet them first! I guess I'll be on my way, then! It was a pleasure meeting you miss Maevin and I hope to see you again!” She offered a jaunty spin, flicked her tongue happily, then started skipping her way downstream away from the web.
\tOf course, it was the exact opposite direction she was initially planning to go. Though at this point her goals were so ill-defined it was hard to tell if she was ever actually planning anything. Her whims were subject to change and as predictable as the weather.
\tThe trek from Maevin's web to the homestead took Cynabelle longer than she expected. Not that she had any strong expectations prior to deciding to veer north. Much like her history, her plans were fluid and meandered from place to place, subject to change and influence by most external factors. Others called her easily distracted but she liked to refer to herself as an expert in perpetual adaptation. She adjusted her goals and plans based on whatever new circumstances arose.
\tIf she had long term goals in mind – such as raising a family, owning a home, or leaving some sort of legacy – then she'd be less inclined to reroute her future every step of the way. As a nomad she had no ties to any one location, had no desire to be tied down, and nothing stopping her from picking up what little she had and travelling halfway across the continent on a whim.
\tIt made life interesting for her. It was fun. It wasn't stable but that was never something cared too much about. Stability was great for others but she found it boring. If she wasn't constantly finding something new to keep her attention she lost her will to do much of anything. This way, her life was a never-ending adventure. Some appreciated her chaotic energy. Others found her exhausting.
\tSuch is life, of course. Which was why she found herself heading downstream, north from Lake Bloche through a valley with little more in terms of direction than the idle hints dropped from a random spider-mantis she met. That was her life. Chaotic but never boring.
\tCynabelle's first experience with signs of life while travelling north was a bridge above her connecting one side of the gorge to another with a staircase leading down to the creek. That would be how she'd make her way out of the valley, since she hadn't seen any places to climb. She could have scaled the rock wall without too much issue given her size and strength but she didn't want to get caught in the trap of running too quickly and falling again. If she stayed walking alongside the creek that lined the gorge she'd have a clear and distinct pathway to both her original and new destinations.
\tMildly apprehensive, she paused when she stepped foot on the first step of the stairs. She may have been scatterbrained and hyperactive at times but she was aware of how it would look if she just randomly used someone's steps without permission. Just some random, petite snake-topus crawling up the staircase may have been the sort of image that'd inspire one to blast her with magic.
\tRather than risk that, she called out with as loud a bellow as she could muster. “Hello!” She shouted to the void above her. She was disappointed when no echo came back to her. Cynabelle's voice was so tiny it didn't even rebound off the rock cliff not ten meters away. Undeterred she yelled a second time. “I'm coming up the steps if that's okay! I'm not a crook or robber or bandit or feral beast or anything else that needs to be obliterated with weapons! Just a random traveller who happened upon your homestead!” She had no way of knowing if anyone was around or if they could hear.
\tShe tentatively leapt up one step at a time, pausing every few stairs to see if anyone had shown themselves over the cliff face or bridge above her. Nothing at first.
\tAbout half way up she heard scuffling above her. Hooves on the wooden planks clopping from one side of the gorge to the other. She took this opportunity to make herself known without startling who or whatever it was above her. “Excuse me? Is this your home?” She called up.
\tThe clopping above her stopped and a golden brown equine head poked out over the side of the bridge, ears flopping over. Apparently she was high enough that her voice carried out this time.
\tCynabelle waved at him with a gaping grin and smiling eyes. “Oh, hi! Glad to see you can hear me! Just wanted to use your steps to get outta this gorge, if that's oaky!”
\tHe waved back. “Good day, miss snake.” He said with a warm smile. He then pulled away from the side, his head disappearing above the bridge as a series of gentle clops making their way to the shack above Cynabelle where the steps met the bridge. He opened the door there and motioned for her to come. “You're welcome to come! Are you here to see Leera?”
\tCynabelle hopped up the steps on all fours, tail kept stiff and rigid behind her with excitement. New friends! She didn't know who Leera was but wasn't going to let that stop her from meeting this equine fellow. She didn't notice until she got to the last platform of the steps that this donkey jack was fully nude. No clothes whatsoever. She paused, not sure how to interpret that. “Am I interrupting something?” She asked with as much of a chirp as she could muster. Snakes had a peculiar ability to imitate sounds, like a parrot.
\tHe laughed. “Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting guests. Leera should have said something.”
\t“My apologies, I don't know who Leera is.” Cynabelle admitted. “I was just heading towards Bloche Lake and got sidetracked. Yeah, I know the lake is south of here and I'm heading north. My name's Cynabelle!” She extended her hand out to greet him, her associated tentacle laid flat along her arm. The appendage had the suckers adhered to her scales, the back of it tensed up to emulate the same texture as the rest of her to hide them, making the tentacles nearly invisible.
\tShe did that often when meeting people for the first time, just in case the cephalopod in her scared them. She was unapologetic about who she was but still remained cautious at first. Hybrids were rare and occasionally feared. Usually admired and adored but not always. Her best move was to hide that part of her until she was ready, something that was easy enough given the adaptive nature of her tentacles and their ability to camouflage among the rest of her. All four of them pressed tight to her arms and legs, just in case.
\tThis did seem to surprise the equine. “Oh? So you're not Leera's guest? My apologies. Just randomly happened upon us, then?” He took her hand and helped pull her up onto the bridge next to him. Her face was almost perfectly at his midsection, right next to his sheath and sagging orbs.
\tOthers might have been put off by being drawn in that close to such a view. Cynabelle was not like most others. She barely even noticed the bulge of sheath within tongue-flick distance from her snout since she was focused more on the view around her. To one side of the gorge was a well-curated track of farmland, including two orchards merging with the rockwood that surrounded them and a series of rows of crops in between them. The other side of the gorge housed a half dozen buildings and a handful of pastures for livestock. There were barns on either side of the gorge, connected to the shacks at each end of the bridge she was standing upon.
\tIt wasn't until she flicked her tongue and got a very direct and intense taste of his musky scent that she realized just how prescient she'd been when asking if she interrupted something. The pleased look on her face must have drawn his attention because he flushed a bit and swept his hair and mane back, awkwardly chuckling to himself.
\t“Well, not so much interrupted as much as arrived in the aftermath.” He confessed. “I was not expecting guests so I didn't think to cover myself.”
\t“Why worry about it?” She asked with an animated shrug. “This is your homestead, I imagine, so it's not like you have to answer to me. What were you doing over there? Just looks like corn and squash, you wouldn't wanna cream fill your crop, would you?” She winked at him, gape grinning.
\tHe paused a moment, not sure how to answer. Once he got over his temporary bashfulness he chuckled. “My name's Nib, by the way.”
\t“Oh, right! Yes! Might as well share your name first before casually sharing kink talk. If you're okay with that. I'd be curious to hear!” She reached toward him and jovially smacked his hip. “Big boy like you has got to have a lot to boast about, right?”
\t“I'm not one for boasting but I'm happy to share!”
\tCynabelle measured her social status at that moment and took a risk by leaping up at him, climbing up his leg and shoulder-nuzzling herself up into his strong donkey arms. He instinctively cradled her so she wrapped her tail around his forearm for stability as she flicked her tongue at his beard. “Tell me all about it!”
\tNib seemed tickled with delight at the moment but then paused, cautious. “Wait, why are you being so chipper? Is this a distraction? Do you have allies in the trees?” He tensed up and edged towards the side of the bridge with the pastures and building, wrapping his hand around the base of her tail in case he needed to take her hostage.
\tShe pursed her lips and went tense herself. Biting her lip and gulping heavily, she snapped her fingers and pointed them at Nib's chin, nearly tickling his goatee. “You know what, that's a fair assumption and I guess I should have considered it before being so brash, but no. I am not here with anyone, I'm just a wandering snake who met a spider-mantis and decided to test my luck by seeing if the people in the nearby homestead were nice.”
\tHe narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you want from us? Interested in our wares?”
\t“You have wares?” Her mouth gaped in a smile as she flicked her tongue. Then she closed up and tried to express a more serious look. “I mean, I was not aware of any wares, I was just travelling with no firm destination in mind and decided to say hi on a whim. Promise!” She tapped her chest along her heart to show sincerity.
\tNib huffed and brayed gently to himself. “I want to believe you but I have to be sure.”
\t“And how are you gonna do that? Gonna use that weapon of yours?” She asked while the very tip of her tail draped down over his cradling forearm to tickle his lower belly just above his sheath.
\tHe batted it away and snorted. “No, I just finished that. I have ways of testing, though.”
\tCynabelle folded up her arms on her chest. “Wait, you're being serious? It's not like, you're not going to hurt me, are you? I promise I'm here alone and mean you no harm.”
\t“I won't hurt you. I just have to make sure. I'll show ya.” He clopped his way across the bridge and carried Cynabelle towards a single-story shack in between what appeared to be the two main homes on the homestead. It had a smoke stack with a very gentle mist billowing out into the sky, the scent coming from it quite delicious to Cynabelle's flicking tongue. Food of some sort.
\tShe slithered in place and rolled over so her belly was laying on his forearm, her head against his bicep and looking forward. “I warn you, you can't stuff me too full of food. I am a snake, after all. I stretch a lot.” She was trying to be cute and sexy in equal measure and wasn't sure if it was working.
\tNib appeared to be focused on that shack between the houses. When he opened the door, Cynabelle hoisted herself up with eyes wide.
\tInside was a small laboratory with a workbench against the back wall and shelves of books lining either side. That wasn't what grabbed her attention, though. Every shelf and every other surface in the room had dozens of teal crystals laying around, some free from containers and others in baskets. Hundreds of them. Thousands, even. Ranging in size from pebbles to a single rock the size of a blitzball on the ground under the work station.
\tShe was so transfixed by this much pure crystalline ademane that she barely even registered that he laid her on the table and went over to one of the baskets on the book shelf. She literally sat in place, jaw hanging open nearly onto the desk on which she sat. It took her a moment to compose herself but once she did she was able to shake her head of the amazement and address him. “This...this is so much! There has to be enough to...” She just gulped.
\tIn truth, that amount of ademane was enough to do some significant damage if it was used the right way. Or the wrong way. She understood now why he was so cautious about her presence. So protective of their homestead. A single gemstone the size of her thumb could contain enough magic to turn a house into rubble, and based on its colour it was pure and untainted or at least of very high quality. A thousand of these gemstones could, without exaggeration, leave all of Port Sanri in ash. Nib was right to double check and make sure she wasn't some bandit or thief here for their stash.
\t“Okay, I see now why you're so cautious.” She outstretched her hand. “Do what you have to do to make sure I'm not gonna steal from you. I would greatly enjoy clearing this up so you don't mistake me as your enemy!”
\tHe grabbed a single staff made of a braid of rockwood vines that had a gemstone the size of her forearm at the end of it. The smooth crystal had a gentle blue glow to it that seemed to pulsate out from the gnarled wood that held it. “No worries, this is a truth gemstone. A relic Ceylon conjured up a few years back. It resonates with life energy that can tell if you're being dishonest or not. I'm still working on interpreting it perfectly but I can ask you any question and tell if you're telling the truth.”
\t“That sounds rather convenient. Do your worst! What's your question?” She adjusted on the desk until she was sitting cross-legged, her tail swishing behind her. She was careful to not hit any of the nearby gemstones or relics on the nearby shelves.
\t“All you have to do is tell me why you're here.” He pressed the gemstone to her chest, ensuring it made contact with her scales. “The more detail you offer the better the reading. I think.”
\tCynabelle paused and lightly rubbed the gemstone on the staff, admiring how smooth it was. It gave her ideas but she wasn't going to act on them. Yet. “Okay! I'm here by random happenstance! Meandering through the rockwood. The gorge caught my attention and I followed the stream downriver in hopes of finding someone! No ulterior motives beyond the hope of making friends! Or at least not making enemies.”
\tThe gemstone's faint glow pulsed as the surface of it vibrated a bit, the intensity of the vibration growing the brighter the glow.
\t“Hm. Yeah it seems you're telling the truth.” He acknowledged while pulling the staff away from her. “It would have gone dark if you had ill intent. I think. I'm actually an apprentice here, studying under Ceylon. She's teaching me how to use the relics.”
\tShe reached out as he pulled the staff away, grabbing the forearm sized gemstone and pulling it back towards herself. “You can't tease me like that and not do something about it!” She accused.
\tHe seemed taken aback but amused. “You're rather blunt. It's refreshing but hard to predict. You'll have to forgive me if I don't read your mind. We have a gemstone for that but I don't know how to use it. Yet.”
\t“See? You're pretty open, too.” She countered. “We just met and you're already sharing information about your apprenticeship status? That's not something you share with a potential threat. If I was a danger why would you let me know that, why reveal weakness? But you know I'm not, so I guess I'm rambling here. We're both being open and vulnerable, so no reason to be shy!” She grinned and glanced down over the side of the work bench to see his sheath had begun to unfurl, his cock rolling over his balls and leaking onto the floor. “I see you're not shy. I thought you just finished?”
\tNib gently brayed at her and grinned, rubbing his chin. “Okay, I was mid-session. I didn't quite finish when I was heading here to find a gemstone to play with.”
\t“So that's why your musk was so potent.” Cynabelle observed while crawling across the table towards him, deliberately cradling the relic in the palm of her hand. She opened her maw to let the smooth gemstone rest between her lower gums right on top of her tongue sheath. While staring up at him she eased forward, maw clenching down on the staff and swallowing the gemstone as the rockwood vines made distinct bulges in her throat scales.
\tNib kept a hold on the other end of the staff, gently easing it back and forth to stroke against Cynabelle's gullet. “Are you always this physical with people you just met?”
\tWith the gemstone and half the staff still down her throat, she gaped open her maw and wrapped her tongue around the gnarled wood. She was able to speak, though her voice was weak and imperfect. “Yes, actually. If I think it'll help people open up to me.”
\t“Open up, you say? Looks like you're doing the opening up.” Nib let go of the staff for a moment to hop across the shack to make sure the door was closed. The staff remained suspended in the air, half of it glowing through the thin, stretched skin between the scales on her neck. He got back and gently started to pull it out of her throat only to have her clamp down and stop him.
\tShe just shook her head and smiled up at him with the relic still sticking out of her maw. She reached forth and pried his hand off the shaft of it while gulping, the muscles in her throat drawing the relic in deeper and deeper until the glowing gemstone was resting heavy in her belly and only the tip was jutting out between her upper and lower jaw at an awkward angle, her neck stiff and held in place by the firm, rockwood vines. The staff was about the length of her torso and neck combined. She then shifted in place and got to her feet on the desk so that she was at eye height with Nib, keeping eye contact as she forced her jaws closed around the end of the relic.
\tHe couldn't help but idly rub himself as he watched her take it all inside her, the stiffness of the staff keeping her in a rigid pose until it shifted and descended deeper.
\tShe gulped heavily, tongue flopping out from between her lips while she twisted her neck and adjusted alongside each and every shift. The relic's glowing gemstone twisted inside her, passing through her belly and descending beyond her hips to find itself lodged against the base of her tail from inside. She had to lean forward like a raptor as she gulped and stretched out her neck, swallowing it farther. With a wag of her rump and an unfurling of her tail, she felt a lurch as the relic slid through her and into her thick tail, a distinct bulge passing through her all the way to her cloaca.
\tIt was a single, fluid motion as the staff steadily slid through her, the glowing gemstone tip parting her cloacal scales about three quarters down the length of her tail. The stiff nature of it meant she was slightly restricted but she was able to grab the slimy tip of it and pull it out, leaving her gaped as she gripped the relic's neck and tapped the butt end of it on the desk next to her. “Tada!” She proclaimed, literally leaking out both ends.
\tShe hadn't noticed at first but as she tapped the staff on the table she realized that the staff was now notably larger than her torso, now. The entire thing was as tall as she was to the shoulder with the gemstone part almost as long as her entire arm. Rather than being at eye level, Nib was now towering over her. “Wait, am I shrinking?”
\tNib was slightly distracted by the show and the fact that he was idly rubbing his sheath to coax more of his meat from their depths. “It appears so.”
\t“Are you doing that?” Cynabelle asked, cradling some of her body slime from between the ridges on the staff.
\t“No. Not me in particular. But you are in a room full of enchanted gemstones. Do you by chance have any transformation magic inside you?”
\tThe staff was now taller than she was, so she let go of it and let it fall to lean against the back wall of the shack. She gulped. “I mean, maybe?” She lied. The staff's glow immediately dissipated and the gemstone went dark.
\tThe donkey cocked a half grin. He knew she was lying or hiding something but he also knew she was not doing it out of malice. She was simply concerned about her predicament. “Well, if you did, that would explain the shrinking. Ceylon does a lot of transformation magic and if your natural energies resonated with one of the gemstones, well...” he motioned towards her.
\tNot one to waste an opportunity, she laid a hand on her hip and swished her tail behind her, smearing bits of her cloaca fluid on the table. “Am I in danger? Do I need to be concerned?”
\tHe shook his head. “Naw, temporary.”
\t“Then I say we enjoy it! With me shrinking I bet your cock would feel astronomically large to me! And the smaller I get the bigger you'll be, so I say we take this opportunity!”
\tNib really should have seen this coming but he still didn't know how to respond. “I, uh, I don't know how small you're going to get! I don't want to hurt you! I know you're a snake and all but I'm still a donkey.” Despite showing concern he couldn't help himself; his member swelled quickly to the speed of his racing heartbeats, growing almost fully engorged within seconds.
\tShe cradled her tail, cupping some of her fluids in her palm while reaching over to coax his member onto the table next to her. The girth of his cock had to be wider than her entire body but she knew this wouldn't be a problem. She smeared some of her fluids onto his swelling equine flare, lubing him up while mixing her fluids with his musky layer of arousal. “Nib, if you get to know me well you'll come to learn that I'm not the kind to let limits restrict me. Trust me, I know what I can do and can't. Tell you what, how about we use a safe word. If we reach my limits, I'll say Literature.”
\tHe cocked his head to the side, ears flopping to the side. “That is a strange safe word.”
\t“That's why it's perfect. Now sit.” She may have shrunk down to less than half her previous height but the difference in size between them was driving her to a level of need she didn't get to experience often. She wasn't going to fail to capitalize on this opportunity, so she guided him to one of the chairs next to the work bench and encouraged him to sit with his cock straight up.
\tHe had nothing to say, he just obeyed. He was a very good, friendly donkey.
\tShe crawled up on his lap and straddled his member, which by this point was wide enough that she could ride it like a steed. She used the slickness of their combined fluids to smear herself in lubricant, prying the pussy lips between her legs apart to make way for his gargantuan size. She had a vaginal canal in her torso and a cloaca at the end of her tail, which was actually an extension of her torso and not a tail despite that being how it looked.
\tThen, as she sat down on his spongy, blunt equine tip with one hand prying apart her lips, Nib grabbed her around her upper body and forced her down, his member plunging into her and bulging her out to three times her natural girth.
\tCynabelle threw her head back and her tail wrapped around his base as she felt her lips swallow him to the median ring, her muscles clenching around him to massage him like a living sleeve, legs wrapped around him like she was cradling a lover as the big spoon. The bulge of his head pressed out against her chest, the pressure between them forcing her lips out to outstretch and wrap around more of him. She'd only just felt him inside for a moment but she could tell she was in for a good day.
\tShe was still shrinking, her body getting more and more tight around his girth. Her scales were spread so thin that the pink between them could be easily seen, the brown of his member faintly visible through her semi-translucent flesh. By most metrics this should have been cause for concern but she knew her body so well it only made her more enthusiastic.
\tRather than pull away and slowly have his length tug out of her, she slammed her hips down as hard as she could, eager to feel her thighs right against his. Inside she could feel the distinct pulsations of his heartbeat as his blood flowed into his veins and arteries, ensuring his cock remained rigid. Not only that but deep within her chest she could feel the swell of his spongy flare pressing out against her torso; in an odd way it made her look like she was busty and had an ample bosom!
\t“Are you sure you're okay? Nib asked as he gingerly pressed his fingers to her side. He was worried she was getting too small or that her taut flesh was going to give way to his girth. When he felt the distinct texture of her scales and flesh shifting under throbbing bulge of his vein he seemed to consider just pulling her off to be safe.
\tShe offered a broad grin as she flipped her head backwards and upside down to look at him, her tongue hanging out and nearly touching his belly. She tried to talk but found it difficult with his cock's mass pressing against her lungs. She was able to manage a vague facsimile of 'I'm fine' out but it sounded more like 'ahgm fnnnne', so she simply offered a thumbs up to assure him she was fine. In fact, she was so 'fine' and enjoying it so much that she shifted her weight and made sure her feet were both gripping his thighs and she was squatting down on his lap.
\tGien that her body was still shrinking – though at a slower pace than before – this was the time she needed to part ways with him if there was any concern. His cock was so big compared to her that she could barely wrap her arms around the bulge he made in her belly. The distended shape of his median ring could be seen wrapped around her waist like a belt, bulging out from inside in all directions. Despite being stretched so far she still had plenty of muscle control throughout her body, allowing her to manually please him in waves even while remaining in a squatting position.
\tThat wasn't enough for her. She was very proud of her skills as one who gives pleasure, so she felt like she really had to show off just how much she could handle. Her exceptionally malleable biology ensured she could have been swollen like a balloon if he flared up inside her and dumped enough of a load in her to make her inflate. Knowing this and wanting to really show off, she started bouncing on his lap, hands on her belly to clutch the bulge and squeeze it from inside and out.
\tNib brayed and tried his best to keep his composure as she started riding him and it took all his self control to not reach down and help her out. The main thing that kept him from allowing his flare to expand immediately was that he was taking the cautious route and considering pulling her off to be safe. He was not convinced her body could handle that sort of stress and it was keeping him from losing himself to his lust. That concern, the fear of hurting someone, was delaying his climax.
\tOut of the corner of her eye, Cynabelle saw his facial expressions and casual resistance to reach down and pull her off like a used condom. She knew that this was far more dilated than even most snakes would handle but she had been practising for as long as she could remember and knew her limits. At worst she was half way to bursting. She was a living condom to a partner his size and she loved that sort of thing. She especially loved that she could see his flesh passing through her even if only where the scales parted and exposed the taut pink flesh underneath.
\tShe expertly massaged him, using her whole body to stroke his length in full, aggressive motions. Her cycle was perfectly timed; when she was standing straight up with only his cock tip inside her forming a bulge in her belly, she relaxed her muscles to ensure she didn't force him out when she sat heavily and slammed her hips to hers. Then, when she felt her cloaca teasing his loins, she clenched as hard as she could not only with her pelvic muscles but all of her abdominal muscles as well. This gripped him tighter even than his fist in the throes of his own self-service.
\tIt was so tight she may have actually shot off like a rocket had her toe claws not been gripping his thighs. It helped that she knew exactly when and how to clench to amplify the friction without going too hard and forcing him out. That's not what she wanted and not what he wanted, either.
\tCynabelle continued to shrink but it slowed to the point she was certain she'd gone as small as she would or at least near to it. At this point when she slammed her hips down and wore his median ring like a bulging belt around her waist, she could feel his throbbing cock tip teasing the back of her throat. She had a long neck so there was some distance between her shoulders and her skull but that didn't stop her from having to swallow to keep the fluids inside from gargling out past her lips.
\tSensing that this was the best time to go for it, she started bouncing on him with even more speed and aggression. She slammed down as hard as she could and bounced up as high as she could, ensuring his strokes were as long and deep as they could possibly be given their size discrepancy. The popping, squelching sounds of his median ring lurching in and out of her with every thrust was what got her the most, as it was beating her cloaca opening and ravaging her passage as it coursed through her. She loved that and could tell that he was enjoying it too because his cock head was growing in her throat and it was getting harder and harder to pass through her gullet with each thrust.
\tOut of respect, Nib had done all he could to let Cynabelle dictate the pace. He kept gingerly reaching for her then pulling away and stopping himself from assisting her for fear he'd go too far. She could see the conflict on his face and feel it in his cock as his member swelled and never quite stayed hard. Knowing this, and understanding it would help bring him to finish, she reached back and wrapped her hand around his finger when he was tentatively reaching for her, urging him to cradle her belly in his palm and take control.
\tThere was only a moment of hesitation as he pondered how to proceed. However, he was rightly lost in the passion and lust so the delay was brief. He grabbed her around the waist and lower belly and squeezed tight, tugging her as close to his base as he could. The bulge in her throat started teasing at the back of her skull, his fluids seeping out from between her lips and onto his knuckles. There was a brisk moment of concern in his eyes as she lulled her eyes and let her tongue flop out, but that concern was alleviated when she hugged his hand around her body and urged him to continue.
\tSuch insistence and enthusiasm was enough to wash away his worries. With that final assurance and encouragement, he threw his head back and squeezed tight around her body, stroking himself with her flesh with rapidly intensifying vigour. He used her like a toy, stroking his length excitedly while the bulge of his member coursed through her, his median ring popping in and out of her while his head found its limits in the back of her throat.
\tBefore long, his flare started to swell and he started slamming her down with jerking motions, eager to feel as much of her flesh wrapped tight around him as he could get. Her body stretched with ease and her throat kept gulping in waves to keep him from bursting out her maw.
\tIt didn't work. As his flare swelled and expanded it forced her maw open as his cock head bloomed, the round edges of is pressing against her teeth on both upper and lower jaw, its spongy mass resting beyond her jaws with her lips lining its ridge. It swelled and expanded, like a flower meeting the sun as her body continued to constrict around him, milking him.
\tShe could feel his throbbing pulsations course through her body mere seconds before he reached climax. She wanted to taste him so she reached up around the wide berth of his flare and her cheeks, trying her best to find his cock hole to keep it from erupting but she was too late. His entire shaft tensed up and a thick, slimy mass of his seed burst from his flare; from her perspective it looked like she was almost spitting up, since it was coming out of her throat.
\tThough she missed most of it she was able to catch some of his eruption with her palm and rub it down her throat and belly, caressing his cock through her flesh in the process. She felt the thick glob of his cum land back on his spongy flare and trickle down her chin, soaking her all the way down to his balls. She used her tail to rub it in while squeezing the base of his orbs, coaxing and milking more out of him. Horse cock and cum was the best, one of the strongest tastes and best textures.
\tHowever, despite it being the most intense feeling, equines climaxed and had an abrupt comedown. Nib had grunted and all his muscles tensed up for the eruption of his seed out her throat, but within seconds of the mess dribbling down his knuckles his flare was already deflating and he was already relaxing, his slimed hands slowly pulling away from her with trails of cum bridging the gaps.
\tShe swallowed the softening donkey meat, closing her maw as equine essence seeped out between her lips. She flicked her tongue though the mess to bask in the aromatic flavours while doing her best to not clench her body in delight. If she let her own orgasmic constrictions take control, she knew she'd force him out before she was ready to be hollow.
\tNib didn't know that she was trying to keep him inside and so gently tugged on her, his soft shaft slipping out of her leaving her gaping with a glorious squelch of a hollow plop. No cum came out, there was no creampie. It all burst from her gullet, none of it was inside her. Once he'd pulled her off like a used condom he tried to lean forward to make sure she was alright; he could see that her cloaca was left gaping and sloppy even after he'd slipped out of her.
\tCynabelle smiled back at him and rolled over onto her back as his cock slowly folded itself back up into his sheath between her legs. He was soaked in a concoction of his own cum and her fluids. Neither minded. She used her forearm to wipe her lips clean as she stopped to focus on herself a moment, relaxing and clenching her pelvic muscles to seal herself back up. Some air caught inside and was forced out, making a bubbling, spattering noise as it caught in her fluids,
\tThey both laughed together at the silly sounds. Cynabelle pointed at him. “See? Told you I Was okay. I know my limits. Or more accurately I know my absence of limits.”
\tHe rubbed her belly and then licked up the mess from his knuckles. “Okay, okay. I see what you mean but that might not apply if you're being transformed. The crystal's resonance may have altered your biology. I was worried it might change your perspective.”
\t“I'd say that it did the opposite, actually. I think it made me even more pliable. I didn't even come close to feeling my limits. I could've taken three of you, if you could find a way to angle it just right.” She idly plucked at her tender cloaca scale, rubbing both clits on either side. She still had lingering pleasure coursing through her even without his flesh caressing her; if she rubbed herself it would keep her right on the cusp of orgasmic delight.
\tNib nodded once. “Well, thanks for helping me out with that!”