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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\t“I'd say my pleasure but I think it was more yours than mine.” She offered a cheeky wink while her tail reverse-slithered it way into his sheath, teasing his cock deep inside. She did change her tone a bit, though. “I'm curious. How is it that I never saw this place before. I've been roaming these parts for years and Bloche lake has a tributary that runs through here. I'm surprised you aren't on the map.”
\tSensing the time for fun was over, Nib collected Cynabelle and hoisted her up onto his shoulder as he got to work cleaning up the random gemstones he'd gotten out. “It's another one of those things Ceylon did. Magic. Fields. There's some sort of persistent aura around the homestead that keeps people out or at least urging them in other directions. That's why I was so surprised when you showed up.”
\t“Yeah, I didn't feel anything like that.”
\t“I'll have to ask Ceylon and figure out why. But for now, I don't suppose you'd be interested in trying something for me?” Nib held a hand up to the wall of shelves full of boxes of gemstones, trying to sense something. After scanning a few of the boxes he found the one he was looking for and grabbed a single gemstone from inside. “I think this is what's resonating with you. Whatever magic you have.”
\tShe reached out and cradled it in her hands. It was about the size of a marble, no larger than what her thumb would be if she was full sized but since she'd been shrunk it was big enough she needed to cradle it in both palms. It was a dark purple, glowing in a way that made all the splotches of cum and fluid on her scales glow. “Ooooh!”
\tNib tapped it while she held it. “I might be able to reverse the effects of the shifting if-”
\tCynabelle hopped off his shoulder and landed on the table. She gently laid the gemstone down on the wood and sat on it cross-legged, using her tail for balance as her cloaca scales distended and eased their way over its perfectly round girth. Once the thickest part of the gemstone breached her ventral scale, the rest of it popped in immediately to form a subtle bulge in her belly. “What was that?”
\t“I suppose that might work, too. Direct contact with your inner flesh will help it work but I have to activate it.” He grabbed her with one hand, cradling her in his palm while he angled her loins up at his face to get a better look. Once he was certain he could see the glowing sphere through her gaping scales, he reached into her with a single finger to tap the gemstone. Some teal glow snaked from his digit and into the gemstone, causing it to begin to hum and vibrate inside her.
\tShe clenched up as the gemstone's magic went through her. Not only was it vibrating, its smooth surface grinding rapidly against her walls, but the magic itself was travelling through her like an electric current, making every muscle in her body tense up and relax in pulsing waves. It was almost enough to make her force it out and would have been had he not kept a finger pressed to her opening to stop the gemstone from popping out.
\tWithin seconds the gemstone's effects began to reverse and she began to grow. Her scales swelled, her flesh plumped up and grew soft, and the gemstone appeared to shrink inside her. The larger she expanded the easier it was to lose the gemstone deep within her so Nib slipped a second and then third and fourth finger into her. Eventually, as she returned to her normal size about a meter tall he was able to worm his entire fist into her and once the transformation was complete he was able to wrap his digits around the gemstone and pull it out with a messy pop.
\tCynabelle gasped and fell back onto the work bench, tail tip flicking and maw agape. Her tongue hung out the end of her lower lip and she hissed to herself. “That was nice.”
\t“Glad to hear it.” Nib then got out a towel and cleaned off the gemstone before putting it back into its box where he found it. “But since you apparently have some sorta energy inside you it might be best we move out of the workshop. I don't want another resonance incident.”
\tShe chirped and rolled off the table, happily gathering her things and leading the way. She was happily obliging but still had questions. “What's a resonance incident?” She asked with a chipper tone.
\tNib held the door for her and followed her out. “Last season there was a bit of a bad enchantment in one of the gems and it started to grow unstable. When its enchantment rebounded off other pure gemstones they began to respond and they all started to resonate off each other and if they managed to continue without interference they would have eventually exploded and this homestead would be a crater. Nothing more.”
\tCynabelle's jaw gaped open as her eyes darted around, not focusing on any single thing. “Really? That seems volatile.”
\t“It was. Or it could have been. Ceylon got back at the right time and helped me fix things up, then trained me on how to tame the magical resonance between them. As long as one of us are here at the homestead it'll be fine. I know how to tame them, as do Anax and Cero.” Nib explained.
\t“That's good to know. Very good to know. I'd hate to-” Just then, as she was about to make a joke about exploding magic inside her, she heard something coming from down in the rift between the two halves of the homestead. A chirping song.
\tNib interjected Cynabelle before she could say anything. “Sorry, I think Ceylon's back. You stay here, please. I'm sure she can sense your presence but let's not make any shocking reveals, eh?” With that, he headed over to the shed that connected to the bridge and the stairwell that went down to the bottom of the gorge and Cynabelle walked over to watch.
\tQuite the scene unfolded down there next to the creek that ran through the base of the rift. It was a black and white gryphoness, almost as tall as Nib despite being quadruped. She was wide, bloated with what appeared to be multiple people inside her. Cynabelle could only speculate about what had happened or what was going on until the gryphoness squatted down to lay an egg right into Nib's hands, an egg that was black and white and orange. Nib accepted the egg, but the gryphoness wasn't done. Not even close.
\tNext, she rolled over and gave birth to two different people, one vaginally and the other anally. The one that came out of her pussy was a blue-scaled kobold with swept back frills of some sort and the one that exited out her tail hole was a dark and sleek bat-like creature. She remained atop the gorge, trying to make out what was being said but the shape of the gorge made it so most of the sounds were muffled by the running water and howling wind.
\tThis exchange lasted a bit of time, with the gryphoness – presumably Ceylon based on what Nib had said – giving directions and taking control of the situation. Nobody seemed to be offput by Nib's nude body. None of them wore clothes. Only Ceylon had some bags draped over her haunches that her rebirthed companions took from her when they came to the stairs that led up to the shack.
\tNib pointed to Cynabelle and Ceylon's crystal clear blue eyes trained on her. She smiled and nodded before accompanying Nib and the others up the stairs.
\tA few moments later they all made their way up to the top of the stairs and emerged from the shack, where Cynabelle got to see the newcomers in all their messy, slimy glory. Nib was in the middle of a sentence. “-so let me know. I'll get these guys set up in the barn and I'll see you at the campfire!” With that, he escorted the bat creature, the blue kobold, and the orange-highlighted egg and offered a friendly wave to Cynabelle as he passed. “You too, talk soon!” With that, he was gone.
\tThis left Ceylon and Cynabelle in the clearing between the shack, the barn, and the other buildings. And in spite of Cynabelle's unconquerable optimism she suddenly felt intimidated. Something about Ceylo was making her feel humbled.
\tThose feelings didn't last long. The moment Ceylon opened her beak to address Cynabelle all worry was alleviated. “Oh, dear you are a cutie aren't you!” She reached down and gave the snake a gentle pat on the head. Cynabelle was tiny compared to Ceylon but that didn't have much of an effect. “Why aren't you showing off your tentacles?”
\tCynabelle stopped mid-thought. “You can tell? How did you know?” As she asked, she slowly let her tentacles peel away from her arms and legs to reveal all eight limbs, four with bones and joints and two malleable tendrils with suckers and infinite dexterity. “I was trying to keep it hidden.”
\t“No need to hide things here. Not like you could around Leera or I.” She extended a wing to cradle Cynabelle and bring her in close. “If you wanna hop up I'd be happy to let you mount me.”
\tThat sort of invitation may have been awkward and a lovely opening for a joke but Cynabelle wasted no time using her tentacles to climb up Ceylon's wing before sitting squarely on her back as Ceylon's limbs folded up next to her. “My pleasure! Now ride!” She declared with a bit more gusto than she may have initially planned.
\t“Yeah you're fun.” Ceylon chirped. “I take it you already know who I am, don't you?”
\t“Nib mentioned you, yeah. I am assuming you are Ceylon? Head of the homestead?” She crawled up over the gryphon's neck so that her head was upside down looking into Ceylon's eyes.
\tCeylon used a single ear to flick Cynabelle off her head. “The one and only!”
\t“So how'd you know I had the tentacles?” Cynabelle asked without hesitation. “I don't think Nib knew but I was trying to hide them so it wasn't exactly common knowledge. Just a cute little snek as far as he was concerned, right?” She sat back down between Ceylon's wing Shoulders as Ceylon made her way over to the bridge.
\tThe other side of the gorge was where all the crops and orchard were, as well as a large storage barn for housing the crops for the season. Ceylon wasn't bothering with mystique or deception. No suspense, she just came outright and explained herself. “I'm psychic. Well, naturally empathetic. I can read minds if I want to but generally speaking I try not to. Instead I naturally feel emotions, sense auras, and can get a read on people one way or another. I could tell the moment I arrived that there was something special about you so I probed just a bit so I was sure you were trustworthy.”
\tCynabelle's tail tip flicked behind her. “Is that why I felt unnaturally uncomfortable for a bit?”
\t“Probably.” Ceylon admitted. “Sometimes a psychic probe can interact with your own natural energies in a way that feels unpleasant but not painful. And what I found out about you in those few seconds is quite interesting!”
\t“Like what? I assume you know all what Nib just did to me? Or what I did to him?” She joked.
\t“Yeah but I didn't need to be psychic to know that. You smell like donkey dick and I can see the swollen flesh of your cloaca lips from down there.” She laughed. “But yeah, I can tell you have a bit of transformation magic in you. Not a lot of people do.”
\tThe snekken grinned. “Yeah! It's how I'm so tough!” She flexed her arm to show her muscles. “It's also how I survived! Not a lot of hybrids seem to live.”
\tCeylon nodded. “There's so much more than that. So, so much more. But let's not get too formal. Not yet. I wanna hear more about you! What brought you here! I can tell by my probe that you mean us no harm and aren't here with nefarious purposes but I'm curious!”
\t“Can't you just read my mind?” Cynabelle pointed to the side of her head. “But where's the fun in that. Better to get some good old conversation going! Open up some dialogue!”
\t“Exactly! See, you get it!” Ceylon chirped. “So tell me about you! I want to know who you are from your perspective. Then maybe I might be able to help you find yourself.”
\tThis made Cynabelle stop. “Find myself?”
\tCeylon chuckled to herself. “Oh, right, I sometimes forget not everyone has my sensitivities. When I was probing you I sensed some blocks in your mind. Some mental barriers. Would I be far off in assuming you have some serious amnesia?”
\tThis actually made Cynabelle stop and her heart raced for the first time not of arousal. “That is correct. How could you know that?”
\t“Psychic.”
\t“Yeah but I thought most psychics were just reading energies and making informed guesses based on that? Con artists. Still impressive but not 'real' in any true sense.” She gulped. In all her travels she'd never met someone who penetrated the fog of her mind like that. She came and went so readily that she was seen by most as that friendly snake girl that everyone liked but nobody got too close to. This was different and it made her uncomfortable. Something she rarely experienced.
\tSo many years travelling the region west of the StoneMetal Mountains had her hardened and able to manage herself well. Most of her coping came from her internalized idea that the past didn't matter as much as the future and yet Ceylon was just casually dropping hints about her past with no warning. It wasn't her usual style. It wasn't how she intended to live. But at the same time she was always curious. Not actively searching for answers but open to hear them.
\tIt was clear that she was internally struggling because Ceylon did her best to calm her with a gentle rub of her wing shoulder. “Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm not like others. I learned from the best and I try my best to use that to enrich those around me. It's clear you're not ready for that sort of discussion right now so I'll just say this. Stick around a bit. Our little family grows every season and I think you'll like it here. It's quiet. It's safe.”
\t“Safe. Heh. Yeah I don't really worry about that.” Cynabelle admitted. “I never feel in danger.”
\t“Seems so!” Ceylon chirped back while casually walking and weaving in between apple and pear trees. “I just know that anyone who can be trusted is welcome here. You managed to pierce the aura I placed upon the homestead and you seem to have a hint of divine luck within you. You're very interesting and I'd love to get to know you better!”
\t“You sound like a cultist, to be honest.” Cynabelle blurted. She felt no shame about it.
\tCeylon just laughed. “Okay, yeah. To an outsider that's definitely how it seems. I'll give you that.” She emerged from the trees nearest the barn and motioned for Cynabelle to hop off her back. “But the barn here has a few small beds and some food if you're hungry. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like, but you'd be expected to help with the work.”
\tCynabelle paused, eyes glazing over. “I don't usually stick around any one place too long.”
\t“I assumed.” Ceylon acknowledged. “But I think once you meet everyone your stance might change a bit. Or not. I'm not too fussed either way. I tell you what, we're doing a bonfire tonight once Fidget returns from Port Sanri with our mail. We're going to be roasting some snacks, sharing stories, and probably having a bit of fun. I get the impression you are the kind of snekken that would enjoy that. Especially with winter approaching. Gotta soak up all the warmth you can.”
\tShe was being a bit more contemplative than normal. Usually she'd enthusiastically confirm that sort of invite but the sensation she got when Ceylon probed her mixed with the implied reckoning of that amnesic block that clouded her past put her in a disassociated mood. “Yeah. Okay. What do I do until then, though? Sun's not down yet.”
\t“You can do whatever you want. I'm heading up to the main house to spend some time with Leera. I bet you'd like her. She's a snake, but not the same as you. I think Cero and Anax are going to be home soon, too. I haven't scanned the homestead yet. And ya know what? Don't worry too much about the psychic stuff. Like I said, I hate invading people's minds and I avoid it most of the time. That said, you do interest me and I'd love to spend some time together! Who knows, I might even get to initiate you into our family!” She winked to loosen the tension. “Enterrrr the culllllt of the burrrrd!”
\t“Okay, now you're just being silly!” Cynabelle declared, her more chipper attitude coming back. “Alright, I'll stick around at least overnight but no weird cult stuff. If you guys start chanting and wearing matching robes or something I'm out!”
\tCeylon began to saunter away, returning to the bridge. “Fair enough! But more likely we'll all be nude; as I'm sure you saw none of us really care about modesty. As for you, feel free to explore the grounds at your own discretion! I'll be collecting random bits of wood and sticks to add to the fire, which I'll be igniting at sundown! I do hope you'll join us!” She gave a wave of her wing and then trotted across the bridge to the other side of the gorge where all the houses were built.
\tCynabelle didn't know how to proceed so she stood in place between the barn and the orchard, thinking about what to do next.
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\tNormally, Cynabelle wouldn't think twice about something as innocuous as an invitation to stick around. She had found herself welcome in so many places it felt normal to her and the very few places she wasn't welcome were the exception as opposed to the rule. Yet she still felt awkward sticking around on Ceylon and Nib's homestead. Especially after Ceylon spoke to her and invaded her mind.
\tBecause that was what it was. An invasion of her mind. The thought of someone rooting around in her thoughts and emotions felt violating in the wrong way and the physical sensation of unease she felt when it happened made it even worse. Plus, Ceylon was strangely upfront about it. Yeah, that was Cynabelle's style through and through, as she wasn't interested in keeping secrets and admired those who were able to communicate without making it a game where there's a winner and loser. She hated dealing with people who had ulterior motives and her innate magics seemed to help keep her safe.
\tYet at the same time she felt like she could trust the gryphoness. Nib was a sweetheart, Maevin the spider-mantis seemed nice enough, and Ceylon was pretty clear about her trusting Cynabelle.
\tOf course that could be a ruse. Her instincts told her that feigning trust was one of the best ways to foster loyalty in a cult. She'd heard that was the case before and it felt like it was the case here. This little hidden homestead felt warm and comforting and welcoming but also instilled a sense of dread deep in her chest. Anxiety that emerged when Ceylon arrived.
\tIt wasn't often she had conflicting emotions; usually she had a gut instinct and went with that. It had never done her wrong and she remained well out of harm's way as a result. This was different. She felt like something was wrong, but she also felt safe. Like this was a place of comfort and acceptance that also had a sense of danger she couldn't quite place. The best explanation she could internalize was like she was home, but her home was in danger of being attacked.
\tThis was the sort of thing she actively avoided by remaining nomadic. She didn't have a home so this sort of emotional dissonance was not something she was prepared to deal with.
\tIn spite of all that she decided to stay. Mostly out of curiosity. Nib had given her quite the time and he seemed more like he was cautious than manipulative around her. The donkey had expressed concern at her arrival and tested her with the gemstone, only to then be hesitant even when she said she was fine and his member was stretching her like a condom. It took convincing to let him really let loose and have a good time with her; he didn't give off the impression that he was tricking her.
\tEven Ceylon said a lot of the right words in spite of giving off a strange aura. The initial sensation and shock of the psychic probe had made Cynabelle uneasy but it was also clear Ceylon was trying to fix the problem by being warm and welcoming.
\tWarmth. That seemed to be a recurring theme in her mind as she thought about the events leading up to her idly wandering the homestead. Nib's personality was warm. The homestead felt warm. The people she'd meet had all given off a warm vibe. And now that she took a moment to think about it, the air itself felt a bit warmer than the surrounding rockwood. Only a few degrees but it lacked the subtle nip and chill of the autumn that had taken the region this time of year. Nib and Ceylon had both mentioned something about an aura or field around the homestead protecting it, maybe that also somehow kept the weather controlled?
\tNo, that was absurd. Nobody had that kind of power. The homestead was by no means massive but it was still pretty big once the houses, barns, pastures, and fields were all factored in. It was the size of a hamlet, easily. A ranch in and of itself. Hundreds of meters, maybe even a full kilometre from one side to the other width wise. It was nearly double that length as it stretched across the rift that divided the land. Such a wide magical field would require an absurd amount of energy to power it.
\tThen again, she saw how many gemstones were in Nib's workshop. That was a lot of power. Maybe they were using those ademane crystals to power the field?
\tCynabelle shook her head and smacked herself on the cheek to draw her out of her thoughts. She was not a mage. She knew little about magic and complex spells. All she knew was that she had transformation magic within her that ensured her survival and made her extremely durable. She wasn't going to be able to decipher the complex web of spellcasting and ademane consumption here.
\tHer final decision was that she was going to accept Ceylon's invitation to the bonfire and go from there. She would spend the night and if she still felt uneasy she'd leave in the morning. No harm done and she'd happily proceed on her travels. Her instincts had kept her safe and they were telling her to keep her guard up but be willing to give them a chance. So that was what she was going to do.
\tAs she meandered around the edge of the homestead, she tried her best to mentally map the place out as best she could. The more she knew about what was where, the better equipped she'd be to bolt in the event she needed to leave quickly.
\tOne side of the gorge was well organized. There were two orchards and three fields all broken up by three barns. Two of the barns were overlooking the valley, while the other was in between the set of orchards and set of fields. They were growing apples and pears in the orchards, which made up less than half of that side of the homestead, and it looked like corn, potatoes, and carrots across the three fields. The entire homestead was wrapped tight in the treeline to the surrounding Rockwood Forest.
\tThe other half had the houses, the shacks, and a handful of pastures for horses, cows, and chickens as well as a large barn connected to all three of the pastures. By her count there appeared to be five houses, each multiple stories all lining the outer rim of the homestead as well as shacks in between each of them and Nib's workshop in between the farthest one and the barn. There were also pathways forming a web between each of the buildings, be they shacks or houses or barns. In addition, there were actually two bridges that crossed the gorge. One in the middle where she had come up and a smaller one at the far end to the south that conncted the barn on the side of the fields and the livestock barn.
\tEvery one of the homes appeared to be made of rockwood, which meant it was a slate gray with white splotches like a cow. This told her the houses were exceptionally sturdy as rockwood was known to be more sturdy than normal wood. It wasn't quite as flexible but wasn't brittle either.
\tShe saw a few other people milling about, with the number increasing the later in the day she went. When she arrived it seemed to just be her and Nib with mention of a snake named Leera that she hadn't seen. Then Ceylon arrived with a kobold, a bat and an egg. Since then, she'd also seen two tiny hippogryphs flying overhead and jumping from tree to tree but most notably a pair of massive biped snakes that had the exact same body shape as her except they lacked the tentacles. One was black and white and stood up straight, being nearly three meters tall and the other was orange and green and had a cowl like a cobra while hunched over at about two meters tall. Cynabelle was barely a meter when standing tall on her tip toes.
\tA huge part of her wanted to reach out and say hi and introduce herself but for the first time in years she was feeling like she really needed to play the role of observer instead of her usual, extroverted self. This was a time to take in information, not socialize. That came later.
\tShe ended up sitting on the rustic wood railing that lined the bridge over the gorge with her tail and lower tentacles wrapped around the gnarled bars to keep her in position as the sun finally set over the canopy of trees to the west. Cynabelle took the moment to absorb the scenery and bask in the sounds of nature chirping and whistling through the trees around her. She was at peace.
\tThat was about when she heard a small commotion from the north up the valley when a small and cute rabbit-deer came bounding along the shore of the creek kicking rocks along the way. She had steel blue fur, brown splotches, and a pair of soft velvety antlers atop her head. The hybrid had hooves and a cute little bunny-doe tail and her long lapine ears had a tattoo of tree wrapped around a rather large gape piercing. She wore a green tunic and a pair of satchels hanging over either side of her hips.
\t“Fidget's here!” Nib called from the house side of the bridge, inciting all the others to stop what they were doing and commune on the bridge while they waited. The hybrid climbed the stairs in seconds and burst out from the shack with arms outstretched for hugs, which she got one after the other from every person on the bridge. Nib, then both the large snakes, then the two small hippogryphs. Ceylon was not around at the time.
\tFidget, the doe-bunny hybrid, peeled away from the others to pay some attention to Cynabelle. “Oh, you're new! And a cutie, too!” She looked like she was going to reach down and offer a hug but stopped when she noticed Cynabelle wasn't reaching out to embrace her.
\tInstead, the snekken extended one hand and one tentacle for shaking. Fidget happily took it without hesitation and shook it with an almost proud smile. She was about a meter and a half tall including her ears, so head and shoulders taller than Cynabelle, so she squatted down almost onto her knees to address the snake hybrid at her level. This helped Cynabelle to relax. Not only was Fidget showing a similar friendliness to what Cynabelle usually exhibited but she was not at all put off by the tentacles and was actively trying to not be intimidating to someone smaller than her.
\t“Not sure if I count as new, I'm currently just passing through.” Cynabelle explained, the perky tone in her voice slowly returning. “But my name's Cynabelle! I have been invited to a bonfire so that'll be nice to get to know you all.”
\t“Absolutely!” Fidget chirped in her own mammalian way as she got back to a standing position. While she was friendly, she did have business to attend to so she reached into her satchel and addressed the others that had backed off to give the hybrids some time together. She handed out mail one letter at a time, keeping a few to herself while noting those were for Ceylon from Ilorek. She casually informed Nib that it had something to do with a couple of people named Ocerre and Shiazo.
\tAll these names and people should have been overwhelming but the more she experienced the warmth – there's that descriptor again – shared between them all the more comfortable she felt.
\tOnce everyone had their mail they dispersed back to their places. All but the two small hippogryphs and Fidget. The hippogryphs looked like they were about to fly away but then stopped as a weird feeling overcame all four of them. Fidget, Cynabelle, and both the hippogryphs, each a head shorter than Cynabelle, stopped and glanced at each other.
\t“Did you feel that?” Fidget asked, addressing the tiny avians.
\tThe female bird nodded. “Yeah. What about you, Wrasir?” She turned to the male, who's name must have been Wrasir; he also nodded. “What do you think it means?”
\tCynabelle didn't know how to contribute but was able to theorize based on her conversation with Ceylon. “We're all hybrids.”
\tFidget surveyed both avians and Cynabelle but and added to the quickly blossoming theory. “Hybrids do tend to have innate transformation magic. Is there a chance that has something to do with it? I'm lapine and cervine. You seem to be serpent and cephalopod. Kentanni and Wrasir, you are gryphon and equine.”
\tBoth the hippogyphs perked up like they knew what was happening. “Yes! Yes that has to be it! The two of us can feel each other and our magic resonates with each other when we are close. I did some research on this years ago, and now that you both are near us, doubling our numbers...I presume that amplifies it further.”
\t“I've never felt this around you before.” Fidget countered. “I come here every week and I never got that feeling deep inside me. It was like a humming and a hint of pleasure at the same time.”
\t“I wouldn't worry too much about it.” Kentanni, the hippogryph female, assured. “It's likely to only happen in multiples of two and it doesn't mean anything, it's just a way to sense others like us.”
\tCynabelle interjected. “Like us? How?”
\t“The lucky ones.” Kentanni answered quickly.
\tWrasir churred to himself with a warm gaping grin, nuzzling Kentanni. “The luckiest ones.” He turned to address Cynabelle. “Let me guess, you 'suffer' from terminally good luck, don't you?”
\tShe blinked. “I mean, I do seem fortunate.”
\t“Yeah, that's the transformation magic.” Fidget explained. “It is constantly shifting your body and your surroundings, 'transforming' your experience to a positive one.”
\t“At least that's our theory.” Kentanni said. “We're still testing it. We've found that rare hybrids exhibit a very distinct pattern that can be felt by any who have transformative magic within them, be it innate or learned. We all exhibit absurd fortune and bad things tend to not happen to us. That might just be a matter of perspective but it's definitely worth investigating.”
\tCynabelle paused to self-reflect. “Is that why Ceylon seemed so weirdly interested in me when she arrived? Is that why I felt so uneasy when she was reading my mind?”
\t“Maybe.” Wrasir guessed. “It's hard to tell. You'll have to ask her. But for now it seems that the sun has set and the bonfire will be starting pretty soon. Let's go, shall we?” He offered an arm for Kentanni to interlock with and the pair of them crossed the wooden bridge to the orchard half where Cynabelle could hear rustlings just beyond the treeline.
\tFidget sidled up next to her and gently punched her shoulder. “Come on. I'm sure you have questions and the best one to answer them is Ceylon. She brought us all here to give us a home and I've never felt a place so warm and inviting.”
\tThere was that descriptor again. Warm. Cynabelle noted this and kept it in the back of her mind as she joined Fidget to make her way to the treeline.
\tShe couldn't help but wonder if this was a cult or not but she was curious enough to want to see what happened next so she happily joined them. The sun finally disappeared over the canopy of trees surrounding them and the world went dark aside from the moons, the stars, and the warm orange glow of the bonfire beyond the orchard.
\t=====--=--=====
\tCynabelle found herself sitting on a log near the fire while Kentanni and Wrasir shared the other end of it together. The three of them were the smallest so it made sense for them to share a single log. The others were all either sitting on strategically cut stumps or in the case of Ceylon and her partner Leera – a massive limbless snake with brown and gold scales – curled up in the space between the others in a little scoop out of the dirt.
\tShe kept to herself for the most part while they all shared stories of the outside world, what brought them here, and what they planned on doing next. Nib shared tales of his time with the Hardstone Mining Company while Fidget regaled everyone with her adventures as a courier across the wilds of Itanobel. Kentanni and Wrasir expressed gratitude about Ceylon sending them an invite to help with setting up the homestead, while Evan the cyan kobold and Habu the bat hybrid mostly kept to themselves. Cero and Anax, the two bipedal snakes, kept close to Nib which made Cynabelle think that there may have been something intimate shared between them.
\tAll in all she had a wonderful time just casually observing before she was willing to open herself up to the makeshift family around her. In her silence she found the serenity to focus in the dark, which allowed her to see two others in the trees around them. Habu was upside down hanging from a branch just out of reach of the bonfire's warmth but above her she saw Woestijn the owl and Maevin the spider-mantis both finding their own comfort in the same tree. Woestijn was silently observing from a hole in the trunk and Maevin had constructed a small hammock out of silk that she was relaxing in.
\tIt was exactly the sort of gathering that she liked to enjoy whenever she could. Usually she was more boisterous and social but since all of the people at the bonfire were people she was only meeting for the first time she felt notably more reserved than usual. Nobody called her out or tried to force her to talk or share, either. Which was nice. She wasn't ready yet.
\tAs the night progressed, they shared treats baked over the open fire, and they all took turns telling jokes and sharing stories, Cynabelle began to wonder to herself if she'd met Fidget before. She looked familiar and was a courier so it would have made sense to have seen her in Rhybute Pass or Port Sanri, the two largest settlements west of the StoneMetal Mountains. They'd never interacted before but the more she thought about it the more certain she was that they'd crossed paths, albeit briefly.
\tCeylon and Leera remained in their scooped out nest in the dirt, Nib sat tall on his stump with Cero and Anax at his side, the two hippogryphs snuggled each other on the log, Fidget stayed on her feet while constantly pacing and jumping from conversation to conversation, and Evan was quietly relaxing on his own on another log. Habu, Maevin, and Woestijn were all enjoying their tree, though they were nocturnal so it seemed they were just getting to a point where they'd be active soon.
\tThis left Cynabelle as the one who wasn't with anyone else. Even Evan's log was close to the tree with Habu and the others so she mentally associated them all.
\tShe was sociable but not a beacon of attention so she wasn't going to jump up and declare herself to the others. Instead, she considered heading over to Ceylon and her rather gargantuan snake cuddle-buddy. Fidget and Kentanni had both mentioned that Ceylon would have answers and since she was not currently engaging in conversation it made sense to approach.
\tCynabelle slithered off the log, walking gingerly past Kentanni and Wrasir to get near Ceylon. She noticed Leera shift her coils while poking her head out between loops of her body to flick her tongue, tasting for Cynabelle. She didn't speak, but she did smile and offer the snake's version of a purr, which was a toned-down hiss.
\t“Come sit!” Ceylon invited, widening her curl to expose part of her belly. “Good to see you joined us. I was worried that I was a touch too forward earlier and I may have scared you off.”
\t“It takes more than a bit of awkwardness to get me to run.” She considered whether or not she was ready to snuggle in Ceylon's body curl but decided that if she was here she might as well. She hopped over the ridge of dirt that lined Ceylon's scooped out nest and laid back into the gryphon's belly.
\tMuch to her delight the scoop was warm! Like it had been heated up with fire gems or something! Warmth again, an ongoing theme of the homestead. “Thanks for that, too.” She said with sincerity. “As a psychic I'm sure you know how conflicted I was.”
\t“I don't need to read people's minds to know I can be a bit much sometimes. You're just so fascinating to me and I could feel your presence the moment I breached the protective aura I placed.”
\t“Yeah, I was meaning to ask a few questions and Kentanni and Wrasir and Fidget brought up some things I was curious about.” She didn't know how blunt she needed to be with Ceylon. “What's this about transformation magic and luck?”
\tCeylon huffed, her chest plumage heaving against Cynabelle's back. “Oh, yeah. Kentanni is testing some theories about that class of magic, with the hypothesis being that any who are either born with or learn to use transformation magic have inexplicably good luck. Like a divine protection spell.”
\t“Yeah, they said that much. I mean, how does it relate to your psychic reading of me?”
\t“That's pretty direct, actually. Innate transformation magic acts sort of like a magical shield. It keeps your body from being harmed as easily, heals you quicker, and alters odds in your favour. But in this case, it could feel my probing, which is especially interesting because people can't usually sense it. You must have incredibly powerful magic in you if you were able to detect and counter my psychic readings.” Ceylon seemed proud, more than anything else. “Which is very impressive.”
\tCynabelle shook her head. “I don't really use magic. I mean, I can light a fire if I need to but-”
\t“To be clear I said it could also be innate.” Ceylon interrupted. “You very clearly have incredibly powerful magic inside you. Whether it's being used consciously or naturally is irrelevant.”
\tShe wanted to speak further but realized Ceylon was probably right. The gryphon had mentioned that but not elaborated. “So you're saying my natural defences were countering your magic and that's why I felt dreadful for a few moments?”
\tCeylon nodded. “Precisely. I hope to never make people feel unwelcome or unwanted or unsafe. I think the aura spell I cast on the homestead may have amplified it as well. That innate luck of yours is a spell I was able to harness and enchant into crystals, so I have them emitting a field that blankets our home here with a sense of warmth and comfort inside with a shell of despair and danger. The hope is that when people get close enough and experience the shell they'll turn back, sensing danger ahead. You went right through it, likely because your innate magic protected you.”
\t“So that's why I keep thinking about warmth!” Cynabelle exclaimed, briefly drawing the attention of the others around the bonfire. She felt no shame so just continued. “That makes so much sense. But...how do you even do that? I've heard of enchanted gems that could be used to mess with others but this homestead is huge! How can you possibly have the spell effect that wide?”
\tThe gryphoness swelled up with pride, proud to have a chance to brag and share. “I used to be the captain of the Spirit of Dalonia before settling here. I came into contact with the three most pure gemstones I've ever seen and I got the help of some alchemist friends to help enchant them with that spell. It amplified the spell to a point that it was able to spread well beyond the borders of our home.”
\t“Awfully convenient.” Cynabelle Joked. “But I guess I'm not one to talk.”
\t“Plus Nib used to work for Hardstone and was able to smuggle out a bunch if crystal ademane from the StoneMetal Mountains before he was sacked. He's actually in hiding here from-” She stopped mid-sentence. “That's not a story for today.”
\tNaturally, such a tease made her metaphorically drool with curiosity, salivating at the thought of learning more, but she opted to not pursue it. Not yet. Instead, she pivoted the conversation back to something Ceylon had mentioned prior. “You said earlier that you sensed a mental block or amnesia in me and I confess there is definitely some truth to that. I have memories of the last dozen years or so but nothing before. I stopped searching for answers a while ago since I do feel like tomorrow means more than yesterday but the curiosity remains.”
\tThere was a long, drawn out pause as the crackle of the bonfire and gentle roar of the others chatting among themselves persisted in the background. The flame danced in the reflection of Ceylon's eyes as she smiled down at Cynabelle. “I may not be able to promise you answers but I may be able to help.” She shifted her position to expose more of her belly and lifted her leg to expose her loins.
\tCynabelle raised an eye crest. “What in the cult are you doing?” She joked.
\tCeylon remained in place with one leg raised. “I have developed a rather interesting process with the help of a friend of mine to unlock memories. Normally I'd just cast a spell on you and brute-force my way into your past – with permission, of course – but since you're a hybrid with innate transformation magic inside you, I fear your body may reject it. The harder I try the more likely to put you in pain or discomfort. However, with skin to skin touch, eliminating the barrier between us, I may be able to safely and comfortably penetrate that veil of yours and help you out.”
\t“I'm not sure what you're saying.” Cynabelle confessed. She thought it sounded like made-up magic jargon but she also knew there was plenty about spells and ademane she didn't know, while Ceylon seemed like an expert. “But I'm listening.”
\t“What I'm trying to say is that if you allow me to take you inside me and rebirth you like I did to Habu and Evan, I may be able to help you unlock the secrets of your past. Now, I warn you that I won't be able to just plainly give you the answers you seek, but I should be able to help you visualize your past and decipher what you see from there.”
\tShe recalled what she saw when Ceylon first returned earlier that day, bloated with the bodies of two people and an egg within her that she casually pushed out of both her birth canal and rump in quick succession. Those two were currently relaxing comfortably in and near a tree next to the bonfire opposite Cynabelle and Ceylon so she knew that it seemed safe. She also had an undeterred sense of adventure that Ceylon was tickling with a dash of curiosity. “I'm still listening.”
\tRather than explain fully, the gryphoness shifted in place once more so that she was on her belly with her tail up and backside exposed to Cynabelle. Her equine vulva was dark black and moist, glistening with the reflections of the dancing bonfire behind her. “Get in. I'm sure you'll enjoy what you find. And even if not, I still think we'll both have fun!”
\tAlmost everyone else at the bonfire turned to look at Cynabelle, like she was about to perform some daring feat of bravery or dumb stunt. Her brazen nature used this to inspire her to shed all hesitation and perform for her new friends. Well, not quite but it was very hard to not let her extroverted tendencies take over when presented with an opportunity like this. She wasn't certain or convinced that Ceylon's offer was going to work on her the way she hoped but returning to the thought of warmth once more she couldn't help but imagine silky gryphon flesh wrapped around her.
\tShe'd seen Evan the Kobold and Habu the bat hybrid both successfully being reborn to Ceylon and thus becoming honorary family members. There was no reason she couldn't follow them!
\tAfter building enough confidence to make a move she stepped up to Ceylon's backside and extended her arm tentacles as to cradle either side of the gryphon's plump pussy lips, pressing inward t make them part and expose the deep red inside. She looked like a mare, not a feline, which confused Cynabelle for a moment before she remembered that Ceylon had a firm grasp of transformation magic. Of course all Ceylon's parts weren't going to be strictly traditional.
\tThe others casually watched as Cynabelle leaned into the avian's rump end, tongue flicking and brushing along the plump swollen lips in front of her. She loved this pose Ceylon was in, with tail up and haunches spread while remaining on her belly. It reminded her of a cat in heat, which was about as demanding as a female could be of any species. She wanted to be stuffed. Maybe it was to help Cynabelle and maybe it was for her own pleasure. It didn't matter; Cynabelle loved to pleasure others and used physical affection as a way to bond with friends and not only did this seem like as good an opportunity she'd get to bond with Ceylon but the offer of getting something in return was there, too.
\tShe parted Ceylon's plump equine lips and eased forward, her snout nearly touching flesh as her tongue flicked between the silky walls. The smell and taste of equine was incredibly potent to her, even though she was a snake and not naturally tuned to those aromas or flavours. It drove her wild. Like a potion or drug coursing through her starting on the tip of her forked tongue.
\tCynabelle had a tendency to dive right into situations she thought would be fun. Sometimes metaphorically, sometimes literally. This was both. With her snout teasing Ceylon's slit, she gently eased herself forward then paused to internally chuckle to herself. She was using her entire body to please two different people in two vastly different ways within the same day. Nib had used her as a cock sleeve, her whole body stroking his length while she'd be using herself as a dildo on Ceylon.
\t“No need to be shy.” Ceylon said while gently swaying her hips, sensing Cynabelle's pause.
\tShe pulled out with a plap as Ceylon's lips closed in her absence. “Not shy! Just thought about something cute. Nib was fully inside me and now you want me inside you. I don't suppose he would want to-” She turned to see that Nib was very preoccupied with Cero, the white snake of the two. “Nevermind. I'll show you how shy I'm not.” She then brought both of her arm tentacles up as well as both of her hands, using her fingers to grip Ceylon's lips and using the suckers on her tentacle to adhere to the flesh on the inside, spreading Ceylon open and gaping her deep.
\tThe gryphon's walls opened up with a guttural squelch as all four limbs of Cynabelle's spread her in four different directions. The gryphon's meaty mare clit winked and a spurt of juice erupted to soak Cynabelle from the waist down, eager to have her. She noticed that the walls were pulsating and throbbing with each beat of the gryphon's heart, threatening to collapse if not stuffed with snake.
\tShe extended her tentacles deep, flexing the muscles to ensure that her suckers caught on Ceylon's silky smooth walls as much as they could. With the tentacles probing Ceylon's pussy, Cynabelle leaned in with her snout and both her arms extended forward in a dive while the tentacles served as an anchor and pulled her in.
\tThe difference in size between them was so vast that Cynabelle had no time slithering her way into Ceylon. She had to use her arms and tentacles to part the gryphon's lips and she struggled against the soft, plump walls that kept trying to squeeze her out but she had plenty of grip and leverage to keep tugging herself in deeper while Ceylon arched her back and pushed down on her.
\tScales slid along sleek and moist flesh in lurches as Cynabelle's body eased its way deeper. She squirmed and wiggled and used every muscle in her body to push and pull herself through Ceylon's tender cavern, aiming for the avian's womb.
\tIt took mere seconds for her outstretched hands and the tip of her tentacles to feel the firm donut of flesh that was Ceylon's cervix. However, unlike most, Ceylon's was pliable and stretchy so when Cynabelle massaged it and tried to ease her hand beyond the ring it dilated with ease, the touch making the walls around her clench and twitch with delight. She extended both of her tentacles into Ceylon's womb, folding them to penetrate the cervix and unfolding them inside to anchor along the womb walls before tugging herself in with all her might.
\tRight as her snout breached the snug flesh, she felt everything around her shift as Ceylon rolled over onto her back and started pressing down on herself, rubbing her clit and applying palm pressure on her lower belly to amplify the sensations of Cynabelle's scales passing over her sensitive anterior wall. The pleasure patch. Known by some as the g-spot.
\tCeylon even wrapped her fingers around Cynabelle's tail, grasping between tentacles and legs to help stuff her in deeper, using her like a toy.
\tThe combination of Ceylon pushing, Cynabelle's tentacle pulling, and the waves of pleasure that coursed through the flesh around her quickly swallowed the snekken's form with a squelching gulp followed by a constriction not unlike what a snake might do to their prey.
\tAs she felt her scales passing through the gryphon's cervix, Cynabelle felt like she'd been deposited into a whole new world. Her mind went blank and then images started swirling around her as the churn of blood and the throbbing of a heartbeat pulsated around her. She was floating in infinite space, buoyed by fluid and caressed by flesh in and around every scale on her body. The cervix sealed shut, gulping the last of her and sealing her inside.
\tThen slumber took her and she had the most vivid dreams.
\tHer body twisted and coiled in place, churning the fluid and flesh around her as it all seemed to permeate her scales and seep into her very soul. Her mind floated in much the same way her body floated, not touching anything and remaining in contact with everything at the same time. She tried reaching out even in her semi-lucid state but felt like no matter what she did she couldn't find the limits of the confines of her womb. Her tentacles all coiled around her torso in a hug, her tail curled up on her belly and meeting her snout in the middle.
\tShe didn't feel claustrophobic. She didn't feel panicked. She felt at ease, blissful and content. But those dreams started to formulate in her mind, dreams made of wisps of concepts and images that came and went like sand on a beach or images in smoke.
\tCynabelle saw herself on an island amidst a verdant delta looking up at a rock formation with Ceylon's visage carved into it as a red dragon the size of a mountain crested a summit over the horizon. She saw a coliseum before her with people fighting and thousands of others on either side of her cheering for their proposed champions. She saw a castle crumbling around her while dragons and gryphons battled in the skies above her.
\tEvery new flash and image came and went before she had time to properly grasp what she'd seen. In fact, the wisps of what she assumed to be memories came and went and blended into each other so much she was unable to discern one from another.
\tMore visions of terra-cotta armor and sleek bandits in black fighting in a bamboo building, statues and paintings and ornately decorated marble buildings, vast ships upon the open ocean blasting at one another, and tentacled creatures erupting from underneath a city to ensnare it from the depths all meshed and confused her, giving her dozens of images that she had no perspective to parse.
\tNot until she saw herself in the capital city east of the Stonemetal mountains with the indigenous tribes being placed in a crystal coffin did she begin to have the faintest of idea of what she was seeing or how to decipher anything. She thought, for a brief moment's worth of a fever dream, that she had cracked the code of her mysterious past only to then have every thought and image washed away by a swirl of fluids and flesh.
\tIt was all jumbled in her mind, every vision merged into one and then scrambled and tossed to the outer edges of her mind once more. She reached for them, trying her best to clutch at whatever memories she could grasp only to have each one blow like mist between her fingers and fade into the distance until she had only faint slivers of retained information that she couldn't even begin to sort.
\tAll at once she felt the fluid draining from around her, emptying the womb she remained curled up inside so that only the flesh cradled her and kept her in place. She squirmed and coughed, hacking at the fluid until it escaped her lungs and joined the rest of the mess cascading out the gryphon's birth canal. She noticed she was certainly not encased in eggshell like the black, white, and orange one that she'd laid that evening.
\tCynabelle loved the warmth that permeated her, the soft and tender walls that caressed her every scale. She didn't want to come back out to where the air was chilly and she felt the pull of gravity. She wanted to float in flesh and fluid, she wanted to return to those dreams to grasp even a hint of what she'd seen and felt, to decipher the code.
\tBut she was not able to do that. The womb was rejecting her as the walls were clenching in pulsating waves and doing their best to force her back down to Ceylon's birth canal. She kicked and squirmed and slithered, eager to outstretch all four of her tentacles to sucker the walls and keep herself in place but it didn't work. Ceylon's womb was self lubricating and even though her suckers could get a firm grip they weren't quite able to hold on when every abdominal and pelvic muscle around her was forcing her to slide downward.
\tShe felt her foot and tail slip through the cervix, her toes curling against Ceylon's vaginal walls as she protested and did her best to pull her appendages back up with the rest of her. Again, another full-bodied constriction tried to push her down and her tail and both of her tentacles were forced out of the womb. Not only were they ejected from the coziness of Cynabelle's fleshy confines, but a handful of digits were grasping at them, desperately trying to catch and tug her to pull her out.
\tWith every last bit of will and reluctance she squirmed her tail and both of her tentacles, desperately trying to avoid Ceylon's grasp to no avail. Ceylon's fingers managed to get a grip on two of the three limbs and give a hearty tug, plucking everything of Cynabelle from the waist down to burst into her birth canal, leaving only her arms and head and upper tentacles clinging to womb walls while the donut of flesh that was Ceylon's cervix quivered and did its best to dilate to facilitate her rebirth.
\tIn her attempts to kick and resist the hand that was grasping for her lower half, she felt her one free tentacle curl around Ceylon's anterior wall, snugly finding its place between vulva and clit while wrapping around that glit for grip. This seemed to work as the pleasure that came from her tentacled constriction seemed to distract Ceylon long enough that she let go, her vaginal canal twitching in orgasmic bliss for a moment.
\tCynabelle grasped at this opportunity by using her tail and the other tentacle to find something else to hold onto, the very tips of them worming and slithering their way into the gryphon's tail hole and urethra. It wasn't going to force her back up into the womb but it definitely helped to anchor her in place and keep Ceylon from pulling her out. Her tentacles and tail were all soaked with the leftover fluid from the rebirthing process, which meant she was unable to fully get a grip on the flesh that wrapped tightly around her limbs.
\tThis distraction lasted only a few moments while Ceylon rubbed her clit from outside of her plump lips and pleasured herself. There was a brief moment where Cynabelle's body was a deeper mauve, due to the blood pressure that came from being snugly constricted inside the avian's depths. Her colour soon quickly returned to the creamy orange that she had naturally.
\tAfter another twitching wave of vaginal contractions she was back to focusing on the snekken lodged deep within her. She slid a hand entirely inside herself next to Cynabelle's body and wrapped her fingers around the hybrid, pulling her out the instant she felt her grip lock in, a splash of fluids exploding from her tender depths as the snekken was defeated.
\tCynabelle tried her best to hold on by using her tentacle suckers to vaginal walls, clit, vulva, or rump ring but every one of them was plucked with the sound of suckers popping before she was pulled up and onto Ceylon's belly where she idly started reaching for the gryphon's loins once more.
\t“Well aren't you an excitable one?” Ceylon rumbled in between deep, post-orgasm breaths.
\tA moment passed when Cynabelle shook herself free of the lingering fatigue. She managed to open her eyes and see that it was the middle of the day and they were no longer next to the bonfire. They were beside the stream in the valley that cut the homestead in half, the wooden bridge directly above them. All Cynabelle could hear was the gentle splashes and babbling of the creek less than a meter away. “What happened? Where am I?” Like her dreams she had only the faintest slivers of comprehension about what was going on around her as she emerged from her unconscious state.
\t“You slept all night!” Ceylon explained while rolling over onto three of her four feet, cradling Cynabelle with the fourth and placing her on her back between the wing shoulders. “And based on how much you were squirming inside me you were having quite the fun time.”
\tShe rubbed the gunk from her eyes and did her best to mentally acclimatize herself to the chilly autumn air that wrapped around her. It was far less pleasant than the warmth of Ceylon's insides cradling her and offering warmth. “I...I think so?”
\tCeylon trotted towards the staircase that led up the cliff side to the shack, happily leaping and bounding a few wooden steps at a time. “Yeah it might take some time and maybe a few more sessions to start sorting through all of what you saw.”
\t“What do you mean?” Cynabelle asked, idly rubbing herself on Ceylon's feathers and fur. She felt guilty for that but found out quickly that the gryphon's plumage was hydrophobic and each bead of slime and fluid trickled off her like it was never there. “It's all leaving me so quickly.”
\t“Yeah, rebirth therapy can be like that.” She hopped up the final few stairs and emerged onto the plateau they called home. She immediately started trotting towards the largest of the houses, which was presumably hers. “Every time I've done it is like giving a handful of pieces to a puzzle. None of it makes sense on its own, one vision or flash of imagery may not even be remotely connected to the others, and it could take dozens of sessions to get you enough pieces to start to start to see the full picture. And that's assuming you can even put the pieces together! I saw some of your visions as you did and it seems like you have quite the puzzle of as past to reconstruct.”
\tCynabelle sighed and let each of her tentacles droop down on either side of Ceylon's back. “That's not fair, I just feel like I have more questions now than I did before! At least yesterday I was content not knowing for sure what happened in my past, now I need to know more!” She turned and started to crawl towards Ceylon's backside scrambling to once again slide herself into the gryphon.
\tCeylon's tail arched over her back like a scorpion's and the end of it opened up into three parts to reveal dark red flesh inside lined by rows upon rows of needle-sharp teeth on each of the maws. Each one looked like a snake's upper jaw, lined with four rows of backwards-facing teeth. It was not a threat but it was definitely meant to tell her to not go any farther. “\tI did say that I couldn't promise you answers or solutions, just that I could help. I've given you some pieces to the puzzle, it's up to you to find the the truth. If you stick around, or at least return from time to time, I'd be happy to help you in any way I can but the process is very exhausting so I can't do more at this time.”
\tHer chipper and optimistic attitude bubbled up in the back of her mind, coaxing a smile out of her. “So you're saying I'll get to do that again?”
\tCeylon took the final steps to the front of her manor and used her tail maw's teeth to grab Cynabelle and place her down on the front steps next to her. “My dear snekken, you've been reborn of me; as far as I'm concerned you're family now and family is always welcome here. Even if it's just occasionally in between your travels.” With that, she gave the serpent hybrid a warm grin and then headed inside, leaving Cynabelle alone on the front step.
\tCynabelle turned and looked over the vast homestead that lay in front of her. She had a home, if she so wanted it. Yeah, she knew in her heart that she'd continue to travel but this was the first time in more than a dozen years she felt like she had a place that she felt she belonged. She always felt welcome but belonging was different. Ceylon's homestead felt warm to her. Comforting. Inviting.
\tShe couldn't dismiss that. It felt like a chapter of her life had closed and another adventure lay ahead of her. She had new friends, she had questions that needed answering, and a place that gave her all the warmth she could ever need. Cynabelle was home.