>_< 0_0

She’s shown signs of it the whole story, but it’s only now that she gets to say it out loud.

Chapter Fifty-Six The sun had descended below the treeline by the time we made it back to our own treehouses. As slow as we went with Cinder holding me, we were slower still as she crept her way across the creaking, wooden rope-bridge. The half-giantess had never been here before and was beginning to learn she was afraid of heights. Fortunately, all it took to overcome her fear was a gentle nudge of Aniya and Seerah at her legs. “Not much farther, Cinder,” Aniya cooed. “See? Halfway there. The bridge will stop rocking so much from now on.” “Ah can’t see the gwound…” Cinder froze as she said the words. “That’s good!” Seerah patted her thigh. “Now it can’t scare you anymore.” “Ah’m scawred…” Cinder inhaled sharply, her breasts heaving across my face and torso. “Don’t be scared,” Aniya rubbed her other thigh as one would a spooked horse. “Think of the peaceful sunset sounds. The frogs and crickets are chirping now. That means the stars will be twinkling soon.” “And think of the treehouses!” Seerah added. “I can’t wait to see these ‘hammocks’ Aniya was talking about. Can you believe it? We get to sleep off the ground!” Cinder’s body relaxed. “Do you think thewre’s a big one just for me?” “There is!” Pixie said from behind us. “We saw it last night!” “Let’s go already,” Bobette yawned. “I’m gettin’ ‘eepy.” Cinder took a short, hesitant step, flinched at the sound of creaking wood, and then firmly planted her foot. An agonizing amount of time later, she took another step… and another. And all throughout this ordeal, I remained helpless in her arms, overstuffed and bitter as five hells! With so much time waiting for the giant dotard to move, it was impossible not to brood over what effects the nymph nectar would have on me when it finished digesting. Someone had mentioned it was at least five pounds, but I knew that was false. It was more – a lot more. Damn it all, there was no chance some of it wouldn’t stick! It was a relief, then, that a conversation started behind us. “So Gnobbo,” Victoria’s voice was as mirthful as it was mischievous. “I see you’ve finally stated to show. Nice pigskin, by the way.” “No,” Gnobbo huffed. “Now you’re finally one of us…” “One of us!” Bobette chanted. “One of us!” “N-no!” Gnobbo was clearly flustered. “How much did you put on?” asked Victoria with a hint of bemusement. “Perhaps two pounds? I wonder what triggered your burst? For me, it was my feelings for Zaiva and her… well… that’s not important now.” The whole ordeal had me smiling to myself. At last, the pest was getting her just desserts! I couldn’t resist joining the fun. “It was I who triggered her burst,” I said. “Gnobbo was hiding under –” Gnobbo tried to silence me by making a noise halfway between a constipated elk and a horny elk. “Hrrrghhh!” “—my giant ass. My fat, drow-cow-sized ass…” Gnobbo grunted harder, but in vain. The whole group was tittering curiously at this revelation. “Ooh, Gnobbo likes you,” Bobette teased. “She must like big asses.” “That must be why her pigskin’s white,” said Lydia with a giggle. “Two more pounds and she’ll have one of her own…” “I knew there was a reason she slept with Cinder every night! She likes them big!” “And that’s not all,” I was grinning now. “As she tried to wiggle-out from under me, she burrowed right between my cheeks.” “That’s insane!” Bobette slapped her thigh. “She’s a bona fide rapscallion!” “A scandalous scallywag!” Lydia cried. “A booty tickler!” Gnobbo was so enraged, she actually hissed like a cat. “No! No, no, no! Gnobbo hate! Hate, hate, hate…” “Chill,” Aniya spoke quietly. “We’re almost there. Pixie? Can you show Cinder the way to her hammock once we drop Zaiva off?” “I will,” Pixie replied. “Dibs!” said Bobette. Victoria tsked at her. “Dibs on what?” “Dibs on sleeping on top!” From the sound of Lydia’s playful squealing, it seemed obvious who Pixie was sleeping on top of. “Suit yourself,” Victoria said. “I myself shall retire to my chambers alone…” “Why don’t you sleep with us, Vicky?” asked Aniya. “You, me, and Zaiva, that is.” “It’s Victoria – and perish the thought! You two can keep each other company.” “Then help us lay Zaiva down before you go.” “Um,” Cinder muttered. “Ah can take hur to the – ow…” Now this was interesting: I’d caught sight of Aniya slapping Cinder’s thigh. It couldn’t have been an accident. What was she scheming? “Good job, Cinder!” Aniya said forcefully. “You made it across! Vicky and I can take it from here. C’mon Vicky! You take her legs and I’ll take her arms… It was a hop and a skip to the hammock I would sleep in, but for all Victoria and Aniya’s efforts, it was nothing short of a forced march. Neither of them were built for heavy lifting, and I was unfortunately very heavy. I could hardly stand the journey! At my legs was Victoria, who twice tried to hold me by the ankles, twice dropped me, and resorted to pressing herself between my thighs and scooping them close to herself. At my arms was Aniya, who was staring awkwardly down at me the whole trip. So it was that I was effectively being humped and bumped from the head and the loins all at once – not to mention my globular, orange belly sloshing like pudding! “Aight…” Aniya grunted. “Hammock’s behind me. You ready Vicky? On the count of three, we get her on the net. One… two… three…” As one, we groaned as I was raised and plopped into the net. I nearly flipped off the other side, but my body sank into the netting and the violent swinging calmed to a gentle rocking. It was almost peaceful – save for two breathless girls holding the sides as they gasped for breath. Aniya was the first to regain her speech. “Wow… that nymph sure… filled you up good, huh?” “That was…” Victoria gasped. “Way more than five pounds… never… never carrying you again…” “Hey…” Aniya slapped Victoria on the back. “Thanks.” “Don’t touch me,” Victoria huffed. “Hey… what’s up with you, Victoria?” “You know very well.” “You can tell us. We’re your friends.” “Friends? You’re not my friends. You won’t even call me by my real name – and you, Zaiva, have always resented me! Always disrespecting me! I can’t… I can’t believe I looked-up to you! I can’t believe I thought you might… but then she showed-up and… and…” I could hardly believe it. Victoria had been bitter all day and suddenly there were tears beading on her eyes? What was going on? I had no idea how to respond, but fortunately Aniya did. “Oh, don’t cry,” Aniya gently squeezed her shoulder. “This is all your fault!” Victoria moaned. “Shh… don’t talk. Just think of how my hand feels brushing your hair like this… doesn’t it feel nice?” Victoria sniffed loudly. “I thought Zaiva would like me… she’s so…” “Of course she likes you.” “But she likes you – you’re together now.” “We both like you. Don’t you remember how we cuddled together in the Pen every night? The way we laced our thighs together and listened to each other’s heartbeats as we drifted to sleep?” Victoria sniffed again, but nodded. “I want to do that again – here and now. You and me, hand in hand, with Zaiva as our pillow.” I was suddenly alert. “Wait, what?”

Taming scarecrows? Must be a typo.

I’m handicapped from replying because this is what happens next chapter

Chapter Fifty-Five I don’t know how long I spent there under Honeybun’s sumptuous bosom, but by the time I’d finally drained her, I was full as a tick. I felt like a tick too. My belly was so full that I could feel the nymph’s nectar sloshing within – and when Honeybun leaned back from her tight embrace, I could see it too, and it made me gasp. My belly was a weighty sphere that wobbled heavily against my thighs like a pregnancy ready to pop. I expected as much, but not what I found before me. Honeybun’s nectar – warm on its way down my throat and hot within my stomach – had filled me and stretched the skin so tautly that it glowed orange. I could see the nectar sloshing inside! “Good,” Honeybun rubbed the gently-sloshing orb with pride. “You’ve had your fill; this shall compensate the loss of that hive.” I belched loudly before replying. “What have you done to me?” “You will learn in time. Suffice it to say the hivs are not my only responsibility. There are plenty of creatures I am nursing and caring for – and all are free range.” I belched again, but quietly this time. “Are you… domesticating the stuffers?” “Never you mind worrying your head about that. Come: it is time to return you to your herd. They’re waiting for you in the grove below.” With that, Honeybun scooped me up into her arms and floated us over the balcony railing. The girls were waiting for us in the grove below. A part of me wished they weren’t, but that would probably mean more time in Honeybun’s treehouse and being stuffed further still, so it was all I could do to close my eyes and focus my attention on my huge ball of a gut instead of my companions shocked reactions to my return. This worked until we close enough to hear them. “Oh, good gods!” Seerah gasped. “Gnobbo, she’s huge!” You didn’t tell us this.” “Huge!” Gnobbo replied, feigning foolishness. “Yuuuge!” “Be not afraid, my darling stuffers,” Honeybun landed lightly in their midst. “Your friend Zaiva has not been harmed.” I opened my eyes and found them gathered ‘round me, eyeing my new roundness. “Her stomach’s glowing,” said Pixie as she reached for my belly. “Ah! It’s warm! What did you do to her?” “I had her repay her debt,” Honeybun replied. “Take care of her now – and remember what happens when you harm my hives.” She knelt and lay me amongst a bed of flowers before making to float off again, but I grabbed at her ankle. “Wait,” I said. “You mentioned you left honey for us. Where is it?” Honeybun’s eyes flared so furiously I released her. “That’s for you to find. There’s a reason we leave you alone.” “But what is that reason?” asked Pixie. “Are you – oof…” A sharp jab of Aniya’s elbow against Pixie’s ribs silenced her and likely saved us from further torments. The nymph gave us a final parting glance before rising into the sky again. “Live, laugh, love!” called Honeybun. “And behave yourselves!” There was a brief silence as we watched the hefty nymph vanish into the canopy above, then all attention was on me and my round, glowing gut. “What happened to you, Zaiva?” Seerah lay a hand over my hot gut in a vain attempt to comfort me. “Gnobbo tried to tell us, but you know how she is…” “Drow,” Gnobbo snuck between my legs where I couldn’t see and patted my bulge. “Drow-cow.” “Gnobbo, stop that,” Seerah plucked her into her arms. “Shame on you! Think of how she feels!” “Look at the size of it,” Bobette crouched beside me and rubbed the full breadth of the dome. “Is this that ‘nymph-juice’ Gnobbo told us about? Does it hurt?” “Either way, that’s at least five pounds right there,” said her friend Lydia. “Either way,” Aniya shooed their paws away from me. “It’s getting dark soon, so we should figure-out how to carry her back to the cabins – Zaiva, how you feeling? Can you walk?” “No,” I stared at my gut and groaned. “Just… fuck… just let me stay here…” “Nah, we cant do that, Zaiv.” “Why not? You let the nymph take me, right? That Quiet One pointed at me and you all just stood there, watching me…” Aniya smiled in spite of my anger and gestured towards Cinder. “Actually, we had a long talk with her ‘bout that… isn’t that right, girl? Come out, Quiet One.” Like a mouse poking its snout from its hole, Quiet One emerged from behind Cinder’s treelike legs and scurried behind Aniya for cover. “Hey, it’s all good,” Aniya chuckled. “Now remember what we all talked about? You said you were scared, right?” Quiet One nodded silently, eyeing me with fear. “And you said you were sorry, right? Tell Zaiva you’re sorry.” “’m sorry…” she whispered. “See? Now it’s all better.” “It’s not,” I snapped. “This is all her fault.” Quiet One was more cowardly than I thought, for as soon as she heard me speak, she began bolting for the thicket. “Hey, come back!” Aniy called. “Zaiva, work with me here… hey! Come back Quiet One! Victoria, can you go get her?” “I’m sure she’ll come back,” Victoria replied coldly. “I mean, yeah, but… I guess if you don’t want to fetch her, you can help us carry Zaiva.” “Don’t…” I was gripping tufts of grass just so I wouldn’t touch my gut and show weakness. “Zaiva,” Aniya grew serious. “We’ve got to get you home. You don’t want that nymph to whisk you away again.” “Fuck,” I groaned. “Just be careful.” “Um,” Bobette inspected me closely. “How will we do that? She looks heavy.” “Ah could cawry hur,” said Cinder. “Thanks Cinder,” Aniya turned back to me. “What a day, huh? Let’s get you in a hammock.” With that, Cinder dug her hands under me and scooped me into her arms as easily as a lioness carrying her kitten by the neck. I moaned, but less from discomfort and more from being squashed against giant breasts for the second time in a day. The half-giantess was growing top-heavy as she filled-out, and her breasts were competing against me for space in her arms. My only solace was that their bulk hid my shameful gut from precious eyes. “So wawrm…” Cinder hugged my glowing-hot stomach tighter against herself. All things considered, I said nothing.

Chapter Fifty-Four Remove my clothes? Her words chilled me to the bone. Aniya had mentioned she wanted to do so at the lake, but events prevented us from acting on that urge. Now I was faced with the prospect of baring my flesh again and for the first time in my life, I was hesitant. All my life, my muscles were like armour stretched across my frame and shining with well-earned sweat. Now… now that armour was gone and I hardly dared imagine what had replaced it. “My clothes…” I replied at last. “I’ve never… ah… I don’t know how…” Such a stupid reply! What was coming over me? There was no chance such an excuse would work! And yet… it almost did. At least, it didn’t seem to anger my matronly captor. In fact, she cracked a bemused smile. “Other nymphs warned me of this,” she gently lay the bottle beside her golden thigh. “Quite a few of your kind don’t know they can remove the ‘pigskins’ when they burst for the first time. They showed me how…” She was leaning closer to me, her hands reaching for the back of my neck and her breasts squashing into mine, when I interrupted the moment. “First time?” I asked. “Are you saying I’ll – we’ll burst again?” “Indeed,” she purred as her fingers unfastened something that let her peel the pigskin from my shoulders. “Even the thinnest tree trunk frays and thickens as it turns into bark. “And you mentioned other nymphs,” I continued as she worked the form-fitting fabric down my chest. “Did they tell you they captured an orc-woman with giant… breasts…?” At the mention of breasts, my own popped free. I stared stupidly at the fleshy orbs, awestruck by their size and girth. True, I saw them clothed every day – felt them – but I had subconsciously considered their cumbersome bulk as an extension of my pigskin, but now… now as I felt them drop heavily against my skin and the nipples shake with every rattled breath, I was forced to come to terms with how fat they’d become. Goosebumps began to riddle their smooth surfaces and I shivered in spite of the tropic heat. They were huge! Huge enough for each to be held by two hands instead of one! The ‘drow-cow’ slur Gnobbo had teased me with echoed in my mind… “Do not fret over the fate of others,” Honeybun slipped my arms free and began to pull my stomach free. “Not when your own fate is at hand.” “And what exactly is my fate?” Honeybun stared into my eyes with her hands primed to pull the pigskin from my torso. “Observe.” With a determined yank, my belly was freed. I gasped with a mix of relief and horror – relief that I could breathe again and horror at the sight of what had become of my belly. It was bigger than I thought; flesh that had been contained within the pigskin now bulged rounder than ever. It was like a massive plum just round enough to be cradled from beneath like a pregnancy beginning to show, or patted from above like the overstuffed gut it was. Honeybun, however, seemed ready to do something else entirely. She’d stopped peeling my body out of the pigskin, which was now bunched at my hips and effectively propping my belly bulge, and had now retrieved the bottle. “Drink, Zaiva,” she brought the bottle closer to my lips. “Drink till I stop pouring it down your throat.” “More drinking?” I tried desperately to stall for time. “Isn’t it your turn to chug?” “You jest, drow. One would think you were enjoying yourself.” “Oh, not at all; I’ve never been so painfully-stuffed in my life. Can’t take any more. Not… not at all…” My words trailed-off as I heard something faint. What exactly? My sharp, elven ears flicked instinctively. It was faint – faint enough that Honeybun’s rounded, human-like ears probably couldn’t hear – but my ears bent and twisted to find the source: just beneath the pillows behind me, a faint moan of barely-contained pleasure… It was Gnobbo! Vul take her soul! What in hells was she doing back there? I had no time to react with Honeybun edging closer against me. “You’d be wise to drink,” she tapped the bottle with a long fingernail. “This… is maternity potion. It’s used by expectant mothers to make their skin stretch and ease the stresses of… are you listening? Why are you making that noise?” Damn! She could hear Gnobbo! But she thought it was me making noises, thank Vul! “Just my stomach,” I slapped my belly loudly to disguise Gnobbo’s scurrying. “Indigestion.” “Enough of this. Drink!” Honeybun shoved the bottle into my mouth and tipped it high. Guzzling potion wasn’t what I wanted, but I made the most of it, sputtering and glugging as best I could to maximize the noise. To my captor, I probably looked resistant, but it was all a part of my deception. When she finally pulled the half-emptied bottle from me, the moaning had stopped. I even felt a little better. “The inside of your belly is coated in maternity potion. Now for the outside…” Honeybun poured the rest of the contents upon my belly and began to rub every square inch of its surface. It was slow, passionate work and she put her whole body into the effort, never looking away from my stuffed gut. So engrossed was the nymph in her work that she didn’t notice the little hand reaching-out from beneath the pillows. I couldn’t believe my eyes! What in hells was Gnobbo doing? Here I was literally covering her ass and here she was sabotaging herself by waving her hand around with quivering fingers… and then I saw the pigskin on her forearm. It was white. By all the gods… now I could hear the subtle rips and tears as her pigskin reformed itself over her body. Gnobbo was bursting – the useless pest was actually bursting! Why? Why now of all times? It didn’t matter. I had to hide her at all costs. I slapped at the hand to make it retract back out of sight. Honeybun glanced up at me. “What was that?” I replied with a slap of my hand against one of my bare tits. “Getting an itch. Haven’t bathed properly for far too long.” “No matter. The maternity potion’s in your skin now; you might have noticed the pressure has eased on your middle. We can proceed.” By now, Gnobbo was squirming somewhere under my rump and making me squirm. Gods and goddesses above! What was her scheme now? She was burrowing her way under me! I did my best to disguise her squirming with my own. “Feels loose,” I grunted as I felt Gnobbo headbutt my ass. “All sloshing and wobbling like my stomach turned into a winesack.” “An apt analogy,” Honeybun loomed close. “Time to fill that winesack to the brim.” Her huge breast squashed into my face, the nipple found its way to my mouth, and I finally began to suckle again – and gladly, for it gave me an excuse to keep squirming. The ruse seemed to be working, for the nymph seemed to think I was doing so out of pleasure. Pleasure, however, was not what I was feeling. It was bad enough that I’d been stuffed to my limit; now the maternity potion was taking me even further beyond it! Mouthful after hot mouthful flowed down my throat into the steadily-swelling orb that was my belly. I could feel it stretching now, the skin loosening as it expanded in all directions. It was beginning to rub harshly against the nymph’s now. To add humiliation to my misery, Gnobbo was still crawling her way under me! I could feel her making her way between my legs now, and realized with a start that she was burrowing her way to freedom! Freedom! Yes! I sputtered quietly as I smiled to myself. Even in this moment, the little mutt was as slick as ever! Just a bit further and she’d be able to emerge from the blankets and leap to safety – but one false step and she’d touch Honeybun’s leg. I had prevent that… “Ooh!” Honeybun ripped free of me with a frightened start. “Wuzzat? Who dat?” her accent was back. I was horrified. Gnobbo had sprung against her calf onto the balcony! If Honeybun turned the wrong way, we’d be caught! I did the only thing I could: I snatched Honeybun by the arms and shoved my face back against her breast. I even bit a little – just enough for her to gasp loudly enough for Gnobbo to make one final leap to escape. I couldn’t see past the nymph’s breast, so I didn’t know if Gnobbo had escaped, but I felt a hand wrap around the back of my head and run through my hair. “You feisty thing,” said Honeybun without an accent. “Seems you’ve developed a taste for nymph nectar. Soon you’ll understand the meaning of your paid debt.” Foreboding words. I had no intention of learning what she meant by them, but I was still stuck suckling away as I grew ever fuller. My only hope was that when this was over, Gnobbo would keep her word. Vul grant me strength.

My job is to watch people, but sometimes this is very slow work, so I got this notebook that I discreetly write “personal notes” into which is actually the first draft of this story! I then take it home and type it up with revisions.

Chapter Fifty-Three Honeybun sprang away from me to the balcony to catch a glimpse of the creature that had peeked over its edge, but judging from her fretful demeanour, the creature had fled out of sight. “How’s someone climb my tree like dat?” Honeybun muttered with an accent she hadn’t used before. She seemed to realise her mistake because her accent was gone when she turned to point at me. “Do not try to leave, Zaiva. You still owe me for the honey you spilled. I shall return… shortly…” A dull snap like a modestly-thick twig cracking echoed from the far end of the wide tree canopy. It was this sound that Honeybun floated off to investigate – no doubt suspecting the creature was near. I was now alone, left to wallow amongst the pillows with the fullest belly I’d ever had. Or so I thought. “Nyeh heh heh,” a squeaky voice tittered from the rafters. “Looks like you’re finally learning to finish your food.” I glanced upwards and found a tiny, green face grinning from a wooden beam straight above me. “Gnobbo,” I somehow managed to belch without opening my mouth. “What are you doing here?” “The girls worry about you,” Gnobbo adjusted herself against the beam so she could cup her face into her hands. “We followed you all the way here, but… let’s just say they were too fat to finish the journey.” “And how exactly do you keep doing that?” “What? Staying fit as a fairy?” “No… urp… that damned thing you do popping out of random corners…” “We gnomes have our ways, my dear, bloated drow. I go where I please.” “Hah… urp… bold words from a half-gnome midget,” a huge belch escaped my lips and I groaned as I lay a hand on my taut belly. “So you came to rescue me? That might prove difficult…” “Ah, that’s what they think!” Gnobbo tittered. “But goblin blood flows thick as gnome blood in my veins – and we goblins are the queens of mischief!” “Don’t…” Gnobbo pounced into the pile of pillows like a cursed black cat and proceeded to prowl gleefully about my sprawled, engorged body. “Ooh, how the mighty have fallen!” she rubbed her hands. “You came into my life a muscled meanie, all rippling with muscle, but now… now you’re beginning to jiggle more than ripple.” “Gnobbo, this isn’t the time,” I snarled, but was too stuffed to even sit upright – and Gnobbo knew it. “Look at those big, juicy thighs!” Gnobbo straddled one and bounced atop its girth like a miniature rogue on horseback. “It’s almost too thick for me to ride! You’ll be spreading over the edges of stools for sure!” “Shouldn’t you be figuring-out how to help me?” “Why? You never helped me – and besides, I’m having way too much fun teasing you. Just look at yourself! Look at that gut!” she proceeded to crawl upwards so she could pat and slap my distended gut. “No…” I winced. “No, don’t touch that – bre-e-a-a-p!” “You can’t help yourself, can you? A slim, slender drow living on cavefish and mushrooms is suddenly suckling from tropical nymph teats and proceeds to swell!” I opened my mouth to snap back at her, but another belch forced its way out. The smug, devilish look on her face was infuriating. “The wild boar becomes a pink pig, feeding and fattening by the day – that’s you, Deep Purple! You’re the pig! A big, purple pig with a rounded gut and rounder breasts – unless… yes! Better yet, you are a cow. A big, stupid drow-cow with titties so big they’re bigger than my head! I can almost wedge myself between – eep!” “Got you,” I grapped at her little paw before she could snatch it away. The endless bouts of belching had eased the pressure within me just enough for me to snatch the mutt and lift her to my face – though I was grunting with every shift and adjustment. “What’s that you were saying about ‘drow-cows?’” “Nnh…” she squirmed. “Unhand me! Release me you big, bovine buffoon! The Valley of the Gnomes shall avenge me!” “Not if I toss you off the balcony,” I replied calmly. “N-no, no wait! I can help you out!” “A little late for that… and how would rescue me? Carry me down the trunk on your back?” “Not that… but I can sneak you into the Villa.” I raised an eyebrow. “Truly?” Now Gnobbo relaxed and began to grin again. She knew I’d been baited. “You like that, don’t you? I know you hate growing fat as much as I do… how ‘bout we team-up, hm?” “A mere bluff – you’d have already entered the Villa if you could.” “I stayed in the Starter Resort as long as I could, didn’t I? I have my reasons for sticking around. As you can see, I was expelled – my pigskin never burst – yet here I am. Release me and we will escape this cursed island together!” Deal or not, we had to escape the treehouse first – and I was about to say so when I spotted Honeybun bobbing her way through the branches back to us. “Hide,” I hissed. I barely had time to toss Gnobbo under the blankets behind me when Honeybun returned with a subtle creak of the floorboards. “Whatever that thing was, it’s gone,” Honeybun said as she approached. “Must’ve outrun you,” I adjusted myself to sit more directly atop the lump in the blankets that was Gnobbo. “Pity. Hopefully it doesn’t… weigh heavily on you.” “What? No matter. I have something to help you repay your debt.” Now that Honeybun was standing over me, I could see the small, glass bottle in her hand. My heart began to pound – more potions and magic! Nothing good came of it. My fears were confirmed by Honeybun’s next command. “Let’s begin,” she uncorked the bottle. “Take off those clothes.”

How does she do it?

"It would be interesting to see at least one chapter on behalf of Ani" -- this is what google translator said is written. You must mean a chapter for Aniya. I actually plan to have a chapter devoted to her soon! She's fun to write. A great privilege to have readers from the other side of the world! This was a type of fanservice I didn't expect to write...

Chapter Fifty-Two The path the nymph took me through was long and arduous. With tangling vines and branches to my left and right, it was a route no normal being would take, but this nymph was no normal being. She floated weightlessly through the treetops overhead, the orbs of her mighty horselike rump brushing leaves and branches aside as the hive swirled around it like ribbons around a suspended dancer. I followed just below, eyes glued to her the whole journey. Never before had I seen a woman so broad yet so graceful, so thick yet so slim, and so enticingly beautiful and yet so mysterious and dangerous. Such contradictions vexed me. The initial dread I’d felt at first sight of herwas being corrupted with… something else. just what were these thoughts frothing from the depths of my subconscious? Awe? Fear? Jealousy? Only one emotion was clear: anticipation. Whatever plans the nymph had for me, I eagerly awaited their revelation. The sun was only beginning its slow descent towards the horizon when we finally emerged into a secluded grove. Perhaps “grove” was the wrong word for such a place, for it wasn’t open to the sky like a true grove, but rather it was a more open part of the jungle. A mighty tree with a trunk wide as a city gate towered high above its kin, its canopy so high the sunlight shimmering in its highest leaves twinkled like stars. This gigantic tree shielded a broad expanse of tall grass, blooming flowers, and a multitude of pollinating insects. I couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of it – there were carpets of flowers in colours the likes of which I’d never seen! The fear in me was nearly forgotten – until the nymph spread a hand out and dismissed the hive still swirling around her. “Go forth, darlings,” the nymph spoke softly. “You’re home now.” The sound of her voice returned me to my senses. I stiffened and reminded myself of my perilous situation. This was no ordinary grove; it was a nymph’s lair and the epicentre of her power and soul. Strong, earthly magic coursed unseen through this place like blood in a beating heart. I had to tread carefully. I was about to speak when she turned and faced me, still floating so her eyes were level with mine. “You are wondering about my name,” her full, thick lips seemed to glide with every vowel. “But first you must tell me yours, drow.” “Zaiva,” the sound of my voice surprised me, such was the condition of my nerves. “Zaiva,” her eyes traced the full breadth of my body as if she were learning what a “Zaiva” was. “Such a short name for a tall woman. You can call me ‘Honeybun.’ Tell me… Zaiva… why you would destroy the home of my hive? Was it hunger? Why poach my honey when its freely given?” “Given?” Her bright eyes flared as if she took my query as a challenge. “Don’t feign foolishness with me, purple one. You have been given honey aplenty – and much food besides. You have been given homes and hammocks, enough for four dozen of your kind, and yet you still desecrate my hive like a common beast.” A sudden realization had me speaking again in spite of the danger. “So it was you who built the tree-houses. The nymphs…” Honeybun seized me by the waist and wrapped herself tight against me, so tight that her massive breasts squashed against mine. She was so close I could feel her heart pumping from deep within, yet I didn’t resist. The fire in her eyes was bright, but not blazing. I was still safe – and I wanted answers. “Do not try to change the subject. Yes, Zaiva, the dwellings are kept by me and my kin. We nymphs are the guardians of this island – and you have harmed a hive under my protection – and now you must redeem yourself.” Honeybun’s explanations only raised more questions. Where was this food she claimed to stash for us? Why build shelters only to abandon them – and what kind of nymph built anything? Nymphs considered dwellings as a trespass on nature, after all. It made no sense! But all my questions faded away when Honeybun began to rise – and carry me with her! “What in hells…?” I glanced down at the grove below as we rose ever higher. My heart was pounding and my knees shook with nerves, for I could no longer strike the nymph else I fall to my death – even running away was impossible. I had no choice but to hold tight to her body and wait. Honeybun stared stolidly upwards as she rose into the mighty tree canopy. If she even noticed my discomfort, she didn’t care. The grove was far below us now, and still we had not reached the treetop. Such a massive tree could only grow so large with the help of nymphs’ magic. It was only as we began to clear the lowest branches that I saw our destination: yet another treehouse cradled betwixt three thick branches stemming from the top of the trunk. Like the other houses, this one was generously-spacious. Unlike the other houses, this one sat alone and there were no rope bridges or ladders to be seen. I was trapped! Honeybun landed softly within the bounds of a wooden balcony and released me. “Come with me,” her wide hips swayed as she stepped into the house. “It is time for you to pay for your transgression.” I did so – and felt as confused as ever. Inside was a single room filled with piles of pillows and blankets. Vibrant, colourful patterns adorned the intricately-woven fabric, each as unique as it was complex. I gazed upon it all and wondered at the sight of it. This was no normal nymph nest. Nymphs did not use blankets and pillows, much less make them. “Honeybun” was not who she seemed. Who was she and why the deception? “Sit back upon the pillows and await my command,” Honeybun pointed me to the pile of pillows laid in the middle of the room like a pile of eggs. I obeyed and found them to be soft and clean – almost new. With my back propped by the pillows, Honeybun stood before me in a wide stance with her hands on her ample hips. “You wasted a full hive’s harvest,” she said with a thrum of her fingers. “It’s honey had been meant for you, but now it is dripping uselessly onto the beach. Now… I must feed you some other way…” “You seem eager enough to feed words into my ears,” I replied. “The only food you left in our dwellings was an empty table with a rhyming inscription.” “You dare speak? Your mouth is filled with slander – I shall replace it with nourishment.” I hardly had a chance to reply when she eased herself onto me and pressed her enormous breasts – each bigger than my head – against either side of my neck just below my chin. “Drink, Zaiva,” her voice was low and sultry. “Drink.” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. “Drink? You mean…?” My thoughts, doubts and words were promptly smothered by the buxom nymph lifting a mighty breast to my face and pressing forward. Such was its size and softness that it covered my nose and eyes like a warm waterskin – but it was not hot water I found beading from the nipple that had squeezed past my lips. It wasn’t even milk! No… it was something else. Something hot and strangely sweet. “That’s it,” I felt her hand on the back of my head. “Ease yourself back and let it trickle down your throat. You’re mine until you sup the last drop.” What kind of punishment was this? If I had a “debt” to repay her for spilling honey, why was she giving me more? Such questions remained unanswered. The nipple in my mouth was beginning to lightly spray all over the inside of my mouth, and with her breast pressed so tightly against me, I had no choice but to swallow again… and again… Gulp by muffled gulp, the nymph’s mysteriously-sweet nectar flowed its way into my body. Such was its unnatural heat that I could feel it sliding down my throat and sitting in my belly like vodka. A full day of sampling fruits and binging on a jackfruit was already testing the limits of my stomach. Now it was stretching further still. I could feel it bumping against Honeybun’s equally-soft belly, swelling-up and growing warmer from the contents within. “You’ll need to feed a lot more if you wish to overflow the cups, little stuffer,” Honeybun whispered. “Your gut hasn’t even begun to hang – that is why you must drink to the last drop.” I’d thought I was being punished? Perhaps I was – I didn’t know how much more I could take! She was nursing me like a newborn calf when I was already full! Time seemed to stall as I engorged with mysterious nymph nectar. I began to fear there was no end to it, but at last – at long last – the nectar’s flow began to sputter. Honeybun finally leaned back from me, still straddling me by the hips to prevent my escape – not that I could. Disregarding the dizzying height of the house, my stomach was too stuffed for me to move. Already soft and pudgy, the lower belly-pooch was now paired with a distinct upper belly-bulge. Honeybun looked down upon this bulge and smiled, no doubt proud of what she’d done to me. I, however, could naught but belch and then belch again. Damn her! “Good girl,” she patted my middle. “You’re halfway to paying your debt.” “Half – urp – halfway?” I was starting to sweat. “Care to… renegotiate the payment plan?” “Hush. You can’t leave until you’ve drained me dry. Now… sit back… and prepare yourself to… what is that?” I struggled to follow her gaze, but all I managed to glimpse were a pair of pointed ears poking-out from behind the balcony that vanished with hurried scurrying of little feet.

Chapter Fifty-One “Bees!” Gnobbo proclaimed pointlessly. “Bees!” By now we had gathered directly beneath the hallow log hanging over the beach for a closer look. It was a massive hunk of bleached driftwood that had somehow lodged itself into the cliffside just beyond the beach. More importantly, it was hollow, and a steady stream of honeybees were buzzing in and out of the open end of the trunk. “We did it,” Bobette gripped her friend Lydia by the arms and skipped with joy. “By all the gods and goddesses, we did it!” “We found bees!” Lydia laughed giddily with her. “There’s honey in there – gotta be!” “Perhaps,” I said. “A pity none of us are tall enough to reach it.” “Ah can touch…” Cinder naively tapped the side of the log. “Stop that!” Victoria snapped. “Don’t you know bees can sting? You’ll be coated in them if you’re not careful!” Cinder yelped and withdrew her hand as if she were already stung. I thought her a coward at first, but then I realized she was raised with fire giants in the volcanic wastes and had never encountered such creatures before – an ignorant coward, then. “So how do we get the honey?” Bobette asked with a smack of her lips. There was a brief, thoughtful silence before Pixie stepped forward. “Um, I met a beekeeper once,” she shuffled her feet in the hot sand. “Wut’s a beekeeper?” asked Cinder. “I’m not too sure. He didn’t talk much, but when he did, he would say things like ‘I protect the hive.’ I think he mentioned something about smoke and fire?” “That’s fascinating, but did he explain how to get honey?” asked Bobette. “Well uh… no. He just punched a bunch of guys and jumped through a window. Then we noticed the building was on fire and never saw him again.” Victoria made a disgruntled scoffing noise. “What kind of beekeeper was that? My father worked with a real beekeeper on the palace grounds and he never talked like that.” “So how did your beekeeper get the honey?” asked Pixie. “Well… you can’t expect someone like myself to know. Labour is for the Help.” “Yeah, you’re definitely no help…” Victoria only managed to set her hands on her hips and inhale sharply when Aniya interrupted. “Aight,” Aniya raised her hand. “So the way I see it is we gotta get the bees out of the log before we have Cinder pull it down and split it open – sorry Cinder. It’s gotta be you cause only you can reach.” “Ah suppose,” Cinder tensely eyed the bees zipping in and out of the log. “But… how wiwl we chase them owt?” Aniya casually kicked at one of the stray coconuts littering the beach before answering. “Easy: one of us throws some of these at the log to lure the bees. Once the whole hive is chasing them, they dash into the ocean and submerge to give ‘em the slip – and that’s when Cinder pulls the log down for the rest of us.” While Aniya was describing her plan, she began turning towards me. I stared back, suddenly aware of what she was inferring. “You want me to bait the hive?” “You’re the most athletic of us,” she smirked with a wink. “Chafed thighs or no.” I hated her for putting me up to this, but she was right. Plus, everyone was looking expectantly at me now, so I couldn’t refuse, and so I merely sighed, picked up a coconut, and readied myself. “Fine,” I wound my arm for a powerful, hate-filled pitch. “I suggest all of you step back so you’re not stung.” As one, they all scrambled to the opposite side of the log. “Here goes nothing,” I muttered to myself. I pitched the rock as hard as I could… … and the rotten log cracked in half and smashed into the sand. I stared in horror at the swarm I’d unleashed. What had seemed to be a solid log with a steady stream of bees flying from its tip was revealed to be filled with oozing amber honeycombs coated with tens of thousands of wrathful bees. A low buzz began to roar louder as the swarm swirled into the sky like a vengeful spirit from a corpse, spreading across the beach – after every last one of us. “R-run!” Aniya shrieked. “Run away!” “Get in the water!” Pixie cried. Every last one of us bolted for the safety of the waves. I myself was already splashing in knee-deep water, yet the bees were already zipping before my eyes. From what little I could see around me, the others fared no better. “This is all your fault, Zaiva!” Victoria cried. “It’s all your f-blbbllbblrr…” Victoria’s ramblings were cut short by Cinder’s torrential wake. The half-giantess was bounding blindly through friends and waves alike as her hands thrashed and tangled through her long locks. “They’s in my haiwr!” Cinder cried before belly-flopping to safety. I wasted no time following her example. There was no outrunning the bees, so my only hope was to hold my breath under the foaming waves and hope the swarm would pass. Frothing, brown sand in the salty water blinded me, and my ears were filled by the deafening echo of the endless ocean, yet still I held my breath, waiting… waiting until my lungs burned and forced me to surface and learn my fate. Fresh air! I gasped and hacked as I wiped my eyes of grit. It seemed the others had surfaced first – no doubt they couldn’t hold their breath as well as I could. The bees had left us -- thank Vul! – but only because they’d found another target: Gnobbo was still dashing across the beach, chased by the entire hive. “You need to jump in the water, Gnobbo!” Aniya called. “The water, dummy, get in the water!” Victoria yelled. But despite everything, the stubborn mutt refused to touch the water! She just sprinted madly onwards, darting left and right in a useless attempt to escape her winged pursuers. “Bees!” Gnobbo’s voice squeaked faintly in the distance. “Bees!” “We have to do something!” Victoria insisted. “Zaiva! Throw a rock or something! Only you are strong enough!” “Are you crazy?” Bobette glared at her. “That would bring the bees right back to us!” And so we watched and waited. Gnobbo was a spry little thing and surprisingly quick, but her twelve-inch legs had no hope of outmanoeuvring wings. The bees were already upon her, clustering against her pigskin in search of places to sink their barbs. Gnobbo slapped madly at them, but for every bee felled, three took its place, and her pace was slowing. It seemed the end for our smallest member. Gnobbo suddenly dove headfirst into the sand and seemed as if she were trying to burrow her way to safety, but it was too little too late. The swarm was upon her – and suddenly pulled away. “Look!” Pixie pointed at the treeline between the beach and the cliff. “It’s a beekeeper!” “That’s no beekeeper,” I felt my jaw drop. “It’s another nymph.” Like the nymph that seized Lesh, it was more a force of nature than a woman, but unlike the last nymph, I could see more than two outstretched hands. This one took the form of a curvaceous human with flowing black hair that whipped about her back from some unseen breeze. Everything else about the nymph was unhuman – or perhaps superhuman. Huge, amber orbs on her chest the size of cantaloupes served as breasts, propped by a thin lacing of black branches. Just below them was an amber belly that was neither flat nor round but merely full. Still further down were round, shapely hips wide enough to birth twins simultaneously. Branches cradled her body from shoulders to ankles, propping her curves but not concealing them. Not that they needed to prop anything – it seemed this nymph could levitate. I caught myself holding my breath. This one was dangerous! The nymph spread her arms wide, wordlessly summoning the swarm to her. The swarm obeyed, abandoning the half-submerged gnome-goblin to swirl around their protector. Only then did the nymph seem to acknowledge our presence. “Who dares to harm my hive?” the nymph’s voice was strong yet effeminate. Not one among us said a word. “Answer, lest you all suffer the same fate.” Again, total silence. A strange sense of calm overcame me. I had thrown the coconut that had destroyed the hive, yet none implicated my deed. Even Victoria’s lips remained pursed! My heart swelled with appreciation and love. They truly were my friends! Friends who would choose to struggle and suffer together no matter the cost. Well! If they’d do so much for me, I would protect them at all costs. And then I noticed Quiet One pointing her finger at me. “Step forth, drow,” ordered the nymph. “Emerge from the waves and kneel before me.” Kneel? Such an order was more lenient than the attack I’d expected. I knew better than to fight a nymph head-on. If I had to neutralize her, an opportunity would surely come. Nothing to it, then, but to obey and await my chance. Slowly, I approached the shore. The nymph drifted closer, the bees swirling about her body. She as shorter than I expected (which was a likely explanation for why she opted to float) but I didn’t allow myself to dwell on stray thoughts. One wrong step could spell my demise. At last, I reached the dry sand and knelt, averting my gaze. Yet no sooner had I caught sight of her feet landing lightly before me that I felt her finger pluck my chin and raise my gaze towards hers. The nymph’s face was more human than I expected – enough so that I even began thinking of it as her. Her pupils sparkled as they discerned my features, and her red lips pursed with judgement. A distinctly human blush adorned her high cheekbones. At last, the moment broke and released me. “Rise,” she commanded. “Come…” She turned and began to float back into the treeline. I followed slowly after her, not daring to look back at the others.

Chapter Fifty The jackfruit turned-out to be a minor disappointment. While huge and juicy, it wasn’t as sweet as the smaller fruits found elsewhere – which was why I was so unhappy when Cinder moved to pluck yet another from the tree. “Cinder,” I groaned with a hand over my stuffed gut. “What do you think you’re doing? Wasn’t one of those foul things enough?” “But ah like them,” Cinder said innocently, already digging her fingers into the fruit and ripping it open. “Me too,” said Bobette with a pat of her own stuffed gut. “They’re really – urp – really filling.” All the other girls nodded lazily in agreement. All our efforts to finish the first jackfruit had reduced us to reclining crosslegged amongst the ferns, cradling firm, round bellies like expecting mothers. Even I was sporting a rounder gut than usual, but only because weeks in the Starter Resort had stretched my stomach so much it demanded a good stuffing three times a day. Only Gnobbo had resisted partaking in the fruitful feast, and I found myself respecting her for the first time. “We can’t just fill ourselves with jackfruit,” I insisted as we all ripped a smaple of the stuff. “There’s better tasting stuff… far better all over the island.” “I’m sure,” Bobette’s was already chewing. “But you were just telling us… mm… ‘bout the cups and… overflowing them… so eating fat fruits should help us get fat… faster.” “I like that idea,” Victoria said after swallowing. “Our cups shall floweth over in – bra-ap – no time,” she blushed. “Excuse me.” “But there’s more to it than eating a lot,” I insisted while ignoring the handful of fruit in my hand. “There’s albino food out there for us to find – not to mention ‘milk and honey’ of some sort. I think we should go looking for it.” “What’s the hurry?” asked Pixie with a pat of her stuffed gut. “I think we’re coming along just fine as it is.” “Be that as it may,” I stood up with a subtle grunt. “There’s more to this island than meets the eye. You newcomers haven’t seen the treehouses yet, but tonight you will see a lot of fine work was done to complete them. Who crafted them – and where are they now?” “That’s easy,” said Pixie. “Whoever’s waiting for us in that Villa beyond the cup room did it.” “Why would they abandon us here? Why leave a table inscribed with mysterious riddles and nothing else? We need to learn why – which is why we can’t just sit here eating jack shit!” “Hey…” Aniya got up and rubbed my arm. “This fruit aint that bad if you ate it too… but I guess you’re right. We need to learn more about this place. I’m still wondering what that swamp nymph was doing there.” “Aw, do we have to go now?” Bobette pouted. “Can we wait a little? I’m feeling too full to move.” “You’ll be even more full the way you’re eating,” I pointed at her gut beginning to protrude into her lap. “I got it,” Aniya patted my back. “Let’s split what’s left of the jackfruit and carry it with us. We can set-out right away and snack while we hike. That way we’re all happy,” she turned to face the others. “Come on, girls! Let’s explore the rest of the island.” With a compromise reached, the girls eased and grunted themselves to their feet. We were finally progressing again. About halfway down the beach, I felt Aniya’s hand slide down and grope my ass cheek. “What are you doing?” I wasn’t annoyed, but her behaviour was perplexing. “Looking for more fruit to eat,” she replied with a playful squeeze. “And what does… that feel like to you?” “I dunno,” she fondled its every contour. “You’re the one who’s travelled the world and discovered its fruits. But if I were to guess… whatever fruit I’m holding isn’t ripe yet.” “Cheeky bitch,” I smiled. “If I could reach, I’d show you what I know about fruit.” She squealed and dodged a smack that never came, but never once released her vice-like grip on my cheek. Her little hand sank softly into its round bulk like it were a feathered pillow, and though she tried to wrap her fingers across its full breadth, she could only palm half that. I sighed and shook my head as I felt my hunches flex and bulge beneath her prodding grip. To think that she didn’t consider it ripe enough! Each cheek had swollen from tight mangos to plump cantaloupes – riper still! My plump ass was approaching the size of a prize-winning watermelon, and I felt every pound of it. “So it seems you enjoy ripe fruit,” I whispered to her and felt her fingers twitch. “Yea,” she seemed to shiver. “Sweet, juicy fruit.” “How greedy you must be to covet my fruits when you’re growing your own.” She chuckled deep in her throat. “I would love to share…” “Ahem.” The new voice was behind us. I turned and winced at the sight of Victoria walking close behind us with hasty, annoyed steps. The rest of the girls trailed behind her, taking it easy as they digested the jackfruit. It seemed I’d been so distracted I forgot they were there. “How much farther?” Victoria asked. “All this hiking on the sand is quite arduous.” “Who knows?” Aniya was still fondling me, but her hand crept upwards to the small of my back. “Just need to keep an eye out for bees.” “Bees?” Victoria hastened to catch-up with us. “I thought w were looking for milk.” “Milk… honey… albino… whatever comes first, really.” “Well, can you two search with your eyes instead of your hands?” I stopped walking. “Victoria… what’s gotten into you lately? Eversince this morning, you’ve been moody as all hells.” Her mouth dropped. “Do you really not know? It’s not me – it’s you.” “Me? I’ve only ever saved you since we beached here.” “Don’t you understand? Zaiva, you might have thought of that dark elf to burst your pigskin, but I thought of you, and I thought… I thought we…” “Gurls?” Cinder called from the very back of the line, pointing frantically at a dead tree hanging over the beach from a low cliff. “Over thewre – the bees!” As one, we looked back at the dead trunk. What looked like a bleached husk of wood hopelessly out of reach was in fact abuzz with a great multitude of bees.

Chapter Forty-Nine Cinder rushed towards me with open arms. “Deep Puwrpul!” she cried. “I made it too!” To her shock, I was less than pleased. “You!” I pointed at her cleavage – straight towards the gnome-goblin mutt wedged within. “Waugh!” the little pest burrowed her way back into the half-giantess’s cleavage to escape my wrath. “Oh, no you don’t,” I closed what little distance remained between me and Cinder. She wanted to hug me, but stopped when she saw the fire in my eyes. “What’s wrong?” she leaned over me, her tits hanging overhead just out of reach. “Cinder…” too livid to speak, I motioned for her to stoop lower. “Oh…” Cinder obliged me. “Ah forgot yowr showrt sometimes – ahh! What awr you doing?” I ignored her as I plunged my hand deep into her cavernous cleavage. The feel of her two guard-sized breasts against my arm was like two wine sacks filled with hot water, and were so large they swallowed my arm to the elbow. Yet even so, I dug deeper, reaching and grabbing for the squirming vermin within. My fingers clasped round a bucking ankle and with a mighty pull, the gnome-goblin was pulled free like a dirty potato. “Eee!” Gnobbo thrashed in vain as I held her before my face. “Eee!” “Stop playing dumb,” I poked her to make her stop squealing. As I held Gnobbo by the ankle, the rest of the girls caught up with us. The first to arrive was Seerah, whose chubby thighs quivered as she leaned her hands upon them to catch her breath. “Um, Zaiva?” the high elf’s melon-sized breasts heaved with effort. “What are you doing?” “Just a little pest control,” I replied without looking away from Gnobbo. “Well, what do we have here? An intact pigskin? No burst? We’ve got ourselves a stowaway.” “But that’s not true!” Seerah insisted. “Gnobbo actually arrived on the island before we did. At first, we thought she was getting expelled for sneaking outside the Pen after dark, but as soon as we got out of those terrible coffins, there she was, standing on the beach waiting for us to come out. It’s a miracle!” “Snuck away, did you?” I shook Gnobbo a little to inspire a confession. “Now, how exactly did you get here, hm? Tell us, Gnobbo.” “Down!” Gnobbo cried. “Put down!” “Zaiva,” Aniya wrapped her arm around my waist and fondled its softest features. “Does it matter? The whole gang’s together again – that’s what really matters.” Of course, Gnobbo’s return did matter. The cunning creature had once again defied all logic and appeared before me like my own personal haunting spirit. How she did it was a mystery, but I knew why: she craved vengeance upon me, and worse, I was the only one who knew it! I had to warn the others, but who would believe who? A dark and intimidating drow or a harmless little halfbreed? I was still scheming how to expose Gnobbo for what she truly was when Aniya gently plucked her away from my grasp and hugged her close. “Missed ya, you mischievous mouse,” she cooed into Gnobbo’s flicking ear. “Looks like the Snuggle Gang’s together again,” Pixie noted. “All the girls who slept in Cinder’s arms.” “And legs,” Bobette smirked as her friend Lydia giggled. “Yes!” Seerah beamed. “And it’s all thanks to Zaiva!” I blinked. “How, exactly?” “That night before you and Victoria left, you whispered to her the secret way to burst. I head it all – we all did.” “I’d thought you were sleeping.” “Only a little. You voice woke me up.” “Marvelous. Now we need to find a place big enough for Cinder to sleep in – actually, how did she fit in a coffin?” Cinder looked ready to answer when Bobette barged into our midst while dragging Lydia with her. “I have a better question!” she eyed Cinder with great eagerness. “Can the half-giantess help us get some jackfruit?” “Half-giantess?” Aniya chuckled. “Don’t you know her name already?” “Uh, I used to? I forget names a lot.” “Then let’s introduce y’all before we do anything,” Aniya let go of my waist and skipped to Cinder’s side. “This is Cinder – of course.” “Hullo,” Cinder waved meekly at Bobette. “Who awr you?” “Bobette,” the little human replied as she shifted her hips side to side. “I, uh… see you’re an Apple, huh? Red outfit, giant boobs and… and such.” “Yes, exactly,” Aniya moved-on. “And this here’s my friend Seerah – congratulations on becoming an Hourglass, girl! Your outfit matches your blonde hair now.” Seerah beamed and hugged her. “Oh, I missed you so much!” “Me too!” Aniya hugged her back. “Now as for the third person… uh… who are you?” The mysterious third person was a Pear-shaped human girl with long, black hair like Victoria’s. Unlike Victoria, she didn’t talk much. In fact, she didn’t talk at all, merely staring wide-eyed at us like a startled cat. “What’s your name?” Aniya pressed her. The girl’s only response was to blush and hold her face in her hands. “We don’t know who she is either,” Seerah explained. “I mean, I’ve seen her around, but she’s always been quiet.” “Ah awlmost forgot she wus here,” Cinder mumbled. “I guess we’ll call you ‘Quiet One’ for now,” Aniya shrugged without touching the shy girl, which seemed appropriate for someone who could barely stand to be looked at. The awkward moment was broken by Gnobbo hopping for attention. “Oh, and who could forget this rascal,” Aniya picked her up and hugged her. “So now that we all know the new girls, I guess we should teach them what we know about this island…” “That can wait,” Bobette insisted with a passionate twist and march towards the treeline. “Come on! Let’s get Cinder to pick a jackfruit for us! We’ve barely snacked on anything and I’m starving.” “Jackfwoot?” Cinder asked curiously as she followed loyally behind her. “Wut is a ‘jack?’” “It’s this stuff!” Bobette skipped happily beneath the jackfruit tree and its enormous bounty. “See? Look how big and juicy they look! Don’t they look delicious?” “Thew’re rawthur wrinkly,” Cinder said hesitantly. “Awr you shuwr thew’re edibul?” “Let’s find out. Come on, Cinder! I need your help reaching them! Even if I jump, I don’t even come close to touching one. See? I can’t… hrgh… reach…” Clap. Bobette froze suddenly, a mixture of shock and bewilderment playing across her face. She turned her head slowly around, looking over her shoulder behind herself for the source of the noice. “Did… did I just…?” She jumped again: clap. Lydia was suddenly in a bout of hysteric, uncontrollable giggles. “It’s you’re butt! Oh, that’s hilarious! Do it again, Bobette! Again!” Bobette jumped, but there was no applause this time. “That time didn’t work! Hold on… how did I do it exactly? Maybe if I…?” By now, the rest of us had gathered under the jackfruit tree and around the bouncing Bobette. I, myself, had the misfortune of being in the midst of the ensuing horseplay. “You’re jumping the wrong way,” Aniya mused. “I think you need to throw your back out.” “Like this?” Bobette hunched forwards. “No, like, the other way! Hold on, lemme try…” It was at this moment when I began to find the whole clapping nonsense annoying. “Girls,” I caught myself clenching my teeth and licked their tops to relax. “Let’s focus on one thing at a time. Let’s get ourselves a jackfruit and –” Clap, clap, clap, clap. “Fuck…” “She did it!” Seerah cheered. “You did it Aniya!” “No fair!” Bobette moaned. “How?” “Like…” Aniya leaned against the trunk. “I just arch my back and… look back at it…” Clap, clap, clap. Everyone except me was utterly in awe of this new trick. Before I could say otherwise, half the girls were doing their best at jumping hard enough to make their cheeks clap – thankfully in vain. “It’s not working-g-g,” Pixie’s voice warbled with every jump. “I think it’s cause your ass aint fat enough,” said Aniya as she turned towards me with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “I bet Zaiva can do it.” “Ooh, yes!” Seerah said with glee. “Come on Zaiva! You next!” “Enough!” I stomped my foot in the sand. “None of that! Cinder, grab a jackfruit so we can eat already!” “Good idea,” Pixie patted her stomach and gave her ass cheek a squeeze. “Some food should do me some good right about now.” The excitement over, I watched Cinder approach the tree with rapt attention, doing my best to avoid thinking about how violently my cheek had shook when I’d stomped my foot – and how I might indeed be good at ass-clapping.

I'm writing as fast as possible! This will be revealed in time. She's like a mini-Houdini

Chapter Forty-Eight It took some time before we were close enough to the other girls to hear what they were yelling about. Not one of them were brave enough to swing down the vines into the swamp, but then again, Aniya was still recovering from Lesh’s vicious attack, which meant we couldn’t climb the vines to them. Hence, we traced the cliffside through the jungle till it smoothed to a gentle slope and we could walk together again. By the time we did, the sun hung high at its zenith. All of us were in high spirits after our victory – all, that is, except Victoria. “You called?” I asked the glowering woman. Victoria didn’t answer me, which surprised me. Was she… pouting? Over what? I meant to ask her, but Aniya saved me from that indignity by doing so herself. “You good?” she asked, still cradling her left breast where Lesh had struck it with a cracked coconut. “You look a little out of it. Wanna talk about it?” Somehow, this irritated Victoria more. She turned her head, folding her arms tighter across her chest – so tight that her breasts nearly popped from their confines. Even Lydia and Bobette were perplexed by her behaviour. “So…” Bobette said cautiously. “We saw something from the cliff while you were dealing with that naked orc.” “The water nymph,” I nodded, relieved that the awkward silence was broken. “That’s what took her. Not a common sight, but not unexpected in the wilderness.” “No, not that,” Bobette shook her head. “There were girls out there,” Lydia said excitedly. “Three or four of them peeking from the underbrush on the far side of the swamp! They were watching you.” Aniya chuckled as much as her bruised ribs would let her. “More girlfriends,” she nudged me with a smile. “Bet they’re new stuffers that beached last night. Must’ve been wandering around the island ever since.” “Why didn’t they greet us at the swamp?” I asked. “I think they were too scared of that orc to step in that swamp,” said Lyida. “And the nymph!” Bobette chimed-in. “Hells, I know I was,” Aniya found my hand and squeezed it. “Either way, we should go find them.” “Let’s go, then,” I sighed and gave my thighs a muffled pat that sent gentle shockwaves through their bulk. “I’m not getting any less chafed; might as well embrace it.” “Embrace the suck,” Aniya agreed. “Come on, y’all. Vicky? You coming?” Victoria was shuffling her feet when Aniya called her out. As hesitant as she was irritable, I was unsure if she’d budge, but suddenly she stomped ahead of us with her head held high. “Vicky?” Aniya asked, but in vain. She shrugged at me and followed after her. With no better option, I followed close behind and sensed the others close behind. We followed Victoria through the jungle to the far end of the swamp. It was here that she and the others had seen the mysterious girls peeking through the underbrush at us, but if they’d been here before, they were long gone. “No sign of them now,” said Pixie. “Wait, look!” Aniya stooped low and picked-up a fruit from the ground, presenting it proudly to me. “A mango,” I recognized the fruit instantly. “Looks like someone bit into it recently – they have good taste.” “And they just left behind a perfectly plump one too,” Aniya held the mango before herself thoughtfully. “Vicky, can you believe that?” “My name is Victoria,” she snapped. “… would you like a mango in these trying times?” “I will not settle for sloppy seconds, thank you very much.” “Eh…” Aniya took a massive bite from the mango with one hand and wrapped her arm around me with the other. “What you looking at, Zaiv?” “Tracks,” I brushed her away and knelt close to the ground. “At least three sets of them – going that way,” I pointed directly away from the swamp deeper into the jungle. “Ah! Lucky!” Aniya spoke between greedy mouthfuls. “If they go straight… mm… they’ll be at the beach… way easier to spot there…” “Then let’s stop wasting time and be off,” Victoria began walking. “Come, Zaiva.” Slightly offput by Victoria’s bitter mood, I nearly refused, but we only had one place to go and one thing to do, so I relented. At least Aniya was in good spirits again. The dirt path we travelled was narrow, but only because it was lined with food. Berries and roots coated the ground on either side, tree-branches laden with ripe fruit hung invitingly before our faces, and even the path we tread upon was partly-carpeted with creeping vines whose leaves crunched sweet odours with every footstep. Such a bounty did not go unnoticed. Not one stomach amongst us wasn’t growling – not even my own – and I realized that this was the first time in at least a month that we’d missed breakfast! It was natural, then, that we began sampling the island’s bounty without a word – and what a bounty it was! Mangos and bananas, papayas and oranges, all graced our palates. But there was one fruit that overshadowed them all, a fruit so large, so mysterious that even Victoria was snapped back to her senses. “What is that?” Victoria gaped in awe at the gently-swaying monstrosities. She reached for the nearest one – a dog-sized growth resting against a tree trunk – and flinched at the first touch of its bizarre surface. “It’s all green and wrinkly,” Pixie sneered in disgust. “I don’t like it.” “But can we eat it?” Bobette rubbed her stomach as she stared curiously at it. “You’re mad,” Lydia stated firmly. “That thing is as big as your torso – big as Zaiva’s torso.” “Exactly,” Bobette smacked her lips. “This is how we’re going to overflow those cups.” “What if it’s poisonous?” Lydia prodded Bobbette’s soft love handle. “Where would you be without me? You’re too greedy for your own good.” “It’s edible,” I said. “I’ve heard tales of this fruit. Biggest unenchanted fruit in the known world.” “So we can eat it,” Bobette swayed her hips without a care in the world. “What’s it called, Deep Purple?” “They call it….” I frowned when I realized she used my cursed nickname. “Jackfruit.” “Well, it’s about to be called Bobette-fruit,” Bobette positioned herself under the Jackfruit, but stopped short of leaping for it. “Uh… can someone boost me? I can’t quite reach it.” “Might not have to,” Aniya nodded towards the beach. “Check it out: we’ve got company.” I followed her gesture towards the beach. There, splashing through a breaking wave, were three slightly-chubby girls: an elf, a human, and a half-giantess. “That’s Cinder!” Pixie leapt into the open and waved her arms. “Cinder! Cinder it’s me! Cinder!” The lumbering half-giantess froze. Slowly, she turned to face us and let loose a cry of joy. Just behind her, the elf did the same. “Aniya!” said the elf. “Seerah!” Aniya called back. Suddenly, we were all rushing out of the treeline to meet our old friends. Even I found myself lost in the moment. Time seemed to slow to a standstill. Every footstep, every splash of the ocean against our ankles, every last detail was burned into my eyes. I could see the new dimples grazing Seerah’s cheeks, the freckles on Cinder’s forehead, the wobble and quake of their thighs, there was not one feature that escaped my notice. They were here – my friends were here, and I hadn’t even realized that’s what they were! A missing piece of my soul had returned to me, and my heart blazed with happiness. I laughed – I actually laughed… And then something rustled within Cinder’s cleavage. A little hand emerged, followed by a little head. My laughter stopped instantly, replaced with shock and utmost outrage. Gnobbo had come.

Chapter Forty-Seven I sprinted through the jungle at breakneck speed. Leaves whipped my body and roots snatched at my ankles, yet instead of frustration, a bestial thrill overcame me. For the first time since my mission began, I was hunting my pretty – yes! At last, I was an assassin again! Now I felt my cares and worries melting away, replaced with the singular urge to chase the naked orc rushing through the jungle just in front of me. Nothing else mattered – not the chafing between my sweaty thighs, not the violent bouncing of my cumbersome bosom, not even the sound of Aniya running close behind – only the thrill of the chase. My target – Lesh Gotha – crashed her way through the underbrush with slow and lumbering steps. Her breasts had already been straining the seams of her old leathers the day before; now they had grown so rapidly I doubted they could be stuffed into her old outfit even if she tried. Their round bulk swung side to side so ferociously I could see them from behind, each as big as her head if not bigger. The Brennar’s Bark I’d forced down her throat was quickly transforming the once-hardened warrior into a bovine parody of her former self. I grinned between panting breaths at the amusing sight. No wonder Lesh had revealed herself so recklessly. Had she waited another day, she’d barely be fit to run at all. This would be an easy chase. Or so I thought. Lesh’s body was slower, but her mind was still quick. I was nearly in arm’s reach of her when she reached an unseen cliff, leapt into a vine, and swung into another before sliding to a small gap in the jungle canopy below. I skidded to a stop, nearly falling to my demise and merely falling on a sharp rock instead. I rubbed my bruised ass with my blood boiling. Damn that orc-woman! I couldn’t follow her without snatching the same vine she’d used for her daring escape, and I couldn’t snatch it till it stopped swinging! I’d hardly begun getting to my feet when Aniya caught-up with me. “Where did she…” she asked breathlessly. Her keen eyes caught sight of the still-swaying vine and leapt instantly for it. “Wait!” I reached-out to stop the dark elf, but she was already sliding her way down to the overgrown grove – straight towards a patch of rustling reeds where Lesh had vanished into. “Vull, take them all!” I punched the nearest tree in a fitful rage. I had to wait even longer for the vine to swing my way. Aniya reckless rush ahead had stopped my chase cold in its tracks! With nothing better to do, I brushed my ass free of grit and winced as the cheeks wobbled like jelly. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on my growing body or Aniya’s feelings; I needed to focus on the mission. So it was that I peered over the cliff’s edge to assess where I was going. Trees thickly covered the land as far as the sandy beach – a sea of green within a sea of blue. A gust of wind had the leaves rustling in waves, but I knew better than to dive-in – the twigs beneath the surface would not hold me. The grove where Aniya and Lesh had landed was the only safe landing zone, though the reeds growing there were tall enough that I’d lost sight of them both. My planning was cut short by a resounding scream. “Zaiva! Zaiva help me!” No time to lose. I took a leap of faith… and my heart nearly stopped as I hung helplessly in the air. The vine was swinging away from my reaching fingers. I was falling… falling faster… and at last I felt my sweaty palms grip the vine. It slid as I struggled to hold it. I was swinging the wrong way. I lost control… and I fell into the grove with a resounding splash. “Gods fuck-damnit!” I snarled as I struggled back to my feet in waist-deep water. Reeds and lily pads surrounded me on all sides. Now I knew why no trees grew in this “grove:” it was a swamp. “Zaiva!” They were behind me. Aniya lay upon a massive lily pad the size of a table, shivering with fright. Behind her loomed Lesh, standing waist-deep in the water with a cracked coconut in each hand poised to slam upon my partner’s heaving chest. “Eyeballs, you,” Lesh glared at me with murderous intent. “One more step and your girlfriend gets some. I sighed. “What makes you think she’s my girlfriend?” “Cause you haven’t moved,” her mouth looked hideous the way she smiled with every tooth and tusk revealed in full. “Now ears, drow,” the word was a curse in her throat. “I heard everything. You picked flowers to kill my Sultan with, is that right? You eat my food and sleep in my Pen on my pay all so you can assassinate the man we do it for? So fuck me, right?” “Fuck you, Booba,” I used the first nickname I could think of. “No really: fuck you. You kill my partner there and what do you think happens to you next?” “Try me, purple bitch, I fucking dare you. Unlike you, I don’t need flowers to kill again. I will rip your neck from your gods-damned spine – shut up!” Overcome with emotion, Aniya had been whimpering beneath the threat of death. She silenced herself quickly, not daring to say a word. Not a muscle on her moved – save for her eyes slowly turning to me. “Now you’re gonna tell me who sent you to kill my Sultan,” Lesh whispered. “Do it now.” “No one,” I lied. “Bullshit,” she hissed like an animal. “Deadly poisons are state secrets. No street urchin or elven fugitive would know how to mix two flowers like these – none. So who was it? Which country sent you crawling into Del Nazzour? Shar? You look like a Shari. Or maybe some rogue drow witchking? Abdul? Ahmet?” “None,” I lied again. She stared upwards at me past the ridges of her brows. “Maybe your enslaved mother, then? She send what’s left of her clan on a little vengeance plot? Is that it? You think she’ll ever be free again?” “She can die for all I care.” It was then that I first saw it: a shimmer in the reeds just behind Lesh. Something was in the water and whatever it was , it was large and it was closing-in on her rear. It seemed I wasn’t the only one hunting for orc today. I struggled not to stare at it too long, for it this thing attacked her, it would be my chance to save Aniya and our mission. I just needed to stall for time. “So what’s your angle?” I asked her without looking away from her eyes. “you think you’ll be let back in the Sword-Sworn ranks if you stop us --?” Lesh slammed one of the coconuts’ contents onto Aniya’s chest with such force it knocked the air from the dark elf’s lungs. “I’m asking the questions!” Lesh barked. “You got one chance to tell me who sent you before I poison this elf and drown you, so tell me… who… sent you?” “Zaiva!” The call came from the cliff above us. Lesh craned her neck and I twisted ‘round to find the rest of the stuffers watching us from the summit. Victoria stood before them, pointing frantically in our direction. “Zaiva, look out!” Too late, Lesh realized Victoria was pointing behind her. She’d only begun to turn when the swamp behind her bulged and burst like a geyser. Within the watery plume emerged a murky, blue shape – a shape that reached-out with two humanoid hands and snatched Lesh by the cusp of her cumbersome breasts. “Nymph!” Lesh cried. Then the nymph suplexed the orc into the water with a splash so violent I had to wipe my eyes. When I could see again, the swamp-water was barely rippling and birds I hadn’t realized were silent began to chirp again. “Zaiva…” Aniya croaked from the giant lily-pad. I waded to her side. She lay on her side now, curled in pain and fighting back tears. “That thing…” she groaned. “The nymph…” “Gone – for now,” I replied calmly. “I’ve seen a Nymph or two before; they’re not dangerous unless you defile their sanctuaries.” “A-are the legends true? Is Lesh going to be…?” “You speak of nymphomania?” I chuckled. “Maybe she’s doomed to a day of fucking, maybe drowning,” I pulled a hand from the swamp and sneered at the algae coating it. “But let’s not get bogged in the details. We’re safe now.” Aniya winced and seemed to laugh, but was actually crying harder. She sniffed tears back and looked glumly into my eyes. I could tell she was attempting to mask her emotions behind a façade of professionalism. “The coconuts… I’ve failed… I lost them…” “I never cared about them.” “O-of course… I can find other ingredients. There’s mushrooms and – and orchids –” I put a finger to her lips. “That can wait. You never asked me how I feel.” She barely had time to open her mouth when I clasped my own against it. She inhaled deeply, seizing hold of my arms as if she were drowning. My arms wrapped around her in turn, and I leaned-in, half kissing, half carrying her as the lily pad began to tip and sink, but I cared not. I cared not about the swampy water, the girls on the cliff, or even the nymph that had vanished as soon as it appeared. Only the heat of Aniya’s soft, damp body breathing against mine mattered now. She loved me… she loved me. Me! An orphaned drow fighting alone against the world. Why? I dared not question it. When we finally drew back to look into one another’s eyes, she was panting. “I thought…” her tongue was thick and heavy in her mouth. “I thought of you when I burst, didn’t I?” I brushed some algae from her face. “Come on. Let’s join the others. The mission can wait.” With that, I scooped her off the remains of the lily pad and began wading towards shore with the girls cheering from the top of the cliff… or were they yelling?

Chapter Forty-Six Aniya’s bathing spot was a secluded lake halfway up the mountain. I was eager as we climbed towards it, anticipating a shorter, climbable part of the cliff I could use to skip the Cup Room altogether. All my hopes were dashed at the sight of a roaring waterfall crashing upon smooth boulders on the far end of the lake. What could have been a scalable cliffside was rendered dangerously slick. Not even the calls of a thousand parrots, cicadas and other unknown creatures could lift my spirits. Aniya either didn’t notice my bitter mood or didn’t care, for she nudged me till I looked down into her eyes. “Way better than the Shower, right?” she winked. “I call it the ‘Hot Shower’ ‘cause the sun keeps the water warm.” “Warm,” I scoffed. “My chafing thighs don’t need anymore heat after that damned hike.” I was upstaged by the sound of Lydia and Bobette hurriedly-stomping their way to the water’s edge. “Hot Shower!” Bobette cried before dunking headfirst into the depths. “Wee!” Lydia followed suit with a splash so violent that it sent water into my face. “By all the gods…” I wiped at the mud-tinged droplets from my eyes – only for a wet pigskin to slap against my face. “Be more careful damnit!” The two girls paid me no heed, bouncing lightly against the lakebed with their breasts bobbing like buoys on the waterline. Even though I knew they’d stripped, the sight of their bare skin was shocking. I’d forgotten what nipples even looked like… “Come in the water with us!” Lydia splashed water towards me. “Yeah,” Bobette followed suit. “The water’s fine.” I nearly stormed after them when a pair of chubby cheeks swung past my face – Pixie’s cheeks. Damned moron was swinging naked on a vine. “Crystal ball!” she cried as she released the vine, grabbed her toes, and body-slammed the lake like a rock. Once again, I was soaked. Once again, I was ready to storm into the lake, but I hadn’t even taken a step when Aniya gently lay a hand on my chest. “We’ll be right there, girls,” Aniaya called as she sidled-up to me. “I have to teach her how to strip. Zaiva? You nervous? You’re shivering like crazy.” “More like trembling,” I clenched my fists. “With rage –” Aniya quickly silenced me with a finger to my lips. “It’s alright, Zaiv. This I the cleanest water you’ll ever find. It’ll wash your skin of anything.” She tapped the side of her collar and I suddenly knew her true intentions. We weren’t here to enjoy yourselves or even bathe. We were here to store our deadly ingredients safely without danger of mixing them and dying in the attempt. “Hang on, Zaiva,” Aniya slipped away for a moment. “I got something I want to show ya.” “Do you want me to close my eyes?” I asked with a hint of impatience. “Too late; take a look!” Aniya stepped back into view with a coconuts in each hand. “Wanna hold my coconuts?” “I… what? You want me to drink from them?” as I spoke, she placed them in my hands and I found them lighter than expected. “You hollowed these out… they’re empty.” “Uh huh,” Aniya took hold of my hands and walked me back toward the lake. “Keep holding them. I’ll show you what they’re for once we’re deep enough.” Like a horse led to water, I followed Aniya’s guidance into the lake with no intention of drinking. My experiences with water had never been pleasant, and were it not for the sake of the mission and my sense of duty, I would never have stepped-foot into the mysterious murk. Yet as we stepped deeper into the lake and the waterline rose around us, I was pleasantly surprised. The water was, indeed, warm – nearly hot – and was clear enough to see the rocky bottom, though only a shimmering hint of it. I winced when I felt the water touch the bare skin on my thighs, and the feeling of water trickling past the nethers between my legs forced me to freeze for a moment. “S’all good,” Aniya chuckled. “You’ll get used to it… just don’t drop my coconuts…” she leaned-in for a whisper. “We’ll need them to store the flowers.” “Isn’t this too obvious?” I whispered back. “Doing this out in the open with everyone looking at us?” “They’ll just think we’re drinking with the coconuts. Besides,” Aniya nodded her head towards shore. “I think they’re distracted.” I followed her gaze and found that the girls were, indeed, distracted. Victoria was the sole, remaining among us who hadn’t entered the lake. She was standing on a tall boulder now, stiffly holding her legs together as the rest of the girls chanted for her to jump. “Well then,” I smirked. “That’s the most useful thing Victoria’s done.” By now, we were chest-deep into the lake – rather, I was chest-deep and Aniya was bobbing to keep above water. “This is why I had you hold them, big girl,” she explained. “Now we can get to business.” With great care, Aniya reached into her collar and retrieved a handful of wilted, dry flower petals and dropped them into the left coconut. I did likewise and put mine into the right coconut. “Most of the toxic juices are dried-up at this point,” Aniya said. “But that’s nothing a little lake-water can’t fix.” Something long brushed over my thigh and I nearly jumped before I realized it was her leg. The other leg quickly followed, wrapping around my waist as she brought herself close – so close our chests were rubbing together. She was mounting me. “What next?” I asked. She took hold of a coconut and tossed it ashore. “Throw it back. Go ahead – the inside is sticky, so the flowers won’t spill.” I did so and managed to hit the first coconut with my impeccable aim. Impressive. I let myself smile with satisfaction. “Now how will we smuggle those into the Villa when we –" “Shh…” Aniya put her finger to my lips before kissing me. “I don’t want to talk about the poison, the Sultan, or anything about the mission. For now, I want you.” I stiffened. For the first time, her touch made me uneasy. “What do you mean?” “I want you. I want to feel your body against mine – truly against mine; flesh to flesh for the first time.” “Oh,” I inhaled awkwardly as I felt her reach for the back of my neck. “Of course. We must keep-up the ruse…” Aniya suddenly stared at me in disbelief. “Zaiva… I love you…” “Of course you do. Now, let’s get on with it.” Now she looked hurt. “I… I thought you… did you think it was all an act?” “Of course it’s an act. We’re on a mission to kill the Sultan, are we not? We can’t let the others suspect our true intentions.” She opened her mouth, but only aching croaks came out. All the while, I stared solemnly at her. Why was she so distraught? Did she not have a sense of the importance of our mission? Was there any semblance of appreciation of the gravity of the situation we were in or the consequences we could suffer from failure? It was only as the first beading tears flowed down her face that I suddenly realized that it was I who hadn’t understood. All those countless moments in the Pen together, whispering sweet nothings to each other, it had never been a ruse. It was real – her love was real. How had I never noticed? I had bed plenty of bodies in my career, man and woman alike, so surely I would sense love and affection. Or would I? Had I ever bad someone for more than pleasure? Had I ever loved anything other than my deadly trade? No… no, I had never loved another because I’d never been loved. Visions of my evil mother returned to haunt me… the flames… the snarling face of the first orc I’d killed… the hollow joy known as vengeance… Vengeance. A childhood of trauma had poisoned my soul far more than I ever imagined, for my first great love had been the feeling of killing those who had burned my home, and all the rest of my life I had chased that feeling, loving a profession that would never love me in return… A snapping twig had me looking-up with a start. There, crawling from the underbrush, was the must buxom, naked orc I had ever seen. “Fuck,” I pushed Aniya aside. “It’s Lesh.” The other girls finally noticed the intruder. Those in the pool dipped low to mask their nudity as Victoria (still clothed and high on the rock) pointed at Lesh. “It’s the orc! She’s back!” “No!” Aniya cried. “The coconuts!” Too late, I realized the snarling orc’s true objective. That bitch had spied on us and learned of our mission! Now she was after our poison! I was already rushing out of the lake when Lesh snatched the two coconuts and dashed back into the jungle as quick as her bare feet and bouncing breasts would let her.

Chapter Forty-Five “Is it just me, or did we gain some weight last night?” I turned to find Victoria staring at me expectantly. We had set-out with Aniya and the others on a trek through the jungle, and I could hardly glance back at Victoria before returning my attention to the narrow, winding dirt path trailing over gnarled roots, sprawling ferns, and overgrown boulders. The jungle leaves pressed us from either direction like walls, so much so that we had to hike single-file. Unfortunately, Victoria was behind me. “I think we did,” Victoria insisted as she swept a massive leaf away from her face. “Yesterday when I followed you up that rope bridge, I could see your hip bone on either side of your waist, but now… now there’s no hip bone at all – only soft bulges.” I rolled my eyes, but I feared her words rang true. They certainly felt true: my thighs were brushing against one another much more vigorously than yesterday, and I was beginning to experience an entirely new sensation I was not comfortable with: chafing. My thighs – my firm, muscular thighs – had grown pliably-soft. I could hardly bear dwelling on such things, so I opted instead to call for Aniya before Victoria made more unwelcome observations on my expanding figure. “Aniya,” I spoke firmly. “How much farther? And what exactly are these ‘cups’ you speak of?” “They’re cups,” Aniya replied as she sidestepped an uprooted tree. “Like, remember the words on the table? ‘Eat, sleep, and grow till your cups overflow?’ Well, it’s referencing literal cups.” “Uh, actually,” Pixie called from the very back of the procession. “I think they’re more like giant bird-baths.” “A bird-bath for the bird brain,” I couldn’t resist the verbal jab. “Whatever they are, what’s the purpose of overflowing them?” “It’ll make more sense when you see them,” Aniya said once again. “We’re nearly there, anyway. See? This path’s starting to incline. We’ll reach the mountain’s cliff-face where the Villa is before you know it.” The path was, indeed, ascending, and it was wreaking havoc on my chafing thighs. Sweat beaded on my gleaming thighs as if it were raining, and the skin felt ready to burn. Still, I showed no weakness, for I could never withstand such public shame. Only Aniya’s promise that the hike was nearly over gave me comfort. A stray glance past the shimmering tree canopy betrayed the cliffside’s presence. Dense jungle foliage had masked it from our gaze until now as we hiked beneath its looming height. Like the sandy beaches, it shone blindingly-white in the morning sun, yet as I peered more closely, I could see an imperfection in its white face: a wide gap filled with finely-sculpted walls and towers like a mouthful of grinning teeth. “You see it?” Aniya pointed at the gap. “That’s gotta be the Villa they told us to look for – they told us we’d know when we found it, right? Only problem is… this cliff goes all the way ‘round the mountain, so there’s no way up – ‘cept for the Cup Room, that is.” Aniya pointed to the base of the cliff as it came into view and I let my eyes follow where her finger pointed, but what I saw sent chills down my spine. Did my eyes deceive me? A huge door hewn into the cliff flanked by two humanoid statues? Such craftsmanship could only be for one thing: a place of worship for some unknown deity. I eyed the statues as if they could spring to life in an instant. It wasn’t that I expected such a trap – golems needed joints to move and these statues were hewn from the cliff itself as a single, unbroken piece – my concerns were far greater: what manner of god, goddess, demon, demoness, or thing had this place been made for? The statues’ features offered clues. They were humanoid in shape, yet also feline, wielding claws on their fingers and fangs in their maws. Their pointed ears and whiskers almost seemed to twitch and prick with life, and the swishing curves of their tails denoted action without acting. Such beings were unlike any race I’d ever seen, but were they evil or benign? Either way, any temple that was abandoned was never a good omen. “You good, Zaiv?” Aniya glanced at me, sensing my unease. “I’m fine,” I replied. “Just… chafing.” “Well, we’re almost inside. Come on…” One by one, the girls followed Aniya through the door until I was the last one remaining, yet still I hesitated. There was something about the eyes of the statues that gave me pause. They seemed to glimmer as if alive. They surely were not golems, but I couldn’t shake the feeling we were being watched… “You coming, Zaiv?” Aniya called softly. “It’s all good; I’ve been in here already.” I stepped through the door… and my fears doubled. The Cup Room was a vast chamber ringed with inscriptions in an unknown tongue. Centred in the chamber were three massive stone basins, each half filled with water and painted around their rims: one red, one white, and the last one yellow. Grooves carved in the floor spidered their way from the basins toward the far end of the chamber, where another stone door blocked our progress deeper into the mountain. Aniya spread her arms and back-stepped toward the basins. “Welcome to the Cup Room,” she smiled. “I discovered it.” “I saw it first,” Pixie muttered. “Yeah, but I was the one who solved the puzzle,” Aniya slapped the side of the white basin as she turned to me once more. “So what do you think, Zaiva? I can tell when you’re thinking.” “These aren’t cups,” I said sombrely. “They’re sacrificial altars.” “More like… offering goblets,” Aniya stepped onto the lip of the white basin. “Check this out: we got three cups in three colours that happen to match our outfits. Each one is partially-filled with water.” “’Red, white, and gold…’” Victoria was getting excited as a schoolgirl. “Ah! And then ‘apple, pear, and hourglass!’ The cups match the colours of our pigskins!” “Right?” Aniya nodded. “And don’t forget the next two lines: ‘eat, drink, and grow, till your cups overflow.’ This is it! These are the cups! Now watch this…” Aniya dipped a single foot into the water, followed by the other. She shivered for a moment before crouching low, submerging as much of herself as she could while still eyeing us with a mischievous grin. “Look!” Victoria pointed. “The cup is starting to glow! Magic!” I, however, was uneasy. Magic in an abandoned temple? We were playing with fire. “How’s it feel?” I asked Aniya. “A little cold, at first, but can’t complain,” Aniya stroked the water with her arms and paddled her feet. “The cup’s just glowing to show it’s being used right. Now, you see how the water level is a little higher now? We need to make all three cups overflow to open the next door, and to do that, we need to get fat. I’m sure of it.” Even as she finished her presentation, I was scheming how to avoid such a fate. Having a pair of fat tits complimented my figure, but the price was simply too great. I was bound by duty to kill the sultan, and I needed to be ready for that opportunity when it came. I needed to stay as fit as possible, yet my gods-damned thighs were already chafing! “I have an idea,” I said. “Let’s all get into one cup at a time. We can get them overflowing in a third of the time.” “Yeah, we tried that,” said Aniya. “Lemme show you what happens when you do that. Pixie? Wanna get in the bird-bath with me?” Pixie muttered some curse to herself, but she complied with hardly a flinch as she slipped herself into the cup. No sooner had she settled by Aniya’s side, the cup stopped glowing. “I guess two girls is too much for one cup,” I noted dryly. “Nah, that aint it,” Aniya rubbed Pixie’s shoulder. “Pixie’s just the wrong colour. I’m a white pear and she’s a red apple, you know? But if you match the colours to the cups, things get interesting… hey Lydia? You still there? You’ve been real quiet lately.” The high elf named Lydia had been whispering unheard words to her friend Bobette when Aniya’s call startled her, but quickly recovered, visibly eager to participate. “Yes?” she asked. “You’re a red apple, right? Go ahead and take a dip in the red cup – you too, Pixie.” Slowly, the two girls in red pigskins positioned themselves onto the rim of the red cup. The rest of us watched them with bated breath, anticipating another display of magic, however subtle it may be. The white cup began glowing once more, an omen of what was to come. Then, with a splash, squeal, and another splash, Pixie and Lydia got in the red cup – and its rim began to glow. “So you see how it is,” Aniya said. “We can put as many girls as we can fit into the cups so long as the colours match. Water level’s barely moving now, but I’m sure it’ll get easier to raise it as more stuffers beach onto the island.” “So it would seem,” I said cautiously, pacing between the two glowing cups to look for signs of hexes or curses. “But we haven’t solved the whole riddle yet. For instance, what’s the significance of ‘milk, honey, and albino?’” Aniya stood herself-up in the midst of her cup, stretching lazily as water dripped from her elbows, breasts, and chin. “Well, obviously we gotta eat and drink them. We already found albino food – and in case you didn’t notice, they’re real fattening.” “Quite,” I grumbled, my chafing thighs still touching one another. “So… finding that milk and honey is our next goal.” “Where? There’s no hives or herd animals in sight.” “I’m sure we’ll find some if we explore – and speaking of exploring, I want to show you this amazing bathing spot we found. The water on these cups is too cold to strip in, see…” “Wait,” Victoria’s mouth was gaping. “We can strip?”

Chapter Forty-Four I shared a knowing look with Aniya and Victoria before giving a reply to the three intruders in our room. “So you three saw an orc,” I said as neutrally as possible. “Why are you acting so calm?” Pixie slapped her thigh in frustration before pointing outside. “We saw an orc woman – an orc. Don’t you get it? These boar-toothed brutes are on the island! What if they harass us and call us names and – it’ll be like the Starter Resort all over again!” “I don’t want to go through that again,” Bobette moaned. “What do we do?” asked Lydia. I stretched my body against the hammock to get the last hints of fatigue out of my limbs. The sun was shining through the fluttering leaves into our window, leaving a square of light sparkling on the opposite wall. It had been the first good rest I’d had since my mission had begun – so good, in fact, it was impossible for me to feel concerned for anything at all. “First of all…” I yawned. “I need Victoria to get off of me.” “Oh,” Victoria shifted and jumped-off my back, sending the hammock into a wide, entrancing swing. “Excuse me.” “That’s more like it,” I eased myself to a sitting position before setting my feet down on the wooden floor and standing erect. “Now I can actually think…” “This is serious, Deep Purple,” Pixie insisted with a stomp of her foot that made the softness on her belly quiver. “Don’t you remember how the orcs treated us – treated you?” “Oh, I do,” I replied. “But she’s just one lost orc that drifted ashore with us.” “Wait, you know her?” Pixie’s mouth hung wide as a fish’s. “No,” I lied, feeling too lazy to explain Lesh’s situation again. “Anyway, where did you see her? Is she still around?” The three newcomers looked at each other, wordlessly hoping another would speak first. Finally, Lydia stepped-forward. “I think I saw her first. I was laying in my hammock when I turned towards the window and saw… I saw her perched in a tree branch like a jaguar… looking at me!” “And she was naked!” added Bobette. “Not a shred of linen on her! It was so scary!” “I screamed,” Pixie nodded with fear in her trembling voice. I, however, cocked a sly smile. “Naked, you say? Did she happen to have big tits?” “She did have big tits!” Lydia exclaimed, still fearful. “Round, green tits the size of Pixie’s head!” “Oh, that’s not so big,” I was grinning ear to ear. “Even so, she must’ve outgrown her clothes. How quaint…” “Wait…” Lydia eyed me suspiciously. “I thought you said you didn’t know her?” “I don’t. Let’s say we saw her last night. I never forget a pretty face – or chest.” “But what’s an orc doing here, anyway?” Pixie asked. “I bet there’s a bunch of orcs,” Bobette mused, the flame of conspiracy blazing within her eyes. “They must’ve built these treehouses for us to find and now they have us surrounded – watching us.” “But why would they do that?” asked Pixie. “I don’t know… to mess with us? Maybe it’s some sort of test.” Frustrated, I shook my head and lay my hands on their shoulders goad them to silence. “Now look,” I stared down at their fretful faces. “We can guess all day about what this orc’s up to, but how about we discuss what you actually know instead? Victoria and I just beached yesterday and Aniya tells me there’s instructions inscribed on a table in the main room. Step aside and let me have a look at it.” Aniya had remained on the hammock for the entire conversation, but perked immediately at the mention of her name. Now, as I made my way to the table, she hurried after me like a loyal pup. “Uh, about those instructions…” Aniya yawned before rushing after me. “Hey, wait up…” But I was already at the table. I lay my hands upon its dark, dense wood, brooding over the words carved into its sides for the first time. “These aren’t instructions,” I tapped my fingers against the table. “They’re gibberish.” The words wrapped their way ‘round the edges of the octagonal table, each corner inscribed with a different phrase. “Live, laugh, love,” I read the first corner. “What’s that even mean?” “Keep reading,” Aniya suggested. “Walk around it to read the rest.” I did so, slowly walking with a hand tracing against the inscriptions as Victoria followed closely behind. “Eat, drink, be merry…” I felt my annoyance growing with every step. “Red, white, and gold… apple, pear, hourglass… milk, honey, and albino… eat, sleep, and grow… till your cups… overflow…” There remained nothing more. Somehow, I was more confused than when I’d started. Aniya smiled slyly at me when I turned to her for help again. “Tried to tell ya,” she said innocently. “That’s it?” I slammed my palm against the table. “These are the instructions?” “More like clues,” she shrugged. “This can’t be all we’ve got to go on. Nothing on her makes sense.” “I can’t complain. We spent all that time in the Starter Resort being watched and worked to the bone, but we’re not starters no more. We’re stuffers and we got a whole island all to ourselves. If our instructions don’t make any sense, that just means we get to stay longer and I’m honestly alright with that.” “But why send us to an island in the first place?” “Eh… I don’t wanna question it.” “Aniya,” I was losing my patience. “We can’t stay here forever. We need to get to the Harem as quickly as possible, you understand? So I need you to help me solve this cryptic message.” Aniya was unfazed by my temper. In fact, she seemed to glow with pride. “I already have.” “Then tell me!” She shared a look with her three co-inhabitants before taking my hand. “It’ll make more sense if I show you. Come on… we’re gonna show you the Cups.”

Chapter Forty-Three “Right…” I frowned with a hand drifting over my middle. “So we need to get bigger to enter the Villa. That makes sense…” “No it doesn’t,” Victoria insisted. “Aniya, can you tell us the long explanation next?” “I mean,” Aniya stretched her back and held the pose, twisting gently. “It’s getting’ late… plus, Zaiva owes me a little convo if you know what I mean…” “I do not,” Victoria pouted. Aniya chuckled. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Come on, Zaiva. I’m taking you to my room.” With that, the dark elf took my hand and tugged me into an adjoining bedroom. Like the room before, this one was lit by glowing moss hanging from the ceiling. A potted orchid on a dresser added a warm, orange glow to the room. All details in the room, however, paled in comparison to the roped contraption by the window where a bed should be. It reminded me of the rigging on ships used by crew to climb sails, except this thing was tied to two tree trunks growing through either end of the room. Whatever it was, Aniya was climbing into it. “What?” she smirked as I stared at her reclining on top of the mesh of ropes. “You never used a hammock before?” “I should’ve known not to expect a real bed after all this time,” I sighed. “Climb in,” Aniya spread her arms toward me. “I want us to whisper secrets to each other.” Her words jarred my thoughts back into focus. We may have found ourselves on a tropical island, but we still had a mission to kill – and eavesdroppers could be anywhere. “You don’t think Lesh could have followed us, do you?” I asked as I carefully propped one foot into the netting between her legs. “Naw,” she gently gripped my upper arm to help ease me in. “only way up here is that creaking plank path. We’d hear her trying to get here from a mile away – if she even dares try it without a light.” “So we only have Victoria to worry about.” “Yea,” Aniya wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a light kiss on the lips. “So hurry up and finish jumping-in. I have something to tell you.” It was easier said than done. I may have nearly finished getting in the hammock, but the moment I pulled my remaining foot off the ground, the whole thing swayed so violently I thought we would flip onto the floor. Apparently, Aniya saw it as her chance to squeeze my body tight against her own. We lay there for some time, the hammock rocking us back and forth like a cradle. I was acutely aware that the only thing holding us from a painful drop to the floor was a net of creaking ropes, though I couldn’t see it. All I could see was Aniya’s mouth smiling as the breathed warm air inches from my face. “You were saying?” I whispered as casually as possible. She licked her lips before reaching one hand to the back of my head to nudge it sideways so my ear was at her mouth. “I’ll start with good news… we can take these pigskins off now.” “Truly?” I raised an eyebrow. “Well, maybe not now since we’re so tired, but tomorrow I’ll take you to the beach for a good bathing.” “Fine,” I eased myself into her little body and felt her thighs squirm against me. “But that sounds irrelevant to what I’m sure you were about to tell me.” A suspicious creak sounded from the next room. I glanced toward it and saw nothing, but knew better than to think we were alone. Surely, Victoria had an ear to the door. Aniya tugged my head back to her. “Do you still have it? That flower you picked for me?” I inhaled long and deep, for I was pleased to discuss the flowers that would poison the Sultan. At last, our mission was being discussed – if only in subtle allusions not understood by others. “Of course,” I tapped my collar where I had kept it hidden. “Though it’s dry and brittle now.” “Good,” she leaned closer, so close that I felt her lips brushing my sensitive elven ears and made them twitch. “There’s glass bottles in the house. Tomorrow, we’ll take two of them to the beach. When we strip, we’ll put the flowers inside before bathing in the sea. That way, we’ll preserve them to consummate our bond.” I smirked. “Consummate our bond… I like the sound of that –” We were interrupted by a rude rapping at the door. “Ahem,” Victoria’s voice was miffed. “May I come in? Are you decent?” Without waiting for a reply, the spoiled woman opened the door and barged-in. She froze when she saw us tangled together on the hammock. “What…” she bristled with jealousy. “What is that? What are you even doing?” “Sleeping,” Aniya replied contentedly. “I… no,” Victoria shook her head. “No I refuse. I will not hang from the wall like some silkworm! Aniya, where’s the bed? The real bed?” “I mean…” Aniya shrugged. “There’s another hammock in the next room…” “I will not sleep hanging in the air!” “You should… the critters can’t get you if you’re in a hammock.” A strange noise emitted from Victoria’s throat. “… what sort of critters?” “Crabs…” Aniya replied thoughtfully. “… really long bugs… I might’ve seen a snake yesterday…” “Well, in that case I… I suppose… may I sleep with you?” “No,” I said quickly. But Aniya spoke quicker. “Sure! I missed you both so much.” “Are you sure about this?” I asked. “We’re all heavier than we last met.” “S’all good,” Aniya replied as Victoria began to hop in. “Me and the other girls shared this hammock when we first got here, so you can trust these ropes will hold us.” “I’m actually more concerned about you laying underneath us.” “Aw, so you care about me? Thanks girl… but I actually prefer being at the bottom.” I was mulling the meaning of those words when Victoria awkwardly eased herself into the hammock. She was less nimble than I, and much shorter, which forced her to hop on one foot and pounce on top of us with such force I thought we’d all fall out. Instead, we were swaying like a rowboat caught in a storm. “Eep!” Victoria squealed and squeezed my waist as she pressed her body into my back. “You’re good,” Aniya soothed her by laying her hands over hers. “We’re good. It’s all good.” “It won’t stop swinging,” Victoria moaned. “What if it snaps? What kind of lunatic would invent a giant spider web like this?” “No idea, but you don’t need to worry ‘bout that.” “I can see the floor. How am I supposed to not worry?” “Don’t look at the floor. Focus on Zaiva.” My ears twitched at the mention of my name. “What about me?” I asked. “What are you two doing?” “Feeling you up, of course,” Aniya replied. “Now Vicky, do what I do. Take a deep breath and hold. Hold it… and let it out. Now you got your hands on Zaiva’s waist, right?” “Right,” Victoria replied with her fingers gripping a small band of fat on my sides I hadn’t realized I had. “Good. Reach around a little more and hold her belly.” “Stop,” I snapped. “What are you two doing?” “Trust me, Zaiva,” Aniya squirmed a bit under me to free her own hands to fondle me. “This is nothing compared to what we did in the Pen. Just sit back and let the swaying hammock rock you to sleep.” “I’m scared of the swaying,” Victoria gripped my stomach in fright. “Aight, I’m getting back to you Vicky,” Aniya’s hands found their way to my belly as well. “You focus on this stuffed gut Zaiva’s got. Think of how warm and smooth it is against you palms.” “Yes… I can feel it. So round and smooth… it’s like a roasted zucchini.” “A what?” I grumbled. “You like zucchinis, Zaiva; I’ve seen you eat them,” said Aniya. “And speaking of eating, you must’ve been eating good today. You’re stuffed as a hog. What did you eat today?” “We ate fruits on the beach,” Victoria answered for me, her happiness overcoming her fear. “Fruit grows everywhere here! All kinds… red fruit, green fruit, orange fruit… but my favourite was the white fruit.” “White fruit?” Aniya’s whole body flinched with excitement. “No way! You actually found blessed fruit! You’ll have to show me where you found them tomorrow.” “You don’t think they’re truly blessed, do you?” Victoria’s legs fidgeted just behind my own. “Oh trust me,” Aniya patted my stomach. “Anything white on this island’s way more sweet and fattening than you think. Like, me and the girls found some albino oysters the other day and I swear I felt my ass gain a couple inches overnight. How many did you eat, by the way?” “There were so many… I don’t even know,” Victoria mused. “Oh, how marvellous! Did you hear that, Zaiva? We’re going to gain –” “Yes, yes,” I growled. “I heard everything. Now can you two stop squirming against me so we can sleep?” “I’m sorry, Zaiv,” Aniya said quietly. “I sorta forgot you barely slept tonight.” “Yes, we’re truly sorry,” Victoria lay her head against my back with a sight. “I hope you have it in your heart to forgive us.” Aniya and Victoria sighed with a long, expansive inhale that became a collective yawn. I couldn’t resist to follow suit, and soon the three of us were yawning together, our bodies settling into one another like a litter of blind pups. “I missed nights like this,” Aniya whispered. “All of us cuddled together, feeling each others’ chests rise and fall… I can almost hear your heart beating, Zaiva,” she sighed again and lay her head against my breast. “I missed y’all.” I didn’t answer, for I was too tired and annoyed that we were losing precious time for sleep, but then again… were we truly losing time for sleep? There would be no wakeup call here; no orcs would barge through the door. Here, on this mysterious island none knew of, we were free… Free… the word rang through my very being and had my entire body shivering. We were free. I was free. My whole life, I’d served others’ whims: my mother, the Scorpion Order, my country, the Sultan, the Sword-Sworn orcs… but here there was no one to serve, no duties to fulfil, no metaphysical chains reining me in. Free… not a battle cry, nor a national slogan, but truly free – intoxicatingly free. Such feelings swirling within me were enough to lift my spirits like never before. Elated, I wrapped my hand around the back of Aniya’s head and gave it a kiss. Her long, elven ear flicked at the touch of my lips, and I knew that she was sleeping, and so I committed to do the same. There we slept, three free spirits in paradise, sleeping without a care in the world, awaiting the morning sun. “Wake up! Hey, wake up!” I was instantly roused – as were my fellow hammockers. A wakeup call? Were we back in the Pen? Surely, this was a nightmare… yet the two girls shoving their way into the room were as real as the girls I was wedged between. “Hey, Pixie,” Aniya groaned and stretched the sleep from her body. “Lydia… Bobette. W’sup…?” “Aniya…” Pixie frowned. “Wait, is that Deep Purple and…?” “What about it?” I asked. “Unimportant!” Bobette interrupted. “There’s an orc out there!” I was suddenly wide awake. Lesh was back.

Chapter Forty-Two “I can’t believe you really punched out of those coffins,” said Aniya after I finished my story. “Isn’t there a button or latch on the inside? I forget now.” “You could say I like to punch away my problems,” I replied loud enough for any eavesdropper to overhear – and then, still louder: “Physically.” “Oh, speaking of problems, where’s Lesh? You still haven’t told me why she’s here in the first place.” “It’s a long story,” I deflected the question. “We can talk about it later when we get to this ‘house’ of yours. Also, why were you roaming the beach at night if you didn’t know we were here?” Aniya turned back to grin at me, her face flickering from the torchlight. “I was actually out looking for crabs.” “Crabs?” Victoria gasped. “Whatever do you mean by that? You couldn’t possibly be wanting to eat those atrocious creatures.” “Eyup,” Aniya smirked before turning her attention back to navigating past the dark swarm of crawling beasts. “And nut just any crab but the biggest, juiciest crab you’ve ever seen. There’s an albino crab somewhere out here, and I couldn’t help but notice crabs like the dark.” “An albino coconut crab?” I frowned. “What difference does its colour make?” “It aint just big, it’s juicy,” Aniya chuckled. “Apparently all the white food on this island is blessed to be very delicious and filling. Some local god or goddess is probably doing it, but I dunno… anyway, we made it to the plank-path. We’re almost there!” Aniya had brought us to a cleft in the beach likely formed by a stream small enough to be dammed by a sand-dune left by the high tide. I noticed nothing else but lumbering coconut crabs and bleached sea shells interspersed with half-buried driftwood – till I realized the driftwood lined-up in rows like some kind of pat that led into the treeline. At last, Victoria and I had come across a way deeper into the island. “This island looks big, but you could probs circle around it twice in a day,” Aniya scuffed some sand free of the half-hidden path. “Come on. You’ll love his place.” I followed her steady pace with Victoria close behind. The jungle enveloped us in a sinister darkness filled with the sound of a million rustling leaves, and more than one hanging vine slapped my face. Only Aniya’s shapely black body silhouetted with her flickering orange torchlight gave us comfort. She was like a lighthouse in the fog, a guiding beacon that would take us to our new, secluded home. I caught myself staring at the breadth of her hips gently gyrating with every careful step up the driftwood path. Was she bigger than before, or did the bursting of her pigskin simply give her flexing cheeks room to breathe? So captivating were my thoughts that I didn’t realize that the path was beginning to rise. A careless step forward had the planks of driftwood bobbing slowly like waves in the sea with a resounding, ominous creaking. My arms shot out from my sides of their own accord, but found nothing to hold. A quick glance downward confirmed my suspicions: this “plank path” wasn’t a path at all – it was a rope bridge. “Whoa, easy there, Zaiva,” Aniya chuckled over her shoulder. “You’re a lot heavier than you used to be.” “I’m not –” I caught sight of my thighs flexing for balance and found them to have an extra inch of squish than I expected. “I’m not that heavy.” “Well, you’re definitely taller than me, which means you’re bigger and can rock this thing like an earthquake.” “Aniya?” Victoria called with fright in her tone. “I can’t find the handrails. Could be so kind…?” “Nope,” Aniya replied. “No handrails. Don’t worry; we’re almost there.” Aniya resumed her way up the rope bridge with a spring in her step and a bounce in her cheeks. The light from her torch seemed to fade, but I realized it was because the ground and jungle canopy were pulling away from its revealing glow, leaving nothing to look at – nothing, that is, except Aniya’s flexing cheeks. I had no choice now but to stare straight ahead, and as the bridge rose into the air, Aniya’s flexing haunches were right before my face. She was pacing herself as we rose ever higher and the bridge rocked ever more dangerously. She would glide a foot across the planks, thighs brushing softly against one another before firmly planting it with a quiver of flesh that pulsed up her inner thighs and into her cheeks. The gentle sway of her hips dominated my vision glowing warmly in the torchlight till it was all I saw. It was almost hypnotic… but reality snapped me to my senses when something pressed into my ass. “Mmph!” Victoria’s mouth was muffled with her face between my cheeks. “Gods,” I growled. “Victoria!” Her hands slapped their way across my body before settling at my waist so she could regain her balance. “Guh,” she pulled her face free. “Slow down… please, I beg of you…” Aniya barely glanced back when she replied: “Just do what I do: put one foot in front of the other – like, literally in front. Pretend you’re a jester walking a tightrope during autumn festival.” “I am no fool,” Victoria snapped before squeezing my waist tighter with a whimper. “Please, Zaiva… I don’t want to fall… who knows what’s below?” “One step at a time, girl,” Aniya cooed. “Just hold onto each other and you’ll be fine.” “Don’t,” I muttered. Either Victoria didn’t hear me or didn’t care. She was wrapping her arms around me now, burying her face deep into my lower back – and burying her fingers into my stomach. I stiffened at her touch, for it was making me realize for the first time that I had a belly. It wasn’t that noticeable – else I’d have sensed it earlier – merely a slight padding that oozed around her fingers. A plush coating of fat had found its way around my middle, burying the abs just within. It was enough to send me into a rage but I merely grit my teeth and sucked it in. Hopefully no one noticed – and hopefully my new pounds would settle elsewhere from now on. Our climb continued, and as it did, the rocking subsided. We were approaching the end of the driftwood bridge, and as I looked onwards at Aniya’s ass, a view of leaves and wood came into view just beyond. I could hardly believe my eyes. A great wooden house had been built upon the wide branches of a mighty tree, with spacious rooms splayed-out in all directions. Wooden planks ringed the contours of the house like balconies, and more rope bridges stretched to yet more houses upon more trees unseen in the darkness beyond. “A treehouse,” Victoria gasped. “Lots of tree-houses… oh, how splendid! It’s like those villages the high-elves build on the reservations! Seerah told me all about those.” “Nah,” Aniya smiled at us as she opened the front door. “These are way better – have a look.” Without warning, Aniya dunked her torch flame-first into a bucket behind the door. Victoria yelped and hugged me again, but her fear of the darkness was unfounded. High up in the rafters beyond our reach was a dazzling canopy of hanging moss glowing a dim hue of green and blue, coating the cozy interior with just enough light to trace the outline of well-hewn furnishings. “No fire in the wooden house,” Aniya shrugged. “And no yelling either; the other girls are sleeping in the next house over. I asked if they felt like hunting for crabs, but… I guess they were full.” “So this is the Villa,” Victoria walked around me and sat in a cushioned chair. “Yeah, about that…” Aniya made her way to a large, octagonal table and leaned into it. “This aint it. The real Villa’s carved into this big cliff overlooking a lagoon deeper in the jungle.” “Oh?” I asked. “If this isn’t the Villa, why waste any time getting there?” “Perhaps she’s gotten too comfortable here,” Victoria rubbed the armrests of her chair. “I must say, I’m tempted to follow her example.” “Basically,” Aniya knocked her knuckles on the table. “We’re stuck out here for awhile to fend for ourselves – and our instructions are carved into the surface of this table right here.” I approached the table and leaned curiously over it. “I can see something written,” I squinted. “But this light is faint… it’ll take time for my eyes to adjust.” “I could just tell you what it says,” Aniya replied. “You want the long or short version?” “Short,” I told her. “Well…” Aniya leaned closer, her teeth glowing faintly under the light of the moss. “Basically… we’re not heavy enough to get in. We gotta get bigger – a lot bigger.”

Chapter Forty-One “The crabs!” Victoria moaned. “They’re everywhere!” “Yelling won’t do any good,” I chided her. “They have no ears.” In response, she hugged me by the waist and held me close, no doubt acting the part of the princess in need of rescue she so desperately wished to be. “How shall we ever escape them?” Victoria pressed her head slightly between my breasts to look me in the eye. “I don’t want those foul things violating my body again. What if they pinch?” “Fire might scare them off,” Lesh mused. “One of you’s got to know how to start one. Vicky? Deep Purple? Tell me you can get a fire started.” “Start it with what?” I asked. “I can barely see my fingers, much less any kindling.” “Fuck,” Lesh kicked a palm tree (and I heard something skitter deeper into the darkness). It seemed a new thought came to her, for she gripped the trunk and gave it a shake. “That’s it… we climb.” “Can’t,” I replied. “Well, that’s too fucking bad. I’m not helping you up.” “That’s not it. These are coconut crabs. I’ve heard tales of these beasts. They climb trees like spiders and snip coconuts – or anything else they find.” “Do they eat people?” Victoria asked as she squeezed herself tightly against me. “Hey,” Lesh stared past my shoulder. “Look over there; we got a new problem.” I turned and stared down the beach and instantly found what she was looking at. An orange light was hovering over the sands – a lantern bouncing and shaking with every step of its wielder. The light shone dimly across the sands, revealing a multitude of black, dog-sized crabs lumbering clumsily away from the trespasser on their domain. Lesh looked nervous as she watched the lantern’s steady approach. “We should move before we’re spotted –” “It’s a rescue!” Victoria blustered. “Hey! Hello? We’re over here!” The figure holding the lantern paused, listening from its island of flickering light. There was an overhang on the upper rim of the lantern that blocked light from shining upwards toward the figure’s face, but from what I could see, the figure was a woman and her bare-thighed, skintight outfit was white. “We’re over here!” Victoria yelled louder. The woman raised the lantern higher for a better look at us – and inadvertently giving us a better look in return. “Vicky?” said the familiar voice. “Is that you?” “Aniya,” I stared in disbelief. “I can’t believe it…” “It’s Aniya!” Victoria was so relieved, she nearly forgot the crabs and had to stop herself from sprinting toward our saviour. “Uh… Aniya come hither! We need your assistance!” “I don’t think you’re in danger, but aight,” Aniya approached our hiding spot between a cluster of palms (though she had to sidestep several crabs). “Hey… is that you, Zaiva?” “It’s me,” I replied. “It is you!” Abandoning all caution, Aniya rushed across the sand and into my arms. The lantern singed my back when it swung from the force of her embrace, but I hardly noticed. “So you thought of me after all,” Aniya heaved a happy, blissful sigh as she nestled her head into my chest. “I was hoping you’d figure it out.” “Um, yes,” Victoria hovered by my side, slightly indignant at being left out. “And I thought of her, if you know what I mean.” “Who wouldn’t think of Zaiva?” Aniya was unfazed by Victoria’s jealousy. “I mean… look at her! Look how round and plump her thighs have gotten – and her boobs… they’re like a pair of purple coconuts. No wonder you got a crab issue. So what are you two doing sleeping out here?” “Two?” Victoria looked around. “Hey… where’s Lesh?” I turned to look back where the disgruntled orc had been standing, but was greeted by darkness. Lesh was gone. “Who’s Lesh?” asked Aniya. “It’s a long story,” I said neutrally. “A better question is what are you doing on the beach this late?” “Eh… that’s also a long story. Why don’t I take y’all back to my place? We can talk about everything there – everything.” “A place?” asked Victoria. “you mean you found the Villa?” “Just come with me and see,” Aniya began walking. “It’s not far.” With no better options, I followed the newfound accomplice with Victoria close behind – and surely, just out of site, Lesh was stalking us as well.

I misread this as “John Smith’s Girlfriend” and started getting flashbacks 😨

Chapter Forty Together we set out across the beach and sought a crack in the cliffside that could lead us into the island’s shady interior. Alas, what gaps we found were too overgrown and steep to dare crawl through – especially with our skin gaping through our pigskins (and in Lesh’s case, her exposed legs under her leather kilt). So it was that we tread our way down the sandy white beach, with the waves rolling to our left, the cliffs looming to our right, and trees hanging heavily overhead with a bounty of fruits never seen before. It was one such fruit that Victoria had plucked from the sand and proceeded to dust lightly as we continued our slow, casual treading. “Well, at least we won’t starve here,” Victoria mused as she eyed the round, white fruit. “Are you sure you can eat that?” I asked. “Oh, don’t be like that,” Lesh said with the faintest hint of malice in her voice. “Go ahead, Vicky. Eat up. How’s it taste? Feel any different?” “Mm!” Victoria’s mouth was already full, having carved a wide bite from the mystery fruit, revealing juicy, yellow innards within it. “It’sh good! Sho good!” “I guess that checks out,” I said thoughtfully. “They wouldn’t send us somewhere dangerous, right Lesh?” “I’m not a fucking stuffer, so I don’t know shit about this place,” Lesh said firmly. “All I know is we box y’all stuffers and float you downstream… so what’s our beer snob think of the taste? Try to describe it in one breath this time.” Victoria swallowed and smiled thoughtfully. “Hm… crispy. There’s a fizzy texture when you bite it that reminds me of sparkling wine.” “So it’s good?” I asked. “Oh, it’s good – here, have a bite.” I reached for the white fruit she was holding-out – only for Lesh to snatch it away. “Uh, fine… whatever,” I grumbled. Lesh bit greedily into the fruit, her tusks sinking deep and tearing chunks away She glared defiantly at me, no doubt eager to fight for any excuse. Victoria, meanwhile, looked as if she were unsure whether to complain or run in terror. I glanced warily at the two girls, contemplating the building tension and weighing my options. A fight would be entertaining, but I deserved my peace and quiet after so much hardship, and so I patted Victoria on the shoulder and smiled at her to console her. “No big deal,” I told her softly. “She didn’t eat that feast with us, remember? Come on. There’s more fruit out there.” With that, we set out once more, two stuffers following the beach with a sword-sworn orc stuffing her face just behind us. There were, in fact, plenty of fruits to feed upon. The first white fruit was followed by countless more, as well as coconuts, bush-fulls of berries, a bizarre ground-fruit that looked like a giant pinecone, and a dizzying myriad of edibles of every colour imaginable. Plenty abounded all around us, and our hands and mouths were never empty for long. It seemed that our journey had become a culinary adventure. With each newly-discovered food, Victoria would take the first cautious bite. This suited me, for I wasn’t in a hurry to be poisoned again, and I could tell Lesh felt the same, but as the day wore on, such caution became a formality. It seemed nothing on this island was dangerous. In fact, the fruits we found were the freshest, most delicious we’d ever had – so much so that we never stopped eating. It was only as the sun began to set over the blazing, orange sea that we stopped for shelter beneath a tight cluster of palm trees. None of us knew how to kindle a campfire, but with the air so hot and humid, it was almost a relief that night had finally come – almost, for it was getting too dark to find more fruit. “Ooh…” Victoria slumped against a palm tree, the sunken sun outlining the swollen crest of her belly. “I didn’t realize how much we’d eaten today. Look how stuffed I am.” “We?” Lesh leaned against another palm tree with her arms folded over her tits (no doubt to hide the fact they were leaking). “You two may have stuffed your faces, but don’t think I’m like you.” “But didn’t you eat the same as us?” asked Victoria. “Doesn’t matter,” Lesh’s arms squeezed tighter over her chest. “No one gets fat on fruit. It’s mostly water… the fuck you looking at, Deep Purple?” “Just looking for a couple melons,” I replied. Lesh seemed ready to pounce upon me, but before that could happen, Victoria raised her hand. “Um, I was wondering something,” Victoria grunted slightly to angle herself toward us. “Why are you with us, Lesh?” I stiffened, for it was only then that I realized how clueless Victoria truly was. Of course, I couldn’t simply explain to her my midnight walk that had resulted in Lesh’s current condition, but then again, neither could Lesh. To do so wouldn’t just be unbearably embarrassing for her, it would rob her of what little dignity she had left. And so I held my tongue. I was curious to see what excuses and lies she told, for the truth would eventually come out – straight through her shirt. “It doesn’t matter,” Lesh snarled. “I was betrayed – stabbed in the fucking back. When we reach the villa, I’m finding a way off this island and you’ll never see me again. That’s all you need to know. Now hit the sack and get some sleep.” “Let’s,” Victoria replied, satisfied. “Hopefully this bloating is gone by morning… um…” I felt her staring at me even though the sun’s light was gone. “What?” “Can we…?” she reached for me with open arms. No doubt, she yearned to be held. “Too hot,” I replied. “I’m still sweating from our walk.” “Oh… then perhaps…?” she turned to Lesh. “Go to sleep!” Lesh snapped. Victoria quailed at the harsh tone and curled into a ball, holding herself as best she could. Stars still sparkled in the sky when I was awoken by Victoria’s voice once more. “Zaiva…” she whispered with barely-contained panic. “Zaiva…” I turned wearily toward her – only to gasp wide-eyed, my weariness forgotten. There, crawling across Victoria’s lap, the faintest hint of a most hideous creature shown in the moonlight. “H-help…” Victoria squeaked. “It’s c-cr-crawling on me…” My shock ebbed from my veins with every deep, rattled breath as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The creature’s hardy skin became clearer to me and a passing memory returned to me of a tall tale shared by a far-traveling assassin back at the fortress: a tale of the most fearsome armoured sea creature to crawl across the sands. “Coconut crab,” I whispered. “Gods… it’s bigger than I thought.” “Shh!” Victoria begged. “You’ll make it angry.” The poor girl tried desperately to blow air at the crab’s face, but in vain. The crab was creeping closer, its pincers getting ever-nearer to her breasts… her round, coconut-sized breasts…” “Hey,” Lesh stirred angrily from her sleep. “Someone better be dying to wake me up like – what the flying fuck is that?” Victoria moaned as the crab continued its crawl across her body. She was on the brink of screaming – until Lesh kicked the crab into the dark void of the night. A faint splash was the last I heard of the creature. “Fucking hells!” Lesh kicked a rock for good measure. “Can’t even sleep right…” Victoria screamed and pointed towards the churning sea. When I followed her gaze, I felt my hopes for a full-night’s rest were extinguished. The beach was crawling…