Crusade Gone Awry Ch. 18

Minerva jerked up to her feet, prepared to run. The alraune didn't spray. Instead, the woman inside peeked out. Like all alraunes, she had blue skin, completely black eyes, and green leaves for hair. She leaned forward on the flower, almost like a cat. She motioned towards Minerva to join her on it, grinning widely. For her part, the pigwoman growled and shrieked at the alraune, likely trying to warn her about what the Demon Queen ordered. The alraune pouted childishly. She then casually shrugged and did something that absolutely bewildered all of them.

Without a single moment of hesitation, the alraune reached up to her head, plucked the stem from it, and stepped off the flower.

Minvera took several steps backward, her mouth hanging wide open. That was...impossible! Alraunes were a single being! The stump and the body inside were all one! They COULDN'T separate like that! Nothing like that had ever happened before! And yet...Minerva was staring at an alraune standing without its stump right in front of her! The monster stood rather cutely, stretching her arms behind her and smiling. Minerva turned back to the other pigwomen to make sure she wasn't losing her mind. They were just as flabbergasted as her. Minerva turned back to the new creature in front her, sweating profusely. The pigwoman then asked what the alraune wanted. The monster only grinned and shrugged. Minerva relaxed a little. At least she wasn't attacking. However, this was entirely unprecedented. Could that alraune still spray? Was she some sort of new monster? Could the others do that? What did this even mean? Minerva lowered the cloth from her face. There was only one person could make that decision.

*

"What the fuck is this!?" Lilly shrieked, standing up from her throne. A sweaty Minerva just kept motioning towards the creature beside her, unable to explain. The alraune gazed around the tent absent-mindedly. She seemed to be taking everything in, like a tourist. Lilly looked on in shock. There was a naked plant woman in front of her in all her glory. Her blue skin lacked any hair whatsoever. She had all the anatomical parts of a human, down to her ample breasts, which had a lighter shade of blue around the nipples. Lilly took a moment to think. She remembered her father telling her about the alraunes. When the first ones were born, they didn't have the flower stumps. It was only after they found water sources, they grew them...at least that was kind of what she remembered. Ever since, the alraunes reproduced by spores and the stump was an inherent part. Was this one somehow like they originally were?

"How are you walking around like this?" Lilly asked. The alraune turned to her, tapping her cheek with her finger. The plant person didn't communicate with words, it seemed, but thanks to Lilly's connection she could hear it.

The alraune communicated that when she was growing up, her stem always felt loose. While all the other alraunes communicated with each other through their roots, she never could. She also could never spray any of the dust. She always had a weak connection with her stump. Knowing that she may never actually find prey, she decided to take the opportunity with Minerva close by to try and negotiate for one. Clearly not understanding that becoming her prey is horrifying to others, Minerva declined. Realizing that also wasn't going to work, the alraune decided to take her chance and pull the stem off. And...it worked! And now she was here!

Lilly knew this whole thing had bizarre implications. Could the alraunes be separated from their stumps? Did they even need the stumps? Could that give them a new lease on life? Is this one just a mutation?

"So, you can't produce the dust?" Lilly asked.

The alraune smiled sheepishly. That, apparently, wasn't the case. She leaned forward and lifted the fronds on her leaf hair. Pink dust tumbled out onto the sand, causing Minerva to skitter away in a panic. The dust didn't scatter, however, it simply poured out. Once a pile of it formed, the alraune raised back up and shrugged. So, the bodies actually produced the dust, not the stumps. The stem simply carried it into the roots.

"So," Lilly said. "We now have a mobile unit that produces the dust. Listen, there's a lot of things you're going to have to know if you're going to live among us, but I'm willing to give you a chance. I'm gonna call you...Rose. How about that?"

Rose quickly nodded, but then communicated something that rankled Lilly a little. Now that Rose was no longer immobile, she was going to need to feed soon.

"How do you propose we feed you without destroying someone's brain?" the demon asked.

Technically, according to Rose, they didn't need to break people's brains. It was just easier to use them in the flower if they were broken. Alraunes also prefer males, as it was easier to get nectar from them after the anatomy change as well. Essentially, she could make someone a source of food, ruin their reproductive ability, and let them keep their sanity. Could Lilly sentence any of her subjects to such treatment? She could force one of the pigmen to do it, but the demon needed their cooperation and they had obeyed her so far. She couldn't punish them for a mistake they hadn't made yet. The only other options at the camp were foxmen or the catarians, but none of them would volunteer and it would be tyrannical to force one.

"How much longer can you go without eating?" she asked.

Rose wasn't sure. She wasn't hungry yet. She could probably go a little longer, but she didn't know how long.

"Alright, we're going to move you to the front with my spies. Until then, I want you to do nothing. I mean it. You lay down and we'll carry you around. We'll find you some prey among the crusaders. Until then, you behave. You may represent a new way forward for your people. I don't want to be forced to kill you for disobeying."

Rather than be scared, Rose only shrugged. Life and death were just a reality for alraunes. They could find prey, or they could starve. They dealt with this as a fact, so she wasn't as afraid as Lilly wanted her to be. At the very least, she was willing to cooperate. Rose then immediately laid down and stretched, intending to start her lazing around immediately. Lilly stared off into the distance, heaving a big sigh. She did ask for this...although she would have liked to have Rose lay down in a cart or something first.

"Start carrying her around," Lilly ordered Minerva. The pigwoman glanced at the demon, clearly afraid to follow that order. "Just...do it! Get her to the front as fast as possible! We may not even need to risk your live to get the alraune dust at all if this works out."

*

"Are you out of your damn mind!?" Fahad, leader of the centaurs, demanded. Ermina and Tay had met him behind an outcropping of rocks a good distance from the crusader camp. He clearly wished he hadn't obeyed the summons.

"I mean, no, but she is!" Tay said, clearly still uncomfortable.

"Absolutely not!" Fahad added.

"There isn't really a choice here," Ermina added sheepishly. "If we don't, she'll rat us out and they'll start checking the horses."

"How is that my problem?" the centaur leader demanded. "You're the ones that screwed up! You can report that to the Demon Queen!"

"We would also have to report that you refused to give her what she wanted," Tay added. "We screwed up, but you torpedoed our work." Fahad grimaced as his hooves shifted in agitation.

"Tay, you're not being fair," Ermina said to her human companion. "We're the ones who got caught."

"I know!" the crusader responded. "But it's not like we can get un-caught. It's just the situation we're in, whether we like it or not."

Ermina sighed. He was kind of right. She turned to Fahad. "If you don't want to do it, you can order one of the others..."

"Oh, like that would be fair!" Fahad interrupted. "If anyone has to do this, it has to be me! I made a vow Ermina! Just because you tossed it away doesn't mean the rest of us did!"

"Varra not asking you to sire her children!" Tay interjected. "She's just a little...kinky. She gets off on horse play, literally. So, she acts like a horse, you act like a horse, and then you both get off. No big deal."

"Why does that sound familiar?" Fahad asked, narrowing his eyes at the human.

"Yes, I wonder!" Ermina added, slowly turning towards Tay as well. The human blushed and shrunk back a little. He regretted sharing his fetish at all at this point.

"Let's not make this about me! She agreed to meet you out here when the sun goes down. She'll keep our secret, and she may even start feeding us info! It's a win-win!"

"Yeah, I totally feel like I'm winning," Fahad said flatly. "Fine. I'll get this over with quickly and get back to my job!" He then turned, hid himself with magic, and trotted away. As soon as he left, Tay let out a long sigh of relief.

"That went better than expected!" he said with a nervous smile.

Ermina's eyes slowly turned towards him again, still clearly angry.

"Considering it's your horse-loving ex-girlfriend we're dealing with," she growled. "I doubt it'll go that smoothly."

"What? She wasn't my girlfriend!"

"So, you just sleep with anyone in a horse-themed outfit? Good to know." Ermina attempted to trot away, but Tay stepped in her way and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, hey! Wait a minute! Look, I may have gotten my...fetish from her, but I didn't have a relationship with her. It was a casual thing. It's not like that with you."

Ermina lifted her eyebrow. "How can I be sure of that."

"Ermina, I showed more of myself to you than I have anyone else. You accepted me, despite all the things you learned, and you were even willing to do the weird things that turned me on. I learned about you too. I saw the things you lost and what made you the way you are. I didn't have sex with you because you're a centaur, I had sex with you because I came to love you. Varra doesn't mean anything to me. You mean the world to me. I love you."

Ermina cut her blue eyes away, trying not to get too flushed. Those were much sweeter words than she was expecting. Tay must have been really worried she was going to leave him. Well, as long as that woman stayed away from him that was good enough for her, she supposed.

"I love you too," she said quickly. She then turned her eyes back to him. "but I'm never going to like that woman."

"I'm not asking you to. Honestly, I wish she wasn't here. After this is done, I'm going to tell her to stay away from me."

"Good. Now, we have to get back to work. I don't want Fahad to get any madder than he already is."

*

A group of cockatrices gathered around a random spot out in the desert. They had been ordered to do so by the Demon Queen, but the details weren't clear. In truth, Lilly didn't exactly know what to tell them, other than they were getting a brand-new addition to their team. After a while milling about, one of them shouted and pointed. A group of pigwomen were approaching. They were pulling a cart along in the desert on a sled, as wheels would sink in the sand. Mirat emerged out of the front of the group. Oren was a small distance away, caring for the lagomorphs out of sight of everyone else. Mirat found this adorable but didn't say anything as she knew that Oren wouldn't like that kind of attention. He was such a weird human.

The cart ground to a halt and the few pigwoman nervously got off the camels. As they couldn't understand one other, they didn't speak to the cockatrices. Instead, one of them went to the back, where the actual bed of the cart was covered with a sheet. She made motions towards the cockatrices to indicate they should remain calm. Puzzled, Mirat just nodded at her. The pigwoman then grabbed she sheet and pulled it off.

All of the cockatrices gasped and stepped backwards. Mirat's eyes were incredibly wide. An alraune without her flower popped up, smiling and spreading her arms wide. Almost instantly, the cockatrices began muttering and squawking among themselves, shocked. Rose, for her part, scuttled off the cart. She then held out a note towards Mirat, assuming she was the leader. The cockatrice carefully took it before stepping away again. She read the note and furrowed her brow.

"This is Rose," Mirat announced to the others. "Apparently, she's an alraune that separated from her stump. The Demon Queen has ordered us to find her men for her to transform and feed on."

"Why would we do that?" a cockatrice asked. Rose answered that one herself, as she bent over, lifted the leaves on her head, and a healthy amount of the pink dust dumped onto the sand. The cockatrices took several steps back, but the dust didn't spray in all directions, it only pooled. One of the pigwomen reached into the cart and came away with a small, breakable jar. She scooped up the pink dust without touching it, put the lid on the jar, and then made a motion like she was going to throw it. She then held it out to Mirat, who took it.

"Oh! I see!" Mirat said. "We can use her dust as a weapon. It'll make the crusaders go mad with lust and they'll be delirious!"

Rose winked and gave a thumbs-up. Mirat furrowed her brow again. She wouldn't have figured the alraunes would be so...peppy? Rose then looked down and rubbed her stomach, indicating she was getting hungry. She was going to need to be fed soon.

Mirat paused and tapped one of her claws on her face. How could she do this? The crusaders were approaching the oasis where they were supposed to be abandoned, but they were still marching at this point. There was a group that broke off and were heading back to Tarbat, but they were already too far from here. They would have to attack the main column, but how? That was when Mirat had an idea.

"Wait, how many of those pots can you make us?" the cockatrice asked. Rose thought for a moment. She then held up five fingers, but then motioned towards her stomach and rubbed it faster. Making more dust would make her hungrier. "That dust, it would make the men chase us, wouldn't it?" Rose nodded as if it were obvious. Mirat rubbed her hands together.

"Okay!" she announced loudly. "I think this might be mutually beneficial for all of us!" She turned to the other cockatrices. "Ladies, I think we've all been without mates for long enough! I have a plan!"

*

Oren was hidden with magic on top of a rocky outcropping. Not too far away was the marching line of crusaders. He was watching and waiting for a particular soldier to appear. On the other side of the rocks were Mirat and Sharae. The much smaller cockatrice was gripping her bottle of garlic tightly and shaking a little. She was trying to hide the fact that she was excited but was failing. Mirat was trying to keep her calm, petting her head.

"We're almost there, sweety," Mirat said. "just hold on. Oren, is he there yet?"

"Not yet!" her husband replied. "I don't see any royal guards! You did say he was near the end of the column, right?"

"Yes! Just keep an eye out!"

Oren groaned and put his hand over his eyes. If he wasn't bound to Mirat, he swore! The majority of the crusaders had already gone by, with most of them already arriving at the oasis. He had been in the sun all day, simply waiting. Mirat had this plan he wasn't entirely sold on to attack the end of the column. Apparently, the cockatrices were ready to find their mates at this exact incredibly inconvenient moment. He decided not to sweat the details. He was a pretty fast runner, so if things went sideways, he could probably get away...but Mirat might stand and fight.

The human grimaced and scanned the line again. Finally, he saw someone in glittering armor.

"Wait, is that him?" Oren asked. In a split-second, Sharae leapt onto the rock beside him, causing him to jump.

"Yes! That's him!" the small cockatrice said. Oren gave her a side-eye but returned his gaze to the line. As the man came into view, his face melted into surprise.

"That's not just any royal guard," he began. "That's Holdin."

"Holdin..." Sharae said slowly.

"He's not just a royal guard, he's captain of the royal guard!"

"Captain..." the cockatrice repeated.

"Is there an echo out here?" Oren complained. Mirat smacked him on the leg, causing him to let out a little yelp, but didn't say anything. He groaned and turned back to his duty. They were almost at the proper point.

"Almost there," Oren warned. Mirat nodded and lifted one of her claws. "Almost...almost... NOW!"

A bright light shot straight up into the sky. When it reached a certain height, it loudly exploded.

The line of crusaders ground to a halt. Captain Holdin drew his blade and began to shout orders.

"Form up! Back to back!" All of the soldiers obeyed, forming two lines, each pointing outwards on either side of the line. Holdin gripped his sword tightly, ready for the attack. For a time, there was nothing but silence. Suddenly, another explosion rocked the desert. This time it was from further along the line, towards the oasis. There was a huge explosion of sand, and a pit opened. In the matter of seconds, the end of the line Holdin commanded was cut off. Before he could give orders to reform the line, a huge blast of wind swept over them. They were consumed by blowing sand, and in a matter of moments they were blinded. Holdin attempted to yell orders, but it was swallowed up by the noise. He grit his teeth, hating the fact that these monsters were getting the better of him.

Abruptly, someone grabbed his arm. He turned to attack but saw that it was a fellow member of the royal guard, riding on a horse. He must have come to their rescue. The rider quickly pointed in the direction of two dunes, indicating they should head in that direction. Disoriented and without a proper plan, Holdin nodded. He reached to the soldier next to him and motioned for them to follow. That soldier did the same to the ones beside him and the chain continued. Like this, the line of soldiers began to move, the guard on the horse leading them. After marching for what seemed like forever, Holdin saw that the path between the dunes led down to a large desert basin made of stone. The wind blew over it, rather than down in it, so they would be shielded. The group of men piled into the basin, close to a hundred of them. Once it was done, Holdin gave orders for them to form up and prepare for battle. He then attempted to turn to the man on the horse to ask what to do next...but he wasn't there. For a few confused seconds, Holdin swiveled his head around, trying to find him. Then there was a rumbling noise. A huge avalanche of sand poured over the edges of the basin, quickly turning the walls into steep hills of sand, making it difficult to climb them.

Holdin cursed his luck. They led him into a trap! If they tried to climb those sand hills it would only fill the basin more! Even if they got to the top, the enemy would likely be waiting for them. He gave orders for the men to gather in the center and face outwards and they obeyed. They gathered around with a large bush in the center, their weapons drawn. The wind had stopped and now they were in complete silence, waiting for the attack. Abruptly, one of the men in the center of the group screamed.

"What the hell!?"

Everyone turned towards the center. The bush they had gathered around was no longer a bush. Instead, it was a woman with blue skin, black eyes, and leaves for hair. She was grinning and holding her hands up, as if to say "surprise!" The men in the center of the group clamored away from her, knocking over many others. For a few moments, it was clumsy chaos, and that was what Rose had been hoping for. She shrugged, put her thumb in her mouth, and blew hard against it. In an instant, a huge plume of pink dust blasted out of her head, billowing in all directions, coating the soldiers around. Holdin saw what was happening but was powerless to do anything. He tried to push men out of the way, but the ones on the inside were trying to get out and the ones outside were trying to get in. Just as he was getting close to the center, he heard the sound of something shattering. He turned his head to see a pot sailing at one part of the crush of men. The moment it hit one of them, it exploded apart, and a plume of the pink dust scattered among his men. He watched in futility as three more of them came sailing over the dunes, striking different points in the line, coating most of the soldiers. The only people that seemed untouched were himself and those in his immediate vicinity.