Fall of the Star Sentinels Ch. 04

The first thing Zaina noticed, as the maelstrom of darkness around her finally dissipated, was the scent. As Sentinel Pink, she'd fought all kinds of demons and monsters. Most of them smelled vile. None of them had ever smelled like this: like fruit, and sugar, and fine spices. The aroma was so heavenly, it brought a happy smile to Zaina's face - before she remembered where she was, and what was happening.

Zaina looked around herself. Where was she? She remembered the church, but this wasn't the church. Not anymore. But wherever she was, she knew it had to be dangerous. Even if it didn't look dangerous. As far as she could tell, it was some kind of dining room. No; that term wasn't grand enough. It was a banquet hall. The walls of the huge room were sun-baked stone, and it was open to the sky, allowing the steaming, humid air in. It reminded Zaina of some of the old palaces she's visited with her mother and father on some of their family vacations back home to Morocco. An ornate, wood-carved table ran the whole length of the room, surrounded by plush, velvet couches for the diners to recline on as they ate. What was truly magnificent, though, was the food. The dining table was piled high with every kind of delicacy Zaina could imagine, and many she couldn't. There were meats, stews, vegetables, baskets of fruit, pastries, sweets, cakes, pies... it was endless.

Zaina's eyes went wide at the display of opulence. She no longer had to wonder what that amazing smell was. The magical girl blushed as, despite her situation, her stomach rumbled audibly. She was in the bad habit of skipping meals, and it had been a while since she'd had more than a snack to eat. The sight of such a feast couldn't fail to arouse her appetite. After a moment, though, she made herself drag her mind away from food. There were more important things at hand. None of this was real, she reminded herself. It couldn't be. This had to be some kind of trick. And if so, she likely had a demon to hunt. That was what she should be thinking about. Not the amazing, delicious, appetizing things set out in front of her. Zaina swallowed awkwardly, her mouth already watering. Focusing might be a little harder than she'd thought.

"Hello, my darling." Zaina jumped halfway out of her skin at the sound of the rich, mature, feminine voice. "I'm so pleased to see you made it here unscathed."

Zaina hurriedly cast about, and soon located the source of the voice. At the far end of the table from her, reclining on one of the couches, was a woman. No, Zaina realized, as she got a better look. Not a woman. A demon. There was no mistaking it. The creature before her wasn't human. The demon's skin was tinted a light shade of purple-grey, and its hands and feet ended in wicked talons. Her eyes were black, save for a deep, infernal light burning within them, and a pair of horns emerged from her forehead, woven and interlocked together like a crown of thorns set mockingly on her brow. Most tellingly of all, the creature had a long, scaled, prehensile tail, which she was currently using to idly feed herself a bundle of grapes. Strangely, though, none of those things were what was most remarkable about her. Instead, rather than her horns or her tail, Zaina simply couldn't take her eyes off the demon's body.

So many words came into Zaina's head as she stared, dumbstruck, at the demon, but none of them seemed sufficient to encapsulate what she was looking at. The one word that came up more than any other was 'thick'. The demoness was undeniably fat, but in truth, her proportions went beyond anything that Zaina knew how to describe. She was impossibly curvaceous. Every part of her - her breasts, her belly, her hips, her thighs, her ass - jiggling appealingly with even the slightest movement, her incredible curves inviting Zaina to imagine how soft and luxurious her body might feel. Focusing was only going to get harder. It certainly didn't help that what the demon was wearing could hardly be described as 'clothing'. She was dressed all in silks, in what seemed like a series of sheer, overlapping veils. It was a clearly expensive, shamelessly decadent way to dress; an outfit suitable only for some kind of fertility goddess. The silks left much of her body on display, and they were so transparent that even the parts of her that were covered were still more-or-less visible. Zaina was left in doubt about just how soft and curvy the demon was. Zaina had never seen anyone with such huge breasts, with such a smooth, soft, rounded tummy, with such wide, child-bearing hips or such an incredibly fat, plush ass. The plump demon was totally spread out across her reclining couch, clearly completely unashamed of her body. Zaina's swallowed awkwardly. Maybe the food wasn't the only thing that had her mouth watering.

"Who are you?" she cried out, and immediately felt foolish. It was a pretty silly question. This was a demon. The demon that had transported her here, and that she needed to defeat. Zaina mentally cursed herself. She really needed to get better at this if she was ever going to be as cool as Akemi or Riley.

"Me?" The demon smiled indulgently, without a hint of mockery or disdain on her face. "I am Gluttony. You know, the sin?"

"Oh, right." Zaina nodded. It made sense, given the food and her form. Then, she surreptitiously pinched herself. It was time to get serious. "Gluttony!" she cried. "I am Sentinel Pink! Prepare to die, foul demon! In the name of the stars, I'll punish you!"

Zaina thought she sounded pretty imposing, even if Gluttony seemed largely untroubled. But her bold declaration was undercut just moments later, when her stomach rumbled very loudly, the unmistakable noise echoing all throughout the banquet hall. Zaina's face slowly turned a deep shade of crimson.

"Oh! You poor thing," Gluttony exclaimed. Zaina was surprised at how motherly and benevolent the demon sounded. "You look starved. Why not eat something first? There's plenty to go around." She giggled.

The bald-faced sincerity of Gluttony's offer took the wind out of Zaina's sails. "Um... no thanks," replied the young Star Sentinel. "That's obviously a trick."

"It's not! I promise." The demon's face was utterly guileless.

"Yes. Yes it is!" Zaina stamped her foot. This was becoming absurd.

"There's nothing wrong with any of this food! Here, let me show you."

Gluttony reached forward from the couch and plucked up a small piece of Turkish delight from the table in front of her. Lifting it to her mouth, she quickly devoured it, revealing a set of razor-sharp fang in the process. Zaina barely even noticed them, though. She was too preoccupied staring at the look on Gluttony's face. The demon ate with an expression of such utter bliss and contentment, like that single piece of confection was the most delicious thing in the entire world. She relished every little last crumb, even taking a moment to lick the sugar from her fingers with her long, serpentine tongue once she was finished. Then, Gluttony sighed with contentment, a simple motion that nonetheless had her breasts heaving in a way that Zaina couldn't help blushing at.

Zaina's stomach rumbled again. She couldn't believe how much pleasure Gluttony had taken in eating, or how shameless she had been about it. Watching her eat made Zaina feel strangely embarrassed, like she was doing something wrong. Her parents - especially her mother - had been very firm with her about the need to eat in moderation and keep in shape. Whenever she ate too much, it was like she could still hear her mother's voice in her ear, scolding her. It was why she ended up skipping so many meals. Ever since she was young, Zaina had been self-conscious about her body, and the feeling had only gotten worse as she'd realized she was transgender and transitioned. She couldn't imagine having a body like Gluttony's, or indulging as hedonistically as she'd just seen the demon do.

"You see?" Gluttony asked Zaina, once she'd finished. "They're not poisonous, silly. Perfectly safe. I know you want to fight, but if you're hungry, why not eat something first?"

Zaina wanted to. She really did. She'd never felt so hungry before in her life. Something about the amazing smells of all the food set out in front of her and the way Gluttony had shown such raw pleasure as she ate had teased her appetite to the point of desperation. But still, she knew it was wrong. Eating anything on the table was a terrible idea. In all likelihood, Gluttony's little demonstration meant nothing. It could still be a trick. Zaina knew there was far too much at stake to be taking stupid risks. Her friends could be in danger. She couldn't let Akemi down. And yet... could she really beat Gluttony on an empty stomach? As innocent as she looked, Zaina was sure a demon of her rank would be truly dangerous in a head-to-head confrontation. Zaina's hunger was gnawing at her. She was imbued with the magical power of starlight, but that didn't mean she could ignore her body's needs. Maybe just a little food would make things easier. At the very least, it would take the edge off her hunger, making her less distracted. Deep down, Zaina knew she was simply letting temptation get the better of her, but the more she thought about it, the better of an idea it seemed. She should eat something.

But what? Zaina looked up and down the table. There were so many delicacies that looked so very appetizing, but the magical girl was trying to focus on what seemed the least risky. After a few moments, Zaina's eyes settled on a simple bowl of fruit, nestled between a collection of sweet pastries. Atop the bowl of fruit was a bright, red, juicy apple. It was so plump and ripe it made her eyes go wide and round, despite how simple it seemed compared to some of the other treats on offer. She couldn't go wrong with choosing an apple, could she? An apple had to be safe, right? It was just an apple. Even as she fought a mental battle to rationalize her choice, Zaina's hand was already reaching out to take hold of the apple and lift it to her mouth. Once it was close to her face, she caught a hint of the apple's sweet, perfect scent, and that sealed the deal. She couldn't hold back. Zaina bit into the apple.

The moment she felt her teeth sink into the apple's skin, Zaina moaned. She couldn't help it. She couldn't believe how good it tasted. It was more perfectly moist and sweet than anything she could ever have imagined. The burst of flavor took her completely by surprise, and she could do little more than close her eyes and moan as she savored the near-religious experience. Once she tasted it, she was totally helpless to stop herself taking another bite, and then another, and then another, until eventually there was nothing left of the apple except for the core. Eyes still closed, Zaina took a moment to rub her stomach and make a happy, contented, purring sound. Whole seconds passed before she realized she had completely let down her guard. Zaina's eyes shot open, and she looked around. Fortunately, Gluttony was still reclining in exactly the same place, and smiling happily at her.

"You see?" the curvaceous demon asked. "Wasn't that good?"

Zaina felt obliged to nod. "Thank you," she said awkwardly. But then, she clenched her fists. She had to remember what she was here for. She had to live up to Akemi and the others. "Now. In the name of the stars, I'll-"

"Oh, have you had enough already?" Gluttony's rich, mature, motherly voice easily cut across Zaina's high-pitched, uncertain battle-cry.

"I..." Zaina didn't know how to respond to that. Her treacherous eyes darted over the table, still piled high with food.

"Why not try something else?" Gluttony suggested. "You're a growing girl, after all. I can see that. What's the worst that can happen? You get some meat to put on those curves?" She winked knowingly. "It never did me any harm."

Once again, Zaina found herself blushing as she admired Gluttony's body. "I..."

She was lost for words. Gluttony was obviously trying to tempt her, but it was hard to remain suspicious when she seemed so nice. Zaina had never encountered another demon like her. Moreover, Zaina was still hungry. Painfully so. The apple had done little more than whet her appetite. It was the best thing she'd ever tasted and now, she couldn't help but wonder how incredible the other culinary delights on offer might be. She knew it was unwise, but hadn't she already just eaten an apple? Really, in retrospect, that had been very foolish, but since she'd ended up unscathed, perhaps it was safe to eat something else too. Some of the pastries around the fruit bowl looked particularly appealing. But was it really OK for her to eat those? They were probably awfully fattening. Some of her mother's scornful words echoed in her ear, but before they could take hold, they were replaced with Gluttony's sinuous, motherly, tempting ones. Some more meat to put on her curves... it felt shameful to admit, but a deep, hidden part of Zaina really liked that idea. More than liked. It was crying out for it. Maybe she could end up looking a little more feminine. Maybe she could end up looking really hot. Zaina blushed more deeply than ever. Maybe she could end up looking hot the way Gluttony did to her.

"Well... OK." It was just to take the edge off her hunger, Zaina told herself, as she selected a pastry to try. She would have plenty of time to vanquish the demon once she was at her full strength.

From the moment she took her first bite of the soft, crisp, buttery pastry, though, Zaina was once again lost to bliss. The pastry simply melted in her mouth, leaving nothing behind but pure pleasure. Somehow, it was even better than the apple had been. The mixture of flavors and textures that perfectly balanced one another - crisp, sweet pastry and soft, rich, fruity filling - was exquisite. Zaina's mind went blank as she devoured it in a passionate frenzy - but this time, she didn't stop once the pastry was finished. As soon as she swallowed the last bite, she greedily snatched up another pastry and started cramming it into her mouth. Concerns like dignity, health, danger and duty all faded away. She just needed more of this. It was so good. The taste was simply miraculous. Now that she had embraced it, Zaina couldn't get enough. Every moment without it felt hollow to the point of pain. The warmth that filled her body more and more with each mouthful she swallowed gifted her such deep, pure satisfaction that her worries were banished. The magical girl's mind completely switched off as she embraced indulgence, but as she stuffed herself with sweets, it occurred to her that she'd never once allowed herself to give in to such hedonism before. She'd never realized how good it would feel, or how much she'd been denying herself before. But now, she couldn't stop, swept up in a shameful thrill she'd always secretly yearned to taste

Eventually, though, Zaina's fervor faded, and she stopped eating. As the magical girl emerged from the haze of gluttony that had claimed her, she looked down at the table. How much had she eaten? It was impossible to tell exactly, but as best as she could judge, it had been a lot. She was suddenly aware of a deep heaviness in her body, a fullness and satiety she'd never known before. It felt wonderful, but it left her profoundly warm and sleepy. Zaina's head was foggy, she was drunk off of food. Slowly and unsteadily, she raised her gaze. Gluttony was still simply laying on her couch, looking at her with a warm, proud, approving grin on her plump face.

"Oh, wonderful!" the demon exclaimed. "Good girl!"

Zaina shivered at the motherly praise, too intoxicated to brace herself against it.

A frown of concern passed over Gluttony's face. "Poor thing, you're looking a little unsteady. Why not sit with me, take the weight off your feet?"

Zaina frowned too. There was something wrong with that idea, wasn't there? Wasn't there something she was supposed to be doing? Something important. Her head was so clouded; it was so hard for her to remember. It was hard for her to remember anything at all, when her body felt so incredibly heavy. After a worryingly long time, a little of it came back to her: she was supposed to be fighting this demon.

"In the name of the stars, I'll... I..." Zaina couldn't bring herself to say it. It felt so foolish. She was in no state to fight, that was obvious. Even standing was an exertion. She'd thought that eating would help, but it seemed to have only made things worse. Fortunately, Gluttony was kindly offering her just what she needed. She needed to lie down for a moment, and let herself digest what she'd just eaten. Maybe take a little nap. That would be perfect. Then, maybe, she'd be up to her full strength again. Zaina looked around. The room was full of places to sit, but Gluttony was beckoning for Zaina to snuggle up right next to her on the same couch. Zaina knew that was a bad idea, but with her head already halfway in the clouds, she couldn't help thinking all about how soft and comfortable it would be to rest herself against Gluttony's soft, fat body. It sounded heavenly. She'd already indulged herself more than she'd ever imagined. Why not indulge a little more?

"Good girl," Gluttony purred, as Zaina stumbled around the table and over to her reclining couch. Gluttony shifted back a little, her body jiggling as she arranged herself to form a little space beside her for Zaina to curl up in.

Carefully and cautiously, Zaina approached the demon. She was doing her best to stay on her guard, but it felt as though the food she'd eaten had cast some kind of magic spell on her, robbing her of her senses. She kept as careful an eye on Gluttony as she could as she sat down on the couch beside her. Gluttony just kept smiling benevolently at her. Zaina found herself blushing shyly. The way Gluttony treated her felt so motherly, but it couldn't be more different from how her own mother had always acted. Zaina closed her eyes and sighed happily, rubbing her stomach once more. Taking the weight off her feet felt just as good as Gluttony had promised. The impulse to make herself truly comfortable was overpowering, and before long, Zaina instinctively swung her feet up onto the couch and made to lie down. There wasn't quite enough space, though, and so as she reclined back, she found her head resting on Gluttony's soft, round, prodigious belly.

"It's quite alright, my darling," Gluttony cooed, when she noticed Zaina instinctively stiffen at the contact. "I don't mind at all. You can make yourself as comfortable as you'd like."

The demon's voice felt like a tender caress, soothing Zaina's anxieties away. The magical girl nodded slowly, and allowed herself to settle against Gluttony's body. The demon was so soft. So incredibly soft. Her curves felt like velvet, inviting Zaina to lie back and let herself sink all the way into them. In her sleepy, contented state, she couldn't resist the urge to seek even greater comfort, and so she found herself snuggling up closer and closer to the demon, nestling between her plush thighs and leaning against her belly, with her head now rested all the way up on Gluttony's bosom. Zaina also couldn't help small sounds of contentment escaping her throat, coming out like little purrs as she cuddled up with the demon she was supposed to be slaying. She'd never been more comfortable in her life, and she felt strangely safe in Gluttony's arms. The demon's softness truly was unbelievable. Deep down, part of Zaina never wanted to leave.

"There, isn't that nice?" Gluttony soothed. She started idly playing with Zaina's hair. "I'm glad you enjoyed my food! I prepared it just for you. You're looking so much better now. So much healthier and hotter." The demon giggled. "A few more feasts like that, and you'll start looking just like some of my other pets!"