Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 104

Once Ingrid had gathered sufficient material for burning, she moved next to the others and knelt by the fire, holding her hands out to gather its warmth. Nearby, Ratu and Quetzalli's clothes were drying on a rock. Seeing the wisdom in this decision, she removed her clothing as well, but immediately changed into something dry from her bag.

"So what's the plan?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"We wait until morning." Ratu yawned. "Then we begin our search for Mike anew. The night marchers should be gone by then, but we should plan for their return tomorrow night. Until we learn what has lured them out, we must assume it is related to our presence here."

"And you have a way to find Mike?"

Ratu exchanged an odd look with Quetzalli, then nodded. "I suppose there's no reason to keep this a secret anymore."

"I agree." Quetzalli clapped her hands twice and a pair of lights emerged from beneath the blankets. One was green and the other blue. The lights flew over and landed on Quetzalli's leg, then transformed into a pair of insects.

No, that wasn't quite correct. On further inspection, they were women with insect-like features. Leaning in for a closer look, Ingrid realized she was staring at a couple of fairies.

"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered. "How are you going to get fairies to help out? They're notoriously unrelia--ow!" The blue fairy had picked up a small rock and thrown it, hitting Ingrid just below the eye.

"Mike has one with him," Ratu explained as she snatched up the blue fairy. "And they are quite good at finding each other if they ever want to be fed again."

The green fairy let out a nervous laugh as her sister squeezed out from between Ratu's fingers and nodded her assent. Both fairies moved closer to the flames, and Ratu tossed some of the dried roots in, which started burning after a couple of minutes. The naga yawned and slumped in place, her eyes narrowing to slits as sleep came for her.

"I can keep watch," Ingrid volunteered. "I'm not tired."

"Good," replied Ratu, her words slurring. Quetzalli didn't respond. Instead, she wrapped herself up in the nearest blanket and curled into a ball.

A little surprised at the willingness of the others to trust her, Ingrid moved toward the opening of the vent, which was lit dimly from the fire. Moving on her hands and knees, she settled into a comfortable position with a view of the valley, or what she could see of it. There were dozens of flickering lights now, maybe even hundreds. The night marchers were certainly being thorough.

Leaning her head against the cold, damp stone of the earth, she allowed herself to process the events of the day. Was Wallace okay? Had anybody else survived? Why had Francois shot Mike? Why were the marchers out in such force?

Staring out into the darkness, wand held casually in her palm, it was easy for her mind to drift back to another cave on a different island. She was eleven, and her family had taken a vacation to Greece.

"Dad?" Ingrid lowered her disposable camera away from the plane's window. "Are we going to land on any of the islands?"

Her father laughed and rubbed her head. "Most of the islands here don't have airstrips, pumpkin. But this is a fun way to see them all, right?"

"Uh huh." Ingrid took a picture of her father, then cranked the wheel on her camera. "Why are they called the Cyclades?"

"Because they form a circle." Her mother sat in the row across from them, her face pressed against the glass. She turned to look at Ingrid, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "In Greek mythology, they used to be nymphs."

"What's a nymph?"

"A water spirit. They angered the god Poseidon, who turned them into islands." Her mom smiled. "I guess it was nice of them to make a neat little circle."

"Dad, who is Poseidon."

"God of the sea," he replied.

"And he's real?"

"Ugh, no." This came from the seat in front of her. Her older brother was ignoring the scenery out his window, focusing entirely on the handheld gaming system in his hands. "Poseidon isn't real. He's just like Santa."

"If he's not real, then how did these islands get here, dummy?" Ingrid stuck her tongue out at Ricky.

"Kids, enough." Her father patted her knee. "It doesn't matter how the islands got here, only that we get a chance to enjoy them for their beauty. The world is full of magic for anybody willing to see it."

"Huh." Ingrid raised her camera to take another picture but noticed a large shadow had appeared over the wing. "That's a really big bird."

Her father looked past her out the window. "That shouldn't be--"

She never heard his next words as a screeching noise filled the cabin of the Twin Otter airplane, followed by a loud pop like opening a shaken can of soda. Winged creatures latched onto the plane, things that were all scales and fangs as they started stripping chunks off the fuselage. The plane tilted dangerously to one side and a scream came from the cockpit as it was filled with fire that streaked down the aisle and scorched Ingrid's parents. Her father wrapped his arms around her, protecting her from the worst of the flames.

Ingrid shifted against the cold stone of the cave, her eyes tracking the torches in the valley below. Even she shied away from the vivid memory of her own father burning alive as he had used his body to shield her. The cold damp of the cave called to her, and she slipped into her memories once again.

The plane would have crashed nose down if not for the drakes frantically clawing at it, attempting to carry it back to the nest. Everyone screamed when it skipped across the ocean surface before slamming into the sand, and Ingrid found herself hanging upside down, her hands dangling.

Her mother moaned in the seat up ahead. Her father had gone still, the light in his kind eyes burned away by the anguished expression on his dead face.

The drakes landed nearby, leaving clawed prints in the sand as they peered in the aircraft's broken windows. A smaller one shoved its face through Ingrid's window, causing her to scream in panic. This immediately mobilized the drakes, which flooded through the busted cockpit and began dragging off bodies. Ingrid undid her seatbelt and watched in horror as both her mother and brother were dragged out of their seats.

The only reason she was able to escape was her small size. Crawling on her belly, she was able to squirm past spilled luggage and another passenger who had managed to fall free of their seat. Toward the tail of the plane, the hull had split, allowing her to squeeze free before the monstrous lizards could reach her. The shrieks of terror from the cabin were rapidly replaced by the sounds of happy drakes tearing apart their meals.

As she ran, she was knocked down from behind by the claws of a drake that had been circling overhead. Her hand chanced upon a ragged piece of wreckage, slicing open her own palm as she grabbed it. Picking it up, she swung it at the beast behind her. Though she didn't hurt the creature, the attack startled it enough that she was able to run another thirty feet or so to a nearby cluster of rocks on the edge of the beach. The opening was just big enough for her and her newfound weapon to squeeze through. The drake that had chased her on foot squawked in indignation as it shoved its head through the opening and missed its meal by less than a foot.

It was there that she maintained vigil for the next four days. She watched in silence as the drakes carried off the remains of her family, shivering when the tide came in and covered her ankles. To stay alive, she licked moisture from the walls and slashed at the drakes whenever they shoved their heads into her sanctuary. She got lucky a couple of times and managed to slash them in the eyes, which discouraged them from further activity. It was there that she had learned to hate the magical world, fueled by her desire to survive. She was little more than prey, watching silently from inside her cave with grim determination.

That sense of hunt or be hunted had never really left her. Perched up in her hiding spot in the cliffs, she vowed to survive this, too. Behind her in the cave, she could hear the occasional shifting of its occupants. With Wallace absent, she felt vulnerable, but having Ratu and Quetzalli by her side gave her comfort. Though she had reasons to doubt their intentions, they had done nothing to earn her distrust. Whatever happened next, she wouldn't have to face it on her own.

Long hours passed in her drowsy state. Sometimes she would blink for only a moment and discover that the torches had changed position entirely. The steady beats of the night marchers ebbed and flowed like the tide, and she stared out at them until they became tiny motes of light that floated on an inky canvas. They gathered together in the darkness, creating a face that looked like her father's in his final moments.

Ingrid's eyes snapped open and she blinked rapidly, visions of the past fading like smoke caught in a breeze. Down below, long shadows had appeared between the trees as the first light of day kissed the mountainside. There was no sign of the night marchers.

"You're awake."

Startled, Ingrid looked to the other side of the opening to see Ratu dressed and sipping from a tea cup. When she tried to sit up, she realized that she was beneath a blanket.

"Oh, fuck me, I fell asleep on watch." Ashamed, she pushed away the blankets.

"Hardly." The naga grinned. "When I came to take your place, you tried to argue with me that you didn't need sleep. Your body told me otherwise, so I simply waited for you to lose consciousness and covered you up."

Ingrid winced. That hadn't been very professional of her. "Why not move me to the fire?"

Ratu shrugged. "You seemed happier out here, though I can't explain why." She stuck a hand into her sleeve and pulled out an additional tea cup. "Would you like some?"

"Please." Ingrid leaned forward to accept the cup from Ratu. The naga picked up a kettle resting on a stone nearby and poured it into the cup. The two of them sat in silence for several minutes, drinking their tea. Eventually, Ratu shook her sleeves and a blue creature tumbled free.

"Cerulea." Ratu pinched the fairy's wings and lifted her so they were at eye level. "Time to get to work."

The fairy dangled there for a few seconds before yawning, then shook herself free of the naga's fingers. She dropped toward the ground, but stopped in mid-air, her wings fluttering.

"Go," Ratu commanded. "Find Mike."

Cerulea did a pirouette and then saluted Ratu before turning into a ball of light and shooting out of the lava vent's mouth like a bottle rocket. Ingrid watched the fairy vanish into the woods below.

"You really think she will find him?"

Ratu nodded. "She'll find her sister," she replied. "And then report back."

"So what do we do until then?"

The naga sipped at her tea and then gazed down into the valley. She let out a sigh and relaxed against the stone wall behind her.

"Enjoy the sunrise," she replied. "Because you never know if it will be your last."

Though the words were ominous, Ingrid couldn't help but agree.

Mike hovered in the void, pain and light shifting back and forth behind his eyes as he wavered on the edge of consciousness. It was a strange place between awake and the Dreamscape where time had no meaning, but he couldn't quite enter either world. Memories fluttered like butterflies, slowly assembling into a picture of what had occurred.

The dull throbbing in his shoulder started beating in time with his heart, sending ripples through his entire body. With each thud, his mind coalesced, allowing him proper conscious thoughts once more. He had been shot, that much he remembered. Then he fell? His last thoughts had been for Opal's safety. He didn't want her vessel getting lost or falling into the wrong hands, so had tried to set her free in those final moments.

Opal. Ratu. Quetzalli. They were likely lost on the mountain, probably being chased by night marchers and skeletons. These thoughts shook him fully awake and he opened his eyes to reveal only darkness and panicked, realizing that the void itself had followed him. His body was numb and all he could hear was a dull roar. After all his near misses, death had finally caught up to him.

Sadness and anger flooded him at the realization that he had let everybody down. Even worse, his children were now without a father, and they would experience the pain of losing a parent early just as he had. Tormented by this realization, he cried out in agony.

Upon opening his mouth, water flooded in. The void latched back onto him, pressing against his lips. Startled, he coughed as the liquid was sucked from his mouth, realizing that the void also had a tongue. He was being held in place. Puzzled, he went still to assess his surroundings. Up above, flickering lights came into view and then vanished. Their light wasn't enough to pierce the darkness around them, but it did illuminate the scales along Leilani's neck and shoulders as the mermaid held him close.

"Mmph?" he asked, realizing that it was her mouth pressed against his. She dropped her hand along his arm until she found his hand, then gave it a squeeze.

"Mmph," she replied, then blew a puff of air from her gills into him before breaking away and shifting back. He could barely make out her face beneath the water, but she pointed upward and then held out a fist. When it was clear he didn't understand, she grunted and spoke to him through the water in a whisper.

"We're being hunted," she said. "I'm giving you air so we can stay safe down here."

He looked up again and studied the twisted lights. It took a few seconds for him to realize that they were the spectral torches carried by the night marchers. Somehow they had survived their fall and were taking refuge in a body of water.

Shivering, he rubbed at his arms, and Leilani came back to him. She held him close and pressed her lips to his once more, breathing air into his lungs as she rubbed his arms and back. By accident, she bumped the spot where he'd been shot and he moaned in pain.

Realizing he might be bleeding out underwater, he tried to explore the wound with his fingers. Leilani didn't move to stop him, and he was more than a little surprised when he discovered that the injury had been packed with some kind of material. It hurt to touch it, so he decided to leave it alone.

How long had they been down here? He shivered again, and Leilani pressed her body against his. If they stayed down here too long, he would end up suffering from hypothermia.

The mermaid seemed to understand this and slid her hands beneath his shirt. The water warmed around her hands, causing him to remember that she could use magic. Opening up his Soul Sight allowed Leilani to appear before him in an ethereal form. He broke away from her lips and looked down at her hands. Her magic swirled around his torso, heating the water to warm him up.

As Leilani tried to warm him, he dug through his clothes for Opal's vessel. Realizing it was gone, he also felt around for Daisy. Could the fairies even breathe underwater? He was certain she would have left long before drowning. Leilani watched him do this, then got his attention by holding up two fingers.

He nodded, and she followed up by pointing to the surface and then flashing him the Okay sign. Relieved that they were safe, he allowed himself to relax. It was likely going to be awhile.

Leilani pressed her mouth to his and breathed more air into his lungs. Up above, the torches brightened as more night marchers arrived. Mike wasn't sure if they just couldn't come in the water, or if they didn't know he and Leilani were there. Either way, they weren't currently fighting for their lives, so that was always a plus. The roaring sound was a nearby waterfall, but he assumed it must be too small to hide behind. It was enough to cast ripples along the surface, which was why the lights were constantly wavering.

The throbbing in his shoulder diminished, which he attributed to the coldness of the water. Leilani pressed herself against him, and he noticed that her hands were starting to linger in certain places. Her hands explored his chest, and sometimes his biceps as she tried to keep him warm. Though it wasn't an ideal situation by any means, his cock somehow managed to direct enough blood flow away from his body to make a valiant effort at rising to the challenge.

You're not helping things, he thought at his penis. It flexed involuntarily, reminding him of a shrug.

Being able to see Leilani's soul, he could tell that touching him was having an effect on her. The next time her hand lingered on his chest, a pink light briefly filtered through her spirit and he recognized it immediately as arousal.

His cock twitched again, reminding him that he was alive. This caused his magic to awaken, and suddenly it was now a two-against-one battle of wills. On the one hand, he was currently submerged in cold water while hiding from vengeful spirits that would probably tear him apart given half the chance. His brain told him this was a very bad thing.

On the other hand, he was currently lip locked with a horny mermaid. His body and magic were both of the opinion that this was a very good thing.

The next time Leilani's hand lingered, he put his own over it. He actually felt her breath hitch in response, and he darted his tongue into her mouth.

"Mmh?" she asked, her thumb rubbing the edge of his nipple.

"Mmhmm," he replied, then moved his hand off of hers and onto her chest. Her breasts were buoyant beneath the water, which allowed him to easily slip them free of their confines. Her nipples were already hard, and he mimicked her actions.

Leilani actually let out a full throated chuckle as she explored his body more thoroughly with her hands, becoming aggressive. She undid the button of his shorts and slid her hand down his back and onto his butt. Her hands were warm against his skin, sending tingles of pleasure up his spine. Instead of simply breathing back and forth, their tongues now slid over each other in a seductive dance that soon had Mike even harder.

Though he was disappointed that he couldn't appreciate the mermaid visually, he was given ample time to explore her assets with his hands. She made girlish little moans in his mouth while he played with her breasts, so he decided to take a small risk and broke off their kiss, then lifted her body so that he could suck on her nipples.

He was delighted to hear the tiny gasps of joy from her as she fought to keep her voice down. This only served to heighten his excitement, and he continued to feast on her breasts as he slid his hands along her waist and toward what would have been her butt.

Leilani was obviously more responsible than he was, because she forced him to come up for air. Once their lips met, she dropped her hand to his cock and stroked it, sending waves of heat into his body. He moaned for her, causing the mermaid to shiver in delight.

Moving his hands to the front of her body, it occurred to him that he actually had no idea where her vagina might be. He aimed for the general vicinity and moved his palm across her smooth scales. Leilani caught on pretty quick, and guided his fingers to a thin seam he would have otherwise missed. Unsure how to best proceed, he massaged the area with his fingertips, eliciting a sigh from Leilani.

The seam in her scales softened, allowing his fingers access. There was a bulbous nub inside that was clearly the mermaid version of a clitoris with a tight vaginal canal beneath. Though he couldn't see what he was doing, his magic guided him. His thumb was able to hold the seam open and rub her clit at the same time, all while he teased her with his middle finger.