Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 078

"My mind is a mirror," Ratu replied. "So all you will see is a reflection of your true self." As a demi-god, she was easily capable of thwarting a simple mindread.

"I am not hollow!" Leeds struggled against his bonds. "I am not just a footnote in history!"

"Maybe not today. But soon." Ratu shoved Leeds into the smooth alcove behind them with surprising strength. The Jersey Devil fought and screamed as they pushed him in and forced him into the fetal position as Ratu shrank the stone walls around him.

Leeds shrieked at them from his stone prison as the walls closed in.

"He needs to come see me!" he screamed, his voice echoing down the tunnel. "I deserve better than this! I will come for him, and I will come for his daughter! You haven't seen the last of me!"

"Do you know what I think?" Abella moved her face closer to the shrinking hole in the wall. Leeds shifted his face around so that he could see her. "I think you're about to get the one thing that your mother never gave you."

Leeds' eyes went wide in fury.

"A really long hug," Abella told him, then backed away. His response was drowned out as the stone closed around him, but she could already hear his screams. The silver collar would keep him from escaping for now, but he would have plenty of time to remove it. Lack of food, air or water would make him extremely uncomfortable, but definitely wouldn't kill him.

"Let's roll." Ratu sat down on the gurney, her legs splayed to either side as she held the Grimoire in her hands. Abella pulled the naga up the tunnel as Ratu performed a complex spell that generated tons of granite behind them.

The plan had been devious. Mike and Ratu had located a mountain in the tower world that the centaurs would never have a use for. The area wasn't suited for agriculture of any kind, and the cliffs were unclimbable. The terrain was treacherous enough that no path even existed within miles of the area.

For two weeks, Ratu had used the Grimoire to scour the entire mountain free of its cave network and replace its composition with granite. This pocket dimension had no plate tectonics, and they had placed Leeds deep beneath the world. In the eons to come, even if the winds scoured the world free of mountains, he would remain beneath its lifeless surface, screaming for all eternity.

Or the world would collapse and destroy him. Abella didn't care which came first. But the most important thing was to make him believe he had been forgotten, that nothing he had done had even mattered to Mike.

It was slow work as Ratu filled in miles of tunnel with more granite, pausing occasionally to drink a tea she had brought to replenish her magic.

"Why do you need the book to keep using that spell?" Abella asked during one of the breaks. "I figured you would have it memorized by now."

"The spells in this book are very special," Ratu replied. "And their cost is forgetfulness. Once the book is closed, the forgetting begins. A simple mistake on my part could spell the end of us, or give Leeds a way out."

Abella nodded. Even if Leeds regained his ability to move through the shadows, there was over a mile of solid stone in every direction. With no hollow spaces, he would be forced to teleport or even resurrect in his own personal hell.

It was the Mother's Embrace taken to the next level. Death would never come for Leeds, and Ratu had embedded sigils made of metal all over the mountain to ensure that he could never be summoned away. It was an eternal prison of their own making, and it was the perfect place for him to be alone with all his thoughts--forever.

When they left the cave, Mike stood there with Eulalie and Bigfoot. It was clear that tears had been shed, and the Arachne held hands with her uncle as Abella and Ratu emerged into the light.

"It is done?" Bigfoot asked.

"It is." Ratu turned around and erased the cave opening from existence. There was no sign that they had ever been there, save for the structure built to establish a portal.

"With his misery, my healing shall finally begin." Bigfoot turned to Mike and put a hand on his shoulder. "And let us never speak of this place."

Mike nodded, then let Bigfoot pull him in for a hug. Eulalie said nothing as she fingered the dog tags around her neck, then hugged Mike as well. Ratu led the others through the portal, leaving just Mike and Abella behind.

"Thank you," he told her. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Nor I, you." When she hugged him, she buried her face in his shoulder and inhaled his scent. She had worried for the longest time that he would hold Velvet's death against her, but it never came up. He was too good for that, maybe even too good for her.

Still, being able to be the instrument of Leeds' burial was cathartic. Burying Leeds alive had been her idea, and the others had been all for it. "He was panicking as we left," she told him. "Freaking out that we weren't taking him seriously any more. I could still hear him screaming through the rock for a bit after we left him there. He was more upset that you didn't come than anything else."

He nodded. "That was Jenny's idea. I'm debating therapy for her, but think she would break the therapist."

"Maybe she's fine the way she is. We all have our quirks, after all." She ran her fingers through his hair. "I like it now that it's getting long," she told him.

"Been too busy fucking for a haircut," he told her, then turned toward the portal. "Did you still want to do the honors?"

"Absolutely."

"See you soon." He gave her a kiss on the forehead and then left through the portal.

She watched him exit the shed on the other side, then walked back out of the hut. Staring at the wall of the cliff, she thought of the wretched being entombed inside for all eternity and found herself smiling.

With that, she summoned her heartfire and burned down the hut. It didn't take very long, and she was careful to spread the ashes with her tail, grinding them into the shattered rocks beneath her feet. Satisfied that the evidence was removed, she stretched her wings wide, stopping briefly to admire the glittering silver veins that ran throughout her left wing. Emery had done a phenomenal job patching her up.

With a powerful burst, she launched herself into the air, circling higher and higher until the cliffs were far below her. In the distance, she could make out the valley where the centaurs roamed, and the vast ocean that surrounded the island. Up on one of the highest mountain peaks, a single tower glistened in the sun, watching over the land. She could sense him already, her Caretaker, like a shining beacon guiding her home.

Knowing that Mike was waiting for her, she soared through the clouds, leaving the darkness of the Jersey Devil behind.

Mike stood on the bluffs overlooking the greenhouse's jungle. Down below, the centaurs had finally cleared enough land to establish the beginnings of full blown agriculture. In the distance, he could see the thunderbird as it soared toward the horizon, creating a fresh storm behind it.

Across his chest, he wore a special bag that Tink had designed for him. Inside, the egg thrummed against his chest. It had been nearly a month since Leeds had been entombed, and his world had finally reached a state of calm.

Most of his time recently had been spent clearing out the Vault. After Beth had sealed it away, the entities inside had made a mess of the place in their attempts to escape. Ratu had helped them with identifying, relocating, and sometimes destroying dangerous objects that might have caused trouble in the future. Now that the naga was feeling better, she had taken custody of both the Grimoire and Osiris' magic cock for further study.

"There you are." Quetzalli came through the greenhouse door, her skirt catching briefly on the latch. Grumbling, she fixed her outfit and closed the door. "Naia said you would be here."

"I sensed him." He waved his hand at the thunderbird. "I was out in the garden with Amymone when I felt the thunderbird's presence."

"Your senses are getting stronger." Without warning, she flicked a stone at him, boosting it with a powerful shock from her fingertips.

His precognition activated, and Mike willed the stone away from him. His magic reacted, swatting the stone away with a burst of static when it was inches away.

With so many powerful magic users, it had been a difficult choice picking someone to train him. His magic relied heavily on instinct, which made early lessons with Ratu and Yuki difficult to follow. Naia and Amymone had been able to show him some basics, but it was nowhere near the level of control that Beth already showed. It didn't surprise him how quickly she took to her new abilities.

In fact, during her tutelage, she had discovered that the cabin was actually a better place for her to learn elemental magic. The hot springs in particular gave her insight into earth, fire, and water, but that was above Mike's head. Oregon was still a difficult place for him to visit, so when Beth asked if he would mind if she stayed there for a while to develop her magic, he agreed on the condition that she try to help Bigfoot organize the forest children. While the forest children respected him, the sasquatch lacked leadership skills and planning that Beth could provide.

That, and if the gossip he heard from the fairies was true, Beth was indeed discovering just how good of a kisser Bigfoot really was. It made him smile to know that she was living her own dreams, though he did miss having her in the room next door. The two of them had been bonding over their newfound magical abilities, but Beth had soon eclipsed him.

After weeks of frustration, a chance encounter with the Fairy Queen had given him the solution to his magic problem. Titania had explained that his magic was simply too wild. Whereas Beth was learning how to manipulate the elements using spoken words and gestures, his magic acted on will alone, both conscious and subconscious. He was a force of nature, and needed someone with experience handling vast amounts of destructive power.

Quetzalli the storm dragon had been an unexpected, perfect fit. Mike's magic was very much like a stormcloud, building in power before releasing all at once.

"Reactions are getting better." She walked up by his side and leaned her head onto his arm. "I checked in with Bigfoot this morning. He's been teaching English to the Nirumbi. It's mostly the children for now, they're the easiest. He's been reading them books that the girls grew up with."

"That's wonderful." He debated asking if Bigfoot would save those books for him, but decided not to. Eulalie had warned him that his daughter might be a danger to him in the first couple of years. She had bitten her father a couple of times by accident, and Velvet had broken Darren's wrist. It wouldn't be simple being a father to a child with eight legs and fangs, and things would never remotely resemble normal ever again. By the time it was safe to cuddle up with his daughter and read her tales about the Poky Little Puppy, she would probably be past those storybooks.

Besides, Ratu was already working on an artifact that would allow his daughter to age naturally in the Library. He would have every book at his disposal if he wanted to try reading to her. If he broke a few limbs along the way, it wouldn't be the end of the world...right?

He put his hand on the egg and let out a sigh. While he couldn't wait to meet her, he knew things were going to change. He was a target, and there would be times when the best thing to do would be to keep his child at arm's length. While the others understood, how would he tell his daughter that he was too busy not being murdered to play with her?

He held out his hand and concentrated his magic. Lights danced along his fingertips as it formed into the shape of a spider. It was a great spell to work on when he needed to take his mind off his worries.

"That's neat." Quetzalli contemplated his design. "What are you planning to do with that?"

"It helps me talk to them." He had the little lightning spider wave. Despite Velvet's death, he had discovered that he could still communicate with spiders. Many of them feared humans, but the illusory spider seemed to break the ice. It was another thing Velvet had left behind, something that was just for him. He dismissed the magic, then sighed. "Some days are easier than others."

"Agreed." She rubbed his back through the fabric of his shirt. "Speaking of easy...what would you say to finding somewhere private for a bit? Dana has been having more issues with her emotions, and time for us has been...sparse."

Quetzalli was likely understating it. Ever since the fight in Oregon, Dana's emotions had been all over the place. It was like the emotional side of her brain had been restored, but never properly synced to the rest of her body. She would laugh at inappropriate times, or sob uncontrollably while she went about her business. Ratu's theory was that it had to do with all the magic that Mike had poured into her, along with the Nirumbi flesh she had devoured. The naga was working hard on figuring out a possible fix for the issue. Despite the potential meaning of Dana's new behavior, her soul was still very much locked to her body.

"We could make some time," he told her with a smile. "I know of a pretty waterfall nearby if you want to go for a swim."

"Can that wait for a little while?" Zel walked up on the path from the valley below with a small retinue behind her. "I saw you up here and have some important things to discuss."

"Sounds serious." He saw a weird look on Zel's face. "Everything okay?"

"To start with, we have some news." She reached into a pouch around her waist and pulled something out. "What does this look like?"

She tossed it over, and Mike snatched it out of the air, then nearly dropped it in surprise. It was a thick vine with wilted leaves, but he recognized them immediately. They were the same vines that had once dragged him through the jungle to what was almost a very messy end.

"I thought the Mandragora left," he said.

"So did I." She made a face. "Some of our livestock went missing, and we think this is the culprit. Maybe it came back, or was just dormant for a while. We found this stuck under a fence that collapsed."

"Well, we know who we can ask." He stuck the vine in his pocket, planning a conversation with Amymone once he returned. "Just make sure it doesn't snatch anyone up."

"Nobody has disappeared yet." She looked over her shoulder at the centaurs with her. At some unseen signal, they turned around and went back down into the valley. "I wanted to have a word with you in private."

"Say no more," said Quetzalli as she sat on a nearby rock. When Zel stared at her, the dragon laughed. "I'm just fucking with you. I'll be in Oregon when you need me. I prefer the skies there." She stood and went through the door of the greenhouse. The path to Oregon was through a small cabin, somewhat like a playhouse, that Tink had built by the wrought-iron gate. The portal inside went to a room in the new barn that had been built in Oregon.

"What's up?" he asked once Quetzalli was gone.

"I have a confession to make." Zel made a face as she paced by the side of the cliff. "You see, I had a choice a while back, and I don't know that I made the right one."

"Life is full of choices and hindsight is twenty-twenty." He walked up behind her and put his hand on the small of her human back. "I'm willing to bet that you thought long and hard before making it."

"I did. But a conversation with a friend has been playing itself over and over in my head." She looked at the egg pouch and smiled. "How long until it hatches?"

"No idea. I take her for walks, talk to her, that kind of thing. As for keeping track of time..." He shrugged. "I'm trying to enjoy the moment is all."

"You and I once enjoyed a moment here. Do you remember?"

He smiled. "How could I forget? It was quite the moment."

Zel looked at the ground while pawing at the dirt with a hoof. "About that. I need you to know that what happened that night was probably one of the most important things that has ever happened to me. It validated me as a person. You made me feel special, accepted in a way I never thought would happen."

He pulled Zel toward him, then wrapped his arms around her waist. "Believe it or not, it's one of my favorite memories. I've been thinking a lot lately about not just how my magic works, but my heart. I have so many cherished memories with all of you, it's hard to pick a favorite. But that one? No argument." He could still hear the music from that night, see Zel smiling in the moonlight as they made love beneath an alien sky. It was a nice change of pace to lose himself in a happy memory.

"Uh, Mike?" Zel stiffened in his arms.

"Shit, sorry." He let go of her and stepped back. "I got nostalgic is all. I wasn't trying to put moves on you, I promise. I definitely don't need to start a fight with the centaur in your life, and we certainly don't need a repeat of the Orion incident."

Zel made a sound like a balloon deflating as her shoulders drooped. "It's not that. I enjoy your touch, but I don't deserve it, not when you hear what I have to say." Her face scrunched up as she took a calming breath. "Mike. There is no centaur in my life. I made him up. There's only ever been you."

"But I don't get it. What about..." He gestured toward her equine belly, his lips suddenly numb.

The look on her face spoke volumes. She turned away from him, her arms crossed her stomach. "I lied. That was the choice I made, and I regret it."

So many questions raced through his head, he couldn't figure out which to ask first. "How?" was the best he could manage.

"Humans and centaurs can't interbreed. But I was using a potion to make myself human, remember?" She shook her head, the feathers in her hair fluttering wildly in the breeze. "My best guess is that we crossed whatever line that separated us biologically. The child won't be human or centaur, but something in between."

"But why keep it from me?"

She shrugged. "Fear. Not for you, but for our child. I had become a leader to my people, which comes with responsibilities. You are the Caretaker. How many times have you almost died? How many times has the house been attacked?"

"You spoke with Eulalie about this, didn't you?" He thought back to what the Arachne had told him. Zel was saying a lot of the same.

"She figured it out on her own. Snuck into my home in the middle of the night and confronted me where nobody else could hear us. Scared the crap out of me when she dropped out of the shadows." Zel shivered. "It was a heated conversation at first, because I tried to deny it. She had plenty of evidence, then told me about the egg, so I finally caved and admitted it. All my thoughts and fears came spilling out that night. It was the first time I had told anyone the whole truth of the matter."

"So why wait until now? Why not tell me sooner?"

She sighed. "I wanted to see how you reacted to the news about Velvet's egg first."

"Why, to see if I would be a good parent?" He felt his anger rising as he cradled the egg protectively. "I mean, yeah, I'm essentially doing the egg-baby project from middle school, but I think it's real shitty that you were trying to vet me before informing me we're having a child together."

"That's where you're wrong." She moved toward him and put her hand on his chest. "I wanted to see if you would force traditional human customs on Eulalie. Make her give the egg to you, demand that your daughter live in the house full-time instead of taking her advice. I can't blame you for holding to human norms for child-rearing, but our foal will require their connection to the herd. The herd raises all offspring together, it's the centaur way. Yes, we have parents, but this child will have hundreds of parents watching out for them, all day long. If you made them live with you in your house, they wouldn't have that direct connection to their own tribe, and would never be more than a visitor." She paused for a second and smiled wistfully. "It would also be hell on your wooden floors."