Mana and Monsters

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Elena scrabbled her way up the ridge, awkwardly holding her walking stick off to the side to keep it from tripping her, while carefully preventing her pack from tipping too far and sending her off balance. Following the falling pebbles all the way back down would be a painful experience. Finally cresting the top, she took a moment to look over the landscape again. Even as dry and rocky as it was, with scattered, scraggly trees and little wildlife to speak of, a raw beauty remained in these largely untouched northeastern territories. The sunset certainly helped, streaks of red and yellow crossing the cloudless horizon.

Continuing to watch and rest, Elena spotted two starlings chasing each other in a mad dance. With no wind, she could almost hear their rapid wingbeats over the occasional tweeting. Their path weaved around a patch of young saplings, and passed over a ragged stump, which immediately seized her attention. Pursing her lips and ensuring her pack was secure, she began a slow descent from the ridge towards the stump. At least it started slow. The loose rocks and stones provided terrible footing, and she was forced to finish the second half at a dead sprint, racing the stones all the way down. She managed to momentarily hop onto a firmly embedded boulder twice, killing off some of her speed, before her momentum forced her on.

Dusty, but hardly surprised, she brushed herself off, pulled a strand of her black hair out of her mouth, and continued towards the former tree, the tapping from her walking stick ringing out loudly as it hit rocks only partially buried in the thin soil. Her approach confirmed her suspicions. The stump lacked the clean cut of a saw, or the wedge patterns of an axe. Instead, the tree had been roughly chewed through at its base, as if from a pair of particularly impatient rabid beavers. Or in the case of an arid, temperate environment, once fed by a ley line: cavalry ants. Finally. The jagged edges and splinters of wood had been worn smooth from exposure, left faded and dry from the sun. Clearly, some time had passed since the tree had been chewed through.

Satisfied, Elena turned in a methodical circle, dark green eyes flicking from hill to hill, mentally marking candidates that could have housed the former colony. After a full rotation, she paused a moment, trying to pick between the four she selected with almost no other clues to work with. With a huff, and an impatient tap of her walking stick, she headed to the northmost hill. Have to start somewhere.

Two hills and an hour of searching later, an entrance failed to reveal itself. She rolled her head back and groaned in frustration. Stumbling around in the dark would do more harm than good; might as well make better use of the remaining light. She dropped her pack down at the base of a tree eking out an existence near the top of her current hill. It once had a friend, but wind and weather had toppled it, and the sun baked it into a bone-dry husk. Perfect for firewood at least. The living one wouldn't be alone forever: a few more saplings had sprouted nearby. She collected a few nearby stones into a rough circle, snapped off a few twigs from the fallen tree, and built a small pyramid in the center of the fire ring. Unbuckling the flap to her pack, she pulled out a spare piece of parchment, crumpled it, and delicately placed in within her twig-pyramid. A few heavier sticks from the tree were added around the twigs as a base, and others made another, larger pyramid.

Elena rested on her knees in front of unlit campfire, and reached out her hand, palm up, towards it. She quickly redirected her mana flow and channeled it through her hand. A thick, silvery mist coalesced in her palm, oddly reflective, and almost mirror-like when idle. It swirled and billowed freely, unrestricted by the weak ambient mana in the area. The local ley line had drifted away over a year ago, taking its bounty of free mana with it. She channeled it into a small symbol of power: fire. Or perhaps "heat," as the more pedantic alchemists and sorcerers would argue. Regardless, once the symbol was complete, the mana blossomed into a flame a little larger than a candle, igniting the parchment in the fire circle. She continued to feed the symbol her mana for a few more seconds, until she was satisfied the twigs would catch properly.

She cut the flow, the symbol consuming itself within a breath, and shook her arm off to the side, trying to end the numbness that had creeped in. The pins and needles arrived quickly, and within a few minutes feeling was restored, and her fire was happily crackling away. She rested there for a while, basking in the simple joy of a comfortable fire, before pulling herself away towards her pack. Chewing on some venison jerky, she set a small pan on a flat rock within the circle, and set to frying some sliced mushrooms, the last of her fresh rations. Only jerky left, and not much of it, until she returned home. As the mushrooms seared, she doubled checked her water. Two and a half waterskins left, the partial would be finished tonight. Acceptable, assuming nothing went wrong. Dangerous thoughts, Elena returned to her mushrooms before she jinxed herself.

She thumbed at her book of glass-making for a second, the latest translation from the Thymamologists, but instead snagged her alchemist notes for dinner reading material. The fire was inconvenient as a reading light, but she made do. The last light of the sun disappeared, and the stars came out in force as she reviewed her glyphs and rechecked the physical appearances of possible alchemic plants in the area. Apart from a few wilted cassandra flowers on her first day, she hadn't found much to fill out her ingredient stores. It was to be expected, and it wasn't that much of a problem. She hadn't come all the way out here for some common plant-based materials.

Her head snapped up and she slammed her journal closed. She had forgotten to message her guild! Darting over to her pack, she rummaged through it for her pouch of sending stones, a red cloth bag with several pairs of colored crystal, one of each color completely wrapped in charcoal-stained-black strips of cloth. She snatched the red, unwrapped one and yanked out a slip of parchment. After a few hastily scribbled sentences with a charcoal pencil, reassuring her friends that she was fine, hadn't been eaten yet, fallen down any mysterious holes in the ground, etcetera, etcetera, she made her way over to a flat spot near the fire. Ideally, teleportation symbols were handled with glyphs, so the mage can focus on the flow rate and direction, but a channeling for a small sending stone and message was quite reasonable.

With a leftover twig, Elena drew the symbol in the loose dirt - for reference - tied the parchment to the sending stone, so it wouldn't blow away at its destination, and placed it in the focal point of the symbol, in the left node. She channeled her mana though both hands, and formed the symbol parallel to the ground, matching her outline, and ensured that the mana was touching the sending stone. Hands and forearms already stiff and growing numb, she completed the outer circle of the glyph, activating the reaction. Elena gritted her teeth in concentration, fighting with her own mana as the symbol greedily consumed it. Each of the three nodes in the symbol needed to be prioritized in sequence for a successful teleportation.

With a gasp, she cut off the flow, arms numb up to her shoulders, her chest buzzing slightly as well, a few leftover wisps touching her skin returning to their homes along the nerve fibers. The outline in the dirt remained, the sending stone and its passenger gone. Relieved, Elena returned to her spot by the fire, and began the frustrating, and frankly embarrassing, process of freeing the second red crystal from its bindings with two senseless hands.

Much undignified gnawing later, the second sending stone was left resting off to her side, at least 2 feet away from anything inconvenient. Wouldn't want the reply to get dropped off into the fire. Again.

About ten minutes later, her hands were working again, and she had just started cleaning up, when the reply finally arrived with a soft "plonk."

"FINALLY Elena! We were starting to get worried about you! I hope you weren't late because you tried digging around in the dark. You still have one more day to search, please don't be stupid. Stay safe, I hope you find it tomorrow. Hugs and kisses from all of us! (Yes, even Mari.)"

A soft smile on her lips, Elena tucked the slip into her pocket and wrapped up the sending stone into the charcoal cloth. Once everything was packed up again, she hunted down the largest, least rocky, patch of ground she could place her bedroll on. An early night means an early morning, and more time to search. It still felt wrong to sleep alone without an alarm glyph to watch over her, but it was an acceptably small risk.

The days of travel made it easy to sleep, even with a dirty root or rock jabbing into her back. The fire slowly died out, its pops and crackles an ancient lullaby, until only the stars illuminated the moonless night, and she drifted off into some much-needed sleep.

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Just passed noon, Elena finally found it in the third of the four hills. A large, unnaturally circular cave entrance, easily twice her height in diameter. She stood before it, eyes searching the darkness, painfully still, straining to hear any indication that the network was still inhabited by its creators. Cavalry ants could be tamed, but wild ones were very territorial. But as she had suspected, based on the silence and the saplings in the area, the colony had been forced to abandon their home to chase the wandering ley line.

She licked her lips as she faced the blackness inside, mustering her courage. Her instincts told her this was it, no doubt about it. She slipped her pack off her shoulders, and carefully set it down under a tiny overhang of rock right at the entrance, her eyes never straying from watching inside. Eventually, she managed to tear her attention away, and pull out her sending stone and parchment. Another quickly written message later, and a channeled teleport, she was back to staring into the entrance. When the numbness faded, she freed the second stone again, then cautiously began untying her shoes. She slipped them off, then started with her shirt. Her friends were certainly taking their time with a reply. Vivian was probably holding the crystals today. She may simply be busy, but Elena suspected she was hesitant to go through with this. Elena's message was part of a prior agreement. Check in every night, but upon request, she gets a three-day grace period. She couldn't blame Vivian. During the potentially most dangerous part of her journey, her friends might have to wait three days to know if she was alright.

Fully stripped, shivering slightly from that beautiful mix of nervousness and anticipation, the sending stone finally returned.

"Ok."

Message and stone safely packed, mouth wide in an eager smile, Elena stepped carefully into the tunnel.

The floor was sandy, soft enough to comfortably walk on, and it shifted pleasantly underfoot. The tiny crunch from each footstep wasn't even loud enough to echo, but it still sounded deafeningly loud to her ears, rivaled only by her breathing. Her gaze swept from floor to wall to ceiling over and over, trying to spot any signs of disturbance. Alone and naked in the wilderness, she felt horrifically vulnerable. She wished she could've brought her walking stick with her, if only to give her some sense of protection, or a tool to poke at the roof of the tunnel. But any appearance of threat or danger would hurt her chances of success. So, on she continued, farther away from light and safety.

The tunnel had continued quite straight so far, so the sun still provided some dim illumination, which reflected dully off something in the ceiling. Elena froze, her eyes locked onto it. The reflection shook slightly as it moved above her, and she got a glimpse of... green? Yeeeessss. She remained still, and let her eyes adjust, pupils dilating to overcome the darkness.

A green slime, as large as a horse, was nestled behind and around the rough chunks of rock that made the roof of the tunnel. It stayed as unmoving as Elena, clearing hoping that it hadn't been spotted yet. She chewed at her bottom lip, forcing herself to remain patient. She let her gaze roam across its body, entertaining herself by trying to spot any identifiable characteristics. Unsuccessful, she let herself make the first move. She slowly lifted her right arm, hand outstretched, palm up, towards the slime. It visibly flinched when she started moving, but she followed through, then held the pose, reaching out to her new acquaintance.

A few seconds passed before there was a response. A small pseudopod poked out of the main body, then, even more slowly than Elena, stretched out as a tentacle towards her. Inch by inch it creeped through the air, down towards her waiting fingers. She could see the beating of her heart in the way her arm shook, hear the blood flowing in her ears in the silence of the cave. She held her breath, trying to calm her body and steady herself. The tentacle slipped into her hand, slightly warm and slick, and rested there a moment. She stayed frozen, not willing to risk spooking it.

The tentacle continued on, sliding passed her wrist, then began looping around it. It snaked around her forearm, coiled around her elbow, and traveled further down towards her body. A small laugh broke out of her, and her breathing returned. The slime hesitated for less than a heartbeat before returning to its exploration. She was content to watch it weave around her arm, taking the time to catch her breath and desperately keep her mind clear. But when it passed her shoulder and the tip stopped in front of her face, watching her like a snake, she couldn't resist planting a quick kiss onto it. A hint of salt and honey. She licked her lips and dared another look up at the main body of her new friend. A shudder had traveled up the tentacle to main body, causing slight ripples across it.

It drooped low, stretching itself to the floor, and then released its grip on the ceiling, landing with a heavy "plop." A smile broke out across her face as several more tendrils formed on the surface of the slime, then reached out to her.

Some chose her arms and legs, snaking around them, forming a mess of coils across her limbs. Other gravitated to her body, sliding lightly across her skin, kneading her muscles with experimental squeezes. The first one that had wrapped itself around her right arm slipped around the back of her neck and poked her left cheek in a playful manner. She gave it another kiss, longer this time, letting the slime get accustomed to her mouth, with its rows of pointy bones, and its odd, pink, and rather short tentacle.

They eventually found her breasts, giving the modest mounds gentle squeezes, and accidently rubbing against her stiffening nipples. Elena released an encouraging moan into the one in her mouth at every brush, and the slime quickly began to dedicate small tendrils to circle the sensitive peaks and give an occasional flick. She never found her breasts and nipples to be extremely pleasurable, but it seems the attention of a doting and versatile lover can work wonders.

Covered head to toe in slimy arms, every aching muscle worked over by an expert masseuse, lifted ever so slightly off the ground, she could feel the warmth building within her, dripping out onto the sandy ground. Even as the slime delved further into her mouth, wrestling slowly with her tongue, it began to seek out her lower lips, to satisfy its curiosity of the heat that waited within. A gentle pressure encouraged her to part her legs, and let her lover access her waiting pussy. It contented itself with rubbing the outside, tasting her, and sliding unthinkingly across her clit. She renewed her moans, desperate to get more attention there. As the main tentacle brushed against it experimentally, she bucked her hips dramatically. Getting the hint, it began to circle and flick her clit, and she let her eyes close and her jaw go slack as she reveled in the pleasure.

She had to pull her hips away a few times, but the slime quickly learned to avoid overstimulating it, and alternated to rubbing against her folds every so often. Another one joined it, but chose to twist itself against her lower lips, coating itself in her fluids. Ever the multitasker, the tentacle in her mouth was quick to seize the opportunity granted by her relaxed jaw, and pushed deeper, fully entering her throat. Soft and malleable, it barely triggered her gag reflex, and she quickly grew accustomed to having it steadily sliding out, letting her catch her breath, then pushing in ever so slightly deeper.

Well coated, the second lower tentacle slid under and behind her as two assistant tendrils spread her ass cheeks. It gleefully rubbed against her backdoor, and occasionally pushed against it, carefully working it open and making it slick with her own juices. It repeated this transfer several times as her throat was explored and her clit worshipped, each time pushing farther in than the last.

Stroked and petted by countless appendages, and moments away from being triple penetrated by three loving, attentive tentacles, more skillful than any tongue, the heat within Elena built steadily until it finally burst in her first satisfying climax in months. Feeling her shaking, the slime quickly withdrew from all three of her holes and let her ride it out in its embrace. Even after the height had passed, and she regained control of herself, it held patiently still, waiting for her to recover for round two.

After a few minutes of resting in its arms, she gave the nearest tentacle a deep, grateful kiss. The signal given, she felt the grip of the slime tighten ever so slightly across her body. One main tentacle returned, steadily approaching her needy cunt. Transfixed, she watched it move closer, drawing the moment out. She knew it could feel her muscles tense, hear her breath catch, and sense how her eyes rarely blinked. It let the suspension build with its slow advance. Even when it reached her, it delicately pushed her lower lips aside, one last teasing gesture, before inching inside.

Properly filled, Elena released a long, satisfied sigh and let the tension leave her body. The mass of countless tentacles and tendrils returned to caressing her, and she felt one return to her ass. It took its time as well, letting the main one bottom out a half-dozen times, so she could enjoy the feeling of it stimulating every pleasurable nerve she had within. But before long, both tentacles were pushing deep within her in long, alternating strokes. Every so often she let out a soft moan or sigh, encouraging her lover to push a little deeper, or thrust a little faster.

With her whole body so expertly prepped and stimulated, her hand resting on her stomach to track tentacles that were well-and-truly plowing her, she orgasmed again and again, given short reprieves between each one to keep her from completely losing her sense of reality.

In the midst of this haze of endless lust and pleasure, she suddenly felt the slime still, and withdraw the tentacle from her ass. She opened her eyes and cocked her head at the body of the slime. The tentacles holding her arms and legs gave a small squeeze, and the one still deep within her cunt pushed all the way to her cervix again. A medium-sized tendril joined her hand on her stomach, and gave it a circular, meaningful rub.