Merchant & Monster Girls Ch. 03

"Of course. Who doesn't like breakfast in bed?" she snickered.

Devin handed her sketchbook back.

"So, what'd you think of my collection?" she buzzed.

"It's, um, a very unique way to express your interests."

"I can't wait to fill up more pages during our adventures!" she beamed. "I'm gonna go show Reina."

She had just landed on Reina's shoulder when a large shadow passed overhead, drawing everyone's attention. Devin instinctively pulled the wagon to a stop.

Azalea and Reina both looked back, eyes wide, as two large and glossy black wings enveloped Devin.

"Hello, little brother," said a tenderly sensuous voice, "I have returned for my bi-weekly sibling bonding time!"

"You know you don't have to, Mavis," Devin replied, nonplussed.

"Don't be so cold. Is that any way to treat your big sister who hasn't seen you in such a long time?!" She hugged him tighter, resting her chest on top of his head.

"It's only been two days."

"Two days is an eternity when I spend all my time alone, flying across the broad swath of empty wilderness." She sniffled melodramatically.

Devin brushed some of the feathers aside and looked up into the smiling ruby eyes of a slim woman in her mid-thirties.

"Won't you give your lonely sister a kiss?"

Devin lightly kissed one of her feathers.

"Now, now! That won't do! Give your big sister a proper kiss."

As Devin sighed, she shook a few strands of black hair from her face and bent down, pressing her soft lips into his in a not-quite-sensual, but definitely more than familial, kiss. She probed his lips questioningly with her tongue, but he kept them firmly closed.

Mavis looked disappointed. "You normally love our little make-out sessions."

"M'not today," he muttered.

"Is it because you're embarrassed to show how close we are to your friends? Oh well, I guess I can settle for this to stave off my loneliness for a while, but next time it will be full tongue!" she cooed.

Azalea, getting over her initial surprise, fluttered up to the harpy calling herself Devin's sister.

"Oh, hello, are you a friend of my brother's? Would you like a kiss too?" she proposed alluringly.

"He's my life-mate, and I have a hard time believing you're his sister, given the obvious differences."

"You don't believe me? Can't you see the family resemblance?" She rested her head on Devin's shoulder so Azalea could compare.

"See? Perfect family resemblance!" she chuckled.

Azalea folded her arms and rolled her eyes.

"She's technically right, Azalea," assured Devin, "though it's more accurate to say I'm her adopted brother. We were childhood friends growing up. I was eighteen when my parents passed away, so Mavis' family took me in."

Mavis mussed his hair. "And that's why he has my family's last name. We are just as close as any biological siblings."

Azalea mulled over this explanation a moment. "If you're life-mate's sister, then... then that makes you my sister too?!"

"I'm not sure that's how it wor―" Devin tried to say.

Azalea exploded in excitement. "I've never had a sibling! What do sisters normally do together?! Try on each other's clothes?! Bake sweets?! Pick flowers?! I could make you a pretty―!"

Devin plucked her out of the air, muffling her in his hand.

"You found a sweet girl, Devin! I like her -- very spunky. She's just what you need to experience the more exciting parts of life," Mavis said.

"Actually, she found me."

"Is that so?" Mavis stole Azalea out of Devin's hand and pulled her close. "You want to hear some interesting stories about him?"

"Most definitely!" She nodded enthusiastically.

"He peeked at me several times in the bath."

"She complained she couldn't wash her back properly," Devin interjected. "That was the first night I moved in and before I became aware of your hobby of teasing me. I got in trouble with your father for that."

"You say trouble. I call it life experience."

"He was such a naughty brother, Azalea -- always trying to glance under my tail feathers."

"You mean you enjoyed giving me a hard time by wearing next to nothing when lounging around the house," he clarified.

"I think you mean hard-on," she teased. "Clothes are such a bother, anyway, when you don't leave the house."

Turning her attention back to Azalea, "That wasn't the most daring thing he did, Azalea. He was even brazen enough to sneak into my bed once and spoon me."

"She snuck into MY bed, in MY room, and rubbed her butt against me."

"You liked it, and I could tell you wanted to cum."

"Did not."

"Well, technically, yes, I couldn't tell since you had a lot of pre-cum and a very wet dream."

Azalea patted them both on the head between laughs. "You two are so cute together, and he does produce a lot of pre-cum. I'll have to try giving him a wet dream sometime, too." Azalea giggled.

"Oh, so you know! He was so mean to me that night, Azalea. Imagine it: it's late at night, and you get those tingles, that deep itch that can only be scratched by someone with fingers, but he's fast asleep! So what am I to do but try to scratch it myself with the nearest long, hard object, but the angles are all wrong to get it inside, so all I end up doing is making him get my tail feathers all sticky. Then, when he wakes up, instead of helping me, he leaves the room embarrassed!" she mock-cried.

Azalea put her hands on her hips. "Life-mate, shame on you, it's written in the younger brother handbook that he has the responsibility to take care of the sexual needs of his older sister."

"First, I wasn't expecting her to be in my bed rubbing up against my morning wood. Second, I wasn't ready to fertilize her eggs, and third, I'm positive and glad no such book exists," he claimed with exasperation.

"He can be quite the stick-in-the-mud, can't he, Azalea? I tried many times to wash his penis, to search out his favorite spots, but he always found an excuse to avoid me."

"You want me to tell you where they are?" Azalea whispered conspiratorially.

"I can hear you when you're right next to me, you know. If you two are quite done teasing me, I would like to know if you have any messages."

Reina sighed. "Always business first. Yes, I do, but first, look!" She spread her wings and did a little spin in the back of the wagon. "Brand new uniforms! Doesn't this purple and yellow beret look professional?" She adjusted it smartly. "It even has our emblem of a talon clutching a scroll embroidered on it, and isn't this black leather jerkin with alternating purple and yellow trim fashionable? I still need help to put it on and take off, but it's a lot quicker now since they moved the brass buckles to the sides.

"The only thing I dislike are these tight, form-fitting breeches. The short belted skirt over it is cute, but how am I supposed to show off my trim butt if it's being covered?"

"I'm sure your butt wasn't even a consideration for your boss."

"Sadly, you're right, even though I'm his fastest harpy at Wing and Claw Delivery. Speaking of butts, I thought I eyed you covering yours just before I landed, Miss Quiet Whitehorn."

Reina had been silently listening and not in any particular hurry to enter the conversation. "A lady would never do such a thing in public," She deflected.

"Is that so? I have a pretty good eye, especially for butts, and I'm positive I saw yours for a brief moment."

"I asked to se―" Devin muffled Azalea with his hand again.

"How about I introduce you two," Devin cut in. "Mavis, this is Reina D Virtsa. She's traveling with Azalea and I. Reina, as you've already heard, this is my older sister, Mavis Ebonplume."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ebonplume."

"Likewise, Miss Virtsa."

"Returning to business matters, I have a client who has a big commission they want you, specifically, to fulfill... if you're up to it," Mavis announced.

"Oh? Who, and what's the commodity?" Devin queried.

"For now, they would like to remain anonymous but will have the written request completed in a few days. If you could stop by the office, I'll be able to give it to you then."

"Alright, I'll be making a detour at Gylan's farm, so it'll be about two or three days."

"That's fine. It's not an urgent or time-sensitive request. Anyway, I've used up all my break time and need to be off to deliver the rest of these." She shook the large satchels hanging under her wings. "Love you! I'll see you in a few days!"

Mavis spread her wings, did a test flap, and then took flight heading east.

"Your sister is fun to be around, life-mate! I can't wait to see her again!"

"I'm glad you two got along, even if it was at my expense."

--

Managing a few more kilometers before sunset, the trio found a decent place to camp for the night. Devin served up a meal of baked potatoes and wild chives that Reina found. Azalea was the first to finish eating, falling asleep soon after leaving Reina and Devin alone with the fire.

"Are you feeling sore, Reina?" Devin broke the silence.

"It was a bit more exertion than I anticipated, but I will grow accustomed to it."

Again, the two sat in silence for some time around the crackling fire, listening to the crickets' nightly song.

"Your sister really cares for you, herd-mate."

"She does. She's always been highly independent and proactive at doing whatever she puts her mind to, but she was never too busy to check up on me. She keeps trying to get me to quit being a merchant and come live with her, but I don't know how she could afford me not working. She can't make that much at her job. She keeps telling me she has an alternative income but never elaborates where from."

"Even still, you never considered her offer?"

"I like being a merchant and love traveling. Besides, if I had, I never would've met you or Azalea."

Reina tried to hide a smile. "That's true."

Devin got up and joined Reina on her side of the fire.

"Wha... what are you doing, herd-mate?"

"Just wanting to hold your hand."

"Of course, but I've just never done it in an intimate way before, is this part of human courtship? I don't know anything about how humans bond. It hasn't even been a day since we met and things have all happened so fast. I'm sorry if ―."

Devin suddenly kissed her lips. She stiffened in surprise, then felt her worry melt away as their lips lingered together. Settling back he squeezed her hand. "There isn't really any 'right way', go at our own pace," he assured her.

"How do Whitehorns conduct their courtship?"

Reina pondered a moment. "When Whitehorns come of age, both females and males leave their family to join other herds. Most males join together in 'bachelor bands.' During mating season, they will sparr with one another to demonstrate their physical and charismatic prowess to claim the right to be the first to ask potential females. Candidates are chosen based on pedigree, personality, looks, fertility, etc. The female can then either decline or accept to create their own separate herd as a pair or a group.

"The male will choose a primary female. Together, they will co-manage duties between themselves: when and where to migrate, who to trade with, and diplomatic-related duties with other herds or other demi-human tribes. The male will eventually mate with all the females of the herd, but the primary female chooses when and sometimes with who. She does that to maintain the resources balance within the herd. Offspring are raised communally, allowing females without offspring to work with mothers to gain experience and allow other mothers a chance to rest."

Devin leaned his head on Reina's side. "Do you miss your family?"

"I am unsure of my feelings about them right now. My family was never very openly affectionate, and my father was rather stern most of the time. Being the oldest child, they probably had expectations of me, but they never verbalized them or hinted at their wishes. They were probably disappointed that I'm thirty and never found a herd-mate."

"Till now."

She smiled. "Yes, until now, but I am uncertain how they would view our... unique relationship. I've never heard of another of my kind in a similar situation."

"Relationships like ours seem to be rare. In my travels, I've seen only a handful of similar partners. When we first met, you said you were on your way to catch up with your herd?"

"I did. This time of year is our bi-annual migration to our winter home. I had many things dwelling on my mind, so I decided to travel alone for a while so I could think about things," Reina mused.

"And..." he prodded.

"And?"

"How did the bramble come into play?" he asked.

Reina looked down. "It was a rash decision, and my stress was quite high... and I needed some relief."

"Will they miss you when you don't turn up?" Devin pushed further.

"I don't know. I've been left to my own devices for many years now. I doubt they would miss me."

"I'd like to think, on some level, most parents want to at least know if their children are safe," Devin stated with sympathy. "If you want, you can write a letter and have Mavis deliver it. Might give you some closure."

"I'll think about it."

Reina started to feel warm near the fires, so she removed her coat. She still felt a little vulnerable removing her outerwear. Out of habit, she moved to cover her scars but saw Devin watching her and folded her hands instead.

"Do they really not bother you?" she asked quietly.

Reina tensed as Devin made a move to touch them, but with a mischievous smile, he started tickling her. Surprised, she attempted to fend off his attacks but ended up laughing more than defending. He continued his onslaught for a few minutes and managed to roll Reina onto her side before stopping.

"Feel more relaxed?" He grinned.

She nodded, catching her breath and wiping happy tears from her eyes. "I wasn't expecting that."

Devin helped her back up. "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision."

After a pause, he continued, "I'm still curious as to how you got them."

Reina took a deep breath. "I... my sister and I were kidnapped by slavers."

"Wait, you were victims during that slaver attack thirteen years ago!?"

"I was. I tried to protect my sister, or at the very least, keep her in the group I was in. They didn't like my protests that much."

"So they whipped you," he said bluntly and with a tinge of anger.

Reina nodded. They both fell silent, letting the weight of Reina's story sink in.

"I'm sorry about your sister."

"I mourned for her and had nightmares for several years."

Devin pulled Reina into a hug. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Thank you, herd-mate. I no longer have nightmares, so these scars are the only reminder of that time.

"I'll do my best, and I'm sure Azalea will as well, to make sure you enjoy life from now on."

"I am still getting used to Azalea's... unreserved nature, but I know she means well."

"I don't know if it'll help, but you might try viewing your scars not as a stigma of your failure to protect your sister but as a testament to your courage and survival. Think if you hadn't. If a few minor injuries were the price for freedom, I'd say it was a pretty cheap cost."

"I've never thought of it that way. I'll try to, herd-mate. I suppose the only other good thing that came from that event was my father hugged me for the first time when we returned home."

"See! He does care for you." Devin tried to encourage her.

Reina just looked into the fire thoughtfully. They interlocked and intertwined their fingers as silence settled over the camp, each attending to their own thoughts.

"Reina, I've been meaning to ask about our... mating earlier. I was wondering if we hadn't come along, what was your plan if you got pregnant?"

"I hadn't really thought about the repercussions," she admitted. "I'm ok with bearing your offspring if that's what you're implying?"

"My preferences aside, I really want to hear your feelings."

Reina looked into Devin's eyes. "I'm not against the idea, nor am I particularly eager to rush things. I am already more than happy to spend time traveling with you and Azalea for the time being. Not to mention, the orgasms you two gave me were quite satisfactory," she commended.

They continued watching the fire, enjoying each other's closeness.

Reina tried to stifle a yawn.

Devin leaned against her, imagining no other place he'd rather be than right here, warm and content. "I bet you're going to sleep well tonight with all the exercise you got."

"I will, but I am sure I will feel sore tomorrow."

"Maybe we can alleviate that some."

Reina watched curiously as he straddled her back. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he began a slow, deep massage. "I've found one of the best things in life is a massage right before bed and right when you wake up."

"I can see why." She hummed delightedly.

"Let me get this out of the way." She undid the clasp behind her neck, and her large breasts revealed their freedom with a slight bounce. She rolled her neck and shoulders, which tossed the fabric to the side. "Wearing clothes feels so confining at times."

"Aside from pulling human wagons, you must get sore fairly regularly being so well endowed."

Reina weighed them in her hands thoughtfully. "All the females from my family were blessed with a voluminous bust. I have become accustomed to the discomfort."

"You shouldn't have to! You can ask me for a massage any time."

"Such an attentive herd-mate. I'll be sure to take you up on your offer."

Encouraged by her little purrs of pleasure, he tried to focus on the massage but kept getting distracted by her ample cleavage. He thought of how to ask to touch them when Reina took the initiative.

"If you are going to be thorough, herd-mate, you are going to have to massage these as well." She smirked, placing her arms behind her head and thrusting her chest out.

"As my queen desires."

Thinking he was making fun of her, "M'not really royalty, you know."

"I'm aware, but I already consider you my queen." Devin leaned in and kissed the back of her ear. Heat flooded Reina's face, and she tilted her head down, blushing profusely.

"You're also incredibly adorable when you're embarrassed."

Reina took a few breaths to calm her fluttering heart. "When I was very young, two human nobles and their retinue visited our herd."

Devin scooted closer, his hands kneading the delicate muscles around the base of her breasts, ready to listen to her story.

"Father didn't inform me as to the nature of their visit. I had no interest, either -- that is, until I saw the nobleman's wife, sitting upon her carriage, regal, indifferent as if the mediocrity of everyday life was beneath her."

"What'd she look like?" he asked.

She closed her eyes to bring back the memory. "Her hair was dark as walnut, braided into a crown around her head. She wore a sapphire-embedded coronet. An emblem of blue roses embroidered the entirety of her billowy dress. She looked so striking compared to what I was used to seeing; I was enchanted by her.

"They stayed with us for a week. I wanted to talk with her, get to know her, but I rarely saw her outside her tent. For the first few days, I tried sneaking peeks at her, but I wasn't very discreet, and she shooed me away."

Reina was so engrossed in telling her story that she failed to notice Devin's massage transition from a wholesome alleviation of soreness and tension to a more lewd nature.

He experimentally cupped the oversized mounds in his hands, enjoying the luscious flesh squishing between his fingers.

"On my fourth attempt," Reina continued, "I went at night. She was humming a song while brushing her hair. This time, though, she sighed when she noticed me. She ushered me in. Then she put her brush down, demanding to know why I kept disturbing her. I told her I was infatuated by her, the way she conducted herself, her lifestyle.