Ogres and Ogresses Ch. 27

"Enui?"

"Yesss...do you not remember what befell her when ssshe and the brute ssstumbled towardsss the nymph mother tree?"

"Yes...they were driven mad."

"They were driven mad with pleasssure..." Scallen corrected. "They were infected with nymphomania...a witch like sssSalurra...a creature who takes pleassssure from pain, forced to give and re...sss...ceive pleasure, from an endless ssssupply of insssatiable bodiesss..."

He winked at her as he eyes filled with terror. "What could be worssse?"

Vine looked to Zyra, his eyes seeking permission.

"Keromedio?"

Zyra took a step away from them, holding up a hand when Medean went to follow. She rubbed her temples.

"I...I don't know if I can let you do this," Zyra said. "She doesn't want you. If you take her it will be by force."

"She took us by force."

"So you want to be no better than her?" Zyra shouted. "You want to rape her? She may be guilty but as a fellow woman I cannot abide by this."

Vine's jaw locked, his eyes taking on a stern look. "Nymphs do not rape, Zyra."

Zyra looked at the nymph and shook her head. "If you take her, you will."

"You speak out of ignorance," Vine said, striding forward. "You speak this way because you have never been embraced by nymph kind. You are naïve and foolish, and your words are hurtful."

Zyra's eyes widened as the massive body of nymphs took their eyes off of Salurra and put them onto her.

"Stop!" Medean shouted. "You will not lay a hand on her!" He stood beside her, whirling around at the nymphs that seemed to edge closer and closer.

Zyra's fingers twitched in the handle of her sword. Could she harm them? Knowing what they were and how fragile they were? Knowing that they had captured the hearts of two of her sisters?

"I don't want to fight you." She sheathed her sword.

"Zyra!" Medean shouted in protest.

"Then do not friend Zyra," Vine stated. "Give us Salurra, or allow us to persuade your decision."

She looked to Scallen, her eyes pleading. His normally jovial face was passive as he regarded the scene. With a sigh he gestured towards her.

"Come here."

She took a step forward and Medean pulled her back. "No. Stay close."

"You can have the witchesss..." Scallen hissed. "But the keromedio is not yoursss to take...she's marked. Or have you not noti...sss..ced?"

His eyes went to her neck and she put her hand over it. His expression made her feel guilty, like she had done him an unknown wrong.

Vine looked to Zyra and gave an abrupt nod. "Of course. And we owe her much. Though she has questioned our honor, we know her to be good at heart."

The nymphs collapsed in and Zyra shouted when they grabbed them. She churned in the sea of blue bodies, fighting against the current. She struggled as they pushed down the line until she tripped into Scallen's arms, the bright green eyes regarding her cooly. She looked back and saw that they had released Salurra from the tree and were taking her away. Medean let off a few bursts of magic before someone grabbed his staff and he was as helpless as Salurra.

"There are too many of them," Zyra breathed. "He can't fight them off alone."

She went forward by Scallen held her fast, squeezing her until her palms lay on his chest.

"You would only join the festivities...There are definitely too many...The nature of nymphsss isss that you can't fight them fa...sss...ce to fa...sss...ce..."

"Then you have to stop them!"

"Why?"

"Scallen just do it!"

"Why?"

"Please!"

Her bottom lip quivered and her body shook from the fear. Her eyes shined with moisture. She felt small.

"You have to stop them," she begged. "Please."

He brushed a strand of hair behind her head.

"Why are you afraid?"

"Medean is my friend. They hate witches. Don't let them take him."

"You didn't anssswer my quessstion ssZyra..."

Zyra looked back at the receeing nymphs and heard Medean cry out.

"No!" She leapt forward by Scallen held her by her waist, lifting her feet off the ground as she kicked.

"Anssswer..."

"I can't survive without him!" she screamed. The truth of it shook her. "If I am left alone in the Marble Tree, Caligula will break me. He's already trying to break me. If Medean is gone I'll have nothing and no one."

She looked at him, he voice accusatory. "You can't even touch the door."

Scallen's face was somber. He released her, his fingers sliding along her waist. He took a step, gliding forward in the direction of the nymphs. Wordlessly she ran after him. Arriving, she saw Salurra was naked and bound in vines. Her mouth was left sealed by Medean's magic and a group of nymphs touched her intimately and boldly, her eyes spitting fire, her body shaking like a leaf.

Medean's cloak had been cast off, snagged on tree.

Scallen strode forward, his eyes trained on her, something in his right hand. He raised his arm and dropped it in front of her.

"Happy?"

Medean looked harassed, half of his shirt torn down to his waist. He crawled up to his knees and Zyra crossed her arms.

"No. I'm not. If you had stopped this in the beginning this would have never happen."

Scallen tilted his head, a wide smirk splitting onto his face. "You want me to take ressponssibility?"

Zyra narrowed her eyes. "You don't—"

The floor beneath her and Medean suddenly dropped out. She screamed, reaching out to Scallen as she fell into the black pit. He grabbed her wrist and fell behind them, pitch darkness surrounding them. Suddenly the whole opened up and she could see green grass.

"Ufgh!"

They landed in a pile, Zyra on Medean and Scallen on top of her.

"Get off me!"

Scallen chuckled. "I don't know why...you have the bessst sseat in the housse..."

"Off!"

Scallen rose up and lifted her to her feet. His levity did not dampen when he saw who had summoned them. If possible it grew.

A purple haze surrounded Caligula. Zyra touched her hip. Her sword was still there. She tried not to chew her lip in nervousness, or let herself sweat, but it was hard. She had never seen Caligula so angry.

He stood before the Marble Tree, his eyes glowing in silent fury.

Medean stood up his eyes widening as he saw the witch. He took a step in front of Zyra.

"Zyra..."

"Yes Medean."

"I want you to run."

"No! I'm not going to."

"ssZyra..."

Scallen stood beside Medean, cracking his shoulder.

"Lissten to him."

Zyra's eyes widened as Caligula's purple cloud expanded.

"sZyra!"

Her head snapped to the left.

"Find Etass...ceh."

"But what about—"

"This isn't about you anymore," Medean said sighing heavily. He ripped off what remained of his upper cloak. "We've wounded his pride and he has too much of it. He wants us. Then he'll come for you. Go. Go now."

Zyra hesitated one more second before darting towards the Marble Tree. She heard bones cracking and knew Scallen was changing. Caligula looked to her and threw his hand in the air. She flew back into the air. He'd made her fly.

"No!"

She looked behind her and saw a tree to her right. She twisted, turning towards it. Soaring on her back she forced her feet on the tree and threw herself backward. Twisting in the air she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Calm down. Calm...

She felt herself losing momentum and opened her eyes. Medean looked up and saw her slowing. He had a shield of black magic keeping him from Caligula's wrath.

"KICK YOUR LEGS!" He screamed.

She obeyed and soon began to descend, her stomach dropping to her feet as her momentum carried her wildly forward. Hitting the ground sent a spike of pain up her ankle and she was afraid she had broken it, but she had no time for that. She ran as fast as she could towards the Marble Tree, towards Etaceh, away from the crazy witch who...

"No! Scallen, where are you going?"

She looked back and saw that Scallen was gone. Medean took a step towards her and disapeared in a purple fog. She looked forward and halted before Caligula.

"Zyra." His voice was laden with dark calm.

She didn't like it. She jumped back, he heart leaping around her chest.

"Caligula get out of my way."

"You know what I find...funny about you?"

"Stay back." She pulled out her sword. "You are not well."

"Your pride." It went flying from her hands.

She backpedalled as he advanced, fear starting to taint her brave facade. Her palms felt clammy, and as he perused her with his gaze, she felt dirty and exposed. She felt weak.

No! No Zyra, he's trying to make you feel that way. You are not weak.

"You are weak."

You are not powerless.

"You are powerless."

And you are...

"The Master of your own fate?" Caligula grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

Her eyes widened in panic.

"Don't make me laugh."

She struggled fruitlessly and he held her, his eyes glowing. With a bitter chuckle, he pulled down her pants. Zyra tried to scream, kicking, fighting against the black spots in her vision as her sex became vulnerable. Caligula released her, but she remained in the air, still choked by an invisible current. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of red liquid.

"This will prove if you are a child of my loins," Caligula said. "A drop on your sex, a magical paternity test if you will. If the potion turns red, you are a child of mine and I will find a way to discipline you. But if it turns green..."

He leaned in, luxuriating in the tears in the corners of her eyes.

"I will greet the basilisk and witch sheathed in your cunt. I will violate you and break you until no civilized beast would have you. I will make you beg me for forgiveness and sob out my name in pathetic simpering cries. And then..."

Zyra crumbled to the floor. Caligula smiled.

"I'll turn you over."

She tried to catch her bearings, tried to focus, tried to stop him, but he had drained her somehow. She felt dizzy. His form wavered in front of her and she closed her eyes. What was left? What inside her was left?

She searched inside the blackness and saw a thin, dull, sparkle of green.

Kail. He was left.

Caligula lifted her legs up and dribbled the potion onto her pussy. She had stopped struggling and closed her eyes. As the potion turned green he let out a hearty laugh.

"Well! I won't have to change my punishment. You are no child of mine."

He bent down to her ear. "Are you ready Zyra?"

She opened her eyes, and they were yellow. She opened her mouth and growled, her teeth turned to tiny little fangs. Stunned, he didn't have time to react when she hit his face. He fell back as she rose, touching his numb cheek. Blood, his face was covered in blood.

She had cut him...but how? He hadn't taught her shape-shifting magic!

Zyra stared at him with murderous intent, her clothes secure, the stunned witch on the ground. She charged forward with a roar and sliced again, this time catching his chest as he rolled away. Standing, his fist clenched.

"The ogre?"

No sooner that he stood, was he tossed back to the floor. Eyes narrowed, he went to kill Medean once and for all when a pale, red toe-nailed foot pressed his chest.

"Etaceh..."

She looked down at him, her face emotionless.

"Caligula, my friend," she said in a soft, mournful voice. "You betray me for the last time."

"Eta—"

She stomped on his chest and looked back to Zyra.

"You are safe now sweet love. You are safe."

Zyra's form bristled, unwilling to trust the seemingly sincere witch. A hand rested on her shoulder and she spun to attack. Scallen caught her clawed hand, an eyebrow raised.

"Really ssZyra...do you know how many tunnelsss it took to find the wretched witch...ssss?"

Zyra narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand back.

"You're late."

"Clearly. You look...hideoussss..."

Zyra looked at her right hand, coated in Caligula's blood. Four long lines scarred the left side of his face.

"Thossse will never heal..."

"Why?"

"Becaussse...you ssstruck him with the intent to kill. An ogre can choossse what he cutsss...you chossse to leave your mark little ogressss...and so Caligula shall have it. It is arcane ogre magic as old asss...dirt. No one can change that. Not even a witch."

Scallen watched her eyes bleed back into their soulful green. "I finally left my mark."

He hissed a chuckle.

"Etaceh you've no idea what occurred," Caligula said, trying to get the melancholy witch to let him up. She pushed him down once more.

"Ugh. Etaceh, everything I did was punitive and within my rights."

"These are not the Dark Ages anymore!" she screamed. "These are not the times in which we have no moral! No God! Maker be, have you forgotten yourself?"

She lifted off her foot and he grunted, standing up. His face felt odd. Whatever Zyra had done was going to take time to heal.

"Fine!" he admitted. "Things might have gotten a little out of hand. Zyra? I apologize."

She spat in his direction. Beside her he saw the basilisk. His jaw locked and he forced himself to calm down.

"Well...you couldn't fight me conventionally so you crawled on your belly to another witch? Tis your nature, no?"

"If I were to break the treaty and fight you, I wouldn't leave your ambiguousss progeny... bonesss to bury."

"Perhaps a grace period then?"

He felt his shoulder grabbed and turned into a fist. Falling to the ground he looked up to see Medean, huffing and puffing.

"That is for teleporting me like a coward. The next one will be for my Mistress."

"Medean," Etaceh said. "Move."

He looked into her unusually calm face and obeyed.

Etaceh knelt beside Caligula who was fixing his broken nose, his beautiful skin marred with blood. She had once found him beautiful, but that was long, long ago.

"I am protectorate of this valley," Etaceh stated. "And I cannot stand idly by for a moment longer whilst you abuse the keromedio. I bowed to your council because I believed you knew best...but no more. Caligula, you are banished from the Valley of the Marble Tree."

Caligula's look of shock was indescribable.

"You're going to banish me? I am on the Dark Witch's Council..."

"The Council does not have power over the Protectorate of a Valley whilst in the Valley."

Caligula stood, shaking his head. "Etaceh you are behaving foolishly. Surely you do not believe you have the ability to train the keromedio yourself."

"I will," Etaceh snapped. "And I do."

Caligula's eyes grew sharp and he saw some of her power waver. He grinned cruelly. "I am stronger than you Etaceh. You know that. And you dare tell me what you can do. What if I refuse?"

Etaceh looked back at Zyra who stood between the men, looking ever so much like a child.

She stepped between them. "Then I will fight you." She took out her wand and pointed it at him.

"When was the last time you had a duel Caligula? I am at my strongest while in the proximity of the Marble Tree and it is but feet away from us. Do your worst."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Draw Caligula. Draw or concede."

"We chose the keromedio together. We rule her together!"

"We rule her actions and her deeds," Etaceh said. "I have no desire to contest that. When the time for her missions begins you may return and advise her in my presence, but until that time comes..."

Etaceh took on a stance Zyra had never seen. Her wand arched above her head as she lowered into it, her arm out towards him.

"I insist, you leave."

Caligula observed her in silence. He looked at Zyra. "Kail might be in the Rovian lands, but that does not mean he is safe."

"Caligula your fight is with me!"

"I thought his mate might like to know," he spat. "I know where you came from. Visiting the in-laws. It has been such a long time since I stepped foot in the Shashanen village."

Her eyes turned yellow. "I'll kill you!"

Scallen grabbed her pulling her back. He covered her eyes.

"ssShhh...ssshh..."

Medean looked on, offering the soothing words he could, his eyes drilling into the basilisk with distrust and a measure of jealousy.

"NO!" she shrieked.

"Zyra, it'll be alright."

Etaceh looked at Caligula. He watched as two tears ran down her face.

"Go."

"I didn't know you could cry anymore."

"Go!"

Caligula looked at his side and found no one. Not even his loyal Salurra.

"Fine. I'll see you soon, Etaceh. Zyra."

He waved his hand and the sky in front of them wavered. It burned open a portal and Zyra saw a purple and gray land.

"Farewell."

Caligula stepped through, and the portal closed. The valley was serene and quiet, and it had never been more unsettling.

"Zyra!"

Etaceh ran up to her and gathered her in her arms. "Oh Zyra! Please tell me he didn't hurt you!"

Zyra patted Etaceh awkwardly, unsure of what their relationship was.

"No Etaceh. I'm...I'm fine...Thank you."

Etaceh looked at her. Her eyes shining.

"Zyra...there's something I—"

There was a loud boom in the distance.

"An outsider has entered the border," Medean said. "It's an alert only we who belong can hear."

"Kail..." Zyra breathed. She stepped forward.

"Kail!"

"Zyra stop!"

Zyra ran top speed, her muscles pushed past anything she had ever endured. The world was a blur around her. It was like she was a centaur. She vaulted over tree stumps and ducked under branches, diving through the forest like a fish swimming in a familiar current. The other side came in view, and she rushed to the figure that dragged itself in the distance. Her eyes zoomed in and she wasn't...she wasn't sure what she was seeing.

She ran to the figure. It was a Nightlock, and it appeared to be badly injured. It looked up at her with dark glassy eyes.

"I...saved your...niece," the Nightlock gasped.

"Now...save me."

Zyra stared at it. It could talk.

"Please!" it begged. "Ple—"

She heard a woosh and turned to see a massive cloud of dark green smoke. Hearing a thud behind her, she saw the beast had passed out. It was too late to run. She could not carry the massive beast after what she had endured, how but does one fight a cloud?

Zyra raised her hands up, her mind racing.

What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?

"Back!" she screamed at it.

She pushed her magic at the cloud and it did nothing. If anything, the cloud grew.

It was coming closer. Gritting her teeth, she tried to form a magic shield and knelt in front the Nemlock. She produced a tiny weak one, but a shield no less. The cloud hit them full force and she used all of her strength to hold the shield firm. The green cloud sieved to both sides of the shield.

Zyra was about to shout in victory, but the cloud had no dissipated. Instead, it sat, humanly waiting for her expectantly. She stood, staring at it as they seemingly looked at one another. Zyra unsheathed her sword and the cloud stirred. Inside she could almost see the shadow of a man.

It was teasing her.

"I'm not afraid of you," she growled. "And I won't back down."

The man in cloud chuckled. "Wonderful."

Great, so now clouds could talk?

"What are you?" she demanded. "Why have you followed this beast?"

"I didn't follow him or her or it," he said, his voice amused. "I sent CoCree here. I knew it would seek you out, and I sent a spell with it."

Zyra took a step back, and steadied her stance. She wasn't sure she could win this battle. She was so tired.

"You were looking for me."

"I wanted to see what you looked like. The fearsome keromedio, Zyra of the Rovians. Your niece was quite proud."

The mention of Nima set her off. She charged at him with a war cry, the sword aimed for his heart. She sliced right through him, ending up on the other side of the cloud. The man crossed his arms behind his back.