Toofy Ch. 17

Author's Note: Trigger warning. This chapter is bitter-sweet, and will deal with the consequences of the shit that happened in Chapter Four.

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Toofy paused, foot midair, as her nose flicked back and forth. It wasn't hard to catch the smell permeating her nostrils, she expected that even a human could smell it when Meerakeilian entered the room.

She emitted a tiny little frightened miaow, before she found herself lying on a table, looking up into deep black eyes. Seeing only her reflection in them.

"B-bad dragon." Toofy whispered.

Meerakeilian growled as she leaned further down, slowly opening her jaw to reveal bright white, sharp, and triple-rows of teeth. Her forked tongue flicked outwards to tap Toofy's cheek.

The catgirl's expression suddenly changed to one of confusion, and she coughed, "Eh... Mia... Do you... Have balls?"

The salamander's chuckle was deep and rolling, sending shivers through Toofy as she realised she was trapped beneath a very horny dragon that had just undergone a sexchange.

The black scales beginning to sprout where Meerakeilian had been scarred by her battle, and the darkening of her other scales, showed off that the red salamander was somehow turning into a black, as well.

"Mia... Do you have... Other male bits?" Toofy cringed.

In answer, she felt something large and solid smack against her underwear, pushing against her private parts as the woman... Man... Lizard, leaned down even closer to her, growling in her ear.

"Toofy doesn't want." She said breathlessly. "Toofy doesn't want."

"Want." Meerakeilian growled again, kissing both her cheeks quickly, "Want her. Make egg. Make egg. Make egg."

She let out a frightened whine, her own tail curling in around her leg. She didn't stand a chance if the unbalanced hormones of the salamander got the better of them.

She was also feeling a bit like everyone kept using her. First Elatham, then Daen, and now even her dragongirl was going to ignore her telling them to stop.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Meerakeilian vanished from sight, letting out a pained howl as she did.

Toofy took a few deep breaths before sitting up slowly from the table, shifting her recovering arm in its sling and looking around in confusion for whatever had managed to attack the salamander.

The only other living thing she could see in the room was the tavern owner, hiding behind his broken kitchen, practically gnawing on his own arm in terror of everything he had witnessed since breakfast.

The catgirl took a whiff of the air, frowned, and her bell jangled as she dropped her head upside down to look beneath the table where her dragon was curled into a very tight ball.

You could attack her with a battle axe right now, and all you'd hit were layers of scales. The salamander may as well be a larger pillbug, all frightened and armoured.

Toofy blinked her golden eyes, "Mia?"

A puff of white smoke emerged from inside the ball, and it curled in even tighter.

She crawled in beside the ball shape, lifting a hand hesitantly before she poked at it. She shot back, but all that happened was another little puff of white smoke.

Toofy padded in closer again and let out a small whine. She prodded at the ball with her face, "Mia not want to hurt Toofy?"

A big puff of white smoke.

"But Mia wants Toofy... Because Toofy is Devourer?"

The ball cracked and black eyes peeked out from inside, which seemed to be glowing orange. The eyes moved back and forth, the lizard shaking its head, before the ball snapped shut again.

Toofy breathed a sigh of relief, and lay down next to the ball. "Toofy isn't mad at her. But Mia is stronger than Toofy. Does Mia remember the temple? You're bigger and stronger than Toofy. She can't run away. Can either hurt Mia with the rite, or get hurt."

The salamander let out a strange and warbling keening sound that Toofy recognised from one of their lessons. She'd never heard it before, but she knew it was a sound of deference, from one salamander to another.

The sound of defeat.

"If Toofy gives Mia a little kiss, will she stop being all frightened and wary? Toofy already has her Arina, and her Saia, and her master. Doesn't think she needs more. But she will give dragon kiss, and forgive her for her arm." She said sympathetically.

The ball cracked open again, steam emerging where the orange light hit the air. Meerakeilian gave a growl that shook the ground, "She belongs. She owned. Toofy owns. Toofy owns. Want. Want egg."

"Toofy won't let anyone give her kittens. She does not want to hatch a little dragongirl." She shook her head.

The ball uncurled a little more, A scale-frame faced becoming visible, and the lizard growled quietly, "But Toofy has kittens."

"What?" Her golden eyes shot open in terror.

The salamander uncurled, slithering up to her smoothly in the same motion and put a hand to her stomach, "Three heartbeats. Three little kittens."

"What?" Toofy's own heart hammered in her ears as she failed to process the information.

Meerakeilian's black eyes looked at her sympathetically, "Didn't know? I could hear them. Younglings."

"C-can you tell when? When Toofy got pregnant?" She asked in terror.

The dragongirl frowned, and leaned in, placing her hot and scaled ear against Toofy's stomach. Tapping a claw on the ground and considering. The creature scratched at their chin, "Mmm... Twelve, thirteen weeks?"

"Three months." Toofy breathed out and fell backwards, almost spraining her tail as she landed on it. She blinked her golden eyes in fright, "Sai... Or... Or... Bastard elf."

Meerakeilian looked at her sympathetically, "As ancestor?"

She nodded noiselessly, biting at her lip.

If her master was the father of her children, then Toofy would be ecstatic. She didn't exactly want to be pregnant, but she would love her kittens and do everything in the world to keep them safe.

On the other hand, if she gave birth to half-elven children, even though it wasn't their fault, Toofy didn't know if she could take that reminder of what had happened to her.

She might end up ending her own life, turning them into more frightened orphans for the temple to care for. Children who the emperor would undoubtedly target, if he knew their lineage.

That was why Toofy hadn't wanted kittens.

She knew that their entire lives would be spent hiding from the enemies that Toofy was bound to make on her path to seize the empire, seize the throne.

"What can Mia tell?"

"Frightened little hearts." The salamander whispered, "Feel what mother feels. Not understand. Too young."

Toofy gave a half-hearted laugh, "Mother always frightened. Worse now. Oh, shit! Toofy has been using black magic with fucking kittens inside her! Fuck! Motherfucking fuckshit!"

"Souls untainted." The salamander said quickly, smiling weakly at her, "Neko constitution. Remember temple, they teach us. Neko children shielded from parent magic."

She shook her head frantically, "No! Not from fucked magic. Bad magic. Shit! Toofy can't use death magic anymore. Neko kittens only protected from mother's normal magic. Humans can't risk using any magic when pregnant. Neko can use theirs, but Toofy was using fucking bad magic. Cursed magic."

"Souls untainted." The salamander insisted, "Glowing. Quiet. They have aura, all glittering like treasure. Make want, make jealous. Want egg."

Toofy sniffled in terror, smiling at the woman, "Toofy really has kittens? Oh gods. Oh those poor fucked souls. Toofy is going to be such a bad mother."

"I be wetnurse?" Meerakeilian offered to her, "Protect kittens with my life, like I protect you."

She laughed weakly, "Don't think neko milk is like dragon milk. Oh, shit! Three months. Toofy's going to get breasts, soon. Start getting heavier. Tender. Toofy doesn't wanna! Toofy wants to be able to hunt!"

"What are you two bastards yelling about?" The elf appeared, crouching by the end of the table, "Hiding because you walked away from a fight, slutcat?"

Toofy's eyes flicked to her, and she snarled, barely resisting the darker magic she had been trying to teach to herself. Forcing herself to reach for the light instead, her golden eyes glowing vibrantly. "Elf. Play nice. Toofy is very, very, upset right now."

"You left me to deal with a fucking army, on my own!" The elf hissed, ears pulling back, "And you know what? I summoned Astadia. And she fucking kicked my ass! If Orli hadn't been there I would have -"

"Toofy has kittens!" She shouted, interrupting the woman.

The elf blinked in surprise, "W-what?"

"Toofy... Just found out... She's pregnant." She said, chest heaving with each pause. She swallowed nervously, "Insane elf can yell at her another time. 'Kay? Also, Toofy knew Orli. Knows about the Orli. So she knew she would make Astadia run away."

The elf fell into a sitting position, leaning her forehead against the end of the table, "That's why your aura is so twisted up. Shit, you've got to be like... Only a few months in. How long is a neko pregnancy, anyways? And how stupid do you have to be to get pregnant when you're fighting gods and emperors?"

"Toofy didn't mean it." She burst into tears, sobbing.

A protective tail wrapped around her like a brick wall curling up around her, and Meerakeilian issued a warning growl from the back of her throat. Puffing out black smoke from her mouth.

The elf gave a weak laugh, "Well... Shit. Guess I shouldn't have expected anything different from a damned neko. Of course you done got fucked."

"Toofy... Doesn't know... If master's kittens... Or fucking bastard elf who hurt her." She snarled.

Trician blinked, and smiled sympathetically, "I could tell you, if you wanted. I'm a prophetess. I can read you, and your children. If you wanted me to... It was an elf? The one who hurt you?"

"Elatham." She sniffled, naming the man she hated more than anyone else in existence. Even long dead, his shadow was a scar that clung more tightly to her than any other.

"Lord Elatham? The emperor's magic adviser?" Trician asked cautiously, causing the salamander to growl another warning.

Toofy nodded, feeling snot beginning to mingle with her tears, dribbling down the front of her face. "Master... Her Sai... He killed the elf... When he was still inside Toofy. Still hurting her. He... He paralysed Toofy. Wanted to steal her magic. She hates him. That's why she hates elves. Toofy hates you all."

The woman lifted her hand, her embedded gemstones twinkling for a moment, and when she looked at Toofy again, her face was a picture of grimness.

"No!" Toofy said in front, warbling and ducking her head, "No... No it can't... I can't... Not... Not cope..."

"Two of the children are human. Human and neko." The elf whispered, "One of the two is... Sick. His soul is fighting with itself. He might not survive. His sister, she's okay. Stable."

"Sai's magic. Menes magic." Toofy whispered, "She's going to lose her kittens, to it?"

"No. It isn't clear. Your son fights, and he fights with the outrageous and unbending will of his mother." The elf said firmly.

Toofy sniffled, "Third. He's Elatham's heir. Isn't he?"

"She. You have a half-elven daughter." Trician whispered regretfully, "She's innocent. So very innocent. She isn't the monster... That her father was."

The catgirl wailed in pain.

Her daughter would have the face of her father. Whatever happened, no matter how much Toofy would love her, it wouldn't change it. She would see her abuser, every single day.

"Toofy wants to die." She whispered.

Meerakeilian let out a bellow that blew the table from above them, "Succubus! Saia!"

Toofy grabbed a spider from the floor that tried to scramble away and shoved it into her mouth. Sniffling as she crushed the squirming snack in her mouth.

Saia stumbled in, off-balance and moving painfully. She hesitated, obviously not wanting to crouch or bend over, before giving up and sitting in front of Toofy with a wince. "Ow. What's going on, here?"

"Your mistress is pregnant. Two of the children are her master's, but the third..." The elf trailed off and glared, "You knew. You would have known, you're a succubus."

"Fuck." Saia cursed, "I didn't want to have this conversation. I really did not want to have this conversation."

Toofy looked up at her, and shook her head, "Saia is fine. Toofy understands... Toofy understands."

"Says want dead." Meerakeilian growled quietly, "Needs one she loves. Needs."

Saia reached out and squeezed one of the catgirl's hands, "No... No she doesn't. Toofy doesn't need any of us. She's going to be the empress of the fuckin' world. She's stronger than any of us."

"Not strong." Toofy disagreed. "Not now. Not ever again."

Trician whispered quietly, "She's right. Right now, Toofy isn't strong. What she is, and what her enemies are actually afraid of, is that this neko... Is a survivor."

The catgirl gave a half smile, "Insane elf not a total bitch."

"I lost Ancestor." The dragon said quietly, "Saia was misused. Elf lost love. So many hurt us. Toofy, you unite us. Make us... Better than we were. Your hurt now. We save you, now."

Toofy rolled her eyes and brushed the lizard's cheek with the back of her hand, "You can't protect Toofy from Toofy, little Mia. It doesn't work that way."

"I will kidnap Sai." The dragon said and stood up, causing Toofy's eyes to widen as the new genitals flopped right at her face level. "These ones, protect you. Prepare for the arrival of my servants."

The catgirl looked up, "What does Mia mean... Kidnap? And what does she mean, servants?"

"My voice has been heard. All will come. To challenge, be devoured, or bow." Meerakeilian growled, "I own dragonkind. They will come to me. They will serve me. As I serve my Devourer."

Toofy's eyes widened in astonishment, "Did... Did... Did Mia just... Become... Dragonking?"

"I am the Heir of Irrlichdan." Meerakeilian growled with a challenge in her voice, "And I will serve you, and your children. Lord Sai, by your side. The emperor is a threat. We will remove it."

Trician gave a small gasp, "Holy shit. Holy shit... It's a civil war. It starts here. This is the moment, this is the truth, this is where it all changes. Where it begins. Goddess save us."

Toofy finally noticed that one of Saia's eyes was no longer red, but green. So the girl really had tried to save Tyre, after Toofy left them to their buttplay.

The succubus really did like the stinking human.

Saia smiled slowly, "We will protect this town. Send the dead. Send the living. We'll fuck 'em all, to keep you safe. Fuck the emperor. He ain't touching a hair on the head of my nieces and nephew."

"Aunty Saia?" Toofy raised an eyebrow.

The woman shrugged, "I've been called worse. What do you say, mistress? Become our empress? Take up the call, and make this world yours, starting here... And now?"

She hesitated.

"If I can summon Astadia again, with Orli's help, and bind her, with your help... I can take control of the draug." Trician said quietly, "I am a Princess, of the empire of the Golden Mountain. Royal blood runs through these veins. I can't do it alone... But draug and dragon, united by the neko."

Toofy gave a small giggle, and rubbed at her cheeks, "She loves you. She loves all of you. Protecting her and... It's time we hurt them. Hurt everyone who hurt us. Toofy won't take her time, anymore. Saia goes with Mia. She goes to capital, and kills the Yu."

The succubus raised an eyebrow, "Just like that? I don't want to get caught, again. Barely made it out last time."

"Saia stole Menes' magic from Tyre." Toofy pointed out, "He was shifter. She was glamour. It won't take her long to master it. Take glamour, and make it real. Saia... Can become any living thing. Does she think a drunk can stop her?"

The woman kissed her cheek, "You know just how to make me horny, mistress."

"Go fuck 'im up." She growled and then hesitated, rolling her mouth for a moment, and produced a white scorpion from inside her mouth. She held it out, "Don't get stung. Angry fucker. Death in three steps."

The assassin took it and stood, kissing her cheek again, "I love you, mistress."

Toofy rubbed her chin, "Toofy shouldn't use magic, anymore, elf. She has kittens. If she touches her bad magic, kittens get sick. But Orli will help. She just needs to be taught."

"Yeah... What the hell is she?" Trician asked.

The catgirl shrugged, "Demigod. Daughter of that scared one, and the guardian spirit. Toofy forgot, what was guardian's name? Whatever. That one."

Saia started, "Orli's your stepsister, mistress?"

"Huh? Toofy is orphan." The catgirl said in confusion.

Trician laughed like it was the biggest joke in the world. "Oh, of course she is. And that's why we're here. To do all of this. My goddess always fucks you over sideways. Never see her coming. I see the divine, Orli touches it. Together, we can channel the goddess."

"Orli also has boyfriend to help." Toofy shrugged, "Slept with him a week ago, on her eighteenth."

Trician frowned, "Boyfriend? The human managed to find another worthy to join our little rabble? Who is he?"

"Your god is Missy, Tricksy." Toofy said slowly, "Orli's god is Ouruk. Betrayer god who made orkind. He very jealous that Orli finds Tricksy fun and games."

"The god of destruction and rage." The elf shivered, "Well. That's handy. If he doesn't kill me first."

"Mmm... That would make Orli cry. He not want Orli cry." Toofy shrugged, and then clapped her hands and glared, "What are you all waiting for? Toofy has given her orders!"

She giggled as everyone snapped into motion, but her heart still felt like a knife had been driven through it.

She cupped her stomach with her hands, wishing she could feel the children growing there. She whispered to them quietly, "Toofy loves you. Toofy never let anyone hurt you."

---

"Ouruk."

The human girl who was just trying to clean up some of the mess left when Westcolm and Meerakeilian had torn through the tavern literally jumped in terror.

Trician laughed and shook her head, "That's why you're so powerful, mage. You've got a touch of the divine to you. That, and your mother is Eratigan."

"Ssh." Orli said urgently, her bright blue eyes darting around, "Are you trying to get me exiled? If people knew that dad and... Her... Were together, bad things will happen."

The elf shrugged and walked over, "You helped me run, when I couldn't stop the lich, last time."

"No, no!" The girl said in fright, "We barely made it! If that soul you summoned hadn't thought you were amusing, we would have died. I just want to clean up, and forget you freaks ever came here. I'm not helping you."

"Sure, you are." Trician yawned, and waved a hand, "Oh, this is Tyre. He'll be helping us out. He used to fight alongside the emperor himself. And if you don't help me, what makes you think I'll keep your secrets?"

Orli clenched her jaw, glaring, "You're such a bitch."

"Mmm. I am." She nodded, "You see, I actually hate humans. A lot. You and yours forced my people to serve you. We've still got our crowns, but we have to pay for the privilege. I hate it. So, I don't care if you think I'm bitch. I care if you do what I say."

Tyre rubbed at his face tiredly, "Don't mind her, girl. The draug that attacked us? They killed her boyfriend. The lich that is controlling them? Her dead sister. Who she was supposed to kill, before she could become a lich, but failed. It's all personal."

"Shut up, abomination."

He shrugged, "Calling me that doesn't work so well, anymore. Still feels odd, to have my own soul back. Saia is... Something else."

Trician rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms, "You two are helping me strip my sister's undead soul down to turn it into a weapon. Are we going to fuck around all day, or do this?"