Cephalon's Champion

Spoiler Tags: Corruption, Transformation, Adventure, Fantasy, Golem, Lesbian, Monster Girl, Male to Female, MtF, Couatl, Fight, Bee girl

Author's Note: Mostly plot advancement in this one. Just letting you know in case you were expecting a smut heavy episode.

*****

Just what in the infernal fuck is going on?

I was starting to feel frazzled, my mind struggling to keep up with the sudden turn of events. Cool scales swirled around my upper arm, calming me slightly as Venonay brought attention to her presence and support.

I've got this. I'm not alone. I'm rich in allies. First things first.

"Freya, I would feel better if you were safe in a more secure location."

She looked like she wanted to argue for a second before glancing at the bug in my hand. "Of course. Just call for me if you need me." She exited the room, her tired, lidded blue eyes blinking at me sultrily as she sauntered out of the room, blowing a kiss before she disappeared before around the corner.

"Are we sure we can trust them?" I asked my self proclaimed father, staring pointedly at the bug whose four upper arms waved vainly through the air as it's eyes darted around. It's thorax wiggled, and I kept my eye on that stinger.

Who knows what sort of supernatural poison is possible in a land of gods and monsters? Or me, who exists as an amalgamation of the two.

"I've not had dealings with this specific hive but it has been my experience that most Lathens tend to be honorable," Deku rumbled.

Well, he's yet to steer me wrong...

"Okay, I'm willing to hear you out," I said to the small bug. "Deku, do we have a place where we could receive them?"

"Of course. What do you have in mind?"

"I'll handle that," Ata said, springing up to give me a kiss on the cheek before striding purposefully from the room. "I was thinking something noble but wild. Something that says, 'respect me because I won't hesitate to rip your face off if you don't.' You know what I mean." My golem sister and Deku's presence departed.

"How close are you?" I asked, feeling like a weirdo talking to the bee like bug.

"We are not far. Maybe fifteen minutes or so." The bugs wings buzzed and it hovered off my hand.

"Wait a moment," I said, my tone serious. "If you have been destroying towns and killing people, just to come to me for a sanctuary from people threatening you with justice..." I flexed my claws and bared my fangs. "It will not end well for you."

The bug said nothing, floating in the air for a moment before speaking. "That is... acceptable. We will speak more of our circumstances and request for sanctuary in person. For now, farewell fair Bast, may your nectar be sweet and your pleasure plentiful." With that, the presence transmitting through the bug vanished, and it made a beeline from the cavern, presumably to return to this Vespal so she can guide her people here.

Wondering where Ata went, I tried to recreate the feeling she'd shown me when we tracked Selena to her house.

Sure enough, there it is.

An invisible chord, thicker and stronger than the one that tied me to my summoner, like braided wire versus fishing line, bonded me to my sister. Following our connection, I navigated the twisting caverns of Deku's insides until I was standing in a large vaulted antechamber with giant double hinged doors. They opened to a long stairwell that led to the surface. The chamber was mostly bare, like most of the spaces inside the mountain had been. But Ata was currently in the process of adding some furniture. A throne of black obsidian stone was taking shape, curling horns styled after my own were engraved into the back of the seat. Claws likewise graced the arms of the throne, still rough but the design obvious.

Walking up to Ata, I gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for doing this. I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Don't worry, we'll care for you and you'll protect and lead us. That's the deal, honey."

"I don't feel like I'm capable or worthy of the trust you show me."

"You trust

me,

right?"

I remembered her swirling ball of energy and her enveloping warmth that pulsed in my gut even now. "Of course."

"Then

trust

me when I tell you that all you need to do is be yourself and everything will work out fine. You're noble and kind and fierce. Whatever you decide with the Lathens, Jen and I will back you one hundred percent," Ata gushed, goosing my butt with a cool granite pinch.

"Thanks. That makes me feel a little better." I kissed her again and let her get back to consulting Deku on the creation of the reception chamber, trusting her to understand what I was going for aesthetically.

Although I didn't feel it, I still I wanted it to at least

seem

like I knew what I was doing when the Lathens arrived; hopefully not showing them the reality that I was scrambling from crisis to crisis, only slightly comforted by the fact that I had three people...

things,

that I knew would support me and have my back. It almost added to the pressure, if I screwed this up it might not just be me who felt the repercussions.

Freya... Selena... Her brothers... Other innocents in the town.

Knowing or unknowingly they all depended on me for protection.

For me to be their champion.

My claws flexed involuntarily as my tails writhed in clear agitation. Whatever combination of Selena and the Bast stone had been used to create me had left me with a rather robust protective instincts. Ata bounded over to me and calmed me with a dose of her empathy magic. It was a little disturbing how often I needed her to do that.

"Thank you," I whispered to her as Deku finished forming my spartan-esque stone throne. Testing it out, I found that it fit my dimensions perfectly. That gave me a fair amount of confidence, the mask of a decisive ruler falling into place while my black claws tapped out a irregular rhythm on the arm. Smaller thrones sprung up for Ata and Freya; Ata's to my right and Freya's to my left, as was proper. Ata's was more angular and decorated with citrine stones. Freya's was much like mine but the size was smaller and had blue highlights, the same color of her eyes, drawing attention to the details. Two winding ropes spilled out from behind my chair to curl around the bottom of my companions possessively, obvious depictions of my own wayward appendages that liked to misbehave in the most pleasurable ways.

Fifteen minutes, and some delicate refinement later, and the thrones were ready for game time. Which was fortunate, because the Lathen retinue was currently walking through the entryway to see Ata, Freya, and I sitting in what I hoped to be a regal manner on our respective thrones.

Shit! Where are they going to sit? I hope I don't offend them.

The bug people didn't seem to mind the seating arrangements or lack thereof. The smaller models, like the one I caught earlier, hovered around like little orbiting satellites around the three larger more humanoid creatures. The two in front shared almost identical markings while the one trailing two steps behind was a little different. Their biology was distinct from that of a human, possessing four sets of upper arms laden with rugged muscles. Full taut breasts, sat prominent on their chests, and they seemed unconcerned by their nakedness. Their skin was an exotic combination of soft golden brown flesh and naturally occuring dark black chitinous armour. The thing that caught and held my attention the most was their face. Eyes, totally black, void of color and larger than a humans, sat prominently on their skulls. They blinked at me turning about the room looking for any potential hidden threat. Besides their eyes, they possessed no discernable features, where their nose and mouth should be was nothing but a porcelain mask of indifference. It scared me a little that I wouldn't be able to read reactions, lacking expressions as they were. Golden blond tresses were woven into a long braid that swung pendulum like between their heavily muscled backs. They each bore a long thin weapon that looked like a lance in one set of hands, the point dragging behind them in an unthreatening position. Their other hand was filled with a full length tower shield made of an unknown glossy golden material, almost crystalline in composition. Completely in sync, they pounded the edges of their shields into the the ground before lowering their heads and stepping off the side of the path, making way for what I suspected to be their ruler.

Unlike the first two this one did have a nose, and a mouth, a pretty one, with purplish plump lips that curled into a smile when she saw me, her black eyes lowering as she curtsied before raising to meet mine respectfully. She performed a strange gesture with her hands, interlocking her fingers with the backs of her hands, her delicate looking wrists bent sharply. Both she and her retinue only had three fingers, larger than those I was used to and more segmented.

Sensing my confusion, Ata leaned across the short distance between our thrones to whisper into my ear. "It's a sign of respect. Near universal across the land, it indicates that a person owes a debt of gratitude. Vespal does it to honor you, it's a good thing."

Vespal continued to hold the pose.

Shit. Is she waiting for some sort of response signal?

Falling back on what I knew, I waved my hand vaguely at her while also nodding. Evidently that was good enough, she relaxed, standing at ease, unconcerned about the lack of seating, folding her hands, demurely covering her thin waist. The nakedness of the Lathen's piqued my curiosity about their biology as I saw no visible genitalia adorning the area between their legs.

"We are told that you go by Bast. Is that the way you wish to be addressed?" the voice coming from her the same that'd been produced by her smaller kin.

"Yes, that would be fine," I said, squirming a little at the formal tone of this meeting.

"Good, we are glad."

"Is it okay if I call you Vespal?" I said quickly, not wanting to be rude.

She blinked her large black eyes at me. Obviously not expecting the question. "Yes. You may address us as Vespal for that is who we are," she said after a moment, obviously cautious as if she expected some hidden trap.

"Good."

Vespal opened her mouth like she was going to say something but then thought better of it, her lips pinching into a thin line.

"What is it? As long as it's not egregious, I probably won't take offense at anything you'd have to say." The honesty poured from me easily, partly because of who I was and partly from my unease at the unfamiliar situation.

If anything this made Vespal more suspicious, she held silent for a long moment before beginning to speak. "You are unlike what we had expected. You hold such power within you Bast, but you speak as equals. We are unsure what that means."

"That's pretty easy to explain. I'm pretty new to this world, I've only been here less than a week, and I've had more unexplainable situations than would fit on my hands," I said, wiggling those digits at her.

She looked shell shocked at my words, fear beginning to creep its way onto the edges of her face.

I decided to change the subject. "Is there a reason you keep saying we? Is that a quirk of your culture?"

Her big black eyes blinked at me without comprehension. "I say we because what you see is only a part of who we are, the other members of our hive are hidden away, safely guarded by my remaining two guardians."

"Wait, so you're part of collective intelligence? One organism that spreads it's consciousness between multiple bodies? I didn't think that was possible."

"That is close but not exactly correct, we are the Vespal hive, of which I am the queen, the emissary who mediates and talks for the hive to the outside world. We do have individual thoughts and feeling but share these with the group freely, so that we may make decisions together. Every thought and feeling is shared and supported by one another, the thought of such a lonely existence that non-Lathens live..." Every insectile woman in the room shivered in synchronous horror. "We believe it would be very tough to live like that."

"Just how many of you are there?" I asked growing nervous, leaning forward on my throne.

There's quite a few science fiction movies that detail just how dangerous an organism like they're describing could be.

The queens wings fluttered behind her and she cocked her head to the side, I could see the tendons drawing tight on her guardians arms, and the tension in the room ratcheted up. When she spoke it was with a fair amount of caution and a large helping of suspicion. "We don't feel we are ready to disclose that and are worried about why you want to know."

I realized then how that might look and worked to fix the problem before it spiraled. I forced myself to relax and lean back into my throne. "Sorry about that, I was merely curious as to if we had the space to house you here in the mountain or if I would have to set about building other dwellings in the forest."

Whew, good save.

Fortunately they bought it, the tension in the room dissipated like clouds under a summer sun.

"Why did you decide to come in this direction? That was what set this whole thing off, making Selena call to me. If it wasn't for that I would still be a normal guy with normal guy problems, chilling on my homeworld." I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that, good or bad.

"We... We don't know," Vespal said, her wings fluttering with agitation. "We weren't thinking about a direction when we departed our home. Instead, we were merely reacting to the danger of Surt as he attempted to capture us, fleeing from him in any way we could."

"Why does Surt have such a hard on to capture you?"

"We assumed it's for our honey. The resource is valuable in many circles for a variety of reasons."

"What does it do? This seems like a slightly overblown pursuit for a chance at a delicacy."

"It does many things. It can help bolster the body, protect and soothe wounds. Alchemists prize it for its use as an ingredient in complex potion recipes."

"Have you heard of Idunn's apples?" Ata chimed in.

"Vaguely," I responded. "Supposedly they're what gives the Norse pantheon their immortality."

"Agelessness, true immortality means that they couldn't be killed but they can," she corrected.

I guess that's true.

I thought, straining to recall what I could about Norse legends, specifically those of Ragnarok.

I was grateful to have my sister at my back supporting me in this, it made me more confident that I wouldn't make some colossal screw up, dooming myself and the town in the process.

"The honey has a similar effect as that," Ata finished, Vespal nodding her agreement.

"Wheeeeew," I whistled. "I can see why someone would want to get their hands on something like that. Why are you so scared of Surt? It appears like you're warriors are fairly formidable, couldn't you have made a stand? Forced a confrontation on your terms? Especially against a single foe." I wasn't super confident on my skills as a general, but was fairly certain that the defender usually had the advantage in a siege situation.

Certainly better than refugees normally fare.

"Surt is an enormous man composed of ash, smoke, and lava. A giant being, who lights everything around him in fire just by his presence alone. The first few of us to confront him when he first invaded our territory fell into an unnatural slumber before perishing to the heat. We cannot fight him because we cannot get close enough to even try." Her frustration at the situation was both audible and palpable in her scent.

And they expect me to protect them from such a creature? Provide them sanctuary?

"Why do you think that I would be able to help you?"

I smelt confusion and a hint of uncertainty. "You are both divine, are you not? And of the two, you seem much more reasonable."

I'm not a-

I swallowed my instinctive words in my throat, taking a moment to consider the notion beyond my first knee jerk reaction.

Am I?

Shaking off any concerns of my metaphysical nature I focused on Vespal and the problem at hand.

"It seems like a pretty big risk, taking you in, especially when I'm so new at this and... unsure... how my powers match up with his. Why should I look to protect you, I don't even know you?"

For some reason this question seemed to settle the Lathens and the scent of their combined fear faded into a brighter one of hope.

A smile tugged at the corners of the queen's black lips. "Good. Negotiations. We are much more familiar with this." Her wings fluttered behind her while her thorax did the same. Steepling both sets of hands in front of her she walked slowly towards our thrones. "We have much to offer you, Bast, with little requested in return. The scope of our offer is conditional on our combined... compatibility," she said sultrily as one of her arms reached out and touched my shoulder with the seductive confidence of a woman used to getting her way. Her scent was more potent at this distance, her pheromones a thunderstorm of arousal and excitement. My nipples tightened and I could feel my body respond, pushing forth my own eager sexual mating call, a cocktail of feminine perfume that saturated the air from my sex and neck. Vespal shuddered, my scent overwhelming hers, but the combination of the two drove me almost feral with need. My throne's base cracked under my feet as I launched myself through the air at this woman whose scent teased me mercilessly. Showing off her quickness, Vespal managed to brace herself, catching my shoulders as our lips mashed savagely together. She tried to take control of the situation, but I made her hesitate with a rumbling growl. My fangs nipped at her throat before returning to the kiss. She tasted sweet, like honeyed tea, my tongue inserted as deep into her throat as I could manage. My hair teased at her face as her hands did the same to my back, her four three fingered hands massaging my tensed muscles. Claws trickled around her trim waist as I bent her over backwards, her wings sending pulsing gusts of air with nervous strokes. My fingers trailed over her glossy chitin, reminding me of my sister, the cool sensation already triggering a pavlovian response of arousal.

I need to see her come undone.

The awareness of this realization startling me with its intensity. My hand crept between her legs, parting her firm, unarmored yellow thighs with insistence.

What happened to taking it slow and figuring out whether or not I could trust them?

I kissed her again. The sweetness danced onto my tongue and my body fell into the pleasure like an old friend.

Fuck it. Trust Ata and trust myself. I want this and there's no need to punish myself for that.

With my mind and body fully onboard the pleasure train, her chitinous panty like covering fell to the floor with a clank, discarded like the unnecessary trash it was. My fingers I teased her revealed folds, surprised at the nonstandard genitals I found there. Instead of the slit down the middle with only a single pair of lips, she had a quadrant. Exploring her puckering hole, I discovered that her quartered, petaled labia pulled back as they engorged with blood, retreating and exposing a needy pussy.

"Do it... Please do it," she whined.

I wasn't feeling particularly giving, so I leaned in close, letting my fangs draw a dangerous line across her neck. "No," I whispered, taking a fair amount of pleasure in the denial. Curious and eager, I was excited to see how far I could push her arousal until she broke. Her breath heaved and she shivered under my words. Her breasts quivered, her pulse and excitement filling them with blood, making them plump and sensitive. Her biology surprised me once more as the chitinous plates covering her nipples pulled back as her bust expanded from a modest handfull, to a mountainous bounty of femininity. Blinking, I was frozen for a moment in astonishment before diving into her cleavage with inspired gusto. Our moans swirled together in a combined gusto.