Ve: Mother of Tentacles

Vaid Empire: Mother of Tentacles

is a prequel to

Vaid Empire: Conquest

, though acts as a complete stand-alone. No prior knowledge regarding the previous series is required.

Long before the rise of The Vaid Empire, far on the other side of Ayphieal, a young woman finds a deeper purpose beyond her own survival when she is captured and offered to an ancient monstrosity.

Ancient entities conspire to achieve hidden schemes while tentacles spread across the land in this strange and mysterious prequel.

New chapters and artwork are released every month for free, with the completely optional possibility to receive early access on the official Vaid Empire Website. The Series focuses heavily on worldbuilding, story, and characters.

***

25th of Fixuin, 768 BVE.

Deep Jungle.

Thunder echoed as Aifa knelt in the mud. Rain poured down her crimson skin, hands limp in her lap.

She had failed

.

The noisy jungle chirped and squawked and screeched with life, yet hers was at its end. She merely waited, knowing the night air would carry her scent.

She stared blankly at her hands, all emotion burned away after the horrid pain of sensing her child's death. Nula-bal's mind had torn from hers within an instant, leaving a numbness to follow her agony. The line had ended. The legacy of Onaalag was gone, letting the most valuable thing she had ever possessed slip through her fingers.

Her purpose was lost

.

The blue leaves shuttered in the rain. They rustled, offering a warning. She cared little, waiting for whatever approached. When a creature emerged, she hardly lifted her head to regard its dripping fangs, hearing ten legs skittering towards her.

Closing her glowing blue eyes, she waited for her fate like helpless prey. No longer would she struggle. No longer would she suffer. No longer would she grieve. The predator approached, a monstrosity clicking in the darkness.

Her antennae twitched a warning. She gritted her teeth. Death approached, fangs readying to strike. Her body clenched, heart quickening. Finally, she'd find peace.

Instinct seized her muscles as she lunged to the side, fangs missing her neck. Blue eyes tore open in panic as she rolled, her body screaming to fight.

"

Let it happen,"

she thought to herself. "

He's

dead

. You failed!"

The creature struck as she stepped to the side to avoid her end, swiping her claw-like nails. A horrid hiss of agony ripped through the trees as her attack claimed the beast's eyes.

Blind, the predator writhed, legs skittering as it searched. She dashed through the vegetation, escaping its reach.

"

Stop running,"

she told herself. "

It's over! Why fight?"

Something wrapped around her ankle. She yelped in pain as she crashed into the mud, slowly dragged backwards. Rolling over, she saw the vine gripping her leg slowly retracting into the grasp of an open flower twice her size. "

Let it have you. Let it end!"

She clawed savagely at the appendage. A purple liquid splattered her skin as the thick vine was severed, itching wherever it touched. She hurried to her feet as the rain washed it away.

"

Seek Synaalag."

The voice echoed through her mind as she fled. "

Even their memory mocks you! Fall!"

She gritted her teeth as she ran, feeling tears mixing with rain as her tormenting emotion returned. The trees rustled once more at her side. Before she cared to see what approached, instinct forced her to flee in the opposite direction.

"

The Red Vessel lives. The Red Vessel seeks."

The voice grew stronger, pulling her attention. She shook her head to banish it. "

You let your child die!"

she mentally screamed at herself, mustering her willpower to stop running. Her antennae twitched, detecting the scent of something approaching. "

There's no reason to continue!"

A thought of Nula-bal forced a strained wail, sobbing as she waited. No longer could she endure, hearing heavy steps pounding into the mud through the trees towards her. When it grew closer, she gritted her teeth as panic forced her to dive beneath a thick bush of glowing orange leaves. The predator lumbered passed as she held her breath, instinct seizing her voice from calling out.

When the beast was gone, she pulled her knees to her chest, tears trickling down her cheeks. Drenched in mud and rain, she allowed herself to shiver. "

Why won't you die, Aifa?"

"Seek Synaalag."

She held her head with sorrow. Her thoughts turned to rage. "

Leave me! I don't understand! What is Synaalag? I thought I understood, but I don't! Why do you torment me in death, child? Forgive me!"

Something pulled at her senses, a sensation stretching across miles. She shook her head, feeling the faintest hint of another being stroking her mind. Onaalag was gone. Nula-bal was gone. There was none left to call out to her.

As she felt it again, she groaned, knowing hope was a poison. Still, something continued to call out to her, ethereal tendrils learning to touch her mind. "

No...impossible..."

The image of a pregnant Cavari girl seeped into her thoughts, her heart easing. "Nula-bal...did you..." she muttered, feeling a familiar presence luring her forth. "No...I..."

Hope was more painful than her loss. She slowly crept to her feet, moving cautiously through the rain. If there was a single possibility that Onaalag's blood lived on...

She clawed her way through the vegetation, moving in the direction of the being pulling at her mind.

***

Endless miles over endless hours, her journey seemed to never end. The constant torment of hope was more than she could bear, always building. As the sun rose, she could no longer deny the being's presence, solidifying its hold upon her mind. She felt it, a new entity slowly developing, growing within a young womb. She hurried towards it, moving cautiously, letting death slip from her desires.

The storm raged, howling through the trees and threatening to consume the world. When the sun began to set once more, the raging rain slowly faded, and she clawed through the wreckage of fallen trees and mud.

As a large cliffside came into view through damaged vegetation, hope nearly choked her. She crept carefully, guided towards a wall of branches and leaves woven together against the cliff, a false wall. As she stepped closer, she froze, feeling whispers caressing her mind. They urged to look up, prompting Aifa to see the smallest hint of a Cavari lookout hidden in a tree. She spotted another nearby as she slowly retreated.

Creeping around in a wide arc, she snuck through the vegetation to avoid detection. When she reached the stone cliff towering above her, Aifa followed it silently. Only when she touched the false wall did she ease with relief, hidden beneath the thick foliage around its base.

Carefully, she pulled a tiny branch aside, knowing a single sound would risk discovery. The hole allowed her to peek inside, seeing the central chamber of a large cave. She gripped another branch as her heart fluttered, for there, bound while lying in the center of the chamber, was the girl from her vision.

Aifa's heart pounded. The whispers strengthened, calling to her. Though the girl's belly remained flat, she could feel the growing creature in her young womb with a certainty she couldn't explain. It felt as though the unborn creature was reaching out to caress her mind lovingly as Onaalag had, forcing her lips to part with instant affection.

"

The Red Vessel discovers the next. The line continues."

A silent cry of relief poured through her. She had failed their child, yet her son's seed lived on.

She wanted to run to the girl, yet other Cavaries sat about the chamber. As the first hints of sunlight touched the horizon, the cave inhabitants stirred, starting their duties. She watched a woman weave vines together, while men sat talking in low voices, their spears laying across their laps.

A boy wandered into the chamber from a branching tunnel. He approached the girl, spitting on her bound form. "Abomination bearer."

Aifa squeezed the branch tighter in anger. The girl carried her grandchild, her blood. She wanted to cut out the boy's tongue, yet her sensibilities remained, eying the spears.

Slowly, she backed away, calming herself. Maneuvering into the jungle unseen, she watched the lookouts from the trees as her mind cleared. The line lived. Onaalag's blood lived.

Her

blood lived. Redemption waited for her within the cave, guarded beyond her reach. Looking into the depths of the vegetation ahead, then back towards the cave, her decision was clear.

Be it days or months, she'd wait. She'd be ready. The moment an opportunity presented itself, she'd claim it without mercy.

She retreated further into the jungle, a silent watcher.

31st of Fixuin, 768 BVE.

Deep Jungle.

The stream trickled past Aifa's camp as she bathed, washing her red skin in the gentle water. Her hands caressed her strong thighs as she squatted, exploring her deadly feminine form as she cleaned the mud from a recent hunt.

When her fingers caressed too close to the aching need between her legs, she bit her lip. Temptation forced a finger inside with a moan, then another. Her body eased, breath deepening as she closed her eyes.

Rubbing her most sensitive area, she tried to scratch an itch that could never be satisfied. Her fingers coaxed her pleasure, her head falling back when she found her climax. Twitching, her body enjoyed a small freedom from her lust, only for her loins to clench with renewed need after mere moments. She sighed in frustration, never escaping her torment for long.

Departing the stream, she slowly made her way through the jungle, ignoring the growing desire burning between her thighs. As she had every day, she crept along the bottom of the cliffside, waiting. Right on schedule, she watched as a pair of hunters departed the cave, moving the false wall back into place.

Creeping closer, she removed her branch and peered through, relaxing her mind as her unborn grandchild mentally called out. Looking into the cave, she saw the girl resting on her back in the center of the central chamber as always, her hands now bound to a stake hammered into the floor above her head. Aifa rarely caught the girl alone, for even now, a young man was claiming his turn between her spread legs.

Aifa watched his hips pumping, sinking his manhood into the girl, her eyes narrowing. The mother of her grandchild deserved better. She watched him groan, hearing the girl's gasp as he finished within her.

The young man sighed with satisfaction as he pulled out, returning to his duties. Aifa studied the other inhabitants going about their day, all but one paying the girl no mind. A skinny older male sat nearby, his one eye scowling as he watched sperm leak from the bound girl. The other had been carved away by a large scar, along with his left antenna.

Despite her disgust, the sight only coaxed Aifa's needs further. A harsh tingle demanded her attention between her legs, always at the back of her mind. Satisfied that the girl was unharmed for the day, she retreated to her camp hidden among the trees.

Somewhat safe, she almost trembled as she hurried onto her back, fingers returning between her thighs. They rubbed frantically as her lust grew unbearable, her other hand covering her mouth to conceal her moans from predators.

As she found her fourth orgasm during the morning, she fell limp, knowing it wouldn't be enough.

"Onaalag...you've ruined me..." she muttered.

Staring at the dense jungle ceiling above, her long wait continued.

8th of Iahta, 768 BVE.

Deep Jungle.

"The Red Vessel is needed. A birth approaches."

The voice stirred Aifa from her rest. Peering into the darkness, she pulled her hand from between her legs where it had remained as she pleasured herself to sleep, fingers coated in her juices.

She shook her head, momentarily disoriented. The whispers caressing her mind tightened in confirmation, forcing her to rise. "Now? I've found no way inside."

Always were there guards. Always were there lookouts. She had watched the girl's belly swell, helpless to extract the child unseen.

"

Peril. Vaecath stirs. Flames rise."

"Vaecath,"

she whispered, tasting the name for the first time. Offering no hesitation, a growing dread crept through her as she hurried through the jungle. She only slowed when absolutely necessary, sneaking towards the cliffside as she had countless times before. As she neared, however, her heart sank when her antennae felt traces of smoke in the air.

Approaching the false wall, she removed the branch and peered through, hearing chanting. She watched as the cave's inhabitants danced around a fire blazing in the center of the chamber. Billowing red smoke rose from purple wood up ventilation shafts in the ceiling, leaving the cave hot and hazy. Aifa saw the girl standing before it, arms bound to a long vine hanging from the ceiling, her legs spread wide as she moaned wildly.

Aifa watched slime pour in a steady stream from the girl's loins, eyes rolling back. Memories of her own birth echoed from the past, ignoring an envious lust that built from the sight. Time was short. The child approached.

"F...father...help me..." the girl begged between her moans. The one-eyed man stood before her, ignoring her pleas as he readied his blade silently. The others continued to chant, watching her writhe with pleasure.

Mind racing, Aifa frantically looked around. Never had there been a moment to slip inside unseen. Even while the guards slept, unbinding the girl and moving aside the false wall unheard had always been impossible.

The girl screamed with dripping ecstasy as Aifa watched a black tentacle slither from between her spread legs. Heart pounding, she knew it was time to act, or let the creature die.

Fleeing back into the jungle, she ran far from the lookouts before crying out. Remaining unseen was impossible, yet an alternative had long been a dangerous and reckless temptation. There was no time for caution. If she must risk her life for her blood, she'd do so without hesitation.

Gritting her teeth with unease, she waited before crying out again. The sound seemed to stir the jungle to life, watching winged monstrosities flee into the air. Once more she roared, receiving the answer she sought when the vegetation rustled. Readying herself, she watched as a predator wiggled through the trees, an orange worm that met her with a ring of eyes around its teeth-filled mouth. It rose to tower above her, twice the height of an adult Cavari, with the true length of its long body hidden within the vegetation. Biting back her terror, she whirled around, only hoping she could outrun the horror.

Dashing through the jungle, she heard branches shattering behind. Wet echoes of its movements drove her to run faster, once more prey. Aifa cared little as the lookouts spotted her, readying their spears. Mere moments were all she had, sprinting as quickly towards the cave as her legs would permit. The Cavaries prepared to strike the outsider down, only to cry out a warning as the massive worm claimed their attention. Spears hurled into the beast's flesh, spewing a foul blue liquid as it screeched.

Grabbing the branches of the false wall, Aifa heaved it to topple to the ground as the beast continued after her, never slowing. The warnings of the lookouts incited the guards within to ready their spears, meeting her with sharp blades as they stared in baffled surprise. She answered their weapons with a scowl, stepping closer as the girl screamed in orgasmic bliss, tentacles reaching from her loins. The one-eyed man finished pulling the unborn monstrosity from his daughter, her body falling limp as she fell unconscious.

Readying her claws, Aifa watched horror spread across their faces, hearing the worm behind. She turned her head in time to see it wriggle through the exposed entrance, raising its mouth to unleash a terrible screech that filled the cave.

Spears rushed forward. The one-eyed man dropped the tentacled creature, instead turning his blade upon the greater threat. The worm howled as it was pierced, and in the chaos, only a single Cavari bothered to attack Aifa. She stepped out of the way of his thrusting spear, grabbing its wooden shaft.

As she struggled with the stronger warrior, she watched as the tentacle creature scurried off unseen into one of the branching corridors. A deep relief filled her, for she had fulfilled her duty. "

Vaecath,"

she thought, mentally reaching out. "

Never forget my love."

The worm slammed into the stone ceiling, screeching with agony as spears brought the beast down. It collapsed with a heavy wet thud, oozing from its many wounds.

Met with only one combatant, Aifa countered the man's strength with her flexible agility, clawing across his face and forcing him to fall screaming. As the others rushed towards her, she readied herself, instincts driving her to fight with every ounce of willpower. The shaft of another spear slammed into the back of her head, and as darkness swept in to claim her, she was nearly able to smile.

Vaecath was safe.

***

A groan seeped from Aifa's mouth as she dragged herself from unconsciousness. Her head pounded, seeing the blurry sight of the cave ceiling as her eyes crept open.

Trying to touch her head, she realized her arms were bound behind her back. As her spinning mind returned to reality, she tried to kick, feeling panic ignite as she felt vines tying her ankles together.

"Don't struggle. Should you break free, they'll drag you right back," a soft voice said at her side. Straining to Roll over, Aifa realized the girl was lying beside her. "Let them do what they need to. They're gentle if you don't resist."

Aifa glared, her gaze clearing. She lifted her head, seeing the fire still burning in the center of the chamber. Placed far against the rear wall, lying upon the stone floor, her body ached. It mattered little, for she was more than accustomed to sleeping on harsh surfaces. "I'll take the hand of any who dares touch me."

"So you say." The girl squirmed. Looking down, Aifa saw remnants of slime still coating the girl's thighs. A blush hinted at its effect still tormenting her. "Why did you save my child?"

Aifa heard her soft voice, low enough to avoid the attention of the Cavaries tending to their duties within the chamber. She saw the entrance concealed once more by the false wall, while the worm's slaughtered corpse sat in a heap nearby. Men hacked pieces of the beast into chunks, while women roasted them above the fire. The smell caused Aifa's stomach to growl.

Ignoring the question, Aifa tried to claw at the vines around her wrists. The tight bindings made it nearly impossible, yet she bent her flexible body, trying to scratch at her ankle restraints instead.

"Stop." The girl eyed the guards nervously, biting her lip with a silent arousal, unable to stop rubbing her soaked thighs together. "If they realize you're awake, they'll-"

Offering a grunt, the one-eyed man strode towards them. He whistled, calling the attention of the others. Aifa hurried, realizing the vine was far stronger than she had anticipated.

"Touch me, and I'll-" She thrashed her head as they covered her mouth with a handful of wet blue clay. It clung to her, gagging her entirely. A muffled cry of rage was all she could offer as they roughly handled her body, carrying her away. They dragged the girl behind, her pretty face offering no resistance but a glare.