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Conflict Between Worlds 4.5 - Personal Growth

Melvar found himself an odd mix of aroused and uncomfortable as Talba tickled at his sheath. She was laying on her back beneath him as he pressed his chest to hers, eyes locked. The queen had a sly grin on her beak, but he was distracted by the feel of her fingers between his hind legs.

"Yes, I like you a lot better when you're excited. Do me a favor and stay horny. I'd rather have you begging me for sex all the time than allow yourself to get all ornery. Just get a grip on your position here, and I'm sure we'll all be fine." She wrapped her fingers around his balls as she said 'grip', giving them a tug and trailing her tips down the velvety folds of his sheath. The end of it was moist with excitement, a billowing cloud of his musk trickling up between the two of them to tease her nares. Talba took in a long, deep breath to get a better smell of him, holding the scent in her chest before letting it out.

He sidled forth on his hind legs to rub his moist sheath against her lower belly, smearing the fluids all over her fine hairs and feathers. His beak lowered a bit while his wings spread and formed a cover around either side of him - a natural way for a drake to protect his hen while mating. He could feel his bulge growing and the rounded tip emerging from the end of the wrinkled sheath.

Talba leaned up into him to rub the side of her beak against his, nuzzling gently as she used the hook of it to comb through his neck feathers. "There we go, stud. That's what I want to feel in my hand." She cradled the emerging tip in her palm, using pinkie and thumb to squeeze around the rim while giving a gentle tug. "Now show me your power." She shifted her form a bit and lifted her hips as high as they would go, meeting his member just above his knees, fingers aiming him toward her folds.

The hippogryph's instinctive nature took over for a moment and he bucked forth. His member hadn't fully grown stiff yet, so it bent as the end of it pressed against her inner thigh. It was a little uncomfortable, but that didn't stop him from pausing as his length throbbed and grew firmer, waiting only a moment before trying again. This time he felt her warmth envelop him from tip to ring. The snug hold of her sex had him shudder in delight as he stayed in place.

When he stopped, Talba picked up the slack by bobbing her hips up and down, the fluctuating height sloshing his member around within her and thrusting in and out with shallow, brisk thrusts. After a few eager counter thrusts she felt him buck again, but the angle was all wrong and she was too low so his cock popped from her lips and smeared fluid all over the underside of her tail.

"Oops, sorry!" He muttered, hopping back to re-adjust himself so he didn't mis-thrust again.

Instead, Talba got to a sitting position to give him another nuzzle and preen before sliding down backwards until she was entirely underneath him. His motions were awkward on the bed, and his wings created something of a tent for her, so she sat up and cradled his length while aiming the tip at her beak. After giving an idle lick to taste his flavors, she turned back to look between his front legs and found he had flipped his head upside-down and was watching her. Since she had an audience of one, she gave him a sensual wink before opening her beak wide and using her tongue to guide his cock to her maw.

After giving a few tongue-massages to the underside, she felt his hips tense up in the prelude to a buck. She pulled away and redirected his member away form her beak while glaring at him. "Come on, Melvar. No thrusting, save that for my cunt." She cooed at him, slowly leaning back into his member while guiding it back to her open maw.

Melvar widened his stance and pulled his head out from between his front legs as his talons curled and dug into the silk of her sheets. He noticed this and stepped lightly to pul himself away from the fabric while also pulling his wings in close against his legs. He felt like he should be doing more, but the guilt was still within him, which left his member a little softer than it should have been. He shook himself free of the dour thoughts and tensed up his member, pumping more blood into it to ensure it remained firm.

All the while, Talba kept gulping at his length, squeezing his girth between her beak tight enough to pleasure him while being gentle enough to not catch any of the hardness of her maw. She needed to be careful, but loved it when his flare expanded in her throat, so she tried to swallow every time, the undulating muscles of her gullet sucking on his length.

He gave another buck, member still somewhat flaccid, only to pull back away, an overwhelming sensation of guilt riding over him, resulting in her leaning forward and chasing his cock with her open maw, tongue out to catch any of the fluids that dribbled off the end of it.

"What's wrong now?" She sighed, exasperated.

"N-nothing, my queen, I just. I'm not sure if I'm really into it right now."

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said as she slipped out from under him, pushing his wing to the side as she rubbed her beak of the mess. "I know things have been rough, but do you want to talk about it? I'm sure there's more to it than general grumpiness."

He padded around in place, long sharp talons stabbing at the sheets while his excitement waned. Before long, he was fully retracted and facing Talba, who was leaning against the headboard of her bed, a pillow between her shoulders and the wood. "It's really not about having problems, it's just...it doesn't feel right to be doing this right now. I know your feminine wiles work wonders on me, but it still doesn't feel right. I really hope you're okay with that as an explanation." He hung his head low and closed his eyes in shame, only to have her cradle his cheeks and hold his crest to her chest.

She raked her beak through the thick feathers between his ears while she whispered at him. "It is plenty for an answer, yes. However, I think I have something to say that might shed some light on us, here. Do you want to hear a story about when I was young?"

Melvar was confused at first, so he stepped back to look her in the eyes, one ear drooping. "Uh, sure, I guess?"

"Don't worry, I promise it's relevant." She sat back away from him and flopped herself down, sitting cross legged next to the pillow as she lifted her tail out behind her, the golden hairs dangling over the side of the bed. Melvar's body took a lot of room, even with her bed being massive to fit her and Vaulix. "You know me as a queen, and in some ways you might see me as a Goddess, but once I was just a young princess with nothing but a name and a great smile."

"And power, of course. Princes and princesses have plenty of power, don't they?"

She shook her head while gape-grinning. "Well, actually no. I don't know where you come from, but here a princess is just a queen in training, all the weight of the world on their shoulders and none of the strength to hold it or control it. As a juvenile and teen, I was being treated with the expectations of any royalty, but I had no power. I couldn't tell people what to do, I couldn't influence laws or any politics, and I had little to no freedom in my life. I was expected to act like a queen, present myself as royalty, and treat others as inferior while not actually being superior. Now, I don't expect you to feel bad for me, I was to inherit a kingdom and some patience and hard work was to be expected, but I did have a rough upbringing. My father was harsh, and my mother had the highest of expectations of me, due to me being the eldest."

He crossed his front claws in front of himself as he listened, a smile tugging at the corner of his beak. His form shifted so he was on his side and his wings were flat to his back. He was comfortable, and oddly enough just wanted to hear what the queen had to say even if her tale didn't seem to be relating to him in any way.

"As a young hippogryph, still a chick, I was miserable. Every day I had to be prim and proper, when really all I wanted to do was go out and play in the mud or get dirty somehow. Whenever I brought up these desires, my parents always doted upon me some royal wisdom' it was always some variation of 'you have to be a lady, a proper hen sits with her back straight and her chest out. Her elbows aren't on the table, and her feet are on the floor.' I hated it, every second of it."

She laughed a bit before continuing. "I wanted to go out and play with my friends, or even make friends in the first place; if nothing else I liked the idea of socialization because I didn't have the opportunity to make any friends. I was sheltered in the first place, and my few early experiences with commoners weren't exactly positive. People were afraid of me, they all thought I was as stuck up and aggressive as my parents. As a noble mare, people let their expectations of me override my attempts to connect with them."

"What did you do? Clearly you're beloved by your subjects now. A ruler doesn't gain your level of admiration without making significant changes or doing something drastic. First and lasting impressions are increasingly hard to alter."

Talba laughed, half a smile on her beak. "Oh, I'm getting there. As I grew up, I practically had to beg my family to let me go to a normal school so I could interact with the commoners. I didn't like nobles any more than the normal folks did. I found them to be as stuffed up and arrogant as people used to assume I was, so I understood. When I blossomed into a young mare, my parents decided that my persistent desire to integrate with non-nobles or royals wasn't going to end and I can be a stubborn mare if the situation calls for it, so they enrolled me in a nearby secondary school." She paused and took in a deep breath. "I've never been so miserable in my life, before or since."

She paused for a moment, eyes closed and beak down in self-reflective contemplation before continuing. "They hated me. Not just typical schoolyard bullying, but straight up hate. They didn't dare taunt me or throw things at me, but it was clear they hated me. People parted while I walked through the halls, sharing snide comments in hushed whispers. To be fair, looking back at them I don't really blame them. They didn't know me, and only knew of my family because of my parents - the king and queen - who were both notoriously aggressive leaders. My father especially was fond of threats and acts of power to assert his dominance over the realm, and my mother was known to be historically short tempered. They hated me by association and refused to give me even the slightest chance to prove I wasn't like them."

The smile slowly faded from Melvar's beak as he started to relate to her plight. He kept listening.

"I tried everything. I tried joining clubs, I tried using my family's money to bribe people, I tried just being nice, I tried joining in with social causes and rebelling against the monarchy, and eventually I even tried threats - not my finest strategic decision. Nothing worked. People seemed to hate or avoid me the more I tried to reach out to them. In a final act of desperation, I tried the last thing I could think of to entice people to like me. Sex appeal. I was still young, but starting to mature and I had the scent of an estrus mare combined with the sweet aroma of a hen. My nether region was swelling and I was starting to experiment with myself, and I thought maybe I could use that to my advantage. Still a virgin and a princess on top of that, I was a prime conquest for any stud or drake."

She slipped a single hand back down between her legs as she remembered that first time, carrying on with her tale. "People may not have liked me, but no stud could say no to a princess with her tail raised, and since I am both equine and avian, I was quite good at teasing almost any male I wanted to. Only the felines had no interest in me, once I started to act a little slutty. It didn't work at first, most still avoided me or were too worried about offending my parents to get close, so I had to be aggressive in my flirtation."

Melvar paused and chuckled a bit. At first he wasn't sure where her little story was going, but given her blatant and shameless tactic to use sex to pacify and negotiate, he knew exactly where the story was headed and what the moral was to be. He nodded and smiled, urging her to continue.

She winked at him with a half-crooked smile. "So, yeah. That's when I discovered my superior sensuality and its ability to control others. I figured if people were going to avoid me, they might as well get a good look at what they were missing. Someone would take the bait. I wouldn't say I started off slowly, but it was tame compared to what I grew up to be. I'd lift my skirt, give the young stallions a glimpse of my pink lips, usually moist and free of any underwear, while bending over to pick up a book or something. Eventually, I started making lewd comments to the older drakes, teasing them with promises of sensuality. Still, nobody wanted to risk it. I later learned that their parents had strictly advised them not to get caught up with me for fear the king and queen would sack their houses and be done with it, but once I learned that, I knew I had to be more stealthy while also being more direct."

Her eyes matched his as she slowly spread her legs, imitating her teenage flirtation. "I targeted one of the most popular guys in school - a particularly studly drake by the name of Ilorek - and started actively flirting with him, leaving him notes, and straight out offering my virginity to him. He was a hippogryph just like me with talons for feet and hooves for hands, so it just kind of worked. I pumped my charm up to eleven, trilling at him and lifting my tail for him every chance I got until one day after a sports event, I tackled him while he was cleaning himself. He resisted at first, as nervous as all the others, but it didn't take him long to give in to my feminine wiles. The power of scent was strong on us both, my heat and his musk. Lost my virginity that day. I don't regret it."

"Ilorek, wait...I know an Ilorek." Melvar interrupted, ears perked. "Wasn't he the one who came with Valencia this morning?"

She nodded. "Indeed she was. Grew up to be a scholar and an alchemist. One of us, a diety beside me. Anyway, he was only a bit older than me - still young, but not inexperienced. I may have been aggressive in my foreplay and flirtation, but he was a very gentle lover. Made me bleed for the first time, while also being just rough enough to make me trill in delight at him. I'm grown now, with plenty of experiences under my tail, but that was a hell of a first time. I know that's not common, but he knew how to make it special. I never forgot that. We talked, I tried my best to act tough while also showing my sensitive side, and through him I was able to get people to understand that I was kind, and I was approachable."

"What happened next? I mean, there has to be more than that." Melvar prodded, urging her to carry on.

"There is more, but it's pretty simple. He and I were friends with benefits for a while, but we never officially dated. We had sex as often as we could, but had to keep it quiet or my parents would have pulled me from that school. If they knew their princess wasn't a virgin anymore, there would be hell to pay. Problem was, he was still a stallion, and he couldn't help but boast to some of his friends. He was all sneaky about it, but that was my goal in the first place. Get him to talk, spread the word of my tender cunt, and maybe get others to flirt with me in an attempt to make friends. At first I didn't actually intend to use that part of me to get admiration, but it worked. Once I realized how easy it was to use my lady parts to endear people, I couldn't keep my legs closed."

Melvar scoffed while smiling a bit. "Bit of a crude way to describe it, but I suppose accurate. Did you just sleep with any male who paid attention to you? Seems a little undignified, don't you think?"

Talba shook her head. "No, I wasn't that slutty, but I had no problems sharing my body with others. As a princess, it was my job to keep my subjects happy, and if that meant getting to know my friends in an intimate way, then I was willing to do it. In a roundabout way, word got around that I was easy, and that I didn't have a mate, so anyone could flirt me into their bed. Good for me, people liked me and I was no longer lonely, but it wasn't good for everyone. Some started to resent me - mostly the women and felines - but I was happy to boast about my own accomplishments. I learned that I wasn't just good at it, but I liked it and had no reason to be ashamed about doing things I liked."

"So You got the attention you wanted, then what? When did it stop?"

"Wasn't about the attention after a point, but I actually enjoyed the sex. I like it. You like it. Adolescents like it. Adults like it. Everyone likes sex, and like I said, nobody could say no to a princess. In time I did calm down a bit when it came to manipulation, but I never stopped having my open, free state of mind. To this day, I still use sex as a casual way to get to know someone, and nobody can stay mad after an orgasm. It became a calling card for me, and I managed to somehow turn my reputation from being a slut to being an empowered mare who knows what she wants and gets it. People went from resenting me to respecting me. I have charm, and once people let me in, it wasn't hard to show my good side."

Melvar clicked his beak a bit. "So, what does this have to do with me? I thought I knew where this was going, but I'm not sure I follow."

Talba smiled and nodded. "Well, it's simple. The best way I know how to raise someone's spirits is through sex. The best way I know how to calm someone's nerves is through sex. You are a wonderful hippogryph and I feel the best way to truly get to know you is through physical intimacy. If I can't use my keen mind to peer into yours, that's the best way I can get close to you. I see you're a great stallion, but I need more. I want to know more. I can't not explore you. I want you to know that I do respect you, you're not just a cock to me. But, you do have a wonderful cock, and one way or another I'm happy to have you in me, whether it be for fun or for business. I don't imagine you mind, either." She slowly and deliberately spread her legs, the peachy flesh of her vulva pressed against the folds of blanket.

He grunted a bit, still on his side, as he let his eyes wander up and down her body. She had quite beautiful plumage and a lovely form, but that wasn't nearly as radiant as her emerald green eyes. She was sincere, and he could feel her vulnerability through her words. That made him nod in understanding while he flopped onto his side, head on the pillow. "I suppose that makes sense. I mean, I'm an angry person myself, but when I'm near a mare or hen in heat, I can't help but let my guard down." He paused and chuckled. "If I were at your school, I imagine I'd have pounced you first chance I got. I must respect that. Sensuality is a greatly preferable way to hold someone's attention than violence and aggression. If I were a mare, I suppose I'd feel the same way."

"Exactly. My father ruled through violence, I prefer to rule through sensuality. Maybe now you'll understand why I'm so keen on bedding you any time I feel you're drifting from the path of pacifism. Does it work?"

Melvar nodded with a smile. "Better than I'd like to admit. Still, I'm not sure I'm in the mood to get too intimate right now. Any chance we could just cuddle for a bit? We have a whole afternoon ahead of us."

"Sure. Come here." She grabbed at his neck plumage and pulled him in close to press his cheek to her chest as she leaned back, arm wrapped around his shoulder to tickle at his spine between his wings. "We can cuddle for now, but you better promise me more of that stallionhood of yours later. Can't leave me needing like that." She laughed at him, her chuckle morphing into a trilling coo.

"Don't worry, my queen. I'm sure there will be many more days ahead of us where we can be intimate."

With that, the two laid in bed together, a golden sun beam trickling in through the large window to the west. They could have done anything with their afternoon, but Talba opted to fall into sleep with him, her arms wrapped around his neck and legs curled up between them as he used his wing as a blanket.

"Gruuu." Melvar stirred on the silken bed sheets, a warm body nestled up under his wing. When he blinked the sleep away from his eyes, he saw Talba curled up with her back to his belly and a pillow between her head and upper arm. The moon was still out, but he didn't want to wake her since he knew she likely needed her sleep. Ever since arriving in Arrenthen, he'd found he needed a fraction of the rest the locals required, so he found that he was awake far longer than most by waking earlier and sleeping later. The atmosphere must have been rich in oxygen compared to where he came from.

A deep rumbling purr reverberated through his chest as he leaned in, using the hook of his beak to comb through her mane and feathers on the back of her neck. He was careful to be gentle and not wake her. She stirred and idly grasped at the elbow of his wing, but didn't make a noise.

"Be still, my dear." He whispered as he slowly pulled his wing off her. Her body was pressed to his, but she wasn't resting on his limb so he didn't need to worry about tugging anything out from under her as he daintily rolled off the bed, landing on all fours on the rug. He shook himself off, plumage standing on end to ensure silence. Before he left, he grabbed the edge of the blanket and draped it over her to keep her warm.

Melvar had no preference for day or night, but when in a new place with people he didn't know, he found night to be more relaxing. He could explore to his will and enjoy the relaxation that came with solitude. Nobody to upset him or get in his way. As he grabbed the handle of the grand twin doors, he glanced back over his shoulder to see if Talba had woken up. She hadn't so he slowly turned it to avoid squeaks and slipped out into the hall.

There were few people roaming the halls of Castle Arrenthen, most of them armored equine guards or a few servants. He did see a tiny mouse in what looked like a smock, but he didn't bother to talk to him. Instead, he turned and went straight for the throne room. He liked how open it was, it was much like the open skies he called his home. He could have went into the city's marketplace, but last time he did that he nearly got into a fight.

When he arrived in the grand hall, he laid on his belly between the thrones with his lower beak hanging over the side of the top step. He looked out to see four different royal guardsmen and mares with their pole arms guarding the perimeter. Two on either side of the tall twin doors that led to the city's marketplace, and two more on the second floor balcony. He gave each of them a nod of acknowledgement before closing his eyes and fantasizing about his time with Talba.

He felt bad about not performing the night before, but he could tell she understood. Her history indicated she wasn't the type to get her tail in a knot over being told no. He liked that. Found it to be refreshing.

Before he could settle into his own personal realm of serenity, he heard a light commotion down the halls opposite of where he came from. When he turned to look, he say lady Ceylon, wings partially spread and feathers on end. She seemed agitated as she shook her head and hissed at herself, a trail of white fluffy down floating to the ground behind her. The gryphon stopped when she saw Melvar. "Oh, hi. I didn't see you there." Her feathers flattened to her neck and chest immediately.

"Don't mind me. I'm just enjoying the solitude. What brings you to the throne room?"

Ceylon glanced at each of the guards before hopping forward to lean in close to Melvar, speaking quietly so that no others could hear her. "I don't know what's going on with these crystals, but I plan to head out this morning after breakfast. As a diety of the realm, it is my job to protect the land from any threats, and these crystals seem to be a threat. You wanna head out with me? I imagine you will know more about them than me."

Melvar shook his head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. They are somehow linked to me, and what I'm hearing about them makes me think that they would be especially effective on me compared to you. I don't feel right risking that. I know that, with the help of your other dieties, you could subdue me, but it's still not a risk I'm willing to take." He lowered his head in shame, an action he noticed he was doing a lot lately in the wake of his destructive arrival.

"Come on, Melvar. You don't have to be shamed of everything all the time. Sounds like a good thing that you're remaining reserved. Smart. Responsible." She sidled up next to him between the throne, folded wing to folded wing. "Just take some time to enjoy it all. You're in good company here, we won't let you turn to the dark side."

He knew this, but was starting to get irritated at how often he was reminded that he was with good people. He preferred to let actions speak for a person before words, yet here he was agreeing with Ceylon and Vaulix and Ilorek and Valencia. "Yeah, I know. So what makes you think you won't get corrupted by the crystals in the same way that the others have? What makes you better than me?" He didn't mean to sound resentful, but he couldn't help it.

Ceylon cooed gently, nodding her head as her long tail swished out behind her. "Well, Valencia said she had interactions with the crystals, and she was able to resist their corruption. I'm not quite as strong as she is with telepathic ademane and mind control, but I am fully confident I can resist them, too. If nothing else, I'll deal with it until I have them all hoarded away from the public. I have a cave to the far west off the coast, in there I can keep them away from everyone else. Another artifact for my collection."

"Collection?" Melvar perked his ears up. His mind was swirling with a dozen different scenarios where Ceylon hoarded treasure like a dragon, only to bury it under a mountain or something, where nobody could find it, not even the most intrepid explorers.

She chirped in a laugh. "Something like that. Any time we find an artifact or technology from another world, we hide it away from the populace. These crystals could be used for evil, and we don't trust most to use them responsibly. The best bet would be to collect them all in one place. If you ever do leave, you can take them with you. If not, we can either destroy them or study them. Either way, they need to be hidden. Do you not agree?"

He had to think about it for a moment before assuring himself. "Yeah, that makes sense. I won't take them with me, though. Not unless I am absolutely certain that they have lost their corruption or I've proven to be immune."

"Also fair. But put a pin in that one, Ilorek and Valencia are on the way."

"What?" Melvar was confused.

Ceylon shook her head, smiling. "Sorry, I forgot you aren't privy to our telepathy. If you let us in your mind, we could communicate from afar. Valencia and Ilorek are just outside the castle gates and should be entering within a few seconds. Sounds like they plan on joining me in my little quest."

Before Melvar could answer, the twin doors swung open with a massive biped hippogryph stepping through, a tiny bat girl clinging to his back with her chin on his shoulder. "What a lovely morning, eh Cey?" Ilorek called out as he walked through the great hall. "The sun hasn't even risen yet, and here we are plotting an excursion. I couldn't be happier."

"He seems rather chipper." Melvar stated with a dull groan. Too early to be chipper.

"He's being sarcastic." Valencia clarified. "He hates mornings. I made him get up, these crystals are nasty business, and we can't afford to run risks of not properly handling the situation." She patted him on his head, making his splay out his ears and close his eyes. "He knows I'm right, even if he doesn't like it." Her cheek pressed to the side of his beak and she pecked him on the crest, a gentle kiss.

Ilorek stepped up the stairs to be right in front of Melvar and Ceylon, so all four of their heads were at the same level. "So what's the plan, then? Just go out, scour the land for as many glowing purple gems as we can find, hoard them, then hope people forget about it?"

"More or less." Ceylon answered. "My plan was to start by heading east to the coast, then flying over the Arrenthen Basin, keeping a keen eye for anything glowing an unnatural, royal purple. Once we've collected a few, we should be able to find the others, right? Val?"

Valencia crawled up so she was standing tall on Ilorek's shoulders, her tiny legs barely bringing her torso above his head. "Yeah. One of the properties of the crysyals from my experience is that it fills your head with visions of the location around the others. So, if one fell into the sea or a lake, and I was near it with one of them, I could see the shores and sand around it, as though I was looking through a portal or something. Pretty cool advanced technology."

Ilorek bent to a knee on the stairs. "So once we find a few, we can scour the lands, and when we get a feel for the location of others, we can sweep them up. Just keep in mind others could be doing the same. It'll be a hunt across all of Epicelia, and if Storm already has a hoard of them in his chambers - not to mention the royals of Untheria and Tehgol - Collecting them all will not be easy; there will be casualties unless we are very careful."

Melvar remained silent, listening to the other three discussing among each other their plan and what they had in mind. Was this what it was like to be on the council of Gods for them? Was this the kind of get-together they were used to? Wouldn't it be better if Talba and Vaulix were there as well? How many others were scattered across the world, not participating in the discussion? In their early discussions, Ceylon had mentioned at least a dozen of the fellow immortals - a group of scientists and mages who are revered as Gods - who kept watch over their lands and protected them from threats, both internal and external. He didn't know everything, but he was gathering a lot of info by simply observing, and it was very useful to him.

Their forthright and direct actions made him feel he truly could trust them. Their brisk response to a hidden threat told him that they would be powerful allies. Their calmness and understanding also helped to ensure him that they were a group he could respect. He was a little worried about how callous they were about potential collateral, but as a warrior himself, he wasn't adverse to the idea of necessary casualties. He felt solidarity with them all, even without the physical intimacy that they had extended to him.

It made him want to ask for their help, but not yet. For now, he would simply wait and listen while they made their decision. In regards to these crystals - the very ones that were a side effect of his arrival in the skies over this world - he would not be useful beyond the information he knew about them. Everything they had tested and experimented with so far was correct. The gems contained knowledge and power, which would amplify the user's abilities. They also were supposed to be part of a single whole, which meant that possessing one gave the user insight to the location of the others. Though the shards were scattered over three nations, getting close enough would give a sort of self-built radar that scanned the area around the user. He didn't interject because they didn't need his input.

"So when are we leaving?" Ceylon asked. "The situation sounds pretty dire, so I wouldn't waste any more time. I've been up all night going over my plans, but now that we're all on the same page, I think we have a solid idea for what to do next. We'll leave Talba here to rule her kingdom, and we'll take care of the gems and any problems they arouse." The gryphon paused and lifted her ears up, as though she heard a sound. "Wait, we might need to get more, I can sense Vaulix nearby."

Ilorek and Valencia both turned to the doors, ears perked as well. Melvar wasn't sure if that actually helped them with their telepathy, but he didn't question it.

A moment later, the doors burst open and a brilliant colored cockatrice glided in over the red carpet of the grand hall, fluttering to a graceful landing at the base of the steps. He shook himself off and folded his wings to his back. "It's worse than we suspected." Vaulix huffed, chest heaving from his flight. He looked up to Ilorek's shoulders to nod to Valencia. "You only saw the beginning. Storm has amassed dozens of these crystals from the surrounding villages and settlements, and has left a trail of blood in his wake. He was a powerful warlord before, but he has heightened aggression, and strength and skill well beyond what he used to have. It's scary, and we need to do something now."

Ceylon got to her feet to step around the throne. "Then we must leave now. Vaulix, my friend, will you be joining us?"

"What's the plan?"

"Ilorek, Valencia, and myself have all decided to travel east. From there, we'll comb through the jungles, collect as many gems as we can, and hide them all away, starting with the ones here in Arrenthen, then eventually out to Tehgol and Untheria. From my experience, their leaders are already too far gone to negotiate with, Storm might still be lucid enough to help."

Vaulix shook his head. "No, Storm is as far gone as any of them. His aggressive tendencies were too strong, and they were amplified. I fear we may need to end him."

Melvar shook his head, the gem on his crest glowing. "No, it's actually easier than that. If my understanding of these crystals is correct and the entrance into your atmosphere hasn't altered them too fully, then I'm pretty sure that simply taking the crystals away from the user for long enough will eventually allow them to recover from it. Simply remove them from his possession, and the problem will eventually go away. I can't guarantee it, but based on what I hear, I'm quite confident."

Ceylon nodded as she spread her wings. "Good, then it's time for us to go. It's early in the morning, if we leave now we won't cause a stir in the commoners."

Ilorek also nodded in agreement, a deep groaning sound coming from his back as wings burst out from his flesh, feathers growing within seconds. Less than a minute later, he had a majestic set of wings on his back, with Valencia still nestled in between his neck and new limbs. "We fly."

But Vaulix shook his head. "I plan on staying here. If things get rough, the people of Arrenthen will need both their king and queen in the capitol. Solidarity is key in the event of imminent war. I may join you in two or three days' time, but right now I need to relax. Resisting the influence of those gems is tiring and I do not have the energy to do it again, not without rejuvenation."

"Sounds fair." Valencia acknowledged. "So the three of us, east. Let's go. Vaulix and Melvar, please tell Talba what we decided today. She's still sleeping and I don't want to invade her dreams."

With that said, all three with wings headed out through the grand hall doors, leaping into the sky and disappearing over the horizon. The sun was just starting to come up, but most were still in bed. Melvar looked over to Vaulix with a deep rumbling purr. "So, that exhausting, is it?" Melvar asked. "The crystals are strong enough to weaken the mind of one of you?"

Vaulix nodded. "The corruption itself wasn't too strong, but the hatred that flowed mixed with the temporary mind link I had with every other person who had a gem in hand was overwhelming. I'm a healer, that much pain hurts me. For now, I think it's time to get some sleep. I'm going to go and see Talba." He patted Melvar on the wing-shoulder. "Thanks for keeping her warm. I appreciate it. She deserves it." Before he could go far, he simply turned and flopped back into his throne.

Melvar walked around to the opposite side of Talba's seat, glancing over at Vaulix. "Everything alright? You're looking especially exhausted."

"Yes, of course. I've been flying for hours on top of an emotionally and physically draining excursion to the north while also fighting my urges to forcefully part the Chief and his hoarded gems. I'm finally home, and I'm ready to sleep for a week."

"Oh, that can be arranged." A voice called out from behind them both. It was Talba, dressed in a partially transparent night gown with lace panties underneath. "The bed is cold without you or Melvar or Ceylon there to keep me warm."

Vaulix smiled, a deep churring sound reverberating through his chest. It had been days since he had seen the queen - his lover. He curled a finger to beckon Talba over to sit on his lap, which she happily indulged. When she was there, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his beak into her chest plumage.

"So how was the trip to the Chief's village? Is my sister well?" Talba asked as she draped her arms over his shoulders, staring him in the eyes.

"Your sister is well, but Storm is quite unwell. We're still learning more about these royal crystals, but they have corrupted him in much the way the kings of Tehgol and Untheria have been corrupted. Undying need for power and an aggressive campaign to find more of them. Not only that, but enhanced strength and-"

"I know what the crystals do, we've been over this a half dozen times in the past two days. I just want to know if my sister is doing well, and have you found a way to reverse the effects?" She interrupted him.

He chuckled in response. "Yes your sister is well, she has quite a resilience to the crystals and is quite capable of taking care of herself. Still not sure about a cure or reversal on the corruption, but I've got some theories I'd like to test, but nothing solid."

"Well, that's something. Come to bed with me, it's still early morning and I have to offer you some of my energy upon your return." She leaned in close to press the crest of her beak to his snout in a passionate hug before slipping off and tugging him by the hand to coax him back to their chambers.

Melvar remained quiet on the other side of the throne, watching the two interact. He wanted to get involved, but decided that his best course of action was observe right up until Talba guided Vaulix back behind the thrones and down the halls that took them to their bedroom. All the while, he had a pang of jealousy in his heart. Though she was kind to him, affectionate with him, and patient with him, she didn't love him, and that's where the difference between her sex as power and love became clear.

The sudden thoughts that clouded his mind made him whimper in sorrow.

He didn't want to remain in the castle for now, where he might hear the two giggling and whispering sweetness into each others' ears. Instead, he decided to head out into the court yard, the very place he had previously decided to avoid due to not wanting to cause a stir or risk having people fear him.

When he opened the massive front gates from the castle to the path that led to the marketplace, he was greeted with the humid warmth of the jungle against his feathered chest. He stood tall and partially widened his wings as he stepped out into the city that surrounded the castle, gem on his forehead growing dim as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

It was still morning in Arrenthen, and he could see a few people setting up tables and merchant stands on either side of the marketplace strip. The layout of the city surrounding the castle was very peculiar to him. In the middle of town was the royal palace surrounded by a tall wall with turrets every hundred meters or so that had ballistas ready in the event of aerial attackers. Within those walls were an orchard, stables, guest houses, and a dozen other smaller buildings that he was told housed weapons of all sorts for the royal guard. From the front gate there was a long, straight line that was easily twenty meters wide going straight from the castle to the lake. That was the marketplace, with the edges of the strip filled with hundreds of vendors peddling food, jewelry, clothing, weapons, and other goods.

Talba said that the strip was put in there originally as a landing pad for the massive dragons that came to visit. They needed a long, straight area to land in with a wide berth so their wings wouldn't catch on anything. Most dragons could comfortably perch on the castle walls or land in the open space of the courtyard now since the truly massive ones have been bred down into somewhat more manageable sizes.

The marketplace strip worked well for what it was. Both a beacon of commerce and a great way to guide anyone towards the castle's gates. Directions were simple. 'Go south until you hit the strip, then head west until you reach the castle', or conversely, 'go north until you hit the strip, then head west until you reach the castle'.

None of this mattered to Melvar, since he could fly and rarely left the castle, but it was nice to absorb the culture. He had spent a few hours idly wandering up and down the strip, making his way from castle to lake and nearly back to the castle before finally relaxing a bit to be left alone with his thoughts. More people had come out and most of the spots along the side of the strip were filled with merchants.

While he was in Arrenthen, these would be his people and he needed to have an attachment to them or he would be prone to allowing unneeded volumes of collateral damage. When in combat, he was known for doing what it took to win, justifying his actions that more would be hurt if he didn't. It was fair in war, but still not a good attitude to have. He was finally coming to terms with his purity before coming to Arrenthen, when he had his feathers drained of color and the gem in his forehead changing hue from deep blue to a royal purple.

The same purple that these gems and crystals were glowing.

As he trotted down the strip, he was pleased to see that no commoners seemed afraid of him. They looked up, gave him a kind wave, and went back to distributing their goods on their carts and merchant stands. At first this made him uneasy because he knew deep down inside that he was at fault for the conflict that was blossoming in the world around them, but then he remembered something important Talba had said the day before. She intended to keep the public in the dark about the crystals for as long as she could. Until conflict was at their door and they needed to be prepared for it, there was no need to panic.

He would have likely told them just in case, but this was her kingdom.

Melvar's belly rumbled, since he hadn't eaten since the night before. As he raised his beak to sniff at the air, he caught a whiff of something meaty and juicy nearby. He followed that scent to a tall equine who was flipping burgers on a grill while a massive roast was being turned on a rotisserie. It looked and smelled delicious, but the sizzling drips of oil that fell into the flame made him drool. "That looks delicious."

"Glad to hear it, sir. You lookin' for a sandwich?" The equine asked over his shoulder, still busily working at the other meats.

"Sandwich? No thanks, I just want the roast." His chest feathers were standing on end, making him look big and fluffy while also showcasing the colors of his golden crest and his drooling gape-grin.

The equine turned and flicked his ear. "That roast is for sandwiches. If you want the whole thing, well, I could make a lot of sandwiches out of that there roast. Tell ya what, you want the roast, it'll cost ya one silver and five bronze."

Melvar's eyes went wide. He had completely forgotten to grab the coin bag he had been granted by Talba for this exact reason. His beak clamped shut as he scoffed at himself.

"What? Don't have that much? Well don't ask for food if you can't afford it." He horse chastised.

"I apologize. I forgot my coin back at the castle. Do you mind holding on for me while I go get it? This roast looks and smells delicious."

The horse lowered both his ears and nickered. "The castle, you say?" He paused a moment and tapped his finger-hooves to the wood of his serving stand. "You wouldn't happen to be....what's your name, hippogryph?"

A pause hovered over the both of them before he responded. "Melvar. Why?" His eyes were narrowed and one of his ears were lowered in suspicion since he had no idea if that would help him or hurt him. He could feel his claws curling in the dirt of the strip, ready for a confrontation.

Instead, the horse smiled and raised his hands up high with a whinny of delight. "Melvar! I've been hearing about a bloke like you! Special guest of the queen, right? Don't worry, meal's on me for now, this time, I'm sure I'll be rewarded for my patience. You can eat now, and get me the money later, if that works for you."

"Are you sure? No, sorry my friend. I would rather pay first now that I think about it. I will be back within the hour for that delicious looking hunk of meat." He bowed and turned to trot away, his tail swaying out behind him. Melvar wasted no time as he headed directly towards the castle, intentions pure and belly rumbling.

When he got to the front gates, he was greeted by two members of the royal guard who happily opened the doors for him. They had gotten to know his face well over the past week or so since his arrival, and every opened door and accommodation made him swell with pride and inner happiness. It was nice being treated as royalty without any of the associated fear he was used to. Due to this, he held his head high as he walked through the grand hallway and past the thrones to his personal quarters that Talba had set aside for him.

He had barely spent any time there, since he'd been with the queen the past few days. The thought of her, giggling and cuddling with Vaulix, made Melvar a bit jealous, but he shook the thoughts from his mind since they were mates, and it was foolish of him to think such a thing.

While he was using his beak to search through his chest full of possessions to find the coin bag, there was a light knocking on his door. He immediately lifted his head up high as a silken bit of fabric fell from the side of his ear; he had absolutely no idea who that could have been. "Who's there?" He asked.

A meek, feminine voice answered. "Just chamber services, may I come in?"

Melvar paused a bit at the odd timing and situation, but then remembered he was in the castle, where maids went around daily to keep the place clean. A brief moment of reflection made him realize there was nothing shifty about this situation at all. "Come on in." He immediately turned and buried his head back in the trunk as his beak kept searching for the bag of coin. At this point, he was in the castle and could request food at any time, but he had decided he wanted that roast, and he would stop at nothing to have it.

The door creaked and groaned as the house maid slipped into his room. Though still distracted, his avian curiosity made him poke his head up out of the trunk to get a glance, and behind him he saw a familiar face. It was a lithe white canine with black spots on her hands, tail tip, and over her eye and ears; she wore simple clothes, a loose-fitting blouse that barely covered her nether region. It was Arnika, the young maid that was seen around the castle with Mikhail. Mikhail was the one that Melvar had been cruel to the day before, only to be accosted and punished by Talba.

"Look, I'm sorry I-" He started, shaking his head of the fabric that had folded over his head during his digging.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." She crooned, slowly stepping forward with her hands behind her back. "I just want you."

He spun around and lowered himself, expecting a stab attempt. "What's behind your back, girl?" His eyes narrowed as he hissed.

She pulled both her hands out from behind herself and raised them, palms open to show that she wasn't carrying anything. "Nothing at all. I'm sorry, I wasn't clear enough. I should have said I want your cock."

Melvar half-squinted in disbelief. "Excuse me? That's a rather blunt-"

"That's my style, yes. I know you've been having plenty of fun with the queen, and she keeps inviting you into her chambers, so you must be good at what you do. I want in on it. I want you in me." She kept stepping closer, her bushy tail wagging behind her under the edge of the silky silver blouse.

"And you don't think that's a little strange, all things considered? Just coming in to someone's chambers, propositioning them, and stepping forward in a menacing-"

"Of course it's weird, but I didn't get the impression you were one for flirtation or courtship. Your cock, my cunt. You wanna do this or not?"

He squeaked a bit in hesitation, not sure how to proceed. She was stunning in form and right about his desire to mate without the silly flirtation rituals, but he was also very hesitant about her being so aggressively forward with him despite his actions to Mikhail.

"That's answer enough for me." She whispered at him as she got to a knee and scuffled forward next to him, hands up to caress his flank. "You're so very warm. I like that."

Naturally, Melvar pulled away a bit in hesitation, but when she leaned in again and pressed her cheek to his side while also tickling his belly, he couldn't help but relent. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in a little fun, but I am hungry, so let's make it qui-" He stopped mid sentence as he felt her deft fingers up against his sheath. She was much, much smaller than Talba so she wasn't able to cradle his meat in her palm like the queen could, but she was able to tickle him better than Talba. His member swelled to her touch, the tip of it unfolding into her palm as it leaked a thin layer of juicy fluid.

Arnika sniffed at the air as the aroma of his musk and precum billowed out from under him, the scent exciting her to reach down between her legs and rub herself. Her body started moving in waves as she grinded down against her own fingers while her other hand kept stroking up and down Melvar's sheath from balls to the bulging tip that stuck out the end of it. While there, she leaned in close - her form easily able to slide under him while on her knees - as she guided his cock to her maw, much the same way Talba had done before.

Melvar spread his hind legs and shifted his weight to keep himself in position. If he was going to be serviced by an eager maid, then he might as well enjoy it, even if he was still hungry. Once he was in place, he grabbed at the side of the trunk with one of this talons, lifting himself up in a mounting position as his hips bucked forward, cock throbbing and growing more stiff with each beat of his heart.

She lapped at the underside of it, bringing her other hand up to cradle his length while also smearing her own fluids against his shaft. Her tongue was out as far as it would go, slapping at his flesh before stroking him towards the tip. Arnika's hands were caressing him from median ring to sheath, tickling the folded flesh and cradling his balls while her lips kissed his tip and her tongue lapped at the underside of it.

"There's a good hippogryph." She cooed at him, lips curled up in a smile as she kept at him. After a few excited suckles and licks, she flipped over onto her back and leaned against the trunk underneath him, head nestled up between his front legs while her one hand reached back over her haunches to grab his member and aim it under her blouse and tail.

Melvar glanced down at her to see the gleeful expression on her face, and that helped to calm his nerves a bit. It was clear she wasn't here with a hidden weapon, nor was she harboring any negative emotions towards him. She said she wanted his cock, and her enthusiastic rubbing and fondling made him believe it. When she saw he was looking at her, she gaped her maw open in a toothy grin while her tongue lolled out and leaked drool onto his talon. He would have been put off by that, but when mating, messes happened. Wasn't worth flinching.

She kept one hand back over her rump, fingers wrapped around his shaft to guide him to her pussy. When he bucked into her, she gasped and whimpered, eyes closing in pleasure as she pushed back. Her tiny form was dwarfed compared to him, and he had his doubts that his equine member would fit into her. Even as he felt his glans prod under her tail, her hip bones seemed to close together to allow him inside her. He was gearing up for disappointment and more blue balls thanks to not climaxing with Talba when she grabbed onto his elbow for grip and pushed back, other hand forcing his cock right into the plump lips of her vulva.

To his surprise, he felt a parting stretch followed by a deep lurch as her entire form plopped down on his cock, the spongy glans squeezing through her hips to emerge within her, the bulge of it filling her cunt out nicely, not unlike a canine's knot. His hoof scraped at the carpet and stomped as he leaned into her, forcing his member deeper against her undulating body.

Arnika kept at him, grinding her hips against his thick member while she pushed against both of his elbows for added leverage. She clearly wanted him inside her as deep as he could go, and once the tip was in, she just had to angle her hips just right as she pushed. She was quite aggressive in her pushing, and he liked that.

Even though his member curved and bent against her motions, he still bucked back, relishing the sensations of her tight lips sliding down his shaft, drooling fluid down the underside of it while her tail tickled his belly. He Gave another powerful lurch forward, hooves clopping n the stone and carpet for grip, as his member jerked and plunged deeper, the bulbous flare stretching her flesh from lips to cervix.

She groaned and whimpered a bit, lowering her head and letting her ears go limp on the sides of her skull while she idly swayed her rump back and forth, the subtle motions shifting his cock within her as her lips clenched around his median ring. Though her one hand remained on his elbow, her other hand pressed tight against her belly, fingering her abdominal wall as she caressed his cock tip from outside.

The added pressure mixed with the warmth and gooey flehsh of her on top of the tight canal ensured that he didn't last too long. Stallions were never all that good with stamina in the first place, but after being left unsatisfied by his own decision that morning, he couldn't hold back. His form gave a violent, powerful thrust forward as his cock throbbed and his flare swelled inside her, the girth of his glans pressing out against her palm, stretching her belly. He hissed while his beak clenched shut, the pleasure making him arch his spine and lift his head high while his wings spread wide.

Arnika growled back, pushing back as hard as she would go as her hips gyrated against him, the thickness of his shaft stretching and distending her pussy lips raw, the plump nature of them ensuring their elasticity. After a few moments of having him buck wildly into her, she let go of his elbows and fell to the ground, rump up and chest to the floor as her weight tugged her body off his flare with an audible pop and gush, the copious stallion cum splashing out of her to soak her inner thighs. His member tensed and spewed more onto her back, gumming up the base of her tail and the silken threads of her blouse while she got soaked.

Though she seemed exhausted from her brief encounter, she quickly flipped over - legs parted due to how sore her nethers were - as she grabbed his member, aiming his spurting tip at her maw, eagerly slurping up every drop she could while happily letting the others soak her muzzle and drip down onto her chest.

Once he was spent, and his ejaculations slowly shrunk to the point it was little more than a flow that trickled out the tip, he lowered his head again and folded his wings to his back, hopping off the side of the trunk as his cock swung between his hind legs. Arnika seemed to follow his motions, begging for more of his seed, but once he was spent his member was already growing soft and retreating to his sheath.

"No, I want more!" She whined, crawling towards him on all fours, hands grabbing for his member before it disappeared into the soaked wrinkles of his sheath. When it was gone, she slumped down on her knees, rump to the ground and stallion cum leaking out onto the carpet between her legs.

Melvar bowed at her. "My apologies, I did say I was in a hurry." He turned back to look in the trunk, giving one final look through the contents to find his coins.

She nodded and smiled. "I suppose you did, yeah. Well, I'll be here when you return if you want to have another go." She slipped her fingers down between her thighs to capture some of his cum in the palm of her hand, which she licked up with eagerness. "I suppose I should likely get clean before I leave, huh?"

"Probably a good idea. Now, I must be off. I have some roast to eat." He finally found the bag of coins and plucked it from the chest with his beak, tossing it up and catching it before walking by her. The musk of him made her whimper again as he passed.

He felt pretty bad about leaving her there, needy and alone, but he was really hungry! She was just a maid, and he needed a release. Still, he did like her. As he left the room, he glanced back and smiled, knowing full well that he'd meet with her again, hopefully soon. That tight pussy of hers was quite snug. Besides, Talba was busy with Vaulix, he had plenty of freedom to explore his own urges, as long as he wasn't unkind to the help.

The queen had made that very clear, and he was happy to oblige her desires, especially if it meant he would forever be granted all the company he desired.