Ch225: Having Breakfast Together Once Again

“ELLFYYYY!!!!!”

Krvavy’s eyes blearily flutter open... just in time for her already prone body to get tackled even further into the mossy ground. “Hhhh...!” Air is forced from her lungs as strong, fur-covered arms wrap around both her and the Dryad that she is so closely cuddling, squeezing with such intense strength...

“Mmm... Good mornin’, sweet puppy~.” Beryl warmly greets that Were-Beast, mostly unbothered by this sudden and rough awakening. Probably because Krvavy just acted as a meatshield for her...

“Elfy! Elfy’s back! Here! Not in tree! Elfy! Alive!” Khalia loudly barks and yells, those joyous words of hers underlined by the wild wagging of her tail, that shaggy beige-brown thing audibly thwipping back and forth behind her butt. “Nnnh...” She abruptly whines, trying – but clearly struggling – to hold herself back. “Is... Elfy okay?”

A gentle smile plays at Beryl’s leaf-green lips, her hand reaching up to reassuringly ruffle the Were-Beast’s black-brown hair. “Yup, Ah...” The faintest trembling quiver echoes through a single long and pointed ear. “Ah’m all good an’ ‘ealthy.”

That is all Khalia needs to hear. “Arwhhooooo!” Immediately, she jerks her head back and howls into the air, letting her happiness be heard by everyone and anyone even remotely nearby. “Arrwhooooo!”

“Aww, such a good girl~!” The tanned tomboy lovingly coos, nimble fingers dancing across the head of that overly energetic Were-Beast, scritching and scratching away as she encourages this extreme and undeniably excessive level of enthusiastic excitement. “Good girl~! Such a good girl~!”

“Mngh...” A rather grumpy grumble rumbles from deep within Krvavy’s chest... only to go completely ignored. Whether she likes it or not, she is awake now...

The Were-Beast’s big paw-like hands hastily pull at the Drakling’s arms, prying them away from Beryl’s body. “ELFY~!”

A faint flush finds its way onto the Dryad’s face, her caramel cheeks tinted a verdant hue as she is suddenly snatched up and lifted into the air. Not all that high, granted, as the Were-Beast hasn’t risen from her furry knees... But still, her feet are only just on the ground.

“Rrghm... Green.” Khalia quite casually comments, pointedly staring at Beryl’s leafy nipples, letting her amber-gold gaze linger there for a few long seconds. “Hehh...” A fairly amused sound slips past her pleasantly plump lips. “Heh...hehah...hahahahAHAAHAHA~!” Only to quickly shift into cackling laughter, as is fitting for a hyena like her. “Elfy and me match~! Hahaahahhaehehaha~! Opposites~!”

Krvavy lazily pushes herself upright, glancing between the green-skinned Orc and that tanned tomboy of an Elf. A slightly amused smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she sees exactly what Khalia is talking about.

“Hahahehhehaahehea~!” The Were-Beast pulls Beryl into a tight hug, mashing her large breasts and brownish nipples into the tomboy’s smaller caramel coloured tits. In all honesty, they don’t exactly match, but... they are close enough. “Hehhe~!” Khalia’s constant cackling quiets just a bit as something new catches her eye. “Elfy little deer now~!” She repeatedly bumps her forehead and chin into the branch-like antlers atop Beryl’s head, making it incredibly obvious what she is talking about.

A pair of long, knife-like ears wiggle and quiver with joy, a smug smirk of a smile shimmering its way across the black pools of Beryl’s eyes. “Ya like ‘em~?” Laughter, warm and lively, underlines that question. “Ya think they’re cute~?”

“Yes~!” Khalia nuzzles into the top of Beryl’s head, squishing her cheeks between those antlers. But no matter how many strands of short and messy bark-brown hair may stand in her way... it will never be enough to silence this incredibly eager Greenskin. It is barely even enough to muffle her... “Yes~! Cuuu-uuuuuuute little deer~!”

“Alright,” Krvavy slowly and heavily sighs, softly shaking her head at that sight... before rather expectantly holding out her arms. “Give me back my Elf.”

““Awww...”” Both Beryl and the Were-Beast whine in unison, those two wild women not exchanging a word yet still deciding to play up their disappointment as the Drakling is handed back her Dryad.

Of course, Khalia isn’t one to remain down for long. Especially not if it is just an act. “Mate!” She loudly barks that venerable title, lunging forward and cuddling close to Krvavy’s side, cheek and nose nuzzling into a shoulder coated in black scales. “Good and happy now?”

“I’m feeling better.” The barbarian idly answers, wrapping her arms around Beryl’s waist. A taut and toned tummy presses against her own muscled midsection, slim and smooth and so very flat, only showing the faint and natural curve of the unoccupied womb that lay within... “But I’m... still a little cross though.”

The tomboy tenses up, regret and remorse replacing the warmth that filled her face. “Aye, Ah’m sor–”

“No,” Krvavy quickly cuts that Dryad off, giving her tongue a quiet tch of a click. “You apologized enough last night.” Her expression softens as she gently guides Beryl back, loosening this embrace just enough to peer down into those beautiful, otherworldly eyes. “This is... I really have to leave soon, though I’d rather stay here with you...”

“Oh. Right... Even though this,” perhaps pointlessly, Beryl gestures at herself and the grove around them, “took a while ta grow, it is all still so sudden. Ah should’a gone through all o’ this right after we got back instead o’ wastin’ a whole week...”

“What’s done is done.” Krvavy simply states, subtly shrugging her shoulders. Which is easier said than done, with a woman in her arms and another clinging onto her side. “Wait...” she pauses, brow furrowing as a thought suddenly pops into her head. “If you suspected that this ritual could have ‘freed’ you from the collar’s control... then could its influence have been trying to push you away from going through with it...?”

“Ach, Ah’m not even going ta consider tha’...!” The Dryad forcefully replies, surprising both barbarian and Were-Beast with how vehemently she hissed those words. “My dearest love...” A tinge of iron fills this tomboy’s tone, the air that hangs within her grove going still, growing oppressively thick and heavy. “Ah am not goin’ ta ‘ide behind any excuse. Ah was ‘esitant about this in the past, and Ah was ‘esitant about it again now. Tha’ is tha’.”

Krvavy’s brow knits together. “I –”

A single finger presses down over the Drakling’s pale lips. “Ach...” Beryl’s hand slips and falls away. “Sorry, Ah didn’t mean ta sound so ‘arsh. Ah just... Ah’m not goin’ ta shuck aside all responsibility and act like Ah’m nothin’ but an innocent victim in all o’ this. Accursed collar or not, Ah still made ya and the others worry over me.”

“Elfy...” Khalia leans into her Mate, big and bare breasts squishing against the barbarian’s body. Her furred arms once again wrap around both Dryad and Drakling, but this time her hug is less constricting – less crushing – and... and a lot more comforting. “Rrghhnmghhn...” She grumbles, fluffy ear flicking with frustration at her own failure to find the right words. To find any words.

Beryl closes her eyes, perky breasts rising as she takes a long and deep breath... holding it in for nearly a minute before slowly exhaling... “There are so many different and better ways tha’ Ah could ‘ave gone about all o’ this.” She admits, her clear and steady voice carried by the returning breeze, soft sunbeams filtering in through the vibrant canopy above. “But instead o’ bein’ open and ‘onest, Ah went behind yer back and sprung this onta all o’ ya. Ah made all o’ this ‘arder than it ever needed ta be. Fer tha’ Ah am sorry.”

“Hmph!” A bratty huff, almost exaggeratedly loud, echoes across this newly grown grove. “Did I just miss an apology?”

“No,” Beryl calmly states, turning her gaze towards the source of that voice. “Ya lot ‘ave been standin’ there just long enough ta ‘ave ‘eard wha’ ya needed ta ‘ear.” With gentle hands, she pushes Khalia back – giving the Were-Beast one last pat on the head – and pulls away from Krvavy’s embrace. “Now... don’t be strangers. Come on over.”

“Ugh...” Thea groans, glaring down at the relatively shallow river separating her and the others from the circular island that this Dryad’s tree stands upon. Her soft-blue eyes narrow with annoyance as she looks across those submerged stepping stones, quite clearly wishing that there was a bridge here instead of open water.

Said water splashes as a pair of little bunny paw feet hurry on through it. “M-miss Beryl...!” The Halfling shakily shouts, tears running down her round cheeks as she all but throws herself at that significantly taller tanned tomboy, getting effortlessly caught and pulled up into a tight hug.

A dexterous hand glides up that adorable girl’s trembling back, nimble fingers gliding through velvety hair to cradle that small little head right up against this Dryad’s slim chest. “Shh, shh, it’s alright...” Beryl so softly murmurs and coos. “Ah’m alright...”

Krvavy reaches over and grabs the sack that Adeline is holding onto, taking it and letting the gentle girl fully return Beryl’s hug. Unable to restrain her curiosity, the Drakling loosens its drawstring and peeks inside.

A whole batch of freshly baked buns await the barbarian’s gaze, a delicious scent wafting free from that haul.

“Eeeeeeeieeee...” Squeaky, squealing sounds slip past the timid blonde’s tiny and trembling lips, her bottom-heavy body shuddering as she gasps and does her best to not sob. Which is easier said than done for a girl as sensitive as she.

“There, there...” The Dryad quietly coos, delicately massaging the base of a big and floppy bunny ear, doing her best to comfort that adorable Halfling. “Ah’m ‘ere, ya don’t need ta cry... And look,” she tenderly lifts Adeline’s chin, gazing down into two wide and water hazel-brown eyes. “Ah ‘aven’t changed all tha’ much. Ah’m still me.”

“Mhm.” Inanna hums in idle agreement, carefully lowering a large tray with little legs down onto a relatively flat bit of ground. Plates and cups softly clink together as she pulls them from their respective stacks. The utensils soon follow, and in no time at all this makeshift table has been set with six spots crammed quite closely together. “In all honesty, I did expect a more significant change to your appearance.”

Beryl acknowledges that with a nod. “This isn’t all tha’ Ah am anymore.” She almost idly explains. “My body is... rather malleable now.” With great reluctance, this newly made Dryad pulls a hand away from Adeline, holding it up in the air. Within the span of a single second... the grainy lines decorating that arm thicken and swell, her caramel skin growing dark and coarse as bark swiftly sprouts where flesh should be. Long dagger-like claws cap her flexing fingers, their razor-sharp tips tapping into her enlarged and armoured palm, their unhindered dexterity shown off to the others alongside this bit of her anatomy... Only for that process to repeat in reverse, her hand returning back to ‘normal’ with just as much ease.

“Y-your eyes...!” The Halfling squeaks in surprise. “G-glow...!”

A warm smile plays at Beryl’s leaf-green lips. “Aye, my eyes’ll do tha’ whenever Ah channel mana. Ah can also change ‘em back ta wha’ they used ta be, if wha’ Ah ‘ave now is a bit too spooky fer ya.”

Adeline simply shakes her head, squishing her face back into Beryl’s tanned skin a mere moment later, returning to her clingy hug. Only a light blush colours that girl’s round and rosy cheeks, the utterly nude state of everyone present barely even noticed as she hugs and holds the Elf that she so dearly missed. Even that thin, fur-tipped tail of hers gets involved, twisting tightly around this tomboy’s trim waist...

“Here.” Thea grumpily places a teapot down into the center of the wide platter. “The dog was supposed to help us carry all of this.” She grumbles and groans, glaring at the Were-Beast.

Who just turns her head away and looks off to the side, trying to act as innocent as she can while continuing to cling to Krvavy. But... Khalia really just comes off as extremely suspicious and honestly a little guilty by doing that.

The Dryad’s hand returns to its place atop Adeline’s head, nimble fingers trailing through that Halfling’s fairly long hair, making a slight mess of the bun that those strands have been loosely pinned up into. “Feelin’ better now, sweetie?” She gently asks, her question getting only a quiet ‘eeeeiie’ in response. “Ah’m sorry fer makin’ ya worry so much...” Beryl’s gaze peels away from the adorable bunny-mouse held in her arms, looking between each of the others present here in her grove. “All o’ ya, Ah’m sorry fer wha’ Ah put ya through. Ah’m –”

“Ugh, enough apologies.” Thea callously cuts that Dryad off, a tinge of impatience to her slightly sneering tone. “We do not have all day. As the Dwarf would put it, Krvavy is already behind schedule.”

Inanna simply nods to that. “Mm, yes. She was supposed to leave yesterday.”

“Wha’?!” Beryl’s long and pointed ears jump up, the dark pools of her eyes going wide with surprise. “My dearest love!” She almost exasperatedly shouts. “Ya should’a said so!”

The Drakling dismissively waves her hand. “It’s only a single day.” As casually as can be, she hands the bag of freshly baked bread over to her shortstack, letting this breakfast of theirs start to get served... even if not everyone is at the ‘table’ just yet. “That won’t change much.”

A soft squeak can just about be heard as the tanned tomboy tightens her grip on the bottom-heavy Halfling, those knife-like ears of hers trembling with indignation. “Ach, yes it will!” Beryl groans back. “If ya don’t make it ta Raseyne in time, then ya’d ‘ave wasted a week ta get there and another ta come ‘ome again!”

“Exactly!” Thea exasperatedly exhales, pointedly staring at the Drakling.

“A couple more minutes, or even an hour, hardly matters at this point.” Inanna plainly states, placing food onto everyone’s plates. “So there is not need to rush through breakfast just to send our love off slightly sooner.”

The bratty girl’s gaze snaps towards that grey-skinned shortstack, soft-blue eyes narrowing into a betrayed scowl. Of all the people to not care about sticking to that ‘schedule’... “Hmph!” She huffs, pouting adorably.

“Tsk.” Beryl lightly clicks her tongue. “Ah suppose ya’re right...” She reluctantly relents, mercifully loosening her hug to avoid squeezing the life out of Adeline. “But, my dearest love, Ah’ll be cross if ya miss this opportunity! Understood?!”

“Yup, got it.” Krvavy is quick to nod, mouth watering more than a little as she grabs a fork and uses it to skewer a thin strip of crispy, well-cooked meat. This isn’t exactly bacon, but it is close enough. In appearance and smell... “I’ll just spend more time running as fast as I can, instead of walking or even jogging. I should get there just fine.”

“Aye, ya’d better.” The Dryad shakes her head, settling down beside her barbaric lover... and dragging the Halfling along with her. That timid girl isn’t done cuddling, and it’d be rude to make her stop now. “Don’t want ya ta miss out on this because o’ me... Wouldn’t want ta disappoint Rina either.”

“Mm. Nor would we want to invalidate this past week of worry and stress.” Inanna idly comments, pouring tea into each of the six cups on this tray of a table. “The Countess’ offer is what ultimately pushed Beryl over the edge, so to speak.”

“Hmph, seriously?” Thea turns her mildly annoyed gaze towards that tomboy. “Are you really that clingy? This degenerate Dragon will not be away for all that much longer than usual.”

“Ah’d argue tha’ bein’ gone fer over a month is a lot more than just a couple o’ weeks. Two times more, really.” The Dryad dryly returns, busying her hands by stroking Adeline’s floppy bunny ear, wood grained fingers gliding across velvety fur and through silken hair. The corners of her lips twitch downwards despite that. “But no, it wasn’t just tha’ our dearest love would be gone. It was... Ach, this is goin’ ta sound so stupid, but... Ah wanted ta give Krvavy some peace o’ mind while she is away.”

“Wow, you have done quite the good job of that so far.” The brat bitterly comments, sarcastically rolling her eyes as she finally sits down. Her bare breasts jiggle just a bit as she shifts her weight from left to right, taking a moment to make herself comfortable on this carpet of squishy moss spread between the roots of Beryl’s tree, too annoyed for her cheeks to gain even the hint of a blush.

“Aye.” That single affirmative sound freely flows past Beryl’s verdant lips. “Ah... did not go about this in a smart way. And Ah ‘ave no excuse fer tha’. Ah fucked up, plain and simple.”

Thea just lifts her chin and crosses her arms, pouting as she so often does. “Hmph.”

“Well, uhm...” Krvavy lightly chews at the inside of her cheek. “I’ll always worry a bit, but... Yeah, having my own Dryad here to guard all of you does help. Not that our home is in any real danger or anything, but...” She slowly shakes her head. “The Far-Speaking rings and whatnot also help. Hopefully they have enough range that I’ll be able to hear your voices every day...”

“Ugh...” The noble girl can’t help but groan. “Great, I will never be free from your harassment, will I...?”

“Mhm.” The serious shortstack completely ignores Thea’s bratty mumbling. “Have you decided on what piece of jewellery you would like to have?” This Dwarf asks the former Elf. “We need to get it connected before Krvavy leaves.”

Beryl’s thin brow furrows in thought. “Can’t be a ring, not wit’ ‘ow my ‘ands shift... Though, actually, wit’ ‘ow they fit on our dearest love’s ‘orn...?” The short strands of her bark-brown hair sway from side to side as she softly shakes her head. “Ach, no need ta risk my claws messin’ wit’ tha’. So maybe... maybe a piercin’? Puttin’ it in my ear is a bit too borin’ though... No offence.” Her dark eyes just barely catch a glimpse of the smooth onyx-like gem that caps the silvery stud in Inanna’s earlobe, a voluminous mass of coal-black hair almost completely obscuring that sight. “Suppose tha’ Ah can try ta be a bit more adventurous...? Ah can always ‘eal myself up if Ah don’t like where Ah put it...”

Krvavy takes a swig of her tea. “You know,” she struggles to lift her gaze from the truly titanic tits of her sexy shortstack, those absolutely massive mounds left completely uncovered and entirely on display. Luckily, Inanna’s copper-orange eyes are beautiful and captivating in their own right. “I thought you’d be a lot more curious about, well, this whole place.”

“Mm.” The Dwarf accompanies her hum with a nod. “There are hundreds upon hundreds of questions I could ask. But seeking answers to those questions will take all day. Even longer, perhaps. And that is time which you do not have the luxury to waste, my Ushumgal. So I am holding back my curiosity until you leave.”

“Really? So you’re not even going to ask why it looks like there is sunlight shining down between the leaves of Beryl’s tree~?” The Drakling teasingly wonders, biting into another strip of meat. Her emerald eyes gleam as she waits for her Dwarf to take the bait that she has so obviously set.

“Not in this moment, no.” Inanna calmly shakes her head, the long and dense locks of her hair subtly swishing alongside that gesture. “Besides, I already have an idea as to what the answer to that particular question may be. It likely follows the same principle which allows for a Dryad to ‘lock in’ a specific time of day or year for the area in and around her grove.”

A wide, triumphant grin spreads across Krvavy’s face. The tip of her thick and meaty tail taps into the mossy ground, almost wagging.

Beryl lightly bites her bottom lip... before simply and lazily shrugging her shoulders. “Aye, tha’ sounds about right.” She more or less confirms the Dwarf’s guess. “Just don’t ask ‘ow it actually works. The closest ya’ll get ta an answer is... magic. And, Ah should add, tha’ sort o’ influence is far beyond my power. At least as Ah am now. Maybe in a century or so... Ach, Ah probably wouldn’t bother wit’ tha’ sort o’ thing anyway. There is beauty in all seasons and in all times o’ day, after all, and Ah want my grove ta reflect tha’. Not ta badmouth the Dryad’s tha’ like ta keep everythin’ the same like tha’, bu–”

“EEEEEEEIIEE!” Adeline suddenly shrieks, jumping up and nearly flipping the short tray that they are treating as a table. Though, luckily, one of Beryl’s vines is there to grab onto it, holding it steady enough that only a couple cups fall over. Empty ones, thankfully. “EEEIEK!” The Halfling sharply squeaks as she trips over that tendril, falling backwards and thumping against the thick tree trunk behind her.

Within a blink, the barbarian is already by that bunny-mouse girl’s side. A task made rather easy by how close they already were. “Wha–?!”

“S-sn-sna-na-snake!” Adeline shakily stammers and stutters, clasping a hand over her trembling heart.

A pair of long and pointed ears steadily droop down, the Dryad quickly realizing just what had happened. “Oh, Ah’m sorry sweetie, Ah’m so, so sorry!” A bit sheepishly, Beryl’s vine grabs a bun and passes it into her hands. “This is just one o’ my vines. It’s not a snake. It’s a part o’ me. Should’a properly showed them off first...”

The Halfling gasps for air, her nearly flat chest rapidly rising and falling. She flinches slightly as that giant green tendril turns towards her, its thick tip splitting open so that its three finger-like grippers can awkwardly wave at her. Which doesn’t exactly help. That thing looks incredibly alien. And is big enough that it could just grab her entire face...

“You are scared of snakes?” Thea asks, the slightest hint of derisive, sneering scoff in her otherwise uncharacteristically compassionate voice. It isn’t easy to take the brat out of that blonde. “Krvavy pretty much has one permanently biting onto her ass.”

“Rude.” The Drakling finds herself faintly frowning, meaty tail almost self-consciously curling at her side. “Those vines are a bit more unsettling than my tail could ever be. Especially with how they open up like a weird mouth.” With a sigh, Krvavy reaches over and grabs the vine in question. “Here, see?” She pulls the thing towards Adeline, causing that timid girl to flinch once again. “It’s just a vine. A weird and kinda fleshy one that is a little warm. But it is still just a vine.”

Adeline takes a deep and very unsteady breath, lifting a shaky finger to gently poke the green tendril that jumpscared her. ““Hhh!”” Both Beryl and the bunny-mouse girl gasp at that brief bit of contact, though luckily Krvavy’s firm grip on the vine keeps it still.

“Sorry,” the Dryad apologizes again, “Ah’m still gettin’ used ta ‘avin’ these.” A dim green blush colours her otherwise caramel cheeks. “Ah didn’t really think about usin’ tha’ thing. It was... instinctual... Ah guess. Just like reachin’ towards somethin’ wit’ my ‘and...”

Being able to touch this thick tendril of a vine without having to worry about it touching her back seems to really help Adeline get used to it and calm down. Her little fingers poke and prod at that rather rubbery thing, gradually growing more confident as she curiously squeezes and strokes the ribbed and textured inside of those grippers... thankfully staying away from the not-so-innocent hole set in the center of them.

Thea glares at the increasingly flustered Dryad. “Typical.” She sneers, not even bothering to hide the fact that she is staring at Beryl’s green nipples, watching as they slowly stiffen into pebbly nubs.

“Mm. On the topic of fears,” Inanna casually moves the conversation on, completely unconcerned by the scene in front of her. This barely makes the list of lewdest things they’ve done. Though it might be up there on the ‘weird’ factor... “It would seem that yours did not come to pass, Beryl.”

“Aye,” the former Elf reluctantly sighs, slightly shuffling in place. Her tanned thighs rub together and her long ears twitch as she struggles to act unbothered. “And tha’ makes it feel all the worse... Ah... Ah ‘ave no excuse fer not ‘avin’ gone through wit’ this earlier...”

“Mm. Perhaps. Perhaps not. The results of the ritual were not set in stone.” Inanna plainly points out, absentmindedly making a little sandwich from a bun, some sliced vegetables, and a few strips of that vaguely bacon meat. “The fears that did not come true now could have come true in the past. The abundant source of life aligned mana that are the hot springs around our home may have made a significant difference, ‘saving’ you from the worst outcomes. Or perhaps they didn’t change a thing.”

Beryl simply shrugs her shoulders and lightly shakes her head. The serious expression filling her face melts a little as Krvavy leans in and gives her a quick kiss on the green-tinted cheek.

“Ugh, enough of that.” Thea leans across this short makeshift table, slapping at the Drakling’s hand.

That sudden, if not too loud, noise causes Adeline to flinch and pull back from the vine. A few seconds later, Krvavy releases her grip on it as well.

“Eat.” The silver-blonde noble girl so sternly orders, guiding the barbarian’s hand back to her plate. “We do not have all day. You do not have all day.”

Krvavy can’t help but smile, taking hold of the fork that her beautiful brat has shoved back into her hand. A stern glare is all it takes for that fork to skewer another piece of the quickly disappearing meat, bringing it up and then past her pale lips.

Some things might have changed, but others are still the same.