--- Aphrodite POV

The Lamia within screams to life salivating at the thought of feasting upon Snake Kin flesh, especially the possibility of multiple serves. Her sudden awakening surprising me, such is the level of passion in that inner voice and responsible for breaking my Prophet contact. The source, a racial memory of procreation, the delicious devouring of her mate after the act to feed their just fertilised eggs. I invoke one of my gifts and instinct forces me to place a hand upon my stomach and I confirm the emptiness where there should be potential for new life.

Zeus’ Aphrodite’s gift [Prolific Fertility] informs me of my void; I am barren, the gift unable to deliver upon the promise of any boon. How could this be?

I am incomplete, although I have children … not born of my body though, my discarded shell. Transforming the already living, not creation and therefore not true … what? A memory, suckling First, Bucket One and Bucket Two, my other hand cups a breast, the provider of milk, the life-giving sustenance to those not of me and yet mine. The “let-down” of my mother’s milk to meet the demands of my adopted children even now touches my soul. Warm droplets cascade upon my arms. I don’t wipe away my tears, my hands are already in place trying to rediscover an intimate heart-rending loss. My mind screams. Why. Can. I. Not. Remember!

“Goddess you are seeking motherhood. Your experiences have revealed in part the joys and sorrows and yet you have forgotten. Share with me, feast upon my memories …”

“… twelve males chase a larger shining scale Giant Gar in an elliptical downward spiral … the spawning bed Alba names it, a nest of loose rocks … female and males quiver, a rapid and violent action releasing eggs and sperm … then the eggs are abandoned to their fate … thousands upon thousands of fertilised eggs …”

Motherhood. The word escapes my lips and I need to repeat the utterance to be certain. Fertilisation of thousands of eggs and yet all cast adrift which haunts me to my core. I need to care for my offspring, Alba’s vision is normal for her, yet the Lamia rests ever silent. No not silent, finally an evolution with the same need as me - our bridging due to the common ground of mothering. I wish for one, no two children. More! Although the mother of thousands of eggs, uncaring I think not … the hollowness I feel though needs filling and I draw upon [Prolific Fertility] to fix me. Not once or twice, time and time again.

I don’t glow with a sudden shine and radiate the joy of a potential mother. I don’t change at all. The gift rejecting my body, nothing to bless or nurture to be more, my hands grab my head as my teeth grind.

A possibility springs to mind. I will a transformation calling upon my Sentient Dominate Soul.

My snake lower half peels away, while my wings droop threatening to fall. I call upon my Monster Dominate Soul to retain my wings and the supporting muscle rebinds as snake scale sheds from my face and my skin transforms into an ebony black. Except for my black feathers, my body displays no hair or feathers elsewhere, smooth flawless skin and I am once again my original Living Construct although weaker, with a yielding flesh due to my Sentient Dominate dominance over Monster Dominate.

I hesitate, make, or break I believe and my stomach churns as I call upon my gift [Prolific Fertility]. Failure.

I release my wings. They need conscious effort to maintain and my Sentient Dominate is in no way fooled I believe. They droop as the interlacing muscles around my hips reaching up along my back unravel and then all of a sudden fall with a thumping woosh. I wrap my arms around myself as the feathers fly free in the wind and dance around my bare feet.

Snivelling, I consider this my last hope. I am now a pure Living Construct cast in the image of my creator and again I call upon my gift [Prolific Fertility].

Failure. I am in the shape of a mother and yet inadequate. I scream, claiming my right to motherhood and an echo answers my earnest plea.

{Discover Primary Purpose: Motherhood +25% Sentient Dominate. System limits Sentient Dominate to 75%}

{Sentient Dominate threshold 75% met, Living Construct Feature unlocked: Able to grow hair upon Living Construct Form.}

{Realm Unlocked and Assigned: Fertility, +5% Divine Dominate, Total Divine Dominate 6%, Gift [Prolific Fertility] extinguished}

{Faith Magic aligned to Fertility Rune manifests: Healing}

{Faith Magic sourced directly from Divinity manifests: Far Sight, Magic Sight, Locate Enemy, Locate Magic, Locate (Faithful, Faithless, Heretic)}

{Realm Magic aligned to Fertility Rune manifests: Bless Maiden}

{Divine Magic accessible at Divine Dominate 6%: Sanctify Area (Aphrodite)}

Sliding to the ground I ignore Alba’s questions, my mind bouncing from incredibility to mystery to confusion, round and round again.

“Goddess!”

I mouth the words. “Hair? Fertility Rune? Bless Maiden?” I know I gibber.

“Goddess!”

I shut down the noise in my mind and allow a peaceful quiet to reign. The knowledge which descended upon me moments ago I now study and try to comprehend. The importance of hair though eludes me, I cannot explain or understand it. Finally, I respond, “Yes Alba?”

“Is hair important to your Creator?”

“Perhaps …” I am not trying to search for an explanation, after all, how do you assess being able to return to the Living Construct form with the ability to grow hair?

“What does Bless Maiden provide, my Goddess?”

I can’t resist some analysis. The slave humans, the sailors and the two slain by Griffon and even my Creator grew hair upon their bodies. The image of Zeus also … what am I missing? I shake my head to no avail.

“I am proud to say, for all but the Goddess who now has mastery over the Fertility Rune, the Bless Maiden Realm Magic will increase the existing fertility of a virgin female. Next pregnancy possibly multiple babies. Healthier and stronger …”

The System ripped Aphrodite’s Gift from me, the Fertility Rune transforming the gift into Realm Magic as my sole compensation. Is this going to be my only path to create and bestow Realm Magic or for now the easiest path given my meagre Divine Dominate? I wonder what my benefactor would think of this development and given Hera’s presence and supposedly Athena on this world, what of Aphrodite? The High Priestess of Hera, Pleasant Voice admitted the three were no longer amicable. If my benefactor is not yet worshipped … can two Goddesses of the same name exist in one world?

Pleasant Voice …

The name rolls around in my memory … tenuous … fleeting.

Pleasant Voice …

I remember her name before she embraced Hera before being a Priestess … what?

Alba’s final words register with me, and my thoughts fly free. The mystery remains.

“… given the losses to the disease many Beast Kin will appreciate such magic Goddess.”

“Yes, most certainly.” I embrace the present. Motherhood for me is still elusive and I need to suppress any bitterness. How can the Goddess aligned with the Fertility Rune not personify motherhood? A mother bears her child or children, takes care of them, suckles them … a dim recollection haunts me, teases me with enough to remember another, and yet no name, nor recollection of the event or any details. This gap frustrates me, Pleasant Voice and another now absent from my past and yet somehow tied to my dream of motherhood. I run my hands over my bald head covering my eyes and reach a decision.

Curse everything which is forgotten, for now, I need to hunt, slaughter and then devour, gorge myself to sate my hunger and leave the memory torment behind for a simple action and reward joy. A cool sea breeze reminds me of my present state before, on impulse, I leap from the ledge. How do I transform into Lamia? Frantic I eventually sense a minuscule strand of consciousness maintaining my Living Construct form, which I release. The resultant metamorphosis, agonising and slow, snake scale returns to my face and head and not until I close my legs does snakeskin erupt from the flesh and flow to join. I need to boost my Monster Dominate to hasten the change and the only way I know to do so, is to evolve. Azizos or … possibly Arsu.

Taking flight, I range beyond the camp and a mountain lion shortly after falls to my well-aimed arrow and out of habit I slice apart fur and muscle to partake of the liver. My face and hands become blood red due to my savage feeding. I continue to tear at the raw flesh, ravenous. A hind quarter including bone disappears into my stomach and then I pause. No message about essence appears. I shrug, the difference between an animal and a Beast Kin, I suppose.

Being well fed myself, time to feed Gateway Dungeon Arsu. Azizos strengthens, with each kill, why not the same for Arsu?

While invisible my wings fan the scent of the second bloody hindquarter through the makeshift camp drawing the pitiful creatures out, crawling, lurching, skin on bone, with sunken eye sockets one and all. I convince myself this is a mercy, a quick death instead of a slow one able to dismiss any concern of guilt. They now serve a greater purpose, mine.

The blood-drained hindquarter rests as an invitation against the Dungeon door, I count seventeen scrabbling over each other, the bait no longer visible as their pitiful bodies shroud the lure. I release an arrow, which pierces two of their frail bodies smashing them against the door. The survivors fail to register the deaths of their former companions, two dead, two less to compete for survival.

The stone door opens inwards with a slam and several survivors fall in. Others still outside raise their near fleshless heads, eyes trying to focus on the dark interior before them. Wind blasts forth, and none of the skeletal slaves are blown away, they dry out instead including the two corpses. Skin tightens to their skeletons, all the while unable to scream or run. Seventeen former flesh and blood humans now dried-out skin and bone. An eerie light occupies their eye sockets and instead of falling apart, they climb into an upright position. Their withered heads scan either side of their location and once satisfied they march clicking and clacking through the open doorway. Once all are inside the Stone Door slams shut. The fading echoes an alert, which none left alive heed or react to.

--- Alasse POV

I taste the salt in my sweat as I wake. My eyes focus to confirm I am at rest in my tent upon my bedroll. A slow trickle rolls down between my breasts and a sharp stabbing pain draws my eyes to the source. The idol of my Goddess, each wing unfurled resplendent now piercing my left and right breast blood mixing with perspiration forming twin rivulets and my fingers applying the force.

No dream then.

Knowledge burnt and seared upon my brain and in exaltation, I offered up a slither of my soul to be bound to the new revelation. Power accompanied the knowledge, which I feasted upon drunk with the promise of more while drawing ever closer to my Goddess.

No dream then.

A dissenting hiss from outside the tent. “You are not permitted.”

A serpent sneer replies. “Who are you to prevent an audience between Daughters of House Burning Fang?”

Silence and then movement.

“No!”

The sliding of a weapon from a sheath, a rasp of death the response.

“My sword to your worthless throat …”

“I am to be trained, therefore my death price beyond a token amount.” The words are one last desperate rush to remain alive.

I decide to intervene. “Who dares disturb my slumber!”

A youthful head quickly peers into my tent to stare and then withdraws. I recognise the pig flesh-eating owner.

“By order of Alasse Daughter of House Burning Fang you must wait while I attend to her.”

My servant slips by the tent flap and then proceeds to tie down the flap. I wonder about her game.

“Forgive me, Mistress … you have only just woken … I must attend to you before you receive any guests …”

My servant a whirlwind about me, fixing my desk made of crates, tidying my bedroll, and finally luging a bucket of water in one hand and a clean rag in the other, head bowing before me.

“Am I permitted to wash you, Mistress?”

I slide from my bedroll, no point in wetting … the stink, I finally taste the foul odour … near retching. My servant’s eyes are gazing elsewhere, deliberate I suspect to preserve my dignity. I now comprehend her panic.

“Yes, and when did you find me in this state?”

The damp cloth sweeps down my neck, her eyes concentrating on the task. “Daybreak, Mistress.”

“Who has witnessed my … condition?”

Her hand pauses and then resumes, across my shoulder blades. “None.”

“Except you,” I reply.

The damp cloth leaves my skin, and my servant falls to the ground cowering; the damp cloth being wrung out. As I delight in her trembling, I place the Idol of my Goddess upon my desk, my blood upon the wings.

“Continue,” I order.

She wets the cloth again and returns to cleaning my back, although dancing around the edges. I spin to face her.

“The eyes Mistress …”

I turn about. “Embrace them, allow them to capture your doubts … you hold doubts don’t you, questioning your purpose, perhaps your servitude …”

“I am honoured to serve you Mist …” Her words fade to failure.

“The Goddess will reward those who pray to her faithfully, show devotion.”

Her breathing deepens and without asking she places her hands on my shoulders. Her tongue drags across my skin flicking across the image of my Goddess upon my back.

{Snake Kin Servant Pex accepted as Lay Worshipper of Aphrodite.}

I receive the notification and my servant must have as well, ceasing all touch as if burnt, throwing herself back. I turn to face her.

“I …” Her jaws mouthing a jumble of words, staying mute.

“Welcome my servant to the caring embrace of the Goddess Aphrodite.”

“Mistress …” She points to my lower torso.

I don’t understand why she didn’t see the Rune mark before, yet she does now. Lines crossing diagonally and then two straight lines, one top and one bottom closing the ends. The Fertility Rune is etched over my womb.

“Attend to me servant, my guest Daughter waits.”

Pex leaps to obey, cleansing the sweat and blood from my body and with them the stink. She wraps the bedding tight and disposes of it in one of the crates, which she places at the back of the tent. Surveying the tent one last time and a check glance at me she then opens the tent flap and invites in my guest Daughter.

“I am honoured you receive me at this time.”

I slowly blink my eyes in acknowledgement as I try to recall her name. None with any great elemental skill and therefore below note.

“Keenor of House Burning Fang, would this humble servant be permitted to serve you a delicacy?”

I notice … Keenor tries to ignore my servant, although the temptation of a delicacy … what delicacy I wonder can we offer to intrigue her. With a delightful smile towards me, she nods. Pex leaves our presence hurrying through the tent flap door.

“You are one of a five are you not?”

“Yes, Daughter. They failed and yet oddly the other lessor Kin wish to continue our association. I don’t see the profit in doing so, our five, not a success, further companionship for what purpose? Nevertheless, I bring this offer to you as the Matriarch’s chosen Arbiter to ensure no opportunity for profit is lost.”

While tempted to say no to their faces, she brings the decision to me, her element water not so highly prized and yet allowed “out” on this expedition and she wishes to remain so. After all my only real power is to decide who is allowed to stay and who I banish back to the city to serve once again under the Matriarch subject to her whims.

My Goddess has already ruled on this, and the command is to keep the groups together and what’s more, blame them for the failure.

“Are you certain the failure is theirs and not yours?”

Her head shot forward scale encrusted lips curling back revealing teeth. An excusable distance apart from me her brain engages and her head freezes, transitioning into a soft nod of compliance.

“I am certain Daughter.” Each word grinds from between her lips.

“Our mission has the support of our Matriarch. The calculation of profit depends upon all doing their utmost. You won the trust of the lessor Kin to join a team, you enter the Dungeon and are shortly ejected and now wish to abandon the early success. I question your dedication to our House and our Matriarch and the missive I send with your return to the City will be sure to express my opinion.”

I turn from her, an intentional insulting gesture hinting we are done. I make busy with parchment scribing a message.

“No, I will lower my subservience to them, try to imagine them as equals. I don’t wish to return to the City in disgrace …”

“And to think I started imagining you nursing eggs if lucky, food if not due to this failure. Keep these possibilities close to your thoughts when you believe you have done enough. Now go and join your five and succeed with this second chance I offer you.”

The tent flap opening and then closing my signal to turn around. Second chances, such a divine idea from my Goddess, although the House Burning Fang Matriarch would be writhing at the thought. A moment later and my servant returns her timing impeccable, I remember the word delicacy if not mistaken.

“It seems our guest didn’t stay long enough Mistress, what is a servant to do now?” Her arm extends before her, a plate holding several pieces of fried pig portions.

“I do believe my servant should sample first in case of poison …” I smile as a savouring delight spreads across her face. “When done with that duty, I need you to fetch the Captain of the Guard.”

She half chokes. “His troopers will warn me off Mistress, I won’t be able to approach him.”

I fold the parchment I scribed upon previously, sealing the two halves together with my blood. We swap plate and letter and without further protest, my servant leaves my tent.

Time enough passes to allow me to savour each piece of fried pig and as I return the plate to my crate table the Captain of the Guard enters my tent not waiting for an introduction. He doesn’t disappoint, the perfect specimen, snake lower and upper, topped off with separate scale-covered head, shoulders and two arms all flawlessly muscular under shining emerald scales. He isn’t under my command of course, although I am to be treated with respect. He and his troop are to protect us, which roughly translates to mean to be our meat shields while we destroy any attackers. Their deaths in this service of course largely immaterial and hence not entirely appreciated by them.

“What is the meaning of this summons? Your servant interrupted an important meeting.”

My servant shakes her head from side to side. I almost giggle. The Captain of the Guard would not expect a low servant to budge a finger, let alone directly deny his words behind his back. A servant more than a servant, an intriguing idea and I am more decided than ever on this course of action.

“I understand, although this is an opportunity for your ears only Captain.” I wave him closer.

He is immediately suspicious, the only certainty, he knows I am not permitted to kill him.

Whispering, I state my offer. “I need you to couple with my servant, an experiment which …”

I get no further, he retreats spitting out the words he speaks, “My seed is not to be wasted so and I will protest to the Matriarch if I must.”

Well, that confirms he is the Matriarch’s loyal pet. Unusual she trusts a male though; my thinking ran along the lines of one of the five less than accomplished students of hers. Perhaps the students are inept and not pretending otherwise; interesting.

I lean forward needing to keep my voice low. “If the results are as I predict, you will want the first pick and if not, I offer a personal boon … as compensation.” I deliberately play out and sway my tongue, hinting what a boon from me could end up being.

“You would need to keep the eggs separate …” His jaws remain stuck wide open.

“Yes, an experiment and therefore I need to know which eggs are fertilised by your coupling.”

He glances from me to my servant, hands rising to rub the scale cheeks of his face. The offer of progeny, unmistakable, of his seed. He would need to train him as if a stranger, nevertheless he would know. The boon, a worthy substitute reward in case no males are conceived, however unlikely, but not unusual.

He nods. Unable to say the words, perhaps frightened his Mistress the Matriarch would catch wind of his temptation. I show him to my table.

“Amend the agreement if you believe it unprofitable and I will consider each fairly. I go to prepare my servant.” They offer a clear mark of respect, declaring him my equal by inviting him to negotiate when I could easily say take it or leave it.

I address my servant. “Lay down.”

Upon the cut grass, she stretches out her youthful body, snake torso reasonably straight although the tip beats the grass. Arms to the sides pushing out her perky breasts. Her trusting eyes lock upon mine.

“I am going to cast a blessing upon you from the Goddess.” I don’t imagine she isn’t, but I should check. “You are still whole, a maiden?”

I detect a glint of fear in her eyes and prepare for the worst.

“Our Matriarch doesn’t permit any intercourse, control of our numbers is necessary to ensure we aren’t considered vermin to be slaughtered and eaten. She extolls quality over quantity.”

“The blessing from the Goddess will ensure your eggs hatch strong and healthy Snake Kin.” The soil water mix is now a paste as I draw upon my elemental control and slightly freeze the water content. With the paste, I construct the Fertility Rune over her womb.

“Mistress, my Matriarch will expel me from my House, I will be without protection.”

My muddy hand closes her mouth. “You knew you would be anyway, the moment you showed my order to the House Trainer. I assume you haven’t told your Matriarch yet.” I flick out my tongue. “Perhaps with two days until training starts you decided you could ingratiate yourself upon me to offer you sanctuary?”

I can feel her trying to say the words, even though I have her mouth in my grasp.

“You are mine silly child and now you will do more without protest. The Captain of the Guard will impregnate you, first I need to bless you with the Fertility Rune of the Goddess.”

With her head nodding, I draw upon the Faith Magic [Bless Maiden], one hand upon the rune on my womb and the other hand pressing down the mud replica across her womb. The Goddess’ Divine magic fills me and as her agent, I fulfil her intent. The mud replica reduces to dust and my servant’s lower torso glows and then fades back to normal.

The hands of my servant clutch at her womb. Her tongue lolls about and her eyes roll back as a panting begins.

“What have you done to her?”

His voice wakes me from my study. I can’t answer his question though, except with a guess. “I have prepared her to receive you without protest, here, instead of you walking her back to your tent.”

“I would have walked out on your opportunity, I assumed I would be completing my part here and nowhere else.”

“The terms acceptable?” I ask.

“They are generous, to ask for more beyond profit, avarice, which always leads to revenge.”

“And therefore, no opportunity for a peaceful existence,” I finish the well know Snake Kin proverb. Our lessor Kin don’t appreciate our restraint, a lesson learnt after the spilling of much blood. To make a profit is expected, supply and demand. Avarice usually results in at least one party hurting, sometimes to the point that death is an easy alternative, and they slay themselves, other times they discover revenge.

“I do this for your experiment, my seed is above servants.”

He protests as he leans over my servant and yet his “thing” is erect. I am a keen study of this intercourse.

The moment of his penetration is very mechanical, he is trying to keep his distance, and refrain from touching more than is required. Then my servant’s tail undulates and binds around his. Her hands wrap around his shoulders and lower him until her tongue darts out searching for his. Her passion ignites, dismissing his servant girl aversion and soon both are writhing around like former hatching mates. At this point, I look away and try to prepare an explanation for the Captain of the Guard, clearly seduced by magic. Would he believe that? He will convince himself, that he has no one to petition, especially the Matriarch. I allow myself a small chuckle, I have the best seed in the camp, fertilising a blessed servant and neither able to seek further compensation. Although my servant’s Matriarch will be next to visit, I take a moment to ponder the future course of events. Training now and her pregnancy. In ninety days her fertilised eggs will be laid. Another ninety days and Snake Kin hatchlings will break free of their shells.

---

My servant trails behind me and I don’t need to look, I assume her silly grin is still plastered across her face. I did think to leave her in my tent but then without her standing guard any could enter looking for me and upon meeting her enquire about her condition and the other occupant. Towards the end her panting enthusiasm enabled her to climb upon the exhausted Captain of the Guards and extract the last remaining seed from him, I am certain. He passed out and we left him to take a stroll about the camp and allow my tent to air out.

Late afternoon the last rays of sunlight shine upon the camp and many a campsite tent are gone. The Snake Kin have no choice, their Matriarch ordered them to support my mission. The other Beast Kin though, probably half of the start count remains. Those who remain don’t mingle staging training sessions, shadow duelling or lounging about eating or sleeping. My small plans drew me away from the Goddess’ most important plan. I plea for guidance not meaning to receive a response.

“Yes, My Prophet.”

“Goddess … I”

“You have blessed one of your own, I recognised the drawing of magic … wonderful. Motherhood to be.”

“Yes Goddess, although we have a bigger challenge, many of the lessor Beast Kin have fled the camp …”

“You need not worry, they would have been of swallow faith, fickle. We need stout faithful hearts my Prophet and, in a way, this test has revealed those more suitable. Seek out another with your skills and tell the other Quest Group members to do likewise. Once discovered ask them to shake paws and hands and then enter the Quest Dungeon. We will form groups depending upon competent skills, for now, the bonding can occur later.”

“Yes, my Goddess.”