Dealing in blood was bad, Trypano had told me so herself.
That should have been my first warning before I committed myself to the Queen.
The next was her total disregard for it to take preference over Blight afterwards.
Blight really was the one to compete with for the Queen's approval I learnt quickly.
When Dashiell returned with everyone's Missions, they were shared and swapped amongst the family for ones that would best benefit them.
Blight only made his appearance then, swiping up Shie's folder, swapped his own with Rush who eagerly came over to trade.
Ransom plucked mine from my fingers and swapped it for his before even sharing the contents of it. Talio did the same, patting me on the shoulder before flicking through the one Sparrow had given me.
My eyes didn't leave Blight who chatted and laughed with the other men bargaining thier way for the folder he held firm.
Blight was the one to watch for. He was a smiling assassin amongst us.
He was the one Shie favoured above everyone else. With him in her bed, how was anyone else meant to get a chance?
It all seemed very biased.
Noma strolled over to me and tracked my eyes to the other side of the room before heaving out a sigh.
"Doesn't seem fair, does it?"
"You all haven't thought of just turning on him?" I looked up to him "giving yourselves a chance? Isn't this whole horde thing supposed to be about spreading blood and all that?"
Noma chuckled, shrugging.
"Carrion is the best of us to deal with that. It's the way it is. You just have to win her approval and take it from there."
"But he will be there anyway."
Noma smiled at my seething bitterness and steered me to the table so we could sit at it.
Talio smirked at me and wandered off to chatter to Resolve huddled with Plague.
"You took the blood?" Noma pulled my attention back to him.
I nodded, sliding my folder around in annoyance.
"You'll start to feel the connection in a few days. That's when shit really goes down. The first time I mated Shie, I wanted to make sure no-one else got to her after me. There were fights and broken bones like you wouldn't believe. At the end of it, I got a pure brood from it. I was quite happy with that."
"A pure one?" I frowned to him "with the eggs and baby spiders and... skin thing?"
I shuddered as the feeling of having my skin devoured from my bones returned to remind me.
There was no way I was doing that again. Talio got what he wanted and that was that.
"You get one when you make that bond for the first time" Noma held up a finger "after that, you've got to earn it. Shie likes to be won over; she's not just going to give it to you."
So, did that mean I was a father? 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1733EBwGD4
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I know I hadn't been protected when I was with Shie, and she certaintly made sure I was buried deep within her when I came.
Oh shit.
My hands grabbed my head as I felt my stomach drop.
What did I do now? How many would there be? 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj450OGvtmz
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I didn't know what to do as a father. Did I have to teach them everything I was still learning myself? 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrza2rMIRSD
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Would she carry them or destroy them for someone better?
My eyes found Blight again, and my lip curled.
"Relax" Noma's hand touched mine to distract me "he's not your enemy. Shie will let them hatch and they will climb through the walls up to the grass. Nothing is going to truly be yours unless you want to destroy yourself for it. Fighting Blight over something so small is stupid."
Something small? These were actual children we were talking about!
"The first time is always confusing" Noma reassured me "you don't need to do anything more. Just let nature take its course and be happy knowing you have something with a little bit of you out there."
"Only a little bit?" my heart sank.
"It's a horde" he shrugged back "nothing ever is fully yours here anymore. Just pray they are strong enough to make the climb and survive out there. With Blight, he makes sure they are."
But I didnt want him messing around in things still exciting and new to me. I wanted to please Shie on my own and not share her moans for me with someone else so ready to replace me.
"You'll feel it when she needs you" Noma looked at my pain "you'll feel her hunger, her excitement, and her fear. You can be there to help her through all of it, as long as you prove yourself to her. Make her see you aren't just someone she can push aside for the bigger few. Show her you are devoted."
"How do I do that?" I winced out.
Now that I was trapped, did she even want to see me again? Or was it all just talk for me to give her what she wanted?
"Well, hunting is a good way to get her approval" Noma leant back "the bigger the beast, the more it shows your strength and willingness to help the horde."
I could do that. I had gone hunting with Noma before in that rabbit field. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMaaQ0a8Ri
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It wasn't that hard.
"You could bring back trophies. Shie likes a demonstration of power. Again, the bigger, the better."
Heads? I cringed at the thought of having to handle another one after the slaughter of the Kalfar field.
Solenine had a sexual thing for heads too. Shie had to be the same then.
Eagle had heads mounted on his wall, but I think that was more of a power play than something that made him hard.
There was a morbid curiosity with trophy taking amongst demons here. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2aepB9q7r
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I wanted to see what made them so alluring.
"You could also give her gifts and win her over that way."
Hope glimmered inside me now that I knew it wasn't lost.
"She had flowers beside her bed."
"And tablets too" Noma added, bumping Bands with Plague who passed for the kitchen I saw Talio was also in.
He grinned back at me, checking the area behind me before pulling down a bowl for Plague.
"What are the tablets for?" I turned back to Noma "they looked like some heavy-duty stuff."
I slid around my folder again, uncomfortable and unsure with prying into things that may anger the others.
Noma saw this and rested his hand over mine to stop me. He didn't linger.
"The signals she sends out can be quite intense, so she takes pills to make them bearable. We can take some too to help on our end, but it's mainly for ourselves since she doesnt feel what we do" Noma explained and jerked a thumb to the rooms "I've got some in my room if you ever need any. We do runs to make sure Shie has all she needs; it's almost unbearable without them."
I felt sorry for the poor guy. Hell, I even felt sorry for Blight and his cuckhold complex.
How bad was it going to be for me?
"If you ever, ever, feel a deep pain in your gut for no reason, you come right back here, got it?" Noma warned me with intense focus now "if Shie is in danger, she needs to be protected; no matter how bad your grudge is with anyone else here. I don't trust that...." he paused, checking no-one was close before lowering his voice and head towards me "....i don't trust that Stone won't try to do anything to her while being played by his parasite. He's just a host now. He could take Shie and destroy everything we have created just to replace it with more of those things. If that happens, the Base is fucked. They'll spread and turn everyone into fucking parasites."
Noma was so passionate about this. I could see he'd let himself be killed in an instant if it meant Shie could have a chance to live.
"You voted to keep it here" his eyes scowled at me now.
"Only because Talio wanted to isolate him!" I insisted and scanned the room for him, only to find he wasn't here "I wanted to kick him out, like you, but I couldn't just go against him like that."
"Because you favour him?" Noma raised an eyebrow and leant back in his seat with folded arms.
It didn't look that way at all. To the horde, I was letting Ransom have his way with me and stringing Talio along as an exciting sidepiece.
"I love Talio" I replied firmly "all the rest comes later."
Noma smirked at me, leaning forward again. He dragged his folder towards himself, straightened it by tapping it on the table, and rose.
"Should we give it another go at hunting together?" he offered.
Was Shie hungry already?
He stood there, hopeful. He was a patient man.
It wouldnt hurt. I could practice my skills while I was out in that demonic form with him.
"Sure" I grinned back and grabbed my folder "why not?"
He took mine from me and went over to place them on the kitchen bench. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiKwgDXDaH
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While waiting for him, Talio, Dashiell, and Plague came rushing for the front door to eagerly form thier own hunting party.
Talio saw me with Noma and held the door open so we could join the group.
"You two?" Dashiell teased, running his eyes over Noma who only bumped him cheekily.
"Talio can teach me a few things about being a good killer."
I hadn't seen Talio hunt once. Even when we were still rocky with each other, any of his hunting was done while we were seperated.
Talio grinned and nudged my shoulder with his. The excitement was pouring from him as we all marched for the stairs to the level.
"You aren't going to split off and find you-know-who today?" Dashiell looked back to Plague slyly "go over Missions together and all that?"
"He wants to be with who he wants more" Noma jeered with a jab "and with Dashie here, he's going to have a hard time focusing."
"Shut up" Plague mumbled back in embarrassment.
Dashiell and Noma snickered to each other. Talio only smiled at me knowingly.
"What about you, Philly?" Dashiell piped up when we neared the tunnels "do you think you are up to it with your hands being the way they are?"
"He seemed good last time" Noma shrugged back for me, glancing anyway.
We all slipped into the darkness and I felt Talio's hand on the back of mine.
With no eyes on us, he could finally let go and embrace the feelings he had been forced to hide amongst others.
I let him wrap his fingers between mine and stroke the web brace with his thumb.
I could even hear his breath hitching beside me in excitement. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHv90p2vh9C
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It was fuelling my own at the suspense of what he thought he could get away with.
He could do anything and I would let him. I wanted him to do something now that we were opening the exit to the Base.
Talio dropped his hand when we all gathered in the afternoon light and looked around for a path to take.
"We could try the rabbit field again?" I suggested.
"We can't overhunt that area. Kill them all and there goes our backup" Noma frowned to Dashiell "what about the deer field? The Blood Demon's haven't been touching it lately."
The one that Oxalis took me to?
"There had to be a reason" I spoke up in concern "they collect thier bones there."
"He lost his mate" Plague dismissed me "he's not going to be bone collecting anytime soon. We could hit it while we have a window. Make use of his grief."
"I don't know" Dashiell grimaced as he held his chin in thought "let's avoid areas we know are taken. We could hit the fields further out; grab something big together. Shie needs it."
I felt his words pluck something inside me that made me smile.
Shie needed it because of me. She was going to bring my own family into this world.
"Phillius should take a beast down since it's his fault Shie needs more food" Plague joked and bumped me with his shoulder "everyone heard you two going at it."
"I'm honestly surprised you could do it" Dashiell smirked and pushed my shoulder playfully with a fist "I thought you were more into the family than the Queen?"
I read between the lines and smiled back as Talio chuckled to me.
"I'm devoted" I replied simply "you know how it is."
Noma giggled while Dashiell rolled his eyes and took the time to strip off so he could stash his clothes behind a tree.
With Noma and Plague following, Talio stood with me while I averted my eyes and looked to him sliding off his shirt.
"You'll be the last one and have everyone watching you" Talio said "keep up Phillius."
Glancing over to the splitting bodies, I hurriedly kicked off my shoes and pulled off my shirt.
"Last time, I got taken to the place" I worried "I won't be able to keep up."
"I'll stay with you" Talio replied while pulling off his pants and folding them onto his pile on the ground "i wont leave you behind."
Of course he wouldn't. Everything melted just at seeing how much he meant it.
"Phillius" Talio reminded me "your clothes."
Right. I was falling behind. Talio was already nude and starting to shed his skin while I was letting myself get lost in his words.
Once my pile was made, I closed my eyes and focused on Talio and how his form had entranced me. The way his body showered with embers and moved so easily when mine was a clunky mess of broken bones and clumsiness.
I could feel my arms splitting in half and stretching downwards. My legs did the same, lifting my body up so it could bend and stretch where it was needed.
"Beautiful, as always" Talio's voice breathed out softly to me "I'll never get over how georgous black is on you."
Peeking through my squeezed eyes, I opened them to see Talio beaming back at me.
He really was amazing like this. I could see his fur lightly simmering across his back just by looking at me.
Immediately, I was flattered by his obviousness.
"Guys!" Plague called out "today would be nice!"
"We shouldn't keep them waiting" Talio snorted and pattered ahead so I could tuck my broken front arms and follow carefully behind in his footsteps.
"It'll take forever with him like that" Dashiell shook his head at me "I'll go ahead with Plague and find a good hunting ground. Talio and Noma will keep Phillius guarded until he catches up."
Everyone agreed and split up. I watched Dashiell and Plague shove each other to try and be the first to pull ahead in thier race to glory.
Noma dwarfed Talio when we joined his side.
"I'll take front" he simply said and turned to lead the way after the charging duo still fighting playfully in the distance.
Talio came up behind me and I burned at how exposed I was to him.
He could do anything with me facing away from him like this. He was so damn close too.
I felt his legs brush mine to try and get them into the right rhythm. Each stroke crackled through my fur and sent shivers along my legs.
I was painfully aware of how aroused I was getting from Talio being so close to me. The tip of my stinger was peeking through just at the feeling of him correcting me this way.
Focus, Phillius. This was a hunting party. You cant be getting fucked every time you decide to turn into this monster.
But this was different. This was Talio.
He had said he wouldn't touch me until I was healed. Did that mean just in my Skin or....?
I was getting distracted again. Even Noma was noticing from ahead of me when our eyes met and I dropped my gaze.
"Keep up" he clicked and continued ahead.
Talio brushed me to keep me moving, and for a moment, I froze up in anticipation.
I wanted him to do something; anything. I wasn't just going to blurt it out with the others around. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY7ckHC8XK
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I wanted him to take me like Ransom had; really show me how much he wanted me back.
I glistened and forced myself to carry on while battering the thoughts from my mind.
I was making good progress too! With coaching from both Talio and Ransom, I wasn't tripping up nearly as much as what I was when I first took this form.
I grinned back to Talio to see him straighten up and nudge me to keep moving. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoO1T8SmCGH
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He was battling his own thoughts from the exposed tip and glowing fur gently flicking tiny embers into the air behind him.
"You could cut the tension here with a knife" Noma shot back with a sigh.
He only paused briefly to look to us, leading the way again.
"Why don't you just mate and get it over with?"
"So you can join in?" Talio's voice hissed defensively.
Noma turned with a sly smile. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C2MTxIRZn
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Talio left his place behind me to guard my side now.
It only made the feelings within me worse. I was aching.
"Well, I wouldn't take him without a bit of competition" his eyes tracked me to make Talio lunge forwards on the spot, hissing.
"You've got Dashiell and Plague" I reminded Noma.
He was nothing like the guy I had been talking to at the table. He just wanted a piece of what was forbidden to everyone else.
"And I can wait for you" he smiled as he turned back around in satisfaction at getting a rise out of Talio so easily "Talio is the one you favour, after all."
I felt his fur bristle beside me and brushed against it on my path to follow Noma once more.
Talio returned to my rear, still making it known he didn't appreciate the advancement.
He should have been here when Ransom was making his moves. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTY85S1okw
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I would have melted in the same way I was now to see Talio defend what was his. There would be no guilty pleasure when I had the real thing.
His mood still didn't lighten when we caught sight of Plague and Dashiell flitting between the tree barrier to our left protecting a large sweeping field. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipEzV6tuoT
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They both had spread out in the rolling landscape to flush out a flock of tall birds defending themselves against the ambush.
The birds, with knobbly black legs as tall as my own in my Skin, had brilliant white feathers dirtied by the long grass. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHLVLVbPgi
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There were red ones covering the underside of each rounded wing spread outwards as the birds tried to strike Dashiell with thier long claws.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhFYBm3kyD
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Thier beaks split sideways in thier shrieks, and a massive frill of red plumage flipped up around the back of thier heads to shake in his direction.
The blue fur of Dashiell was easy to see towering over the sea of grass. Even the white spots on him that danced around like eyes, the birds weren't deterred, and ganged up on him.
Plague was further down the field with his own swarm of the birds. Without the height Dashiell and Noma possessed, he was barely staying above the grass.
His fur, unlike Dashiell's, was fluffed and branched across the surface like a dandelion stained by oil. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eG6vfdxj6
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The black fur looked insanely soft. I couldn't even see the skin where the little black legs with thier own white bands around the joints sprouted from. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDBjqTzen5
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Plague's white eyes speckled the front of his face, and were joined by spotted mandibles curved into deadly points that gripped and decapitated one of the birds.
With the kill, Plague shrieked out in victory and snapped for another he caught by the leg trying to flee.
Noma charged into the field to leap up and bring down a bird struggling to get airborne.
Talio bolted past my side so he could lock onto a bird turning to fight him before Talio pierced its middle and promptly sawed the plucky thing in half.
Blood and feathers sprayed across the field. With the birds having no sense of self-preservation, the group easily crippled and killed masses refusing to flee.
"There's eggs here too!" Plague called out, his face dripping in yolks when he crushed the unseen nest hidden in the grass.
With everyone enjoying thier part in the slaughter, I crept forward and decided to take part.
It was like being faced with my first Mission again. I was shaking from nerves and unsure of how to even approach this situation.
At least I wasn't having a gun forced into my hands. It was just three other demons running the grass red.
"Phillius!" Talio smiled to me with his face splattering blood below him "over here!"
He had an injured bird with what looked like a broken wing hanging down by its side. It snapped and jumped for Talio, trying to rake its long claws along his arms while trying bit to stumble backwards.
"This one should be easy for you" he encouraged me with a nudge in my side towards it "just watch for the claws and beak."
The way it split sideways was disturbing. I recoiled at its shriek and looked to Talio for help.
"Put it out of its misery" he pressed.
The bird was a pitiful thing. It leapt and scrambled back to its legs each time it fell back. The thing was putting up such a fight for nothing.
My first Mission had been easy compared to this. With a gun, I didn't have to get close to what I was killing. I didn't need to be there to take its life when I could let the bullet do it for me while I stayed away from it all.
The bird snapped at me, charging and leaping up.
It gouged its claws along my arm before falling onto its back, frantically pedalling it's legs to try and flip over again.
"Fuck" I hissed as the blood burned through the cuts.
"You ok?" Talio spoke up from behind "I can take care of it if you aren't up for it..."
And show I couldn't even handle an injured bird? How was I supposed to face something challenging when I couldn't even do this?
"I've got it" I insisted.
Talio mumbled an agreeance and charged past me to hammer another into the ground, tearing at its throat before lifting back up and dropping the body down.
I could do that.
Taking Talio's stance, I bolted for my bird who had found its feet just in time to sprint off and try to circle back for another attack.
I lunged before it could turn its back, slamming the frail thing into the grass to crush it under my legs.
It laid there limply, it's tongue hanging out the side of its beak that had been broken and snapped off at the split.
"Phillius!" Talio cheered "you did it!"
"Good job!" Dashiell added enthusiastically from the pile he was gathering together.
I glowed with pride and dug up the limp neck of the bird to bring it to the pile and dump it on top.
Compared to the others, it was scrapings, but it was a start.
"We should get Sparrow or Resolve to test these before we even think of eating them" Plague commented, dropping several to the heap that rolled off "last thing we want to do is have another dog incident."
I frowned to him, clearly confused.
"We hunted a pack of dogs and decided not to get Sparrow's word on it first" Noma explained "poisoned the whole horde for weeks. The dogs were baited."
"Anything we hunt something out of the usual spots, we get them tested now. Sparrow and Resolve are good at picking up poisons and can't be affected by them."
"So is Talio!" I breathed excitedly at him "he wasnt affected when I used to have my virus."
The group snickered at me.
"Everyone in the horde can't be affected if it's through skin or air contact; that's true. But if one of us were to accidentally eat something with poison in it, that's a whole different story."
"Oh."
I thought I had been onto something there. I had almost been useful.
"But it was a good point" Dashiell encouraged me "you're still learning."
The smile returned at being recognized.
"The whole horde will be fed with this amount" Talio beamed at the pile in the middle of our gathering "and we have a new place to come to for easy pickings."
"It's a good area" Plague nodded as he started to sling the bodies over his back "and the birds are absolutely stupid. It'll keep us going for a while."
"Mark it up and we'll head back" Noma told us.
Talio and Dashiell nodded seriously. I followed Talio closely who approached the barrier of trees barely shielding this abundant area.
"Make sure you get in there" Dashiell chucked to me while raking his claws along the trunk of the tree.
Talio did the same beside him, looking to me down at the end.
I could do that.
My claws ripped through the hard bark to gouge it. I checked the others who had no pattern to thier markings. They were just slashing a clear warning into the trees before them.
"This should keep others out" Talio shrugged when he saw my enthusiastic slashing "but whether they ignore the markings or not is another thing."
"I'm surprised it's not already taken by the Bloods" Dashiell commented in surprise "maybe we missed thiers?"
"I saw no circles" I piped up from my gouges "It's ours now. I can always let Oxalis know so he doesn't try to take it."
Both demons turned from the trees now that they were substantially destroyed. Talio even sprayed a coating of webs on the ground where we had been standing.
"Pretty clear to me" he commented to me.
"If they don't see that, they're blind and stupid" Plague snorted as he made his way to the trees with the whole mountain of dead birds smothering his back in a broken coat of feathers.
"Keep him guarded" Noma leant close to me when he took the front "who knows what is out there that could ruin our hard work."
Talio took the front with him while I fell to the back with Dashiell. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0n11I9JTy
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His and Noma's size alone would be enough to deter anyone willing to risk it for a few measley birds.
"I wouldn't call it hard work" Dashiell called out with a laugh "I wasnt even scratched.
I cringed at how easily I had been, trying to hide the cuts on my front leg still burning and dribbling through my fur.
"Next time, we'll take Phillius to somewhere a little tougher" Talio grinned back to me "he did well for his first kill."
Shame shivered over me at the praise I accepted. I had killed something that could have quite easily lived. We didn't need this many bodies to feed the horde. The mountain was pure overkill of a species otherwise minding its own business.
"First one?" Plague jeered now "you really are like a young one heading out of the nest for the first time."
There was snickers at his statement. Even Talio smiled through his amusement.
"I think it's kind of cute that we are the ones showing him the ropes" Noma said "there's a lot of firsts we still have to show him."
Talio's fur burned as he glared at Noma beside him. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mvnbEL3KV
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Noma only smirked back and dropped his teasing promptly.
"You are getting better at walking" Dashiell praised me while diverting flair-up between the two "barely tripping up now."
I wasnt keeping up, but I glowed at not dragging meters behind the others.
Maybe I actually was getting better.
The only time we seperated from our group was to reform our Skins and pull back on our clothes. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpH8BLY0hW
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The pile of birds were divided so we could all bundle them in our arms or sling them over our shoulders on the proud march back through the dark tunnel.
Thirteen birds was no easy task to handle. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkNrHWveqV
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I cradled the things in my arms while hanging thier long necks over my shoulder. Thier heads slapped my back, thier beaks jabbing against my shirt.
Talio opened the enterance back into the Base for me. He waited for the others to pass so he could leer over Noma who passed him last. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIwTRKR1N6
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I glance back to see Talio's glare bore through Noma who treated the whole thing lightly. Both of them looked to me waiting before Talio made sure to push ahead of Noma. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0ZStTwA0h
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We resumed our line to head back for the horde.
"The feast has arrived!" Plague called out as he flung open the door "We've got fifty of the damn things! Spa..."
"I'm already here" Sparrow muttered from the table. His head was covered by his arms. His eyes looked at us from around them. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlKuGXJB6J
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I saw his elbows were resting on a massive map that was circled and slashed through with red marker.
We all gathered with our kills inside so that the door could be closed.
The room was packed. Everyone was gathered here around it, all looking between us and Sparrow.
Where was Shie? Wasn't this whole ordeal for her?
"You've got to be kidding me!" he moaned out when he saw the extent of our kills "you couldn't just take a little to begin with?"
"Relax" Noma swiped the map aside so he could dump his birds on the table "it's a new area. They're bound to be good. There were tonnes of them there, Sparrow."
"You should have seen them" I grinned and heaped mine on top "they were amazing!"
"Tonnes of eggs too. Could get you a little baby one to see if Tor likes it" Dashiell added with a smile.
Sparrow only shook his head and dragged one towards him.
Rush leant over nearby, his eyes sweeping our group.
"The deer were poisoned" he mumbled to us "Carrion went to blow off some steam and bought back some. Both of them were no good."
We all frowned to each other at the news.
"Where is he now?" Talio searched for him.
Resolve tapped my shoulder and jerked a thumb to the bathroom door while takin his place at the table opposite Sparrow who had his teeth sank into one of the necks he gripped.
"Been throwing up since they got back" he replied simply.
"Shie didn't touch them?"
Sparrow threw down the bird in anger, swiping the blood from his mouth.
"She didn't touch them" he huffed "but your birds are no good."
Resolve wrinkled his nose at the one he bit into, letting the blood run from his mouth so he could throw it next to the other.
"No good" he shook his head.
My heart sank when I looked at the towering pile between them. After all that effort from the others, it had been for nothing. The high we had been riding to feed the entire horde at once was nothing more than shattered dreams.
"What do you mean 'no good?'" Plague cried out, gesturing to them "they were fresh! It was a clean field!"
"I didn't see any baits laid" Noma added with a sigh "you sure?"
"We'll test every one, but it's not looking great" Sparrow replied in defeat while Resolve added to the pile of tainted birds.
The room had lost hope already. The forbidden feast before them was a temptation no-one was willing to risk.
All that meat; all those delicious parts that could have filled us, wasted.
"Fuck!" Plague hissed and grabbed his head "Fuck!"
Dashiell dragged the map towards him so he could try and locate the area we had just marked as our own. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcKWITtUGs
95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn27Ydsnl4K
Noma slid up to his side to help, running a finger over the paper to follow the path we had taken.
Talio grimaced and came to my side to wrap an arm around it.
"Maybe we should hunt further?" he offered to the table "hit something that couldn't have touched baits?"
"Whatever it is, Shie needs to eat" Ransom spoke up from across the room "I'll even come help you hunt if you need it. We need food."
My eyes remained on the tainted meat as I thought.
Without knowing where the baits actually were, we were going to hunting blind. The others wouldn't touch the field the Blood Demon's had either. It could be clean for all we knew, and we were passing up a chance to feed everyone at once.
I felt the idea strike me deep in my gut.
"Blood Demon's can get sick, can they?" I gasped out.
From what I had seen and witnessed myself, Oxalis and his demons thrived on blood. He never mentioned any limitations, possibly because he had none.
"They just throw it up and they are fine" Resolve rolled his eyes "lucky bastards."
"Good!" I snapped my fingers and darted over to throw the poisoned birds over my shoulder "I'll go bargain with Oxalis and see if he can trade us for something from his field!"
This caught everyone off-guard.
"You'll what?" Talio breathed as I dumped more animals over my shoulder.
"Oxalis helped me out and I did the same for him. He should be cool with us doing a trade. He's got mouths to feed too."
"And he could also tear your damn head off just by going near that room" Sparrow scoffed, handing me another for the pile "his mate was hung for everyone to see. That thing can destroy a man."
I heard muttered agreement.
They weren't wrong. I hadnt even seen him since then. I didn't know if he had killed himself too or just slipped into hiding.
It was worth a shot. We couldn't keep these birds here. If anything, our generous trade was a cover to dump all this useless meat on them to clean up.
Win-win.
"I'll give it a go" I just shrugged back.
"Then I'll go with you" Talio declared before I refused it.
"He knows me" I said "it'll be easier if I just go alone and sort it out myself, rather than confusing him with a bunch of people he's never met before. It might look like some sort of ambush to him."
"The last time you went out there, you broke your own hands to escape" Talio reached out to hold them gently "I don't want you going alone."
"Ill be fine" I soothed him.
Talio's hurt eyes didn't leave mine.
"You said that too" he whispered.
"Tal is right" Dashiell spoke up sternly "you can't go alone. Have someone follow from a distance just to make sure everything stays OK between you and the demon."
"But..."
"Not an option, Phillius" he warned between gritted teeth.
Talio piled more bodies against my neck and lifted up one sliding off to readjust it.
Hungry eyes tracked our movements now that we had a plan. They all were suffering from the signals Shie was sending that were still silent to me.
"Let's go make a trade" Talio smiled to me as he heaped up his own arms and led the way back out to the quiet Base awaiting us.95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9rrCn4LgM
