There was a huge part of Celia that knew she had overdone it a bit on the whole, getting a bite to eat thing. And then there was another part of her, actively being encouraged by her less… reserved alter ego.
Hmph! As if you didn’t enjoy it almost as much as I did.
Celia was ignoring that part of her. Choosing to instead focus on more important matters. Like adjusting to the fact that she had a horn now. As well as having four arms. And the lower set of said arms seemingly possessing a mind of their own. A mind they used to “subtly” get a feel for how big she’d gotten.
Which ended up being bigger than she expected, and smaller than she feared. With a butt that could utterly engulf a stool. A gut that had graduated to being definitely not minor, anymore. And her breasts had even gone up a cup size or two. Changes all compounded by her increase in height, and the shifting of her physiology.
Celia could officially say she wasn’t really human anymore. She didn’t even feel human. Now that she thought about it, at least. Didn’t feel inhuman exactly either, though.
She just felt like, well, herself. And full currently. A feeling that was sure to fade within the next few minutes. And take her bloated belly with it. For now, though, while her mind wasn’t being constantly bombarded by hungry thoughts, she decided to check back up on Dreg. Who should’ve still been with Haet.
She found them in Sel’ci’s leg. A place of bone, joint, and arcane generators that helped power the half living dragon’s movement. Generators that spun with violet energy overhead, casting the area in a purple glow. One that illuminated Haet’s massive form. Where she found him standing over Dreg, with the latter laid about on a circular slab of bone. Claw raised to his chin in thought.
Thought so deep he almost didn’t notice Celia approach. Which was saying something, seeing as her belly was still a massive sphere resting in front of her. An engine singularly devoted to digesting her meal as fast as possible.
Or maybe he just pretended not to.
Either way, he turned to regard her with a singular look before turning back to Dreg.
“Gave flower?”
Celia nodded.
“Yeah. It was when we were fighting those, uh, wasps.”
“Need new heal source. If survive. Body too beaten to heal on own.”
“And where might we find a new healing source?”
Haet didn’t say anything, at first. But then he slowly turned his head towards her. His form radiating reluctance, as if he didn’t want to admit whatever it was he was about to say.
But eventually.
“Don’t know. Flower rare. Don’t know anything like flower. Friend Dreg might die before replacement.”
Celia almost raised her voice to argue against the despair in his. But caught herself. Reminded herself that these two had known each other far longer than she had even been in their world. And that Haet, more than her, would like for there to be a way to help his friend.
So she tempered herself, and did her best to try and comfort him.
And came up blank. Because, how do you comfort a giant scorpion man creature?
She didn’t have an answer, and found herself awkwardly defaulting to rubbing his back. Almost immediately earning her a look of confusion.
“Uh, where I’m from this is something we do to comfort people. I thought it might, uh, help. Maybe.”
“Does it usually?”
“Um. Sometimes. I guess? It’s kind of hard to tell most of the time. But is it working for you?”
“No. But Haet does not need comforting like hatchling. Friend Dreg will live, or friend Dreg will die. Maybe find way to help, maybe not. Is way of Beyond.” He said, once again focusing on the near corpse like form of his friend. “Note, your home strange.”
Celia had no response to that. And fortunately Haet had nothing more to add. Leaving the topic as quick as it had been brought up. Which quickly led to then parting ways, with Celia leaving him where he was and heading back outside. Where she looked back at the forest, the now currently burning forest.
And it was as she watching the flames spread, that her body finally finished digesting her meal. Middle returning to a non bloated form as a screen popped up in front of her.
Candidate selected!
Task unlocked: Kill the tyrant of the Beligan forest
Reward: My tooth, an answer to one question, access.
Celia blinked. Staring at the screen in confusion trying to puzzle together if she was seeing things or not. Or if it was, well, doing the impossible and addressing her. For a second time she supposed. Which she was at least fifty percent certain wasn’t normal. At least she thought it wasn’t.
But regardless, the screen remained until she dismissed it. Only to return again when she recalled it to see if it was actually real. Which it was. In fact it was just as real as her widening figure. A figure that left a “minor” pair of indents on the tree she had been leaning on when she left to go find Haet again and ask him about the screen she had just seen.
But mid-stride she was stopped by the persona of her discipline. The other her’s thoughts gripping onto her own like they had physical hands.
Maybe you shouldn’t ask him. Her own voice cautioned. As it is becoming increasingly clear that you are… different. Favored, if such a word could be used here.
“Favored?” She repeated aloud. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s how I’d put it. But I don’t see how that has anything to do with-“
Are you daft, my host? Vice interrupted. Father taught us to trust too easily. But do not forget that this is a place of survival and violence. And you haven’t known the crab for long, trust no one.
Yes, much as I hate to agree with… “her” she makes a good point. We are far too trusting of one of our attempted killers. Whether that is due to how we were raised or if it is a simple coping mechanism, the truth remains. We must break free of this naive yoke. Keep your secrets. Discipline added.
And seeing as how both of her other “hers” cautioned against the idea. Celia acquiesced. For now at least. There was still a part of her that felt the need to tell. Burdened by keeping this to herself. Even if she had no true reason to share it other than basic want and curiosity.
A part of her that was then mollified by the reminder that this was a world where wealth was measured in might. Everything weaker than you was potential prey. And that Haet had only invited her onto his crew because she was interesting and might help. To say nothing of the fact that part of their trade was to hunt down exotic creatures - basically everything that moved in this crazy dimension - and sell their meat and bones.
Which reminded her of the sword he bought her as a bribe to convince her in the first place.
A sword I can teach you to use somewhat properly. Her discipline encouraged. Sending Celia back into the dragon ship in search of her badly needed weapon.
