Cinder turned around just in time to see a trail of sparkles shoot off into the foliage.
“Illiana! Wait!” Cinder called out but there was no response.
Beside her, Barnaby sighed. “Let's keep going. We don’t have much daylight left. Make camp once we can’t see the path anymore.”
The path was little more than a deer trail that wound down the heavily wooded mountain that the Archwizard had laired in. It was a full day's walk to the village where they’d boarded their horses and another day’s ride to Hearthhold.
“What if she can’t find it? Illiana’s sense of direction isn’t the best.” Cinder said, worry and doubt eating at her. She usually kept her emotions on a tight rein, but ever since Illiana had put on that cloak, she’d been a raging storm. The aching fondness for the wizard now a cyclone of want and passion. It that drew Cinder to this new, increasingly inhuman Illiana, regardless of the danger. Even as she walked beside Barnaby, she was aware of a moistness between her legs. While hiking up through the depth her fire rimmed eyes kept coming to rest on Illiana’s hips and tail. It was dangerous to be so distracted, Barnaby wouldn’t notice a goblin spike trap until it hit him in the face.
Maybe the knight was right; her demonic blood was simply drawn to Illiana’s corruption? Either way, they had to figure out precisely what was happening to her, to make sure. Make sure she was still Illiana? That made logical sense. Get to town, take her to Tinny and find out precisely what that cloak was doing to her mind. If he couldn’t help, maybe he’d know a Diviner or someone who could?
Yet, So some other wizard can skin me? Stuck in Cinder’s craw. Was that Illiana or the cloak talking? Did it matter?
As Cinder’s thoughts spun around her skull she peered into the trees that surrounded them. Her keen eyes probed the darkness for any trace of starlight but only shadows greeted her, no stars. There was one shadow that was persistent. Was that Illiana? Following behind, sulking? That didn’t seem like her, but still, it was definitely following.
“Aaah!” Barnaby tripped forward and fell, his armor clattered with the impact. Cinder looked down, even she could barely make out the tree root by the feeble star and moonlight that filtered through leaves above.
“Guess we’re making camp.” Cinder said.
“Yeah, might as well.” Barnaby groaned.
“I’ll make a fire. Illiana’s got the cook stone.” Cinder said, anticipating Barnaby’s objection that the fire might attract something. Without the wizard, they only had hard tack left.
“Sure. I’ll get some wood.” He sat up and started rooting around in his pack for a torch.
In about 30 minutes the pair had dug a fire pit and had a crackling flame contained within. Nothing approached while Cinder boiled some water to soften the biscuits. Silence settled between them. If Illiana didn’t come back and disappeared into the forest… Cinder wasn’t sure she’d do but she kept picturing her hands around the knight’s thick neck. Now that was probably her blood talking but, if he’d just kept his tirade to himself, well, Illiana would still be with them. Instead of going feral. Another hour and still Illiana had not showed. Barnaby yawned and laid down on his bedroll, mumbling to wake him for his watch.
Cinder’s stomach burned with worry, how could she sleep? She stared into the dark trees. Barnaby could take the Archmagus’s eye wherever he wished in the morning. Cinder wouldn’t be leaving this forest without Illiana, no matter what she looked like.
Then scent of cooking venison entered her nose.
“Illiana?!” She asked the empty air, rising to a crouch.
No one answered.
Gritting her teeth, Cinder unsheathed her dagger and mentally swore that if this was a trick of some fey, she’d roast it on a spit of cold iron. Then she skulked into the forest, sniffing to follow the scent that made her burn even more, hope and hunger adding to the volatile mix. When she saw the soft sparkle of starlight she broke into a sprint, only for an unseen branch to clothesline her at the temples. She fell flat on her back and bit back a curse.
“Cinder!” Illiana’s voice spoke her name. “Are you okay?”
Groaning Cinder opened her eyes to find Illiana hovering over her. Relief flooded through Cinders body before kindling into anger.
“Where the hell have you been?!” Cinder snapped in a low whisper as she sat up.
“Well,” Illiana didn’t back up to make room, she smiled coyly and gave small roll of her starry eyes. “I went hunting but got distracted watching the stars come out so it was a little harder to find the trail again. But I got us a deer and now I’m cooking it. Its a bit tough raw.”
“I was worried si-”
A rumbling purr cut her off as Illiana surged forward to rub her cheek against Cinder’s. With a sigh, Cinder pressed into touch, capturing the cat woman in a hug and squeezing hard. Illiana attempted to pull back but Cinder refused to let go, forcing her into a somewhat awkward sitting position. With a sigh and chuckle, Illiana’s own arms closed around Cinder.
“Who knew the stone cold Cinder was a clinger.” Illiana said.
“Shutup. You made me worry on purpose. I was afraid you went feral and wandered off.” Cinder tightened her grip further, using the force of her anger. Illiana didn’t seem bothered at all, the purr rumbled on.
“Even the weakest Glitch Sabers are intelligent, so I don’t think going feral is a danger.” Illiana said before introducing the side of Cinder’s face with the surface of her rough tongue. Cinder endured three sandpapery laps before complaining.
“Ow! Cut it out. That hurts.”
“I will if you let me go.”
“No.” Cinder wasn’t quite sure of the reason for her refusal, other than an unreasonable need to not let Illiana escape again. She grabbed fistfuls of the furry cloak and gritted her teeth as the sandpaper laps climbed higher, into her hair line and then shivered as the tongue scraped across something Cinder never allow anyone to touch.
“What was that?” Illiana asked, the tonguing replacing by a gentle nosing.
“My horns.” Cinder said, her mouth dry as she instinctively steeling herself for rejection. The small, bone protrusions were ground flat so almost flush to her head.
“Ah.” Illiana breathed before kissing the stub, causing another shiver to run down the length of Cinder’s spine.
Again Illiana made an attempt to pull away and still Cinder refused to let go.
“Cinder, uuuh. I do have to turn the meat, its gonna burn.” Illiana said. “I can’t even kiss you from this angle.”
“Promise you won’t leave. If I let you go, you have to promise not to leave me here.” Cinder found herself blinking back hot tears that were welling up. “Don’t even fool like this. Please.”
A silence.
“If you’ll take me as I am. Then I’ll never leave you.” Illiana said, sealing the promise with a soft whisper of a kiss, a hand straying up and stroking Cinder’s hair.
“I’ll…” Cinder swallowed, the words weighed on her tongue, heavy like an oath. “Take you as you are.” She took a deep, shaky breath.
“Okay.” She said.
“Okay?” Illiana asked.
Cinder nodded. “Okay.”
She opened, her hands first, then her arms.
Illiana slid away, but only so far so they could be nose to nose. A tender kiss was shared, then Illiana turned away. Rising and squatting down at the cook stone that sat about five paces away. On it, a slab of meat sizzled in a shallow pan. By its soft red glow, Cinder saw a deer corpse hanging from a tree, its throat torn out. A rear hub7ach roughly butchered. Illiana flipped the meat and sprinkled it with both mana and herbs. Cinder got to her feet and stepped closer, studying Illiana’s form. The cloak’s hood had disappeared, merging with Illiana’s neck. Indeed from the back it didn’t look like she was wearing it, the starry fur hugged every curve. From muscly mounds below her shoulder blades the tentacles extended, each as thick as a forearm and as long as Illiana was tall. They arched loosely over her shoulders and bent toward the meat, as if their closed buds were studying it. Past them the cloak separated from skin, not quite covering the curve of her buttocks in two flaps that allowed Illiana’s tail to extend between them. Along with the feline ears poking out from the side her head her body cast a distinctly inhuman silhouette.
“Take you as you are.” Cinder repeated to herself as she stepped closer. She reached out and encircle the tentacles with her fingers. They were covered with a short, stiffer fur than the rest of Illiana, midway between velvet and cowhide.
Illiana paused fussing over the meat to look up at touch. Cinder slid her hands downward and gently gripped the mounds they were anchored in, exploring the alien structure with her fingers.
“Mrewl.” Illiana sighed beneath the touch, spreading her arms in invitation.
“Taking you as you are. I can do that.” Cinder hands slid beneath Illiana’s around and both their breaths hitched as they encountered the small embryonic limbs hidden there. they were explored briefly before Cinder’s hand continued on, cupping Illiana’s lower set of breasts. A soft moan of encouraged Cinder to continue, the nipple glowing as fingers tweaked and touched. Cinder’s lips found Illiana’s ear and was rewarded with a soft yowl as Illiana leaned back into her.
One hand traveled southward, through a soft jungle of belly fur to find the moist land of Illiana’s sex.
“Oh, I’m going to take you.” Cinder promised as her fingers pressed up inside and moved side to side.