Ch: 276 Blood On The Dance Floor
The terrible black armored man swam through the schooling gods and spirits like a shark among minnows, extracting just as much personal space. They drew back at every hand, and were slow to close in behind him. Across the rocky and rubble strewn crater he stalked the three avatars of War, Craft and Order.
They desperately tried to flee, without revealing that fact… All three failed miserably at both. Wherever they hid, the other deities quickly pushed them out to the front in a truly human display of divine self preservation. All the while, the band played on, driving him on and shaking the nerves of the gathered immortals.
“Gary, stop this and withdraw!” Ducky yelled.
“How did you even get in?” Thirp demanded.
“Cease this, mortal!” War commanded
“No! Stop him!” Craft squealed
“Obey!” Order bellowed.
“Mortal child, don’t do this! Please!” Joy whispered, when he finally caught War.
“It was the please, that got my memory…” The man in black remarked casually to War, with his fist knotted in that figure’s crimson robe. “I thought about asking her what was so important, that a goddess would plead with a mere mortal…” He murmured, in a voice that carried all over the crater and the walls above.
“What’s so important, Lady joy? Why does he need to live?” He asked in a voice a cold as the void.
Before she, or anyone could answer, he delivered a short, punishing stroke; with casual violence, he bashed his mailed fist into the robes’ face hole. He dropped the limp figure to the burnt and rocky dirt, before kicking the fallen deity in the bread basket viciously. Deeper crimson stained his robes and spread in a dark pool… refusing to soak into the blasted earth the fallen god lay on.
“That was when I realised, I don’t fucking care…” He growled, as he seized Order by his cowl and dragged him into the clearing around the armored horror.
He drove his fist into the deity’s body again and again, finally planting his knuckles and everything up to his wrist in the gray robed groin. He flung the limp form into the crowd of horrified deities with a cruel laugh. Order landed in a sprawl of loose limbs and soft groans, while his tormentor stalked other prey.
Fleeing openly now, Craft tripped on his own flowing robes of shining gold and silver and found himself on his back, with the terrible thing looming over him.
“Get up, you greasy little turd… or I’ll drag you up.”
The tremulous and weeping figure staggered to his feet, shaking and whimpering. “I can’t slip out… can’t get free…”
Craft caught an open handed slap across the chops, sending his hood and veil flying. The unremarkable looking, middle aged man blubbering behind the veil cringed and flinched away, under his tormentor’s gaze.
“Who are you?” The man in black demanded harshly.
“Craft…” He sniveled. “Spirit of artisans and handicrafts…”
“So who promoted you to top tier god?” He demanded.
“It just kinda happened… Knowledge was gone…” He whimpered. “It’s not my fault!”
The man in black pimp slapped the deity across the back of his head with his bone capped knuckles. “Tell Ducky and Thirp your sob story and maybe you’ll do better than your two buddies.” He growled. “I think I snuffed them by accident.”
“NOoOO!” He wailed pitifully as he was dragged back into the cluster of upset beings.
The black armored figure flipped them all the bird, did a strange, if very brief and obscene victory dance and strutted out the gate, which remained open behind him.
None of the remaining gods and spirits wanted to be the first to exit, lingering in the crater and muttering in small groups. After a while movement at the gate drew many immortal eyes.
A red armored figure strode imperiously up to the gate, roaring his challenge from the void and bearing a sword wreathed in flame and blood.
“Gary Ward, you sneaky, underhanded, backbiting weasel’s anus! Come face me!”
“He’s still not allowed back here… War. I think we may have been tricked…” Marduk paused, lost in thought for a moment. “That might have been that other Gary Ward all along!” Knowledge proclaimed in annoyance. “That really hurts my feelings!”
“I’ll have my revenge! I Will!” War roared into the void, shaking the sky of the tiny realm.
“You won’t.” A green robed lady in a mask of gleaming ivory smiled coldly up at the crimson giant.
“But Joy…” The colossal being deflated slightly under her gaze. “He hit me… nobody ever hit me before…”
“We tried your way for how long? Now you refuse to even consider a new tactic…” She snapped. “Will Dana be favorably impressed by your abusive and domineering vengeance… on a single mortal child?”
She continued berating the quickly shrinking warrior as they walked out into the veil together.
“I notice Order was wise enough to remain far away…”
“He’s probably still scrubbing his essence in an attempt to wash off the mortal’s touch.” The now human sized and much abashed god of War grumbled softly as they vanished. “... what did Order mean by ‘He hammered my ballbag flat’...?”
#
All around, a strange forest flourished under the odd bubbly sky, strange in that it was all trees. Each one was a different species… even when they shouldn’t grow side by side. There was a towering sequoia right beside a low growing hawthorn and a desert manzanita…
All of them were perfect, vibrant and beautiful examples of their kind, and no two were the same variety. Unlike Beast’s forest of animal life and rustling creatures, here only leaves rustled in the breeze. No animals called, no insects buzzed; only trees, soil, grass, moss and trees, so many trees.
“Where are we, Willow?” He asked again.
“Home, beloved. This is your home.” Willow sighed, curling up close beside him.
“I like you, miss Willow… but we just met…” He murmured, desperately wishing for his clothes. The thought caused his clothing to appear, erectile dysfunction slogan and all. He sighed with satisfaction, while Willow pouted… just a little.
“No, sweet Ward, we just mated… Now I finally see what you mortals have been going on and on about for so many ages. You are delicious.” She cooed.
“Uhhh…” He replied, displaying the full measure of his wit, charm and confidence.
“Come along, let’s meet the others!” She sang cheerfully, tugging him by the hand into the lovely woodland.
#
“Several guilds are run by demon cults… but they just manipulate trade and screw with politics… and the taxmen… nobody likes them.” Craft whined, under Marduk’s interrogation. “When you vanished… I just picked up the slack. It’s not my fault!”
“Placing blame and finding fault for my… misadventure, is less an issue at this point than your truly abominable behavior. In that you alone bear the shame!” Ducky snapped. “Now we have much work to do, repairing what you have spoilt with your inaction and laziness. God of Craft indeed!” He spat at the trembling entity.
“God of macaroni art, summertime crafts and friendship bracelets…”
#
Gary woke at midnight in Maple’s little playhouse, curled up in a nest of blankets and pillows on the floor.
“Ghhhaaa” He groaned weakly, suffering under a massive headache and a raging boner that could split firewood and ignite it at the same time.
“Welcome back, Gary.” Maple said softly. “We have taken Ward into our…” She giggled saucily for some reason and smiled at him. “...our bosom. He really is a tit man!”
“Wait… what?” He grunted, as he tried to get up without falling over on his dick.
“Ward has joined us… and joined with us… forever. Soon his roots will begin to spread, as his children take root where his seeds fall.” She purred in excitement.
“I must confess. My duty to shepherd you and Liam through this transition has caused me to miss out on… Much.” She gasped the last word softly, when he finally managed to stand.
“That’s a lot to take in…” He mumbled as he staggered for the door.
“I’ll say…” Maple whispered, eyeing the front of his pants hungrily. She followed him out as he stumbled for a nearby cluster of camellias. “My sisters have been… educating him in his new role, while you slept…”
Gary unselfconsciously pulled out his uncomfortably rigid penis and began to water the shrubs while chatting with his friend. “Yeah… you aren’t pushing him around, are you? He’s kinda shy and has no self esteem.”
“They pushed him a little, he pushed back… there’s a lot of pushing and pulling going on… without me.” She complained, while watching him. “I must confess a little jealousy…” Maple whispered.
“Well, I’m gonna wash up in the spring, why don’t you educate me on what he’s doing?” He asked, as he continued hosing down the flowering shrubs. “Man… that’s a lot!”
“Yes… it is…” Maple whispered, as her hands reached around him to grasp his erect cock.
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“Hey!” He barked in surprise as Maple interrupted him, mid stream. “Maple! What gives? That’s Shai’s tackle!” He snapped, as he snatched his rod and creel from her grasp. “Boundaries!”
Maple stumbled back in shock and dismay, holding her moist hands up in desperate apology. “Please… forgive me… it’s just… He’s male… and you smell and taste like him…” She collapsed to the forest floor weeping in a pile.
“We’ve never even considered… a male…” She sighed. “Now I can’t stop considering it!”
“Maple… Is your whole species going through puberty… together? Like, tonight?” He asked gently, once the goodies were safely stowed.
She sobbed and shrugged… or something, so he left her alone for a moment. He strolled up to the small golden fig atop the little hill and called out loudly three times:
“Ward, Gary.”
#
“Now look here ladies…” Ward mumbled in frantic embarrassment, as he backed away, through that wondrous forest. Several small, nude, beautiful women were circling him like a pack of hungry wolves, closing in slowly, with eager smiles on their exquisite faces.
Red haired petite and voluptuous Solange, delicate and porcelain pale, violet eyed Plumeria, with her long black tresses… and several more, equally delightful predators hunted their prey through the woods, laughter bubbling from their hungry lips.
“I’m flattered, really…” He gasped, as he circled around a holly tree, draped in red berries despite the season. Ladies, I would love to get to know you all…” He gasped in panic.
“Just maybe one at a time, with your clothes on…”
“No, I’m flattered…” A pale, dark eyed girl with long brown hair whispered, as she slipped into his arms. A cluster of holly berries and a sprig of the pointy green leaves adorned her brow, she was perfect, warm… and otherwise naked. “...flattered that you would choose me as your next…” She purred.
His shielding holly tree was gone, but the girl turned on the others with a grin of triumph, fending off her sisters with a smile.
“Holly! No fair!” Cherry huffed, stamping her foot and setting off some very nice jiggles in her small, perky breasts. “I’ve been so patient!”
Holly pulled her captive close, pressing his face to her plump, pale bosom. “He hid behind me…” She sulked.
“Well he ran under my boughs too…” Sequoia grumbled, from her massive height.
“Also, not fair… everyone is under your boughs…” Tiny, blonde, blue eyed Cherry complained fondly at her giant sister.
Ten feet tall and muscular, the beautiful redhead ran her hands down her long, lean body in eager anticipation. Her ruddy skin glowed with good health and vigor, enhanced by her smiling, joyous, green eyed face, wide shoulders, rippling abs and large, firm, dark nippled breasts. She stretched her long, smooth legs and did a few squats to warm up.
“Come on Holly, we can share him…”
“Oh… what a fine idea…” Fig cheered and clapped, jumping in place, bouncing her small, perky breasts up and down, while she swayed her dummy thicc hips and gave her plump bumcake an eager swat.
The resulting ripples and jiggles stunned Ward long enough for the plump, red lipped, blue eyed beauty to grasp him by the hand and pull him out of Holly’s gasp… into a literal forest of reaching, caressing hands and warm, eager lips.
“Helllllp!” Ward screamed into the twilight sky above…
With abrupt and surprising suddenness, they stopped, as if frozen in time.
“We thought you were enjoying yourself…” Cherry whispered softly.
“We’ve never…” Holly began.
“Speak for yourself…” Fig blustered and was shushed by Hemlock.
“Ward… we won’t make you do anything… and in this forest, we probably couldn’t even if we tried. This is a part of Gary’s realm… He allowed us in… because… I really don’t know why.” Plumeria murmured.
“Like him, this place will respond to your Will… If you desire, you could be in his house with a few steps… or return to the ‘nile delta’, where Ipet dwells.”
“So if I wanted you all to be d-dressed?” He asked with a slight stutter.
“You cannot change another sentient, their gear, or attire… only Gary can do that here. The target’s Animus would prevent any unwelcome changes…” She whispered. “Do you want us dressed? And if so… how?”
That was the point where Ward slowly faded from the forest glade of the dryads.
#
“Dude… I’m living in a harem manga… and they are literally all gorgeous… and different!” He gasped. “You gotta send me back… They asked me what I want them to wear…” He whimpered. “My kinks… all my kinks.”
“Ward, they are powerful ancient beings of great wisdom…” He murmured reasonably. “I don’t want you to get…”
“Gary… I need this…” He sighed. “You don’t understa… well, you probably do.”
“Yeah, I do.” He whispered. “I’m not gonna judge how you get by in the world, as long as you don’t harm others…” Gary shrugged. “If you need me… you know where I am.”
“What about her?” Ward asked. “I feel her shame and grief… Can we go talk to her?”
“Sure bro, I think that’s a good idea.” They walked down and called out to her gently. “I talked to Ward… He’s here and doing… Ok. I think I understand what’s going on a little, Maple… We’re good, you and I.”
Maple opened her mouth to speak, but another figure appeared from behind the golden fig. She was short, dark haired, with bright blue eyes and startlingly wide hips…
Her backside had the kind of shape that fitness models dream of… contrasted with the soft, plush, sensual curves that could drive a certain kind of man (Gary) wild. She stomped down the little hill, putting on an awesome display.
“Take him back this instant, selfish girl! Sequoia is weeping piteously!” Fig spoke sharply for someone so soft and cute. She stamped her foot, sending shockwaves through her anatomy that ended in her small, pert breasts.
“You have original recipe right here to play with until your turn!” She barked, pointing at Gary, and the bulge still distending his pants uncomfortably.
“Hey! I get a say in this too!” Gary and Ward both complained at the sweet, nude, curvy girl scolding them.
“So what do you say, Ward?” She crossed her arms under her tiny bust and smiled. With a faint shimmer of moonlight and shadow, he vanished, also smiling. “I thought as much.” She said with satisfaction, before walking back up the hill.
Maple looked up from where she sat, arms wrapped around her knees and sobbing. “Really?” She sniffled. “You forgive me?”
“Sweetie, you tried desperately to murder me almost every day for the first month we knew each other. Remember?” He mumbled distractedly, still watching Fig depart.
“Good times…” She sighed fondly. “Now excuse me while I go and seduce your brother.”
#
“Craft… you should avoid Gary, and his brother, Ward, going forward… I don’t think anyone will be happy with the results if you continue your games.” Marduk said slowly and carefully.
“I will be managing your affairs to a great extent, while I re-establish control over my portfolio. Any resistance to my plans will be met with… I’m simply terrible at making dire threats and promises of eternal woe. My friends handle that for me.” The tiny golden god smiled radiantly at his prisoner.
“Had the victims of your little plot been home at the moment, I doubt that we could restrain him from rending you into your constituents and flinging you into the Devourer…” Thirp opined, helpfully.
“Look up, Craft and see, if you dare face what every mortal does.”
As she spoke a dim red and violet radiance grew in the sky above, a shimmering nebula of hungry crimson and soothing blues and purples that the battered and rumpled deity firmly refused to even glance at.
“I thought not.” She clicked her fangs, lost in some alien emotion and smiled, with a trickle of silver venom running down her smooth softly furred chin. “We will be learning so much about each other… cousin Craft.” She whispered.
“Even if I must bundle you in my web and sip the information from your veins.”
“I think you will find him… Compliant.” Ipet whispered, as she stepped into the crater. The hippo headed, ebon skinned, radiant woman strolled among the charred and crumbling ruins, basking in the hideous light of the terror in the sky, smiling pleasantly.
She stepped over the two battered corpses in turn, with a slight air of distaste, as she skirted War’s spreading blood pool.
“He was enthusiastic, wasn’t he?” She remarked to Marduk.
“Ipet… was this ridiculous farce your plot? Some game?” Dana demanded. “And you! Marduk! Violating your oath, breaking divine law… how is that even possible?” She barked at the three deities and their battered captive.
“Thirp and Marduk had no part in this ‘game’.” Ipet replied, clashing her tusks a little in dissatisfaction. “To be clear, I am returned to end these games. We win or perish together, gods, spirits, fae and mortals all.”
“Who are you, to dictate to we, the pantheon assembled?” Dana snapped.
“I am her sponsor in this motion.” Beast, the cute little jackalope chirped softly. “In this realm, a new being has joined my ranks… I will not suffer this light to go out.”
He snipped off a dandelion leaf from his little patch of lawn and nibbled it down in the silence that followed. The soft munching of bunny teeth on crisp leaves was the only sound in the ruined crater for a long moment. “Mmm, so refreshing…” Beast muttered in bunny approval.
“I haven’t taken a singular form and been present in any kind of reality since…” He trailed off for a long minute of contemplative silence, as the assembled divinities and immortals stood in silence, waiting.
“Huh… just, since. Even I can’t remember.” With that, he hopped behind a boulder and was gone from the small mortal domain.
“He’s so cool…” Pianoman NotGary whispered from the ramparts, spoiling the mood.
#
Gary woke up feeling like dogshit. Fresh dogshit, still warm and steaming on the lawn, at least. That was a huge improvement over the night before, when he felt like a white, dusty, dried up little turd, ready to crumble to dust. He staggered over and washed up in the spring, before starting breakfast.
Camping by the foot of Ward’s hill… as he’d decided to think of it, was pleasant and quiet, just birdsong and the sound of the forest waking around him as he worked.
“Thanks, bro.” Ward said softly from behind him.
“Ghhaha!” Gary replied, as he nearly dropped the pan of biscuits he was putting in the oven. “Gods… is that what it’s like when I do that?” He gasped, once he was back in control of himself. “I should wear bells, not Shai!”
“I’m a sneaky fuck.” Ward replied with a smile, as Xyll nuzzled and cooed in Gary’s hair. “Seriously, I’m just learning how to…” He waved his hands to encompass ‘everything’ and ‘everywhere’. “You saved me… I…”
Gary grabbed his brother in a hug and squeezed him for all he was worth, while the bat nestled in their hair. “We’re saving us, bro. No debts, no obligations… family.” He whispered into his brother’s shoulder.
#
Kermal opened his eyes when he smelled bacon… that pleasant scent opened him up to a world of sensual delights. His universe mostly centered around the warm, slender girl in his arms, curled up close and dreaming with a smile on her perfect, dusky pink lips. He brushed those soft petals with his own, which only widened her smile and deepened her embrace.
“Becky… I have to pee…” He whispered.
“Hold it Kermie… and me.” She whispered, still lost in her dreams. She was still asleep, when he finally escaped and managed to relieve himself, half an hour later, with full dawn lighting the sky.
He stepped out from behind his bush, feeling much better and joined Gary and the other one, over by the fire. “Hey guys…” He mumbled with a shy smile… “Gary… Becky and I… we didn’t… we just kissed… and stuff.”
“I didn’t ask and I won’t, Kerms.” He said with a mad grin of deranged happiness. “Worry about Shai, or just remember that Becky still kicks my ass when we spar.”
“Thanks.” He replied with a grin of his own. “You look different.” Kermal addressed Ward, who was sitting on a camp chair with a coffee mug held in his grip like it was going to try and escape.
He still looked like Gary… but with sharp cheekbones, a wider chin and hungry, predatory eyes that seemed to look everywhere at once, without really looking anywhere in particular. His smile was the biggest change, gleaming and toothpaste commercial perfect, it literally made the little clearing brighter somehow.
Gone was the general bland, forgetableness that Gary dripped like a soggy sponge, whenever he wasn’t playing an instrument or killing something. This being was present, potent and… sexy? Kermal shook his head to clear the lingering fog and looked again…
“Gods, Ward… You, Dannyl, Liam and Tallum should start a boyband…” He stopped and looked confused for a moment. “What the fuck is a boyband?”
“It’s when a group of sexy young dudes get together to make danceable and inoffensive music, while wearing tight pants.” Ward answered in a voice that was mellow, rich and confident enough to turn heads. “Wanna join up? Gary can sew our costumes and be our manager…”
He turned an overtly suspicious and extravagantly worried gaze on his brother. “You aren’t gonna try and fuck us are you?”
All three young men started giggling, but only two really understood why…
“Really? Gary, why do I suddenly know all about… Backstreet boys? Nsync, Boys2men? What’s a Motown Philly and why is it back again?”
“Relax, Kermie…” Becky whispered, as she folded her pajama clad body into his lap. “There’s a lot going on right now and Gary is a bubbling stew of internal conflict… Some of his essence is just stuck to your soul.” She kissed his cheek and smiled at the two young men across the campfire from them.
“Ward… did you mean to kill War’s avatar last night? Ducky says you punched his head inside out.”
“What?!” Gary and Kermal both asked at once.
“I thought War would be tougher… fucking glass jaw…” Ward grumbled. “I knew I fucked up when I hit him the first time, so I rolled with it…” The distractingly sexy young man mumbled shyly. “Sorry about the mess, Gary.”
“You kicked Order in the balls just right. Ducky says ‘That was perfect, no notes’…” She smiled at her new brother and giggled. “Craft pissed and shit himself… so did a number of other deities. It was highly educational for everyone!”
“I do like to make an entrance… and always leave them wanting more.” He said smugly.
“Ward…” Gary muttered angrily. “What did you get up to last night?”
“Just a little of the old ultraviolence.” He was still smug, but now his smile had a sharp edge to it. “Don’t look that up Becky, you don’t wanna know.”
“Ward…” Gary muttered again. “I’m trying really hard… right now…”
“Ahhh, there’s the Hanged Man…” A small chirping, purring voice sang from down by their ankles. “I’ve spoken with the Fool… Walk with me Gary, we have much to discuss.” Beast the fluffy Jackalope murred and chirped.
“In these woods, for a time, we can speak as mortals do… and I owe you some explanations and apologies. Those are both very new to me, so please be patient.”
Man and bunny vanished into the underbrush, while Kermal, Becky and Ward sat there uncertain of the protocol. “Was that… actually Beast?” The young squire asked his warm cuddly armful.
“Yeah… I think so. I’ve never met him before.” She whispered softly. “I don’t think anyone has.”
#
Liam smelled coffee… he stirred in his blanket of leaves and kissed Audrey good morning on the sweet, nectar coated lips of her fanged flower. A pitcher blossom filled with cold clear water dangled just within his reach as he stretched luxuriously in the pillowy cloud of leaves.
When he’d drunk his fill, a long slender honeysuckle bloom drooped down filled with sweet nectar.
“Oh! Thanks!” He cooed and petted her snapdragon flower face, while she gently set him on the ground and rearranged her leaves into a cozy bower.
“What?” He asked gently, as her vines nudged him towards a much larger pitcher bloom, resting on the soil in his little room. It was muted in color, just brown and speckled, unlike her other wildly colored flowers. It was solid looking, with a rolled edge on its lip, over a gaping vessel… with a vine of wide, soft and velvety looking leaves coiled nearby.
“Really?” He asked the snapdragon, who nodded and nudged him over to the… toilet.
“I guess this is how my garden grows…”
#
“Wow, I just had the craziest night… ever.” Liam called happily, when he strolled out of the game trails and into camp, looking rested, clean and deeply pleased with everyone and everything, everywhere.
He idly scratched and caressed his left arm and the flowering, thorny vine tattoo wrapped around and coiling up to caress his throat. The vibrant colors of the blooms seemed to shimmer and shift as he strolled over to the stove and poured a mug of coffee. “Where’s Gary?”
#