Ch: 277 Murder Was The Case
Gary came back from the woods alone, looking conflicted and agitated. “We gotta head home… I gotta head home.” He shook his head and groaned. “Can’t catch a break…”
“How much did Beast tell you?” Becky asked softly.
“He said Ducky had to ditch my Contract, in order to act as my advocate… and ‘cause they were trying to use his weakened state against me.” He grumbled. “Craft wanted me out of the picture for good and wouldn’t take ‘he’s mortal’ for an answer... The rest of the pantheon pushed back a little and those three decided to throw their weight around.”
He sank into Ward’s chair with a grateful sigh, while Liam produced another, from his own storage gift.
“So, what’s happening?” Liam asked, still struggling with his own huge news.
“Craft, War and Order demanded that the full pantheon take on avatars and stomp around in Gary’s soul on a ‘fact finding mission’... Really they were hoping that the divine pressure would pop him like a soap bubble.” Becky explained carefully.
“Beast and the NotGaries decided to get sneaky and set a trap. Morrigan’s crater was a nice big entry portal with a perfect vibe…” She shook her head at her ragged, tired brother. “...that part of you is a wreck, Gary.”
Ward giggled with a hint of madness behind the childlike joy. “It certainly is now. Order was able to drag his ass out and flee, but War…” He made an elaborate and cheerfully careless shrug, that also said: ‘Who fuckin’ cares?’
“Squishy loser. His corpse is probably still stinking up the place.”
“Wait… An actual corpse?” Gary asked very quietly.
“Yeah… I kinda messed the head up pretty bad. Some of his brains are still under my fingernails… anybody got a bar of soap?”
“Liam…” Gary whispered. “Do you have Tawny’s travel gear with you? I need to borrow her manicure kit... And I need one of my magic circles.”
While Gary worked, Becky continued her explanation.
“They have a similar aura and vibe, so when Ward showed up in some kind of costume in the ruins… the pantheon kinda freaked out a little. They all suddenly discovered something new in themselves… The fear of death.”
She giggled a little cruelly at that.
“Until War came back from the void, screaming for Gary’s head, they were convinced he’d been slain outright.” She smiled happily. “Too bad you weren’t there, brother…” she sighed. “...I would love to watch it all go down in your memories.”
“Sorry Becks… next time I gaslight the entire pantheon, I’ll make sure to record it.”
The next few minutes saw the most careful and exactingly delicate manicure of Ward’s life, as Gary gently teased every scrap of exotic matter from beneath the young dryad’s fingernails. Each fleck, flake and clot was carefully stowed in a collection of tiny ceramic pots and carefully sealed in a battered leather case, covered in brightly painted runes and glyphs, before the ‘Circle Of Fifths’ re-opened.
“Your Shai is one lucky lady…” Ward smarted off, once the sharp implements were far from his flesh. “Gonna give me a pedi?”
“I can arrange a massage and waxing session with a lady I know…” Gary offered with wide eyed innocence writ large across his guileless face. “Sonja’ll really limber you up.”
“Sweet! Gotta keep it fresh… for the ladies!” He shot Becky dead with a wink and double finger guns… in the cheesiest way imaginable.
“The sun just hit my tree… The girls said I should be with them for my first day, lots to learn, gotta study hard.” He mumbled excitedly.
“I’ll see you guys soon.” Slowly, he faded from view, becoming misty, then a dark cloud that sank into the thirsty soil of the vale and vanished.
“Ok, maybe I didn’t have the craziest night ever…” Liam admitted. “Let’s go home.”
#
When they got home, The kids and Shai came dashing at him with happy shouts, he held up his palms and smiled sadly, shaking his head. “I’ve got delicate magical samples on me… let me stow this stuff and hit the bath. I’m gross.”
“Aww… we had the most exciting night ever!” Amy complained.
“Ok, love, tell me all about it while I put this stuff away.” He cooed at his little songbird.
He led the way down into the workshop with Amy chattering, just a few steps behind.
“...Shai made pizza… real pizza with real mozzarella!” Amy gasped breathlessly. “She made the cheese too! It was awesome!”
“Pizza? Without me?” He asked, with an exaggerated expression of crushing heartbreak on his face. “Awww…” He carefully stashed his satchel in his bronze doored vault and spun the massive cogwheel key. With a quick move, he bit into the heel of his own thumb, drawing a few drops of blood.
With swift and almost careless strokes, he drew a treble clef across the door and wall in his own blood. A soft chiming sound rang around the room, as though the heavy door had been struck with a padded hammer.
“Just an alarm, Shai… don’t mess with the vault till I show you how it works…”
“Fie… Teach me tae suck eggs will thee?” She scoffed, landing a kiss on his lips a moment later. “I hae learnt enough of the art tae open and re-close that seal.”
“Witchcraft is sexy… and I am filthy.” He sighed, as he scooped Rio up in a massive hug.
“Eew! Stinky!” He complained. “You shoulda picked up Amy!”
She stuck her tongue out at him from the safety of her mother’s arms, while Wilf climbed aboard Gary, smell and all. “Bathtime.” The burly young lad declared firmly.
#
“Liam… how is it you were fresh as a daisy this morning?” Gary demanded, once he was soaking.
“Audrey can do a lot of things, Gary. You might become obsolete.” He answered smugly, while preening his shiny new tattoo. “So can I; now that War is…” He smiled wickedly. “...seeking other accommodations.”
“Can’t wait to see!” He murmured, floating with his family all around. “So sleepy…”
#
“Hello, Gary.” The hippo lady said warmly. “I’m so glad we can finally talk… and perhaps more. I am Ipet, goddess of justice for the helpless and children, the midwife and warrior.” Her voice felt like warm desert sunshine and cool water, under the bubbles, ribbons and starlight of his other home.
“I am currently dabbling in Justice with a capital J… does that pique your interest?”
“I think you already know.” He answered cagily, still lying on the warm, soft sand beside his little patch of the eternal nile and humanity’s motherland. “I also know you’ve been hanging around my kids… Ducky vouched for you and the kids love you so… ok. You should’a talked to me first.”
“I couldn’t.” She answered crisply. “It’s as simple as that. I cannot commune with adult males, certainly not such as you…” She murmured, eyeing him speculatively. “You had already tasted mortal passion, before we had an opportunity to speak.” She shook her head in regret. “That act snipped the slim thread of compatibility we shared.”
Her hippo smile fled briefly, then returned full force.
“Now your brother has created a link between us, creating an opportunity for me to expand my power… if you will allow me a Contract.”
“We can bargain… but I’m going to need you to be very up front… no surprises or plots. I’m done with Secrets.” He grumbled.
“No bargain. Just a naked power grab on my part.” She purred in excitement and a shiver of pleasure ran down her long, supple, ebony skinned body. “I don’t truly desire power… but something tells me I have pleasures in store to offset the discomforts a Contract with you would provide.”
“So what do you want?” He asked, as he got to his feet.
“Blood.” She snapped hungrily. “Blood on the soil, blood in the water… so much suffering… visited on my little ones…” She rumbled, as the sky darkened and the river became turbid and menacing.
“We really vibe… if you have that much influence already.” He murmured appreciatively. “What do I get out of the deal?”
“Nothing but a completed Contract. Your gifts have fully formed and developed, any changes will most likely be marginal.” She shrugged eloquently… which distracted poor Gary… ‘cause, boobs.
“Yes, boy… I have titties. Try and focus up.” She scolded him, but she didn’t create any clothing either. A moment later she giggled and made them bounce, which was pretty unfair. He forgot to complain about it though.
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“You are feeling some spillover from your brother’s Contract with me… I admit it’s cheating; he’s Contracting Joy at the moment.” She grinned a warm, open smile at him. “He’s a very… different being… isn’t he…?”
“Oh, gods! That guy… He’s totally gonna catch some kind of eldritch crotch crickets!” Gary moaned.
“Boy… You let all these gods and spirits… and all the dryads into your very soul with just a ‘vibe check’ at the door.” She mumbled. “I mean, thanks for letting us back into the world… but for ether’s sake, tighten up the dress code at least.”
“You aren’t wearing anything but jewelry…” Gary didn’t look, he didn’t look… and he looked. “... yeahhh…”
“You’re making this too easy, boy. Off to natural sleep with you, we’ll try again another night.” She sighed. “Poor, horny wretch, go exhaust yourself flopping around on top of your woman. Bless her for what she has to endure.”
She gave him a shove into the river, with one slim, delicate, sexy finger…
#
Thankfully, someone had rolled him over, face down in the water… Not his favorite way to wake up, but running a deep keel was better than flying a fully rigged mast in the bath… with the kids. He dove deep and took a few cleansing breaths to master himself, before surfacing, to find himself nearly alone.
“Gary…” Tawny said softly from the side of the pool. “Thank you.”
“No… Thank you.” He mumbled. “You, Liam… Shai and the kids… Becky… You’re what keeps me from just burning everything down… From pulling the pillars of the temple down and taking it all with me…”
“Way to spoil the mood… Dorkwad.” Ward grumbled from the garden plantings. “Sorry to interrupt, just passing through…” He addressed the second part to Tawny, exclusively.
“Yes, Gary. You spoilt the mood. Thank you for what you did for Liam and I. Please don’t say anything.” She smiled, battering him with gale force dimples and a tidal wave of charm. She fled the private bath, leaving him floating alone in the early evening darkness.
“I nearly lost everything, didn’t I?” He asked the shadows.
“Very nearly.” Solange whispered, as she stepped out of her magnolia bonsai’s shadow on the wall. “Though any blame or fault lies with Morrigan… She always seeks easy answers.”
“I accepted her Contract… and I survived it. Win for me…with a little help from my friends.” He sighed, as she joined him in the bath.
“Your brother is so… forgive me… We are all of us, a little giddy over him… and that delicious cock…-” She snapped her mouth closed and smiled sheepishly.
“It’s the similarities in your auras…”
“I understand… kinda, please don’t explain any more, I’m already having… performance issues.” He sank lower in the pool, as his cheeks reddened.
#
Restless and agitated long into the night, Gary prowled the garden and waterside under the light of the moons, enjoying the night creatures and whistling their songs.
He was deep in an experimental jazz fusion set with a nightjar, a magpie and a raven, when Shai joined in with her bells.
“Are ye avoiding comin’ tae bed, lad? I would hae thee rested…” She sang along with the melody. Her gentle teasing song faltered when he turnt around and the deformity in his pants became obvious, even by moonlight.
“Ohh, my.”
“Yeah…” He said softly, with a note of discomfort in his voice. “Not as bad as when Morrie whammied me after spring festival… but it’s a problem.”
“Why did ye nae seek aid?” She sighed, sidling closer to him and tugging at his trousers, to assess the damage. “Oh, shite… That do look tender…”
“I can sink it with meditation techniques… but it rises again before long.” He grumbled.
“Scuttle that thing, lad… we’ll see thee find safe harbor, when it dinnae draft so deep.” She whispered, before planting a kiss on his cheek.
“Sexypirategirlsays what?” He asked, through a pained grunt.
“Oh… aye, yer kinks… Sorry lover.” She kissed him again out of habit, drawing another moan of pain from him. “Shite, sorry again…”
He couldn’t help watching her walk away under the moonlight, with those sparkling, chiming bells singing to his very soul…
“Owww!”
She flinched at his cry, but kept walking away… it was one of the hardest things she’d ever done… but not as hard as that damned thing. A woman could injure herself on that!
#
It took two attempts to strike the right balance between Gary being ready to go, versus ready to GO. The element of surprise was needed, since he was struggling to suppress things without any additional ‘stimulation’. In his case, troublesome stimuli included, seeing, hearing or smelling Shai. Touching was an immediate quest failure.
When Shai sprang her trap, it was just in time… not too hot to handle, not too bold to hold…
He was meditating in the garden, under a rose arbor and working hard to soften things, when a warm Shaisplosion detonated in his lap.
It took some doing to get him to sleep in the grotto… a lot of ‘doing’. ‘Morning’ found them still clenched together, tangled in the water weeds and in Gary’s case, looking much improved. The sun had yet to even kiss the sky with false dawn, when he rolled over, waking Shai by accident.
“Too early lad… come back tae me an sleep.” She mumbled only mostly awake, her arms held wide, demanding his presence.
“I’m feelin’ pretty good, considering…” He chirped, as he stretched and went back in for a snuggle.
“I’ve got that freshly smashed tenders feelin’, lad… dinnae jostle me so… an watch where ye point that thing, ‘tis still primed!”
“Yeah… but that’s all me, no extra magical mojo this morning.” He whispered in her ear, as he wriggled into the big spoon position.
“Well he’s knockin’, but he kinnae come in, ‘tis a frightful wreck!” She purred. “He could potter around the back garden… so long as he dinnae get frisky an try tae get in the shed.”
“I really am sorry, lover… I don’t wanna make my magical… afflictions your problem all the time..” He sighed, while addressing the issue ‘manually’.
“Thirp says it’s got to do with how my soul and body process excess life energy…”
“Lad, were I nae battered nearly tae ruins downstairs, I’d be ‘processing’ that life energy wi thee…” She grumbled “An feasting on thee wi great pleasure at that… Now get thee over here… sweet vampire Shai be a mite peckish…” She mumbled, licking her lips hungrily.
#
With a wet, delightful ‘plop’ Fig popped him out of her mouth and looked the beleaguered, pitifully groaning lad in the eye.
“Do you need us to stop?” She asked calmly. “We have an eternity to enjoy discovering each other… I don’t want you to be uncomfortable..” She licked her lips hungrily and eyed her treat with delight. “Unless you’re into that?” There was a lot of hopeful eagerness in her voice.
“I don’t know what I’m into…” He gasped in exhausted, twitching bliss. “Besides all of you lovely ladies…” He sighed.
Willow sighed. “You’re shy, embarrassed, sexually repressed, deliciously naive and inexperienced… as are we… Well ok, we aren’t shy or embarrassed…” She murmured hungrily. “Physical congress is unnecessary for us… but it feels so…” She smiled and stroked his tummy gently, one hand among so many. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself as well.”
“Getting huntfucked through a magical forest by a swarm of sexy, beautiful, adventurous women is now like… number two on my list of favorite fantasies.” He grumbled shyly. “I can’t deny that. But I don’t even know all your names!”
“That just makes it more exciting…” Fig nuzzled and kissed him in a manner and locale that made her preferences known.
Sequoia slipped in closer and wrapped her arms around him, Holly, his new friend Fig, and Maple with a soft sigh.
“We have just never had a male before… a male dryad… so many wonders…” She sighed, cuddling them all close to her massive breasts. “Could we all just snuggle together for a while… all of us?” She asked gently.
“No funny business without my permission?” He whispered.
“No funny business without your permission.” Maple sighed, wriggling in tight to his side. “You too, Fig.” She scolded gently.
The plump, brown haired girl popped his dick back out of her mouth with another wet, delightful, mind bending ‘plop’ and smiled up at him, his cock and balls snuggled close to her chubby cheeked, cherubic face. “Awww…” She whispered. “Please? At least let me tongue punch your fartbox…”
“Leave my butthole out of this…” He began, which Fig decided was enough permission.
“Oh Wow!” He gasped, as the forest closed in around him.
#
Ward gasped and sat upright from the most vivid and erotic dream of his short life. A dream so vibrantly detailed, he could almost feel a small, warm, comforting hand, cupping his dick and balls…
“Mmm, it’s growing again…” Fig whispered. “Sequoia, your turn.”
A pair of massive hands reached down and plucked his nearly limp body from the tangle of beautiful women scattered all around him… Dark, pale, dusky, pink and golden; they were every size, shape and fantasy he’d ever spanked one out to… and he’d made a serious hobby of whacking it over his eighteen years.
He relaxed into her arms, as the ruddy giantess carried him a short way off into the forest and set him down in a bubbling hotspring bath. She slipped in beside him, nearly filling the large natural pool with her massive frame.
“Sequoia…” He asked softly, while enormous, gentle hands bathed him with tender care. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“Umm… sex? That really looked fun… Is it?” She purred happily, while gently scrubbing between his buttcheeks and running her huge pinky finger around his donut.
“Nope!” He gasped, flinching away from that probing digit.
“Ohh… I’m sorry…” She whispered sadly, as she released him. “You seemed so enthusiastic with the others…” Sequoia shifted over to make room for him and stood to leave, with a single massive tear in her eye.
“I meant nope about what you were doing with my asshole…” He murmured softly, as he scooted closer to the woebegone giantess. “I don’t wanna be worn like a finger puppet, that’s all.”
“I won’t hurt you, Ward… I would never…” She sobbed. “If you don’t like me that’s ok… can I just be near you?”
“I like you, Quoia… you’re beautiful, gentle and kind… but you have big fingers.” He slowly climbed up into the bathing giantess’ lap and snuggled between her breasts with a smile of absolute pleasure. “Can I just rest here for a while?” He asked, even as she folded her arms around him in a gentle embrace that felt like Home.
“Yes, Ward… as long as you want. You are our hope… our future…” She rumbled softly, sounding happy. “Our first male… our first penis…”
Ward’s hopes for a little rest fled, as her lips crashed down on his and a huge hand gripped his surprisingly erect and somehow still intact cock.
“I thought you wouldn’t hurt me?” He gasped a little while later. “I nearly died!”
“You don’t need to breathe anymore, Ward… and you can breathe this water anyway… it’s magical.” She sulked, pouted and smiled at him, covered with a sheen of pure excitement and eager, passionate lust, all at once.
“Really? Magic water? I don’t have to hold my breath?” He licked his lips, grinned wickedly and dove back under with a giggle and a splash.
She sat bolt upright in the pool, her big, bright green eyes wide in startlement, delight and pleasure.
“Oh! Wow!” Quoia gasped.
#
With actual sunrise, Gary and Shai’s grotto got invaded by three tiny pirates and a number of insistent grownups.
Leo and Celeste Belen were there, in full ducal regalia, sans curses. Accompanying them were a few stray lords, Sir Tony, Otho, Naiomi and master smith Harlan…
“Anybody who’s last name isn’t Ward should really consider whether they want to confront me in my bath… after the last couple days, I’m pretty cranky.” He grumbled. “Master smith Harlan gets a pass… as long as he’s here on family business.”
Gary sighed and addressed Shai’s dad directly. “If you’re here on cult matters… Well, Craft will be lucky if I don’t juice him into goo; best we wait for a more appropriate time and place.”
“Boy…” The big smith growled, until Leo placed a restraining hand on his massive shoulder.
“We will make other arrangements for the… discussion we must have with you…” Celeste said coldly, before leading the noble and clerical contingent out. Otho looked like he wanted to try and linger, but Naiomi pulled him away, with a sour and angry expression on her face.
“I guess I’m on the shit list again…” He sighed, while the kids splashed down in the pool, among the lily pads and watercress.
“Ye played a right vicious prank on the entire pantheon, lad…” She muttered crossly.
“No way!” He griped. “I had no idea, it was Beast, Ipet, the dryads and the NotGaries. I was booted out of my own soul realm, by the pantheon… Remember?” He sank back in the pool and grumbled some more.
“I lost Secret… and my soul got even more jacked up! Now I’m stuck making a Contract with Ipet… She’s probably gonna try and make me some kind of cleric or something…” He made a face at that thought. “Hard pass.”
“Gary.” Becky said firmly. “Get out of the bath, get dressed, go do something productive. You’re wallowing in frustration right now.” She fixed him with a steely gaze and smiled. “Go build something. We’ll manage the household and business. Take today and just be Gary.”
He stopped flapping his gums and complaining for a long minute, maybe two, just floating and thinking among his little family of weirdos.
“I don’t really know what that means…” He mumbled. “Everything and everyone outside wants everything from me…” He whispered softly. “And they’ll take it, too; if I let them… or if I can’t stop them.”
“Gary, ‘twixt thee an me, we hae the solving of any troubles… E’en need we go intae the wilds an live wi Beast’s kin fer a time.” She whispered. “An ye must do dark things, I’ll stand by thee an bring me lad back intae the light, when yer workings are done.”
His three silly, jolly, bubbling toddlers became, in an instant, three serious, sober and concerned beings, possessed of a strange gravitas and an aura of restrained potency, shimmering like heat haze around their tiny faces.
“No.” Wilf said softly, as his mother finished her impassioned whisper. His single syllable rang off the stones of the grotto and made the pool shimmer and ripple. “Gary’s time in darkness is over.” He proclaimed, when the effect faded.
“Umm… ok.” He mumbled awkwardly. “I’ll look into that, I guess.” Shai, Becky and the kids splashed through the pool in turn, to collect a hug and kiss from him, before leaving him floating alone in the sunlit grotto, staring up at the startlingly blue sky above. He sighed and dragged himself out to get dressed and face the new day head on.
Every window in the workshop had been flung open, as well as every window and door in the house, so the cool morning breeze could blow through. A velvet rope across the shop door declared it off limits to all but family, while he worked on some project, down below.
They left him down there, doing… something with his strange tools until lunchtime, when Shai went down to collect him.
“Tokens, lad?” She asked, eying the large number of carved wooden ‘treble clefs’ piled in a small crate.
“Yeah… I made a bunch of yours too, I hope that’s ok…” He mumbled tiredly. “Gonna need ‘em.”
“Why, lad?” she asked idly, as she shepherded him upstairs.
“Midsummer’s day is a week off…” He mumbled through a yawn. “...gonna be busy.”
#