Tale 7-5 - Network Maintenance 2
#36 of Treetop Shorts Collection
Carmel left the dining hall after Smokey regaled the whole table with the story of the dryad dragon's origins. It had been an emotional tale and shi was a little shaken by retelling it. Shi wasn't sure how Jace would take all of it. There was a lot of information to process. But that wasn't the only concern they had on their plate. Jace hadn't finished his work on the network nodes and he was in no position to resume. Carmel would have to take his place and he would have to walk hir through it. On top of that, they had a new seed in the works. That part wasn't anything to worry about, but it was a waiting game and they would need to be ready when it was.
This was the original lead-out for The Treetop Inn Chapter 7, and just as with "Network Maintenance 1" it had to be cut from the main story, but I didn't want to get rid of it altogether. So here it is as its own standalone story. It connects with both of the other two pieces, but to a certain extent, it stands fairly well on its own. The correct order to read all three pieces is "Network Maintenance 1", then "The Treetop Inn Chapter 7", and then this. Of course, I won't begrudge you reading Chapter 7 first, then coming over to these two.
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"You alright in there?" Carmel gave hir tummy a soft jiggle. They had only just left the group after sharing the story of hir beginning. It had been an emotional time.
Jace nodded and pressed his palms out against hirs tenderly.
"I'm alright. It's just a lot to take in. I didn't know you had been through all that. And I didn't know you and Smokey were so close because of it. Literally." He said.
"Well, there you have it. Hopefully I haven't scared you off. I've told parts of that story to one or two people in the past I was... interested in. They had about the same reaction as Zephyr had to Smokey. I don't know if I'd call it abject horror, but that seems pretty close." Carmel's voice carried a softly wistful tone to it.
The fennec wouldn't have that. He stretched out all around, hoping to make hir belly distend visibly. When he heard the lady moan and felt a shiver run through hir, he grinned and eased back down. He knew shi loved that. And it wouldn't do to make hir collapse right there in the hall, clutching hir stomach in ecstasy, making a mess on the floor. He could save that for when they got to their bedroom.
"Well you don't have to worry about me. I'm not gonna run away. Kind of hard to when you're stuck inside the person you'd be running from," He joked, then turned a bit more serious to ensure his intentions were well known, "It would take a hell of a lot more than a story to make me stop loving you."
"I'm glad," Hir gait made the swollen tummy bounce with every step as shi turned to head off towards the nearest balcony shi could walk out on, "Now, you can guide me through finishing up the maintenance you scheduled for today, and then we can check on your progress."
Jace wiggled softly at mention of that last comment, running his hands across his own stomach. It was just as bloated and round as it had been when shi tucked him away. In fact, it felt like it had grown slightly. He was well acclimated to how these little sessions of theirs went. Usually it was something they did only in the bedroom when they had all the time to themselves they would need to enjoy it. But this was just as fine. He was however beginning to wonder when he would actually get to taste some of hir fruit again, rather than having a seed stuffed in up under his tail.
The rest of the nodes took longer than it would have with Jace doing the work directly. Carmel remained insistent that shi keep him right where he was and handle it hirself. Shi had learned quite a lot from him already, but shi was still a bit unsteady when it came to advanced work. Shi saw it as a good opportunity to learn his trade, and to see how his mind worked. No point in having only a single person able to do what he did.
By the time everything had been finished, the sun had set. The jade dragoness waddled hir way into Jace's workshop where shi returned his tool kit and climbing gear. Shi was tired, more so than shi had expected to be. The cot in the corner beckoned the lady and shi complied, easing down into its embrace. Quickly shi found hirself rolled onto hir side around hir heavy, gravid tummy, thrumming away as shi wrapped hir arms around the bulge.
"Hope you don't mind staying in there for the night, honey. I'm exhausted." And shi sounded it.
Jace whimpered a little, wiggling in the dragon's womb as he felt the world turn over. Shi was down for the count and he knew it. He traced his hands over his own distended stomach. It had gotten a fair bit bigger, making it a little difficult to turn himself around. The pressure in his abdomen had grown, but that was expected. He had done this many times before. But it didn't keep him from growing a little concerned. By the time shi woke up the next morning, he would be just about ready to pop. But there wasn't much he could do about it. He simply found a comfortable posture and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight honey. I'll see you in the morning." Jace said.
Carmel was already asleep, beyond content.
As Jace began to fade from consciousness, he felt a soft twitch from under his fur, a shift in his belly. He would be carrying this one for longer than usual. Hopefully that wouldn't have any ill effects.
Dreams came and went for the pair. It wasn't uncommon for them to sleep together in such a state. It was one of the things about Jace that Carmel adored. He let hir do all sorts of things when he wasn't too busy. And even when he was busy, he was still 'accessible'. More than once shi was indeed truly tempted to never let him back out. Shi even dreamed about it from time to time. Though he never admitted it, he did as well. But there was always something to do that required his attention, so these sessions of theirs remained relatively brief.
Too brief they both thought to themselves.
Morning brought with it the warmth of the sun shining in through the high windows. The light washed over the still gravid dragoness, causing hir entire form to stir to life, the flowers in hir hair opening once again in the presence of the sun. Another curious effect of blending with a plant.
Slowly, Carmel set up and sighed, running hir hands over hir grand middle. It had gotten bigger in the night, not by much, but enough to be noticed. It puzzled hir for a moment before hir still waking mind clicked into place. Jace was probably waiting for hir to let him out. Indeed a squirm came from under hir scales as he roused with hir.
"Morning sweetie. I should probably head down to the garden and find a nice spot for us, shouldn't I?" The dragoness smiled down at hir stomach.
A muffled yawn was hir answer. Jace wasn't much of a morning person. Shi took the noise to be a yes and pulled hirself to hir feet. He'd gotten heavier too, not that shi minded. A quick stop by the dining hall was made to grab something to nibble on, and to pay Smokey and Shayna a brief visit while they ate a more considerable breakfast. It would be just hir and Jace dining together once they were done. That was fine by hir.
The dragoness savored hir banana slowly as shi worked hir way down to the gardens below. Once on the ground, shi started off towards the path leading to the site shi had in mind, then paused. He could wait just a little bit longer couldn't he? Surely he could. Shi grinned and finished the last of the yellow fruit, even doing away with the peal. It was all perfectly viable for consumption to hir. The detour took hir to a small corner of the lake just on the edge of the gardens. It was one of hir favorite spots. A spring had been formed, creating a small pond several feet above the level of the lake itself and it poured down over a short cliff, creating a picturesque little waterfall.
Carmel slipped out of hir clothing, running a hand over hir nude scales once shi was free, and eased into the water. The lake itself was rather cool, but the pond and the waterfall were warm. It was a hot spring underneath after all. Shi slipped under the cascading spray and began to rinse hirself, taking great care to wash thoroughly and spent a fair bit of time fawning over hir belly. Others would be along soon, shi was sure. It didn't matter if someone saw hir like this. In fact, shi somewhat hoped they would. A few leers and stares were always fun to draw from guests.
After spending perhaps a little too long bathing, and of course getting exactly the looks shi desired, the jade woman collected hir clothing, but didn't bother to dress again. Shi was still wet after all, and it was hir garden shi would be walking through. The warm summer wind across hir uncovered figure always felt lovely.
It was a nice, casual stroll, hir tummy swaying with every step. Shi could feel the fennec inside hir slowly rousing. His movements were coming more frequently and with greater strength. At least shi was almost there. A quiet corner of the garden was hir destination. The bushes and shrubs followed along a curve of the path before pulling away to create a hidden nook. The lady's toes splayed softly as shi stepped off the stone walkway into the grass. Shi loved the feeling of the natural earth underfoot. Carmel settled onto hir rump on the ground, legs curling around the base of hir enormous stomach. Hir clothing was folded and set aside before shi turned hir attention to hir beloved.
"Good morning, Jace." Shi said affectionately. A groan rose up from hir belly in response.
"Morning. Is it time?" Unseen by the outside world, the fox raked his claws harmlessly over his own distended tummy, scratching gently at an itch he had.
"From how big you've gotten, I'd say it probably is. You can probably feel her moving around in there, can't you?" Carmel asked.
Jace paused and pressed a palm against his gut. True to Carmel's prediction, he felt a strong shift. She was ready alright.
"Yeah, it's time. You ready?" He began turning about, eager to slip out if his lover was prepared for it or not.
"As I'll ever be." Carmel closed hir eyes and leaned backwards until shi was laying on the soft grass. Hir legs parted and hir knees rose, bent and ready to brace.
A coo escaped the dragoness as shi felt hir passenger begin easing his way out. A firm push from the walls around him hastened his exit. A damp, fuzzy head popped out from between the lady's thighs, hir masculine region dragging over the back of him. His arms slid out, freeing his shoulders in the process. From there, he could pull quite easily as shi pushed, uncovering his chest. His stomach was a bit of an interesting trick, forcing Carmel to stretch wider than usual. Hir voice rose gently over the garden as shi let hirself be claimed by the sensations racing through hir. Maybe shi would have to let him stretch this big more often. It certainly felt marvelous passing him through hir in such a state.
The added girth slowed his progress, but only for a time. Once he felt hir firm embrace on his hips, his rounded stomach helped push him forward, and soon, his legs were drawn out completely. There they both lay, Jace on his side, Carmel on hir back, both panting for breath. The dragoness was the first to move, rolling onto hir side and then on to hir hands and knees to crawl over to hir boyfriend. He was visibly shorter than hir, making it all too easy for hir to play the 'big spoon', which shi did happily. A pair of verdant arms slipped around the smaller fox's chest, one of hir hands moving down to his large, active stomach. Jace brought his hands to join his lover's, pressing backwards into hir form.
"I think this one's been ready since before dawn." Jace said.
"We let her cook a bit longer than usual, but that's not a problem, is it?" Carmel said with a nod.
"Not at all. Is the spot ready?" Jace asked.
"Not yet, but I can fix that," The jade lady leaned up, propping hirself up on an elbow. The other arm reached around the fennec to press a hand into the ground, palm down. With practiced concentration and a less than subtle display of power, Carmel opened a small pit in the ground. The grass retreated from the center, growing taller around the perimeter. It was perfect for planting a tree or a large bush in the middle, "There we go... now we just need the star of the show."
The fox nodded and arched his back, shivering as he felt the star in question making her eagerness to escape known.
"Good, because I don't think I can hold this one in any longer." He grunted and sat up, as did his dragoness, leaning back into hir embrace. He took up a posture similar to what shi had to release him, legs spread and bent at the knee. He didn't have the same equipment as his scaled partner, but he had a fair amount of experience with the act.
A labored grunt was all he could muster, his voice taken away by the sudden shift under his fur. The form inside wriggled about, working its way downward. Pressure built under the fox's tail, leaving him torn between trying to clench and relax. It took great mental fortitude to will himself to ease himself down from the tension. His lips parted in a gentle moan as a muzzle protruded from the steadily softening pucker. It was green, not quite as richly verdant as Carmel, but certainly vibrant. The muzzle was of course attached to a head, which followed in short order. The face looked almost exactly like the dragoness who had put the seed in him, but smaller.
Shoulders passed as Jace yowled and trembled, fighting to maintain his composure. A throbbing claimed his length. As much as he might not want to admit it to anyone but Carmel, he actually enjoyed this whole process. He squeezed his slowly shrinking belly and clenched internally, trying to help urge the 'child' out. Her chest was easy enough to pass, as were her hips. Another good roll of the fennec's voice saw her legs slip out and he was trim once more, weak and limp against his beloved dragon.
The 'child' he had 'given birth' to looked to be an identical clone of Carmel, though much smaller. It was as if shi had been shrunk to about half hir size, and bereft of both genders. The 'newborn' wiggled softly before trying to sit up and crawl over to her 'parents'. She said nothing, only draped herself across them. Carmel smiled and ran the back of a palm along the smaller one's cheek.
"Hello there, sweetie. You were awfully eager to come out. Are you ready to move in to your new home?" The jade lady's voice was soft and almost lyrical.
The duplicate nodded and offered a quiet thrum, even giving her 'daddy' a lick across his cheek. Jace chuckled and wrapped his arms around the smaller green figure, returning the affection in the form of a kiss on the nose.
"Alright, let's get you in position then." The fennec said.
His strength renewed, Jace sat up and helped the smaller green drake to her feet, unsteady though she was. Carmel followed suit and they walked the short distance to the pit. The newborn stepped down into the exposed soil, appearing as if she had been struck by a lovely relaxation radiating up through her. Quickly, she moved her feet to the center of the hole and wiggled them, letting them sink into the soft earth. Immediately, her legs hardened and solidified, becoming a single, rigid shaft. Her skin turned from green to a mixture of grey and brown, working its way up towards her hips.
The duplicate lifted her arms to cross them over her chest before closing her eyes and succumbing to the next phase of her lifecycle. Leaves began to sprout from the back of her head, her nose tilting down as twigs and limbs began to sprout upward from her. Jace watched, having witnessed this so many times before, and having helped contribute to it several of those times.
She was turning into a tree.
Bit by bit, the smaller dragon's form lost definition as she became the trunk of her new body. Her features faded into the almost mystical swirls of wood grain and bark. Her canopy formed swiftly and climbed higher with every passing moment. Soon, she couldn't be called a sapling anymore. She was a mature specimen, no doubt likely to continue to grow larger still as the years passed. Carmel reached out to rest a palm against the trunk, the base filling the hole completely as its roots pushed deep into the soil, spreading outward.
"That's it sweetie. Just feel it out. You'll find your sisters in a moment," The dragoness closed hir eyes and shivered as shi felt the new member of the family connect to the others, and subsequently, to hir. The roots of all the other guardians connected to one another, and to Carmel's own Magna. Shi could feel through it, reach out with hir senses as if it were a part of hir, "There you are. See honey? We're all one big family."
"I wish I could feel what you feel, Carmel. It must be incredible." Jace smiled and ran a hand over the trunk as well.
"Maybe one day we'll find a way to let you experience it." Shi cooed, still lost in the gentle, silent revelry of welcoming another into the arboreal network.
The fox nodded, then moved to lean against his beloved. A thought washed over him, one he had not really allowed to bubble to the surface until now.
"Do you think we'll ever have our own children? Not ones that turn into trees?" It seemed somewhat offhanded and casual, but the implication was fairly weighty.
Carmel's face hardened momentarily as shi considered the question.
"I don't know. Maybe someday." Shi said.
Jace nodded again as he closed his eyes, drinking in the contact with the dragon wrapping hirself around him.
"I think I'd that." The fennec said.