World of Warcraft: Hearts in the Mist - Pt3
#2 of World of Warcraft: Hearts in the Mist
Din finds himself torn between the whispers of an old god and his future in Huttser's party.
This is an ongoing series commissioned by Suel.
The bright sun woke Suel up in the midafternoon. He couldn't tell how long he'd been asleep. The shrooms he'd ingested reminded him of the moon shrooms of Dragonblight. Used as a sedative for medicinal purposes and... The Wolvar pressed his hand to his head shivering, the moon shrooms were an aphrodisiac and made the imbiber fertile.
Suel looked over at the lion and tiger that slept near-by. He didn't recognize the tiger but he knew the lion was Sambas. Though it was odd seeing the two sleeping close together. Sambas was not one for being with anyone but his Master romantically. Though when Huttser married Xenrigocia that relationship changed to one of devotion as a pet. Huttser couldn't see Sambas as only a pet and Suel knew that well enough.
Something caught the Wolvar's eye hidden beneath the tiger's tail. His mind focused looking at the felines tight opening but there was something different. There were two of them. Suel coked his head and moved close to be sure he wasn't hallucinating from the drugs. He hadn't been seeing double. The tiger had both male and female parts. The sight was enough to send his shaft into hyperdrive but what tipped him over the edge was the scent of heat emanating from the creature. Suel kept himself in check. He was still an animal but he needed to keep himself from following his base instincts.
Closing his eyes his set his thoughts on his wife Sapphire and their littler of cubs. He cared for them more than anything and while he would share himself with Sambas, Huttser, and Xenrigocia on occasion; he wanted to be faithful to his mate. Sambas, on the other hand, would do well with such a creature. The ability to have someone to love and care for and bear his cubs. That was assuming the tiger would join their group and return to Gilneas when this campaign was over.
* * *
Din woke groggily in the late afternoon. He shivered then looked around noticing he was alone, aside from Sambas sleeping next to him. Weather it was a dream, or just a bird flying through the forest, the tiger thought he'd heard someone else stirring near him. Sambas still had one paw draped over the feline which made him smile. That smile faded with a familiar whisper calling to him. Din looked to Sambas with fear before extricating himself from the loving embrace. He'd come to care for the lion in the brief time they've known one another. The small time spent with Lorewalker Cho proved very revealing but it was worrying about the prophetic visions he'd come to enjoy but there was one thing that made that ideological future seem unlikely.
The temple they'd found themselves in was peaceful given the training monks. It had proven to be a beautiful place to rest, both for din and the prisoners he'd freed. It would be some time before they regained proper cognition with the shrooms they'd ingested. The giant bugs of the bog didn't make it any easier for the escapees but that only prolonged the gift of the Hozen.
The tiger cleared his head with the soft whisper guiding him out the front gate. A few students to the temple littered the grounds. Some lounged about in the muggy afternoon while others toiled away with keeping the grounds. None of them saw the tiger sneak away and cross the bridge to the Jade statue overlook. The construction of the giant statue of the Jade Serpent offered a remarkable likeness but it was not constructed to honor the deity but to be a vessel for her rebirth.
Din lowered his head and flinched at the voice in his mind. They all will perish.
"So you say, Master." Din growled lowly.
They will see firsthand the power of the old gods.
"What are you planning?"
The Sha of this land is but an extension. Since Sargeras destroyed the Titans of the pantheon, he has given way for us to corrupt the Titan soul of this planet the inhabitants call Azeroth.
"What makes you think you can't be stopped?"
With no proper Titans to stop the void lords and the legion preparing an invasion none will live.
Din bowed his head in sadness. He had known Sambas and his cadre a few short days but he wanted to spend as much time with them before the worlds end came.
"How long do we have?"
For me, a brief time, but for you neither may come in your lifetime. Until then you will still obey me and forget this silly notion of love.
The tiger growled turning to move off the road into the dense foliage.
"To hell with you. You may think love foolish but I choose my own path."
The voice stayed still as the stagnant air around the feline. The underbrush brushed through the tiger's fur then settled back blocking the hidden path. The air permeated with the sounds of buzzing. High in the canopy were massive wasp like creatures. Din knew them as Needlers. The Pandarians kept their distance from them in the Cherry Blossom Orchard but they were docile when around the tiger.
Din just ignored them moving into the clearing of the orchard. He'd heard stories of the Cherry Blossoms that grew there but had only imagined its beauty from the stories that prisoners would tell. They never knew he'd been listening but he'd be laying in seclusion from his masters dreaming of the day he could escape. The stories kept him going, now he was free to see the different locations himself.
The tiger's ears swiveled alert to the buzzing sound as it grew louder. He looked up to see a descending needler floating slowly in his direction. Din turned away ignoring the creature then sat in the shade of one of the trees admiring the serenity that came with them. All darkness and pain filtered from his weary form. His thoughts drifting to Sambas bringing a smile to his worn muzzle. The feeling of the lion's touch made him happy but something wasn't right. The touch was real. A wave of overwhelming joy filled the tiger as he opened his eyes to see Sambas next to him. The lion smiled then moved behind Din and bit hard on the scruff of the tiger's neck. Din tensed up moaning in pleasure. As much as he tried he couldn't move. Part of him wanted to stay and accept the love of the lion, however, another part of him felt something was wrong and tried to escape. His fears became justified at the terrible whisper of evil.
You will pay the price for disobeying me.
A new pain spread like a slow wildfire stemming from the bite down through his tail. His muscles tightened then forced him to go limp. The feeling of the fire faded to a cooling sensation once his scruff went slack. Din collapsed to the ground paralyzed. The tiger looked up at the proud form of Sambas before it faded away to reveal the needler landing next to him. He knew it would be pointless to try moving since the wasp would paralyze its prey before...
The searing pain of the sting felt intense. The wasp has jabbed into his stomach for a moment before turning to the tiger's lower half. What would come next, he knew, would be a slow agonizing death. The rumors of people succumbing to the wasp's encounter days afterwards was known to all.
The needler placed its thin legs on Din's flank then slammed a hollow tube into the felines vaginal opening. The tiger closed his eyes crying wishing the end would be quick. Time crawled to a standstill with each egg forced into the felines womb. The second sting had numbed the tiger from feeling any pain, which was a blessing amid the curse.
You brought this on yourself. Don't worry, you'll live long enough to make amends for your transgression before these eggs hatch and feast on your entrails.
A tear fell from the captive's eye with a new pressure from his mid-rift. He couldn't move his head to see but he would get a chance soon enough. Although being numb, Din felt to wasp's weight shift slightly followed by the pressure of the insect pressing under his tail. The toxins from the wasp faded enough for him to see that he looked pregnant with a litter of cubs. He winced in pain now being able to feel the eggs sliding into his tail star and deposit deep inside him. The last egg slid past his stretched hole and move along the inner chamber before forcing past another tight ring. The pain washed over him like another fire that made it difficult to move.
With the eggs laid, the wasp flitted back up into the tree but another one landed behind the still vulnerable tiger. Its mandibles chittered as it slammed is stinger like barb into one orifice then the other. The barbs rubbed and grinded along the insides causing a sticky fluid to fill each cavity and cover the eggs within.
Din whimpered and cried waiting for the suffering to end. He would wait until the wasps had gone but all he'd be able to do is say his good-byes to Sambas before finding a secluded place to await the inevitable. It was too little too late to make amends with the whisperer hat plagued him. It wouldn't be any better to live knowing the voice would follow him to the end of his days, however long it would be.
A flash of green slammed into the wasps in the tree agitating them and forcing them to attack a new presence. Din turned his head slowly, still too weak to move, to see the Wolvar from the party he'd saved. The Wolvar growled and hurled another ball of green at the wasps killing one. The remaining wasp had been the hive queen that laid the eggs. Din tried to call out to his savior but couldn't produce a simple syllable through a parched throat. All he could do is watch as the druid leaped forward transforming in the air into a cat creature he'd never seen before. The feline still had the markings of the Wolvar but nonetheless it had been an amazing sight.
* * *
Suel had lost track of Din while trying to follow from a distance but he had found him under the Cherry Blossom tree unmoving. Seeing the last wasp filling his newfound friend had driving his anger over the edge. The warrior within had taken shape once more allowing him to shift to his true form and cast wrath before landing. The first his hadn't been powerful enough to kill the wasps but the second blast hit full. To keep the remaining wasp at bay he leapt over the wasp transforming into his feline form only to land on top of the insect, pinning it to the ground. The vermin screeched and snapped gaining no traction before the Druid bit its head off. Suel huffed and transformed back into a Wolvar before racing to Din's side.
The sight of the tiger's swollen belly made him look away sadly. The wasps of Pandaria were no different from the rest of ones across Azeroth. The eggs would soon hatch and the host would suffer until the hatchlings matured and ate the host from the inside out. No one ever lived after impregnation by the horrible creatures but he knew better. The druid had a secret he'd learned on his own. A long-forgotten ability that the druids of Moonglade discarded for unknown reasons.
"Relax," Suel cooed "I'm going to try something to save you." Din nodded slowly closing his tear-filled eyes. It broke Suel's heart to see a friend in pain but if he didn't hurry he would have to see a second friend feel as much pain and sorrow.
With a deep breath, the druid chanted the old words allowing himself to form into a snake. His tongue slithered in and out of his maw taking in the faded scent of heat mixed with the fertilized eggs. He shoved himself head first into the tiger's vagina. The tight fit was not new to Suel as he'd done the same to Sapphire when she asked. Like any other snake he could eat the eggs of predators both big and small. This time was different as he was inside of someone to abort an infestation.
* * *
Din shivered and moaned at the feeling of his friend slithering inside him. He wasn't sure how long it would take but he felt that didn't matter. The pleasure from the slithering made the pain before almost worth it. Almost, being an exaggeration because the sensation of pleasure was worth it but the fear of death from the wasp made him hope it never happened again.
Slowly his distended belly deflated bringing both relief and adoration. Never had he felt such overwhelming emotions of pleasure. Something he hoped he could experience again but with Sambas instead. The last feeling brought him to curl up and look between his hind paws at the tail end of the snake the druid had become. Another wave of uncontrollable moans issued from his muzzle just as Suel popped his head out. Most of him had stayed inside when his tail followed the rest of the body into his open slit. The snake didn't even stop for a moment before slamming into the still sore tail star. The pain wasn't bad but it was enough to cause Din to cry lightly. That was over-shadowed by the other half of the druid rubbing his body against a sweet joy filled spot.
Din squirmed and whimpered at the feeling of the druid making his way through his internals to the point he wanted to throw up. He couldn't stay laying down any longer and got to his paws just in time for a wave of nausea to cause him to heave. It felt like a hairball mixed with choking on unchewed food.
With a cough, the snakes head slithered from the tiger's maw. Din's eyes widened in horror then looked at his flank to see his friend was still in both holes and now exiting his mouth.
"I've had better tasting eggs and a better flavor of love juice." The snake joked. Din wanted to say something and tried but before he could get too far his eyes rolled up in his head and shivered.
"Now, now. I know you want to talk but at least allow me to..." Din moaned loudly feeling the snake wriggle inside him "finish up first."
* * *
Sambas opened his eyes slowly but not enough to let the bright light of the mid-afternoon sun to blind him. He reached his paw over to try and hold onto the tiger, whose company he'd come to enjoy. There was nothing there bringing him straight out of rest and into a leaning position. It didn't occur to him, until too late, that moving too fast had been a bad idea. The lions head swam causing the world around him to heave.
"Easy, Sambas." Cooed the familiar soothing voice of Huttser. "You've been out for a couple days."
"Where... Where's Din?" Sambas asked as he tried to stand with Huttser's help. Huttser looked around.
"Suel's missing too."
Sambas knew Suel would be with the feline but given his marital status, and the fact that Sapphire was watching and would rip him a new one otherwise, he wouldn't try anything stupid.
"You both need to come with me." Called a small Pandaren cub. Huttser jumped back in fear unsure of the little girl's intentions. "Don't be afraid. I chose this form so as not to scare you."
"Don't worry about my master. Dragons don't scare him anymore." Sambas grunted with a chuckle. "He's afraid of Pandaren cubs since his first day here."
"Yeah, let's not get into that." Huttser growled. "So, what's going on? Why are we needing to follow?"
"I need to take you to see your friends. There has been an incident and the one known as Din is in our infirmary."
Sambas didn't even wait for the cub to finish before taking off for the medical section of the monastery. His heart raced and tears filled his eyes hoping that Din was all right.
Din was laying on a cot when the lion arrived. Suel was sitting by his side with his hand on the tiger's paw. The look he offered the tiger was not one of love but concern. Sambas moved closer and brushed against his longtime friend before licking Din's muzzle.
"He'll be fine." Suel offered a small smile. "I saved him from a bad fate and brought him back here. He was wanting to see you but passed out just before you arrived."
Sambas laid down by the cot and looked to Suel. The Wolvar leaned over and rubbed his hand over the lion's mane. Sambas nearly jumped when he felt a paw pull him close to the cot.
"Good to see you're awake." Din said weakly trying to hold a smile. "I was afraid I would never see you again."
The lion got up and laid on the cot next to Din making sure to be gentle. Din nuzzled Sambas then kissed him. Sambas returned the kiss in earnest wrapping his paws around the other feline holding tight. The world no longer mattered to either of them in that single moment. No words need spoken just the feeling of love and devotion. A feeling of relief and longing.
The peace of heaven was short lived, however, when Huttser rushed in to the room. "There's a problem outside by the giant statue."
Sambas looked back to Din not wanting to leave his side. He wouldn't have a choice since Suel took care of the issue. "You two stay here. We'll be back soon.
* * *
The raucous din that came from over the monastery walls had been worrisome to the Pandaren cub. Enough so to bring her to transform into her true form, the jade serpent. She had then asked Huttser to get his friends to see what was happening. Huttser didn't want to disturb Sambas with his new lover but he still needed to get Suel in the off chance he would need back up.
The entrance doors stood wide open allowing them to watch in horror as the statue fell into the fray below the overlook. Before the dust could clear a creature that looked like the shalings emerged from the ground towing over both Suel and Huttser with terrifying heights.
"I... I thought Sha of this immensity were a myth -" A familiar voice gasped from behind the two. "we all did. Just a story to keep our children from fighting." Huttser recognized Lorewalker Cho. "The Sha of Doubt has returned."