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Anthro Sex Squad Story 1 - Vibra's Story

By Killenor

Arc 1 - Origins

Chapter 7

Miles away and hours later, Elenyra finally felt safe enough to set the massive bird-woman down. Her chest heaved with each exhausted, gasping breath. Never in her life had she expected that such a being could weigh so much even with her hollow bones and feathers. Luckily, her life spent in devotion to Aaluran had well prepared her against even the most extreme physical exhaustion.

It was amazing, but only for a moment, that all those townspeople had been able to keep up with her. That momentary amazement was replaced by her grudging thought that not one of THEM had to carry a nine-foot tall and very dead-weight-heavy bird-woman and run. She shook her head free of such petty envy. No matter what burdens she had to carry, she had truly accomplished her vision. The bird and the children were now safe from the violet flames.

The townsfolk all stood about, gasping for breath or leaning against trees after their desperate flight. Not one amongst them was spared the shock of the conflict, the prince's wanton murder, their saviors arriving, or the sight of so many guards and knights stunned stone still or flung away like chaff in the wind. Now that they had stopped, their shock was quickly taking hold of their sheltered minds.

"Now please be calm," Elenyra cautioned in an even but firm tone, "I know you must have questions, but please trust that I will not allow you to come to harm. The golden mask has come to rescue you from the grips of tyranny. If you will follow me, I will take you to a place where neither Chrisholn nor his father can harm you."

"W-who... what... are you?" said one shaky man who carried the air of leadership about him. "Why did you attack the prince's men?"

"Don't you realize they would have killed you? They already killed two of you! Chrisholn stops at nothing to meet his ends." Elenyra said in total shock, "The prince cares nothing for you!"

"We... we serve him..." the spokesman said, fixedly staring at his own feet, "whatever he does to punish us... is right. We should have thought better. Served him better."

"That is the talk of slaves!" Elenyra cried, "Can't you see, he has no power without you! He should be the one serving you! He is a leader, and leaders serve and protect their people! Only a tyrant flexes his power against those who maintain him! You people provide food and materials for people you've never met, all the way to the throne itself, and you are visited with death and terror for it! Isn't there just an ounce of reason amongst you that says that what Chrisholn has done to you is wrong?!"

"The prince cannot be wrong!" snapped the spokesman, emboldened at the exasperated and rhetorical arguments of the golden woman, "Just because you sound like a rebel does not mean you can force your way upon us. We are loyal subjects and you harmed the prince and his men!"

There was an emboldened murmur from the townspeople. Somehow, this man had their attention and nothing short of overly drastic measures would sate them.

"You burst in, assault the prince's men," the spokesman shouted, "maim the prince himself! All this to save that great bird woman who caused all this trouble. We should have driven her away whenever we saw her! When she flew out and assaulted our emissary we should have sided with him."

The people were now all on their feet, rallying behind this one bastion for the status quo.

"Don't you see I was saving your lives?!" Elenyra yelled, tears welling in her eyes "I was trying to save all of you! I had a vision that your prince would destroy everything you worked for in your lives! When a god shows you a path, you cannot turn your back! The violet flame was going to burn you all from the face of this world!"

Beside her, the great bird woman, Vibra, stirred.

"And she!" Elenyra gestured frantically, "She tried to help you, and you didn't refuse until it got you in trouble! She also risked herself to save your children! If she attacked your emissary and you did nothing, does that not show that you WANTED your freedom?!

"That is your god, your path." shouted another voice from the crowd, "A false path and not ours!"

The voices grew more determined.

"If you know anything, you know that our royals are children of the gods," the spokesman said with conviction, "descended from those you claim sent you. So either you follow a false god, or you lie about who you serve. Which is it? If he wishes something from us, we gladly give it. We had forgotten where our loyalties lie for a moment when the bird-beast came, but trust me, we know better now. And whether it was the work of the true gods or your false delusions, we know now the path we ought to follow. And that path is with the royal house! As good, loyal citizens under the banner of the crown!"

Elenyra faltered. How could such delusional propaganda exist? It was like a plague through this entire region! The acknowledgment of the gods was quintessential to all of the civilized lands, and yet here was proof positive that the throne of Gurftheim was attempting to bring about its own apotheosis! Worse yet, it was doing so through its own citizens and without regard to the normal rules!

"The king is no god and neither is his family!" Elenyra shouted, flaring her small wings in anger and disgust and a vague aura of power built around her. "They dupe you! Allowing those tyrants to ascend to the pantheon would bring about more woe than you could ever imagine!"

It was clear that she would not win this battle. The townsfolk were becoming very agitated. Those without children to shelter were on their feet and advancing slowly.

Vibra's eyes blinked, clearing out the haze and grime, her senses slowly returning. Something from within told her that she was in danger and her body struggled to comply with this new imperative. She could hear feet approaching.

"If we bring her back," someone said, "maybe the prince will forgive us!"

"He wanted this bird-woman," said another, "perhaps we can ask for our homes back!"

"And if we take this new one, he may even reward us!" said yet another.

"No!" cried a new voice, a voice Vibra could not recall from the village, "I'll not raise my hand against you will not let you drag her back to the flames! Go if you wish, and that is your choice, but know that even if you took us both that Chrisholn would not allow you to live. He, his parents, and that entire dynasty are tainted and evil. They will control your lives and cast you aside, chaff cast from their threshold!"

Something landed with a thunk beside Vibra's head and all about her she heard the impacts of sticks and rocks, all thrown from the gaggle of townspeople. Finally her eye cleared. A golden woman with small featherless wings stood before her, arms wide to defend against the approaching townsfolk. The people she had learned from and protected were advancing with broken branches and rocks, aiming to end their saviors and return to their homes.

A surge of indignation swept through Vibra at seeing those whom she came to care for betray her. How could they do this after she had only ever worked to help them?

The people advanced, yelling and throwing their sticks and rocks. The soft thuds of hits on flesh correlated to the golden woman's jerking as she closed her arms to shield herself. Whoever she was, she would make good on her promise not to let those townsfolk lay a hand on Vibra. This woman whom she had never met was willing to defend her, even if it cost her own life.

The swell of feelings was coupled with a rush of adrenaline and anger. In a rage-fueled surge she sprung from the ground where she lay. Faster than a striking snake she bolted at the mass of townsfolk and billowed out her wings in a great buffeting gush that sent them sprawling like nine-pins. Another instant saw her grabbing Elenyra to her chest, leaping into the air and switching the bewildered and bruised lady to her feet as she flew away.