FSE

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Act V

"Eat, you say? Well, I happen to love cooking and have been eager to share for a while. This military food is pretty good but it's nothing quite like a home-cooked meal. Come, I'll fill ya good and proper!" Lexi motioned for Lethias to follow as she weaved her way through the encampment, dashing between tents and hopping over logs and training benches. "I have a hut down by the river, it's a bit of a trek but I think it's worth it."

Lethias was not in a mood to question her. The memories that were bubbling up in the back of his mind were getting both clearer and more opaque with each passing second and he was just trying to make sense of it all. His mind was being kneaded into shape and while he was shielded from too much influence, Lexi was able to command him with ease.

It helped that both Palusa and Fidget were following behind him, with Lexi out front. He was surrounded on three sides by three lovely ladies, two of which he'd distinctly seen in the recurring memories that the Foxifly wisps had unlocked for him. There was no way he could put everything together on his own with what little information he had - something he suspected was done on purpose by Yelena and Sanfrit - so he was following the one lead that triggered something deep within him. Lexi, the otter warrior. The same one who seemingly fought alongside him in the past and was now leading him to a secluded area beyond the borders of the military camp.

His mind wasn't fixated on anything physical but he couldn't help but glance down at her rump and strong-looking otter tail as she bounded through trees and under bushes. She was thick with an athletic build but not massive like him. She was a full head and shoulders shorter than him but still had the body type to make him think she could take him down if she wanted to. Firm, slightly curvy, and perfectly toned. She looked the part of a warrior or gladiator without looking like she had any mobility issues. It was insanely hot to him, even if he was trying his best to be polite.

Even in his memory-addled mind he couldn't quite repel the sexy thoughts that clouded his mind. On the contrary, the images actually triggered his subtle lust, for he not only saw what happened but actually felt it. In the memories - some of them, anyway - he was taller than the trees and had a girth about him that far exceeded what he felt possible; Lexi shared a few of these traits, even though she was always a hint smaller and just a bit less defined in terms of musculature.

Lexi seemed to notice him staring as she led the way. She stopped and glanced back over her shoulder with a grin, wagging that thick, rudder-like tail of hers. "Like what you see?" She teased.

He could only nod meekly while avoiding eye contact.

"Glad to hear it! Don't worry, I'm not some prude. And while my memory isn't much better than yours at this point, I do seem to recall we've bumped into each other more than a few times before. So there's no need to be shy. I get the impression there's some history there. History we'll uncover in time. For now, keep close, we're almost there." She winked seductively and kept on her path through the woods. The faint trickle of a nearby stream could be heard just on the other side of hill ahead of them.

Behind Lethias and Lexi, Palusa and Fidget were silently conspiring, whispering between themselves without explicitly addressing Lethias. It was clear they wanted to give him his space. He silently appreciated it, even if he was a little too distracted to say so. Part of him wanted to invite them to join himself and Lexi ahead, but assumed that if they wanted that they'd do so. He wasn't all too familiar with Palusa but Fidget had never been shy about being upfront and forthright.

Lexi continued to guide them through the dense foliage of the woods, eventually emerging over a cliff where a waterfall cascaded below them. It was not a very tall waterfall, but it was still enough to disperse the falling water and create a gentle mist that moistened the surrounding areas. "Jump on in! Follow me!" She instructed as she quickly leapt off the cliff and over the rocks, curling in and diving with perfect form, breaking the surface with almost no splash at the base of the waterfall. A moment later, she poked her head up while treading water. She spit a stream in a perfect arch and then back-pedalled over towards the opposite shore. This was all while still wearing basic warrior garb, which must have been doing a number on her stamina to keep herself and her armour afloat.

Lethias, on the other hand, was still fully nude. His parts slipped up inside him when he wasn't using them and he left the towel back at Foxra's wisp tent. He had no worries about being seen, not anymore. Everyone at the came either revered him or was indifferent to him, and many of the other warriors walked around nude or near to it either way. It was actually quite relaxing to not have to worry about covering up; it also meant that when it was his turn to follow Lexi off the cliff he wasn't concerned about sinking. He was a good swimmer and it wasn't too far down. He could have opened his wings to glide down, but that took a lot more effort and he knew that the basin at the foot of the waterfall was likely to be very deep.

After taking a moment to calculate the optimal path, he leapt off the cliff in a perfect swan dive formation with his wings spread to catch some of the misty updraft, floating and gliding down most of the way before angling and diving headfirst into the water. Same as Lexi, but he was certain he made a bigger splash. He swam in a circle while tumbling under the roar of the waterfall then emerged next to her, noting that the portion of the river at the bottom of the lake was exactly as deep as he expected.

A moment later, Fidget landed with a splash next to him and Palusa leapt overhead, her wings carrying her over the river to daintily land on the opposite river shore. Interesting just how different their approaches were. Lexi dove with expert precision, showing a mastery over the water; Fidget did a cannonball while shouting happily, displaying her fun-loving and positive nature; and Palusa leapt out and avoided the water entirely, showing herself to be a bit more dignified. Unique personalities, and unique approaches. Compared to them, Lethias was a bit more methodical, having considered multiple approaches, angles, and combinations of potential solutions.

For a brief moment he even considered walking around the cliff to find another way down without having to dive, since he couldn't possibly have been certain of the depth he was expecting. However, the simmering euphoria of his returning memories and the companionship of the three ladies guiding him helped ease his mind a bit and he ended up just going for it.

All three of them crawled out of the water and shook themselves dry while meeting up with Palusa. Well, Lethias did. The other two had fur and long flowing crimson hair and thick bushy neck fluff that needed a bit more time. Once ashore, Lexi motioned towards the nearest side of the waterfall, where they could see a wooden hut built into what appeared to be a cave that went behind it. Well hidden, Lethias couldn't see it from atop the cliff even though he'd glanced in that direction. The front terrace of the cave entrance looked like any log cabin, except it was slammed into the side of a cliff. Front porch and all, equipped with a chair and a table and what looked like a mug for drinking tea.

"This is my humble abode. Been living here ever since Fidget and the others found me and brought me to the camp." She explained, opening the front door. Inside, it looked very similar to Lethias' home, a log-cabin styled den, with thick log walls and plenty of cooking utensils lining the wall. She had a full kitchen hidden in the cave behind the waterfall. But what was more interesting was that the entire cave was lit up with gemstones in the walls, each one glowing a bright teal. The same colour of the Foxra wisps. As expected, the entire cave was subtly moist. They were at the foot of a waterfall and Lexi was likely used to being wet all or most of the time.

Beyond that, the cave went pretty deep, and Lethias had to squeeze just a bit to get through one of the back hallways beyond the front foyer, kitchen, and dining area. The cabin-cave reminded him of home, with the emphasis on food and natural elements. Made him remember his partner, who was waiting for his return. They were probably happy to have some time alone, but Lethias missed them so. "So where are you taking me?" He asked. He trusted her, but he was still curious. "Some hidden ritual chamber? More wisps?"

"Oh, just my back porch. You'll see." She laughed a bit at his joke but kept guiding him and the other two through her den cave, past all her warrior armaments and clothes and hanging cooking ingredients to emerge under a cliff awning with a perfectly flat floor. Her porch was just an alcove overlooking the river, but so far under a rock shelf that there was no way anyone would see it from up top. There were chairs all around what appeared to be a bonfire pit carved into the stone ground, a grill perched up on bricks. Somehow he didn't see this when diving down into the water or coming back out.

He could see, from where he stood that they had basically wrapped around the waterfall and went just a bit down river, so if he crouched under the awning he could see the front entrance of her cave. "Oh. Yeah I suppose this makes sense." Lethias mused. "You've got quite the abode. Are you associated with the soldiers above? Or are you an independent?"

"I'll explain in a bit. It's nothing special. Just converted the cave to be my own personal dwelling. Sit, sit. I'll make us some delicious brunch." She escorted Palusa and Fidget to a pair of chairs, each one perfectly sized for them, then did the same for Lethias. His chair was actually a bit too big for him. Her every motion was excitedly animated, her face aglow with joy. "And trust me, I know everyone wants something different. Palusa especially is an herbivore, can't eat feesh." And with that, she zipped back into her home, leaving the other three on the porch carved out next to the river.

Lethias just sat down in his chair, not sure what to say or do.

"She's not normally like this." Palusa pitched in. "She's usually so reserved. Calm."

Fidget chirped a bit, her neck fluff standing on end and inflating on her shoulders. "Oh, she's just excited to see Lethias after all this time. She was one of the first ones we found." She crossed her legs and relaxed in the chair, smiling and revealing her chipped fang.

Palusa smiled and did the same, carefully folding her wings up to form a swaddle around her. "I suppose that makes sense. Don't worry, Lethias, you'll pick up on stuff. I know things are confusing but once we get it all explained, you'll understand. Promise."

"Do I have to ask specific questions or something?" He asked, not sure how to carry on. When he exited the tent he was hoping for some answers or some form of clarification, but now he just had more confusion swirling about. In truth he felt like he was getting yanked around again, but the advent of the newly uncovered memories was giving him a bit of perspective that allowed him to be a bit more patient than he was before. "Am I just going to be given more vague platitudes?"

The two ladies glanced at each other for a bit before laughing. It was Palusa who explained. "Oh, right, I forgot to explain. Sorry, that's on us."

She was about to continue to elaborate when Lexi kicked open her back door to emerge onto the patio with them, a platter in one hand with a dozen different bits of food all to be grilled, all on a wooden cutting board. There were various patties, a fish fillet, some bread and buns for toasting, and various seasonings and herbs draped over her forearm. Her other hand had a large pot with a half dozen utensils inside it, including knives, wooden spoons, and a ladle. "Alright! So I think it's time to come clean!" She declared while crouching down next to the fire pit and dispersing the cooking items.

"Yes, please do." Lethias insisted while sitting tall in his chair, posture perfect and hands on his lap. He was nervous but in dire need of explanation, so he let Lexi do her thing.

She started by quickly honing the edge of her blade on a stone, then after a few strokes she began chopping and prepping the various bits of food on the cutting board. This deliberately angled herself so she was kneeling opposite the fire of Lethias, ensuring she got to look him in the eye. "I do apologize about this, I'm just so excited to finally see you after all this time. I'll tell you how I got here, so you have some context." She continued expertly slicing onions, dicing garlic, and cubing the meat before tossing it all into the pot and nestling it on the grill over the bonfire. She then tossed what appeared to be some form of dust onto the pit, igniting the wood there to immediately flare it up. "It's not too complicated, so don't worry. I was actually a little grumpy with Palusa here when she-"

"It was an accident." Palusa interjected while rolling her eyes and ruffling her wing feathers.

"Sure it was. I know you were as excited as I was to see him." Lexi countered.

The two ladies seeming to fight over him made Lethias swell a bit. Metaphorically. He was completely spent of any sort of energy that would allow him to physically grow. "You were excited?" Was all he was able to ask. He practically was clapping with his balled up fists at the prospect.

"Yeah." Lexi started, all while continuing to prep the food. She was starting with a soup; a lovely appetizer with what appeared to be potato, leek, onions, garlic, and some form of tofu or cheese. It wasn't clear. It wasn't a vegetarian meal, though. There were meat cubes in there; presumably Palusa would just pick those out and give them to someone else. "I'm sure Yelena and Sanfrit explained at least some of what is going on to you. They love to drip-feed information, just enough to keep you interested without dumping their life's history on you."

Lethias nodded and gulped. As Lexi was tossing food into the pot, the smell of the various aromatics and herbs were billowing up, seemingly trapped in the alcove and swirling around them. "Yeah, sounds right. They said a lot but I still feel like I don't know what's going on. Or that I am not getting the whole story."

"So what do you know? I've been casually observing since you arrived but I don't know all."

"That they're looking for the Kaiju, fulfilling a prophecy or something." He explained, then tried to think back to his flashback memories that Foxra had imbued within him. "But that there's a lot more to it than that. I'm apparently one of these kaiju reborn, and I think you are, too."

Fidget made a motion to let them know what she was doing and got up to go inside. "Iams gonna get some tea and be right back Carry on, I've heard this story". It was like she was familiar with Lexi's abode. Welcome without borders.

Lexi nodded, then grabbed the pot and captured about half it's volume worth of water from the running river just off the cliff. She then put it back on the flame and started stirring, content with the extracted flavours. "More or less, but it's so much more than that. I hate when they do this. All this nonsense about prophecy and this and that. It sounds like you have the general idea of what's going on while having the details mixed. There's no prophecy, at least not in the purest sense. There is a form of reincarnation where some people are reborn throughout history, though. Yelena and Sanfrit are trying to find all those who are blessed with rebirth. I am one of them. So are you, but you're special."

"I assumed, based on what I saw in the visions given to me by the Foxra wisps. So what does that mean? What makes me special?"

"That's hard to explain without sounding shifty. But I promise it's not shifty. It's wholesome!"

"At this point I'll settle for simplicity." Lethias said with a dull expression.

Lexi smiled and swept back her hair before returning to the soup. "Fair. Fair. Yeah, I felt the same way when I was first awakened. Anyway, for the last decade or so, they've been trying to find anyone with the gift of rebirth, but the magic used to find these people takes so much energy. Foxra has been doing great, her drones and their wisps exploring far and wide but they have limited range. So they've been looking for the Kaiju - including you and the gryphon - to help find more without those limitations. Theoretically, you possess unlimited magical energy."

"Theoretically. But it sounds like we're circling back to me just being used again."

"Skies above, no." Lexi shook her head and tossed some more ingredients into the simmering broth. "Okay, maybe? But it's not like that. They're not seeking war, they're not seeking power or corruption, they're just trying to bring us all back together. And with the limitless power of a macro, Foxifly could use that energy to broadcast her-"

"Hold up here, I think we're all confused again. Can we start from the top? I'm no fool but explain it to me like I'm a hatchling. Because every time someone gives me an explanation it's slightly different, it's slightly altered. Like they're dancing around something. You give me the impression you're attempting to give me the full, right answer, so start from the top. Just do that."

Just then, Fidget came back out with her tea and sat happily on her chair again. She turned to Lethias with a grin, then sipped her tea loudly. "Don't worry, this will be the last explanation."

Palusa grabbed a cookie from Fidget's saucer. "We've been eager to finally let it all out ever since they sent Fidget here out to get you. I can assure you, this is the full truth."

"I would greatly appreciate that. Please do carry on...but can I have a biscuit? I need something in me, my belly's rumbling." He casually reached out, but stopped before grabbing one of the biscuits. Once he was close, Fidget positioned her saucer so he could grab one, so he took that as a yes and clutched it close, nibbling on its end while waiting to hear more.

All three of the ladies glanced at each other while Lexi continued to make the soup and Fidget kept sipping her tea. They had quite a lengthy story to tell, and Lethias took in every word. They had been dancing around it and constantly reassuring him that this was the full truth without actually getting to the part where they properly explained. So Lexi was going to explain.

"Hoo boy, this is kind of hard to go over." Lexi shifted in place on her knees next to the grill, idly stirring while she gathered her thoughts. Mere moments of silence passed coloured only by the nearby babbling of the river and the steady boil of the soup. "Lemme see here. Not sure how far back I need to go."

"I've got no plans, start as far back as you can." Lethias insisted, finger on his cheek and thumb on his chin. The smell of the breakfast was certainly making his mouth water but he was focused.

Lexi nodded. "Alright. This is what I was able to discern and clarify after many sessions with the wisps and a lovely gal by the name of Valencia to help unlock my past memories. I was like you. Daydreaming about past lives I thought to be fantasies. Memories I'd yet to experience. One day, when swimming and making some changes to my home, I was approached by a Foxifly wisp. I was confused at first. A little scared, but it was clear the wisp wasn't seeking to harm me. Curious, I let it dance around my body as I swam and leapt into the air. I don't usually do that sort of thing but it felt apppropriate at the time. Well, after emerging from the water to enter my hut, the wisp took form and tried to communicate. I didn't understand at first, so it dissipated into a mist and enveloped me."

"Sounds familiar." Lethias said, still rubbing his chin.

"The wisp entered me, like it did you. Absorbed through the skin and other ways, too." Lexi paused to bask in that memory. "Once the wisp was inside me, I started feeling those memories a bit stronger, but just as I was about to break down in acceptance, the wisp exited me, leaving me exhausted on my island, unable to follow. It darted away over the water and disappeared into the woods and I didn't see it again. A few weeks later, Fidget here arrived to request my presence here in Caiden."

Lethias nodded again. It definitely sounded familiar.

Fidget balled up her fist and lightly patted her chest with it. A show of solidarity.

Imitating the same chest pounding, Lexi continued. "Since I'd already been met by the wisp, and my memories at least partially unlocked, I was very willing to hear what she had to say. I joined her en route back to the same camp, where I was given the same nonsense about a prophecy as you were. Something about old titans coming back to life. I believed it, and since I was just as eager to see the kaiju return, I helped. Only, a few weeks after my arrival, a couple of very important people showed up. A hippogryph by the name of Ilorek and a hybrid bat-canine by the name of Valencia."

"Ilorek was actually the one who got me involved." Fidget interjected. "I've got a thing for potions, as you may have noticed, and he was an alchemist of the highest order. He gave me some concoctions that helped me to unlock my own past memories."

"And Valencia is apparently one of the best psychics the Emperor and Empress know of. So Ilorek helped Fidget with her memories and Valencia helped me with mine. That's when we both uncovered the truth. At the same time, we both got gifted the knowledge we needed to better aid them. Up until that point we both believed in some prophecy nonsense. This was when we realized that their intention was far less dire and actually quite friendly."

Lethias cocked his head to the side. "A bit of a twist. I got the impression we were working towards a sinister twist or something, based on what you said."

"You'd think so, but no. Turns out Empress Yelena and Emperor Sanfrit, in their travels, had come across a gryphon claiming to be the kaiju gryphon reborn. They thought it silly at first, but after using their resources to investigate the claims - as this gryphon was tapping into magical power that was nigh-unheard of - they found there was something to this. A bit of research later into the cyclical nature of our history, they found that there was a very good chance that there was some truth to what this was saying. They soon met up with Foxra - the hybrid kaiju - in their travels, who confirmed their curiosities. As it turns out, a handful of people don't die, but are put in hibernation for a few generations and awakened later in life. Something that was possible by extracting their soul in the form of a wisp and putting it into a new body. There's a lot of science and magic needed - that's why Ilorek and Valencia were so important - so I don't know the details. All I know is that it sort of resets a person."

"You're sort of jumping all over the place. So let me get this straight. Those wisps are the souls of a person who has passed on, extracted and put into a new body. And you and I are both results of this?" He narrowed his gaze. "But wouldn't that require the sacrifice of the owner of the new body? And who is doing it? I've never heard of any of this wisp or essence extraction stuff until the last few weeks, how has nobody discovered it?"

Lexi took a sip of the soup, loudly slurping to enjoy it before answering. "We actually don't know who is doing it or how, just that it seems to be the case according to Foxra. As for the body, it's actually the same body, reverted in age. Turns out that it's possible, but the feeling of having one's body transformed like that is immeasurably painful and dangerous; if your soul remains in your body during the process, you'll die. Simple as that. So, by extracting your wisp, maintaining it in a magically induced stasis, and doing the same to your body while reverting it back to the age of a hatchling or pup, a person essentially lives an eternal life. Or is properly reincarnated."

"And Foxra can tell you all this but not who's doing it or how? Seems suspicious to me."

Palusa nodded in agreement. "It's certainly strange, but it's been a few years now and everything we've been told appears to be correct. It's hard to describe, but the feeling you get when recalling a memory from a past life is intense. We've learned to do it with guided meditation and Foxifly wisps. It's really helped us all unlock more memories and solidify our beliefs that this is correct." Lexi grabbed a bowl from the platter and started pouring soup, one for each of them and ending with herself. This mostly drained the pot. "Here, take this. I'll continue."

Lethias accepted the soup and cupped it in his palm, eagerly awaiting more information before he interjected again. Even though she was trying to explain it in a clear and concise way it was still a little jumbled. He hoped for a bit of an overview once the details were elaborated upon.

"After seeing this gryphon reborn making these claims and after consulting with the hybrid kaiju Foxra, they all began working together to find as many of the reincarnated as they could. Foxra, the kaiju hive mind, worked with Yelena, Sanfrit, Ilorek, Valencia, and a handful of others to use her Foxifly drones to scour the world and simply find more of us. If this was true, then they wanted to find as many as they could and bring them together. Not for any sinister plot or world-ending catastrophe, but just because they wanted to know. To help others. If one could recall past lives, it could really help bring unity, to prove some faiths correct. And while the prophecy was just something Yelena and Sanfrit concocted to justify their search, it's at least partially true."

"Okay, so what does that have to do with me?" It was a silly question on Lethias' part but that's what he was thinking at the time, so he asked.

Lexi grinned. "I was getting to that. The quest to find these reincarnated folks was taking its toll on Foxra. She had plenty of Foxifly drones to go around and her wisps were some of the only ones with enough magical energy to remain alive outside of a host, but eventually it was too much for her. So rather than simply exploring all over, searching for anyone who resembled people she saw in centuries past, she started focusing on more significant historical figures. Like the titans. Of which she was one. She and six other kaiju existed in the past, so she started looking for those others. This gryphon was one, but there was also a dragon and four others. This bloke claiming to be the gryphon reborn wasn't lying but wanted nothing to do with our quest to find the others. And years later we found you!"

Lethias slurped up the last of his soup and gingerly laid it down on the platter next to the bonfire. "Indeed you did. And I imagine, based on what you've said, is to hope I am as interested in helping as the three of you. Because as a reborn reincarnation of one of the kaiju, I have the potential for nearly limitless magical power and thus could help fuel your search?"

"Exactly!" Both Fidget and Palusa declared at the same time. "If you want to, of course."

Lethias had to think about it. "We'll see. Obviously I need to learn and understand more before I commit to anything."

Lexi finished her soup as well and put her bowl in Lethias' next to the bonfire. "Of course. I'd be happy to help you find that out. Trust me, it's more believable if you do it on your own time, though. If you're in their tent, surrounded by wisps and guided by them, it's easy to believe you're being manipulated. If you do it on your own, of your own volition, and at your own pace, you learn more and you learn faster and you believe what you learn a lot more readily."

"Sounds good. So what does that mean for now?"

"That's entirely up to you." Lexi assured him.

Both Palusa and Fidget gave him a thumbs up and a grin. "You got it!"

Naturally, Lethias needed a bit more time before committing. He also needed to run it back to make sure he wasn't missing anything. "Okay, so chronologically speaking, someone found out how to extract wisps and revert people's bodies back to their youth, effectively making them immortal or reincarnated. But upon rebirth their old life is effectively wiped out unless the memories are restored?"

Lexi nodded. "Yep. At least that's our theory. We have good reason to believe it, but it's not proven yet, it's just the best theory we have."

"And the reality of this was tipped off by the black, white, and yellow gryphon claiming to be the kaiju gryphon reborn, which fuelled Yelena, Sanfrit, Ilorek, Valencia, and Foxra to test this theory and scour the globe for potentially reincarnated folks, such as myself? And I was one of the kaiju as well, which will help to find the others?"

"Yep." Lexi repeated. "The gryphon fellow didn't want to help, so we went our separate ways. Some of the reincarnated want nothing to do with our little quest, and we respect that but still keep tabs. That's why the prophecy was written, to convince people it wasn't just a curiosity. Like it was more important than it actually was. Is. It's a little cheeky, but it works, clearly."

Lethias narrowed his eyes, some parts of this puzzle getting stunningly clear to him. "So when I died in a past life, someone actually stole my soul and changed my body?" He felt sick at the thought. Not at the reincarnation, but that someone could disrespect him, deface his body, and potentially do this without his permission. He had no way of knowing whether his past self allowed this or not, as his memories were not unlocked yet.

All three of the ladies offered a solemn nod.

"It seems so. Yes. We have reason to believe that it was done willingly, but we can't know for sure." Lexi tried to console him, well aware that he was upset. She even crawled around the bonfire to kneel between his legs, caressing his calves. "But that's why we're seeking out more information. To find out more about this and get to the truth. Up to now, that's all we know. It's a mystery we want to uncover, a secret we need to divulge."

"Hrm. Yeah I do want to learn more, but I want you to know that I don't appreciate the deception. I'm as curious to get to the bottom of this as you are, but-"

Fidget huffed. "Yeah, trust me. We agree. We hate the deception, too. But now that we've been a part of this quest for as long as we have, we've developed our own dedication independent of Yelena and Sanfrit. That's why we are so eager to help you find your own truth."

"It's also why I did what I did." Palusa added with a chuckle. "Yelena and Sanfrit did their best to silence me, making it so all the other awakened - that's what we call those who had their memories unlocked - keep away from newly discovered folks. That way you discover more of what's going on with the help of the Foxifly. It's good in theory but it wastes a lot of time."

Lethias paused to take that in. "Seems there's a bit of dissension within the ranks." He observed.

Lexi smiled up at him from her position kneeling between his legs. "Not really. Just two different ways to approach the same problem and reach the same solution. We all want the same thing, but we have slightly different views on how much time we have to accomplish our goals. Yelena and Sanfrit seem to think they'll unlock this secret and achieve everlasting life, so they have infinite time to figure it out. The rest of us are a bit more skeptical and want to be as upfront as we can."

"Hold up a second, though. Why the army, then? If there's no war and no conflict that needs a macro to pacify, why is there an army?"

Lexi cringed a bit. "Okay, that part is a bit more, uh, real. There is some conflict brewing, but like the prophecy it was played up and misrepresented to sound more important than it actually is. The camp is mostly just a persistent training facility that the Emperor and Empress frequent any time a new person is to be awakened."

Something still didn't sit right with Lethias, so he probed a bit more. "But they all know about this whole quest to awaken the reincarnated?"

"They know the prophecy." Palusa explained. "They were told the same version of the truth that you were upon first arriving. They only know about the gryphon, dragon, and Foxra. They believe you'll bring peace to the land, that part of it was real. And seeing you grow last night, well, it assuaged any concern that may have been lingering."

"I mean, I suppose that makes sense. So where do we go from here?" Lethias asked, too nervous to move in a way that might knock Lexi over. She was looking up at him this whole time with intensely sexy eyes, flirting back and forth between being eager and being sympathetic.

In response, she stroked up and down each of his calves, fingers tracing his shin scales. "Well that's up to you. Ever since I got word that you'd been found I've been excited to see you here. After unlocking many of my memories, I found we crossed many paths in the past. It's nice to see you again. I'd be happy to help guide you on a meditation with the help of some wisps to see just how often our past lives crossed paths."

He gulped heavily, not sure how to take this. Unlike her, he hadn't unlocked enough memories to be this comfortable with her. Sure, she was attractive and her presence stirred something within him, but he wasn't there yet. At least, not in the immediate wake of this new information. Of course, her gentle stroking of his legs helped to loosen him up a bit. "I'd be interested in looking into it." Was all he could say in between his deep, terse breaths.

Lexi motioned for the others to join her. Fidget and Palusa both came to kneel at Lethias's feet, with Lexi in the middle and the other two on either side of his thighs. They were all looking up at him with hopeful grins. "Well, I've had to sit by and watch as the scouting party had their way with you. I don't suppose you'd be interested in indulging my curiosities, would you?" The otter used her fingertips to walk up Lethias's thigh, every touch seeming to awaken some swelling in him.

"I want you to know that I'm aware you might just be using this as a manipulation tactic to get me on your side..." He paused as her walking fingers made it right up to where his thigh met his hip, every scale on his body raising in response to her touch. "...but what little I experienced this morning has convinced me that you're not lying about our past lives, so-"

Both Palusa and Fidget leaned in as well, resting their respective chins on his knees while Lexi continued to finger-dance near his groin without actually touching his loins. This left him speechless.

"So what? You wanna trigger some old memories, big boy?"

He did in fact want to do that. And despite being exhausted from the night before and the early-morning experience in the tent with the wisps, he was still left excited from it all. He didn't get to release his pent-up tension, so the image of all three ladies begging at his feet for his attention was exactly the perk he needed to regain some of that excitement. Plus, the soup she'd fed him did wonders for his vigour. "I would like that. Yes."

All three of the girls glanced at each other, smiling and shuffling forth. It was Lexi who decided to make the first move, as she hoisted herself up so that she was squeezed in between Lethias's thighs, forcing his knees apart and exposing his genital slit. "Ever since I heard you were found, I've been looking forward to this." She said while pressing inward, her petite breasts caressing the dragon's inner thigh. "I'm jealous that these two got to play with you first."

Lethias just blinked. "This seems rather ambitious, doesn't it?"

Fidget flushed her neck fluff out. "It would have been a week ago when we first found you. Now we know for sure!"

Palusa's wings fluttered behind her. "You can't tell us that the memories aren't floating back."

He blinked again, this time gulping. "I mean, nothing new. Just lingering images from this morning. Mostly around you." He pointed to Lexi.

"That does make sense, yeah. We have the most history, at least as far as I can tell. Many of the memories are still foggy and dreamlike, but with the guided meditation, you can retain more of them and clarify the details a bit. You know, we're somehow met each other a half dozen times. Want to hear about them?" As Lexi spoke, she leaned in and started nibbling on Lethias's inner thigh, biting her way up towards his groin.

Naturally, the excitement was quite encouraging. His member slipped from its depths and his groin swelled, balls pulsating as they extended downwards and pressing against Lexi's chest. "I do." Was all he could say. He even came to lay his hands over his mid-torso, politely letting her have her way with him. His time with Palusa and Fidget felt very impromptu, borne of lust in the heat of the moment. But with Lexi, now that some of his memories had surfaced, felt like reacquainting with an old friend he'd not seen for years. It made it more intimate but also more awkward, so he was letting her take control.

"Well, as per the fake prophecy, we did meet in the jungles of Arrenthen." She reached out and wrapped both her hands around his shaft to wrench it down, aiming the tip at her maw. She let her whiskers tickle it a bit before opening her maw and sliding her tongue up the underside. Once she reached the tip, she pulled away and licked her lips all while rocking her chest from side to side, the mounds covering her armour teasing his balls. "Before the cataclysm, you rescued me in one of the rivers. Do you know how you did it?"

"No?" Lethias shook his head, but then shifted in his seat to get a better position. One where he could widen his stance and angle his back in a way that was not good for his posture but very good for pulling back his ventral scales to expose more of his length. "Tell me."

She kept both hands wrapped around his shaft just below the tip, holding it in place while she wrapped her lips around it and kept pushing until it hit the back of her throat. She was careful to not let her sharp otter teeth make heavy contact with his sensitive flesh as she gulped, her tongue undulating under his length in a swallowing motion. After a few pleasant motions, she pulled off and offered a kiss to Fidget, allowing the two ladies to share his flavours. Once that was done, she leaned in and started nuzzling his shaft. "You rescued me from getting trapped in a flood, but you were so big you only needed a single finger to do chest compressions. I was saved, and to thank you I offered you my body for your pleasure. Felt a little strange in retrospect but we were both caught up in the moment."

"That does sound a bit like me, especially if I was big." Lethias admitted, slowly slinking down and resting both his hands on his hips, allowing his fingers to tug on the scales of either side of his slit, opening him up to expose more of himself. "How big was I?"

"Big." She said with a grin, still nuzzling his shaft and dragging her tongue up and down its length. "So big that the tallest trees of the Arrenthen Basin only came up to your-" She stopped to walk her fingers on his thigh again. "About here."

He paused to think about just how big that was. It was immense, but some of his flashback memories seemed more impressive than that. Still, the idea that this was coming from someone else made him excited, and as she walked her fingers up his thigh he could see his muscles bulge. At the time he couldn't tell if that was growth related or just borne of aroused flexing.

Fidget leaned in from one side while Palusa did the same from the other. Both took Lethias's hands and replaced them with their own, kneading the base of his groin and peeling his scales back while Lexi continued to nuzzle his shaft.

The otter paused for a moment to slip out of her armour, tossing it aside to reveal her nude upper body. She was thick, but sleek. Not as well defined as Lethias but still sexy as could be, and her breasts were bigger than pecs but not quite the melons he was used to seeing. About the same size as Fidget's or Palusa's, compared to her size. Not huge, but not tiny, either. "Well, in the heat of the moment, we had a bit of fun. You wrapped your hand around me, and I wrapped my arms around your cock, and we stroked you until you were about to finish. At my request, I got you to put me on the tip of your cock, right here." She used her blunt snout to poke the very tip, then licked him right where his cock hole opened all while stroking his member for effect. "And I got you to fill me as best you could."

The idea of that combined with the pent-up desires from earlier almost got him to climax there, but he knew he had to stop. He didn't want to make a mess all over her face.

But she wasn't done. She slipped a finger tip to massage his cock in circles. "The mess was legendary, filling the river so much that they village had to stop drinking for a half day. But then, the following spring, the river banks were overgrown with foliage. Do you remember that?"

"N-no, not yet. I hope to. That sounds wonderful." He reached out to caress the cheeks of both Palusa and Fidget, stroking their chins while alternating his gaze between them all.

"I assumed not, but that's fine." She gave his cock another peck of a kiss before leaning in and pressing her chest to his length, allowing the tip to grind between her breasts. "You know the best thing about it? Not only did the vegetation grow, but so did I. After being filled and smothered with your essence, I started bulking up. Growing to twice my height, with muscles almost as big as yours." She caressed his thighs again, stopping right before hitting his groin. As she did so, the definition in his leg bulges became more pronounced.

At the same time, he noticed that, despite the chair being a little too big upon his arrival, his hips were filling in the arm rests and beginning to press out, the bulge of his hips squeezing through the holes. He gulped as he figured out immediately what that meant, but he didn't do anything to stop it. The three ladies caressing, licking, nuzzling, and dare he say worshipping him, was too much.

Palusa spoke up, adding to the tale. "I remember that. I had to tell them that the water was being cleansed by the gods." She licked her lips and started rubbing herself, slowly peeling off what little clothes she wore to add to the pile Lexi had started. "But I drank from the river every day. Because I knew what it meant."

Lexi continued, using her chest to stroke his length while occasionally stopping to suckle his tip and lick up the resulting mess. "In my next life, as best I can tell, we met up while participating in coliseum battles. We had a friendly rivalry for a while, until the pair of us were betrayed by the host. He sent beasts after us. And to defend us, you bulked up, you expanded to a size big enough to fend them off. We escaped together. And we went after that host, but he was gone and never returned." She began to slowly crawl up onto him, knees on his thighs and his cock pressing against her slim, toned belly. "And we ruled that coliseum together, until we went our separate ways."

Lethias couldn't help but buck his hips, clenching his rump to get the right angle to grind the underside of his shaft against her torso with the tip prodding the underside of her breasts. As he watched, he could see that his girth was expanding against her, growing from a typical size to as big as her wrists, then so wide that it actually parted her breasts as he rubbed between them. He also could see that his forearms were bulging, his chest was getting in the way of seeing what was happening with Lexi and the others, and that the chair he sat in was creaking with his weight. The bulge of his hips and thighs were putting enough pressure on the arm rests that he felt like they were about to snap.

Yet Lexi didn't respond to this at all. She just kept using her belly and chest to caress him, bouncing on his thickening thighs with her knees grinding into his hips. "I've led teams of knights to fight you, because you were seen as a giant threat in the mountains but that wasn't the case. I've seen you use your magic above a field of fighting samurai and nomads. There are paintings of you adorning the cathedrals of Trithe. I have distinct memories of us fighting in a tropical cove with a ship at our feet; we were both huge, towering over cliffs. So many things happened between us, and no matter what life I live, we meet. This is no different."

While she listed off their past encounters, she raised herself up and pointed Lethias's cock tip between her legs and under her warrior's dress. She wasn't wearing anything underneath it. His girth continued to grow, so she forced herself down with a grunt, the tapered tip squeezing into her with a pop and a lurch. She bared her teeth and cried out, but then relaxed with the aid of a few deep breaths as she slowly descended upon him. The pressure was intense, so she had to really focus on adjusting.

Lethias laid his hands on her waist, holding her there while being ready to pull her off in case he grew too much. Unfortunately for him, his biceps had swollen to a girth that made mobility difficult, so he could barely wrap his fingers around her. He was a little concerned, but the excitement inside him was triggering his growth magic, this time without the aid of any wisps or potions, similar to the night before. Only this time he wasn't quickly getting fatigued.

Lexi grinned, baring her teeth as she started slowly bouncing up and down on his length. His tapered tip plowed through her with shocking ease, only to have her clench down with her immense pelvic strength, which was almost enough to force his member out of her, an intense sensation he didn't expect but certainly enjoyed. "But that's all I have. For now." She leaned in and pressed her chest to his, showing just how much difference there was between their sizes.

He was about to comment when the chair cracked and burst to the sides, his weight crushing it beneath his rump and tail, leaving him in a pile of splintered wood and fabric. He began to panic, but was stopped by all three of the ladies. Palusa and Fidget began picking up the pieces and tossing them to the corner of the cave, while Lexi kept her chest pressed to his.

"Don't worry about it, I was kinda hoping that would happen." She kept grinding on his cock, pressing her body down as hard as she could, twisting and gyrating every time she felt the bulge of his swelling knots pressing against her lips. "We needed the room, anyway."

Lethias glanced around, noticing that the alcove under the rock shelf seemed pretty cozy compared to before. His feet were nearly dangling off the edge of the cliff, his tail tip draped over it with the end getting splashed by the water that continued to flow beneath them. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Do you mind if I-" Lexi began, and then stopped to angle herself back, putting all her weight on his cock, her depths relaxing in the hopes of swallowing his knot.

"Allow me." He countered, mustering up all the energy he could to overcome his expanding arms and the diminishing mobility he had within the alcove to press down on her hips, helping her.

To aid in her quest, both Palusa and Fidget did the same, each one getting a leg to pull down. Palusa took a moment to lean in and nuzzle-lip a flow of the dragon's natural fluids being smeared over each of his lobes, while Fidget slipped in a hand into his slit next to the base of his shaft to help peel his ventral scales aside.

All at once, the pressure all three working together forced Lexi's loins to open up and swallow Lethias all the way to the base. There was an audible squelch louder than the perpetual roar of the nearby waterfall that immediately got drowned out by Lexi's cries of delight. With her lips pressed to his, the dragon's knot lodged just inside her and his tip pressing out against her lower belly forming a bulge, she crossed both of her arms on his chest and looked up at him, grinning. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in some of that guided meditation, would you?" Her words were terse, her breaths ragged.

This took Lethias by surprise, but just as he was about to answer, he noticed two wisps hovering just beyond the reach of the alcove, each in Foxifly form, hovering in place with teal smoke billowing out from them. "I'm not so sure. Is now the time?"

Lexi's thick tail wagged behind her, its underside caressing his orbs and the muscle twitches expertly massaging his length. "Now's the perfect time. I'm not letting your knot go, now that I have it." She clenched so hard that for a brief moment Lethias was worried it'd cut off the blood flow to his member. "And guided meditation works so much better when we're one. It's up to you. We can just play if you want, or we can explore our past together."

As she relaxed her iron grip on the base of his knot, Lethias's mindset cleared a bit. "I suppose. Anything to unlock more of all this." He raised his arm to look at the bulging scales of his forearm and bicep, all accented by sharp scales that stopped at his elbow. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."