Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 040

Two more hounds came across the top of the car, and then the earth shook again, the alarm on one of the cars activating. Yuki let out a shriek of rage and summoned a spike of ice to drive through the skull of the first, the beast exploding into ash. The next one leapt on top of her and power streamed through her arms as she sucked the heat from its body and tossed its frozen corpse to the ground.

Abella crashed into the ground from above, her hellhound exploding into ash. The two of them turned their attention toward the cars.

"It's gonna take a lot more than dogs," Yuki hollered, her claws spread wide. All three of her tails flailing wildly behind her, igniting with arcane energy as her human form melted away to reveal the beast beneath. Her face was feral now, her lips curled wild around bared teeth.

The cars shook and a swarm of nightmare creatures burst from behind them. The air glowed a sinister color from the portal that had been opened, and the light was now bright enough that she could see four figures chanting feverishly through the car doors.

Abella crashed into the first creature, a beast that looked like a gorilla with no hair. She was quickly swarmed, but her stone hide was proof against both claws and teeth. While safe, she could do very little to stem the tide.

Yuki charged forward, sliding a card into her teeth. Down on all fours, she slashed at the beasts as they surrounded her and tried to pin her down. Waves of frost rippled away from her, flash-freezing her closest assailants, and when she got close to the cars, she threw the card like a dagger into the sky.

The Hierophant card hovered in the air, expanding like a hot air balloon over the bloody scene. The dark sky above cracked open and scoured the yard with beams of holy light. Screams of rage and pain filled the air as the demon tide was blasted into ash, and Abella quickly freed herself and leapt into the air, then swooped down to grab one of the warlocks who had opened the summoning gate, then spiraled up into the bright sky above.

The others fled, and Yuki collapsed to the ground, watching them go from beneath their cars. The first one to pass through the lions was smashed from above by the one that Abella had captured, and the gargoyle swooped dangerously close to the edge of the boundary in an attempt to grab a third. The warlocks yelled at each other in Latin, then vanished into the night, dragging their fallen comrades behind them.

"That's it, I'm calling the cops!" someone down the street hollered, and Yuki let out a chuckle. A war had broken out in the front yard, contained only by the power of the geas, and the neighbors were only concerned by the noise on the street.

Fighting to stand up, Yuki had Abella help her push the cars toward the gate to slow down the next attack. The Pentacle royals emerged from the ground to assist, lending their strength. Once finished, Yuki had them spread across the yard, ready to disrupt any further spellcasting.

The gargoyle looked tired, and the two of them collapsed against the underside of one of the vehicles after tilting it up on its side.

"How much longer do you think we can hold out?" Abella asked.

Yuki pulled out her tarot cards. The Hierophant had taken almost a year to make, now gone in a matter of seconds. Many of her remaining cards didn't have a practical use, certainly not in a fight, and she was officially exhausted. She slid back into human form, her rage subsiding.

"Not very long. Not like this." She looked back at the house, suddenly sensing many eyes on her. "I don't think anyone could have expected this."

Abella threw a look of disgust at Yuki, and then shrugged it off. "You'd better hope that he comes back. These people almost broke the geas last time, and it took all of us to take down just three of them."

"Everyone helped him?" She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "Some of you can't fight."

The gargoyle leaned against the muffler of the car, bending the pipe. "Fighting isn't always about tooth and claw. It can also be done up here." She tapped her forehead. "Mike isn't a fighter, but that's why he has me. And Sofia. And the others. It isn't about being able to do everything at once, but convincing those who can do little things to come together to make something big happen."

"I don't remember you being so wise."

"Well, I don't remember you at all." Abella turned her head and frowned. "Here comes the next wave, those guys you choked are on their way back. Sounds like you killed one of those demon summoners though, they're hiding the body before the cops get here."

"How many of these people are there?"

Abella counted on her fingers, then gave up. "I couldn't even say." She stood up and stuck a hand out to Yuki. "I'm hoping you have a plan."

Yuki took Abella's hand and stood, her cards fanned out in front of her. She pulled out three of them and held them up. Five years of hard work and dedication had gone into these three cards alone, and it pained her to lose them all together.

Do what must be done. She slid them into one of her sleeves and then looked at the remainder of her deck. The major arcana was now very short on uses she could think of, while the minor arcana still provided plenty of utility. She organized the minor arcana by suit and number and then put them in a sleeve pocket. Afterward, she stuck the major arcana into an interior pocket by her breast. The last thing she needed was to spend time avoiding those last few power cards while in a hurry. Pulling the Moon while she meant to use something else would do her little good.

A weight in her pocket made her pause, and she stuck her hand inside and pulled out the sunstone. It was cool to the touch, and she briefly wondered if she could use it out here. Realizing that it was a surefire way to incinerate the house, she blew on it, encasing it in a thick layer of frost, and then put it back in her pocket. First chance she got, she would put it back in the Vault.

"Here they come." Abella's face scrunched up. "What the fuck is that?"

"What the fuck is—" a large shadow leapt over the top of the cars, landing on six thick, meaty legs. It had four large claws that clacked together hungrily and a ten foot long tail that whipped back and forth. Eyes adorned every side of its body, sinister eyes that blinked and then fixated on Yuki.

"Time to squash this bug." Yuki made a fist, her hand freezing over with ice and forming into an icicle. The icicle unfolded, forming a giant claw made of ice with glistening talons.

"Let's." Abella slammed her fists together and charged.

---

Stepping through the portal, Mike took a quick look around, his fingers touching the hilt of the dagger. Tink's workshop was unchanged from the last time he had seen it, and when they walked upstairs into Zel's lab, it was the same story. The only thing different was how cold it was, and when he silently opened the door to the garden, the chill that hit him sent a shiver down his spine.

There was snow everywhere, and his breath collected in a cloud before his face, then vanished into the air. In the front of the house, he could hear the sounds of fighting punctuated by roaring, growling, and the occasional blast of magic.

"You weren't kidding," he told Tink, who stood in front of him. When Tink had returned, she had explained with wide eyes that Yuki and Abella were in a large scale fight with the Society in the front yard. However, based on the sounds he was hearing, it sounded like a full scale war was being waged.

Tink tugged on his pant leg and pointed. When he lifted his gaze, he felt his heart drop through his stomach.

Though he had been warned, he couldn't properly prepare himself for the sight before him.

Naia, frozen in stone with her hands outstretched.

His Naia.

Was she in pain? Aware of her surroundings? It was impossible to know, but he blinked away his tears and moved closer to the fountain.

A large, snowy mass sat next to the fountain. He stopped long enough to wipe the snow away, frowning at Sofia's frozen form. When Zel had told him about the centaurs, he hadn't properly appreciated the grief she must have felt seeing familiar faces frozen in time.

"You should hurry." Ratu put a hand on his shoulder. "If nothing else, we can use the emerald to get them back."

He shook his head. The goal had been to arrive, turn the dial, and then take down Yuki, but with the Society at large, the plan had changed. If Yuki died, the emerald could be used to unstone everyone. However, that meant retrieving the emerald, which Mike wasn't certain he could do.

"Now or never, I guess." He turned to Tink. "Do we still have eyes on the front?"

She looked at a nearby rat who nodded back. "Rats make good spies."

As the battle for his front yard had progressed, Reggie had taken a vested interest, just waiting to give the order. Apparently the rats were planning to fight if the Society breached the front door, which wouldn't happen until the geas was broken, which would take them hours.

"Okay, let me know if anything changes." He walked up to Naia and just looked at her, his heart clenching once more. Fighting the grief that threatened to distract him, he placed his hands on her and closed his eyes.

"Naia, can you hear me?" It didn't surprise him when she didn't answer.

"Go deeper," Ratu advised him. "You said she was part of you, yes? You need to speak to that part, not the statue in front of you."

"This isn't a statue. It's Naia."

"For your purposes, she's just a statue. Visualize." She gave his arm a squeeze. "I know it's hard, but you need to do this."

"Yeah." Ratu was right. He would have to distance himself before he could accomplish anything. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths and visualized Naia, not as she stood before him, but as he had seen her on that first day. Full of life and in his bathtub.

Minutes passed, but no amount of meditation seemed to accomplish anything. He slowed his breathing and concentrated on the magic inside of him. Naia's presence always seemed to find him during sex, and he wondered if he could replicate that feeling in order to summon her.

His magic crept along his skin, aimlessly wandering. He sank deeper, aware that his senses were slowly dulling to the outside world. Letting everything go, he asked the magic to move onto the statue before him, to connect him with his beloved nymph.

He stood this way for far too long, just breathing and letting his magic manifest. The frustration built in him and he finally let go of her, frustrated.

"It's not working," he said, but no longer spoke in his own voice. Startled, he opened his eyes and saw that he stood in front of Naia's fountain, the nymph still frozen before him. However, her garden extended in every direction for untold miles, as if planted in the middle of an infinite meadow.

Trying his best to relax, he looked around, letting the vision take him.

"Where am I?" he asked in a feminine voice.

"In the Sanctuary," he replied to himself in the same voice. He held up his hands, finally able to see the delicate fingers he now wore. Looking down, he saw that he had an ample amount of cleavage packed within a pure white dress.

I'm wearing a woman's body. Must be a Tuesday. "Who are you?" he asked.

The woman's laughter surrounded him, and tiny lights like fireflies lifted free of the garden, swirling around him in a swirl.

"I am you," she said. "And you are me."

"I need the emerald." Ignoring the scene around him, he approached the statue. "Naia tucked it deep within her spring somewhere, and I need it back to help her."

He didn't hear any response, so let out a sigh. Apparently these visions were meant to be slightly frustrating at the very least. "This place is called the Sanctuary. Sanctuary from what?"

The lights swirled around him, the voice now coming from them instead of his own body. "Everything. This is the place between the real world and the one beyond, between your dreams and your nightmares."

"Why does such a place even exist? What do I need to be safe from?"

From the others. The cold voice hissed like a snake, and Mike turned around to see the shadow standing behind him. The others like me.

"Hell no, absolutely not." He took a step back and bumped against the fountain. "I already told you no."

You did, but now that I have seen you, I can find you anywhere. The shadow approached, but then thought better of it and walked to the side. This one is frozen in time, yet has something you need. What if I told you I could help you get it?

"I'm guessing in exchange for a small part of my soul?"

Just a small piece. That I may persist.

"What are you? Or what were you?"

The shadow rippled and then hissed like a boiling pot of water. I was once a man like you. I became a part of the Grand Game, a pawn of the gods. And when I fell, I clung desperately to this existence that I could persist.

"What is the Grand Game?" He thought of the vision he had seen, a board with game pieces spread across it. It had to be a reference.

The shadow laughed. You have progressed so far, yet know so little. I shall give you the answer to what you seek, but in exchange...

"Yeah, yeah, a piece of my soul. The answer is still no." Though he said the words out loud, the temptation was still there. Ratu had said that the wrong piece could change who he was, but if it was small enough, maybe it would be worth the price? The shadow seemed to have answers, and he was desperately short on those.

You waver.

"Not today, no. I don't need your help." The words didn't even sound convincing to him and he paused. The shadow was like the whistle blower from Hell, willing to give him whatever he wanted in exchange for progression toward... something.

I can sense your resolve weakening.

"Slow down, Palpatine. You aren't the Senate yet." He saw the shadow tilt its head, uncertain of the reference. This being clearly wasn't omnipresent. It had already answered a couple of his questions, and maybe he could squeeze a couple of freebies out of it. "You said this place is meant to keep me safe from people like you, yet here you are."

The shadow paused for several seconds as if reflecting. This place was meant for all of us. We could converse safely here without fear of reprisal.

"Like, we couldn't hurt each other?"

Correct. Were I alive, we could do no harm to each other.

"Is that why I'm a woman here? So I can't bring weapons or whatever?"

The shadow chuckled. The Great Game had been played for centuries by many pawns. You wear the same body as your predecessors, the body of the house itself.

"Wait, so does that mean the house is alive?"

Several seconds passed, the shadow suddenly silent. I have said too much already. I am willing to tell you much, but I demand a price.

Mike seriously contemplated the offer, but thought back to what was happening right now in his front yard. As tempting as exploring the home's mysteries was, now was not the time. "The answer is still no. Not for a piece of my soul. Come up with a different price."

The shadow hissed and moved toward him, hands outstretched. They passed harmlessly through him, but left a chill behind.

It will all burn! Your whole life will go up in smoke! In that moment, the garden was gone and he stood in his front yard, staring up at his home, the flames stretching far into the sky. Cries of alarm came from within and he fell to his knees in shock. Is this really what you want?

"No. No it isn't." He rose, anger flooding him. "But how do I know that this is real? How can I believe in you when you're clearly just a shadow of the man you once were?"

The shadow hissed in response, flickering in the firelight. When the time comes, you will come crawling to me.

"That may be. And when it does, you can rub it in." He shook his head and willed the vision to depart. It faded from his sight like a ghost, leaving only the meadow and a giant, house shaped scorch mark in the grass of the garden. The shadow was gone too, and he turned to face Naia once more.

"I don't suppose you know anything about that asshole, do you?" He moved closer to her, his eyes on hers. "So I'm the house right now? The house is a woman?"

He didn't expect an answer, but now he contemplated the fountain beneath her. He sat down on the edge of the fountain, crossing his legs and tugging down his skirt. It reminded him of being stuck in Emily's memories, but now he was in complete control of the body he was in.

"I'm the house." He had an inkling of an idea, but his thoughts were dancing around it. The Sanctuary was in between his world and the next. He had willed himself here and, for the first time ever, didn't feel like he was about to get yanked out.

Was he asleep in the real world? Had he dozed off, only to find himself in this strange place? Or had his consciousness ascended, allowing him to briefly meld with the house?

The spring bubbled behind him and he turned to look into it. His reflection was scattered, and he was unable to see the face that he wore. However, he felt like he was missing something, a hint that had been accidentally given.

Naia. Why was Naia here as a statue, and not as a game piece? He had seen her as a game piece before, but why the fountain, why not wander the house in his mind and dig through its many rooms?

The sparkling lights returned, surrounding him.

"You're trying to tell me something, aren't you?"

The home's laughter filled the garden, the lights bobbing up and down in wave like patterns that made him think of ripples. This made him look at the fountain once more. The Architect had met Naia and built this home on top of her hot spring, locking the home to her. Naia was, in a way, an extension of the house, but the house was also separate.

The lights rippled around him again, then again. They all turned blue and green, softly changing colors.

The house. The fountain. They were tied to each other. Sticking his hand in the water, he half expected to pull the emerald out, but his hand closed on nothing. Spinning on his ass, he planted his feet in the water, contemplating the cool liquid.

The house. The fountain. Naia. His magic. Contemplating the liquid in front of him, he thought back to what Ratu had told him about magic. It required some form of intent, or symbolism. A means of acting out the desired result. He wanted the emerald, but it was buried deep in Naia's spring. But the spring was also part of the house, which, by proxy, was currently a part of him.

He had an idea, but it was weird, even for him. Still, he needed to try something other than just cooling his heels in the fountain.

Closing his eyes, he spread his legs and touched the smooth skin of his thighs. Small chills passed through his body, and he could feel his magic resonate deeply in response. Picturing the emerald in his mind, he imagined it buried deep inside of him, waiting to be teased out. Moving his hands up his thighs, the white gown he wore was split along the side, and it was easy enough to cast it to the side to reveal a thick patch of pubic hair over wet, puffy pussy lips.

Stroking the pubes, he found that his clitoris was thick and swollen, peeking out from beneath the hood. Feeling like a huge pervert, he stroked himself, moving long fingers across engorged flesh, exploring his vaginal opening and gasping in surprise. The water in front of him rippled in response, and he squeezed one of his breasts, thumbing at the nipple.

"Naia," he gasped, his magic seeping through him and into the water. The lights all around him shifted through the light spectrum, glowing brighter with every stroke. Teasing his vaginal opening, he let out a large gasp as heat flooded his groin, his pussy now soaking wet. He thought of the nymph, of the time she had sucked his cock and brought herself back to life, of the memories she had shared of her and Emily. Stroking his pussy faster, he pictured his own orgasm as a shining green emerald buried in the core of his body.