231. Interlude: Centaurian ‘Liberation’, Part 2 (R-18) [Demure]

Team Ogres Layers (Alex)

I feel the blow to Gale on my own head thanks to our Sympathetic bond. It barely phases me thanks to all my defensive abilities! I'm equal parts relieved I'm able to take half her damage and terrified at what danger she's found. I slam my Pink Slime Healing ability without hesitation or bothering to read the messages writing themselves on my tattoo menu.

I'm in the middle of battle, after all! 

But, when I do look through my logs at the end of the day, this is what I see along with a few relevant excerpts from the Book of Monsters that come to mind. Also, I hadn't clocked how busy Gale has been the past several days but, after reading through her logs, the final result seems appropriate.

B.O.M. Entry on Substituting Experience – For most monsters, the minimum requirements for their Third Tier Evolution involve three ‘encounters’ or three ‘subjugations’ of other Third Tiers. For predators especially, the latter requirement can feel unreasonably demanding. In point of fact, however, few predators achieve the Third Tier in this way. This is possible because earning victories over equal or lower Tier opponents still grants some experience. Even at a hundred-to-one exchange rate for Second Tier to Third Tier encounters, it’s much easier to subdue enemies at one’s same Tier or rack up a few hundred sexual encounters rather than risking one’s life.

B.O.M. Entry on Evolution Tokens – Besides what has already been documented on the subject in this tome, one more important addendum should be noted. While rare in and of themselves, some evidence has come to light suggesting that multiple tokens may have a compounding effect. Rather than being redundant or resulting in a side-Evolution, activating several tokens simultaneously seems to cause subjects to jump up in comparative Ranking. 

B.O.M. Entry on Deferred Evolution – Sometimes, a monster does not Evolve despite having fulfilled the ‘requirements’ one would expect from historical data. This can be because they lack a special affinity, or the absence of a certain catalyst, or simply because the subject doesn’t feel ready yet. One can ‘bank’ more than sufficient experience for days or even longer while searching for a suitable environment to initiate the change.

B.O.M. Entry on Evolution in Combat – This occurs when the subject is at capacity with Evolutionary energy, having fulfilled all their requirements, and sustains severe damage before finding refuge to begin the normal process. One would expect the act of regenerating said damage would consume some of the Evolutionary energy and reduce the potency of their resulting form. However, this is demonstrably not the case. While not explicitly proven, there is strong correlation in the data between suffering severe injuries during Evolution and reaching an equal or even greater form. Something about surviving lethal injuries seems to catalyze especially powerful transformations…

*Your Sympathetically Linked Companion Has Received Lethal Damage!*

Companion’s Received Damage Has Been Divided by Sympathetic Links (2)!

Half of the Received Damage Has Been Absorbed by Your Companion!

Your Companion Has Received a Severe Injury!

Severe Injury Dealt to a Critical Vulnerability!

Your Companion is Dying!

Half of the Received Damage Has Been Transmitted to you!

Damage Reduction Applied!

Lizardman Scales

Ogre Toughness

You Have Received a Minor Injury!

Minor Injury Dealt to a Critical Vulnerability!

You Are Bleeding!

*Alert!*

Your Sympathetic Bond is dying!

Your Sympathetic Bond is dead!

*You Have Targeted Yourself With a Full Heal Effect!*

Full Heal Effect Has Been Divided by Sympathetic Links (2)!

Half of the Full Heal Has Been Absorbed by You!

Your Minor Injury Has Been Healed!

Your Bleeding Has Ceased!

You Are at Full Health!

Half of the Full Heal Has Been Transmitted to Your Companion!

Your Companion’s Severe Injury Has Been Healed!

Your Companion is No longer Dying!

Your Companion is at Full Health!

*Alert!*

Your Sympathetic Bonded companion is forced to Evolve due to the strain!

Sufficient experience points accumulated for a Tier-up!

Your Rainbird companion is Evolving into a Rainhawk!

Electric Evolution Token consumed!

Your Rainbird companion is Evolving into a Stormhawk!

Cold Evolution Token consumed!

Your Rainbird companion is Evolving into a Weatherhawk!

Excess accumulated Evolutionary Energy detected!

Checking for Special Achievements...

Echidna Companion (Marked by an Echidna)

Casanova (Brought One-Hundred Monsters to Orgasm)

Rodent Friend (Brought One-Hundred Rodent-type Monsters to Orgasm)

Avian Friend (Brought One-Hundred Avian-type Monsters to Orgasm)

Goblin Bane (One-Hundred Goblinoid-type Monster Subduals)

Canine Bane (One-Hundred Canine-type Monster Subduals)

Draconic Influence (One-Hundred Draconic-type Monster Encounters)

Four Elements Wielder (Assimilated Four Elements Before Third Tier)

Redeemed Ophelia (Survived Drowning)

Double-Lazarus (Twice Resurrected)

Minimum Conditions have been exceeded!

Origin-Element (Air) Evolution Token consumed!

Your Rainbird companion has transcended the limits of her Evolutionary Tree of Origin!

Your Sympathetic Bonded companion is no longer an Avian-type monster!

Your Rainbird companion is evolving into a Young Heavenly-River Sky Beast! 

*Fairy Companion Tooltip!*

Heavenly-River - This is the descriptor for flying serpentine monsters that lack the Earth Attribute. 

Sky Beast - This is the descriptor for flying monsters who have transcended their Evolutionary Tree of Origin. 

Young - This is the descriptor for a Third Tier monster on a Mythic Evolutionary Path.

(Demure)

M-M-Mythic Rank Evolution??? 

That's the first coherent thought that crosses my mind when I see the creature standing before us. She's completely transcended the Harpy body plan, which is my first clue. A long, serpentine body moving in sinusoidal waves perches on four avian legs, her talons tearing at the grass. Those sinuous flanks are covered, not with scales, but snow-white feathers that glisten like quartz. Along her spine runs a trail of fluffier feathers in four colors: teal, cerulean, alabaster, and sparking azure. 

Her head and muzzle are a blend of draconic and canine features with avian plumage. Two extra-long whiskers protrude from her snout that wave about like curious antennas. Above them, twin baleful four-colored eyes glare at us. That said, isn't she a bit smaller than one would expect? She can't weigh much more than a Dire Wolf. Maybe she's the younger Evolution of a Mythical beast?

"That hurt. Gale thinks you all need to cool off!" Her voice is the same as before, except louder, and with authoritative reverberations shaking the air when she speaks. The Mythic monster inhales deeply, and the Cataphracts spring into action, though I don't budge an inch. Donny's leather straps go slack as we stare, frozen in fear and awe. I've never met such a high-Ranked monster before! I thought they were just bedtime stories for fillies. This is insane!

The three Cataphracts are all free by now, with Fuchsia collapsed in a post-orgasmic glow, Spike hogtied with a lasso, and Donny's leathers cast aside. They ride together with the naked one scooping up a weapon from the ground and hiding behind the others' armor during their advance. These warriors are fearless and dedicated to Centauria. They're willing to die trying to take down their enemy.

Each Centaur attempts to come at Gale from three sides again, but the speed of this Mythic monster's ability is on a different level from a Rainbird's mist attack. Exhaling, Gale breathes a stream of sleet in an arc that hoses down all three Cataphracts. She turns her head to cover a wide angle while barely trying. The ice-cold spray comes fast and voluminous from her draconic throat. 

This freezing fluid solidifies on contact and dreaded Cold magic spreads into whatever it touches. The victims are soon stuck in place with a thick layer of ice encasing them. However, that doesn't mean they're helpless. Each manages to keep an arm free and uses it to activate a special item. 

The thing that makes Cataphracts especially dangerous is that they have a team of Page Fillies behind the scenes supporting them from back home. This group of multiple supplementary Talents provides every piece of their armor and each of their weapons along with magical single-use Tokens for them to take along their journey across the Queen's Rainbow Bridge. 

Ruby-Frost fishes out a hot pepper from her pack and eats it on the spot. Ambrosia uncaps a thermos they then pour over themselves in an unending stream. Both Centaurs start melting the ice around them as their bodies and armor heat up. The naked one, Pound Sweet, bereft of her bags, beats at her bindings with her mace until ice shatters, shivering as she emerges from imprisonment.

Yeah, the other thing about Cataphracts is that they have high base stats from their Third Tier equine body, advanced monster society Rank Promotion, and possibly their personal Talent, making them durable, strong powerhouses. They refuse to go down easily despite facing a Mythic monster!

On the other hand, they are fighting a Mythic monster...

"Not cold enough? Gale doesn't want to kill you, but I can't let you keep hurting people either! Blizzard Breath!" The feathered serpent prances on talon-tips toward the charging Cataphracts while inhaling again. This time, her breath attack comes out as a cone of blustering snow that blankets everything before her jaws in an fierce torrent. 

Pound Sweet was already turning blue from exposure, and this cinches it. The naked Cataphract collapses in a snowbank after Gale's breath buries her. Oof, that's rough. Having no armor and no magic Tokens has stripped her of the majority of her defensive capabilities.

Ambrosia springs for Gale, swinging her mace for an overhead strike. Instead, that serpentine body contorts away from the blow with preternatural ease. Can Gale sense air currents? The Mythic's tail slithers in at the same time, wrapping around the Cataphract's equine middle, and flings the Centaur up, over, and down to slam her into the ground. Those are some strong base stats, too!

Ruby-Frost drives a lance at the Sky Beast's torso from behind. A surprise attack! But this Mythic monster is equally able to avoid this as well. Gale twists that portion of her body around the shaft before tightening like a noose. She uses the enemy's momentum to wrap herself around the Centaur, entangling two opponents at once. 

Both Cataphracts flail and struggle in Gale's grip. It seems they have the advantage in strength and number of limbs, but the Mythic monster has made herself into a knot that's not easily undone. Once it's obvious their chances of breaking the grapple are slim, they each hoist their weapon for a body-blow. 

Gale's head whips about to carpet the Cataphracts in a snowy blast before those heavy weapons can come crashing down. The Cold saps their strength and will to fight with each second they're caught in the wintry stream. Neither can complete their strike as they're assailed by the magical blizzard until their weapons fall from their hands. Each gradually loses their protections, their bodies and armor cooling to frigid temperatures, and then Gale cocoons them in a layer of snow. 

Three Cataphracts defeated in seconds! Three of Centauria's finest put down with hardly any effort. It's not that they were weak to Cold magic; I doubt a Fowl Blizzard would've done so well. No, this is what happens when your forces are outclassed. Speed. Strength. Battlefield awareness. Magical power. Gale has it all. 

It's official. I'm utterly terrified.

An arrow ricochets off Gale's white feather-scales with a musical *~Clang~!* before disappearing in the confusion. Those aren't normal feathers, either! That almost sounded metallic. What are they even made of? 

The Mythic monster turns to glare at the source of the projectile as a storm roars in Gale's throat. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Fuchsia begs for her life as she drops her bow and quiver, straightening her skirts and curtsying with respect. "Please don't eat me, Ms. Mythic monster! I promise I don't taste nearly as good as these muffins."

So saying, Fuchsia dumps several dozen baked goods on the ground from her upended satchel. 

Gale looks... sorely tempted for a moment! Then the Mythic monster shakes her head. "Later," she seems to admonish herself. "I don't know who Ms. Mythic is, but I need to go make sure everyone is alright! Now, what to do with you all...? Hmm. This is hard. Okay, Gale is going to melt these three and throw the five of you into the pink mist."

"No!" I scream, inadvertently attracting the powerful monster's attention. "Eep! I mean, y-you can't! If we're lost to lust, we'll impregnate a bunch of small monsters for sure! It'll be awful!"

Gale's eyes widen in shock as she realizes the implications, no doubt having heard horror stories of deadly pregnancies in the past, and then her gaze softens as she appraises me. "That's right! Thank you, Gale isn't the smarterest, and I would've forgotten about that for sure! Alex would be really upset having to fix everything later... Ahem. And aren't you the one that tried to stop them from hurting me earlier? You seem nice; I'm taking you with me."

Eh?

The Mythic monster wraps herself around me, looping my equine torso twice and my humanoid torso once, leaving her draconic head parallel to mine while supporting my body evenly. I'm totally restrained to boot. For extra measure, she exhales a puffy white cloud that settles underneath me like a giant pillow. 

"R-run!" I command Donny, who leaps over Gale's coils and scrambles off my back as we lift into the air on the cloud and her levitating, sinuous body involuntarily constricts mine. 

Her feathers are soft, smooth, and cool to the touch. I feel a gentle tingle on every inch of my skin touching hers while my fur stands on end. I shiver pleasantly. The cloud is somehow firm enough to support a portion of my weight, and it's as fluffy as I can imagine. Her coils catch on my horsecock on accident, a firm pressure on my perpetual erection. My equine hips move on their own, grinding against Gale and the cloud pillow both.

This Mythic monster has my whole being in her firm grasp! A subtle hum from her fourth and most dangerous element fills me with potential energy on contact. There's nowhere for me to escape. Her presence is all around me, all-encompassing, perfectly soft, perfectly secure, subtly electrifying, squeezing my delicate body and shaft until...! I...! I...! 

"Aaahhhnnnghhh!!!"

My balls clench. I squeal and cry and moan as rope after rope of musky lust ejects from my poor, sensitive member. My rod pulsates with unbearable pleasure! I'm cumming my brains out! My spine screams with bright elation! 

Thick Centaurian cream coats my underbelly and drips from Gale's coils in dribbling gobbets. 

Embarrassed to death and fearful for my life, I cover my face with my hands when I return to myself. I must be blushing like a tomato! I'm practically steaming with mortification as Gale stares long and hard at me. 

"You're... really sensitive!" Gale remarks. "And super cute! What's your name?" The Mythic monster thinks I'm cute. THE MYTHIC MONSTER THINKS I'M CUTE!?! "Also, is it normal for a horse girl to grow wings?" 

I look up and my jaw drops. Wings. Honest-to-Solaris wings! Since when do I have wings?!? 

Sprouting from the back of my equine body is a brand new pair of avian wings. I'm a Pegasus, now! I must have evolved after that... 'sexual' encounter with the Mythic monster. Oh, gosh, I still can't believe that happened.

"My name is Demure, just Demure. I-I-I'm a Centaur, er, a Pegasus, now. We develop wings with enough exposure to Air magic if we have a natural Affinity. I didn't think I had the potential, though..." Is Gale just that powerful to influence me like this?

"That sounds complicated! Time to go, Justdemure!" 

Gale disregards my confusion and lifts us high into the sky with ease. She blasts the snowbank with water from her mouth in passing to wash away the excess white, exposing her three prisoners. It's an act of incredible mercy, or utter foolishness. Fuchsia administers muffins to the thawing Cataphracts and they appear to be on the road to recovery as they shrink to the size of ants in my vision. I'm being whisked away to wherever this feathered sky serpent feels drawn.