V S M Crumble

[Altanis]

The city of Uruk lay behind them now.

Ironing out the full specifications and plans for her newest construction had taken...time. Even with King Gilgamesh's unexpected generosity and agreement, it had not been an easy process. His initial review of the plans and orders to begin the construction was swift, but the full process had been...taxing.

His insistence on a deal that the eventual guns of her new ship not be turned against his city was frustrating, but understandable. And with only some minor grinding of teeth, she had agreed to it without question. Good business relations were essential in such delicate matters as these, after all. The deal had been signed in good faith, and after explanation of Galand's rather...terrifying ability, her word became effectively binding.

"I would never dream of attacking your city without good cause. I may be a demon, but I'm not a monster, Gilgamesh."

She had seen the spark of indignant rage at her lack of using proper honorifics, but he let it pass, seemingly satisfied with the deal. It was, at the end of the day, beneficial for him, after all.

But now, out here in the sands, Altanis couldn't help but laugh. "Your ability comes in quite handy, Galand. It makes any simple conversation an unbreakable binding oath."

The warrior demon threw back his head and howled with laughter to the sky. "It's a pretty good little trick, ain't it?" he finally rumbled out. "Cuts out all the nonsense and side-talking, prevents any sneaky lying or veiled meaning."

"Yeah, sure came in handy there. Old golden boy seemed pretty dead set on getting some real clear agreement about not wreckin' his precious city." Morgans took a drag from a cigarette as she paced alongside the other two. "Surprised you went along with it, though. Place like that seems like prime target for you."

"There would be no benefit to such a thing, at this point." Altanis sneered, waving a hand dismissively back at the city. "It is too well-defended and fortified to make any siege or attack against it worthwhile. Even in victory, it would result in nothing. Claiming a city, but one that would resent its new rulers."

"Ah. Yeah, guess I get that. Not like you can force people you just up and conquered to like you, right?"

"If it were that easy, more people'd do it!" Galand snorted.

"Indeed." Altanis turned her eyes skyward, where she knew the construction-to-be of her ship would soon be finished. The sourcing and gathering of supplies would be the longest part of the endeavor, she knew. Now that that had been accomplished, the actual construction would take comparatively little time. Beyond that...it would be a simple waiting game for the functions of the mammoth craft to finish their initialization and come online. It would be an impressive, mobile fortress when it was finally ready...and Altanis only had so much patience to wait for that day.

In the meantime, however, there were other matters to tend to.

"So what're we gonna do while we wait until that thing is ready?" Morgans finally voiced the question of the hour.

"There is work to be done here yet, before we depart." Altanis lowered her gaze once more. "When that cult stronghold was destroyed and its prisoners freed, there were clues toward something else. This world may be relatively safe and free from the deepest bite of the unmaking, but it is not unscathed. They still have strongholds and forces present here. I intend to correct and solve that problem before departing."

"Playing pest control seems kinda beneath you." Morgans chuckled. "Or maybe you just enjoy steppin' on the little bugs cause they had the gall to try and act too big for their britches, huh?"

"They have the audacity to place themselves in positions of authority, and speak for some higher power they believe they understand." Altanis's expression soured, her lips curling into a silent snarl. "Thinking themselves the better of all others simply because they are 'enlightened'. Fools, all of them; driven by fear and madness to an insane fever, desperately clutching at and clinging to any shred of hope, even an imagined one. The unmaking will devour them just as surely as any other, yet they somehow believe their devotion to Darkseid will see them spared." She shook her head. "I find their mindset idiotic, their actions futile, and their very presence repulsive. Removing them from this world will only be of benefit to it in the long run."

"And tearing down the actual unmade presence will help your ego and send a message to the big man, right?" Morgans tossed aside the spent stump of her smoke, shoving her hands into her pockets.

Altanis's eyes narrowed, flicking briefly to Galand's looming presence, before she spat out her answer. "Be careful with your choice of words, miss Morgans...but yes, you are correct. Whether this world knows it or not, it will soon be indebted to me."

Galand just snorted in laughter.

Starting faction quest "The Shine of Gems".
Word count: 836
Quest Count: 836/5,000

 

[Altanis]

Eventually, they reunited once more with Graham and Joey,

"Alright...where to now?"

"Somewhere away from here." Altanis growled as she once again clambered into the uncomfortable position of sprawling in the bed of the truck.

"Oooookay.....guessing business didn't go well, then?"

"Ah, don't let her bad mood fool you." Morgans patted the mechanic on the shoulder as she strode past. "Business, apparently, went great. Got a shiny, new, big-ass ship bein' built as we speak."

"Wow. No shit?" Joey shook her head in amazement. "Hopefully not gonna ask me to try and pilot or drive or....whatever that thing. Cause that's way outta my league."

"Don't concern yourself with that." Altanis waved a hand. "I will be able to manage piloting it myself, for the moment, until I can arrange the hiring of a proper crew to do it."

"Oh. Cool, I guess." The mechanic just shrugged as she clambered into the driver's seat. "So, uh...hold onto your dress. We're outta here." And without further ado, pedal was put to metal and the rickety old truck rumbled into motion, rolling off into the desert sands.

Word count: 184
Quest Count: 1,020/5,000

 

[Altanis]

Their drive was a long, silent one for the most part. Only the noise of desert wind and sand grinding under tires could be heard for the most part, save for the muffled droning of the radio when Joey eventually turned it on. All of it was easy enough to tune out and ignore, thankfully; Altanis was too absorbed in her thoughts and planning for the future.

There was still so much to do on this world before leaving, even after her ship was constructed. A crew would need to be sourced, the unmaking would need to be well and truly squashed, and all other loose ends would need to be handled. Securing a suitable contact and safe haven on-world, if it could be managed, would also be fruitful and beneficial. That would require some large bastion of civilization and someone powerful enough to make it so, however...and such a thing had been sorely lacking thus far, in her experience.

That would need to change.

She rapped on the window to the truck's cab with the knuckles of one hand.

The mechanic fumbled with the radio for a moment, before elbowing the window open. "'Sup, boss lady?"

"What passes for major civilization centers on this world?"

"Major civilization? Uh...." The mechanic rubbed at her neck with one gloved hand. "Okay, kinda weird choice of words, but whatever... There's, uh...buncha tribes and stuff scattered all over. Know where a few of 'em are. But biggest place'd probably be Karim? Smack in the center of the world, where all the water comes from."

"The source of water in a desert world..." Altanis murmured thoughtfully. Yes. That sounded like just the place. "You know how to get there, I trust?"

"Well, uh... N-Never been there personally, no." The mechanic fumbled over her words, hunching her shoulders slightly. "Shouldn't be too hard to find, though...just keep moving toward the greener areas..."

"Ask mister Graham if he knows the route."

Joey muttered something under her breath as she fished for the walkie talkie. "Hey, yo, bandages. Got a question for you."

It was a few quiet seconds before the burned man responded. "Then hopefully I will have an answer. What is it?"

"Karim." After saying the name of the city, Joey paused, licking her lips before continuing. "Boss lady wants to go there, I guess. You know the way?"

The silence that greeted the question spoke volumes. "Yes," the response finally came. "I know how to reach the city."

Altanis leaned forward, placing a hand on the rim of the window. A delicate flick of one finger gently pried the radio from Joey's hand and brought it into her grasp. "Your expertise in navigating this accursed sandball of a world continues to prove its value, mister Graham," she all but purred. "Kindly take the lead, and direct us to this city at the center of the world, if you please."

"Empty flattery ill suits you," came the bandaged man's response. But all the same, moments later the other vehicle accelerated, pulling ahead of Joey's truck and assuming the lead.

"Greeeaaat....guess we're going to the big city..." Joey mumbled, heaving a weary sigh. "Why now, of all times?"

"Business, miss Blaese....that is all you need to know, for the moment."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, keep me in the dark."

"Only for now. Soon you will be enlightened."

Post Word count: 564
Quest Word Count: 1,584/5,000

 

[Altanis]

Progress toward their destination was short-lived. Graham knew the route well, and assured them that at their current pace they could reach it within only a few days of travel, accounting time for rest and refueling along the way.

After only a scant few hours, however, he brought much less pleasant news.

"The weather will soon be turning very foul," he spoke up quietly through the radio. "A storm, or what passes for such in this part of the world. A sandstorm."

"Ah, fuck..." Joey shuddered visibly. "Always managed to take cover before one of those hit, but they're nasty. Real nasty."

Altanis frowned. "And they are dangerous enough to bring a halt to our progress, I take it?"

"Unfortunately. Trying to drive through one would force us to go blind and rely on luck, or slow to a crawl to avoid running into or over anything." The burned man didn't exactly sound pleased about delivering this news himself. And judging by the background noise, Morgans and Galand didn't like hearing him deliver it almost as much as Altanis despised hearing it. "Worst case scenario, it would even damage our vehicles. I can't tell how fierce or long this storm will be, but being caught out in the open when it strikes would serve us no benefit."

"Then we should take cover and rest while it passes," Altanis said shortly. "You can find us a suitable place to do so, I trust?"

"...of course. It may not be comfortable, but it will keep us safe from the storm."

"Fine, then." Much as she loathed the obstacle to their progress, she was forced to begrudgingly accept the reality of it. She had experienced the sandstorms and fierce weather of deserts in her home world, had seen the blistering sand and wind blast armor to shreds and flense those less fortunate to the bone. While she doubted the weather would be that fierce here...she had seen it damage and render useless even much less complex vehicles, and didn't want to imagine what that much sand and grit could do to the engines of ones like they drove now.

She had observed only in passing as Joey worked to get them running, and the inner workings of what was under the hood left her more confused than anything. It would have required far more time than she was willing to invest to properly understand. She only knew that despite their rugged and resilient exterior, the inner workings could be very...delicate.

"Find us a suitable shelter, mister Graham. One that will keep us and our transportation safe."

"As you wish." Prompt and responsive, but quite terse when he wanted to be. Graham was a valuable ally, but a frustrating man to deal with at times.

Post Word count: 467
Quest Word Count: 2,051/5,000

 

[Altanis]

The shelter they found was among a cluster of cliffs and tumbled boulders. Enough space to pull the trucks into, and a suitably large cave to take shelter in. Just as Graham had promised, it was far from comfortable, but it would keep them out of the storm. The darkness and absence of sunlight left the cavern pleasantly cool, as well, a welcome relief from the blazing heat outside.

For all the good luck of finding such a place, however, it didn't go without a hitch. The cave was, as it turned out, not quite uninhabited. As they plodded along into the recesses, lead by a lantern-wielding Joshua Graham, they stumbled upon a cloaked and hooded figure huddled against the wall. At a first passing glance they appeared human, but only at that. Any closer examination started to reveal things that gave it away quite clearly.

The unsettling, otherworldly aura they gave off also made it quite evident they were quite inhuman.

"Who...?" they murmured, lifting their head to squint into the lantern light. "...who are you?"

"It is customary to introduce oneself, before asking for the identity of others," Altanis growled, stepping forward and placing herself between the stranger and those with her. Not out of any sense of protection or obligation, but merely because it was right and proper that the leader be the one to speak.

The cloaked figure shifted in place, to sit fully upright from their huddled position against the wall of the cavern. Though the cloak hid much of their features, it did little to conceal their face, which currently bore a deep-seated scowling glare. "It isn't any of your business who I am."

"Then it is similarly none of your business who we are!" Altanis snapped. "This game is not one I am in any mood to play. State your identity, and we can manage this with some civility."

The stranger again shifted, clutching at the wall with one hand as they abruptly rose up to stand. "You—"

The sudden, unmistakable chk-chak of a shotgun racking a round cut the stranger off, as the barrel of Morgans' weapon was extended into Altanis's field of view. "Nuh-uh. No smart moves, bitch. None of us are in the mood."

The cloaked stranger's scowl deepened, but they relented, retreating a pace and leaning more heavily against the wall. An intent, searching gaze swept over the group, studying each individual intently for several long, tense, silent moment. "Fine, then," they finally growled. "I am—"

They were cut off again by the sudden crack of Galand's halberd smashing into the floor, as the warrior demon asserted his presence. Looming over even Altanis, he leaned forward, eyes blazing green like twin lamps as he was silhouetted against the sun coming from the cave entrance. "Best make sure you tell the truth about who you are, twerp," he rasped, his voice grating and rumbling ominously. "Lying will land you in some real, real cold water."

They cloaked stranger recoiled, expression momentarily twisting into one of mingled surprise and panic. "F-Fine...fine! Honesty, of course..." Then their mouth twisted into a frown, before splitting to bare slightly cracked teeth. "...I am called Flint. I am injured, and sought refuge here until the coming storm passes."

"Flint?" Altanis spoke up, cocking one eyebrow. A curious name, but not one she hadn't heard before. "Very well, then... We seek refuge here for a similar reason." She lifted a hand, and slowly, Morgans lowered her gun and Galand's menacing posture relaxed behind her. "I trust we can keep things peaceful, while we wait out the weather?"

"Do I have any choice...?" Flint grumbled.

Post Word count: 611
Quest Word Count: 2,662/5,000

 

[Altanis]

Flint retreated further into the cave, eyeing the group warily but saying nothing.

As Altanis settled down to rest, Graham approached. "You should be wary of that one," he spoke up quietly. "I've dealt with...their kind before. Dangerous, unpredictable. I've never encountered a damaged one outside of battle before, but I can't imagine they're much different than normal."

"Curious you use the word damaged, rather than injured," Altanis murmured. "But do go on. Exactly what is our little...guest? You seem to know of them."

"I've tried to minimize my interaction with them as much as I can." Graham's eyes narrowed slightly, glancing at Flint's huddled form. "They're called...Gems. Known for being incredibly violent, launching sudden and devastating attacks. Without warning, without provocation, without reason to their targets." The bandaged man's eyes took on a cold, hard cast, and his hand slowly curled into a fist. "More than once I've lost those I was guiding thanks to their sudden appearance, or had a place I was traveling to cease to exist because of them."

"Interesting..." Altanis lifted a hand to her chin, tapping at it thoughtfully. "What do you suggest, then?"

"Leave them be. Or destroy them outright." Graham's response was immediate and full of bitter resentment. "They care little for interacting with other lifeforms outside of their outposts."

"Do you not think it could prove...useful, to perhaps aid them?" The centaur let her gaze drift toward Flint's huddled form, observing them intently. "Aiding an injured one of them could...ingratiate us to them as whole, don't you think?"

"Don't assume they operate the same way as you or I." The burned man's tone grew, if possible, even colder and his hands folded together, one clutching tightly at the other. "They would be thankful in the moment, perhaps...but it would change nothing. You would be just as good a target as any other to them, down the line."

"Hmm." Altanis dropped her arm to her side, resting her hand on her hip. "And so you would suggest attacking and finishing off an injured creature? Very cold of you, mister Graham."

"Sometimes it is necessary to be cold, for the good of all," Graham all but whispered. "I don't enjoy doing such tasks. But the needs of the many are far more valuable than my conscience."

Altanis chuckled quietly. "Your morals continue to astound and amuse," she quietly murmured. "I have no issue with disposing of this...creature, if you think it so wise. But I wish to speak to them first, and see what there is to be gleaned. Perhaps some reward can be weaseled out of them, and this situation can be put to our advantage."

Graham lifted his head to lock eyes with the hellspawn. "I would advise against it. But if that is your decision, then...it is yours to make."

"I am glad we understand one another so well, Graham." Altanis smirked down at the burned man, lifting a hand to let one clawed fingertip hover just a hair's breadth from touching his chin. "You continue to be so valuable and helpful, and yet so inscrutable..." she murmured, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Careful that you do not become such a mystery I cannot resist unraveling you to bare your innards and secrets for all to see."

"I will keep that in mind." He lifted one hand to the strap of his bag, adjusting its heft across his chest. "I will go and keep watch at the cave entrance, for now. When the storm begins to pass, I will let you know." And without a further word, he turned and strode off, leaving behind the lantern he had used for guidance.

"So much hatred and violence behind that infuriatingly calm exterior," Altanis murmured as she watched him depart. "What an interesting man you are, Joshua Graham..."

Post Word count: 636
Quest Word Count: 3,298/5,000

 

[Altanis]

Altanis waited until Graham had taken a seat near to the cave's entrance before she turned and slowly paced deeper into the cavern. "Morgans, Galand, miss Blaese. I wish to speak with our...guest alone, for a moment. If you would?"

Without a word, Galand rose from his crouched posture and plodded off toward the cave entrance. Joey looked uncertainly from Altanis to Flint for a moment before she nodded and shuffled off after the warrior demon. Morgans was the only one who didn't immediately obey.

"I don't buy that," she said flatly, crossing her arms. "You got somethin' underhanded and scheme-y planned, I know it. And you know it ain't gonna work out as smoothly as you got it all planned out in your head. It never does, never will."

"Why, miss Morgans," Altanis laughed. "If I didn't know better, I would almost assume you had begun to care."

The normally stoic woman just blinked and recoiled slightly at that. "Care? About your ass? As if!" She threw her hands up. "Fine! Do whatever you want! Miss bitch and stagger is all yours!" And she stormed off toward the others, grumbling and muttering the whole way.

Altanis shook her head, an amused smirk playing at her features, before turning her eyes toward Flint. The Gem had by now taken notice and eyed the demonic tactician warily, but had yet to take any other action.

"Flint, was it?" Altanis spoke up softly, as she slowly plodded closer. "I wish to have some words with you."

"I thought we were going to keep things civil, and stay apart," the gem grumbled. "What do you want?"

"I've been informed of what you are," the centaur said simply. "A gem. A damaged one, at that." She lifted a hand, making a show of idly checking her nails as she went on. "My companions have had some...rather unpleasant things to say about your kind, and have some very strong opinions about what we should do with you." It was a lie, of course. Only Graham had voiced any such sentiment thus far; that was why she had told the others to make some space. Galand's ability would be troublesome and prove too great an issue for the delicate dance she was about to have with this Gem.

Flint shifted uneasily in place, hands clenching into fists. "Is that so?" she finally rasped. "And what exactly did they have to say?"

"That we should destroy you. Finish you off, make sure you never recover." Altanis flicked one finger, telekinetically brushing away an errant wisp of sand and grit. "I am feeling rather lenient and kind, however...and could perhaps be convinced to stay their hands. Perhaps we might even offer you transport back to whatever outpost you are from."

Flint lifted her head slightly, directing her hooded gaze at the centaur. For a long moment, she just stared, before shifting uneasily. "That would be...appreciated," she finally said, quietly. "Though not out of the goodness of your heart, I imagine."

Altanis let out a short, sharp laugh. "Astute of you!" she said. "No. I don't do anything for free. I would expect something in return for such a service. I know ease and security of transportation, especially to a wounded person, is quite valuable on this world."

Flint's expression hardened, lips forming into a thin line. "If I wasn't in such a sorry state..." she growled, but almost immediately she reined in her expression and tone. "...I don't have anything to offer aside from gratitude."

"Perhaps your....family would be more capable of offering a reward?"

Flint shifted uneasily. "The colony doesn't like outsiders. Not even in a situation like this one."

"Then you mean to say that I would get nothing in return for my expended time?" Altanis put on an air of being offended, frowning deeply as she did so. "Unacceptable. You will have to come up with something to offer in return for my assistance."

Flint's expression turned hard again, and she forced herself upright. "Don't think you can just demand whatever you want because you think you have the upper hand here!" she snarled. "The others will—"

"Do nothing, if you never make it back to them." Altanis sneered down at the gem, baring her teeth in a grin. "I do have the upper hand here. I am trying to be generous, but if you would rather I not waste my time, that can certainly be arranged."

Flint ground her teeth, looking past Altanis to the others, and the raging sandstorm outside. "....you're a real bitch," she finally ground out. "You know that?"

"I have been told as much." Altanis snorted derisively. "But I am also a generous bitch. I don't intend to take much from you." She cocked her head to one side, looking the cloaked and hooded gem up and down. Hard to tell much about them with how they were concealed, but from the overall shape and tone of voice...

The centaur grinned evilly.

"Perform a service for me," she said, voice dropping to a low murmur. "Tend to a certain need of mine. And I will see to it that your need is handled, in return."

Flint glared up at Altanis. "Tell me what you want. I'm not agreeing to anything blindly."

"Making demands, are we?" Altanis bared her teeth in a positively predatory grin. "Take off that ragged cloak and let me get a clear look at you, first. Then we can talk about what I want."

Flint's expression faltered, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "W-What? Why would you...." And she shook her head. "No. You know what? I don't care. Whatever. Fine." And she reached up to tug at the collar of her cloak, undoing the clasp and shrugging out of the sleeves to let it fall into a pile on the floor at her feet.

Post Word count: 982
Quest Word Count: 4,280/5,000

 

[Altanis]

Altanis slowly paced a circle around Flint's exposed form, eyeing the gem up and down. An interesting specimen she was, that much was for certain. Not quite the most ideal thing to look at — both Morgans and Joey had her soundly defeated in the aspect of physical looks — but still fascinating. Very clearly human only in general shape and body structure, and wholly alien otherwise. That alien aspect, however, brought out a new kind of excitement that Altanis hadn't felt in a long, long time. The thrill.

The thrill of experiencing, conquering, dominating, destroying. Ravaging and ravishing in equal measure. Experiencing the body of a new type of creature in the most intimate, thorough of ways.

Altanis's tongue snaked out of her mouth, down to her chin as she smiled, a devious and sinister light twinkling in her eyes. "Acceptable..." she murmured aloud, as she completed her circle. "Yes. I believe you can tend to the need I mentioned very, very well..."

Flint, in spite of herself, shivered and recoiled a pace just from Altanis's expression. "Fucking hell, you're starting to creep me out..." She shifted uneasily in place, lifting one hand up to cover the gemstone visibly bared in her chest. "What is it you want, then? Not agreeing to anything yet."

"What is it I want?" the centaur laughed. "Simple. I want...your body." She leaned forward, looming over the gem as she extended a hand to grasp Flint by the chin. Gently, but firmly and insistently, she forced the suddenly uneasily trembling gem's face up to look her directly in the eye. "I have...a fascination for meeting and experiencing new types of creatures. Offer your body to me, sate the lusts I have been forced to keep restrained for far too long...and I will ensure you are escorted safely home."

Flint's entire body shook, as she tried to wrench herself free of the hellspawn's grasp, but found herself held fast by some unseen force. "You...you're one bold lady," she finally said, in a weak voice. "Just straight up asking for something like that." Her eyes flicked from side to side, thoughts racing behind her gaze as she weighed her options. "Most people at least try and...be a little more subtle about that kind of thing, don't they?"

"I am not 'most people'," Altanis said simply, with an amused edge to her words. "And you did request I be very clear with my request. I trust I have been clear enough?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you been pretty damn clear, alright." Flint took in a deep breath, more to steady herself than anything else. "F-Fine. Do whatever you gotta do, then. Just as long as I get back to my colony after...after this is all over with."

"Oh, rest assured, you won't need to worry about a thing," Altanis murmured, and she gently brushed her thumb over the gem's cheek. Her lips curled up into a sincere smile...though one that didn't quite do all the way, as her eyes remained filled with a cold, greedy desire and no good will. "Once I'm done, all your concerns will be dealt with, I assure you."

"Then...then let's get this over with already," Flint mumbled.

Post Word count: 533
Quest Word Count: 4,813/5,000

 

[Altanis]

CONTENT WARNING: This post has been spoilered and blurred for a reason. Sexual content, somewhat excessive force and violence, veiled threats and questionable consent follow. In no way making light of any of this: if you have any issues, troubles or a strong distaste relating to any of these things, or a past history of any kind of sexual trauma, I recommend not unspoilering and reading.

In short order, Flint found herself sprawled out on her back on a rock. "This kind of thing is meaningless to us, you know," she mumbled. "We don't reproduce like you...organic things do. Don't even have the...the what do you call 'em -- the parts for it. Only gonna be possible at all cause I can still manage to...alter this construct." She grumped, all in one figurative breath. "So just have your fun and get this over with."

Altanis snorted with amusement. "Not even for enjoyment and entertainment? My, what a pitifully droll way of life your kind must lead." And with a sharp clack, one of her hooves came down on the stone right next to Flint's head. "I, for one, find this sort of thing...exhilarating. Where I am from, you would no doubt be put to fine use as...a permanent toy, just for your exotic nature."

"Guess it's good we're not from whatever backwater you're from, then, huh?" Flint rolled her eyes. "Less talk, more getting on with it already, before I change my mind."

A second, sharper impact on stone as Altanis's other front hoof crashed down on the opposite side of the gem's head. "Well, now, we can't have that..." And she stepped forward, completely over her "prey", and let her get a good look at what she was about to be dealing with. "Make sure your...alterations ensure you can handle what's about to happen to you, now. Wouldn't do to have you break or something, before we're finished."

Flint's eyes went wide as she took in the sight. And the feel, as it rested heavily on her chest. "Are you fucking kidding me...?! This thing is..." Big enough she would have been lucky to wrap both hands around it, and it nearly reached her chin; what felt uncomfortably like two heavy, searingly warm soccer balls rested on her legs. No matter what kind of shapeshifting and altering she did there was no way that was going to fit, if she was understanding this whole process right. But as long as it didn't damage her gem, it wouldn't be a problem. Her 'body' was only a projection and relatively disposable, as long as Altanis kept her word afterward.

"Impressed, are we?" Altanis laughed. "You can admire it all you want. We seem to have...plenty of time, thanks to the storm."

"Admire it?!" At that, Flint actually laughed. "This thing is...disgusting. It's so big, it's gotta be a nuisance and get in the way. How do you even deal with it?"

"Perhaps you will change your tune soon enough..." Altanis growled.

At the mouth of the cave, the rest of those gathered heard as a piercing cry went up, a gasping scream that was swiftly choked off. "Fuckin' knew it," Morgans muttered.

The shrieking noises of grunting, moaning, and screaming mingled with the slapping of flesh and the grinding of stone seemed to last hours.

Flint had been pushed and stressed to her limits, in her damaged and injured state, and been reduced to just lolling on the rock as her projected body was ravaged and broken. In spite of her original fears, it had all fit, and if she had been a properly living being...

Well. At least her projected body was only that: a projection.

When Altanis was finally done, the gem had been reduced to a broken and useless mess, her midsection almost comically stretched out and swollen like an overinflated balloon. The rocks and cave floor around them were positively flooded and coated in steaming, sticky white, and the same weakly bubbled and oozed out of Flint's body from both ends.

"You were...an experience," Altanis murmured, tracing her clawed fingers delicately over the gem's head. "And now that you have so adequately held up your end of our little deal, it is time I held up mind."

Flint tried to say something, but only succeeded in weakly gurgling and spitting out a mouth full of sticky, white seed.

Post Word count: 668
Quest Word Count: 5,481/5,000

 

[Altanis]

"Ah ah ah..." Altanis placed a finger to the gem's lips, and smirked. "You needn't worry about a thing now, remember? I promised you would be taken care of."

Flint just nodded absently, her eyes drifting closed as her head dropped back against the rock with a soft thunk. And moments later...her entire body just ripped apart and disappeared with a sudden, sharp poof, leaving only her gemstone behind to roll off and land in the pool of seed flooding the cavern floor with a wet plop.

With a sneering grin, Altanis reached down and plucked it up, turning to saunter back toward the cave entrance. "And as I promised, you won't need to worry about a thing anymore." A dim red haze lit up around the gem, and it floated out of her hand. Slowly, splinters and cracks formed across the gem's surface, and as the centaur let out a cold, hollow laugh the entire thing shattered into splinters, and was tossed back over her shoulders to splash down in the steaming muck. "Rest in peace, you worthless creature."

Post Word count: 183
Quest Word Count: 5,664/5,000