Monster Girl Island 12 Chapter 3

My lord, Bungal gasped as he observed the scene. Is this normal for you all?

“This was nothing,” Nadir explained as she sharpened her axe on a makeshift whetstone. “When we get into major battles, nearby rivers run red with the blood of our slain enemies.”

“That’s never happened,” I chuckled. “Though I admit it would be pretty badass if it did.”

I’m just sorry I couldn’t be more help, Tirian sighed. This thing was way too fast for me.

Don’t feel bad, Cerin reassured the silver dragon. He took out both me and Bungal up there. Anything that can take down multiple dragons is a legitimate threat.

“It’s a shame you couldn’t have just burned him, Bungal” Nadir mused. “Next time, I expect you to use your full power, alright? No more of this weird gentlemanly stuff. You are a big bad ass dragon! You need to roar and pounce and smash and breath all the fire!”

If I must. Bungal nodded, and his jowls jiggled like two bowls of brown pudding. It is quite the burden to carry such primal strength along with such a sophisticated mind. But I promise, should we find ourselves in such a similar scenario, I shall not hesitate to use force.

“That’s my mighty dragon!” Nadir grinned before she inspected her blade.

“I can’t believe it’s dead,” Valea noted. “With our top two predators eliminated, this island will be thriving in no time at all. The auras of this area have already changed for the better, and I can only predict this good will shall spread to the other living beings that inhabit our home.”

“Speaking of home,” Kehlaan grumbled as he rubbed the knot on his head. “I hope you still have a bunch of that healing ointment. I think he may have cracked the hard shell inside my head.”

“We have plenty,” Pae promised. “Though I don’t think your situation is as dire as you believe.”

“It really hurts, Mom,” the hedgehog boy protested. “If I don’t get it fixed soon, I might-- Uh, actually, never mind. I’m perfectly fine. In fact, I know for a fact I hurt him way worse than he could have possibly hurt me.”

Kehlaan changed his tune as Jonas, Marella, and Cerin approached, and both me and Pae rolled our eyes at his faux “tough guy” routine.

“Is that so?” Marella raised an eyebrow at the boy.

“Sure is!” Kehlaan puffed out his chest and held his head high. “A true warrior doesn’t feel pain, after all.”

Marella exchanged a smirk with Cerin, and then my daughter placed her hand against Kehlaan’s head.

Right on the spot where he had a knot.

“How brave,” Marella mused in an obviously fake voice. “You have no idea how proud I am of you, Kehlaan.”

Meanwhile, Kehlaan’s eyes were filled with a mixture of joy and sheer agony. The boy’s jaw was clenched tighter than a fly’s asshole, and his fists were clenched just as tight. Tears seemed to well up in the kid’s eyes, as well, but he tried to play it coy.

“Don’t mention it.” Kehlaan’s words slipped out in a small squeak.

Marella removed her hand from the hedgehog boy’s wound before she gave him a half-smile, and then she turned her attention back to me.

“What is our plan of attack, Draco Rex?” Jonas asked. “Is our intention to continue exploring the island, or are we satisfied to return home now that we have Bungal on our side?”

“Probably the second one,” I admitted. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want to see the third, fourth, and fifth ‘most deadly’ creatures in this place. I want to head back home where we can enjoy some of Baratu and Hali’s delicious cooking and the company of all our friends.”

“But first we must return to the Spindrel dwelling,” Pae noted. “Though he may be exaggerating his wounds a bit, Kehlaan is right. We all took quite a beating from the Oshware, and it would do us good to heal up before we venture anywhere. Even if that is a simple voyage back to your home island.”

“Fair enough.” I nodded. “Marella? Cerin? You two go round up everybody else and let them know what’s going on.”

“Can do.” My daughter grinned, and then she and her dragon headed off.

“Did-- did you see that, Mom?” Kehlaan gasped and looked at his mother. “She touched me!”

“Easy there, killer,” I warned as I held back the annoyance in my voice. “That’s the only ‘touching’ you’re going to get from my daughter, kapeesh?”

“Did you just sneeze?” The hedgehog boy raised an eyebrow.

“It’s an expression,” I sighed. “It means ‘you understand, right?’ Now… Do you?”

“Uh, yes, Draco Rex,” Kehlaan gulped. “I will not allow her to touch me like that any more.”

“Oh, I don’t mind if she touches you like that,” I chuckled. “That was actually kind of funny. No… It’s when you get any other ideas about touching… Those are the offenses punishable by the death penalty.”

“Wow.” The boy shuddered. “There really is a lot more to this whole ‘birds and bees’ thing, isn’t there?”

“Son,” I grumbled as I narrowed my eyes and stared deep into Kehlaan’s soul. “Please do not ever, ever mention ‘the birds and the bees’ in the same sentence as my daughter again.”

Kelhaan’s eyes grew as wide as saucers, and then he looked down at the ground nervously as he fidgeted his thumbs.

“I- uh,” he sputtered. “I think Shala and Erel needed me for something over there…”

Kehlaan turned away and then dashed over to the other Spindrel women so fast, I swore I was watching an old roadrunner cartoon.

“You know he’s just a lonely adolescent boy, right?” Pae chuckled once her son was out of earshot. “He has never met any girls his age before your daughter came along. It’s only natural he has those sorts of feelings… I certainly did at his age.”

“So did I,” I admitted. “And I understand it’s completely normal. Just as long as it’s not my daughter.”

“I don’t think you have to worry,” the silver-haired beauty continued. “It’s obvious to everybody but Kehlaan himself Marella has no interest.”

“I suppose,” I finally conceded. “It doesn’t help that she's my firstborn. I’ve been told those are the ones you’re most protective about.”

“I can attest to that.” Pae smirked. “I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to my beloved Kehlaan. Or the child who currently resides within me.”

I walked over to the Magnus Dux and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Then I gave her a comforting kiss on the lips as my hands traced the small of her back, and I held her as tightly as I possibly could.

“You don’t have to worry about that, Pae,” I promised. “Now that you’re coming with us, your people will be safe. And yes, this includes your son. I may give him shit all the time as an overprotective father, but I would never actually let any harm come to the boy.”

“I appreciate that,” Pae joked. “I know it must be a difficult concession for you.”

“One of the hardest I’ve ever had to do,” I lied with a wink. “Though I can’t promise I won’t bop him upside the head if he says something too suggestive to Marella.”

“That is also a fair concession,” the silver-haired Spindrel woman laughed.

Pae and I held each other for a few more minutes, and then Marella and Cerin returned with the rest of the crew.

“Are you two done making a second heir over here?” Shala guffawed. “I don’t think it’s possible to get pregnant twice during one term.”

“That’s not what we were doing,” I explained with a roll of my eyes. “That’d be pretty bold, considering you are all right over there.”

“You can mate anywhere.” The dark-haired hedgehog woman winked. “As long as you are stealthy enough about it.”

“It’s difficult to be stealthy with Ben,” Batari admitted. “Once you get into… ‘motion,’ your vocalizations start to get away from you.”

“Excuse me while I go gouge out my eardrums.” Marella slapped her hands over her pointed ears. “And maybe my eyes, as well, since I’m now starting to get some weird visuals in my head. Actually, Cerin? Do you think you could just put me out of my misery?”

And leave me all alone with Kehlaan and my brother back home? Cerin scoffed. Not a chance, dear.

“All joking aside,” Pae began as she tried to get us back on track. “We should return to our cave. The journey will certainly take most of the day, and there is still much we need to gather up before we can set out for the Draco Rex’s island.”

“We certainly don’t want to be out here come nightfall,” Valea agreed. “Our two greatest nighttime threats may have already been eliminated, but there are many, many more out there. We’d be overwhelmed by the sheer number alone.”

“Then it’s best we get back.” I nodded before I gathered up what little belongings I had.

The rest of my crew followed suit, and soon we were on our way back to the Spindrel dwelling. Even though the journey was just as long and tedious as the first time, it felt not nearly as treacherous.

I wasn’t sure if that was because we had now eliminated all of our biggest threats, or if it was because we now had a giant, fire-breathing dragon that hovered above us as we walked. Either way, we returned to the ethereal-looking hedge in no time flat, but there was one problem we quickly discovered when we arrived.

There was no fucking way Bungal was going inside.

You live in this bush? Bungal asked as he curiously looked over the foliage.

“Underneath the bush,” I confirmed. “I don’t know if you’re gonna be able to fit inside, though.”

Is that a comment on my stature? the fat brown dragon gasped. I might be a tad on the rotund side, but we dragons are known for our flexibility!

Cerin and I barely fit, Tirian noted. I was passed out the whole time, but she told me she kept accidentally slamming my head into the wall since there was no room for error.

Too small for you? Bungal frowned. I’m afraid I am not so flexible. Not unless I were to jellify all the bones in my body and then squeeze through the entrance like a worm.

“Maybe just hang around outside?” Mira suggested with a raised eyebrow. “That would most certainly be an easier option.”

But… Didn’t you say there were horrific beasts out here? Bungal protested. If I shall stay the night outside, in the darkness, I could quite easily be picked apart by beasts so foul.

“No way.” Nadir shook her head and stepped to the front of the group. “That is the sort of talk I will never accept from my bondmate. Look at you, Bungal! You’re the mightiest creature on this island right now, and every other beast knows it. They know just how dangerous you are, with your mighty fire breath and claws as large as one of our axes! They wouldn’t dare to come anywhere near you, my faithful dragon minion.”

If it makes you feel any better, Tirian suggested. I could stay out here with you. We could take turns standing guard.

Would you do that for me, dear boy? Bungal’s eyes seemed to well with tears. What a kind gesture.

If he’s staying out here, I will, too, Cerin declared. We dragons need to stick together.

“You will?” Marella asked her bondmate telepathically and then not-so-subtly gestured to Kehlaan. “But what about… Him?”

You can handle yourself, dear. Cerin smiled at my daughter. If he gets too annoying, just tell him that you had a vision… A vision of him getting a black eye. Then you can make the prophecy come true.

“Always with the sharp wit, Cerin.” Marella grinned. “Try to stay safe out here.”

Please, the purple water dragon scoffed. There’s going to be four dragons out here. What animal would possibly be stupid enough to try and mess with us?

Hold on, Swaer’s tiny voice interjected. Four dragons? When did I ever agree to this?

I assumed that-- Cerin began before she was cut off by the little red guy.

Batari needs me. Swaer shook his head. She always struggles to sleep if I’m not there… I think it’s a comfort thing. So, even though I’d love to help out, I can’t. Sorry.

“Don’t mind Swaer,” Batari chuckled. “He is a bit afraid of the dark. I’m sure it’s something he’ll get over once he gets older.”

I’m not afraid of the dark! The furry red noodle perked up and stared daggers into his bondmate. I just don’t like thinking about what’s out there in the dark.

“Close enough.” The Queen Mother shrugged.

It’s alright, Swaer, Tirian reassured the little guy. I don’t really like the dark, either. Of course, I can always just spit a little fire breath and make it all go away…

Lucky you, Swaer scoffed. All I do when I unleash my breath into the night is give myself away. And maybe blow down a few trees in the process.

“You can stay inside with us,” I promised the wind dragon. “Between Cerin, Tirian, and Bungal, I doubt there will be too much excitement out here. We’ll see you guys in the morning, alright? We’re going to try and head out at first light, that way we have plenty of time to get back home.”

Sounds like a plan. Tirian nodded with a snort.

“Good night, Cerin.” Marella hugged her dragon tightly around the neck and rested her head against the creature’s violet scales. “Try to get some rest, okay?”

And you try not to kill that boy. Cerin winked at her bondmate.

“No promises,” my daughter laughed.

Meanwhile, Bungal wore a giant smile across his face as he looked at Nadir, and he then floated a little bit closer to the Coonag woman.

I suppose this is goodnight, then? Bungal declared.

“I guess it is,” Nadir confirmed.

There was an awkward silence between the two as Bungal’s eyes darted back and forth between Nadir and the embracing bondmates off to her left. All the while, the fat dragon’s wings fluttered happily behind him like a cherub, and his stubby forelegs opened wide as he awaited the Coonag woman.

Nadir, however, wasn’t taking the hint.

Um… Bungal cleared his throat. Is that all, then?

“What more is there to do?” Nadir raised an eyebrow at the dragon. “Goodnight, my friend. Lezan and I will be up before the sun even sets, so I hope you are ready for an early morning!”

With that, Nadir turned around and shuffled over to the tunnel.

Bungal continued to hold his arms open for a second or two before he let them flop down against his belly fat, hung his head, and sighed.

I suppose our relationship will be a bit less chummy than some, won’t it? The fat dragon asked me privately via the dragonbond.

“Don’t worry about it, Bungal,” I told the big guy. “It took me forever to get Nadir to open up to me, too. Just give it some time. You two will be inseparable before you know it.”

You-- You truly believe that? Bungal’s eyes perked up a bit.

“I sure do,” I reaffirmed. “She’s the ‘tough one’ of the group, so she’s always a bit cold when she first meets new people. Trust me, though… She’ll come around.”

I say! The fat dragon rubbed his large paws together happily. That is the best news I have heard all day. Now, what sort of entertainment shall the three of us indulge in to pass the time? I am particularly good at the game where you act things out while you try to guess what I am acting.

Is it too late to change my mind and go back into the cave? Cerin chuckled.

The water dragon must have only been joking, however, because she and Tirian both remained outside with Bungal while the rest of us began our journey through the hedge.

Whew, Swaer huffed as he attached himself to Batari’s arm. I’m glad I got out of that one. I might hate the dark, but I think I hate performing even more!

“Aren’t you just an infant?” Batari mused as she crawled through the glowing foliage. “You should love playing games.”

I don’t even know a single game, the wind dragon confirmed. But I do know whenever Arrick asks me to reenact our battles, I start to sweat, and my heart beats like it’s about to pop out of my chest.

“Awww,” Marella giggled. “Swaer gets stage fright.”

I don’t know what it’s called, the little red guy admitted. But I don’t like it.

My crew and I continued our crawl down through the hedge until the green leaves disappeared and opened up into the large cavern that made up the Spindrel dwelling. The sound of the underground waterfall echoed off the walls as it cascaded down into the crystal blue lake before us, and the entire place was illuminated by the bright neon glow of the luminos roots that jutted down through the ceiling.

“It’s strange to think this may be the last time we ever see this place,” Ura sighed as she looked over the otherworldly cavern.

“It will not be,” Pae promised. “I can assure you we will be back within our lifetime. We just need to make sure we come back with the next generation of Spindrels at our side.”

“Ugh,” Lezan groaned as she stared up at the platform above. “I really don’t want to climb up all those stairs again. Ahwara, is there any way you could just carry me up there under the power of your wings?”

“Me, too,” Nadir requested. “I’ll admit I’m starting to feel the side effects of the pregnancy a lot more than I had been, and I don’t think my swollen feet will be able to handle another hike up those steps.”

“Alright,” the orange-haired butterfly woman chuckled. “But realize this is a one time thing, and only because you are so heavily pregnant.”

“Of course!” Nadir sighed with relief. “Now, if you would be so kind…”

Ahwara rolled her eyes as she spread out her monarch-patterned pink wings. The Morpho woman approached Nadir from behind, wrapped her arms underneath the Coonag’s armpits, and then proceeded to float up into the air. Ahwara’s momentum halted in place when she encountered Nadir’s weight, though she let out a grunt as she pushed through and finally was able to lift her passenger off the ground. Ahwara and Nadir fluttered high in the air as they moved further and further away from us, until eventually they disappeared over the side of the platform above.

Not long after the orange-haired woman hopped back over, held her hands out in front of her face, and dived down toward the lake below. Ahwara spread her wings at the very last second, swooped over the surface of the water, and then landed right next to Lezan.

“Last call,” the Morpho woman chuckled as she picked up Lezan. “I’m not coming back down after this one.”

“I think we’re good,” I mused. “We’ll see you up top.”

Ahwara nodded before she lifted off into the sky once more, with the Coonag woman in her arms. Lezan let out a cackle of glee as she was carried up onto the platform, and then both of the women vanished in seconds.

“I think I’m going to stay down here with Mieramwa,” Ashanti said as she observed the stairs. “He’s going to want some company, and the dragons are all outside.”

“That’s fine,” I agreed. “I guess that means the rest of us should head up to the main level.”

“What exactly do you all need to grab, anyway?” Theora questioned as she brushed a few strands of hair out of her emerald eyes. “Isn’t most of your stuff just made of natural materials that can be found anywhere?”

“For the most part, yes,” Pae admitted. “But why would we want to start over? We already have several weapons, medicines, and pieces of clothing made. It would be a travesty to leave those behind.”

“Not like we’re going anywhere, anyways,” Alvee grumbled. “Not in the night.”

“Exactly,” the Magnus Dux continued. “We’re going to have to stay here for the night anyway, so we may as well gather our few possessions while we have the chance.”

“Let’s get on it, then,” Theora sighed. “The quicker we start up these stairs, the sooner we can be done.”

Though all of us groaned heartily at the prospect of the stairs, we swallowed our pride and got to work. We had already spent most of the day walking around, so our feet were sore, and every muscle in our lower body ached with a dull, throbbing sensation.

Yet, we carried on.

My crew and the Spindrel women took the long journey up the stairs without much fanfare or issue, but when we arrived at the top, I thought I was about to collapse. My legs trembled as if they were made of jello, and my joints were all on fire. That didn’t even address my feet, which felt like they were so swollen they could burst through the casing of my boots at any moment.

“I know just what we need,” Valea announced with a smile and a raised finger. “The ice baths!”

“Ohhhhhh,” Shala purred. “That is just what I need right now.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Alvee agreed.

“Ice bath?” Theora gulped. “Is that… Is that back down in the lake?”

“Of course not,” Valea chuckled. “Believe it or not, we do not like to travel those stairs, either. The ice baths are all up here, though we often have used water from the lake to make it cool.”

“Did somebody say ‘ice bath?’” Lezan declared as she, Nadir, and Ahwara approached. “I would kill to dip my feet in cold water right about now.”

“Follow me, then,” the blonde Spindrel woman said. “All of your auras are giving off vibes of stress and frustration, and this is the perfect solution.”

“I could have told you that,” Shala chuckled. “Now, come on… I don’t want to spend another minute in this armor than I have to.”

Valea motioned for us to follow her, and then she led us along the series of carved-out doorways. Once we were about halfway down the length of the wall, she stopped, turned to face us, and proudly pointed to a sign written in the Spindrel’s native tongue.

“Behold!” the naturalist declared. “The solution to all of your problems.”

“Unless you’ve got some palm-wine in there,” Batari laughed. “I don’t think that’s true.”

Valea quickly shuffled through the doorway, and we were right behind her. Once we were all through the threshold, a calming rush of cold air washed over my body like a tidal wave.

This particular room was illuminated by vibrant ocean-blue colored luminos roots, and their soft glow radiated off the walls to create an ambiance of calm and tranquility. There were four above-ground tubs that glowed equally as bright, as they were made out of luminos leaves woven together as tightly as humanly possible and filled to the brim with crystal clear water. Inside the water were a few bits of ice that floated to the surface and bobbed to and fro like a fishing lure, and I could feel the chill from the tubs from all the way over here.

“Wow,” I muttered as I looked over the room. “I feel better already.”

“You may stay in here as long as you desire,” Valea noted as she gestured to the tubs. “But I’m afraid there aren’t enough for all of us… Which is why I think I will take the Draco Rex over to the overflow room.”

“You do whatever you want with the Draco Rex,” Ura scoffed as she bolted to the tub. “I just want to hop into the water!”

I watched as all of my friends, from Jonas and Mira to Batari and Swaer, walked over to the tubs and then hoisted themselves in. Each of them let out a different cry of shock as they were submerged in the icy water, but eventually their shivering and shock turned into relaxed sighs.

“This puts our mud pits to shame,” Batari sighed as she leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. “How do you not spend every waking moment in these tubs?”

“You’ll see why in a bit,” Erel giggled. “It is great for the initial soak, but if you stay in here too long, you start to feel like all of your internal organs are shutting down.”

“It happened to me once,” Kehlaan noted. “After a long day of hunting and exercising to keep these muscles nice and large, I took a swim in the ice bath and, well… I fell asleep.”

“I truly thought he was dead,” Pae chuckled. “He was just sitting there completely unresponsive, with his skin as white as the clouds and his lips bluer than these roots.”

“I had to work some of my best magic to get him back to normal,” Valea reminisced. “Luckily for him, I had some ground-up furstrider bones sitting around. Since those creatures infamously have insulated bones, the powder warmed Kehlaan’s body from the inside out, which saved his life.”

“So, don’t fall asleep,” Marella said through a shiver. “Got it.”

“In the meantime,” the blonde naturalist continued, “I shall get the Draco Rex acquainted in the other room. Come, my friend.”

“You can just call me ‘Ben,’” I explained to the Spindrel women. “I only make my enemies and strangers call me ‘Draco Rex’ outside of a formal setting, and you are neither.”

Valea’s brown eyes lit up at my words, and a soft smile rose from the corner of her mouth before she headed toward the room’s exit and beckoned for me to follow.

I waved goodbye to all of my crewmates before I stepped out onto the platform again, and I was curious as to where we were going. Sure, it looked to be a tad cramped in the ice bath tubs, but it was nothing I wasn’t used to. I wasn’t sure why I needed my own private room, unless…

The thought suddenly crossed my mind as I followed the scantily-clad hedgehog woman further and further away from the rest of the team.

She wanted to get me alone for a reason.

Valea eventually led me to another room nearly two-hundred feet away from where we’d just been, and as we passed through the threshold of the doorway, I noted this chamber was set up way differently.

Instead of ambient blue light, this room was lit up by a mixture of bright yellows and lime greens. At the center of the room was an ice tub much like the ones that had been in the other space, though this particular one was carved out into the floor and was practically filled to the brim with chunks of ice. Off to the right of the tub was a large thatched table made out of glowing luminos leaves, atop a bit of wood that made up its structure.

Most peculiar of all, however, were the carved-out cylinders lining the walls of the room, and I saw they were filled with cuttings from the luminos plants. The cylinders lit up the room as makeshift lanterns and gave the entire space a bit of tender ambiance that wasn’t present anywhere else in this dwelling.

“The other room was the public ice baths,” Valea said when she saw my confusion. “Which was where we would often send parties of hunters after they had returned from their endeavors. This here, however, is what I like to call the ‘relaxation room.’”

“Relaxation room?” I asked with both eyebrows raised.

“This room is for an individual to come and get away from all the stresses of everyday life,” the blonde woman explained. “Notice there is an ice bath here, as well, though there is also a table for relaxation rubbing.”

“Relaxation rubbing?” I chuckled at the name as a million dirty thoughts flitted through my head. “Dare I ask what that is?”

Valea’s brow furrowed as she mulled over my words, but then her thin lips fell into a frown as her mouth slowly dropped.

“It’s not… That!” the Spindrel woman guffawed. “Sure, perhaps you could do that on the table if you wanted, but that’s not its intended use. You’re supposed to lay on the table while one of the healers rubs your body softly, and it makes you feel more relaxed.”

“In my world, we call that a ‘massage,’” I said with a wink. “It makes it harder to confuse for other, more suggestive actions.”

Valea’s face flushed red as she glanced down at the ground and smirked. Once the blonde woman had recomposed herself, she strutted over to the massage table and patted it furiously.

“Come, Draco-- Ben, I mean.” Valea shook her head as she caught herself. “Come over here, Ben. Your auras tell me you are in need of a bit of relaxation.”

That was the fucking truth.

“I haven’t had a massage in years,” I admitted as I approached the table.

As I went to get up on the table, however, Valea stopped me with a raised hand. The hedgehog woman then cleared her throat and gestured across my entire body.

“If you want this to work,” she said, “you’ll need to remove your clothing. It is difficult to touch the correct relaxation spots through fabric or armor.”

My heart skipped a beat at Valea’s suggestion. I was now alone with a beautiful blonde hedgehog woman, and she wanted me to get naked so she could touch me better. A familiar throbbing sensation started in my loins, but I was able to use every bit of willpower I had available to keep myself from getting an erection.

Still, my body was on pins and needles as I pulled my shirt from my torso and tossed it to the side.

“Alright,” I chuckled nervously. “How’s that?”

“Your pants, as well,” Valea commanded with a hint of a smile. “There are several relaxation points in your legs and your rear, as well.”

Of course.

I thought about everything I possibly could to keep myself from popping one right then and there. I thought about baseball, my time in basic training, the last time I went sailing in Florida, and even freaking Godzilla.

I knew it was hard enough to be a masseuse without having to stare at a stiffy the entire time. Plus, it was going to be a pain in the ass to try and lay on my stomach if I was erect.

Finally, I took a deep breath, reached down to my waistband, and quickly yanked down my pants.

Keep thinking about Godzilla, Ben. Just keep thinking about Godzilla.

Valea’s eyes widened when she saw my naked penis, and she bit her lip softly, but she quickly tried to recompose herself. The blonde naturalist averted her eyes as she patted the top of the massage table, so I hoisted myself up and laid down flat on my stomach. The second I was prone, Valea’s hands pressed into my back and began to rub me gently.

It was pure fucking euphoria.

My eyes just about rolled back in my head as the hedgehog woman started on my shoulders and neck and then moved down to the small of my back. Eventually, her hands wandered down to my ass, and my manhood throbbed with excitement as Valea rubbed my glutes with vigor.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask,” I spoke up to break some of the tension. “You said back there that you read all of our auras, but how? You had to go through a whole process and incantation when you tried to do it for the dragon earlier.”

“That’s simple,” Valea mused as she pressed her fingers into my hips. “Dragons are a foreign creature to us Spindrel. Before Bungal and your crew showed up, we’d never seen one of those creatures before in our lives. I can read the auras of my Spindrel friends and the luminos plants and any animals that regularly inhabit this island like second nature, mainly because I have been around them so much. But a dragon or a Coonag or even somebody like you? It takes a little bit more work.”

“Then how can you read my aura right now?” I mused.

“Simple,” the hedgehog woman teased. “Because I did the incantation on you and your friends way back when we first met. Or, more accurately, when we first saw you.”

“Hold on,” I gasped. “How long were you and the others watching us before you made your move?”

“Quite some time,” the blonde admitted. “We followed you throughout the forest for nearly an hour as we tried to figure out if you were friend or foe. Unfortunately, Kehlaan decided to run straight into the fight and gave us away.”

“Well?” I asked. “What insights did you get from watching us and trying to read our auras?”

“It was… Difficult to discern,” Valea sighed. “There was nothing quite hostile about your auras when we read them, but something just felt off. It was as if you were nervous, stressed, and fearful all at the same time.”

“In all fairness,” I chucked, “we were on a foreign island we’d never visited before, looking for a dragon we knew was wild and could kill us with a single breath of fire. You’d be pretty stressed and fearful, too!”

“That is understandable,” the Spindrel woman continued. “In fact, it seems like you carry a lot of stress around, Ben… Particularly in your lower back.”

When Valea moved down to my thighs, I feared I was about to have a freaking orgasm. Her touch was so gentle and soothing that my muscles relaxed in an instant, and this time my eyes really did roll back in my head.

“Wow,” I moaned into the table. “I think you literally just released tension I’ve been carrying around since high school.”

“You’ve had a long journey,” Valea mused. “After all the walking you have done in the last few days, I’m surprised you aren’t more tense.”

“It honestly just kinda becomes numb after a while,” I sighed.

“That’s why it’s important to have these relaxation rubs,” the hedgehog woman chuckled.

Valea continued to rub me softly for another twenty minutes. Then, once she had explored every bit of my body, she pulled back and gave my butt a firm squeeze.

“Hey!” I gasped. “Is that part of the ‘relaxation rub?’”

“Sorry,” she giggled. “I couldn’t resist. They’re just so firm, and I’ve had my eyes on them for quite some time.”

“Really?” I asked as I felt the blood rush to my manhood. “Were you trying to read my aura that way, too?”

“Nope,” Valea retorted. “I am just a strong admirer of a well-chiseled figure. Now… We need to do your front, so roll over.”

Ohhhhh, boy.

Even though I was trying to use every ounce of willpower I had, I knew what was about to go down. Once I rolled over, Valea was going to get a massive surprise.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I could totally go for some more on the backside.”

“Roll over,” the Spindrel woman repeated. “I don’t want to leave the job half done.”

If she insisted.

I took a deep breath and then quickly shifted my weight so t I was on my back. Sure enough, my dick was rock-hard and at full attention.

This time, Valea’s mouth fell to the floor. She made no effort to hide her amazement at the size of my erection, though she didn’t outright say anything. Instead, she simply cleared her throat, walked over to my side, and began to rub my chest.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “I guess that’s what happens when a beautiful woman like yourself touches my ass. I can try to get it to go back down, if you want.”

“No!” Valea gasped. “I mean, uh… It is no problem. I touched you intimately, so your body responded appropriately. There is nothing to it.”

Valea awkwardly rubbed my chest and the front of my shoulders as she tried to ignore the giant, throbbing erection that stood only a few feet from her body. She continued on with the massage for about five more minutes before she took a step back, slumped her shoulders, and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned. “Is this thing bothering you?”

“Yes,” the blonde woman admitted. “It’s bothering me a lot, in fact.”

“I’m sorry.” I frowned. “I can put my pants back on if--”

“It’s bothering me that I haven’t given it any attention yet,” Valea purred as she stared at my cock. “But that’s about to change.”