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Few people, even Louisiana locals wouldn't be caught out in the Honey Island swamps this late. And it wasn't the humidity. It wasn't the clouds of bloodsucking insects. It wasn't even the peasoup thick humid air. It was the monster of Honey Isle. Some unknown beast that stalked the stagnant waters of the swamps. And as rumor and legend had it killed trespassers. No tours ran near sunset and not a soul fished or hunted when darkness crept in. The legend of it might have been exploited as a draw for tourists but their was real and respect for the monster.
A respect that Tessa Leveau didn't have. Because she didn't believe in superstition, she believed in real magick. The power she could feel flowing through her blood. The knowledge passed down from her ancestor, and her own honed skill.
With spells weaved about her to keep off the heat and the bugs, she paddled through the depths of the swamp. At the head of her canoe hung an old fashioned lantern lit by her own power. She could have had an orb bright enough to illuminate the area about her boat following her. But even these days folks with gifts like hers had to be cautious. It was bad news if the wrong people knew what you could do.
And her caution was proven correct when she herd a rumbling engine. Seconds later a mid sized speed boat came into to small clearing in the swamp. On it rode a tall young man, with black hair, fair skin and strong build. Most gals would have been disarmed by a guy like that. But at a glance Tessa could tell something was off about him.
"Evening!" He had a thick Scottish brogue to his voice, obviously an out of towner just like Tessa. "Evening." As friendly as he was Tessa kept her hands ready to work magic, offensive spells just on the tip of her tongue. "I didn't expect anyone else to be about this late." Tessa snorted. "I could say the same to you." The Scotsman gave her a winning smile. "Fair enough. I'm out her doing a bit of big game hunting. Hoping to bag an alligator."
Tessa could tell if he was mad or just plain stupid. "At night? Not even the folk who hunt those things for a living wouldn't do it now." He shrugged. "Eh, I'm a risk taker. Runs in the family. But since we're playing twenty questions, mind if I ask what you're doing here?" Tessa gave him a sardonic look. "I'm out looking for faeries"
The hunter looked surprised for only a moment before that easy smile cracked on his face. "Ah, well don't let me keep you miss." He reved up the engine of his boat. "Be careful not to fall into any faerie rings. " The sound of his voice was almost drowned out by the sound of kicked up water and the rumble of his boats engine.
Tessa watched him go, she usually pulled out the faeire card to get some peace from the normals. And while it usually drove most folks away, tall, dark and Scottish's reaction was a tad strange. But for the life at her she couldn't put a finger on it as to why. So just to be safe she cast of spell of protection, with a wave of her hand a blue light sparked into existence.
"Fortitude of Aigis, guard my body. Eyes of eagles watch over me." And on she went. By now the sun had completely set and the brightness of her lantern intensified in response. Pulling her paddle back into the boat, she thumbed through a copy of her multiple times great grandmothers journal.
'At the swamps heart, farther than any boat could go through clustering trees, a stagnant water lies a cypress tree. Taller an more ancient than any in it swamp. It's size rivals the enormous red woods far to the west. And its roots sink deep into the swamps floor. It grows from a mound alike to an island half submerged in the stagnant waters. There I found a powerful people in need. I helped them and they helped me in turn. Never had I had such devoted friends.'
M. Laveau 1868
"Hmm….." Closing the notebook Tessa looked forward, the light of her lamp illuminated a thick cluster of trees and plants. Unless she had a Buzz saws attached to her boat she wasn't getting through with out using magic. Bending the plants out of her path might have been doable. But it was straining enough to keep up the spells she already had active. "Looks like its time for another approach." Tying her boat to a sturdy stump she removed her clothes. With the smallest application of her will, every spell was snuffed out. She was left in darkness and at the mercy of the mosquitos, until soft brown skin morphed into hard leathery scales.
Shifting wasn't painful but it felt weird. In the transitory seconds between becoming one thing or another. Her body felt like silly putty. Her solid matter being shaped before hardening into something else. Tessa now a very large Alligator, slid into the water. In a form more suited for the environment Tessa trudged on wards. Swimming through stagnant water and crawling through foliage.
After about two hours of travel she came across it. A large, half submerged hill covered in grass with a massive cypress hill growing from its top. Illuminated by the light the moon gave off, Tessa saw no sign of the friends her great great grandmother. Tessa let out an annoyed hiss, she respected her ancestor but she wasn't to keen on being led on a wild goose chase. Especially by a woman that had been dead for over a hundred years. Then a though popped in her head. 'She didn't say her friends were on top of the hill.'
Taking a deep breath she dove into moss stained waters and did a circuit about the islet. Bumping at its edges with her snout before she found an opening. An opening lined with stone in the hills northern side that seemed to have been carved into. She followed the opening into a tunnel that led into the hills interior.
Its darkness soon gave way to light and she surfaced in a pool. Alligator faces couldn't show shock, but what she was seeing was no less than a marvel. Large bioluminescent mushrooms had lit up the cave a well as any lightbulb. Her head turned too and fro taking it all in. 'I didn't know the Feufollet could do things like this!' But the further she went the less it seemed lived in by balls of light and magic. She could smell something too and it wasn't a scent she was familiar with. She turned down winding paths passing up rooms and small alcoves. All the while the mysterious scent grew stronger.
And she eventually found its source. What she saw could best be described as a swamp monster carving into a piece of wood with his (its very noticeable cock made his sex obvious.) claws. Noticing her, he got up from a rough hewn chair and brandished his half made creation like a weapon. "Mon Dieu! How'd you get in here!" He sounded more annoyed than afraid of the ten foot long alligator.
"Doesn't matter you're getting out. Now shoo!" A warning rumbling roar deeper than any sound a human could make erupted from his throat. She took a steep back but was terrified to go further. The creature rolled his eyes and set the wooden lump down. "Alright come're." Faster than she could react the creature caught her in a head lock and dragged her out of the room. "We really need to put a gate at the entrance. Otherwise these dumb alligators are gonna keep finding their way in."
Tessa of course resisted whipping her head around and snapping her jaws. "HEY!" The creature bapped her on the snout. "None of that! No food for you here!" But she struggled all the more not only to get out of the creatures grasp but because she could feel her hold on this form weakening. 'Lemme go you big dumb sexy monster!' She thought.
But it was too late, from the inside out she could feel her self slowly changing. And the monster man holding her found this to be no ordinary alligator. It's body getting loose and protean for few seconds before coalescing into a smaller, softer form.
And he found he had a naked human caught in the crook of her arm. "What the…" A muffled spell from Tessa and blinding light emanated from her hands. "Merde!" He let go of her immediately, Tessa gets some space between them and proceeded to lie like a motherfucker. "I've get enough power to collapse this entire place." She quickly muttered a spell and a little ball of yellow energy popped into existence over her palm. "S-so w-who are you? What are you?!"
The creature was less than impressed. It took a deep breath through his nose and could smell fear. Along with the similar scent of humans with a hint of something he couldn't place. "I ought to be asking you the same. Last time I checked humans don't turn into Alligators or wander this far into the swamps." Tessa poured more into her spell. "I didn't mean to come here I was looking for some powerful friends my Great-Great-Grandmother talked about. I was sleeping talked about. I was expecting the Feufollet not……you."
At that the creative relaxes a bit and give her this curious look. "Exactly who was your grandmother?" Tessa was silent for a bit before she spilled it. "Marie Leveau." He was silent for a long while before he relaxes. "Come we have a few things to talk about." He turned his back on her expecting her to follow. "And can you douse that light show. I did't believe you be able to bring my home down for a second."
Tessa's eyes widened. "How did you know?" He tapped at his nostrils. "Gargoyles can always sniff out liars."
Tessa was lead to a kitchen/dining room like area and watched as her strange host prepared tea. He sat down with two mugs and and handed her one. "So, you say you are kin to Marie, yes?" Tessa snapped her fingers and a lighter sized flame sparked to life over her thumb. "That proof enough? What I know was passed down from my ancestor. She had this ancient tome and it was full of spells and notes about her life. It's how I found this place, she even mentioned this guy called Bouclier."
Another shot through her hosts armor of skeptism.
"And what about the Feufollet? You set me down for this little tea party when I mentioned them. He looked a bit uncomfortable as he share what he knew. "Madame Leveau was around during the day my elders were young she helped us in dealing with a trouble some human. In return we showed her of the fifolet and their strange powers." Tessa sipped at her tea. "Like what?"
"Only the clan Magus would know that, but the Feufollet do warm out home and help us cook out food. And in return we honor them and offer a bit of our food to them. "So where are the rest of your people? Oh and mind if I get your name?" He raised his mug to her. "I am Chevalier. The rest of the clan is out hunting while I mind our home." As he talked Tessa noticed that he was more than a little excited. "So, this clan of yours. Do you have a girlfriend?" He looked a bit confused and her question. "You mean a mate?"
Tessa shrugged her shoulders. "If that's what your folk call it sure. I was wondering if you need any help relaxing, you look a little tense." She coyly touched the underside of his penis with her big toe. Chevalier's eyes went wide as he gets exactly what she was going for. "Uh, no. I don't have a mate; I was the last hatching of my clan. Everyone else is either related to me, attached, or too old. I figured if I wanted a mate, I'd have to find another clan. But I never considered a human…."
Despite that, he seemed very eager to try it out. He ran his eyes over Tessa's body. No fins, fangs, or brow ridges, but the dark brown shade of her skin was an interesting color. Like every human he'd seen, there was an obvious softness to her and he was worried that he might hurt her. But as he'd seen she wasn't a normal human. He gave her a sheepish grin. "I would mind joining with a human for the night."
Tessa was out of her chair immediately. "Great, where's your bed?"
Gargoyles didn't have beds but, there was a living area with a spot covered in handmade pillows. "Right, where should I…" Having the distinct feeling that she was the only one here with experience Tessa took over gently. "Just lay down and I'll handle everything." She lay next to him and grabbed his penis. "There's no need to rush into anything." She snuggled up to him. "And be careful with those teeth and claws, I'm a delicate woman."
They slowly locked lips while Tessa slowly stroked him. His cock certainly felt a bit rougher than any man's she'd felt before but it wasn't unpleasant to the touch. She felt she'd have no trouble getting it inside her. The rest of his body had a similar roughness to it, and it wasn't skin deep. 'No wonder he was able to manhandle me as a gator.' She thought. 'With muscles like, that he could break a bear's neck!'
And from the moans she could hear between bouts of fighting tongue's she had him the palm of her hand. Speaking of tongues, his felt twice as a long and thick as her's. 'Okay he has got to eat me out after this.' She could feel a light shiver at the thought of that tongue in her. She picked up the pace gradually, her strokes becoming pumps as she broke the kiss then peppered his neck and collarbone with kisses. His moans got louder and growlier as his orgasm built. And she could feel a building pressure in his cock. Before she knew it he had an intense orgasm that came with a defining roaring moan.
She saw his eyes open wide and actually flash a luminous white for a few seconds. Tessa let go of his cock (which was spurting like a firehose) and gave him a bit of space. "Are you okay?" His episode over, he lay there drained and satisfied. "I-I'm fine….that just happens when we feel something really intense. I-I'm sorry if I scared you."
Tessa waved it off. "Not scared, just surprised. But if you want to make it up to me, you can make me feel intense too…." In no time she was lying on her back. "Okay, here's a quick lesson in eating me out…." One explanation later and the first timer was getting to work. Chevalier was as it turned out was a quick learner. All too aware of how delicate she was he handled her like an fabrage egg.
His clawed hands gently rested on her thighs, as he leaned his head forward into her groin. Sticking out his tongue he slowly licked her privates from bottom to top. The smell of her filled his nose it was a musky sent but not unpleasant. He stopped licking for a second to get a better smell, nuzzling her vagina with his face. And dispite the nervousness he had about doing something wrong, her squeezing thighs and cries of pleasure said otherwise.
"Yeah, just like that keep it up!" Chevalier gradually picked up the pace but made sure to stay gentle. But it was more than a bit hard, he loved the scent of her and the wetness he could feel on his tongue. He could feel her hand firmly pressing down on his head. Her hand rubbing along his fin and her thumb massaging his brow. And it felt so good!
A deep rumbling moan left his throat and she could feel it vibrate through her. 'She tightened her legs around his head as her orgasms mounted upon her. Chevalier got a face full of squirt, and Tessa let got of his head. "Whoo! Good job for a first timer!" Lifting his head from her pussy Chevalier licked and shook the spray from her face.
"Now….that you got a taste come and get a feel." Putting her hands on her knees she spread her legs wide. Chevalier looked down at that sopping wet pussy, and didn't need any instruction on what to do next. Chevalier got over her , keeping an eye on her face as he slowly slid in. She sucked in a breath and Chevalier groaned in in pleasure as her walls squeezed the head of his cock. Electric ecstasy shot threw him, he could feel her walls closing in on him. And that warmth, along with the slippery friction he felt only made him want to go deeper.
He got a tap on the chin from chin from Tessa. "Deeper and faster Chevalier! I can take it, don't hold back!" He laid a kiss on her mouth in thanks for her permission and got to work. He was at half in her before now he was hilted in her completely. She groaned in pleasure and grabbed on to his back. Fingers holding on for dear life. While his claws dug in the stone floor. He let out a low pur like growl as he worked his hips.
She could take him all of him. As the pace of the fucking increased he could hear a loud 'plap' as he hilted himself in her. See the contorting of her face and tossing of her head as she felt him. And the way her dark voluptuous body moved with every thrust.
He never saw a body move like this before and he loved it. Leaning down he caught an errant nipple in his mouth, careful not the let one of his fangs touch it. But he felt one of his fangs slightly scrape her areola. He expected a scream but got a moan. He had thick hide but even he could feel her nails digging in to the surface of his skin.
Her louder groans could only mean he was doing great. But the pressure in his groin was reaching its zenith. And while he wanted to ride out his pleasure he bent his arms and his orgasm neared to feel Tessa moving flesh rubbing against his body. And by the winds and the tides was she soft! He let out a low growling moan when they gently collided, his eyes lidded and glowed as he came into her.
He felt his strength leave him and his legs go weak. He pulled himself out and felt a dull but not unpleasant ache in his cock. Softening it still twitched from exertion spurting out seed as he got off her and laid back. Sweat covered his body and his could smell a similar salty musk coming from her. When he caught his breath he turned to her.
"You know I really have to thank you, I thought I was going to die a virgin." Tessa leaned towards him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're welcome Chevalier." In the after glow of the sex, Chevaliers post nut clarity reminded him of something Tessa had said earlier. "You came here looking for the Feufollet right? They don't live here, but they do come here on occasion." He got to his feet. "And I can show you their home." After cleaning herself off with with a little magic, Chevalier led her towards his homes exit.
"They live on an islet not far from here, but its easy to miss." As he prepared to dive he saw Tessa take the form of an Alligator. "I still can't tell how you do that." Tessa turned towards him, giving the Alligators equivalent of a smile. Before waddling into the water with an exaggerated sashay of her tail. "Humans…" Chevalier said with a roll of his eyes before following her. Seconds later they resurfaced. With a beckoning arm Chevalier bid Tessa to follow him.
They weren't a mile from the swamps heart, when a blinding light illuminated the area. Chevalier covers his eyes leaving him blind for moment to an unseen enemy. Something fires and flies through the air. Before Chevalier can react a pair of heavy bolas slam into him with the forces of momentum and magnetism binding them to his body. "Tessa….what?" He words are cut off as the ends of the bolas open and inject enough tranquilizer to knock out a fully grown rhino.
"An' here I was thinking of turning back. I never thought you'd just show yourself monster. Heh, patience really is a virtue. " From behind the lights that were mounted on a boat, was figure covered in black. He wore dark military grade armor and rifle strapped to his back. He face was coved by a tight mask, all black save for three bright red slash marks across the face. "Alright monster lets get you aboard so we can have a talk."
The boat rumbled to life but Tessa blocked its path, hissing at the unknow assailant. As easy as breathing the hunter slung out his rifle and fired a shot a Tessa. The bullet grazed her snout and fearing another she dove under water. The hunters boat ambled towards the unconscious Chevalier. With a small on board wench the massive gargolye was pulled aboard. "Go find something else to snack on girl. This prize belongs to the hunter!"
They werent a mile from the swamps heart, when a blinding light illuminated the area. Chevalier covers his eyes leaving him blind for moment to an unseen enemy. Something fires and flies through the air. Before Chevalier can react a pair of heavy bolas slam into him with the forces of momentum and magnetism binding them to his body. "Tessa….what?" He words are cut off as the ends of the bolas open and inject enough tranquilizer to knock out a fully grown rhino.
"An' here I was thinking of turning back. I never thought you'd just show yourself monster. Heh, patience really is a virtue. " From behind the lights that were mounted on a boat, was figure covered in black. He wore dark military grade armor and rifle strapped to his back. He face was coved by a tight mask, all black save for three bright red slash marks across the face. "Alright monster lets get you aboard so we can have a talk."
The boat rumbled to life but Tessa blocked its path, hissing at the unknow assailant. As easy as breathing the hunter slung out his rifle and fired a shot a Tessa. The bullet grazed her snout and fearing another she dove under water. The hunters boat ambled towards the unconscious Chevalier. With a small on board wench the massive gargoyle was pulled aboard. "Go find something else to snack on girl. This prize belongs to the hunter!"
Tessa's mother told her that her father was one of the Fae Folk. They called themselves the children of Oberon and they didn't do magic they were magic. Controlling the forces of nature, shapeshifting, and living forever. Having half of his blood flowing through her, she'd inherited some of his powers. And the other half of her heritage wasn't by any means powerless either. But right now it seemed there was nothing she could do.
From the water she watched Chevalier be lain into by the sociopath that took him. She followed from a distance to see the hunter deposit him on to an islet for "interrogation".
"I know you're not alone!"
THWACK!
"Where there's one of you, there more."
THWACK
"So you're going to tell me where your nest is!"
The black clad son of a bitch had a metallic rod in hand, sparking with electricity. Chevalier let out a raspy reply.
"N-never…"
Tessa had some offensive spells but she was unsure if she could be any help. 'If only I had more power..wait! The islet!' Sinking into the water, she swam with all her speed to the place Chevalier pointed out. In minutes she was there and witness to something amazing. A large blue bonfire burned on a grassy outlet. Entranced by the glow and drawn to the fire by something in her. She crawled onto the islet and on instinct, assumed her human form. The bonfire exploded into dozens of smaller flames that flew about her.
The immediate distress of her situation snapped her out of the mystified daze. "Feufollet! Need help! One of your friends, Chevalier is in danger! You have to do something!" In her mind she heard a chorus of strange voices.
Stone skin hurt!
Help!
High Blood!
The Feufollet few about her faster, the circle she found herself in growing tighter Until four of them broke from the group and flew towards her. When each impacted her body she felt stranger and stronger. She could feel changes to her body but barely registered them. Turning towards the sound of the Chevaliers roars of pain she skipped on the water towards him.
Jason Canmore had his work cut out for him. Like all of his kind, the monster was a tough nut to crack. Jason was actually afraid of killing it before he could get what he needed out of him. He raised his shock whip once more and looked down at the monster. "This is your last chance monster. Tell me where you nest is and I might let you live."
The "monster" glared at him and spat at his boot. Jason's hand tightened on the whip handle and flung his arm back. He didn't really need any information from the beast. The gargoyles nest had around here somewhere, and he had more than enough patience to look for it.
But before the hunter could land a final blow a wave of force hit him like a truck. He went tumbling over the ground and when he came to his senses. he saw something unreal. It was the woman he'd seen earlier but different. Much different. Her skin had taken on the a greenish hue and goatlike horns had sprouted from her head. It was only years of ingrained training that got his body moving. He reached into his pocket and pilled out a remote. Quickly pressing a button a bola was fired from his boats cannon. It should have taken what ever the hell he was seeing down. But she stopped it with a word.
"Oh, annoyance swing to a fray, return to your master! Go away!"
His bola immediately changed direction in mid air, hitting him instead of his target. The bola wraped about him injecting him with more than enough tranquilizer to knock him unconscious.
Tessa set foot on the islet and ran towards Chevalier. Cradling his head her hands she said. "Let wounds and pain be gone from you, be healed! Let flesh renewed!" A soft light emanated from her hands at the black marks from the whips and tranquilizer in his system was gone. And Chevalier was slowly opening his eyes. "Tessa?"
But her eyes weren't on Chevalier now but the black clad hunter. The soft nurturing magic turned malevolent as she walked towards the unconscious man. Power built up in the palm of her hand, more than enough to send to hunter to hell. The wasn't complicated spell, so she needed no rhyme to guide the magic. She might as well be bashing his skull in with a rock.
But though she thought herself unstoppable Chevalier stayed her hand with a shout.
"Don't! I've heard of these hunters! If one of them dies here more might come and put my clan in danger!" Even with the high of the Feufollet's power gave her, Tessa could see the logic in his words. That crackling spell in her palm of her hand changed.
"Your knowledge of this night will not do, these false memories I give to you. Your hunt was fruitless, your pray not near. There is no reason to return here."
She tossed the spell towards the hunter and its energies dissipated. Seconds later he arose without a word and removed the bola from his body. His movements were jerky and zombie like as he put away his tools. He then boarded his boat and left.
The threat was gone and with her no longer in need of the Feufollet power they were gone too. Glowing blue balls of fire left her body. The smallest hung on for awhile before joining the others. And with that Tessa collapsed on to the grass. "That…was a lot more adventure than I expected." She turned toward Chevalier. "I'm so sorry I lead him here."
Chevalier raised an eyebrow. "His voice with that heavy Scottish accent. I knew he was a guy I met earlier the second I heard him." Chevalier waved her off. "You saved me, and because of your spell he wont be looking around my clans land. And if the Feufollet trusted you enough to share their power with you. You've earned my forgiveness and trust. But why did you want to find the Feufollet in the first place?"
Tessa gave him a mischievous smile. "Well I'm not just some mage, I'm a child of one of the Fae Folk!" She paused to take in Chevaliers shock. "You're a changeling?" Tessa gave him a cheeky grin. "If that's what folks like are me are called sure! I always wanted to know about the fae half of my heritage. I figured if I found the Feufollet they'd point me in the right direction."
Chevalier nodded. "You were right to do so. The Feufollet are always drawn to the things of the fey. My clan is isolated from the world but we have knowledge that most humans aren't privy too."
Tessa fidgeted her hands. "Think they'd be willing to share it with me?" Chevalier stood up and flexed his back fin. "They might, I'm willing to vouch for your trustworthiness at least. But that will have to wait for tonight." Tessa cocked her head. "Why?" Chevalier pointed towards the rising sun which set the waters of the bayou aglow.
"Because the sun is rising and I must sleep. I'll see you at sunset Ms. Tessa.' He held his pose as the sunlight touched his body. All it touched turned to stone. Just as tired, Tessa shifted forms again and lay down in the grass for a little rest of her own. Eager to meet the rest of the clan at night fall, and learn more this strange magical world.