Nicora's sleep is never dull. There are the by-now common Space Fungus dreams, with bizarre landscapes and even more bizarre situations, the latest involving latching on to some sort of flattened worm or snake and riding it through another glowing intestine world. Then there were the odd flashes of Horrib life, but none of them internal views so far. And when the time comes to wake.. she isn't sure if she is waking up or not. Her eyes feel glued shut, and there are things in her mouth poking at her tongue.
Nicora groans to herself. Why is life so .. sucky? Surely it cannot be her fault from choices. Nicora tries to force her mostly useless eyes open before trying to do anything else.
It's isn't easy.. there's something like rubber sticking the eyelids to the tops of her cheeks, so the lid-muscles alone aren't enough. There are flashes of vision, but those aren't from her own eyes - the Seeing-Eye-Horrib is nearby.
Nicora reaches up and feels her eyes to figure what the heck is going on. "What now? Why is every day another day of something weird?!" she thinks.
It's some sort of external glue.. probably from the Horrib, since it seems similar to the stuff used to cocoon victims.
"What the heck did they do and why?!?" Nicora has to wonder. She actually tries to pick at the glue to get it to let go of her eyelids.
If she had fur it would be a lot more painful. But with bare skin, the glue doesn't have as much surface to cling to and peels off with some effort, although this also results and a chiding 'Dud-a-chum!' from the horrib. It also requires some jaw clenching, which causes an ominous crack sound from her mouth.
Nicora stops picking. She's about to swat at the Horrib, then has to pause. the cracking makes her feel ... sick. She sits there for a moment, still, then slowly opens her jaws. What comes next is, well, feeling with her tongue, then fingers.
There are lots of sharp things that poke her tongue, and when she gets hold of one with her fingers she nearly pricks herself. Of course, she can't see what it is without summoning the horrib closer.
Frustrated with glued eyes, Nicora does try to summon the obnoxious bug closer to see if it can see, then let her see, what it is.
The horrib buzzes around, and finally settles on Nicora's legs, looking back at her.
Nicora holds up the pointy bit, then tries to see through its eyes by focusing her attention on her bug-child.
There's blood on it, but a little 'cleaning' by rolling it between thumb and forefinger reveals.. an Eeee fang.
"No, no, nooooo!" Nicora thinks in a panic. She starts searching her mouth with her tongue and spitting out into her meager bed before her.
There are several teeth.. all front teeth. And all of her fangs are there, in her lap.
"Did-a-chick!" the horrib notes approvingly.
Nicora fumbles around in a panic, collecting those and, well, probably hurting herself. Once those are collected, she feels around in her mouth again. "/Did these things pull my teeth while I /slept/?" she wonders, and feels, well, angry and scared.
The incisors are still in place.. but wobbly, as if they could fall out at any moment. The back teeth seem fine so far, although there was that crack sound earlier.
Nicora ... feeling sick, tugs on her incisors.
"Pop!" They come right out, with a little blood as well. And drool. Lots of drool. "Did-a-chick!" the horrib declares, the buzzing of the other five grows louder as the rest of the drones fly into the room.
Nicora spits out the metallic taste. Feeling ... horrified and sick, yet unable to stop herself, each wobbly tooth is tugged on to see if it comes loose or not. She'll ... even test her back teeth.
"What in Dagh's name is it saying tot he others?" Nicora wonders, feeling ever more frustrated ... and grossed out by her own body.
Those are still solidly in place, but then.. what good are they anyway? Nicora has only used them a few times, with blood-soaked meat dishes.
The drones are lining up in the air, their mating/feeding tubes extended. Do they mean to /feed/ her?
Nicora tries to find the cause of the cracking sound from earlier. She's trying to not even think about the horribs at the moment ... and she keeps /licking the front part of her ... gums.
Ah, her tongue runs over a jagged bit - a tooth broke off instead of falling out it seems. One of the canines.
Nicora tries to tug on what remains. "Why is this happening?!? Are these blasted bugs trying to make me helpless? They glued my eyes shut!" Nicora thinks in anger. And if she weren't surrounded by six of them she would throw her pillow at them.
It takes a bit of work, since there isn't much to grab onto, but eventually the rest of the tooth comes out. There's no pain at least.. the nerves must have died in the night.
"What did you do to me?" Nicora finally says, trying to speak to the horribs that srround her.
"Did-a-chick!" the alpha drone notes from Nicora's lap, and the first flyer in line moves in closer, waggling its tube up and down in front of Nicora's face. There's a bit of the nutrient goo oozing from the tip.. and as poor as Nicora's sense of smell is, she can still smell blood in the mix... although that could be from the alpha's sense of smell too.
"Oh God, I cannot believe I would even consider doing this," Nicora thinks as she opens her mouth, leans forward, and tries to take the waggling tube into her mouth. "I feel like ... I've just become the world's best provider of oral sex."
It may or may not count as sex for the drone, but at least the blood tempers the horrible taste of the rest of the goo. There isn't a lot.. probably no more than an ounce.. before the bug is spent.. and the next one takes its place as it goes flying out of the room.
"This is disgusting," Nicora thinks, feeling ill. But, she will need food for the day and all these combined might be enough. So, she waits for the next with her mouth open, feeling disgusting and a bit ... lewd.
By the time the feeding is over with, Nicora's stomach is rumbly and she's feeling the heartburn start.. but then all the discomfort goes away, as she feels a sudden surge of euphoria?
Nicora wipes at her mouth to clear away, well, she has to face it, she drooled while sucking on those tubes. The Euphoria is ... nice, and yet she has to worry about that too. So, it's time to check on her belly-egg. She focuses on the shadow, then eases it into her body through, well, her very accessible Inala's gate to go probe.
The egg seems.. larger. Maybe less an egg now. There might be some fluttering motion, like a heartbeat or similar beginning. It's also fully connected with Nicora's circulatory system now. The loss of teeth and the euphoria from letting the horrib's feed her (and by extension, the queen embryo) was from elements being pumped out by the queen into her blood.
"Great, this is just ..." Nicora thinks as she draws the shadow back. Her head swings to 'look' at her 'eye' horrib. She takes several breaths the says to that horrib, while drooling on herself, "Go ahead and reglue my eyes." They're still even closed. She may as well embrace the situation, otherwise she might panic.
So soon she has bug-parts pressing against her face, while her view of the world consists of her own lap. When the gluing is done, the horrib clambers around behind Nicora. Even though it's nearly as big as her entire torso, it manages to hug itself to her back without interfering too much with her wings. This way it's 'looking' over her shoulder, giving Nicora a someone normal (and controllable) field of view.
"Well, Mother, I become like you more every day. Now I'm toothless and drooling," Nicora remarks to the room. Her tone is ... flat? Maybe a little resigned. Mostly grossed out. It's also probably just a matter of time before her back teeth fall out too.
Then again, it's not like she could bite off the drones' tubes with her back teeth, so maybe that's why there weren't affected. Of course they also prevent her gums from closing together, so there's always a gap at the front where the missing teeth used to be.
"And knowing my luck, Inala's gate will grow teeth!" Nicora thinks to herself.
"Mistress, are you.. alright?" Fon asks, poking his head into the room. "We saw the horribs fly through.."
"No, I am not, but such is the life of the Yodhgorphat. At least I have a reason to wear a veil now," Nicora remarks in a smightly messed-up voice.
"Do you need assistance getting wrapped?" Fon asks. "Will you be going to the hospice today?"
"Have I been requested?" Nicora asks as she rises. "And yes, I supposed you should wash my skin, Inala's canal, and then wrap me."
Fon returns a few minutes later with rags and a bucket of warm water .. and some soap. "Some of the patients are beginning to lose hope is all," the man says, and starts washing Nicora.. and trying not to look into the horrible face peeking over the Eeee's shoulder. "How should I.. handle the horrib, Mistress?"
"It will not harm you, just work around it. Which patients are losing hope?" Nicora asks as she spreads her legs and stands still for now so the attendants can work on her.
"Well, mainly just those that haven't been visited by you yet," Fon explains. "Especially after the curing of the terminal ward. They may think they are unworthy of your attention."
"Curing people is hard," Nicora points out, "Those most critical have to be seen first." She'd roll her eyes if she could.
As he washes Nicora's breasts (which always leak at night), Fon asks, "I notice your eyes are sealed, Mistress. Are you able to find your way on your own?"
"The horrib will help me. It is assigned that duty," Nicora notes, "My Mother's wish."
"Oh.. and the Grok?" Fon asks. The grok in question is still curled up at the food of Nicora's bed. Since the beast has no eyes, it's difficult to tell if it's asleep or not. The giant skedat is still in it's corner, motionless.
"They can ... wait here. Or follow if they wish. It is their choice," Nicora claims. "Are the Rughrat's behaving?"
"They keep to the grass on the back of the mountain," Fon says, rinsing out the first rag. "The horribs mostly keep to the adjacent chamber, but they also fly out to.. hunt.. I suppose. Nobody near the Temple has reported any incidents with them though. The chibix are noisome but stay out of the way in general."
"That is good and acceptable. And h, unless you want my Mother's wrath, do not let any Rughrat in here," Nicora adds simply.
"They're the only ones that didn't barge in, so I am assuming they will keep to their field," Fon notes. He looks a bit leery, since it's time for the gynecological part of the cleaning. "Could you stand up, Mistress? It's much easier if.. ah.. gravity is able to help out."
"I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I do," Nicora says as she stands. She even smirks; that's disturbing.
"I am.. really, I have no response," Fon admits. "Please spread your legs, Mistress."
"I'd ask you to be gentle, but rough is more fun," Nicora teases as she spreads her legs. Why she enjoys tormenting this poor soul is anyone's guess.
This time, Fon has an empty bucket ready. There's wiping and scooping and lots of plopping noises, along with the expected gassy noises. It doesn't take long, at least, since soon enough the action has moved to wiping down Nicora's inner thighs. The bucket is just slide off to the side, where Blarf can get to it.
"I am impressed at how well you do that without, well, becoming ill," Nicora has to admit. She even pats Fon's head.
"I used to dig through piles of garbage for edible scraps, Mistress," Fon notes. "Edible being someone.. subjective." He finally gets to the part where it's time to wrap the bandages, and since he's down there already he starts from the ankles, thus putting off having to pass the gauze between Nicora's back and the horrib clinging to it for at least a few minutes.
"/No turning back now. If the horrib queen has bonded, I cannot remove it without risking myself now. I just have to hope it doesn't eat its way out," Nicora thinks as she holds still for the wrapping. One thing can be said for being this ... crippled; it does force her to rely on servants for things like a proper Yodhgorphat would.
Wrapping the torso is an awkward affair, since Fon clearly does not want to touch the giant horrib. And there's also a confused moment where he wraps Nicora's tail and the creature's together, and seems about to panic. He does manage to finish though, adding the veil-hood last.
Nicora pats Fon's cheek when the Eeee finishes. "You are a good servant," she says, "And very tolerant."
"Thank you, Mistress," Fon says. "We must all overcome our weaknesses in Gorphat's name."
"I could ask Gorphat to give you more to become stronger," Nicora offers.
"I have not quite overcome my fear of such," Fon notes nervously. "I hope that by serving you, I prove myself to Her."
"I am sure it is fine. I will go to the hospice now," Nicora says, "And ... do I smell worse, better, or the same today?"
"You smell of soap right now, Mistress," Fon says. "When I arrived.. the room smelled strongly of horribs, of course."
"From them or me?" Nicora asks, figuring, though, he does not know.
"Your breath is particularly powerful this morning as well," Fon notes. "Well.. from everywhere.. but also on your breath. Is there something wrong with your mouth, Mistress? You seem to be drooling more than usual."
"Just more trials," Nicora says. She pats Fon's cheek, then slowly makes her way to the exit. This time she tries to use the horrib link to see ... since that's all she can do right now.
There's a rustling as the grok gets up, to follow.. along with the skedat, which is right on Nicora's heels in case she should wish to sit down.
"Seems I will have an entourage. No matter," Nicora thinks as she walks along; she has a job to do after all.
The skedat stops at the threshold of the Temple itself.. where the stairs start. It apparently doesn't like stairs. The grok has no issue with this, however, besides seeming to be slightly more smug. The horrib buzzes its wings, but by itself cannot lift Nicora into the air.. so the procession has to walk, unless Nicora herself decides to try flying. But it's not far.. the Temple is near the base of the mountain, rather than be high up like the others.
Nicora ... well, isn't brave enough to walk. She can't even manage to not drool on herself right now. She's going to leave a trail wherever she goes. She ... feels like a slug.
The grok nudges the bat's side, as if to remind her how big it is. Big enough to ride on if she wants.
Nicora ... pauses. The Eeee then carefully climbs onto the grok. Best to make it feel important. Angry grok is dangerous grok. Plus, walking is hard.
And so Yodhgorphat Scourge arrives at the camp beneath the Temple, riding atop a Grok with a Horrib on her back, and also a Chibix on the shoulder the horrib isn't peeking over. It isn't quite riding in on a white charger with woodland creatures prancing along and birds singing.. but then Nicora isn't much of a fantasy princess. But it's certainly a grand entrance, and the people around her bow down in respect.
Most of them, anyway. Yodhrinalas Sake, Hope and Charity stand out for standing upright. It isn't clear what they think of it all.
And even better, the rolling of the Grok rubs Nicora in the right sort of way to feel nice. Alas, it does leave its back a little slimy, but hey, it felt good to her. She slides herself off the grok with slimy ease. "I hear that there are patients losing faith. Please take me to them," she says to the Yodhrinala's present.
"This way, Yodhgorphat," Sake offers. It's clear she wants to ask about the critters, and is close enough to see the sealed eyelids through the veil. "This tent has those suffering stomach ulcers and other digestive distress. There are parasites involved in some of the cases, but the victims are too weak to risk treating with poisons." The tent they enter is foul, to be sure, with lots of buckets and chamber pots and sticks of smoking incense to try and cover it all up.
"So I smell," Nicora has to admit once she enters the tent. Focus returns to the horrib so that she can see for a bit. Her hands also flex too. Parasites. Great. Does this mean her powers will transfer them to her? Alas, there is only one way to find that out ... she walks slowly to the closest patient.
The man is old (not elderly, but the Streets Below age people quickly), and looks like he has barely more teeth than Nicora at this point. "It burns," he tells Nicora, both hands on his stomach.
Nicora now places her own clammy hands on his stomach. "For how long and how deep?" she asks as her hands lightly feel around. She's gotten disturbingly good at feeling stomachs.
"A year I think," the man rasps. "I cough up blood, and my throat burns. I cannot make the high noises.." Touching his stomach isn't triggering anything in Nicora's hand.. but it is causing her to lactate harder.
"Is this suggesting...?" Nicora thinks ... then decides to roll with it. She's feeling pressure, after all. So, she leans down and guides the man's mouth to her top row of teats. "Drink in Gorphat's milk," she commands. That stuff can probably kill anything in the gut!
"Uh.." the man says, but soon his lips are latched on. At first he is timid about it.. but soon he's really sucking. His hands are no longer on his stomach, since they're busy kneading Nicora's chest to get more milk to flow.
"I shouldn't like this. I really shouldn't," Nicora thinks, twitching. Still, it's better than geting more infested than she already is!
The man finally lets go and lets out a moan. Sake quickly brings over a chamber pot.. just in time. The poor man seems to explode.. and there are things in there that wiggle.. briefly. The patient then collapses back onto his cot, and mutters, "no burning.." before passing out.
"For once ... I am glad I didn't see that!" Nicora thinks to herself. She straightens herself up, then 'looks' to the Yodhrinala. "Not a traditional cure, but effective," she burbles. She also has to pause and wipe her chin ... then proceed to the next cot.
This one has a woman with an ulcer, according to Sake. She also finds relief from the milk of Gorphat.. without the purgative effects it had on the man with parasites. She also doesn't pass out once she feels better. "I'll keep treating her with milk from your blessed Rugrhats," Sake notes.
"Hopefully they will not make her randy. They are from Inala," Nicora warns. Still, it would also be a bit funny if it did! On to the next cot! What horrors await?
Images of an incontinent orgy breaking out in the sick ward aside, most of the others are variations of the same. Ulcers, heartburn, intestinal parasites or infections. The milk soothes the inflammations and purges the unwanted guests. The patients themselves range from young to old, with several young children suffering from parasites.
As disgusting as she is, there is a bit of satisfaction knowing that she could make these people feel better. She makes another round through the tent, then returns to the Yodhrinala. "They appear to be recovering now," she burbles. "Are there others you wish me to tend to as well?"
"Hmm," Sake says, and seems hesitant. "Well.. this next tent.. They seem to be cursed by Inala, as well as Gorphat.. and possibly even Rephath.."
"Oh? That is curious. I wonder why. Take me to them," Nicora requests.
The next tent is like a flashback to getting her tail tattooed. All of the horrible afflictions recorded on it are spread out (or laid out or saluting or oozing) among the morose men here.
Nicora's bare brow arches in reflex. "Well, curious," Nicora says. She thinks, though, "Am I permitted to treat these men, Mother?"
"You have the gift they need," Gorphat whispers. Nicora does feel extra slimy down below, actually.
"I have to ... ride them?" Nicora thinks, feeling, well ... it might put her at risk for infections there!
That probably isn't going to work for most of the cases she sees.. it's unlikely they could perform. Although a few have a very familiar condition: priapism. That one, Nicora knows, is firmly in Gorphat's bag of tricks. It may be enough to simply apply her slime to some of them.
Nicora ... well, she decides she can at least be horrifying and creative about applying it. She does got to each one, straddles the man, then sinks down. She has to use her hands to make sure things close around nicely, then she stands, leaving the flesh in her wake coated in copious amounts of slime. At least she didn't have to test her newly 'modified' mouth. Ick.
This is met with mixed results - from looks of horror to astonishment. But the looseness and goo do defuse any actual sexuality in the situation. And once those who are treated seem to feel better, or show signs of improvement.. well, suddenly being mounted by a Yodhgorphat isn't so bad, compared to the alternative. Except for those poor men in a permanent, painful state of arousal: a coating of slime isn't going to fix them.
Nicora eyes those men, and wonders how they have to be fixed. Her skin actually twitches and underneath her veil she frowns. She's slow about it, but she goes to the first one and kneels down. Her head comes over and the man's problem disappears beneath it. Following that is probably disturbing for moth of them. This feels really odd without those front teeth. It's .. twisted. Gorphat must be enjoying this perversion of an Inala act too.
The man groans, and twitches. He's in pain, clearly.. but seems to be getting better. Eventually he shudders and releases and.. softens.
Nicora chokes, twitches, and ultimately swallows. She feels ... well, it wasn't fun, that is for sure. And her job isn't done; there are more to treat this way. "Mother must be mad with me," she thinks as she moves to the next.
Whether Gorphat is mad or not.. the treatments work. All the 'blessings' that seemed so vile end up serving a useful purpose. Even though the patients probably want to forget the treatments as much as the diseases..
Nicora really needs a breath mint at this point too. She rises, and heads to exit this tent. That is ... probably enough for the day. When you trail slime like she is, it is time for a break.
"Thank you for visiting, Yodhgorphat Scourge," Sake says, bowing to Nicora. "Our treatments were not so.. effective as yours. The personal touch seems to your strength." The grok is also waiting. The people outside the soup (and bug) kitchen are all bowing down.
"You can always come and fetch me if I am needed, Yodhrinala Sake," Nicora tells the other Yodh, "But for now I need to rest a bit." She heads to the grok, and climbs up on the creature. Riding feels like a good idea right now; her job is .... taxing.
The skedat is waiting at the top of the temple steps, and seems agitated that Nicora is riding the grok instead of it.
Nicora sighs as she dismounts the grok and climbs on the skedat this time. She also rubs her sealed eyes; they feel weird, but it is not uncomfortable.
The skedat's tail rises up to form the back of a chair - for the horrib, not Nicora. Still, it's support. Dozens of sharp claws raise the creature up, and it smoothly turns and carries Nicora inside the Temple at a more stately pace than the long-legged grok could manage.
It also vibrates a bit, which isn't uncomfortable.
"This is ... " Nicora says, then has to burble-laugh. She really doesn't have to walk much, so if she wanted to get fat, now she could!
Of course, the notion of getting fat reminds her of the creature growing inside her. There's a gurgle.. and maybe a bit of bloating now.
"The worms are active, even with the horrib grub in me?!" Nicora thinks, a bit surprised by that, actually. She feels her stomach since she cannot see it.
The signs are there, as the skin is definitely getting tighter, and she's feeling.. slimier again.
"Grongek, it is time," Nicora thinks as she nudges the skedat to head back to her chambers. If she is to be demon-bred, at least it will be private. As she shifts around a bit, her body makes it usual burping and 'blarting' noise from an area that just shouldn't do that.
She can sense the demon is waiting for her when the skedat scuttles into its nesting spot within the room. "You have something on your back," Gronegk notes.
"A horrib," Nicora answers simply, then tries to shoo it off her shoulder. She saunters over to the demon, trying to look sexy. To others, it's probably a nightmare born walking towards them. She bows to the demon, then continues down onto all fours. And naturally all the shifting of her gut makes her body be rather rude again.
With the horrib gone, Nicora is left unseeing again (unless she wants to watch things play out from a different angle). Gronegk pulls her further onto the bed, while leaving her on all fours, and rips away the bandages with his teeth and talons.
And Nicora ... actually growls herself. It seems the Yodhgorphat rather ... likes it! Well, she is a bit disturbed anyway. And yes, she does try to focus on the horrib, for some reason she wants to see this.
That part is different: watching it happen from someone else's eyes. Gronegk is huge compared to Nicora, and when he mounts her it looks painful and feral. There's a lot of slimy drool from the demon's toothy jaws, but none of it is hitting the Eeee at the moment. And then he starts, pushing in and then slamming in. He is not in the 'gentle lover' stage today - and it's possible that the worm-fungus-alien things need a certain amount of violent passion.
And Nicora gets to watch herself cry out! It is like a scene out of a nightmare. It is horrible, disturbing, and seeming all so very wrong. So ... why is it actually turning the Yodhgorphat on? It is exciting her; she pushes back!
Things get squishy, and the noises are disturbingly organic as well. You wouldn't expect a supernatural creature to be so lively.. but Gronegk's master has lots of followers, and didn't lose her Yodh either. The beasts crystal-fanged jaws hang low.. and very clearly want to bite through Nicora's neck, from they way Gronegk keeps turning his head to get them around his mate's throat... but never quite closes them enough to make contact with the skin.
Nicora ... has moments of being terrified it will actually bite, but this is lost quickly enough because she is enjoying it. She seems to actually be happy to help this one have a child. She even gets to see her horribly distended gut swing beneath her. She's also actually crying out now and then as she's finding Inala's pleasures in this!
Instead of biting, Gronegk resorts to licking the back of Nicora's neck and bald head. It's cool, and not too sticky. He also seems to focus more on bringing her pleasure now, as he angles his hips, then grabs Nicora's thighs and lifts until just her hands have contact with the ground.
The demon seems to want to extend this, and even though her swollen gut hurts, she is enjoying this too much. The Eeee is crying out, shivering, and telling the demon all sorts of horrible things; like how much she loves him. It's a scene in pure ... horror, debauchery, and disgusting physical acts.
More goo is spilling out whenever Gronegk withdraws before the next lunge, and Nicora's belly is very swollen now. It may be that the longer the demon is able to prevent the creature from being born, the larger and more developed it will be. And for something like Gronegk, a weak infant would just be unacceptable. So he prolongs things just until the point where normal birth would be at the edge of likelihood, then adds his spirit to the monster's.
The size of her gut is not lost on her, it is horrifying to see! Yet, Nicora can't stop watching. She cries out when the demon finally provides his essence. Her upper torso lowers and she, well, chirps and cries out in rapid succession. Unfortunately this is not where it ends. She has to somehow get it out now. That's when she finally recognizes the agony of contractions within her.
Gronegk.. licks the area, as if to encourage birthing. And.. it works. Nicora falls to her side and convulses.. but the creature is being expelled, despite the size. And luckily it's moving in the direction where the chitin plates won't cause her problems. In horrib-vision, she can see the head breach - which is unusual, since it's usually the foot that comes first with these things. But then again, this one has a head. It's smooth and bulbous like a grok's, of course, and when it's jaw opens, the various tentacles that would normally ring that end of the monster unfold from it like tongues.
"Uuuuuah!" Nicora cries out in agony. she can barely focus on watching it because she's in pain! But, she pushes, squirms, and tries to force the beast out of her. It also dawns on her that it might have damaged the queen! She doesn't have time to think on that because ... holy gods does it hurt!
There are arms and legs on this one.. more than there should be, but still spindly arms and legs. It finally gets out, trailing a long segmented tail even, and lets out a horrible screeching sound while Gronegk licks it clean.
And Nicora ... collapses, wheezing in pain. She is content to lie there, recover, and try to push her flabby gut back up so it doesn't look so, well, horrid.
The horrib flies back over to the bed, and the grok noses at Nicora's back while Gronegk tends to his child. "It is a very fine child," he says to Nicora. "Better than the others, I am sure. Thank you."
Nicora actually forces herself to sit up, then kisses the top of Gronegk's head. "You're very welcome," she tells the demon. As she settles back, some weird instinct makes her, well, use the shadow to make her her longer-term ... occupant is okay.
The womb has contracted down snuggly against the egg-bryo. It doesn't seem to have suffered any damage (and if it had been in any sort of stress, it probably would have dumped something into Nicora's blood to make it clear). The drone doesn't seem worried, although it looks at baby-Gronegk and mutters, "Dud-a-chum."
"What does that mean?" Nicora actually asks the horrib.
"Dud. A. Chum," the oversized flying scorpion repeats, with a sense of.. distaste? Disapproval. It's as if the drones have a vocabulary consisting of 'good' (Did-a-chick) and 'bad' (Dud-a-chum) to deal with.. everything.
"Be nice. I like him," Nicora says, "And I'm bearing your queen for you after all."
"Did-a-chick," the drone replies at the mention of the queen.. and wags its tail. This causes Gronegk to laugh!
"What did it say?" Nicora has to ask Gronegk.
"I suppose it said 'happy'," the demon remarks. "I was more amused by the sight of a horrib wagging its tail. These are your children? They are quite a different breed."
"They are. Disturbing as it is. They helped destroy a Diphath coven," Nicora explains as she flops back on her side to rest. "My life is a disturbing mess, but this is not forever."
"I would help you slaughter any group you wish," Gronegk notes. "Who would like me to kill?"
"None, yet. Right now I just wish to rest," Nicora admits. Her eyes are closed, but then ... they can't exactly open right now. It could be worse, though, she could be cocconed to the wall and be stabbed daily.
"As you will, Mistress," Gronegk says, and licks Nicora's cheek before his presence (and that of his child) fade away. This seems to be a signal to the others though that it's their turn to cuddle, so soon Nicora has a grok's head resting on her stomach and a horrib on her legs and.. Blarf, feeling about for his next meal.
"Maybe I'll wake up in Sylvania and all this is just a dream," Nicora mutters to herself. She feels heavy as sleep comes. Or maybe she'll have nice dreams for a change. But if nothing else, she can change forms to escape this place now and then. So many options! Right now ... sleep is good.