The way back to Mt. Inala is a bit of a slog, mainly because it takes a different route than the one they took since there's no need for it to be secret. This bypasses several towers, but leaves Jingle and Tulani more exposed to the weather. It's night, lit by the Procession, with a slight chill that is more pronounced once they enter the hills at mark the edge of the 'bowl' of Babel.
"I need to report to my handler," Tulani says once they have their bearings. "Are you going to head back to the Nest?" she asks Jingle. They're both wearing their cloaks are basically naked underneath. Tulani made sure to remove her bells and chains before they left White Zolk's lair.
"/Where else would I go given I'm basically naked?/" Jingle signs. She too removed the bells (but not the chains), so she would at least be quieter since she lacks her usual sensory advantages. "/So, yeah, back to the Nest. And probably finding all the old Yodhinala toys to see if I can get this body to calm down. Or I suppose I could just try and shift to something else."
"I'm sure Mave will have.. training gear.." Tulani says, making it sound ominous, despite grinning about it. "Try not to get abducted by a roaming band of Savanites!" she advises as she shakes out her wings.
Jingle rolls her eyes at that comment. "I hardly need training at this point, I'm qualified slut at this point," she signs in 'itchy' frustration. "Have fun tormenting the contacts!" She also keeps thinking of seeking out Rhugharo since he's, well, huge. Probably too huge and tends to not care which hole he ruins, though.
The path does lead through the cemetery of the Yodhinala. There's no wind here, and while Jingle can't hear like an Eeee, she does have a much sharper sense of smell. And the air smells.. musky. And it's not her musk, but something masculine.
Jingle's ears splay out. That smell ... so he may be around somewhere. It doesn't help her right now that the smell is actually .. getting to her. To the point she can feel herself starting to drip between her legs. And feel randy, and at points not caring if she's violated in every hole. Is it because this involves Inala it makes things worse?
Without a breeze to disturb them, the scent trails are easy to find. It's not that same sense as being a Grok, but it's enough for Jingle to know what direction the musk is coming from.
Jingle wants to stop herself, but she can't. She sniffs, and her body makes her follow that scent trail. It's as bad as Hosheb can be with Nicora sometimes, they both know it's not good to spend time with a demon, and yet neither of them seem to be able to resist it. She's also amazed she can still smell him, given how much stink she's putting off.
Something moves ahead, and there is a bell sound.. but it's just a normal Rughrat, which trundles off away from Jingle. Do normal Rughrat's seek out Rugharo?
Jingle rubs her forehead and face, then feels the ring in her nose. Well, it's one similarity to a rhugrhat she has; they both tend to wear a sturdy nosering. She tries to collect herself and gather the will to turn back and flee.
There's a grunt that disturbs her attempt to fight against instinct. It's deeper than any sound made by an Eeee.. but still has an Eeee quality to it. "Who dares trespass in my garden," the voice of the demon-mutant rumbles. Jingle can almost feel it in her loins.
"No one important!" Jingle signs, since she can't speak! Hmm, awkward! So ... she tries to slowly back away.
The bulk of the creature looms up now. Thick-limbed, barrel-chested, sporting curled horns and beady eyes in a too-small head.. save for the big square muzzle full of big square teeth. There are probably wings, but the wide shoulders obscure them. "What are you?" Rugharo demands, getting into position to charge.
"Savanite!" Jingle signs in a panic and sort of crouches down as she continues to slowly back away. At this point she's trembling all over!
It only takes three long strides before Rugharo is able to grab the Savanite, pinning her arms to her side in massive paws as he lifts her up and then sticks his nose up against her neck to sniff. In the chilly air, his breath seems very hot.
This just makes the savanite squeak. She can only make rudimentary sorts of sounds, after all. She's now shaking all over, and knowing this was a bad idea. And what makes it worse is she's now raging-horny with him this close! In the middle of being terrified, she's also daydreaming about enjoying his bits in every way she can.
"Trespasser. Predator," Rugharo accuses with a growling tone, then carries Jingle deeper into the cemetery. He apparently does not now Silent Sign (or even what a Savanite is).
Those two words make Jingle squirm, then soon thrash as she tries to get herself free from his grip so she can make a run for it! If she can just get free for a moment ... she can probably outrun him!
She's being carried into some sort of fog, and the demon's grip is like stone, so her struggles do little more than warm her up a bit. "No struggle!" Rugharo commands. "Almost there."
Jingle suppresses the urge to growl! Where is he even taking her? Almost where?
In answer, Jingle finds herself being lowered onto a stone surface, and Rugharo presses her such that she's on her back.
Jingle lifts her feet and pushes on him! She knows the feeling of things like sacrificial altars!
The beast ignores Jingle's attempts, as even her clawed feet can't do much to his hide. "You act guilty," he rumbles. Still holding her down with one hand, he pulls open her cloak with the other. "Pass Inala's trial, you go free," he claims.
"What is Inala's trial?" Jingle signs with one hand, probably hopelessly. With her robe back, it's apparent her entire crotch is is slimy-wet from all the arousal-drool that has been going on, as are the insides of several inches down along her inner thighs.
The trial part becomes apparent, as Jingle's lubrication is immediately put to the test. Since her feet are still against Rugharo's torso, the absorb some of the impact as the monster plunges into her. This is probably what Inala's blessing was for originally! She's still able to feel the full size of Rugharo though.
Jingle's eyes go HUGE! She also barks! And is soon grateful he hit the right passage; plenty of lubrication! She's tense and still for a few seconds, then she wraps her legs around him as much as she can and actually growls!
With his hands pinning her shoulders, Jingle's head doesn't end up shaking too much (although there's still a danger of biting her tongue if she's not careful) as the monster ruts like a beast. The impacts feel great on the inside, but it doesn't take long before her tail has gone numb.
It's a bizarre moment of terror and need. Rhugharo is one step up from an animal, barely. She holds with her legs and tries to rut back ... though for the most part she's along for the ride; she's just a pleasure hole for a beast.She sets her jaw so her forked tongue remains safe, and she tries to ignore her poor tail feeling numb! Mostly because she almost never has one.
Rugharo does pause to check that Jingle is still alive, and responds to her being so by rutting harder and faster! That same sort of euphoria beings to engulf her, and sometimes she feels like that other Alptraum with Scar. Although the Skreek was never so rough or bestial, the thought-smothering pleasure is the same.
Jingle is starting to really enjoy it, and imagine even just being some dumb beast being bred by the herd-males. It's a weird fantasy trip, apparently, but she's loving it at the moment. She's definitely alive given the more pleased sounds she starts making once she just sort of gives into the euphoria!
There are still gaps in the action, where Rugharo checks that the trespasser has not been split open yet. When it appears that he's not going to kill her this way, he actually slows down a bit, and eventually even uses his hands and broad tongue to explore Jingle's odd (to him) body.
And leaves Jingle wondering if he wanted to kill her. But, even with that thought she's soon purring and squirming in more pleased ways as he explores, and ruts. There are even several times where she ends up tensing up and riding a rush of pleasure as his size (and her body condition) causes her to climax at fairly regular intervals.
This leads the demon to try something different, which is probably using all of his brain power. He scoops Jingle up in his arms, then sits on the end of the stone slab with the still-impaled female in his lap. Having cold stone replaced by warm, wooly fur is a bit of a shock to Jingle.
It takes a moment for Jingle to even process that. Once she realizes it, soon she's using her legs to literally ride him. She smiles wide, then leans right in and bites him while she keeps bobbing her body away.
The monster grunts at the bite. He doesn't taste like an Eeee of course. Eventually her starts helping to bounce Jingle up and down, which starts to make her full stand up. This leads to actual sparks, which always seem to zap at her piercings (some of which have actual metal in them).
Jingle is now trying to get him to peak and flood her. Why? Because she's a hormonal idiot. The sparking and surges make her bark, tense, and puff out at times, but it doesn't slow her down at all.
Rugharo doesn't seem on the verge of peaking - maybe because it's all too different for him. He certainly seems happy with the bouncing though! Or he's cunningly waiting for Jingle to wear herself out!
Savanites are sprinters, not marathon cats, so it's not that long before she does starts to slowly run down, and down. And then she sits down on him and wheezes. She also traces the outline part of him makes in her belly.
"Hmm," the big oaf muses, then goes back to the original position and starts rutting hard again, even if it makes Jingle's limbs flop around a bit.
Jingle is worn out at this point, so she sort of rag-doll flops around while he ruts her on the stone! She's still purring though.
That white euphoria takes over again, and seems to go on.. for quite some time. When Rugharo finally releases, the sun is up!
And Jingle arches! Growls! And rides out the sensation of being a 'water balloon', and then a waterfall as it comes out.
"You pass," she hears, and then she's alone in the cemetery.
Jingle rubs her face, and feels exhausted. Also, still horny. And exasperated. So, she remains where she's sitting and tries to shadow-coccoon and shift herself back to himself.
While the cocoon forms.. nothing happens! Jingle is still.. Jingle.. when it retracts.
Jingle mrrps? Dagh? She tries several times, and ... remains an overly horny cat. Nothing changes. It's like .. she's just a savanite. This makes her twitch even more. She breathes out, trying to keep from getting any more frustrated ... and then finally rises and heads more towards the Temple, and the Nest.
Well, the first few steps go alright, before her legs start to get wobbly. While the shadow was being used to try and change her, it wasn't being used to help her recover.
So, Jingle ends up sitting down in a thump. Then she tries to use the shadow to help her just ... recover.
This certainly helps her feel fresh after taking a literal pounding all night. At least now she should be able to make up to the temple atop the mountain.
Up Jingle gets, then slowly makes her way up the mountain and to the ruined temple. She's bothered that she can't change. Is she now stuck like this forever? Not that she minds being a girl ... but part of her would rather be stuck as Nicora, of all things. Why? Because in spite of everything, she's learned to actually love Gorphat, deranged as it is.
It's almost certainly some sort of tampering by Inala.. after Gorphat tried tampering with Alptraum's 'normal' Barsunala form. Maybe Mave would know.
Grumbling, onward Jingle goes until she finds the nest entrance, then inward she goes!
Tulani is already there in the pile of pillows, still asleep.
Jingle peers at Tulani a bit, and resists the urge to poke her. Instead, she discards her robe and pack of jingles, and heads further into the Temple depth to see if she can find Mave.
The priestess is easier to find this time because she's singing, albeit quietly. She's also no longer in disguise, but is dressed in a Yodhinala-looking toga.
Jingle almost tries to shout, then remembers. She purses her muzzle like she sucked a lemon instead. Then she marches over, taps Mave's shoulder, and follows it up with a snapping movement as she signs "Stuck like this!"
"What do you mean?" Mave asks. It isn't clear if she's asking for more details or if the signs were just too fast for her.
"I cannot change out of this body. I am stuck as a horny cat," Jingle signs, slower. Her tail lashes.
"You're in heat," Mave surmises from this. "And you carry Inala's blessing. You get to enjoy all.. well, most aspects of that blessing."
"What don't I get to enjoy?" Jingle signs. "And when this is .. over I can change again?"
"Well, you can't get pregnant," Mave says, but seems uncertain. "And you should be able to change to any other female form, but the effect will move to that form as well."
Alptraum says, "CAN she move to any other female form?"
"I doubt just any other female form. For example, I imagine I could not become Yodhgorphat Scourge, or the Yodhzakaro," Jingle signs in frustration.
It takes a moment for Mave to translate, then she says, "Eeee don't go through estrus, no. I suppose Fnerfs do. I have my suspicions about Khattas."
"And those forms are associated with Inala's sisters," Jingle points out, then ends up shrugging some. "So, I have to stay horny for a week, then I can resume changing. So ... you need to show me where all the toys of self-gratification are, I guess, so I don't go crazy."
"Do you mean the barinala?" Mave asks. "The Yodhblakat still have them."
"No, actual toys. Fake thingies. Or one of those weird creepers," Jingle signs.
"They aren't as good as the real thing you know," Mave points out. "But there should be a trunk full of gifts to the Temple somewhere." She gets up and gestures for Jingle to follow.
"I just need a way to keep urges under control so I don't become completely wanton," Jingle signs, then follows along.
They go on a brief tour of the many treasures the Temple of Inala had stockpiled over the centuries. There were full-sized, highly detailed statues and boxes overflowing with jewelry, Zolk and probably now-spoiled spices. There were a lot of taxidermied pets as well. Finally they reach a section with plain looking chests, and Mave opens one to reveal many phallic-shaped objects, most made of wood but some of glass and ceramic and ivory (or some other sort of bone). Very few of them looked normal though.
Jingle actually coos, and starts picking up random ones almost immediately, and stroking them. Then she catches herself, coughs, and puts them right back down. "I am sure I can find one usable enough," she sighs, stiffly.
"Be sure to wash it first," Mave instructs. "Avoid the bone ones. They're porous and stuff will get into the pits and holes and cause problems. They were a very popular form of assassination in ages past."
"Stone or ceramic, then," Jingle signs as she peers and searches through. "Thank you ... I'll find something. Then, take a nap. I am exhausted."