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Conflict Between Worlds 04 Personal Growth

Melvar's weight was pressing down on Talba, his entire form squeezing his chest to hers as his seed gummed up her plumage and fur. Ceylon was off to the side, touching herself with her talons as she whimpered and asked for more attention. It was morning, and the sun was streaming in through the windows to illuminate the scene while also reflecting off the glistening, ebony-fleshed lips of the gryphon.

"Come on you two, when do I get some of this?" She whined, talon between her hind legs to prod and poke at her own lady parts.

Talba and Melvar looked into each other's eyes before laughing a bit. Talba pushed him off her belly while Melvar awkwardly stepped away, his member slowly folding and curling up back into his sheathe. Talba rolled onto her side and laid her head on her hand.

"Well, nobody's stopping you, dear. But I worry ol' Melvar is a little spent now that he's done his thing with me." She winked and trilled, her chest plumage sticking out a bit, a few feathers stills tuck to other ones thanks to the mess that Melvar left on her. "But I'm sure, if you were very enthusiastic, you could figure a way to excite him again. I don't doubt he has another round in him."

Melvar smirked, the gem on his forehead glowing a bit as he shuffled about on his hind legs. He didn't say a word to say what he wanted to say.

Ceylon glanced to Talba, then to Melvar and back to Talba again. She huffed and rolled her eyes. "You are just impossible, aren't you?" Her black talons were still prodding hat her nethers, sharp claw tips parting her lips while her middle finger rubbed at her clit. She was wet enough that her digits slipped inside with ease and there was a darkened patch of wetness of Talba's carpeted floor. She got to all fours, almost with a rebellious lurch, before rubbing up against Melvar's side, wing to wing with her beak prodding at his haunches while her own rump end was pushing against his shoulder. He was noticeably larger than him, but she had a silkiness to her movement that made it clear she was more Lithe and agile than he was.

Of course, they were no longer fighting, and she was instead courting him.

The hippogryph raised one of his front talons and leaned away from her, head cocked to the side and ears up high. "And what do you expect to accomplish, Ceylon?" He asked, a gruffness in his voice.

She rubbed her side and haunches up against him again while brushing her tail up under his chin. "I want you, Melvar. You gave it to Talba, and now it's my turn." She nuzzled her beak to his flank like a cat rubbing its cheek against its owner's leg, the curl of her beak tickling his flesh and raking through his fine fur and hair as she angled herself so that she was prodding at his belly. Her beak tip was mere inches away from the soft, musky folds of his sheathe as she extended a tongue to taste and prod at his nethers.

Naturally, he felt himself stop pulling away when her tongue met his flesh. He glanced over to Talba with a confused look on his face, unsure of what to do. He knew what he had to do, but wasn't sure if he had enough in him to truly go another round. He flitted his eyes back and forth while flicking his ears as if to ask what to do next, when Talba responded.

She was still laying on her side with her head on her palm, smiling with one leg bent and knee raised. "Go on, Melvar. You wouldn't want to disappoint, do you?"

He didn't appreciate the questioning of his masculinity, but she was right. He couldn't dare fail to perform when he had to eager mares both questing after his equipment. That would be quite the blow to his ego, even if he had just released a glorious mess on Talba's belly. If there was any good news, it was that he didn't fully finish himself off, since he came while his cock was outside of her. He still had some left in his energy reserves, as it were. The hippogryph was about to lean forward to allow his member to unfold from its sheath when Ceylon pulled out from underneath, flanked him, and curled her beak up under his tail to prod at his rump.

Melvar's eyes went wide and his tail immediately lowered to close off his rump, but she kept her beak lodged up underneath it as the curve of her snout rubbed to his pucker. Though he wasn't too keen on admitting it, he found it to be pleasant, in an odd way. He slowly relaxed his tail muscles to let her up under there, and she repaid him by sticking her tongue out to lap at the plump rim of flesh there. His jaw was kept firm as he stared at Talba, still not sure how to react when a talon cradled his balls, giving the both of them a very gentle tug and squeeze. Again, it was weirdly uncomfortable, but also oddly pleasant, so he relaxed just enough to feel his member emerge from his hind legs.

As it grew, Ceylon's other hand reached forward to cup the tip and squeeze the end of the shaft, stroking gently while her tongue lapped at his rump and he other hand cradled his twin orbs. She was quite dexterous, and that was quite enjoyable for him even if the whole situation was a little awkward.

Before he could really say or do anything, she pulled her head out from under his tail and released both balls and shaft before crouching down low and crawling between his hind legs. He had to spread them apart while also lowering his head to watch as she twisted around onto her back, beak open just below his cock. It was quite awkward for him, so he had to interfere.

"Ceylon, I must ask, what is it you plan on-"

He was again cut off as she brought her head forward to nuzzle and lick around his cock tip, taking the end of it in her beak so she could gently suck and thrust herself onto it, cradling most of its weight on her tongue.

"Oh, I see." He accepted as he leaned over onto the side of the bed, rubbing his beak to the sheets while his member was caressed by her maw.

Ceylon brought her talons up to wrap around his shaft, squeezing it tight and holding it in place as she gulped it down, the bulge of it sliding down her throat while the shaft throbbed and pressed to the soft flesh of her beak. One talon trailed its way down to the base, where it rubbed the sheath and tickled his balls, the other talon still squeezing the shaft around the median ring just outside of her beak. She seemed to be enjoying it, but quickly stopped to yank his member from his beak as she gagged on it, leaving it glistening with saliva and dripping a combination of that and precum onto the ground.

"H-hey, don't start something you're not going to-"

She cut him off immediately by flipping to all fours beneath him and sliding forward so her chest was pressed to the ground between his front talons, her rump up and rubbing against his cock. She reached down between her hind legs to cradle his member and guide it under her tail, pressing the rounded glans against her soaking wet pussy while shuffling backwards until it popped into her. She gasped and chirped a trill while she swayed her hips back and forth with the tip of his member resting between her meaty folds, slowly inching backwards to swallow more of him.

Her flesh was quite warm to him, hot like a mare in heat and plump to match. Melvar resented her dominant actions that seemed to take away his control in the situation, but it was nice to have the other party do all the work instead of having him buck and thrust wildly. She was using him as one would demand attention from a feral stallion, but her need and eager nature made her feel even more comfortable to his cock. Her walls were relaxed and slick, but also snug and twitching every few seconds to massage him. He could feel her clit winking and her lips clenching around his shaft as more of his length plunged into her depths.

Before long, her haunches were pressed to his inner thighs as her pussy swallowed his member right to the sheath. He could feel his tip resting against her firm cervix as her walls clenched and twitched against him, seemingly sucking him in waves; right when he was getting used to this subtle caress, she started rocking back and forth, his member sliding in and out of her in short but slow strokes. The gentle friction of her walls snugly holding him while her clit winked in unison with the pulsations and flexes of his own pelvic muscles enhanced the sensation.

His dominant personality bubbled up in the midst of his rising pleasure, and he splayed his wings out with one on the bed and the other arched down to the ground on the other side. He arched his back and bucked his hips as his weight and power made Ceylon slide along the carpet before she dug her talons in and pushed back. He brought one of his front paws up to press against her back, but she was already flat to the ground and he was enjoying her take-control actions, so he didn't bother to step on her as an act of dominance. Instead, he leaned his beak down to rub against the side of hers, a rumbling growl emanating from his chest. More like a purr, really, but he was far too powerful to allow himself to purr like a cat.

She got up to all fours, her back pressed hard against his belly as she rocked back and forth, her motions growing wider and longer to caress his member in deeper, more powerful thrusts. Her lips slid from base to just below his throbbing cock tip with each slow motion as she arched her neck upwards, gently preening at his chest feathers.

He wanted to raise a talon, force her back to the ground and hold her in place while he finished her, but the soft kindness of her flesh's caresses was too nice to stop, and he found himself twitching in delight against her. The subtle motions mixed with her squeezing muscles caressed his lengths in ways he'd never been before, and within moments he felt himself tensing up his hindquarters in anticipation of another climax.

His eyes rolled back in his head as his breathing became labored. His wings started to ruffle and he could feel her depths grow tight as his flare started to expand. Within seconds, he had to thrust forward, his power forcing Ceylon to spread her legs and brace herself against him as he arched his head back, cock throbbing as the first burst of seed shot through his member and into her depths. His entire body tensed up for a moment before relaxing, relieved at his release. Another powerful jerking of his his hips was met with his cock throbbing to shoot another gob of his seed into her.

Ceylon was kind to him. She could feel he had finished, but she didn't step away. Instead, she leaned back while relaxing her pussy walls, ensuring she didn't squeeze him out, at least at first. After a few moments of his member going soft in her passage, she gave a wink and a clench of her pelvic muscles to clench around his length, the pressure forcing his semi-flaccid length from her depths with a gooey squelch and series of airy sputters. One last wink sealed her off by ejecting some of his seed while trapping the rest inside her.

Though Melvar seemed spent again, Ceylon remained underneath him, her back pressed to his belly and head poking out from between his front legs. She arched her neck upwards to meet his head, allowing them to rub beak to beak. Talba was actually laying on the bed next to them, having somehow moved from the floor to the sheets without either Ceylon or Melvar noticing.

"I have to admit, my gryphon dear, I wasn't expecting another passionate embrace like that. Your world has a way of changing the way I think about sensuality." He stepped over Ceylon and hopped up to the bed, member having fully retracted within his sheath even if the musky stallion scent billowed up from between his hind legs.

"I'm glad to hear that." Ceylon cooed at him while she followed him up to the bed on the other side of Talba. "I told you, this is a wonderful region. Peace between three nations and plenty of sensual company. It's wonderful to have you here, if for no other reason than to introduce you to my culture. Our culture."

Talba rolled over to look Melvar in the eyes, head on a pillow. "And you're welcome to stay here. Treat my people well, and they will treat you well. I don't know what kind of history you have with people in the past, but I can promise you kindness in turn."

Melvar flopped onto his back with his paws folded on his chest and wings flat to his side. Now that he'd finished and his hormone-addled mind was clear again, his natural defensiveness and skepticism reared its ugly head, making him question their sincerity. However, the more he thought o them, their kindness, and their eagerness to please him, the more convinced he became. He smiled and laid his head on the red and gold pillow, tongue hanging out the crook of his beak. "I gladly accept your offer. So tell me, what's next?"

Before Talba could respond, a gentle knocking came from her twin doors. "Who summons me? What do you want?" She asked, glancing over to Ceylon and Melvar, one laying on their belly, the other on their back. Both were exposed and naked, so she wasn't so keen on inviting anyone into her chambers without good reason.

A meek voice came from the other side. "It's Mikhail, my queen. There seems to be a messenger in the throne room. He requests your presence and says it's urgent."

The queen looked over to Melvar, then back to Ceylon. "You want to come with or fool around with each other a bit longer?" She invited.

Melvar huffed a laugh as he rolled off the side of the bed to land on all fours. "I don't think I've got another round in me. At least not for a few minutes. Do you mind if I join you in the throne room?"

"I don't mind at all. I enjoy your company. Ceylon?" She looked over at Ceylon, who was seemingly napping on her belly.

She opened up one blue eye and flicked her ear. "Sure, why not? If it's urgent, you may need me. Come on, let's go." She shifted her weight and stepped off the other side of the bed, shaking her entire form and stretching her wings while she waited for Talba.

The queen called out to Mikhail. "Tell the messenger I will be ready in a quarter hour or less. I have to dress and clean. Invite him to enjoy snacks from the buffet in the mean time."

"Yes my queen." The servant acknowledged before pattering away down the hallway.

Talba rolled from the bed and took a moment in her personal bath to freshen up before returning to the bedroom, where she dressed in a lavish red skirt and tank top with gold and black trim. The colors of Arrenthen. All three headed to the throne room and grand hall.

Talba crossed her legs, looking down at the gryphon messenger. He wore a feather-bow on his back with a quill with dozens of arrows and a simple loincloth to over himself. He was a deep blue with green stripes and yellow flesh. "State your name and your purpose." She demanded.

Melvar noted how her tone and voice was far more stern with the messenger than it was with him or Ceylon. A very different personality when dealing with professional queen business. He was standing tall between the two thrones, with Ceylon laying on her belly on the ground opposite Talba's throne.

The gryphon bowed with his arm over his chest. "My name is Toumak. I am a warrior in Chief Storm's tribe, and I have grave news about a recent development." He remained in a bowing position while he waited for Talba to respond.

"Go on, I'm listening. What news do you have from the north?"

He stood up straight and took in a long breath before answering. "Something strange has happened. A few days ago, there was a massive explosion in the sky, and a purple blast erupted over the land. I'm sure you saw it. But soon thereafter, we found glowing crystals outside of the village. While on a hunt, princess Melodi and myself came across one, and it twisted her mind. She grew fierce and protective of it until we brought it back to the village, where she shared it with Storm. Everything seemed fine at first, but then I noticed that Storm started to act strange. Now, ever since he came to possess that crystal, he has been acting erratic, violent, and it seems he's plotting something. He killed one of his servants for daring to get too close to that crystal, and has been growing increasingly reclusive and aggressive."

He paused a moment before continuing. "And he informed me that he would be going on a quest to find the others, saying he knew of dozens around Arrenthen, Tehgol, and Untheria, and that he'd kill anyone who got in his way. At one point I heard him muttering about how they called to him; it scares me, and he's amassing a force of his best warriors to scour the land to find more of the crystals. I know this because he asked me to lead the charge behind him and next to Melodi, but I refused. When I told him that I didn't want any part of this quest, he told me that was why he trusted me most, saying that he was glad I didn't want his gems, and if I did he'd have to kill me, too. When he slept last night, I left the village to come tell you. I fear for the peace between our tribe and the capitol."

Talba remained quiet as she glanced over to Ceylon, then to Melvar. All three shared glances before Ceylon spoke.

"When Melvar appeared a few days ago, there was a halo of purple energy emanating from where I first saw him. Is there a chance this could be linked?"

"Perhaps." Talba commented to herself, before leaning forward to Toumak. "Why did you come to me first? I know I am your queen, but are you not loyal to your chief?"

Toumak hung his head low. "I am, but he said that in his visions he saw one here, in the castle. Some eastern hybrid saurossin of gold and black had the crystal, and that he was coming for it once he had collected some of the strays that landed in the jungle and were collected by the neighbouring villages. I came to you to warn you of an impending attack."

"I'm not worried about an attack, not from Storm. He's a formidable foe, but his forces pale in comparison with the royal guard." Talba explained with an air of arrogance in her tone.

"I understand, my queen, but ever since he got the crystal in his posession, his strength seems to have vastly improved. He's stronger, he's faster, and he seems to be gifted with magic skills he hadn't had before."

Melvar lowered his head as both Talba and Ceylon looked to him for answers. He wasn't entirely sure how his unique energy would react to this world, but it sounded like the lightener crystals, except they were acting slightly different than they should. Rather than absorbing information from their users to store in a database, they were sharing that data with Storm while somehow linking to each other by giving him visions of the rest. Storm was said to be stronger, magically enhanced, mad with power, and possessing knowledge of the whereabouts and status of the other crystals. What little information he had taken from the gryphon made him think that, in Dalon, they were calling to each other to be brought back together, and they did this by giving their users insight into the rest of the set while also granting them the strength to fight. The crystals were corrupting the others as he had been. This was bad news, very bad news.

"Is there anything you care to tell us, Melvar? I can tell you know something." Talba prodded.

Instantly, Melvar snarled, snapping out of his deep thoughts. "I told you to stay out of my-"

"I'm doing no such thing, I can tell something is on your mind by looking at your face." She explained, still waiting for an answer. "So what can you share with us?"

He lowered his head and stepped forward between the thrones. "It sounds like something I call lightener - also known as lightbringer - crystals, but it sounds like they've somehow been corrupted into the opposite, darkener or darkbringer. They're a sort of side effect of my arrival in your world, and I sincerely hope they are hidden well or well dispersed, because in their corrupted form, they can twist one's mind." He gave a solemn look to Toumak. "If what you say is accurate, then your entire village is at risk. If your chief has one of the crystals, he will be granted enhanced strength, magic, and he will lack compassion in his quest to acquire the other crystals. If my theories are correct, they will also imbue him with a knowledge of the precise location and holders of every other crystal. They have to be destroyed before they corrupt the mind of the holder. I don't know what other effects may arise over time."

Toumak's eyes darted back and forth while Ceylon and Talba both looked over to Melvar, more than a little worried about the entire situation.

"How strong are these lightener crystals? How much danger are the people of Epicelia in? It sounds like these crystals have rained on all three nations of the continent." Talba got to her feet and looked down at the hippogryph while staring at the gem in his forehead. "And I don't mean to accuse, but what relation do these glowing purple crystals have to that glowing purple gem on your forehead?"

Ceylon gulped heavily, expecting a fight between the queen and Melvar, but it didn't come.

Melvar's eyes grew weak as he started thinking about the implications of these crystals and how they were linked to him. He sniffled and lowered his head, doing his best to avoid eye contact with queen. Naturally, he would have just lunged forward to rip her throat out for such an accusation, but his time in Dalon had tampered his own corruption, softening him and allowing him to feel compassion for Talba and Ceylon and the other people of Arrenthen. Instead, he simply felt guilty for his presence and what his arrival had brought with it. He shrunk in place, feathers pressed tight to his shoulders as he laid down flat on his belly between the thrones.

Talba looked angry for a moment before softening her intense stare. "I can see and feel your remorse, Melvar. For now, I absolve you of your sins, but I do want an answer. Please, if these gems are as dangerous as you say, I need to know for the sake of my people. Am I in danger. And can you be trusted?"

He covered his face with his talons as a few tears welled up in his eyes. After sniffling, he got back up to a sitting position, shaking his head feathers off. "You are not in danger, not from me. I find that my own corruption has been lessened upon my arrival - this world has had quite the positive effect on me in the past few days - but if they are acting like this to your ally Storm, then I fear a significant war is on the horizon. If these gems have fallen from the skies in all three nations of this region, then the leaders and people will not only fight each other, but amongst themselves. They will fight, and they will kill until every one of the gems are had by a single person. If they are not destroyed, then I fear a great war is on the horizon."

Talba nodded with a solemnity before kneeling before Melvar, tapping the gem on his forehead. "And what of this? Do you call to the other crystals? Can you help me find them so that they stay out of the hands of those who would use them for ill?"

Melvar shook his head. "No. I didn't even know the crystals had come with me until this messenger here shared that information. I don't know where they are or how to find them, and honestly I wouldn't dare get near one for fear of it corrupting me. This in my crest is but a tiny gem, the crystals are quite large and stronger than it and I was barely able to gain control over the corruption that I have now. No, Talba, I cannot help you find them."

"Very well." She accepted, granting Melvar enough relief to let out a long, drawn out sigh. She turned and sat back down at her throne, addressing the messenger Toumak again. "Dear gryphon, you've done the realm a great service, but I have to ask another favor of you."

Toumak bowed again. "Yes, my queen. Anything you ask."

"I need for you to travel north along the foothills of the mountain, then arrive at the border between Arrenthen and Tehgol. At one of the forts there you will find King Vaulix. I need for you to have him return to-"

Talba was interrupted by the huge red-wood doors bursting open at the other end of the throne room. In came a tall black, red, and brown hippogryph with a smaller avian-canine hybrid. She immediately recognized them as two of her oldest friends Valencia and Ilorek.

"Hey, you mind knocking? I'm dealing with some important business." Talba scolded. They may have been friends, but she was still ruler of Arrenthen.

The female hybrid spoke. "No time for that. We have problems."

"So I'm hearing. What kind of problems do you have?" Talba prodded.

"War to the southwest. Tehgol and Untheria have begun a battle on their borders over some crystals." She explained, before hopping up on Ilorek's back when they reached the bottom of the stairs before the thrones, next to Toumak, who blushed as he glanced over to Valencia.

Talba nodded. "Crystals that make their users go mad with power while granting them the ability to detect others. We know." She stepped down some of the stairs to stand directly in front of the much smaller Toumak. "I need you to find my husband in the north. He will be at a border between Arrenthen and Tehgol at the ambassador fort. If there are problems of this scale arising in that nation, he needs to know. Bring him back, please, before he gets caught up in something on his own. Now go, you will be well rewarded for your service, but for now you need to leave, time is of the essence. Think you can make it to the northern border by sky before sunset?"

Toumak nodded. "Yes, my queen, but my wings are very ti-"

"Then be gone. I bid you fair winds and clear skies above." She bowed to him in a show of respect, letting him know she wasn't intending to be cruel, but that she appreciated his haste.

After Toumak dutifully bowed and ran out the still-open doors, Talba turned to look at each of the others. Valencia and Ilorek both looked intense, Melvar looked guilty, and Ceylon just looked tired. She addressed the dozen royal guard lining the throne hall. "I need this to stay silent. The people cannot know of this. Not my staff, not the nobles, and not the civilians. If we can stop this war from coming to our borders, then there's no need to incite a panic."

The others all nodded in agreement.

"But I'm hungry and it's time for lunch. Come on, we can talk over food, I'm sure that'd be good for us all."

"Well, I don't know what we're going to do about this, or if anything really needs to be done. Vaulix headed north yesterday, saying he heard something about unrest to the west, so I imagine that has something to do with this." Talba commented as she took a bite of her bacon and eggs. "For this, you are my advisers, does anyone have any suggestions?"

They were all sitting around the banquet table with a full meal steaming before them. At the head was Talba, with an empty seat next to her where Vaulix would have been. On one side was Melvar and Ceylon - the two quadrupeds - while the other had Ilorek and Valencia. They were being served by a few felines as well as Mikhail and Arnika.

"I suggest we defer to Melvar on this one. He seems to know the nature of the crystals, and they are here as a result of his arrival, somehow." Ceylon suggested, extending her wing to pat Melvar on the shoulder.

The hippogryph pulled away, uncomfortable. "I'm really not sure if that's a good idea. I understood them before, but they seem to be acting different here. Corrupted. I can speculate, but I likely know little more than any of you. And if they are corrupt, I fear I may be subject to their power more than any of you. If I get near any of the crystals, well, you should all fear for your life." He hung his head, ears drooping. "All I know for certain is that they need to be destroyed. Cracking and shattering them should ruin the totality of their power."

Talba took another bite and spoke as she chewed. "Okay, so Melvar can't help us destroy them, but shattering them will work. Does anyone else have any ideas?"

Valencia stood on her chair - still not as tall as Ilorek or the others - while raising a wing-arm. "I can't say for certain, but I was able to touch the crystal that Melodi and Toumak saw and took to Storm. It didn't affect me, but I could tell that it was powerful, that's when I flew to find Ilorek at the southwest border of Untheria and Tehgol. I figure the lot of us - with the exception of Melvar - are likely immune to the corrupting powers of the crystal. Just a theory, though."

"And how would we test that theory without risking one of us?" Talba prodded.

Ilorek grabbed Valencia and held her close, her tiny body nearly disappearing in his chest plumage. "No better way than to try. If Val says that she was fine, I believe her. Of course, she is the most powerful of us when it comes to the mind, so I also figure it's a safe bet that she's more immune than any of us. So should we head north? See what we can do? We would be a great asset to any conflict, and you know that."

Melvar perked an ear up and glanced over to Ceylon, then to Talba, then across the table to the two guests. "Do you have armies? How many soldiers do you command? If this Chief Storm fellow is as dangerous as I've come to understand, you will need an army."

A short pause hovered over the group before they all chuckled, and Valencia spoke. "Right, you're not one of us. No, we are an army on our own. Far more powerful than any army beneath or behind us. We have immense control over magic and energy; if this is nasty enough, we could likely silence it on our own but we have to keep it looking like a war or people will suspect something."

"Suspect what?" Melvar prodded. His mind did return a bit to Ceylon's words on the day they met, about being a Goddess, and he started to piece it together. However, before he could say anything, Ilorek piped up.

"We're very old. I think Ceylon has given you a hint to our true nature. The common folk refer to us a Gods, though we are no such thing. Immortality, immense power, and...you know. Let's not get into it. All we know is that something strange is happening to our world, and we might have to go to extreme measures to maintain the status quo. If we can do this via natural means, with wars and armies and peace treaties, we can keep the illusion of our mortality. But if we cannot, then...well, we might have to bust out the heavy weaponry." He rubbed his hands together and looked a little to eager to use the full extent of his power.

As Melvar glanced over to Ceylon, he could see her with her wing shoulders low and head hanging just above the table, her food going cold. She looked depressed.

"Is everything alright?" Melvar asked.

She perked her head up and faked a smile. "Yeah, it's fine, I just don't like having to discuss my true nature. I know you don't care for dieties of any sort. You nearly tried to kill me last time I brought it up."

He patted her on the wing. "I wouldn't worry too much, to be honest. In the past days you've all shown me to be kind and free of corruption. Besides, you've said on multiple occasions that you're not Gods, simply revered as such. Not your fault what your reputation does to precede you. I know entirely too much about one's legacy affecting your personality. I wouldn't worry. But like I said, keep me away from those crystals, and we'll all be fine."

Talba took another bite as she tapped her fingers to the table. "Well that's all well and good, but what do we do next? Time is of the essence."

"I say we head north and squash this menace before an internal conflict arises; we can handle the other two nations when that's done." Ilorek suggested, grinning as he took a big slab of steak and tossed it down his gullet.

"Ceylon, Ilorek and I can head north to meet Vaulix. You and Melvar can stay and defend the castle." Valencia added.

Talba shook her head, silently rejecting that suggestion. "No, we should stay here, at least until Vaulix has returned. He is king, after all. If he's up at the ambassador fort, discussing terms with the Tehgolians, then I would wait to hear what he has to say before making any decisions. Toumak seemed like an eager and capable young flyer, so I imagine he'd likely be at the northern border by nightfall, and Vaulix could be back by morning. Time is indeed of the essence, but one day should be plenty to make an educated decision."

Valencia glanced sidelong over at Ilorek, still standing in her chair but leaning against her mate. "But I've held one of the crystals in my fingers, what more information do you need?"

"Val, you forget I have a kingdom to run, I can't just flit from nation to nation doing whatever I'd like, as you do. For the moment, I need to keep a semblance of normalcy to my reign, I can't hint that I'm stronger than they think I am. It just makes sense to have the King here before making any rash decisions, and he's presumably the only one to an insight into Tehgol's intentions and political goals. As of right now we know very little, and I want to know more before doing anything too severe. My decision is final, we wait until Vaulix returns, and I hope he returns tomorrow. I'd like to keep us all here, at least for now."

Ceylon nodded. "Probably for the best. I don't know how strong these crystals are, but a poor decision is likely to hurt more than waiting to make the right decision."

Melvar hissed to himself as he shook his head. "That might be true most of the time, but if these crystals are as I fear they are, they get more powerful by the day, and as more are gathered in one location, the more amplified their effects are. If we have kings, queens, chiefs, and lords vying for their power, that's a lot of focused energy, and a lot of manpower. In one or two days, a lot of damage could be done."

"I respect your knowledge and opinion, Melvar, but I think in this situation, my decision is the right one. I will act the moment it feels I can do so with a properly educated decision, but in the mean time I want to focus my efforts here at home. My people, my friends, and my allies are what matter most to me. If things go poorly, I'll have to evacuate, get some of the hired help off the continent and away from these troubles. For now, let's just eat and keep this quiet until we know more. The rumour mill and gossip trains can do enough damage without truth making it worse." She took another big bite and leaned back in her throne-like seat, crossing her legs under the table.

Though the others seemed unsure of their willingness to let it go like that, they all focused on their food, enjoying brunch in the company of friends. At first it was silent, before Ceylon spoke up, trying her best to lighten the mood.

"So Melvar, that gem on your head, that's purple. Same color as these gems. You say there's no link, but I'm still kinda curious."

Melvar smiled a moment and swallowed his bite before tapping his claw to the gem in his crest. "Well, this has been with me since I was born. Used to be more of an ocean blue, but it turned a darker purple around the same time the color was drained from my feathers and I grew to be black instead of white."

"You used to be white, like me? Wisps of gray, some black, some white, etc? Why didn't you tell me that? Did you transform? How did you do it?" Ceylon asked, shuffling in towards him.

"Slow down with all the questions, dear!" Melvar cautioned her with a bit of a laugh and a smile. "No, all white and blue with some gold. And no, it wasn't on purpose. I...I really don't want to talk about what happened to change me like this. It wasn't for the better, but I am trying to be good again."

It was clear that he wasn't so keen on discussing it, so they dropped the subject, at least for now.

In his mind, Melvar couldn't get the feeling of remorse out of his thoughts. He knew that this was his fault, yet he was the only one who couldn't help to remedy the problem. He bought the crystals into their world, and he was too scared to put himself near them. Questions swirled in his mind, as they often did, and it slowly drove him into a form of self-contained madness. Would they be able to fix the damage the crystals had done to the lands? Would they be able to cure and heal the corruption that they spread? Would he be able to help without getting too close to the crystals? Did his forehead gem have anything to do with them?

There were more questions than there were answers, so he did his best to keep himself occupied in his own thoughts while also trying to think only positive thoughts. Over time, the others continued their conversations about the crystals, their friendships, and the food, but he just stared at his plate while trying to ignore them all. They could tell something was wrong and they tried to pull him from his funk, but it was clear he just wanted to be left alone.

In time, they left together. Ilorek, Valencia, Ceylon, and Talba all took their leave one at a time, leaving Melvar alone in the banquet hall with his own thoughts. Talba had mentioned something about filling in the royal guard about increased security measures or something. He didn't care, he had his own thoughts to occupy his mind without thinking about what others would do.

Life was easier in Dalon, this was for certain, but when he brought his problems with him they became the problems of the people that had taken him in, accepted him, and laid their lives down for him. He could leave, but that wouldn't bring the crystals with him. He couldn't and wouldn't dare go out to grab them himself, for fear that they would take him, corrupt him, and make him angry and violent like when he first arrived.

Melvar was no coward, and he knew that there was a chance that the crystals would have no effect on him, but it wasn't a risk he was willing to take. Worst case scenario, they had an effect, amplified his already substantial power, and he'd kill everyone who stood on his way. With any luck, Talba, Vaulix, Valencia, Ceylon, and Ilorek would work together to subdue him, but he really couldn't take that risk. He didn't want to hurt them. He was certain that if his rage was unleashed, there was nothing that could stop him, and his lucidity and serenity was just barely holding that rage at bay as it was.

He couldn't count the amount of times he nearly lashed out at someone simply for telling him no or looking at him the wrong way. He was a volatile weapon, ready to explode at the touch of a button. Something poor Mikhail was about to learn.

"Your plate, my lord?" Mikhail requested as he came up beside Melvar, hand outstretched.

The meal had long since ended, and in Melvar's deep thoughts kept him from noticing that Mikhail, Arnika, and a few of the feline servants had cleared all but his plate and one bottle of wine from the table. He could have been there for minutes or hours, he truly had no idea. When he looked up, he narrowed his eyes at Mikhail, swatting his hand away. "I will give you my plate when I am done with it." He snarled, his voice deepening into a hiss. He wasn't angry with the chimera, but he hated being interrupted when in thought, and the high stress of the overlying issues made his frustration manifest.

Mikhail bowed politely and backed away, arm curled over his belly and other hand on his back. "My apologies, my lord. When might I be able to receive-"

"You will have my plate when I am damn well finished with it." He repeated, slamming his talon to the table.

Mikhail stepped back in fear, gulping. "I understand, my lord, I only ask because it is my job to clean the dishes, and I do need to know when is ideal, so I can do my job to the best of my abilities." When Melvar growled at him, he simply turned and ran from the room and back into the kitchen.

Melvar was alone again, relaxing in the banquet hall with multicolored streams of like stabbing through the stained glass portrait of Talba and Vaulix on the wall behind the throne seats. It was a constant reminder of where he was, who's home he was in, and what he was willing to fight for. He sat on his haunches, looking up at the window pane with soft eyes, the gem on his forehead dimming to near darkness. His heart was racing with a combination of frustration, anger, and hope - a very volatile blend - as he struggled within himself about the choices that were set before him.

His pride wouldn't allow him to stand idly by while his friends were in danger. He was no coward.

His mind knew that he would be a fool to run into a situation where he was exposed to the crystals.

His heart was twisted in place, divided between logic and passion, and it tore him apart from the inside. His soul was in tatters, and his mind was conjuring up images of him atop a pile of dead bodies, the torn remains of those who would harm him or his people. His fantasies had him eagerly conquering the corruption within him, which was a bit of a contradiction since the act of violence was a side effect of that corruption as opposed to the trait he needed to defeat it. That made it even worse when he heard the idle clanking of a wine goblet behind him. He spun his head around and saw Mikhail, having returned from the kitchen, placing a series of cups and plates on a platter to take to the sink.

His voice was silken and sinister as he hissed. "Listen here, dish wench, I told you once already, I will allow you to take the plates when I am good and done with them. I don't know if maybe you are just terrible at your job or if you are purposefully disrespecting the sanctity of this castle, but if you don't put that damned goblet and leave this room, I will rend your guts from your belly, understand me?"

Mikhail whimpered and stepped backwards, too scared to respond to the threat. "My lord, I thought you were done. You were at the end of the table, and I...I thought it was-"

"Do you have no respect for your queen or her guests?" Melvar hissed, pressing his beak up close to Mikhail's snout, his warm breath blasting at the chimera's face.

"M-more than any others, my lo-"

Melvar had heard enough from the lowly slave, so he lunged, talon first, at Mikhail and slammed his head to the ground. The goblet, platter, and plates clattered and smashed off to the side as the hippogryph laid all his weight down on the poor, whimpering servant. "I told you not another word! Does your insolence know no bounds? Do you have a death wish or do you want the world to collapse around your pretty little existence! Maybe you should grow a pair and be pushed to the front lines so you may die in honor!" He twisted his heel around Mikhail's neck, talons pushing into his cheek and forehead.

"P-please don't hurt me!" Mikhail cried out as he struggled and twisted in pain beneath the hippogryph. He was whimpering and blubbering as he spread his hands out to each side, eyes wide and moist with the beginnings of tears. A decade's worth of pain was coming to the surface all at once with Melvar's talons holding him down.

Though it sickened him to admit it, the power he exerted felt good. He had this slave down beneath his talons, and all he'd have to do was ball his fist up to tear flesh from his skull and end him for his disrespect. He had the power, he could do it, but as he reflected on the moments that led up to this, he started to feel an immense wave of remorse more powerful than anything he'd felt before. He had let the evil within him conquer him for only a moment, morphing him back into the cruel, vicious hippogryph he once was and was trying to distance himself from.

He gulped heavy, his talon still pressed to the whimpering, crying chimera beneath him. He glanced around to see if any of the other servants had seen what he had done. He wanted to pretend this had never happened, and he wanted to apologize to Mikhail, but before he could do that he felt a powerful burst of energy on his side, knocking him through the air and into the wall.

When he landed on his side, he scrambled to his feet to see where the power had come from, only to see Talba briskly walking forward with her hand raised towards him and Ceylon in tow. He shook himself off and stared back at her, the gem glowing bright.

She had an intense look on her face - outright furious - as she came to step up to Mikhail. She reached down and picked hum up to his feet while whipping his eyes, never breaking her gaze from Melvar's. Once the servant was on his feet, she leaned in and rubbed her beak to his chin and whispered something in his ear that made him skitter off, not into the kitchen but into the throne room. When he was gone, she lunged forward up to Melvar and grabbed him by the throat, face up close to his as she slammed him against the wall.

He just about lashed out at her as he had Mikhail, but he knew he was in the wrong so he swallowed his pride and heard her out.

"Listen here, Melvar. I don't know what disorder might be in your mind, but you need to calm your nerves. I know you're stressed, but if you ever, EVER, touch one of my workers like that again, I will gut you like a holiday roast. Do you understand me. I don't care how strong you are, I don't care how broken your soul is, you control that anger or I will destroy you, understand me?" She let him go and stepped back, brushing her dress off while her intense green eyes remained trained on his.

Melvar's pride was broken. He knew he was in the wrong, but he couldn't admit fault or he would feel week. His emotions were still controlling him, so he just hissed at her as the gem throbbed and pulsated on his forehead. For a very, very brisk moment he could feel her mind prodding at his, but before he could lash out in anger, her gaze softened and she extended a hand to him.

"Look, I'm sorry for that, I truly am, but I care deeply about my workers, my friends, and every soul who helps to make this castle a home for me. Mikhail has had a particularly hard time and he's only been her a few months, so I wish to protect him from the dangers of his past life, and I'm sure you just triggered something in him. I know you're conflicted, I know you care, and I understand your position in all this, but you need to keep yourself under control. I wish you no ill will, but I meant what I said. If you attack Mikhail or any of the others ever again, you will be treated as a threat. Do you follow?"

He took in a long, deep breath and lowered his head, the gem slowly dimming. He didn't answer verbally, but slowly nodded.

"Good, then come with me, let's get you out of here so you can relieve some tension, I know you have a lot inside right now." She sidled up next to him and guided him out of the banquet hall as she whistled for the other servants to come and clean up the mess.

Arnika was the one who came out to pick up the broken ceramic and glass, staring in confusion at Melvar while also searching the room for Mikhail.

Melvar and Talba both walked the halls of the castle in silence as he ran over the events in his head. Talba guided him to her chamber door and invited him in before informing him that she had to take care of something else, and that he needed to remain here if he didn't want to be given an inquisition. He did as he was told, ruminating on his misdeeds.

For that brief moment, he felt true power, and it was satisfying to dominate the helpless. The gratification he got from that made him sick and only served to further reinforce his belief that his place was in the castle, as far away from the crystals as he could get. He wasn't even influenced by the corruption and yet he still had a rotten core that he was actively trying to subdue. He needed to stay here, he needed to control himself, and he needed the help of the kind healers if he wanted to prove his worth and assure them of his serenity.

He was laying on his belly next to Talba's bed when she came back in, gently closing the door behind her. When she turned, she had a look of sadness and remorse on her face. "Melvar, I want you to be happy here, but I want my staff to remain safe as well, and without being allowed to enter your mind and willingly feel your emotions, I fear there's only one way to pacify you." She stepped forward while reaching behind her back to pull apart the back of her dress, unzipping it in one fluid motion as it fell around her ankles. The queen stepped out of the pile of clothes while her visage melted from a look of sadness to that of a sultry seductress.

Melvar slowly shook his head and laid his chin on his wrists. "Not right now, Talba, I really don't think I'm in the mood."

"Nonsense, a stallion is always in the mood." She crooned before kneeling down next to him, pressing her chest to his wing while also trailing her fingers through his feathers and down his spine. Her breath tickled at the back of her neck as she spread her legs beside him.

He shifted away, pressing himself up tight to the side of her bed. "No, really. I don't think I'm in the mood. I feel terrible, Mikhail certainly hates me, and-"

"I wouldn't worry too much about Miki." She interrupted, slowly getting to her feet and brushing herself off. "He's a lot stronger than he looks, and I'm sure once you apologize with some sincere act of remorse, he'll be fine."

"But it's worse than all that. I really did feel like I was about to do some real damage to him. I could feel my talons digging into his skin through his fur. I know that I came to my senses before you arrived and I wouldn't have done anything to truly hurt him, but he doesn't know that. How could he possibly know that?" The biggest problem within his heart was that his pride wouldn't allow him to just apologize, now. He'd been reprimanded for his aggression, and his instinct was to defend that action rather than take responsibility for it. If he apologized now, he knew it'd feel fake, like he was forced to by the queen and not sincere.

Even if he genuinely meant it and felt remorse unlike anything he had before, he didn't feel he would be able to make Mikhail believe it.

Talba stepped over him and crawled up onto the bed. "Come on, you don't have to be intimate, but please come and cuddle with me. I could use the affection either way." She patted the bed next to her as she laid on her side, a half-cocked smile on her beak.

Melvar glanced up over the side of his bed and rested his chin on the edge of it for a moment before getting to all fours and hopping up next to her. He did a few rotations like a dog before curling up and lying down. He was facing her, his beak nestled into her chest plumage. His eyes refused to stay open, so he relaxed and shifted closer to him, nuzzling at her chest and neck, gem dimly glowing.

"I'm glad you're so willing to work with me, Melvar. For a moment I truly worried that I might have to evict you, and I know full well that if we needed to, we could have done it." She cooed at him as she stroked his head plumage, trailing her fingers down tot he back of his skull and down to his shoulders.

He pushed in closer, a deep purr rumbling up from his gullet. He didn't say anything, because he knew that if he would he might spew out emotions more freely than he was comfortable with. His talon crept up and rested on her hip, claws gripping gently at her haunches to hold her close. Though he was a stallion and was always up for fun, he was shocked to feel that his remorse overcame his carnal desires, and he wasn't actively pursuing sensuality with her, even though she was naked before him.

Talba kept stroking his head and neck as she laid her own head back on her pillow. "Just, please be more careful with your emotions. You know fully well that you always have a network of friends and allies here if you need us. Ceylon, Vaulix, Valencia, Ilorek, and myself are not always kind, but we're always willing to work with you. It's just the servants you have to learn to be kinder to." She laughed a bit to herself as a thought entered her mind. "Though to be honest, I'm sure Mikhail's been through worse. Just, you know, be nice to him, okay?"

She leaned down close to nuzzle her beak into his head, preening at his feathers affectionately as she noticed his body was twitching a bit, so she pulled back and caressed his cheek. "What's wrong?"

Melvar slowly raised his head from her chest and opened his eyes, tears welling in the corners as he sniffed and held back a sob. "Y-you've been so kind to me, Talba. Nobody has ever been so patient with me, and most just want to eliminate me. You have no idea how much this means to me. My queen." It took a lot of self control and desire to refer to her as queen, but he didn't mind smiling though his cracked tears and blurred eyes as he did it.

"My Liege." She responded, still running her fingers through his plumage. "I am willing to work with you for as much as you are willing to work with me. Stay here, and I am sure that we can bring you to the compassion that seems buried deep inside you. Tomorrow, we'll have you apologize to Mikhail for your little outburst, but for now, stay here with me and I'll be sure to make you feel welcome."

He pulled her in closer with his talon, pressing her body to his as he nuzzled into her chest feathers, idly rubbing his eyes on her to clear them of the tears that were threatening to fall. His one wing extended upwards to cover and wrap around Talba's body, holding her close while also naturally protecting her from others. At least that was what his natural instincts were urging him to do. Her compassion and patience was thoroughly engaging to him, and he couldn't help but feel a deep attraction to her.

The position of his wings and the proximity of her body swept her aromas towards him, and he felt a familiar swelling. His beak angled up to nuzzle and preen at her neck as his hind leg shifted behind him.

Talba smiled in response, bringing her hand down his neck and over his shoulders to tickle his belly. "I see that you've grown a little excited again. I'm glad to see you haven't lost your spirit." She leaned in and pressed her beak to his while also caressing his flank.

Melvar squirmed a bit in place, feeling more than a little uncomfortable allowing himself to get aroused in the midst of such an emotional, heavy moment. But she was so alluring, irresistible. And if she was eager to be intimate, there was no better cure for sorrow than affection. He hissed to himself a moment before getting to all fours and crouching over her with his body pressed to hers, talons on either side of her head while he looked her in her emerald eyes.

"I like this part of you better." She cooed at him, touching her beak to his in a gentle kiss as her hand explored his belly, slowly making its way to his inner thighs and eventually the soft folds of his sheath.