Re-Evaluating Targets

Winter had fallen upon the Growth. A cold, and bitter season, so terrible even the sun flees for longer periods of time. Outside the comfort of their warmed hearths, Florans stroll through snow-caked streets bundled in several layers of thick fabric. Long ago, Florans would hibernate through this difficult time. But that was impossible, given the threats to their very existence they faced. So they made a temporary truce with fire, huddled together in both platonic and romantic contexts, and tried to make it through the terrible weather.

Bellis leafed through a dozen different reports, roaring fireplace of deadfall keeping her offices nice and cozy. Not that it helped her mood. All manner of problems were assailing her. The Leader of the Growth acknowledged some of her own failings, in this case namely her lack of trust in competent subordinates to handle the little things. From fapple shortages, to border skirmishes, to the most petty of internal strife. Right now, she skimmed a list of members of a group calling itself the Florans Against Unethical Science and Technology. This FAUST has been raising a light ruckus in the city. Nothing criminal, but she couldn't afford any display of public disobedience. The group formed to formally oppose Rosalind's current overrun of hubris. Bellis knew she had to have a talk with her eventually. Maybe even using the Queen's Cup to find out her secrets. She grinned at her own deviousness.

A knock at her door announced the presence of a messenger. She stumbled in, breathless from what was no doubt a quick ascent up the large spiral staircase to Bellis' office. Clutched in her left hand was a roll of pages.

"Leader Bellis." The messenger said, saluting and sliding the papers onto the already cluttered desk. "I have reports from Brimstone."

The first document was a report from General Daphne. Bellis' gaze landing on phrases like "barbaric conflagration" and "helpless innocents." Daphne was not prone to hyperbole. Reading this kind of description from her was somewhat surprising. At the end, the General recommended an immediate suspension of hostilities against the Kadmosi, and instead to assist in repairs and in continued protection against any further draconic assault.

The second was a missive from Merylindes Galadh, the Queen of the Elves in Brimstone. Devoid of the usual superfluous pleasantries, it implored many of the same things Daphne did. Though it addressed "The Queen of the Nymphs"

Her eyes lifted to the messenger, one of the fapple junkies that had given up her farm to serve in Daphne's archers. She looked much different than the aimless addict that had signed up for a fix. Her posture was straight as one of her arrows, her face full of an easy confidence.

"Soldier. You've seen this...attack, for yourself?" She asked the soldier.

"I have Ma'am. Fire...more than the worst forest burn. And hotter too, smelling like something awful. Brimstone, I think. I wish I had some of those ghost rocks. One glance at what I saw and the doubters at home would stay quiet."

Bellis nodded. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"So are we going to do it Ma'am? Protect the elves I mean." The messenger asked,

"Our business ultimately is with the Kadmosi. They're the ones controlling our forest-dwelling sistren. But..." She chewed it over. This whole war was just a show. A way to stretch Floran power and show the world that they couldn't boss around the short green girls of the forest anymore. But it was quickly growing into a tangle of alliances and old rivalries. And she had already sold her people on the idea of a war of liberation. To go against the wishes of the elven queen seemed... unnecessary. And quite frankly, one target was the same as another.

"Tell General Daphne that she has my permission to aid the Elves in any way they need. And tell their Queen that she has found a powerful ally." Bellis said. The messenger nodded, and bolted out of the door. Good kid. Good future ahead of her.

She looked through the notes, her eyes glazing over. She needed to get up and move. Might as well get that meeting with Rosalind over with.

***

Rosalind was not in her lab. Her lab techs had pointed her over to the lecture hall, which was closed for "Construction" As Bellis approached the large ironwood doors, she heard a cacophony of noises coming from within.

Inside the cavernous room, she found the source. There was a metal cage around the podium. Inside which, a cluster of about twenty Florans were in the midst of the kind of sex that would make even the most blasé plantgirl blush a little. Some among their number were using their own green cocks, grown in the midst of unadulterated lust. One bounced in between the bulging shafts plowing into her mouth and pussy, eyes rolling back in desire. Another took a facial while bouncing heedlessly on a member buried deep in her slit. Tongues lapped at dripping slits, as they wiggled and writhed overtop a pile of disguarded winter clothing. Bellis was about to bellow for an answer for this madness, when Rosalind grasped her hand.

"Glad you could come," She said, giving the dictator's hand a little squeeze. She smiled gently, then shrunk as Bellis shot daggers at her and her impertinence. Slowly, as if from a bear trap, Rosalind removed her hand from Bellis', "Sorry. Thank you, Leader, for your attention."

The Leader only grunted, her attention returning to the depravity before her. "Who are these...disgusting people?"

Rosalind lit up. "Oh, this is FAUST. That group who was bothering you, the ones protesting against my experiments? I convinced them what I was doing was for the best. Now they're just...blowing off some steam."

The tempo continued unabated, slender green cocks sliding inside dripping holes. Breasts were fondled, nipples were sucked. Lewd moans and cried of ecstasy came easy and uninhibited. All the while the device at the center of the room steadily pulsed outward.

"Your psychic dominator...I never realized it would be this effective." Bellis watched the orgy with a horrified curiosity. There was something familiar about all this. Something she couldn't place. "Why aren't we affected by the device?"

Rosalind brightened for a moment. She was always happy to talk shop. "Short answer: because I'm brilliant. You don't design a mind control gun without knowing its limitations. The cage you see acts to block the psychic waves the dominator is putting out. Plus the one in the center there is throttled down to a certain radius. Even if the cage was breached, we'd only feel some mild friskiness. Ground zero, where our protester friends are, is currently putting out a mindless rut. All their worries, all their inhibitions, all suppressed. Any more power, and the effects would be permanent."

"You can make permanent changes?" Bellis was suddenly very unnerved by this whole concept.

"Of course! Very wisp-draining, but definitely possible. I've already programmed this crowd into passivity and total loyalty to...to you, Leader. They won't be protesting any more." She smiled, turning back to look at her work. Bellis kept staring at the scientist. Her face...she was like a predator, watching her food trying to struggle away. Had she gone too far with Rosalind? She'd given her a pretty long leash. And as reward, the Growth has a whole race of protectors, real communication with their god, and more cum than they know what to do with. And yet...

"Thank you, Rosalind. Keep me apprised of your work." Bellis nodded curtly, and stepped out of the room. She needed a plan to deal with her erstwhile ally, before the mad scientist tried to use some kind of mind control on her.