Ushi Corruption

“Chief God, what are we doing in this accursed land?” grumbled Amakain.

“Have faith, Paladin. Our journey is not yet in vain.” Said Sphala.

She finished healing his arm. The man flexed his freshly healed appendage and gave the cleric a solemn nod.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t be so quick to lose faith in the Lady. If her High Priests task us to hold this land, we should do so without complaint.”

Sphala smiled. “Wise words indeed, Paladin.”

Amakain smiled and ran a hand through his thickening stubble. What had started as a successful invasion and subjugation of a costal Zipangu village had quickly devolved once the locals learned of the Order’s intentions for the town. At first, the mamono and men had been complacent enough to accept the occupying forces, providing them with food and shelter for a few days while the inquisitors assessed how far gone the town was. But once it was known that the ‘families’ (as if bedding a demon could be considered such a thing) would be broken up, the monsters rose up against the Order. It was a swift and decisive battle, with all Order soldiers not captured by the villagers and their demonic wives had been routed into the savage mountains of the God forsaken continent.

Since their shameful defeat, Amakain’s detachment had made a small fort complete with a palisade wall in a fortified hollow in the hills. Supply lines to the nearest major Order city had been established, and moral was on the rise after their pathetic retreat from a town of fishermen.

A few of the men had even survived to tell the tale. Men who had been left behind or captured in the chaos had come to visit the fort, insisting that they were healthy and of sound mind. They also came with their new monstrous wives. Out of respect for his former soldiers, Amakain allowed them to live, but demanded they leave and never return after they began speaking blasphemies about how life with the monsters was preferable, and how they were treated well by their spouses and villagers alike. Heresy. How could the embrace of some prurient hell spawn compare to the divine radiance of The Chief God?

Amakain squirmed. Damn demons… Even now they haunted his dreams. Phantasmal images of lascivious fox women and salacious succubi stole away more of his sanity every day. A test of faith like none other. In a way, he respected them. There were some monsters that fought honorably with a trained warrior’s prowess. Fighting to protect one’s loved ones was admirable, even if it was a monster defending her husband. The woman being stronger than the man… How strange.

“Something the matter, Paladin?” asked Sphala.

“Hmm? Oh, no. Just thinking about the next steps to take.” Assured Amakain. The woman had been a godsend. He had been reluctant to take her on the expedition, but the sergeants whom she had trained under assured him that she was field ready. And ready she was. In just a few days, she proved herself to be not only a capable combatant, but a skilled tactician and competent member of a squad. Without complaint, she had fell into perfect formation with the other soldiers as the monsters bore down on them. And at the end of the day, she still had the energy to heal every scrape and splinter incurred in the scrap. Without a word of protest.

“We need to think of a plan of attack. Those heathens can’t be allowed to spread their vile influence.” Said Sphala.

“And they won’t, cleric. But rash action got us into this mess in the first place, and it certainly won’t get us out. We need supplies, information, and reinforcements before we can retake that town.”

Sphala nodded. “Yes, Paladin. I didn’t mean to get ahead of myself.”

What a woman. Amakain always did his best to treat his female compatriots with the respect they deserved, but his glances always seemed to linger a little too long on Sphala. Years of training had rendered her slender body hard as a rock. If they got out of this nightmare, perhaps he should court her. Sure, there were some minor nobles that had been badgering him to take their daughter’s hand, but the soft spoken, sycophantic, parlor ornaments that they raised had never appealed to him. He needed a mother who would raise his children right. And judging by those hips, Sphala-

Amakain shook his head. No! Shameless to think of her that way during a mission…

Sphala giggled. “How’s that plan coming?”

Amakain chuckled. How could he not? That dopey, smug grin on that impish caramel face, with just the right amount of freckles to give her a youthful naivete… It really was hopeless wasn’t it?

“I just can’t seem to get any thinking done with you around.” Teased Amakain.

“But you’d hate to see me go~” said Sphala.

“Ahem.”

A disappointed courier stood waggled a letter in front of Amakain’s face. “Sorry to interrupt, Paladin. Just got back with a missive from Phengiet. We’re getting reinforcements within the week.”

Amakain felt his face redden. Sphala cleared her throat and corrected her posture. The courier uttered an amused snort as he handed the letter to Amakain and wandered off to the mess hall.

“I should help the scouts forage. We should save our preserved food for the new troops. Plenty of food in these woods, you know.” Said Sphala.

“Good idea.” Said Amakain. He undid the seal of the letter and began to read.

Sphala stood over the stump she had been sitting on for a moment as if anticipating something, and slowly wandered off towards the gate. Amakain’s treacherous eyes snapped up to watch her hips swing as she meandered away.

“Sphala…” he called. Why did he do that?

Sphala whipped around, eyes wide. “Yes?”

“…I’m glad that you’re here with me. For all this, I mean.” Said Amakain, gesturing around the fort. Oh Chief God, why did he say that?

Sphala smiled. “And I’m glad you’re here with me, Amakain.”

Sphala’s pace quickened as she walked towards the gate. Amakain couldn’t help but notice that her hips swung a bit more than usual as she went.

~~~~~~

“Cleric, bring the pouch. Plenty of mushrooms over here.” Called a scout.

Sphala gracefully moved through the trees to find one of the men crouched over a stand of mushrooms growing out of a fallen log.

“Oooh, I love this kind. So tender.” Said Sphala.

Another scout returned with an armful of herbs. “We should think about heading back soon, it’s getting dark.”

Sphala looked through the canopy. The sky hadn’t yet taken on the reddish hue that would herald the arrival of dusk, but the soldier’s point still stood. It was a long walk back to camp.

“You’re right. This should be plenty to-“

A loud crunch informed the trio that there was more than just mushrooms in these woods. All three wordlessly drew their weapons. Whatever it was, it was big. And it didn’t seem to prioritize stealth. On the contrary, the closer it got to the scouting party, the louder the cacophony of grunts and snapping tree limbs became.

“It’s coming this way. Where are the others?” hissed Sphala.

The crashing stopped. Sphala held her breath as the beast sat in silence. An elated shriek cut through the forest, loud enough to make the scouts blench. A deafening crunch was followed by a bloodcurdling scream of one of the scouts.

“It’s got Hemus!” shouted one of the scouts.

Sphala cursed her luck. Springing up from her hiding spot, she charged through the forest in the direction of the commotion. Breaking into a clearing, she stopped in her tracks as she beheld the beast.

A mountain of dull green skin sat upon a throne of hairy arachnid legs. Its human head twisted to regard the interloper with a single hateful yellow eye, its malice accentuated by the imposing horns jutting from its brow. The muscles in the arms rippled as the creature passively held a writhing Hemus in its titanic claws, the man partially wrapped in a thick strand of webbing. Sphala took a step back. An ushi oni! She had read about such a beast in the Codex of Dangerous Species. And she had violated the first rule written in said codex: never engage a demon without first understanding what it is. Sphala gulped. Upon closer inspection, this wasn’t a clearing at all. The beast had carved a pathway straight to the poor scout, toppling trees and scarring the ground with her clawed feet as she made a beeline to Hemus.

A guttural growl rolled out of the ushi’s throat as she protectively nestled her prey against her chest. The human face conveyed an uncanny amount of emotion: hatred, jealousy, and frustration.

“Scouts! Surround her! Keep your distance, our goal is to save Hemus, not engage with it! One of you go get Amakain!” shouted Sphala.
The youngest scout swiftly made his exit as the others formed a wide circle around the ushi. Cornering the creature only incensed it further. The ushi let out an enraged howl and charged at one of the men while swinging her club-like arm at frightening speed. Hemus hung helplessly in her other arm, head being concussed by her breasts as he struggled against the webbing.

Lining up a clear shot, one of the scouts loosed an arrow into the spider section of the ushi. She hardly noticed.

“We have to hit its arms!” shouted Sphala. Easier said than done. Though the ushi seemed reluctant to drop her quarry and fight the scouts, she was more than capable of defending herself indefinitely against them. Time was on the demon’s side. All she had to do was charge in any direction, and the scouts would be powerless to stop her escape. If Hemus was going to live, Sphala had to act now.
Sphala gestured to a senior scout to advance on the ushi from the flanks. The beast hissed and swung back and forth, trying to keep both humans in her sight. Sphala used the cloth covering its eye to her advantage, slinking into the ushi’s considerable blind spot to advance. As she closed in, the ushi let out a whine. A strangely pitiful noise from such a horrific creature. Taking a defensive swipe at the other scout, the ushi whipped around to defend her exposed flank from Sphala.

The hairy paw missed Sphala entirely. Sphala retaliated by slashing across the ushi’s exposed arm. Black blood welled up from the ushi’s wrist, matting the thick arm hair around its claws. Roaring, the ushi lunged at Sphala and took another swipe. Sphala stumbled backwards, tripping over the uneven ground. The fall saved her life as the ushi’s claws whistled through the air where her torso had been. Stabbing up, Sphala was able to impale the palm of the ushi before it could retract its arm. Fresh rivulets of blood trickled down onto Sphala’s face as she twisted the blade free. The senior scout on the other flank took advantage of the distraction to slash the bicep of the ushi’s arm holding Hemus. The ushi had had enough.

“MY HUSBAND!” it screeched.

With one long, uninterrupted bellow, the ushi charged straight ahead into the forest. The other scouts briefly tried to intercept the beast, but wisely decided that being trampled by a monster ultimately wouldn’t save Hemus. His cries intermingled with the ushi’s as it carried him off into the twilight.

“Chief God! Should we pursue?” panted one of the scouts.

The hair on the back of Sphala’s neck stood on end. As the sound of the ushi and Hemus faded, she became keenly aware of the total absence of sound in the forest.

“Something is wrong…” she whispered.

A kunai whistled out of the darkness and impaled one of the scouts. Before he hit the ground, a figure had scooped him up and carried him off into the forest.

“AMBUSH!” shouted Sphala.

~~~~~~~

“Where is Sphala and the scouts? They should be back my now.” Said Amakain.

“Worried the boys are getting to close to your woman?” ribbed one of the soldiers.

“Watch your tone.” Said Amakain sternly. Was he really that obvious? Chief God, he hoped not. Sphala would never let him live it down if-

“AMAKAIN!”

The Paladin leapt to attention. A winded scout collapsed into his arms as he tried to catch his breath.

“The… The scouts… Attacked! Need help, Hemus…” wheezed the young man.

Amakain dropped the man and snatched his sword, foregoing any armor. “Soldiers, to me! Now!”

A small detachment of guards quickly assembled around Amakain as he grabbed the exhausted scout by the collar. “Where are they?!”
“Southeast, past the stream and-“

Amakain didn’t wait for the man to finish. Legs coursing with adrenaline, he sprinted through the gate into the wilderness.

~~~~~~~

“SPHALA!” shouted Amakain. He didn’t care who or what heard his desperate cries. All he cared about was finding Sphala. Why had he allowed her to leave in the first place?! She was a cleric! Battle hardened and competent to be sure, but still a woman!

“SPHALA!”

Amakain stepped into the swath of destruction the ushi had left behind. A scar through the forest that ran all the way to the battlefield where the scouts had fought her. Ignoring the claw marks in the trees and the spattering of blackened blood on the ground and leaves, Amakain called for Sphala again. Nothing. Amakain panted, listening to the gentle sounds of the night in the forest.

Through the din of the insects and the whispering wind, a new sound found its way to his ears. A low groan, almost inaudible through the ambience of the wild. Amakain tore through the forest towards it. Please, Chief God. Please don’t let one of your most faithful perish like this. If you have mercy to spare, then please. Don’t let her die like this.

Sphala lay on her side, back against a log. Her legs slowly curled and uncurled as she stretched in and out of the fetal position. She had torn off the flap of her waist cloth bearing the Order insignia that dangled between her legs, and was burying her face into it as she moaned.

“Sphala!” cried Amakain. He rushed over to her and propped her up. She was hot to the touch. Did she have an infection? “Sphala, it’s me!”

“Amakain?” said Sphala, slurring his name ever so slightly. She pulled the cloth away from her face a little as she regarded him in a dreamlike stupor. Her eyes were swollen, as if she hadn’t slept in days. She was certainly sick with something; her olive skin was now pallid and sickly, coated in a sheen of sweat.

“We have to get you out of here. Where are the others?” said Amakain, helping her to her feet. Sphala fell into him, unable to support her own weight.

“Gone…”

“Gone?”

“Taken… Demons…”

Amakain shuddered. His best scouts… gone. Without information on the surrounding terrain and monsters, the entire detachment was at risk.

“Don’t worry, I brought reinforcements. We’ll get back to the fort and…”

“No!”

Sphala clutched his arm tighter. “No more men! Trap…”

A chill ran down Amakain’s spine. Where WERE his men? They had been right behind him just a moment ago. Yet now that he was here with the only apparent survivor, they were nowhere to be found. “Sphala, what do you mean a trap?” Asked Amakain, scanning the surrounding forest. Not a soul in sight.

“Kunoichi attacked. Took the others. I… hid…” sniffled Sphala.

She began to cry and cough. Amakain rubbed her back. By all accounts, kunoichi were some of the most skilled combatants on the island. Well versed in everything from hand to hand combat to minor combat magic. A handful of them would be more than enough for a few battered scouts.

“Shh. Shh… There was nothing you could do. I need you to compose yourself. We have to be quiet, there might be other monsters in the forest.” Murmured Amakain. Where the hell were his men?

“Looking for someone, Paladin?”

Amakain wheeled around so fast he almost swung Sphala off her feet. A kunoichi stood on a tree branch, one of her tabbied feet resting on an Order soldier draped over the limb.

“You foreigners never seem to learn. But your ignorance of this land is more than welcome if you’re going to supply us with such a steady supply of men. Perhaps when our numbers have swelled enough, we’ll come pay a visit to YOUR land.” Taunted the masked woman. She adroitly swung the man up onto her shoulder with one swift motion, her slender tail wrapping protectively around his wrist. Amakain grit his teeth in frustration as she turned her back on him.

“Oh, and Paladin… You really should tidy up that fort of yours. It’s shameful to have such a messy abode when guests are coming over.”
The shadow warrior vanished in cloud of darkness.

“Amakain…” moaned Sphala. Her condition seemed to be worsening.

“Chief God, the fort! We have to get back to the fort!” said Amakain. Panic began to grip him. Was that a threat? A promise? Or was the fort already under attack?!

Amakain helped Sphala to crawl onto his back. Her arms trembled as she clung to him.

“Hold on Sphala. I won’t let you die out here.” Grunted Amakain.

Knocking saplings and shrubs out of the way, Amakain hurried back to the fort as fast as his fatigued legs could carry him.

~~~~~~~

Amakain saw the smoke long before he arrived at the burnt-out husk of the fort. The palisade had been ripped open by some unspeakable force. Not a soul stood to greet him, be it soldier or demon. The embers of the mess hall still smoldered with glowing embers, a column of smoke lazily wafting into the cool dawn sky.

“Chief God… No…”

Amakain slumped to his knees. Sphala’s unconscious body rolled off onto the ground with a thump. He had lost everything. His scouts, his fortress, his men… All his fault. A litany of mistakes that had cost his friends everything.

Sphala moaned in pain. No, not everything. Not yet. Everything else may be gone, but Sphala was still alive. And he had to keep her that way. Bridal carrying her to one of the intact bunkhouses, Amakain placed Sphala on the nearest cot and went to the medical tent for supplies. Of all the people to fall ill, why did it have to be the cleric with the aptitude for healing?!
Amakain returned with medicine and a lantern. He recoiled as the flame sputtered to life, almost regretting lighting the thing in the first place. Sphala’s skin was now a sickly green color. Her arms were scraped and shredded from her incessant scratching. Amakain seized her hand as she tried to scratch her wrist again. She loudly groaned and thrashed in his grip. Her free hand pressed the cloth of her Order insignia tighter against her face.

“You’re alright, Sphala. I brought medicine. Here.” Pleaded Amakain. He poured the bitter liquid into a small cup and helped her sit up to drink it. She coughed and sputtered but managed to swallow most of it.

“Amakain…”

“I’m right here.” He assured her, clutching her hand. She feebly reciprocated the gesture.

“I don’t feel good, Amakain.”

“I know. You’ll get better.” He said.

“Amakain…”

“You should rest. Get some sleep. You’ll feel better. I’ll watch over you.”

“Amakain. I got blood on me.” Sobbed Sphala.

“We’ll bandage your arms.”

“You know what I meant…”

The lump in Amakain’s throat was too big to swallow. Of course, he knew what she meant. He had a sneaking suspicion all along. Ushi blood was a notoriously potent demonic transformation item. But he had hoped and prayed all the time that the black flecks on her face had just been mud. That the symptoms he had seen were just some lingering infection slowing her down.

“You’re not a monster. I won’t let you turn. You can fight it.” Assured Amakain.

“I’m scared.” Whispered Sphala with hitching sobs.

It nearly broke him. Amakain wanted to cry too. Seeing Sphala all broken like this, a shivering husk of the jubilant, indomitable spirit she once was. But he couldn’t cry. Not now. One of them had to be strong enough to get them through this.

“I’ll find a way to cure you. Don’t worry. You’ll be alright.” Said Amakain, failing to keep his voice from breaking. Thank goodness Sphala still had her face buried in that cloth. He didn’t want her to see the tears streaking his face.

“Amakain… Please don’t leave me.” Sobbed Sphala.

“I won’t! I won’t leave you.” He insisted. Clutching her hand tighter. She let out a gurgle of pain as she writhed on the cot. Amakain shut his eyes tight as he felt her nails dig into his hand. They were much longer than they had been just a day before…

~~~~~~~

For an entire day, Amakain watched over his suffering friend. Medicine, water, helping her to relive herself, he even tried to wash her at one point. But nothing could sooth her from the troughs of agony. Sphala thrashed and writhed through every attempt to ease her pain. The only thing that calmed her was Amakain’s touch. By dusk that day, it was clear that the demonic taint was beginning to win out. Her skin was now a dull, jade green. In the few brief glimpses Amakain was afforded of her eyes, the bloodshot orbs were beginning to shift color from hazel to a deep amber hue. Nodules of bone began to protrude from her temples. Worst of all were the mutations around her hips. She was forced to double over as her spine began to warp and twist to accommodate her new spider half. The small of her back was now coated in the same coarse black hair that had begun to sprout from her arms. Surprisingly soft to the touch, but horrifying to think about.

Worst of all was the changes to her mind. As her body mangled itself, her mind seemed to grow sharper. She began to speak to Amakain more clearly, no longer muttering and slurring her words. Amakain tried to talk to her to keep her mind off the pain and to keep himself awake, but her answers became increasingly detached from what Sphala would normally say. Bolder, less reserved. An uncanny bluntness that didn’t fit her effervescent personality. As the sun began to go down, Amakain was quickly losing his battle with exhaustion. His neck was developing a crick from all the head bobs.

“Amakain…” rasped Sphala. Her voice was hoarse and strained.

“…I’m here…” said Amakain, feeling for her hand. He didn’t like how it kept sliding out of his.

“Amakain… You have to let me go.” Said Sphala.

She pulled the cloth away from her eyes. They were still puffy and dark from crying all day, the marring of the two gorgeous orbs accentuated by bloodshot veins coating her sclera and the yellowed pupils.

“I won’t let you.” Said Amakain.

“You have to! I’m turning. Amakain… There’s no other way.” She pleaded.

“No!”

“Why!?”

“…Chief God Sphala. What would I do without you? How could I go on?” Amakain began to cry. The tears he had held back for so long were coaxed out by the stress and lassitude. Sphala clenched his hand in her own. Her hand was now bigger than his own, each finger slowly growing into a sizable claw. Her half human mien was awash with pity, happiness, and sorrow.

“Amakain…”

“I’ll stay here with you. As long as it takes. I swear it. If you turn, I’ll find a way to cure you. I’ll…” Amakain’s declaration was cut short as his head swam.

“…Alright Amakain. Until the end.” Sphala smiled at him and wiped away her tears. “I think I’ll sleep now. You should get some rest too.”

Sphala slowly withdrew her nascent claw from his limp hand Amakain’s brow furrowed as it slid free, and he snored softly. Clenching her teeth and budding fangs in agony, Sphala crawled out of the cot and onto the floor. Taking a few teetering steps, she teetered and fell as the mass protruding from her back threw off her balance. Already the fire was burning again in her chest. That insatiable inferno that could only be cooled by Amakain’s touch. She had to leave. He had to survive. Find a way out. Go home. Start a family and leave this mess in the past.

Sphala’s hand clenched the doorframe hard enough to splinter the wood. She hardly felt the shards in her hand as the skin resealed itself in less than a minute. Why did that thought make her so angry? She pictured Amakain with his family again. A sturdy man with a smiling son, a petite and beautiful daughter, and a jocund wife-

Her claws carved streaks into the dirt. It was so IRRITATING. Just thinking of him with another woman was enough to cloud her mind with fury. He was HERS and hers alone. Sphala gasped. What was she thinking?! Her reflection in a puddle caught her eye. Seeing the demonic face elicited a panicked yelp from the poor cleric. She had to leave. She was changing too fast. Had to leave. Had to give Amakain time to escape. Because she felt it. A gnawing hunger that was getting harder and harder to ignore. A primal instinct driving her back towards Amakain. Obliging her to sink her teeth into him and…

Sphala doubled over and clutched the Order sigil tighter to her face. A loud snap rang out through the fort as her spine stretched farther. The fire in her loins flared. She had to leave. Now.

~~~~~~~~

When Amakain awoke, it was pitch black in the bunkhouse.

“Sphala?” he whispered. No response. He groped the cot in front of him in the dark.

“Sphala!”

Amakain tried to relight the depleted lantern. Racing to the door, he threw open the rickety wooden slab to let in the first rays of morning. Sphala was gone. Amakain surmised she had escaped when he saw the claw marks leading out the door. Grabbing his sword, he threw on his boots and ran off after her. Not like this, Sphala. She couldn’t just leave him here. Not without so much as a goodbye. He had sworn he would cure her!

“SPHALA!”

Amakain didn’t care what demon, monster, temptress, or animal heard him as he tore through the forest. All that mattered was finding her.

“SPHA-“

Amakain stopped in his tracks. An ushi oni stood in the underbrush, watching him with predatory intent. An Order waist cloth had been hastily wrapped around one of her eyes.

“Sphala…?”

Instinct sent one of Amakain’s feet back a single pace. The motion of retreat triggered Sphala’s newly cultivated predatory instincts. She lunged forward. Amakain ran. He knew it was her. But Sphala was a monster now. Did she even know who he was? WHAT he was?! Was he just prey to her now?

A blast of webbing caught Amakain in the thigh. The thick cord wrenched him back, dragging him to the ground.

“Why…” Sphala’s voice was deeper, more sonorous. But strangely smooth. A terrifying and alluring sound that sent chills through Amakain.

The Paladin rolled over and crawled backward. His back connected with a thick tree as she closed in on him. Her spider legs sunk into the ground and wood around him, forming a cage of claw and sinew. She wrapped her hands around his torso and slammed him against the tree so that he was at eye level with her. Her pedipalps straddled his waist, holding him in place. The transformation had done wonders to her once modest chest, now sporting a pair of breasts that would make the finest courtesans in Argen jealous. The warm, mint green mounds pressed into his chest as she pinned him to the tree.

“Why did you come?” she hissed. Seizing his armor, Sphala tore it off in one swift motion. Her gargantuan claws shredded his underclothes, denuding the man with dexterity belied by the size of her new arms.

“Please! Sphala!” choked Amakain. It was too terrible to comprehend. He had left her alone, to transform into THIS thing. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to hate her. She was still beautiful, in a different way. This thing, no matter how deformed, was still the remnant of Sphala; the woman he would have married.

A wetness drew Amakain’s attention to Sphala’s nethers. Heat poured out of her exposed sex. The feeling of her sort chest, her fluffy arms, the warm wetness of her cunt was too much for Amakain’s body to ignore. He squirmed as his erection painfully slid between their bodies.

“I can’t take it anymore, Amakain. I tried to fight it. But you don’t understand how hard it is. This hunger… No matter what I did, no matter how much I hunted… I’m sorry.”

Sphala pinned his torso to the tree with one hand while the other lined him up with her snatch. With no further ceremony, she slammed her weight into him. Amakain screamed. The force was overwhelming. His pelvis and spine burned in protest as Sphala’s new body reared back and drove itself against Amakain again.

“Ooh~ Amakain…” cooed Sphala, in an uncannily feminine voice. Her spider legs dug into the wood of the tree, giving her even greater purchase with which to violate him. Amakain held onto her wrists for dear life as she picked up the pace. The pain quickly abated, replaced with pleasure unlike anything he had experienced before. Deprived of carnal pleasures for a lifetime, Amakain’s grip quickly turned to jelly as Sphala trust him inside her again and again. After only a few moments, he released inside of her, bucking his hips against her own in a desperate attempt to maximize his pleasure.

Sphala cooed and squashed him against the tree, burying his face in her cleavage as she nuzzled the top of his head. “Amakain!”
No sooner had the last rope of semen left his member than Sphala started thrusting again. Amakain hissed in pain as she mashed against his sensitive head.

“Should have left… I don’t want to do this too you…” she seethed as she began to hump him again. Tears stained the sash covering her eye. “Why did you stay?! Why did you seek me out?!” The other eye stared down at Amakain angrily, demanding an answer Amakain didn’t have.

Amakain grunted and moaned as she increased the vigor of her thrusts. Once more the creature pushed him to dividing line between pain and pleasure. Why hadn’t she killed him? Had some bestial urge to reproduce trumped her desire to feast on his flesh? He looked up at her uncovered eye. In the center of the brilliant golden iris was a ring of green; a remnant of her hazel human eyes. And there was more than that. Anger. Not malice. Anger borne from concern for his wellbeing. The same anger and sadness a mother must feel when a child defies her orders and hurts himself. And through all that, worry. Sphala’s trembling lips and welling tears betrayed her. For a moment, Amakain didn’t see a monstrosity. He saw a vulnerable woman who feared that she was going to hurt someone whom she cared for.

“Sphala…”

Sphala stopped mid-thrust. A blush crept onto her face. She wordlessly stared at Amakain in quiet contempt, waiting for him to continue.

“Sphala… I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t just leave you! Not when you were so scared, in so much pain! I couldn’t do that to you; not when I never got to tell you how much you mean to me…” said Amakain. Tears rolled down his face.

“Sphala is gone…” growled the ushi.

“No, she isn’t. If she was just an ushi, she wouldn’t be crying so much.”

Sphala’s countenance broke. Her face contorted as she began to sob. “I-I didn’t want you to leave!” she wailed.

“I won’t leave you.” Said Amakain.

Sphala nearly crushed him as she buried her face in his chest. Amakain wrapped his hands around her head as she sobbed, careful to keep his face away from her horns.

“I wanted you to get away! I really wanted you to be happy! But I couldn’t do it! I had to be greedy! I don’t want you to leave! I want you here, with me!” she said. Amakain’s whole body shook as she trembled.

“I wouldn’t be happy without you.” He said, running a hand through her silky hair. “I promised I’d stay with you, and I intend to make good on that.”

They were like that for some time; Amakain pinned to the tree by Sphala’s torso in mid-coitus as they both let go of the tears they had been holding in for more than a day.

“Amakain, I never would have told you this as a human, but I really love you.” Sniffed Sphala. “It was always so inspiring to see you work. How you always managed to help everyone, and how you were so kind to everyone you met…”

Amakain blushed. He had always figured. Damn his nerves for silencing him. Oh, what could have been…

“…Amakain, do you love me?” Sphala looked sternly at him, lip still quivering.

“I wouldn’t have come looking if I didn’t.” he said softly. Perhaps it wasn’t yet too late for ‘what could have been.’ Perhaps there was still time for what could be. There was no denying it; this was Sphala. The woman he loved. With all her convictions, her dreams, her hopes and fears…

Sphala wailed and hugged him. Amakain wheezed as she threatened to squeeze the air from his lungs. “Amakain!”

Sphala smiled and wiped her eyes on her wrist fur. Tentatively, she cupped Amakain’s face in one of her massive claws. Amakain eyed the paw warily, but gently rested his head against it. Sphala uttered a contented gasp and rubbed his cheek. Her fluffy ears flicked back and forth. The absurdity of the sight coaxed a laugh out of Amakain in spite of the situation. Sphala’s ears flattened against her head.

“W-why are you laughing?!” she demanded.

“Your ears. I just thought it was cute the way they moved.” Said Amakain, blushing sheepishly.

Sphala blushed and put a hand over her new ears. “D-don’t look at them! This new body… I hate it. The sick irony of it all… You feel the same way I do about you, but now I’m trapped in this hideous body…”

A fresh wave of tears rolled down Sphala’s face as she lamented the loss of her human form.

“You’re still beautiful.” Said Amakain confidently.

“You’re just saying that!” said Sphala.

“If you were so hideous, I wouldn’t be… Err…” Amakain wiggled his hips. Even now, it seemed so impolite to tell a lady that she had made him erect.

Sphala giggled and smiled. “I suppose you wouldn’t be. After all, not EVERY change was for the worst…” she said as she hefted her new breasts.

Sphala gave him a devious grin. “Want to feel?~”

Amakain blushed, but didn’t hesitate to sink his fingers into the soft titflesh. Sphala hummed appreciatively as he hefted, squeezed and teased her chest.

“Amakain… I’m still… hungry.” Said Sphala. She had that crazed, desperate look in her eye again.

“Hungry?” echoed Amakain, unsure of what she meant. She wasn’t going to turn on him, was she?

“I need you. Your… We need to have sex. Now.” Said Sphala.

Amakain nodded dumbly. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he was only a few seconds from resuming his thrusting on his own.
Sphala ground her hips back into him, albeit with more grace than before. Amakain now played a part in the conjugal waltz as well, thrusting to meet her as she pressed against him. Sphala vocalized her appreciation with a low purr, mashing her cheek into his. Amakain, in a display of gusto that impressed even himself, kissed her cheek. Sphala’s rhythm was interrupted as she pulled away. Smiling she quickly returned the kiss, mashing her own pillowy lips into his. Her long tongue traced the edges of his as it explored his mouth. He did his best to reciprocate, feeling her new fangs scrape against his own tongue.

Sphala’s breathing became more and more irregular. Her arms tightened around him and she let out a whimper as her canal tightened around Amakain’s prick. The rippling sensation of her innards was enough to force a second orgasm out of the exhausted Paladin. A warm trickle of their mingling fluids flowed out of her, staining his crotch and matting her fur. Her pedipalps tickled his waist as she squeezed him. Sphala broke the kiss and wrapped her arms around him, her smooth fur a welcome reprieve from the abrasive bark of the tree. Amakain reciprocated the gesture, through he struggled to get his arms around her muscular and well-endowed torso.

“Amakain… What do we do now?” asked Sphala.

“I’ll find a way to cure you. And I’ll stay by your side until I do.” Said Amakain.

“…Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Even if there’s no way to turn me back?”

“Even if.”

Sphala sighed and nuzzled his cheek with a smile. “Then it’s settled. Now, we should probably find some place to live…”

~~~~~~

The breeze gently rocked the web hammock Amakain and Sphala lay in. They were both looking skyward, her on her back with his head between her breasts and her arms and pedipalps wrapped possessively around him. It wouldn’t be long until Sphala’s growing belly made such a position impossible.

 “Hey, Ama?”

“Hmm?”

“Remember how you said you would look for a way to turn me back to normal?”

Amakain blushed. In the end, he hadn’t looked very hard. Most of his time was spent “sating” Sphala’s huger.

“Yeah…”

“…I don’t think I would mind if I stayed this way.” Said Sphala.

“I don’t think I would either.”

Sphala giggled and squeezed her husband tighter as they settled in for a post-coitus afternoon nap.