New
Who flies you to the moon?
Blessed Sword
36.8%
7
Living Scabbard
21.1%
4
Mirage
10.5%
2
Pussybus
21.1%
4
Yacumama
10.5%
2
19 votes
Jul 8, 2023 10:19 PM
#1
Also don't forget to vote in the other voting brackets! Bracket 1: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2104978 Bracket 2: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2104984 Bracket 3: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2104994 BLESSED SWORD Family: Sword devil Type: Magic material Habitat: Under lakes or embedded in stones Disposition: Protective, devoted Diet: Men's essence Blessed swords are former cursed swords who underwent a divine ritual to rid them of the malicious intent bestowed upon them during their creation. This ritual results in the loss of their physical bodies, which are replaced by bodies formed purely of mamono mana. Through this holy ritual the sword is also reforged to resemble a high quality blade that emits a faint blue light and sometimes displays a holy motif. The woman and the sword remain inseparable in this new state, as they were after they fused together as a cursed sword, and still see their husband as their owner, but if they don't have a husband they are driven by a desire to purify and defend those they come across rather than a desire to corrupt and harm them. The sword can be seen by anyone, but only her husband can see her body, meaning to the casual observer the sword appears to be levitating and moving of its own accord. They can move the sword through the air to fight in a traditional way akin to any other sword fighter, but can also move it through the air in strange and unpredictable ways to catch their opponents off guard. Rapidly moving the sword through the air quickly drains them of energy, however. When they are depleted they cannot manifest a physical body nor can they move the sword through the air on their own. When a blessed sword is held in the air, either by her husband or herself, her sight and hearing are comparable to those of the average human woman, but when the sword is thrust into the ground or submerged under water she has increased ability to detect vibrations through the metal of the blade. The blade is unnaturally sharp and is durable enough to withstand being plunged through solid rock or submerged underwater for years at a time without receiving damage or developing rust. A blessed sword usually resides in a lake or embedded in a stone near a human settlement until a man walks by who strikes her fancy. She will use her incorporeal body to temporarily possess the minds of those who draw close, gleaning hints of their character, and only accepting those with noble hearts that wish to protect and defend. When she deems a man worthy of being her husband she'll telepathically call to him and guide him to her exact location, where she’ll either allow him to draw her out of the stone she is embedded in or present him with the blade when he stands at the lake's edge. If he accepts becoming her husband she will accompany and safeguard him wherever he goes. A blessed sword will often encourage her husband to embark on journeys to help and protect those they meet along the way. Each time they give aid to those in need the blessed sword's heart will swell with gratitude and lust for her husband, and she’ll temporarily manifest a physical body to drown her husband in affection and pleasure as thanks for his good deeds. The essence the blessed sword receives from her husband drastically prolongs her ability to rapidly move her sword through the air, which makes combating those who wish to cause people harm on their journeys even easier. Eventually they will come to a point where they fight together with complete synergy, the blessed sword being wielded by her husband one moment before suddenly flying through the air to strike from an unexpected angle with the grip of the sword returning to her husband's hand as quickly as it left to be fought with once more. Name That Mamono: Syl Like all of her kind Syl has an incorporeal body that is entirely composed of mamono mana of a light blue hue, but she chooses to present herself as wearing a flowing dress that fades into mist at her knees. The sword she is bound to takes the shape of a straight double-edged blade with an elegant crossguard and a two-handed grip. LIVING SCABBARD Family: Sword Devil Type: Majin Habitat: Anywhere humans can live Disposition: Arrogant, honorable, lustful Diet: Omnivorous; spirit energy Living scabbards are rare majin-type mamono whose mastery of bladed weapons is legendary, and knowing this gives them pride that rivals that of dragons and vampires. They might not have raw power to back up that pride, but their skill makes up the difference. Like most majin living scabbards can easily pass as human women. They exhibit the full range of skin and hair colors found among humans, sometimes with unusual (but not unnatural) hair colors, and most have steely gray eyes. Living scabbards are taller than human women on average, with average height among them at about 180 cm (5’ 11”). The most notable aspect of a living scabbard’s appearance is her grace. Living scabbards are known for their elegance and precision of motion; the simple pleasure of watching a sword maiden move is a seduction in and of itself. Living scabbards are roughly equal to lizardmen in strength and endurance, and their agility is at best slightly superior to that of an exceptional human gymnast. An average sword maiden has reflexes as fast as those of the fastest humans, but their most superhuman physical attribute is their hand-eye coordination. So precise are they that a living scabbard can easily knock a cigar out of someone’s mouth with a thrown dagger without harming the smoker, and the most skilled can cut the wings off a fly with a sword stroke. A living scabbard’s magical talents revolve around swords. From childhood a sword maiden learns both fencing and lucid dreaming techniques for manipulating her own dreamscape. Eventually she is able to craft a Dreamblade, an inherently magical sword that is the ultimate expression of her passion, her martial prowess, and her honor. Once created a Dreamblade can be summoned at will, and if destroyed it can simply be re-summoned. Because the Dreamblade is a part of the living scabbard’s mindscape effects that block conjuration can’t prevent it from being summoned, and as a mental construct a Dreamblade can affect illusions, incorporeal entities, and astral bodies. The appearance of a Dreamblade changes over time as the living scabbard’s personality evolves. Living scabbards can also, with practice, cast sword magics like conjuring a spectral blade to parry a surprise attack or placing magical enhancements on physical blades. The most proficient sorceresses can call down multiple swords on their enemies. Choosing a spouse is an affair of honor for living scabbards, but they have too high an opinion of their own martial abilities -- or too low an opinion of humans’ -- to require that a suitor defeat them in single combat (particularly a sword fight). Instead they expect a potential mate to be clever enough to arrange a contest that he can win, and they prefer that he be honorable enough to make it an even fight. They do require that it be a contest of skill rather than a game of chance, however. A man who meets these requirements and wins will find a living scabbard to be a devoted and enthusiastic partner who truly regards him as an equal, and knowing how that had to be achieved means living scabbards are always polite to each other’s husbands. A sword maiden will, of course, begin instructing her spouse in swordsmanship once they are married. Some time after a living scabbard becomes a bride her magic achieves its final evolution. A second Dreamblade springs into existence, and it is the embodiment of the couple’s love for each other and the strength of their marriage. The living scabbard cannot summon this sword into actuality… but her husband can. If the bond between the sword maiden and her spouse is strong enough the magic of this blade will be enough that a human wielding it can meet even the more powerful types of mamono in direct combat and have a fighting chance. Those who know of living scabbards understand the significance of a human wielding a Dreamblade, and even dragons and undead nobles will treat such a man as a being worthy of respect… for the true power of a living scabbard is that her devotion empowers a loving husband to become a hero. Name That Mamono: Moulinet des Mains-Rouges (mool-ee-NAY deh mahn-ROOJ) At this point Moulinet has abandoned hope that she’ll ever find a husband. There’s little chance of meeting a man who can match her skill with a blade, her cleverness is great enough that she has defeated all comers in riddle games and battles of wits, and it’s not as if a human is even capable of dueling with magic. Though her elders think that the tender age of 172 is far too young to have given up, the poor girl fears that she’ll die a virgin unless there’s a man out there who can come up with a contest that is both fair and something at which he has a chance of winning… and that would have to happen, for Moulinet is too honest to take a dive. MIRAGE Family: Succubus Type: Elf Habitat: Deserts Disposition: Prideful, dutiful, protective Diet: Meat, fruit, vegetables The mirage is a subspecies of elf that has adapted to the harsh wasteland sands of the deep desert. They tend to have dark hair and eyes, dark, tawny skin, and long pointed ears. Mirage elves are often confused with dark elves and are commonly called dune elves or dusk elves. While they still have a sense of superiority when compared to humans the mirage elves are not ones to look down on their fellow organisms within the desert; rather they take on the role of protectors to those who get lost or otherwise stranded within the sand wastes. Despite being a subspecies of elf the mirage possess neither the hawk-like-gaze nor the gift for archery of which the forest elves are so renowned. Their eyes are darker in color to better protect against the scorching rays of the sun in the deep desert. Rather than archery the dune elves are said to possess martial prowess to rival lizardmen…. though getting one to fight fair has been challenge enough that no one has been able to prove such claims. Mirages also have a higher percentage of water stored in their bodies when compared to the average human, and they lose less water overall through sweat or moisture in their breath; the water conservation rate remains at about 80% when fully covered from the sun. This allows them to take the long treks needed to travel within the great sand seas without needing to stop as often to find water. Their heat resistance is much higher than a human’s due to the higher water content, and they can deal with higher temperatures for longer. Mirage elves are masters of illusion. They can become shimmering phantoms in the distance of one's view, appearing as nothing but heatwaves on the endless dune horizons that change and shift as the dune elves get closer. They have an innate sense of nature and the surroundings they find themselves in and can use their illusions and the natural flows of nature to appear to vanish into thin air, swaying with the wind and drifting sand to evade prying eyes. Their mirages work best at a distance and can be controlled to pull someone’s gaze away from the caster’s true position or lure them in. These dancing displays make it easy for a mirage to guide people out of the desert or bring them to oases or rivers to drink their fill without being seen. Should a mirage find someone that catches her fancy she will take pride in leading them out of the sands and into a more habitable place for them, closer to water and away from the deep wastes of sand and stone. In such cases she may show images of herself -- or even truly reveal herself -- to guide the traveler in the right direction. She might even offer water -- a sacred rite by mirage elves’ tribal law -- to ensure that her charge makes it safely to a civilized location. She will vanish just before reaching said civilization, leaving a kiss or some other sign of affection, while the traveler makes the rest of the way into town. Once within, the thoughts of his savior swirl within his mind and the mirages encroach; he will see his savior in an alleyway here, a window there, or within a crowd. These burning images grow more provocative with time, and push the traveler back out into the sands to find her once more. Once the traveler retraces his steps he will find the visions growing ever closer, within arm’s reach yet intangible, leaving traces, touches, and whispered words of desire across his flesh and mind and guiding him onward to where she is. Once discovered the mirage might be surprised that her charge has returned, but she will accept the traveler into her encampment with open arms and provide a tent for shelter against the desert heat and warmth of body and soul for shelter against the freezing nights. Unlike the haughty and aggressive dark elves or the submissive forest elves dune elves fall somewhere in the middle. Most have matronly and protective natures and will share everything they have with their chosen companion, be it items or their very bodies. Most are gentle guides in the arts of procreation, but they have an absolute policy that no moisture can be wasted, so they will ensure that not a drop of spirit energy gets lost in the process. This practice has given them a reputation for voraciousness due to their attempts to stem the flow of moisture from either of their bodies. A mirage’s role as a guide will often be forgotten once she acquires a mate. She will instead focus on traversing the desert and keeping them both safe until they find a location to settle down in, more often than not falling in with oasis tribes, tent cities, or the nomad tribes of the deep desert, where they explore and live freely without the Lords’ control. Name That Mamono: Nameera al-Tabet Nameera is a dune elf of slight stature, standing at 5' 2” (157 cm), with bright blue eyes and a sheaf of white hair as a result of the ritual that initiated her into the priesthood. She is an imposing presence nonetheless with a sharp gaze and the aura of magic around her. She acts as the priestess of her oasis tribe, and as such has never taken leave to find a mate until now. Her apprentice has reached the point where Nameera can loosen up a bit and enjoy the finer things in life, so she is devoting her free time to hunting down a proper mate who will be worthy of her time and affection. PUSSYBUS Family: Succubus Type: Fiend Habitat: Urban areas Disposition: Meek, devoted, submissive Diet: Omnivorous; spirit energy Sugar, spice, and everything nice. These were the ingredients chosen to magically create the perfect domesticated catgirls… but professor Echidna accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction: Lewdium Y. Thus, the pussybi were born. Pussybi are a common hybrid species that combines the traits of a werecat and a succubus. Aside from their cat ears and sleek, long succubus tails they otherwise have fully humanoid bodies. When it comes to physical and magical ability they got the short end of the stick, for they inherited the innate magical ability of a werecat and the physical prowess of a succubus. While they can give a werecat a run for her money when it comes to flexibility, they lack the paws, claws, strength, and speed of their feline kin. Furthermore, pussybi lack their succubus cousins’ aptitude for magic. At best they can cast a few basic eromancy spells for use in the bedroom. Like the kamaitachi pussybi always come in sets of three, though pussybi are always identical triplets. Pussybus triplets’ identicality goes far beyond that of normal triplets. Not only are their bodies identical down to the position of moles and other minute flaws, but their minds appear to be identical as well. In fact research has found some bizarre peculiarities that point to the unsettling conclusion that they might be a single mind sharing three individual bodies. These conclusions are further supported by their strong aversion to being separated from their sisters and their rapid mental and physical deterioration after one of the sisters perishes. This would show itself through, for example, erratic and poorly controlled motor skills and/or shared memory loss. In fact, once one sister dies the other two usually follow suit within a few years. If a pussybus is knocked up then so are her sisters. Each gives birth to a single pussybus that is identical to the other two, forming a new pussybus triplet. In rare cases a sextuplet is born when all three pussybi are pregnant with non-identical twins that form a pair of identical triplets. There have even been a few exceptional cases of a nonuplet being born. Never has a pussybus trio given birth to a number of daughters that wasn’t a multiple of three. Due to their meek and submissive behaviour, not only towards their husbands but also towards other mamono, many argue that pussybi lack agency or even true personalities. The fact that pussybi prefer to be put on a leash by their master or mistress does not help to dispel that notion. The pussybi themselves, however, argue that a life of servitude and devotion is the lifestyle that makes them happy. It should come as no surprise, then, that pussybi are usually employed in the service industry as maids, butlers, or tavern wenches. Their lack of both magical ability and physical prowess has left them in a terrible position to defend themselves or their husband should they be forced to do so, therefore pussybi are reliant on more capable or influential mamono for their protection. Sadly, not everyone has their best interests in mind, and pussybi are easy targets for exploitation. However, this glaring weakness is also a strength, for their obedience, loyalty, and low maintenance has made them an attractive choice as token secondary wives for many a powerful mamono. Aside from using them as household servants they can be kept perfectly happy with meager leftovers, thereby allowing the mamono to keep up an image that she too shares the burden of not having a man to herself without having to make actual compromises with other wives. When it comes to their bedroom preferences, here too pussybi prefer to take a submissive and subservient role. They especially like it when their partner(s) tell them exactly what they are going to do to them, how they are going to do it, and then do exactly that. Also pussy-play is well known to have them purring in no time. Ironically the bedroom is also the most likely place for a pussybus to take on a dominant role, for if their partner’s (or partners’) desire is to play a more submissive role then the pussybus’s nature to serve that desire will overpower their usually meek and submissive behaviour. Name That Mamono: Nip, Pip, and Zip Nip, Pip, and Zip are a typical voluptuous pussybus triplet. They work as underpaid housemaids for a rich baroness from northern Elizabeth. They love and adore their mistress even though she is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Their mistress has to leave regularly for business, which makes Nip, Pip, and Zip sad, but thankfully when the mistress returns she is usually in the mood to be coddled by the triplet, who are eager to show their mistress exactly how much they missed her. Nevertheless, they can’t help but secretly wonder what would happen if one day their mistress returned with a husband by her side. YACUMAMA Family: Lamia Type: Sea Serpent Habitat: Rivers, lakes, oceans Disposition: Prideful, competitive, lustful Diet: Carnivorous; spirit energy A yacumama is a sea serpent with the upper body of a human woman and the lower body of an anaconda. Their tails come in a variety of colors and patterns to match the terrain where they live, thereby providing camouflage for their snake half. Contrary to them being called sea serpents they are primarily found in freshwater rivers and lakes, but they can be found in coastal waters as well. They are considered cousins of the echidna as, if one becomes pregnant, only the first child will be a yacumama and any future children will be other aquatic mamono. This has earned the species the nickname, "mother of water," and they are often compared to echidnas as the less impressive cousin. This has caused most yacumamas to develop a rivalry complex with their land-dwelling counterparts. Yacumamas are highly territorial and competitive with other yacumama as well; when two meet the waters become highly dangerous as they argue about whose home it really is. This is the worst time to call upon them, as one risks becoming a tool to end their argument. Though yacumama are often seen under the water they do not have gills. Instead they have a large lung capacity and are able to hold their breath for up to eight hours at a time. Most yacumamas also have excellent control over hydromancy; they are able to calm turbulent waters or churn them into a worse state. Along with this and their strong tails they are able to glide through the water like it was no issue. The easiest way to meet a yacumama is to use a conch horn. If one resides in the area where it is blown the yacumama will be drawn out the water to show herself. This is the chance to speak to her and, if the water is dangerous, make an offering to have her calm the waters. The usual favorite offering is high quality meat or a barrel of pisco, a special type of brandy. One should be careful, however. If the petitioner ends up insulting the yacumama during the talk she will stir up the waters worse, perhaps making passage impossible until she settles down, which can take days depending on the insult and the yacumama. When talks go well and the petitioner piques her interest a yacumama will show it by giving him a special conch horn that she made and fused with her own mana. If he blows the horn she will be able to hear it wherever he is… but this will also signal to her that he accepts her feelings. She will rush to his side and waste no time showing how strong her feelings for him really are. A yacumama's favorite thing to do is to pleasure her mate with her mouth. She has impeccable tongue work, and with her lung capacity she can keep her partner on the edge of climax for hours on end, not letting him rest till he’s sucked dry. Normally a yacumama would prefer to be in a monogamous relationship, but a bicorn’s mana can change this. In turn her competitive nature alters to be against the other wives; she will actively compete with the others to be a better housewife, better in bed, or have more children. Name That Mamono: Elena and Sofia Elena and Sofia are yacumama twins born of a lucky pregnancy -- though whether this was truly lucky or unlucky is still unknown. The two are always bickering, which causes their river home to be a rush of rapids and whirlpools. They both have black dorsal scales with the ventral scales a dark orange color that matches the sand and dark waters of their river. Their skins are a nice cream color, and they have short blond hair and purple eyes. The easiest way to tell the twins apart is to note their sizes; Elena is 10 feet in length, five feet in height while Sofia is slightly smaller at nine feet long and four feet tall. The smaller Sofia was also born futa. Sofia is also more timid around new people while her sister will be more straightforward for the purpose of not wasting time so they can return to their feud. The nearby town is hoping for a person to call upon the twins so the feud may be settled, and the twins would happily use the next person to call on them to settle it as well. Mod Edit: Removed NSFM Image of Helltaker. ~Koito91 Mod Edit2: Added a SFW Image alternative for the Pussybus. ~MetallumOperatur |
MetallumOperaturJul 16, 2023 12:32 AM
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jul 26, 2023 8:23 PM
#2
HMG X Bracket 4 H-off: Yacumama It’s mid-afternoon and the river is in horrid shape as always. Water rushes downstream crashing into the banks and rocks with dangerous force, and whirlpools swirl down to the bottom of the dark liquid. A bold ryu slithers up from the forest towards the banks She came up to eight feet in height not counting her long tail of blue scales, and her fancy robes stretched tight against her large assets. She has a bag at her side that is heavy with items. Her long red hair whips in the wind and she sighs. “This looks like the place the town mentioned.” She pulls a conch shell out of her bag, lifts it to her lips, and blows. The sound echoes as she blows for a long minute before putting it down. “Hmm… they did not say how long the yacumamas would take.” What felt like hours went by, and the ryu considered blowing the horn again before something began to rise out of the water. It was a young-looking girl with her short blonde hair tied in pigtails. The water slides off of her, leaving the girl dry as she rises more out of the water. Her outfit is a small black top and dress with a purple gem that matches her eyes on a lace choker. The ryu watches as the girl’s emergence onto the land reveals her black and orange snake tail. The girl notices the ryu’s stare and her face reddens a bit. “Wh-who calls upon me at this t-time?” The ryu stifles a chuckle at the girl’s stuttering. “My name is Inno. I have come at the request of the villagers about the river. What is your name?” “M-my name is S-Sofia.” Sofia shifts and her blush deepens as she looks Inno over. “It's a pleasure, Sofia… though I was told there were two of your kind here.” Sofia flinches at Inno’s words “M-my sister is t-tied up…” before she could finish her sentence another form bursts out of the water and rushes towards Sofia, but Inno is quicker and gets between them. “THAT WAS A NASTY TRICK, SOFIA!” The figure screams and struggles in Inno’s grip as the water crashes hard into the shore and begins to flood. The ryu looks upon the figure, another yacumama who is nearly identical to Sofia though this girl's chest is much smaller. Her outfit is even identical, though on her it looks disheveled and torn, revealing the girl’s nether regions and breasts. In her blond hair is what looks like tangled netting and some hooks, and she stood a foot taller than the other yacumama. Inno sighs. She could feel Sophia hiding behind her by their tails rubbing together. While keeping hold of the newcomer’s arm with one claw she uses the other with her sharp nails to begin removing the net. “Calm down,” she says, her tone stern. She tries not to look at the yacumma’s exposed body but finds herself taking glances -- she is unsure if she is speaking to herself or the angry snake. It had been a while since she had felt another’s touch. The girl lets out an angry hiss, but she slows her struggle realizing she was not getting out of the grip and not reaching the other snake. “Did you call us?” Though she spoke to Inno her angry gaze stayed focused on her sister behind the larger reptile. “I am Inno. I take it you are Sophia's sister. Why don't you tell me what happened and your name?” “She trapped me in a net! This is my home and my call, not yours, Sofia!” “I-it’s mine, Elena.” Sofia pressed up against Inno. Inno sighs. “Sofia, why did you do that? And Elena, there’s no need to yell. You are right next to us.” “W-well I… beca… because…” Sofia stutters and stammers. “She did it because she's scared I'll win,” Elena says with a smirk. “Win what?” Inno says as she finishes removing the remaining netting and hooks. “We decided whoever called on us next would decide who lives here…” Elena touches Inno’s side. “By showing them our ‘skills.’” “What do you mean?” Inno looks down at Elena and sees her tongue sticking out and showing her pussy “O-oh…” she looks back to Sofia and finds the other Yacumama was blushing deeply and nodding “I don't know if, uh, I'm the right person for…” “Oh please, you have been looking at my body the whole time you were taking the net out of my hair.” It was Inno’s turn to get flustered, and the ryu’s grip loosens just enough for Elena to get nice and close. “So won't you help us? Once you decide, the winner can calm the river.” Inno gulps. Looking between the two girls pressing against her she couldn’t hold back her excitement, and Elena yelps in surprise as the ryu’s robes push up against the snake's face. “What’s this?” Elena recovered quickly from her surprise and undoes the lower tie of the ryu’s robes, revealing above the girl’s wet snatch two throbbing penises. “You’re like Sofia, that's even better!” Elena did not seem to care how the dragon woman hid the meat sticks behind her robes. “We will take one each and you decide who wins okay?” “W-wait a minute, I didn't…” Inno gasps as Elena wastes no time taking the tip of one the cocks into her mouth and works her tongue over it. “No fair,” Sofia complains and rushes over to Inno’s front. The ryu is now able to see the girl’s own phallic member before she takes the ryu’s other member into her mouth. Inno lets out a moan as the two snake girls attack her members. “I didn't agree to this, girls! S-stop…” Inno protests, but she does not force the two to stop even though she had the strength to resist. Instead she rests her claws on their heads. Sofia begins to stroke herself as she works her tongue around Inno’s tip. She moans, and the vibrations move down the ryu’s shaft. On the other side Elena wastes no time taking more of the thick dragon meat into her mouth as she bobs her head up and down. “You two,” Inno grunts, “So good…” She moans with her meats throbbing hard in the two’s mouths before she suddenly pulls them down onto her shafts forcing her rods into their throats as she lets out a draconic roar. Her rods throb, pumping hot spunk down the two snake girls’ throats, both moaning as Sofia reaches her own finish and shoots her seed onto Inno’s scales. When Inno finishes she pulls out of the girls’ mouths panting and flaccid. Elena swallows what was left in her mouth. “Well, who was better?” Elena’s sister was panting while savoring the ryu’s taste. Inno looks at the two. “Need…more testing…” She pulls both girls close with her tail “A lot more testing.” Elena pouts but doesn't seem to be angry as her sister nods at the ryu’s decision. |
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jul 26, 2023 8:30 PM
#3
HMG X Bracket 4 H-off: Mirage “Mark!” a woman's voice called over the dunes, the sun high and beaming down on us as we dug in the sands of the recently uncovered ruins. A sandstorm had blown through the area and uncovered a type of ruin we had never seen before -- it was a total unicorn for the area it was found in -- so me and my archaeological team were digging it up for its secrets. The woman was my partner Lisa Maye, who was an expert in the local area's ruins, and even she had never seen these types of ruins before. I jogged over the dune to where she was, the sands sliding under my feet as I slid down the slope, placing a gloved hand to the sand as I rode the slide down to the base where she had uncovered a portion of the interior wall. “Look at these characters! I've never seen them before,” she said, using a small brush to whisk the sand away. I observed them curiously myself, putting a hand on my cloth-wrapped face, looking at the items. All of the characters were women, but the manner in which they had been carved didn't match the local style. The artwork used a lot more curves to define them rather than the straight lines that more traditional artwork would have used, and the details were weird. “At first guess, is it a pantheon of goddesses? Maybe the gods got buried out here, we might find them,” I pointed out. They were a line of different things, but whether they were species or each an individual I couldn't tell. It was a depiction of a great battle, however. A winged woman with the scales of a serpent, powerful claws for feet and hands, horns on her crown, and a thick, lizard-like tail was flying, mid-flap above what looked to be a temple. From her incredibly detailed lips poured a torrent of flame, which a group of women in armor were fending off. The first one had the paws, ears, and tail of some kind of dog -- if I were to attribute it to some local culture I would say a jackal, possibly with ties to anubis. Behind her was a woman in a white robe, hood over her head, though she had long, elfin ears poking from beneath it. Her head was bowed as if in prayer, a blue glow transferring from her to the dog-goddess-girl, apparently causing the flames to be blocked by her shield, protecting those behind her. “No,” Lisa said as she uncovered more “it's a race of some kind. Look, there's more of them,” she said, her brush wiping away decades of sand as she uncovered the delicate artwork. She was right, behind them were a mass of these dog-girls and elven-eared people with several other different types of things in there; a woman with the ears and tail of a lion, or a woman that appeared to have the parts of an ant grafted onto her. “There's a bunch of them,” she said, sitting back on her haunches. The dog folk, elven-eared, and ant folk all drew back spears as if to throw them. Some of the ant folk holding some kind of primitive firearm if I were to guess, if not some kind of magic staff. The lionesses, whatever they were, all cast a purple flame back at the lizard goddess, if we were interpreting it correctly. “But what does it mean?” I asked her, looking over at her as she stood up and stepped back to get a bigger picture of it, placing her hands on her hips. “I don't know, but I need to go get the camera. This warrants so much more study. Don't move an inch, I’ll be right back!” she said, charging up the hill with a giddy smile. It was rare that we made this kind of discovery, and we had made it on the third day of the dig, which was promising to say the least. Suddenly the sand whipped up in all directions, and I cursed as I threw myself to the ground. Damn dust devil, it wasn't going to bury this brand new discovery as soon as we’d found it, not on my watch. The sand spun around and around, the ripping winds making my head hurt as sand tore at my clothes, lasting precious moments before it was gone. I dusted myself off and stood, looking over at the ruin again and nodding, now I just had to wait. Ten minutes passed, and there was no Lisa. Twenty went by and I was now very worried. The damn ruin wasn't going anywhere, not as long as I could see it, and I could from the top of the dune, so that's what I did. I climbed the dune that she had gone over, following her trough cut in the sand as I got to the top. I looked out over our encampment…. And nothing. There was no sign that we had even been there… not the car, not the tents, not the solar shade, none of the imaging equipment. It was as if they had never been there. I was just a dune over! I Would have heard the car start! And even now there were no tracks that said the car had left! Something was horribly wrong here. At least I still had a compass -- the nearest town wasn't far, it was probably about five miles. Even with all the sand I could make that pretty easily. I pulled the shemagh closer to my face, lowering the brow to help keep the sun off of me. I drew the compass out of my pocket and flicked it open, looking at it. I watched it settle before pointing north straight right, so I oriented with it to look north, then looked east. I adjusted a little to the left, and began walking, noting down the azimuth in my head to be able to find this ruin later. Time passed. I can say that much, because it felt like I had been walking for hours, probably because I had at that point. The sun was much lower in the sky, and my shadow was long in front of me as I walked. Dune spiders chased the shadow to stay cool, and the rocky outcroppings and various flora were few and far between. I was sweating out a lot of water. The two-quart canteen slung over my shoulder was hot, but it was wet. Any water was better than no water… but unfortunately I was running low. I had maybe a mouthful or two left at this point, and I really should have been in that city already. I shook my head and kept walking. Maybe it was further than I remembered. As long as I held the course I would get there eventually. Suddenly I caught something out of the corner of my eye, and I turned to look at the heat waves in the distance. Far ahead was a large, green oak tree, thick with water and roots. I began to step towards it before reality stepped in. it was just a mirage. Oak trees didn't grow here, how dumb did my brain think I was. I turned and walked the same path I had been. The wind rushed by with the giggle of someone's voice sweeping on my ears, a soft woman’s chuckle as the sand pelted my body. I shook it off and downed the last of my water; the hallucinations were getting to me, so I could have been close to a heat stroke. More time passed, and the illusions started to set in more. In the distance I saw a robed stranger walking slower than me but always able to keep ahead. I could never catch up with them, and never would. Several times I saw skittish rabbits dart in front of me leaving no trail in the sand where they ran -- fakes too. My head was spinning as I was beginning to feel cool. The sun was killing me and my nerves didn't know what to do, getting burnt out by the sun. I couldn't think straight… was it hot or cold? Why was I sweating so much? Was I dying? My legs gave out underneath me and I tumbled down a monstrous dune, landing face first in the sand… or was I face up on a beach? I could hear whispering waves in the distance, feel the moisture on my skin. Was this paradise? Or hell? A shadow came over my face, and it stayed there long enough for my burning body to recognize it as something real, something tangible. I opened sand-crusted eyes and tried to roll over, but the sweetest voice I'd ever heard deterred me. “Shh, don't move, it's okay,” she said, the shade remaining above me. There was a sudden sound of something stabbing into sand and the rustling of fabric, I felt something draped over me, a blanket of coolness that overtook everything and saved me from the sun. “What are you doing out here all alone, sweetie?” she asked, and I tried to look at her. I couldn't move my head and I couldn't speak, my mouth was far too dry. “It's alright, i’m here now,” she said. I vaguely felt myself being rolled over, my head elevated on something. A waterskin was pressed to my lips and a hand worked my throat muscles, forcing me to drink that cool liquid down. “There's a town not far from here, alright? I’ll help you get there,” she said softly. I could see her smile and her kind, navy blue eyes. My sand-crusted eyes came into focus as I looked up at her -- a gentle, angular face, Middle Eastern descent, exceptionally pretty -- and… long pointed ears. Her hair was white and she had a cream-colored set of robes that covered her, a cloth wrap she had drawn down to make herself more forthcoming. “I’m Nameera. You don't have to speak, just rest for now,” she said softly, casting the most motherly smile I had ever seen. I watched as she pulled the water away, my brain coming back from the edge of death as she put the skin away. “We’ll continue walking when night falls. Please rest,” she urged. I couldn't help but comply, and my tired eyes closed. -- When I woke the stars were out, but I could tell there was something off. There was no north star, and there was a spiral galaxy perfectly clear in the night sky. There were no familiar constellations. This wasn't Earth… or if it was this was a part of the world no one had ever seen. Whatever, I had to deal with that later. I began to stand and looked for my benefactor only to find no one present. Embedded in the sand over where I had lain were two wooden poles holding up a blanket for shade, and two large waterskins were dug into the sand next to me. There was an arrow in the sand that pointed… if my compass was correct… northwest, almost exactly. If I had kept walking the way I had been I would have missed it completely. I shook out the sand and gathered up the things, grabbing the poles as walking sticks, wrapping up the water in the blanket and tying it about my chest as a sash. I checked the direction again and began walking. The entire walk was torture. The wind carried whispers of her breath, I caught visions of her over every dune I crested, only for her to vanish, sweet words whispering encouragement. But when I spun around she was nowhere to be found. I must have been going crazy! This had to be a heat-induced fever dream. I was dying in the middle of the desert wastelands and there was nothing I could… Wait, trees. I saw trees in the distance, native trees, junipers and olive trees, and a sea of tents surrounding a watering hole. I dashed down the slope of the dune I was in to get to it, to the people milling about. I slowed to a jog, then a walk as I started noticing the people. Lionesses, dog-girls, ant-folk, covered elven women, lamias, lizardfolk… all of them women… I felt wrong walking in. Yet, my savior might have been there. I just had to thank her. I steeled myself, gripping my makeshift sash and walking in with a heavy breath. I looked around for her as I walked, and I swore every covered elf was her for a split second. A glimpse of blue eyes before they turned out green, or brown, or red, a glimpse of her turning around a corner and I would dash to follow her, only for there to be nothing. I shook my head. The heat must have given me permanent damage, I was really going crazy. I shook my head and continued on in the dark of a night lit by the full moon and the stars glinting off the water. I dashed towards the water; she had given me her water, surely she would be there refilling her new waterskins. My boots dug into the sand as I ran, dashing through the backs of the tents, past many different people I could barely comprehend, so I didn't worry about them, simply dashing towards the water. There were some rocks by the water's edge -- large boulders sitting there with a grove of trees -- and I don't know how I knew it, I just did. Like an internal compass pointing me towards her. I made it over to the rocks and peeked around them only to be met with a sight that floored me. She was naked, standing in the water at waist depth, her arms up in her hair as it draped down to cover her assets. She paused and turned to look at me and cast me the sweetest smile I had ever known. “I'm glad you made it safely,” she said softly. “I did,” I got out, looking at her bashfully, unable to remove my eyes. “I have you to thank for that.” “You do,” she said, tilting her nose up as she put a finger to her chin in thought “As thanks, be a doll and get my back, won't you?” she asked, turning it to me, showing off the slender toning that made up her back. I was powerless against this tactic of hers, dropping every shred of clothing to wade into the water after her, that captivating smile and deep blue eyes pulling me in the entire time. I would never be able to say no to those eyes for the remainder of my life with her. Not once would I be able to defy the sweetest woman I had ever known. |
tygertygerJul 27, 2023 5:54 AM
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Jul 27, 2023 12:51 AM
#4
Well well. The Mirage was my vote in this bracket and the shorts did not really change that. I found it a bit amusing though that a man was able to just walk into that oasis without being intercepted by anyone :P Surely, Nameera did not use her pull as the priestess to stop others from intervening, did she? I also liked the Yacumama short. While I am not really a fan of lolis (and much prefer the general picture for the entry for the one for the NTM), I still enjoyed the read and thought that the author brought across the concepts brought forth in their NTM well. Always good to have the option for a continuation as well :) |
Jul 28, 2023 8:26 PM
#5
This bracket was the most difficult decision of the lot. Both of these stories are very enjoyable reads. Both do magnificent jobs of portraying what's in their respective NTMs. And while one does the best job of putting the "H" in H-off of any vignette this round, the other is a wonderfully romantic story with all the feels. Rather than resort to a coin flip I called this one in favor of the story that made the best use of the shared universe's lore. For this reason I call this in favor of... the mirage! |
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
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