Every sister that had chose to dance to the music was following a similar pattern to Kersara though there was enough variation to tell they weren't all doing the same dance. What quickly became apparent though and surprised Joseph even more was the fact that the sisters were dancing in an extremely tight area. There motions were quite slow and methodical while every muscle in their body seemed to be flexing and moving as if trying to display itself.

Even as Joseph watched Maria and the others sisters Allen had began looking for Pera. He found her doing a dance similar to Kersara's though her's was actually more refined then her elder sisters. Instead of standing up to join Allen turned and watched carefully. Apparently everyone was watching carefully.

Kelah had a grin on her face as she watched the sisters dance. It didn't take her long to realize that none of the orcs were dancing though despite the music. “Come on this is suppose to be a celebration let's dance as well.”

It took Dinon a moment to realize Kelah was speaking with him and he gave his head a slight shake. “No. I don't believe so. I don't know how to dance anyway.”

“Oh surely you can do some festival dances.”

“The thing about the festival dances is we get to where masks and pretend no one recognizes who you are so it doesn't matter if you have two left feet.”

A sigh escaped Kelah as she shook her head and stood up. “Get up and dance with me or you're going to be my only sparring partner in the morning.”

Dinon didn't need to hear a word more as he more jumped out of his seat and came to stand beside Kelah. As embarrassing as his dancing skills were the ideal of being Kelah's sole morning sparring partner was not a pleasant one at all. That was a superb way to insure you'd be nursing bruises for many nights to come. “Hm you know what. I'll dance with you then but come tomorrow I'm going to spar with you one on one and show you that you shouldn't underestimate me like that.”

While Kelah hadn't been surprised by Dinon standing up his words had surprised her a great deal. Instead of worrying though she was made to grin. “Feeling confident are you?”

“You're not the only one that's been improving around here. I've learned a few new things.”

“Such as?”

Instead of responding verbally Dinon held his hand up with the palm facing the sky. Moments later small lights flickered at the tip of each of his fingers and then quickly converged into the center of his palm forming into a much larger fireball. “Like this for example.”

“You found a fire spirit to contract with!”

“Indeed I have.”

“Congratulations Dinon! That really is wonderful!” An excited giggle escaped Kelah as for a moment she forgot about being intimidating but instead was delighted by her friends success. “I can't wait until tomorrow then.”

Dinon felt like he'd been smacked. While he'd hoped to humble Kelah or get some concern from her instead he'd only made her more excited. She would undoubtedly be expecting to see every new trick he'd learned and probably continue beating on him until he had shown her all of it. His grin didn't fade away but it did shift position as he suddenly felt rather foolish. “Um sure thing Kelah.”

“Until then let's dance.”

As Maria played the drums she had to be careful to control her speed. While she hadn't mentioned it to Joseph she had been practicing as of late in an attempt to get her speed under control. She'd actually destroyed several sets of drums by hitting them too hard but she'd finally learned to keep her arms under control. Now she didn't have to focus quite so intently so that she took a moment to look towards Joseph. She was quite happy to see him watching her.

Joseph didn't take his eyes off Maria even as she turned her gaze towards him. Instead of just setting there though he stood up and began to make his way over to her. As he did so he gave the sisters a wide area as while they were moving in a relatively confined space he didn't want to risk that changing. “Wow Maria you're really great at that.”

“Thanks. Well take a seat.”

In response Joseph gave a nod and took a seat a bit away from Maria. As he did so he noticed something else though. “Are you using your tail to play!”

To this Maria gave an amused giggle and a nod. “Indeed I am. It helps get in a few extra beats or lets me play three drums at once.”

“Okay how long did it take you to teach your tail to move like that?”

“Oh that's nothing special really. We all learn the basics while we're growing up during play.” Even as she was speaking Maria continued to enjoy playing the drums before her. While she hadn't mentioned it to Joseph they had actually been the main reason her pack was so bulky even though she'd broken them down a bit before traveling.

Kelah was aggressive in nearly everything Dinon could think of. This extended to her fighting style, her leadership, her work and even into her dancing. So that as Dinon moved with Kelah he knew to keep his body loose and allow her to take him as she desired. After all he didn't want to risk having his arm pulled out of joint during a particularly aggressive motion. As they danced though he noticed several of the others orcs seemed be joining in while others continued to watch and chat. A few apparently were even leaving to go to sleep perhaps the wisest orcs they had amongst their numbers.

Pera had noticed Joseph leaving and had taken this time to move over to Allen. As she neared him she gave his nose a quick flick with her tail causing him to sputter and fall backwards. “Hey Allen. Dance with me okay?”

A grin formed on Allen's face as he stood up and took hold of Pera's hand. They then walked back to where the others had began to gather. He wasn't nearly as experienced as Pera with dancing but he knew enough of the basics so that as she began to move he moved with her. Instead of remaining within the tightly confined space she had before though Pera began to move about using Allen as her guide line such that at no time was her body more then a few centimeters away from his even as she flexed and moved about.

While Joseph was enjoying speaking with Maria he couldn't help but notice Pera and Allen and his immediate thought was concern such that he looked towards Maria. “You um have a few interesting dancing style.”

“You believe so?”

“Yeah but um are you sure it's appropriate for such young children to be dancing like that?”

For a moment Maria wasn't certain what Joseph was talking about until she noticed Pera and Allen and a giggle escaped her. “What? She's just showing off her body to the one she favors most.”

“At that age?”

“Sure! It's good for a young sister to be proud of her body and know how to show it off.”

“What about the brother?”

“Well they might as well begin learning to move along with us so that we don't hurt them at an early age.”

For a moment all Joseph did was look at Maria. “Are you serious?”

Once again Maria was made to giggle as she gave a nod. “Don't worry about it they're not doing anything. It must be tough having to rely upon your eyes so much to determine what's really going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“Often your nose will tell you someone has a bad ideal well before your eyes do and your eyes have a tendency to be tricksters.”

“So you can smell their intent?”

“Pretty much. They aren't giving off a scent that would indicate they're planning to do something they shouldn't though.”

As Kersara moved she'd began to worry Maria was going to destroy her drums as she'd been speeding up the pace she was playing. After a while that fear faded though due to Kersara recognizing the beat. This still prompted her to break away from the group though and she began to move through the dancers getting the attention of various orcs and sisters. “Pardon but would you mind helping me check on our next dishes?” The question got a positive response from every sister she asked and the orcs seemed willing to help though that might have been more due to who was asking then what was being asked.

Allen had began practicing to dance with Pera as a form of exercise. The range of motions he had to endure insured that muscles which would have rarely seen much use otherwise got some good exercise. As he danced with her though he wondered if she had alternative motives even back then. Technically her body was never supposed to touch his but every once in a while he'd feel something bump into him and it was very rarely her tail or a part of her body that could just be ignored. “Hey Pera do you think you could eat a little more now?”

It actually surprised Pera to here Allen ask such a question. Not because there was anything wrong with it but the ideal that a sister was being asked if she could eat more was quite strange. “I believe that I can though I did stuff myself pretty good back there. Though not much more. Wow. I never thought I'd say that.” As she finished speaking an amused giggle escaped Pera. “I might not ever get to say it again honestly though.”

“Come on then.” As he spoke Allen took hold of Pera's hand and began to gently pull her along. Before he could move far though he felt something from his legs from under him and felt Pera's arms take hold of him.

“If it's something that interesting we should move faster then your legs can.”

Maria was smiling as she looked at Joseph who seemed quite focused on her. “Hey Joseph would you mind coming with me?”

“Sure but where to?”

“You'll see.” As she spoke Maria glanced over to two of her sisters. One of which came over to her and set down next to her while wearing an extremely wide grin.

Joseph didn't think the music had stopped for an instant as the new comer took over for Maria and Maria stood up though he felt certain he'd notice a difference if he stayed and listened. He didn't have time to think about such things as Maria took hold of his hand and began to lead him away from the main celebration. As they were walking away though he noticed a string instrument of some kind had joined in with the drums. No doubt the second sister Maria had signaled had joined in with the one who had taken over the drums.

As Joseph followed Maria towards the forest he was a bit surprised whenever she stopped and picked up a neatly rolled container. Though he wasn't certain what was inside of it he noticed how the shape deformed slightly whenever she lifted it up. One thing he did notice though was that her tail seemed to be lifting higher then it normally did. There was however several things that he didn't notice consciously which were having a very notable affect upon him.

“So Joseph did you enjoy your meal?”

“Yeah though I was a little worried about losing my hand a few times though.”

A slight giggle escaped Maria as she glanced back at him. “Well don't worry. We have some brothers that specialize in replacing lost limbs and especially hands and fingers.”

For a moment Joseph felt somewhat hesitant to return to the dining table. “I see and exactly how often does that happen?”

“Oh. We only lose one or two hands at every major feast.”

“Maria you're joking right?”

“Maybe.”

“Maria!”

A slight giggle escaped Maria as she glanced back at Joseph. “Of course I'm kidding!”

For a moment Joseph was made to sigh and he gave his head a slight shake. “ Okay be honest. Has anyone actually lost a hand?”

“Well my mom told me all sorts of stories and what happened to the sister who accidentally ate a brother's hand. However, I think they were just stories to get me to be careful.”

“You know I wonder what kind of stories your mother used to tell you.”

“Would you like to hear some of them later?”

“I believe I would.”

It was odd but as Joseph said this Maria couldn't help but grin. “Really? You'd like to know our children stories?”

“Of course I want to know as much about your culture as I can.”

“Then could you tell me some of your children stories?”

“I'd be happy to though I'm afraid I don't remember most of them.”

“How come?”

“I just don't remember them very well is all.”

“Didn't your mother tell you stories before bed though?”

In response Joseph gave his head a slight shake. “I never really needed her to tell them to me. I remember whenever I was first beginning to read she and my father would read to me or help me read but once I could read on my own well. I never read children stories myself though as there just aren't that many written.”

“Joseph could you tell me something about your family? I can't help but wonder if you miss them at times. Actually I wonder that about all the brothers who chose to stay here.”

A sigh escaped Joseph before speaking. “I got used to not seeing them a long time ago Maria. My work took me away from home and it was hard to keep in touch with them.”

“Then why did you choose to stay here?”

“Because I love you more then I love them and if I had to be without one or the other I would rather be without them.”

In response to Joseph's comment Maria could feel herself blushing though her fur hid it. “Thank you. Would you like to take a trip out of the forest once this is all over and abduct them though?”

“I don't believe they'd appreciate that.”

“Well not at first I'm sure but I bet they could come to like living here. That way you could be with me and still see your parents.”

“No I think that would be going a bit far.”

“You're probably right.” As she finished speaking Maria lightly tossed the bundle she had been packing against a near by tree. She then quickly spun around and wrapped her arms and tail around Joseph pulling him firmly against her body and pressed her lips against his.

Joseph was a bit surprised by Maria's actions but made no move to resist. Rather he returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her. As he kissed her back he felt Maria beginning to rub her thigh against his and could feel his body responding to her touch. Before he realized he'd done it he also felt his right hand resting upon her thigh lightly squeezing the muscle.

Maria held Joseph for only a short while then released and stepped back. Despite how brief the kiss had been though she was breathing heavily. “Joseph if you don't mind would you unwrap that satchel while I go take care of something? I promise it won't take long.”

While he wasn't certain of what Maria was intending to do Joseph had no doubt that he'd enjoy it so he gave his head a quick nod. “Sure thing.”

“Thanks I'll be right back.” With those words Maria quickly pranced away extending her claws as she did so and moved them towards her chest.

It was possible that Maria was just teasing him. Joseph was quite open to that ideal as he walked over to the package. Still he felt confident he knew what was inside of the package and he opened it and began to unravel the material. His belief was soon confirmed as he began to unfold the mattress and lay it out. The material wasn't exactly what he'd call soft as it was firm enough to protect them from the forest floor but it had enough give in it to be comfortable. He was a bit surprised how big of an area the mat covered though as he unfolded it.

A concern did come upon Joseph though as he looked around at their surroundings. He'd never considered being with Maria in the open forest and it made him nervous. “Maria are you certain we're far enough away from everyone?”

“I've been listening carefully this entire time Joseph you and I are plenty alone.”

In response to Maria's words Joseph turned his gaze towards the trees and tried to find her. Then he felt something sharp pressing against his back ever so slightly and running down it. He knew immediately what it was and held entirely still as Maria cut his shirt open. “You're going to have to quit destroying my clothes like that you know.”

“Oh don't be fussy I don't do it often and I brought some spares for you.” Upon opening up Joseph's shirt Maria stepped and leaned forward pressing her breast firmly against his back. She then brought her head forward and gently kissing the side of his neck.

With Maria's claw removed Joseph finally turned around. He was a bit surprised by what he found though as his gaze fell upon Maria's chest. Her nipples were perfectly exposed the fur that regularly covered them having been cut away. It actually caught him by surprise such that for a moment he found himself unable to say anything until he heard Maria giggling.

“Well do you like it?”

“It's nice but why?”

For a moment Maria said nothing but reached and brushed her hand against Joseph's face. “Because this is the last time you're going to see me at this size.”

Maria's words hit Joseph hard and for a moment he said nothing but looked up into her eyes. She stood three meters these days such that his head barely came up to her breasts. When she grew again she'd be like Mina. “You have to bend at the knees just to press your breasts against me like you did before.”

“Not exactly this works to.” With those words Maria reached down and lifted Joseph up hugging him against her chests as she did so. She was quite happy whenever she felt Joseph's arms wrap around her neck.

“If you grow too much I'm liable to get lost between those.”

“Wouldn't that be nice though?”

“I suppose it would.” A slight chuckle escaped Joseph for a moment and he leaned forward giving Maria a kiss on her cheek which quickly became a kiss upon the lips as she adjusted her head.

Maria couldn't remove the smile from her face if she wanted to as she broke the kiss and walked over to the bedding Joseph had lain out. As she settled herself down she made it a point to place Joseph atop her so that they were looking into one each others eyes. He didn't even seem to notice as she took hold of the button that held his pants on and opened them up even when she began to remove them it took him a few moments to respond.

It still felt strange to be out in the open in such a state of undress but Joseph couldn't really worry about such things. He was too focused on Maria and her smiling face. As she slipped off his pants though he finally turned his face away from hers and brought his lips down upon her right breasts. As he kissed her exposed nipple he could feel it responding and swelling under his lips as he began to lightly suck upon the warm flesh. At the same time he felt Maria's massive hand come to rest upon his back and felt her lips press against his head.

Joseph had improved a lot sense she'd met him. Their regular runs in the morning had been wonderful for toning up his body and his stomach had slimmed down nicely. As Maria felt his muscle tone she was made to smile feeling certain she'd helped improve her mates health. The visual improvements were an extremely nice bonus to the deal as well as was the increased stamina for when they were together.

While Joseph lightly sucked upon Maria's right breast his left hand reached out and pressed against the top of her left. He was made to stop his efforts for a moment though as he felt Maria's tail brush up against the inside of his legs and press against his crotch for a moment. The warmth of that tail seemed to have increased from moments later and it took him by surprise for a moment. Fortunately Maria's hands pressing against his back reminded him that he had a rather large lady to take care of.

There was a slight thrill to how Joseph's body locked up whenever Maria brushed her tail against the inside of his thighs. It made her excited to see how much of an effect even such slight motions could have upon him. “Joseph you should be able to hear your heart beating right now.”

“Why?”

“I think you'd be surprised. It's really racing.”

A slight chuckle escaped Joseph as he brought his lips away from Maria's nipple and lowered his head down between her breasts. As he did so he began to kiss either side of those massive globes. “I don't believe that's necessary I can feel it. Yours isn't exactly beating lightly though.”

“No it isn't.” With those words Maria wrapped her tail around Joseph's right thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. It wasn't enough to hurt him but enough to let him know his leg was being squeezed. She felt his leg tighten up in response to this as she tested the muscle to see how far it had come. Even as she tested his muscles though Maria was glad Joseph didn't stop as he she felt him using both arms to squeezes her breasts. “Do you like how they feel?”

“They feel wonderful Maria. So Maria whenever you first lay with me what did you honestly think of my body?”

“Way to fatty.”

It was impossible Joseph not to chuckle upon hearing Maria's honest response. “Well isn't that nice.”

“I don't ever want to lie to you so I shouldn't lie about something so minor.” As she spoke Maria reached down and pressed her hands into Joseph's side. “You're far more toned now though.”

“Well thank you miss.” A slight chuckle escaped Joseph as he looked at Maria's face then on an impulse he gave the inside of her cleavage a kiss. Then raised himself up and began to lower himself back down. As Joseph moved down he was careful to take his time. He would give each breast a kiss at roughly the same level before lowering himself every so slightly.

A sigh escaped Maria as she felt Joseph's kisses landing on her breasts. She could feel his erection beginning to press into her and she was made to grin. Once she put on an additional meter he'd have an even harder time reaching her crotch and breasts at the same time. Soon she imagined he'd need to use his toes if he was going to work both regions of her body at once. She didn't get to comment on this though as Joseph moved his leg up and pushed his knee against her crotch. A sharp gasp escaped Maria and Joseph looked up at her.

“You trimmed your fur down there as well.”

“Mmhmm I did say this was a special occasion.”

Instead of responding with words Joseph lowered his face once again and kissed the base of Maria's breasts. His right hand lifted up and began to massage the top of that massive orb while he began to work his leg against her crotch. He could hear Maria's breathing speeding up and felt certain that he could feel her heart beating. As he worked he could feel his own skin growing damp as Maria's petals were whetted.

There was no way Maria was going to remain still and let Joseph take complete charge. Instead she brought her tail up and began to rub it gently along his crotch and move it about his shaft while he used his leg to work her petals. At the same time she reached down and placed three of her fingers against Joseph's side. Her claws were made to extend ever so slightly and she began to run her fingers along his side lightly tickling him while being careful not to injure him with her claws. Under this attention she felt his body shudder and the force his leg exerted against her petals began to increase.

Joseph didn't realized it but as he teased Maria's petals he had entered into a race with her. Who could make the other lose control first. This gave him a surge of excitement and he began to work more quickly. The force with which he applies pressure to her breasts didn't increase but instead he gently placed his finger on the tip of her pert nipple. Slowly he slid his index finger down that flesh and then moved it around her aureola and back up the others side of her nipple as he brought his fingers to the tip he gave it a gentle pinch.

Upon feeling Joseph pinch her nipple Maria gave a slight gasp and grinned down at him. With his head so far away from her face there was no way that she could bring her mouth into play but she had other things she could tease him with. With one hand busy and her tail teasing his shaft Maria reached down and gave Joseph's rear a good squeeze. “Hm all that walking has really helped you out here.”

In response to feeling Maria's hand Joseph gave a slight yelp. “Careful with those claws.”

“Ah I didn't even break the skin.”

A slight chuckle escaped Joseph as he gave the base of Maria's breasts a kiss and slightly shifted his leg as it pushed into her petals. “You know it's not fair. You get to lay here appraising my body but what do I get to say about yours?”

A gasp escapes Maria and for a moment she said nothing. “Well. Well what do you want to say?”

“Mm you smell nice Maria you know that?”

It was impossible for Maria to keep from giggling as she heard those words. “Now that's not something I'd expect from someone with a weak nose like yours.”

“Well up this close there is no way that I could avoid noticing.” Instead of continuing Joseph pressed his face into Maria's fur and took several deep breaths. Moments later his ears were greeted by a slight rumbling which he recognize as Maria purring.

“Mm you're natural scent is quite nice to. Why if I didn't care so much for you I'd probably eat you up.”

Upon hearing this Joseph was made to chuckle and looked between Maria's breast towards her face. “You don't say.” For a moment Joseph said nothing but reached up and wrapped his arms around Maria's breasts. He then brought himself forward while pushing his knee more firmly into her petals so that he could push his face against her chests. “Mm so warm and soft. Not too soft though.”

Once again Maria found it hard to say anything but this time as her senses came to her she realized she'd let Joseph gain the upper hand. In response to this she once again began to move her tail against his shaft and immediately noticed his body responding. At the same time she began to move her right hand along his left side gently tickling him as she did so even as her hand reached under his arm. “You feel so delicate in my hands it's really amazing at times. Yet I can feel such a remarkable warmth coming from you and the sound of your hearth beat brings me such delight.”

As Joseph was about to respond to Maria's comments he felt her tail suddenly tighten up on his shaft. Instead of just tightening though it also began to move rapidly such that he found himself suddenly unable to speak. A low moan escaped him despite his best efforts and he began to work his leg against Maria once again. When nothing happened to relieve his situation though he quickly realized that she'd adapted to his tactics and he was going to have to adjust now.

Maria felt her lips parting to reveal a smile full of teeth as she looked at Joseph. Sh could tell he hadn't been prepared for that last move. Before she could truly get him off though the pressure his leg was exerting against her petal was relieved and she felt Joseph slip further down her body. Instinctively she relaxed the tension in her tail to avoid hurting him only to realize she'd just let him escape moments later. There was no time to think about that as she felt something else press against her petals and felt Josephs lips against her stomach.

Joseph didn't push his fingers past Maria right away but gently held his fingers against her petals. As he did so he gently brought them down along her lips and then up against on the upstroke making use of his fingernails to give a textural difference. As he came to the top of the up stroke though he gently took Maria's clitoris between his fingers and began to carefully tend to the little button of flesh. The affect was profound and made him smile as he was able to regain some control of the situation. At least he hoped he had even now though his body was still responding strongly to Maria's presence and it was hard to tell how long he could last.

Even if her body wouldn't cooperate for the moment Maria was made to grin. She could smell Joseph's excitement and knew it wouldn't take much more. “Oh my you're quite good at that.”

“Alchemist have to have a delicate touch when needed.”

A slight giggle escaped Maria despite the situation as she leaned up and reached down for Joseph. “That is something to be grateful for.” As she spoke Maria slipped one hand under Joseph's stomach and the other took hold of his thigh. She then carefully lifted him and raised him up forward on her body until she felt his shaft just brush against her petals. A wicked grin appeared on her face for a moment as she noticed Joseph's entire body lock up.

It was clear what Maria wanted as she picked him up and for a moment Joseph wasn't sure how to respond. As he felt her tail brush against the inside of his thigh though he just gave in and went with the flow and pushed himself towards her. There was a brief pause as he felt his shaft press against her petals and then he pushed on entering into Maria. As he did so he heard a slight rumble as her purrs became more intense. A sudden wave of pleasure shot throughout his body moments later as he felt Maria's inner muscles grip his shaft.

With Joseph inside of her Maria reached down and placed a hand on the back of his neck. As she did so she gave it a gentle squeeze massaging the muscles as he lay his head down on her stomach. She then slowly pushed her hips upward actually lifting Joseph in the act before he began to responded and lifted himself further. As he began to push himself back into her Maria wrapped her tail around Joseph's thigh and even gave his rear a quick smack with the tip of her tail.

While they'd been taking it slow at first Joseph now found himself moving more quickly. As he worked himself inside of Maria though he found it hard to even think about what he was doing. Indeed he only realized that he'd actually began to kiss her stomach several moments after his lips had actually began working. This thought actually prompted him to work all the more quickly though he had no desire to achieve release before Maria. His right arm extended out and lay across her massive thigh which he gave as firm of a squeeze as he could. The feeling of those muscles flexing inside of Maria's legs and forcing his arm to adjust only served to excite him work as he worked faster.

It was hard for Maria to stay still as Joseph thrust inside of her. Without really thinking of what she was doing her unoccupied hand reached up and took hold of the front of her right breasts. As she squeezed the front of that massive globe her legs lifted up and quickly intertwined forcing Joseph further into her and insuring he never withdrew too far serving to make his thrust all the more rapid though less drawn out.

Even in his current state Joseph could tell that he was having quite an affect on Maria. Not only could he hear it in her breathing but he could feel it throughout her entire body as he felt the muscles of her legs flexing around him. “I love you Maria.”

As the words reached her ears Maria's felt her eyes open wide and a surge of pleasure went throughout her body. Her hips were made to buck more quickly then normal and she felt Joseph be lifted upwards. Her tail prevented him from being tossed away while the grip she held on her breasts grew more firm. She could feel Joseph's lips resume kissing her stomach and her hips began to thrust more quickly such that Joseph no longer pushed himself into her but was more going along for the ride at this point.

For a moment Joseph ceased to kiss Maria's stomach as he no longer thought about thrusting into her but keeping from being thrown off. He could feel himself losing control now and he bit down on his lower lip to try and regain it. As he felt Maria's inner muscles grip his shaft particularly firmly though he felt his entire body spasm and a wave of pleasure ran throughout him. In his daze he didn't even notice as Maria responded her entire body tensing up and actually holding him aloft for several moments.

***********************************************************************************

“Okay now why are you looking at me like that for?”

“I um well it's just weird.”

“What is weird?”

“Seeing you in clothing.”

“Oh!” A slight chuckle escaped Maria as she looked down at herself. At the moment she was effectively wearing a simple string bikini clearly designed to only cover those parts of her body she'd trimmed. “Well I can't really walk around exposed.”

“That is true. I just well from what I know about your healing abilities I sort of expected your fur to just grow back.”

“Now even we don't recover that quickly. Besides if our fur growth was that rapid there would be no point in even trying to trim our hair.”

“You have a point there. So does this mean that sisters wearing clothing have probably been well-”

“Busy with their mates? Yeah it's a pretty good indicator though some of them wear clothing to give that impression. It's a way to get a brothers interest as their often left wondering if we have indeed trimmed ourselves or not.”

“Okay that's interesting.”

“Hey Joseph. I love you to.”

“Huh?”

“While we were together you called out that you love me.”

“I meant it to.”

“So did I. So what now?”

“Now we go back to the others and get back to eating. I'm hungry again.”

Despite knowing how much Maria had eaten before her announcement didn't surprise Joseph. He knew how much she could eat. “Well then I guess our timing was good.”

“I don't know about that. I can smell the food and I'm worried that a lot of it might have already been eaten. I might have to go catch a few things for myself. I'd say it was worth it though to be with you.”

Kersara had a grin on her face as she looked up from her food and towards Maria and Joseph. She could smell that they'd been busy from quite a distance the clothing told her how much though. “Well I bet you two had fun.”

To this Maria gave a quick nod. “Yeah we had some nice alone time and I see there is still some food to eat.”

“Yeah but I'd suggest you-” Sora found herself silenced as Maria seemed to vanish for a moment and appear again at the table. She'd forgotten how fast her sister could move. “Be careful or you'll destroy your food before it reaches your mouth.”

***********************************************************************************

“I've been learning to make them while in my alchemy class.” As he spoke Allen offered a small badgto Pera though he didn't open to reveal the contents. “I would have made enough for all our friends as well but I'm not that good yet.”

Even without opening the bag Pera could smell what was inside of it. How she hadn't noticed the scent before was truly beyond her as she retrieved the bag from Allen. They didn't smell as sweet as the ones she'd had before but these had been made by Allen. “Wow these must have been really hard to make!” As she spoke Pera finally opened the bag revealing the alchemically crafted candy inside.

To this Allen gave a quick nod. “Yeah my early ones failed completely but I believe I got it down better. It took me a few weeks just to make that many though.”

After a moment of observation and silence Pera reached into the bag and carefully sifted through the candy. It was easy to tell which ones had been his earlier attempts due to form, color, texture and even the energy contained within them. Pera chose to retrieve what she believed to be the earliest attempt and popped it into her mouth. Instinct told her to sink her teeth into it but instead she held off and began to roll it about. “They're really good! Thanks Allen!”

“I'm-” Allen didn't get to finish as Pera suddenly towards him so that she was only centimeters away. She then leaned forward and he felt something wet on his cheek as her lips pressed against it. This wasn't too unusual but this time Pera didn't back away immediately. He was quite surprised though whenever the moment her lips left his cheek he felt her lips against his own.

Pera wasn't certain what had come over her as she kissed Allen on the cheek but suddenly it just wasn't enough. Having no desire to truly resist the urge she backed away only long enough to reposition her face and press her lips against his. When their lips finally parted she was made to grin as she noted the look of surprise and wonder on his face. “It had to be done.”

“Um thank you.”

It was impossible for Pera to keep from giggling as she looked at Allen. “You're welcome I enjoyed it as well. Still Allen, these seem a bit much. How long did it really take you to make each one.”

“Well it wasn't like it was constant effort but the average preparation time was well. I have been working on that bag of candy for a month just for you.”

“A month? Allen that is so kind of you but surely you didn't mean to give it to me today.”

“Well I didn't at first but when I learned about what was going to happen it seemed like the right time. Besides if I waited any later they'd seem even smaller to you then they are now.”

Once again Pera felt something take hold of her body and this time she stepped forward wrapping her arms around Allen as she did so and pulling him against her body. “Now I'm going to have to think real hard so I can get you as thoughtful of a gift as you prepared for me.”

“Pera you don't have to do that. I wanted to give something really special to you.”

“Mm you reap what you sow.”

“Well I have a lot of repaying to do after all the treats you've given me. I think you're kind of in the lead.”

“Oh like that ever required much effort.”

“Even if it was easy for you that doesn't mean you haven't planted a lot.”

“Na. I'm sure that effort factor into it as well somehow.” After a moment of silence a slight giggle escaped Pera as she looked down into his eyes and then at the bag of candy. “I want to eat them all right now but I want to savor them just the same so I'm not certain what I should do.”

“Well that's up to you. I'll be happy as long as you enjoyed them.”

“Hm hey Allen sense I'm suppose to protect you while you're away from home don't you believe it'd be best if we slept together tonight? That way I can insure you stay safe.”

Immediately Pera's words struck Allen as odd. He had no doubt that they'd be setting up the brothers sleeping in the area in the middle of the camp so they'd be surrounded by sisters. That alone pretty much insured that they'd be safe from harm. Thus for Pera to request that they sleep together was quite strange. There was no desire in him to question her as to what her true motives was though. “Sure if you'd like to.”

“Allen do you remember whenever you said that you would like me larger then what I am now?”

“Of course! It wasn't that long ago and my memory isn't that bad.”

“I know I just wanted to create an opening. Well I've been thinking about that and I was wondering if you'd like to feel me growing.”

“How could we do that? It'll take a few hours for your body to adapt even after eating so much.”

“I know but I know of a way. I was thinking that you could sleep with your arms around me that way when you woke up you could see how far apart they'd been pushed. Perhaps you could even feel it happening in your sleep though.” For a moment Pera was silent then a giggle escaped her and she gave Allen a sly smile. “Perhaps you'll even dream about me.”

“That would be nice. How are we going to be certain I don't just take my arms off you though?”

“Oh I know a way to handle that. We're going to use some stretchy rope. You can just put your arms around me and we'll use it to bind your wrist. That way when we wake up we can see how much tighter. That way you'll know that I've grown.”

“I think my eyes could tell me that last part but it sounds like fun.”

***********************************************************************************

Allen felt a little odd as he lay with his arms around Pera. It wasn't his position that bothered him but the bit of string that was wrapped around his wrist. The binding was flimsy and stretched easily but he could tell when it was being stretched. They'd go to sleep like that and the string would stretch as his arms were forced apart by Pera's expanding body. It'd let him feel how much she had grown even while they lay in the darkness. The thing that felt the most strange though was the fact that he believed it was working already.

“Hey Allen. You don't have to wear that string if you don't want to.”

“It's alright Pera I'm fine.”

“Are you sure you seem to be uncomfortable.” Unlike Allen Pera would see perfectly well in the night so she could see her words were being met with a grin.

“That's not why I'm having trouble getting to sleep.”

“Then why?”

“I'm just so excited. Thinking that when I wake up in the morning you're going to be taller then what you are now. Actually I think you might be a bit taller now then you were a few moments ago.”

Instead of responding right away Pera pursed her lips and quickly pressed them against Allen's cheek. “I'm excited as well. You need your sleep though so I want you to close your eyes and rest.” As she spoke Pera pulled Allen closer to herself and brought her face only a few centimeters away from his.

After a moment of silence Allen gave his head a nod and closed his eyes though he wasn't certain if he could get to sleep or not. “Hey Pera do you believe we'll see some of those fish kobolds while we're here.”

“I hope not but well. I'm kind of surprised we didn't see any while celebrating. I figured they'd take that as a sign our defenses are weak and attack.”

“I wonder if it was really safe for Joseph and me to set near the water like that.”

“Of course we were all keeping an eye on the two of you. So it was safe. You know you really missed out when you didn't join in on the second round of feasting.”

“I was stuffed from the last time still though.”

“The stew Kersara and the others made from the orc's rations was really tasty. I'm hoping that we can go looking for clams tomorrow though and prepare them.”

“That should be fun.” As he finished speaking Allen found himself unable to think of anything else to say and leaned his head forward so that his forehead touched Pera's. He felt her tail lay across his leg and suddenly there was nothing to say he just lay there with her.

***********************************************************************************

Markus took in a deep breath as he looked back at the building which had served as his home in some ways and prison in others for several years now. It made him sigh and sent a shiver up his spine as he looked at Alex. “You know I have to say that this is a little frightening. I think this is the most frightened I've been in a long time.”

“Come on Markus don't talk like that. You waited this long so you'd have a partner to help you escape from this forest and now you do. So let's return to where we belong.”

“Yeah you're right.”

Alex waited until Markus had began to walk into the darkened woods and then began to follow behind him. “Hey Markus I have to ask. Have you ever slept with any of those beasts?”

“Hm actually I have. For a while I was even hoping I could get one of them pregnant so that they'd give me safe passage out of the forests. That never happened though.”

“Are you sure? Did you keep track of those sisters you slept with?”

“That's not exactly something one in my position could have done. I'm quite confident though that I was never met with any success though. After all. They may be beast here but at least they were always honest with me.”

“You do have a point there. So what do you plan to do the moment we make it out of the forest?”

“Find the closest place to sell off some of these plants so we can get some gold to pay for a carriage and travel to the best place to sell them. After that well. I believe that I'll be returning home to see what's become of it after these years.”

“Is there something you're hoping to find?”

“Not really. I imagine my parents believe that I went and died in the forest whenever I first stepped foot into it. I suppose that I don't need to head home. With the money we're going to get from these we should both be able to set ourselves up on some nice farm land and higher other people to tend to it for us. What about you Alex? What do you want to do when you get out of here?”

At first Alex said nothing but looked into the forest all around them. The moon was out so it wasn't entirely dark but it still seemed dangerous to be walking through it at night. It was dangerous to travel through during the day as well though. “Move far away from anything resembling a forest and resume my studies in alchemy. At least I managed to acquire some useful skills here.”

“So no farm for you?”

It was impossible for Alex to keep from chuckling as he gave his head a slight shake. “No. I don't believe that's the life for me. Even if it meant having others tend the field for me. Besides it about costs as much as a farm to higher a true master to teach you.”

“Really now? I guess the knowledge to turn a few plant scraps into a life saving elixir is worth a lot.”

To this Alex gave a quick nod. “Indeed. Most of the earnings that a practicing alchemist actually earns tends to go to a master alchemist who's still teaching them. With the money we should get from these plants though I believe I'll be able to pay for intensive lessons for at least five years.”

“So where would that put you?”

Now Alex was made to grin. “Good enough that I could begin offering my service as an alchemist and not worry about the majority of my money going to repay my teacher. I'm not talking about these alchemist you find in a corner shop either. I mean the alchemist that makes potions for the nobility.”

“Don't most of those potions involving making the nobles wives have bigger breast?”

A slight chuckle escaped Alex as he gave a nod. “I've heard those stories to! As to my knowledge though that's not their main focus. It seems many nobles who can afford to do so like to keep an alchemist handy to extend their lives and help deal with poisons. Markus how far do you plan on traveling tonight?”

“We're well rested and have a good moon out tonight Alex. I want to travel all night and into the next day as well. After that we'll set up camp once we find a safe enough location and then we'll rest.”

“You don't believe traveling that intensively won't actually diminish our chances of making it out alive?”

“Honestly if I wasn't worried about being taken back to the village as a claimed then I would agree with. For now just for this one night though I want to put as much distance between us and that place as we're capable of doing.”

“I thought you said you trusted them to keep their word.”

Instead of responding right away Markus went silent and looked up at the sky. “I do. I trust that if they see us in a life or death situation and step in they'll take us back as claimed. I'm not sure if they're true but I've heard stories from the others. Stories of nearly successful journeys through the forest that were sabotaged.”

“You mean that the beasts set up a trap so that they could step in save the travelers and then claim them again as the beast had saved their lives.”

“Yeah. Of course I've heard other stories as well. Some of the claimed don't believe the beasts would truly let them leave the forest. Rather they think it's just an empty promise and those people who don't get brought back as claimed are simply killed and eaten so that the beasts keep their secrets quiet.”

“What do you believe Markus?”

“If that is the case we're going to die before we leave this forest unless we can truly lose them. I'd like to take the safer of of the two paths but honestly I don't know which one of them is. If we knew that one of them was watching over us now at least we'd know that we weren't going to die out here and try again later or we could believe it. Then again if we're truly alone then we know that they can't intentionally destroy our chance of leaving.”

“You didn't really answer my question Markus. Which do you believe it is?”

“I believe that they would keep their word but fear of them lying makes me believe that losing them entirely is the safest path. If I didn't believe that I would have accompanied them on one last gathering job to get us as far into the forest safely as I could before we departed.”

“So does that mean that's your plan if we end up captured again?”

“Actually it is though we would have to both earn our freedom once again. That's not really something I like the ideal of dong though perhaps I could get my old keeper again. She was pretty nice.”

“Your old keeper. Markus you never spoke of her before. What was she like?”

“Mirara was quite nice to us at least as long as we did as she told us to do. She was understanding as well. Actually even whenever we didn't do what she told us her first reaction was to assume that her instructions had either been unclear or that we were physically incapable of doing so. She always tried to fix that the second time she gave the order.”

“What happened the second time?”

“You. Well no one wanted to see what happen. Once she was certain we were capable of doing as we were told and that she'd been clear in her instructions she could get real frightening the second time she gave them if they weren't followed.”

“What was the typical punishment?”

“It really depended on who it was. She killed a few that had been repeatedly defiant and pretty much ate them right in front of us. During such times we weren't allowed to look away. If you were new like I was well she acted under the assumption that you hadn't been warned about what may happen and explained it to you. When she got onto me after she explained what may happen I lost a lot of privileges for a while. I pretty much had no free time and had an extra hour added onto my work time. I saw a few push her beyond that point and that's when things became painful.”

“So when would she decide eating them was alright?”

“Well I only saw it happen twice. After the second time most were too afraid to push her to that point. In one case the offender apparently took issue with another one of the claimed and tried to. Well I don't know if he was trying kill him or just injure him but it set Mirara off especially as the aggressor was known for slacking and making the others pick up said slack.”

“I see so perhaps there was more to what she did then repeat acts of defiance?”

“That might have been the case. Well anyway about the second time I saw her decide that she'd just eat the offender. I never went and found out the finer details of that one but I knew he regularly tried to avoid doing as he was told. Then one day she came over to him and confronted him in front of everyone about how productive he'd been and how he was affecting everyone's work. He started to apologize but then she told him it was too late for that and that she was just going to eat him.”

“How did he respond?”

“What do you think he did? He shit himself and I mean it literally. He went to begging and whimpering but instead of responding to it she just cleaned him up and did as she said she would.”

“Yet you remember her fondly?”

“Like I said those were people who pushed her to her limit. Now as for good workers like myself. She set a certain goal for the week and once we met it we could have quite a bit of free time. If we exceeded our goal though we could ask for special consideration at times. Those who exceeded their goal could even ask for others to receive lesser punishments for slacking off.”

“Did anyone ask her to spare the man she was going to eat?”

“Like any of us were going to expend our hard earned privileges on him.”

“I see. Did it ever occur to you then that she took her time preparing to eat him and did it in front of all of you to see if any of you would save him? Perhaps she was letting you pass judgment on him as much as she was.”

“You may be right. I never thought of her as the sneaky type though she always seemed quite strait forward.”

“Isn't that how a truly sneaky person would seem though?”

A slight chuckle escaped Markus as he gave his head a shake. “I suppose you have a point there. Anyway, what was your keeper like?”

“Do what she said or be punished. She didn't punish without reason but I get the feeling she was quicker to make use of physical punishments then yours was. I can't say we got many warnings or that she ever took the time to explain things under the assumption that she hadn't been clear. Then again I've never heard of her setting down and eating one of us especially while the others were forced to watch.”

“Anything else?”

“Not really.”

“So I'm guessing you weren't very fond of her if that's all you remember.”

A slight chuckle escaped Alex as he gave his head a shake. “I hate all of these monsters. They're unnatural freaks and while I may not know what power brought them about I wouldn't be surprised if it was allied with the infernal ones themselves.”

“That's a rather harsh view point. What makes you so certain that they're infernally alined?”

“Come on Markus they eat human flesh! They enslave us and then act like their actions are justified because they supposedly saved our lives.”

“Humans have enslaved their own kind with less of an excuse then that. We may not eat one another often but we do kill one another often enough. At least these beings tend to have something of a reason for doing so even if I don't approve of that reason.”

“Hm so Markus are you saying that you don't hate them?”

“Yeah. I don't hate them. I don't hate them anymore then the tusker that chased me across a river whenever I was first learning my way around the woods. I just don't want to live here for the rest of my life is all. Besides if it wasn't for them I would be dead in this forest.”

“Really? Markus exactly how did you come to be one of the claimed.”

“Well being the idiot I was back then and perhaps still am today I decided to go into the forest to gather some valuable animal skins and plants. I figured that if I stayed near the edge and kept my ears and eyes open I'd be able to escape from any dangers even the monsters of the forest. Besides I needed the money real bad. Once I go there though I got so busy looking for monsters that I wasn't paying as much attention to what I was gathering as I should have. I picked the wrong flower in the wrong way and got poisoned.”

“What flower was it?”

“They're known as Lilith's kiss. Anyway, I ended up pricking myself and if you know anything about those flowers you know that they pack quite a powerful poison. Unfortunately the general purpose cure that I'd brought with me wasn't nearly strong enough to deal with such a dangerous poison. You see I hadn't expected to encounter something quite that dangerous. I did what I could and tried to make my way out of the forest but it was pretty clear that wasn't going to happen. I was pretty out of it when the beast girl found me and took me back to their village.”

“So they cured you?”

“Yeah they cured me and then told me what was going to become of me if I behaved. I actually expected to be put to work right away but Mirara took one look at me pretty much tossed me in a bed and said I could begin work when she didn't think a gentle breeze would knock me over. The poison had really messed me up before I got the antidote.”

“So when did you decide to stay and earn your freedom?”

“Well I didn't really try to escape though I entertained the thought for a while. I gave up on the thoughts themselves though whenever I took the time to consider what the others had lost during their escape attempts. A short while later I even resolved that I would do my best to earn my life back and leave on good terms with my captors. Hold it.”

In response to Markus's words Alex stopped instantly and took hold of his weapon. He then began to look around the forest trying to see what had caused Markus to become concerned. After a short while he was tempted to ask if it was safe to talk but he chose not to. After all just in asking such a question he would have made a foolish move if the answer was yes.

“Okay we can continue I thought I heard something for a moment.”

“Are you sure that you didn't.”

“Certain enough that I believe we can resume our journey.”

***********************************************************************************

Dinon gave a sigh as he looked up at the sun. His sword and shield lay at the ready on either side of him as well as his bow but he wouldn't be using any of them this morning. This morning it would be a strait forward hand to hand match with Kelah in which they could use any spiritual abilities they have. Apparently some of the other orcs had heard them talking as many had gathered around to watch though they were keeping a safe distance. Being caught up in one of Kelah's matches wasn't exactly a fun thing to do. There was one surprise though. Many of the beast women were watching intently waiting for the match to start snacks at the ready. What made it even stranger though is they all looked larger then the day before.

It had taken Kelah a little longer then usual to wake up such that she was surprised to see Dinon and the others already waiting for her as she approached. It was refreshing to see that Dinon was already at the ready. As she came into the area that had apparently been selected by him for their match she removed the twin axes on her sides and tossed them into them. The weapons heft and power was made clear as they sunk deeply into the sand such that the blade was completely hidden. “Good morning Dinon have you eaten yet?”

"Nope. I decided to put breakfast on hold. Fighting on a full stomach can be rough."

To this Kelah gave a nod. "Yeah though I believe I'm still feeling the affects from yesterday."

"Ah I see. So you're being punished for taking so much of my food."

It was impossible for Kelah to keep from chuckling as she gave her head a slight shake. "Yeah you keep telling yourself that. Now! Dinon you have some new techniques and I want to see them. So I suggest you stand up and get ready."

Dinon didn't protest as he stood up and took on what appeared to be a defensive stance. As he moved his arms and breathed in though red flames began to flicker around his fingers and quickly gather. He didn't need Kelah to tell him to start to know that it was a good time to begin doing so. Even as he gathered his strength though he could tell that she'd already began to do the same with only slightly more subtle results. Her right eye was looking very much like a wolves.

Kelah was the alpha of her soldiers. It was her task to maintain order and insure that the pack did well. It was also her task to make sure all of them knew she was the leader. This resulted in her being able to call upon the strength night fang gave her even whenever it was one of her own that was challenging her. Especially whenever the challenge was made in front of the entire pack. She did have to remind herself that this wasn't a true challenge to her authority though otherwise she might seriously injure Dinon.

Surely a true opponent wouldn't have given him such time to gather his strength as Kelah had. Dinon didn't rush though knowing that she'd want him to be at his best not at what was realistic so that he took his time and gathered his energy to its peak. At last the roar of flames was sent throughout the area and Dinon's hands were entirely engulfed in the flames though they were not singed. Finally ready he wasted no time rushing towards Kelah and thrusting his palm towards her.

There was a smile on Kelah's face as she chose to meet Dinon's attack though she had an ideal of what was going on. Her hand opened up and slammed solidly into Dinon's stopping the thrust but not the attack as the flames leaped off his palm and surged over Kelah's hand and arm. She didn't bother backing away though but quickly thrust her leg forward and slammed it into Dinon's stomach. The impact was audible enough to make some of the audience cringe though to their surprise Dinon didn't falter.

The moment he regained his footing a sharp gasp escaped Dinon and he placed his hand on his stomach. He didn't take his eyes of Kelah though it wasn't because he feared her attack. Rather he feared he might have actually burnt her. "Kelah are you alright?"

"Dinon did I tell you to stop attacking me." As she spoke Kelah looked strait at Dinon and parted her lips slightly more in a snarl then in a smile.

A surge of adrenaline ran throughout Dinon as he looked at Kelah's eyes. It was strange but while it inspired some fear in him it also excited him. Truly Kelah was a woman that he could admire and loved being close to. He just worried that she would end up breaking him in half if she wasn't careful or if he was too slow. Feeling certain Kelah knew what he was doing Dinon opening his mouth and quickly blew across his right hand. A small wall of flame erupted forth and quickly rushed towards Kelah quickly growing so that he could no longer see her.

It was easy for Kelah to feel the heat of the flames even before they reached her. As the flames grew closer though a feral roar escaped her and she quickly lashed out at the flames. The flames never touched her or even her fingers but rather was dispersed nearly instantly by tiny torrents of wind that swirled around her fingers. Normally they were used to further damage opponents whenever she cut them but they were also very effective at negating fire attacks.

A bit of the heat washed back over Dinon as Kelah tore the fire apart. Reflexively he closed his eyes to shield them from harm but realized his mistake the moment he opened them. Kelah was standing less then a meter away from him and was showing no signs of having been harmed. Her right hand drawn back ready to strike. There wasn't time to evade the attack so Dinon did what he could and used his right arm to block the punch. He was actually surprised by how light the blow had been as he was only made to stumble rather then end up on his tail.

"Not bad Dinon but is that all you have to offer?"

For a moment Dinon said nothing but then he was made to grin. "Blast it Kelah I only made the contract recently. Flame breath and touched by the fire are the only abilities I've managed to earn so far."

Instead of responding right away Kelah went silent and pursed her lips. "Ah come on Dinon really?"

The tone in Kelah's voice was such that Dinon had to keep from laughing. A moment ago she'd been the stern warrior alpha of her back. Now she sounded like a spoiled child who'd just been disappointed. "I'm afraid so."

"Well darn. Still to give you two such abilities you must have made a good first impression on the spirit."

"First impression? I've been trying to convince her to make a contract with me for months!"

"Oh that's a bit different. So she's a stubborn one?"

"Yeah."

"Mm which means that she's probably a rather long lived spirit but to give such abilities. Oh she's not your typical spirit of fire is she? You've made a contract with a earth bound flame."

"Is it that obvious?"

A slight chuckle escaped Kelah as she glanced down at the sand. "Still, I wonder how you actually managed to reach her."

"Now I can't tell you that. It was part of our contract after all."

"Hm ah well." A slight chuckle escaped Kelah as she looked around. "Okay that was barely a warm up who wants to spar me?"

Now Dinon stood up. "Hey I said I would be your partner this morning didn't I?"

For a moment Kelah didn't respond but she was made to grin. "Well alright then but I'm not going to just stand here and let you hit me as you will now."

"No problem and I'm not going to restrict myself to my fire abilities either."

***********************************************************************************

As Pera looked into Allen's sleeping face she considered nipping him lightly on the nose. She couldn't bring herself to do it though as she listened to his heart beat, heard him breath and noted how much smaller he looked then the previous night. She could hear the fighting going on outside their little tent but she couldn't see it and it didn't interest her as much as Allen. She was very grateful though whenever she noted him stirring.

It wasn't the first time Allen had woken up with Pera laying next to him. As sleep left him though and he opened his eyes the feeling of the string on his wrist immediately got his attention. "Wow you really did grow last night."

Immediately Pera was made to giggle as she brought her face forward and kissed Allen on the cheek. "How much would you say?"

At first Allen said nothing but took his time to examine Pera. They weren't standing so he couldn't be certain but after a moment he was made to grin. "I'd say at least fifteen centimeters and more like twenty really."

"Do you like it."

"Of course!"

A slight giggle escaped Pera as she slipped an arm and her tail under Allen. She then carefully lifted him and rolled onto her back so that she deposited him on top of her so they were looking into one each others eyes. "Really?"

For a moment Allen wasn't certain what to say as he found himself laying atop Pera. Words returned soon enough so as he felt Pera's tail moving over his back. "Yeah it's really neat."

"I'm glad you think so and just think. I'm going to be even taller before this is finished."

"Yeah you're going to be about as big as a guardian aren't you?"

"I believe so."

"Wow finding you in hiding go seek is going to be a lot easier."

"Oh that's what you think. Now that I'm a bigger target I just won't take it as easy on you."

"Well range rules still apply."

"Of course. That doesn't mean I've been being as stealthy as I can be though." As she finished speaking Pera reached behind herself and took hold of the band that was attached to Allen's wrists. She didn't bother asking as she used one of her claws to quickly cut the string so that he could pull his arms from around her. "Cuddling you is going to be fun whenever I'm a bit bigger."

While Allen had been prepared for most things Pera might say that last one kind of cut him off guard and he was made to grin. "Hey now just because you're getting even bigger then me it doesn't mean you're older or have the right to baby me."

"I know but it'll still be fun. I wonder what you're going to feel like with Stella though."

"Oh lord I hope this doesn't trigger a relapse in her."

"Worried that sense you're going to look smaller to her she's going to start treating you like she did a few years ago?"

"I wasn't until you mentioned that."

A slight giggle escaped Pera before she let her tongue flick out and ran it along Allen's cheek. His response was immediate and made her giggle all the more as he tried to back away and toppled off of her. She had been planning to go eat but despite her hunger she couldn't get up just yet. She wanted to stay and hold Allen for a while longer.

***********************************************************************************

Joseph couldn't help but feel a little strange as he walked along side of Maria. It was clear that she'd taken him up on his offer to continue supplying her with the life bloom due to the extra centimeters she'd put on and though he'd encouraged her to do this it felt strange. Whenever he'd first met Maria she'd been shorter then him then a short while later eye level. Whenever she'd ended up growing to guardian size due to his mistake he'd been roughly below her chest level. After she was finished growing this time though his head would come up to slightly below her crotch.

"Joseph are you alright? You're seeming a little stiff."

It actually took Joseph a moment to respond as he turned to look up at Maria. "Yeah I'm fine if a little sore. After last night I believe that's understandable though."

"Ah really? I didn't think I was that rough on you."

"Well I wouldn't say you were rough on me. You just seemed a little more eager then usual."

"You didn't seem to mind last night."

"I'm not complaining about it you can trust me on that. I think I just pushed myself a little more then I was prepared for though. I'm guessing having a full belly helps with your other drives as well."

"Maybe."

"So the two of you really are going back already?"

Maria had a big grin as she looked back at Kersara. "Yeah. We didn't bring enough clothes for Joseph to stay for an extended period. Besides I want to spend some time with my mother and a few others as well. I wonder how many centimeters she's already put on."

"I'm sure she'll be showing you as soon as you get back."

"You're probably right. Hm I wonder if I should take Allen back with us. I imagine Stella would be happy to have her baby boy back in her arms."

Before Kersara could speak up Joseph did so. "I don't believe Allen or Pera would appreciate that. From what he brought I'm fairly certain that he plans on staying with Pera until they head back together."

To this Maria gave a quick nod. "That is true. Alright we'll leave them here. He should be safe anyway with Pera to keep an eye on him."

A slight giggle escaped Kersara as she glanced back towards the camp. "I believe she wants to keep more then an eye on him. I swear that young and they already want to sleep together."

It was impossible for Maria not to grin as she gave a nod. "You have a point there but it's good that they're already so close. It means that Pera doesn't have to worry about another sister taking him away."

"Um Maria, Kersara when you sleep together you don't mean sex do you?"

A slight giggle escaped Maria as she gave her head a slight shake. "Of course not. They're just sharing the same tent and sleeping with their arms around each other. Well that and waking up with one on top of the other but that doesn't mean they're having sex."

Now Kersara was made to grin as she looked at Joseph. "Quite true and besides it's natural for a sister to cuddle with someone they're fond of. That way they can keep them warm at night and insure they stay safe."

"Uhuh."

Before continuing Maria gave Joseph's leg a quick flick her tail making him jump slightly. "Come on and relax Joseph. We'd know if they were getting physical with one another."

"I know but sleeping like that. Well it just seems like their relationship is advancing a little more quickly then it should."

"I swear Maria he sounds like Mirin talking about a brother who's progressing rapidly."

"Yeah I think you're right Kersara."

While Joseph didn't exactly mind being compared to Mirin he couldn't help but give a sigh. "I'm not trying to seem overly paranoid here. It's just from the culture I'm from they' seem to be moving rather quickly is all."

A slight giggle escaped Maria as she gave a nod. "I guess that's the choice of your culture but we don't have that choice. Sisters learn about sexual matters early on not just from the adults but well. Don't you think Pera noticed the first time Allen became stimulated in the least? Going a bit further don't you believe she knew what that smell meant from what she'd smelt around town?"

"I don't see how she would have missed it. I guess while humans can keep their children a bit less informed you don't have that choice. So Maria when did you notice the change in scents?"

"Oh I believe I was between the ages of five and seven. My mother was speaking with some brothers and I noticed the change in the air. Eventually I asked her what that smell meant in the middle of everyone."

"Was she embarrassed?"

"I don't remember her being embarrassed. She just took me away from the rest of the group and explained what that smell meant in terms that I could understand. A little more observation and time though and I picked up on the finer details of what those smells meant and when they occurred. Now before you ask when younger brothers tend to learn about such things it tends to be whenever younger sisters talk to them about such scents.