Unexpected Detour (Razgriz x Wingshadow)

Sam figured she'd be too high and mighty to give him her name, so he just brushed it off and followed his children, feeling their hands grip his fingers as he was led down a winding tunnel. He was initially surprised at the prospect of the huts above; though it was likely they were built to help keep the heat of the sun from building up too much. He was careful not to step on any of their tails as he finally made it down below. He whistled as he took in the enormity of the place; then again, with a family of seven, they needed all the space they could get their hands on.

As he laid eyes upon his Lamia family, he couldn't help but smile at how cute the scene was; it was nice to see that their existence hadn't taken TOO much of a toll because of this beast. He sat on a small pillow in between Flo and Mist. As Flo inquired whether Gnome was still with him, he paused, initially hesitant to reveal Gnome to them. He remembered the scene of contention between them, but this was a different set of circumstances. But it seemed an innocent enough inquiry, so he then turned his attention to Gnome herself.

"Well, Gnome? Want to come out and say hello?" he then asked her mentally; she could say no if she wanted to and he wouldn't push her any further. He could just tell them that she was indeed still with him, but was too worn out from their travels to come out right now. But he also felt that if he was going to make these relationships work, he would need to be open about who his partners were. That, and like Flo said, the children would likely be very intrigued to meet the 'darling little earth spirit'.
 
"I'm not sensing any ill-intent from them, so I suppose it would be alright," Gnome shrugged, appearing beside him in a brief flash of light. The Lamia stared at her for a few moments, the children definitely more surprised at her sudden appearance than anything else. Flo, as usual, was the first to speak up.

"Oh, she's even more pretty than the last time I saw her," she held her hand out toward the little earth spirit, but made no effort to move toward her, "Come here, you cute little thing."

Gnome wasn't sure how to respond to be called a 'cute little thing' by the rather large (in more ways than one) lamia. She instead fell back to clinging to Sam's robes like she had many times in the past, relying on her contractor to help and support her when she felt uneasy. Flo didn't seem offended by her course of action and merely rested her hand back onto her hip.

"She seems to be getting along well," Mist remarked, "We are doing fine for the time being as well... As Sasha doubtless informed you, she is letting us stay here until our children are old enough to take care of themselves, at which point we will once again be sent away from the village. She's trying to be kind in her own strange way, but also cruel in that she will let our children stay even after that point but not the two of us."

"Indeed... Its as if she still bears a grudge against us for what we did so many years ago," Flo sighed, "It was just a simple joke to us, but she seemed to take it much more personally than we intended."
 
Sam chuckled as Flo remarked to Gnome; she hadn't changed one bit. Sam just put an arm comfortingly around Gnome, letting her know that he was there for her even if she already knew it. He looked upon the sisters, smiling as he saw them with his children; they all seemed to be in excellent health. He would fight hard against this Minotaurus creature, and put a stop to her rampage. His mind wandered, trying to imagine what she looked like. She had 'taurus' in her name, so maybe this creature was like a bull in nature. And she was strong......His mind pictured a rather well-muscled woman with horns growing out of her head, her lower half that of a bull and her feet were hooves, wearing a golden nose ring like he saw in pictures of animated bulls. He never really understood why those nose rings were there, but he just assumed it was artistic license and let it go. Then again, this was all just speculation on his part; he would see what this 'Minotaurus' looked like soon enough.

His thoughts were disrupted when Mist told him about the living arrangement they had. That didn't make a lick of sense to kick them out; it wasn't like he could stay to watch over them, as much as he would like to. He was given an assignment by a sea god...er, goddess...but he felt that Mist and Flo should be able to stay here with the children, no matter what they did. Unless they killed someone in their village, but his mind didn't give that possibility too much thought. Another part of him was wishing that it wasn't true, but now he had to know. "So.....what exactly did you do?" Sam asked cautiously, his tone hinted with concern.
 
"It wasn't any one thing in particular, I don't believe," Flo tapped her right forefinger on her chin, "When we were younger we would often play pranks on the others, ranging from starting rumors to accidental incidents of arson. We were just trying to get the attention of the few remaining males at the time and I don't think she took our playfulness very well."

"Well, that and you were practically seducing her mate," Mist pointed out with a raised eyebrow, "What is it with you and older males?"

"What ever are you talking about?" Flo rolled her eyes playfully, trying to pretend that she was ignorant of any such preference, "I was just trying to get to know him better... It wasn't about sex."

To say that these Lamia were rather open about their love lives (even in front of their children, as it seemed) was putting it mildly. The children showed little to no reaction to the current conversation, merely contenting themselves with spending time with their parents and silently paying attention to their discussions. They were well enough behaved, but one of Mist's daughters timidly approached him and snuggled up next to him instead of her mother, apparently believing that he felt a bit lacking in the snuggling department. Gnome looked over the pretty young Lamia who stood almost as tall as herself and patted her head.
 
Sam eye's widened as Flo revealed that there was arson involved; even if it was accidental, it was no wonder that they were kicked out! But still, Sam thought, they deserved to be around their children; Sam would try to convince the Lamia leader that they were different. Sam could see it, so surely one of their own would notice that they calmed down. Maybe he could use the fact that he was helping to rid them of the Minotaurus to strike a deal with the Lamia leader.

But still the banter between the sisters was oddly amusing; even if it was a rather open discussion about the attempted stealing of someone's mate, just the way they carried on about it brought a smile to his face. He doubted the children would have even an inkling of understanding of what it was their parents were referring to. Sam then felt something brush by his side; he looked down to see one of his kids leaning on him, part of her serpent-like lower body coiled to help support herself.

The little Lamia was then lifted up, the place where her serpent and human bodies connected resting on his knee as he held his daughter close to him. He then smiled at her and said gently, figuring it was time for introductions, "Hello, daughter of mine. I'm your father, Sam. What might yours be?"
 
"My name is River," she replied with a smile, apparently glad to be included in the conversation, "My sister is named Luna."

"We usually name them after objects or symbols in nature, mostly as a family tradition," Mist explained briefly, "I wasn't sure if our paths would ever cross again, so I hope you don't mind."

"It was sort of our idea in the first place, so its hardly a matter we could reasonably burden you with," Flo shrugged, "Nevertheless, they are quite the precious little darlings, aren't they?"

"Can we hug father too?" one of Flo's daughters spoke up.

"Sure, if he doesn't mind that is," Flo smiled sweetly, which her daughters took as permission to do as they wished. They eagerly approached Sam and gathered all around him, some slithering up to Gnome and giving her a hug before turning to Sam, while others went directly to him and kissed his cheeks. The two adult lamia couldn't help but smile at the tender scene unfolding before them.

"Who knew Lamia were so affectionate?" Gnome sighed as another of the young ones hugged her tightly as if she were a rag doll. Thankfully, Gnome was pretty sturdy so it was nothing more than simply uncomfortable for her.
 
"How could I mind? It's not like I was actually here to raise an objection" Sam replied honestly; in truth it made him feel bad that he'd practically abandoned them. Or did they abandon him? They did leave after fixing his device after all; regardless of blame, the fact was he wasn't there and that saddened him a little. "Indeed they are. Such beautiful children can only be expected from beautiful mothers" he added to Flo's comment about his kids.

Soon enough, it seemed his kindness was reciprocated; the five young Lamia were upon him in what seemed like an instant, some hugging Gnome while others went directly for him. Lips planted themselves on his cheeks repeatedly, showering him with affection and love. "How could I possibly mind?" Sam finally managed to get out, smiling at each of his daughters as they all settled down. Some of them had wrapped their serpent-like lower bodies around his legs and torso loosely, while the others sat on the sides, hugging him. All of this strengthened Sam's resolve to make sure Flo and Mist could stay here even after the children had grown up.

However, he knew deep down Sasha, who couldn't even give him the courtesy of her name herself, would likely be difficult about that issue. If the troubles really did run deep, then he would have a hell of a time convincing her to let them stay. But for now, he would ask about them. "So, besides taking care of the ids, what else have you two been up to?" Sam asked.
 
"We wandered about for quite some time after we parted ways," Flo replied, "We didn't go very far from where we are now, since the closer you get to the mountains the more dangerous it becomes. Travelers can hardly go three miles into that desert without being assaulted in one manner or another."

"That's most likely due to the Pharaoh," Mist added, "She's become a lot more active lately for some reason, practically combing the surface of the planet for any of the few remaining humans she can get her hands on. If she's simply doing it for her own reasons or if there is some larger purpose is anyone's guess... Personally, I've never met her nor do I intend to, so I can't say which it may be."

"For the most part, things went pretty smoothly until our little ones were on the way, which is when we decided to come back to the village and ask for temporary shelter," Flo continued, "While at first we were more or less ostracized by the others, some out of envy since we had found a mate, and others out of prejudice from hearing the rumors about us, eventually we were accepted back into the community like we had been before. Sasha, however, still bears her grudge against us, and refuses to consider letting us stay here indefinitely. I'm starting to wonder if she doesn't actually have anything against us, but was hoping that you would turn up sometime so she could use us as leverage..."

"Sasha doesn't have any living heirs, you see, and she doesn't want the position of leadership to fall to the next in line, which would be her younger cousin," Mist explained, "The two of them don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to such matters, and although it has never developed into all-out hostility, it would probably be best if a direct conflict between them where avoided."
 
There it was again, the Pharaoh. "More active you say....." Sam repeated; and he was expected to bring her down? What if the seal Poseidon gave him failed? What if her estimation of how weak the Pharaoh had become was too generous? The fact was he was only a mortal man, regardless of having contracted the Earth Elemental. Poseidon's estimation of strength could be biased since it was one god talking about another. The fact that she was actively searching for humans made a small lump form in his throat, now he was worrying about whether or not he could actually do it.

However, Flo's continuation of her and Mist's journey snapped him out of his thoughts. He couldn't help but smile when she mentioned some were envious of them for finding a mate. At first Sam was confused at Flo's train of thought when she told him that she was using the two of them as leverage. But it was Mist's explanation that made the possibility really come to life for him, and Flo's little statement suddenly made all the sense in the world.

The first thing that jumped into Sam's mind was that Sasha was manipulating him into giving her a child so that she would have an heiress to groom to her liking. But now he saw a further complication; if he went there demanding that Flo and Mist be allowed to stay, he foresaw the likely event of being requested to mate with her so as to give her the child she would need. But if he were to do that, her younger cousin might be devious enough to try and remove the child from the picture somehow and that would likely create the direct conflict everyone was apparently trying to avoid. He needed more information on the cousin and Sasha's relationship, "So, how would you describe their relations? You said they weren't openly hostile, but what is it they don't agree on?"
 
"I can't say I know much about how it started," Mist shrugged, "But as with many things around here I think it all boils down to a direct conflict of interest. They each want to manage things differently, with Sasha taking a more lax approach to her leadership position and her cousin being more authoritative. Now, that is the impression I have of them, but that's not to say necessarily that her cousin would actually rule in such a manner."

"As things stand, neither of them currently have a mate... That isn't really a problem at present since they are both very young, but the sooner we can resolve this issue surrounding the lack of proper males the better. After all, even if you were to help out this generation, what about the next, or the one after that? Humans don't live as long as we do, so its eventually going to be something that you will be unable to help with," Flo remarked, "If you ask me, you should offer to help in that area rather than run headlong into this heir scuffle and expect to get out unscathed."
 
Sam certainly wasn't planning on running in there headlong; he knew that it wouldn't end well at all. He had planned to go and talk to Sasha, see what it was that he could do to help out, besides driving off the Minotaurus. And from Flo's remark, it seemed his mind was on the right track; now he just needed to go and see Sasha herself. Though how he would fix the situation would be the real problem; if his stay in the cave was any indication, humans for the most part weren't too fond of the women of this planet. And he himself wouldn't be able to help, like Flo said, at least for very long.

He ruffled his hair, feeling a tad exasperated; it was like fighting wildfires with one household extinguisher. Something had to give at some point, but damn it if he didn't try, nothing would happen. "Well, guess I was right in my thoughts then; Sasha and I need to have a talk. Probably would be best if it was done sooner than later" He then excused himself from his daughters, gently convincing each one to let go of him; a hard enough task because they seemed to notice the rather serious tone of the conversation and he could see the slight look of worry in their eyes.

He then stood up and said, "I'll be back in a little bit" After climbing up and out of the tunnel leading down into their home, Sam looked around; it was a bit hard for him to see, since he lacked night-vision capability. That wasn't to say he was totally blind, but there were torches here and there, likely to help drive off nocturnal desert predators. Though given the relatively fierce composure of Sasha's guards, it seemed that there was no shortage of protection against threats. Still, after asking for directions, he found his way to Sasha's hut-entrance. The giveaway was the guard detail in front of it, each possessing a rather intimidating-looking polearm. As he approached, he was once again blocked. "I need to speak to the leader of this village" he then said shortly.
 
The guards looked over him slowly and motioned to one of the attendants to inform Sasha of his presence. It didn't take long to get a reply to the message and the two guards allowed him to enter. Long, thin curtains were hung inside the tent which obscured the leader Lamina from view. She lay upon a thick cushion, her coils laid out across behind her as she leaned upon her arms to support her human upper half. She peered out between the curtains and smiled in a mildly seductive manner.

"To what end do you wish to speak with me?" she inquired, "It is quite late for official matters, but I will gladly accept to discuss issues of a more... personal level."

She once again patted an open space on the cushion beside him with her hand, inviting him to sit beside her as they talked. Given what Flo and Mist had said about her earlier, it seemed highly likely that it was more than just a simple request to speak on a more familiar level... Nevertheless, she seemed quite persistent yet not outright demanding, as she wouldn't appear offended even if he refused.
 
Sam nodded and took the seat beside her, being very cognizant of the position he was potentially putting himself in. He then breathed out a slight sigh before saying, "Well, I'm not sure if this falls into an official matter or not, but it's one of pronounced importance to me". Of course he had a feeling she'd try to rope him in somehow, but this was for the sake of his daughters and their mothers. He had to do it, just like he had to drive off the Minotaurus somehow. Both issues would be covered in this discussion, whether they liked it or not.

He decided to just get it all out there, "I've heard that you're going to kick out Mist and Flo once their children are of age. Frankly, being the one who sired their children, that doesn't sit well with me. I also know that you expect me to help drive off the Minotaurus, which I will gladly honor. But I wish to impose an extra condition of my service: Should I be successful in driving off the Minotaurus, Flo and Mist get to reside the village permanently, staying by their children's sides. I've also come to understand that there's a bit of tension when it comes to succession of the village leadership, I wish to offer my help with that as collateral for allowing Flo and Mist to stay"
 
"You are quite well informed, aren't you? It seems I underestimated you," the Lamia appeared mildly surprised at his forwardness concerning these issues, but nonetheless pleased at his acceptance of her yet unvoiced desire, "It is true that it was my intention to send them away when their children were old enough to fend for themselves, but seeing that it is such an important matter to you I am willing to compromise. I do not wish to cause undue contention between their family and my own, merely due to my own personal feelings toward them."

She smiled and moved a bit closer to Sam, her hands grasping his shoulders as she slid up behind him and rested her head on his shoulder, "Tell me... When should I expect this... collateral?"

Sasha kissed his neck, gently nibbling at his skin. Gnome, who had remained with Flo and Mist, felt a cold chill run down her spine. She wasn't sure what Sam was up to, but she had a feeling that the leader lamia was putting the moves on her contractor. She would not, of course, attempt to stop him if that is what he wished to do, but she couldn't help but feel a bit protective of him. Gnome understood that throughout his journey he would likely have to barter his seed in order to obtain what he needed, but it didn't make it any easier for her to simply accept every lover after the other that lined up for him.
 
Sam kept his eyes forward as she slithered up behind him; he could feel the weird tingling in his spine as her well-shaped human body pressed against his back, goosebumps forming almost immediately on his skin as her full lips tasted the skin of his neck. Her words were like venom, sweet venom that roused the primal nature of men and revealed them for what they truly were: carnal, hedonistic beasts. But through some miracle, he was able to repress his urge to give in to her, his strong hand coming to rest on one of her own as he replied, "After the Minotaurus is dealt with......Then I will give you what you want".

It was here that he stood up, freeing himself from her grasp as he turned to look at her. He then bowed slightly, as a sign of respect, "But I do thank you for your consideration of my proposal. I'll let the others know what is going on". He then turned to leave, pausing at the entrance to her hut to ask, "Tell me something, if you feel so inclined......It's probably not any business of mine, but do you have any rivals that might cause trouble?" The way he said it would be a dead giveaway to whom he was referring: her unnamed cousin.
 
"Interesting... He is a fine and rare human indeed to be able to resist my charms," Sasha made careful mental note as he gently withdrew from her grasp, not making any motion to force him to say with her or give in to her at that time. After all, there would be plenty of time for that later and there was no need to rush things. Her authoritative eyes gazed upon his form, having earned a certain amount of respect for him due to his actions. The more she learned about this man, the more she desired to tame him and claim him as her own... one way or another.

"None that you need to concern yourself with... After all, they desire the peace of the village as much as we do," Sasha replied as she positioned herself on her cushion, "If you are referring to my cousin, then let me assure you that she is my problem to address. I have my own personal reasons, but I do not desire for someone outside the family to provide assistance in that particular issue. I have my pride as well as respect for her as an extended family member... I owe her that much at least."

"Now, if that is all, you may leave," she motioned to her attendants who drew the curtains back between them, her form turning back toward her pillow as she let him depart from her presence.

Mist and Flo, meanwhile, were about to turn in for the night as were in the process of detanglign their daughters from around Gnome, who had resorted to entertaining them with harmless earth abilities such as making small puppets out of dirt and manipulating them. They seemed quite delighted with her and showed no hostility at all, which was not all that strange given Flo's harmless fascination with the earth spirit. They reluctantly went to bed, curling up with each other on the ground for warmth and comfort as their parents turned out the lights and went to their respective rooms. They told Gnome that Sam and she could use the living area as their bedroom during their stay if they wished.

"Just try not to wake us up, you two sweet lovebirds," Flo winked and slid out to her room, leaving Gnome speechless and a bit flustered as she waited for Sam to return.
 
"Just like Flo said......Family issue. Didn't hurt to be sure" Sam thought, feeling her gaze upon him as she explained herself. "Very well, then.......I'm off" he responded, not pressing the cousin issue further. He knew trying to get mixed up in family affairs was more often than not a very bad move to make; besides, it was very rare that family issues truly resolved themselves with outside help. It was up to the family in question to sort out their problems themselves, so Sam would let Sasha do just that.

Sam had missed the little dogpile that Gnome was subjected to, but came home to see her still up waiting for him apparently. Though it was incredibly difficult to see her, as it was even darker in here than outside; the torchlights had been snuffed out, casting a rather eerie darkness on the room. Still, he was able to detect her through their bond, making him not step on or trip over her. "Guess everyone went to bed, huh?" Sam said lowly, sitting down next to his contracted lover. "Well, guess now we just wait for the Minotaurus to attack" he then added, the nervousness apparent in his tone. He could feel his hands shaking; what the hell was he thinking? He was no warrior, he was a businessman; the only times he acted remotely warrior-like was when the people he cared about were in danger.

"Well, this ought to be fun; I still don't have full control over my new powers, and now I'm expected to bring down a beast that could probably tear me in two......No pressure, right?" he then said, chuckling out of nervousness and a moderate amount of fright.
 
"Yes," Gnome nodded, laying her head down on his lap when he sat down beside her. She rubbed her cheek on his leg affectionately as she spoke with him, her hands tracing the edges of his muscles as she used him as her pillow, "Don't worry, I will help you in this fight... I don't think its something that either of us would like to go up against alone. We will be fine, I promise... Even if I were to get into a pinch, I will simply go into spirit form. The Minotaurus won't kill you, she wouldn't want a potential mate to go to waste, now would she?"

She reached up and took Sam's shivering hands and placed them on her chest, letting him feel the fluttering of her heart, "Its alright, my love... We will get through this together. Do you feel it, my heart? I get this way whenever I am around you... Its because I love you so much that I know you will make me proud. Don't ever give up, just like you never gave up on me."

Gnome gently pulled herself into his lap and kissed him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she continued the embrace until she had to part to capture a breath of air, "Don't get yourself so worked up, ok?"
 
Sam couldn't help but feel a bit more comforted by Gnome's words; she seemed to know what to say to help inspire with confidence. Sam smiled as she rested on him; though her bit about the Minotaurus not killing him because of his potential as a mate was a bit unnerving, her words overall had a very positive effect on his morale. All he needed to do was believe and be strong, for both of them. Besides, Gnome and Terra wouldn't be in any physical danger; they would be in spirit form.

Sam, however, started a bit when Gnome grabbed his quivering hand and held to her heart; his own heart warmed at her words towards him. He was about to comment on how she was now the one spoiling him with compliments, but any further words were silenced when she did something rather bold: She positioned herself in his lap and kissed him, something he returned passionately. They remained in liplock for what felt like a blissful eternity before she broke it, a thin string of saliva momentarily hanging from between their lips. He sighed, smiling, as she told him to relax. "I know, I'm just nervous is all."

He then peered into her eyes and replied, "But as long as I have you by my side, I know I can win". And damned if he wouldn't win; there was too much riding on his victory for him to fail. He then hugged her, rather tightly, but out of gratitude and happiness, "Gnome.....thank you. For taking me back......I was worried you would hate me forever for forcing you away."
 
"I couldn't never truly hate you, Sam," Gnome smiled, although it was nearly impossible for him to actually see her expression in the darkness, her words echoing Vivian's as she affirmed her unbreakable devotion for her contractor, "Even if you were to shun me or leave me once again in the depths of despair and loneliness, I will always love you. It is the pleasant curse we elementals bear, for we cannot help ourselves but give our whole hearts to the ones to whom we are bound, for better or for worse."

She kissed him again, albeit with a bit more tenderness and less need than the last, and nestled herself comfortably in his arms as she sat in his lap, "There is nowhere in the world I would like to be more than here with you... I will live with you for the rest of our days, for our souls are bound together as one. We will never be alone as long as we have each other, even if you grow old and weary."
 
Sam was caught off-guard once again as she revealed the depths of her devotion to him; even if she was willingly with him, for her to be this attracted........He figured he should be used to it by now. He shook off the surprise and felt a tender warmth spread from his heart at her words. "That makes me really happy" was Sam's reply, and it was the truth. He wished he could say something more, something that revealed his true gratitude towards her for being so supportive and caring. But the fact was, they eluded him; normally, he was a silver-tongued devil when it came to wordplay, but ever since arriving here on Deseus, he found himself unsure of what to say.

But that was put out of his mind as Gnome kissed him once more, her body shifting to get more comfortable with him. "That's absolutely right; and now that I have you back, I will never make you leave again, never make you feel alone again. No matter what" he then said, giving her forehead a light kiss. He closed his eyes and saw Terra, still snoozing away; he would fight to protect her as well. Not only because she was his daughter, even though that was the majority of it, but because he wanted to amend for leaving her alone, not knowing who her father was for those months he spent in the embrace of the Alraune.

"Gnome, we should get some rest; it's been a long day for both of us, and we'll need our energy in case the Minotaurus shows up" Sam said, leaning his head back on the large cushion and having her lay on top of him. He wasn't sure if Gnome felt 'that itch', but he would let her dictate what they would do: fall asleep now, or make love, then fall asleep.
 
"I understand," Gnome snuggled up next to him and closed her eyes, contenting herself to merely sleep beside him rather than pressing him for a closer and more intimate embrace before falling into the arms of sweet sleep. Granted, she was not feeling particularly frisky that night given the rather intense session they had enjoyed not too long ago, but it was mostly due to the fact that they would both need to conserve their strength for the fight ahead of them...

The night passed without incident, or at least it would seem that way until the first gleam of sunlight broke the distant horizon. The camp was in a silent panic, the guards quivering in fear as a single figure stood imposingly upon the plains. Her stature alone was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the Lamia, easily standing seven feet tall. On each side of her head were thick cow-like horns which bent forward, their tips level with her eyes which scanned the village with terrible intensity. Her arms and legs where as thick and as pillars of iron, her hooves stood firmly upon the ground like a pair of anvils. Her chest was broad, ripped with muscles while bound over her breasts, which were the size of watermelons, where thick iron bands which were most likely crafted from salvaged human settlement wreckage. In her right hand was a giant iron double-bladed battle axe, easily clocking in at three hundred pounds. She slung it over her shoulder as if it were practically weightless, her firm lips pressed together with concentration.

"I smell... a man," she spoke roughly, as if unaccustomed to the action, "Bring him... I leave if I get man."

Gnome, sensing her presence tried to wake up Sam so that they could quickly resolve this before the Minotaurus became impatient and began to tear apart the village which the villagers had just managed to paste back together.
 
Sam slept rather peacefully that night; having Gnome laying on top of him seemed to make him that much more comfortable. But, as luck would have it, the night soon gave way to daylight; while Sam's body and mind had grown accustomed to the new sleeping schedule - which was merely sleeping longer - he would find himself roused out of his peaceful slumber. His eyes twitched before parting to reveal their natural coloration; he peered up at Gnome, who seemed urgent. "Gnome, what is it......" he started to say; however, he soon heard the commotion outside and realized what was going on. "Crap, she's here already?" Sam thought to himself mentally before saying out loud, "Gnome, I want you to go into spirit form. Don't come out, OK?"

When that was done, he stood and smoothed the robes he wore; he hated that they were likely going to get ruined, considering they were a gift from Vivian, but there was no time to change. He took a deep breath and crawled out of the tunnel, leaving to see a massive figure on the horizon. Even with his recent gain in height and musculature, she still clearly outdid him in every respect. The guards seem petrified by her presence; Sam sympathized with them. The woman looked like she could bench press a dumptruck, maybe even two. Then there was the matter of her weapon.....It was ridiculous.

Sam swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat; however, Gnome's words played from last night's talk. His hands clenched; he could do this! "Show no fear, Sam. Be brave, you have to protect them" he told himself mentally. He soon approached the group of guards; they turned and saw him coming, the early morning light dancing off his tanned, toned form and making his determined eyes sparkle like yellow diamonds. They parted as he advanced to the head of the group, giving the soon-to-be combatants a wide berth. "So......you must be the Minotaurus." Sam said aloud, gazing unblinkingly at her. "What is it you want? Why do you attack this village?" was his next series of rather pointed questions.
 
Gnome quickly complied, vanishing into her contractor as he went out to confront the Minotaurus. She could feel the urgency in his tone and made no effort to protest, hoping that if he needed her help he would not hesitate to ask for it. This would most certainly be a challenge, not only for a human but for many of the monster girls on the planet to go up against a Minotaurus in one-on-one combat. If anyone could pull it off, however, it would most certainly be one with the power of a contracted spirit.

"The plains to the east... They lack what I need," the Minotaurus replied to Sam's question with a huff, "A great many have traveled there. They wear feathers and ride like horses. Drive away the game. I need more than I get there."

She waved her axe toward the village, "These snake folk have plenty. They are weak and cowardly... Why shouldn't I take what I need?"

The Minotaurus then pointed toward Sam, her intense gaze resting upon his body, "Like you, human... You are what I need."

Without waiting for a reply, she widened her stance and prepared to attack. Her breath came in short, rough snorts, her chest rising and falling as her body lurched forward, her thick hooves kicking up thick clouds of dust as they pounded against the hard ground beneath her. Rising her left fist above her head as she rushed toward him, she attempted to knock him down with a single blow and put a quick end to the fight. Gnome, however, was not about to let her so easily strike her contractor down, her eyes narrowing slightly in concentration as she barked out a single order to him.

"Use that attack that you used before in our training... The barrier one. Knock her back and throw her off balance, but whatever you do, do not allow her to land a single hit on you or its over," Gnome declared firmly, pressing her right hand upward. A surge of elemental energy surrounded Sam's body as Gnome channeled her power to him, giving him more than enough to form his attacks as he saw fit.
 
Sam paused as she mentioned that a group traveled; ride like horses and wear feathers. His eyes widened at the possibly; centaurs? Could it be that Talbor was among that group? Her wave of the axe was enough to refocus his attention; her response made him mad. Sure, survival was hard and he understood that, but she was attacking his family. That was one thing he could not allow to continue; he knew this fight would be hard, but as long as he and Gnome worked together, they would prevail.

Sure enough, just like the Earth creature she appeared to be, the Minotaurus charged; he could feel the earth shaking beneath his feet as her massive form quickly closed the gap between them. "Got it" Sam replied to Gnome's advice; he would likely be relying on her to help him, since his control of his powers had not fully matured yet. He could feel the raw energy coursing through him; he was about to see why it was so important for a contractor to periodically consummate with his contracted spirit. Invisible to him, a bright green flame-like aura covered his body, the sigil on his right hand glowing the same color. "Here I go" he muttered as he clenched his fist and drove it into the ground; titanic spikes - even larger somehow than from the training session - erupted from the earth, creating the very Earth Spike Wall he accidentally discovered when the beast was practically right on top of him.

Time seemed to slow down around him; his heart pounded, this being one of the most terrifying experiences he'd encountered yet besides the Leviathan. But he kept his composure, and focused on shifting the earth to make the beast stumble. His main goal for the fight would be to try and get the two of them as far away as possible from the village; they were a fair distance away now, but it was still too close for his comfort. He would need to draw her away, to minimize the risk of collateral damage.
 
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