Rae hurried past the throngs of worshipers bustling about the Temple District. Mysterious figures with their hoods up and their cloaks wrapped around them weren’t an uncommon sight in this part of town, even on a common worship day like this one, but people still mostly moved out of her way. She arrived in front of her shop, stuck her key in the lock, and opened the door. The neighborhood noise faded away as she closed the shop door behind her, and she exhaled, dropping her hood.

Seconds later, she was startled by a knock on the same door she was still leaning against.

“Who is it? We’re closed,” she yelled.

“Messenger for you, ma’am,” came a voice from the other side.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Rae said to herself. She spun around and pulled the door open again, revealing a teenage boy with a small rucksack over one shoulder.

“Are you Rae, ma’am?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re the shopkeeper here at Two Vines?”

“I am, yes. Thank you for waiting, I was afraid I’d missed you.”

“No worries, ma’am. I haven’t been here long.”

Rae pulled a few small coins from her pouch and handed them to the boy. “Well, here’s for your trouble anyway. The bag, please?”

“Of course, ma’am.” The boy deftly pocketed her gratuity with one hand while slinging the bag off his shoulder with the other and handing it to her in one smooth motion. “Am I to understand you’ll have a similar bag for me tomorrow?”

“That’s correct, assuming the rest of my afternoon goes to plan.”

“I’ll be needing a place to stay the night, then. If you’ve any recommendations around town, ma’am, I’m new to this area.”

“Oh? What’s your name, son?”

“Alex, ma’am.”

Rae eyed the boy up. He wasn’t dressed like a servant, dirty from the road and exhausted from the travel; he wore page’s clothing and seemed fairly well put together. He could probably afford a nicer bed.

“Well, Alex, I think that depends on what sort of lodgings you’re looking for. Do you have much business left to attend to today?”

“No ma’am,” he said with a smile, “just yours.”

“Well then. This part of town is awfully dry, so I wouldn’t stay here if I was you. Head to the south suburbs and find yourself an inn called The Elephant. The landlord’s name is Antonio and he’s an old friend of mine. He knows this city inside and out, and he’ll make sure you get a good meal, a safe bed, and as much entertainment as you can handle.”

“Much obliged, ma’am. Until tomorrow.”

“Don’t hurry back in the morning, Alex,” she said as he departed.

Rae closed the door and crossed to the desk where she kept her business affairs. The room was a bit chilly and dark, despite the spring sunshine, but starting a fire would make people think the shop was open and she didn’t want the attention today.

Today, after all, was Pruning Day.

The sack was held shut with a piece of braided gold rope, knotted around the neck of the bag. Rae pressed her signet ring against the knot, and the rope briefly glowed green before untying itself. Giddy with anticipation, she reached into the sack and found several glass bottles filled with a viscous white liquid, plus four leather pouches that were stuffed so full they threatened to burst their seams.

“My my my, I see that Audrey’s production is up this month. Well, Baby, you’re in for a very special afternoon, aren’t you?”

“Who are you talking to?” said a voice from behind her.

Rae screamed, jumped, and spun around. A tall, pale woman wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a layered black dress that draped onto the floor reclined on one of the couches by the fireplace, smirking at Rae’s reaction.

Damn mages, she swore to herself.

“Hello, Isobel. You know how much I hate it when you teleport in here without warning me.”

“You shouldn’t have let me drop a call stone here, then.” Isobel rose from the couch and glided across the room, an imposing presence despite her smile. “But it’s so much more convenient than waiting around in the Temple District for you to open your shop.”

She stopped in front of Rae, towering over the shopkeeper and staring down into her eyes, holding her gaze while she slowly brushed Rae’s cheek with the back of her hand. Rae shuddered at Isobel’s touch, suddenly incredibly aroused, but unable to look away as the mage dove through her thoughts.

“Ah, yes ... you do have a special afternoon planned, don’t you. You’ll provide my regular payment?”

“Of course.” Rae’s pussy clenched as if Isobel had plunged several fingers into her, but they both stood fully-dressed in the outer room. “Raw materials for, uh, your magical research.”

“And you’re looking for a little something extra for your friend ... ah, there it is,” Isobel said, plucking the details directly from Rae’s mind.

“Yes,” Rae gasped quietly, “please. If you’d be so— ah!” The ghostly fingers stroked her insides, reaching spots no human could hit on purpose. It wasn’t the first time that Isobel had decided to play with her before a pruning session, and usually she welcomed the opportunity to get off before going to work.

Isobel quietly withdrew her other hand from her sleeve, setting a bottle of blue liquid on the table. “Very good. I’ll stay here until you return, to mind the shop and open the door for you. Was there anything else?” she asked sweetly.

The sensations in Rae’s cunt blossomed as the spectral force swelled inside her, pressing out in all directions and bringing her arousal to a peak. She let out a low moan, her eyes wide open and locked on Isobel’s.

“It sounds like there’s something else you’d like to ask me for, Rae. What is it?”

Rae felt the pressure inside her building fiercely, but no release was in sight. “Please!” she gasped. “I’m ... so close...”

“Oh? Are you enjoying the attention? Would you like just a little bit more?” Isobel’s head tilted slightly to the side and the fingers in Rae’s cunt began to pulse.

“No! No more!” Rae screamed, desperately hanging on the edge of an orgasm but unable to get off.

Isobel clicked her tongue. “A shame, really ... so eager to be the one in charge. You can’t even take a little bit of teasing yourself, can you?”

“Please let me come! Please, Isobel!”

“Promise me an extra vial of plant sap this month, and you can come.”

“Please! It’s too much!”

“An extra vial. Or you won’t be able to come until I leave.”

“Fuck! Please, yes, alright! An extra v— OH FUCK!” Rae exploded as Isobel granted her orgasm and it raced violently through her body. She grabbed onto Isobel’s shoulders for support, slumping forward and screaming as her legs started to shake. Isobel wrapped an arm around Rae’s waist, her smile turning to a broad, toothy grin.

“A pleasure doing business with you, as always, my dear.”

“A– and ... with you!” Rae gasped, finding her feet and her breath again.

“Enjoy your afternoon, and give my best to ... what do you call them?”

“‘Baby’,” Rae said, a little sheepishly. “Their name is Baby.”

Rae only understood some of Isobel’s research, but she did know that The Order had developed a number of fascinating theories about the plant creatures. The first few were purely magical constructs: an amalgamation of a sunflower, a pitcher plant, and a particularly aggressive species of cucumber. Perhaps because of the grafted nature of construction, their magical sentience had taken root in the form of a collective, rather than a single entity.

“Ah, yes, that was it. You’ve become rather attached to, uh, ‘Baby’, haven’t you?”

“No! No, of course I’m not getting attached. I mean, that would be silly. They won’t live long enough.”

Over time, and with careful cross-pollination, the creatures had developed some self-sustaining qualities, and could occasionally be cultivated and bred. Most only lived for a single growing season; research to develop perennial growth habits was ongoing but hadn’t yet borne fruit. When provided good growing space and a safe home, such as Rae’s shop, the hardier ones could last two or three years. That was plenty long enough to be worth investing in ... but not very long at all, if you didn’t guard your heart.

“Indeed,” Isobel said. “Baby is coming up on their second full growing season, are they not? It may be time to think about a cutting.”

“A ... cutting?”

“Yes, so that we can continue their lineage. Progress the species, as it were.”

Actual communication with the central consciousness remained elusive, but knowing how much Isobel liked a thorny problem to chew on, Rae had brought her the idea of a spell that would allow a human to connect with the plant on an empathetic level, at least as a starting point. Together they’d worked on an alternate version of the spell that powered the rings she gave her clients. Where her customers were encouraged to submit themselves to the plant’s whims, Rae’s version left her in full control of herself and provided a nice boost to her mental clarity as well. As far as she was concerned, every hour and every crown she’d spent on that spell had been worth the expense. It gave her the unique ability to connect with the plant on a level that would drive most people mad.

And connect she did. Not that she felt like she could really tell Isobel about it.

“Oh! O– of course. Would you like me t– to...”

“No, no, I’ll do it myself. I think I’m due to pay Baby a visit of my own some time soon,” Isobel said with a wink and a slight smile.

“Very good,” Rae said, forcing herself to return Isobel’s smile. She didn’t know what happened when Isobel spent time with Baby, or any of their ancestors for that matter, but it made her nervous. She had the feeling that the mage wasn’t like most of her customers. “I should really...”

“Yes, of course. By all means.” Isobel turned dramatically, her eye falling on the rucksack that the messenger had brought. “Oh, that’s interesting,” she said casually.

“Er, what is?”

“Is that sack full?”

“It has a few things in it.”

“Try asking it for something,” Isobel said, gliding back across the room to the couch she’d been sitting on before.

Rae did so, curiously, holding her hand above it and whispering “pollen pouch”. She blinked, and one of the leather pouches appeared in her hand. “Oh!” she exclaimed.

“I thought you might find that of interest.”

Rae was surprised by the extravagance as much as the magic. Either it was meant as an extraordinary gift from her fellow shopkeeper, or they’d been doing such excellent business that they could afford to hand magic items to their messengers. Regardless, it would come in handy this afternoon. She loaded it with everything she needed, including Isobel’s potion, several empty containers, and a set of shears.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder and awkwardly waving goodbye to Isobel, Rae crossed the room to the antechamber. It had always been her favorite spot in the building; she’d designed and decorated it to be cozy and warm, a place where visitors would feel welcome to pause and collect themselves before moving on to the inner chamber. Despite the fact that she passed through this room regularly, she wasn’t immune to its charms, and she took a moment to reflect.

Breathing deeply, she relaxed into the soft bench, loosening the cord holding her blouse closed, enough to make some room but not enough to expose anything. Her underclothes came off beneath her skirt, but she kept her boots and stockings on. Despite how off-putting Isobel’s presence was, Rae couldn’t deny that the mage’s attention had left her flushed, damp, and aroused. Besides, Pruning Day was in many ways her favorite, and she was genuinely excited to try something new with Baby today. That thought alone was enough to help her clear away the distractions, forget about Isobel, and focus on the ritual she was about to perform.

Rae checked her preparations one final time, touching the pendant necklace she used as a magical focus and confirming that her protection ring sat snugly on her left hand. She stood and opened the heavy door to the inner chamber, stepping through and leaning on it to close it behind her. The room was just as she’d left it the night before. Torches burned with magical, permanent flame around the outside of the hemispherical room. The pit lay dormant, surrounded as it was by the concentric circles of inscribed runes that offered a layer of emergency protection should something go seriously wrong or, gods forbid, the creature tried to escape. It had been several years since that happened, though, and the city had mostly forgotten about it, even if Rae hadn’t.

She sat cross-legged on the floor, the cold stone contrasting sharply with her own heat. Gathering energy to her and channeling it through her focus, Rae began to cast the spell of awakening. Images flew through her mind of the plant in various states of activity: stalks growing tall and strong, flowers blossoming, pollen saturating the air. Vines twining themselves around willing bodies. Outer sheaths peeling back to expose their core, knots swelling, sap spraying from the heads, filling mouths and cunts and asses. She placed an image of herself in the center of the spell, drawing the plant’s attention to her, but also binding them to her will. Her eyes began to glow a brilliant yellow, matching the energy within her crystal pendant, and spreading out to light up the protective runes inscribed around the pit.

A wave of languid warmth flooded Rae’s mind as the creature woke from their slumber and recognized their mistress. The strong central stalk emerged from the pit, topped with a bulb that expanded into a beautiful yellow flower before her eyes. The flower tilted in her direction, sending a gentle puff of perfumed pollen towards her, as thin green shoots climbed over the lip of the pit and reached for her.

“Mmm, yes, Baby, it’s good to see you too,” she purred, feeling just the slightest effect of the aphrodisiac. She was plenty turned on already, but this was the only way Baby knew how to say ‘hello’. “You’d better save your pollen, though ... it’s Pruning Day.”

The shoots stopped short and reared back.

“I know, Baby, I know, but it’s good for you. You’ve been getting lots of visitors lately, and I’ve been neglecting to take care of you properly. Besides,” she said, eyes sparkling from more than just the magical energy flowing through her, “I have a special game in mind today.”

Rae uncrossed her legs and sat up on her knees, beckoning to the tendrils as she did so. More, thicker vines crawled over the edge, ready to carry her down into the pit. Rae gathered a few shoots in her hands, enjoying the lively, prickly feeling on her skin. She bent down and kissed a clump of them in one hand, and on her other hand a tiny pink flower blossomed at the end of a tendril, dropping its petals almost as quickly as it grew them. Rae giggled as gentle, happy music filled her mind. “Oh, Baby! You’re so sweet. I hope you still feel that way when we’re done today,” she said, a wicked grin crossing her face. “Come on, let’s get started.”

The tendrils helped her to her feet, and she strode to the edge of the pit, standing on a point where two of the thicker vines had crossed. They gently carried her downwards, depositing her on the soft earth at the bottom of the pit. Rae took stock of the plant’s condition, casting a practiced eye over the current state of growth. The soft ferns were overgrown and needed to be trimmed back, which would hopefully make room to replenish the dwindling number of vines that bore the vase-like flowers. On the other hand, more ferns meant more flowers, and that meant an excess of pollen to harvest this month, which was a plus.

She stepped carefully through the flowers, but a vine caught her foot and she fell forward, landing on a bed of ferns with an “oof!” The vine that tripped her popped up from the undergrowth, looking towards her and quickly dropping the petals covering its knobby tip. Rae scowled at the vine over her shoulder, but it ducked under her skirt and dove straight for her pussy.

“Oh no you don’t,” Rae said. She raised a hand to the mouth of the rucksack slung over her shoulder and whispered “unfeeling potion!” An instant later, the vial that Isobel had given her appeared in her hand. The slick vine head slid into her, shuddering with sensation. Rae sat back on her feet, enjoying the feeling of getting fucked for a moment while she uncorked the vial and poured a few drops of the sticky blue liquid into her hand. Then she reached down and grabbed the vine, pulling it out of herself and spreading the potion along its length. The vine recoiled, glowing blue as the liquid flowed around it, coating the surface.

“There, that’s better,” she teased. “But don’t you still want me?” Rae rolled onto her back and lifted her skirt, exposing herself to the vine. It bent forward again, more tentatively this time, nosing against her crotch before retreating. She reached out and grabbed it, roughly sliding it back into her wet cunt. The knobby lumps of the vine’s core pressed into her, and she reveled in the feeling of fullness as the vine finally took the hint and began to thrust. She laughed as a cry of frustration echoed through her mind; presuming that Isobel’s research was correct, the potion would stop the vine from feeling much of anything or climaxing. Rae, however, was building up towards a very nice orgasm.

“That was naughty, Baby,” she said. “You shouldn’t force yourself on me like that. Sending your little vine out to knock me down so you could fill me up...” Rae moaned as one of the knobs hit just the right spot inside her. “But I’m in charge today ... you only get to fuck me when I say you do ... and today ... you only ... get to ... spray ... when ... I want ... you to...” Rae fucked herself with the vine as much as it fucked her, and she could feel Baby’s desperation growing over the psychic link.

Rae closed her eyes, bearing down on the vine in her cunt. “Fuck! Fuck! Like that! Yes!” she yelled. The vine stiffened and throbbed in her hand as she plumbed her own depths, stroking herself just the way she liked it. The waves of frustration faded into the background as she used the vine for her own pleasure. She dropped her head back against the ground, driving the vine deep inside herself with one hand and rubbing her own clit with the other, laughing as her climax slowly overtook her, blossoming from the depths of her cunt and radiating outwards until she could feel it like an electrical charge running all over her skin.

A sensation of warmth and devotion wrapped around Rae like a fuzzy blanket as her orgasm reverberated across the link and back again. “Mmm, yes, oh Baby, you’re so good to me...” she hummed, slowly withdrawing the vine as she came down from her peak, just as gently as she’d climbed it. Several more vines had come over to join them, sensing the opportunity to play, but now they were softly stroking her arms and supporting her back as she relaxed in the afterglow.

Isobel was right; Rae had grown attached to this creature, and she felt not only a sense of ownership but also the need to nurture and protect them. Adding a bit of dominance and teasing to the equation was new, but Rae got the sense she wasn’t the only one enjoying it. Normally the vines would be trying to wrap themselves around her and pin her limbs down so they could have their way with her. Instead, she found them docile and helpful. This was definitely going to become a recurring part of their dynamic.

“Well, since you’ve all decided to join us over here, let’s have a look at you, shall we?” Rae knelt in the dirt, taking the knife off her belt and laying it in front of her next to the potion. She grabbed a nearby vine and tugged, pulling it up in front of her. The vine stood tall and straight before her as she inspected it, noting the healthy color of the outer sheath and the petals covering the tip. She lightly wrapped one hand around it near where the inner sac usually sat, and slowly began to stroke the vine’s length. The vine practically trembled under her touch, unsure of what was coming next, and Rae laughed lightly in response.

Lifting her other hand, she slipped the tip of her finger between the vine’s petals, feeling the slick sap within and running her finger around the head. She tugged downwards on the sheath, encouraging the petals to spread out and expose the core, and the vine shuddered again. “Aren’t you a good little fucker,” she cooed at it. A spark of excitement flew through her mind, although Rae wasn’t sure whose it was. The empathic link could only go so far, especially when they all got turned on like this.

Rae traced her finger over the firm bumps of the vine’s core, pressing here and teasing there, exposing more and more while her other hand continued to lightly rub back and forth. The inner sac began to inflate with the plant’s sticky sap, but she grabbed the vine firmly and squeezed, clicking her tongue in disapproval. “Uh uh, not yet. All in good time, Baby,” she teased.

The other vines had gathered themselves around her, some forming a ring on the ground, others bent up and pointed at her, as if to watch her without eyes. “You can’t wait to be next, can you?” she said, reaching out to pet one of the waiting vines. It nudged forward into her hand, holding its petals closed but leaning into her touch. Several more vines popped up, seeking the same attention, and Rae got a wicked smile on her face.

“Okay, you get to be special because you were first.” The vine before her twitched visibly, and she felt it bulge under her hand where she gripped it. “Now be good,” she said, fixing her gaze on the vine but letting go of it and opening the potion bottle. She applied several drops to her hands, rubbing her palms together, but then reached out to either side. A vine surged forward to meet her and she wrapped her hand around it, feeling it slide through her hand and coat itself with the blue liquid. A shrill note played in her head as the potion took effect and the vine ceased to feel the contact it had been seeking. Rae grabbed another nearby vine with her other hand, coating it too with the unfeeling potion.

She returned to the vine she’d been teasing, sliding her palms along its length from bottom to top, having already shed the last drops of potion. The vine held itself perfectly upright, and Rae drank in the fear and excitement as she stroked it. The thrill of exerting total control was a more powerful aphrodisiac than any burst of pollen, and Rae began to think that she wasn’t going to be able to keep the game up for much longer before needing to sate her own hunger. She grabbed the vine and leaned in close, slowly wrapping her other hand around the head and feeling the slick ooze that lubricated it. She squeezed and quickly jerked up and down a few times, causing the vine to flex in her grasp and try to pull away from the sudden, intense sensation, but Rae just laughed and held it in place. When she finally let go, she discovered that the vine’s knot had started to swell, despite the torture. Or, perhaps, because of it.