Chapter 6: There Can Be No De Nile of True Love

Story’s Contribution is in due thanks to Elena_Khatika for making this story possible.

“Catch me if you can!” yelled out a somewhat deep female voice. Within seconds, two individuals came running ahead of the large open grassland area. The field of towering grass was enormous. There were areas where it was short, but other sections were pushed above four to five feet in height. Different sections would even reach near seven feet.

One of the individuals was that of a fellow Yuki. Her body was covered in black fur but had two noticeable white spots on her right butt cheek and hip. Her stomach was noticeably pregnant as her belly distended outward. Her pink and dark gray tail swung around as she darted through the grass at an incredible speed.

Another individual was nothing more than a creature. She was somewhat like Ammit in her appearance. Standing on four legs, she had a height of about four feet. Her hybrid form was evident. She had a crocodile’s head that was connected to the torso of a lioness. She had brown and orange fur that lined the sides of her body. On her back was that of hardened gray skin. Protruding from her rear was a lion’s tail. While she could have had a mane, much of her black hair from her head was woven into dreadlocks. Unlike Ammit, the female creature was lankier. She was running through the thicket at full speed. The Yuki woman had no hope of matching the speed of the beast.

A lone human male came running through within a few seconds, playfully chasing the two women. He was pretty tall, being over six feet in height. He was lanky, had short dark curly hair, and a slightly mixed complexion being part British and part Libyan of former Earth. Only his back and ass could be seen as he ran through the large meadow.

The tall grass was an excellent place to hide. Instead of using the forest, trees, and distant shrubs to vanish into, the location still allowed an area to disappear. As the man ran through the grass, the stalks would lightly brush his side. A series of small insects would fly away from the plants after being woefully stirred. One of the giant gray pylons was not far ahead, a typical landmark of the forests.

The temperatures felt grand and comfortable. A small cloud was circulating above, a normal part of New Olympia’s regulated weather patterns. It was starting to turn gray, almost as if it was preparing to put a small amount of rainfall over the vicinity.

“You can’t catch us, Sam,” yelled one of the women. There was a higher pitch in her voice, most likely being the other woman that had spoken before. He listened closely to where the sound came from. It was to his front right side. He tried to slow down and listen through the foliage obstruction, but his body was making too much noise. He simply couldn’t see where they went.

“Nishi, I will find you...,” Sam tried to mock her. “Trying the same stunt as before?” He had no accent in his somewhat soft voice.

There was silence. He remained still. With the grass being so tall in this region, he had to use his height as an advantage. The women were shorter, being much easier to hide in the long grass. He would use his towering stance to move into areas where the grass was more succinct. This would allow him to track places where the grass would move around. It was becoming a fun game of cat-and-mouse. He continued to let the towering gray pylon serve as a guidepost for him. They were already heading near it as it was.

Movement ... Sam saw it. It was coming from his left. He turned and ran to it. There was a light stir as he was getting near it. More and more foliage brushed his sides. Occasionally, the area became so thick that it threatened to trip his feet. Finally, he reached the spot. He almost stumbled upon it and landed right on top of whatever it was.

“What the?” he reacted. A small hidden opening led to a large discarded wooden stump. A series of windows and holed-out sections could be seen. It was a tiny home of some sort that was nothing bigger than his body. He almost landed right on top of it but stopped just in time.

“Hey!” yelled a small female voice. It had a unique accent to it. A small humanoid-like woman, no bigger than six to eight inches long with butterfly wings, took to the air from her home. She was fully naked with a pale flat chest. Sam recognized her as a pixie, one of the many different types of mythics that lived in New Olympia. She had a blue cap that sat on top of her curly blond hair. Her wings sputtered as she hovered near his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sam reacted. The pixie folded her arms, and she waved her hands at him to back off. She didn’t seem pleased, but she quickly calmed down.

“It’s alright...,” the faint playful voice erupted from her mouth. There was a unique Irish or European accent that she had. She lightly giggled. “First human to come across my area in years. You already have a wife?”

“Yep, two wives. Already taken.”

“Damn...,” she snapped her fingers in frustration. She looked down at his penis. He was quite well endowed for his height. Even if he wasn’t erect, his member measured around seven inches long with two dangling orbs that swung underneath. He had a fine amount of black pubic hair that neatly rode up to his belly button.

“Besides,” Sam shrugged. “I would be a little too big for you, anyway.”

“That’s what they all say, but I had children with humans before.” She winked at him. “It can be done.”

“Are you giving up, husband?” yelled the deeper female voice in the distance. “You know what that means!?” It grabbed Sam’s attention.

“One of them went to the right and the other to the left,” the pixie said. “Good luck!”

“Thank you,” Sam smiled at her before he ran off. The pixie woman flew down to her home and sat down.

“Sigh ... he would have been perfect,” She said. She then put her hand to her chin and shook her head.

Sam continued to run forward for several seconds. As he was getting closer and closer to the pylon, he could hear a brief rustle to his right. It stopped quickly as if whoever was there was trying to remain still.

“I got her...,” he quietly said to himself. He slowed down his run to a stop. If he ran towards the mass, then it would let her know that he was onto her. He lowered his head and silently moved. Only the sounds of moving grass could be heard. Sam could feel his heart beating faster and faster. He knew that he was almost on top of her. Finally, he could see a small mound of black fur. Her rodent eyes were looking in the opposite direction of him.

“Got you!” Sam yelled as his arms encircled the Yuki rodent. She made a slight squeak as he encapsulated her. His hands could feel the heavy amount of fur and her hairless tail. Nishi jolted in his grip, surprised by him finding her.

“Ack, he, he,” Nishi joyfully replied. “Can never escape you. Neb Petti, he found me!”

The Yuki woman stood up. Her naked form was something that Sam was always used to. Her back and tail rested upon him. His hands rested on her left breast playing upon the dark nipple. He began to kiss the back of her neck as she smiled and turned her rodent snout towards his face. His right hand fell to her distended belly.

“You love grabbing my belly all the time,” she told him.

“Of course, he does,” another female voice commented. “Can’t pump enough babies into you.” The four-legged creature of Neb Petti emerged from the grass from Sam’s left.

“And since I won,” Sam took his hand and brought it down to Nishi’s crotch. The man’s fingers felt the thick fur in the region before his fingers eventually found their way to the vaginal region. It didn’t take long before Sam took his middle finger and inserted it from the front.

“SQUEEK,” Nishi happily replied as she folded down ahead. She laughed as Sam smiled and thrust his fingers a few times back and forth. The pleasure felt intense and aggressive before the vaginal muscles quickly accepted it. It was only brief, though. Neb Petti shook her head at the two before Sam let go of her.

“Oh, you always know the right button,” Nishi commented.

“Yep, you found her again,” Neb Petti remarked, not far from the two. “It’s always easy to track by the rodent squeaks.”

There was a mild form of irritation in the four-legged creature. If she could cross her arms and shrug, she would. She instead shook her large snout. Sam and Nishi turned their heads to look at her.

“Aww,” Nishi said with genuine sympathy. “It’s easier for Sam to catch me.” She looked down at her pregnant belly as her reason.

“You’re always pregnant,” Neb Petti replied. “You can’t even use that excuse anymore.”

“She has a point,” Sam added. “I always keep catching you before she does. You’re not throwing the matches on purpose now, are you?”

“Honey...,” Nishi stepped away from his arms and politely tapped his chest.

“She is so throwing,” Neb Petti answered. She lightly smiled, but it turned into a frown. She sighed and snorted through her nostrils before she looked at the pylon to her left. She didn’t seem pleased. Sam and Nishi could quickly notice it.

“Are you alright?” Sam asked her.

“Umm ... Neb Petti?” Nishi reacted. The look of concern filled their faces. Neb Petti refused to comment.

“I’m hungry,” Neb Petti replied. “I want fresh meat.”

“We should get something to eat,” Sam commented.

“Ok,” Nishi answered with a nod.

The three proceeded to head towards the great pylon. They weren’t as far from it. There were no signs of vegetables or fruit that were growing in the field. It still didn’t matter as it was since Neb Petti usually preferred some form of protein. Nishi reached her hand to take Sam’s hand. They walked together as they could see Neb Petti walk ahead of them.

“I’m worried about her,” Sam whispered to Nishi.

“She’s been a little distraught since we took our vacation this week,” Nishi quietly replied. “I’m wondering if she has fully adjusted since she left the UHN Opet.”

“It’s been a month since she moved in with us.”

“True, but she left her previous occupation to be with us.”

“She seems happy with the kids.” Sam shrugged.

“Honey,” Nishi sighed. “I want to make sure that Neb Petti is happy. Everything that she has done has been for our benefit. She’s made a big choice in her life.”

“I can hear some of that whispering,” Neb Petti said out loud, disturbing their conversation.

“Just discussing about things,” Nishi commented. Sam didn’t seem entirely pleased that Nishi was holding back from telling her. He could see that Neb Petti was troubled as they continued their walk.

“Maybe you’re right,” Sam whispered to Nishi. “Sex has been great with the both of you, having both of you with me. It feels right.”

“Same ... but ... I think we need to do more for her. We were thinking more about ourselves than her when we took this vacation.”

“I agree,” Sam lightly frowned. “I just hope our nice surprise for her will work.”

“It will, honey,” Nishi took her other hand and wrapped it around his right arm. Suddenly, she could feel a light thump hit her belly. She slightly gasped.

“What?”

“Our baby just kicked.”

“Regular routine for them.”

Nishi smiled again. The trio had reached the base of the great pylon. The magnificent structure would reach high into the sky. It was taller than any tree in the Garden of New Olympia. Despite the gray undertone to it, upon reaching its proximity, it would give a silver shimmer across the surface. This would continue all the way to the triangular tip that touched the clouds. The base alone was around 40 meters squared. There were no forms of panels or anything to interact with it, but everyone knew better. It required an individual to touch it to interface with it.

For Sam and Nishi, it was like staring at a wall of silver. Neb Petti was the first to reach it. She extended one paw upon it. A flash of gold light erupted near where she was touching.

“T-Bone Steak and...,” Neb Petti paused and thought for a second. “And ... Neb Petti Special 2.”

“Oomph,” Sam reacted.

A small flash of light erupted from the pylon. The light ceased in less than a second, and part of the silver wall opened up. It was a box-like alcove. Inside of this compartment was a large well-cooked T-Bone Steak. A special plate of what looked like cooked intestines resided. Sam already knew what type of intestines these were. Thankfully, the pylons were good at synthesizing perfect but mockup meals at a moment’s notice. Neb Petti smiled as she walked up to the alcove, stuck her nose in, and greedily began to bite into the succulent meal.

By now, the couple was more than used to this. All mythics, regardless of their background, still deserved to be treated with respect. The pylons were perfect for supplying would-be carnivores the same rights in what they could eat. Sam and Nishi then walked up to the pylon before they made their respected orders.

“Water and jerky,” Sam requested.

“Umm...,” Nishi replied. “Cheese and peanuts.”

“More cheese again?”

“I could say the same thing to you, honey. Jerky?”

“What? I don’t get a chance to have much in this forest besides vegetables and fruits. Besides, Neb Petti has the right idea. Although...”

Sam saw the flash of light before two compartments opened up near them. A cup of water and four sizeable pieces of meat jerky were inside. Nishi reached in and grabbed the bowl of melted cheese and peanuts before she began to stuff her mouth with them.

“Man,” Sam commented. “That appetite really picked up on you.”

“You would think that the fourth child would knock that down,” Neb Petti before her jaws snapped onto the intestines.

Sam got near the edge of the pylon. The field of grass picked up before he went and sat by Neb Petti. Nishi responded the same. There was something about the idea of being completely naked and eating that felt exciting and rewarding. There was nothing to fear nor anything to worry about. Everybody could have whatever they wanted.

“This is so perfect...,” Sam commented. “I want to do this more often.”

“Have a vacation in the woods?” Neb Petti replied. Some cooked chunks of meat fell out of her teeth when she spoke.

“Yeah.”

“I agree,” Nishi replied. “It just feels so natural.”

“Yeah ... and abandoning your kids while you’re at it,” Neb Petti said.

“Our children will be fine. Taweret is a good babysitter as she always is.”

“Meanwhile, the parents are off fucking and making the next batch.”

Nishi patted her stomach with joy. Sam wasn’t too proud of Neb Petti’s comments. He downed the water and continued to eat. It was best to wait till after eating before he and Nishi would have to have a conversation with her.

“Nothing like a nice snack before resting,” Sam remarked.

“Our pup is happy to hear that, too,” Nishi replied.

Neb Petti burped. She was loud with it as it lightly echoed in the field of grass. The trio was not that far from the pylon sitting in the grass together. When Sam finished up his cup of water, he tossed it into the grass. Upon landing, the Styrofoam-like material began to dissolve. It was unknown if the cup’s composition was the cause or if it was the plants were to blame. However, what was seen was that it immediately broke down into black soil to become fertilizer. Nothing was wasted or trashed in the great Garden. Nishi reacted the same as she tossed her bowl not far from her. It also broke down into the soil.

Nishi replied in earnest with her own little burp. She slightly covered her rodent snout as the eruption of gas occurred. Sam reached over to Neb Petti. He began to stroke her fur. Nishi watched the scene as a slight grin appeared on her face. Now was the time to talk.

“Neb Petti,” Nishi explained. “We wanted to have a word with you.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Neb Petti replied.

“You haven’t seemed too excited since we arrived here,” Sam added.

“So?”

“It matters to us,” Nishi said. “You seem upset, or something is bothering you. Our goal is to make sure that you’re happy.”

Neb Petti’s eyes lightly rolled, but she turned her head away from them as she thought about it.

“Look,” the Yuki woman pressed forward. “We know things haven’t been easy for you, but we want you to know how much you’re treasured in our marriage.”

“Is this the part where you’re going to tell me to get lost?” Neb Petti asked.

“No, gods no,” Sam said. “Neb Petti, I love you.”

“There is no denial of our love for you,” Nishi added. “No buts or exceptions about it. We love you.”

Neb Petti tried to brush off the compliments, but they sank into her mind as she paused to listen to them. She felt more relieved than she genuinely expected.

“What’s bothering you?” Nishi asked.

“It’s...,” she paused before she resumed. “It’s as you said. I miss the UHN Opet. On my ship, Opet found a human, and before they knew it, that man was pumping babies into her. She couldn’t get enough of it ... literally. She was making babies as the husband was putting more into her. I feel like I live with magic my whole life and still get surprised what you can do with it.”

“Do you wish to go back?”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s just ... I see you two with your family. I still feel like a total stranger. You had a head start with the whole making-kids-department.”

“I know,” Sam said. “I would feel like an outsider if I were in your situation. Understand, we don’t feel that way with you. You’ve been wonderful with the kids since you’ve arrived to us.”

“Yes,” Nishi added. “You said it yourself. You were worried that we would look at you as different just because you walk around on four legs. That’s far from the truth. Neb Petti, I’ve seen our pups sleep by your belly. Jethro and Fei always had a hard time sleeping till you arrived.”

“Well ... thanks ... I guess,” Neb Petti nodded her head.

“Would ... would you be interested in having a baby?” Sam asked.

Neb Petti was quick to shake her head no, but she said nothing else.

“Hon,” Nishi told her. “It’s something that Sam and I have been talking about ... really talking about. We think that you would be perfect to have your own baby. I would be happy to see you have your own sons and daughters with our pups.”

“Heh ... you’re just saying that,” Neb Petti scrutinized.

“No, we really mean that,” Sam added. “I ... want to have a baby with you. Somebody that’s just like you.”

“We think that it would be best for you,” Nishi said with a smile. “We saw the pictures of you when you were little and...”

“No,” Neb Petti interrupted her. “I wasn’t ... cute if that’s what you’re trying to say.”

Nishi seemed dejected. “Why? Why do you wish not having children of your own?”

Neb Petti frowned as she looked away. “I just do.”

“Please,” Sam quietly told her. “Why?”

“I’ve already told you why.”

“No...,” Nishi remarked. “You never did. We always got half-answers from you, but never the whole reason.”

Neb Petti finally relented. “Fine ... It’s my mother, that’s why.”

“Ammit? Why is she the cause?”

“Because ... I know what she wants out of me. She doesn’t want to have a family. She wants an army.”

There was a look of confusion on Sam and Nishi’s faces as they looked at each other. Then, finally, Nishi decided to explain things to her.

“Neb Petti ... that’s not true,” Nishi said.

Neb Petti stood up and looked at the two. “How would you know?”

“Because we spoke with her a week ago. She’s been worried about you. We...” Nishi and Sam paused as they nodded their heads in agreement. “She wanted to talk to you, but ... it sounds like you haven’t spoken to her in a really long time.”

“We didn’t know how to break the news to you,” Sam added. “We’ve gotten the impression that you and your mother have drifted apart. We were thinking that ... you should get to know her again.”

“Know her again?” Neb Petti scrounged her snout as she began to pace near them. “Nishi, you’re only 117 years old, and Sam is twenty.”

“What about that?” Nishi asked.

“You don’t know her as well as I did. Long before Earth fell apart, I grew up there. Most of the gods were wiped out, and my mother ... my mother decided that she wanted to have a family of her own. I was number nine ... She didn’t want to have a family. She wanted an army, an army to rebuild the Coalition of Mythics. That’s all she cared for ... soldiers.”

“Ammit was trying to establish herself as some form of ... general?” Sam asked.

“She found humans ... bribed them to be her husbands. She took advantage of the poverty on Earth. Promised a good life to them if they agreed to father her children. It was all before we met the Yuki family, then your family became the numbers gang. Everyone still looked at her as ‘Mother Ammit.’ She still had her family meetings. Treated us as if we were troops ... ready to engage in some battle. That’s all she cared for. Before we knew it, Starfall tried to use some of my brothers and sisters to help wage her little ‘revolution.’ I did the right thing and fought against her, but ... everyone just looked at us as some form of ‘monster soldier.’ All they see is this...” She took her paw and gestured to her deadly snout and jaws. “I had a life of my own, but I know what the others see.”

“That isn’t true,” Sam told her. “We’ve never looked at you that way.”

“Until a war comes,” Neb Petti kneeled down onto the grass and sighed. “If the New Olympians ever decide to go to war with the Itreans, guess who they are going to need?” She took her paw and pointed at herself. “That’s right. I go first. Why? Because I served on a ship, because I’m dangerous and fight well, and because I’m a daughter of Ammit.”

“You’re worried that our child will be pulled into war?” Nishi asked. She shook her head. “No, we won’t do it. Your child deserves every right to be what he or she wants to be. I don’t expect your kids to serve any more than ours do unless they choose to do it.”

“Starfall happened hundreds of years ago, right?” Sam asked. “How did your mother react after all that?”

“She was devastated ... as she should be,” Neb Petti said. “She ... slowed down with the ‘troop musters,’ of hers. It was shortly after I stopped showing. I just ... worried that another Starfall was coming. Another civil war. We live long enough that it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ it will happen. It’s all her fault. Ammit only cared about fighters. She would pressure me to go have as many babies as possible so she can just add to her army of hers.”

“No wonder you feel the way that you do. But, we spoke to her, and she doesn’t sound like that. She cares.”

“Spoke?” the four-legged creature chuckled. “My mother can’t speak very well except her growls and grunts. I can talk normal thanks to human genes, but her? How could you have spoken with her?”

“They gave her the Alatyr. I don’t know what it is, but she was speaking just fine with it.”

“The Alatyr?” Neb Petti showed some surprise. “It’s a magical stone. A long time ago, Garafena and Gagana protected it from harm, but ... they never survived from Cataclysm. The stone was moved to the sacred vaults and protected. It’s a healing artifact that grants the user the ability of powerful healing magic.”

“So, in other words, your mother is becoming a healing goddess?” Sam asked.

“It’s a great undertaking to receive it. It hurts for her to talk, but if the stone heals her, then she would be able to speak unhindered.”

“It sounds like Ammit is trying to make amends for herself.”

“I imagine that the great ones have had to make a sincere trust for her to guard it,” Nishi added.

“A lot...,” Neb Petti implied. “Then again, a lot of our artifacts are just tossed to random New Olympians like they’re nothing important, especially nowadays. Eventually, the vault will be nothing but an empty raided tomb.”

“But that’s the point, though. Your mother met another that’s like her. Umm ... honey ... what’s his name?”

“Richard, I think,” Sam answered.

“Richard?” Neb Petti wondered. “I would almost think that my mother was having a relationship with one of my brothers because there is nothing like me or my family. He must be somebody new, but to be like my mother ... hmmm.”

“My point is, Neb Petti, that you’re judging your mother after something that happened a long time ago,” Nishi explained. “She was reaching out to us to contact you. It didn’t feel like it was our business to do so, but ... you’re family to us. She ... says that she misses you.”

Neb Petti seemed to think about it for a little while. For Ammit to be bestowed something meant that efforts were being made for her wellbeing. No longer was a guardian of the underworld or the “devourer of the dead,” but something more. It was always the goal of the New Olympians to achieve that. Even with Neb Petti’s prior statements earlier, it was still an honor to receive such a gift. Perhaps there was a monumental shift in how others were portrayed in the realm of mythics.

“I wonder who gave her that stone...” Neb Petti asked herself.

“That brings us back to what we were talking about,” Sam said.

“We never looked at you as a burden or a beast, hon,” Nishi added. There was a profound smile on her face. “As another wife, you’ve been a valued member of our family. I’m proud to be with you. I think our household could greatly benefit by having you there, especially with your own set of children to add to it. I love you, Neb Petti.”

Neb Petti had to consider the idea carefully. She was pretty adamant about the idea of not having children, but both of them had brought up valid points. Had Ammit truly changed? Her thoughts went to her when she was younger. She imagined seeing her mother nuzzle her snout to hers when she was just a baby, her father cradling her. There were positive memories buried in the mix of negative ones. Most of the negative reasons were far from Ammit’s fault. If anything, she barely made any mistakes. She was a caring mother when Neb Petti thought about it. Outside events were the genuine threat to them, as most things were. Time had indeed become the villain of the family. It was not uncommon that the post years of Starfall were ones that left scars and tumors in everyone’s wake. Was she another victim of that?

Her thoughts went to Opet. She was a valued friend, and she knew her well. Neb Petti remembered the days when Starfall tried to rule with an iron fist, playing as the goddess of light when she was little more than a psychopath. Opet was Neb Petti’s enemy at that time, vowing her allegiance to Starfall before she eventually learned the truth too. It devastated Opet so much. Never had she seen someone so hell-bent and distraught over those events. Neb Petti could see that Opet genuinely wanted forgiveness, and she became a true companion as a result. Having her own ship was vindication for herself, the ability to find a loving husband, an even better one. As much as Neb Petti was happy to see Opet find peace with herself, it served as a reminder of things for herself. She needed to move forward too. The ship’s internal beauty was little more than a gorgeous prison. Ammit was pushed aside. Ship’s duties became a seemingly excellent excuse to avoid her, but family was family. Being with Sam and Nishi was allowing that shroud to be unveiled. The negative memories were now being pushed aside to leave her mind forever. Neb Petti could be a mother, kind and caring, and settle down with the two.

“I’ll ... think about it,” Neb Petti confessed to the two.

Nishi happily gasped. “She’s going to think about it!” She lightly squeaked. “Honey, we should get more diapers, expand our house, get...”

“Ummm ... I said I was going to think about it.”

Sam smiled. “It’s alright. Oh ... then we have our little surprise as well.”

“What surprise?” If Neb Petti had a brow, it would have lifted.

“No, no, don’t tell her yet!” Nishi jumped in.

“I won’t, but it’s something that we’ve been planning,” Sam answered.

“Hmm ... a surprise ... let’s hope it’s good,” Neb Petti said.

“What time is it, anyway?”

It was said loud enough that the great pylon heard it and responded. A number was portrayed on the sidewall. The large red numbers of 1251 could be seen before they slowly faded back into the silver color again.

“It will be for a little while,” Sam fell upon the grass with a light thump. When he landed on his back, Nishi lowered herself onto his chest. Her breasts poked onto his side. New Olympia’s time schedule was always quirky. Nighttime was universal as the core would slowly dim down for several hours. Everyone on the planet would share an equal amount of darkness. Some argued that it was for the mythics that preferred nighttime just like Earth, but it was further pressed by the great ones that needed to rest as well. To maintain the great core was not intensive but tedious. For now, it was just past noon.

Neb Petti felt a realm of comfort as she crawled on all fours to be as close to Sam and Nishi as possible. She used her long snout to rub across Sam’s chest. Both Sam and Nishi took their hands and cradled the beast woman’s face and neck.