SilverVale Novel - Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Chapter 4 with a sneak peek to chapter 5 is ready! Full PDF of the novel so far in the attachments!

Chapter 4

Kavara fought to stay in the sky as a wave of nausea hit her. She was thankful for Nera taking down that giant monster as she only had another minute of power left. When Kavara saw Nera stumble, she knew for certain that Stella was sick with something. Kavara was connected deeply with Nera, Stella and Crystal. No matter how far apart they were, each of them could feel any intense emotions or sensations the others were feeling. Crystal usually kept to herself in a forest somewhere on the sunrise section of the planet. All four of them could feel what Kavara was feeling right now, nausea, headache, dizziness and a full body ache that yearned for something. Kavara had to stay strong. She was in her Pyrowitch costume and floating in front of hundreds of citizens. Kavara did not show a flicker of weakness. A hero like Pyrowitch was a symbol of peace to all who knew her. Compared to weakening that image, this sickness was nothing. Kavara stood strong as Nera rode off toward Stella. The legendary Pyrowitch had to do a boisterous send off without losing her lunch. She cleared her voice to test her body. All good to go.

“Let this be a lesson.” Pyrowitch said. “The peace of our fair planet rests in the hands of all. Every action is a step towards saving the world, no matter how small. If you act with kindness and virtue, you can always stand tall! Ahahahahaha!” That was exactly as much as she could say without voiding her stomach. She struck a powerful pose for the cameras, letting the people bask in her aura. As they did, she swallowed down what tried to come up. Once she had a moment of control, she said the magic words. “Pyronado!!!” and spun like a top, generating a tornado of flame around herself before blasting off into the sky. She flew high, far out of view before darting behind a dumpster in a nearby alley.

Though she wore the costume, Kavara wasn’t Pyrowitch when she was puking her guts out. Superheroes don’t vomit. They are perfect teflon. Unbothered. Unbreakable. The tabloids would have a field day with a picture of her hunched over like this. Pyrowitch snapped her fingers and changed into Kavara, mild-mannered middle manager for pyrotech. Kavara tossing her cookies behind a dumpster was nothing new. Kavara’s super hero abilities came from a potion cocktail that was intensely addictive. The nausea, headaches, chills and other things were on a timer that she perfectly coordinated most days. Whatever Stella was going through was enough to knock her off balance. She’d have to check in with her at Fossil Fumes ASAP. She already had some business with the CEO. Though, if Nera was on a hoverbike, maybe the train would be fine. No need to rush when help was already on the way right?

As Kavara stumbled out of the gutter, her ears twitched to the distant sound of a mithsteel vault door being carved open. She heard the S.P.A.W.S. radios and knew that the security force was clearly outmatched and waiting on proper backup. Kavara sighed and reached into her cleavage to pull out a tiny red vial. She knocked it back and shivered at the magick sparkling through her body. She snapped her fingers and became Pyrowitch. She spun around in circles, thankful for her empty stomach, and flew off into the sky.

The First Bank of SilverVale was covered in a bundle of steel wool razorwire. Above it, puffy white clouds shot cottony goop that stuck the S.P.A.W.S. agents and their vehicles to the streets and skyscrapers. They tried to fire back but also had to contend with hot lead coming from the bank.

Kavara’s voice boomed from above. “Such a foul flock should get lost!” Everyone looked up to see her hovering over the oppressive clouds.

One of the clouds spoke out. “It’s Pyrowitch! Get her!” The puffy clouds turned their attention to Pyrowitch, opening fire on the red-haired canine. Pyrowitch dodged and burned up the shots that came her way. She dove through a cloud and captured a sheep whose wool was shorn in a way that showed off her legs and midriff. One by one, Pyrowitch cleared the sky of the fluffy menace. By the time she was done, her arms were full of unconscious sheep. Pyrowitch flew to a S.P.A.W.S. van and tossed the villains in the back. Two agents locked the doors, turned around and perked up before saluting.

“Oh no no.” Pyrowitch said. “Just doing my job!”

“You mean our job.” The words came from behind Pyrowitch. She turned to see a grey wolf S.P.A.W.S. agent wearing a blue military uniform with silver trim. He wore an eyepatch and his face was covered in scars. His cold silver eye stared right through Pyrowitch.

Pyrowitch gave a nervous smile. “Captain Yagi! It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Fuck off flame witch.” Captain Yagi said. “Stand down and let the professionals handle this.”

Pyrowitch put her hands on her hips and huffed. “I am a professional, thank you very much! I have my hero licence.”

Yagi scoffed. “They hand that to every super with a smile. Might as well have gotten it from a cereal box.”

Yagi’s harsh words pierced Kavara’s heart. Although she was only a class D hero, getting the hero licence was no walk in the park. The test consisted of several endurance and strength challenges. She had to race to the bottom of the ocean and retrieve a two ton boulder. She had to race other hopeful heroes around the globe. It all culminated in a tournament style show down with whoever survived the previous challenges. There was also a written portion on planetary law that was so complicated, resisting the urge to cheat was a part of the challenge. Her performance though all of those trials was just barely enough to scrape by with the lowest class licence. This also meant that Captain Yagi severely outranked her. Regardless, she was a legally recognized hero through and through.

“Despite how you feel about the process captain, I’m here to serve.” Pyrowitch said. “Tell me what to do and I’ll act without hesitation.”

Captain Yagi grumbled. “Fine. You want to help? Start by prying my agents off the walls. Those cloud bitches really did a number on my team.”

Pyrowitch saluted. “Right away captain!” Pyrowitch flew over to one of the S.P.A.W.S. agents that were pinned to the side of the building. He was a small blue mochibun with black hair and was coated in a sticky white substance that kept him from moving freely. Pyrowitch took a deep breath and exhaled flames that made the squishy substance hard and brittle. The blue bun bounced free and brushed the white flakes from their blue and silver suit.

“Thanks a bunch Pyrowitch!” the mochibun said. “My name is-”

“Satti!” Captain Yagi said. “Get your ass over here!”

The blue mochibun jolted upright and saluted his captain. “Right away Captain Yagi.” Satti smiled at Pyrowitch. “I would love to give you a ring sometime. Buy you a drink as a thank you.”

Pyrowitch chuckled. “Pretty bold for a little guy.”

“You’ll find I’m pretty big where it counts.”

“Satti!” Captain Yagi said. “Now!”

“Duty calls. Until next time Pyrowitch.” Satti bounced over next to Captain Yagi. Satti then turned one of his ears into a satellite and the other into a microphone. Captain Yagi picked up the microphone and brought it to his mouth. His words echoed in the minds of every being within a half a malp radius.

“Listen up you sheep scum. You have thirty seconds to give yourselves up or you have to deal with the big bad wolf and I swear I won’t be gentle.”

Satti listened in on the bank and heard the plasma beam cutting through the vault door for the entire thirty seconds while the members of the silver sheep squad laughed at Captain Yagi’s threat.

“It seems they’re laughing at you sir.”

Captain Yagi smiled. “Good.” He drew his katana and made his way toward the bank. Bullets swarmed the sky and Yagi blocked any that came his way. As he got closer, the sheep concentrated their fire on the captain. Yagi twirled his sword in circles from the small chain that was connected to the hilt. Each bullet fired at him disappeared into his black blade. He pressed on unabated, getting closer and closer to the front door. A bright red grenade bounced a few ilps away from Captain Yagi. It exploded in a massive fireball that Yagi compressed down into a flaming bead in the palm of his hand. He slapped it against the flat of his blade and spread it down the length, igniting his katana. Captain Yagi then slashed at the steel wool surrounding the bank, burning it all away in an instant.

Captain Yagi kicked open the front door to the bank and all the gunfire turned toward the inside. Pyrowitch finished freeing the last of the S.P.A.W.S. agents, rallying them to follow their Captain’s lead. Before any of them could break the threshold of the bank, a black mist spilled out of the bank. The building was soon engulfed by a bubble of shadow. The S.P.A.W.S. agents stared at the ball of shadow fearful of what sorcery was afoot. Satti turned his ears into a pair of satellite dishes.

“Captain Yagi.” Satti said. He waited a moment for a response. “Captain Yagi! Come in!” Silence. Satti picked up a bit of rubble and threw it at the bubble. It flew out with the same amount of force as when it went in. He stepped up closer and took a deep breath before walking into the shadowy mist. He soon walked out at the same spot he went in. Pyrowitch flew up to Satti.

“What’s going on?” Pyrowitch said.

“I have no idea.” Satti said.

“Could it be the captain’s doing?”

Satti shook his head. “Captain Yagi’s power is gravity based. This seems to be some kind of portal magick.”

Pyrowitch cracked her knuckles. “Want me to see if I can dispel it?”

“I’d rather not take any chances.” Satti said. “It seems to spit out whatever you throw at it. Who knows how it will react to your flame magick. I think it’s best we get some professional help here.”

Pyrowitch growled. “I am a professional dammit! Just watch!” Pyrowitch put her hands up to the bubble and focused her ki. She channeled her energy into a casting of dispel magick. As she did, she felt something tug at her spirit, siphoning her ki and pulling in much more energy than she intended to use. Her eyes glowed red and her head reeled back as flames sparked around her body. The black void then turned red and started spitting out massive fireballs in all directions. Satti tried to pull Pyrowitch away but the flames were burning far too hot. The fireballs crashed into buildings and set several S.P.A.W.S. vehicles ablaze.

A massive hulking gorilla ambled up on all fours. His skin turned into steel as he reached out toward Pyrowitch. He got a firm hold of her burning body and pulled the canine away from the bubble. Once she was away from it, the bubble turned black again and the fireballs stopped. Pyrowitch rubbed her head and looked on at the destruction she caused.

“Yeah… maybe we should wait on those professionals.” Pyrowitch said. “Thanks Tetsura.” The gorilla grunted and gave a thumbs up. Pyrowitch got back to her feet. “What should we do Satti?”

“We’ll set up a perimeter and watch the bubble around the clock.” Satti said. “We’ll call you if we need any extra muscle.”

Pyrowitch sighed. “Fine… This is going to be a media nightmare…”

“You were always good with the cameras but this will make you infamous. Be careful and only say the facts.”

Pyrowitch nodded and flew over to face the curious public. She was greeted by an onslaught of camera flashes and a sea of microphones being pushed toward her snout. The pushiest reporter was a blonde-haired green-eyed mochibun with tan fur.

“Pyrowitch! Pyrowitch!” the reporter said “What’s happened to the bank and were you responsible for those fireballs that just destroyed the block?”

Pyrowitch cleared her throat. “We believe there is some kind of portal magick at play here. My attempt to dispel it was less than fruitful but a step in the natural scientific process of trial and error.”

“Are you saying you and S.P.A.W.S. don’t know where the city’s money is right now?”

“Although we are not certain of the exact location, it is in safe hands as Captain Yagi of sector one walked into the building before the bubble came up.”

The next reporter was an ancient owl with white feathers and heavy bags under his eyes. “Who is responsible for this attack on the bank?”

“It was the silver sheep squad.” Pyrowitch said. “I’ve tangoed with them before but this time they clearly had something special ready.”

“Are any of the squad members in custody?”

“Yes! We have five members in the back of a S.P.A.W.S. van right now. Refer to the agents for any follow up on that.”

The pushy blonde reporter returned. “I want to circle back to this Captain Yagi. You said the bubble appeared when he walked inside the bank. How do you know he’s not working with the robbers and created this as a distraction?”

Pyrowitch grumbled but kept her composure. “Captain Yagi is a man of honor and integrity. I have worked closely with him for many years. He would never align himself with scum like the silver sheep squad.”

“So basically we’re hedging trillions upon trillions of claws against one man’s honor? Is that what you are saying?”

“We’re hedging it against the most honorable man in the city. S.P.A.W.S. is currently calling in back up. I’m also on standby should the situation evolve.”

The blonde reporter rolled her eyes. “Oh wow… Pyrobitch is on standby. I feel so safe…”

Kavara audibly growled at that insult. “It’s pyrowitch!”

“Ooops! Sorry. I figured with you being a dog and all…”

Kavara took a deep breath and returned to her heroic demeanor. “Apology accepted Miss…”

“Slater. Cynthia Slater of Empire New Now.”

Pyrowitch sighed. “Of course… Well miss Slater please inform your viewers that we are doing everything in our power to secure the area.” As Pyrowitch finished speaking, the ball of shadow turned into a ball of steel that came crashing down and started rolling toward a line of skyscrapers, crushing hovercars along the way. Pyrowitch’s eyes widened as she sprung into action. She flew in front of the steel ball and grunted as she pushed hard against its smooth surface. The ball pushed Pyrowitch closer and closer to a nearby skyscraper. She just barely stopped it ilps away from making contact with the building. Pyrowitch pushed off of the building and rolled the steel ball back to where the bank used to be. Soon the steel effect wore off and it returned to a ball of black shadow. Pyrowitch scanned the area and shot a mean glare at Tetsura who was whistling and twiddling his steel thumbs. Pyrowitch sighed and returned to the reporters.

“See? Completely in control.”

“Yeah right.” Cynthia said. “I’ll believe it when I can cash my big fat paycheck from covering this juicy fuck up! If I can be honest, off the record, hero types like you make me sick. You prance around in your little colorful costumes helping out when it’s convenient. No schedule. No set responsibilities. The city lets mutts like you run wild without leashes and we’re supposed to trust you because you do it out of the kindness of your hearts? Just because you’re volunteers doesn’t mean we should put our lives in your hands. I actually trust my camera guy to get my good side because we pay him to do so. My producer trusts me to get the scoops because I get paid to do it. If anything, you heroes and your big bleeding hearts are the least trustworthy lot of them all. What happens when your day job interferes with hero work? Will you save the public or make it to work on time? We don’t even get to know your real names yet we give you so much power over our city. Doesn’t seem fair to me.”

Kavara’s blood was boiling. She couldn’t count how many times she was popped trying to protect the public. How many times was she late to work because a giant monster appeared during her commute. People like Cynthia only cared about their wallets. She and her viewers were going to eat this story up until there was nothing left to pick at and even then they would keep talking.

“By the way, Pyrowitch.” Cynthia said. “On the record, what is your real name?” She shoved the microphone into the hero’s face and it took every ounce of strength for Kavara to respond without expletives.

“This interview is over. Goodbye.” She flew off into the sky and made her way towards sector six. She could sense that Stella was still there and her connection to The Gaggle hinted that Teresa Wrex had some work lined up for her.

***

Stella stood in the center of Teresa Wrex’s real office. The shelves were littered with awards in various scientific fields. The ones that stood out were the ones for cosmetics research. The walls were adorned by apparel and artifacts from various cultures around the globe. The majority seemed to be from the dark side of the planet. Teresa sat behind her desk. There were no chairs available for Stella.

“You’re a real sturdy bitch.” Teresa said. “I’m going to take advantage of that until your debt is paid. You’ll still be paid along the way. That way I can command your full attention.”

“Yeah well I need the work.” Stella said. “Taffi is fun as hell too. I do want some more background on what you do as a company. I’ve never heard of you until today.”

Teresa thought for a moment. “You know those seedy motels scattered around the galaxy that charge by the second?”

“Yeah?”

“You know the automatic cleaning function that cleanses the room after the unspeakable acts that occur in said motels?”

“Yeah?”

“You know the fresh scents that fill the room after the cleaning?”

“Yeah?”

Teresa took a long hit of a vape pen. “We make those scents.” She exhaled.

Stella’s eyes widened and she kneeled before Teresa and kissed the massive ruby on her finger. “My queen!” Stella said. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.” Stella continued smooching Teresa’s ring, using her tongue to polish the gem.

“Mmmmh, there it is.” Teresa said.

Stella finished up her worshipping of Teresa and stood up. “I’d be elated to work for an absolute legend like yourself. Taffi mentioned that she needs protection when she’s in her pod?”

“That’s correct.” Teresa said. “A bobabird like Taffi requires time inside a pod to stave off the inevitable self-destruct sequence.”

“She’ll explode if she doesn’t sleep?”

“Precisely. If that happens, it would take months if not years for Taffi and the other bobabirds to reform. The planet would be obliterated and anyone with mochibun DNA would return to the empress. That would also result in a big fat fine from the empire that I refuse to pay. When Taffi is asleep, I’ll need some extra muscle to protect her.”

“I can shift my sleep schedule.” Stella said.

“That won’t be necessary.” Teresa said. “Bobabirds only sleep once a month on average. When they do sleep, it’s for three days. We have a whole month before Taffi needs to sleep again. When that day comes, I’ll have you rotate shifts with some others on my radar. Any questions?”

“What’s pherofluid?”

“It’s a soft drink infused with Taffi’s essence. When she sleeps, we collect a concentration of excess cells and infuse it into a high quality beverage. It generally makes the user want to chase their dreams and give into their instincts depending on the dosage. Pherofluid is the lifeblood of this company’s current ambitions.”

“And what are those ambitions?” Stella said.

Teresa paused. “Last a month and I’ll tell you. Deal?”

Stella paused. “Deal.”

“Excellent. Now despite the product loss, I still need to pay you for bringing my granddaughter home safely.” Teresa reached into her cleavage and pulled out a holophone. “Where is that little mochibun partner of yours?”

“I think Taffi still has her.”

Teresa made a low rumbling growl that shook every cell in Stella’s body. Taffi stepped into the office. 

“You called Granny?”

“I have to pay Stella for the job.” Teresa said. “Hand me her little helper bunny.”

“Right away Granny!” Taffi reached into her cleavage and pulled out a blue egg with Yuki’s face on it. She brought it up to her beak and used a brief sonic screech to crack the egg open. Yuki popped out of the egg fully clothed while doing a big yawn and stretch. Yuki rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.

“How did the job go?” Yuki asked.

“You two were successful enough for payment.” Teresa said. “You’ll be working for me to pay off the debt for all the lost pherofluid and Stella’s medical treatment.” Teresa tapped and swiped the hologram interface of her phone until a golden coin with the number one million etched on it appeared in the hologram.

Yuki clapped her hands together repeatedly and squealed with excitement. “Yay! More work!” Yuki flew through the hologram and her eyes turned into coins, completing the transaction.

“A mountain of work actually.” Teresa said. “Our final guest should be arriving shortly.” A few seconds later there was a knock at the door. “Enter.”

Pyrowitch walked through the door sporting her trademark grin. “Greetings citizens! I wasn’t expecting a crowd. Ahahaha!”

“You can cut the hero act Kavara.” Teresa said. “Everyone here already knows who you are.”

Pyrowitch relaxed and snapped her fingers to return to her street clothes. She sported a dark blue suit with a white shirt and red tie. “Thank the empress. I need a drink.”

“I’d offer but I need you sharp for this next mission. Your powers depend on it.” Teresa brought up a holographic map of Eris’ light side. “My last shipment of ampliflowers was extraordinarily light. I source them from a commune in the bravian peninsula.”

“Our friend Crystal lives out there.” Stella said. 

“When was the last time you heard from Crystal?” Teresa asked.

“It’s been about a month.”

“Hmph. According to the reports, that’s about when the disappearances started. Can either of you send a message to Crystal now?”

Stella focused and sent a ping to Crystal. It didn’t land, floating lost in the void. Kavara did the same and got the same result. The two canines looked at each other in horror. It was normal for Crystal to go for long stretches without contact but she always was reachable.

“What could be keeping us from pinging her?” Stella asked. “She can’t be dead can she?”

“Highly unlikely.” Kavara said. “Even if she were dead, her soul would still be reachable through the HiveNet. There would at least be traces of her there. The fact that we got nothing at all means something is blocking us out completely.”

“I’m highly interested in that something.” Teresa said. “If this thing can block out pings from such a tightly knit group, I want that power. We have some privacy protocols in place but you can never be too careful.”

“I’m guessing you’re the reason for the blanks in the gators’ memories.” Stella said.

Teresa nodded. “It’s a passive encryption that keeps this building and its secrets safe. The only way to confirm what goes on in here is to see it for yourself. Visitors can still access the HiveNet which is a vulnerability I’d like to close sooner rather than later. That coupled with the ampliflowers makes this trip a top priority.”

“Do you have any super serum left?” Kavara asked.

Teresa pulled out three small vials of red fluid. “This is all I’ve got until we synthesize more flowers.”

“Should make this job quick then.” Kavara said. “Anything else we need to know?”

“There’s been a strange buzz in The Gaggle lately.” Teresa said. “I think we have some competition.”

***

Taffi led her team of Stella and Kavara through Unity Station, SilverVale’s central transit hub. Taxis, trains, busses, planes, rockets and teleportation could all be found here. Thousands of beings of all shapes and sizes rushed around the station in perfect sync. It was like one big coordinated dance routine. Taffi and her friends strolled to a different beat. Their calm cool stride cut through the coordinated chaos of the commuters. The team made their way to the long range teleporters. The bravian peninsula was mostly secluded from society. It had nothing but dense forests and small villages for malps and malps. Taffi’s grandmother had arranged for the team to be sent directly to the commune where the ampliflowers were being harvested. There was a long line for the teleporter.

“So!” Taffi said. “Are you two excited to see your friend again?”

Kavara smiled. “Definitely. It’s been far too long. I just hope she’s alright.”

“She’ll be fine.” Stella scoffed. “Crystal may seem all sweet and soft but she’s as tough as they come.”

“How do you all know each other?” Taffi asked.

“Through Nera.” Stella said. “She was the one that welcomed each of us to the city as we arrived. Her data showed that we would make a good friend group and soon we started hanging out together. We got so close that we even started a band for a little while.”

Taffi gasped. “You four were in a band together?”

Stella smiled. “That’s right. We rocked pretty hard and took turns on vocals since we didn’t have a dedicated frontman. Did a lot of covers. We called ourselves ‘Full Moon’.”

“Ooooh nice! What happened to the band?” Taffi asked.

Stella grumbled and looked away. Kavara sighed and interjected. “The economy shifted hard. What little free time we had to meet was dominated by our need to work. We all focused on our careers and little by little, we drifted apart. Crystal rejected the city life and joined a commune in the forests of Bravia. Sometimes I wonder if I should have left with her.”

Stella chuckled. “Like you could stay out of the spotlight.”

Kavara giggled. “It’s rewarding but I often wonder how I would fare with a quiet life in the forest.”

The line moved along smoothly as they talked. Soon it was their turn at the teleporter. The conductor was a tall green mochibun in a silver uniform.

“Name?” said the conductor.

“Taffi Wrex plus two guests.”

The conductor tapped away on a hologram screen. “Confirmed. Enter the teleporter, step on a circle and remain still.” He gestured behind himself to a large chamber with a pair of sliding doors. They opened up to allow the team inside.

“Thank you very much!” said Taffi.

The trio stepped into the teleporter and each stood on top of a glowing circle. The doors closed behind them and the teleporter hummed with energy. The circles on the floor glowed brighter and brighter before creating a bright flash of light that blinked them thousands of malps away. 

Taffi’s eyes slowly adjusted to her new surroundings. She was surrounded by gigantic trees and dense brush teeming with life. Golden light from the sunrise beamed through the cracks in the canopy. The air was crisp with a hint of something strange wafting in the breeze. Taffi looked around and realized that she was separated from her two friends.

“Stella? Kavara?” Taffi yelled out. There was no response. She focused her mind and tried to call them telepathically. She sent out a ping and received nothing in return. She took deep breaths and focused harder, trying her best to reach out to her friends. Again, nothing. Something in the air tickled away at her beak. With each breath it crept in deeper, irritating her sinuses. Taffi sniffled and let out a boisterous sneeze that startled the creatures of the forest. She heard the rusting of hundreds of beings as they all scattered away from her. She wiped her beak and sighed. “Perfect time for allergies to kick in.”

Taffi stretched her neck through the tree cover, winding her neck around the thick branches. Her head popped up high above the canopy to see a seemingly endless forest with a gorgeous sunrise fixed on the horizon. She took a deep breath and screeched as loud as she could. “Stella! Kavara! Where are you?” The creatures of the forest again ran from Taffi, startled by her scream. She kept herself still, hoping for a response. Nothing. Taffi sighed and compressed back to her resting form.

As she got below the trees, that little tickle in her beak came back. She sniffled again before letting out another echoing sneeze. The forest rustled again but this time it sounded like a group approaching her. Bipedal beings, heavy ones by the sound of it. Taffi put her hands on her hips and waited for whatever approached. The footfalls got louder and louder before stopping suddenly. A moment later, a squadron of imperial guards burst forth from the brush. They wore grey armor with eyes that glowed a sickly and oversaturated green. Two cloth flaps trailed behind their helmets, imitating rabbit ears. The squad quickly encircled the flamingo. There were eight soldiers with their weapons trained on Taffi.

“Oh yay!” Taffi said. “Could you all help me? I’m a little lost. I’m looking for two big bulky canines. A grumpy one with black hair and an energetic one with red hair. Have you all seen anyone like that around?” The soldiers were silent. “No? What about a commune around here that’s harvesting flowers?” The soldier glanced at each other and moved in closer. “That got a reaction. Could you please tell me where the village is? I’ll be your best friend!”

One of the soldiers put a hand to the side of their helmet and nodded. “Open fire!” The soldiers shot a barrage of green lasers that blasted through Taffi’s body. Taffi dramatically convulsed as the lasers pierced her pink body. She fell to the ground in a growing puddle of sticky pink fluid. The soldiers stepped closer, their boots splashing in the puddle of Taffi. The flamingo laid on the ground with her tongue sticking out her beak. The moment the soldiers were close enough, Taffi sprung up and captured the entire squad in a bubble made of her own body. The soldiers screamed and writhed in the gooey prison.

“Let us out!” cried one of the soldiers. A cacophony of muffled expletives vibrated the bubble.

“Oh! So you all can talk. You should have taken my offer of friendship. Now I’ll have to put the squeeze on ya!” Taffi clenched her fist and the bubble compressed around the soldiers. They all screamed as they were crushed by the springy trap. “Now, are you gonna tell me what I want to know?”

“Yes! Yes!” cried the soldiers.

Taffi loosened her grip and made space for the soldiers’ heads to pop out of the bubble. “Good. Tell me everything.”

Chapter 5 (Sneak Peek)

Crystal gracefully stepped through the tall grass, running her fingers through the foliage. The morning air was crisp and clear. The wind was gentle against her maroon fur. Her sky blue hair waved in the breeze as she listened to the beautiful symphony of nature play its eternal song. She saw a red flower off in the distance. Crystal ran toward the ampliflower and reached out to harvest it. The moment she touched it, the flower turned to dust. Nature’s music stopped and the tall grass was aflame. The sky went pitch black, illuminated by the glow of the fire. Ashes danced in the wind and smoke choked the maroon fox. Crystal coughed violently as she ran through the burning brush. The flames encircled her and the smoke made her eyes water. She turned her weakened gaze up to the night sky and saw a shooting star blaze by, getting larger and larger as it flew towards the horizon. It landed with a blinding flash and massive force that sent Crystal flying back. The fox screamed as she fell through an endless void of blinding light. 

Crystal sprouted up from her slumber, panting heavily as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. She gazed upon her fellow commune members fast asleep in the massive bed they all shared. It was a soft pit of pillows and blankets with a diverse group of beings all wearing wispy white dresses. Crystal evened her breathing with a deep sigh and laid back down in a pile of pillows. She was thankful for the ability to dream even if it welcomed the occasional nightmare. It was much better than colonizing planets on the Otherside.

Crystal lived in a commune that was tucked away in the forests of Bravia, far away from the empire’s interests. It allowed for a level of freedom and privacy that was impossible to find in cities like SilverVale. The commune required long days of hard work and would have been all but impossible without the investment of the Fossil Fumes CEO. They have to meet a quota of ampliflowers to be harvested in order to retain their funding. Despite the challenges, Crystal had found her own little slice of paradise in the forest. 

Some of Crystal’s companions started to stir from their slumber. A brown squirrel with hazelnut highlights stretched and yawned next to her. “Good morning Crystal!”said the squirrel.

“Good morning Sarah.”

Sarah curled up next to Crystal. “Hope you slept well.”

Crystal rubbed her eyes. “I had an awful nightmare. The entire forest was on fire and some strange shooting star hit the planet!”

“Oh my!” Sarah exclaimed. “Is there anything I can do to help take your mind off of it?” She gently caressed Crystal’s left breast while tracing around the fox’s nipple with her thumb.

“I wanna help too!” said a lime green mochibun as she grabbed Crystal’s right breast. 

Crystal smiled at the green rabbit. “Good morning Lisa.” A warm blush washed over the fox’s face. Crystal cooed like a dove as her companions toyed around with her ample bust. They began licking and sucking away at her hardened nipples. As Crystal moved her hand toward her own warm wet lower lips, she felt a wet snout press up against her pussy and take a nice deep breath of her warm scent.

“Don’t forget me!” said the raccoon with her head in between Crystal’s legs.

Crystal moaned as her toes began to curl. “G-good morning Roxie.” The raccoon went to town on Crystal’s pussy, licking around her clit in circles and gently sucking. Roxie slipped a few fingers into the fox’s warm wet canal and moved her tongue towards Crystal’s tight winking anus. Roxie lovingly ate her lover’s ass while gently stimulating Crystal’s g-spot. 

All of this attention sent waves of pleasure throughout Crystal’s body. She squirmed and writhed about letting out a symphony of soft moans as the trio toyed around with all of her special spots. Roxie firmly gripped Crystal’s thighs to hold the fox steady as she really dug in. Sarah and Lisa synchronized their sucking as if to try and milk Crystal’s massive breasts. With their combined efforts, some milk did begin to squirt from the fox’s perky nipples as she got closer to the edge. The warm tingling tension built up more and more until Crystal’s back arched and her body tensed up. She squirted hard in Roxie’s face as a torrent of warm milk sprayed into Sarah and Lisa’s mouths. Crystal shuddered and moaned as she rode out the intense orgasm that pulsated throughout her body. Eventually Crystal’s companions pulled away and let her rest. Crystal laid back panting in an attempt to catch her breath. She smiled at the trio. “Mmmmh thank you for the wake up call.” An array of slimy green tentacles sprouted from Crystal’s back. “Time to return the favor.”