5 Red Twilight Demon of the Flowers chapter 5

Chapter 5 Marooned part 4

It takes four months for the two working together to build a new house. Barely two months later Ashley give birth two four puppies. The first-born boy is called Han, the second boy Aaron, the first girl Sara, and the last born is Tia. They live in the house in the woods for three years. Ashley teaches the kids how to fish and how to craft clothing and tools. Tatsu teaches them how to hunt, how to read and mathematics. Tatsu tries to teach them the art of arcana, but none of the kids show any aptitude for the mystical arts.

By the time the kids are four they have the bodies of teenagers. They age both physically and mentally surprisingly fast from Tatsu's point of view. Ashley doesn't seem so surprised, maybe on this planet lives are shorter than on world's Tatsu has been to before.

In the fall of the fourth year, snow comes earlier than would be excepted. Leaves only started to fall by the time the first freeze comes. Ashley tastes the air. She watches the skies; she knows what is happening. The conditions are perfect for an arctic storm. This winter will be a deadly one. Ashley looks back to her house as she thinks. "our house will not stand through the winter."

Tatsu watches the kids as they are sawing lumber and cutting firewood. Tatsu looks up to his lover "what are we going to do?"

"Riverdale. We need to go back to the town I was born in." Ashley looks upset. "I was hoping we could stay out here forever."

The six of them pack up their bags and move back to town. Ashley knows the owner of an apartment complex and has no trouble getting ahold of efficiency unit. One room, one bed, one bath. It is not ideal, but it is conferrable enough for a group of effectively mountain-men. The winter is just what the lot of them expected, four feet of snow before the fall festival, the temperature hardly ever getting above freezing without invoking the specter of another storm.

The kids show interest in seeing what the school looks like. Tatsu talks Ashley into signing the kids up for a semester so long as they are stuck in town anyway, after all, except for Aaron they are all tough kids and can handle whatever primary school can throw at them. Aaron is small and often get sick or injured, but even he wants to take this opportunity to meet some kids his age.

***

The kids haven't even been in school for a week before Ashley starts getting calls from the school complaining about disorderly behavior.

Ashley picks up the phone "Fawks residence."

A low tenner voice comes over the line "Ms. Fawks, this is Dean Alania Puzzle."

"Is there a problem Dean?" Ashley asks.

"I have been asked to bring you into the school to discuss an issue." Puzzle explains

"what sort of issue?" Ashley rubs her neck trying to imagine what this could be about.

"Tia and Aaron were caught in the locker room engaged in lewd activity with a number of other kids." Puzzle explains a slight stutter as she is apparently being couched by someone else in the room with them.

Ashley has to bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing "I'm sorry, is that a problem? They are kids, that is just the sort of thing they do."

Puzzle whispers "normally I would agree with you in that this is a minor infringement and could be handled by a pink slip but one of the other parents involved are threatening litigation if you and your husband do not meet with them."

Ashley barks aggravated "on what grounds."

"Tia exposing herself at school has infringed on the religious rights of Mallard family."

Ashley yells "your writes end at my nose! Everyone excepts that no one has the right to enforces their preferences on another family."

The Dean explains "clearly you haven't been watching the news over the last three or four months. the Duel Earth Society has talked parliament into hearing them out in writing a new constitution."

"What!" Ashley shouts "I am on my way, I don't know what you are but us foxes don't care for having our writes infringed on!" she drops the phone and turns to face Hetatsubachi, who is sleeping on the floor of the apartment. "Get up! I have a face I need to stomp on."

Ashley slaps a leash Tatsu and marches out the door. Halfway to the school Tatsu stops walking and looks at a food stand on the street corner, he points "Mad Jack Burger."

Ashley shacks her head "it's not meat. You can't buy any meat product in the city limits, part of why my grandpa didn't want to live in the city."

***

In the dean's office, two ducks wait with the dean for Ashley to arrive. The first duck has green hair with blue stripes. He dresses in a black coat with white blouse and tie, the women with him has on a long black gown, she has a red ribbon tied to one leg, she has tan hair.

The Dean is a giraffe, she has red hair and a red three-piece suit on, she sits with her head on the desk before her, her hands rested on her horns rubbing them to keep herself calm as the male duck can't seem to stop talking.

"And that is why my brothers and I will not allow this ungrounded, thoughtless law to go on. In the days of our ancestors perhaps it was fine that all people acted as if it was only themselves that matter. But if one lives only for the moment than how is one to think about the future?" the duck waves his wings around as he is dancing about the room boiling with anger. "just imagine if it had been my daughter that had been in the shower when that fox uncased her holiness. That could have lead to all sorts of mischief. And what if it had been the brother fox, not the sister that had disrobed, can you imagine…"

Dean Puzzle tries to get a word in "in this progressively more hypothetical discussion I would imagine that they might have done what kids tend to do when left unsupervised. They would have done hands-on research to understand the differences between there races."

One of the male's wings snap upwards "my point could not be clearer! A school is no place for such vulgarity. Only under the watchful eye of the commune should a child bare their flesh."

Dean puzzle cuts in again "to be fair Mr. Mallard; I would like to make it known that when it was voted on to add comprehensive sexual education and healthcare to the school's agenda, I offered an upvote. I think it would be far safer for my instructors to instruct our kids than to let the church do it in these affairs."

Mallard points with an accusatory wing "you and your godless establishment are the last holdouts. No one else holds to this flowed 'experimental science' nonsense."

Puzzle groans "logical fallacy, 'argument from popularity.' Not to mention 'at hominid attack.'" Puzzle looks at the female "Ms. Mallard, can you calm your mate?" the female duck shrugs.

Ashley slams the door open walking in with Hetatsubachi. Mr. Mallard and Ashley stat talking over each other without seemingly even the need to hear what the other is upset about. Puzzle wave side to side introducing everyone to one another mostly fruitlessly "Rick Mallard this is Ashley Fawks, Ashley this is Dina Mallard. I am Dean Puzzle."

Within moments the argument over who has what constitutional rights dissolve into Rick hissing and Ashley showing her fangs. Puzzle stands up and trumpets at that point to get everyone to look at her. "we are going to do this civilly, or I am getting the constable down here, and we will be having this talk at the city center."

Rick takes the lead of the conversation "Lady Fawks, your daughter exposed herself in public."

Ashley answers "that is not a crime in this community. Our district has no 'age of consent' to be seen nude."

Rick continues "my son has never seen naked flesh, this could have inspired him to go into rut prematurely."

Ashley jumps back in "never seen naked flesh? Do you have any other kids? A mate? Have you ever walked around your house with your robe lose? It is ridicules to think somehow he would never have seen it."

As Ashley and Rick fight Dina notices the feral wolf in the room with them. The magic that hovers around Tatsu is in full effect, Dina takes a deep breath enticed by the wolf. Dina unfolds her leg and leans back in her chair slightly. In no unclear way, Dina rocks her hips up trying to get Tatsu to lower his eyes and look at her cloaca.

Tatsu can't help but notice Dina; his tongue slides out one side of his mouth as he licks his nose.

Rick stomps a foot "if only you heathens would join the Duel Earth Society you would understand why such ideas are immoral."

Tatsu is drawn in by this statement "Hold it right there feathers! What is the Duel Earth Society?"

Puzzle offers to explain "a pro-capitalist, anti-educational, political action comity, with a theistic agenda. If I am not mistaking isn't your convent also the one that believes the world is less than 10,000 years old and believe in geocentrism?"

Rick adds "you forgot about the part of us being sphere deniers and climate deniers."

Tatsu shakes his head violently as he tries to take in the insanity that has just been described "that is wrong, everything you just said is wrong."

Puzzle can see things are about to blow up again and tries to cut things off at the pass "to be fair; he has the constitutional right to hold this position. We have to respect his beliefs."

Tatsu barks "Shut the duck up! We have to acknowledge his point of view not respect it! Beliefs are dangerous when held dogmatically. You have the right to be wrong. And I have the right to tell you, 'you are wrong' every idea you hold should be held tentative. There is no reason to hold onto a demonstrably false notion. You have just failed at logic, and that is pitiful. Epistemology, learn it!"

There is a gambit of emotion that flashes across the room with Hetatsubachi's outburst: Puzzle grunt triumphantly almost shouting "Bangarang!", Ashley brakes down laughing; Rick jumps back in fear at the white wolf's anger.

Dina stands up "I need to pee."

Puzzle points "out the door, walk past the scrap closet. You know the way."

Rick looks between Puzzle and Tatsu "Is he a feral? Dean, do we have to take a feral seriously?"

Puzzle nods "Ashley, please ask your partner to wait for you outside wall we try to defuse all of this."

Ashley and Tatsu whisper to each other "I told you someone would bring up that you look like a feral."

Tatsu grunts in understanding "I'm not even mad, he is just rude."

Ashley places a hand on Tatsu's head petting him "if you want to head out I can catch up with you soon."

Tatsu turns his head watching as Dina steps out "Do you mind if I fuck the duck? I have never been with a duck, and she was giving me so big-time bedroom eyes."

"if you can do it and not get caught I would say have fun."

Tatsu jumps down from the chair he had sat in and walks out of the office.

Dina walks into the storage room down the hall from the office. It is a large room filled with out of date books waiting to be recycled and damaged desk, art supplies, and anatomical sculptors as well as some posters. Dina can see Tatsu is only a few steps behind her, her blood is running hot, her skin feels sticky; she is almost drooling, something about the wolf is getting to her. Dina can't remember the last time she felt such a strong need for attention.

Dina climes up on a table, she sits on it with her legs held apart, she brings down a wing and tickles her thighs easily getting vaginal cream to coat her feathers making herself glow. Tatsu slips into the dark room; his lips curled slightly he rubs his tongue across his fangs.

Dina waves Tatsu over "I don't know why I want this so bad but come here."

With a growl Tatsu bows approaching. Dina wraps her wings around Tatsu's head forcing him to stick his nose into her cloaca. Tatsu rolls his head up and down muzzling the duck. Dina whimpers, her head turns backward. In spite with of how much smaller Dina is then Tatsu, her distinct body shape allows him to play with her comfortably. The taste of the duck gets Tatsu hard and ready.

After only a minute of being licked Dina lets go of Tatus's head and rolls over laying on her stomach, Dina fans her feathers beckoning to Hetatsubachi. The wolf doesn't complain; he jumps onto the table setting his paws at her sides. Dina lifts her hips lining the wolf up with her slick slit. Tatsu grips one thigh pulling back on Dina to get into her body.

Dina excites easily, her and Tatsu move quickly, this is meant to be fast and fun nothing else. The rowdy duck twitches and tugs smoothly at the wolf. The two of them only need to spend a few minutes with each other to be satisfied. Tatsu folds his paws under the duck's chin resting over her. His cream is running out of her hole as the two recover from the quickie.

Tatsu spots one of the posters on the floor partly uncurled. It has a pure white background and spiraling pattern pushing outwards, thousands of names written on it branching out in progressively more complex ways.

Tatsu nudges his nose up pointing "what is that?"

Dina reaches into one of her pockets pulling out a pair of reading glasses "it's a phylogenetic chart. A few years ago I was actually on the team that worked on that graphic." Dina is happy to see this relic from her past life. "it is simplified of course to make it easier for school-aged kids to read. But it is still a great graphic."

Some voices start whispering in Tatsu's mind, pulling at him, dogging him to remember his past lives.

"what are phylogenetics?" Tatsu ask.

"it is the systematic classification of life and adaptations. All life on this planet can be traced back to only a dozen or so animals, planet, and fungi." Dina explains.

Tatsu tips his head trying to read the chart "what is that wavy line near the center?"

"phylogenetics can only track life back as far as there is sexual reproduction. Everything before that line is possible mutations. Animals that would have lived during a time when horizontal gene transfer was possible."

Tatsu nods "what are those spots where the graph tappers?"

Dina smiles, her voice becoming bubbly as she seems to enjoy the conversation "Extinctions events. Every so often the world changes in a way that forces mass and sudden adaptation. Animals that can't change fast enough die out."

Tatsu reads along the chart "I see three extinctions. How long did it take to recover from each of them?"

"the one nearest the center was a thermal shift, this resulted in the mygalomorphs and everything related to them dying off that made room for the rise of the therapsid, and aviamorphs. It took five million years for the world to become repopulated after that. The second was a change in atmospheric conditions. The hydrogen level in the atmosphere suddenly dropped. Suddenly there was a hard cap on how large animals could grow. That took fourteen million years."

At this point, Tatsu can pick up on something strange in the first to event there are huge gaps of time that pass signified by two brake marks, next to the last there is no such thing "how about that one" he points at the previous event.

"that was when the fimiliara appeared on this planet," Dina explains

"what are they?"

"they are us. It is counterintuitive but all the animals you see walking around right now belong to a single species, we are all cross-fertile. There is a good deal of misinformation about this, but It turns out that we maintain our diversity in appearance because when we divide the lions share of our genomes are taken off our x chromosome."

Tatsu looks confused "the female chromosome?"

"right, our kids will always look like their mother. From a genetic standpoint, this makes sense, the female is the basis of the race, embryology tells us that all blastocyst are female until the male mutation takes place."

"how long ago did this mass change take place?" some part of that sounded wrong, Tatsu doesn't understand what part but some part.

Dina speaks up "just over two hundred years ago."

Tatsu wiggles around having fun still resting on the duck's back " were you a teacher at some point?"

Dina giggles as Tatsu is tickling her "yeah. Worked at the university as a biologist."

"why did you leave?"

"I wanted to spend more time with my kids."

Tatsu lowers his head onto the neck of the motherly duck; he hugs her considering playing with her again. Dina doesn't protest; she pushes her hips up encouragingly.

Tatsu shuts his eyes, the haunting memories shout at him. The voices are becoming clearer all the time.

"When IT came, we surrendered to it. My world died, this one appeared in its place" the voice of a fish-girl named Keyor fights its way to the top.

"My eyes can see ever farther into the cosmos; the universe is getting smaller every day," Cilverant whispers to him next.

"The Biggest of the Big fish" the man called Devil explains.

Hetatsubachi complains "Stop talking to me, me."

Dina starting to have fun wiggling the wolf around in her again looks over her shoulder "Is something wrong?"

Tatsu tries to block out the nagging voices in his mind "what happened two hundred years ago that triggered this change?"

Dina searches her mind "well, that was around the time that the church of the black moon was dedicated."

The next memory is in the voice of Charlie Belmond "She is a void worshiper!"

The lights flicker as a massive magnetic field seems to drop over the city, the field gets stronger, metal starts to warp. Tatsu looks around; his energy sense kicks in detecting something from another world pushing its way into this one. Tatsu jumps down off the table running back to find Ashley.