Celebration (3)

"Here we are~! We have some nice lemon drizzled pork, sausage links, noodles covered in tomato sauce, buttered rolls, toasted flatbread, vegetable salad, sautéed vegetables, and so much more, so eat! Oh, and we do~ have some wine as well as some... stronger liquors."

Everyone grinned as Camara, Heila, Kalia and I began to ferry over large platters of food, laying them in the center of the table and allowing everyone to grab what they wanted whenever they wanted, in hopes that we would all finish the plentiful feast in front of us.

To be honest though, I knew that we would be craving more before long, since Aethisia, Rhefia, and Sari could be bottomless pits when it came to food consumption, with Prixisia and Yiksa being close behind them with a rather voracious appetite as well.

The reason Camara, Heila, Kalia and I usually ate half of what the others ate was simply because we were given an entirely different 'meal' to round out our diets, and for me that was quite literal as the semen that was ejaculated into one of my three holes was turned into nutrients, so...

Yes, I usually 'ate' half of my needed nutrients through semen each and every day, and considering the fact that Rhefia and Sari had each fucked me once before this meal was ready, I was already feeling a little full.

The first minute or two of our meal was spent in relative silence, the only noises filling the house being that of forks and knives on wood as we devoured our first - and for the three warriors, second - helpings of the meal, each of us feeling not only hungry but also understanding that we needed a whole lot of calories for the night to come, since there would be - undoubtedly - hours upon hours of sex in the imminent future.

Between who and for how long was left up to fate, all of us understanding that there was a likelihood that we ALL would have sex with everyone tonight in one way or another, though that also made me wonder how we would keep the children from seeing or hearing most of what would happen...

Twirling my fork around and coiling up the long noodles lathered in a creamy red sauce, I took a bite of the noodles before slicing a coin off of the sausage links, moaning softly at the rich flavors that were wrapped tightly inside the crisp outer flesh of the sausage followed quickly by the juicy meat that was inside, an explosion of rich, sweet flavor assaulting my tongue followed by the slight heat of the herbs that had been mixed into the ground meat.

Paired with the savory flavor profile of the sauce and the wonderful coolness of the salad, the meat from the Black Tusked Boar was utterly delectable, and you could feel the natural Mana inside the meat diffusing into your body with each bite, amplifying the experience of eating such a delicious meal as the Mana seemed to sooth your very soul with each bite.

Taking another bite of the pasta, I looked at Kalia as she asked "Dama, Dama~! We haven't had a story in a long time! Tell us one!"

Rhefia was mid bite of the thick slab of meat that she had perched onto her plate, and I frowned slightly as I said "Kalia, let her eat fi-"

As I was mid 'reprimand' of Kalia's behavior, the Deerkin just waved me off with a small smile, her eyes twinkling with that familiar light as she finished chewing what was already bitten off, nodding her head as she leaned back into her chair.

"It's fine~! Besides, I've already had a good bit. A story... hmm..."

Drumming her fingers on the table for a few moments, Rhefia idly stared at the ceiling before taking a sip of the wine in front of her, her eyes lingering on the dark red liquid for a second before she grinned.

"How about the story of how the Goddess of Archery Apollita was challenged for her hand in marriage by a mortal~?"

I sighed softly before leaning back as well, picking at my food and sipping on the wine before giving Ehretia a piece of the lettuce to nibble on, my daughters both resting on my lap and looking at the table with a slight hunger for something besides milk.

Aka was nibbling on a piece of the sausage already, her small fangs still sharp enough to tear into the casing and extract the meat inside, her red eyes content as she gnawed on the sausage, while Ehretia happily worked on the large piece of lettuce in her tiny hands.

I wasn't actually angry at Kalia - and she sensed that as she gave me an apologetic smile before focusing on her Dama - asking for Rhefia to tell a story, but I did also know that Rhefia needed to regain her strength from an entire days hunt, and having her stop eating now wasn't ideal, but...

If Rhefia said it was fine, then it was fine.

"So the story begins way back in the day, well before any Queendoms, Dynasty's, Sultanates or Empires had sprouted up; before there were any forms of territory past small parcels of land that the various tribes of the world decreed as theirs.

One such tribe was a large group of Birdkin who banded together to rule a mountain as theirs; they were the Crowen Tribe, and one of their members was a cocky youngster named Poa, a Ravenkin. She - like the others in the Crowen Tribe - was rather crass, crude, but most importantly incredibly competent with her bow. So much so that she was one of the most feared archers in the entire land, and such fear only fueled her ego.

She believed she could do whatever she pleased, however she pleased, because at the end of the day she could kill you from such a distance no matter the weather, if it was night or day, if you were fast or armored... her arrows simply never missed their target, and she relished her infamy, using it to bolster her Tribe's standing and make the surrounding Tribe's bow down in fear of the Birdkin.

Now, Poa set her ambitions accordingly to her skill in the beginning; she started as a huntress, flying through the forests around the base of her mountain and hunting animals and monsters alike to feed herself and her Tribe. Then she started hunting bigger, badder prey; monsters that were considered living natural disasters, and mortals.

Using her ability to fly, her uncanny reflexes and sharp eyesight, Poa went from just a huntress to an assassin, and she made her mark when she took out the strongest of each opposing Tribe, forcing them to bend the knee to the Crowen or perish. After perfecting her ability to take on such strong foes, she moved higher once more.

Monsters that were considered calamities like Drakes, Colossal Serpents, Bonewings, and Phoenixes were her next set of prey; monsters that razed entire swathes of land the size of the Dryadi Queendom with ease, monsters that were only ever awakened to bring disaster to the mortals and wipe the slate clean... Poa set her sights on them, and one by one they fell to her arrows.

Her arrogance swelled, and after ridding her land of such monsters, she challenged the only thing left that could pose a threat to her; a Goddess. But not to try and kill, nor to sully that Goddess' honor, but instead to find herself the perfect mate for someone like herself. Someone who wouldn't dull her shine. Poa wasn't a... 'clean' futanari. She lived her life however she wanted, and took anything she desired. That included partners, and none had left her side unsullied or in some cases... alive.

Upon hearing her challenge, Apollita studied the mortal below her, learning of her prowess - and in doing so, learning of her crimes and dark heart. Incensed, the Goddess called together some of her closest friends and had them bear witness to how she would stamp down on this mortal, accepting the challenge in firm belief that she would win easily.

Apollita... didn't win against Poa, but she didn't lose either. Surprisingly, they were tied completely; anything that Poa challenged Apollita to, the Goddess could complete with ease, but so could Poa, and vice versa. They were completely and utterly evenly matched.

The Goddesses above bore witness to the complete tie between the two; mortal and Goddess, equal in skill, equal in passion, albeit two completely different routes to achieve that passion.

Seeing that she had finally met her complete match, Poa asked Apollita to marry her, hoping to unite with the Goddess and raise children that could eventually surpass even them, but... Apollita declined. She didn't want her partner to be someone like Poa, and the Ravenkin pleaded with Apollita to reconsider, to at least let her know if she was able to atone, if there was something she could do to earn back the Goddess' favor.

Apollita believed Poa to be incapable of atoning, so she laid down a list of things that the Ravenkin needed to do; she needed to unite the Tribes around her mountain not with violence, but with peace, she needed to rid the world of four separate evildoers, and she needed to erect a temple in honor of her to show the depths of her devotion.

With that, Apollita returned to the Heavens and forgot about the Ravenkin, believing the woman to be too far gone in her own dark pursuit of desires to change, but many years later... she heard her name being called again.

Finding the location of the voice surprised Apollita; where there had once only wild forest and snowcapped mountain, there was now a bustling city centered around that mountain, and sitting atop the white peak was a temple of the most pure marble, unblemished by anything.

Inside that temple was a tree, and sitting beneath the tree was a matured Ravenkin, her midnight black hair and feathers tinged with grey, while her previously muscular body had become thin and sickly.

Her dazzling purple eyes were dull, no longer as sharp as they once were, and the cocky smile that tugged at her thin lips were replaced by a wise, soft smile; her skin contrasted the marble perfectly, a patchwork of scars and wrinkles depriving the world of the wild, arrogant beauty.

Poa was no longer the same, her contest with Apollita having changed something inside of her as she set about to do what the Goddess wanted. Years upon years had passed, and the entire time she had done all she could to earn the favor of the Goddess she had come to love.

However, she was just one woman, and change took time; peace and unity took time. When she had finished, she was no longer the young, cocky Ravenkin that Apollita had once faced. She was now nothing but an old, decrepit woman incapable of even lifting a bow, let alone drawing it.

Seeing this, the Goddess of Archery was stunned; what she had deemed as impossible had become reality, and the one responsible for it was at the end of her road, each breath shallower than the last.

Gone was the murderous, cruel Poa, and in her place was a wise Matriarch who had gone on to create the first Empire the world had ever seen; the Empire of Apo.

The Goddess of whom it was named after, and the woman whose name lay 'hidden' inside the name itself, were once more reunited, but instead of the long, fruitful union that she had dreamed of, Poa only got to see the one she had dedicated her everything to for but a few moments before passing...

Or so she thought; Apollita refused to let her drift away into the Sea of Souls, and instead bound the Ravenkin to herself, tying them together and granting the Ravenkin her deepest desire to be married to Apollita.

Of course, such a woman was no longer allowed to remain amongst us mortals; not for any sort of law, nor for any such fear about what she might do when she was rejuvenated and brought back to her prime, but because Apollita had been so touched by Poa's actions - and because of the bond - that she fell deeply in love with the Ravenkin, stealing her away and doing exactly what the futanari wanted to do all those years ago..."

We all stared at Rhefia in silence as she fell silent, before the Deerkin coughed and glanced at Ipoala in her lap, muttering "There is... 'more' to this story, but I do believe it'd be best told another time..."

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2.1k lol, crafting mythological stories is so much fun~

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