SSV 4 Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Pollen was still clinging to me as I landed at Skel’s lab and walked inside.

The skeletal woman barely even glanced up from an old laptop she was hunched over, staring intently at the screen.

It took a moment before I realized she had a second set of hands that was doing the typing while she was leaning forward on the other set, watching the screen.

“Wait, you keep a second set of hands?” I asked.

“Yes. Never know when you’ll need a spare hand.” Skel joked.

Pollen started giggling.

“At least someone has a sense of humor.” Skel sighed at me. “What can I do for you?”

“Checking in and seeing if you have anything for the ants.” I smiled.

Skel swiveled. “Oh, I forgot about that. Wells has been pouring in with data from her monster fruit trials and…” Skel sighed. “And I was too eager to make progress there. I didn’t realize there was such a rush on the ant poison.”

“The ants wrecked Pollen’s place last night.” I added.

Skel’s face didn’t emote well, but I was fairly sure she was frowning. “Really?”

“Unfortunately. So, the poison?” I kept her on track.

“Yes. I’ll work on something now. Maybe have some by late tonight, all of it by early morning?” She hesitated, the eerie glow of her eyes shifting back to the computer. The temptation of the monster fruit data was clear.

I crossed my arms. “The data will be there tomorrow. It will take time to go through.”

“Oh yes. But the initial results are very promising. Wells is conducting experiments with the end goal of giving you monster fruit, so we have to be sure it’ll work the way we want and not interfere with the first power. It has to only produce a second one.” Skel rambled a little. “Without your ability to guide the power formation, we’ll have a little trouble pinpointing one for you, but just adding a second power and getting the ki charging properties of a monster fruit user would be a huge boon.”

I nodded with her words. “Thanks for all the effort you are putting into this, but ant poison is our more immediate problem.”

Skel nodded. “I understand.”

My fated. You should come to therapy tonight again. Angelina has asked that you use my body again. She is… fretting a little with you absent.

I’m busy helping Pollen.

She’ll be fine back at the temple. After you get her settled and safe, would you be willing to do a session with Angelina?

Mona sounded strained, so I relented.

Fine, after I settle Pollen back at the temple and get the guards moving, I’ll come. Actually, probably after dinner.

She whined in my head but I felt her agreement as she pulled away.

“Mona?” Pollen asked, watching my face.

“Yeah. She wants me to go to therapy again. Angelina is insistent.” I rubbed at my forehead. “Probably wants to check in on me since I lost the arm.” I held it up as if Pollen needed a reminder. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in the temple and then maybe Stella will take you shopping tomorrow. I’m sure you could borrow some of their togas in the meantime. They are kind of one size fits all.”

Pollen rolled her eyes. “No they are not. That’s totally something a man would say. But I’m sure I could wear Melody’s for a day.” She picked at her own toga that was already on day two.

Skel was focusing again on work and I left her to it, carrying Pollen back out and then bringing the two of us to the temple.

A maiden was waiting with the statues. “Welcome back, God King.” She bowed at the waist. “Anything I can do to be of service?” She batted her lashes at me.

Pollen just smirked. “He’s fine. We were looking for the guards, Melody, or Daeva.”

“All three are in the same spot in the back. Guards have been coming and going all morning and afternoon.” The temple maiden looked up at me with a smile, not at all put off by Pollen’s attitude.

I mostly was pleased that Pollen was starting to be more confident that there was something between us.

I put Pollen down and walked into the back to where Daeva was asking the butterfly guard questions.

“Yes, we’ll check that address.” Daeva stated, nodding along with Melody.

All three of them noticed me at the same time.

“Well, if it isn’t the god king himself.” Melody crossed her arms with a smirk. “Lots of rumors about you going around the guards, but otherwise they don’t seem to be infected.”

“Our prey likely knows that the guards would be among the first to be checked.” Daeva rubbed at her chin. “Have we gotten through all of them?”

Melody unfurled a scroll and started going down the names. “Two more.”

“I have bad news.” I interrupted them. “Pollen’s home was trashed by the powered ants we found, and there were some unsightly words carved into her wall.”

Daeva frowned. “That’s a large coincidence.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s one at all.” Sighing, I sat down on the couch, pulling Pollen with me. I was feeling protective of her.

She didn’t fight me. Instead she curled into my arms, finding comfort in them.

“This man—“

“Roach.” The butterfly guard interrupted me and then covered her mouth. “Apologies, God King.”

“No worries. This Roach sounds like he’s been living on the outskirts of the city for a while. What are the chances he’s been stalking Pollen?” I asked the group.

Pollen shivered. “Then why was he attacking my hives?”

“Maybe to lure you out to get a look at you. It doesn’t have to make sense with him. He’s nuts.” The butterfly guard suggested. “He’s known to most of the guards. We’d spot him if he got closer to the city.”

Melody shrugged. “Pollen is quite attractive. Maybe he had some plan to woo her without his power.”

“Eh.” The butterfly guard shrank a little in her seat. “During the initial incident with him, he had tried advances on women and only after he was turned down did he start using his power.”

Pollen clutched at my toga and shrank in my arms.

“Sorry.” The guard watched her reaction and worried that I’d take offense.

“No, your words make sense. They are just an unfortunate likelihood.” I held Pollen. “Look into it.”

The guard nodded and hurried out, glad to have something to do.

“Work in pairs; take someone with you.” I shouted after her, worried that a single guard would be more vulnerable.

Melody scooted closer. “I’m sorry you are caught up in this Pollen.”

The woman in my arms sniffed a little. “At least Stella dragged him into my life, otherwise… otherwise…” She shivered again.

Melody gave me a determined look, seeming to be a bit protective herself. “We’ll figure this out.”

“Yes we will. I’ll smash the entire wilds surrounding the city if that’s what is required.” Daeva promised Pollen. “I’ll go find the last two guards. They must be busy.” Daeva shot out, causing our togas to flap and pull at us.

“She’s got something to prove.” Melody smirked. “I think the guards will be wrapped up soon.”

Stella popped her head in and motioned to me. “I need more voidcake batter.” Vaash stood awkwardly behind her.

“We do not need to eat voidcakes again.” I warned her. It felt like we’d been eating them nonstop.

Stella came around the corner with a bounce to her step and a plea in her eyes. “Master, voidcakes are my life blood. I refuse to eat anything else. Besides, I’m making savory voidcakes tonight. They are very different than pancakes.”

I glanced at Melody who gave me a ‘don’t ask me’ shrug.

Stella came over and clung to my arm. “Please master, your devoted succubus only wishes to consume your fluids.” She played it up heavily, a little twinkle in her eye that told me she knew exactly what she was saying.

Vaash choked.

Pollen chuckled. “Let her have some of your fluids.”

“You are lucky Pollen is on your side.” I grumbled. If it made Pollen laugh or enjoy herself after what she’d been through, I could manage to eat a few more voidcakes.

“Thank you. Bring it out Vaash.” Stella gestured to the other super.

“Sorry about this.” Vaash turned around and grabbed a large pottery jug. “Stella wants you to fill this.”

I deadpanned. “This is excessive.”

“No, it’s practical! It has a spout.” Stella pointed to the base where there was indeed a spout.

I rubbed my face. “That’s not the point.”

Pollen chuckled and then got off my lap and linked arms with Stella. They both gave me their best pleading faces.

I rolled my eyes, not sure I liked the two of them learning how to team up.

Drawing on my power, I let voidcake batter pour out of the air into the overly large jug.

“We have to dance while we are accepting the God King’s grace.” Stella turned and let go of Pollen, grabbing Vaash and holding her hands while they spun around the jug.

It seemed like a reckless thing to do, but Stella had amazing control of her movement and didn’t come close to tipping it over.

Polen came back over, sitting back into my lap and curling up around me.

The stream of pancake batter became harder to maintain the longer I held it, but I pushed through to fill the whole vessel.

Stella grabbed Vaash and pulled her down to a kneeling position. “Oh thank you God King of Fertility, your liquids are sacred and we thank you for blessing us with them.”

Vaash mumbled through it while Pollen was barely holding onto a laugh.

“You have to do that every time. Master likes it when we thank him on our knees.” Stella explained in full seriousness.

“Wait, is that a sex thing?” Vaash asked, glancing over at me and blushing as her tail wagged faster.

“No.” Stella winked.

“Stella.” I warned her.

“I said no.” She winked again as she put her hands behind her back and thrust her chest forward. “I’m just being a good little succubus for my master who’s an overly dense God King of Fertility. Thank you for blessing us with your fluids.” She put a lid on the jug and picked it up like it weighed nothing. “Now we must go use Master’s fluids to make voidcakes. They are the holy food of the God King, thus they increase your fertility several fold as well as making your more attractive so that the God King might ravish you.”

Several of the temple maidens that always seemed to be moving about perked up as they walked in at that moment.

God damn it, Stella. I let out a groan.

Pollen giggled though and pushed away from me. “She really does just keep pushing you.”

“Yes, she does. And he secretly likes it, but it wouldn’t be very ‘Miles’ of him to admit it.” Melody added in.

I rolled my eyes. All I knew was that I had my hands full with all of them.

Pollen kissed my cheek. “You’re really sweet to all of us. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I was glad Pollen seemed to be recovering with Stella’s antics. They were making her forget about what had happened earlier. “It sounds like we’ll have some food shortly. Sit?” I pulled out a chair for Pollen and then sat down next to Melody.

“How was everything else?” Melody asked, sitting down.

“Well, not much else happened, but apparently, Angelina is eager to check up on me since the arm.” I kind of kept forgetting that I’d lost it. Besides my two new limbs being a little extra, I hadn’t really suffered that much after figuring out how to create the void limbs.

Melody just hummed as she accepted a cup of tea from one of the maidens. “Stella is going to be eager to reward you after your next therapy session. She was quite remiss about missing the last one.”

“Reward?” Pollen asked.

“She tries to fuck Miles into a happy stupor after every therapy session as a way of rewarding him and incentivizing him to go to therapy.” Melody explained.

“Oh.” Pollen was wide eyed but didn’t seem to judge any of us. “You guys have lots of sex.”

I grunted. Stella really seemed quite fixated on it. But it did also help feed her power.

“Yeah, we do. But you saw him use his power on us in the bath. He has what it takes to satisfy a whole harem.” Melody took a sip from her tea, giving me bedroom eyes over the cup.

“Savory Voidcakes!” Stella burst back into the room, balancing six of Vaash’s metal plates. She was using her arms, head, and tail to hold them aloft. She took her steps very carefully.

“Stella.” I sighed.

“What?” She smiled. “My balance is great.” True to her words, she managed the plates expertly, dropping off the ones on her arms, then the one on her tail, followed by the one on her head, which was apparently saved for herself.

Vaash walked towards the table to join us but then paused.

“It’s fine. Stella seems to be taking a liking to you.” I shrugged and looked down at the pancakes topped with some sort of shredded meat and drizzled with an herby sweet sauce.

“See, it isn’t pancakes. Voidcakes are far more versatile.” Stella turned up her nose.

It actually felt fairly fancy. It looked like a nice blend of savory and sweet. “These are good.” I smiled at her. “Definitely not pancakes.”

Stella grinned like a mad woman and bounced a little in her chair. “See? It is the holy food of the God King of Fertility.”

I rolled my eyes but Pollen started to egg her on.

“Oh. Then if I eat more of these, I’ll become fertile and irresistible to him?”

“Yes!” Stella said excitedly. “You understand. Pollen is a good addition.” She told me.

Vaash stared at her stack of savory voidcakes before looking at the empty setting where Stella had left a plate for Daeva. She seemed to be thinking about snagging the extra bit of food.

“Best leave some for Daeva. She is out dealing with a potential problem among the guards and will be hungry when she returns.” I didn’t want Vaash to set off Daeva.

“So, Stella. Miles has another therapy session after dinner tonight.” Melody changed the topic.

Stella was licking her plate clean, having already devoured her savory voidcakes. “Huh?” Her blue eyes popped over the edge of the plate. “Therapy?” Her eyes flicked to me, and there was a different kind of hunger in them.

I shrugged. “It seems you might be too busy with Vaash and teaching her the ways of worshiping the God King of Fertility.” I tisked and shook my head with fake remorse.

It was fun to tease Stella, even if we both knew it was an act.

“Master.” Stella put the plate down, whining as her tail lashed behind her. “Your faithful succubus is starving.” She switched to puppy dog eyes as she wilted. “If we don’t reward you properly after each therapy session, maybe you’ll stop. That wouldn’t be good for you.”

Vaash was looking back and forth between us, trying to understand what was happening.

Meanwhile, Melody was doing her best to hold in a bout of laughter.

I leaned back tapping my lips in thought. “I guess you have a point. If you stop rewarding me, I very well might stop going to therapy. But I wouldn’t want to make my succubus fat, she’s been getting fed quite a lot lately.”

Pollen played along. “Don’t succubi only gain weight in one area?” She hefted her own chest with a smile.

“Yeah!” Stella pointed at Pollen. “What she said. I only gain weight here.” Stella had the largest pair of the women present, and she pulled her toga tight so that she was showing them off.

Vaash looked down at her own chest, giving them a slight squeeze. “They get bigger?”

Melody couldn’t hold it back any further and burst into laughter. “Just tell her it's okay. Then go lay down for your session. We’ll handle the rest.”

Yes my fated. I will get things set up on this end.

Sighing, I scarfed down the rest of my savory voidcakes and pushed away from the table. “Well, I guess I am going to therapy. You’re in charge while I’m out Melody.”

I turned to Pollen. “You’ll be okay?”

“Yes. I think there’s plenty here to keep me amused.” She gave me a small smile, and it lit me up a little.

“Melody, you can decide if Stella can handle a post-therapy session.” I enjoyed the wicked laugh Melody had as Stella’s face grew calculated.

I laughed, feeling lighter after dinner with some of my women and left the room, heading towards the bedroom.