Monster Girls Book 1: A Tale of Tails!

Chapter 169: Reunited

Reta moved her head to the side, feeing a trickle of water pour across her face. Her eyes parted open, her vision focused on the elf maiden who gently scooped the wooden dipper in her hand down to pour more water over her. Her hand shot out and held the woman's wrist, startling her with a gasp. 

"Hey-hey hey!" Felix rushed in from her other side, his hand sliding down Reta's arm to soothe her grip. "Reta, it's fine. You're safe here, let the woman go." 

She blinked, eyes falling on him before slowly releasing the maiden. Reta shifted, coming to her senses and looking around. The area she found herself was dark illuminated by glowing large mushrooms sprouting from the damp wet floor. Looking above, she noticed strange vine growths sprouting from the dirt ceiling as the source of the water that trickled down onto the ground. This wasn't any tree hut but rather a sort of cave, and she herself was placed inside some kind of boxed layout that reminded her of a coffin submerged with water. 

"Where are we?" She asked in a groggy voice, moving around feeling like if she were inside a tub. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and see through the darkness surrounding them, along with the echoing noise of water dripping down. "Am I in a bath?" 

The elf maiden leaned in, wearing a modest dress fashioned from leaves and brown fabric. It hugged her waist and formed a skirt around her thighs, while her blonde hair was elegantly tied back in a ponytail, proudly revealing her pointed ears. She looked to be somewhere in her twenties without a trace of wrinkle or age to be seen on her beautifully soft skin. Such was to be expected with the race of elves; they age gracefully with a knack for natural beauty that leave other races jealous. 

"Oh, y-you're ah-wake." A familiar voice spoke in a pained manner coming from her left. Turning her head around, she came to find Alma submerged in her own tub of water as another maiden gently poured its crystal-like colored fluids over her near naked body. Her chin was badly bruised, her hair floating on the watery surface while she glared back at Reta. 

Felix leaned in, his eyes scanning down Reta's body not from arousal but to see how quickly she was recovering. The cuts and bruises around her body were beginning to fade, and they were scattered all over her body. 

"These are the healing pools residing below the roots of the Faehorn Forest." The elf maiden calmly explained, covering Reta's eyes and pouring another cup of water down her face. "You two were wounded and fatigued from the duel, a full night's rest here shall suffice for a complete recovery." 

"Healing pools?" Reta asked, looking at Felix. 

He nodded and pointed at the roots hanging above them. "They said rainwater is absorbed by the leaves and passes through the roots, undergoing some weird digestive process before releasing underground. I didn't quite understand it, but the point is that this stuff should push your body into healing while soothing the wounds." 

"The effect will leave you tired from the stress," The elf added, rubbing her soft hands across Reta's waist in a soothing massage manner. "Relaaaaax, let your body fall back and rest."

"Mmm-hn," Reta groaned, her worried eyes looking to Felix for comfort. She wasn't sure how she felt about this, but his presence helped alleviate her discomfort. "Who won?"

He squeezed her hand and smiled back. "Hard to say, you both were in a rough state. But you were the last one standing, so I would say you did." 

"B-Barely," Alma muttered, shushed by the woman tending to her. 

"Alma, you need to relax for the healing to take full effect." Her maiden instructed her. Alma rolled her eyes and kept quiet. 

Reta leaned back, closing her eyes and succumbing to the relaxing effect surrounding her body. Soon she drifted back into a deep sleep, the maiden keeping an eye on her and ensuring that her face stayed above water. 

"Felix." He turned around to find a young elf boy with his hands to his front in a polite display. "Spi'Reto has called for your presence."

"Lead the way." He followed behind him, taking a dirt path that snaked around the room before they resurfaced into the outdoors. The healing pools entrance was hidden by numerous plant growth and hanging vines, behaving like curtains. They blend in well with the rest of the fauna growing around the tree roots. The elf reached for a vine and climbed his way upward, with Felix keeping up from below. It was strange for him to see that both sexes dress in a similar manner, as this boy looked to be in his late teens yet also wore a similar outfit like the maidens. The main difference being that they had a short skirt, while his legs wore tight shorts instead. 

Once they climbed atop the lower hut, it became a slow travel from one rope bridge to another through this interconnected web of huts before arriving to the central largest one. There he found Janette and Nyitzcha waiting for him, along with Spi'Reto and the large grizzly bear, which startled him at first. She huffed loudly, her eyes following him as soon as he arrived. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that this bear wasn't looking at him as a threat, but with genuine curiosity. 

"Hey," He waved at the elves, awkwardly stepping toward his two friends. "So, what's the matter? We in trouble?"

"I would like to remind thee dat it was yer muther who challenged our friend, not de other way 'round." Nyitzcha clarified, resting against the fence. 

Spi'Reto raised his hand, demanding silence from the room. "Mom called for a duel and lost, and we are honorable in our word. Your friend won, and so you are free to leave. We took the liberty of gathering your belongings, the pair of mares you brought, and the remains of that cart you lugged around." 

"Oh, great." Nyitzcha exclaimed, slapping her hands on her thighs. "Thanks, what news. Now we can lug dem planks o'wood back home, it be like nuthin' happen to us." 

Janette sighed, closing her eyes. "What about Reta?" 

"You can wait until she has a full recovery before taking your leave." 

Felix took a sniff, catching a familiar scent. His eyes widened and darted around the hut, searching for whatever gave that smell. 

Spi'Reto took notice, actually all the elves couldn't help but take notice. He didn't try to hide it, his pupils dilated and his head was bobbing up and down with each whiff, resembling an animal tracking its prey. "Er... want to tell us what you're doing there?" 

"Felix!" Janette poked his side with a nudge from her elbow. 

"Oh!" He jolted back, waving his hands apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just... there's a familiar smell around here just now."

"A smell?" Spi'Reto eyed him, his elf friends exchanging odd looks. He sniffed under his arm briefly. "What, body odor?"

"No, not quite." He closed his eyes, sniffing the air and licking his lips. "I've smelled this before, it's... like a fur, you ever notice some people carry this natural smell to them?" 

He turned around, hands on the fence as he leaned over sniffing outside of the hut. "Gods, I know that smell."

Spi'Reto chuckled, approaching him and reaching out, brushing Felix's hair to spot that familiar mark on his neck. "I thought so, you've been marked. You really are Emyri's friends."

"That's what we told you before." Janette huffed, tucking her hair back and exposing a similar mark on her neck. 

"Would've helped if you had shown us that before." He explained, looking at the bear. "Just one last thing we need to check. Nukka?" 

The bear huffed, clumsily making its way across the hut. It bumped its snout against Nyitzcha first, sniffing her belly, her hair, and her hands. Then it focused on Janette, nudging its nose around her waist. Janette shook nervously as this large bear traced around her body, getting a good whiff of her scent. Satisfied, it turned its head to Felix and began sniffing him. 

To everyone's surprise, he sniffed her back! Nukka reached around his waist, her snout tickling his thigh and trailing up to his chest. He chuckled then ran his hands over her fur, scratching behind her ears. She huffed and wagged her head, ears flickering as he continued to scratch. Her little round tail stub started to wag, picking up speed the longer he scratched. Her tail rolled out with a huff, she closed her eyes and then fell forward, pushing him onto the ground laughing. 

"Huh, seems to like you." Spi'Reto cleared his throat, clapping his hands. "Nukka!" 

The grizzly bear jolted up and shook her head. Felix sat up as the bear sniffed around his ears, lingering at the mark on his neck. She stayed fixated on that mark, taking one long whiff before her eyes shot up. 

Suddenly, a glowing light of essence surrounded her as she began to transform right in front of him!

He gasped, unable to scoot back as he was pressed against the fence. This large bear fell on his lap, taking a humanoid shape before the light disappeared, much in the same way a Nekomata would transform.  He gazed up to find a tall woman perched on his lap, with two round furry ears atop her head. She had hair matching the color of pinecones draped down the side of her head, just low enough to tickle her chin. Her deep brown eyes settled on him, while her strong front paws fell on his chest to pin him down. Her little round bear tail wagged behind her large curvaceous hind, nestled on his lap. 

This wasn't an ordinary grizzly bear; it was a monster girl!

She kept her eyes on him, leaned in and ran her tongue across his neck, smacking her lips to savor the taste. A large smile grew from ear to ear, looking at him like if he was a long lost relative that she just reconnected with. 

"I taste Nityri on you!" She cheerfully exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, pulling him into her arms and hugging him tight against her bosom. Her large, heavy pillowy breasts began to suffocate him with her crushing strength as she stood up and spun him around with glee, skipping in delight as he struggled to break free. Just as he felt himself begin to turn blue, he figured death from large breasts wasn't the worse way to go. 

"Nukka," Spi'Reto called out, pointing at Felix. "He needs to breath." 

"Oh, sowwy!" She released him, dropping him on the floor like used rugs. He coughed and gasped for air, his lungs burning as Janette and Nyitchza helped up back up. 

"Smell any traces on them?" The elf asked. 

Nukka shook her head. "Small one needs to wash her hands, and big butt's heart needs to calm down because I can hear her heart beating fast! But small man smells like Ni~Ni! And I can smell Syri on the butt girl too!" 

"Butt girl?" Janette blushed, sliding her hands behind to cover her rear. 

"Guess that settles that." Spi'Reto grinned, sticking two fingers into his lips and taking a deep breath. He whistled loudly, and in a moment Felix and the others were approached by dozens upon dozens of cats. Cats emerging from tree branches, cats peaking from around the hut walls, and some cats climbing up the shoulders of the elves. 

"H-Holy..." Felix gasped, looking around to see so many felines staring at them in awe. 

Janette slapped his chest as a pair of cats landed in front of them. The smallest one stared in awe, locking eyes with her. Her fur was white, she had these adorable hypnotic green eyes looking back, and her pupils were dilated as she mewed softly. Janette's heart caught in her throat, falling to her knees as the white cat began to transform, taking the shape of her familiar humanoid self. The matching eyes, the slender frame, the two furry white tails swaying behind her. 

"It- it's you." She whispered, gazing up at Syri with tears in her eyes. 

Syri's lip quivered, the two catching each other in a tight embrace, tears streaming down their faces. They didn't care that the others were watching, there was nobody else now that they reunited. Syri hugged her tight, both locking tight fearing that the next time they let go, they would lose the other once more. 

"I-I missed you so... so much!" Janette whimpered, sniffling and shaking. 

Syri shook her head, "I never thought I would see you again!" 

Felix got up to his feet, admiring the pair's reunion with Nyitzcha by his side. The other cat approached him, her fur black as she transformed and grew into size. In a moment, Na'Vi stood facing them with awkward silence. 

"Hey," He smiled, reaching out with a hand. "We found your tracks." 

To his surprise, Na'Vi swooped in and held him tight. He gasped, then slowly wrapped his arms around her in return. Months ago, she would be the last person to consider hugging him. 

But in these heavy times, it was great to see a familiar face again.