Somebody Stop Him [A Progression Fantasy Epic]

My eyes filled with tears.

"Home," I uttered, the word escaping my lips. It wasn't just a place, it was a feeling, a tapestry woven from shared laughter, secrets, wild accomplishments and the comforting weight of belonging. It was Cinder's fierce protectiveness, Vespera's boundless enthusiasm, and the strength of our ever-expanding, unlikely family, our Clan.

[Yes,] Vespera's mental voice was a gentle hand guiding me through the rising tide of emotions. [Home. Us. Together. Always.]

The tears flowed freely now, hot and cleansing, washing away the layers of numbness, the carefully constructed walls I'd built around my heart. It wasn't just grief, though that was there too, a deep, aching wellspring for everything I'd lost. It was also relief, joy, and a profound, overwhelming sense of gratitude.

I was remembering. Not just the events, the facts, the cold, hard data points of my past life. But the feelings. The connections. The messy, complicated, beautiful web of relationships that made it all… worthwhile.

Everyone I had lost. So many nameless Arxkin that I had sacrificed to take Undertown.

Cinder's wing tightened around me, a silent reassurance. I leaned into her embrace, drawing strength from her warmth, from the steady, rhythmic beat of her heart that echoed against my own.

"We're here, Lexxy," Vespera murmured tenderly, melting the remnants of my defenses. [Here. Forever and always.] And we're not going anywhere."

I buried my face in Cinder's neck, inhaling the familiar scent of ozone and lavender, letting the tears flow freely. Cinder's hand found mine, her fingers intertwining with my own, a silent promise of unwavering support.

My mind flowed over the six months of nightmares that came with facing down Wendigo Absolute Fear Wards, outsmarting the Frontenachii bastards, the horrors I discovered in their basement, the absolute emptiness, villainous madness and coldness that came with destroying their compound. The escape across five thousand kilometers, the thrill of infiltrating Skyfall, of meeting Vee and Ci, of Arx-deliving, of obliterating the Arx Bank and the proto-dungeon inside Possy.

I cried as I experienced the crushing despair of losing them, the agonizing emptiness of a post-shift Earth. Of living so long without them, of having an empty hole in my chest where they used to be.

And I remembered, with a clarity that made my heart ache, the love. The fierce, unwavering, unconditional love that had bound us together, a bond that had somehow transcended dimensions, lifetimes, even… shifted reality itself.

It was all there, every joy, every sorrow, every triumph, every loss, washing over me in a tidal wave of emotion. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I didn't flinch away. I didn't retreat behind the cold logic of the Architect, the calculated detachment of the survivor.

I let myself feel.

It hurt. It hurt like the cold Abyss, a raw, agonizing ache that seemed to tear at the very fabric of my being. But it was also… beautiful. Exhilarating. Liberating.

I was alive. Truly alive. Not just existing, not just surviving and running, but feeling, experiencing, embracing the full, messy, beautiful spectrum of human emotion.

And I wasn't alone.

I had them. My quartet of wings. My rainbow and thunder. My… everything.

I tightened my grip on Cinder's hand, my other arm wrapping around Vespera nuzzling each of them.

They responded instantly, their bodies molding against mine, their warmth seeping into my bones, chasing away the last vestiges of the cold, empty void that had haunted me for so long.

We stayed like that for a long moment, a tangle of limbs and feathers and shared emotion, the silence broken only by the soft sound of our breathing and the distant rumble of the ocean outside.

Then, slowly, hesitantly, I pulled back, wiping my tear-streaked face with the back of my hand. I met Vespera's silver-gold gaze, then Cinder's ocean-blue one, a shaky smile tugging at my lips.

"Thank you," I said, the words feeling inadequate, but heartfelt. "For… for everything. For… bringing me back. For finding me. For letting me into your lives. For giving me your magic. For supporting my insane dreams."

And then, because sometimes words were simply not enough, I leaned in, capturing the side of Vespera's lips in a kiss.

I felt her response, the attack of the side beak against my lips, the hum of electricity that always seemed to dance across her feathers.

[Mine.] She sang in static whispers. [My adorkable, smol fox.]

[No. Mine.] I responded. [My beautiful, clever birb.]

Then, I turned to Cinder, smashing her lips with mine. I felt the heat of her scales against my skin, her elongated tongue, the intoxicating scent of wild lavender fields.

The kisses deepened, becoming more passionate, more intense, a whirlwind of shared emotion, of rediscovered intimacy. The world around us faded, all dissolving into the background, leaving only the three of us, intertwined, connected, whole.

We kissed and kissed and kissed, exploring each other, moving the familiar landscape of each other's bodies, the subtle nuances of touch and taste and scent. Hands roamed, exploring, undressing, caressing, igniting sparks of pleasure that ripped across Omnid and human bodies, chasing away the last vestiges of the cold, empty shell I'd been inhabiting.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

It wasn't just physical, though the physical was certainly there, intense and undeniable. It was… more. A merging of souls, a blending of energies, a re-forging of the bond that had been fractured, but never broken.

Together.

My rainbow shield of scaled steel. My sword, made of lightning and thunder.

Each of them, a little god, a terrifying predator that could bite me in half. Each, mine. My everything.

Everything, everywhere at the same time.

Resonance.

Violet stars ignited across my eyes as Vespera and I became one, connected. Positive and negative. Male and female. One and zero.

Her Electrofractal energy surged through me as she claimed me, a tingling current that danced across my skin, intertwining with my own nascent magic, amplifying it, igniting it. It wasn't just a physical sensation; it was a merging of souls, a blending of consciousness. I could feel her thoughts, her emotions, her pleasure, her desires, all swirling within me, mirroring my own, amplifying my senses.

The physical merged with the metaphysical, a dance of flesh and soul, a symphony of shared sensation.

Vespera bit me and kissed me and laughed and I bit her back, pushing my soul into hers, claiming her as mine forevermore.

Gravity let go. We soared and spun in the air above the forgotten bunk bed, below silver-white arches. Cinder spiraled around us like a rainbow comet, wings radiating pure love and passion, claws and lips moving from me to Vee.

Time snapped in half, ceased to exist. There was only the now, the feeling, the connection. The three of us, intertwined, inseparable, a single entity forged in the crucible of our shared love.

My hands found the curve of Vee's hips, the soft down of her feathers. She arched into me, her wings fluttering, sparks raining down on us like a miniature, erotic thunderstorm. Waves of black and white patterns rushed across her body as she wreathed above me, crying out physically and mentally.

[More… More, Lexxy… Yesss…] Her thoughts sang.

I gave her what she desired, taking her, grabbing her with gravity waves she generated, until her cries escalated into a crescendo of release, her body arching madly, convulsing around me, her wings flaring impossibly wide, a shower of sparks erupting from her feathers, her talons digging into my back, lightning detonating against the magisteel walls.

Then, with a final, shuddering sigh, she let go, floating away, wings still trembling with the aftershocks of pleasure.

Cinder pulled Vespera into her arms, her lips finding the Thunderbird's, their tongues tangling in a slow, deep kiss that seemed to stretch on forever, both of their bodies softening, adjusting themselves through joined Phase-Shift.

Then, Cinder pulled back, her blue eyes locking onto mine, a predatory gleam in their depths. She reached out, her claws gently tracing the curve of my jaw, her touch sending shivers down my spine.

"My turn," she sang, her voice husky, laced with a possessiveness that made my heart pound.

Her wings wrapped around me, a cocoon of warmth and color, shutting out the world, leaving only us.

Her hands moved over my body, exploring, teasing, igniting sparks of desire that mirrored, amplified, the pleasure I'd just shared with Vespera. Her touch was different from Vee's—less electric, more… earthy, a primal heat that seemed to seep into my bones, melting my defenses.

Gravity waves still rolled from Vespera, keeping us in the air.

Cinder's claws, no longer playful, dug into my back, pulling me closer, her body molding against mine. I tangled my fingers in her radiant feathers. She arched into me, a low growl rumbling in her chest, her wings opening and closing.

An ocean of violet stars returned, pulsating all around us, burning bright physical reality. Infinite constellations made from constellations.

My hands moved over her body, exploring the curves and hollows, the smooth scales and soft down feathers. I traced the line of her spine with my fingertips, sending tremors through her. Her breath hitched, a gasp escaping her lips as I found the sensitive spot just beneath her wing, my thumb circling it gently.

She bucked against me, her wings flaring, a wave of heat washing over me as her entire body ignited, feathers shifting through a kaleidoscope of colors–vibrant pinks and oranges, deep violets and blues, all swirling and pulsing in time with the frantic beat of our hearts.

My Goddess, my perfect being for whom I would conquer the stars.

Resonance.

Absolute devotion to me flashed in her blue eyes as she became ensnared in her own Charmchain.

Her iridescent scales, pulsed, Phase-Shifting into human skin.

"Who is the dragon-god now?" I sang, my voice deep and carrying an unnatural, resonant echo.

"You are," Cinder breathed out, arching and presenting her pink neck, surrendering to me.

I bit her, claiming her soul as mine.

Vespera drifted around us, crackling with satisfaction as she observed my claim.

"Nice," she murmured with a beaky grin. "Very nice. Now, Slay her!"

She reached out to both of us with her talons, bridging our minds together as one through her Electrofractal skill.

"You're mine, Ci," I growled. "Mine. Understand?"

The Quetzi-girl smiled, her wings spreading wide.

"Yours," she sang, mewling and crying out as we spun in the air. "Always."

[Yessss…] Vespera's static pulsed. [Take her, Lexy! Make her scream!]

I moved in in a slow, deliberate rhythm that built up with each heartbeat, each gasp, each shared breath. The connection between us intensified, fueled by our combined magic, by Vespera's Electrofractal sparks that danced across our joined bodies, weaving our sensations together into a star that was about to go supernova.

Cinder's body convulsed, rainbows radiating all around us. She cried out, her voice escalating into a crescendo of release.

Vespera's electric laughter echoed through my mind as she pushed us both and herself over the edge.

The world exploded in a kaleidoscope of light and color, sound and sensation, all dissolving into a single, blinding moment of pure, unadulterated bliss.

A soft, contented sigh escaped Cinder's lips as she collapsed against me, her wings still trembling, her feathers shimmering with the afterglow of pleasure.

I held her close, my own breath coming in ragged gasps, my body still thrumming with the echoes of our shared release as we floated back into the bed below.

Vespera landed gracefully beside us. She leaned in, nuzzling Cinder's cheek, then turned to me, her silver-gold eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Hrmmm," she purred. "Better. Much better! Many feels. Twenty outta ten."

Cinder grumbled something unintelligible, burying her face in my chest, her feathers rustling softly against my skin. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close, a warmth spreading through me that had nothing to do with magic, and everything to do with the deep, bone-deep connection, love that bound us together, stronger than ever before.

Violet stars danced at the edges of my eyes, slowly fading away.

"You see that stuff… right?" I asked Vee. "Violet constellations all around?"

"Yepperoni," she nodded. "I see what you see, feel what you feel through the Resonance."

"So… What is that?"

"Nullspace," she murmured, hugging and nuzzling me on the opposite side of Cinder. "The Astral Ocean. The Underside of the world. Connections between everything. Between the past us, future us and present us. Between the possibilities of us across… everywhere."

"Is that one of your skills then?"

"No. It's not a particular skill that belongs to either of us," Vespera purred. "It's something manifesting from our soul connection… isn't it pretty?"

"Pretty," I agreed.