There were many beast kin in the grand hall. One of Michele's duties was to settle disputes between the beast kin of his territory. He also received gifts, and helped those that were having problems as best as he could. But he believed that his people should try their best to help themselves before coming to him. If he felt you had nor tried to help yourself he would flat out deny you.
His day was actually full so he had begun as soon as his first advisor left the room. His first issue was between a group of Centaurs and a group of Alinaurs. Most thought that they were related beast kin because they looked similar but they were actually enemies. The Centaurs were half horse while the Alinaurs were half zebra like animals but with red and white or blue and black markings. They were currently in a dispute over land. Michele had heard the same complaint before from them twice before so he was inclined to believe that they had tried to solve things themselves.
"And what have you done to try and rectify this? You are neighbors and you do not need to be friends but you do need to remain peaceful within my borders."
"Yes Great Beast Lord!" they all spoke in unison and bowed in unison. A Centaur began.
"My Lord we have tried to resolve this. My people tried to give a portion of land but the Alinaurs felt it was to small and their proposal was land of absolutely no value. How would that be compensation."
Michele nodded and looked to the Alinaur. "Indeed. How would that be compensation?" He heard several of them swallow hard and he narrowed his eyes. "Did you genuinely try to negotiate?" Again hard swallowing but no talking. "Someone needs to speak immediately."
The remainder of the cases were more straightforward and he solved many issues and sent many back to their homes to honestly work on them themselves.
His first break came when Abigail came in with his second breakfast. Everything stopped when she entered and he could not help but smile as she walked in without any fear at all. She walked through the crowed as if she was the mistress of this den and she had to ensure that the master was fed. He paused oddly at that analogy.
He was often criticized by his advisors for not having an actual wife and at least one child, even one born out of wedlock. But he was interested. He was interested in females and his harem of beast kin females was on the opposite side of the den.
The two sides were actually connected by the gardens. Abigail's gardens.
But to think about one female or even to think about allowing one to have his child seemed absurd.
Abigail stayed and made sure he ate when she returned with his first lunch and saw that he got distracted and did not finish his breakfast. She never said anything she would just act like she was about to take the plates and he would frown and reach for his food as if he were just about to finish it.
He saw how the beast kin watched her and many had lust in their eyes. He made not of all of them for some reason.
Finally it was over and he went directly to the kitchen. He watched her cleaning and chopping and cleaning then seasoning. She was very efficient and proficient in the kitchen. He cleared his throat and he took pleasure in her jump of surprise and the fact that she had not noticed him.
"Come here! I need a kiss." The command was forceful but his need declaration was awkward and came out soft.
'Yes Master.' She was there before her words were fully in his mind. She had walked to him her eyes comfortably resting in his and she got up on her tip toes and went to kiss him.
On a whim he grabbed her up in his arms and turned her gentle kiss into a hard passionate needy thing.
He pulled back but he did not release her. He saw a bit of blood on her lip and realized he was in his beast kin form. He healed the puncture and looked at her apologetically. She smiled. 'That was no problem. You already healed it.'
He proceeded as if it hadn't happened and as if she had never spoke into his mind.
"I have to leave now. I am not sure when I will be back. Cook all my meals I will eat them all when I get back." He kissed her forehead and paused in thought. "Prepare yourself tonight. I will be sleeping in your room, like this."
She nodded. 'Yes Master.'
Dias was a almost as big as Michele. He had a tail that reached over a hundred meters into the sky before it curved a bit, it black massive stinger hovering just behind his head. He was a black scorpion and he had a small red patch of cretin on the back of his head. He was always angry and all of his beastkin were terrified of him. And he loved it that way.
He smelled him before he saw him and it made him stiffen and ready for battle.
"Calm down. I want to talk. If we can come to an agreement there will be no problem. If we can not come to an agreement then we will see what happens."
Michele's voice reverberated over the entire plane and, despite himself, Dias shivered. Michele noticed this and smiled.
"Michele you are in my territory why would I talk to you? We have nothing to tall about."
"Hmm. Remember that you were the one who chose violence. Beastkin! Whoever wants to live in my territory you are more than welcome."
Even as Michele spoke his tail whipped around and cracked Dias on the back of his head. Directly on the red patch, his weakness. Then his fire and acid both reached Dias' large claws. One burned as the other began to melt.
And finally Dias made a move against Michele. He had no time to cry out in pain as his pincers hurriedly cut off his two claws before anything spread across his body. His stinger had swung around and Michele did not dodge it. He had released a shade spell to attack Dias and allowed the stinger to hit his side and bounce off.
Michele's tongue flicked through the air. "My woman has been taking very good care of my scales. Not much can penetrate them now."
Both Michele and Dias were a bit flabbergasted to learn that Michele had a woman.
Michele recovered first.
"It seems that I can not let you live Dias. But you clearly do not wish to live. Let me help you with your dilemma."
Dias sneered, unaware of the shade spell entering in physical body and hunting out his soul body. "You have had your thrown too long. You have grown soft and your territories suffer for it."
"And you wish to fix the problems of my territory? Do you feel you are capable of such a thing?"
Michele shook his head. A stream of dark smoke rose from his serpentine body and quickly moved to engulf Dias. Dias tried to dodge but the smoke was too vast and his reflexes were slow with that shade magic destroying everything in its hunt for Dias' soul body.
The smoke engulfed him quickly and he let out an agonized scream that was cut short. The smoke cleared and Dias stood motionless and suddenly he began falling apart. Pieces of his body hitting the ground with tremendous force.
Michele took on his beast kin form and walked over to the corpse. He saw six large gems of differing colors. He nodded as he knew what he would do with them. Then large parts of the cretin, that was all that was left of Dias after the smoke and shade magic, disappeared as Michele collected it and moved it to a storage ring he kept on his person at all times. He looked to the gathered beastkin.
"You know me. This is now my territory. Come to me if you need help but remember you always need to try to help yourself first."
He turned on his heels took two steps and disappeared from view.
Michele and Abigail had laid together many times and in all three of his forms. If she were honest with herself her favorite form was his dark serpent form. His scales were always warm and they seemed to give her good restful energy when her skin made direct contact with them.
She had learned how to please him but he had still been hesitant to hurt her and they had not had sex as of yet. He intended to change that tonight. He had her in his arms and pressed close to him. He was in his beastkin form but he did not think of that he only thought about her close to him. He thought about her skin pressed to his and how touching her always warmed him.
Suddenly something clicked into place and everything between them felt so right. He kissed the back of her neck and her shoulder. He moved down her spine, his soft against her skin. She moaned and it was like getting permission to begin the ultimate quest.
She slid across his body as she pressed into him, a shiver running through her that caused him to ache. He held her tighter as if he were afraid he would lose her or she would change her mind. He began nibbling her soft skin as he kissed her. She moaned again and as she inhaled he slowly entered her. He cautiously slid inside scared he would hurt her.
When she did not seem to be in pain he developed courage and moved in deeper. His serpent tail helping him to balance as his gentle motions became more urgent and drove in deeper and deeper. He had one arm under her breast. His other hand around her throat as he half lifted her half brought her into him and he continued to enter her over and over again.
He was flooded with so much emotion and feeling he could not process it all but he took it all in. He savored every bit of it and he did not want to let her go. It was a subtle change but he sensed it. He sensed his need. He ignored it and focused on her. Focused on her trembling body and her warm delicate flesh. He wanted to drown in her. He wanted their world to be only the two of them. His mind buzzed as she released a flood of hot liquid on him.
He was fascinated by this and he wanted to see if he could get her to do it again and again.
She lasted twice more and then fell limp. It took him a moment to remember she was not used to such activity. He would have to rectify that. He smiled and kissed the back of her neck and fell asleep next to her, his arms still holding her in a tight embrace.