Interlude - The waiting game

It was going to be a few days before the results of her plan showed themselves. She wasn't sure how quickly the **** beer would work or how soon the Valar would try to get back in touch with Ryia. So, she just decided to check off a few things off her list while she waited. Housekeeping for lack of a better word.

First, she started to settle into playing the role of 'wandering vagabond' that had stumbled into the area as was suggested by Krea. Working with the Sentinels, she took up a couple part time jobs to earn a bit of a name for herself. Locals wouldn't immediately trust her, but she wanted to show they didn't need to doubt her either. All they would know of her was that she wandered into the area, got saved by Krea and became friends with her and stayed at Ryia's inn. Had a knack for helping out, good worker, and good with knives if that was needed; that was all she wanted the locals to really find out about her. Which suited them just fine, they had their own lives going on and the handful of other 'out of towners' seemed to keep to themselves.

Between the little jobs like finding some herbs, carrying some supplies to a new construction project, and testing out some odd pies someone kept trying to make better; she asked questions. Nothing overt, just little goings on about the town though she used her abilities to press a lone villager or two for more. Most of what she got was just local news and rumors; nothing that really helped her out that she couldn't get from Ryia herself. Like one of the Apothecaries watering down their supplies to sell more potions. That sort of thing.

Few people were willing to talk about the bandits though. Most agreed they were just thugs wasting their time out here; even if they stole everything in town they wouldn't get much. Only the local heads like the Mayor, Head of the Merchants, or Sentinel Leader would have anything of substantial worth. Even the shops only had so much coin to steal from as out here most their funds went back into keeping their stores open. And where would they sell it, even out in the boonies like this there were only two other notable towns in the area, so it'd be rather easy for shops to realize something was off when a thug came in selling wares that looked somewhat familiar.

A few others were a bit more worried, but those that voiced it were the people that were usually out on the farms or surrounding areas: away from the walls and the immediate guards. They painted an odder picture of the thug's activities; not just stealing food and coin, but materials as well. Shipments from Eleos, the port city that most incoming and outgoing trade went through, had seen several robberies over the last couple months. Not just cloth and metal but more violate goods like materials for alchemical items. Hence the watering down of his goods.

But given the town suffered little from the trade disruptions save for some more odd resources, which still came just with larger more protected Caravans that swung by every couple of months; And the fact the bandits had attacked distant homesteads and camps, the authorities were a bit lax in their response. The townspeople just went on with their days, hoping the Sentinels would be enough if the bandits pressed in harder.

She didn't ask too much past that, or other subjects. Her showing up and asking a bunch of questions would give people reason to distrust her and well, even with Krea and Ryia on her side, she wasn't sure she could take the guard on just yet.

Speaking of Ryia, Zaya found time to get her away from the city. An excuse about helping Krea try to find some brew-able herbs or something. Such a cover let them get Ryia out to the ruins and thus the pool proper. She wasn't sure if it mattered or not, but Zaya wanted to make sure whatever the pool did to Krea happened to her as well. Just to be sure she was fully on board.

She took too it perhaps a bit too well, the process being quicker than Krea's change. Then again, the pool was also working on Zaya at the same time, healing her, so perhaps that had a hand in what took so long the first time. Still, the poor woman's wanton moans and how..., eager she was to the process put even put the Pool's avatar, Ciara on the backfoot.

However, this act seemed to ping something in the 'Inherited Memory' she had. If a human reacted this much to the process, it was likely that she had monstrous blood in her family tree. Such a property led the human in question to being more susceptible to being corrupted by monsters and demons.

"Can you tell what it is?" Zaya watched as the pool bubbled and frothed while Ryia was inside it.

"No." Ciara shook her head as she looked at her Mistress, "I only know that she is not related to a Bioferric monster. If she was, she would have taken to your advances faster...,"

"I don't know." Krea muttered over the ever-enticing moans, "Seems she turned pretty fast. Though if I had to guess myself.... succubus maybe?"

"Leave your cattiness to the side for a moment." Ciara glared at the druid, but she stuck her tongue back at the strange figure. Sighing, she continued, "I meant she would have turned into more of a 'shell' almost instantly if she somehow had Bioferric already in her blood. And that would be more due to Mistress not knowing how to control her abilities".

Zaya just sighed as she waved at her to keep going on with the process before putting a hand to her temple. This was something to worry about later; useful but so long as it wasn't affecting anything well, best to just mark it down.

"Well, so long as she remains loyal to me instead of whatever family she came from. Last thing I need is for some distant family member realizing where she came from and using her as a puppet or something."

She wasn't the only one that got the treatment either. While not as corrupted as the innkeeper, Dalila offered to take a dip in the pool in order to form a 'bond' with her new Troupe. Her Sprite Troupe was wiped out or would forget her upon rebirth, so she had nowhere else to go. And Zaya had been one of the few 'bigs' that had been anywhere near helpful and fun to be around so if it meant getting into the weird pool, she was game.

The mental threads Zaya found inside Dalila were thinner and more flayed than the ones inside the others, so it took a bit longer to thread them into a more stable 'cable' that connected the two. Resulting in a, tweaked, Dalila. She still seemed mischievous but a bit more focused now and according to Krea who knew her longer, seemed more 'grounded'. Like gathering all her wandering thoughts into a more organized space. Dalila herself didn't mind.

Both women had a slight gold edge on the rim of their iris, but Dalila had a few more changes. The same color danced at the edge of her butterfly like wings and the big white 'eyes' were also shifted to a more 'sun beam' color.

"Is that all it can do?" Ciara tilted her head at the question so Zaya continued, "The gold tint is good and all but is that the only physical change it can do to people?"

"I believe you could .... 'mold' her into a breeding pod that is most likely not what you are asking about." She knew her Empress would only use that as 'punishment' at the rate she was going. "If you wish for something else..., you'd need more material in the pool. Organic. Preferably something close to the subject, you wish to influence. Human Stock is preferred given their ability to... breed with basically anything."

"If that cannot be done, the subject..., in this case Dalila." she corrected herself on, "Would have to be converted into a more..., suitable state. Usually this would be turning her into a Shell. But that would also defeat the point of your... indulgences."

"So, either get more material to work with; or make her more Bioferric without losing her." Zaya cupped her chin in thought.

"Don't you think I'm cute like this?" Dalila got a pat on her head for her question as she sat on the makeshift 'table'.

"You're adorable. But I wondered if I could make you bigger. Not just for helping to keep you safe, you're cute small but being able to punch someone probably helps more when you're not twig sized. And I was wondering if it would be easier to have some... fun."

"Oh....OH!" Dalila blushed at the thought, "Well... never thought about it with Big people..., thought Krea looked good when she bathed in the river...."

"THAT WAS ONE TIME!"

She let the two work that out; seemed there was a bit of hidden desire between them. Might be better than Krea and Ryia. Did the druid just butt heads with most people... then again, she did live out in the woods, so her... social skills were probably poor. Well, maybe she'd have to pick up someone with people skills later. That guild clerk was cute.

A hand grabbing her ankle shook her out of her thoughts. She watched as Ryia dragged herself up out of the liquid, still dripping from her nude body. She stood her full height and pressed her lips to Zaya. She didn't stop her, wrapping her arms and tail around her new...., partner? She didn't like the thought of Thrall or Pawn, but she probably needed a better name.

"Enjoyed your dip?"

"It. Was. Amazing." she breathed out, "I felt it... EVERYWHERE..., pretty sure in places I didn't even know could feel like that."

"Well, you can think of it as a reward from now on. Remember, I want you being sensible, not a fuck puppet." she gave Ryia a spank on her tight ass, "But I don't want you forgetting just who you belong to. Me, not the pool."

"Oh, it was good, but it was missing you." she purred as she pressed against her mistress, "You're still better."

"I really need to get a bed in here. Could maybe just take you...," She thought about it for a bit, "Do you know a good carpenter?"

She did but between the three of them, didn't really have money to buy the services of one or at the very least, she didn't want them spending money on that. Rather, the group followed an idea she'd been toying around with, going back to the bandit camp.

It was empty now; the days since her attack had left it wide open to let anyone take a crack at looting it. The bodies of the bandits were either dragged away by wildlife or not a very pretty sight by this point. And it looked like someone had come and ransacked the place; by guard, bandit or scavenger she couldn't tell. However, they did leave the actual goal of her 'quest' in coming back.

Between the three of them and a couple animals Krea called upon for help, they dragged back a good portion of the usable furniture back to the ruins and pool. Such as doors, bed and mattress, a bookcase and a couple of barrels. Not the best haul but considering the pool was able to copy then produce anything tossed in; should at least help with outfitting the ruins.

Speaking off, progress of taking it over had sped up after her leveling. Most the basement had been converted into the dark smoother metal tile, and it was starting to pop up on the first and second floors now. She had to talk with Ciara about just 'how' to progress the conversion for now, sticking to out of the way locations or trying to form behind the stone walls rather than crawling over it. Better to not take chances in someone finding out this was a functioning monster lair just by looking in while passing by.

There was a test to see if the metal could expand past the building they were in which didn't work. Well, it did, but only to a certain point; past that it would just seeminly rust and peel back. There was only a certain distance in how far it could go, at least in relation to her own power.

So that was that...,, everything was progressing well if slowly. Least it was nice stablinzing progress. Now she could focus on her actual plan whenever it finally bore fruit.