Chloé’s eyes were wide as she looked around the luxurious hotel room. With a giggle she ran and threw herself onto the immaculately made bed, hugging a soft pillow to her chest.

“This hotel is way nicer than the last one!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah well, it’s also a lot more expensive,” Oklahoma muttered. She hefted a pair of backpacks they’d purchased from a large outlet store, bringing them onto one of the beds with a grunt. With a grin she unzipped the top, staring in at the glimmer of jewels and gold coins. After the trial was completed the three of them had searched around the temple a little more, eventually uncovering a small chamber with stored riches similar to the one in Chloé’s own temple.

“Did we really need this extravagant room?” Mika asked, grimacing at the size of the suite. “Those items are priceless historical artifacts, I don’t feel right pawning them for stays at upscale hotels.”

“Look, I’m sure Chloé’s ancestors would understand,” Oklahoma said, walking towards the minibar with a shrug.

“It’s mostly just shiny stuff to me,” Chloé said, “I’m still not completely sure how money works, but if the gold helps then I think they’d have wanted us to have it.”

“See?” Oklahoma said cheerily, “Chloé’s ancestors practically sent me this beer themselves,” she said, cracking one of the cans open, “it would be disrespectful to let it go to waste!” She took a deep swig, sighing appreciatively as she sat down in one of the suite’s chairs. “All right journal boy, can you tell us where we’re going next?”

Mika licked his lips, thumbing through the pages, “Obviously narrowing down the exact location is going to be difficult, but it’s somewhere in Scotland.”

Oklahoma raised an eyebrow, “Scotland? As in Scotland that’s across the Atlantic?”

“Unless you know of another one, yes that’s where we’re going,” Mika said with a nod. “Can you get us there?”

She rubbed her temples a moment, sighing in frustration, “I think so… but it’ll probably burn through all the treasure we just looted- I mean appropriated, from that last temple. Flying commercial is probably out, even if Chloé can stay human sized for an intercontinental flight, we’d need a lot of documents to get into the UK. Normally I’d just visit a few friends of mine to get some fake passports, but Ouroboros is probably still offering a lot of my old friends money for us, so they’re out.”

“What about by sea?” Mika asked.

“Slower, but probably easier,” Oklahoma replied, “Most of the cargo ships in the port here are private contractors, I’m sure if the right captain and crew were offered some cash they wouldn’t mind letting us hitch a ride.”

“I can’t wait to see the ocean!” Chloé exclaimed, “You said it was bigger than the rivers back home!? How long does it take to swim across, a day?”

Oklahoma and Mika exchanged looks, “You’ll see,” Oklahoma chuckled.

…

The wind whipped through Emilia’s blond hair as she stood with Yukia on the island’s private runway. Princesse Natasha had already departed, returning to her villa in southern France to await further news. A pair of private jets waited, fueled, crewed, and ready, one for each of the Nekos.

“So where is this temple again?” Yukia asked, her ears flickering uncertainly.

“It’s in a place called Four Corners, in the United States,” Emilia said. Yukia nodded, pulling her grimoire out of its satchel and scrawling the information down.

“Four Corners, United States,” Yukia muttered, “Anything special to look for?”

“Don’t worry, you and your team will be able to ambush them before they can enter the temple,” Emilia said. “I’ll take my men and prepare an ambush at the other temple location, in Scotland.”

“Sounds good!” Yukia grinned, “No matter which one they pick to go to, we’ll have them!”

“That we will,” Emilia said with a smile, turning towards her own private plane as Yukia walked up the stairs into the waiting aircraft.

Higgins waited for Emilia at the top of the stairs, the same neutral expression on his face he always had. This flight would only be the two of them and their pilot, who would be in the cockpit the entire time. Getting time alone with him was imperative, and as he pulled the door shut behind her she could tell that the mercenary was already aware that this would be no ordinary bodyguarding job.

“Yukia is not coming with us?” he asked, sitting in the leather chair across from her.

“No, she’s going to Four Corners,” Emilia said with a smirk.

Higgins frowned, “You believe the targets are going to a tourist trap in the middle of the desert?”

“No, I sent Yukia on a wild goose chase,” Emilia said flatly, “you and I need to have a talk.”

He raised an eyebrow, then gave a barely perceptible nod, “I’m listening…”

“You don’t like what you’ve been pulled into,” Emilia said, “You’re smart enough to see that we are not merely warlords, corrupt leaders, or criminals. What if I told you that we are planning the end of humanity’s time as the dominant species on this planet?”

Higgins’ eyes went wide, “I… I don’t know…” He swallowed, and Emilia could see him shift, ready to reach for his pistol.

“Would you want to save the world?” Emilia asked, giving him pause.

Higgins was silent as the aircraft climbed, studying her. Finally, as the clouds began to pass below them outside the windows, he spoke.

“If I could do something, I think I would like to,” he said in a low voice.

Emilia nodded, “I thought as much, good and evil don’t mean much in the face of survival or extinction.”

“They never meant anything to me anyway,” Higgins growled, “what do you need me to do?”

“Gather a group of loyal men, a dozen, a hundred, as many as possible,” Emilia said, “work through our organization, and when the time is right…” Emilia swallowed nervously, no going back now… “I want you to kill Princesse Natasha.”

Hearing her voice say it was strange, like she was listening to someone else, and yet she’d spoken the words. In that instant millennia of loyalty to her people were thrown to the wind.  

Higgins sensed the hesitation, leaning back and eyeing her coolly, “Assassinating your head of state,” he chuckled, “you don’t sound sure cat-girl, that’s one of those things you really need to be sure about.”

“I am, ” Emilia growled, “if Natasha is able to enter the central chamber of the South American complex, she’s going to use what’s in there to wipe out humanity, and she probably won’t stop with you!”

“Okay,” Higgins sighed, “It’ll take time, but I can pull something together… Can you get me close to her?”

“You’ll need to do it on your own,” Emilia said, “I’m leaving you.”

Higgins eyes went wide, “Now hold on a minute-“

“My people have several abilities,” she said, standing up, “the shrinking touch you’ve already seen, but we can also alter memories, implant ideas… I’m one of the best of us when it comes to this skill.”

“I don’t want to be mind controlled!” Higgins said, drawing his pistol and leveling it at her in one smooth motion.

Emilia gulped, unused to being in the line of fire herself, that was what Yukia was for after all, a warrior to do her bidding. Still, if this was to work, she’d need to find a bit of courage. She cleared her throat, keeping herself calm.

“The story you and the pilot will give my sisters is that I used my powers to overwhelm you, and then abandoned you. It’s not too different from what will happen.”

“And you’re making me a suicide agent?” Higgins asked angrily.

“No, I wouldn’t do that,” Emilia said softly, “I’m going to erase this conversation from your memory, so that even you won’t know you’re working for me. You’ll know you need to gather soldiers, you’ll know that you need to position yourself close to Natasha, but you won’t remember why. This will protect you when they question you.”

“I see,” he said slowly, “And do I get a trigger phrase? Something to remember all of this if I need to?”

“Pick one,” Emilia said with a smile.

“Valentine’s Day, Nineteen Twenty-Nine,” he said with a sigh, holstering his gun.

“The Valentine’s Day Massacre?” Emilia questioned with a smile, “I suppose it’s fitting, given what we’re going to do…”

“It’s about the only thing I remember from history class,” Higgins drawled, “I don’t suppose you’re going to reveal your people had something to do with it?”

Emilia chuckled softly, “I met Al Capone once in passing, we shared a traincar… but no, we were never involved with him.”

“A shame,” Higgins muttered, “I’d have liked to know what he was like.” He sighed, steeling himself as Emilia reached for his forehead to apply the memory wipe.

…

The Dexter Ward was a lucky find, it was a cargo ship nearly loaded and ready to depart to the United Kingdom, and with a crew and captain that were more than willing to take money from a group of “tourists” who wanted to experience life on a cargo barge for a few weeks. From the way the captain, a grizzled old salt that looked that part, stared at them while Oklahoma paid out the cash, he knew there was more to them than met the eye, but he didn’t care to know what it was. He’d even given them the crew’s spare cabin for their use, only warning them to stay out of the crew’s way as they carried out their duties.

“Wow,” Chloé whispered, gazing out to sea, wide eyed as they lost sight of the land.

“Yep, it’s pretty special the first time you see it,” Mika chuckled, going to her side.

“It’s like it could just go on forever,” Chloé said, hugging him close as she let her eyes trace along the horizon.

“It feels that way,” Mika said, “but it ends, and there are new places, new people… When you look at a map it almost feels strange to realize how small it really is.”

Chloé looked down at the waves, licking her lips, “Mika, I’ve been holding back like you asked, to try to keep us from being noticed… but could I eat the fish down there? I’m pretty hungry, I think I need to eat a lot of them…”

“Go for it,” Mika laughed, “just wait until night so the crew doesn’t see you.”

Chloé scowled, looking up at the sun in the sky and wishing it would hurry up and set.

…

Oklahoma laughed as one of the crewmates passed her a bottle of rum, “I’m telling you guys, they’ve got Jackalopes in the southwest, I’ve seen them!”

“Bullshit!” one of the sailors slurred, “that’s just the American version of Nessie!”

“No, Bigfoot’s our version of Nessie,” Oklahoma chuckled, “Jackalopes are a whole other thing.”

She’d encountered five of the crew drinking in the hold, and after offering to share a bottle from her own stash, they’d quickly taken the American woman in with them, swapping stories and drinks as the ship swayed back and forth.

“You Americans have so many stupid imaginary monsters,” a more sober man chuckled, taking the bottle to remedy his condition, “there’s a reason nobody from any other countries gets abducted by aliens!”

“Hey, if they’re coming to Earth, they may as well come to the best part!” Oklahoma retorted, getting a laugh from a few of them.

“Maybe the reason they think this planet has no intelligent life is because they only abduct Americans?” someone called.

“Hey now!” Oklahoma growled as they burst into laughter again.

“Be polite lads!” the biggest of the men drawled, standing up, “The lady’s a guest…” He glanced at the others, then grinned, “We should show her what’s in some of these containers!”

“The snake ones?” one of the sailors asked.

“Aye,” the man said, waving for Oklahoma to follow him.

She raised an eyebrow, then did so as the group walked up a set of spiral stairs to the ship’s deck. Her mouth went dry as she recognized the Ouroboros logo of a snake devouring its own tail on the side of one of the containers, but if the crew noticed her surprise they didn’t show it.

“Take a look here!” one of them grunted, forcing the lever of the door up, shoving it open and revealing the contents.

“Wow,” Oklahoma said, staring at piles of the gigantic Lemurian fruit. It was chilled, kept at freezing temperatures by a refrigeration unit at the back of the container.

“You ever see anything like that?” The sailor chuckled, forcing the door closed again. “Some of these fruits are the size of cars, it must be something for rich blokes.”

“Nope,” she lied, “Never seen anything like that…”

…

“So Ouroboros is using the same ship we are,” Mika muttered. “I don’t know if I like that coincidence.”

“I haven’t noticed anything weird,” Chloé muttered, “My senses aren’t as good in this form, but they’re still better than yours, I think.”

“So what do you want to do?” Oklahoma asked, crossing her arms and glancing at the door of their cabin.

“I think that the ship’s crew are innocent in all of this, they’re just contractors after all,” Mika decided with a sigh. “If they really wanted to get us, we’re out in the middle of the ocean… there’s no better place.” He shrugged, “I think we should just stick to our plan; I don’t think we can go anywhere else anyways.”

“Whatever,” Oklahoma muttered, tossing herself on the bed, “I don’t like it though.”

“It’s okay,” Chloé said cheerfully, “you guys have me with you, I’ll keep you safe! There’s no reason to get worried.”

“If things are bad enough that the giant snake-woman is the best way out then I drove by worried forty miles ago and I’m in panic,” Oklahoma said, but she did smile a little.

…

In spite of their worries, the journey went peacefully, and as they neared their destination Mika found himself almost sad. The ship had proved a respite from their other troubles, and the three of them had quickly fallen into an easygoing routine. Oklahoma would often spend the day playing cards with whatever sailors weren’t on duty, occasionally taking Chloé, Mika, or both with her. The ship had a surprising library, and while the satellite internet was spotty Mika was still able to introduce Chloé to some of his favorite movies, which they watched under a blanket together in their cabin.

Food for Chloé had been easier than ever, it was simply a matter of sneaking up to the deck with her and letting her leap into the water, transforming into her towering Naga form and swimming easily through the sea. Chloé would remain below the waterline to avoid the eyes of any crew members that were still awake, and fish were plentiful enough that she had a full belly on every night of the voyage.

Mika walked arm in arm with Chloé along the cargo ship’s railing, smiling as they looked up at the full moon together. Tonight’s feeding would be easy to sneak in, only the ship’s captain was on deck, and he wouldn’t be leaving his wheelhouse, giving the pair some privacy as he escorted Chloé to her late night dinner.

“It’s too bad we can’t just stay on the boat,” Mika murmured with a smile.

“It’s been nice,” Chloé said softly, “I never really had anyone around back in the jungle… spending my days with you and Oklahoma has…” She smirked, looking down for a moment, “I guess I never realized I was missing something in life, but now I don’t think I could live without it.”

“I know what you mean,” he sighed. Part of him had been wondering what things would be like for them when this was all over. We’ll make it work, he promised himself.

“I think the coast is clear,” Chloé whispered, looking up and down the railing one last time.

With a giggle she began stripping her clothes off, tossing them at Mika’s feet. As always, he took in her sumptuous physique, and he could swear her hips swayed a little under his gaze as she slipped her pants down, finally rendering herself naked. With one final wink and a blown kiss, she leapt backwards over the railing. Mika moved to the edge, looking down into the black sea. He heard a small splash, and then he saw the massive form of the Naga moving beneath the water, just barely visible in the dark as she returned to her true form.

He waited, holding her clothes, for about an hour. Eventually he saw movement, and Chloé’s massive body swelled up alongside the ship. Her normally toned belly bulged out slightly, like a person who’d just finished Thanksgiving Dinner, and she had a contented look on her face as she floated on her back.

“Okay, reach up here and change back!” Mika called.

“Give me a few minutes,” she murmured, “Staying in human form so long is like sitting down all day, I need to stretch my tail a little.” As if to punctuate the remark the massive appendage splashed up out of the water, causing Mika to wince.

“Careful,” he warned, “The sea’s pretty calm tonight, a big splash could wake someone up…”

“I just want to swim a little bit longer,” Chloé pouted, “Want to come with me?”

Mika glanced up and down the railing again, then chuckled to himself. Surprising Chloé he hefted himself up over the railing, leaping down to her. Her belly was soft, jiggling slightly as he collided with it, but the distance of the fall still nearly knocked the wind out of him.

Chloé giggled at the ticklish sensation, slowly letting herself drift away from the ship across the smooth seas. Soon the ship was a distant light as she moved through the water, her tail swishing slightly as it propelled them.

Having had so much time with her at human size, Mika found himself instantly enamored with the smooth surface of her belly. He lowered his ear to it, listening to the low gurgle of her digestion. He glanced downward, towards her more serpentine lower half.

As usual the intrusive thoughts won out, and he imagined himself, squeezed slowly through the long digestive tract just beneath those scales…

“Something interesting about my tail?” Chloé giggled, startling him.

“M-Maybe,” he stammered, leaning back up.

Chloé raised an eyebrow, then reached down for him, letting her massive finger slowly coil around him like pythons. As always his stomach lurched slightly as Chloé brought him up to her face, grinning down at him with those familiar auburn eyes, a mischievous glint in them highlighted by the twinkling stars reflected in the deep pools.

“You were imagining getting eaten by me, weren’t you?” she said in a low voice.

“No,” he said quickly, “Of course not, I wouldn’t want you to-“

“I can just imagine your little hands grabbing at the sides of my throat as you went down,” Chloé giggled, tilting her head back and letting her wet hair splash into the water. She teasingly lifted her free hand, tracing her index finger down her slender neck. “Mmm…” she moaned.

“Chloé,” Mika rasped, not sure what he wanted to say.

“Then you’d drop into my upper stomach,” she said, almost casually. She slowly brought Mika down, playfully poking his face into her tummy in a slow circle around her belly button. Mika grunted as the soft flesh covered his mouth and nose, wiggling in Chloé’s grip in a way that just seemed to encourage her. “Would you like to be in there?” she asked, “it would be warm, and things can stay in there for a very long time…”

“Yes!” he finally admitted, “Yes, I’d want to be in there!”

“I wonder,” Chloé mused, “would you just relax, letting it hold you until I was ready? Or would you be a naughty little snack, pounding on the sides and tickling my belly while you tried to get out?” She turned him over, opening her palm slightly and smirking as she saw the familiar bulge in the front of his pants. Her massive fingertip came down and teasingly poked at it, massaging his erection through the fabric. “Of course you couldn’t escape at that point, you’d just have to sit there and wait until I decided I was done savoring you…”

Mika groaned, the combination of Chloé’s mental and physical teasing finally breaking down his resistance to the idea he’d been trying to fight since he’d first met her.

I want her to eat me! he admitted to himself.

“W-What happens then?” he managed.

Chloé’s eyes flashed with excitement as she realized she’d broken through to him, and She brought him even lower, to where her scales began. She pressed him up against the sleek and smooth surface, letting him hear the slight rumbling and squishing sound of the fish she’d eaten earlier.

“You drop into my lower stomach,” she explained, “then you’re turned into nutrients. ” She glanced down the length of her tail, “And then you go through there, you slide through my…” she paused, trying to remember the word, “Intestines, yeah that’s it,” she giggled, recalling the brief lesson on anatomy she’d received from Oklahoma.

“And how long would I be in there?” he wondered aloud.

“It’s a long journey, where you’d be squeezed nice and tight, " Chloé grinned, “every last bit of anything good you have will get sucked out.”

The world blurred as Chloé leaned back into the water, holding him high above her as she gently floated through the inky black seas. She licked her lips as she made eye contact with him, and he stared back, his heart pounding as he imagined his own slow ride through her, feeding her, becoming nourishment for her…

“I could do it,” Chloé said softly, lowering him towards her mouth, “Just swallow you whole, out here… We could figure a way to get you out, I’m sure of it.”

A way to get me out… His heart skipped a beat as her mouth opened wide below him, letting him see down the glistening tunnel of her throat. Maybe I should just do it? He felt something similar to the perverse urge to leap that crept up the back of a person’s spine at the edge of a tall cliff, part of him wanting nothing more to force his way out of Chloé’s hand and take that plunge.

Chloé sensed it, and for a moment it seemed like their minds were one as her mouth opened wider. The slowly slackening grip of her fingers suddenly started Mika, and he realized just what was about to happen.

“WAIT!” he shouted. He breathed a sigh of relief as Chloé paused, then closed her mouth into a small smile as the spell broke for her too.

“I could just eat you anyway,” she teased, “what could you do about it?”

“I think you want me to make that decision myself,” he retorted. “Remember what your ancestor said? Only take what’s freely given.”

Chloé raised an eyebrow, “I think you’re right,” she said finally. She pulled him close to her cheek, cuddling him with a happy squeal. The feeling of her warm cheek contrasted sharply with the cool sea air, and Mika managed to free his arms to hug her cheek in return.

“Let’s get back to the ship,” she murmured.

…

Oklahoma turned in her cot, grumbling angrily as she heard something big hit the side of the ship.

“What the hell is the snake doing so close to the ship,” she muttered. With a scowl she slipped out of her bed, walking to their cabin’s small porthole. A giant eyeball stared in after her, and she leapt back with a cry of surprise. “Dammit Chloé!” she said once she’d caught her breath. “You scared the shit out of me!”

The eyeball backed up, and Oklahoma’s eyes went wide as she saw a woman with long green hair and small blue fins on the sides of her head where her ears would be. Judging by how she floated alongside the ship she was only a hair smaller than Chloé herself was, and with a cool expression she moved away from Oklahoma’s window.

“T-That’s not Chloé,” Oklahoma muttered, her heart pounding. The ship rocked again, causing her to stumble. “Chloé!” Oklahoma shouted, bolting for the door. She paused, grabbing her backpack which held what was left of the gold and jewels, along with the journal Mika had been using.

She ran into the hallway, “Captain, we’ve go to-“ she paused, listening. A haunting melody had filled the air, something strange, sweet, and somehow sad. She wanted to follow it, to embrace the singer…

“No,” she muttered, blinking and forcing the urge away, running up the stairs to the deck. “Captain!” she shouted again. The ship shifted under another blow, and she watched in horror as the ship’s cargo containers tumbled into the sea, giving her another glimpse of the towering green haired woman just before she dove into the water, a massive fishlike tail splashing behind her as she swam under them.

A mermaid, a GIANT mermaid, She thought wildly.

The mermaid rose out of the water again, looming over the cargoship and singing again, filling the air with a long series of chords that almost made Oklahoma leap off the railing to be with her. She heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see the ship’s crew filing towards the mermaid like zombies, their eyes locked on her form and joyous expressions on their faces.

“HEY!” Oklahoma shouted up at her angrily, “ARIEL! SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

The mermaid paused, her mouth twitching with amusement. Oklahoma’s stomach dropped as the giant woman folded her arms under naked breasts the size of small houses, bending over slightly to get a better look at the defiant human.

“You can resist my song?” she asked, her voice like silk on Oklahoma’s ears. “Curious, it seems to have ensnared the rest of these men.” She cocked her head, “Perhaps you are the thrall of another already?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Oklahoma said, more fire in her voice than she truly felt, “but you need to get out of here before my friend gets back, or else!”

“Or else?” The mermaid mused with a laugh. “I think I will swallow you first, feeling you fight inside of my belly will be a fine way to enter my slumber.”

Oklahoma’s eyes went wide, “I mean it, it’s going to be like Godzilla vs the Little Mermaid if you don’t go!”

The mermaid replied by flicking her tail upwards, letting the massive scaled appendage scrape along the ship’s side, sparking as it tore a massive hole in the side and let the sea rush in.

…

Chloé tensed, suddenly holding Mika close, “T-There’s something else here,” she whispered, “it’s at the ship!” With a sudden urgency she sped forward, slipping through the water like a moccasin as she raced back to the now listing cargo ship.

Is that a… Mermaid?” Mika thought in awe, watching the giant woman spot their approach. There was a splash as the enormous woman’s tail slapped the water behind her, and with a scowl she dove. A moment later Mika grunted as Chloé came to a sudden stop as the Mermaid rose out of the water in front of her, getting between them and the ship, which was now beginning to sink in earnest.

“Cousin,” the mermaid said icily, “long has it been since a child of Yig has crossed Father Dagon’s domain.”

“Cousin?” Chloé asked cluelessly. She nervously looked over the mermaid’s shoulder at the cargo ship, “Did you do this?”

The mermaid frowned, “I was taking my meal…”

With a cry Chloé launched herself out of the water, clenching a terrified Mika tightly in her fist for safety as she tackled the mermaid into the surf. The startled creature tried to dive, but Chloé’s long and powerful tail coiled around the fishlike tail, preventing her movement. Mika could only see the two shadowy figures struggling in the deep, his lungs burning as he held his breath. Chloé didn’t use the hand he was in to strike at her foe, but kept him firmly in her grip, away from the Mermaid’s struggling form.

“C-Chloé!” he gasped as they roiled to the surface again, “I can’t breathe under-“

They dove again, a sneer on Chloé’s face as she tightened around the mermaid, causing the other giant’s eyes to go wide in shock as she hefted them up to the ocean’s surface once again. Mika sucked in air as the mermaid yelped in pain.

“MERCY!” the mermaid cried, “Please stop this! I will not flee, just release me!”

With an icy glare Chloé slowly uncoiled the woman’s fishlike tail, but didn’t distance herself, keeping Mika close to her as she readied herself to leap from the water again at a moment’s notice.

“A-Are these humans claimed by the Naga?” the mermaid asked weakly.

“Yes!” Chloé said angrily, “the ones on the ship are my friends, I was traveling with them!”

The mermaid’s eyes went wide, and an almost apologetic look came over her, “I-I did not know! The children of Dagon wish for no quarrel with you, please accept my humblest apology!”

“Play along!” Mika hissed.

Chloé cleared her throat, “I suppose I can forgive this if you leave right now!”

The mermaid nodded, “As you wish cousin, pass my respects to your sisters!”

With that the mermaid dove, her vibrant blue tail flashing in the moonlight a final time as she descended into the depths.

“What was that about?” Chloé asked.

“More mysteries,” Mika sighed, “come on, we’ve got to get back to the boat!”

…

“What the hell happened?” The captain muttered, coming back to reality with the rest of his crew.

“The ship’s sinking!” Oklahoma shouted, “do we have lifeboats or something?”

“They should be right there,” The captain pointed numbly to the twisted steel section of the ship that the mermaid had torn to pieces. He licked his lips nervously, “We still have life jackets…”

There was another splash as a giant female figure rose out of the water, “Ah hell,” Oklahoma muttered, drawing her pistol, “You’re not taking me without a-“ she blinked as she saw Chloé smiling down at her, then with a relieved sigh she holstered it again. “Where were you!?” she asked angrily, “We got attacked by a mermaid!”

“We saw her,” Mika called down, “Chloé made her leave!”

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?” one of the sailor’s shouted, pointing up at Chloé.

“GODS ABOVE, A LEVIATHAN!” The captain screamed.

“Okay, everyone calm down!” Oklahoma said, raising her hands, “She’s uh… That’s Chloé, the same Chloé that’s been traveling with us the whole time!”

“Hi!” Chloé said, waving down cheerfully.

“Captain,” a sailor called, “I don’t think we’ve got much more time!” there was a groaning sound as the ship’s hull began to fail.

“We can go into the water,” someone shouted, “wait for rescue?”

“I’m not getting in there with that thing!” another crewman said, pointing up at Chloé.

“Guys, it’s me!” Chloé said, a little hurt, “I’ll keep you safe!”

“This is some kind of nightmare,” the captain muttered, “It has to be…”

The ship lurched a final time, launching the humans onto the deck into the water. Chloé acted quickly, arching herself over them as best she could as the remaining cargo containers tumbled overboard, bursting open on her back instead of crushing down on the crew. The seas roiled as men shouted in fear, trying to swim free as the last of the massive freighter slipped into the depths.

Oklahoma surfaced, sputtering as she looked around and tried to get her bearings. A piece of giant Lemurian fruit floated by her, and she grabbed onto it, using it as a raft. The captain and crew were doing so as well, bobbing in the surf as they gripped the floating orbs, the last remnant of their cargo as they bobbed alone on the seas.

“Chloé, we’ve got to do something,” Mika muttered.

“Uh, okay,” Chloé said loudly, “Everyone listen up! You all need to get on my belly!” she slowly lowered herself onto her back, floating in the surf. There were a few grumbles, but the men slowly swam towards her, and within a few moments the dozen crewmates plus Oklahoma were huddled, soaked and shivering, on top of Chloé’s belly. She lowered Mika down to join them, gently letting herself float as she fought giggles from the way their movements tickled her.

“What kind of thing did we take on our ship?” The captain asked, looking at Mika angrily.

“It’s… complicated,” he muttered.

“Captain,” one of the crewmen called, “We’ve got some injuries…”

Mika and the captain turned to see one of the crewmen with a deep red bloodstain spreading over his shirt, his face pale. Another man had a leg bent at an odd angle, and the rest of them had ample bruises and cuts from the falling debris of the ship's destruction.

They floated for a few hours, watching as the first rays of dawn began to climb over the horizon. The shock of seeing Chloé’s snakelike form had started to dissipate, and with the confidence that she wasn’t out to harm them, now anyway, the crew had turned to the matter of their survival at sea. A few of the crew had other thoughts on their mind though.

“Hey,” one of the sailors said in a low voice, “Leeroy, look!” he pointed at the lips of Chloé’s labia, “the snake-girl’s got a giant pussy!”

“We all saw it Carl!” his friend hissed, “don’t make her mad by bringing it up!”

“How big of a cock do you think you’d need to-”

“CARL!” Leeroy snapped.

“Bigger’n mine probably,” Carl muttered. “Is it messed up to think she’s kind of hot? Like sure that’s a big cunt, but I feel like with enough foreplay-”

“Hey,” Oklahoma snapped, “her hearing is really good guys, so maybe stop talking about her bits?”

“Sorry,” the two men muttered together. For her part Chloé was fighting a giggle, but didn’t say anything about the men’s conversation. 

“Damned fools,” the captain muttered. He turned to Mika, “How long until this… creature, can get us to port?” 

“Uh, guys?” Chloé said, “I don’t know how to tell you all this, but I can’t just float on my back all the way to shore…”

“what of a

“T-There is one way I could carry you all!” Chloé offered with a grin, “a way that would let me swim too!”

Mika frowned, she couldn’t possibly mean…

They were interrupted by a long low growl, then a gurgling sound as the fish Chloé had feasted on the night before slid into her lower stomach. The men resting on her belly were all nervously looking down, contemplating the journey that something had just taken right below their feet. 

“T-There’s room now…” Chloé stammered apologetically. 

“Are you going to eat us?” Oklahoma asked in a tired voice.

“I-It’s just an idea,” Chloé said quickly, “And there’s plenty of Lemurian fruit out here too!” she said, pointing to the floating spheres, “That would help everyone calm down!”

“What is she talking about?” one of the sailors asked, glancing at Mika and Oklahoma.

Mika took a deep breath, standing up on Chloé’s belly and looking over everyone, “I know this has been a lot to take in,” he said slowly, “but I think we’re going to have to go inside Chloé to get back to land…”

“Inside?” murmurs of panic raced along the men, and some glanced at the ocean, clearly contemplating an attempt to swim away. “What if it’s a trick?”

“How do we know you’re not just going to eat us, then laugh it up with your two friends there?” the captain grunted, pointing to Mika and Oklahoma.

Oklahoma sighed angrily, stepping upright, “Okay, fine, Chloé? Me first!”

Chloé chewed her lip, “Are you sure?”

“Unless someone squirreled away a life raft and a motor, yeah, I guess we’re doing this,” Oklahoma declared in a tired voice, “Are you sure we can do this safely?”

“The fruit will soothe you and keep my stomach calm,” Chloé explained, reaching for one of the massive floating spheres. She slowly punched her finger into it, peeling the skin away and then dropping the fleshy center into her mouth. The group watched silently as she chewed, then swallowed.

“Alrighty then,” Oklahoma said, licking her lips, “Let’s do it!”

Chloé nodded, reaching down for her and slowly closing her fingers around her. Everyone on her belly watched, silent, as the woman was slowly lifted up to Chloé’s lips. Oklahoma did her best to maintain a stoic expression as Chloé smiled weakly at her.

“Just try to relax,” Chloé said in a low voice.

She lowered her mouth over her friend, releasing her grip and tilting her head back, letting Oklahoma’s legs stick out, kicking wildly into the air for a moment just before Chloé tilted her head back. There was a slurping sound as the pilot was sucked the rest of the way in, and then a loud * gulp* as the small bulge slipped down Chloé’s throat.

Oklahoma’s heart was racing as she was pushed through the tight tunnel, her mind recalling visits to waterparks and the long dark slides that had scared her in her youth. Chloé’s body had light coming from somewhere though, and as she fell into the open air of the giant Naga’s stomach, she could see the small pool of liquid at the bottom that she landed in with a splash.

“Are you all right?” Mika’s muffled voice called.

“Peachy,” Oklahoma shouted back. She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling herself growing calm. The mixture of the Lemurian fruit with the acids and enzymes of Chloé’s stomach was quickly being absorbed through her skin, and by the time she’d waded her way to the wall of Chloé’s belly, she felt surprisingly peaceful. “Whew,” she called with a laugh, “This stuff has a buzz…”

Up above, the men on Chloé’s belly looked down, marveling at the muffled sound of the pilot’s voice from beneath their feet.

“She seems okay,” The captain muttered, “and you’re sure you can get us out?”

Mika wasn’t, but he nodded anyways, “snakes can naturally regurgitate their food,” he offered.

“Right,” the captain muttered, “I’ll be next then!” he walked up Chloé’s stomach, pausing at the base of her breasts and steeling himself as Chloé reached down for him.

Chloé brought him up to her mouth, just as she had Oklahoma, and a moment later he was disappearing beyond her lips as well, only a quick cry of surprise as she swallowed to mark his passage into her insides.

That was how it went, one by one Chloé picked up the crew, swallowing them whole while the rest watched. Every now and then Chloé would pause to consume another of the floating fruit, bathing the growing group in her stomach in the juices, rendering them all calmed in spite of their confinement. Finally, the last of the crew was lifted over Chloé’s mouth, and she dropped him, catching him on her tongue with a giggle just before she snapped her mouth shut, swallowing the last man down with a flourish.

“Mmm…” Chloé licked her lips playfully, “A belly full of humans has a nice feel to it,” she patted her stomach, which had once again bulged slightly.

“So uh…” Mika gulped, fighting the mixed feelings of trepidation and excitement, “I guess there’s just me left!?”

“Oh, now you want me to eat you?” Chloé teased, “I don’t know…”

“You’re joking, right?” Mika asked, almost desperate.

Chloé reached for him, bringing him up to her mouth as she had for the previous passengers, then stopped him a few feet from her massive lips. She gave a low giggle as she saw his expression, then gently tapped the top of his head with her free hand, ruffling his hair.

“I want it to be special, if we do that,” she said quietly, “I don’t want to share that with a dozen strangers and Oklahoma.”

“I guess that’s okay,” Mika muttered, “but where am I going then? Are you just going to hold me while you swim?”

“Oh no,” Chloé smirked, “You’ll need to go somewhere safe, somewhere you’ve been before, and that’s why I saved you for last!”

She lifted him over her body again, lowering him down to the puffy lips of her labia. Mika’s world flipped as she turned him upside down, pressing his head against her slick opening. Her womanhood enveloped his shoulders, and a second later his arms were pinned to his side as he slid in up to his waist, the soft fleshy walls gripping him as if gleeful to have him return.

“Oh yeah,” Chloé growled, pulling her hand away. Her tail flipped up out of the water, dripping water as the tip pressed against Mika’s legs, forcing him the rest of the way in as she hissed in pleasure.

This time Mika’s journey towards her womb was quick, deliberate. Chloé’s long vaginal canal shuffled him along eagerly, bringing him to the tight portal at the end. His hands felt around for a moment, finally pushing the doorway of her cervix open and allowing him to slip down into the deepest part of Chloé’s womanhood with a wet *plopping* sound.

Chloé shivered, feeling her body ensnare Mika in a way that sent tingles up her spine. With her lover trapped in the depths of her womb, and her belly full of humans, it was hard not to feel satisfied, and she let herself have a few minutes to just float on the sea under the early morning sun before beginning her swim towards land.

Inside her belly the passengers, calmed and protected by the mixture of the fruit and her stomach juices, swayed slightly, bobbed up and down by the Naga’s up and down diving through the water.

“Captain, did we die?” someone asked.

“I don’t think so,” he muttered. “How are the wounded?”

“I’m great sir!” the man with the red stained shirt said, sitting up with a smile.

Oklahoma frowned, “That’s weird, I could’ve sworn that guy was-“

“Bleeding out,” The captain muttered.

Oklahoma looked down at her own hands, flexing them and realizing the small cuts and scratches over them had sealed up. She thought about questioning it, but decided she was simply too tired.

“Hey, Mika, come take a look at-” She frowned, “Mika?” She pounded her fist on the fleshy wall a moment, “Hey Chloé, send Mika down!”

“He’s already somewhere else!” Chloé’s rumbling voice called back.

Deep within her womb Mika fought a laugh, “Don’t worry, I’m safe and sound!”

Oklahoma and the crew all looked to the wall of her stomach, doing the mental calculation on where the sound had come from. 

Oklahoma scowled and rolled her eyes, “I guess that’s why she saved him for last…”

“Hold on,” Carl shouted, “Did he get to go in the giant snake lady’s-”

“He’s her boyfriend, or something,” Oklahoma said with a wave, “so I wouldn’t get any ideas.”

“That’s uh… quite the relationship,” the captain muttered.

“Yeah, I try not to think too much about the mechanics,” Oklahoma said with a shrug, “I think we’ll all be in here a while, does anyone have a deck of cards?” 

…

Emilia paced the shores of the Scottish coast, scowling as the cool wind blew through her hair and chilled her through her thick coat.

I should have betrayed Natasha somewhere warmer, she thought bitterly. She pulled her phone from her pocket, checking the tracking beacon she’d put on Oklahoma’s satellite phone. She’s just offshore, but there’s nothing there! She glanced out to sea, there was a misty fog in the air, but not so much that a boat would be missed, indeed the rocky coastline here was desolate and abandoned.

She thought of how she’d introduce herself, I need to be seen as regal, she decided, knowledgeable and ancient… She made sure her Grimoire was visible, strapped to her side as always. Idly she wondered if she should remove her wig, revealing her catlike ears, but decided to let them see her as a human first.

The phone beeped, and she glanced at it again, It must be broken, she thought, it shows her practically on top of me-

There was a rush of water as Chloé breached the surface, rolling up onto the beach like a viking longship slamming into the sand with an earth shaking force that left Emilia stunned.

“Oooh… this place is cold, ” Chloé muttered, shivering. She reached her hand down to her labia, cupping her hand over her slit as Mika slid out.

“Wow, you found it,” Mika laughed.

“I just sort of knew, ” Chloé said, “Like I’ve swam this way before…”

“It could be some kind of genetic memory,” Mika mused, “I think your people used to migrate over the oceans to-“

“EXCUSE ME!” Emilia shouted, waving up at them.

The giant naga, and the human in her palm, looked down at her, “Remember what we said to do if anyone saw you,” Mika hissed.

Chloé nodded, “I am the Loch Ness monster!” she declared with a grin, “Nessie! I’m friendly, so there’s no need to be afraid-”

“We’re two hundred kilometers from Loch Ness!” Emilia scowled, “And your name is Chloé, the human Mika!”

Mika frowned, crossing his arms as he looked down at her, “I don’t like that you know our names, can we get yours?”

“My name is Emilia!” she said with a grin, “I know you’re probably suspicious, and you should be! But I’m here to help, where is Oklahoma? She can help me explain.”

“Uh, guys?” Oklahoma’s muffled shout came from inside Chloé’s belly, “I don’t know what’s going on out there, but that fruit’s wearing off, and a lot of us in here are starting to freak out a little.”

“T-They’re starting to get a bit wiggly in there,” Chloé muttered, rubbing her belly as her passenger’s hands felt along her insides.

“Just stay calm!” Mika shouted.

“You’re not the one in a giant stomach!” Oklahoma replied, “my skin’s getting a little itchy, and I don’t think that’s a good sign!”

“Oh, she’s…” Emilia’s face paled, “Y-You ate her?”

“It’s a long story, but we’re going to get her and everyone else out!” Mika said. Chloé slowly lowered him down to the coarse black sand.

“Everyone else!?” Emilia squeaked. She practically sprinted to Mika, causing him to tense as she got closer, “How many people has Chloé been eating?” she hissed.

“None!” Chloé said defensively, “Or… well, none that haven’t done something to us.”

“I’m sorry, I’m still not sure who you are,” Mika said, glancing at Emilia, “but we need to figure this out, so I’ll deal with whatever you want later.” He turned back to Chloé, “Okay, can you bring them back up?”

Chloé grimaced, focusing. Deep inside of her Oklahoma and the crew cried out in surprise as the fleshy walls around them roiled, pressing them upwards towards her throat. Oklahoma’s arms were pressed to her sides as she was forced up into the tube of Chloé’s throat again, but she only made it a few feet before sliding back down, landing on a pair of men with a grunt.

“Didn’t work Chloé!” she shouted.

“I-I’m sorry,” Chloé stammered, “I’ve done this before with fruit that wasn’t ripe, but I’ve never tried to bring a human back up!”

“You need to focus,” Mika said, “Your digestive system is a lot like a snake’s, you should be able to bring them back up!”

“I can’t!” Chloé whined nervously.

“E-Excuse me!” Emilia squeaked. The pair looked at her, and she withdrew her grimoire, flipping through the pages, “A Naga that has not completed the appropriate temple will not be able to retrieve a human from her stomach,” Emilia explained, “her predatory instincts are too strong, they override her ability to bring things back up.”

“So that’s it?” Mika asked, horrified, “they’re going to-“

“No,” Emilia said with a small smile, “the ancient Naga had this problem from time to time as well, you’ll simply need to retrieve them in a more traditional way.” She glanced along the beach, nodding as she saw a buoy washed up on shore, a long twisted rope nearly as long as Chloé coiled next to it. “Help me tie that to a rock, Chloé? You’ll need to swallow the line and then lay on your back, they should be able to grip it, then you slowly move backwards and the rope, and the humans holding it, will slip out of your throat.”

“How do you know all of this?” Mika asked, walking with her to the buoy.

Emilia chuckled, “We have a lot to discuss Mika, but for now let’s get your friends out of the Naga’s belly.”