Chloé grimaced, watching as the crew of the cargo ship emerged from her mouth, one by one. The long rope line was tied tightly around a large rock formation, providing an anchor point as the humans the enormous Naga had swallowed pulled themselves against her powerful throat. With a gasp, Oklahoma emerged last, leaping down out of Chloé’s open mouth into the sand.

“Ith that everyone?” Chloé mumbled around the rope.

“Yeah,” Oklahoma nodded, “you can pull it out.”

Chloé nodded, wincing in discomfort as she began to pull the line free. She coughed one last time as the frayed rope exited her mouth, and with a grimace she let it fall to the sand. 

“Begging your pardon miss, uh… Chloé,” the captain called, waving for her. 

“Hm?” Chloé asked, looking down at the captain as his crew gathered behind him.

“We’d like to express our thanks,” the captain said nervously, “We’d have certainly been food for a mermaid, or lost at sea if not for you…”

“You’re awesome!” one of the sailors shouted behind the captain, causing the old man to start in surprise. The others joined in, clapping and cheering as the towering naga blushed.

“T-Thanks,” Chloé stammered, “I don’t know what to say!” 

“You’ll always be a hero to us,” the captain nodded, “Now then, is everyone well enough to walk?”

“I’m fine, but my skin is itchy as hell,” Oklahoma said, scratching at her arm. The ship’s crew agreed, and several of them had red welts breaking out along their arms. 

“Hmm… likely the acid,” Emilia mused, “Excuse me, everyone!” she called, getting the cargo crew’s attention, “I’m a uh… Doctor, and you need to go rinse off in the ocean, otherwise the acids will continue to irritate your skin! After that please line up single file so I can examine you!”

The men mumbled in agreement, and Oklahoma nodded one final time before following them to the surf. Mika watched them go a moment, then turned back to Emilia.

“So,” he began, “would you care to tell me who you are? How you knew we’d be here?”

“As I said, my name is Emilia!” she said, extending a hand with a grin.

Mika returned the handshake uncertainly, “Are you with the people that have been after us?”

“Ouroboros, yes,” Emilia nodded. She saw Chloé’s dark expression, and gulped as the Naga loomed up over the pair, “B-But I’m not with them anymore!” she explained quickly.

Mika crossed his arms, glancing up at Chloé with a smile. It was nice to have the upper hand for a change, and he was going to press the advantage.

“I guess the big questions I have are why are they after us, and why did you leave them?”

“ If she did,” Chloé growled, “This could be a trick Mika!”

“There’s no trick!” Emilia said, raising her hands, “They…” she chewed her lip, debating just how much to tell them. “They want what’s in the center of the Temple of Eternity, they’re planning on forcing Chloé to open it for them.”

“I won’t,” Chloé said angrily, “what’s in there belongs to the Naga!” She frowned, “What is in there, exactly?”

“What form it takes, I don’t know,” Emilia sighed, “only one living being does, and she is not on our side. What I do know, is that it’s the source of many of the Naga’s unearthly abilities, I don’t like to use the word ‘magic,’ but it’s close enough…”

“And Ouroboros thinks they’re going to use it to make money somehow?” Mika sighed, “typical corporation…”

Much worse than that, Emilia thought, but she kept it to herself. She wasn’t ready to reveal her true heritage to them just yet, better to let them believe she was simply a turncoat human employee.

“I need to go treat the men,” Emilia said quickly, scurrying along the beach. If she hadn’t been wearing a thick wool hat, they’d have seen her feline ears twitch nervously.

“Hey, you’re the person who’s been sending me money,” Oklahoma muttered, wiping her wet hair out of her eyes as Emilia approached. The woman frowned, trying to remember who exactly Emilia was. “Something’s off about you,” Oklahoma realized, her eyes widening, “You’ve been messing with my head somehow!”

For a brief moment Emilia thought about applying a fresh layer of mental conditioning to the pilot, but decided against it. She’d need their trust going forward, and mind controlling a member of the group now would make an already difficult job harder.

“Yes,” Emilia said, “I hypnotized you.”

Oklahoma gulped, “Like those shows in Vegas!?”

“Something like that,” Emilia said quietly, “I needed to be able to work with you without you knowing, or anyone else knowing for that matter.”

“And I’m guessing you found us because of this?” Oklahoma reached into her pocket and pulled out the satellite phone.

“I understand you might feel a little used, ” Emilia said in a low voice, “but I didn’t have a choice, and it’s only because of my help that you three have made it this far! Would your enemy send you money and hide your location?”

“I’d like to talk this over with Mika and snake-girl,” Oklahoma said, crossing her arms.

“Please, not yet,” Emilia begged, “I promise, I’ll tell you everything I know, but it’s going to be very difficult if they figure out my true nature right now!”

“You mean the fact that you’ve got ears and a tail?” Oklahoma said, causing Emilia to flinch. “Yeah, that’s right catgirl, it’s all coming back to me now.”

“You really do have an impressive willpower,” Emilia grumbled, “most people wouldn’t have remembered that for years.”

“My impressive willpower got me kicked out of my state’s National Guard,” Oklahoma smirked, “now do you have any reason I shouldn’t run over there and tell Mika and Chloé about you?”

“Money?” Emilia said weakly.

Oklahoma rubbed her chin, “A few weeks ago that might have done it, but I’ve grown something of a soft spot for those two, so you’ll need something more.”

Emilia sighed, looking the pilot in the eye, “I’m trying to help you, all three of you, I know I haven’t earned it, but I’m begging you to trust me here.”

Oklahoma’s face was stone, and her hand slowly moved down. Emilia’s heart raced as she wondered if the human was about to draw her gun, but she simply adjusted her jacket, then kicked the sand.

“You seem pretty sincere,” Oklahoma said finally, “and what’s one more leap of faith on a monster?”

“I’m not a-“

“Catgirls, Snakegirls, you’re all monsters to me,” Oklahoma shrugged. “Go tend to the captain and his crew, I have a feeling I know what you’re going to do.”

Emilia sighed, then nodded, walking over to the men. The ship’s crew had lined up in the sand as she’d requested, shuffling their feet nervously. They were scared, tired, their minds would be weak and easy to manipulate.

“Hello captain,” she sighed, taking the grizzled man’s hand, “I’m just going to do a quick check for a concussion, would you please repeat my words back to me?”

“All right,” the captain said uncomfortably.

“A storm sank my ship,” Emilia began, willing the man’s memory to change, “my men and I washed ashore, and then we went to go look for help.”

“A storm sank my ship,” the captain droned, a look of confusion, and then acceptance coming over his features. “My men and I washed ashore, and then we went to go look for help.”

“Good,” Emilia nodded, walking down to the next man, “take my hand please…”

…

Chloé and Mika watched as Emilia talked to the ship’s crew, one by one. When she was done, the men convened together, then followed their captain as he marched inland, their footprints in the sand ending as they reached the marshy shores of the Scottish highlands.

Emilia turned back to them, walking towards the pair with Oklahoma in tow, “Where are they going?” Mika called.

“They’re going to look for a town,” Emilia called.

Mika’s eyes went wide, “What if they tell someone about us!?”

“They won’t,” Oklahoma said grimly. Emilia shot a panicked look at her, but the pilot just shrugged, “Don’t worry, that group won’t sell us out.”

“If you’re sure,” Mika said, shifting uneasily. Something about Oklahoma’s suddenly serious demeanor was putting him off.

“Is there anything else you want to tell us?” Chloé asked, her eyes narrowing as she leaned over, her enormous face filling Emilia’s vision as she glared at her.

“N-No,” Emilia stammered, “I’m just here to help! Honest! We need to stop Ouroboros together!”

Chloé stared at her a minute, then relented, leaning back and crossing her arms, “Her heartbeat seems steady.”

“You can hear our heartbeats?” Oklahoma asked skeptically.

“Ker thump ker thump,” Chloé grinned, echoing the beat of Oklahoma’s own heart, “Oh, yours is picking up a little now.”

“Yeah, because that’s freaky as hell,” the pilot muttered.

“Chloé is a predator,” Mika said neutrally, “Emilia, I really hope you’re telling the truth about everything, but if you’re not…” Chloé grinned behind him, licking her lips for emphasis.

Calm yourself down! Emilia told herself, fighting the urge to reach for the grimoire in her satchel. In her long life the archivist had rarely, if ever, put herself in real peril, instead leaving the danger to warriors like Yukia. She breathed out slowly, forcing herself to look up into Chloé’s eyes, the eyes of her natural predator, her ancient and hated enemy.

“I’m telling the truth,” she said calmly. “I can tell you where the location of the temple is, if you’d like. It’s very close.”

Mika frowned, pulling his father’s journal from his own bag, “I could use a hand,” he admitted. “All we know is that it’s in Scotland, near where the oldest oaks grow.”

Emilia smiled, “I don’t know about the oaks, I calculated the position by the growth of Lemurian trees, if you map out every place they’ve ever grown it forms a line between the temples.”

“How’d that happen?” Chloé asked curiously, “I thought the Lemurian trees only grew where I’m from?”

“Normally,” Emilia chuckled, “but the seeds often uh… pass through, when Naga eat the fruit, they then sprout across the world in more or less straight lines between the temple locations. While years haven’t been kind to these Lemurian saplings, I mapped them when they existed, allowing me to easily pinpoint the temples.” She started a moment, “That is to say, I consulted records on where they used to be.”

“So you know where the temples are?” Mika asked, raising an eyebrow. She slipped up there, he thought to himself, told me something she didn’t mean to, but what?

“I can give you the remaining locations easily,” Emilia said with a nod, “along with plenty of funds to make it there!”

“Tell you what,” Mika said, crossing his arms, “Why don’t you start by giving us the location of the temple here, then, if everything goes well, we can talk about you going with us to the next one.”

“That’s fair enough,” Emilia said with a smile. She turned inland, “You’ll want to go thirty miles inland, keeping due east from this shore, you’ll see a large peak, taller than the others, overlooking a small lake. You won’t be able to miss it.”

“And you aren’t coming?” Mika asked with a frown.

“We’re going to town to figure out how we’re getting to our next destination,” Oklahoma nodded, “We already had a little chat… I guess we’re going to Egypt next?”

“That’s correct,” Emilia nodded.

“Egypt…” Mika sighed, “I guess if you’re looking for lost temples, you’ve got to go there eventually.” He looked up at Chloé, “Ready to go?”

The massive naga’s hand came down behind him, and he stepped onto it, his balance shaking slightly as she lifted him into the air, her fingers curling around his body as she began slithering inland. She spared one last glance at Emilia and Oklahoma, her gaze lingering on the disguised Neko for a moment, before continuing on her way.

Emilia breathed out slowly, “I thought for sure-“

“She knows something’s up with you,” Oklahoma said, cutting her off.

Emilia blinked, “Do you think so?”

Oklahoma shrugged, “Chloé doesn’t know a lot about the world, but she’s not stupid. Anyone talking to you back there would know you’re hiding something , those two have just decided that you might be worth the risk.”

“Right,” Emilia sighed, “I suppose we’d best get moving.” She shivered, feeling the wind blow across the moor, “at least Egypt will be warmer than here…”

…

Chloé grimaced, feeling her skin prickle at the chilly weather. A light snow had started, the flakes sticking to her hair and melting, slowly plastering it to her skin. She forced herself onwards, sliding her massive scaled tail over the rocks and crevices, forcing herself to slow lest she hurt herself on the rough terrain.

“T-This is a lot different from the jungle back home,” She said, her teeth chattering.

“Yeah,” Mika agreed, suddenly very grateful for the warmth of her fingers around his body. He frowned as he looked up at her, “Are you going to be okay?” Chloé wasn’t cold blooded, her body heat was proof enough of that, and she was doing far better than he would if he were naked in this weather, but her discomfort was easily visible.

“Yeah,” Chloé said, steeling herself. She looked down at him with a smirk, “What about you?”

The wind bit his cheeks, causing them to go red as the snow picked up, “I-I think I’m okay in your hand,” he shivered. It wasn’t really true, his clothing from the ship was a simple pair of summer shorts a shorts sleeved polo, completely unfit for a trek across the Scottish highlands in late autumn. Another gust of wind caused him to wince, trying to force himself lower into the Chloé’s warm grip.

“I don’t know,” Chloé said, grinning slightly, “I think I need to carry you someplace warmer. ”

Mika looked up at her curiously, “What are you-“

She lifted him up over her, opening her mouth and letting her tongue loll out with a giggle. Her fingers released him, letting him flail through the frigid air before landing on the soft palette of her tongue. Hot, humid, and under the circumstances pleasant, air billowed over him as the tongue withdrew, pulling him past her lips and into her mouth. Her lips sealed, leaving him inside, and a low rumbling giggle voiced her amusement. Still, as the soft wall of her tongue batted him playfully back and forth, he had to admit it was warmer in here.

…

Yukia growled angrily, her tail swishing back and forth as she stared across the desert. The Four Corners monument in the United States was solely to commemorate the political barriers between four of the country’s states, and despite having it explained to her several times Yukia couldn’t understand the importance, or why it merited the large bronze plaque beneath her feet.

The small parking lot and the various souvenir stands had been cleared out, and were now occupied by masked soldiers, shifting uneasily as they readied their weapons for an attack that Yukia was increasingly sure wasn’t coming. The locals had been a mix of merchants from the local Native reservations and a few tourists, all had been easily sent on their way with a few official looking documents, or in a few cases large stacks of the American paper currency. Still, there was no sign of the Naga, or Mika for that matter.

Her phone rang, and she scowled, answering it, “This is Yukia.”

“This is Higgins,” the man’s voice rasped.

Yukia rolled her eyes, reaching for her grimoire, “Ah yes, Higgins, my trusty…” her finger traced along the pages of the large book, finding the entry she’d made for the man, “Mercenary,” she finished, “what news do you have?”

“Emilia knocked the pilot and I out, I think she’s abandoned the organization,” Higgins said.

Yukia’s eyes went wide, “She’s double crossing us!? I always knew she was soft, but…” She swore angrily under her breath, “Go to the nearest base and check in, Natasha will want to speak with you immediately.” She hung up the phone, her ears flat against her head as she fought the urge to hiss.

“E-Excuse me,” a woman’s voice stammered.

Yukia turned to see a young woman with a nose ring, a tablet, and a tape recorder, “What? Who are you?”

“I’m with the uh, staff,” the woman lied, “What are you catgirls doing at the four corners monument? Is this related to the giant snake woman in the South American jungle?”

Yukia glared at her, “Did you not read your briefing!?” She rubbed her temples in frustration, “Yes, we’re trying to get to her before she can reach all the temples!”

The woman nodded eagerly, “And what about-“

“I don’t have time for this!” Yukia snarled, “out of my way unless you want to be dinner!”

The woman squeaked, but scurried off. Mentally she was already composing her story for the Weekly World News, Catgirls Miss Snake-Woman at Four Corners: Hunt Continues…

…

Natasha’s billowing black hair trailed behind her as she stormed angrily into the large antebellum mansion. Located deep in the Louisiana Bayou, it was one of the Princesse’s original holdings from the days of French settlement in the area, and while it had been updated through the years with modern amenities and security, it still retained the classical charm of the palace in Versailles.

Yukia and Higgins were already waiting for her in the foyer, the mercenary looking pale after the hours of questioning he’d endured. To his credit he managed a stoic expression as she glanced over him, gesturing with a single finger for the pair of them to follow her into her sitting room.

“It’s true then,” Natasha snarled, “She’s joined the snake?”

“We don’t know that,” Yukia said hesitantly. “We just know she abandoned her escort, and her accounts have been emptied…”

“There’s no reason she would wait until now to desert unless she was going over to them,” Natasha sighed, collapsing into a large easy chair. She looked at Yukia and Higgins, then snapped her fingers, “Sit!” The pair obeyed, seating themselves at a couch across from her as she reached for a bottle of imported Rosé the mansion’s staff had left for her. She poured herself a glass, downing it quickly as her ears twitched in frustration.

“Ma’am, with all due respect,” Higgins began, “if this woman is a problem for your organization, a team can be assembled to-“

“We can’t just kill Emilia,” Natasha sighed, placing her wine glass on the end table, “She holds too many ancient secrets… if we simply gun her down, we might need answers to something a century or two down the line and not even know where to start looking! At the very least we need her grimoire, if I had that in my hands I could stomach the thought of her… gone.”

The sound of footsteps on the elegant tiled floor interrupted them, and the trio turned to see a man walking down the hall to join them in the sitting room. His sharp white suit contrasted sharply with his dark skin, and the salt and pepper colored mustache he had curled in a smile as he saw Natasha, and he raised the hooked prosthetic to greet her.

“Mon cheri,” he greeted with the hint of an accent, “It has been too long since I’ve had the pleasure of visiting one of your villas!”

“Ah, Charboneau,” Natasha smiled, “I’m so glad you could make it! I was so worried you’d be dead, or too old to help…””

“To have one such as you remember my name is the highest compliment,” the man said, taking a seat in an empty easy chair. “I am old though, Princesse.”

Natasha looked at him curiously, cocking her head, “ Are you too old to help? I’m sorry, my grasp of human years isn’t what it could be.“

“I have the bellboy carry my bags now,” the man replied, reaching for the wine bottle with his good hand as Natasha offered it, “but I can still pull a trigger. Might I ask why I’ve been called out of my blissful retirement?” he glanced at Higgins with a smirk, “it seems there’s plenty of young blood around for your needs.” He poured himself a glass, swirling it and smiling as he saw the liquid stick to the edges slightly.

“It’s a very personal matter,” Natasha said quietly, “and it’s related to one of your old jobs, I want it finished right. ”

“I’m listening,” Charboneau said with a toothy grin.

“The boy from the Lemurian Jungle, as you recall his parents were studying the ruins there?”

The man chuckled, eyeing his hooked hand, tilting it and watching it glint in the light, “Yes, a memorable affair… The mother and father died quite bravely; the archivist refused to allow me to finish the family off.”

“The boy is back,” Natasha spat, “and he’s with a Naga.”

Charboneau’s eyes went wide, “Mon Dieu!” He sipped his Rosé a moment, “Surely you don’t expect me to kill such a creature on my own?”

Natasha laughed, and after a moment Charboneau joined her, “Of course not, mon ami!” She composed herself, “I simply wish for you to lead a group of men to capture the boy for me, with him at my side, the Naga will do as I say… And I want Emilia as well.”

“Alive?” Charboneau asked with a frown, “I am not the dog-catcher Natasha, or cat-catcher rather…”

“I want you to kill Emilia,” Natasha said quietly, “but I need her grimoire, and I’d like to talk to her one last time first…”

“Not to forgive I hope?” the man growled.

“No,” Natasha chuckled, “that ship has sailed…” She stood up, looking over the three of them, “You will have whatever resources you need to make this happen, we do know the location of one of the Naga’s temples, it’s in our own homeland of Kemet.” She smiled, raising her glass in a mock toast, “Prepare an ambush for them, it only makes sense that our final triumph over the snakes should occur in the land of our birth!”

…

Mika’s head was poking out through the pillowy portal of Chloé’s lips as he scanned the horizon, “Over there!” he shouted, grunting as he forced his finger through her pressed lips to point at a nearby mountain. “That’s got to be the one Emilia was talking about!”

Chloé nodded, slithering down the ridge towards the large lake. The edges were beginning to freeze as the snow fell, and a long troughlike trail was left in Chloé’s wake as she slithered along the edge of the water. Oak trees, tall and ancient, dotted the landscape around them.

Chloé’s ears piqued as she heard the rushing water underground, “MM!” she mumbled, unable to speak with Mika in her mouth.

“What!?” he called, “Are we close!?”

“Pfft!” she spat him into her palm, fighting a laugh at the way he tumbled against the wall of her raised fingers. “I hear the fountains!” she said excitedly.

“Great,” Mika said, fighting a shiver, “I hope your ancestors had central heating…” He glanced around, spotting a long line of white stone, crumbled, yet unmistakably straight in a way that nature would never allow, something only a human mind would plan. “Try over there!” he said, pointing to it.

Chloé moved towards the line of bleached stone, and a moment later the world began to shake. She stopped, watching hesitantly as a large pillar of stone emerged from the hillside at an angle. She frowned as she saw the shape, it was unmistakably phallic, and she fought a giggle as she realized just how much the massive stone monument emerging resembled Mika’s own manhood.

“Wow,” he muttered, seeing it, “I uh…” he cleared his throat, “so, we had to kiss the last pillar to enter the temple, what do we do with this one?”

“I think it’s kind of obvious,” Chloé giggled, slithering up to it and running a finger along its length. As if in response a series of runes lit up along the sides, and at the very top a human shaped silhouette formed.

“Yes, obvious,” Mika chuckled.

“Okay, well… hold on?” Chloé said with a hesitant shrug, placing him on the top of the massive stone pillar. 

“It’s warm,” he muttered, placing his palm on the smooth surface. 

Chloé ran a finger up the side, giggling at the way the stone’s heat contrasted with the sharp cold of the air. 

“T-This is probably a way to check to see if we completed the previous temple’s challenge,” Mika reasoned, “Since it required me to go in your deepest-“

“Or it could just be for fun?” Chloé guessed, grinning as she reared her body up over him. “Ready?”

“Ready,” he nodded, gulping as he saw the puffy lips of her womanhood rising up over him.

Chloé bit her lip, grunting as she impaled herself on the long smooth length of the stone shaft. Mika disappeared instantly, driven deep inside of her, the warmth of her vaginal canal hitting him like a surprise wave on a calm sea as she slid herself against the gigantic phallic statue.

“Ohh…” Chloé muttered, clenching her hands against the grassy hillside. “This feels great! ”

Mika was slammed against the solid rock behind him, pinned in place by the motion of Chloé’s rocking hips. As always her insides were slightly luminescent, the light from outside somehow passing through and giving him a clear view of the slick and puffy walls of flesh all around him .  The slick wetness of Chloé’s arousal became a flood as he was pressed to the very depths of her womanhood, and he grunted as he felt the tight ring of her cervix against his body.

“Almost there,” Chloé muttered.

Mika tried to move, but with Chloé’s rising and falling motions against the monolithic pillar, it was like trying to swim during a storm at sea. He soon found himself forced, bit by bit, through the portal to her womb once again, the world around him vibrating with a shuddering orgasm as Chloé sighed happily outside, resting against the hillside as if it were the arms of a lover.

The light Mika had seen seemed to burst, and a moment later a new rumbling could be felt, even here in the depths of the Naga’s most intimate place. Chloé turned her head dreamily, smiling as she watched the cavernous tunnel in the side of the mountain rise out of the hillside, the rock tumbling away to reveal the pathway to the ancient temple.

“I think I liked that one better than the last one,” Chloé giggled. She lay there for a moment, waiting for Mika to slowly force his way out of her, and when he neared her entrance she lowered hand, catching him as he slid out. “Ready?” She asked him, raising him up to her face with a grin.

“Always,” he nodded, wiping some of her cum out of his eyes.

With her lover in hand, Chloé descended into the mountain’s depths, journeying to the next of her people’s hidden temples.

…

Higgins stared impassively at Yukia as the catgirl held a squirming tiny human over her face, letting the man drop into her open mouth with a scream. Her delicate pink lips closed over him, and a moment later there was a loud *gulp* as the tiny bulge trailed down her neck, silencing the cries for mercy.

“Ah,” Yukia grumbled, “Nothing like a live breakfast.” She was lounging by the large pool in the back of Natasha’s manor, having called Higgins to attend to her the day after their meeting with the others.

“Is there something I can help you with, Miss Yukia?” he asked, as politely as he could.

“Yeah,” the neko mumbled, her tail flicking with interest as she regarded him, “I was thinking, that Charboneau guy, what do you make of him?”

“He seems to have earned the Princesse’s trust,” Higgins remarked, “Although I don’t know if it’s… appropriate, to have such a zeal for the line of work we are in.” He frowned, remembering the other man’s grin as he’d heard he’d be tracking down an old mark that had escaped. A person who kills for hire can be a machine or a monster, he thought somewhat bitterly,  it’s better to believe in nothing than to love evil…

“Yeah, I don’t like how she treats him,” Yukia scowled, “Like, sure, we all have humans we like, take you Hoppins.”

“Higgins,” he corrected.

“That’s what I said!” Yukia waved dismissively, “Anyways, we all have humans that are different from the rest, sometimes you set them up with a nice life, some you just want to keep as your tiny pet for a while, but humans are humans, you can’t be getting that close to them…” She glanced at Higgins a moment, “Out of curiosity, did you ever have a hamster, Hawkins? Did you keep it in a cage with bars, or solid glass?”

“Never had a hamster,” Higgins said mildly, “Is there anything else, Miss Yukia?”

“No,” Yukia waved, “Go and prepare my soldiers, you’ll be serving me personally from now on.”

“As you wish,” he bowed slightly. Walking back towards the mansion. He entered the massive doors, noticing the way one of the other guards flinched as he entered. He stopped, regarding the man a moment, “Is there something on your mind, soldier?” he asked in a low voice.

The man fidgeted a moment, glancing out at Yukia, who was still sunbathing casually, “Seeing them do what they do…” he gulped, trying to collect himself, “I was prepared for a lot when I was recruited, but not for this.”

Higgins nodded, “You and I should play cards after your shift, if there’s anyone else you know who feels the same way, maybe we could all help each other with those feelings.”

The man’s eyes widened, and he nodded, “Y-Yes sir.”

Why did I do that? He wondered, walking down the hall with his arms behind his back. He’d never sought to gather comrades in any other organization he’d been in, always seeking to complete the job and move on. This time I’m after something bigger, he reminded himself. He frowned; he couldn’t remember what that bigger thing was though…

…

Chloé held Mika in her palm as they descended into the massive cavern. The rock soon gave way to immense and intricate carvings, swirling celtic knots formed into curved and dancing shapes, horses, moons, ankhs, and eventually serpents.

“Interesting,” Mika noted, pointing to the walls, “These are very different from what we saw in the temples in Central and South America, this indicates the Naga didn’t just rule over one culture, but several… these designs look Celtic, with maybe a slight Norse influence?” He shook his head, “neither are my area of expertise, regrettably.”

“I like it,” Chloé said eagerly, pausing to admire a massive pair of statues, bearded axemen nearly as tall as she was. “So you think my people ruled over these guys?”

“I think your ancestors were revered as gods,” Mika said, looking up at her with a smile.

“Maybe,” Chloé muttered, “I don’t know if that’s really how I’d want it…” She chewed her lip, trying to find the words, “I really liked the way it felt to save the ship’s crew,” she said finally, “and I like spending time with you and Oklahoma. I don’t know if Goddesses get to have friends.”

The pair blinked together, shielding their eyes as they came to a chamber with a massive glowing crystal at the roof, shining nearly as brightly as the sun itself. Below it grew several of the Lemurian fruit trees, not the small struggling saplings as they’d seen in Mexico, but full stout things that towered over Chloé, brushing slightly against the top of the cavern’s roof.

“Wow,” Chloé breathed, “look!” she pointed up at the dangling orbs of the Lemurian fruit, swollen, moist, and ripe.

“Put me down,” Mika ordered, looking up at the cavern walls. They were lined with carvings, and while they were in a style that was distinctively native to the area, the meaning was just as evident as the ones in the new world temples. Chloé obliged, setting him down as he walked forward, studying the runes.

“Can I eat a few of these?” Chloé asked, plucking one of the ripe fruit, “I’m famished!” She paused, her eyes going wide as a new fruit seemed to blossom and balloon from the branch in seconds, filling out and hanging, ready to be picked once again in seconds.

“Eat as many as you want,” Mika chuckled, “I have a feeling we’ll have as many as we need.” He looked up at the tree, the technology, or magic, in these temples is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. He regarded the fruit, then the carvings, “obviously they’re part of this temple’s test somehow.”

Chloé snacked on the fruit behind him, chewing on it, and swallowing the fruit down. A red light filled the room, startling the pair.

“ Welcome it in unharmed, send it to your depths unharmed.”

It was the same voice as the previous temple, once again it spoke to them not in English, but to their minds directly.

“Uh, I don’t understand,” Chloé muttered, looking around, “What did I do wrong?”

“You need to swallow it whole,” he said, pointing to the wall. He grimaced as he looked to the next part, showing a human following the fruit down a cutaway of the snake goddess’s throat. “Then…” He gulped, deciding not to say the next part, “it needs to get into your stomach intact,” he finished.

“Okay,” Chloé sighed, gripping one of the fruit, “Here goes…” She slowly peeled it, tilted her head back as Mika watched, dropping one of the fruit down into her mouth. Her lips snapped shut, and she gulped loudly, swallowing the fruit down. She coughed suddenly, feeling the uncomfortable mass sliding along her trachea.

“Relax,” Mika said, “Come on, you’ve swallowed a whole crew of sailors already!”

“H-Humans are smaller, and you’re soft,” Chloé replied, coughing as she tried to work the lump down her throat. She grimaced as she felt it lodge against the entrance to her stomach. She concentrated, feeling the fruit stick in place, “Come on…” she muttered.

“Just let it in,” Mika said impatiently.

“It’s hard!” she rasped.

“Let me see if there’s any hints over here,” Mika said, looking back at the walls. He scanned down, frowning as he saw the runic inscriptions change shape suddenly, taking on a more jagged and Nordic appearance. One group of hieroglyphs showed a group of men in horned helmets raising axes against what looked like a trio of humans with feline features, cat ears and tails…

“Mika!” Chloé coughed, “I think I need some help!”

“What can I…” he looked down her body, his gaze lingering on her womanhood for a moment. These tests seem to involve going within Chloé’s body… am I supposed to help her with this? “Lay on your back,” he said suddenly.

Chloé beamed excitedly, laying down along the stone temple floor. Her mouth gaped open, a glistening cavern with a dark and inviting interior. Her tongue lolled out, a red carpet welcoming him in.

Part of him was oddly excited about this. He’d been fearing and fantasizing about the thought of going down Chloé’s throat for weeks now, and as he felt her warm breath was over him he felt pins and needles racing up and down his spine. Her tongue squished beneath his hands and knees as he climbed in, hefting himself up into her mouth in full.

“Okay,” he said, breathing out slowly as he climbed in, “Just… go slow, okay?”

His world shifted, and then he was seized by the massive walls of flesh, forcing him downward just a as a vacuum force gripped him, sending him down. He grunted as he was buffeted against the sides of her throat, sliding forward as though on a water slide. With Chloé laying on her back he was able to stretch his hands out, stopping himself after a few feet with a wet shlicking sound.

Mika looked back for a moment, seeing the roof of the temple distantly beyond the gate of Chloé’s mouth. It was like the last light of freedom at the end of a long tunnel, taunting him beyond the flopped over uvula laying against the roof of her mouth. He forced himself to turn away from it, looking down the dark cavern of her throat. 

“Okay,” he shouted, “I’m moving down!”

Chloé tried to respond, but between the fruit and the tiny human lodged in her throat, she couldn’t. She grimaced, fighting the urge to swallow as he slowly crept along the length of her esophagus. Every instinct was telling her to fill her mouth with saliva, sending both Mika and the fruit down into her stomach.

Mika could feel the undulating muscle around him, and he felt his hair stand on end as he realized he was seconds away from being sent to Chloé’s stomach at any second, being devoured like the prey he surely was. Saliva dripped around him, flowing slowly and coating him in a sticky wetness that plastered his hair to his scalp. 

Focus, he thought, licking his lips. The fruit was just ahead, plugging the entrance to Chloé’s stomach like a massive boulder blocking a mountain pass. Just give it a push, then you can…

He stopped, what did he want to do? Climb back out Chloé’s throat? Or follow the fruit deeper into her…

He pushed the thought aside, pushing at against the smooth surface of the fruit with both hands. He felt something yield, and he grunted as he shoved his elbow against it. Chloé yelped, a loud sound that was followed by her heartbeat picking up as the fruit was lodged in the sphincter between her esophagus and stomach.

“I’m going to give it another push!” he shouted. The wet tunnel around him shook, anticipating the morsel dropping downward. He looked around nervously, suddenly wondering if he’d be able to get out.

Be careful! Chloé thought, struggling to keep her throat relaxed.

Mika shoved the fruit again, and the surface of the peel began to split under the pressure. The tunnel shook, pressing in around him, as if preparing to send him, and the fruit, to their final resting place within Chloé’s belly.

“Chloé, control yourself!” he shouted.

She whined, every last fiber of her being was screaming at her to swallow, to swallow hard. The prey in her throat was helpless, delicious… She suddenly caught the slightest aftertaste of Mika on her tongue, as if inviting her to enjoy him in full.

She’s going to do it, Mika realized, watching the fruit gush and split as her throat collapsed. He spun around, crawling as fast as he could along the collapsing tunnel. There was a squelching sound behind him, and he leapt, reaching her mouth again just before her esophagus closed behind him, sending the fruit down into her belly with a splash.

Chloé’s eyes went wide as she realized she’d almost swallowed him, and she quickly spat him into her hands, “Mika!” she cried, “I’m sorry! I tried to keep it open, but I just couldn’t!”

“It’s fine,” he panted, wiping some of her spit out of his eyes, “We just need to… rest, I think.” He forced himself up against her fingers, resting a moment, “we’re both tired from the trip, maybe this is something that needs to be done when we’re both rested?”

“Yeah,” Chloé said uncertainly, “M-Maybe.”

The truth was she knew her failure had little to do with fatigue, she’d wanted him, she’d wanted to devour everything he was then and there. She slithered back towards the tree, gripping another piece of the fruit, “Are you sure you don’t want to try again?”

“I think I’m going to pass out Chloé,” he replied, “can I sleep on your belly button?” Mika asked, “It’s a little cold, even down here… the warmth would be nice.”

“Yeah,” Chloé smiled, laying him down in the small crevice.

He sighed, leaning back against the warm ring of soft skin. He heard the gurgling beneath him as her stomach began to churn the fruit she’d swallowed, and he realized that part of him was aroused at the idea that it had almost been him.

Chloé watched him, feeling his heartbeat slow with his breathing as he drifted to sleep. A moment later she sighed softly, leaning her head back against the stone and hoping the morning would bring an answer to the temple’s challenge. She regarded the piece of fruit she’d plucked from the tree, and with a shrug placed it in her mouth, tucking it against her cheek. With her human lover curled against her belly, she drifted off too.

…

Chloé slithered through the Lemurian jungle, following behind the green-scaled snake goddess. The pair stopped, watching as a group of humans crossed the cobblestone rode before them, hefting everything from butchered and prepared meats, to chests filled with gold and jewels.

“Is that all for us?” Chloé asked softly.

“No my dear,” the goddess laughed, “what would we do with it?” She held up her hand, letting Chloé see her ornate gold bracelet, “they offer us more of the shining rocks than we could ever use as it is.” She waved for Chloé to follow her as the humans passed, waving and smiling at the pair of Naga.

“You struggle with the Temple of Serenity?” the other Naga asked, startling Chloé.

“Yes!” she said eagerly, “is there a trick? Maybe a spell or something?”

The green naga sighed in frustration, “there is no one left to explain it to you, I suppose this cannot be helped .” She held up her hand, and with a flash a human appeared in it. He was adorned in an elaborate headdress and colored robe, and he looked up at the Naga with a warm smile.

“You called?” he asked.

“I would like to use you to explain something,” the goddess said, holding the human up.

“As you wish,” he said, nodding.

“This is the man that I went through these challenges with, many eons ago,” the green Naga explained. “He is my most precious resource!”

“You flatter me, Goddess,” the man said with a teasing chuckle.

The goddess sighed, “I do not, without the humans, the Naga are just beasts! Everything we take from them to sustain ourselves; we must give back; it is in truth we who serve them. Do you understand?”

“I… think so,” Chloé said uncertainly.

“What do you believe you need to do in the temple of Serenity?” The goddess asked.

“I have to swallow Mika?” She asked nervously. 

The human and the other naga shared a chuckle, “No my dear, you misunderstand. You are not swallowing him, he is entering you. Your test is to welcome him, to show deference and respect by allowing your human to come into what it is his.”

The goddess raised the human in her hand up to her mouth, and Chloé watched as the man almost casually stepped over her lips, stooping as he journeyed over her tongue. The Naga kept her mouth open, allowing Chloé to see as the man stopped at the back of her throat, then stepped out, as if over a cliff’s edge, falling and disappearing from view. "Chloé watched as the bulge of the human's body raced down her throat, and the Goddess sighed softly as he entered her stomach. Instead of the expected *gulp* of a swallow, the Naga closed her mouth, smiling at Chloé.

“My body, your body, belongs to them, do not devour your priest, welcome him in.”

“Wait,” Chloé called as the dream started to waver, “I have other questions-“

…

Chloé sat upright so quickly that Mika was sent sprawling out of her belly button, shouting with surprise as he tumbled down the side of her stomach. Luckily it slowed his fall enough that he wasn’t hurt, but he glanced up at her curiously.

“What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

Chloe suddenly felt the fruit inside her from the day before, bumping gently against the side of her belly. At least part of it was intact… maybe all of it. 

“No,” Chloé said dreamily. She slowly glanced down at him, then smiled, “Let’s try it again.” 

“I don’t know,” Mika said, “I just want to be sure we’re ready for this…”

“Come on Mika,” Chloé giggled, “you’ve been wanting to enter my belly for so long now.” She slithered up to her full height, looming over him and rubbing her belly playfully. “It’s awfully empty,” she said in a sultry tone.

Mika gulped, feeling that strange longing again. “How do you want to do it?” he asked finally.

“I’m not going to just take you,” Chloé said, leaning down and placing her elbows on the ground, propping her head up as she smiled at him. 

“You want me to offer myself up?” he asked with a wry grin, “a sacrifice for the beautiful goddess?”

“I love the thought of it,” Chloé growled, “but no, today we’re not going to play a game, today I’m welcoming you home.”

“Home?”

“Think about it Mika,” Chloé said, “you’ve wanted to be inside me since the moment we met, it’s where you belong. I want to welcome you in!”

This is crazy… She can’t control her stomach, I saw it firsthand! 

“Mika, trust me,” Chloé  said softly, “it’s going to be different this time.”

“Okay,” he said with a grin.

She slowly lay down in front of him, resting her chin on the ground and opening her mouth wide. Mika stared as he saw the cavern of her mouth line up with her throat, letting him see all the way down to the bottom, to that waiting doorway he’d been so close to the day before.

This is it, he realized, stepping forward, I’m going into Chloé’s belly… 

“I’ll be your guide,” she said with a wink, “remember, you’re coming home.”

“Right,” he said, breathing out slowly as he clambered over her lips, climbing awkwardly over her teeth like they were a garden fence. His feet squished into her pooled saliva as he gripped the slimy tastebuds on her tongue, causing her to moan in excitement from his flavor as he made his way through her mouth.

His heart was pounding, and while he felt a very primal fear, he felt the familiar arousal that struck whenever he ventured into Chloé’s mouth, and he couldn’t help but stop and look around curiously. A bit of the Lemurian fruit about the size of his arm was wedged in the back of two of her teeth, startling him.

She could tear me to pieces just as easily as she did that fruit, he thought, his heartbeat picking up. He froze, am I… there was no denying it, he was hard, the notion of being nothing more than Chloé’s snack had instantly brought him to full arousal. 

A warm blast of air ruffled his hair back, causing him to blink. Chloé’s breath was like a breeze on a summer day, and as she breathed in he felt goosebumps on the back of his neck from the sudden chill. He looked up as he neared teh back of her tongue, seeing her dangling uvula hanging overhead, slowly moving in time with her breath, and beyond that the twin orbs of her tonsils. 

“You’re getting closer,” Chloé rumbled, shaking his world and causing the opening of the tunnel before him to quiver with each word.

Saliva dripped around him like rain, pooling around his ankles as he paused one final time. Her throat was calling to him, and he realized there truly wasn’t any turning back now.

“C-Can you open it a little more?” he asked nervously.

Chloé breathed in deeply, and a moment later her throat did seem to loosen, “You taste amazing Mika,” she said, causing the hot fog of her breath to roil over him again, “but I’m ready for you to go deeper!” 

Her mouth closed a moment later, a slow deliberate motion that ended with the ominous *click* of her teeth, the final exit being closed off. He thought about asking her to open her mouth again, about giving up this whole thing, but he steeled himself and pressed ahead.

Mika knelt down, crawling on his hands and knees down the long tunnel. Chloé shuddered as he slipped down her esophagus, but while the walls quivered slightly, they didn’t press down on him, and there was no swallowing motion as he moved further in. Below his feet a slow river of saliva trickled over his hands and knees, a river guiding him towards his final destination.

Mika frowned as he saw a small flap swing closed in front of him , Her larynx, he thought distantly, continuing onward. It felt odd, squishier, less rigid than the rest of her throat as he ran his fingers over it. 

Chloé giggled as he moved past it, “Whatever you were just touching, it tickled, like the feeling right before a cough!” 

Crawling a few more feet, Mika could hear the sound of her heart beating loudly, like a steady drum, “Chloé,” he called, “Where am I?”

“Just behind my breasts,” Chloé said, smirking as she felt his tiny form pause, taking in the information. 

Mika winced, “Please speak a little softer when I’m in here, I’m right next to your vocal chords Chloé!”

“Sorry!” she whispered.

The steady rhythm of Chloé’s heart was soothing, but it started to fade as he crawled further down. A gurgling sound replaced it, the unmistakable sound of digestion.

She’s probably finishing up with the fruit she ate before going to sleep, he thought, trembling slightly. The walls of her esophagus were growing tighter as well, slippery and slimy against him almost like her womanhood. Everything here was meant to force him along this route, to overpower him and send him to Chloé’s stomach.

“Y-You’re very close now,” Chloé growled, clenching her fists as she fought the urge to simply seize him, letting her throat simply rocket him down against his will. 

Mika saw the walls quiver, and for a moment he was sure they would collapse on him, the soft yet unyielding pressure driving him forward into Chloé’s stomach like a flood, but it didn’t come. Slowly, he relaxed, continuing on his way.

“Y-Your’e down below my chest now,” Chloé whispered, “I can feel every step…”

The sphincter leading into her stomach was already spreading open slightly as Mika approached, and he paused at the threshold, remembering how the powerful muscle had split one of the Lemurian fruit in two. 

“Go in!” Chloé whispered, a demand, a plea, an invitation all in one.

Mika took a deep breath, then dove against it, feeling the tight ring of flesh pinch against his whole body, slowly forcing him through and letting him slide inside. He slid down the walls of her stomach, feeling the wetness beneath his fingers as he splashed down into the pool at the bottom. He winced, readying himself for the itching of Chloé’s stomach acid, but none came.

I won’t let it hurt him, Chloé thought to herself, willing her stomach to be still, it’s his to explore… I’ll keep it still for as long as he wants.

Mika stood up, looking around, feeling a sense of awe as he realized he’d been well and truly eaten . The walls undulated slightly as he walked through the open area, listening to the faint beating of Chloé’s heart somewhere behind him. Chloé’s stomach was much larger than a human’s would have been proportionally, and compared to the claustrophobic confines of her esophagus it was downright roomy. His feet splashed through the warm fluid around his ankles as he explored the humid chamber.

“How is it?” Chloé asked hesitantly.

Her voice was loud, coming from everywhere at once, yet still muffled. The omnipresent nature of it made the whole thing even more awe inspiring.

“It’s warm,” Mika said, “And… it feels nice here.” He leaned against one of the walls, letting himself slide down against it, “I wouldn’t mind riding back to town in a place like this.”

“You don’t feel scared?” Chloé asked, “Like the others?”

“No,” he said truthfully, “I don’t think you’re going to let anything bad happen to me.”

“I won’t,” she promised softly.

She shifted, rolling over to get more comfortable. Mika shouted in surprise, spriting along the walls of her stomach like a giant hamster wheel. Chloé giggled at the ticklish sensation as she realized what had happened.

“Sorry!” she said, “I guess if you’re going to be spending more time in there I’ll have to be careful…”

“It was fun,” Mika laughed, “Go on, do it again!”

Chloé raised an eyebrow, then giggled rolling to the side through the open floor of the temple. Inside her Mika’s feet raced along the ridged walls of her stomach, eventually loosing his footing and bouncing along the insides and down into the pooled juices at the bottom. He surfaced, laughing as Chloé joined him, shaking the insides of her belly as they shared the moment.

“Mika, here’s my belly button, this time you’re sleeping on the other side of it!” 

Mika looked up as the ceiling seemingly fell inward. The ridged top of her stomach pressed gently against the top of his head as Chloé pressed down on her belly button, then sprang back up as she released it. 

I always did love her belly button, Mika thought wildly. He’d often slept, listening to the faint gurgling as her food was digested, only this time it was him on the inside.

When they were done, Mika glanced down her belly, seeing the lower sphincter against the wall. He stood up, walking towards it. Coming this far into Chloé had awakened a desire to go… further. He traced his hand across it, feeling the rumbling of the second stomach beyond it, the more powerful of the two, the one that dissolved anything that Chloé sent to it almost instantly.

“Mika,” she warned, “B-Be careful messing around there! I don’t think I’m ready for that one yet!”

“Just open it!” he insisted, “I just want to see!”

Chloé took a deep breath, slowly forcing the portal to open. Mika leaned forward, then shouted in surprise as the ring of muscle snapped shut over his arm. He grunted, pulling at it.

“C-Chloé, open it back up!” he shouted.

The naga didn’t reply, feeling the rise of predatory instincts again. Her lower belly sent her every signal it could, telling her to pull him in, to consume, to devour. Mika shouted in surprise as his skin began to itch painfully, the second stomach readying itself to welcome him with what surely be a lethal reception.

No, Chloé thought angrily, forcing her inner voice down. With a deep breath she willed her stomach’s lower exit to open again, letting Mika slip free just before it snapped shut once more.

Mika scurried back, panting, “T-Thanks,” he shouted. “I guess we’re not ready for that one yet…”

“Well Done,” the goddess’s voice boomed.

Like before, the world flashed blue, and suddenly Mika and Chloé were gone.

…

Chloé and Mika stood hand in hand before the South American temple. Chloé was in human form, wearing a loose cotton dress with cartoonish looking snakes traced along the hem.

“We’re back here,” Mika said, “but why?”

“Look!” Chloé whispered. The pair saw a young boy crash through the brush, panting, tears streaking down his face. He cradled an egg in his hands, looking back over his shoulder frantically. Mika’s mother and father raced after him, Mika’s eyes widened as he saw blood trailing down his father’s side.

“Keep going,” he grunted.

“Why are they doing this!?” his mother cried, tears streaming down her face. “They paid us to document these ruins!”

“They don’t want to share I guess,” his father grunted, doubling over from the pain, “We need to get to the river, we can get downstream and-“

The brush ruffled, and the three of them looked up to see a man walk into the clearing. He had a wicked smile, a long mustache, and a hook hand prosthesis that glinted slightly in the low light beneath the jungle canopy.

“There’s no escape,” the man grinned, “my men are by the river, and all over the jungle. We only want your journal, and for you to answer a few questions,” he promised. He raised the gun, “although I if you would prefer, we can play my game instead? I’ll enjoy it much more than letting the cat pick your brains.”

“RUN MIKA!” his father shouted. He leapt at the man, reaching for the gun in his good hand, but the hooked prothesis came up, there was a flash, then Mika’s father doubled over in pain again.

“Always tuck an extra weapon wherever you can,” the stranger chuckled, flourishing his hooked hand and revealing a small smoking barrel tucked just beneath the steel appendage.

The boy fled into the trees, and Mika followed the vision of his younger self instinctively, dragging Chloé with him. He stopped dead as a pair of gunshots rang out from the clearing behind him.

“M-Mom?” both Mika’s said at once, “Dad?”

“Mika, I don’t know if we should stay here,” Chloé said, grabbing his arm.

He couldn’t move, just watching his younger self crying as he ran to the hollow of a nearby tree. He shoved the small egg shaped stone into it, covering it with dirt, doing his best to hide it in the minutes he had.

“They won’t get you too Chloé,” he promised through sobs. “Just remember me when you hatch, okay?”

The boy turned just as the man entered the clearing, a wicked grin on his face, “End of the line boy,” he laughed, raising his gun.

“Charboneau! Stop this at once!” a woman’s voice cried.

Chloé and Mika turned to see a blond woman emerge behind the killer, an horrified grimace on her face. The assassin just sighed angrily holstering his weapon. As she walked into view they could see she had a pair of catlike ears on her head, and a long furry tail trailing behind her.

“Chloé, is that-“

“The same Emilia we met today,” Chloé finished grimly.

The world blurred, and suddenly they were in a tent, where Emilia was sitting in a chair across from a crying Mika. Emilia had tears in her eyes too, and her catlike ears were flat against her head as she tried to console the boy.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “this shouldn’t have happened like this…”

“What’s she doing?” Mika whispered, watching Emilia extend a finger, touching his child counterpart’s forehead. He grunted as if struck as he suddenly remembered this, the flickering ears, the blond tail waving behind her as his vision had gone blank.

“Forget,” Emilia ordered simply.

…

Mika gasped, splashing in the pool of Chloé’s stomach, a wild mix of emotions fighting for dominance within him.

“Mika?” Chloé asked hesitantly, “Are you okay?”

“I uh…” he gulped, feeling numb, “Chloé, I need to stay in here for a while, okay?”

“Take all the time you need,” she said softly, “I’m here for you, okay?”

“Thanks,” he mumbled, slumping against her stomach wall.

The silence filled the temple, lingering in the air for minutes that felt like hours until finally Mika spoke again.

“I think we’ve solved the mystery of why neither of us remembered meeting.”

“That was Emilia,” Chloé nodded, “she did something to your memories… I could tell there was something strange about her, it was like she just walked different from you humans!”

“She’s a cat-thing,” Mika spat, “that’s why she was wearing all of those layers when she met us on the beach, she didn’t want us to know!” His fists balled in anger, “Let’s go find her, this time it’s going differently!”

“Mika,” Chloé said softly, “I know you’re angry, I’m angry too… but she did save your life, and she was telling the truth when she said she wanted to help us earlier.”

“Then why all the lies?” Mika demanded, “Why wouldn’t she tell us the truth?”

“Probably because I’d have thought about eating her,” Chloé remarked, “and you’d probably encourage it?”

“I…” Mika sighed, “Fair enough. What do we do then?”

“We’ll give her a chance to explain herself,” Chloé muttered, rubbing her belly and savoring the feeling of her favorite human resting within it, “if we like what we hear… then I suppose we’ve made another friend. If not?” she shrugged, “I think I can take her.”

Mika chuckled, imagining the blond catgirl struggling in Chloé’s grip before earning a trip down her gullet. In spite of his attempts to keep Chloé from eating humans, the thought brought him some comfort.

Emilia… you’ve got some explaining to do.

For now though he decided to relax. The sounds of Chloé’s stomach were varied, there was the occasional groaning churn, slowly swirling the water around him, and a gurgling as some of the liquid occasionally went lower through her digestion. Then there was her heartbeat, not nearly as loud here, but still a steady and ever present metronome that calmed him. 

What was it called in Dad’s journal? He thought, the temple of Serenity… it fits.

Even with everything else in the world weighing on his shoulders, Mika felt himself smile as he leaned back against the walls of Chloé’s stomach.