The Grand Masquerade: part 4

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Carol yawned as she walked down the hall. She needed to start a pot of coffee. She and her husband had many things to do today. They needed to contact the high priestess and tell her what happened. They needed to find out what Matthew could and couldn’t eat now. Set up magic lessons. See if he could go to school as he was or if he should be home schooled. And how were they going to keep him safe. She could just imagine all the ‘demon’ hunters that would be coming after him.

“Hello.”

Carol jumped and gasped at the voice. There shouldn’t be anybody else here. Her family was still in bed and her wards hadn’t been breached. She spun to face the couch where the voice had come from. Now she was regretting not studying any offensive spells. “Who are you and how did you get in my house,” she demanded.

A woman stood from the couch and Carol’s breath caught at her beauty. She had long raven black hair that fell in waves to her waist. It perfectly framed her heart shaped face. She had large dark almond shaped eyes over high cheekbones. Her nose was a little large, but it fit her face somehow. Her lips were full and very red. “I mean you no harm,” she said. Carol shivered as the woman’s voice seemed to caress her. “My name is Callingenia and I was sent to protect the emissary.”

Carol shook the effects of Callingenia’s voice off. “Who sent you,” she asked. “Nobody told us you were coming.”

“Of course not,” Callingenia said. “The emissary was only chosen last night. But Nyx sent me.”

Carol blinked. “Nyx sent you,” she confirmed. Callingenia nodded and Carol swallowed. Nyx wasn’t one of the goddesses she worshipped, but she knew of her all the same. According to the Greeks, Nyx is the primordial goddess of the night. She literally was the night. Even Zeus was wary of her.

Carol shook her head. “It’s too early for this,” she muttered. “Especially without my coffee.”

“If you like,” Callingenia said. “I could make breakfast for you and your family. Seeing as I’m going to be here a lot, I should make myself useful. And, after a cup or two of coffee, could you get the rest of your family? There are things I need to tell you. It will be easier to tell you all at the same time.”

Carol didn’t know what to do. There was too much going on for her. With the god’s announcement, Matthew’s transformation, and now this strange woman saying that Nyx sent her, Carol felt her life was in a spin. The only thing she did know was that she was promised coffee. In a daze, Carol followed the other woman into the kitchen. She felt a vague sense of jealousy at Callingenia’s curvy figure, but she brushed that aside. Coffee beckoned.

After she had her second cup of coffee, Carol felt better. The smell of breakfast cooking helped. She watched Callingenia for a moment before deciding to get her husband and the kids. This was too big for her to decide alone. Especially since it involved Matthew in his role as the emissary. She got up and went to get her family.

Matthew suddenly found herself staring at the ceiling. She felt the weight of her gigantic breasts pushing her down into the bed. She brought her arms up and held them. They felt nice. Sure, they could be smaller, but she was enjoying having them. Yesterday, she wouldn’t have believed she would enjoy having breasts. Holding them? Yes, please and thank you!

“When did I start thinking of myself as a girl,” she asked herself.

Before Matthew could answer her question, there was a knock on his bedroom door. “Matthew, honey,” her Aunt Carol called. “Are you awake?”

“I’m up, Aunt Carol” Matthew answered as she pushed herself erect.

Her bedroom door opened, and her aunt walked in. “You need to get dressed,” she said. “We have company. It seems that the gods have sent you a bodyguard. She’s in the kitchen cooking breakfast.”

Matthew blinked. She wasn’t expecting that. But then, with what happened yesterday and last night, it fit. “Okay,” she slowly said. “And you have her cooking breakfast?”

“She offered,” Carol said. “And when she told me who had sent her, I wasn’t in any condition to cook.”

“Oh.” Matthew thought about that. Then she decided not to comment on it. It seemed to be safer. A length of Matthew’s tail suddenly moved. “I’m not doing that,” Matthew said as she stared at her tail. The coil moved more then a child’s hand appeared.

“Briana,” Carol snapped. “What are you doing in there?”

“Morning, Mommy,” Briana sleepily said.

“Don’t you ‘morning’ me, young lady,” Carol said. “What are you doing in here? I know I put you in your room.”

“I wanted to sleep with Matthew,” Briana answered. “She’s pretty.” Matthew could feel her cheeks heat up. “And her tail is really nice.”

Matthew decided that she should put in a few words. “Um, she came into my room after you left, Aunt Carol. I did ask if you knew she was here.”

“And?”

Matthew sighed. “She just looked at me. So, I decided to let her stay. When she went to sleep, she was lying beside me on a pillow. I don’t know how she got down there.”

Carol sighed. “She wiggles around in her sleep,” she said. “She always had. But right now, you both need to get dressed. We need to decide what to do with your bodyguard.” Briana climbed out of Matthew’s bed. Then Matthew slithered out. Briana left with her mother.

As the mother and daughter left the room, Matthew went to her closet. She opened it and looked at the contents. There was only shirts, skirts and dresses in it. She stared at the clothes. The colors overwhelmed here. There was different shades of reds, blues, and greens. There was yellow, copper, and gray. Not knowing which color would look best on her, she grabbed a simply white blouse and a white skirt. Through it all, Matthew used her two lower hands to steady her breasts. Even though she was new at being a girl, she knew that she couldn’t go around holding her breasts still. She needed a bra. Matthew looked around her room. She spied her vanity. Surely her bras would be in there.

Matthew made her way to her vanity. While holding her clothes in one hand, she used the other three to open the shelves. Even then it took her a moment to find them. She picked one out and stared it. She had seen a bra before. She had seen Lisa’s. This bra did not look anything like Lisa’s. It had two straps across the back.

“So it’s different,” Matthew said. “It can’t be to hard to put on.”

Fifteen minutes later, Matthew, somehow, had tied three of her hands behind her back. Her fourth hand was struggling to untie the other three when her bedroom door opened. She looked up and saw her Aunt Carol standing there. “Help,” she said pitifully. Solemnly, her aunt entered the room to help her.

Ten minutes later, a furiously blushing Matthew and her Aunt entered the kitchen. “Now that we’re all here,” Carol said. She started fixing plates of food for the kids. “Can you explain, exactly, why you’re here, Callingenia.”

“As I said before,” Callingenia began. “The Goddess Nyx sent me to protect the emissary.” She turned toward Matthew. “That would be you, obviously.” Matthew nodded. “The reason why you need a bodyguard is that not everybody will be accepting of the gods’ return. Or, that you’re their emissary. Some of these beings, and not all of them will be human, will try to ‘correct’ that matter. Most likely by killing you.”

“What did I do,” Matthew cried as his two cousins gasped.

“Nothing,” Callingenia said. “People like that just believe nobody but those they approve of should be in your position.”

Matthew had to think about what she had just learned. But she didn’t want to do that now. To distract herself, she looked down at the plate her Aunt set before her. It had bacon, eggs, and a couple of pancakes. Her normal breakfast. Then Callingenia place a second plate beside it. This one was piled high with bacon, eggs, sausages, and hash browns. She, along with everybody else in her family, stared at the second plate. “Um, thanks, but I already have a plate.” Matthew even pointed at her fist plate.

“I know. But that won’t be enough. I don’t know what you looked like before, but I’m willing to bet that your body is now larger. That means you need more food. Also, you’re a Titanobocca. Titanobocca were primarily carnivores. While you can get some nutrition from the other food groups, meat is what you’ll crave.”

Donald and Carol looked at each other. If Matthew now ate mostly meat, their grocery bill was going to be horrifying. Carol blinked then looked at all the food in the kitchen. “Callingenia,” she said. “Where did all this meat come from? This is more than what was in the fridge.”

“Oh, that,” Callingenia said. “I knew that wouldn’t be enough to feed the emissary. Nyx told me she was a Titanobocca before she sent me here. So, as I was cooking, I used my magic to get more meat and eggs. Don’t worry. I got them from volunteers.”

“Volunteers,” Donald asked. “What volunteers?”

“From different religious groups from around the world,” came the surprising answer. “Remember, the gods made a world-wide announcement. Several groups have already sent representatives or money or supplies here. They just haven’t arrived yet. I just sped up some of the supply deliveries.”

It was becoming apparent to the family that this was going to be more complicated than they had realized. People from around the world were already sending things to Matthew. They haven’t even met her yet. And what would her detractors say? And then there was those who would want to either control or kill her. The thought prompted Donald.

“You said Nyx sent you to be Matthew’s bodyguard,” Donald said. Callingenia nodded. “How can you protect him, er, her? What qualifies you to be a bodyguard?”

“Simple,” Callingenia answered. Suddenly she transformed. Her eyes became black as her skin paled to a milk whit complexion. Large bat-like wings erupted from her back as small fangs grew from her mouth. “I’m a succubus.”

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Comments

The gods

are not very subtle. Callingenia has several abilities to bring. Not all of them are from her being a succubus.

Hummmm, I can see issues

Hummmm, I can see issues arising already, and they don't all stem from Matthew. Most interesting indeed. Wonder what name Matthew will be known by very soon?

Titanobocca?

I googled it, and got something like titanoboa. When I insisted that I really meant Titanobocca, your story was at the top of the search criteria.

So I'm guessing that it is something is unknown to the rest of humanity.

By the way, I found a lamia vs naga illustration on deviantart, but I can't find it now. And I can't find the image that I downloaded. If I run across it, I'll post it.

Something

I made up from titanoboa. There will be more of an explanation in the next part.

Upside down

Jamie Lee's picture

Matthew isn't the only one needing protection, but the two younger ones as well. It wouldn't be outside the possibility for those out to get Matthew to try and kidnap the younger ones in order to force Matthew to do as they want.

But Matther wasn't allowed to ask questions about what s/he was to do. Or what s/he was supposed to learn. Or, would they ever change her back to her human form.

Others have feelings too.