Return to the Featherlands: Chapter 14

‘Peace manufactured by civilizations has always conflicted with nature’s desire for balance. Nature, unlike society, has no moral boundaries to limit its capabilities and often submits to means unimaginable by comprehension to uphold victory.’

The tea that swirled in Queen Deidra’s cup had grown cold and stale. She sipped at it anyway, remarking little of the taste. She sat in her chamber within Sprite’s Hollow, her door kept open to hear the usual bustling happening just outside. She maintained a casual look since moving the fairy commune into the Hollow, one that made her look more approachable than her normal attire as queen. Her hair was loosely braided and pulled back. Her wings were not adjourned with the typical royal sheen. Her queenly attire had been all but retired and forgotten, tucked somewhere in the dark corners of what she had scavenged since the move. None of it was nearly as important as providing the Featherland people protection and basic necessities.

‘Featherland law has historically clashed with Featherland nature. We as citizens of its splendor have taken the freedom of individualism and confined it into small, manageable boxes. Boxes of race are often built around geography, abiding by the most adaptable living conditions and by what the land itself can provide. From there, more of these sociological boxes are constructed to define other qualities not ruled by nature, qualities such as economic status, community titles, and more attractive attributes.’

Diedra flipped through the pages of an old book. It detailed much about the history of the Featherlands, yet since Silvia’s arrival, a question had been plaguing Deidra’s mind, one that needed an answer far more direct than anyone there could offer. She ran her finger over the old, dusty pages. She handled the thick tome gently, flipping back and forth among the same few sections. The queen sipped at her tea. Her foot bounced, one leg hanging over the other. Despite her posture and reserved expression, her mind and heart raced to a finish line that neither could see.

‘Yet the oldest such box predates modern Featherland civilization, one commanded by a primal and deeply rooted sense of morality, long before the concepts of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ were recognized by the lives that it dominated. A stirring desire to control those around them, to covet and hoard the resources produced by all Featherland life, and to do so by inflicting tickling beyond withstanding capabilities with no bearing sense of guilt or mercy. This is the magic that seeped from lives unloved and forsaken. This magic secreted from every cry, every screaming laugh, every unheard shout for a savior from the torments of victims over the course of millions of years, far before dated Featherland history. This magic, born out of torture and malice, manifested itself in our world. It soaked into the foundation of the dirt below our feet. It accumulated, growing more and more, until it found a home within the only place that could harbor its radiation of pure evil. This formed the Pit of the Aurium Pruritum.’

Deidra sipped once more at her cold cup of tea. Her mind fell upon thoughts and images that tormented from within. Screams of those that she could not save still echoed around her. The tainting of the Featherlands, the complete drying out of all pleasure and joy, while she remained powerless to stop it, was never a thought too far from her mind. Deidra’s head ached. She reached up and rubbed her temples, shutting her eyes tightly enough to force the painful images away with more acute strain. She sighed and groaned. The queen took another sip of tea and turned back to the page before her.

‘Little is known of the magical properties that lie within the pit. Few have escaped its grasp to tell. The magic that circulates within does so with an alluring gravity. Escape of its pull for the physical form is unlikely, but it is also said that those that indulge in the magic that the pit offers, feeding it souls to torment for eternity, observe a draw of their own soul toward its power. Only those that earn the righteous authority, bestowed upon them by the pit’s festering evil, are said to be able to open and close the pit, as well as the power to pull souls from its eternal feast upon the senses.’

A sickness toiled away inside Deidra’s chest. A chill raced over her. She had to pull her eyes away from the page, but the book left her only with unanswered questions and haunting imagery. The queen collected herself. She scratched right behind her ear and forced herself to look back down onto the page, continuing with the next passage.

‘While the pit is the only known area that can hold such evil energy, it is said that the volume is still finite by our laws. Bestowing an abundance of souls into the pit’s maw, by the properties observed by Featherland scholars, may result in the magic within escaping. While it is not known how this can theoretically affect the world outside of its walls, the magic within has grown in potency significantly since its accumulation within the pit, first observed by Lady Iris Poppyvale in 2307 BR. It is widely theorized that the magic within has stabilized its gravitational properties and taken on abilities to allow it to both survive and absorb–’

“Your majesty?” Thea’s voice broke through Deidra’s concentration. The queen looked over to see the feline beastie standing in her doorway. Thea’s face brought a soothing effect to her eyes, reminding her of the goodness still left within the world. “I-I apologize for the intrusion.”

“It’s fine, dear,” Deidra said. She inserted a ribbon onto the page and closed the book, setting it gently atop her table. “I could use a break.”

“Is everything alright, my queen?” Thea asked, softly and sweetly.

“Yes,” Deidra said with a smile. “Just a lot on my mind since Queen Silvia’s return.”

“Like what?” Thea asked. She paused before stifling herself, recoiling at her own words leaving her lips. “Ah, I-, forgive me my queen. It is not my place to ask.”

“It’s fine, Thea,” Deidra said, her eyes drifting around the room. “It’s just… the blade that Queen Silvia had… and she said something of a Featherlander in her world, an assassin…”

“Is that… cause for concern?” Thea asked. Deidra paused. She pushed back the thoughts that plagued her mind and shook her head with a smile.

“No, dear,” Deidra said, keeping up appearances. “It’s of no concern. Just peculiar, is all. It’s been an eventful few days. Like I said, there’s just a lot on my mind right now.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Thea said. “It is certainly a big deal, Queen Silvia’s return.”

“And hopefully a sign of changing times.”

“Let us hope for the better.”

“I cannot imagine how things could get worse,” Deidra said solemnly. Thea’s head lowered. She cupped her hands in front of her, her eyes falling to the floor. “I am sure that Queen Silvia will indeed follow through, though. She’s become quite the strong and capable young woman.”

“I am too,” said Thea, her tone less sincere than her words. She closed her eyes and forced a smile upon looking back up. Deidra stood. Her wings began to flutter. She floated over to Thea, her bare toes only gently brushing against the ground beneath her. Thea continued to smile and maintained her humble disposition.

“It will be okay,” Deidra said, laying her hands upon Thea’s shoulders. “But no matter what, you have made things so much better for those still in our care. You’ve been instrumental in aiding and helping our brothers and sisters. I cannot thank you enough for what you’ve done here.” Thea smiled a genuine, reverent grin. She bowed her head, her ears flickering a little atop her head.

“Thank you, my queen,” Thea said. “Truely, though, it is all thanks to you and your efforts here. None of us would be nearly as safe without you here to protect and guide us. It is I, and everyone else, that should be thanking you.”

“Hush all that,” Deidra said with her own smirk. “I am merely doing my job as queen and my duty as one of you to help. There is no need to thank me for doing what simply must be done in these trying times.”

“You may feel that way, my queen, but my sentiment stands,” Thea said. Deidra chuckled.

“Very well,” she said. “Is there a reason for this visit or are you just stopping by?”

“I just wanted to see how you were doing, your majesty,” Thea said. “You’ve just seemed rather distant lately and a few of us have been concerned. Apologies if–”

“Enough of that, Thea,” Deidra said, reassuring her with a smile. “There is enough concern happening on my part alone, but I’ve stated multiple times now that I don’t require these arbitrary royal formalities. Treat me with the same respect that you treat everyone, though I don’t doubt that you already do.” Deidra smiled and raised a hand to stroke Thea’s head, running her hand behind her perking ear. Thea nodded.

“Yes, your majes- uhm, y-yes, my lady,” Thea said.

“Better,” Deidra said. “But really, I’m fine. There’s still plenty about this new situation that we all must learn together if we are to overcome it. But I assure you that we will, one day, reclaim our land above, with or without the help of Queen Silvia. Understand?”

“Yes, my lady,” Thea said. “Believe me, our concern is nothing to say of the confidence we have in you or Queen Silvia. We are all–” A distant crash accompanied a billowing series of screams from within the Hollow. Deidra and Thea turned their heads toward the commotion, hidden behind the winding subterranean tunnels. The pair glanced at one another before Thea stormed ahead of Deidra.

“Thea,” Deidra called out. The pair hurried low and carefully through the halls, investigating more of their home with every darting look. Thea sternly stayed ahead of the queen, acutely assuming the role of protector to the fairy matriarch.

“Stay behind me, your majesty,” Thea said back to her. “Please.”

“Thea, what did I say–”

“Apologies, your majesty,” Thea snapped back at her. Her ears fell, pulled back defensively. Several others within the Hollow came out of their rooms to observe the noises. More crashes happened. Others came running past, many shouting with pale expressions plastered across their faces.

“Get out! Get out of the way!” one Featherlander said.

“They’re here!” shouted another.

“What’s happening?” Deidra said, grabbing onto one and pulling them close. A small, frightened orc boy stared back at her with wide eyes.

“It… it’s a breach, your majesty…” the orc boy stuttered. “Dark creatures came… That’s all I know.” Deidra paused, deep thoughts racing through her mind. She recalled the procedures that she had implemented for such an occasion and hurried to act on them.

“Go, hide,” Deidra said, pushing the boy away. “Barricade yourselves!” He stumbled into another scurrying group, rushing past to duck into their rooms and crevasses. Deidra looked back to see Thea pushing forward. The girl stayed low, her tail swishing against the ground. “Whatever happens, Thea, I need you to hide.”

“No, you hide,” Thea said sternly back at the queen. “Your people need you more than they need me.”

“Thea, enough of this, I need you to listen to me!” Deidra shouted. Another crash came with a frightening assault of scurrying footsteps. In the distance, more screams could be heard, along with strained fits of laughter, bursting with tones far more confused and tormented than usual. Thea continued to press forward. She pushed past the oncoming Featherland refugees storming away from the main chambers. Frightened souls clung to one another, many scrambling to find friends and families. Deidra fought to keep up with Thea ahead, thrusting herself forward with the aid of her fluttering wings.

“Your majesty, get back,” Thea said in a hushed, yet urgent voice upon reaching the archway into the central chamber of the Hollow. She ducked down behind a collapsed stack of crates, hiding beneath a bed of shattered wood and stored produce. Thea gazed into the chamber before her.

The room was wide and littered with strewn supplies and decorations. Thea could see dashing blackened figures running about as fast as darkness itself. Their eyes glowed a bright, menacing yellow. From their backs, tendrils extended, capturing several Featherland refugees at a time, holding them effectively captive. They growled and snarled and destroyed everything in their paths, running about the many levels above and below where Thea observed. More came racing in through a burrowed hole in the ceiling, where the ground of the forest peered down upon them. They ran across the walls as easily as they did any surface, their claws digging into whatever they touched.

“Nysadia’s shades,” Thea whispered. “Just like he said…” Featherlanders stumbled over one another to get away and hide. Members of different races helped one another find shelter. Some dared to fight back against the shades, only for them to be grabbed by the tendrils and held firmly. None of the Featherlanders appeared to be wounded, but rather simply caught. Though it was in that capture that Thea knew the Shades would do the most damage.

Deidra came up behind her. She grabbed Thea by the shoulders, twisting her around and staring deeply into her eyes.

“Thea, enough,” Deidra said. “Go protect the others. I need you with them.” Thea paused. She looked back into the room, keeping her and the queen hidden from view. The small cat-girl observed Nysadia’s shades starting to torment those that she had grown to know well. The tendrils worked to slip through the clothing of their victims, weaseling into tunics and boots like curious serpents. Thea knew little about the shades, and could see even less from where she hid, but she knew that their tendrils are some of the most devastating tickle tools ever created by dark magic. Tipped with dozens of barbs that can sink into any skin and attack the most ticklish nerves directly, Thea and Deidra began to witness the effects first hand with a fairy caught close by where they hid.

“No, no, please!” squealed the fairy caught within the shade’s dark tentacles. Her frail body was lifted up off of the ground, her wrists and ankles bound with single coils. She wiggled and struggled, her wings flapping helplessly behind her, but her body remained stretched out and fully available for the beast’s ticklish malice. Four more tendrils emerged from the Shade’s back, each tipped with shimmering black feathers. Two came lower toward the fairy’s bare feet while the others snaked upward at her exposed armpits. “No, please! Anything! Anything but that!”

“No,” Thea whispered. “Not Kyla…” More screaming laughter echoed through the Hollow. The shades trampled through the halls, capturing all that they could find. Deidra placed a hand on Thea’s shoulder just as the girl began to rise.

“Thea, listen to me…” Deidra whispered. “You have to get back. They need you to guide them out.” Thea remained planted in place, knowing that the queen would give away their position by forcing her away.

“Looks like I’ve found a good one,” a shadowy, sinister voice echoed from the creature’s snout. The shade began to morph in place. It stood back, rising up on hind legs before its body assumed a more humanoid figure, one the other shades knew as Scenna. The tendrils still came out of Scenna’s back as she stood upright, her face becoming steadily defined beneath the darkness that sounded her. Scenna raised a hand to Kyla’s face, cupping just beneath her slender jaw. She squeezed and pulled the fairy’s face in her direction. “I’m going to feast well off of this one.”

“No, please…” Kyla pleaded, tears already flowing down her eyes.

“I have to save her,” Thea whispered back.

“You can’t,” Deidra replied. “Thea, please, listen to me.”

“You belong to Queen Nysadia,” Scenna continued. “You always have, as have you all, and you’ll pay greatly for your feeble resistance against her rule.”

“Please, I’m sorry!” Kyla pleaded. Two more shades raced up behind the one holding up Kyla. They immediately took their human forms, their figures nearly floating among their own shadows.

“No sign of either queen yet,” one said. Scenna glanced back at the two, her face pulled up in a snarl.

“Keep looking then,” she said. “We’ll flush out the entire compound to bring Nysadia what she requires.”

“Right,” the two nod and flee to search in different directions. Scenna turned her attention back to Kyla, her snarl flipped into a cocky sneer.

“Now then, fairy, I hunger for only your laughter,” she said. “But perhaps I won’t be as hungry if you tell me where you’re hiding the Featherland Queen.”

“I… I don’t know, I swear!” Kyla pleaded.

“Right then… very hungry,” Scenna replied.

“No, I swear,” Kyla screamed. “She left! She le-eeeaaaaaaahhahahahahaaaaa!!!” Kyla’s body surged in place as the feather-tipped tendrils came down upon her skin. Two swiped against her pits, slick with worried sweat, while the other two targeted the fairy girl’s soles down below. They each tickled with insistence, staying in perfect contact with their targets as they brushed and flossed across the relatively small areas. Kyla’s expression melted from forced giggles to one of frantic, strained laughter. The feathery tips left small barbs where they brushed, irritating them with every pass and multiplying the ticklish effects by the second. Before long, Kyla’s impossibly shrieking laughter merely blended in with all of the others booming through the halls of Sprites Hollow.

“How decadent…” Scenna commented with a smirk. “I’ve quite enjoyed the ticklish nectar of your kind back within Nysadia’s castle. Your brothers and sisters have some of the sweetest little screams I’ve ever savored.” She stood and watched as she tickled the girl, absorbing the ticklish energy seeping through her skin with each pass of the feathers.

“NAAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAAAA!!!” Kyla’s voice carried through the chamber. Thea and Deidra watched on with sickening defeat. Deidra tried to calm her rising emotional response with deep breaths. Thea fought back tears. She looked around the room to witness more of the terrorizing ticklish mayhem. The shades feasted with their feathery tendrils on the ticklish senses of a pair of brothers that she would play with them their mother was busy with the crops, a fox-beastie woman that would teach her how to sew and mend woven fabrics, and the young forest nymph who would always make her laugh with a joke-of-the-day. Each squirmed and screamed and fell beneath the crushing force of the shades, all within her limited field of vision.

“We have to do something,” Thea whispered. “I… I can’t just…”

“You must,” Deidra whispered back. “Go back now. I’ll handle this. Please.”

“You can’t on your own, your majesty,” Thea whispered back. “It’s too risky.”

“Tickle, tickle, tickle…” Scenna taunted the fairy in her grasp. “Nysadia’s going to enjoy breaking you, lucky thing.” The feathers twirled inside of Kyla’s soft underarm hollows. Each little pluck shot more and more ticklish waves through the girl’s senses, leaving her squealing uncontrollably. Tears ran down her cheeks. Her face burned as her chest ached. Her wings fluttered uselessly behind her. The feathers down below weaved in and out of her bare toes. Each little floss came with tickles more potent than the last. The small fairy could do nothing but scream and laugh and heave to maintain air intake. Her composure struggled. Kyla strained and cried out pitifully for mercy, for help, for anyone to come and save her with words unintelligible through her forced, ticklish laughter.

“PLEEEAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAAA!!!” Kyla’s voice broke. Her eyes rolled, her body quaked within the grip of the beast standing before her. Thea gritted her teeth. Her body drew back, her weight shifting toward her lower half. She looked upon Kyla’s suffering expression. She saw within it the girl who had been found without parents, the girl who was brought into Sprites Hollow and instantly made friends, the girl who worked hard to cheer up those around her with arguably better situations than her own. Thea shuffled. Her tail raised. Deidra looked down upon her, her eyes red and watery.

“Thea…. don’t…” the queen said through clenched teeth. She placed a hard grip onto Thea’s shoulder, but before she could effectively clamp down, the girl sprung from their hiding place. She burst through the fallen boxes, scattering produce and splintering wood in a dusty explosion. Thea raced across the room toward Scenna, grabbing onto a rusty shovel littered across the floor. Scenna just barely had her head turned before Thea managed to land a hard blow against her side.

“Gahhh!” Scenna grunted, plummeting to the ground. Her tendril grip over Kyla loosened enough to drop the fairy to the ground. She moaned in pain and clenched at her side where the iron head had stuck her. Thea raced over to Kyla.

“Ky, Ky, you okay?” Thea asked. Kyla continued to laugh. The tickles were still lodged into her body, albeit not as fiercely as from direct contact. Kyla clung onto Thea. She struggled to catch her breath through her laughter. Thea helped the girl sit up.

“Neeehhhahahaa!” Kyla laughed. She squealed and shook her head. A look of terror washed over her face. “D-Daaaahahahan’t tahahahach me! My gahahahahaaadess, I st-aaaaahhahahaaaa-still feeheheheheel them! Maaahahahaaake it stahahahaap!” Thea held Kyla close, careful about where she touched. She scooped the fairy up into her arms, dashing her gaze around the room for a safe place to hide.

“Just hold on, Ky,” Thea said, urgently panting. She looked over to Deidra, reaching out from their cluster of rubble.

“Thea, look out!” Deidra shouted. Thea froze. A hard force came slamming into her side, sending her and Kyla rolling across the ground. Several shades swarmed them both. Two used their tendrils to grab onto Kyla’s ankles, dragging the fairy into a deep recess within the Hollow.

“Theeeaaahahahahaaa!!” Kyla called out, her voice growing distant almost immediately. Thea pushed herself up over onto one side.

“Kyla!” she called back. She stumbled to get to her feet. Once she rose, Thea took a step and came tripping back down against the hard, dirt ground. She hit the floor with a hard thud. Scenna stood behind her, her tendrils coiled around Thea’s ankles. She stood snarling and holding her side.

“Oh, you’re gonna wish you hadn’t done that,” she said with her teeth showing. Another pair of tendrils emerged from her back, latching onto Thea’s wrists and yanking her upright. Thea let out a pain groaned, her face clenched up in twisting agony.

“Thea!” Deidra screamed. She stood and started for the shadowy beast. The fairy queen recoiled one hand, readying a shimmering spell stirring in her palm. She burst into flight, jetting across the room by her wings. The queen’s eyes locked onto the menacing shade, lifting Thea into the air by her wrists. Thea glanced back at Deidra approaching. She grunted and twisted in place, feebling whining as she struggled to free herself.

“Get out!” Thea screamed. Deidra readied herself to fire the spell, a tickling charm to render the shade helplessly writhing in place. However, a harsh tug against her throat stopped Deidra’s approach. A tendril, from the side, wrapped around Deidra’s neck. The queen dropped painfully  to her knees. She reached up to grasp at the shadowy tentacle, but quickly found both of her wrists caught by more dark appendages. Three shades overlooked the queen’s capture. Two kept her arms pulled apart while the other kept her grip coiled around her throat.

“Tsk, tsk, naughty queen,” said Scenna. Thea squirmed and thrashed in place, trying desperately to claw her way to freedom.

“Don’t you dare hurt her!” Thea gnashed, fighting to get loose.

“We’ll do with you all as Nysadia pleases,” Scenna said, standing above them both. “Though I’m sure you’ll find her methods not to be incredibly agonizing. Not in a ‘pain’ way, anyway.” The shades chuckled among themselves. Thea continued to grunt and struggle, pulling against the tendrils keeping her bound.

“Let her go!” Thea commanded.

“Thea…” Deidra managed to groan out through a squeezed throat.

“Only when we’re finished here,” Scenna said. “And you all have remembered your place beneath Nysadia’s heel. Speaking of which, if you, beastie, continue putting up a fight so soon before the fun starts, I’m sure there are other ways that we can convince you to cooperate.” Thea watched as the tendril around Deidra’s throat tightened. Deidra’s face strained, her complexion beginning to grow red and quickly purple. The queen tried to speak, but could muster no words. Thea fell still. She shook her head, tears rushing to her wide, pink eyes.

“No, stop!” Thea cried. The grip remained, growing tighter and tighter.

“She is no queen of ours, kitten,” Scenna added. “It would be like disposing of a pest, or of a perfectly fine, ticklish plaything. Such a waste, but a necessary sacrifice, perhaps?”

“Please stop!” Thea shouted. “Please don’t hurt her!”

“I have your word then?” Scenna asked. “You’ll be a good kitten?” Deidra emitted clenched, gurgling noises. Thea gnashed her teeth. Her hands balled into fists, her heart racing with agonized thumps.

“Please!” Thea shouted. “I’ll be good, just stop!” The grip on Deidra’s neck loosened, but remained. Deidra sucked down a heavy breath, gasping needfully. Her eyes glistened with a watery veil. Scenna snickered at the desperation they both shared.

“Good work, fairy queen, gathering all of the remaining Featherland souls, each ripe for Nysadia’s harvesting,” she said. “Under different circumstances, you would have made a valuable ally. Shame you chose to turn against her.”

“Ny…. Nysadia… doesn’t know what she’s doing…” Deidra said. “She’ll destroy everything… because of what happened…”

“Because of what you allowed to happen,” Scenna reiterated, slowly and with exaggerated articulation. She stood back, her stare bearing down on Deidra’s kneeling position. “The entirety of the Featherlands has been rightfully conquered. Nysadia’s will must be obeyed. We will deliver each and every one of you to her after we feast on your energy.” The shade stepped away from Deidra, turning her attention back to Thea. “Let the queen watch first so she can observe the fallout of her failure. Then, she may serve our fill. In the meantime…”

Scenna shifted Thea around to be in a better view of Deidra. The cat-girl’s arms and legs were spread out in the air as more tendrils emerged from the beast’s back. Deidra shook her head. She lunged forward, only to be swiftly restrained back down on her knees by the tightening grip of the tendril around her neck. Thea stifled her whimpers and fearful expressions, albeit poorly. Her lips quivered. Her eyes struggled to maintain a locked glare with the creature standing before her. Scenna came closer. She drew a long breath in through her nose, her pale lips curling into a smirk.

“You look… so much like him…” she said. Thea swallowed. Her brother’s name came to her lips, yet she dared not give the shade the satisfaction of speaking. She clenched her mouth shut in defiance. “Good cat. Now mew for me.”

The feather-tipped tendrils found their way onto Thea’s body. They slipped through her tunic and proceeded to push inside of her boots. Thea began giggling and twisting on contact, fighting back the early stages of laughter. The feathery ends caressed the defenseless mounds of her stretched armpits. They incited surging waves of tickles bursting through her senses. Her eyes clamped shut. Her mouth pulled back into a wide, reluctant sneer. Scenna stared on, amused by Thea’s efforts.

“I can taste your senses, your ticklish nerves screaming,” she said. “You’ll put on quite a show for your pitiful, bug queen.” The tendrils that slithered into Thea’s boots circled around the edges of her feet. The feathery tips grazed against Thea’s delicate soles, adding two more fronts of ticklish turmoil to the war of her own resistance. Thea squealed. Her body clenched as she shook, trying to fight back the laughter. Scenna merely snickered. She continued to tickle all four spots at once, letting her feathers riddle some of Thea’s most sensitive areas with tiny spines that tickled over and over again upon each delicate abrasion.

“Mmmmmheeeeeehehhehehehaahahahaaaa!!” Thea began to break. Tears streamed from her eyes. Her body writhed in place. The tickles came compounded onto one another, flowing in through her focus spots worse and worse by each passing moment. It was as if each feather became two and then four and then ten, over and over again until Thea knew nothing but the ticklish sensations rushing through her. Finally, her composure caved in, and Deidra knelt in the audience of her aid’s hyper-ticklish suffering. “NYYYAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAAAAA!!! STAHAHAHHAAAP!!!”

“There it is,” Scenna said. “You held out better than most of the others. Be a good kitten for Nysadia and maybe you’ll get to watch your queen perform the same delightful song.” Deidra groaned. She bared her teeth before lunging forward and lashing out again.

“Stop this right n–” Deidra began before the grip tightened around her throat again. Scenna grinned and turned to look at her, all while keeping the feathers locked onto Thea’s body.

“Eager for your turn, I see,” Scenna said. “Don’t worry, it’ll come. But is it too much for you to handle that all of this is your fault? Every laugh, every tear, every false hope, broken promise, crushed notion of safety manifested by those pretty lips of yours… This guilt is just the first of many punishments you deserve for crossing Nysadia’s will.” Scenna sprouted more tendrils from her back. They too targeted Thea’s body, but waited within the moment where Scenna could observe the glimmer of horror in each of Deidra and Thea’s eyes. “Perhaps, should your punishments ever end, you’ll prove yourself to be a willing asset in assisting the Absorption. If not, I’m sure that Nysadia will highlight your eternal suffering as a cautionary example; a righteous purpose.”

With Scenna’s attention turned back to Thea, the new feathery tendrils found the girl’s splayed body. The newest tips began to weasel through the effects of her clothes locating more highly ticklish spots. Two slipped in at the girl’s sides while another began circling her stomach. The other found a spot on Thea’s lower back, just above the base of her tail. The new tendrils added their ticklish exploration to the olds ones, further enveloping the screaming feline beastie in a complete, sensory hysteria.

“NYAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAA!!! GAAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!” Thea’s laughter shrieked over others filling the halls of the Hollow. Her body spasmed and bucked in place. Her chest pounded, her jaw aching from the constant streams of laughter flowing through her. The feathers at her pits brushed up and down and all over the sensitive mounds. The ones tucked away inside of her boots covered her soles in spiny tickles before flossing the feathery edges in between her toes. Those at her sides swiped back and forth, moving up and down to and back from each set of sensitive ribs. The tendril at her stomach circled the circumference over and over again before digging deep into Thea’s ticklish navel. At her back, the tendril merely covered the spot in ticklish barbs, where every pass came with rising, madding levels of potency. “SHHAAAAAHAHHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!! NYAAAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAA!!!”

“Good, ticklish kitten,” Scenna said. “You’ll make a great pet for Nysadia, along with the other one.” Deidra watched through teary eyes. The screaming laughter that flooded the room, and all those beyond, pounded in her head. She sniffled, her arms shivering as they remained bound and splayed out. Scenna looked back at the queen, keeping Thea’s mind and body breaking to the feathery tickles shooting through her body with a continuous rise in intensity.

“Ready, your majesty?” Scenna asked. Her voice was sour and spiteful. Deidra scowled, yet hung her head in defeat. She nodded as tears fell to the dirt beneath her. Scenna scoffed and turned to the other shades. “Get her out of here. Keep her busy until I’m finished with this one.” The other shades, still in beast forms, kept their hold over the fairy queen. They tugged her by the tendrils holding her arms and neck, leading her into the deeper reaches of the hollow like an animal. Deidra could only sob. She took one last look at Thea before slipping beyond the corner, able to make out the pained hysteria on her face even through her tears.

“I…. so sorry…” Deidra muttered. She was jerked away, out of sight from the main room. Thea was far too forcibly focused on her own ticklish turmoil. She screamed and shrieked and cried out as more tickles devoured her senses. Scenna smirked and came closer. She stepped up close to Thea, cupping the girl’s frantic, teary cheek with one hand. She soaked in the girl’s ticklish suffering through contact, breathing in the energy of her laughter.

“Good kitten,” Scenna muttered. “Mmm, so tasty…” Thea’s laughter shouted out above all others until it managed to fade into the ticklish symphony of Sprite’s Hollow, the Featherland’s final vestige of hope.