"Hey, Zinni! Want to race?"

"Of course!"

Zinni and Azalea crouched on Devin's open palms, poised to leap.

"Ready! Go!" he sounded off.

Jumping up, the two naked fae shot down the hallway, wings a blur. As they reached the end, their race course was blocked by a door. Agreeing to temporarily halt their competition, they worked together to press down on the handle and push their way through.

With the route unencumbered, they sped over a recently-shoveled trail, with railing strategically placed so guests wouldn't slip, toward a cave entrance nestled into an adjacent hill.  

Halfway to the finish line, Zinni abruptly stopped. 

Azalea, noticing Zinni was no longer beside her, looked back and made a U-turn, stopping beside her friend.

"A stalwart hero must brave the gaping black maw to reach the pool of longevity!" Zinnia whispered, seemingly out of the blue.

"An idea for a future book?"

Zinni tapped her temple. "Just storming my brain for ideas."

"Don't you mean brainstorming?" corrected Azalea.

"I thought since I was doing the thinking, I was causing the storming."

"I… I don't even know how to respond to that," Azalea responded in deep thought.

"Either way, doesn't it look like the ground is going to eat us with the way the icicles hang down in the entrance?" Zinni asked with a smile.

"It does a little," Azalea giggled. "And I wouldn't blame it. You're definitely worth eating out," she added with a smirk.

Zinni felt the heat rush to her cheeks at an old memory. 

Azalea took her blushing friend's hand. "Come on, let's see what's inside!" Completely forgetting their competition, the two friends dove through the entrance.

Descending only a few steps, the cavern made a slight turn into a secluded, open-ceiling grotto.

A total of six pools, filled with mud ranging from rust red to soot black, were arranged in a crescent formation. Each surrounded by a stacked-rock retaining wall and walkway.

The pools were all fed by a waterway originating from an upper pool, which was split into two sections. The deep end, close to the rockface, acting as a convergence point where boiling water, bubbling up from a crack in a boulder, mixed with ice water piped in from some outside source.

The shallower end lacked the depth to fully submerge oneself and only existed to transfer the excess water to the main attraction below. Twice as big as its counterparts, the expansive featured pool bubbled delicately with thick, bluish-gray mud.

"Somehow, it's steamier here than the sauna," noted Zinni.

"Sure is, and look at all the moss!" Azalea observed.

"Yes, it's definitely very mossy – the mossiest of moss-covered rocks."

"Hey, Zinni, wanna try something fun?"

"With the moss?"

Azalea gave a mischievous smile. "There's a nice patch over here." She landed on the edge of the mud pit next to a rocky node and squatted over it.

"You're gonna rub yourself on it?"

"Mhm!" She ran her hand across her pussy before nonchalantly grinding herself on the velvety verdure. "Such wonderfully soft and springy sensation you must try!"

Zinni wrung her hands to keep from placing them between her legs. "But you didn't want me to touch myself."

"You technically aren't… and maybe a little something to hold you over till later might help. More importantly, I wanted to share the experience together with you!"

"Could this one be permitted to participate as well?"

Both Zinni and Azalea jumped at the sudden voice and appearance of Jeni emerging out of the heated mist, peering down at them from the upper balcony.

"There you are, Jeni! You scared me! The steam and your feathers really make you blend in. Of course, you can join us! Find a rock that looks like it'd feel good." Azalea proposed.

Hopping down and locating a rock that would suit her unique anatomy, she lowered herself over the oval protuberance and humped it experimentally. "The sensation is enjoyable."

"Isn't it?" Azalea affirmed.

"This one is reminded of a cave goblin tribe who engage in a similar activity as part of their culture."

"Really? I would love to meet them." Azalea leaned forward and used her fingers to spread herself to give more purchase on her clit. "Mmmm, that's the spot right there. I'm still sad for you not having a clit, Jeni."

"It is alright. This one has recently experienced something new to aid in her self-pleasuring."

"Oh?"

"This one's first egg-laying has made this one aware of a new level of enjoyment she didn’t know she was capable of experiencing. When the diameter is at its thickest and has fully stretched this one's breeding hole,” the amount of fullness is most pleasing."

"I can very much relate," Azalea agreed. "Well, not exactly in the same way, but you know what I mean."

Jeni placed the tip at her entrance and slowly twisted her hips back and forth to help loosen her muscular orifice. She was glad the moss was already wet from the damp air. A little bigger than her own egg, she inhaled deeply as she gently sank down and slowly let out her breath as the oval rock spread her cloaca.

Zinni watched the two girls grind away, wishing to join them but lacking the confidence that she could keep from cumming, given how aroused she was from trying to hold back her desire. Maybe if she were careful and went slow... 'perhaps this one?' Straddling a rock jutting up in a sharper V than Azalea’s, she slid forward.

'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,' she thought. Her wings quivered as her split pussy lips scraped and dragged on the “carpet” of the forest.

'Maybe just a teensy-tiny orgasm, no one would know...' No! She was no quitter! Holding back now would mean a greater payoff later.

'Maybe if I lean back… there! Better, it's not pressing on my clitty. Now, if I could just think of a distraction...' "So, uh, Mrs. Harpy..."

"Jeni," the owl girl amended.

"Yes! Right, Mrs, uh, er, Jeni, have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes, this one had been soaking her talons in the mud before moving up to have a proper soak."

"Isn't that pool too shallow?"

"This one's lightened skeletal makeup makes it difficult for her to fully submerge underwater, and this one doesn't like to because it makes her wings too wet to fly. Research has gone into making this a perfect harpy bath."

"Is that so?"

“Just as Rosalind said, they really did want to accommodate all types of demi-humans,” a new voice added.

"Reina! Life-mate! You finally made it! What took you so long?"

“Reina and I decided it’d be best to wear the robe our hosts had so generously provided instead of walking around naked.”

"No fun in that," laughed the fairy.

"Reina was uncomfortable, and it was a bit cold for me without it. I see you three found some amusement."

"Just showing Zinni and Jeni how wonderful moss can feel, life-mate!" 

"This one's breeding hole is sufficiently enjoying the stimulation," Jeni added.

"Might not want to get too carried away, Azalea. It might be conceived of as rude if the owners walk in," warned Reina.

"I suppose you're right, and Zinni looks like she's trying so hard not to cum."

Azalea stood up, as did Zinni, both sad and glad to stop. Jeni, too, was a little remiss to put an end to the pleasurable stretching, but she did. Climbing back up to the shallow portion of the upper pool, she fluffed out her feathers and dipped forward, fluttering her wings and splashing water all over her back.

"Watching Jeni makes me wonder, Azalea. Can fairies swim?" asked Devin.

Instead of answering, Azalea flew up and over Jeni and dove down into the deep end behind her. Two seconds later, she broke the surface. "A little, if the current isn't too strong."

"It doesn't bother your wings?"

“We fold them flat against our back. Oh, also, Life-mate, since it's been a while since you’ve seen me naked, and you probably couldn't really see me really well in the sauna, well, it's hard to see too well in here, too, but notice anything different about me?" Azalea put her hands on her hips, baring her utterly hairless body.

Devin leaned forward. She was still the same size, and her crests were all there. “Um, you… look more… rather you’re less…”

“Pudgy? Don’t worry, I’m still soft in all the places that matter.” She thrust her chest out and stuck out her butt. “All the exercise I did with Jeni let me gain some muscle, so I can run significantly farther than I could before!”

"But you can fly…"

"True, but since I was helping Jeni with her flight training, I thought maybe a stronger body to better service you. Also, it doesn't hurt to have something to fall back on in case I injure my wing somehow."

"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen. Is that a common occurrence?" he queried.

"Not often, but it can. Like if something interferes with our wings. That is a prime example." She pointed at the mud pit.

Zinni hovered above the liquified dirt and dipped her toe in. "It’s sticky.”

"Exactly. Reina, my sweet, may we sit on you?" requested Azalea.

"Of course." Reina waded in, letting the chalky clay wash over her. Stepping down onto a lower ledge, she laid down and beckoned Azalea and Zinni over.

"Thank you!"

"Yes, thank you."

"Here, let me help you with your wings, Zinni." Azalea gently folded and smoothed down the delicate membranes. “And perhaps I should tie your hair up. There. Ready?"

"I guess," Zinni answered without confidence.

Despite sitting on the large whitehorn, the mud came up to their necks.

Zinni grimaced. “I'm not sure what to think of this. It's hard to move in. Big folk certainly do some strange things. What's the reason for this?"

“Supposed to soften skin, improve circulation, soothe sore joints, and relax muscles for the massage after,” Reina recounted from memory.

"Hmm, I do like to have pretty skin, and I suppose the warmth is kinda cozy," Zinni admitted.

"It's warmer than I'd have imagined. Really traps the heat… hey!” Devin jumped. “Did you feel that?!" 

"Feel what, life-mate?"

"Something swimming by."

"I felt nothing. Did you, Zinni?"

"Yes. WAIT! No. YES! Hmm, not sure. Definitely a strong maybe, but only because of that." Zinni pointed to ripples forming around a bright green sprout in the center of the pool.

"Was that plant there before?" asked Devin.

“No, it was over on the other side when we got in.” Zinni indicated with a look.

They all stared at the anomalous plant. The bubbling grew in intensity until it was seething around the delicate bud. Suddenly, the bud rose, higher and higher, causing liquid alluvium to slough off, revealing a congealed mass underneath.

The object rapidly hardened, disregarding the splits and cracks, forming along what grew into two slender arms. Those arms extended down to just the elbows, where, instead of workable fingers, they developed crude representations of hands that were clumsy and oversized.

Whatever this entity was began to mold the rest of itself into a loosely human form. A plump body, heftier than Devin’s but shorter in height, grew a massive pair of breasts that spilled forward, only to be scaled back to something less obscene as the excess material was diverted to other parts of her body.

Crowned with the leafy sapling sitting askew atop her short hair, branching veins within the cracks of her skin pulsed with verdant life.

Reina unconsciously shuffled back as far as she could, causing Azalea to grasp at her fur with the unexpected movement. "Whoa, are you ok, Reina?"

Reina balled her fists in front of her chest in a defensive stance.

Wading over, the empathetic fairy placed her hand on Reina's back. “It's ok, my love."

"What makes you think so? It's gross. Maybe it was set to ambush us?" she retorted in alarm.

"I don't think so. Looks like we woke her from a nap."

The droopy-eyed, earthen girl stretched and yawned, seemingly in no hurry to do anything. She stood there staring up at the grotto ceiling, unmoving, perhaps watching the soft twinkle of stars between the wispy mist.

"Uh, hello. Are you a guest here?" Devin greeted.

The girl gave no indication she heard him.

"Do you work here?"

Again, nothing.

"Maybe she doesn't speak human, Life-mate?"

"Or she is unable to hear me. She has very distinguishable little flappy piglin ears, but maybe they are just or show?”

"I’ve never seen or heard of her since I've been here. I don’t think she’s Matron Rosalind’s daughter. She resembles a really big schlicum?" guessed Zinni.

"Or several merged together,” postulated Jeni.

"I saw a picture of this thing in the hallway."

"You did, Herd-mate?"

"She was in the portrait next to our door surrounded by piglin. She's most likely not dangerous."

Reina looked skeptical. "Maybe not to them. We should go get Mrs… Herd-mate, what are you doing?!?"

They could speculate endlessly, and Devin didn't really want to leave the girls in case this creature posed a danger to them. ‘Maybe something beyond verbal communication would work?’ He swam cautiously over and waved his hand before the mud girl's eyes.

The sudden movement caused the girl to look down. Her eyes grew wide, suggesting she suddenly realized she wasn't alone. Dazzling green pupils stared at each person in turn as if memorizing what they looked like, then slipped back into the loam and disappeared, leaving only the sprout above the pool's surface.

"You’ve scared her, Life-mate."

"I wasn't trying to."

Azalea’s assessment was wrong. The plant abruptly darted forward, startling Devin to fall backward. It chased him to his original sitting spot and stopped. Unable to climb out quick enough, he put his back to the wall intending to fight.

The creature rose out of the muck once more, this time with four exact replicas of herself – two full-size (including the original) and two pint-sized copies.

"Welcome back! Is this your family?" chirped Azalea.

"This one thinks she just duplicated herself."

Still uncommunicative, each instance of the creature surged toward its intended target: Azalea, Zinni, Reina, and Devin.

Reina, still wary and averse to this creature, readied herself to defend Azalea and Zinni, but she didn't have to. Each copy stopped right in front of their respective partner. Reina’s copy scrutinized the revolted whitehorn, lost all interest, and disappeared back into the mud.

Zinni's and Azalea's, on the other hand, pointed down.

"What are you... oh, ok, you're just gonna suddenly sit on our laps." 

Straddling Azalea's lap, the mud girl smiled innocently before embracing the surprised fairy. "Ahhh, she just wanted a hug!"

"That's all well and good, but it doesn't explain what mine's doing." Devin's partner possessed the sprout, marking her as the original. She had forgone the hug and instead grabbed his hands and placed them on her chest before leaning in to lap at his neck.

While most of her was pseudo-solid, parts of her were not. Her breasts were one such place. His hands sunk into the undulating mounds. They were soft and pliable and had a doughy consistency. They were also in a constant state of flow. Much like everything below her waist, her body was forming and reforming, yet Devin could clearly make out a defined pair of thighs and a hefty butt weighing down on his lap.

"Perhaps it's a sign of endearment like dog and cat girls do?" suggested Zinni, holding up her arm to show that her copy was also licking down her arm.

Azalea let out a gasp as the mud girl suddenly dipped her head down and latched onto the fairy's nipple. "Mine seems hungry." Azalea stroked her head in apology. “I’m sorry, you cute little whatever you are, but no milk is going to come out."

She let the copy suckle as long as she wanted, mostly because it felt good. After a few minutes, though, the small mud girl realized nothing was going to come out and moved to Azalea's cleavage to start licking.

Devin caught Reina's eye. She was obviously grossed out by the whole ordeal but was admirably toughing it out. He shrugged.

This was easily the strangest thing Devin had ever experienced. He didn't feel in danger, but he wasn't sure if he should let whatever was happening continue. Would she become upset if he pushed her away? Whether she existed in the mud or was the mud, Devin didn't like the idea of drowning should she become upset.

He skimmed some of the mud from her breast and held it away from the rest. Separate, it was wet and sticky like one would expect, but as soon as it came in contact with the rest, it took a life of its own – as if it was drawn in and desired to merge with her body.

Her tongue was the same way. As she moved down his neck and collarbone to his shoulder, she didn't leave any residue.

"Well, whatever is going on, it doesn’t hurt. Maybe this is part of the mud springs experience?"

"This one is curious why uncomfortable Reina isn't receiving the same… affection."

"I'm glad I'm not," Reina retorted.

"Maybe she senses that and is leaving Reina alone," Devin surmised.

Before anyone could speculate further, an outline of someone appeared at the entrance.

"How are my guests doi… Clayrissa!" 

From the grotto's entrance, Rosalind came in to check on them. Seeing what was going on, she hurried across the room as fast as her belly would allow her. Her footsteps were somehow heard by the deaf mud girl because she stopped licking, smiled, and waved with the familiarity of an old friend.

Rosalind made several hand gestures before stooping next to Devin, grabbing the mud girl's arms, and lifting her off. Instantly, the copies flowed across the floor and up Rosalind’s legs to merge back with the main body.

"I'm so sorry! Normally, she just absorbs her food while she's sleeping."

“Employee of yours?" he asked.

"More like family. I'm very sorry. She must’ve woke up because you tasted really good."

"She's trying to eat them?!?" Reina panicked.

"No, no, heavens no! Sorry, I said that poorly. She feeds off affinity."

"Of course! Our sweat!" sang Azalea. "That's why you said to not shower after the sauna!"

Rosalind stroked Clayrissa's head. "Neither I nor my family produce affinity, so we rely on customers to keep her fed."

Devin replied, "I don't mind if she's still hungry. We were just a little surprised by her seemingly overt affections."

"We don't mind either!" declared Azalea, looking at Zinni for confirmation.

Devin motioned the hungry elementum back onto his lap. 

Wondering what he meant, she motioned to Rosalind, who answered Devin, "You're very generous. Thank you." 

When Rosalind signaled the ok, Clayrissa’s face broke into a delighted smile, and she came just short of leaping back onto Devin.

Devin patted the terraceous head. "Those hand gestures are a clever way to communicate?"

"I learned them from my father and grandfather. It was developed by some member of my family long ago and has been passed down through every generation. Clayrissa can't hear the same way we do. Obviously, she can see, but she can only feel movement through the ground or when you touch her directly.  

"She put my hands on her chest when we first met," Devin admitted.

Rosalind laughed. "She's probably mimicking what my daughters do when they soak in here. They tend to grope each other a lot. She probably doesn't understand what it means, though who doesn't enjoy a lovely pair of tits, real or not?"

"What if she doesn't eat enough?" queried Azalea, cuddling the re-emerged copy nibbling on her earlobe.

"She'll hibernate, but I've never seen her that hungry. She doesn't need a lot, but you must taste very rich.  Haven't seen my cute little gnomi this animated before!"

Jeni perked up. "Gnomi? Is she perchance an elementum?"

"Right you are, Mrs. Harpy! Indeed she is! She's an artificial demi-human."

"So she's not a schlicum?" puzzled Azalea.

"I thought the only artificial demi-humans were golems," added Devin.

“Artificial demi-humans, otherwise known as demi-constructs, are split into two categories, Nest-mate: simulacrums and somaticrum. Golems fall under simulacrums. They require the entirety of their creation to be assembled by their maker. Somaticrum possess certain constructed parts, but the rest is left to natural processes that are beyond our current understanding.”

"You certainly are well versed, Mrs. Harpy."

"Jeni was raised by a golemancer," Devin pointed out with fondness.

"It shows."

"Since I've never heard of them, could I assume their rarity is similar to golems – they are expensive and difficult to create?" asked Devin

"The economic cost is unknown to this one as is the knowledge to create one. The rarity of elementums is such that they were thought to have disappeared long ago.”

"Were they common in the past?"

“Records are scarce. Aside from gnomis, there were glacies made from ice, undines from water, and ignis and sylphs from fire and air," Jeni recounted.

"How do you make something alive from air and fire?"

Jeni shrugged. "Matron Sven, perchance, might enlighten us with such knowledge."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't know either. That information wasn't told to me or written down. I only know how to care for her, but I would assume she requires what all living things need: time and lots of tender, loving care." She winked.

"Though I can attest to Mrs. Harpie’s comparison to golems as Clayrissa does have a core. Maybe she'd show it to you, if you were interested?"

"This one would be quite interested, yes."

"Is she ok showing us what I assume is the more important part of her body?" worried Devin.

"She's taken quite a liking to you, I don't think she'd mind."

By this time, Clayrissa had licked most of Devin's body which was above the surface clean, and was basking in the contentment of a tasty meal.

"Clayrissa," Rosalind signed. "May I see your stummy? There isn't a hand sign for core, so I combined stomach and tummy together to help her know what I'm talking about."

The gnomi signed back.

"Yes, I know we just did a checkup. I'd like to show these people how amazing you are."

With no particular reason to deny the request, Clayrissa leaned back and bared her stomach, softening the hardened mud.

Jenni, wanting a closer seat, hopped down next to Rosalind.

"Go ahead," the piglin matriarch suggested.

"Do I just, uh, reach in?" Devin asked.

"Yes, and when you find it, just gently scoop it in your hands. She can't support it when she pulls back her mud."

"Ok..."

Even with Rosalind’s assurance, Devin was still unnerved at handling someone's insides. Just as with her breasts, Clayrissa's softened body reminded him of slimy, gritty molasses, only more globular. The constant ebb and flow inside her impressed upon him what a truly strange creature this was. She didn't seem to be bothered by his intrusion or give any indication that she even felt him probing around.

With no organs or other landmarks with which to navigate, Devin was about to ask what he was feeling for when his hand brushed against something solid. It felt heavy and vaguely heart-shaped with… horns? Or maybe handles? Something fibrous wrapped around the entirety of it, and… in it? Or perhaps through it? 

"I think I found it."

Zinni and Azalea leaned forward in expectation, and even Reina's curiosity was strong enough to make her cautiously glance over as Devin delicately cupped the gnomish core.

Clayrissa pulled her mud away to reveal a womb-shaped stone wrapped tightly in a chaotic net of roots. Two thick fibrous stems grew out of what would be the fallopian horns and merged together into a denser stalk that ran up through her body, anchoring it to the sapling. Her core thrummed vibrantly, indicating it was the source of the living green pulsing through her vein-ish roots.

Jeni’s eyes widened, astounded by the symmetrical geodesic design. It was a marvel of craftsmanship on par with her old mentor’s in all ways except for one. His cores were smelted from metals and easy-to-manipulate substances, but Clayrissa's was natural stone – a type she'd never seen before – hollowed out with a method she couldn't fathom.

Devin tilted the bottom up. A narrow tube simulating a vaginal canal was blocked halfway up by a knot of roots that would occasionally squirm, causing little black granules to fall out onto his palm.

"What's this black stuff?"

"The richest of soils for her roots to nestle into. I refill it with fresh now and then.”

"So many thoughts are filling this one's mind; she hardly knows what to ask first. Perhaps the most curious one is why there exists such a similarity to lovable Azalea's crest."

"You're right! It does! I wonder why." Azalea jumped up and brushed the mud from her belly to compare. "Mrs. Sven, I just had a thought. You said Clayrissa absorbs affinity while she sleeps. Does she sleep a lot?"

"Maybe around eighteen hours per day or so."

The fae nodded. "Hmm. You also said you'd never seen her so active before we arrived?"

"Not outside of her usual awake time with my daughters or I."

“I wonder if she is still hungry. She's a pretty big girl, and sweat doesn't contain much affinity. I wonder if she'd enjoy something richer.”

"There's a richer source?" Rosalind queried.

"There are several, in fact, but one of the best is a special glistening white substance that never fails to personally fill me up," Azalea expressed with a glint in her eye.

Picking up the subtext, the piglin gasped, "You don't mean… oh my!"

"It is around six times more potent," asserted Jeni.

"That much?! Goodness. Well, um, as your host, it would be entirely impolite to ask such a thing of my guests, but if you are offering and not embarrassed to.., uh… 'feed' her, I would be extremely grateful.”

"Are you up for it, Life-mate? I'd give her some, too, but I'm pretty low, as you can see." Azalea marked her affinity level very close to the bottom of her crest.

"I guess I don't mind, but does that mean you want me to… just right in the mud?"

"Directly is usually the best way, Life-mate!" Azalea pointed to the hole in the bottom of the core.

"Is that safe?"

"I haven't heard of anyone trying that, but her core is firmer than you'd think. Her roots can withstand a lot of handling, and," Rosalind reached out and tapped the rocky womb, "you won't be damaging this.

"Let me ask Clayrissa. I-f  y-o-u  a-r-e  y-o-u  s-t-i-l-l  h-u-n-g-r-y, d-o  y-o-u  w-a-n-t  s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g  y-u-m-m-i-e-r-?"

Something tastier than what we just had? She nodded excitedly.

"That answers that, Life-mate!"

Devin scrutinized the size of the hole, wondering if he'd fit. 

Azalea mistook his hesitancy for performance anxiety. "Maybe Reina could assist, Life-mate?" 

Reina's reluctant expression prompted Azalea to make pleading puppy-dog-girl eyes. When the Whitehorn turned her eyes down, Azalea expressed, "Maybe not. Ok, well… OH! Kinda hard to get in the mood when there's no squishy hole, is there?"

Before Devin could say it wasn't exactly what he was thinking, Azalea spun around. "Does Clayrissa have a pussy, Mrs. Sven?"

"Uh, I… I don't know. It's not something I've ever thought about."

"Could you ask her to stand up?"

Rosalind signed for Clayrissa to stand up as much as she could.

Devin hastily pushed the core back in and held her hands as she hardened her legs from her calves up.

Azalea leaned in to examine the mud girl. "Nope, nothing there. I wonder if she can make one. Can you ask her? Or better yet, can you teach me so I can ask her?"

"I'm not sure how I'd even word that. Maybe this?" Rosalind showed Azalea the signs. 

Azalea, in turn, laid down on her back and spread her legs, making the same hand gestures while pointing to her pussy. "I wonder if she'll understand."

"She's a simple girl, but on occasion, she'll surprise me with her cleverness."

Azalea signed again and spread her labia wide.

Clayrissa gave a perplexed expression.

"I don't think she gets it. Um… oh, here's an idea! Hey, Zinni, can you finger-draw her a pussy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, outline it between her legs. Maybe the sensation will help her create it."

"That is the strangest thing you've ever asked me to do, and there have been some weird ones."

"You won't?"

"Of course I will! Mr. Life-mate of Azalea, can you lift me over, please?"

Upon Devin holding out his hand and ferrying her over, Zinni added her concern, "I should remind you, Ib'm not good at creating in three dimensions. Remember when I tried to shape a penis vase to hold flowers, and it kept falling in on itself?"

"I believe in you, and this time, you can talk with the clay! Kinda strange when I say it like that."

"I'll try my best, but I need a reference."

"Do you, though? Maybe you just want to look at my pussy," Azalea teased.

"I wouldn't say no if you offered."

Azalea giggled. "I'm more than happy to show it whenever you want." Azalea jumped down from the pillar into Devin's hand.

"Pose me however you want."

"Could you maybe rinse off first?" Zinni requested.

"Sure." Azalea jumped up and splashed through the waterfall that fed the pool, rinsing the mud from her body.

"Better! Now, let's have you stand here and push your hips out a little." Azalea let Zinni position her how she wanted. "You have such a lovely pink flower – well, in your case, an aquatic flower." The artistic fae giggled. "Alright, here we go." 

With Azalea standing right next to the crotchless canvas, Zinni got to work drawing an outline with her finger, stopping now and then to compare the scale.

Clayrissa was a little confused. They asked her if she was still hungry, but the specific hand signs asked something completely different. They were very old gestures from way back when the Piglin family taught her how to form parts of her body.

Now, the little creature between her legs seemed to be playing a game often enjoyed with the piglin daughters: guessing what each other drew. She learned a lot about the world in that way. But they'd never played it on her body. She watched Zinni, trying to figure out what the picture was.

"We'll put some plump folds here and delicate ones underneath. Probably won't need a pee-hole, so we'll skip that, and, of course, a little clit here — probably won't function the same, but for completion’s sake! And most importantly, the main hole here! Hmm, that's not gonna work. How to maintain a hollow hole in mud?"

"Push your fist in, and I'll ask her again."

"Ok." The Leanan Sidhe artist pushed her hand in where the hole should go. When she figured it would need to be deeper, she pushed her arm in as far as it would go.

Azalea faced Clayrissa and signed again.

The gnomi was still having trouble figuring this one out. What they were drawing was obviously what was between their legs...but how did that…? It dawned on her. They wanted to recreate that on her body!

Clayrissa pointed excitedly.

"Yes, yes! Do you understand?" 

With a visual clue and the memory of Zinni's fingers, she concentrated on hardening the mud into the desired shape. 'Not quite right.' She slid a finger between Azalea's legs to get a feel for the texture – slippery but also jiggly. There was also a hole there. Maybe that's why the other creature still had her arm inside her.

"She's doing it!" Zinni blurted out. The earth pulled away, forming a pocket around her arm. The walls inside and her vulva outside congealed to a consistency as close as she could get it.

Cautiously, Zinni pulled her arm out. "A perfect hole for sticking a cock in! Do you think we should draw her an anus too?"

"Why not?" Azalea mused.

Zinni reached farther back and pushed her fist into the desired location. With her free hand, she drew the little wrinkled ridges and creases around her wrist.

Azalea signed a third time, turned around, bent over, popped her plug out and pointed at her anus.

Fully understanding this time, Clayrissa did the same as before. She reshaped her body according to Zinni's finger drawing and around her balled fist."

"That should do it." Zinni pulled her hand out of the newly puckered hole, watching it close up tightly.

"It's beautiful! Let me feel!" Azalea ran her hand over the newly formed genitals. "Feels pretty good. How do I tell her she did a good job."

"Like this," Rosalind answered with demonstrating hands.

"G-o-o-d j-o-b, C-l-a-y-r-i-s-s-a!" Azalea cheered.

Clayrissa picked up the two fay and lightly tossed them in happy excitement.

After being tossed three times, Azalea fluttered down onto Devin's shoulder.

"R-e-a-d-y  t-o  e-a-t?"

Clayrissa eagerly climbed back onto Devin's lap, looking for something to lick.

Rosalind got her attention and signed, "Just wait, Clayrissa, they are going to feed you something new.”

'New?!?' Clayrissa wiggled eagerly in Devin's lap and then abruptly stopped. 'What was that?' She reached into the mud and wrapped her hand around something hard. 'That shouldn't be there.' She let go and asked Rosalind about it.

"What's she saying?" Devin whispered.

"She's never seen a penis before and is asking what it is."

Rosalind did her best to explain that it would go into the hole between her legs, and if she didn't like it, just signal for them to stop.

Clayrissa signaled she would. Today turned out to be so eventful in learning new and different things. It was exciting! But almost overwhelming.

"You’re up, Life-mate!" Azalea leaned close to Devin's ear. “Did you like how extremely tiny we made her hole? I bet it's gonna feel amazing clamped tightly around you. Imagine it as a teaser for how tight mine will be."

Devin’s horniness surged at the thought. He also didn't miss the soft and subtle intonation change in Azalea's voice. She was definitely trying to stimulate him. Not that he needed it; he was already hard. Still, the idea of one day penetrating his fairy wife fueled him even more.

Devin lifted the gnomi's hips and asked, "Just to confirm… this isn't going to, uh, make little gnomies, is it?"

"Impossible, Nest-mate," Jeni stated confidently. 

"Ok." Devin slowly let gravity sink her onto his cock. The newly formed vagina was an entirely unique sensation. He couldn't think of what to compare it to except that it had a vice-tight grip. He worried he might be hurting her, but like earlier, she gave no indication she even felt anything.

"Does she get aroused?" huffed Devin.

"I've never seen her indicate any sexual desire, but I don't know."

Devin lessened the load on his arms marginally by thrusting up. He might have felt a bit self-conscious in front of Rosalind if not for everything taking place below the mud line, so nothing could be seen except for their subtle movements. Adjusting the angle, he thrust deeper and deeper until his tip reached her core. With no give to the stone canal, it took some prodding and grinding before he could squeeze up against her roots.

While the method was strange, the sensation of something solid to touch or grab onto was comforting and assuring to Clayrissa. Having someone inside her was even more so. She couldn't explain why, but maybe it had something to do with having such a volatile, fluid body.

"Not to question how your family does things, Mrs. Sven, but is it safe to let her be so close to strangers all the time?" Reina questioned.

“She's more than capable of defending herself. My great grandsow once told me she plastered someone to the floor. The dried mud was strong enough they had to get a pickaxe to break the person out, but that was the only occurrence.”

“It wasn’t her I was worried about,” she muttered.

"This one is curious to know if there are others like her."

"Clayrissa's circumstances are unique. During the dispensation era, one of my clan's forebears read the Squirme legend and became curious to know more. They somehow got in touch with an unnamed individual who was said to have possessed further knowledge of its contents and its author.

“In short, Clayrissa was born from a desire to see if the knowledge they had learned was true. I don’t know if there was any reason besides that. The process also didn’t seem to be important enough to pass down. Or was kept a secret for some reason." 

At the mention of the legend Reina watched Azalea closely. As before, her expression darkened. Quietly motioning for Jeni’s attention, she stealthily pointed at Azalea.

Their fairy appeared to be trying hard to suppress her anger. She rubbed the back of her shin with her foot, her little fists clenched. Whatever was going through her head, there might have also been frustration and…sadness?

As suddenly as it happened, the moment passed. Azalea shook her head and refocused what Rosalind was saying.

“Her creation wasn't a guaranteed success. The process took generations." With some effort, Rosalind sat down on the edge of the pool to soak her feet. “But as you can see, with enough patience, Clayrissa was joined to our family tree.” 

“An interesting aside, to mark and celebrate the occasion, the wallow used to create her became something of a tradition within Piglin society. When a new piglin family unit is formed, it's customary to build a wallow and plant a sapling in the center. It's akin to socializing around a hearth, but it’s in a mud bath. Aside from its health benefits, it’s a place where the family retires to unwind, talk, and generally bond.”

Clayrissa caught on pretty quickly that she should bounce up and down, if for no other reason than it was fun. As she wondered if this was a new type of game, she suddenly froze. Devin's precum had started to bubble out onto her roots, where it was instantly absorbed.

Until now, Clayrissa had been living on the equivalent of appetizers her entire life. That was all well and good – it was enough to subsist on – but this new food was a delicacy of the highest quality.

She looked at Devin with a newfound sense of wonderment. Wanting more, she began to bounce with purpose.

"Give her a lot, Life-mate!"

Devin was touched by Azalea's selflessness, knowing how much she loved his cum and how low her own affinity was right now. Yet she wanted him to give it all to this hungry elementum. He'd definitely fill his fairy up later.

While thinking these thoughts, Devin felt a hand cup his balls. Reina gave a strained smile. She also, despite her aversion to slimy things, wanted to help. He leaned over to kiss her while she placed his hand on her breast.

It wasn't long till Devin was filling up her core. His white seed suffused through the black soil, dousing her roots.

Expecting more of the same tasty precum, Clayrissa was unprepared for something even better, much less the dramatic effects such an affinity-dense substance would have on her. The sleepy, muddled-headedness was something she thought normal until it started dissipating. Her thoughts became clearer, she felt more alert, and her awareness expanded.

She looked at everyone with a new sense of wonderment. Past ideas and concepts she found difficult to comprehend flashed through her mind. Then she had an epiphany. She raised her arms. With newfound inspiration, her hands, clumsy and simple, reformed. Slender fingers with delicate joints grew as the old receded.

"Clayrissa?" cried Rosalind.

"Would you look at that!" Zinni commented.

Clayrissa wiggled her fingers, almost in disbelief. She'd done it. All her failed past attempts were forgotten.

Rosalind nearly tumbled into the pool as she hugged Clayrissa, tears forming in her eyes.

“I don't think she's going to be satisfied with what she was eating before," Azalea opined with both awe and a giggle. “I wonder if she'll become feisty with your other guests.”

"Oh, dear! You're right."

"How will I go about feeding her now?” Rosalind said with a frown.

"This one might have a viable temporary solution. This one has been considering teaching friends Suvi and Ky how to make tinctures. Much can be wasted in the practicing process, and while the failed attempts would normally be thrown away, they would be more than palatable by amazing Clayrissa’s new cravings.”

"And you could send them via harpy delivery!" Azalea added.

"That would be wonderful! Thank you all so much!" She signed for Clayrissa to say thank you. "I'll let you run along to your massage. I'm gonna go check on dinner."

After rinsing off in the waterfalls, both fae dove into Devin's robe pocket, and left the cave with Reina and Jeni in tow.

As they were walking down the hallway, Reina tugged on Devin's sleeve.  "Herd-mate, would you mind going on ahead? I wish to ask Jeni something."

"Alright."

Reina waited for the door to close before turning to Jeni. “You saw Azalea? Any idea what might be troubling her? It's the second time today.”

“This one noticed displeasure come across normally happy Azalea's countenance.”

Reina thought back, “I noticed it both times Mrs. Sven talked about that legend. Do you think Azalea dislikes it for some reason?”

“Perhaps." Jeni thought back to Azalea's outburst before they left Icefored.  

This one might have pieces to this puzzle but doesn’t know how they fit together, yet. She will ask Mrs. Rosalind before retiring for the night.”

“Thank you, Jeni.”

“This one is also sweet Azalea’s life partner and is concerned when something appears amiss.”

Reina gave Jeni a kiss of appreciation. “I’ll continue to keep an eye on her.”