Qzephyla Adventures

Qzephyla, guardian of this chamber and the temple spoken of by priests, was resting in the dark, completely unseen and covered by the various shades darkening the room. Though light permeated into the initial foyer, illuminating all which the traveler could see, it did not justify the true dimensions of this room, leaving the guardian still under the guise of darkness. Shifting noises could be heard, follow by a series of thick, hard taps in a harmonious cacophony only akin to the movement of insectoid legs. The shifting noises came to an abrupt halt rather random, before remaining silent altogether.

Qzephyla sprang into motion again as the lightsticks started illuminating more and more of the area, giving it less places to hide. The sound of crawling could be heard yet again, though this time moving away from Vahn and the light. The sound of a woman's voice was heard calling from the shadows, sounding surprised. "Who is there?" the womanly voice asked, though still no woman to be seen, "You should not be here. Why have you come here?"

Qzephyla processed the information that was alleged by Vahn, wondering why clergymen would hire a mercenary of any sort to come to this temple to purge it, when this being lived there already. Perhaps the humans had become terrified and sought to remove a being crafted by the Gods for protection of a divine location, but that would not bode well for them. Contemplating all of this, silently, a woman's face poked out from the darkness nearby Vahn, revealing its form. The skin of the womanly figure was a rather pale, faded hue of light purple -- something like lavender. The woman's hair was a strange shade of green, almost like a blend of pastel and neon without as much bright, radiant glow, taking more after the paleness of the pastel. The woman's body was exposed from the darkness all until reaching her lower torso, which remained hidden, though she was completely naked, from what it seemed. As it stood, she seemed to be much taller than an average human, let alone an average woman. "... Your mission is nothing but a wild goose chase. There is nothing of great impurity here to destroy that threatens anything divine. That such was so, I would have known." From the speech, it was clearly conscious and coherent. "I am the guardian, and I fear that the clergymen have turned against the divine and dragged you into their plot."

Qzephyla could see that this person was convinced against it, likely due to the clergy's getting to him first, and the added oddity of the guardian, itself. Vahn drew his sword, but the being seemed intelligent enough to know that this was in defense and caution, and he didn't intend to attack unprovoked. However, the eyes of the tall woman glowed a bright greenish-purple, and it was able to see infralayers of energy, in order to determine if he should ever become panicked or intend a sneak attack. "It is only logical to assume that I am the enemy to you, but I will propose this scenario to and let you be the judge: If the clergymen were to have brought the undead from beyond on their own in order to promote an illusion that the entire area is wicked, so that they might send an unsuspecting mercenary inside to slay me and make it seem like a justice, do you not think they would want to leave the one they hire in the dark, that I would possibly view unwarranted assault as a threat and slay you?"

Qzephyla could see the nuances and spikes of the energy about him; the fluctuations in his mind and spirit. Though they all pointed to preparation, none seemed to bear any intent to actually take any action unprovoked. Therefore, the divine being also did not take any offensive action, though remained precautionary in its own way. "Very well," it responded, stepping forward a bit so that he should be able to see more clearly its greater form. The already roughly double-his-height womanly figure now suddenly stood even taller, letting more of its body hidden by shadows be exposed to his light. "Behold my form and know that I am true." Wings not unlike those of an angel spread outward from the back of the womanly one, illuminating the entire area, along with its form. The lower torso from the waist below was the full body of a giant scorpion. Though the upper torso, which Vahn had gotten a glimpse of, was humanoid, and womanly, and comely in plentiful ways. The lips were juicy, and a darker shade of purple that resembled exotic lipstick; the abdomen showed firmness and tone, like one whose muscles were in use often, but not worked to increase mass; and the breasts were rotund and supple, sagging none, but bearing a noticeable bounce. "My hideous form is completely hazardous, and very powerful. If I should so have chosen, I could have slaughtered you already, and still can, even now. Yet I am the one disclosing information to you here rather than fighting and killing you, whereas the clergy is nowhere to be found, having sent you on a potential fool's errand into certain death should you have been ill-prepared." The way in which it spoke gave indication to the intricacy of its divine knowledge and intellect, but so did its restraint. "If you still choose to engage me, I will not kill you, but I will banish you from this place and back to the clergymen who have forsaken divinity."

Qzephyla could not read the mind of Vahn, but it could read his brainwaves, which was similar enough. Though incapable of hearing the inner monologue of inner thought, all of the radiation of the mind that was stimulated was still apparent. When it recognized that beyond his humility and reasonable judgment, there were traces of attraction, it smiled softly. "... You are correct about that, and I am graced that you would be so understanding, despite the monstrosity you see before you here." Divine or not, certain 'standards' were defined by the more plentiful of beings, and typically, giant winged scorpion women were not part of those standards. "However, it is unwise for either of us to go unprepared, and you have fortunately stumbled into an ancient temple of divinity, of which I have protected the wisdom of the Gods." Qzephyla's once very emotionless and distant demeanor softened a considerable degree, it walking patiently over to the nearby wall, where there were inscriptions and glyphs and images. "You could be so lucky as to be one of the people that could receive divine power, with blessing from the Gods, to strike down the wicked that have corrupted the religious orders..." It paused, voice wavering slightly. "... With myself at your side, possibly even as your mount." If Vahn would look closer, there was much archaic information all over the walls, with images to match. "What say you?"

Qzephyla's eyes remained aglow as it stroked the wall's grooves. There was a faint giggle that escaped it, yet it rebuked him with chastisement. "Do not make light of the Gods!" The tone sounded endearing, and not at all hostile, especially coupled with the minor giggle. "They might send me after you to smite you," it added; a little monster humor if its own. "Nevertheless, you are correct; I was forged of three monstrous beasts and given a divine purpose, so my servitude and loyalty is to the divine." Tracing the walls more with its fingers, it moved along, letting Vahn inspect as he should so decide. "With recommendation from a Sacred Beast such as myself, the heavenly conduit could end up becoming a permanent blessing upon you, if you find their favor." Surely, the word of a devout holy entity should have been enough of a voucher for permanent divine grace. "But, this fate is only capable of occurring if you follow the instructions upon these walls which I have protected. I can translate the ancient language for you and explain each piece of the mural, but the ultimate decision lies with you." Without pressing further, it would await Vahn's declaration. "... Oh, and before we go on, I will tell you of my name -- I am Qzephyla, the Girtasipy, which is a chimeric hybrid of Girtablilu, Siren, and Harpy."

Qzephyla nodded to him, brushing its long hair back over an ear rather quickly once he accepted. "Blessed be..." it muttered sweetly, turning now to face him. "... Yes, I will respond if you call me by that name..." It seemed flattered he thought to call it that at all. "Well, the words dictate that in order to harness the power from the divine, you must first have an artifact that can channel such power. These are blessed and given great dominion over the lands in the hands of those who are chosen, but they are normal in the hands of wielders that are not selected. Much of this is legend about those who would accept the tasks and use these artifacts." Though, Qzephyla's face soured as it tread toward the southern reaches of the wall, where it spoke of the consequences for betrayal. "... Should you so deceive or disobey the Gods, instead of making the heavenly power permanent, it will be used to damn you, and you will be cursed with that artifact as the mark of your betrayal for all days, with whatever consequence should so be fit by the artifact in question or the God which established the blessing."

Qzephyla may have been picking up on all of the emotions that were going on about Vahn, but it was his words that it was most attentive to, hinting at something deeper, as did his actions. "... Are you accursed, yourself?" Qzephyla asked politely. "I am sensing that you are having some fluctuating feelings of rising tension... Could this be the case?" The many legs of Qzephyla lowered the large, flat body unto the ground, bringing the upper torso much closer to Vahn. "The artifacts are protected by me in a sealed chamber, so it makes sense that you have not found them..." it noted. "... However the artifact you choose will have a different blessing, likely from different Gods. Which one you choose will determine the effects and which God's favor you will find." As formal at it was, Qzephyla also seemed to have compassion for Vahn, as it was interested in his alleged curse-familiarity. "... If you would be so open, I'd care to know a bit more of this curse." Qzephyla's hands would rest gentle before it in its would-be lap, should its appendages have been capable of forming one.

Qzephyla listened to the story intently, growing more and more indignant as he continued on. By the time he reached the end, a burning, passionate fury overcame it, which could be seen in the crimson of its glowing eyes. The rest of its face looked as if it strained to maintain composure, and its exposed abdomen was contracted tightly, as if withholding impulsive activity. "... How vile," Qzephyla eventually managed to state; calmly, yet forcefully, and obviously with anger. "... Fortunate you would stumble upon the companionship of the divine, then," it continued. "For, I am sure that there is a way to heal you, if you should so seek it." Qzephyla closed its eyes. "I would see to it that you would be healed of such..."

Qzephyla was bound to have righteous feelings, being a Sacred Beast, and all. It only made sense to have a strong sense of justice when serving under the Gods. "... Well, the wicked do stir divine wrath within me, especially when they inflict their maladies upon the good." The sensation of his touch was reassuring, and Qzephyla was quelled, for the moment, looking to him with a soft smile. "For one that is truly divine, there is no time that indicates when or when not to be so. You simply are at all times, or you are not, and become susceptible to corruption." Qzephyla did not even want to entertain the thought. "Ah, but we must continue!" Qzephyla averted deftly. "Those wicked clergymen will not wait! Neither should we!" Rising swiftly, but with care to Vahn, Qzephyla crawled away and up a wall. It seemed this fleeting and somewhat skittish reaction came from a deeper-sated feeling. However, that had yet to be explored, as Qzephyla was very oriented on the task at hand. "I will unlock the seal, and then you may choose an armament to equip yourself with from the artifacts." It centered itself upon the ceiling, which had an imprinted groove matching the shape of a scorpion, and rested itself there. The ceiling rotated slightly, then opened and lowered an array of different items. "Select whichever you think is best."

Qzephyla looked upon the artifacts that Vahn ended up taking, analyzing the different energies imbued in it in order to decipher. "... Yes, you would be correct," it confirmed. "These are actually the very gloves which were donned by the great Maker, who forged many of the other items here." It lifted a hand to its chin, squinting its still-glowing eyes. "A master builder all around, this God was able to make things from architecture to weapons. It was very common for him to use his many arms to fashion settlements for people to live in, and to teach them how to forge." Continuing on, Qzephyla explained, "The blessing of these is to be able to give the wielder the power of masterful craft, that one might be able to easily repair or fortify weapons, as well as other types of crafts, such as vehicles or buildings. In addition, it seems that the power to wield any weapon of choice is also rooted into them, so that one who makes the weapons may also use them, or others that one comes across."

Qzephyla would return the room to its normal state after Vahn made his selection, rising from the place of the seal and crawling back down to the normalized level. "Yes. By accepting the power and also with my will with you, it will all be recognized spiritually, and the blessings will be upon you. You need but only stay pure and true to the cause. And..." Qzephyla gripped one of its large hands tightly, seemingly tense. "... And to me." Turning slightly, it hid the blush of its face with its back. "I should hope that you have some skill with those hands," the divine being quipped. "Whenever you're ready, however, just let me know, and then guide me to where the clergymen are."

Qzephyla's eyes finally stopped glowing, and it no longer read the waves of the atmosphere. They rested on a naturally glassy looking purple, distinct from the color of its skin. "Is that by air or on foot?" it inquired, kneeling down in order to extend a hand as to assist Vahn in mounting it. The entire process seemed honorary, though Qzephyla spoke nothing of it, and simply reveled in the feeling. "My wings can carry us across the sky," it mentioned, spreading the bird-like wings. "Though, perhaps others would see us coming more easily..." Quickness of speed would come with flight, but so too would the rise of notoriety. "If we go on land, then we will be able to be more stealthy. And, given my heritage, I am also capable of swimming." As long as the path was not fire nor ice, Qzephyla should have been capable of traversing with no issue.

Qzephyla could now be seen visibly blushing once Vahn mounted it, feeling the tender touch of his hands upon its bare skin. "Mm..." it hummed softly, placing a hand across itself to touch at the other side, where his rested upon it. "... I apologize. My flesh is sensitive to touch, unlike the rest of my body, which is hard and cold, and I use this portion of my body as a heightened concentrated sensory system." Shifting some, Qzephyla eased its way into motion, body swaying ever so lightly. "If my wings can carry myself, your added weight would pose little issue. It fluttered them playfully behind itself, where he was rested on its back. "Of course, to keep me from carelessly wantering into the main areas, where people once thrived, they were made too small for my passage." It turned to a different wall, crawling over, and opening a hidden passageway much marge enough for it to pass through, with much elbow room. "In order for me to travel about, I must take to these tunnels, meant specifically for me. Some may lead underground, and others will lead us directly outside." Qzephyla started through the tunnels, its body suddenly becoming rather bioluminescent where it wasn't before. "What exit would be most advantageous? One from underground, or one on level ground? Be warned that the underground may have lurkers that have burrowed into them accidentally."

Qzephyla pressed on through the hidden passages of the temple, each one leading to a different location, slowly scaling the interior. The sound of its scratching legs scraped against the ground, the sound of an ever-moving insectoid clawing away. Qzephyla was about to speak, but it could feel the hands of Vahn embracing it, resting themselves upon its defined abdomen -- much to its stimulation. Before too long, Qzephyla pressed its own fingers tenderly upon his hands, still navigating the tunnel system. It was content with just this much.

Qzephyla was pleased to have fresh air after so long, as well. But for it, the time had been much longer. "A few hours? Well, for myself, it has been centuries." Though the terrain seemed to generally be the same as back then, there were many other things that were new, it could see, and they were strange and foreign to it. The mountain range was familiar, though; it recognized that. "The sun is setting, and I know that you will need to eat and rest very soon." As it spoke, Vahn was maneuvering upon its body, and still also flirting with the waistline. "Your touch is very sensual to me," Qzephyla insisted upon him. "Shall we hunt for tonight's meal? Or do you have something in mind prepared to feed yourself and the likes of me?"

Qzephyla patiently oversaw the doings of Vahn, for he knew about how to survive on his own, and Qzephyla did not need to bear any concern. The ruins would be of service to them. Though it wasn't completely necessary for Qzephyla to eat food, it would still grant the being energy to be well-fed, despite it not being a necessity. "... Rations may be suitable for you, but I do have quite the... Large form," it reminded. "Even my humanoid parts are larger than you, and the rest of me is that much larger. It will take more than what it would require for you to be full to fill me." In order to remedy the situation, Qzephyla started to rise, brushing his head gently with a single stroke of its fingers across his head. "I will go and hunt a creature for us," said the Sacred Beast. "You prepare your food, and I will return with game." The scorpion-hybrid rose and took to a more crouched stance, with even the upper torso low to the ground, like a predator. It crawled off into a nearby woodland with its tail erect and ready to strike at any creature. It was hoping to snag itself a bear, or some other large creature.

Qzephyla, as it was, could be heard only when confronting another creature, however many times that should have occurred. Otherwise deathly silent, the Sacred Beast preyed upon any larger creature it could stick its tail into, leading to a number of violent sounds being omitted from the woodlands -- though nothing of such violence actually being witnessed. The notions of a vicious predator were inflected by every horrible cry and sound, even with no such activity being seen. After some time, Qzephyla could be seen again, this time exiting the forest, with a bit of a nice haul on its back. "There were few bears in that region, but other such game like venizon were bountiful." It wiped obvious bloodstains from its lips, lightly smearing some already splattered across its bouncing chest, and licking it from its fingers as though a condiment. "I could not help but to have a bit of a snack before dinner, but I do not think it will spoil my appetite." It dropped to the ground and picked the dead creatures from its back. "You may choose whichever meat you like," it insisted. "Do not be shy, if you are hungry. I got enough so that we would be full and there would be leftovers for the morn."

Qzephyla dropped to the ground with a thud, curling its legs in comfort, and resting its head upon hands supported by elbows placed upon the ground, gazing with fascination at Vahn as he cooked. "Even amongst disagreements, I will remain of reasonable and sound judgment with one that also displays such levels of cognizance." The large tongue extended to taste one of the cooking meats, only to recoil quickly at the heat. "Mm...!" Qzephyla placed a hand to its lips. "... It is only with creatures such as these, who do not use any such greater judgment, that I would react completely instinctively." Unable to help itself, it plucked a strip of meat with the tip of its long stinger, which coated it in a poison that was delectable to its own taste. "Besides, it is unbecoming of a loyal Sacred Beast such as myself to be mounted and turn against the one whom it allowed such. Could I so truly call myself divine, then?" The still bloodied chest would lay bare and exposed upon the ground, breasts as large and plump as can be, though much more modest in comparison to the scale of its actual size. Though to one like Vahn, they were a massive sight to behold. "Be mindful of the heat, so that you will not touch prematurely."

Qzephyla lapped up stray dribble of its own venom with its tongue off of the corner of its mouth, further gliding its tongue across the full lips. "Hm?" It seemed as though it was enjoying the taste of its own toxin as Vahn spoke. "... Oh, no. I am very much immune to my own toxin, and any other. Other toxins simply make mine more potent. To me, it simply tastes like a very delicious type of sauce when upon a foodstuff. It becomes very tasty when I taste such a secretion in the blood of my meals, and the mixture is heavenly to the taste..." Qzephyla's mouth could be seen actively salivating at the prospect, its mouth smacking lightly. "I wish you were able to taste it, but the properties of my venom are also acidic, and even if you were, for some reason, immune to the actual toxin, the acid would surely kill you." The tip of the stinger was lightly pressed upon its tongue, which it visibly licked the last dribbling drops with. "... Besides, I am unsure of how it would taste to you, either. It may not taste as delicious to you as it does to me." With such a taste in its mouth, a hand naturally found its way up to a breast, squeezing and fondling it casually, biting its lower lip. It passively continued to watch as Vahn added ingredients, yet remained attentive to the brew, though contemplated another piece of meat...

Qzephyla was clearly becoming much more comfortable with Vahn, despite being so formal before, and normally keeping up an air of formality that was usually pretty standard for a divine being. Though a Sacred Beast was still a beast, no matter how divine, intelligent, or evolved. Therefore certain aspects would shine through about them, even beyond the intelligence and divinity. "Why, thank you..." Qzephyla responded to the offer, pinching the bowl with its fingertips, and sipping the stew. Though nothing could compare to the taste of its venom, it didn't detract from the taste of the cooked food. "... I taste more than just the ingredients, and that is what makes it savory." A refreshed sigh escaped, and the stinger casually pierced another piece of meat. "You have treated a beast such as myself so very well. Very few do this, even amongst the holy ones. It is well-known that humans and other mortals tend to gravitate toward such wickedness, but even the churches are supposed to maintain some standard for others..." The decline was set even before Qzephyla became inactive, and to think that some holy descendants were plotting to rid the Sacred Beast and the secrets of that temple only solidified the notion.

Qzephyla could notice even without its eyes looking at infralayers of energy that Vahn was acting irregularly, though the irregularity was not something negative. It instead seemed to be the attempt to divert some sort of inner feeling, and causing a disruption in his patterns once he experienced it. To a beast, the language of behavior was very crucial, and a Sacred Beast would only know so much better than a normal beast. Qzephyla firmly squeezed its breast, ceasing its caress. "Is there something the matter, Vahn? I have noticed you flushed quite often. Is this normal for you, or is there something the matter?" Qzephyla had not communed with mortals in so long, so it didn't know what sort of things developed over time.

Qzephyla abruptly dropped its breast, which bounced lightly before returning to a beautiful shape. "... Is that so...?" it asked lowly, becoming more playful. "... You really think I am beautiful...?" It seemed like anything beyond that, Qzephyla hadn't given deeper thought to, and was fixated now on the fact that he thought it was beautiful. The sound of several legs stirring into action brought Qzephyla coiled around Vahn's area, surrounding him with its large body. It rested its humanoid upper torso down seductively as the light of the sun faded into night.

Qzephyla giggled some to itself, playfully messing with Vahn with its large fingers. "Yes, Vahn?" it inquired in response to him. It ended up eating another piece of meat, somewhat ravenously, yet still seemingly with a sense of delicacy. "Be sure not to let your food get cold. It will cool faster in the darkness."