Fog rolls over the fields of the Flooded Forest as I trudge through the mud and muck in search of royal honey. The air is thick with moisture and the sound of buzzing insects fills my ears; the Vespoids seem to be on high alert today, which might make things a bit harder than I had anticipated. It's no big deal though, they may be a nuisance, but they're hardly much of a threat. I'm not really here to hunt them anyways—I'm just here a few honeycombs, then I'll be on my way back home in no time. I just hope whatever has them riled up is long gone...
It's hard to see through the blanket of fog drifting just above the ground, but the sound of buzzing Vespoids as they hover around the area in search of predators keeps me alert. The hive must be pretty close; I can smell the sweet scent of honey lingering in the air; my mouth waters just thinking about it. My nose guides me towards the source, and soon enough I spot a large cluster of hives neatly nestled into a rock face on the side of a hill in the distance. It looks as if something was here first; there's sticky soap-like residue covering the rocks, along with deep claw marks in the stone. Whatever did this was huge; it must have been what set off the swarm earlier. Luckily enough, there's still plenty of honey for me to collect.
As I approach the hive and pry a large chunk of honeycomb from the wall, the the sound of heavy breathing draws my attention back behind me. I can't see anything around me—it's like I'm stuck inside a cloud; the only thing visible through the mist is the faint blue glow coming from the eyes of whatever's watching me. The moment it notices me staring back, it lets out a low hiss; I'm not sure if it's a warning or an invitation, but either way, I'm not about to stick around to find out. Stuffing a piece of the hive in my bag, I quickly start to head back to my tent. The soapy liquid starts mixing with the mud as I walk, though, and soon enough I can feel myself sliding around aimlessly with my footing unsteady. It's too much to handle; all it takes is one errant step and then I find myself slipping and tumbling backwards into a puddle of soapy-muddy mixture.
The hissing noise coming from behind the fog grows louder as I thrash around in the mud; the monster knows it has me where it wants. A long snout pokes out of the mist, saliva dripping onto the ground as it sniffs at the air for my scent. Every time I try to get up and scramble away, my legs just sink deeper into the gooey mess; the slippery soapy substance coating my body is making it impossible to move. I'm terrified—I can't do this, I'm not prepared to fight, I don't even have my weapon with me.
With a roar, the monster emerges from behind the fog. It's a Mizutsune and a relatively small one at that; judging by the dull purple fur lining its stomach, and the size of its fins, I think it's safe to assume this one is female. They aren't particularly known for being territorial this time of year, so I'm not sure what's even gotten her so worked up. A scar up the side of her face and across her eye gives me a clue—it's a wound left from a battle with another monster. Breathing heavily, she's stares right ahead of me. I'm not sure if she even sees me—or if she can even see at all—but I'm finding it hard not to panic. She sniffs at the air again before turning her attention to me once more; she knows that I'm here, one thing's for certain.
Before I have the chance to react, she takes off to the side, sliding across the muddy terrain like a snake; a mess of bubbles floating after her as she goes. In a blur, she starts circling around me, trying to disorientate me even further, and it's working; I feel sick to my stomach just watching her. She's like a vortex, each turn she takes makes my gut turn tighter, my heart pounding faster in my chest. I'm getting dizzy from all the spinning, the world starts to become fuzzy as the nausea begins to set in, I've never felt this bad before in my life.
Just when I think I'm going to pass out, the Mizutsune stops circling and faces me once more. She's standing stock still, her claws extended like knives ready to strike. Her dark purple fur stands out against the bright yellow of the sun peeking through the clouds above us and her eyes are glowing a strange shade of blue, she's ready to strike. In a last ditch effort, I dig through my bag, pulling out the honeycomb, hoping that it'll appease her enough to leave me alone. It's destroyed, crushed in the fall, but the moment the sweet smell of honey fills her nostrils, her eyes grow wide and her breathing picks up pace. The scent seems to have have completely changed her demeanor; with a low growl, she leans forward and gives me a tickle with her whiskers.
With that, she lifts her backside and tail high up in the air. I don't know a thing about the mating rituals of monsters like these, but this can't be normal, it isn't mating season for months. The musky, soapy stench emanating from in between her legs is undeniable though, she's aroused. The scent of the royal honey must be reminding her of her mate—a scent that she clearly finds irresistible if this is how she's responding to it. Slowly, she lowers herself down, her soft furry belly brushing against the ground as she starts crawling closer to the source of the smell. Her heat is already causing steam from the morning dew to rise from her scales; I'm not sure if she'll be able to keep herself under control much longer...
My mind races as I try and figure out what to do, my heart beats rapidly in my chest as I think. I've only been spared this long because she thinks I'm one of her kind—she thinks I'm a Mizutsune. If the facade drops, I'm dead, but there can't be an easy way to keep it up long enough to escape. Once more, she raises herself up and arches her back to the air, she's practically begging to be mounted, but I'm much too small for that; she'd probably crush me like a bug if I even tried. As her hips sway back and forth and the muscles in her abdomen flex with every movement, it's clear that I have to help her out some way or another.
I feel sick to my stomach, but it's my only chance at survival. Hoping not to spook her and set her off, I start to crawl underneath her legs and stomach. Her purple fur brushes against my cheek as I slide myself between her back legs; the pungent aroma of sweat, sex, and soap filling the air as she waits patiently for relief. Bubbles drip from her vent as she breathes heavily, and I take my opportunity there; lifting myself up, I run my