Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For all intents and purposes, winter was a necessary evil. The final stage in the yearly cycle of life and death and rebirth, the snowy season was important for culling the old and paving way for the new. That didn't mean it couldn't be detested for being the unstoppable, oppressive, inevitable force that it was.

Ceres Fauna hated the cold. As nature's keeper, the annual waning of life took its toll on her powers. It made her want to go into a deep slumber, like all of the other animals who would hibernate the months away, but alas, she could not. Her duty forced her to remain.
It wasn't as if there were no options, a cup of hot tea or a warm fluffy blanket were favorites to brave the icy grip of winter.
At least, that was how it was supposed to be.

The cold weakened her, drained her of her powers, and made her listless. Whenever the winter was at its end, she would have to replenish her magic by ingesting life energy one way or another; sometimes with flower nectar, other times with seeds, or barring those, anything else available. Fauna had lived for a very long time, and had more than once needed to get creative. An especially long winter meant the worst. She had become a lot less picky since she had first taken on the mantle. 

The wind was howling again today, and a sky full of snowfall was descending upon the forest once again. Fauna looked out her window, seeing nothing but an endless expanse of white that seemed like it would never go away. She glanced at a calendar. Spring should have been here already, but there was not a single trace of greenery in sight. 

There was a shape outside her window and a knock on her door. Somebody who had taken the long journey to come all the way to her cottage in this weather? Fauna considered turning them away, her remaining powers were of little use until the spring thaw, but what if they weren’t here for any of her services?
She bit her lip and went to go see who it was.

The man at her door greeted her with a dour expression. His breathing was labored, and it seemed like he was closer to death’s door than Fauna’s door. He couldn’t even manage a word before collapsing in a heap before her.
"Oh my. Even in death..."

Unsure of what else to say, Fauna helped him in.

~~~~~

"Heeey. Heeeeeey. It's time to wake up," Fauna said, snickering. "The cold really did a number on you. I had to go and revive you with one of my golden apples."

The man found himself laying on a couch, dressed in none of the frost-rimed clothing that he was wearing prior. His bare legs were a little cold, but everything in the middle was burning hot.

“What… are you doing?” the man asked, craning his neck. The woman who revived him was kneeling in front on him, his shaft and balls in her hands. She moved her fingers in a slow circling motion, and his hips buckled reflexively.
Fauna laughed. “I saved you, so I hope you don’t mind me taking payment for my services.”
She drooled into her palm and used the slick to stroke him off even harder. “It's alright, I’m a vegan.”

Fauna felt his cock twitch in her hand, and cupped the tip to collect her fee.
She brought it to her lips and drank it. Despite what she was doing, she didn’t let him see the inside of her mouth. Some things really were a matter of dignity more than others. A couple of the withered leaves on her head instantly looked healthier.
Fauna went back to drinking her tea, as if nothing had just happened. She set the man’s head in her lap.

“Are you feeling refreshed?” she asked. “If you like, I can clean your ears, or brew something for you to take home. Or, would you like to stay for a little longer?”
“A while longer sounds nice,” the man murmured.
“If that’s what you want,” Fauna said, pulling his mouth open and pouring the contents of her teacup down his throat. "Don't worry, I'll be here for you forever and ever."

Satisfied, Fauna got up, setting the man’s head down on the armrest of the couch. She was headed off into the kitchen to prepare some more tea.
“You can stay for as long as you like,” she said, paying no attention to the sound of screams muffled by an unfurling of leaves.

She looked at the results with a bitter smile. “Or maybe a lot longer.”

Chapter Text

The weather today had been exactly as miserable as it was yesterday, and the day before, as well as the day before that.
Fauna sighed. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t even close to being enough.

Presiding over the natural world, Ceres Fauna had a reciprocal relationship with nature. Having taken the duty to make sure that all things thrived under her watch, she would have to expend life energy to ensure this flourishing.
It wasn’t as simple as having greenery grow beneath her footsteps; every leaf, every blade of grass cost something to grow. It was for preserving this delicate balance that she so needed to ingest life energy, to supplement her regular diet with seeds, or fresh fruit, or anything else containing the potential to create life. Blood, too, or really any healthy body fluid in theory, but that would violate the vow of veganism that also made her reject eggs. There was really only a matter of bending the rules on the vitality of needy humans.

A scornful glint crossed her eye when she looked at the sapling of the man from before. He was like a battery with no juice, the life energy she pulled from him was barely potent enough to last a single day, and it was unlikely that trying to extract any sap would be any more nourishing. Oh well, there’s be less suffering as a plant under my care. He didn’t even give me his name. What a disappointment.
It was almost a waste to spend one of those precious golden apples reviving someone for so little payoff, but that was the price of her generosity.
It was a price she wasn’t even sure if she could afford now. The weather outside was just as frightful as it was the day before, a frigid landscape of dead and dormant vegetation that kept her dwindling powers from replenishing.
The supply of fruit and vegetables she had to tide through the winter was useless, with the spring thaw looking like a faraway dream, she needed a miracle.

There was a knock on the door, and Fauna smirked. Sometimes, convenient things did happen.

Oh please be someone with some more vigor, she thought. Through the peephole on the door, she saw another man, nothing like the one from before. From what she could see from his posture, his stance, whoever they were, this person was built. Full of vitality. Full of vitality for her to take.
Fauna wasted no time undoing the lock. The door opened easily. There was no storm to interrupt her now.
“Hello,” Fauna said. She saw that he was carrying something. Hiding something behind his back, maybe it’s a gift for me?
“Welcome to my cottage, how can I help you?” she asked sweetly. Healthy people didn’t come by often, but if they just needed some emotional healing...

“You can call me the hunter,” he said with a dour expression. “I’m looking for someone who was last seen in this forest.”
“Has someone gone missing? I haven’t had any visitors,” she lied. “It’s very cold out, so if you don’t mind, why don’t you come inside, and we can—.”

Whatever thought she had was cut off by the axe being pointed at her, its gleaming blade directly facing the nature guardian.
“I am looking for the witch of the forest,” he declared, “Said to responsible for dozens of missing people over the years.”
“I certainly hope you aren’t accusing me,” Fauna said, still forcing a smile. She laid a hand on the axe head, motioning for him to lower his weapon. “I’ll answer as many questions as you want if you don’t let all of this cold air in.”

~~~~~

Fauna had given the hunter a steaming cup of tea several minutes ago. Even though it was completely normal -- she even let him see all of her preparation steps -- he wouldn’t even touch the cup. He just sat down, arms folded over the back of his chair, axe laid right onto the table.
His caution was annoying. Far too mistrustful for her liking. If she couldn’t ply him with tea, she would just have to use something else.

Fauna sat down opposite to him and took a sip from her own teacup.
“So you’re telling me that there’s a witch hiding in this forest,” she said as calmly as she could.
“Yes, exactly. If you’re sick, she’ll cure you, but if you’re healthy, she’ll keep you forever.”
“How terrible,” she admonished him with her words. Whatever rumors had developed outside her forest had definitely started getting distorted. She didn’t take all of the healthy ones, only the ones who accepted her invitation. It was their own fault for having the weak wills to succumb to such temptation, after all.

"So what are you then, a goddess?"
"Well, something like that," Fauna replied.

Speaking of succumbing, she could feel the hunger eating away at her. She needed to feed, which meant she needed this conversation to finish fast.
“Well, I can’t say I know anything about that. But if you ask me, I think I’m considered more of a druid than a witch. I’m quite the expert on healing things and growing other things.”
“Semantics,” the hunter replied. “I think we can agree that someone who lives alone in this forest is very suspicious.”
“And I think we can agree that nobody can prove a negative,” Fauna said, undoing her top. She couldn’t wait for much longer. If he wasn’t going to volunteer, maybe it was time for a more direct approach. “Then how about this, for a small price, how about I demonstrate to you that I’m the rightful keeper of this forest?”

That raised an eyebrow. “What kind of price?” he asked coyly.
She let her breasts spill out of her top. “Take off your pants.”

~~~~~

Fauna's hands latched onto his waist, undoing the belt like she was unwrapping a present. The hunter was at full mast by the time she got out of his pants, and she gave a little gasp.
“I told you I was an expert at making things grow,” Fauna giggled.
“You don't sound very convincing, kneeling down like that.”
“And you don't sound very impressed," she said, kissing the tip. "But you're not very honest either, Mister Hunter.”

Fauna got in closer, enveloping him in her chest.
She nuzzled her head down and licked as much of his shaft as she could in one motion, coating it in glistening saliva. She worked her breasts more aggressively, taking full advantage of the slick to go in even harder.
"How does it feel?" she panted. "Are you enjoying nature's bounty?"
She wasn't the only one breathing heavily. The hunter's exhales were as sharp, fighting to hang on. 

"You can't win," Fauna laughed. She pushed her boobs together harder and bounced them on his cock. "When I said I was experienced in healing, I meant all kinds." 
"Oh gods, I'm--"
He grunted again, spraying her with his semen. It went all over Fauna's face, her long bangs the only thing shielding her eyes. What didn't splatter all over her face dribbled down her chin and oozed down her cleavage. Thank goodness I took it off, she thought.
"That's quite an amount," Fauna said, brushing the sticky hair out of her face. "Cold weather got you backed up?"
"Animals aren't the only kind of scarce hunt I've had this winter," he said.

Fauna didn't exactly approve of his remarks, but she was unable to contain herself any longer. First a slimy fingertip, then the rest of her hand, then she greedily lapped up every droplet and didn't stop until she was all clean. It was nice and thick, full of life energy. The leaves on her horns twinkled, revitalized.

"Hope that didn't leave you feeling too drained," she said with a smile.
"Not at all. I can take a lot more of that."

Fauna could feel power coursing through her. "Wonderful." She didn't even bother putting her top back on. "Now watch," she said as she dropped a bean into a flowerpot. 
The pot rattled and a telltale sprout climbed out of the dirt. Fauna looked at him expectantly.

"...That's it?" the hunter asked.
"What do you mean, 'that's it?'" Fauna pouted. "Can you do that?"
"Well no, but I don't see how that's supposed to prove that you're the rightful owner of anything."

She wanted to rebuke him for his apathy, but stopped herself. It's not like he could've known. It might be easier to just come clean.
"The long winter has been... affecting my powers. It's not my first choice, but I need more life energy -- by which I mean... you know..." she was avoiding his eyes.

"I can't understand if you don't say it clearly," he said with a hint of sadism.
Fauna scrunched her face and pouted again. "You are very healthy. I n...need more of your semen to replenish my magic," she said at last. "A lot more. T...to end the winter. When I do, will that prove to you that I'm not an evil witch?"
"We'll see," the hunter laughed as he buckled his pants again. "I'm also getting sick of the cold, so maybe we can both get something out of this."

Before Fauna noticed, he had his coat on and was already at the door. "I'll come again tomorrow, then."

He left her cottage and then Fauna was alone again with her thoughts, and she had plenty to think about. She had a lot of energy now, but needed to accumulate much more to break the cold spell.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

‘A watched pot never boils’ was a phrase Ceres Fauna was no stranger to, being something of a tea enthusiast herself. However, the last twenty-four hours were making her rethink how useful it was as an idiom. The pot she was watching had boiled, boiled over, and every last ounce of water in the kettle had become steam in the time that she felt like she had been waiting for the hunter to return. Restless, she paced about in her kitchen table, counting down the seconds, the minutes, the hours until he was back here in her cottage, back within her reach.

Fauna wondered if she revealed her hand too soon. The promise she made was the truth, she needed to accumulate life energy to end the winter, and with few other options, especially virile semen was her best bet. Cautious as he was, the hunter, as he called himself, still gave into her advances and gave her his life energy — his semen, and listened to her request. So why wasn’t he back yet?
Her head was pounding, she could hardly wait any longer.

The sun was about to set.
He was late.

The gnawing in her stomach was the worst part. There was no mistaking what it was, a primordial hunger more intense than any living creature could ever comprehend. A yawning abyss had been opened inside of her, threatening to devour her reasoning and all else.
He’s so mean, Fauna thought, wanting to laugh. To offer me a taste and then disappear, I’m going to find him and have him take responsibility if it’s the last thing I do…
The hunger was overpowering. She could feel herself losing control.
Hurry, hurry, hurryhurryhurryhurryhurryhurry —
There was a knock on the door.
Fauna didn’t even have to check who it was. She snapped the door open and dragged the hunter inside her cottage.

“You’re late,” she said, sitting on top of him. “I was… worried that you wouldn’t be coming.” There was a smile on her face, but her eyes were not quite right.
The hunter rubbed the back of his throbbing head, having hit the floor on the way down.
“Ugh… I told you I’d be back,” he said at last.
“It’s been twenty-seven hours, fifty-three minutes, and sixteen seconds since you were here yesterday,” she said, pushing him down again. She popped open the buttons on the man’s shirt, revealing his bare breast and running her hand down the center. “You’ve kept me waiting for a looooong time.” She tossed her dress aside and pressed their chests together. Her eyes were ravenous. “How do you plan on making it up to me?”
“Wait, I’m all sweaty from work,” he protested. “Let me—“
“No, no. No more waiting. It’s just not right to keep me waiting for so long,” she said as she turned around, planting herself down on his face. She refused to entertain his protests. A little bit of salty sweat was sustenance, too.

The hunter couldn’t see what was gonna on, but then he heard the familiar jingling of his belt buckle being undone again.
“I see that part of you couldn’t wait either, at least. Bon appetit, as some might say.”
He felt Fauna’s lips close down around his erection, her tongue twirling around the head. "Mmmmn."
“You made a promise with me,” Fauna said, turning her head back to stare at him. "And I don't like it when people break their promises."

The hunter tried to say something, but Fauna cut him short by slamming her hips onto his face again. She knew he could feel the slight dampness of her underwear, and she took delight in his struggling.
“Come on,” Fauna teased. “You can do better than that.”
Then she felt something wet enter her.
“Using your tongue? That’s more like it.” Fauna resumed her onslaught, taking the full length in her mouth as leaking drool ran down the shaft in glistening trails.
All of a sudden, Fauna felt the hunter burrow his tongue deeper inside her. His counterattack made her squeal, and then she felt breathy, smug laughter on her lower half. Without her noticing, he pulled down her underwear and now she was defenseless.
“How dare…! Uuuu… I’ll have to punish you for that,” she said, laying a hand on his sack.

Well-versed in ear massage techniques, Fauna thought it would be an easy win as she fondled his balls in rhythm with her bobbing her head up and down. She could almost taste her prize already. However, the hunter wasn't going to make it easy for her. Fauna tried to wrap her thighs around his head, only to find that she couldn’t move her legs at all. His arms locked her down and then she couldn’t even pull herself up to escape his tongue.

Out of options, Fauna returned to trying to milk his cock. It might not have been any proper contest, but she was still intent on winning. Her pride wasn’t about to let a mere human get the better of her.
With his entire length buried in her mouth, she could feel the hunter’s twitching. Just a little more, and —

“Uhgnn!”
"Hahn!"
Fauna could feel the hot, fresh cum flow into her mouth. She was careful not to spill any, having long since realized that she couldn't afford to waste a drop. After swallowing it all she went back for more, determined to wring out as much as she could. Her horns twinkled again and she felt herself take a step back from that bestial nature.

The sun has set by now, it would’ve been hard to see her body, but her eyes of gleaming gold cut through the dusk.
“I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did,” Fauna said between gasps for air, climbing off the messy slick that she covered his face in. She flicked the sweat-matted hair out of her eyes and went to look for her discarded clothing.
It had been a very long time since she was able to take the lead like that, most of her visitors would only take and take and take, and this was a most satisfying change. Perhaps there was more than one reason to keep this one around...

The hunter felt a towel land on his face. By the time he wiped himself off he saw Fauna was sipping tea at her table, the room illuminated by lantern incandescence. She had regained her composure, exuding not a bit of the untamed intensity of the one who pushed him down.

"I hope that wasn't too rough for you," Fauna said, hiding her face behind her teacup. Having shown that side of herself, she couldn't quite look him in the eyes. "I can get a little... wild during this time of year, so I apologize if I was a little too forward. Shall we do this again -- no... when shall we do this again?"
“I don't really mind how you do things,” the hunter said, plucking a curly green hair out of his mouth. “So I hope you don't mind us making some changes for next time.”

Chapter Text

This is embarrassing, Fauna thought.
Gardens needed to be tended to and at times that included shearing them, that concept she could agree to. What remained up for debate was the extent of said maintenance.
All the more reason why it was so degrading that she had to go completely bare.

Shortly after she regained her senses last night, the hunter had given her a razor and a demand to go clean-shaven. He had no intention to get another mouthful of fuzz.
“It was a moment of weakness,” she protested, “I don’t need to be shaved… down there… to drink your life energy,” she said, but he was unyielding.
He wanted to change things up, was the claim, and soon Fauna realized she was in no position to negotiate.
With the small mercy of not being watched doing the deed itself, she prepared herself to cut down the forest between her legs.

Truthfully, shaving off all of her pubic hair shouldn’t have been shameful, at least not compared to any of the things she had already done in pursuit of breaking the winter spell. Still, it was a different kind of being naked that Fauna wasn’t accustomed to, and that unfamiliarity was mortifying.
Part of her wondered if this was even worth doing, but the looming threat of the endless winter contrasted with a consistent high quality supply of life energy were enough to dissuade any more of those thoughts. Fauna stretched open her legs again, trying to get a better angle. As embarrassing as it was doing this herself, there was absolutely no way she was going to let someone else shave her.

The hunger wasn’t nearly as intense today, but the occasional pang was enough to distract from any further self-consciousness. It should've been alright, given in to the hunter's demands a little, get it done quickly.
“Nemu, don’t you dare laugh,” she said. The spoiled little princess of a deer, as Fauna called her, was perched on the kitchen table. Having watched Fauna twist and contort to remove her hardest-to-reach hairs for the past hour presented the animal with a struggle of her own in trying to contain herself.
“Stop snickering or I’ll shave you as well,” Fauna grumbled.

The last few times she had the hunter over, she had told Nemu to make herself scarce. Fauna had finally trained that mischievous deer to hide when strangers came by, and now the world was conspiring to undo all of that work. Now that the guardian of nature was receiving some training of her own, the credibility of authority was harder to take seriously.
I — Mother Nature — will not be toyed with like this, Fauna decided. No big deal, she thought, hair grows back, or maybe I’ll prefer this. In any case, Mister Hunter, I’ll play your games, and I’ll be the one to win. No matter who cums first, I’ll be drinking my fill of your life energy. I’ll wring you dry for this slight, no matter how much you beg for me to stop.

Their daily game was about to begin anew.

~~~~~

“You have… very particular tastes,” Fauna said, holding up a pair of cuffs.
Fauna wasted no time today, bringing the hunter straight to her bedroom. She was only wearing her blue underdress this time, anything to help get things done with before that primal urge took over again.
The hunter had brought a briefcase full of tools and hunting implements with him today, and promptly spread them all over part of Fauna’s bed. What seemed to be a bullet rolled out of his briefcase, and when she bent to pick it up she recoiled.
She recognized some of them as conventional hunting tools; traps, ropes, and snares, but several others pained much less clear a picture as to what kind of animal they were for.

“Good hunting equipment has multiple uses,” the hunter replied.
“So what are you hunting with handcuffs and a gag?”
“The most dangerous kind of creatures,” the hunter said dismissively. He showed how easy it was to twist the cuffs apart before putting them back together again. “This pair’s broken and anyone thinking calmly can wrestle them apart. I figured I might as well reuse them here.”
“Oh come now,” Fauna said. “We don’t need any of these… unnatural innovations to have a good time. Just lie down and let me work my mag— hey!”
Her sentence was derailed the moment the hunter slapped the cuff on one arm and attached then other side to her bedpost.

The other arm followed soon after.
Even though he said they were faulty cuffs, they were still more than good enough to keep Fauna’s arms chained.
This... wasn’t supposed to happen, Fauna thought.
Initially, she tried to wrestle her way out of the restraints, but it was harder than she thought. She should’ve asked him to demonstrate it again. Twisting her arm in a specific way did a fat load of good when both her hands were bound to two corners of her bed.
The hunter had a grin on his face as he put his hands on her legs. Fauna tried to resist, but that too was a futile effort.
If she was at full power, it would have been easy. It should have been easy. But even now, she was woefully outmatched. He pried her legs open with ease.
“Not… like this…”

“Look at that,” he whistled. “Completely clean-shaven.”
She didn’t want to show him, but now she was powerless to do what she wanted. Especially not with how hard she was sweating now. His hands and head converged at the spot between her legs.

She could feel his fingers spreading her open. Whatever garden she was trying to protect from the hunter was much less girded so much as presented to him, like a prize for the taking.

He slowly pushed two fingers inside her, facing little resistance.
“Stop it…” Fauna mumbled. She could hear herself making a squelching sound as she felt his hand down to the knuckles.
“N-no!”
He splayed his fingers out inside her. She could feel cool air rushing in and her juices leaking out, running down his fingers.
“Nectar too,” he mused, licking his lips and then licking hers.
“Mmmnn!”
He was being mean again, making her squirm and savoring every moment of it.
This wasn’t the first time he ate her out, but she wasn’t exactly mindful of it last time. With nothing to distract her, Fauna was helpless to the pleasure being forced upon her.
He licked her clit while fingering her. He made an unusual gesture with his hand and soon she was drooling from both ends. Her back arched reflexively and her legs wobbled. It seemed like it would never end.
“Stop stalling already, I — nnghh!”
Her hips buckled and her legs wrapped behind his head, quivering.

Fauna was in very uncharted territory now. Of the times she had to collect semen for life energy, she was the one taking the lead. She had a routine by now and that’s how she liked it. Very rarely was it ever a give-and-take exchange. Those had their ups and downs as well. However, to be fully restrained like this and be exclusively on the receiving end, was completely unknown.
That overpowering gnawing was back. 
Fauna wondered how long it would go on for. She could tell that he was erect. She could smell it, practically taste the semen that he wasn’t giving her right this moment. She questioned this farce of self-control now of all times. It was driving her crazy, which only further encouraged the hunter down his misguided path.
What she craved was right in front of her, was she really so powerless to take it?

“Enough… stop teasing me and get on with it…!”
“Not yet,” the hunter said. “It’ll feel much better when you’re at the height of it. My tried-and-true technique.”
So he was playing by his own rules. Even if the pleasure should have been overwhelming, it didn’t mean much to Fauna. The destination was far more important to her than the journey, she needed his semen and everything else was literally just foreplay.
But he must have still been skeptical of her position as nature’s keeper, he must have still thought of her as little more than an ordinary human. Maybe he wouldn’t understand, maybe he couldn’t ever understand the responsibilities that she as guardian needed to do, the duties she fought for and earned the right to uphold.
She couldn't stand it anymore. Her head was pounding, first from the stimulation and then from something else. It was getting harder to concentrate and keep sane.
Fauna felt herself taking another step towards her bestial nature again. The wild was calling to her once more, a siren song of a ravenous feast. No more games. She needed his semen and she needed it now. She was to have her feast whether he was ready for it or not.

There was an unhealthy creaking sound as the wooden posts of the bed started bending.

The little chain links on her cuffs went flying.
“What the…!”
She didn’t hear anything after that. Not during this feast of the night that wouldn't end until morning.

Chapter Text

Everything was a blur. When Ceres Fauna came back to her senses, she felt refreshed and revitalized, a slight warmth radiating from her core. A broken cuff dangled on one of her hands. No matter whatever happened yesterday, she had to have taken her fill of semen. She could feel it, very soon she would have collected all the life energy she needed, and then Spring would arrive.

She caught herself in the midst of a sneeze.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon. It was still a little chilly, proof that her mission was still incomplete.

Fauna glanced around, wondering where the hunter was. She hoped he didn’t leave already. She still needed just a little more. She looked down, and realized why it felt so cold. She was completely naked, her blue dress must have been flung somewhere across the room at the height of whatever happened last night. She had to go pick it up eventually, but for now slinking back under the sheets was so much more appealing an option.
Maybe another hour or two. The day was still young, and sleeping for a while longer wouldn’t hurt anybody.

That’s when she noticed the stain on her blanket, a deep red mark on her cherished pink sheets.
Then she saw more stains. Her hand was red, too.
Now that she thought about it, her legs felt kind of wet, too. It wasn’t really a pleasant kind, either.

Fauna flung the blanket aside. Everything under the cover was red, all red. She found the hunter, at least. His shirt was in tatters, little more than a clump of rags draped over his shoulders.
“Haha, oh no,” Fauna said. It was a nervous, shaky laugh. “He’s not going to be happy about that.”

He wasn’t moving.
Taking a gulp, she peeled the cloth off his body, revealing a network of scratches and scars, some ancient battle wounds, and some that were far too recent for comfort.
Then she saw the vicious claw mark that ran down his chest, a fresh and bloody gash.

Fauna stifled a scream.

Her teal nails were dirty with blood too, caked with grime and who knows what else.
Did… did I do this…?
That explained a few things, including the warmth she felt. She lost count how many times they must have done it last night. The hunter’s breathing was fleeting, like a candle in the breeze, about to disappear at a moment’s notice.
Finally, she realized what the feeling that consumed her yesterday was.

It wasn’t hunger.
It was a predator instinct.

Uh-oh.
She nudged him again, to no avail.

Oh god.
Panic started creeping in.
There had to be a way to fix this. Something to undo this mess she made. Come on Fauna, pull yourself together… apply yourself… apple… the golden apple!

That’s it! If I just feed him a piece of the golden apple…

She hesitated. The golden apple was a tool of last resort that wasn’t supposed to be used except in the most dire of circumstances.

While Fauna needed the life energy of others to maintain her influence over nature, the reverse was also true; the golden apples imbued with her own essence could reverse harm and cure illnesses. As miraculous as that sounded, the apples were not a mere healing implement. They were an embodiment of disorder, an affront to the natural order that the guardian was meant to preserve. It was something that even she couldn’t control.

Maybe that’s why she didn’t ever try it with anyone who wasn’t already dying. To eat from the golden apple was to take in the nature guardian’s essence and forcibly become part of nature itself. Everyone that she “healed” in this way would soon be unable to handle it; to be consumed by its power, to return to the earth as a tree, to become a sapling.

It was during this crisis that Fauna realized, perhaps this is how that rumor started. Everyone who received this blessing would eventually realize that it was a curse, more often than not their bodies unable to handle the raw power of nature; punishment for the utter arrogance required to try and defy the natural order.
To save her dear hunter would just as easily lead to his demise. Just like every other man-turned tree that comprised the ever-expanding forest that Fauna lived in.

Fauna laid a hand on his chest, feeling for a pulse.
It was still there, weak, it was not over yet. Merely passing out from blood loss was not much better.
He never told her anything, not his name, or whether he had a family to return to, or anything else.
Fauna sighed. Before today, she would have considered that a circumstantial kindness, for her to not dig too deep and learn so much that she’d become too attached to a human whose lifetime was so short in comparison.
Let the hunter die now or consign him to a terrible fate, whatever decision she made would have to be made quickly. A possibility crossed her mind. The reason why Fauna hesitated, instead of throwing the idea out entirely.

Most of the people who came to her for healing were either deeply sick or suffered from something hereditary, rarely did anyone seek her to treat an injury. What’s more, the hunter was a very healthy man. Maybe his body would be able to handle it, Fauna hoped. If she did nothing he was sure to die, but the golden apple at least offered a chance. Maybe this can work, she thought to herself. The more she thought about it the more she convinced herself that it would work out.

This has to work. This needs to work. Fauna rolled him over onto his back so that he laid in bed the right way.
All I can do now is make him swallow some of the fruit, and hope that everything will be okay.  Maybe failing would be fine too, because then he could stay with her forever…

Fauna hovered over the hunter’s face with a piece of the golden apple, squeezing it and letting the juice drip into his mouth.
She crammed a small piece into his mouth, and used her hands to move his jaw up and down in the closest approximation of chewing that she could muster.

Could an unconscious person even swallow? She didn’t remember. It was all the same now. She laid her head in his chest, searching for that heartbeat again.

Please work , she thought, scrunching her face. When Fauna opened the hunter’s mouth again, it was empty.

The hunter’s wounds were reacting to the power of the golden apple, the gash closing as the unrestrained power of life kicked his body into overdrive.
The other injuries soon followed, and in a matter of minutes they had all disappeared, like nothing had ever happened.
Fauna gave a long sigh of relief. He was not too far gone yet, his body could withstand the power the apple, unlike so many before him. Her gamble seemed to have worked, and this nightmare would soon be over.

The first thing the hunter saw when he opened his eyes was the face of the guardian of nature staring back at him.
“Oh thank goodness, you’re awake!” Fauna said, leaping off his chest.
“Why… wouldn’t I be…?” he asked. He tried to touch his face, and yelped in pain. “Ow, my… everything,” he groaned. “How did I even…”

It seemed like he couldn’t remember what happened. It was for the best.
“I warned you about getting too rough,” Fauna said. “I don’t even know how many times we… did it last night.”

The hunter was about to get up, and Fauna pushed him down again, gently this time.
“Bubububuu! Not so fast, not so fast. Don’t move, what you need right now is a good long rest,” she said as she put the rest of that slice of the golden apple in his hands. “Eat this and let me… take care of the rest of you.”

Chapter Text

“I hope you’re feeling aaaaall better now,” Fauna said. “I roughed you up pretty badly.”
“Never better,” the hunter replied. “Must’ve been really hungry, because that apple fixed me right up. I feel like I can take on the world!” He was laying in bed, naked, blissfully unaware of what had happened. That statement was more true than one could ever expect.
Fauna had changed the ruined blanket and sheets and that was the end of that. No need for any uncomfortable questions about what those stains were, or why her hand was coated in the same mess. She never told him the truth. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

About an hour had passed since she resuscitated him, and there were still no signs that he would succumb to the golden apple’s overgrowing curse. Best let him believe it was just hunger, she decided.
“Well, instead of taking on the whole world, how about just having me for now? We still have something very important to finish,” Fauna said, running her fingers down his chest and letting their naked bodies press against each other.
“Of course, of course,” the hunter said. “How could I ever say no?”
Fauna held her tongue. In dozens of ways, she thought. Even if she wasn’t fully in control, that part of her could still hear the sounds of the last night, the screams, the yelling, the sounds of utter terror by a man overpowered by a ravenous beast intent on devouring his all before she put an end to all of that noise. Fauna tried not to dwell on it, but where the hunter’s fear was erased, hers remained ever-present, aware of the possibility that she would lose control again. It could not happen again.

“Now then,” Fauna said, bending over him, her breasts dangling in front of the hunter, like a pair of lush fruit. He reached his hands out to grab them.
She caught his hands in her own. “Ah, not so fast, not so fast. As I said, I’ll be taking the lead now. No more of your tools and silly little games this time.” She crawled onto the bed and between the hunter’s legs, intent on drinking her fill once more.
Fauna smiled. This was how it should be. Only a little more until she was back at full power, back after the long winter and the bitter cold. She could hardly wait, not when it was right in front of her like this.

Her eyes lit up when she saw that he was as ready as ever. To be at the peak of physical performance was useful for more than just physical labor, after all.
“Raring to go, aren’t you?” Fauna purred. “But don’t be hasty. They say that your reproductive drive is strongest if you feel like you’re in mortal danger."
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry too much about that, just sit back and let me work my magic.”
Whether aware of it or not, the hunter’s body obeyed. His member was as full of life as the rest of him, standing tall and proud before her. It towered before her face, the smell filling her nostrils with promises of things to follow. Her breathing was already getting hot and heavy. Even just the smell was intoxicating, she was drooling already, content to let it dribble down the side of her mouth.
"I was so worried," Fauna moaned, eyes locked on her prize. She wasted no time covering his cock with kisses, letting her breasts spill around it."I hope you were also worried about the rest of me."
"Yes, of course," she said. "Maybe if the rest of you was as enthusiastic."
“I should be the one saying that,” the hunter replied. “You look even more ravenous than you were the first day. Are you sure you’re not insatiable?”
Fauna brushed her hair behind her ear, ready to feed. “I can’t help it,” she said. “To finally end this accursed winter… I’m practically shivering with anticipation.”

She ran her tongue in circles around the head, first slowly, and then with more enthusiasm when the hunter reacted as well as before.
She advised not just the small and the taste, but also the slight quivering she could feel from him.
Her hand moved on its own, curled around the bottom of his cock as she worked her mouth even more, covering his shaft with a slick coating of saliva.
She wrapped her lips around him and bobbed her head up and down, sucking even harder now. There were no more pretenses; Ceres Fauna needed his semen, and she was going to do whatever it took to get it. She could feel herself getting a little wetter. Was she… enjoying herself…?
That shouldn’t have been the case. This was supposed to be purely transactional. To exchange goods and services. To make amends for wrongdoings. It would be improper for her to get swept up in it all, any more than she had done so already.

It was something immoral to get so deeply involved, but now, between milking this man for his life energy and then nearly killing him, it was impossible for her to pull back and pretend nothing was wrong.
And so it was impossible to ignore, the burning heat of their bodies, the sensuous exchange they were having, the foolish deal she had made with this foolish human. Perhaps it was her who was the fool all along.
To savor the thought of making him squirm in pleasure, and the anticipation of what her reward was going to be was more than enough to encourage herself further.

“Don't hold out on me," Fauna pleaded. “You're about to burst already, aren't you? Go ahead, just let it aaaaaalllll out.”
Spurred by her teasing, the hunter’s hands shot out and grabbed Fauna by her horns, pulling her head down and pushing himself deeper down her throat.
“Mmmn!”
Fauna gagged. She had lived for a very long time, and not once had any human been so insolent as to even consider doing such a thing to her. Fauna glared at him, but he didn’t let up. Whenever she tried to pull back, he pushed her head down harder. As if he was enjoying the struggle.
She could feel his cock throbbing in her mouth, eager to deliver its payload. His shaft pulsed on her tongue, a telltale sign of what was to follow.
“Mmnghnn!!”
Fauna felt his hot cum shoot down her throat, filling her mouth with the life energy she needed, more viscous and plentiful than ever before.
Perhaps the golden apple was a little too effective. After what seemed like several minutes, the hunter released her. His cock left her mouth with the wet pop of a champagne cork, before twitching again and spraying her face with another generous blast of semen. Drawing in deep breaths, Fauna was quick to catch the drooping trail of cum and saliva, too occupied with ingesting the syrupy blend to say anything. Her horns twinkled again, absorbing the precious life energy once more.

"Those are not… handlebars,” Fauna said with an impish frown. “You let out quite a lot again this time,” she said, “but I think you still have more to give me. Especially to make up for that little outburst just now.”
She grazed the spot between her legs with her free hand, finding it stickier and wetter than before. Perhaps that thing she told him about earlier, about danger and sex, applied to herself as well.
“You can keep going, can’t you?”

The morning had just started and yet they both knew what they were going to be doing all day long.

~~~~~

“You may consider this a reward, if you wish,” Fauna said, a grin flashing across her face. “Now, come.”
“Not so soon!” the hunter protested, but Fauna refused to listen.
“I’m very close,” she said as her eyes glowed gold again. “Please, indulge me just a little more.”
“Don’t keep me hanging,” she said coquettishly, hungry for his response. “I can hardly wait any longer.”

She climbed on top of him, intent on squeezing out even more. Riding cowgirl, she took him inside her at long last.
"Mmmmn yes, I told you I would make this worth your while."
Each time she slammed their bodies together, a pleasant feeling rippled through her. Her breasts bounced about as she raised and lowered herself down on his cock, the only thing that would keep his cum from dripping out.

“You hesitate, Mister Hunter. Do you… intend to refuse my generosity?”
“You know... I’m not sure why I thought it wouldn’t work this way,” the hunter answered. “I thought for sure this would start with a mouth and end with a mouth.”
Fauna giggled. “I suppose that assumption wasn’t entirely unfounded. I won’t bore you with the details, I can use more than just my mouth. It’s just… I wouldn’t do this with just anyone,” she explained. “I mean, you’ve been doing so well, I thought you’d enjoy a little change of pace.”
"I think so too," the hunter replied. He put his hands around her waist and pushed the guardian of nature down. In the blink of an eye, their positions had switched and the tables had turned.
It was Fauna's turn to lie down now, her legs were spread apart and she was more than ready for it, practically drooling top and bottom. She was aching for more and it didn't matter how.

She could feel the heat of his gaze on her skin. The hunter’s eyes wandered, and his hands followed. He cupped his hands around her breasts, catching her hardening nipples between his fingers.
“So rough,” Fauna said, “but that’s not enough for you, is it?”
It was not. The hunter inched closer, the bed shifting under his moving weight. He buried his face in her breasts, his heavy breaths like hot steam on her bare midriff.
Fauna felt his cock teasing her by rubbing at her entrance, and used her hands to steer it where she wanted it to go, guiding it home.
“Right there,” she whispered into his ear. Fauna could feel the hunter push deeper inside of her, filling her up completely.

It was no surprise that this was a very different sensation from what Fauna had been doing before, but to leave it at that was an irresponsible understatement. This primeval, passionate pleasure flooded her mind and left her begging for more. Every time he pulled back and hammered home, a jolt ran through her.
“Ahn, yes! Keep going!” Fauna beckoned, her hands scrunching up the sheets.
His thrusting quickened, and soon she found herself trying to match his pace.
Glistening with sweat, their bodies twisted together like those of animals in heat. Each thrust made Fauna’s breasts jiggle and her toes curl.
The hunter’s breaths were ragged. “I’m… about to…”
“Do it!” Fauna moaned. “Don’t even think about pulling out!” She locked her legs around his waist, and the hunter could only grunt in response.
With a final thrust, he buried his cock deep inside Fauna, his cum filling up the rest. Fauna unhooked her legs and a heavy dollop of semen leaked out.
Fauna caught the spill in her hand and brought it to her mouth. Even now there was to be no wasting of resources.

Warmth rippled through her, radiating from her core all the way to her fingertips. Her magic had been fully restored.
She wanted to keep the hunter forever and ever, to let him stay and ensure that she would never run out of magic ever again.

But that was enough about that, a pleasant idea that could be saved until later. First, she had to put an end to this unending winter. She looked around for her gown and draped it over her shoulders.

"Where are you going?" the hunter asked.
"As promised, I'm putting an end to this winter," Fauna answered. "Come with me."

~~~~~

The shovel made a CHAK as it bit into the frostbitten ground.
"I don't see why I have to help you with this part," the hunter said.
"You wouldn't just sit around and let a lady like me do the grunt work dressed like this, would you?"
Fauna was dressed in only her signature dress and shawl. Compared to the hunter's winter wear, she was woefully underdressed, but despite the hunter's protests, that's what she insisted on wearing. It was important, so she told him.

"But you said you were practically overflowing with --"
Fauna pressed a finger to his lips. "Just watch," she whispered.

She brought out a whole golden apple and dropped it in the hole they had dug. They covered the spot with dirt and she stood on top of it, hands clasped together in concentration.

Brisk and dreary, exalted not dearly
End the standstill of this evil chill
By fortune and spell, by nature's will.

As soon as her chant finished, the snow around them began to melt. A patch of green grass peeked out from around Fauna, and then the circle grew, every mound of snow that touched the ever-expanding ring melted away to reveal the greenery locked underneath.
Trees shook free of their icy prisons, and the forest started returning to the way it should have been.

The spell left Fauna drained. Uneasy, she fell to one knee.
She placed a hand on her forehead and felt a sheet of cold sweat.

"Alright, alright, I’ve seen enough. You've even gone pale, are you alright?" the hunter asked.
"That used up all of the life energy that I stored... that you've given me," Fauna said. "I'm completely spent."
With the cold spell broken she could go back to fruit, but how could she ever when she had such potent seed available right here?

The hunter's hand was outstretched before her, an invitation to help her to her feet. An invitation that she took eagerly, one with an invitation of her own.
Part of her knew it would be wrong to want for more, but she asked anyway. "I need to refill my magic again, won't you help me with that, Mister Hunter?"

"As much as you'd like."

Chapter Text

They barely got inside the doorway before Fauna pounced on the hunter again. She knew she had to stay in control, but it was just so hard to keep herself from tearing both their clothes off then and there. She couldn’t help it with the way she was quivering. Every bone in her body urging her to take what was hers, like succulent meat dangled before a starving beast.
“Come, lend me your energy. I've spent all of my magic, there's not a drop left. I’m aaaalllll yours,” Fauna said. And you’ll be all mine.
Her words grew more slurred by the second as she ran her hands down his chest. “Close your eyes… just stay with me here… forever…”

It was the hunter who pulled her blouse open first. Buttons went flying and clattered across the living room floor, rolling off to who knows where. 
Fauna felt a small pang of annoyance, but it was quickly set aside for more pressing matters, like the hunter’s cock and cum and everything else that she needed to replenish her magical energy again. 
She was drooling too much to stay calm. Unsightly as it were, no one else was here to see it. No one but her dear hunter.
Fauna got down on her knees and started working it with her tongue, her other hand hard at work fingering her own pussy. She took him in her mouth again, eager to accept more of his life energy. Appearances and decorum were the next to go. Fauna was acting purely on lust and desire now, her inhibitions cast aside entirely. It was far too late to worry about anything as bothersome as that. She didn’t care that she was moaning like an animal in heat, she didn’t care that she was dripping all over the floor, nothing else was important then.

Fauna's concentration wavered, and she didn’t even notice what happened until she felt the hunter's hands on the back of her head. He pushed his cock down her throat, covering it in her glistening drool.
She gagged a little bit, tongue pushing against the thing lodged in her mouth.

Finally, the hunter pulled out of her mouth and rested his cock on her forehead, leaking precum down her bangs. Her breaths were heavy. Drool leaked down the sides of her mouth. She didn’t mind. Not now. Not from him.

She quickened her pace, impatient to drink his cum again, eager for what was to follow. Solely to replenish her magic, of course.
Fauna felt his cock twitch, and readied herself. She was intent on sucking out every last drop, but he pulled away at that last moment. She held her tongue out, eagerly awaiting for a prize that never came.
"Aah... what are you waiting for?" she asked. "I'm at your mercy, Mister Hunter, give it to me already!"
There was no trace of elegance left in her begging.

The hunter reached for her pussy and dug in with his rugged fingers.
"Nnhhooo!" Fauna yelped, unable to stop him. She was quivering all over, losing her balance in the process. Her legs were as weak as jelly, she was putty in his hands.
There was a wet squelch as the hunter pulled his fingers away, her juices forming a syrupy strand between them.

"You wanted me to stay with you forever," the hunter grunted. "How?"
"W-with the power of my golden apple, of coursh," Fauna said. The reply came out slurred, as messy as the rest of her. Was it a good idea to say? If she really was going to keep him forever, he would have to know eventually, right?

Her hips buckled, arms and legs no longer enough to keep the rest of her body supported. “Enough foreplay,” Fauna gasped, hands pawing the hunter like those of a clingy pet. “That's not what I need right now. I want more.”
“If you insist,” he replied.

He slipped a blindfold over Fauna's eyes, and her vision went dark.
Deprived of sight, all she could hear was the jingling of a new pair of restraints going around her arms.
“Uuu… You know I don’t like stuff like this,” Fauna protested. “You’re still toying with me!”
“You’re not being honest with yourself,” the hunter said with a laugh. “You keep saying how you dislike this or that, but everything else says otherwise. Anyone can see how wet you are right now.”
“Th-that’s not…!”

She could feel him dragging her along by the wrists. She could feel the cool air on her drool-sticky face, long strands of hair clinging to the sides of her mouth.
"W-wait! Stop!"
Fauna was pulled forwards, one step, two steps, three steps, however many it took until she bumped into the kitchen table.
"Ouch!" she whimpered, pausing to rub her leg. Hopefully it wouldn't bruise.
Even then, she was still being pulled forwards, the hunter didn't stop pulling until she was splayed on the table from the waist up. Her legs dangled over the side, off the ground just enough to feel like she was flying.

"Hey, be more careful," Fauna mewled. "I'm not as durable as you."
"Don't be like that," the hunter said. "I think you are."

She felt a finger poke her in the butt, spreading that hole slightly. It was damp. Saliva? Whatever it was didn't make too much of a difference. There was a much more pressing matter at hand. She struggled to hold back a moan. 

Fauna felt something hot brush against the sweat-drenched small of her back. The color drained from her face, she was desperate to not confirm her suspicions.
“N-no. You can’t be serious,” she said. “Not there. That’s my…”
“You said it yourself,” the hunter replied. “Any hole, right?”
“No! I… You can’t do this! I don’t — auuuhahn!”
He pushed his way inside her ass. Fauna grit her teeth until her jaw hurt. It didn’t help even a little bit.
Even him moving slowly was painful, almost gouging out her insides.

“Stop! It hurts! I— Ghhh…aaahh…!”
The response was dripping with sadism. "But you're enjoying this, aren't you? You're even wetter than before!" She felt his fingers root around inside her pussy, it was making a wet sticky sound even louder than his cock in her ass.
Until now, she hadn't realized how cold her thigh felt with so much of her juices leaking down her legs. It made her quiver.
Fauna gasped. This was wrong on so many levels. He was going to split her apart, she could feel him deep inside where it didn't belong. It was hard to breathe, the sensation of being filled up completely left her short of breath.
This was so humiliating, to be blindfolded, half-naked, violated over her own kitchen table... she wanted to crawl into bed and disappear, but that couldn't possibly happen now.

An amount of time passed. One minute? Several minutes? It wasn't easy to tell with how badly her head was spinning.

A hand gripped the back of her shoulder, pushing her down. Her breasts squished against hard wood as the hunter pounded at her insides. Whatever small mercy he was giving by moving slowly having been done away with, each thrust adding another knot of shame in her.

Fauna's consciousness flickered in and out. At least it would soon be over. She could only hope.
She could feel his cock twitch, by now she was more than familiar with what would happen next.
Even in this state, the hunter would soon cum and then she would regain some of her magical energy.

Fauna heard the hunter grunt.
She heard a small, damp pop as that profane feeling of fullness vanished. She didn't feel any trace of life energy flow into her.
He didn't cum inside, even though he promised. No warm radiance, no twinkling horns. She was still left on empty.

"H-hey! Why didn't you..." Fauna asked, but nobody replied. She tried to say more, when heard the hunter’s footsteps trail off.

So now Fauna was stuck here on her kitchen table, half-naked, blindfolded, and handcuffed, to boot. She could have easily taken off the blindfold and wrenched the cuffs apart, but what was the point? He would be back soon and then she would receive what she was desired.
Fauna wondered what her expression looked like, what kind of greedy look she was giving. Was it a lustful smile? Was drool leaking out of the corner of her mouth? What was the hunter seeing? She wanted to know what kind of smug expression he had. He was so sure of himself. She would have to get him back later.

Clump, clump, clump.
The footsteps were back, the hunter returned. she could smell the intoxicating scent of his life energy, ripe for harvest. He still hadn't given her any of it yet. It was nerve-wracking.

Fauna felt his hand reach for her butt, giving it a light slap and a gentle squeeze.
She yelped in response. How daring.
A calm fell across her. Everything would be alright again as long as he gave her what she needed. "You know I don't like that," Fauna purred. “You've kept me waiting once again.”

“I too, have been waiting long enough for this,” the hunter replied. "But there's something I need to make sure of, first."
What could possibly matter now, Fauna wanted to ask. What could be so important to know now of all times? They were already so intimately familiar with each other's bodies.

Fauna felt a hand on her horns again, pushing her head to the cold surface of the table.
“I told you,” she giggled nervously, “those are not handleb—“

KSSSHHH
A sound like shattering glass. A splitting headache. 
Fauna doubled over in agony. What started as a faint noise culminated in a maddened wailing.
She writhed on the table, hands clutching the side of her head, feeling only the chipped, broken stub remaining.
“My horn!” Fauna shrieked. “How could y—“

“It was true,” the hunter said. “The story was true all along! Aha... hahahaha!"
An icy knot formed in her stomach.

Fauna twisted in her handcuffs, only to find that they would not come apart. She raised her bound hands to her face and ripped off the blindfold, hoping that her eyes wouldn’t deceive her.

She no longer recognized the man standing before her. The hunter had his axe in one hand, and her golden apple in the other. His grim, vicious expression in stark contrast to the shock on Fauna’s face.
"Your reign is over, witch of the forest!”

Chapter Text

Ceres Fauna could not believe her eyes. She stared back at the hunter, mouth agape, face still frozen in shock.
No… this has to be a mistake…

“…Why…. we had a deal… I ended the winter just like I promised, I-I-I just—”
“We did not. I don’t negotiate with witches. I told you I was looking for the witch, and I’ve found her.”

She thought she was confiding in a kindred spirit. She had been spilling her guts to an enemy.
Fauna glanced at the shattered piece of horn beside her and shivered. Her horns signified her dominion over nature. Without that divine authority, she really wasn’t much more than a suspicious woman who lived in the forest. Vulnerable. Mortal.

A tear rolled down her cheek. Did he do this because she admitted she was completely powerless now, or was this always his plan? She twisted in her cuffs, which refused to yield. His reassurance that they were broken cuffs was a lie. He had tricked her — no, she had let him trick her.
If only she hadn’t been so weakened by the harsh winter.
If only she hadn’t made such an offer in a moment of recklessness.
If only she hadn’t said that she was powerless and out of magic. If only she hadn’t revealed herself to be vulnerable.
Would things have gone any differently?

She was out of magic, out of her wits, out of options. He must have figured out the truth. Every single person who was thought to have gone missing had become one with the forest.
A single message ran circles in her head. He knows everything.

“So that’s what this is about… you’re here because of the missing people,” said Fauna, increasingly distraught. “I… I’m sorry… they were too far gone… I tried my best to save them… the ones who never went home have all returned to nature… It… it wasn’t my choice. I… I…”
The hunter paid no attention to her whimpering. He placed his hand under her chin, tilting her face up so her terrified eyes met with his.
“Enough of that,” he hissed in her ear. “Druid, witch, deity, keeper, none of those words hold any meaning to me. You are no goddess, I can do whatever I want to a monster like you.”
“U-unhand me!”

“You are in no position to be making demands,” he said as he grabbed Fauna by her bangs. “You also shouldn't leave something like this just lying around.” He hefted the golden apple in his other hand, showing off the prize he had snatched from Fauna’s bedroom. The rest of the apple from which she gave him a piece. The slice that she used to heal the wounds she had given him. The single small sliver that his body managed to withstand.
“You fae are always so full of yourselves. You think you're untouchable. Behold, this lowly human shall become like one of you.”

“Stop!” Fauna shouted. “You've already—”
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” he said. “I might have believed you if I didn't see it with my own eyes. This is one of those golden apples that grant immortality. You offered to let me stay forever, isn’t this what you meant?”

The bodies of those with weakened constitutions would succumbing to even a small amount, unable to withstand the overwhelming power of nature, becoming more plant than man. And that was just with the smallest amount. There was no telling what would happen if a healthy person ate an entire golden apple.
“No! You can't!”
“Silence. You gave me a piece of this earlier, and now I’ll have the rest of it.”
The hunter opened his mouth wide and crunched down on that forbidden fruit, the morsel she gave him to save his life had grown into a ravenous hunger of his own. After consuming all of the apple’s sweet flesh, he chewed up and swallowed even the core. Not a trace was left.

The hunter felt his cheek, and discovered that even an old battle scar had been undone by the magic of the apple he just ate.
“You… you have no idea what you’ve just done…” Fauna breathed.
“I think I can figure it out,” the hunter replied. He pulled a knife out of his coat and slashed his own neck. Blood sprayed from the cut, only for the wound to close itself mere moments afterwards. If it hurt, he didn't show it on his face.
He saw Fauna’s expression change from pained surprise to abject terror, and knew he had hit his mark. Radiant power coursed through his veins, heat radiated from his muscles. He felt even stronger now than a minute ago.
He laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed.

“I have no more use for you,” the hunter said as he turned to leave.

He glanced at her naked backside once more, making a wolfish smile. It was a different kind of hunger.

“Well, perhaps one use.”

~~~~~

“N-no! Stay away!” Fauna shouted. There was nowhere to run, not that she was in any state to outrun him in the first place.
Someone help me… Anyone!

The hunter rescued out and grasped the chain around Fauna’s wrists, pulling her to the floor. She landed on top of him with a pained grunt, her consciousness still wavering in and out.
He had a wicked smile. “How nostalgic,” he smirked. “Doesn’t this remind you of the time that you pounced on me that one time? How we went at it over and over and over again all day and all night?”
She didn’t want to remember. All of those times when she lost control of herself, what had once been a bad dream was now a quaint memory compared to this waking nightmare.
“P-please st—ahhaHHhh!”
His rough hands sunk into Fauna’s ass, gripping until it hurt as he forced her hips to drop, penetrating all the way inside her in one swift motion.
She was still sensitive from before, the hunter wrenched moan after moan out of her aching body.

The guardian of nature was powerless, unable to stop herself from herself tightening up with every thrust, her body reacting when she didn’t want it at all.
“You’re squeezing down like you’re still trying to wring me out,” the hunter taunted. “Is it because you feel like you're in mortal danger? You should be moving those hips like your life depends on it.”

“I… I’m the keeper of this forest! The guardian of nature! How dare you do this to me!” Her words were shaky, unsure if they were even true anymore. She beat her fists against his chest, drawing no reaction at all. not Her weak blows bounced off his strengthened body, useless compared to the way he thrust into her core.
“Wrong. You are a witch.”

Fauna didn’t want her eyes to meet with his. There was no kindness in it anymore, if there was ever any in the first place. He broke her horns and her heart, surely this was to break her spirit. After this betrayal and this humiliation, how could she bear to look him in the eye now?

She could feel his cock throbbing again. He made no effort to pull away.
“But now, I have nothing to fear. No one can challenge me anymore. Not you, not anyone else. I don’t have to hold back.”
The golden apple filled him with life, and now he was to fill her with it. With a final thrust, he let out a torrent of warm semen inside her.

The hunter would give her no time to rest.

He pushed her off and got into a chair positioned beside her, his legs spread wide apart.
He was still as hard as before. It was clear what he wanted.
A hand gripped the back of her head. With as much strength as she had left, Fauna put up little resistance. The hunter smeared his cock against Fauna’s lips, and it took all she could muster to not give way. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you so desperate for it just a little while ago?”
She didn’t say anything, her expression a maelstrom of pained emotions.
“Don’t be so reserved now,” the hunter laughed as he pinched a sore nipple. “You wanted more semen, and that’s exactly what I’m giving you.”
Fauna’s back arched in reflex. It was far too late to realize that she was little more than cornered prey, every past experience exposed weak points to exploit.
She gasped, and he buried his cock in her throat. He pulled on her remaining horn, his other hand wrapped around her neck, forcing himself as deep as he could and not letting go.

It was nothing like how he treated her before. Or, knowing what she knew now, maybe he was treating her exactly the same way. Was it all a trap from the very beginning? She didn’t want to believe it.
Fauna gagged, sure that she was going to choke, but the man using her mouth didn’t let up.
“Mngh! Ngomh!”
The abuse continued for another minute and a half. Fauna thought she was starting to see spots and stars. She felt him throb in her mouth, but once again he stopped too soon. He pulled his drool-coated cock away from her throat, turning away to grab something.
Fauna tried to fill her lungs with air, powerless to do much else beyond gasping for air. Each cough shook her body, causing strands of hair to cling around her mouth.

“W-why would you—“
The hunter knelt down in front of the fallen guardian, lifting her chin with a hand again. “Don’t be like that,” he said. “I have something for you, it’s your favorite.”
He shoved something in her drool-sticky face.

It was her gold-rimmed teacup.
Although the contents were warm and creamy, it was nowhere near tea.
“N-no,” Fauna said, trying to back away. “This is so wro—“
The hunter interrupted her protests by emptying the cup of semen down her throat.

His words were full of venom. “You hesitate, Miss Witch. Do you… intend to refuse my generosity?”
It was too much to bear, and too much to swallow.
Fauna’s eyes watered. It wasn't as if she particularly enjoyed the taste before, but with her divine authority shattered, that foul offering was nothing more than revolting ooze.
She gagged for real, the contents of the cup that she didn’t manage to down had spilled all over the floor. Fauna’s throat burned. She could still feel the sticky cum slither down her throat.
The room echoed with cruel laughter.
“You can glare at me as hard as you like, but I am not afraid of you anymore. I am immortal.”

Fauna slumped back down, saying nothing. She tried to hide behind her hair, desperate to hold onto whatever shreds of dignity she still had. It was a futile attempt, there was nothing left.

Standing up, the hunter bore an even more ravenous expression expression. There was no virtue left in his veins, the cruelties he had committed thus far had done nothing to sate his appetite.

“You should be happy,” he said. “I told you I'd give you as much as you wanted.”
“No!” Fauna pleaded. “No more…”
The hunter had no intention of listening. He put all of his weight into tackling her, pinning her down on the ground.
Two powerful hands grabbed her ankles, hoisting them over his shoulders.

He forced his way inside her again and again. Whether Fauna was making moans or cries was anyone's guess.
“I can't… believe… it was… this easy!” the hunter grunted as he pressed his chest against hers, slamming her against the ground. “And to think that old story was real!”

“That's not how it went! That old fairy tale isn't true!”
She tried to claw at his back, anything to stop him. Her nails barely broke his skin, and any scratches she did manage were undone in an instant.

The hunter didn't stop, he didn't even slow down as he unloaded more semen into the witch. An endless flow that didn't even subside when she was completely filled up. As he pulled out, he coated the rest of her body with thick ropes of cum. Fauna’s heartbeat thundered in her ears, too loud to concentrate. Her chest felt like it was about to burst.
He stood back to admire his handiwork.

“Don't even think that this is over,” the hunter snarled. “I think I'll keep doing this forever. Ahahahahaha—”

A dagger point erupted from where his heart was. The tip was covered in blood and black ichor.
The hunter spun around, eyes searching for the one responsible.

There was a young girl standing behind him. She appeared younger than Fauna, and had the same kind of horns on her head. Her eyes were filled with just as much terror as Fauna's.
“You… you shouldn't leave something like that just lying around,” the girl panted. She pointed at the hunter with another knife, covered with the same black sheen.

“Nemu, don't!” Fauna shouted. “Get away from him!”

The hunter bared his fangs. “Nice try, you little familiar. That might be deadly poison, but you can't hurt me, I'm immo—rrRGGgh!” His eyes flew wide open, his hands clutched his chest.
His torso pulsated like it was about to split open, his heart had been swallowed by a wreath of fire and no amount of screaming could do anything about it.
He pulled out the dagger, but the damage had already been done. The wound refused to close up. In fact, it seemed like the hole was only getting bigger.

“Ugh! Damn it! What did…” He coughed, and out came a faint cloud of pollen.
The hunter looked down, and the wound had become enshrouded in leaves, leaking blood and… tree sap…?

There was a dull cracking sound as foliage of all kinds sprung out of the gash. Vines crept out and entangled themselves around his limbs, wrapping tight and not letting go.
Leaves unfurled from the injury, draping his waist with a patchwork quilt of torn flesh and lush verdure. The hunter tore at the plants, but for every stem he pulled out, two had taken its place.

“You! Witch! What the hell did you do?!”
“I didn't do a thing,” Fauna said, realizing what had happened. “I told you not to eat the golden apple.”

Drawing what strength she could from the life energy he had given her, Fauna rose up on her unsteady feet.
Her eyes darted around the room, spotting the hunter's axe close by. It was a little unwieldy with her hands still bound together, but a weapon was a weapon.

The hunter's expression softened the slightest amount. “You know what's going on! You can change me back, can't you?”
Was his voice trembling?
Fauna said nothing as she moved closer to him, axe in hand. She had failed, but she still stood. It was time to make things right.

“What's the matter?” she whispered.
“I thought you didn't… negotiate with witches.”

“W-wait!” the hunter begged, backing away as quickly as his arms would take him. “You want the key, right? H-here, take it!”
A small silver key clattered near Fauna's feet as small nettled vines emerged from the scratches on the hunter's arms and back. He screamed again as his ribcage cracked open, the hole in his chest expanding past the size of his head, more full of plants than even a moment ago.

“I warned you not to do such a foolish thing for strength.
You didn't listen. But that's okay, I'll take care of the rest.
That much I can promise you.”

“Those villagers you turned into trees? You don't have to worry about that, I'll keep it all a secret if you heal me! I won't tell a soul! I'll leave you alone if you stop… actually, even if you don't stop… I don't care about any of that anymore! Just cure me!”

The hunter grunted as his back hit the wall behind him. Cold sweat ran down cracked lesions on his bark-like skin.
“Let… let's forget all about this! You're an expert in healing, aren't you? Make it stop! I won't ever come back!”

“You might be in pain now, dear hunter, but don't be worried.
Everything will be alright very soon.
You'll be able to live forever, just like you wanted.
Doesn't that sound nice?”

Desperate, the hunter looked at the girl called Nemu. “You!” he said. “You're the princess, aren't you?! I saved you! I broke your curse! Reward me! Cure me!”
“There was no such thing!” Nemu said, standing beside Fauna. “I won't give you anything!”

He gave another cry of anguish as more plants poured out of his chest cavity. His arms and legs had become as rigid as tree trunks, he was completely immobile. The hunter spoke no coherent words after that, every remaining moment spent on an unending howl of pain throughout the excruciating process.

Fauna was undeterred. She had no charity left for him. Even as she picked up the key, she kept her eyes locked onto his. Immortal or not, the power of the golden apple was unraveling his body, spiraling out of control.
The hunter's final pleas never made it past his leafy, thorny throat. His jaw had been clenched shut by the crawling brambles snaking around his face, the thorns punctured his skin and opening holes for more plants to climb out.
Greens spilled out of his eats and nostrils, the tear ducts in his eyes torn asunder by the smallest of vines. Still alive, he too was about to return to nature.

The last thing that the hunter saw was the glowing golden eyes of the witch. Fauna wouldn't even need the axe, she tossed it aside. She knelt down, placing her hands on his face and her lips close to his ear.

Her final words to him were never heard, not under the deafening rustle of leaves.

Chapter Text

“You know, you've become a lot gentler than when we first met,” Nemu said.
“And what… makes you… say… that…?” Fauna said between grunts.
“Oh, no reason.” Nemu gestured at the tree, and Fauna rolled her eyes.

The shovel made a soft ‘shhk’ as it bit into the soft earth. Ceres Fauna was filling in the last of the soil she had displaced to move a certain tree to its final home. No matter what her own feelings about it were, duty came first. She had spent the last several hours planting the hunter where he’d stand for eternity. He stood tall, a massive tree all in all. Troublesome to the very end.
There was no point in complaining, because this too was one of her responsibilities. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

Nemu watched her from the overturned wheelbarrow she was using as a chair. Noticing that Fauna was finished, she patted the metal hull, motioning for her to come sit with her. While the keeper of nature was hard at work, Nemu had busied herself with peeling an orange.
“I’ve really missed using my hands,” she grinned as Fauna approached.
“I… I see.”

“Come, sit, Fauna, it’s been so long since we’ve been able to talk!” She said, popping a piece of fruit in her mouth. “When we created that story to scare people off, I probably shouldn't have actually sealed myself away, haha!”
Even though Nemu had scooted over to make room, Fauna was hesitant. She didn’t want to look the little girl in the eyes.
The two couldn’t be any more different. Where one was as carefree as could be, the other had an invisible weight on her shoulders.

“What’s the matter?” Nemu asked. The question was anything but innocent.
“…Thank you for helping me,” Fauna said, sitting down beside her. “I don’t know what I would have done if you weren't here.”
Nemu glanced away, looking at the hunter’s tree. “You’re strong. I’m sure you could have managed somehow.”

“Not this. You know what I mean,” Fauna said, touching her broken horn stub.
“I know,” Nemu replied. “That’s what I was talking about.”

Fauna stared at her feet, saying nothing. There was a bruise on her leg from when she bumped into the table. Eventually, it would heal. Just like that shattered horn.
Even then, it made her feel uneasy, nauseous at the thought of the danger she had so readily invited into her home.

Fauna glanced around, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
“What’s the matter,” Nemu cooed. “Do you feel guilty about it?”

“That ravenous monster I became. If that was truly me.”
“I asked myself the same question. You'll have to come to your own answer.”

The sight of the hunter's face filled her mind, his body torn up by the plants that enshrouded him.
“I just… I don’t know if I did the right thing…”

“And what would have been the right thing?” Nemu asked. “If that hunter revealed his intentions in the first meeting? If you patched him up and let him go? If he chose to stay with you forever? If you devoured him whole in a fit of hunger? If he came with his allies to slay the witch? If such a madman wrenched the title of keeper from you? Would you have felt justified then, or… would you even be able to do anything about it by that point?”
Her words cut into Fauna, each question a more upsetting possibility.

“But I…”
“You are more than just a witch, you are the keeper of nature. It's time that you start being more careful with yourself.”
“…”

“I didn’t think…” she started. “I didn’t think he’d just stop at a horn... I didn’t think his goal was just immortality. I was expecting the worst when he brought up the fairy tale.”
“Alas,” Nemu interrupted, “he was so consumed by hubris that it never crossed his mind that he wasn't in control until it all came crashing down. Sound familiar?”
Fauna pouted. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

“…”

Nemu wrapped her arms around Fauna’s waist, holding her tight.
“…Sorry. I went too far. I shouldn’t be saying something like that. Not to the one who gave me shelter on that freezing day. Not to the one who I gave my title. My successor.”
They sat there together for a few minutes, their embrace the only communication they needed.

“…This was a test, wasn’t it?” Fauna said at last.
“…What?”
“You think I’ve gotten soft, haven’t you? You even said so earlier. So you prepared this test to see if I was still fit to be keeper. And after what happened… you said you missed using your hands, doesn’t that mean…”

“No. I said I missed using my hands,” Nemu repeated. “It's a blessing and a curse. Deity, princess, goddess, I don’t miss any of those duties I used to have, but I suppose I can't just leave everything to you. Just as you've helped me all this time, I will do what I can to help you.”

“B-but! If that’s the case, then why—“
Nemu shook her head, dispelling whatever negative thoughts plagued Fauna and whatever bad memories she herself carried. “Perhaps you can take what happened as a lesson. A glimpse into everything that isn't so sweet.” Memories of what caused her own disillusionment. Memories of times when there was no one to save her.

Fauna stood up, clenching her fist. “I won’t mess up again,” she vowed. “I don't intend to shy away. I can do this.”

“They won’t stop, you know. Someone else will notice the missing people. Those lured by promises of cures to ailments, those with even more wicked ambitions, they’ll never stop coming. Every single one, as twisted as that hunter. The humans… they're not just animals. They'll hurt you again and I don't want that to happen to you too.”

“I’m afraid we don't see eye to eye on that,” Fauna said. “I took— no, you gave me the mantle, so let me handle things. Please, trust me.”

“You will see what I mean one way or another. Their very existence is corrupt to the core, they must be eli—“
“They must return to nature, it's the only way.”

“I… what? You can’t be serious,” Nemu said. She tried to hide it, but her eyes were pleading, imploring her replacement to not be full of the same foolish idealism, to not make the same mistakes she herself had made.
“I'm not mad. Humans are part of nature too, after all,” Fauna said. “Maybe this is what I've had to do all along. Civilization has lead them all astray. All of these modern inventions, these corrupting implements, their hearts full of wicked desire… they've fallen so far, but I still love them, faults and all. Let me keep at it. Slowly but surely, I will win them back.”
Fauna looked at the trees that made up her ever-growing forest. Some had gnarls and knots like faces wracked with pain, but others were smooth, accepting of their fates.
She smiled as she found the words.

“Sooner or later, they will return to nature. To me.”