Fall of the Pegasus Guard Part 4

"I just can't believe this is happening!"

Sergeant Griaa of the Pegasus Guard stood helplessly in one of the prison cells - a cell that until very recently she and her fellow Guards had been sent to protect. It just didn't seem right that she was now occupying them after all she had done to secure them - it was sick irony.

"This can't be happening!"

Galled beyond words by the string of events that had brought her here, she stood watching with a scowl as the mob beyond her closed cell door went on about their bizarre business - the sweet and merciless tickling of barefeet.

"What kind of madness has led them to this?" Griaa wondered, watching a handful of prisoners feathering the feet of another prisoner, who howled with joyous laughter.

Griaa's hands were tied together at the wrist and rested almost uselessly on her stomach; she had already tried and given up on the idea of breaking the rope, having earned herself red raw wrists in the process. She wore only her shorts and her vest; her captors had been very efficient in stripping her of the armoured breast plate and, of course, her boots. She was as vulnerable as she had ever been in a very long time and she didn't like it.

Not one bit.

On the other side of the cell, Private Ilyani sat on the bare bunk with her legs pressed up under her chin. She too wore only vest and shorts, but was currently occupied with running her hands through her long green hair as a distraction of what was going on around her and what awaited her.

"Still nothing to say?" Griaa asked.

"I find it hard to think of anything with all that commotion outside," said Ilyani.

The mob were moving furniture and engaging in sporadic bursts of tickling.

Griaa nodded. "I still can't believe the others left us," she said, finally putting a voice to the dark thoughts that had been making her blood boil since they were locked up in here. "I just can't believe it they left us to those creeps."

Ilyani nodded once but just continued to run her fingers through her hair. She did not have the same issues of Griaa about all that had happened to them. Ever since being captured, she'd barely said a word but her thoughts had lingered on the feathers that awaited her. "We made our choice, Griaa," she said, "against Leet's advice. We knew the risk."

"I know that," said Griaa. "I know that. But still, you'd think that after all the time we have spent under her command she would have at least done something to try and help us."

"Like what?"

"What a silly question," snapped Griaa, turning back to stare through grilled door of her cell. "Like what...huh!"

Ilyani sighed and slipped all of her hair behind her. "If they had come with us then we would all have been captured," she said. "At least now the others can be warned."

"She should still have done something," said Griaa, refusing to be turned away from her anger.

"I suppose," said Ilyani with a sigh. "At least then we could all be together when they start to tickle us."

Griaa turned to give Ilyani a humourless look but the green haired Private seemed all too calm about what was going on.

"I'm serious, Ilyani," Griaa said stiffly. "There would at least have been more of a fight if they had joined us."

"What else could they have done?" asked Ilyani. "There were too many of them; even if we had entered as a full squad we would have been overpowered. We chose this and there was nothing more Leet and the others could have done - other than hold our hands as that mob feather-tickled our toes."

There was a moment of silence as Griaa gave the matter some further thought. The thought of being helpless before that mob made her stomach knot. She pushed thought of it away and instead focussed on the simpler issue of Leet's betrayal of them. As much as Griaa tried, she couldn't find a reasonable answer for what Leet and the others could have done, which only fuelled her anger at being in this situation. It made the bitterness of the situation almost unbearable.

"So you're saying this is our fault?" said Griaa.

"No," said Ilyani, "just that we were warned by Leet about what could happen."

Deep down Griaa knew Leet had warned her against her course of action, and that the Captain had told her exactly what would happen if they got caught. Griaa hadn't listened; in fact she hadn't even wanted to entertain the thought of doing anything other than running in there. Now, her plan had all gone horribly wrong and right now her friends were being tickle tortured.

"I hate tickling!"

Griaa needed someone to blame however; someone who wasn't her - preferably the one person who could have ordered the other members of the squad to help at the time. That someone, conveniently, was Captain Leet. Griaa's pride would not let her accept any part of the blame for her current situation - she had to place all of the errors on someone else's shoulders.

"I bet Leet planned to leave us, no matter what happened," said Griaa. "This is all of her fault."

"Griaa," said Ilyani. "Leet is not to blame for what happened to us, or what is about to happen to us."

"I don't like to be tickled!" Griaa said grumpily. "I hate it, in fact!"

"Why?"

"Because..." said Griaa and trailed off. "It doesn't matter why."

Beyond the door of their cell, the rag-clad mob of prisoners were milling around, chattering incessantly about the forth coming ceremony.

"Wonder what happened to the others?" Griaa asked.

"Are they not out there?" Ilyani asked.

"No," Griaa said. "Not that I can see."

As hard as she tried, Griaa couldn't see any sign of Hess, Cira, Meriline, Rhvyn or Dris - they were no where to be seen.

"They must be amongst that mob," said Ilyani.

Griaa nodded "I wonder what they are doing in there," she said. "They seem to be moving a lot chairs back and forth."

Ilyani stood and walked over to the door, peering into the crowd herself. "Whatever it is they're doing, it looks vaguely ritualistic. Look how they are positioning the chairs and drawing something on the floor."

"A ritual?" mused Griaa. "A ritual for what?"

"A tickle torture ritual?" Ilyani said and giggled. "Can't wait to see it."

A wave of excitement rippled through the crowd and caught the attention of both guards; something was happening in the centre of the Hall. Both Griaa and Ilyani pushed against the door, straining to see what was going on but the constant movement made it hard for them to distinguish anything. They strained their ears, trying to catch some snippet of conversation.

"I can hear something of they're saying," said Ilyani. "There's one guy talking, he seems to be addressing all of the others. Lets see. It's some kind of summoning. Umm...it...it's taking place in each of the Halls - all five of them." The two guards exchanged worried glances before Ilyani returned her attention to listening to what was being said. "There was...something about the chosen, but I didn't catch it. There was a name...He Who..something-something. This ritual..." Ilyani gulped. "...the ritual for this Hall is going to involve Hess and the others!"

"No, it bloody won't!" Griaa growled and taking the door in both hands, she shook it with all her strength. It rang out with her efforts but the door remained sturdy. "Damn it, we've got to get out of here."

Ilyani nodded but having watched Griaa's attempts to shake the door down, she gave up the thought of doing so with physical strength; she went back and sat down on the bunk. Her thoughts were edging away from escape towards endurance.

"What are you doing?" snapped Griaa.

"Thinking," said Ilyani. "Thinking about can I endure what is about to happen to Hess and the others?

Suddenly there was a lull in the conversation outside the cell. Griaa and Ilyani looked towards the door. For a moment there was a breathless silence then came the familiar soft laughter of Hess, which quickly grew to helpless hysterics. A sinking feeling touched Griaa. Seconds later the voices of Dris and Cira rose up, joining Hess in a chorus of tickled laughter and helpless giggling. Only a moment later came the high pitched shrieking of Meriline, her voice stretched and giving testament to the wickedness of the tickling on her feet.  Finally Rhosyn erupted into maddened laughter to complete their doom. As one the sound of tickled delirium filled the Hall and seeped to the ears of the guards in the cell.

"Need I ask?" Ilyani asked, competing with the approving roar from the crowd.

"Not really," said Griaa, blushing and scowling in equal parts at what she was hearing.

"So what now?"

Griaa turned away, her face set in deep thought. "I don't know," she said.

"Could be worse," said Ilyani. "We could be dead."

Griaa grunted. At least if they were in a fight, she would be able to make the most of her combat skills. The idea of being trapped by their code was as infuriating as the idea of being tickled.

"Why tickling though?" asked Griaa, resisting a shudder, trying to ignore the hysterics coming from the Hall. "It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe its part of the Summoning," said Ilyani.

"Summoning," said Griaa. "What manner of Creature could you possibly summon by tickling?"

"Something that loves tickling?" said Ilyani.

Griaa fell silent in thought.Waves of maddening laughter poured into the cell, rolling over her, filling her ears and putting the oddest images in her mind. Outside, she could only guess that the ritual was going according to plan.

Suddenly a light flared and Griaa rushed once more to door of the cell, staring out into the Hall. It grew more and more intense.  She could hear words chosen and acolyte being shouted but could see nothing other than the on-looking crowd. Now there was a fierce explosion of light, intense, like a flare going off, then the Hall fell dark again. The laughter softened.

"Something's happened," said Griaa. "I can't see exactly what."

Of a sudden the crowd in front Griaa parted and a lone figure in a hooded cowl approached. As she drew closer Griaa saw that the figure was a woman but had unusual features; cat-like emerald eyes, slender feline nose and mouth; furry pointed ears on the side of her head. As she approached the figure slipped out of her robe, revealing that her body was covered in soft obsidian coloured fur that seemed to glow, as if there was light beneath it. She had hair that somehow was even blacker than her fur and a smile so sweet that it made Griaa shiver. She wore only shorts and a sleeveless vest.

"Aww..." The sound came out of Griaa's mouth without her meaning to.

Griaa had to physically force her eyes shut before she could look away from the cat-creature approaching her. There was something...captivating about her, so much so that the Sergeant found it hard to not stare helplessly at her.

The door to the cell suddenly flung open and Griaa walked back away as the cat-creature stepped into the cell.  Ilyani stood, her eyes locking onto the figure for the first time.

"W-who are you?" asked Ilyani.

"What are you?" demanded Griaa.

"My name is Meex," said the cat-creature, a delicious purr touching her every word. "I am a Kat and I have come here on behalf of my Master and my Mistress to help with what his happening here."

"Hello, Meex," Ilyani said in a half whisper that spoke of lust and awe in equal measure. "M-my name is Ilyani."

Meex turned her head slightly and flashed a stunning smile that made both Pegasus guard miss a heart beat. Meex nodded courteously and then turned to Griaa, but the Sergeant did not give her name.

"What do you want, Meex?" said Griaa.

"I'd like you to sit down for me," Meex said softly, a twinkle of delight in those feline eyes.

Without knowing why or how, the moment Meex spoke those words, both Griaa and Ilyani sat without a word on the bed. Meex, clearly very pleased with their obedience in their reactions, turned her attention to Ilyani first. At her approach Ilyani gulped, as if suddenly embarrassed, and blushed. Meex knelt at Ilyani's feet and closed her eyes, as if meditating.

"S-she's in my mind," said Ilyani with a sudden gasp. "I can feel in her my thoughts! Oh my, she's looking at my dreams, my fantasies!"

Griaa gulped down her outrage. "Leave her alone!" she snapped.

"Hush, now," said Meex. "It doesn't hurt. I just want to know what Ilyani likes." Meex giggled sweetly and opened her eyes. "How wonderful!"

"Then ask her!" snarled Griaa.

Meex rose to her feet and sat next to Ilyani. The Kat took hold of the Pegasus Guard's hands and held them in her lap.

"What are you doing here?" Griaa demanded.

"I was brought here as part of the ritual," said Meex, stroking Ilyani's hair as if she were a pet. "Please, don't be afraid of how I look. I promise, absolutely no harm will come to you or anyone here."

"You're one of these freaks?" Griaa shook her head. Fighting against the growing just to nod and grin foolishly.

"Yes," said Meex. "I'd like to explain what is happening here a little, so you two will be less afraid and more likely to enjoy what comes next."

Griaa frowned. "Then you ought to slow down, Meex," she said, "unless you want us to miss something."

"Very well then," said Meex. "Let me start by telling you a little about me. I am a Kat, an immortal creature in the loving and eternal service of one who would have his Realm filled with the sound of happy laughter."

"Kats?" said Griaa.

"Yes," said Meex. "We are His Kats, created by him in the image of the First."

"And who made you?"

"You call him He-Who-Tickles," said Meex. "His actual name is softer than that. You will learn it soon enough. He made us for one reason; can you guess what that is?" Meex giggled; it was a soft and soporific sound.

"And who is this Master of yours?" asked Griaa. "A Kat lord?"

"Something like that," said Meex. "He is more than our Lord. He created us Kats to serve him, to tickle and tease and delight and deliver. And we do all that He asks of us, loyally, utterly without question and with love in our hearts. We wield feather and finger with equal skill, to draw giggles and guffaws from all we find."

Ilyani shivered. Griaa frowned.

"We Kats have been summoned here by the Acolytes," Meex said after a pause.

"Acolytes?" asked Griaa.

Meex nodded. "People who share a wild love of tickling," she said, "and who want to feel its pleasure forever. They have sworn their souls to my Lord in return for his favour and gifts."

"You mean they came from our people?" said Griaa.

"Some of them, yes," said Meex. "They start off as human but once they swear to Him, and if they are willing, they start to change. His affection can changes them, you see. The Chosen are his Kats-to-be, trainees I guess you could call them, just waiting to be acknowledged and embraced."

"Why does he need so many?"

Meex smiled. "He loves company," she said, "and to take root in your realm, my Lord needs a good batch of new Kats. This is the easiest way."

"You will need an awful lot of Kats to take this place," said Griaa. "We number over five thousand strong and no force has ever bested the Pegasus Guard."

"We do not seek to conquer you, Griaa," said Meex.

Ilyani had started running her fingers through Meex's fur, drawn by its sheen, its feel and smell. The Kat purred softly at her attention and the sound thrummed pleasantly in Griaa's ears.

"What about the others?" said Griaa, ignoring Ilyani's behaviour and pushing the sound of Meex's purring from her mind.

"They are those who have received the Tickle-gift," Meex said and smiled.

"The Tickle-gift?" Griaa sounded incredulous. "You just mean tickled, right?"

"I mean the Tickle-Gift," said Meex. "They have been tickled - gently, lovingly and with feathers blessed by our Master until the craving for it stirs deeply in the recipient. The desire is strong and is not easily overcome once it is has been unleashed."

"You mean everyone you tickle becomes a tickle slave?!"

"For a short while," said Meex. "The Blessed feathers enchant and captivate those who feel them, long enough for us Kats to have a little tickle. Then those who wish to leave are allowed to do so. While those who want to stay and enjoy more are led by our soft furry hands to my Masters Realm. That choice will soon be before you, as it is with the other members of your Pegasus Guard."

"Why would anyone want to be tickled?" asked Griaa.

"Who would not?" said Meex with a delightful giggle.

A dark look crossed Griaa's face. "Me," she said.

Meex looked at Griaa, noting her expression but seemed to pay it no heed. "There are many pleasures that can be induced through tickling," said Meex and narrowed those delicious eyes at Griaa. "I look forward to showing them to you in the future."

"Sure," said Griaa dismissively. "Whatever."

"But I am getting ahead of myself," said Meex, tucking Ilyani's hair back in place. "I have come here for a reason."

"Let me guess...tickling our feet?"

"Yes, and other places too," said Meex with a blush-making chuckle. "We Kats are masterful ticklers, after all."

Griaa sighed. "This doesn't seem real," she said.

"Do not be so heavy of heart," Meex said sweetly. "Soon we Kats will be all over this base and you will all fall under the gentle spell of our feathers. Now honestly, does it really seem that bad, mm? To have your feet brushed softly with our feathers, to lose your voice in a chorus of helpless tickle-joy?"

"Sounds like Hell," said Griaa.

"Silly Griaa," cooed Meex. "You have a lot of misplaced angst and angry energy. I look forward to tickling all of that out of you."

Griaa found herself wanting to agree with everything Meex said, to accept and be a part of what she spoke. It was subconscious thing, a warm feeling of acquiescence that started in her gut and spread to her fingers and toes as she listened to the Kat. There was something in the Kat's voice, something in the tone and even in the words she used that worked as a spell that loosened any thought she had of resisting.

In the background, beyond the door to her cell, came the sound of hysterical laughter of her still tormented friends. For a brief moment the thought entered Griaa's her mind that she should just give herself into it but then the came the bitter truth that it would do her no good to surrender to this creature.

Griaa was not in the least bit ticklish.

"You waste your time with me," Griaa muttered darkly.

Meex frowned. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Is something wrong? Tell Meex. I want to help, if I can."

"You can help me," said Ilyani.

Meex giggled and turned back to her. "Is that so, sweetie?"

Ilyani was much more taken by Meex than Griaa. The charm of the Kats' words and those sweet promises had worked a deeper longing in Ilyani. Images of being under the touches of the Kats flashed before her eyes, stirring warm butterflies in her stomach. Ilyani started wiggling her fingers and curling her toes mindlessly.

Griaa saw this uneasy movement in Ilyani and recognised it for what it was – she was spell bound. Griaa pushed her mind onto something else. "So, how do you plan to take the entire Fort without us kicking your furry buts back to your Master's Realm?"

"With the help of you and your Guards, of course," Meex said and seeing Ilyani's twitching hands, took them in her own and stroked them. Ilyani sighed, a delicate gasp of breath and closed her eyes. "With Ilyani's help, we'll have all sorts of fun in taking this place."

Ilyani went to say something but her words seemed to fail her, which caused her some agitation. Meex saw this and smiled such a kind, forgiving smile that even Griaa felt a tug on her heart. Meex tilted her head a little and in an inviting voice she asked:

"Ilyani, is there something you want to ask me?" Meex asked.

Ilyani first looked to Griaa but she found no reassurance or guidance in the face of her sergeant. Indeed, the longing was so strong and the charm so tightly weaved, that there was little that anyone could have said that would have dissuaded her.

"Ilyani?" Meex asked and stroked her hands with fingertips.

"I...I want to...I want to help you..."

"Help us?" Meex said, teasing ignorance.

Ilyani's face flushed with colour and Meex grinned. Griaa knew the Ilyani's fate was sealed and it was only a matter of time before it came down to tickling. "Yes," Ilyani whispered. "I want to be one of you."

Meex beamed a smile and fixed Ilyani with her bright green eyes, giving off such feelings and promises of affection and exciting experiences. For a moment nothing happened and the two just exchanged glances as Griaa watched on. Then Meex rose to her feet and stood before Ilyani, showing the curves and her feline beauty, and in a gesture so filled with intimate promise that it made Griaa blush, the Kat knelt at Ilyani's feet. Briefly, Griaa wondered if all of Meex's victims got such gestures.

"Would you like me to tickle your feet Ilyani?" Meex asked sweetly. "Would you like me to tickle you right now hmm?"

Ilyani nodded without hesitation.

"All right," said Meex. "Let me see deese idle wikkle tootsies."

Lifting both feet into her lap, Meex curled her long soft tail softly around Ilyani's ankles.

"Here come the tickles!"

Without another word Meex's fingertips trailed lightly up and over the tops of Ilyani's feet, tracing those long nails and making such delicate, shiver-inducing passes that Ilyani instantly broke tiny little lines of suppressed laughter on her otherwise lovely face. Her brow dropped and her cheeks puffed out. Ilyani looked as if she was trying to hold back, trying to keep her lips pursed together.

"Aw," cooed Meex, "is little Ilyani looking to fight it, mm?"

Ilyani nodded but made no attempt to pull her feet away. Griaa noticed that instead she gripped the bed tighter with her hands, keeping her legs straight and her feet firmly in Meex's lap.

"If she wanted to fight it, she'd pull away," said Griaa.

Meex giggled. "Sweet Griaa," she said, "you have much to understand about the wonderful world of tickling."

Griaa sniffed bemusedly, watching as the very tips of Meex's fingers passed with the delicacy of a first kiss up and down Ilyani's arches. It was a wonderful grace that those fingers had, Griaa noticed. She wondered bitterly about how they would feel to run amok on her own feet.

"So she isn't trying to fight it?"

"No."

"Then why not just laugh?" said Griaa. "Her cheeks are near bursting point with laughter. Why not just let it go?"

"Because she wants to hold onto it," said Meex, a thick purr rising in her throat. "She wants to saviour the moment."

"What moment?"

"The moment when the tickling gets too much and the relentless touches of my fingers get too much."

"Sprrtt eeh hee he he ehee heh haa ha ha..."

Long strings of giggles and chuckles started to fall from between Ilyani's lips under the bewitching touches of Meex's fingers. Griaa watched and they flitted with the deftest, most excruciating grace up and down Ilyani's smooth soles. It was as if they barely touched yet they were having the most excruciating effect on Ilyani.

"NOooo mnnnaaaa ah ha ha ha heehehe!"

"See," said Meex, "she purses her lips and clenches her toes and screws up her face as hard as she can. It sounds too easy - to resist the tickling. Just push away the feeling of my fingers tickling your toes and the laughter will stay away. If you can just do that for even a second, then it will all be okay."

"Mnnnssprrt umnneee..."

"But sooner of later..." Meex moved her hands and scratched light and fast under the line of Ilyani's toes and the bewitched Pegasus Guard almost leapt off of the bed.

"Neeeaaaaa hah ha hah!" Ilyani cried, her eyes going wide at the sudden feeling at her toes. "Shiiaaaahahaaaha! AHahahHahahaa!"

Meex giggled. "They always crack and that warm rush of excited panic gets the better of them," she said. "Isn't that right, Ilyani?"

Ilyani shook her head from side to side. "Aahahahah hahahahahahahaa!! Naat my toes! Eeehehahaha ahahahahaa! Anything but my toes..ahahaeheeehe eheheha ahah ooh hahahaha!"

"Oh no," said Meex. "No mercy for little Ilyani's little tickly toes - not yet. Tickle, tickle!"

"Bwahahahahahaaahahaaaaa! Please! Eee hehahaha hhah hahahaha oooahahaha! Aha hah hahhehe oahahahaaaa!"

"How's this feel, mm?" Meex teased. "My little fingers scratching and stroking up and down, back and over, all over your wiggly little toes."

Griaa watched and listened as Meex, the black furred tickle temptress, seduced Ilyani with her sweet words. Those carefully constructed teases and promises so skillfully delivered, quickly rendered whatever mental defences had been put up before them. It was a shocking and thrilling sight - to see such a powerful and skilled warrior so quickly and completely defeated.

"Lovely!" Ilyani cried. "It's lovely! Ahahahahah aah haha hah hah hah ha ha ha ha ha ha haahahahahahaaaaa! Oh yes, yes please! EehehahahahahAhahahAAA! More more! Don't stop - don't ever stop! I want more! More!! Bwahahahaha!"

Meex purred and it was one of the sweetest sounds that Griaa had ever heard. "Oh, sweet Ilyani," she said. "Your words are music to my ears. Don't you fret about it for a second more. I won't stop, I promise. I'll take you somewhere nice and quiet - where we won't be disturbed. Then I'll show you a tickling you'll never forget..."

There was something sexual in Meex's tone and a number images flooded the minds of the two Pegasus Guards.

"Oh, yes!" Ilyani moaned.

Griaa shivered. "Is this your plan for all of us?" she asked.

Meex nodded. "For every sole, if you will pardon my play on words."

"The Pegasus Guards will not break easy," said Griaa. "You have captured a mere fraction of the force here and once the alarm is raised you will be hard pressed to catch them unawares. No one has bested us in batter - ever."

"Then it is good that we do not wish to battle you," said Meex.

"You could use some help."

Meex turned, pausing in her ticklish attentions and leaving Ilyani a sagging piles of limbs. "Oh?" she asked.

"I could help you."

"And why would you want to do that?" asked Meex.

Griaa frowned. "I hate tickling," she said, a brooding emotion in her voice. "I want no part of this but at the same time I want...revenge on the one who left me behind. I want Captain Leet to suffer at your hands; to feel your feathers and fingers on her feet; to laugh until she begs for more."

Meex rose to her feet, not a single sound being made and a tender look filled her beautiful features. "Why do you hate tickling so much?" she asked, her voice soft.

"You don't know?"

"I could read your mind," said Meex, "but that would only strengthen your anger and your hate for us. We do not want to be your enemy, Griaa. I do not want you to fear us or hate us."

"You want to be friends?"

"That may be asking too much," said Meex with a tender smile. "But at the least I would like to know the source of your hate - I would like to reassure you, if I can."

Griaa gritted her teeth. "I'll make you a deal," she said. "You let me go and I will bring Captain Leet before you. Once she is snug in your embrace, giggling and wriggling with your feathers on her feet, then I will tell you."

Meex took a moment staring quizically into Griaa's eyes. Her ears twitched, as if hearing something far off and beyond the human range. Then she smiled. "Very well," she said. "Go in peace, Sergeant Griaa. Bring us this Leet and in return perhaps we can help you."

"No one can help," Griaa muttered. "Not in this. Not now and not never."

Meex reach up and brushed her face gently. "We will see about that," she said, as if it were a promise. "Now, go, and bring me Leet's feet."


To be continued...