Yule Be Loved
Yule Be Loved
Snow falls slowly but heavily and relentlessly on the coastal city of Maw. The city gets its name from the fact that it is built in and on, among other things, a run off valley of the Dragon Fang Mountains and there is evidence that Saliva Bay might have been and extension of the chain devastated by some cataclysm over a millenia ago. The main evidence for this are the Sunken Teeth: four spires in a diamond formation that ships must navigate through in order to reach Saliva Bay and the city proper as well as two sets of three spires to that curve out to the northeast and southwest commonly referred to by residents as the Jaws.
Winter brings a slow down in commercial traffic to the Maw and that season is just starting now. No dragon has been spotted in this area of the Dragon Fang Mountains which is a relief to everyone who lives in the region. In fact the only dragons ever seen in the wares come in two forms: Gnorish longboats containing anthropomorphic wolves, otters, foxes, bears and other assorted Nordic animals who are mainly traders and explorers from those islands further north many of whom serve Wotan, Donar and their family of deities and junks from Jornea including numerous humanoid pandas, tigers among other Oriental species.
A lady daxiong mao in the winter kimono of a Shinto priestess stands at the bow of a junk making its way through the Sunken Teeth Looking with anticipation towards Saliva Bay and the City of Maw. Each of the Teeth are massive monoliths of stone that could easily crush their ship if the waves pushed them against them with sufficient force. But the priestess prays for their safety and her words of praise and pleading with the spirits to allow safe passage are heard as the ship slips through without incident.
"Utaru!" A voice from behind the panda bear woman calls out. "Are you alright? It can be dangerous there!"
"It's alright, Sato," Lady Utaru says calmly. "I know how to take care of myself on board a vessel like this. Remember, my father was a fisherman."
"Of course, how sill of me," Sato, a male pangolin dressed like a samurai when not on the battlefield. "Please forgive if I seem overly concerned but I want to see you delivered to the barbarian city safe and sound."
"It's not that bad, Sato," Utaru churls. "I'm going to further our cooperation with the western nations."
"Yes, but Lady Utaru," Sato pleads. "Agreeing to an arranged marriage? To a grizzly no less?"
"oh, hush!" Utaru giggles. "It's not like I don't know what I'm getting into. Besides Baron Kodyax is a very nice bear. I found that out the hard way so to speak two years ago."
The two outermost mountains of the Jaws were hollowed out and reinforced to construct light towers centuries ago to warn incoming ships of the Sunken Teeth and other dangers in the waters. On the North East tower a black furred grizzly bear in the winterized leather and chain armor of a harbor ranger watches the junk through a telescope. Red hair pokes through his spectacled Norse styled helm as he watches the ship closely while a lady otter in streamlined leather armor sneaks up behind him or so she thinks but the bear informs her otherwise himself.
"What do you think you're doing, Mikiko?" The bear asks of her without turning around. "Just because I have my helmet on does not mean I'm deaf."
"Aw, you're no fun, Kody!" Mikiko thunders in disappointment. "Whatcha looking at?" She sees the ship. "The Junk? Full Imperial markings what did we do to rank an official visit?"
"Looks like Lady Utaru is coming here, "Kodyax states. "Why do I get the sneaking suspicion the Jornean official the council has arranged for me to marry is her?"
"Utaru !?!" Mikiko thumbs with righteous indignation. "The same stuck up bitch of a Shinto panda priestess that gave us so much shit two years ago? I mean, sure, you gave her some kind of an attitude adjustment by the time she left but still..."
"Oh, hush, you!" Kodyax mock thunders. "That was a trying time, let me tell you! Fortunately we found some common ground to work with. Still, I shan't forget that last night before she left for home."
"Where were you, anyway?" Mikiko inquires. "We were all ready to throw a big bon voyage bitch bash to ruin her last night but we couldn't find you. We had to start it as the junk was leaving."
"I'd have to tell you the whole sordid affair for that." Kodyax says coyly with a wink.
"Oh?" Mikiko coos curiously. "Tell me more; tell me more!"
"I guess we have the time," Kodyax says amicably. "It all began two to three months from the end of her initial stay. As you know I was among those she tolerated, mainly because of my position and training as a ranger. Our faith in Nature itself was something we had in common. Ceremonial and ritual differences aside the core of our Spiritual; mystical power we both drew from was or rather is the same."
"I keep forgetting you can cast spells like a druid," Mikiko says with a smirk as she continues: "You're as much a warrior priest as any paladin I've ever met. But a lot more tolerant."
"Thanks, now, may I continue?" Kodyax asks sarcastically and gets a nod. "Now at the same time she had a problem with those who raped the land and sea; not to mention thost that accommodated those that did so."
"Both our fathers are whalers, Kody," Mikiko growls. "Even you're not off the hook as far as that's concerned."
"Yeah, I'm a Whaler's son and have done that job, which was a bone of contention between us," Kodyax states. "But you know how I operate when it comes to whaling."
"I don't know how you do it," Mikiko says. "But you always manage to those whales and other huge sea creatures ready to die and kill them. It's like you get some kind of karmic cheat sheet."
"That's one way of looking at it," Kody surmises. "But in any case, Utaru decides she wants to go spelunking around this time of year no less."
"Is she crazy!!" Mik thunders. "This is the time of year those gods damn worms do their mating rituals. Add to that the arachnos have a months long festival for gorging themselves on whatever sentient beings they can find and gods know what else goes on down there into the mix and even the badges get extra paranoid as they mine down there! Speaking of which Digger Chief Duncan has been looking for you."
"I can guess why," Kody says. "I'll get on it soon enough. But back to our story: I let it slide on account that she's new here don't know no better. But it still fell to me to escort her around and keep her safe."
"Not very happy about that was she?" Mikiko asks with a smirk.
"That would be putting it mildly," Kodyax returns with the same smirk. "But I do know better and went with her despite her protests. To her cried it Utaru is no slouch when it comes to adventuring. And once I found that out, my job got a lot easier."
"So she didn't just talk a good game like some folks do around here," Mik says sarcastically. "Especially the damn tourists. We do get the occasional explorer neophyte that just needs a little guidance to keep them out of major trouble but those are few and far between."
"Being in tune with nature helps," Kody sarcastically counters. "But you have a point. She was more curious than anything else but cautiously curious. Neither of us actually caused the cave-in that trapped us. Something else did that deliberately. I still don't know what happened."
"Well, the miners do find new horrors every now and again," Mikiko admits. "Duncan wouldn't tell me why he wanted to see you, but the way..."
"I know what you're fishing for," Kodyax says. "I'll tell you this, I suspect you just mentioned part of the reason he wants to see me. More than that I can't speculate."
"Fair enough," Mikiko says amiably. "The sea is actually calm, and beyond the snow there's no perception. I wonder if Grumpy will awaken."
"Don't give the dark ones ideas, Mik!" Kody thunders. "That's just what I'd need! Grumpy's a handful to handle when she's just groggy, fully awake and aware to cause trouble is more than I want to think about!"
Back on the junk, monkeys frantically work to keep the ship on an even keep as the waters turn rough.
"Be calm, great waters, we are but simple travelers," Utaru says calmly but sternly, until she senses a dark presence. "Oh, no, not again."
"What is it, my lady?" Sato asks in a concerned tone. "What is that shape in the sea? It looks like the misbegotten spawn of a great fish and an octopus?"
"I had hoped Kodyax would be the first to greet us," Utaru sighs. "This does not bode well I'm afraid. Is there any way to contact the harbor patrol?" If there is; tell them to inform the Lord Sheriff Kodyax that the octofish we faced earlier has returned."
"You have faced this thing before?" Sato asks incredulously. "When was this?"
"Towards the end of my initial visit," Utaru explains as an orangutan signals the towers with a lantern. "Sheriff Kodyax and I were taking a tour of the Underworld when we were trapped by a cave-in. At first I thought he'd arranged something to put us inthe situation but I soon learned this was not it."
"I have heard horror stories from fellow pangolins about such situations." Sato relates. "Tales of worms of purple skin, tremendous size and equally monstrous appetites."
"You've heard stories," Utaru says with a giggle. "I've actually seen one. But the tales are no exaggeration as I first took them for. The Maw of one of these worms could have swallowed me whole with no effort on the part of the monster."
"How did you survive?" Sato asks.
"I did not put this in my official report for the Emperor for a reason," Utaru starts to explain. "But for maybe the first time I simply obeyed Kodyax in his instructions. I was afraid and he knew what he was doing."
"You decided that relenting to his insistence of accompanying you was actually a smart decision?" Sato asks sarcastically.
"Yes," Utaru answers with a smirk. "I still thank the Kami forgiving me the humility to get over my own pride. He kept me sage and told where to strike for maximum damage."
"Was this before or after the cave-in?" Sato inquiries. "In any case it sounds like you had quite the adventure."
"Oh, I did, in more ways than one," Utaru says with a self-satisfied smirk as she pats her bell. "But it was during the time we were trapped together it really get interesting."
"You're not pregnant yet," Sato states. "But is that something we should expect to change?"
"Most definitely," Utaru confirms. "I liked what we did last time."
Back at the light tower Kodyax interprets the signals.
"That doesn't sound pleasant," Kodyax growls. "The junk is reporting a sea monster and requesting assistance."
"I'm coming with you," Mikiko demands. "You still haven't filled me in on what you two did while the badgers and pangolins were digging you out."
"I'll tell you on the way over," Kody promises as they move towards a system of cable cars between the light tower and the middle tooth with the walkway over looking the bay between mountains one thousands of below. "What's with the look?" Kody demands to know of his subordinate and friend with benefits, who just smiles and rubs his crotch once they are in the car together.
"Oh, nothing much," Mikiko coos. "I just thought we'd get a quickie in before I have to share you with the panda bitch."
"Females," Kodyax sighs. "Ah well, it won't be the first time I've gotten some while in a precarious predicament." Mikiko gives him a look that prompts a response: "Let's just say you'll be providing your own visual aid." Mikiko chuckles and kneels before the bear and starts to give him a blow job. "Yeah, Utaru is no stranger to sex even before I met her but she'd never gone down on any one before her. Although she did mention a certain pangolin warrior that went down on her before. In any case it looked bleak enough that she revealed a fantasy of being ravaged to me that I took advantage of."
Mikiko chuckles she performs fellatio on Kodyax as he continues: "I guided her to her to start things out that first night and had her blow me to climax and then get me hard again." She gives him a thumbs up to indicate her approval. "After that I took her doggy style, fondling her breasts as I yiffed her."
"Did you suckle them like you usually do afterward?" Mikiko asks as she removes her pants and hikes her shirt up over her breasts before impaling herself on his shaft. "I know priests like her have meditation sessions in the nude now with a prick between legs if they can get it."
"Let's just say the delights we shared during that time were many," Kodyax says with a smirk.
"Uh, Kody," Mikiko says nervously. "What the yiff is that?"
Kodyax looks at the silhouette of what looks a combination of a gigantic and prehistoric shark and an equally titanic octopus.
"Looks like a huge octofish much like I saw years earlier with Utaru," Kodyax explains. "But of a much greater size."
"Definitely a sea monster," Mikiko says as she feels Kody involuntarily jizz inside of her. "Well, that was anti-climatic."
The pair arrive at Mid Fang soon after giving Mikiko plenty of time to get redressed although Kody still pulls her into his lap to grope her breasts. Once out of the car the pair make their way to balcony where over sized kites that doubles as primitive hang gliders are kept. Kodyax takes one that will take his frame and runs out to start gliding to the junk with Mikiko following closely after him.
"Dagnabbit!" A badger thunder. "We're in the middle of a monster attack and some bear wants to go joy riding. I can understand the otter; they have no sense."
"I wouldn't broadcast that too loudly, Pops," a lady wolverine in similar armor as the bear states. "Sheriff Kodyax is headed to the Kamitsunami in response to a distress call."
"That was the Sheriff?" The badger asks incredulously to which he wolverine just nods. "Not joy riding but business, I will be compensated if he can't return the glider right?"
"Yes, Smirkonoff," the wolverine says as she rolls her eyes then she looks out and watches the bear with concern. "Good luck, boss, come back safely, please."
Kodyax and Mikiko land safely on the deck of the Kamitsunami and startles Sato enough that he reaches for his Katana. However, once he realizes who the invaders are he relaxes and bows in greeting. Utaru hugs Kodyax as he makes his initial assessment from the boat.
"Definitely one of those octofish things we saw before, Utaru," Kodyax states. "I think there maybe a sized station here but probably not much. Still there's no way of telling without seeing first hand. I just have to remember how to cast that one spell..."
"He knows a spell for this situation?" Sato asks as Kodyax sets down his pack and pulls out a book. "And what's that he's reading?"
"More than likely," Mikiko says. "Looks like the aquatic ranger's handbook is what he's reading and more than likely he's reading the spell section. If he's looking to what I think he's looking to it's spell he doesn't cast often but one we will use when needed."
Kodyax begins to chant and dance in a circle as he begins the process of casting his spell. Utaru recognizes it as "Avatar of the Ocean King" which will allow him to move about to move about as a lesser god of the sea, including being able to interview sea life for an hour or so. When he is finished the differences are subtle and unnoticeable if you don't know where to look.
Neither Sato nor Mikiko notices any change in Kodyax as he makes way to the side of the junk. Utaru can see the changes and nods her approval even if she hopes it's temporary. She understands the once concept of "Sleeping with the fishes" but she doesn't want to do that later tonight after the ceremony.
Kodyax slips beneath the waves easily enough and what he sees disturbs him. The creature looks like a highly mutated whale shark with a compound eye radome on top of its skulls an eye on the tip of its snout, armor plating though out its body and eight tentacle arms surrounding the front portion of the body with fins between pairs of tentacles on the top, bottom and either side. It doesn't look like it has a mouth although a large welt underneath the leading edge eye looks like it might house something.
When they first encountered the monsters years ago, Utaru and Kodyax discovered that wart conceals a chitinous spear tube like proboscis of many insects to drink the necessary nutrients of a given victim; leaving the unfortunate a dried out husk. He knows to be cautious as this octofish is actually only slightly larger than others of its kind. The octofish sees him and reaches for him with two of its arms as Kodyax reaches into his pack; pulling out a bow and arrow.
The bear puts his bear him like a hydroplane as he swims towards the sea monster. The bow is specially treated and enchanted to function above and below the waves as Kodyax takes careful aim. The tentacles just miss him as he lines up his shot and takes it.
His aim is true as the arrow lodges in the radome of the octofish which causes it spaz out and try to remove them. Kodyax fires a few more arrows before swimming back to the boat. The octofish is too busy remove arrows from sensitive places to pay attention to its attacker.
Once back at the junk Kodyax climbs in and mentally dismisses the effects of the spell. Outwardly there a few signs of the change save for Utaru who knows what to look for. She gives him a moment before launches into her inquiries as she knows he needs it.
"What did you see, Lord Kodyax?" Utaru asks.
"You're a lord?" Mikiko asks as she gives Kody an incredulous look. "Who did this happen?"
"Technically, I'm a Baron," Kodyax states. "The Council has bestowed that authority on me."
"That's not what the Dons of Machiavellia call you," Mikiko says with a smirk. "Unless you're collecting the taxes that is and then they call you a robber baron."
"They know what they owe the Council," Kodyax says plainly. "I know to whom I owe my loyalties. They're just sore that I side with the World Druid Council and not with them."
"But the people we represent recognize the religious authority of the council," Sato states in a questioning manner. "Is there another reason for this lack of respect?"
"Jornea with its reliance of Shinto is more in tune with the Council than the Dons," Kodyax explains. "In fact I think a priest of your faith accepted a seat on the Council not too long ago."
"Yes, the priest who taught me now sits on the council," Utaru states. "He's actually enjoying himself. Despite the fact he is new he is allowed to participate in discussions and his voice carries weight."
"The Council considers each voice valid," Kody relates. "It is the opinion of the council that when many points of view are in accord then true harmony can be achieved."
"Where as the Dons are more concerned with profit that anything else," Mikiko interjects. "They want to treat the Maw as a free market without laws to impede their practices and only to enforce their controls. There are ordinances they wish Kody would not enforce so they can maximize profits."
A tall ship is firebombed by ninja squirrels while the team watches and while the crew of the Kamitsunami moves to help, Kody moves to block their efforts. Kodyax explains that the ship is owned in secret by one of the Dons stationed here and has been identified as a smuggler. Don Porcos thinks that he can circumvent customs by letting his ship stay in the harbor for "thieves" to steal cargo from that then gets "pawned" to his agents.
Pigs start diving into the water as the ship burns to the waterline and sinks beneath the waves. While the Sea Boar burns Kodyax relates his impressions of the octofish below, which starts to surface as soon as the porcine sailors hit the waves, is probably an advanced version of those he and Utaru had to deal with in the underworld. As soon as one of the pigs disappears underwater, Kodyax sighs as he knows he has to act now.
Kodyax lays down his pack and starts to toss woven wooden balls into the water which confuses all. The balls expand and look to be alight with within with faerie fire of green, purple and orange as they sink below. He then takes out his bow again along with an enchanted quiver; before he casts the Avatar of the Ocean King spell again and dives in.
"Extension globes?" Utaru asks rhetorically.
"You'd know more about those things than we might, milady," Mikiko states respectfully. "I'm just a scout-rogue, I couldn't cast a spell to save my life."
"I have no idea either, milady," Sato states. "What benefit do they give?"
"The spheres will maintain the spell and extend its duration," Utaru explains. "But the only work for certain spells. Avatar of the Ocean King is one of them."
"We get all sorts of magical gewgaws coming through here," Mikiko says with a sigh. "And to think I laughed when he bought those for himself. Now I see why he wanted them."
"Would saving those sailors come under his contract?" Sato inquires.
"Yes and no," Mikiko relates. "Technically they were in the process of facilitating a criminal act. We can't prove that but he could let that thing have them. Don Porcos would raise a stink but the questionable evidence we've been able to collect so far would shut him up real fast. The squirrels are actually working for us or rather Kodyax."
"Special forces of the Council?" Utaru asks to which Mikiko just shrugs her shoulders. "I know we deal with shinobi all the time back home and we offered training as such when we entered into our accord with the Council."
"We did?" Sato asks incredulously.
"Yes, Sato," Utaru says with a giggle. "Your cousin Musashi is one of the instructors we sent over."
"Ah," Sato says in understanding. "I talk to him from time to time, he loves it here. I understand he's gotten some ranger training as well."
"Kody would know more on that," Mikiko admits. "He's a Senior Ranger which is one of the reasons he has his current position."
Under the effects of the spell, Kodyax is swift and nimble in the water, factors which helps when dealing with the octofish. The bow has special abilities that only persons like Kodyax can activate, but only if the quiver is used to draw its ammunition. The quiver produced an endless supply of arrows but only for rangers like Kodyax.
The first thing Kodyax does is use the bow to enact a spell he can only cast once a day. The waters form a version of the Tree of Life, a sacred symbol to all who heed Nature's call to holiness. Whatever else the octofish may be a natural creature it is not as it recoils from the symbol, releasing the sailors in its grip so as to shield its vision.
The next arrow Kodyax fits to his bowstring has a smoldering head. When it hits the compound eye radome it explodes and almost takes the octofish with it. A mental scream can be "heard" for miles as the octofish dives to get away.
Finally Kodyax shoots another exploding arrow directly into the brain case of the octofish to kill it. A grim smile plays on Kody's muzzle as he watches the corpse sink to the bottom of the bay. He doesn't follow it down but waits till it slowly leaves his field of vision before swimming back to the junk.
When the junk arrives in port with its special passengers an older and very angry boar is waiting for them at the wharf. He is dressed warmly but with the finery of a nobleman. The little male almost bowls folks over to have a chat at full volume with Kodyax that he intends to be mostly one sided.
"SHERIFF KODYAX!!!" Don Porcos thunders.
"Here he comes," Mikiko whispers to Kodyax. "As belligerent as ever."
"I strongly suggest you settle down, Don Porcos," Kodyax growls. "I am not in the mood to deal with you right now."
"SETTLE DOWN!?!" Don Porcos screams. "SETTLE DOWN!?! A ship is sabotaged and you..."
"Was it one of yours?" Kody asks point blank with a glare. "It had not officially come into port so it could have been inspected and taxes assessed." Don Porcos opens his muzzle for a rebuttal but soon thinks better of it and closes his trap again. "Be careful what you protest, Don Porcos. I am here to enforce the decrees of the Council; not cater to whims of the Dons."
"Ungrateful..." Don Porcos stats on a tirade when Kodyax knocks him into the drink.
"Take your time fishing him out," Kodyax says in command to a group of otters who salute him and nod. "Not that I expect that it will but maybe that will teach Don Porcos some manners."
"I doubt it," Sato says with a smirk. "But one can never tell." Then he looks at the flailing boar. "Trying to cheat your masters of their tribute; how greedy and low can you get, honestly? The rules are for everyone to follow not just those that aren't affluent enough to afford to have a solicitor on retainer to convince the law to leave them alone."
Back at the Palace of Justice, the courthouse, dungeon and barracks of the peacekeepers of the Maw, set into the mountains themselves and thus quite tall at its apex, Utaru tours her new home. Kodyax has a whole suite of rooms for his personal use as Sheriff and Baron of the region. Formal complaints arrive against Kodyax but the turtle who sees cases of this manner is actually quite swift in his verdict to dismiss the charges as invalid.
Judge Tolstoy often argues with Kodyax on points of law and sometimes in the manner of which a holiday is celebrated but as an administrative druid, he feels this his job. In fact there are times when the judge thinks the Sheriff is entirely too lenient on those he applies the law. Then Don Porcos comes before him to demand the removal of Baron Sheriff Kodyax for his dump in the drink, and Kodyax had already told him what happened when he and Utaru came in to the Palace of Justice, Tolstoy was infuriated both that the Don had the gumption to accost the bear and the fact that all Kody did, was knock him into the bay and let him stew there, so angry that when Don Porcos arrived to make his complaint Tolstoy gave him a tongue lashing that humiliated the Don before levying costly fines upon him, fines he would have to get Kodyax himself to repeal or just cough up the cash.
Don Porcos has always been a greedy pig willing to do whatever it takes to get and horde gold. Shady dealings are nothing new among the Dons of Machiavellia even if they are strictly illegal according to their own charter. But their own laws and by laws, which most members feel supersede the local laws of wherever they actually reside, are so Byzantine in nature that it takes a Machiavellian Solicitor and to navigate thought.
Loopholes a plenty exist in the Machiavellian Codex of law and Don Porcos knows then all as he is a solicitor along with a businessman and gangster. Judge Tolstoy's tirade was embarrassing to endure but the Don did endure it. In his cavernous home afterward however, he meets with some of his more illicit associates to address his dissatisfaction and a means to correct it.
"Hello, boss," a slinky cobra girl in the dark leathers of an assassin coos seductively at Don Porcos. "What can I do for you?"
"Watch how close you get to the Don, Belinda," a gorilla growls as her crosses his arms in front of his chest. "The Boss brought you in for a job..."
"Calm yourself, Lawrence," Don Porcos orders in an amused tone of voice as he watches the cobra or more accurately her curves closely. "But yes I do have some business to discuss with all of you."
"Who do you want us to kill, Boss?" A burly gator in dark studded leather armor asks in a point blank manner.
"Do you have to be so crude, Louis?" A frog in the attire of a gentleman adventurer asks with annoyance.
"It's alright, Waldo," Don Porcos chuckles, "I do appreciate the directness of Louis's approach, why else do you think he is still in my employ?"
"Point taken, milord," Waldo admits with a respectful bow. "Shall this bit of waste removal have anything to do with your recent court appearance?"
"Astute and well informed," Don Porcos notes with dark pride. "But then again I expect nothing less of the Great Waldo. I have two targets for you, both public officials..."
"We get to kill Kodyax!?!" Louis beams excitedly, his eyes bright with anticipation.
"No, you fool!" Don Porcos thunders. "As much as I'd love to have you chop that bear into itty bitty pieces the scandal would be too great and I would be indicted. Judge Tolstoy has been getting a big head lately. Remove it for him and slaughter that lady otter who is newly always by his side. The three of you can and do work well together. Waldo, I'm counting on you to plan and lead this execution."
"It will be an honor and a pleasure, my lord Porcos," Waldo say with great respect in his voice.
"I know I can count on you," Don Porcos says as a way of dismissal.
As the three leave the Don's private chambers via the sewers, Belinda clings to Louis's front and rubs her groin against his while Waldo rides on his shoulders.
"Well, Louis," Waldo beams. "Once again your brute act was quite convincing."
"We all have our parts to play," Louis says amicably. "Most folks figure a gator like me a thug or a barbarian. Not entirely inaccurate, but the fact that I am also a sorcerer is something I like to keep hidden."
"So," Belinda asks. "How are we going to play this?"
"There is a sewer entrance to the dungeon of the Palace of Justice we can exploit." Louis states. "We get it, cast a few spells kill who we have to kill and get out before anyone knows we were there."
"so how do we do the turtle?" Belinda asks. "I could seduce him into a compromising position easily enough..."
"Exactly, I would suggest you go invisible, Louis," Waldo suggests to which the gator just nods. "So you can follow Belinda and chop his head off when the oppurtunity presents itself. I'll engage the guards in conversation, gambling and other activities..."
"Wendy the Wanton Wastrel again, Waldo?" Louis jokes to which Waldo smirks and kisses the top of his head.
"You know it, big boy," Waldo says in a feminine voice.
all three killers make their way through the sewers to their discussed destination. Along the way they meet and stealthily slaughters a group of pangolin sewer workers with casual ease. As luck would have it, Mikiko is visiting the dungeons with cold blooded murders invade.
Belinda uses a blowgun to paralyze the otter femme to stat the assault after which Louis drags her into a cell. Waldo produces guard uniforms for them to wear that makes them appear to be a mouse and a ferret so nobody suspects them while Louis magically obscures and soundproofs the cell. Mikiko instantly recognizes Louis as the "Butcher of Blood Bayou" a brutal assassin know for dismembering his victims with a vengeance.
She knows her chances of survives this encounter are slim to none as she silently prays Kodyax will find her soon. Louis rips the clothes off his victim and suspends her from the ceiling. He's not overly concerned about discovery as he molests the otter's breasts slowly and methodically.
The fact that Louis is getting off on all this goes without saying as he undoes his fly to let out his ridged shaft. Pain and pleasure are felt by Mikiko as Louis is takes her slowly and methodically. She can't even cry out as the toxin prevents her from doing much more than breathe.
Once his raping of the otter is well underway, Louis takes act a large knife to further torture his victim. First on his to do list is remove Mikiko's breasts which causes her grit her teeth in pain. Next he gouges deep trenches into her sides.
Then he wraps the otter around his huge crocodillian frame before fitting her neck with a noose and hanging her from the ceiling to strangle. He follows this bit of sadistic cruelty by taking himself out of her and use a small serrated sword to remove her tails, arms, legs. Finally he uses a bastard sword to separate her head from her shoulders much like a child hitting a pinata.
They leave the bloody dismembered corpse of the otter woman in the cell but magically seal it before moving on. Louis casts a spell of invisibility on himself while Waldo magically disguises himself as an attractive female frog as they approach the Judge's chambers. Waldo engages the soldiers in games of chance as a distraction as Belinda and Louis slip inside to see the judge.
Judge Tolstoy is lounging and relaxing in his chambers when the cobra comes to call. Understandably he's alarmed at the intrusion as Belinda begins a seductive dance. Hypnotized by the swaying breasts and hips of the serpent, Tolstoy is lulled into a state of complacency as he openly masturbates in front of her.
Belinda smiles seductively as she kneels before the judge and worships his cock and balls. Louis has both hands as his sword and moves into position to swiftly decapitate the turtle after Belinda begins to swallow his cum. Tolstoy is in a trance of pure pleasure, gripping the arms of his chair tightly as he is driven to climax and beyond.
Unfortunately for the cold blooded killers their earlier grizzly handiwork is discovered while Belinda is performing fellatio on the judge. Their luck is further tarnished by the fact that the bears go to warn the judge almost immediately after they find Mikiko's body in the cell. Louis gets his oppurtunity and takes it before they realize their gambit has been uncovered, killing the judge instantly but becomes visible as the guards burst in the door.
Waldo drops a smoke bomb to cover his escape only to be shot down by Kodyax; a heavy arrow lodging between the frog's eyes to penetrate into his brain for an instant kill. Louis slaughters the trio of lynxes guarding the judge easily as Belinda gets redressed. Kodyax, Utaru and Sato catch up with the other two as they exit the judge's chambers.
Sato charges with his katana over his head only to get paralyzed by a thrown dagger whose hilt a reservoir and walls to form an obstruction to prevent their escape.
Belinda draws her rapier and charges the panda bear as Louis engages the grizzly. Utaru just smirks as she grips her lantern staff and prepares to fight. Kodyax aggressively counters Louis's assault and manages to drive him back.
The red veil of rage descends over Louis's eyes as he tries to power his way to victory. Steel clangs against steel as sparks fly to indicate the fury of the combat between the gator and the bear. But Louis made a miscalculation when he started raging in that in the state of his warp fury his spell casting ability is unavailable to him.
Normally this is not a problem as it helps perpetuate the stereotype Louis does his best to project. Unfortunately, he usually does this against other warriors who are as skilled if less so than himself. But his choice in partially developing his innate spell casting abilities has meant all the less training on combat skills. Kodyax has trained in both combat and spell casting as part of his choice to serve nature as a ranger so he is actually more skilled in combat than Louis.
The arrow in his leg is not helping matters much as it limits his mobility evening he ignores the pain Kodyax avoids a power slash and delivers his own chopping move that takes out Louis's other leg at the knee. Louis gets a good gash on Kodyax's side for his efforts and the only reason the bear wasn't bisected is that his armor has some magical enhancements.
Utaru as similarly having a hard time with her opponent. Belinda saw the staff and relatively lack of armor and assumed the panda was an Oriental wizard of some stripe. Knowing spell casters of the discipline arcane rely on their magic more than anything else to protect themselves. Belinda thoughts he had an easy kill.
When Utaru nearly breaks Belinda's jaw after a missed lunge with the metal end of her staff the serpent re-evaluates quickly that she's dealing with a priest and not a wizard. Another surprise comes when the panda jams her staff into the cobra's chest. When Utaru with draws her staff, Belinda finds it hard to breathe as she drops to her knees as she tries to catch her breath while Utaru brings her staff down with all of her might.
Belinda drives a katar or punching dagger into Utaru's sternum as her skull gets cracked. Both females fall to the floor with Utaru on top of Belinda. Utaru has one of the obi on sash, a coiled dragon explode as healing energy flow into her to save her, but she remains unconscious as she smothers Belinda with her bulk.
Seeing the girls fall incenses both males as Kodyax shoulder slams Louis into the wall. Kodyax uses his ax to chop off one of Louis's arms. None of this really phases the gator as he tries to get up and keep fighting until Kodyax splits his skull in twain.
Kodyax goes over to check on Utaru after he kills the gator and finds her barely alive. Olga, the wolverine from Mid Tooth runs up the stairs with her two brothers to aid their boss only to find the fight is over. While they are disappointed at missing the festivities they get even more respect for their leader when they see who he fatally bested.
The bodies of the victims are dragged away as Kodyax carries Utaru to his own chambers after he casts a healing spell on both her and himself. Among the rooms for his personal use primarily are baths that in our world are much like these built by the Romans and the Turks even if it is decorated in a very Nordic/Teutonic style. Utaru slowly comes to in a pool of very warm water completely naked and lying in the arms of her betrothed.
"Did we win?" Utaru asks groggily as she stirs in Kodyax's arms. "Bitch snake knifed me in the belly as I caved her skull in and I don't remember much else."
"Stupid move on her part but I finished off the gator as you fall on top of the cobra and end up suffocating her," Kodyax explains. "I'm just glad I didn't loose you."
"I think I had a contingency for that," Utaru states and gingerly feels her sternum. "That night have killed me if I did it have that obi on me. I'll have to replace it eventually."
"They took out the druid who was going to perform the unification ceremony," Kodyax states grimly. "Don Porcos probably, but there is no way to connect the assault to him beyond supposition."
Utaru guide Kodyax's muzzle to her breasts before he can respond. Kodyax licks and suckles at her tits as he starts getting sexually excited. The two bears grind groins in the water until he is out and firm enough to penetrate her folds and when that happens Utaru impales herself along his length.
Kodyax continues to suckle Utaru's tits as she wraps herself around him. As a further measure to disguise what they are actually doing Kodyax sits them down so only their heads are above the water as they both close their eyes and Utaru's inner walls work on Kody's phallus. Sato comes by to check on them but leaves them alone when he sees just their heads floating on the waters with a smirk on his muzzle.
Under his breath he apologizes when Olga comes to call. The pangolin and the wolverine share knowing glances and then leave their superiors to each others company. Neither bear notices the intrusion as the sexually meditate together.