Chapter 4: Tsumi’s Secret, The Chieftain’s Soul-Felt Scar.
#4 of Animus Mutatio
Chapter 4: Tsumi's Secret, The Chieftain's Soul-Felt Scar.
Disclaimer: This story is a fictional account that contains materials
of an adult and homosexual/bisexual nature. If you are not legally permitted to
view it, whomever or wherever you are, I'm not to be held responsible.
So, please, carry on if you are interested and free to let me know if
you liked what you read.
I stirred a bit, waking from my slumbers. Feeling behind me, I found myself
alone in the bed. With a startle, I sat up. Tsumi was not there beside me.
Thinking back to the previous night, I realized what a festival of hormones
that was; from orgies by moonlight, to a private screening with Tsumi.
Continuing my studies, I discovered a pair of white, smooth, silky pants
and a long, green, draping, sleeveless vest. My first really attire, besides
the bandage I wore. It was a only a quick change from bare fur to the clothes
left for me. Who did I know they were for me? Well, The letter I found in the
vest pocket kind of gave it away:
Dear My Rask,
I'm sorry to leave you so suddenly, but matters came up. Feel free to
wonder about the area and get to know your new family. I should return
shortly so not to have you worry. I've also left you some of my older clothes...
I wasn't sure if they'd fit you right, but we'll get a set for you made soon.
(Not that you have to wear them around me anyway.) Leave plenty of
room for dinner tonight, the 'Full Moon Harvest' is tonight.
Looking up from the letter, I questioned the feast to take place,
but it sounded pretty self explanatory. Giving a shrug, I continued to
read the well-penned letter, this being a little insightful of what to expect.
Oh~! Be sure to stay away from the
Eastern Woods, you'll be able to tell them by the marked fence, it's off-limits.
I hope to see you soon my lil' Rask.
Love,
Tsumi
"The Eastern Woods?" I hadn't had a chance to explore, the only moments
of consciousness were in black of night.... And even that was fleeting.
Smiling some, I took a whiff of the letter, his scent was still strong on it.
I stood for a second, looking out the window, it was already pretty bright outside.
"Time to go venture!" With a saunter, I traveled to the door and gently pulled
it open. It was a bright and truly gorgeous day, perfect weather for the shadow of a mountain.
Looking about the grounds, I could see people already hard at
work. Torch stands, and ropes adorned the distances between houses. Flower
wreaths were being woven by the diminutive amount of girls I saw about the
village. The men, strong and sturdy, built a small platform from this odd maroon
colored lumber. But what really got me was the fact that the species...
they varied so greatly. There were wolves here like Adyson, a couple more
foxes like myself, a herd of mares and stallions, a score of brown-coat bears,
a raccoon collection, and even a single male tiger. Clothing here was
modest, breasts hung out freely, much like most of the groins for the men...
barely hidden by loincloths; posteriors were abundant, and even public sex was
common.(I felt a little over dresses...) In fact, I found a few male couples and
groups of four or more. The women, I found weren't as innocent either, and
joined in these romps just the same. I was invited a few times, but I declined
to their dismaying. Once would be enough for a while for me. I continued
to wonder aimlessly about the village, happening on all the surprises one could find.
I found an arena for public entertain and judiciary disputes...not my cup of tea;
as well as a library, which caught my attention more than anything did.
For some strange reason, I felt compelled to read... perhaps a memory of my
past surfacing now? However, as it was, I would have plenty of time to read
if the need rose. Venturing further about, I finally came to an area marked
off with fences and a bizarre scripted sign.... All the signles in my mind point to
this being the Eastern Woods. I gently gazed past the fence; it didn't look
too harmful from my perspective. Which started me to think...
why was this place so 'off-limits' anyway? I risked going closer, looking over
my shoulder to see if anyone was watching... but the masses were far too
busy to notice little me. I'd go closer, placing a paw on the fence.
Standing tepee-toed, I looked off into the distanced... A little peek wouldn't hurt...
"Now, y'all weren't plannin' on moseyin' in there, now... Were ya suga'?"
A southern draw echoed gently. I froze dead in my track, I'd been busted...
I turned about and looked to and fro. There was no one.
"Wh..who's there?" I looked about as I still wasn't sure of what was speaking.
"Aww~! Ain't ya just the cuties thang." The tree branches above rattles and
shook as a Coon-girl dropped to the ground, which I was truly surprised that
she didn't just slam into it. Her breasts, exposed and full... I'd have to say they
were the size of melons. Her lower portion was scantily covered with this
semi-translucent material. This girl's eyes of topaz were cunning and
audacious. "So sweetie pie, wha'cha doin' over here? I'd hate for ya to
get whooped for this... but dearie me, I've not even told ya little ol' me's name...
I'm Shinkirou, but most 'bout these parts call me Shinki." She held out one
of her paws while the other so gently rested on her protruding hip.
I wasn't really sure how to take this tomboy, country belle. Giving a soft bow,
and a light peck upon the paw, I studier her for a moment.
"I'm Rask... I'm a little new he..." But before I could even finish with my
sentence, she cut into me. People around here had the strange habbit of
doing that to me.
"For real!? Well, Suga', why didn't ya tell little ol' Shinki soona'...
I'd be more than happy ta show ya 'round the area." She gave a curtsy
as she pivoted about, a single finger over her right shoulder beckoning me.
I didn't want to seem rude.... So I gave in and followed her, a backwards
glance to the fence my only rebellious motion. "Hurry up, Suga'pie! Y'all's
gonna be left behind."
*********************************************************
"Here we have the Ol' Bismark Tree, I've spent spent many an hour he'e.
If ya catch my fancy." Shinki messed with a few of her curly, blonde locks
as she seemed to reminisce, but my attention was pulled to the tree that lay
there before us.
"The Bismark Tree?"
"Oh, dearie, y'alls don't know? Well, suga'pea, It's legendary in these
here parts. We're surrounded by a nature mountain range. It's was said that
this whole plum area was once submerged. Bismark, mind ya I'm only tellin'
what I've heard, was a hugh whale with a massive horn comin' out his head.
As this story goes, stuck that large horn of his in the ground and sucked up
on the water in these parts he could. Eventually, it was said, that mountains
of plants coiled 'bout his body and he became this tree ya have here."
It was an amazing legend, and it even seemed to kind of fit. The tree looked
ancient, and moss and vines grew all over the bark. It continued to rise
skyward, well, above the branches of the regular trees of this area. It rather
had a calling for me to climb it, but I would be afraid to damage such a splendid
plant. This Bismark, was it just another legend of this place, like the Yggdrasil
I'd heard from Tsumi? There was so much I wanted to know...
I had a life time to catch-up on... and no direction of where to start... "Suga'doll,
wha'cha lookin' at? Are ya even paying attention ta me?"
"Oh, heh, I'm sorry... I was just taken away by it..." I had a strange feeling
that she was more interested in hearing herself talk than really giving me
a tour, but at least I was being social... "Are there any more 'legendary'
things around here."
"I don' think so, this is the only one that I know... but then again, I'm not
the lurekeeper here... Chief Toukon, would be the one to ask about that."
Hmm... Lurekeepers and legendary trees, this was just like a page out of a
fantasy novel. Then again, Tsumi did tell me that the Chieftain might have
the answers to my questions. Still I couldn't stop coming up with new bounds
of questions to ask. "Let's go, I've got one more place ta show ya." With
a gentle tug on my vest, she moved off into the underbrush. Following her
the best I could, we emerged in a colossal orchard, fruits grew wildly and widely.
It was amazing. "This he'e is the food for tonight... It's goin' to be just scrumptious."
Just then, the sky started to darken, and the sounds of faint thunder filled the
sky. "Oh, dearie, it looks like it may rain for a bit... We'll never make it back in
time to be this rain, I know of a spot we can wait it out for a while...."
************************************************
Sure enough, we had made it just to the outside edge of this hut in the woods
when the rain started to poor down. Rushing inside, we barely managed to
escape the point of getting drenched... What happened to the beautiful skies
from earlier? I cast my gazes softly to Shinki, realizing she now had nothing on.
She stripped and hung here clothes out on a hook near by. "Suga' you might
want to get out of those while I start the kindle." I wasn't real eager to
leap out of my clothes, but they were wet, and I was starting to feel cold.
Disrobing, I finally stood and put my clothes on the hook near hers. Within a few
seconds, I could feel the roaring heat of a fire. In the middle of this small hut
was a raised stone circle. Perfect for the fierce fire it kept.
"Well, at least it'll be warmer now."
"If ya get cold, we could always snuggle?" I didn't know... but maybe she was
giving hint the she was perhaps cold, herself.
"Well, maybe for a little while." I was a bit skittish as he rested her head on my
chest, but at least with was warming up faster. As I looked back out the only window,
the rain cascaded down. I winced a bit as a glimpse of something raced through my
mind. It was brief and even painful. I placed my paw to temple, it was so strenuous to
try to recall. The sound of rain was the only thing I could remotely remember...
What was this thought, it had my heart racing. I couldn't stand it! Then a gently
pinching came as surprise to me. Shaking my head, I lightly looked down to Shinki,
who had taken it on to her own to suckle upon my nipple... "What are you...?"
"Ya seemed a bit stressed... I thought I could release some of that tension."
She was vivacious as her mitt groped me, and started to violate my personal space!
"Hey! Knock it off!" I pushed her away, "Tsumi... he wouldn't like this."
"What does he have to do with this?"
"I'm living with him, that's what he has to do with this..."
"Ya'd pick that murderous snake over lil'o'me!?"
"What!! You take that back~! Tsumi is the most kind, sweetest..."
"No, suga' that's what he wants ya to believe. Or didn't he tell ya? That lovely
name of his, isn't his real name. I'm sure that ya've seen that lovely scar on
Toukon's face... Did ya think it just happened? No! Yar cute lova'boy was the
one that so inidly gave it to him." It was like I'd been hit by Adyson all over
again. The chieftain did say that he was hurt by someone he trusted...
but it couldn't be true...Tsumi hadn't... "Face it sug', you've been keeped in
the dark for a reason... He doesn't..."
"JUST SHUT UP! I don't want to hear it!" I was finished, raining or not, I wasn't going
to stay there any longer. I bolted, I didn't even bother to grab the clothes.
My first and only thought was to just run... not the best choice, and it didn't
solve the problem... but I could keep that one piece of hope. The hope that
Tsumi was still here to help, that I could trust him... The damn rain, it was so
heavy and I could even tell which way I was going. It was so cold, I just couldn't
find my way... Tsumi? Tsumi, where are you... I just kept running for a while...
but my legs didn't want to keep going. I was so numb, where was my blue skys?
It was so nice... why did it have to be like this... Tsumi...?
*****************************************
"Rask... Rask... Wake up..." I breathed deep, it was a little warmer than what
I remembered.
"Tsumi?" I weakly looked up, my eyes barely open. How truly pathetic I must
have looked. So meek and timid. Everytime I fell, it seemed that he came to catch... "Where..."
"Shh, shh... You're fine now... I found you out in the rain. You had me really worried.
You had a fever. It was pretty bad too."
"I'm sorry... but..." He shook his head, and placed a finger over my lips. He had
a bit of a teary-eyed glance. He licked his lips and swallowed hard as he picked
his words.
"You were talking in your sleep... And... I think I seriously oweyou something..."
He was so very serious, but so regal and handsome. It could have been the
remain effects of the fever, but I could have sworn that he was glowing. "Toukon...
He had a wonderful son... Gorgeous, sweet, innocent, and smart... His name was Yume...
and he was my lover. I didn't want to tell you this. I was afraid that you'd think less
of me if I had...." He started to cry... The man I'd seen to strong before, he was crying...
He sniffled a bit, petting my head, "I was a different person then... I tried to kill Toukon...
But Yume... he... he got in the way..."
"You killed him... didn't you?" He nodded as he covered him muzzle with one paw...
"Tsumi... You don't have to cry... I don't think badly of you..." I was hoping to lift at
least one burden from him. I could tell he really, loved Yume...
"Yume, he saved my life... He begged that his fathers spare me, even to
his last dying breath..." He shook his head as he looked to his own paws, but our
tender moment wasn't to last. A knocking came up the door. Drying his eyes,
he laid a gently kiss upon my forehead, before he rose to answer the door.
He barely opened the door and was whispering to whoever it was; So, I had
troubles even understanding what he was saying. For certain, he mentioned me,
but beyond that I was unsure. With the closing of the door, he returned to the bed
with a bundle of familiar looking clothes. It was at that moment, I realized whom
he had been talking with. He gently tossed the set to the floor, and crawled under
the covers with me. Tsumi sighed a lot as he pulled me closer to him, pulling my head
against his chest. Compared to me, his whole body was leagues cooler than my own,
and his caresses were just heavenly to my skin. Nevertheless, now in our moment
of silence... I started wondering about Yume. What was he like? He must have been
something extraordinary. And even this line of thinking put more questions in my mind.
Was I just the replacement lover for Yume? Did Tsumi even love me the way he did Yume?
The light pitter-patter of rain outside, reminded me that the weather hadn't changed from the
last time, I checked, however the twinkling hint of a image before still haunted me...
If getting back my memories were this painful... Maybe it might be better to leave them where
they are...