FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Standing in the middle of vast plains, a small forest swayed from the cool winds that rushed through it. The branches creaked and moaned as the wind made its way through, stirring up the brown and red leaves that dotted the ground. The summer was starting to change into early fall and the forest showed its magnificent colors. The trees were each a beautiful combination of red, orange, and brown. The massive trees that made up the forests blocked out most of the sunlight that attempted to stream through its tight confides. Light that did manage to penetrate through the large leaves of the trees gave the forest an eerie yet peaceful atmosphere.

That was if the peace was not being disturbed by three individuals chasing after a particular mage.

Gunshots rang out across the forest and musket balls flew dangerously close near the snow-colored and black striped tiger.

To the mage's relief, the bandits were not superb at the art of aiming.

One of the bandits, in his furiousness, discarded his flintlock pistol and pulled out a small dagger with a look of frustration. The curved blade looked sinister in the low lighted area and the sunlight that did filter through gave the blade an eerie glow.

"You cannot run forever, cat! We will catch you and your purse too," a human voice shouted.

Looking behind him, the mage stared wide eyed at the three bandits dressed clad in leather armor. Each of the bandits were running as quick as their legs could take them, closing in on their desired target. The one in the middle of the pack was a human with blond hair and stone grey eyes. The other two bandits were rats, their teeth flashing wide in grins that sent shivers down the mage's spine.

Aiming for the human's chest, the mage extended a hand back and muttered a few chosen incantations. A dazzling flash appeared out of the mage's palm before it collided with a nearby tree, sending bark skyrocketing.

The human gave a smirk, taunting the tiger,

"You missed, fool!"

Giving a smile at the human bandit's ignorance, the mage answered saying,

"Oh, just you wait!"

All of a sudden, loud snaps echoed throughout the forest and birds started to scatter in every which way. The mage, still running frantically towards the bright exit of the forest, beamed when he heard the tree fall with a groan and the sound of swearing. Luckily, the mage guessed right that the inside of the large trees were soft and easily breakable if hit with a heavy force. The trio tried to move past the trees by attempting to crawl underneath it, but it was no use.

The bandits could not fit.

"Good luck getting past that!" The tiger yelled.

More chosen words were spewed angrily by the human leader before he threw down his knife. The metal hit the ground with hollow sound before rolling underneath a small bush.

"We will find you again," the human leader exclaimed while grinding his teeth in anger. "We never forget our enemies!"

"Whatever. I'm not the one that is stuck behind a tree!"

Sprinting away towards the light at the end of the forest, the mage gave a sigh of relief when he was greeted by the warm rays of sunlight that streamed onto his face. Pulling the hood on his robe over his head to block most of the light, the mage purred when he felt warmth start to flood over his body. Bending over and panting violently, the tiger took a breather. Sweat rolled over his face and dripped onto the ground.

Leaning on his staff, the mage took a look around his environment and smiled at what he saw. Surrounded by tall prairie grass, the horizon stretched on for what looked like forever. Swaying lazily in the wind, the grass moved as if it was dancing along without a care in the world.

Hearing the sound of cow bells, the mage guessed he was near a caravan and he put two and two together to realize that he was near a trail.

"I knew my shortcut would come in handy. Well, besides the bandits anyway." The mage said out loud as he walked among the tall grass. The grass was nearly up to his chest and the taller grass tickled his chin. Dew that was on the tips of the blades of the grass felt cold against his fur.

Hearing the sound of bells growing closer, the mage followed his instincts and kept pushing on through the tall prairie grass. Eventually, the mage found his feet on flat dirt and a caravan merchant looking at him with a confused expression. The feral ox that was pulling the wagon of assorted wares had a bored look on its face and its worn gold nose ring moved with each breath it took.

The caravan's driver looked old, most likely in his late sixties. He was a dragon with shimmering grey scales and large wings. His tail was long and flicked lazily over the wooden seat of the caravan. The clothes that the dragon wore were simple, but ornate. Several foreign symbols dotted the tunic and shimmering greaves he wore.

White silken gloves were over his hands showing that he was of high class on the universal merchant guilds.

"What is someone like you doing so far to the South? We do not get too many mages from the colleges here." The dragon inquired with a curious rather than interrogating tone. The dragon's eyes fell on the emblem on the mage's robe near the shoulder. The patch was three blue orbs that crisscrossed one another.

It was the symbol of the Northern Pass's College of Sorcery and Magic.

Bowing out of respect, the mage said, "My name is Robert, sir. I come for research purposes on behalf of the college and for personal reasons."

Giving a look of grimace at the respectful gesture, and waving his hand away, the old dragon remarked, "No formalities, please. I am no king and you are no servant. Please, call me Derik."

Taken aback at the stranger's honesty, Robert replied, "Alright, Derik it is. Might I ask where I am?"

Smirking at the mage's ignorance, Derik leaned forward.

"You are at the great Rumtrage Plains, Robert."

The plains stretched on for what seemed like miles and now that Robert's view was not obstructed by the large prairie grass, he had a moment to take in the scenic atmosphere.

Giving a noticeable look of awe, Robert glanced around at the open sky. The clouds were puffy and an exquisite white. Some were wisps across the sky that signaled an oncoming storm. Taking a deep breath, the mage felt the clean oxygen rush into his lungs. The air was fresh, warm, and undisturbed. A smile made its way across Robert's face.

A soft chuckle broke the tiger out of his trance.

"You look like a child who just saw the world for the first time."

Blushing, Robert replied, "I have not seen anything this beautiful except in pictures. The only thing I am used to are the mountains and snow."

"Ironically, I would enjoy to visit the Northern Pass." Derik mentioned with a hearty laugh.

A small silence fell between the duo which gave the tiger some time to take in the scenery once more. His eyes fell upon the clouds again, picking out pictures that the clouds formed like he did when he was younger. A rush of nostalgia took over the mage's senses and he found himself lost in his own thoughts.

After focusing on a particular cloud that reminded him of an intimidating fortress, Robert said, "So how far away is the nearest town?"

"Well, the nearest town, Divinity, is about two hours by foot..."

Cursing under his breath, Robert gave a wave and mustered up a smile as best as he could before saying, "Well, thank you for all your help, Derik. It was nice to chat with you. I must beg of my leave."

Robert was already starting to walk away before Derik stopped him.

"I have extra room on my wagon. If you do not mind, you can tag alone with me for the time being. Consider me to be your tour guide." The dragon said while patting his hand down on the open seat.

Pondering if hitching a ride with a stranger he only met was a wise idea, Robert stood awkwardly for several minutes. That was until he started to hear more voices and the sound of rustling through the grass.

"I can hear them talking you dimwits. I do not know who that stupid mage is with, but he sounds ancient. Now shut up and..."

Robert paused and glanced behind him to see the glint of a blade in the grass and his eyes went wide.

Derik seemed to have spotted the blade before Robert and in the blink of an eye pulled out a rifle from the back of the wagon. The weapon was beautiful in the sunlight and the dark wood of the rifle had silver trim along its barrel and sides that glimmered bright.

A click rang through the area before a loud bang swiftly followed.

The musket ball left the barrel and tore towards the blade that was being clutched by one of the rats. The lead ball hit its target with a "ping" and finished its journey inside the bark of a tree. The blade was flung into the air before landing out of arms reach from the bandits. The shot was excellent and Derik stood with a grin across his muzzle as smoke came from the head of the weapon.

Shaking in obvious fear, the henchmen of the leader slowly raised their hands into the air and stood from their crouched position. The group looked terrible; their clothes ripped and each of their bodies covered in sharp thorns. The human gave a growl and stood up saying,

"You both are officially the worst people I have ever had the pleasure of working with."

The leader had thorns dotting his exposed skin as well.

"I see you walked around the blockade..." Robert noted with a smirk as the human removed a thorn from his face before throwing it to the ground.

"Ha...ha...ha," the human panted. "This is all very funny."

Reaching for a holster on his side and pulling out a flintlock. The bandit's aim was straight on. The pistol was old, but steady. The grip that the bandit held had many cuts in the wood, showing how ancient the weapon was.

The human was going for a lethal shot.

"You won't be laughing with a few inches of lead in you."

Another click.

Another bang.

Not having enough time to jump out of the way, the mage watched everything in slow motion; from the smoke of the gunpowder to the group of bandits running away. Derik clicked a mechanism on the rifle to fling out a bayonet to the nose of the weapon. The dragon held it in a battle stance. There was experience in the way the dragon held himself.

Concentrating, Robert quickly used the only spell he knew to defend himself; his own creation.

Although it was only a prototype, he had no other choice. It was either to test the spell at the very moment or have a new hole in his chest.

Moving his hand out in front of him and towards the ball in one quick motion, Robert whispered a few words. A force erupted from Robert's hand and a blue transparent energy spread a small amount of paces in front of him. The energy was beautiful and glowed spectacularly in the sun.

Watching the impressive display of magic at work before his very eyes, Derik's expression turned to fascination. Never has he seen anything like what he was witnessing. The spell that Robert was casting was anything, but a novice spell.

However, his wonder quickly turned to horror; the spell blocked the musket round, but instead of reflecting the ball the magic only changed its trajectory...

Right into Robert's left leg.

Feeling his legs buckle, Robert leaned over and held his hand over the open wound. He could feel something lukewarm trickle down his leg and the world started to spin. The blood quickly spread to the palm of his hand as he held it over his wound.

Feeling an arm around his shoulder, Robert looked over to see Derik with a look of concern over his face.

In a blur as he was lead over to the wagon, Robert felt the back of his head on something hard and unmoving. Derik set Robert down cautiously on the wagon, making sure to be especially careful with Robert's leg.

The mage started to feel his eyes become extremely heavy and his vision started to blur. The beautiful cloudy sky looked like a melting pot. Each color was running into one another. Robert could hear Derik yelling at him, but his voice sounded faded. It was as if he was trying to yell at him from the top of a hill.

"ROBERT!"

At that moment, the tiger felt a hand slap across his cheek with enough force to jet him back to reality. He jumped and panic started to spread across his features. Fumbling with his robes and smearing blood across the white fabric, Robert gave a notable look of pain.

The adrenaline of the situation started to wear off and the dull pain started to turn white hot. Biting his teeth together to keep himself from yelling, Robert started to dig through his pockets until he found a small purse of coins. He quickly threw that to the side before grabbing a potion that was on his belt buckle.

"This potion will keep me from getting lead poisoning and prevent infection. I need you to pour it on my wound. If I faint, take the coin purse to my side and get me to the nearest treatment center, please." Robert begged with pleading eyes.

Derik nodded.

Grabbing the potion from Robert's shaking hands, Derik carefully uncorked the bottle and poured the contents over the wound. Robert thrashed about the wagon, biting his finger as a warmth spread across his body before being replaced with an intense burning until eventually numbness.

After Derik poured the contents onto Robert's leg, he looked up to see the tiger was unconscious and his breathing was relaxed. He grabbed the purse before climbing up to the seat of his wagon and giving the reins a tug to signal the ox to move.

"I am way too old for this." Derik said with a sigh.

Jerking awake, the mage yelped loudly. He could feel his body tip with his movements and in a quick second he found his face on the floor and his lower half slumped over the bed he was resting on.

His ears brushed against a bed curtain.

Blushing in embarrassment as he pulled himself up off the ground and back onto the comfortable bed, the mage looked around at his surroundings.

The place he was in was well lit. The floors were well polished and clean. A simple oil lantern flickered on a nightstand by the bed. Laid out across the floor, the mage recognized his robes and assorted tools he carried with him.

The clothes were folded and looked organized as if the person who touched them did not want a single wrinkle in the fabric. Robert realized instantly that sometime when he was unconscious he was stripped. 4

He sat on the bed in only his underwear.

Stretching, Robert glanced at his left leg. The wound was gone and the same snow white fur that was there before covered the top. He felt where the ball went in to feel it slightly tingle. He pressed lightly to feel bone. Whoever cared for his wound knew advanced technique on healing.

Repairing bones was a hard task to accomplish.

Impressed, Robert smiled saying, "I survived my first gun shot."

Hearing a concerned sigh come from outside the curtain, Robert looked up from inspecting his leg to see a shadow against the fabric.

A hand moved above, moving the metal rings. Next thing Robert knew, a human women stood in front of him with a quill in one hand and a book in the other. The women had a stance that looked caring, but uptight. She wore a tunic that had a red lion roaring on the front and a dreary blouse that looked worn from use. Her eyes were dark brown and her hair was a deep blond.

"That is not something you should be proud of. Your wound was a nasty one to heal. If your friend did not administer that potion, you would have been dead, or in the best case scenario, lost a leg." She said as she scribbled down something in her book.

Her tone was stern and the gaze she gave Robert was one that looked like it could pierce through his very being.

The nurse reminded him of his mother.

"Well, you're cheerful to talk to. And that man is not my friend. He is just an acquaintance." Robert said with a yawn as he slowly got out of the bed. Testing the amount of weight he could put on his once impaired leg, Robert was pleasantly surprised to be able to stand perfectly. The only pain he felt was a bit of discomfort whenever his leg flexed with movement.

Rolling her eyes, the nurse said, "Whatever. Your...acquaintance... gave me this."

Pulling out a note out of her book and a small leather bag, she held it out to Robert before continuing, "My name is Sarah. If you need anything, let me know."

Thanking Sarah and taking the note and bag from her hand, Robert put it on the nightstand by the oil lamp. He watched her intently and crossed his arms. Taking the hint, the nurse cleared her throat before scribbling down more words onto the pages in her book and started to walk towards the curtains to give her patient privacy.

Noticing how white the feather of the quill was, the curious mage squinted to examine the feather closer. He noticed how bright the white was and how the texture of the fur was complexly patterned. Robert instantly recognized the feather belonged to one of the many feral birds of the North. The avian creatures used it for camouflage to blend in with the sky and snow covered grounds to avoid predators.

For a person to have one of their feathers so far from their home was considered rare.

Taking note that Robert was looking rather intensely at the quill, Sarah blushed and quickly closed the book over top of it.

Her expression softened before she abruptly opened the curtain and left Robert alone.

Shrugging off the awkward situation, he grabbed the note and broke the red seal. He noticed the paper was formal and he felt like he was being invited to some fancy occasion. Opening up the paper, Robert's attention fell upon the beautiful handwriting. The letters looked as if they were written by a noble man.

Dear Robert,

If you are reading this then you survived! Congratulations! I visited you while you were knocked out and it seems the healing process is going well. I had to pay the extra charges, however; but we can talk about that when you arrive at my estate. Also, you will notice a small pouch containing a substance that the nurse gave to you. If you throw that in front of you, it will trace my steps. The wisp will lead you to my home. Please, visit me when you feel better.

Sincerely,

Derik

And sure enough, the dragon was true to his word.

Folding up the note, Robert got up out of the bed and started to walk around a bit. He could feel a strain on his muscles as he moved, but he paid no attention to it. After all, the stiffness was expected. The fact that he got away from the gunfight barely scathed was a miracle in itself.

Dressing himself, Robert put on his robes and an assortment of buckles that held his potions. Counting the glass bottles, the mage was pleased when he found that all the potions he had on him previously were still with him minus the one Derik had to administer on his leg. Pocketing the small leather bag, Robert placed it in a pocket for easy access.

The mage then opened up the curtain.

Several more beds were pushed against the walls with their curtains closed. Listening carefully, Robert could hear the sound of coughing and moans of discomfort. Sunlight streaming in from the windows to Robert's left helped lighten the dark mood, but it was still a hospital in the mage's eyes.

Although the atmosphere was uninviting, the environment itself was clean and precise. Pictures of several donors lined the walls, each person giving a smile in the black and white photos with a small description of the type of donation and bibliography. Flowers were placed on tables below the photographs and had a nameplate near the pots.

Making a 90 degree turn to the right, Robert continued down the hallway. The white curtains looked as if they went on and on down the hallway. Another nurse, opening up one of the many curtains and walking out from just taking care of a patient, was splattered with blood and shaking her head with a look of dissatisfaction on her face.

Robert instantly felt the need to leave.

"I forgot how much I hate infirmaries." Robert mumbled under his breath as he made an abrupt left to a door.

Another nurse with a book and a quill stood poised. He had black hair and somber hazel eyes. His expression brightened quickly when Robert walked towards him.

"Good to see your leg is fully healed and functional. Are you wishing to check out, sir?" He said in a very soothing tone. Robert was so used to every healer he talked to being very uptight that it was strange to hear someone so relaxed.

Nodding after getting over his initial surprise, Robert said, "Yes please. Also, what part of town am I at?"

Smiling wider, the nurse said, "Ahhh, a newcomer! Well, you are at the southern part of town, sir. Is there somewhere you are looking to go? I may be holed up in here most of the time, but I know my way around!"

"Do you know a dragon named Derik? He seemed to have requested my audience." Robert said playing dumb.

Robert wanted to know about the man who probably saved his life.

"Yes, I have heard. Derik is an interesting fellow and a fantastic merchant. One of the best in the local guild. You seem to have interesting accomplices." The nurse said with a sly wink and a laugh.

"Ya. Interesting is a good word."

"He is a good man. Whatever he has planned for you, I would listen."

Feeling his stomach rumble, Robert realized it has been a while since he had anything to eat.

"Also, am I anywhere close to any markets?"

"Yes. In fact, they are just across the street here. You will find everything you need in the assorted shops." The nurse said with the same chipper tone as before.

"Alright, thank you for the information," Robert said. "May the warm waters of Ordinare guide you."

Bowing in respect, the nurse replied, "Same to you as well. May the snow part in front of your feet."

Robert bowed in return before grasping the door knob, giving it a swift twist, and a push open. Putting a hand in front of his face to keep himself from being blinded by the bright sunlight that assaulted his eyes, Robert winced as his pupils adjusted to the outside environment. The mage could tell it was the middle of the day when he looked up to see the sun straight in the sky. It was odd seeing the bright orb so high and mighty among the heavens. The Northern Pass was cloudy most of the time so he always had to rely on magic to guess the time.

The outside markets were spaced widely enough that citizens and potential customers could move through without much effort. Several businesses lined the street and many of the shops had residential areas above. Clothes hung from wires above the streets.

Robert's ears perked at the sound of children laughing and adults bartering. The sweet smell of incenses and perfumes reached his nose, the exotic scent unlike anything he has ever experienced before.

Although his senses were being overwhelmed, Robert kept his composure as he waded through the crowds, his feet making loud "clunks" on the stone road. Small wagons rode by every once a while, causing the crowds to part for a bit to allow the driver to pass through. The small second of time gave Robert a moment to make it through the crowds safely. Although the area would probably be considered clear of pesky pedestrians on any other time besides midday, Robert was starting to hate the market area more and more.

"Fresh fruit and fish for a price a beggar could buy!"

"Exotic imports from the island of Rosa! Scents for noble men and women!"

"Everyone needs a trusty weapon! Stop by my shop to find the deadliest of blades made by the most creative craftsman!"

As Robert continued to more of the center of the market area, Robert felt eyes on him from all around. He even caught a small child pointing at his robe with a curious look in her eyes.

"Mother, what is that man wearing? It looks strange." the daughter said innocently.

"Honey, not everyone dresses like us," the mother chided. "Now stop pointing, it's rude."

Pulling up his hood, the tiger gave a huff.

"I really need to be less serious about what people think." Robert thought sourly.

All of a sudden, a fresh smell filled his senses and made his stomach rumble even louder than before. A small store tucked away from the center of the market with brick stone siding and a wooden sign that hung from hinges above the doorway said,

"Katar's Bakery"

The crowd did not look as thick as the middle of the market and Robert suddenly felt an urge for fresh baked bread as the smell continually assaulted his senses. The hungry tiger made a quick right turn.

When Robert finally made it to the entrance, he noticed that the wooden door was hand crafted and woodwork appeared to have taken a long amount of time to make so painstakingly perfect. A window near the door allowed Robert to peek in. Even though Robert felt like he was snooping, the need to investigate the shop he was about to enter overthrew his awkwardness. He noticed that there was not too many people inside the store besides an older women sitting patiently on a wooden chair that was clearly too big for her near a counter. The rest of the customers were busy drinking at the various tables that were set up. The liquids inside looked thick and rich in color.

Robert took note of a shape standing far in the back sticking fresh dough into a wood burning oven. Robert could not get a good look at the shadow in the far back of the establishment, but could tell it was male. He was well built and sturdy; that much Robert could tell from the shadow. When the shape walked away from the oven and towards the counter, the light from the torches let Robert get a glance of the figure.

What he saw was surprising for him

A minotaur with a brown apron, slacks, and a shirt dotted with flour stood with a tired, but content look across his face. His brown fur shined with sweat and his brown eyes scanned the environment of the shop. His arms were crossed, but his posture was relaxed enough to not be threatening.

Gold rings were placed on each horn and Robert could see many different engravings into the metal in a language he could not comprehend. The front of the Minotaur's neck was a bright white and the mage could tell the white fur traveled down into his shirt. Before Robert could even blink, the minotaur noticed him standing awkwardly at the window. He beckoned the tiger to come in with a friendly smile.

When Robert noticed the minotaur waving his hand for him to come inside, he blushed in embarrassment at being caught peeking through the window and walked to the door. Grabbing the knob and giving the door a firm push, Robert was instantly attacked by a barrage of delicious smells. A bell clang in the corner of the door which signaled his entrance.

The air around Robert was warm and inviting. Lanterns flickered somberly by the windows around the shop and a large chandelier hung from the ceiling that held assorted candles. The chandelier looked like it was hand crafted with as much precision as the door.

"Welcome customer!"

The voice was booming and echoed throughout the small shop. It seemed Robert was not the only one taken aback by the minotaur's loud voice. Many of the patrons who were sitting looked up in surprise at Robert, and then went back to whatever they were doing.

Walking forward towards the counter, Robert took note of how tall and broad the Minotaur was. To Robert, the minotaur was slightly intimidating.

"Do not be shy, snow cat," the minotaur exclaimed with a smile. "I do not bite; I promise!"

The Minotaur's cheerfulness was contagious and Robert could not help, but return a friendly smile.

"Hello, sir. How much is a loaf of bread?" Robert asked as he pulled out a bag of coins from his robe's pocket.

"Only a measly 2 gold pieces," the minotaur answered with a gleam of pride in his eyes, "the cheapest bread in town!"

"Excellent. I will take two loafs." Robert said as he took a seat on one of the many wooden chairs pushed up against the counter and handed over four gold coins for the exchange.

"Thank you for your purchase!" The bull said with a wink as he pocketed the coins.

After a few seconds, the minotaur went to work preparing the yeast and flour. His hands worked quick and precise as he rolled out the mixture. A look of pure concentration was across the baker's face. Robert soon lost interest in the process of his loaves being made and his thoughts started to shift away to matters regarding his academia.

Spells and algorithms started to flood his memory and he found himself getting lost in a stream of numbers as his concentration started to shift to his research in magic.

"He is creative in his trade, isn't he?"

The voice that spoke was frail, but had wisdom behind it. It was as if every word that left the person's lips was made of glass and sounded as if the sentences themselves would break. Robert felt himself get snapped out of his trance and looked over to his right to see the older women that he saw from the window.

She was a human and bore a beautiful pearl necklace. Her curly hair was gray from age, but still looked bright in the candle light. Her eyes were a deep blue and the spectacles she wore were connected to a small necklace that wrapped around her ears. A small round cap was over her head and she wore an eye catching oriental dress that covered her entire body. The dress was a multitude of colors that collided with one another; as if dancing together in a synchronized pattern. A small basket sat by her chair. The twine that weaved the basket together looked strong and new.

Robert noticed she was watching the baker pull a loaf of bread from the oven.

"Yes. It seems he has been doing the craft for quite some time."

The old women nodded, "You are correct in that statement. Ever since I was young, my parents would take me here to buy bread. Still, to this day, the same minotaur runs the shop. He is middle in his age for his species, Katar."

She looked over to Robert with a weary smile and continued,

"I am considered old in mine."

Walking back over to the counter, Katar beckoned for the older woman's basket. Handing over the basket politely with shaking hands, the old women gave a chuckle.

"As you can see, body is not what it used to be."

Katar huffed saying, "Hush now, Merian. You are the wisest in this city. Looks may change, but experience is forever."

Merian, looking obviously flustered at the compliment, teased, "Oh, just give me my bread! If I wanted flattery, I would have paid you more gold."

Katar made a deep, rumbling, and warm sound that Robert identified as a chuckle.

Walking back to take a peek into the oven, Katar looked over to Robert and said,

"If you do not mind me asking, what is a mage doing all the way down in these parts? We do not have many of your kind that come here."

Robert thought about his choice of words before simply saying,

"Just a research trip. The southern areas have many rare specimens. Especially the wisps."

Raising an eyebrow, the Minotaur said, "We have many that come to the wisps for guidance. Are you one of them?"

Shaking his head, Robert said, "No. I only traveled purely for research on behalf of my university."

"Interesting."

Pulling out a fresh loaf of bread, Katar smiled at his work as he walked the wooden palate over to Robert for him to have a look.

"Does the loaf please you?" The baker asked honestly.

Robert inhaled the fresh scent of the bread and his mouth started to involuntarily water. The golden brown edges were perfect and the crust looked smooth.

"Yes. It looks delicious." Robert replied.

Walking out of the bakery with a look of satisfaction on his face, Robert took a large bite out of the bread. Robert savored the soft inside with glee as he pulled out the bag that he was given at the nurse's office.

"Now to hunt down Derik."

The green trimming of the bag had several ornate golden streaks going down the side as well as curling in on themselves to create an intricate pattern that he had never seen before. The bag was tied with a black string to keep whatever was inside from falling out.

Opening up the bag and looking inside as he took another bite of the bread, Robert saw a fine golden powder that glowed slightly. The powder had no smell, but the gold dust inside seemed to resonate a strange type of energy.

Picking up a small amount from the bag, Robert was surprised how weightless the powder felt. Nonchalantly, Robert dropped the small amount of powder in front of his feet to see a small mist break apart before forming into a right leg. Surprised at the strange magic, Robert threw a larger chunk of the powder onto the floor. The powder hit the ground and broke apart into a mist before joining the right leg on the ground and forming into a thigh and connected to a left leg that was beginning to form. The mist started to create a chest and shoulders before creating the neck and face.

After about twenty seconds, the mist stopped.

Half of the right eye, ears, and neck along with the right arm, left arm, right leg, and left leg were completed. The figure stood with a golden outline around the body, but was somewhat transparent and raised a hand as if saying hello. Robert watched in wonder as the bag that he was clutching floated forward in mid-air towards the figure. With a tilt of its hand, the bag tipped which poured the rest of the contents onto the ground.

The mist started to sculpt its figure with the new dust; creating details on the body. Scars formed on the chest and on the arms. The face started to finish the eye that was started and work on the next and form a mouth as well as the muzzle. Robert could not hold back his awe as the mist's transformation started to dawn on him. After a couple more details to the body, the mist stopped detailing and stood silently.

The figure was Derik.

"This...is wisp magic." Robert said as he reached forward only to pass through the body and watch the transparent dust scatter before coming back together again.

The figure that resembled Derik grinned and nodded before stretching out a hand and waved it for Robert to follow. The mist started to float, its claws barely touching the ground.

Surprised at the intelligence the wisp possessed, Robert followed the figure as it floated through the city, dodging pedestrians and shop keepers. When Robert walked back through the markets along with the mist, he noticed the neutral expressions on the crowd's faces as he walked along with a floating figure. It seemed they were used to wisp magic.

Robert, on the other hand, was completely at awe throughout the whole walk. Due to Robert's immense knowledge of magic and spells, he found the creature fascinating. Wisp magic was an incredibly rare type of magic since it only resided in specific places that were completely overtaken by nature and undisturbed by human and furred humanoid alike. The only areas were wisps exist were in the most dangerous areas of the Northern Pass. The East and West areas of Patris were completely developed.

Wisp encounters were about one in a billion in the North, East, and West parts combined if a mathematician were to combine the stats.

To the south, it was one in a hundred.

Robert felt like a small child at a candy store as he watched the wisp turn and flip gleefully down the city streets. Robert did not even notice the stone walkway start to turn into dirt as the wisp led him to the outskirts of town. He did not even remember greeting the guards as he left the city.

The playful laughter of children started to turn into the soft hum of bugs that hid in the tall grasses of the plains and the sound of the bustle of shop keepers was replaced by the gentle sound of the prairie grass shuffling back and forth along with the cool air.

The feel of the wind against his cheek raised Robert from his thoughts and he jumped in surprise. Robert looked around to see the large city buildings were gone and he could see for miles along the plains once more.

"Last time I was among grass like this, I was shot." Robert mumbled out loud.

The wisp turned to Robert and raised an eyebrow. The wisp seemed almost curious. Its eyes looked troubled, but interested. Even when the wisp looked like Derik, the tiger could tell it was the wisp itself that showed the emotions. Robert quickly shooed the thoughts away and with that the wisp went back to dancing and flying around the plains haphazardly.

As Robert walked on the dirt path, a small cabin started to appear in his view. The cabin was beautiful and the wood that was around the cabin was crafted with great precision. The cabin was two stories with a balcony coming from the second level and two doors with massive leafs that allowed a person to enter and exit the balcony. A porch covered the entry way and several pillars made of strong wood held the balcony up. Light came through the windows which suggested someone was inside and Robert could see multiple shadows moving. Several orbs of light littered the front entrance and covered the area in a peaceful glow. Flowers of various colors, shapes, and sizes filled space between the entrance and door. Most of the plants glowed eerily.

The door to the cabin was ornate and had several strange symbols carved into the front of the door. On the top of the door, a mystical drawing of the sun sat and on the bottom a moon sat. In the middle, the face of a women with long hair was carved expertly into the wood. The wisp seemed excited when it noticed the cabin and came down from flight before racing towards the door. The wisp floated right through it into the inside of the cabin.

Curious and hesitant at the same time, Robert followed the wisp. Steps led up to the porch and Robert grimaced as the wood protested loudly as he walked nervously to the front door.

He knocked shyly.

"Ahh! It seems our guest is here!"

On cue, the door opened and a human stood with a warm smile on his face. The human looked as if he was in his mid-twenties. He had piercing dark brown eyes that seemed to read Robert's own light blue ones like an open book and blond hair that was cut in a professional looking manner. A deep scar ran across his eye. The male wore expensive clothes fit for a noble, but held a decorative silver tray of wine and assorted fruits. The human's hands had white gloves so as not to blemish the items he was holding with delicacy.

"Welcome, sir. Please, come in; my masters are waiting for you. Walk forward, and make a quick left under the archway and you will be in the kitchen area."

Robert smiled back, still nervous about the unfamiliar situation he was in, and politely thanked the man for the directions. As Robert walked in through the door, he took in the atmosphere of the cabin. The entry room Robert stood in was spacious. Several paintings hung on the walls; most of them depicting lush forests and fierce animals. A rack of muskets stood off to the side like silent guardians watching over the home and an ornate duelist rapier sat close by as well. Several of the glowing orbs lined the room freely to provide light.

The muskets and the glass of the case looked well-polished and appeared to be cared for daily. The wooden floor underneath Robert's boots clunked hollowly as he walked down towards the archway. A long wooden table sat in the middle of the room and a map littered with small red and blue tokens laid on the top. Sturdy wooden chairs laid around the table in no way particular. A chess board with the pieces positioned neatly in place sat inches from the map.

Directly in front of Robert, a set of stairs led to the second floor. The stairs looked clean, but several of the steps looked worn from use. At the right side of the room, extra chairs were pushed to side near a doorway. Two large leaves blocked Robert from seeing inside, but Robert guessed they were probably rooms.

Continuing down until getting to the archway, Robert made a left with the man who greeted him at the door. The tray made a clanging sound with every step.

Robert looked around the kitchen and found it to be small, but comfortable. Several utensils were set inside the open drawers for easy access and many of the wooden counter tops had wayward knifes resting on the cutting boards. The smell of fresh vegetables and broth reached Robert's nose and felt his mouth water in anticipation. Bowls and plates were stacked neatly on the table by a large bowl of soup and a bowl of fresh salad. An oven sat in the corner of the kitchen and the wood inside was still smoking. Robert noticed the salad was a nice mix of lattice, spinach, onions, and tomatoes, and had a drizzle of a sweet smelling dressing. A candle was on each of the two windows in the room, providing light along with several torches that lined the room. Robert noticed that the torches and candles had no smoke coming from the flame and identified that the candles were enchanted.

Starting to shift his focus away from the food, Robert noticed the unfamiliar people sitting at the table.

The medium sized table was large enough to allow all three people that were around it to sit comfortably. A minotaur sat on the left of Derik, his bulging muscles and impressive chest on full display as the male sat shirtless with a simple loincloth to cover his lower body. The minotaur's lower body looked just as intimidating as his upper body. The minotaur's horns were massive and shined in the enchanted light. The male's dark brown fur was laced with sweat. Two golden rings were pierced on both of the male's nipples and Robert noted the different patterns in the metal work. The male's piercing blue eyes were focused on the leafy vegetables scattered around his plate and he kept jabbing, with a fork in his hand, at the small round tomato clumsily with an annoyed look on his face. The girl that sat across from him watched with a look of pure amusement.

The girl was human. She had long brown hair and hazel eyes that glimmered with optimism and mischievousness. She looked young, close to Robert's age; probably somewhere in her early-twenties Robert guessed. Her simple leather vest and pants were dirtied by soil and her face showed sign of fatigue beneath her smile.

The wisp stood quietly in the corner of the room, its golden glow shining bright along with the candle light.

"It seems your reflexes when eating do not live up to your reflexes when sparring." The human girl said.

The minotaur huffed in response to the women's comment.

Derik still kept the smile he was wearing and said, "Well, now that you are alive, you get the fine opportunity to meet Arkus and Emily. They are my two workers that attend to the garden. All the food you see in front of you came from their hard work."

Arkus gave a grunt of acknowledgment towards Robert and Emily smiled warmly to Robert saying,

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Right on cue, the man who greeted Robert at the door walked chimed in,

"And I am Brook. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier."

Robert nodded and replied politely, "It is nice to meet all of you."

Pointing over to the empty seat across from him, Derik said, "Come and sit! We have plenty of food to go around!"

Thanking Derik for his hospitality, Robert sat down at the table and was immediately served by Brook. Adding a generous amount of salad and soup to the assorted bowls in front of the mage, Brook took it upon himself to make sure the guest was taken care of.

Robert did not mind the treatment. In fact, he started to enjoy Brook coming over to hand him different drinks made of assorted berries as he ate. Robert particularly enjoyed the salad's sweet dressing. The soup was delicious as well and he identified the soup as a simple potato and onion mix.

After Robert was settled, Derik motioned for the wisp to come near. The wisp obliged.

"You are free of your bondage. Thank you for your service."

After bowing in respect, the wisp's form started to disappear until it was nothing more than a long transparent mist of air that was barely noticeable in the candle light. The wisp quickly flew out of the cabin.

Robert had a shocked look on his face.

Chuckling, Derik said, "You have probably have only heard about the wisps in legend."

Nodding, Robert said, "We study them, but wisp magic is so ancient and rare that we only touched on it."

"Understandable. You will have plenty of time to research them while you stay here."

Nearly choking on the salad he stuffed in his face, Robert coughed violently before saying, "What do you mean stay here?!"

Arkus and Emily both smirked and looked over to Robert.

"Derik told us you have some debts to pay so you get to work with us in the gardens." Emily chirped happily.

"I do not know how your scrawny frame is going to help us, mage, but I will whip you into shape quicker than any mage can you teach you magic."

Arkus's grin seemed to be ominous and dark which worried the mage immensely. It seemed to speak "I cannot wait to break you."

Robert gulped.

Brook laid a gentle touch on the mage and said, "Do not worry; if the work gets too unbearable, you can help me tend to Master Derik's home. There is always something to clean."

Robert had to hold back a moan of disgust. Cleaning was something he hated more than physical labor.

Nodding, Derik said, "I thought the best course of action, since your medical expenses were a bit long, I would have you work on my estate. My servant always needs extra hands and Arkus and Emily expressed their concern for the amount of labor that would be needed for next season so I figured what better way to have you pay for your debt then to work for me!"

Robert felt a bit of anger rise at being turned from an adventurer into a serf, but then remembered that there was an ancient magic sitting near the property.

The wisps; he could study them while he was working on the estate.

The anger quickly subsided into curiosity and wonder.

He could spin this around in his favor.

"But where will I stay? I have nowhere to go." Robert asked with concern.

Derik smiled and said, "I have an extra room on the second floor. Consider it yours temporarily."

Robert pondered heavily, his claws clicking on the wooden table as he thought about the predicament he was in. It was not that he did not want to work and be able to experiment on the flora and wisps in his spare, what he was seeing as being an issue was he barely knew anyone. Arkus, Emily, and Brook were all unfamiliar.

Derik also added, "You can always leave and owe me on a later time. I trust you will pay me back, but I am offering you a place to live and plenty of space to do your research. You will work hard, but have plenty of time for recreation. Consider the deal and-"

"I'll take you up on your offer."

Derik was surprised at the sudden decision. Arkus and Emily both looked at one another and Robert could see their excitement at having an extra pair of hands across their face. Brook stood silently in the background with a warm smile on his face. Extending a hand across the table, Derik said, "We shake on it then."

Robert grinned and said, "Consider me a part of your little team."

The two shook and the dinner proceeded smoothly afterwards. Arkus, Emily, and Brook decided they would tell Robert his duties in the morning. After a bit of small talk, Arkus and Emily departed from the table to leave only Robert, Brook, and Derik.

"Well, shall I lead you to your room?" Derik inquired as he set his utensils off to the side for Brook to take care of.

Robert did the same and replied, "Sure, lead the way."

The two got up, let Brook squeeze by to collect plates and silverware, and walked out of the kitchen towards the stairs. The duo walked up the stairs in silence until they reached the top. A horizontal hallway greeted them at the top of the stairs and a small blue vase with beautiful flowers stood on a wooden stand. Doors stood on both ends of the hallway. The one on the right had the same carving on the front door of the home, but instead of a female there was a male. The one on the left was plain.

"So, you are truly ok with working for me? No questions or comments?"

Robert nodded.

"It will be an interesting research opportunity to focus on something not as well known in the academic community."

"Good."

Making his way to the plain door, Derik twisted the knob and pushed. The door opened with a soft creek.

Inside the room was a small bed that looked clean and well made. A window sat off to the right of the room that looked over a lush forest. Other than that, the room was bare. When Robert walked inside, he could hear his footsteps echo in the empty room.

"This is where you will be staying for as long as you wish."

"It's...sanitized." Robert implied with surprise as he inspected the bed and noticed how the sheets laid evenly spaced.

"Yes. Brook takes great pride in keeping all the rooms spotless. Even the ones that are not in use."

Inspecting the empty spot in the back of the room, Robert exclaimed,

"I will have to run into town and buy supplies. I have been wanting a new alchemy set."

"Well, if you need anything, Divinity is only a short walk away." Derik hinted before scrunching his face deep in thought before snapping his right hand and continuing,

"That reminds me! I have a job for you! Can you run in with Arkus and pick up some seeds from the markets while you are out? I can provide the gold."

"Consider it done, Derik."

"Excellent!"

A short pause followed the duo as Robert paced around the room. The tiger had a content look across his face as he searched the room for the optimum spots to set up shop for potion making and for a small work area for writing scrolls. After all, he was going to be at Derik's for who knows how long. He wanted to be situated.

Breaking the silence, Derik said,

"If there is nothing more to do, I will be off. I have some paperwork to take care of! If you need anything, let me, Arkus, Emily, or Brook know. Please, enjoy your stay and make sure not to get shot again."

After bowing in hospitality, Derik left the room to leave Robert alone. Robert still continued to search the room for small dust bunnies and sweeping them up with his hand before incinerating them with magic. After he was finished, fatigue started to set in.

Sitting on the bed and sighing, Robert said,

"Tomorrow is a new day, I guess. Time to meditate" Robert said I as took off his robes and threw them over the railing at the end of his bed to get comfortable.

Closing the door, the mage turned the knob until he heard a click that signaled the lock mechanism was in place. Beginning to stretch, the mage prepared himself physically and began to recite chants.

Sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, the mage closed his eyes and drifted off into his own thoughts. The storm in his mind calmed as he mentally grasped onto thoughts that stressed him and threw them out of his conscious. Robert could feel his heart rate start to drop and his mind's pointless chatter start to fade. When he felt he meditated long enough, the sun was fully set and the moon was high in the night sky.

Taking a deep breath and getting up off the floor, Robert rubbed his back with a noticeable grimace across his face.

Sitting on the bed once again, Robert felt the soft mattress against his irritated backside and smiled.

"At least the mattress provides some relief from the hard floor."

Feeling fatigue start to take over his body, the mage gave a noticeable yawn and took off the rest of his clothes until he was nude and threw them over railing at the end of his bed. He did not mind the fact that he was not covered. Robert felt sleeping in clothes was too constrictive, especially on hot summer nights.

Laying on his side and closing his eyes, sleep overtook Robert where he dreamed of wisps running and laughing around the forest.

"Wake up, sleepy head! ROBERT! R-O-B-E-R-T!"

A loud voice penetrated the blissfulness of sleep and a groggy tiger slowly opened his eyes to see Emily twirling a hair pin between her fingers.

"You didn't think a locked door could keep me out did you? Up you get! We have lots of important business to attend to!" Emily said with a bit too much enthusiasm for Robert's liking.

"I did not lock that door on purpose. I was meditating and forgot t-."

"That's what they all say. You should be thankful I was not Arkus. He probably would have knocked down the door and then proceed to forcefully shake you awake."

Pulling the covers off his body, Robert got up out of bed and walked over to his folded up clothes. He looked back to Emily to see she was not the least bit embarrassed.

"What?"

"Oh nothing...I just expected a more pronounced reaction from you."

Emily grinned saying, "I've seen enough of males naked that your nudity does not faze me."

Slightly surprised, Robert shrugged lightly and dressed himself.

"So, Derik mentioned I am running into Divinity with Arkus to grab some seeds from the market. Anything else need done?"

"Oh yes! My trusty companion and I need help in the gardens as well planting those said seeds and you will just be the peachiest little helper."

Robert chuckled and said, "I do not mean to be rude, but where did all this bubbly optimism come from?"

Emily smirked replying, "I love mornings and nothing screams a good morning like the blood, sweat, and tears that come out of gardening."

"I think we may have a different definition of a 'good morning.'"

Emily laughed and said in reply, "A bit of dirt underneath one's nails, or claws in your case, never hurt anybody."

After Robert was done changing, Emily led Robert down the stairs and underneath the archway to the kitchen. Robert could smell vegetables being cooked and heard the harsh sizzle of eggs. When Robert and Emily walked around the corner, Arkus greeted them politely. The minotaur wore a simple apron over a loincloth that was made from fine silk that covered Arkus's crotch and most of his backside. It connected to a belt. The belt was made from a tough leather and looked old from use. Several gardening tools hung from the belt and looked stained with dirt.

"Good morning, snow cat." Spoke Arcus from a fourth of the way inside the wood burning stove.

"Good morning, stone wall." Robert sarcastically shot back.

Rolling her eyes, Emily said, "He is not a big fan of mornings."

Chuckling and emerging from the stove with soot covering his face, Arkus answered, "Neither am I, but I had some work to do."

Emily snickered at Arkus.

"You are not the one who had to work with this God, and Goddess, forsaken contraption for the past hour." Arkus joked light heartedly and stuck out his tongue

"Did the fire not burn your face?" Robert queried with a hint of fascination expressed across his face.

"We Minotaur are a tough folk. Fire can barely burn me." Arkus boasted with a wink back at Robert.

Emily rolled her eyes and teased, "Tough my butt. The stove is enchanted AND you were done sparring with me after I hit you with the training sword a couple of times!"

Huffing, Arkus shot back, "You were hitting bruces from our previous spar!"

"Well, those ARE open targets." Emily added with a smirk.

"Open targets my ancestors..."

Dividing the eggs and vegetables onto three plates, Arkus made sure that none of the cooked food went to waste. Balancing two plates on his right and left hand, and the third on his right arm, he carefully made his way over to the table and placed the plates down with great care. Robert looked genuinely impressed.

Taking note of Robert's expression, Arkus inquired, "Did you think all Minotaur's lacked grace, Robert?"

"In my full honest opinion, yes. Of course, that is due to my personal biases since I have only met one other individual that is of your kind."

"You have much to learn about our race, then." Mused Arkus as he sat down on one of the chairs. The chair creaked in protest as Arkus's well-muscled body put its full weight down on it.

Robert smiled back and remarked, "Indeed I do."

Robert had to admit, he was interested in the minotaurs; especially their cultural heritage since it was not well documented. The assorted piercings the minotaurs wore has been something Robert has always wanted to learn more about. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind for later questioning.

The trio ate in polite silence. Arkus still struggled stabbing the assorted vegetables with his fork and occasionally elbowed Emily to assist him with holding it properly. Robert watched Emily and Arkus with amusement as Emily tried to force Arkus's immense hands to grip in the proper way. As Robert watched the comedy that was happening before him, he admired the taste of the eggs and vegetables which were peppered with delicious spices and herbs. The taste of the food had a kick that excited his senses, but was not overwhelming enough to dwarf the rest of the flavor.

To the mage, it was a fresh experience.

After everyone was finished eating, Emily took the plates and stacked them at the end of the table. Noticing that Robert looked anxious about the dirty plates sitting there as if waiting for someone to clean them, Emily explained,

"Do not worry about the dishes. Brook takes care of them faster than you can blink."

Concern left Robert's face in an instant and he nodded in response.

Then worry flashed again over Robert's face.

"When do I begin work?" Robert asked.

Feeling a hand pat him roughly on the shoulder, Robert looked up to see Arkus smirking from ear to ear. Arkus's appearance looked intimidating from far away, but to have him lean over him like he was just small and breakable scared Robert a bit.

"Whenever I am done changing out of this dreadful apron and put on something appropriate, we can head to Divinity and grab some seeds for our garden. I know a shortcut so we can put you to work quickly."

After giving Robert's shoulder another squeeze, the minotaur walked down the hallway towards his room to gather the gold Derik gave him as well as strip out of his apron

Looking a bit stunned by the touchy nature of Arkus, Robert glanced over at Emily to see she did not seem surprised.

"Arkus has always showed his emotions through touch so do not take them as advances," Emily said in a matter of fact tone, "unless of course you want them to be advances." she added with a smirk.

Blushing furiously, Robert shook his head and retorted, "I am not interested in him that way!"

Emily faked a look of surprised before stating, "Oh, no need to get so defensive!"

Grinding his teeth, Robert decided that getting into an argument about something so trivial was wasted breath and stayed silent.

Although Robert had more important things to worry about than his sexuality, he intended to keep it private.

After about a ten minute wait along with a few more sarcastic comments from Emily, Arkus made his way back down the hallway. Arkus wore a harness with leather straps that wrapped around his back and connected to a round silver holder in middle. A longer and more modest loincloth was around his waist. The Minotaur's nipple rings jingled softly with every step Arkus took. They were gold like the rings on his horns.

Arkus clutched a small pouch of gold coins in his hand.

"Well, shall we get going, Robert?"

Rendered mute by the choice of clothing Arkus decided on, Robert only nodded, his blush turning a deeper red when he realized he was staring at Arkus's exposed chest for too long.

Emily, standing in the corner, actually looked genuinely surprised at the change from arrogant Robert to bashful Robert in the blink of an eye and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Looking over at Robert and giving him a sly look, Emily announced,

"I am going to go to the garden to trim some of the plants. I will leave you two to do your activities."

Walking out of a somewhat hidden back door, Emily made her way out to the garden.

"Well, I guess we should hike towards Divinity. Come, I can show you a shortcut through the woods." Arkus said as he walked past Robert towards the back door Emily left out of.

Robert followed, still with a blush across his face and asked Arkus, "Do you mind if we stop at an apothecary shop? I need to purchase an alchemy set for my own personal studies."

Opening up the door for Robert to pass through, the minotaur's eyes widened with wonder.

"Ahh! Derik only told me you worked magic! I did not know that you were an alchemist as well."

Thanking Arkus for his gesture, Robert walked through the door before he answered,

"Yes. I have studied the effects of the wisps for quite some time with the limited knowledge our libraries hold and have been looking for a place to research their effects for alchemy."

Looking around the environment, Robert noticed the small, but dense forest in front of him. The leaves were broad and covered the area in a dark shade. Bugs hummed happily in the distance and birds chirped as they flew food to their young. The forest seemed bustling with life.

Off to the right, Emily worked on trimming the spacious garden that stretched nearly to the dirt path Robert was walking on. Different vegetables of all sizes grew in the garden from tomatoes to onions. Several different charms were tied to the small poles and sat around the garden in the road. The glyphs were of arcane origin and Robert could instantly tell they were made to keep certain creatures away. One of the charms did not look familiar though. The charm was made of a very dark wood and had a strange symbol in the middle. It made a hollow clunk as it lightly tapped against the pole it was tied around when the wind blew by it.

Catching up to Robert and walking by him with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, Arkus pointed over to the forests to Robert's left.

"You will find no better place to study the wisp's behavior than in those forests. The wisps are a harmless bunch as long as you leave the forest virtually untouched. The Queen of the domain is a particularly benevolent one, but she does not know boundaries."

Robert remembered his textbooks mentioned the wisp's attachment to their spaces of rest. Twigs and branches can be replaced to the wisps, but merely cutting bark from the trees in their area can result in aggressive tendencies.

"Is that why you have the wooden charm over on the pole? Is that for the wisps?"

Nodding, Arkus said, "You are observant. Yes, that is for the Queen and her followers. Long ago, the Queen moved out of her forest out of curiousness and reckless abandon. She enchanted our garden and it grew into a forest the size of our cabin overnight. The people who used to live her gave us the charm. The mentioned that it took them nearly five weeks of hard bargaining with the Queen to acquire the land once more. The Queen finally agreed to the terms that she would allow them to have their land back as long as they delivered assorted flowers to her for a decade every spring. They agreed."

Arkus chuckled and continued, "The Queen, in her ecstatic excitement that she would receive the most beautiful of the Gods and Goddess's creations, blessed the soil with growth and allowed the soil to bare plants no matter what the season. The Queen still walks in the forest and Emily grows roses and tulips near her domain. The Queen loves her."

Curious about the lore of the grounds, Robert was about to pry further when colored transparent strings appeared near the entrance of the forest. They were a light green and hovered as if held up by nothing.

Noticing Robert's perplexed expression, Arkus said, "Those are the wisps in their natural form. They take on the emotions of anyone nearby."

"So what does green mean?"

"It means calm."

Astonished by the complexity of the wisps, Robert started to ponder on more about the Queen and her mystical presence over the forest.

Keeping silent, Arkus started to take the lead as they walked down the dirt path in a quicker pace. The forest started to appear closer and closer to the duo and Robert started to feel more intimidated by its large presence. The wisps at the entrance started to change from the light green to a light magenta. Picking up on the altered color of the wisps, Arkus laughed broadly and slapped a worried looking Robert on the back saying,

"There is no need to be afraid of the forest. Again, the wisps are peaceful if you do not disturb their territory. I know the way through the forest and I will protect you if any of the wildlife gets too close."

Rolling his eyes and blushing profusely, Robert exclaimed, "I am not scared!"

The wisps morphed into a darker pink.

"You're right; you're embarrassed." Arkus added with a smirk.

"Just lead the way." Robert sighed in annoyance.

"Yes, your majesty. Right this way!" The Minotaur replied, his smirk getting wider as he walked confidently into the forest.

The trail into the forest whined in several different paths and as the two got deeper into the forest, the trees started to glow a strange iridescent color. Wisps started to appear more and the sound of water hitting rocks made Robert's ears flick as he picked up all the different noises. The forest smelled as if it just rained.

As the two walked further and further on and Robert's nervousness started to shift into wonderment, the mage started to stop and admire the different leaves and bugs that dotted the road. Everything was so different for him that he was almost overwhelmed by his senses. Arkus would let Robert take in the atmosphere for a moment before tapping his shoulder and explaining that he would have plenty of time to explore the forest when they were not so pressed for time. Robert understood that he had responsibilities, but the only thing he wanted to do was study the environment around him.

Robert would always huff, but would not whine and continue down the trail with the minotaur companion. Arkus saw Robert as a child who just rediscovered the world and felt like he was more of an owner of a pet who had to tug on the leash every once and a while. He did not mind Robert's eagerness to explore, but he was getting tired of beckoning Robert to continue.

Finally, the two emerged from the forest and into the wide open plains.

Divinity shined brightly in the distance and Robert noticed they were approaching from a side entrance. Guards stood on either side of two large doors into the city and they both had tired looks on their faces. One of the guards was a lizard while the other was a wolf. They both wore brilliantly detailed silver armor with equally stunning helms and had short swords at a close reach on each of the right part of their hips.

Archers were also stationed above the wall and many of them seemed tense.

Slowing down until his speed was the same as Robert's and he stood nearly shoulder to shoulder to the tiger, Arkus whispered, "Let me handle the guards. They know me well enough that we can get inside easily. Just look pretty."

Robert was about to retort, but before he could the minotaur was already talking to the guards.

Sighing and patting his foot in annoyance, Robert waited patiently until Arkus wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him inside casually. The large doors opened for their entry into the residential district. Small to medium sized houses lined the streets. They were made of a crude brick, but looked well built.

"Follow me to the markets. We can pick up what we need from there and then head back to the cabin."

"Ok. Sounds lovely." Robert said.

As they walked through the streets, Robert's eyes started to gaze curiously on Arkus's form. The way Arkus's back swayed back and forth as he walked started to hypnotize Robert. The minotaur's back was well muscled and his body seemed to flex with every walk he took. Robert could tell he was tense.

Starting to trail lower, the mage's eyes fell upon Arkus's rump and legs and was transfixed by the way the muscle moved and flexed. Shaking his head out of his trance and blushing, Robert hissed in disgust at his own curiosity.

"I just met him..." Robert mumbled.

Looking over his shoulder at the stunned looking tiger, Arkus asked, "Are you ok, Robert?"

The minotaur's deep blue eyes looked genuinely concerned.

"I-I am fine. I am just o-overwhelmed by the market." Robert lied.

Shrugging, Arkus said, "If you need to sit for a bit, let me know. I would rather not have you pass out on me."

Giving a small smile, Robert answered back, "Thank you."

Nodding, the minotaur continued walking and Robert continued blushing.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Robert and Arkus made it to the markets. The stalls were bustling with people just like the first time Robert visited Divinity. Since it was the morning, many adults were present, but no children were anywhere to be seen. Pointing over to an ancient looking building that was past Katar's bakery, Arkus said,

"You can pick up your alchemy supplies there. A snow cat sells supplies. You two should hit it off."

Nodding, Robert said, "I will meet you back here when I finished shopping."

Giving a smile, Arkus mentioned, "Good. I would not want a pair of extra hands to leave so soon."

Saying goodbye to Arkus and walking past Katar's Bakery and into the alchemy shop, Robert heard the sound of a bell jingling as he entered. The inside of the store was dark and smelled like a musty basement. Several different plants and organs from various species of animals lined the walls. A mix-mash of scrolls covered the floor. Frogs ribbitted and hopped over his feet. A feral cat hissed and meowed loudly as he entered through the door.

"Oh shut up, Pixie. You damn cat...always so loud and-"

A female panther hopped up from her crouched position behind the counter holding what appeared to be a bubbling and volatile tube full of mysterious liquid. When she noticed that Robert was a cat like her, she purred happily.

"Oh, hello. Nice to see another feline of the North so far down here."

As if waiting for the right moment, the bubbling liquid puffed up a dangerous amount of purple smoke into the alchemist's face. Robert cringed at the panther's carelessness.

She coughed violently, still smiling and laughing almost manically as she wiped off her robes.

"My name is Melina and I am the leading alchemist for this town. Please, browse and let me know if you find anything that you fancy."

Robert bowed politely and then replied, "Hello Melina. My name is Robert and I wish to ask if you carry any glassware for alchemy practices."

"Of course. Please, step behind my counter."

Dodging the irate cat, Robert followed Melina back behind the counter and through a hidden doorway. The doorway led to a medium sized room filled with glass tubes big and small, round, skinny, and fat.

"Pick from anything that interests you and I will name the price." Melina said before jumping at the sound of a small explosion and running back into the main area. Robert looked back into the lobby with a worried look across his face.

"Do not worry, my Northern friend; it was only one of the frogs! One of them must have gotten into a stash of one of my exploding bugs. Assassins love these things, but frogs...not so much."

"How many patrons do you have that get injured coming in here?" Robert asked with concern.

"Oh only..."

There was a pause and then a small sinister chuckle.

"Well there was that one incident last week..."

Robert grimaced and decided it was time for him to buy what he needed and get out before his fate became the same as one of the frogs.

Meeting up with Arkus in the middle of the markets, Robert noticed the minotaur did not clutch the small purse of gold coins and instead had a dusty brown pouch instead. Robert noticed he seemed to be looking around for him.

"I am over here, Arkus! Sorry about the wait; the alchemist that gave me the materials is crazy." Robert said as he held up the assorted glassware.

"No problem. She can be a handful, but she is brilliant."

"So, are you ready to head back?" Robert asked.

"Oh, eager are we?" Arkus chuckled.

Shrugging, Robert said, "No, I just want to get the work done so I can research the wisps."

Grinning and beckoning Robert to follow once more, Arkus said, "Then let's get to the actual work!"

The two left town without any trouble. The two guards at the door were different, but allowed Robert and Arkus to pass through. As they walked out of the city, the sun started to make its way to the middle of the sky and beamed down on them as they walked towards the forest.

Robert noticed beads of sweat started to fall of his brow. Arkus's back started to glisten with a fine layer of sweat that matted his fur. He did not seem to mind. Arkus's body seemed to appear burlier and intimidating. Jingling with every step, the nipple rings made a soft sound as he walked.

As they made it into the cooler shade of the forest, Robert's mind started to drift once more to Arkus. He started to wonder about where the minotaur came from, his origin, why he decided to work for Derik, and...

"What do the rings mean?"

Looking over his shoulder, Arkus laughed saying, "Everyone asks me that at one time or another."

Pausing in thought for a few seconds, Arkus answered, "They can mean a number of things depending on the tribe a minotaur is loyal to. I am loyal to the Animosa tribe. The rings symbolize vitality."

Pointing to his right nipple ring before giving it a small tug, Arkus said, "Gold means 'available' while silver means 'taken'. The number of rings as well as placement on a minotaur's nipples mean biological preferences. One on the right means females, one on the left means males, and two means both ways."

Blushing at the thought of Arkus courting men, Robert inquired, "Why is there no stigma surrounding...well...you know..."

Arkus smirked at Robert's hesitance about sex.

"Bodies are bodies. Pleasure is pleasure." Arkus said with a wink, "No need to be in bondage by social context." He continued.

Intrigued by the casual attitude about intimacy, Robert continued to bombard Arkus more questions about his culture. Robert listened carefully as the minotaur explained different ways the tribe interacted with one another, jobs that needed to be done, and even about the different food and flora found around where the minotaurs resided.

In what felt like a minute, Arkus and Robert were back at the garden.

"...And that is why you never sneak a glance when bathing with the chief. My friend's bum hurt for a couple of hours after their reunion the next day." Arkus finished.

Robert was amazed at how foreign Arkus's culture was to his. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and he wanted to hear more about Arkus's tribe and personal story. The whole time he listened, he wished he had brought a writing device and some paper. The professors would be all over the stories.

The minotaur did not mind Robert's enthusiasm and endless questions. He enjoyed the attention. Robert was an eager listener and his questions were honest and without judgement. Usually, he did not find such an open-minded person outside of the cabin.

"Hello, boys. I see you have brought back some seeds."

Walking towards them, Emily had a hoe in one hand and a shovel in the other. She looked extraordinarily dirty.

"Also, are you telling Robert the story about your friend and the infamous chief?"

Arkus smiled mischievously.

"Maybe."

Looking over at Robert, Emily said, "I've heard it a million times. Wait till he breaks into song while gardening about manly battles and things..."

"I'm not that bad of a singer!"

"Ya, ya. Say what you want, but..."

Tossing the shovel at Robert and the hoe at Arkus, Emily barked,

"We have work to do so let's get it done!"

Robert moaned in annoyance.

Arkus beamed like a small child.

________________________________________________________________________

Collapsing onto the ground, Robert panted in exhaustion. Sweat dripped off of his fur and tarnished his robes. Robert knew wearing the heaviest clothing he owned was a bad idea; especially after nearly two hours of hard work.

Sitting down next to him, Arkus had dirt cake his fur. Robert could see small droplets of sweat drip down his chin and onto the dirt as Arkus panted and wiped his brow. He looked at Robert with a grin.

Meanwhile, Emily was still planting seeds, trimming weeds, and digging holes.

"She does not know what a break is." Arkus murmured to Robert.

"It seems she does not know what a lot of things are." Robert teased.

"I HEARD THAT!" Emily shouted with an extremely rude gesture.

"Only kidding." Robert giggled.

Walking up from behind, Brook looked down at Robert with a small smile. Carrying glasses that had a flamboyant orange and red color, the servant handed one to Arkus and placed the other one by Robert's cheek. Reaching out to touch the glass, the fatigued mage felt it was as cold as ice.

"What are these for?" Robert said as he leaned up off of the ground into a sitting position and took a sip from the glass. The flavor of the drink was sweet and tangy and the liquid was smooth, but thick.

"Drinks to keep you well hydrated from the mid-day heat of course." Brook said.

Taking another sip of the drink, Robert savored the refreshing chill the drink provided. Looking over to his right, he noticed Arkus was gulping down the liquid as fast as he received it.

"Did you make these yourself?"

"Yes. I used to be a bartender before I worked here. I wanted to practice again. Emily and Arkus are always willing participants in whatever I create, but I need some fresh blood. That is where you come in. So, how do you like the drink?" Brook said with pride swelling in his chest as he took the empty glass from Arkus.

"I do appreciate the drink, Brook. The flavor of it is something I have never experienced before. Most of the beverages up North are too rich for my taste, but these are just right."

After the compliment, Brook's posture seemed to be straighter and more defined.

"Also, you do realize that alcohol dehydrates the body, right?" Robert added with a smirk.

Brook nodded and said, "I do. These are non-alcoholic."

Huffing, Arkus said, "A shame really. I could use some alcohol when dealing with this cat's poor digging skills."

"Sometimes, it is the teacher who should be blamed. I feel this is one of those moments." Robert retorted.

Grinning, Arkus gave Robert's shoulder a light punch and teased,

"Are those fighting words?"

"I do not think I could win in a fight with you if they were." Robert said as he took the last gulp of the liquid and handed the glass over to Brook who took it with a smile.

"I can teach you, if you wish."

Looking over at Arkus with surprise, Robert saw Arkus was serious. He wore an expression that looked as if he was talking to a curious student.

"Oh no, you do not need to teach me how to fight. I duel with magic."

"Magic can be weak. Strength can serve you when magic cannot."

Shocked, Robert was surprised by Arkus's somewhat harsh accusation towards his work.

Laughing, Robert said arrogantly, "What do you know about magic?"

Robert knew he hit a nerve and wished at the very second he took the comment back; the way Arkus's muzzle scrunched for half a second told him.

"Enough to know that it can fail." Arkus snorted.

Starting to feel that Arkus's comments were becoming a bit personal, Robert raised his voice in irritation,

"What spells have you casted that have made you master of incantations?"

In a fit of rage, Arkus jumped up from his sitting position and stomped over to Robert. He pointed at him and bellowed,

"And what makes YOU so special?! You are just another posh and egotistic mage! My family died by your kind!"

Silent at the outburst, Robert looked up to Arkus with a mixture of fear and surprise. He held his hand up as if trying to shield his face, and his palm glowed faintly.

Robert was ready to defend himself.

Giving another huff as he looked at Robert's shaking and illuminating outstretched hand, Arkus turned around toward the forest and growled, "I need a walk. I will be back soon."

After Arkus walked away, Brook stood with a shocked look on his face. Robert still sat on the ground with his hand still at the ready for several minutes as he processed what just happened.

Finally, he managed to mutter,

"Well, this has been an eventful first day."

Brook sighed and said,

"I would go talk to him, but be careful; he has never had an outburst like that since Derik took him in."

Curious at how Arkus got there in the first place, Robert was about to ask Brook a few questions when he heard sounds coming from the garden.

Setting down her shovel and running over, Emily said, "I will come with you. I know him better than you do."

Shaking his head, Robert said, "I want to go alone. I need to apologize by myself."

Emily was about to object, but Brook placed a hand on Emily's shoulder and said, "Let him go alone if he wants to."

Crossing her arms, Emily said, "Fine. Arkus will probably be by the creek inside the forest."

Nodding, Robert said, "Thank you."

Running after Arkus, the mage ran into the forest and let the trees swallow him up.

Sitting on an abnormally large rock, Arkus stared down at the creek bed. The crystal clear water moved across the pebbles that lined the bottom of it and fish swam nonchalantly along with the current. Several beautiful flowers flowed with the light wind that managed to get through the thick leaves of the forest.

Wisps moved along with the wind as well, their transparent bodies glowing a deep red. Arkus knew what the color meant.

Hurling a smaller rock down towards the creek's waters, Arkus grumbled at the fact that Robert was even invited to work at the cabin in the first place.

"The mage probably thought I was some kind of freak."

Thinking back to his parents, his eyes started to water. He criticized himself before tossing another small pebble down at the creek.

"Arkus..."

Hearing a somewhat fearful voice, Arkus's ears lifted at the sound.

"Brook? Is that you? If so, I do not wish to talk right now." Arkus shouted into the trees.

"No, Arkus. It is me, Robert."

Eyes widening, Arkus turned around to see the mage hiding behind a tree. His robe was torn from some of the thorns of the bushes. His robe was dirtied from the garden work, but Arkus could tell it was completely soiled from Robert running through the forest.

"What the hell happened to you?" Arkus asked, trying his hardest not to laugh.

"I ran through the forest looking for you. I heard water and Emily mentioned you would be by a creek so I ran in that direction."

Pointing to a dirt path, Arkus said, "You do realize there was a trail, right?"

Looking away with a blush, Robert said, "No..."

Arkus laughed loudly. Tears started to form in his eyes and he got up from the rock and embraced Robert warmly. Robert's head fell in between Arkus's chin and upper chest and was right against his neck. Arkus's fur was surprisingly soft. The minotaur's massive arms wrapped around Robert's body easily and the mage realized just how short and small he was compared to the size of Arkus. Surprised at the contact, Robert thought he was about to be strangled so he started to push against Arkus firmly. His hands gripped Arkus's muscled chest and pushed. The minotaur was like a brick wall; however, and did not move an inch.

"Stop pushing me. I'm not going to hurt you." Arkus chuckled as he squeezed Robert harder.

The two stood silently for bit, sharing in the moment together. The wisps around them turned from a dark red to a lighter shade.

Hearing mumbles, Arkus looked down at Robert to see he was sand witched between his pectorals said, "What was that?"

Struggling out of Arkus's neck and placing his head on the Minotaur's shoulder, Robert said, "I'm glad your anger is short lived."

"I am still angry." The minotaur frowned.

Finally catching a weakness in the embrace, Robert stepped away from Arkus and said, "I know what I said was-"

"Save it, Robert. I may have over-reacted a bit."

Sighing in relief, Robert said, "I'm sorry, Arkus. I truly am. I am glad we are no longer on the wrong foot."

"Actually, by tradition, we still are."

Raising an eyebrow, Robert asked, "What do you mean?"

Giving a relaxed smile, Arkus said, "By my tribe's tradition, minotaurs who get into a disagreement are to wrestle to vent emotions. I wish to carry on that tradition."

Robert wished he remembered parchment again.

Feeling like it would be terribly rude to shoot down the offer and pushed by an internal curiosity, Robert answered, "I guess I wish to be a part of it."

Nodding, Arkus's face changed to a more serious expression then. He slowly started to remove his garments.

"What are you doing?!" Robert exclaimed as he shielded his eyes.

Sighing, Arkus explained, "We are to be naked. Everything that we have on us gets in the way. Two men should wrestle with nothing, but their bodies. Clothes and other objects do not make the experience sacred. If you are squeamish, we can st-"

Not wanting to quit due to his interest in Arkus's culture, Robert shook off his uncertainty, and cut off Arkus saying,

"I am not afraid of being naked with another male. I was just surprised."

Taking off his loin cloth and straps on his harness, Arkus stood nude in front of Robert. It was strange for Robert to see the minotaur without clothes on with sweat and body staining his fur.

He still looked just as intimidating and fierce. His eyes scanned Robert to see he had not removed one article of clothing, but was staring at Arkus's naked body.

"Are you going to strip?"

"Yes, yes just...look away."

"What?"

"Just look away!"

Rolling his eyes, Arkus turned around with his arms crossed. His tail swished back and forth which stirred up dirt on the ground. His rump flexed for a second before relaxing.

The tiger's face reddened.

As Robert undressed himself, he realized how foolish it was for him to care that Arkus saw him nude. After all, he did not care about Emily seeing him naked earlier.

"Why do I care so much?" Mumbled Robert as he took off his robes and loincloth. He cupped his privates as he turned around.

"You can face me now."

Turning around, Arkus smiled at seeing Robert follow through with the tradition. Arkus had to admit, Robert was adorable as he stood with a palm covering himself.

Walking up to Robert, Arkus soothingly rubbed Robert's shoulder and said, "You have nothing to be afraid of. You are safe by my side."

Grabbing Robert's right wrist gently and moving it away, Arkus grinned as Robert's blush got redder

"Plus, you cannot pin me with one hand covering your privates."

Noting Robert's expression, Arkus embraced Robert. Shifting awkwardly, Robert was taken aback by the gesture.

"You are bashful."

Robert simply replied, "Let's just go through with this..."

Letting go of Robert with a smirk, Arkus moved a few paces away from the tiger and hunched down into a tackling stance.

"You can come at me however way you wish."

Giving a smile, Robert said, "I probably will not even knock you over."

"Just give it a try."

Rolling his eyes and running at Arkus, Robert put all his momentum into pushing the immense beast over. Jumping off the ground and aiming for the minotaur's stomach, Robert felt his arms warp around Arkus's waist. Gasping near silently in surprise as he was pushed backwards a bit, Arkus grabbed onto Robert's shoulders. Still trying to push Arkus over, Robert increased his strength, but the minotaur would not budge.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but..."

Arkus wrapped his arms around the mage and pushed him down onto the ground. Robert felt his back fall flat onto the dirt and the minotaur's weight on his. He tried to struggle, but it seemed Arkus had him pinned just using his weight alone. Arkus's massive body nearly eclipsed his and the mage felt small compared to his opponent.

Robert flailed erratically and attempted to push the minotaur off of him by grabbing his horns and awkwardly pulling upward. Arkus just laughed before gripping Robert's wrists and pinning them above the mage's head.

Robert still struggled. He attempted to move his body and use his hips to try and push Arkus off of him, but he only felt the Minotaur's fur against his. He could feel Arkus's warm breath on his cheek and his blue eyes watching him closely.

As Robert wiggled in Arkus's grip, he felt something large rubbing against his chest and his face reddened whenever it rubbed against his legs by their contact. He could guess what it was...

"Are you ready for another round? Arkus asked as he loosened his grip on Robert's wrists.

That was a mistake.

Taking advantage of the small window, Robert managed to get out of Arkus's grip. Using his momentum, Robert wrapped his legs around Arkus's and grabbed the minotaur's horns. Turning suddenly, he put all his strength into turning the tables.

Pushing his body against Arkus's, Robert rolled until he felt his back against the forest's air and his rump on top of Arkus's stomach.

Now he was in control.

Robert could feel the soft fur against his most sensitive parts, but ignored the stimulation. Right now, it was just him and Arkus.

No one was there to judge.

"Nope. I was just getting started." Robert panted.

Grinning, Arkus said, "Good."

The minotaur had to admit, he was surprised by Robert's sudden burst of energy, but he had been in worse situations. Grabbing Robert's ankles, the minotaur gave them a tug until Robert was sitting on his neck. Although it was an awkward position, Robert did not have much time to react as he was lifted into the air by his back.

Robert felt like an insect being lifted by a giant.

That was until he was dropped back down on his back. He hit Arkus's chest with an "oof" before he felt an arm wrap snuggly around his neck, putting him into a headlock. Robert could feel the muscle flex and tense around his neck. The minotaur's broad chest rubbed against his back and his other arm wrapped securely around Robert's chest.

Arkus was panting along with Robert. Beads of sweat started to roll down his body. Feeling the minotaur's member occasionally bump against his legs, Robert tried to push the fact that they were naked out of his mind again.

He started to squirm.

"Hey, this is not fair!" Robert shouted in protest.

"How is not? You bested me once, best me again."

Taking his elbow and striking it against Arkus's chest, the minotaur just giggled hysterically.

"That tickled."

Raising his foot, Robert moved his foot over in between Arkus's legs. He raised an eyebrow and joked,

"This would probably do a bit more than tickle."

"You would not dare..."

Robert chuckled darkly and said, "You are right, that would be pretty dirty."

He put his leg down softly back where it was before.

Continuing to move slightly in Arkus's grip, Robert did not wish to give up. He wanted to prove the minotaur that he was strong enough to best him again. He worked the grip as much as possible, trying to find a way to escape, but could find none. The minotaur's grapple was rock solid.

Arkus enjoyed watching Robert attempt to find a way out of his grip, but he asked,

"Do you surrender?"

Growing limp in Arkus's grip, Robert started to lose his moral.

"I submit. You win."

Loosening his grip and letting Robert get up with a content sigh from both parties, Arkus smiled saying, "That was enjoyable. I have not had a fight like that in several months."

"Glad you enjoyed it." Robert said sarcastically as he rubbed his neck. Robert stretched his shoulders and back and cringed when he heard his body pop and crack.

"Oh do not be that way. You made me break a sweat! How about this..."

Getting up from his sitting position, Arkus brushed himself off.

"I train you every break in the art of wrestling."

Surprised by the sudden suggestion, Robert shrugged and said, "Will you tell me more about your culture?"

Nodding, the minotaur said, "Of course. I find it refreshing that you take interest."

Robert smiled and said, "Then it is a deal."

"Excellent. We will begin tomorrow."

Talking casually as if nothing happened, the two put on their clothes and walked out of the forest and towards the garden. Robert was immensely excited at the fact he could bombard the minotaur with as much questions as he wanted while learning the style of minotaurian wrestling. It was knowledge he thought he never would get the chance to be allowed to know let alone participate in.

"You really need some work clothes. You can borrow some of mine if you wish." Arkus mentioned as he eyed up Robert's robe with a look of concern.

"Ya, I really need to stop using my robes practically."

As the two made it towards the entrance of the forest, Arkus asked, "So are you still interested in the wisps?"

Shaking his head, "Yes and no. After my run in with you, I realized that your culture should be recorded for the University. Unlike what you may think, our professors are interested in culture as well as magic. It helps to know what makes certain creatures tick."

Arkus was happy that Robert seemed to be enjoying himself on the estate, but decided to ask Robert personally.

"All and all, are you happy?"

Robert noticed Emily waving in the distance as she ran towards them with a shovel and a hoe once more.

"Ecstatic." Robert said with a smile.

After one month of living at the cabin, Robert was the busiest he has ever been in a long time even with the full days off he would occasionally get from Derik. The dragon treated him well and everyone was starting to warm up to Robert a bit more; especially Arkus.

The mage's research jumped between Arkus's culture and the wisps that floated around the forest. Using his new lab that he built inside his own room, Robert had been testing the properties of wisps. He learned Derik's technique of creating the powder that would allow a person to summon a wisp and took several notes on the different properties of the magical creatures.

His room was littered with papers, glass tubes, and different potions. He had several vials that contained the local flora scattered around the room. The mess always made Brook a bit irritated, but Robert would sometimes help him clean around the cabin every once and a while which gave Brook someone to chat with.

Both Brook and Robert enjoyed the company.

Getting more familiar with the town, Robert enjoyed spending his time with Katar at the bakery and listened to him about gossip every once and a while. The bakery was almost like a fourth tavern in Divinity.

Eventually, Robert even started to call Divinity home.

Derik even approached Robert one night about going back.

"So, you paid off your debts two weeks ago, Robert. Why are you still here?"

Working on brewing a specific potion using plants that Melina gave him for free due to helping her with an insect problem, Robert answered,

"Research. The land you are on is one of a kind, Derik. I could not ask for better conditions to work in."

Nodding, Derik said, "When does the University want their prized pupil back?"

Robert smiled and said, "Whenever my research is complete. They give me as long as I need."

Derik smiled warmly in return and said, "Good because the gardens still need a lot of work and I am sure Emily, Arkus, and Brook would be sad to see you go."

Everything was going smoothly; even the sessions he had with Arkus. Robert learned all about the minotaur culture, writing down all the information he could, before training in the minotaurian fighting style. The style was a combination of using grapples and the strength of the opponent against themselves to trip, disarm, or pin a threat. Robert was beginning to quickly get the style down pat since it was made to allow smaller people to be on the same playing field as larger opponents. Although Robert wrestled naked with Arkus to go along with the tradition, he started to not mind being vulnerable around Arkus as much. The minotaur kept their practices a secret; no matter how much Emily wondered why the two always walked off into the forest together with mischievous looks on their faces.

From the exhausting work in the garden to wrestling with Arkus every break, he was noticing his muscles were starting to become more defined and developed. Robert was even starting to prove to be a challenge to Arkus when they did train. Although he did return back to gardening sore and tired, Brook would always be available to help around the cabin if he did feel too drained for physical labor.

Arkus's clothes that he let Robert borrow did the job well, but they were a bit too large. The harness and loincloth that he was given was a bit too minotaurian for Robert's personal taste and Emily would always giggle uncontrollably whenever he wore it out of respect to Arkus's gratitude. He eventually went to Divinity to buy clothes to his taste after two weeks of endless teasing.

Robert even questioned Arkus about the clothing.

"Why do you wear such...revealing clothing?" Robert asked at one point while giving one of the leather straps of the harness a pull.

"First, it is because a minotaur takes great pride in his body. To not show one's body is seen as insecure and awkward to our tradition. Of course, we cover what we need too. Since minotaurs live in some of the roughest conditions, clothing is worn to protect sensitive areas from the elements. Also, excess clothing gets in the way of a proper sword swing."

"This does leave a bit of room to maneuver..." Robert joked as he noticed some of the straps did not fit as tightly as expected to his chest and the loincloth looked a few sizes too large.

Chuckling, Arkus said, "That gear is a bit big for someone of your stature. Whenever I travel to my tribe's territory in the winter for a brief visit, I will take you with me. You can experience our culture first hand."

With his mouth agape, Robert stuttered, "I-it is such an honor to b-be asked...to..."

"Oh, relax. Will you come back when winter comes around from your drab research work?"

"O-of course."

Even as the late summer started to change into fall, Robert changed along with the leaves. He started to feel certain urges around Arkus. His heart would quicken and sometimes be a loss for words as they wrestled on the ground. Robert spent more times staring at Arkus then paying attention to what he was saying. Whenever Emily asked Robert about his "man crush" on Arkus, Robert would shoot back at her that he was just interesting to be around.

But he knew what was truly happening.

He was falling for Arkus.

It was like any other work day in the garden. Emily, Arkus, and Robert were each hard at work at moving dirt and trimming the assorted vegetables. Robert even had an extra duty to pore a mixture he created over the plants to help them survive the frosts that were beginning to creep up during the colder nights.

After working in the gardens till the sun was high in the sky, Emily wiped her brow decided the grounds had nothing more that could be done. On a rare occasion, Emily ended early. This was one of the occasions.

She piped up saying, "You guys can do what you want, but I am calling it early."

Robert and Arkus both looked at one another. They were speechless, but they both knew what they wanted to do with their time. Arkus could tell by the curious glimmer in Robert's eyes.

"Well, go off and do something else with your lives."

Elated, the pair ran off to the forest.

"I cannot believe Emily let us out early for once!" Robert said joyfully.

"Yes, it is incredibly rare."

"I bet. You told me we were going to spar again. Are you still up for it?" Robert said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Of course." Arkus said. Happy that Robert was excited as much as he was, Arkus smiled warmly down at the mage.

"Do you have any questions about the techniques I showed you last time?"

Shaking his head, Robert said, "No. It seems pretty straight forward. I just tilt my arms and use my legs to pin the opponent. I do have a question about you though."

"Oh, what would that be?"

Looking over his shoulder and into Arkus's deep blue eyes, Robert was slightly transfixed by how they looked against his fur.

"How old can minotaur's get?"

Ducking underneath a tree branch, Arkus replied, "How old are you?"

"I am twenty one."

"Imagine ten times that and that is about the average age of a minotaur if they do not participate in combat. Comparatively, I am close to the same age as you. I am fifty two years of age, but I have the body of a twenty one year old in your culture."

Nodding as he wrote down notes inside the margin of his journal, Robert grinned saying, "The University will love this. Thank you for all the information you have provided so far."

"It is not a problem. Make sure to credit me if you happen to write a book of some kind." Arkus said with a smirk.

As the two made their way deeper into the forest, the familiar sound of the creek could be heard, the trees started to get denser, and the path narrower. Eventually, they both made it to the large rock.

"Well, are you ready to begin?"

Robert nodded and hooked his fingers on the waistband of his pants and pulled them down along with his underwear.

He was not near as timid as he first was when they stripped.

"I am ready whenever you are." Robert said after he removed his shirt and stood straight, ready to embrace the challenge that was ahead of him.

Arkus chuckled as he removed his harness and loincloth.

Running at Arkus, Robert tackled Arkus and knocked him to the ground. He fell onto the minotaur's broad chest. Arkus was beaming.

"Very good tackle."

"I learned from the best." Robert said as he straddled Arkus's chest.

Grabbing Robert by the shoulders, Arkus pushed Robert off him with a quick shove and stood up. Robert fell to the ground, but immediately jumped to a fighting position.

In a flash, Arkus ran towards Robert and crouched low. Before Robert could dive out the way, the minotaur wrapped his arms around Robert's legs, propped the tiger's upper body on his shoulder, and lifted him upwards.

Soon Robert found himself thrown over the minotaur's shoulder as if he was a prize that Arkus was hauling back. Unable to move and irritated, Robert started to take half-hearted whacks at Arkus's back.

Robert was soon rewarded with a slap to his rump.

Yipping in surprise, Robert looked over at Arkus to see he was grinning wickedly.

"Bad kitty."

Robert gave a sigh of annoyance.

Ever since Arkus had gotten to know Robert more, he has been more comfortable being a bit "playful" during their matches.

"You are a piece of work, you know that?" Robert joked as he flicked his tail over Arkus's face.

Laughing, Arkus said, "I only kid."

Placing Robert down, Arkus stepped back and said, "Ready for round two?"

"Of course."

The two wasted no time standing.

Charging at Robert once more, Arkus aimed this time for the mage's chest. Instead though, Robert quickly dodged the charge to Arkus's surprise and Robert soon had the advantage.

Wrapping his left arm around the minotaur's neck and grabbing the bull's right horn with his right hand, Robert had Arkus fully in his control. Struggling in the headlock, Arkus tried to find a weak point in Robert's stance, but could not find one.

Feeling their bodies grind together and sweat mix with dirt, Robert felt invigorated about getting Arkus right where he wanted. Letting go of the minotaur's horn and giving Arkus's rump a rough slap, Robert learned forward close enough that the minotaur could feel the tiger's breath against his ear. Robert whispered,

"Bad bovine."

"Oh, shut up." Arkus snorted.

"You should have never taught me how to stand correctly when having someone in a hold."

Bellowing, Arkus broke out of the hold and locked hands with Robert. The two strained against one another, sweat starting to drip down each other's brows as they strained against one another.

Their breaths started to turn into pants for air as they pushed against one another, neither one wishing to give up an inch. Feeling his arms start to shake and strain, Robert started to grunt as he felt his strength start to falter.

Robert's legs started to wobble uncontrollably, and Arkus smirked victorious as he watched Robert's right knee hit the ground.

"That's right; kneel before me." Arkus said dominantly as he watched Robert's face scrunch in concentration.

His face growing flush at the words, Robert felt a shiver roll down his spine. Robert swore there was a hint of lust beneath the sentence as he felt his back hit the dirt and the minotaur sprawl over him. Hands still locked, Robert still grappled with Arkus, trying to turn the situation in his favor.

Twisting his legs around Robert's so his opponent could not move, Arkus knew he had Robert pinned to the floor. Robert could feel the minotaur's chest heave with every breath and brush against his, his arms overshadowing his own, and his hips up against his. Robert could also feel Arkus's manhood rubbing subtly over his own. It was a strange feeling for both of them, but it was not the first time they were in the same position. Usually, the two just shook the feeling off and continued wrestling, but...

This time was different.

Maybe it was the weather, or bottled up feelings, or just the way Robert looked so innocent and vulnerable as he looked up at Arkus.

Staring into Robert's eyes, Arkus's gaze started to soften and his grip started to grow light. Unlatching his right hand from Robert's grip and stroking it along the tiger's cheek, Arkus grew silent and his breaths started to deepen.

"Arkus...what are you..." Robert said as he placed a hand on the back of Arkus's with a blush as Arkus continued to move his fingers gracefully across Robert's cheek.

"You might want to pull out your notebook again, Robert..." Arkus said with a small grin as he took his left hand from Robert's grip and started to massage the mage's left shoulder.

"Arkus..." Robert mumbled weakly as he felt something throb with need against his member.

"The two would mate in order to reinforce their bond after their match."

Time felt like it was starting to slow. The wisps that floated around the forest changed from the calm green to a piercing yellow. The forest grew strangely quiet, the water flowing down the creek bed was the only noise. Arkus could feel Robert's heartbeat start to quicken against his chest.

Brushing his lips against Robert's cheek, Arkus started to peck at the soft fur. Placing his right hand on the back of Arkus's head and shifting his left arm over the minotaur's neck, Robert felt his body start to react. The warmth of Arkus's fur combined with the sensations of the surprisingly soft lips against his cheek made him shake in response.

"Arkus, I..this feel so different." Robert blushed as he felt the hand on his chest start to move to his left nipple and steadily start to pinch it lightly.

"If you do not wish to continue, I will stop." Arkus said through pants as he nuzzled against Robert's face lovingly.

Robert thought about the feeling he would get around Arkus and the wonder that would go along with it. With the forest covering them, it was just them. The minotaur's body covered him like a blanket. For once, Robert felt secure. Whatever feelings he had been experiencing around Arkus, he felt he could safely satisfy his curiosities.

Leaning forward off of the ground and pushing Arkus's head towards his, Robert could feel Arkus's warm breath against his lips. Smiling, Robert licked slowly across the minotaur's lips before diving in for a kiss.

It was like each of them had a roaring fire inside bursting forth

Eyes going wide, Arkus was surprised at Robert's enthusiasm and moaned appreciatively. The kiss was long and passionate. The two vigorously explored one another's bodies, hands caressing over fur and muscle. Neither one was ashamed as they voiced their natural desires to one another. Robert could tell Arkus's manhood was rock hard, over shadowing his in girth and length as it pulsed against his.

Robert did not mind.

It was actually erotic for him to feel so small beneath the minotaur in more ways than stature.

Their bodies flexed and relaxed in unison as their kiss grew in intensity. Robert started to make his way ever so gracefully down Arkus's back, massaging the thick muscle that moved as if it was a living being. Eventually resting his hands on Arkus's rump, Robert gave several playful squeezes, feeling the mound of muscle beneath his palms and mending and massaging it in his hands for nearly a minute.

Breaking from the kiss, Arkus looked down at Robert with a grin across his face before saying, "Have you been wondering what my backside has felt like for that long?"

Robert blushed and said, "Purely for research purposes."

"Research purposes my bum."

As he leaned in to kiss Robert, Arkus started to pinch the nipples in between his left pointer finger and thumb a bit harder. When their lips met, Robert groaned in the kiss, grinding against Arkus's member with more ferocity. The mixture of a dull pain and immense pleasure was euphoric for Robert and the tiger gasped and quaked as Arkus continued his assault on his senses.

Robert then felt the hand that was lightly stroking his cheek start to move lower and Arkus's body start to shift. Robert felt Arkus move from on top of him to laying on his side close to Robert. Turning his body so he was facing the minotaur, Robert started to rub Arkus's chest which got a low grumble in response. His hands moved along the canyon and valleys of raw brawn and masculinity, caressing Arkus's pecs and mimicking the tweaking and pinching that Arkus was doing on Robert's nipples.

The two scooted closer to together, still locked in a heated kiss, their member's undersides pressed up against one another and pushing against one another's chest. The two stopped kissing, but continued to explore one another's bodies, rubbing and fondling each other.. Then, Robert's eyes fell upon the minotaur's erected digit pushing against his own. The shaft was larger than anything he had seen. The head at the top pulsed and a clear substance rolled down the base, between both their members, and over Arkus's large orbs. The clear substance clashed with the dark brown fur and glinted in the sunlight that managed to pierce through the thick leaves of the forest.

Noticing Robert's interest combined with a look of want, Arkus chuckled. His voice came out gentle, smooth, and deep. The voice was like honey for Robert's ears.

"You can touch it if you wish. Explore until you are content, Robert. It is just me and you. We can take all the time we need."

Reaching out and gripping the base, Robert felt how solid it was. He could feel Arkus's heart beat through his hand as he gave the member a few long strokes. Giving a weak gasp, Arkus rolled his hips forward with each motion of Robert's hand. Slightly embarrassed as he own endowment throbbed suddenly to release a small amount of pre as it rubbed against Arkus's member, Robert moved his hand away from Arkus's manhood to wrap his whole grip around both shafts. They were so close together that Robert could feel Arkus's orbs against his own.

"Do you feel my weight, Robert? Do you feel my length?" Arkus said with lust as he sensually whispered in Robert's ear.

"Do you feel its power? Do you feel my pride?"

Robert head tilted back as he let out a moan. He started to stroke both their shafts, his face crimson as his body wallowed in the sensations and let them consume him like a wave washing over sand.

"You sound so beautiful when you make those noises."

Robert, lost in his cravings, started to grind against Arkus's body, his own reaching a high he had never experienced with another male before.

Smiling mischievously, Arkus leaned forward and engulfed Robert's right nipple in his muzzle, sucking and biting playfully on the nub. Robert did not know how to respond to the stimulation, his body quivering in the white hot bliss that flowed through his very being like lightning.

Robert's member trembled violently as it released more of its contents, the transparent liquid turning a milky white color. Arkus's member followed suit, the pressure building up inside of him ever so gradually.

As the tiger's hand gave a few more hearty strokes across both members, Robert's body tensed. His muscles started to lock up and shake. Robert's heartbeat started to quicken and his chest heave as he gulped down air in rough pants and grunts. The ears on the top of his head folded downward in submission. Sweat dripped down his brow and rolled over his chest.

Arkus knew what was about to happen and used his free hand to cup the tiger's orbs and clutch them dominantly.

That was the final straw for Robert.

Letting out a low growl, the tiger reached his peak.

Robert's climax was earth shattering, his mind trying to come to terms with the amount of pleasure he felt right at the moment. His essence erupted from the head of Robert's manhood and splattered against his own chest as well as Arkus's, rolled between their members, and dotted the ground. With every tremble, another jet left Robert's throbbing member.

As Robert reached mid-orgasm, the growl started to transform into a moan. Robert closed his eyes, basking in the bliss of climaxing while letting his mouth hang open.

Giving Robert's nipple one last lick, Arkus continued to hold Robert's jewels in his grip until the climax started to tamper off. Eventually, the shots started to turn into a trickle. Robert gasped at how sensitive he felt, his fingers running over his still hard manhood and shivering.

Satisfied with climax, Arkus let Robert's orbs out of his grip. Leaning forward, Arkus started to lick at Robert's hand that Robert used to pleasure the duo. Robert groaned when he felt the wet appendage move over his fingers, cleaning off anything that was on his padded palm. When Arkus was content with the result, he kissed Robert.

Surprised, Robert's eyes went wide at the sudden move. Tasting the mixture of spit and his climax on his tongue, Robert felt sick at first. After all, it was his first time tasting his own seed. His seed was bitter, but had a strange musky taste.

Starting to get used to the taste, Robert's tongue became to invade the minotaur's mouth.

This time it was Arkus who was surprised.

Wrapping his arms around Robert, Arkus pulled him close into an embrace before rolling on top of him, his chest brushing against Robert's like when they first started the session.

Breaking the kiss, Arkus said while panting,

"How did you enjoy that?"

"It was...oddly erotic and..."

After licking his lips, Robert continued,

"Salty..."

Arkus laughed, his booming voice carrying throughout the forest before collapsing onto Robert's chest.

Feeling the minotaur's shaft throbbing against his stomach, Robert asked,

"What is it like to be taken by another male?"

Looking into Robert's eyes and giving a gentle smile, Arkus said, "Like nothing you have experienced before, I can tell you that. Are you wanting me to...carry through with the whole tradition?"

Robert stared into Arkus's eyes and nodded, desire flooding back into Robert's expression. He was scared, but he wanted to follow through. Plus, he wanted to see Arkus reach a climax.

"Then it shall be done."

Reaching for his harness, Arkus grabbed something within one of the pockets on the outside and pulled out a small vial that held a transparent liquid. Setting it off to the side, Arkus said,

"Lubricant for entry. I shall prepare you accordingly."

"Why do you carry it around with you?" Robert said with a grin.

"I do not carry it around with me; I knew I would need it today."

Getting up off of Robert, but kneeling over him, Arkus uncorked the vial and poured a small amount of the contents on his pointer finger and middle finger. Setting the vial down, Arkus looked over to Robert and said with concern,

"If any of this hurts too much, let me know and I will stop. You have my word."

Robert nodded. He felt oddly safe with the minotaur taking control.

Spreading Robert's legs with his own and lining up his pointer finger, Arkus began to penetrate Robert. Concentrating on the sky, Robert did not think about the fact that his most sensitive and private area was being fiddled with. Rubbing the tiger's chest soothingly, Arkus kept cooing Robert to relax, massaging the tiger with his free hand to keep him distracted from how uncomfortable the initial entry felt.

Gasping and wiggling reflexively as Arkus's finger went deeper into him, Robert hissed. The strange feeling of a foreign object entering him made him shudder and wiggle uncomfortably. Although the first seconds of entry were unnerving, when Arkus tapped his prostate ever so slightly, Robert saw stars.

Letting out a groan, Robert let Arkus know he hit what he was looking for.

Grinning, the minotaur pulled out and added his middle finger which filled Robert up further. The stimulation was incredible for Robert. Since he never experienced such stimulation, the white hot pleasure that flooded him felt so different and unique.

Robert's manhood grew to full mass in a matter of minutes.

When Arkus had the feeling that Robert's passage was well lubricated for what was to come next, he pulled his fingers out carefully. Robert grunted, his senses on overdrive once more from the stimulation.

"You handled my fingers well." Arkus said as he uncorked the vial and poured the contents onto his endowment.

"Thanks, I guess." Robert panted as he looked down and across his stomach to see Arkus slowly rubbing the lubricant onto his manhood.

Arkus looked huge towering over him and he was just on his knee caps. The minotaur's muscles shined with sweat and his chest swelled as he stroked his pride. A squelching sound echoed through the forest and it was strangely erotic.

Robert could official appreciate just how massive Arkus was now compared to him.

He was literally at Arkus's mercy.

Arkus could read his nervous partner like a book. Placing a hand on the tiger's leg, Arkus asked, "Are you ok?"

"I am fine. You are just...big from my perspective."

At that moment, it was Arkus's cheeks who reddened.

"I will take it slow. If you are in too much pain that you wish for me to stop, just say the word and I will stop. This is supposed to be pleasurable for the both of us."

Nodding, Robert closed his eyes.

He knew what was coming next.

Lining up his member with Robert's hole, Arkus started to gently push himself in while gliding on top of Robert. Gripping Arkus's back tightly, Robert yelled out as the head of Arkus's manhood was pushed inside of him. Moaning, Arkus continued to move his hips forward, kissing Robert on the lips as he embraced Robert and wrapped his arms around the tiger to comfort him.

The lubricant helped ease the base of Arkus's manhood in and soon Robert felt Arkus's orbs, as well as his hips, flush against his backside.

"I am in. Are you doing ok?"

Opening his eyes, Robert grunted through pants, "Yes. Just please b-AHHH!"

Arkus grinded against Robert's rump, doing a bit more than just poking Robert's prostate. Robert felt his digit throb.

"Please be what?" Arkus teased as he did the same motion which got another shout of pleasure from Robert.

"Never mind, just take me." Robert whispered.

Smirking and pulling out until his head was the only thing inside Robert, Arkus thrust his hips steadily forward again. Placing his hands on Robert's shoulders, Arkus balanced himself accordingly so he could piston his hips as deep as possible.

Starting to feel the pain ebb away and replace itself with a tingly sensation as Arkus worked his hips, Robert felt an ecstasy start to take over his body. Beginning to move in syncopation with the minotaur's thrusts and push back whenever Arkus pushed forward, Robert was rewarded with a groan from Arkus.

Their two bodies tightened and relaxed as they made love. Licking up Robert's neck, the minotaur started to kiss Robert sensually once more, dominating his body. Completely overcome by his feelings and all at the grace of such a large beast, Robert moaned into the kiss, his body shook with need as Arkus started to gradually speed up.

Soon, Robert was rocking back and forth with every thrust. His claws dug into Arkus's tough hide, but drew no blood. The minotaur's grunts started to increase in volume and Arkus's orbs slapped against Robert's rump with every heated thrust.

Arkus's member throbbed inside Robert for release, each push sending Arkus closer and closer to the edge.

Robert could feel himself start to reach another climax.

Every time Arkus pushed back into Robert, the tiger would growl as he held back the pressure that was starting to rear its head once more.

Robert could tell Arkus was getting close just by looking at his face. The minotaur's features were contorted and scrunched. Sweat rolled off his face and over his chest. His breathing was becoming quicker and more intense; exactly like his thrusts. The grip he had on Robert's shoulders was gentle yet firm and growing tighter with each slap that rang through the forest.

"R-Robert...I do not think I can hold out for much longer!" Arkus said after he stopped kissing Robert and shouted into the air.

Pulling Arkus close, Robert said, "Please, fulfil your tradition."

Moans turning into full bellows, Arkus started to thrust deeper instead of harder and with more energy. Each push into the tiger hammered against Robert's touchiest area. With several jerks from his body and several bobs of his manhood, Robert could feel his seed start to leak from the head of his member. Sandwiched between Arkus's chiseled body and his own, Robert climaxed for the second time. The fresh load erupted between their bodies, spraying both their chests with the climax. As Robert shouted out into the air in bliss with every throb and jet of seed, his walls clenched around Arkus's manhood.

With a few more passionate thrusts, Arkus's body tensed, muscles strained, and he roared out into the forest as he climaxed inside of Robert. Feeling a warm sensation flow inside of him, the tiger knew instantly that he was marked as a mate. With shot after shot entering Robert, the mage could feel the hot semen inside of him.

Arkus grinded against Robert, grunting as he made sure that every last drop ended up in his new mate.

Eventually, the two started to fall from their orgasm at the same time. Robert's stream started to turn into a small trickle and Arkus slowly found himself coming down from his high as he started to thrust with less vigor.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the two collapsed on one another.

"How are we going to explain this to Emily when we walk out of here?" Robert joked.

Giggling, Arkus said, "The creek is the perfect place to bathe. The only thing we will have to explain is your limp walk."

"Fair enough."

The two kissed again. After the kiss was finished, Arkus nuzzled into Robert's neck to bask in the afterglow. The wisps around them were each a light blue.

"What does that color mean?" Robert panted as he pointed on one of the many wisps that floated by them.

Looking up at the wisp Robert pointed to, Arkus smiled and pulled Robert close.

After they basked in the afterglow, the minotaur pulled out of Robert and they washed themselves in the creek. As Arkus washed Robert's fur, wisps started to circle the two.

"So, what now?"

Arkus pulled Robert close to his heart. At that very moment, the wisps turned to a green color. Robert huddled close, his face buried in the minotaur's soft chest. Their breathing slowed and the same calm that came over the forest before their affair came back once again.

"We follow tradition."