Bounty Hunters
Bleh, this is my first little attempt at writing something, so I hope it's not too bad. I didn't intend for it to be this long, but oh well. Anyone who feels kind enough to acknowledge this in any way please do so, I'd appreciate it.
The moon shone brightly in the starry sky, a few portions of which were obstructed by slow rolling clouds. Below in a wide valley, between vast chains of snow capped mountains that stretched up to the heavens, a small village sat upon the grassy banks of a gentle stream. The village itself wasn't much to look at, a few stores and other commercial buildings clustered together, a church, and some farms scattered around on the outskirts. To the two bounty hunters that caught sight of it from a small ridge however, it was a paradise. The cloaked pantheress looked over to her heavily armored human companion and gave a sigh of relief upon seeing the warmly lit structures ahead.
“Oh thank the Divines,” she said while stretching, “I never thought we'd get to sleep on an actual bed again!”
“Well,” the towering bearded human beside her began, “that depends on whether or not you've still got our money with you.”
“Of course I do you big worrywart, trust me, I'm the last person that'd lose this!” She grabbed a bag of coins from inside her cloak and tossed it in the air casually. The human chuckled slightly as they started walking towards the village again.
“Seeing how you almost lost us our source of it not too long ago…”
“Hey! You were the one who knocked him off the cliff face with that hammer of yours!”
“Saving your ass.” He replied smugly. “Besides, what happened to that 'superior’ sense of smell your kind has?”
“It's hard to utilize when everything smells like snow.” She grinned back. “But remind me, who's idea was it to track down the most wanted man in the East, who just so happened to be hiding out in the most remote base in the world?”
“The man who saw the price he'd fetch.” It was true, the person they had sought out was quite famous, and his bounty matched that fame. He was Antony Daniston, a former leader of a failed rebellion; now just a head in a jar of preservatives.
“Hmmm. Speaking of which, you didn't lose your little 'item’ did you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hard to lose a severed head in a jar.” He said while patting the huge pack he carried behind him, “The poster did say alive or dead right?”
“Hey, you're the one who read it.”
“I'll check it again once we find somewhere to sleep.”
The pantheress nodded in response as they entered the center street of the village. Here only one building still had light shining through the window, obviously a tavern, with the name “River Ritter” painted onto a hanging sign in front of the establishment. Next to the door a wood carving of some sort of fish stood idle, the paint there being as faded as that on the sign above.
“I vote we look for a room here.” The man spoke. The pantheress looked up at him sarcastically.
“Oh geez, really? I was thinking the cobblestone looked comfortable, but whatever you say big man.”
He rolled his eyes and made his way to the door, with her following close behind. Thankfully the room didn't go silent and dead as soon as the two entered, though it had happened before in small towns; no, this time the inhabitants carried on as usual, probably too far gone into their mugs already.
“After I rent a room, how about we get ourselves something to drink, I say we earned it. Unless of course you want to get a head start on me.”
“Nah,” She shook her head and tossed him the bag of coins, “There's no fun in drinking alone, I'll wait down here 'till you get back.”
Rolling his eyes again the man strided over to the owner at the bar, ducking under support beams as he did so. The pantheress on the other hand went to go find a table amongst the crowd, receiving a few odd looks from the all human crowd as she passed. It was nothing she hadn't gotten before, she'd put money on the notion that this village, though in imperial lands, had never seen someone like her before. Finally she found a table tucked away in the corner and plopped down in one of the chairs, relaxing and giving her paws some much needed rest for the first time in over a day. After a few minutes of idle her partner came up to her with a slightly annoyed look on his face.
“I got us a room, there's only one left though. So unless they got two beds one of us is going on the floor tonight.” The pantheress kicked back in her chair and pointed a finger at him.
“Your turn.”
“Oh I didn't know we were doing turns,” he said with a fake smile, “in that case I guess it's your turn to lug the pack around for the next three years.” He mocked handing the heavy load to her, “Here, you've grown some considerable muscle over that time, drop it off in the room.”
“I've still got quite a bit of time ahead of me before I can match you big man. Go on now.” She grinned with the wave of a paw. He grunted in response before turning to seek out the stairs. As he disappeared into the throngs of people she leaned back some more, thoroughly enjoying being able to just sit down and relax.
After a minute or so of resting her eyes she was interrupted by the clearing of someone's throat. She opened one eye and saw, to her surprise, there was another feline standing in front of her, dressed in a simple tunic. Guess she would have lost that bet. Looking him over, she assumed he was a leopard, with a nice toned build, probably from farmwork. He was standing there kinda awkwardly, scratching the yellow and black spotted fur on his neck. When he saw her notice him he cracked a smile.
“Hello,” he began, “My name's Toranta, are you new here?”
“Oh, hey,” she replied turning to him, “yeah, I'm just passing through. Name's Zeranni.”
“Do you mind if I sit with you, share a-” He was abruptly cut off by the raise of her paw.
“Sorry bud, both me and that seat are taken at the moment. Don't want to lead you on or anything.”
“O-Oh,” he stuttered, caught off guard by her bluntness, “... Who, if I may ask?”
Zeranni looked over him and easily spotted the massive frame of her partner, who was now at the bar, arguing with the owner over the price of drinks or something. It seemed like he had removed his armor in favor of a plain shirt and pants. She pointed her finger at him, with Toranta following it's path.
“That guy, with the warhammer over there.” She stated.
“...........The human?” he asked with a certain unpleasantness in his voice.
“There a problem with that?”
“Guess I'm just confused as to why you'd choose an ape over your own kind.”
Zeranni felt herself heat up at this, the comment hitting a sore spot with her. Interspecies relationships weren't exactly banned, but they were rarely approved of by general society.
“Well maybe I'm confused as to why you're still here, bothering me about who I choose to be with. Here's some news buddy, it ain't you. Now get outta here!”
Toronta glared at her for a moment, before glancing back at the aforementioned human, then at her again, before finally walking off, muttering curses as he went. Just as he did her partner started walking back to the table with two mugs and a pitcher in his hands, all seeming to be filled with alcohol of some sort.
“Who was that?” He asked as he set the beverages down.
“Nobody important Ragnar.” After that little encounter she really needed the drink, and she grabbed a mug as soon as she was able.
“Hey, Zeranni,” he snapped his fingers, grabbing her attention, “you okay? You seem a little flustered.”
“I'm fine,” she grinned at him, “just glad the drinks are here.”
With that she tilted back the mug and started off the night, with Ragnar soon following suit. Honestly, she didn't know why she said what she did to Toronta, she and Ragnar weren't together. Of course, they were together in the sense of companionship and business partners, just not together. She wished they were, gods how she wished. But she could never bring herself to tell him, and he never expressed any interest himself. Maybe it was time to end the charade and just put it all out in the open. Every time she had made a resolve in the past though, it fell through; she cowered at the last moment. It was so stupid, she had braved far worse before, and so much more after she met him. Hell, the first time they met was when he had saved her from the back of a slave cart. She had been lucky that the man driving the cart had a price on his head, and that the man it attracted was Ragnar.
God's, back then, when she saw him for the first time, he was like some legendary figure from the stories of old. A hulking figure dressed in his red caped armor, swinging that hammer with the force of a tidal wave. When he saw the captives in the back he broke the locks and released them, an odd gesture of kindness coming from someone who had just murdered another person.Yet the whole affair was another check off the list in her eyes, a heroic knight in shining armor who had rescued her from the dragons den; except he wasn't a knight and she wasn't a kidnapped princess, but it was well enough for her. Most of the other slaves had thanked him and run off to try and start something new, but not Zeranni. She stood by him, that heroic figure, and begged for him to let her come with him, entranced by his feats. It had turned out to be the best decision in her life; it was definitely tough at first, but eventually she grew used to being a bounty hunter. In the beginning he was very terse with her, having just barely agreed to let her accompany him, but he warmed up after their first few treks together. He had taught her so much over the years, scores more than just how to fight, and the two grew close together. The problem was, about a year ago, it stopped being close enough for Zeranni. She wanted more, more of him. It was her childish dream to sleep huddled against him, to wake up next to him knowing that he loved her as much as she did him. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew that continuing down this line of thought while she filled herself with booze wasn't the best idea, not if she wanted to keep things the way they were.
“Fuck it all” She thought to herself as she poured another drink.
***
***
***
Ragnar was content for the night, he had his fill, enough to give him slight buzz, and a satisfied sigh escaped his mouth. He scratched the beard around his mouth absentmindedly as Zeranni continued to drink, hailing down a barmaid for the third time that night. She was still going strong, much to his surprise, seeing how she had never been a heavy drinker. He made idle conversation with her throughout, but something just seemed off. Her responses were always… how should he say… empty. Like she wasn't really thinking about what to say. Not only that, but every now and then she would glance up and give him long heavy stares. It was kind of weirding him out if he was honest. He decided to leave alone whatever was bothering her, figuring she'd work it out.
“So, what do you plan to do with your cut of the reward?” He asked her.
“I dunno… buy a better bow or sword or something. You?” She said before taking another swig.
“I think I might buy some property and start preparing for a more peaceful life.” He answered, “What do you think, a lake house, or something in a city?”
This caught Zeranni's attention, she stopped what she was doing and looked up at him with clarity in her eyes.
“You're going to buy a house?”
“Yep.”
“What will you do with it?”
“Well I'll live in it, obviously.” He chuckled at her naivety.
“But what about bounty hunting? What will you do for money?”
“Farm, or sell my half of that loot we've accumulated from over the years at a shop. Depends on where I choose to live. I've been planning this for a long time, putting money aside in that bank at the capitol. The cut from this guy alone would be enough to buy a decent house, so I might be able to get something a little bit nicer than what I originally anticipated.”
Zeranni looked at him with an expression mixed between sadness and worry, saying nothing.
“Zeranni,” he started, seeing her face, “I don't want to do this forever you know, I never did. It can be fun yes, especially with you, but… I want something of my own. A life where I'm not constantly hunting and running.”
“But what about me? What will I do?” She asked in a small voice.
“You can come with me of course, like always. I'd never push you away.” He said with a sincere smile. She nodded her head, looking shaken from this sudden change. Shit, she'd need a lot more ale in her system to drown out the thoughts that the news brought. Bounty hunting was all she knew now, and she liked the rush and excitement it brought. She didn't know if she could adjust to a quiet life, she couldn't remember a time when she had lived one. ‘why now of all times?’ she thought. Ragnar could only watch in morbid fascination as the pantheress downed her fourth mug.
“Another!”
***
***
***
“Come on, let's get you upstairs.”
Ragnar led Zeranni through the now mostly empty tavern and up the stairway, holding onto her shoulders as she wobbled around. They rounded the banister and came upon a balcony that overlooked the lower floor. Ahead of them a hallway ran the length of the building, with doors on the side facing out. The passageway was dimly lit by candles hung from the wall, and had a sleepy feeling to it. Once he started to lead her through Ragnar felt a slight tapping on his leg as Zeranni's tail lazily waved back and forth. He looked over and saw that she was again staring at him with half lidded eyes. He was taken aback when her head suddenly brushed against his neck and moved up and down while a purr rolled from her throat. Damn, he thought to himself, she must have really hit it hard tonight.
Finally they came upon their room, where Ragnar produced a key from his pants pocket and opened the door. The room itself was decent sized, about what you'd expect, a bed, a rug on the wood floor, a dresser, and their pack alongside Ragnar's armor in the back right corner. He led the still purring Zeranni to the bed and sat her down, then went and closed the door. After that he walked over to the pack and pulled out a sleeping bag, unrolling it and laying it on the floor. All the while Zeranni watched him, a fire burning inside her. He turned around when he felt her eyes on him, a questioning look on his face.
“You need anything?” He asked in a tired voice.
Zeranni only smiled and continued gazing at him, her tail and ears flicking about.
“Okaaaaaaay…” he muttered, “let me get you something.”
She continued to watch him as he rummaged through their pack, eventually pulling out a small corked vial of liquid and what looked to be a blood red root.
“Hope this is the right one…” he said to himself as he held it up for inspection, finally nodding in satisfaction after a bit.
He sat down on the hardwood floor and set the vial down before grinding up the root in his hands until it was a fine powder resembling pepper spice. With one hand he uncorked the vial and held it up while the other hand gently poured the ground root in. He recorked it and proceeded to violently shake it around for a minute before again uncorking it. Ragnar then got up and went to sit next to Zeranni, whose eyes had never left him the whole time.
“Here,” He motioned to the vial, “this will help you feel better in the morning, trust me.”
“Waz dat?” She slurred, “Anoth'r drink?”
“Sure sure, just… here.” He said as he beckoned her to open her mouth so he could pour it down. She swallowed it all in one gulp with her blissful expression turning sour almost instantly. She coughed roughly, the remedy clearly having some sort of effect on her.
“Bleckth! That stuff tastes terrible!” Whatever it was, it had an almost immediate effect on her articulation, and Ragnar grinned inwardly upon seeing it working so quickly.
“Oooooooooh, I don't feel so good. I… I need to lie down.” She moaned out.
“That's probably a good idea. Let me help you out some.”
He pulled her up before throwing back the covers and helping her lie down. She was still intently staring at him, albeit this time with a more pained expression on her face. He tucked the covers back over her torso, the whole affair reminding him in a way how he took care of her the first few nights after she took to following him around all those years ago. Her eyes seemed to be growing heavy, and they were staying closed for much longer intervals each time she blinked. Now feeling that she was in a much better condition he turned to get some rest himself, pulling off his shirt as he went back to the sleeping bag. Her quickly closing eyes were still watching him however, and she purred upon seeing the clearly defined musculature of his back, crisscrossed with scars. There were some old ones that had been there ever since they met, but there were other fresher ones she remembered him receiving. A certain amount had been earned on her behalf embarrassingly.
“Ragnar, could you sleep with me tonight?” She called innocently. He paused mid stride and turned to meet her gaze.
“What?”
“I really don't feel so good, I need something to hold on to.” she pleaded. He gave her a quizzical look.
“Please? You used to do this all the time.”
“You were weak then, and I only had one bedroll.”
“I feel a bit weak right now, and there's only one bed.”
“You have a pillow right?” he questioned sheepishly. She frowned at him in response.
...
“Okay, fine, just… promise me you'll go to sleep.”
“I promise Ragnar.” She spoke in an alleviated tone, “Now come here.”
He shook his head in partial disbelief and crawled into the bed with her. As he settled in and stretched out his legs he noticed in discontent how his ankles hung off the end, his feet sticking through the blankets.
“Damn, not again.” He sighed angrily. His thoughts were interrupted by Zeranni giggling.
“What's so funny?” He asked, before being cut off as she rolled onto her side and pressed against his bare chest. His cheeks flushed as a furred arm draped across his pectorals and a feline muzzle and cranium nuzzled his neck and collar. He could feel her breasts squished against him, and he grew hot as she continued her, well, whatever it was in the seven hells she was doing. She continued on for several minutes before slowing down some, finally coming to a more idle pace. Ragnar let it continue, if only to get her to fall asleep. He frowned to himself as she slowly drifted off while snuggled against him, and began to think. Surely this was just Zeranni being drunk, the remedy for hangovers he gave her didn't work itself out that quickly. Right? Though if he remembered correctly, she was acting kind of odd before she got drunk. Had she really started thinking of him like that? He liked her sure, but… he just didn't know… he hadn't really thought of her that way. Maybe she wouldn't remember any of this in the morning and they could continue on as usual, that would be nice. But as he looked down at her, breathing peacefully against him in her sleep, he allowed his thoughts to wonder as he himself drifted off.
‘Maybe…’
***
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***
The two trudged through the valley once more, having left the small village behind in the cool morning air. Zeranni had woken that morning with a shock as she remembered what had happened, quickly reiterated with Ragnar still sleeping right next to her. That had been awkward, but not as awkward as she feared. Surprisingly he had not seemed too bothered by it, and smiled contently as they packed their things throughout. Better than that even, was the fact that she wasn't hungover when she awoke. Whatever it was that Ragnar had made it worked, she still had a slight headache mind you, but compared to the sledgehammer of pain and vomiting that she should have gotten, it was bliss. She felt happy despite the news he dropped last night, strange as it was, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. Perhaps it was the fact that he hadn't rejected her subtle, or not so subtle, advances both the night before, or the morning after. Maybe there was hope for her dream yet.
They continued walking through the day, always following the path along the river, never meeting another soul as they walked. Their pack was heavier than before, as Ragnar had stopped to get some supplies in town before they headed out. The extra effort was worth it to him, it would still be a long road ahead, and he didn't like to unnecessarily take risks. The two stopped only a few times, once to eat a quick lunch, other times to rest a bit and rehydrate. They made good progress, though it would still be a few days before they reached their destination and payoff. As the day wore on the wind started to pick up, and soon the tall grass around them was waving like the waves of the ocean. Zeranni's fur whipped around as well, and Ragnar's red cape flapped around like a flag. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks, with Zeranni almost bumping into him from behind. She looked up and saw his face harden like stone, the light-hearted aura he carried turning quickly to dread.
“Make your sword ready,” he turned to her, “I don't like this.” That's when she saw it, on the path ahead a small group of figures were visible, all of them on horses.
Without another word he slung the hammer he carried into his hand, letting the killing end of it slam into the ground. The loud thud it made, along with the force of the light impact she felt through her paws, reminded her of how heavy the weapon actually was. She had only just gained the strength to lift it a month or so ago, and even then only barely, much less swing it around gracefully as he did. He had told her that being able to lift it was an accomplishment in itself, something that not many could do, and proved her growing strength; to Zeranni it only served to remind her of his colossal power.
“Walk, do not show hesitation or fear. If they are bandits as I assume, that is enough reason for them to attack in their eyes.”
“We can handle them though, right?” She asked.
“Yes, just pray they are not more friends of Mr. Daniston. I fear that we are not a very conspicuous pair.”
The two continued on while Zeranni tried to calm her mind, the implications of a fight both exciting and worrying her. Without a doubt she liked fighting, but usually only when she knew what she was going up against, and Ragnar was very good with his research. Here though, she was going in blind. They had no idea what these people could do, how they fought, or how much experience they had. Hell, they didn't even know if these people harbored ill intent in the first place. As the distance closed between them however, the situation was starting to look worse. There were three figures on horse, and all of them looked threatening. They were orcs, dull headed brutes that were almost as large in stature as Ragnar was. They wore crude armor that was functional and nothing else, with the wearers seemed to hold no pride in cleaning or maintaining it. All of them carried large and rusted axes swung over their shoulder, and their tusks were visible through a snarl that seemed to be permanently etched onto their warted faces. It looked as if they were neither bandits nor rebels, but something else entirely.
Zeranni rested a hand on the sheath of her sword cautiously as the two groups halted, facing each other on the road. The orcs got off their horses and approached the rest of the way on foot before stopping in front of them. The silence dominated for a bit, with neither party braving the first words.
“Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?” Ragnar finally called. The orc in the center sneered at the greeting and stepped forward. He spoke in a deep and dull voice.
“You are in Windghast territory travelers. You must pay a fee to continue on.” The grim look on Ragnar's face deepened at the demand, and the grip on his weapons handle tightened.
“What if we have no money to give?” He lied.
“Then you must turn and find another way. Or…” the orc's head turned to Zeranni and gave a menacing grin, “come up with an alternative form of payment.” He licked his lips.
Zeranni shuddered in actual fear at the notion, remembering that orcs were infamous for not being picky when it came to women. Ragnar instantly picked up on the twisted offer as well, and refrained from gritting his teeth in anger.
“I'm afraid we can't pay you through any method. Do you know of a path around your territory?”
“Perhaps, but I think it would be best if you took up our offer. My friends agree, don't you?” He looked back at the other two, who nodded slowly as they looked over Zeranni.
She felt a shiver go up her spine as the situation became apparent, they weren't going to let up now. When orcs latched onto an idea, they were stubborn to let it go. Ragnar seemed to be getting more agitated with every exchange of words.
“Surely we can be civil about this?” he asked.
“Of course, if your friend there pays what your pockets can't, you can leave without too much delay.”
“No.” Ragnar's voice cut through the air with poorly hidden malice.
“No?” The orc questioned sarcastically, “But we say yes.”
“We say no.”
“Is that so human?” Do either of you plan to stop us?”
Quick as a whip Ragnar's hammer connected with the Orc's head from the side, instantly crumpling the helmet and caving it in. The body connected to it was sent flying like a ragdoll and landed with a crunch on the rocks that flanked the stream. Even though Zeranni was expecting it, and had seen Ragnar's speed before, she was still as surprised as the orcs, if only for a moment. Before she could fully comprehend what had just happened, and surely before the orcs themselves could, Ragnar twirled the hammer and swung it around again, this time landing it square on the shoulder of the Orc on the right, dropping him with a pop as his shoulder, and possibly more, shattered. At this point the last orc had processed what just occurred, and brought his axe over his head in retaliation. Zeranni, seeing this, brought the hand resting on the hilt of her sword instead to her belt, and retrieved a thin bladed knife. Before either the orc or Ragnar could engage each other she let the knife fly like an arrow, expertly embedding it into the enemies throat. The foul creature let out something between a scream and gurgle, and fell to the ground dead. Silence once again plagued the fields as the battle ended in a matter of seconds, with only Ragnar and Zeranni left. The two stood panting slightly, some from the physical exertion, but more from the adrenaline that they had both built up before the fight.
“Well,” Ragnar began, “I guess that's tha-” his sentence was interrupted by an earth shattering boom and a blinding light that filled Zeranni's vision. Her whole world was blurred instantly, and she became aware of a floating feeling. There was a painful impact that shook her whole body, and she felt herself rolling head over heels.
‘What the?’ she thought to herself in a panic, ‘What just happened?’
She knew instinctively that she had ended up laying face up on the ground, but from what she had no clue. She waited for the blurred vision and ringing in her ears to fade, still panicking as she did. After she lay for what felt like hours in her befuddled mind, she was able to make out distinct shapes and colors, but nothing was exactly clear yet, and the ringing sound persisted. Zeranni pulled herself up, feeling shaky all the while, and looked around with a slowly improving vision. In front of her she could see a metallic shape lying on the ground, and noticed how the area smelled like a wildfire. As she looked left and right for anything notable amongst the blurred colors and objects she caught movement to her right and turned to it, an indistinct shape crawling through the grass.
“Hey!” She stumbled after it, “hey!”
As her vision cleared all the more she was finally able to make out what, or who, it was. It was that orc on the right who got his shoulder smashed, somehow alive and trying to crawl away with one arm. Upon looking behind his shoulder and seeing her he cried out and turned himself over, reaching into a satchel he carried. He must have been behind whatever had happened back there, and her blood boiled at the thought.
“Oh no you don't!” She yelled as he tried desperately to find what it was he wanted in the bag. She struggled after him before gaining some of her composure back and pouncing on his prone figure. She yanked his arm away from the case, before grabbing another knife from her belt and stabbing it through his hand into the ground. The orc yelled out a string of obscenities and curses, some in common, some in his native tongue.
“Shut up you bastard!” She snarled, “I wanna see what's in this bag of yours!”
When he tried to throw her off with what little leverage his pinned form had, she brought up her paw and grinded it into his broken shoulder. He screamed and cursed again, but fell relatively still. She resumed her search and started feeling through his bag, tossing out junk and rotten food.
“You fucking stupid bitch of a cat!” He seethed, “I'll kill you! I'll make you scream! I'll do things to you that you couldn't even dream of!”
“I said shut up! Or I'll split your tongue like the snake you are!”
She gasped as he paw grasped something cold and hard. Slowly she drew it out and inspected the strange object, looking at it quizzically. It looked like a crude metal sphere, with a string of sorts protruding from the top of it. It looked familiar, so Zeranni racked her brain for ideas of what it could be. She kept inspecting it until the orc spoke up in that annoying voice of his.
“Hard to believe something so small could do that much damage huh? You should have seen the dumbass look on your face when it went off! HaHaHaHaHaHaaaaaa!”
As he taunted the realization hit Zeranni so hard that she didn't even bother telling the fool to shut his trap; it was a bomb! A fucking bomb! How the hell did these fuckers get their grimy hands on bombs!? That must have been what had hit her and, and…
Oh shit.
Ragnar! Where the fuck was Ragnar!? Her head shot up and her eyes widened. He should be up, she thought, where was he!? She frantically looked around, then remembered the metallic form she saw when her vision was impaired by the blast. Completely forgetting about the orc she rushed back to where she remembered seeing it, and came back to the path.
There she saw him, lying on his back, the front of his armor and some of his face blackened like the ground. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. ‘Oh no, oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no!’ she thought to herself as she came close to a meltdown. This wasn't like Ragnar, if he could have gotten up he would have, this was bad. The blast must have hit him square on, it must have, it must have… FUCK! She couldn't think straight. She rushed to his side, grunting in effort as she shoved one arm under his back and lifted his torso to be cradled in her arms.
“Ragnar!?” She cried, “Ragnar! Wake up you fool!”
No response.
“Ragnar!!” She shook his form, about to have a full fledged freakout. This couldn't be the end, not here, not like this, it couldn't!
“RAGNAR!!!”
…
…
…
“Ragnar?” she barely whispered.
…
…
…
Then, to her miraculous surprise, his eyes fluttered, and a groan rumbled out from his throat.
“What the fuck just happened?” He coughed out in a hoarse voice.
“Oh, oh thank the Divines!” She cried out. Zeranni grinned, and she felt something wet roll down her eyes. Tears?
“Oh Ragnar, I… I thought, I thought that you…”
He looked up at her and grinned weakly, still dazed a bit from the direct bomb impact he had received.
“Oh you silly cat, you know it'd take more than that to drag me out of this world.” he said as one huge hand cupped her muzzled face, one finger lazily tracing through the black fur.
“Are you crying?” He asked incredulously, mind still a bit razzled. She nodded back, letting the tears flow freely in contrast to her smile.
“Here, take this.” She said, pulling out a restorative potion from her own satchel. She helped him drink it all, and watched gleefully as his condition seemed to improve drastically. He said his thanks, and shifted to sit on his own.
“Man, I think the only time I've seen you cry is when you dropped that pie you bought it Bevinston.” He pondered semi-seriously, “Does that mean I'm more important to you than pie?”
Zeranni half laughed, half cried just from hearing his voice(even if it was telling a bad joke), thinking that she would never have heard it again just a few seconds ago. Without thinking she leaned in and pressed her lips against Ragnar's, taking him by surprise as she laid bare her feelings towards him. His eyes widened at the contact and he pulled back some in partial shock, both of them parting lips as they looked at each other intensely. She lowered her head some as if asking permission, and Ragnar looked into her eyes for a minute before nodding back. Slower this time they both leaned in and once again locked lips, Ragnar's hands coming up to gently grab Zeranni's large ears and grope them. She moaned into the kiss, and pressed harder into Ragnar as she almost lost herself in a whirlwind of emotions. She melted into him as she released all her longing into him, their kissing becoming more heated by the moment. Suddenly, their actions were interrupted by a yell of pain from behind them, reminding the two of what had occurred leading up to their romantic session. Painfully the two pulled away from each other, flicking their eyes between each other and the commotion. They decided to see what is was, and rose to investigate, with Zeranni helping Ragnar up, to which he hastily denied.
“I'm fine Zeranni, really, I'm fine.”
“Okay, okay.” She gave in, not having the emotional strength to argue with him at the moment.
She watched as in a painfully slow manner Ragnar made his way to where his hammer lay, bending over to pick it up. He then leaned on the weapon like a walking cane for a moment, before continuing on and shaking his limbs and head as if trying to clear a fog from it. Zeranni followed close behind, mind still reeling from at first thinking that he was dead, then kissing him. Gods, she had kissed him! She had kissed him and he didn't tell her no! Oh, if it weren't for what had led up to it she would have thought she was in paradise. The voice yelled out again, louder this time, causing the pair to pick up their pace. Zeranni still trailed the slightly limping Ragnar to source of the noise, the orc she had left stuck to the ground now desperately trying to remove the knife she had stuck in his hand with his mouth. She felt anger boil in her gut once again upon seeing him, and she was sure Ragnar felt the same. That was confirmed when he moved next to the freak and pulled off his helmet, violently yanking his head away from his arm and placing the crude piece of metal on the ground beside it. Without a word Zeranni watched in fascination as Ragnar held his hammer upside down, and jumped slightly when he released it, the impact flattening the helmet like a pancake. The orc's eyes turned to dinner plates upon seeing the spectacle and turned up to meet Ragnar's stern face.
“Answer truthfully or your heads going to match that helmet's shape.” He threatened, now holding the hammer above the orcs face.
“O-Okay! I'll talk, whatever you wanna know!”
“How many members of your gang resides here? Where are they located?”
“Us three were all there are, we were a new group, just starting out! I swear!”
“Just you three?”
“Yes, I swear! I swear upon the pits of the seven hells! Please don't kill me! You won't ever see me again, just, please let me live!”
Ragnar looked to Zeranni, who shrugged.
“It's your call big guy, you're the one he nearly killed with that bomb.”
Ragnar pursed his lips and looked down at the now sweating orc who held a pleading look in his eyes. After a minutes debate he moved the hammer aside and knelt down to the incapacitated figure.
“If you're lying, I will find you. And if I ever see you again, you will not even get the chance to plead. Understand?”
The orc nodded like a marionette.
“Good.” He yanked out the knife from the orcs hand, causing another pained cry. He tossed it to Zeranni who deftly caught it.
“That’s some peace of mind knowing we won't be bothered anymore. Go get your other one, I'll look for the pack, I think it flew off when I got hit.” He said.
She nodded and went to find the body it was buried in, but not before Ragnar's hand caught her shoulder.
“Oh, and Zeranni?”
“Yes?”
“Great job back there, I really owe it to you.”
“Learned from the best.” She winked, then leaned forward to whisper in his ear, “Maybe tonight you can teach me something new though”. She ran her rough tongue up his cheek, making him blush. He stared at her backside as she went to retrieve her knife, noticing how she accentuated the sway of her hips and tail. As her hint and actions sunk in Ragnar realized the implications returning her kiss earlier had really meant. Never in a million years would he have guessed he would be getting it on with a long-standing travelling companion, much less a panther one. Discreetly grinning at the ridiculousness of it all he went to to find their pack.
***
***
***
Ragnar and Zeranni looked up at the sky to see the sun setting behind the mountains far to the left, signifying the end of the day. It had been several hours since they left the scene of the fight, and the both of them were ready to set up camp. They were both in high spirits though, with them having stopped multiple times to share passionate kisses when the mood struck. It felt good to Zeranni, to be able to show him her love like that whenever she felt it. For his part Ragnar seemed to be enjoying it too, though still not initiating anything himself. Maybe he'd learn in time. However now that they had stopped for the day it was time to do some work, and the two separated to perform their tasks for the night. As Zeranni got the fire going and the food cooking Ragnar made to set up the tent, a giant conglomeration of canvas and sheets that the two shared. Some missions they took would require extensive periods of waiting time, so the tent was spacious enough to resemble a small lodging. There was a small 'room’ in the front made specifically for removing footwear or dirty clothing (in this case it was where Ragnar set his armor down), followed by a larger common area where a table was set if they needed to eat while there was rain or plan out missions on a map. To the left of that was a smaller area separated by a curtain where Ragnar slept, mirrored on the right by a matching space for Zeranni. The whole thing could be a pain to set up and put down, and on one night stays like this the two usually slept out in the open, but Ragnar sensed a storm on the horizon tonight. In fact as soon as he had hammered the last stake into the ground he felt a raindrop plop onto the top of his head.
“Zeranni!” He called out.
“I know, I know,” She answered back, “those fish you caught weren't the quickest thing to prepare though.” She appeared around the corner of the tent holding a plate of steaming aquatic meat.
“Do you want me to put out the fire, or…”
“I'll get it,” he waved, “you just get yourself settled inside.” Zeranni nodded and opened up the tent.
Ragnar entered not long after to find that Zeranni was already lighting an oil lamp that was hung overhead, giving the tent a warm glow that battled back the quickly approaching darkness.
“When did you buy that?” He asked.
“Oh this?” She motioned to it, “picked it up in a shop while you were buying food, can you believe a town that small could afford a lantern? Don't worry though, this is coming out of my half of the prize.”
“Well, it looks like it's better than the candles.”
“I know right? It's so bright! I guess you're not the only one who knows how to spend his money!”
“Heh, speaking of which,” he started a bit nervous, “how do you feel about me getting a house and settling down? You know, with us being a thing now.”
“Oh,” Zeranni's ears flattened for a moment before perking back up. “You know, I was worried at first. I didn't know what I would do, I've kinda gotten used to this whole roaming around thing. But, I think as long as I'm with you I'll be happy.”
“Really?” Ragnar raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, even if we do end up farming.” She added with a smirk.
“Hey, that's not been decided yet.” He joked, “We can both give it some thought once we get to that point.”
She smiled at him and he smiled back, both of them sitting down to eat the meal Zeranni had cooked. It was a skill she was proud of, being able to cook, even if she was forced to learn it when she was a slave. The two ate their fill as the rain outside picked up. Once they had finished eating Ragnar leaned back and gave a content sigh, his peace however, was interrupted by the feelings of eyes on him. He looked to Zeranni, who was giving him that same stare as last night.
“I'm not so sure anymore whether you were actually drunk last night, or if that was all a convenient excuse to gauge my reactions.”
“Perhaps it was both,” She teased “but right now I wouldn't worry about that.”
“Oh?”
“Dinner was good tonight, but I'm still hungry, perhaps you can help me with that.” She growled the last part, and Ragnar felt her tail slide under the table and wrap around his leg seductively.
“How should I do that?”
“Come here and I’ll show you.” She beckoned him with a finger.
“I see you're not one to take a things slow huh?” He smirked.
“Oh believe me big guy, I've waited long enough for this.” She purred as she stood. Ragnar rose to meet her, and the two embraced each other, pressing their lips together once again. Zeranni could feel herself heating up as they continued unbidden, there was nothing here to stop them now, no distractions, and no hesitations. Ragnar suddenly felt Zeranni's rough tongue press against his teeth, prodding it for entry. A bit hesitant he let it in, and felt as it explored his mouth. He met it with his own tongue, and the two moaned at the sensation. Eventually they broke from their passionate kiss, both panting and eyeing each other up lustfully. It had been awhile since Ragnar had done this, and he felt the forgotten excitement of sex rush through him as Zeranni pushed him against the table before kissing him again. His hands fell to her waist and massaged her hips, causing her to purr wildly. His hands explored her exotic body, enjoying the softness of her fur as his hands slipped under her tunic. He felt Zeranni follow suit, unbuttoning the shirt he wore before pressing her hands against his chiseled torso. She was also enthralled by the slight differences in anatomy, savoring the feeling of his bare skin upon her paw pads and the slight prickle of his beard as her muzzle pressed against his face. The two stood that way for a while, kissing, tonguing, and groping each other in earnest.
Ragnar gasped when he felt Zeranni's paw slip down the waistband of his pants and grab his semi-flacid cock through his braies. She growled enthusiastically when she felt him, thrilled to find that he was as well endowed as she dreamed. She pulled her mouth away from his and stared up into his eyes instead as she worked him through his undergarments, slowly pumping his hardening shaft with one hand while the other slipped his shirt off, thoroughly enjoying the look of pleasure on his face. She grinned up at him as she sunk to her knees, leveling her face with his crotch. Teasingly slow she pulled both his pants and undergarments down, letting his cock pop out and bob heavily. She took a moment to inspect it as Ragnar gripped the table edge in preparation. It was different from what she was expecting, though still very pleasing; males of her kind had dicks that were tapered and covered with painful barbs, but it seemed humans had something else entirely. Ragnar's was long and thick the whole way, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was also smooth throughout the entirety. The tip of it seemed to be sectioned off or something, and gave the organ a mushroom like appearance. As she gripped the massive thing with two hands she awed at his size, he was definitely the largest she had ever handled. In fact, it was even larger than she had originally thought it would be, intimidatingly so actually. Tentatively she leaned forward and gave it a lick, eliciting a moan from Ragnar above. Emboldened by his positive reaction she ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft and twirled around the head of it, breathing in his scent as she tasted him.
“Oh shit!” Ragnar muttered as Zeranni got more and more into it, the rough wet sensations driving him crazy. His eyes went wide as she suddenly slipped his cock into her muzzle and engulfed it. She wrapped her tongue around it and sucked greedily, feeling the space between her thighs flare up as Ragnar's emotions danced around at her control. She moaned happily as she sucked and licked all over his cock as it twitched in her mouth. She grinned inwardly when his member jerked and released a bead of precum onto her tongue, letting her swirl it around to savor the taste. Ever so slowly, so as not to gag on his size, she inched her face forward to swallow more and more of Ragnar's throbbing length, hearing him gasp and moan above as she did. She felt his tip press against the back of her throat and had to fight her instinctual urges to regurgitate it. It pushed further down as her head moved forward, and Zeranni purred as she deepthroated him. The vibration added another layer of pleasure, and Ragnar automatically bucked his hips at the sensation.
“Ah! Z-Zeranni! Fuck!”
The motion forced his full length in quicker than she expected, and Zeranni failed in preventing herself from gagging as her muzzle met his crotch. Quickly coming off his length she released him with a cough, the spit covered organ hanging free. Zeranni panted happily while Ragnar shuddered in delight.
“Damn,” Ragnar said through deep breaths, “when'd you learn that?”
“Let's just say that on some of those long nights in cities I wasn't at the library studying up on techniques.” she panted back.
“Hm. Am I gonna have to keep a close eye on you?” he raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, trust me big guy, you have nothing to worry about now.” She purred back.
“Well, let me make sure of that!”
She shrieked happily as he bent down and scooped her up, plopping her down on the table and leaning over her. He kissed her again as the two got back into the mood, running their hands all over each other. He broke their kiss as he put his hands under the hem of her blouse and lifted it off with her assistance, revealing her perky breasts to him. She smiled coyly at him as he leaned down and planted a lick on one of her hardened nipples while his hand lightly pinched and rubbed the other. Her back arched as she groaned in exhilaration, biting her lip as she looked down at him. He teased her for a minute before moving down and planting kisses along her abs and waist, then backing off and reaching a hand down her pants. She moaned pleasurably as his fingers found her slit, rubbing around it in exploration. Ragnar was surprised by the heat he felt down there, it was like an oven in her pants, and he grinned in satisfaction upon feeling how turned on she was. As his fingers rubbed and pressed against her he also took note of how wet she was, and how sensitive, seeing as she gasped and bucked around his hand. Without further teasing he pulled his hand out and grasped her shorts before yanking them down, with Zeranni finishing the job and kicking them off eagerly. She smiled at him seductively and spread her legs wide, giving Ragnar a full view of her nether regions. The first thing her noticed was how much her pussy resembled a human’s, and the next was how puffy her lips were down there. He moved forward to play around with her some more but her paw shot out to grab his wrist while her tail wrapped around his waist.
“No more foreplay Ragnar.” She breathed out, “I need you inside of me, right now.”
“You can be so blunt sometimes.”
“If it gets me what I want then so be it.”
Ragnar rolled his eyes but moved his hand away, instead using them to grab her hips as he positioned himself. Zeranni stared with a mixture of hunger and nervousness as his rock hard cock pressed against her entrance, her tail tightening it's grip around him. Ragnar could feel her heat as his cock head rested on her outer lips, and he felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought of what it would feel like inside. Before he acted however, Zeranni grabbed his arm once more.
“W-Wait!”
“Is something wrong?” He asked worried.
“I’m sorry, but do you think you could lie back? I need to set the pace so I can adjust to your size.” She pleaded.
“Are you playing on my ego so you can be on top?” He teased.
“N-No! I'm being serious!”
“Okay, if you say so.” He sighed playfully.
He slowly detached himself before laying face up on the thick carpeted floor, watching as Zeranni followed and moved to straddle him.
“Thank you Ragnar, it means a lot.”
“It's just a change of position you silly cat.”
She grinned down at him before leaning in to lock lips with him. Ragnar felt as one of her paws moved to grip his hardened member, pumping it up and down as they kissed. She positioned it under her sopping vent and pressed against the head of it, feeling her face flush as it pushed against her silken lips. She broke away from his mouth as she slowly sunk down around the tower of flesh beneath her, making them both moan out in pleasure as he entered her. She was tighter than he would have predicted, and the heat made him feel like he was entering past a bonfire. The tight silken embrace felt like a virgin's, and was almost painful in a way. Zeranni was having a similar experience, she wasn't even halfway sunken around his gigantic cock and it already felt like she was about to climax from it. His rod spread her like nothing she had ever experienced before, and she moaned louder than she could have thought possible. After much groaning, gasping, shifting, and nudging, Zeranni's hips finally met Ragnar's, with the tip of his cock pressing hard against her cervix. He couldn't even think straight it felt so good inside of her, she was so much tighter than any human women he had slept with in the past, and so much hotter too. All of a sudden Ragnar heard Zeranni give a half-squeal half-gasp sort of noise, and saw the muscles under her abdomen and hips roll and convulse. At the same time he felt her already tight passage clench and contract around him, squeezing him as if trying to milk his length for all it had. He exclaimed a small compendium of curses at the sensation, and attempted to grab onto something for leverage, finally settling on Zeranni's legs, unintentionally pulling her down even further onto his length. The motions died down after a bit, after which Zeranni slumped forward onto Ragnar's chest, panting desperately.
“Did you just orgasm?” He asked, a bit winded himself.
“M-Maybe.”
“Well then you have a long night ahead of you.”
Zeranni blushed, that was the quickest she had ever came in her life, even when she was in heat she didn't bust that quickly. He thoughts were interrupted though, as Ragnar shifted under her, causing spikes of pleasure to rush through her body. He was so large, it kind of negated the lack of barbs he had, but she figured size was easier to adjust to than the ladder. Placing her paws on his chest for leverage she pushed herself back up, gazing into his eyes lustfully as he laid there grinning up at her.
“Well?” He asked, “Set the pace will you?”
Zeranni stuck her tongue out at him before slowly rising off of him, the feeling of emptiness that followed being even worse than the slight pain of being filled. Looking to change that she lowered herself back down, feeling a pressure on her cervix as his cock impaled her once again. She repeated this motion for several minutes, the pleasure slowly replacing the pain as she continued. Finally it got to the point where she started to speed up, eliciting a moan from them both as she began to bounce up and down. Ragnar had never felt anything like it before, it was something indescribable as her tight vent danced up and down his swollen length over and over again. Zeranni was equally stricken with pleasure as she rode his thick pole like a horse, her eyes rolling back into her head as he spread her open and hit deep into her core with every thrust. If not for the howling storm outside the whole valley would have heard their lustful yells. As she continued to ride him Zeranni felt a tingling in her thighs again, and knew she was about to climax for the second time that night.
“Fuck! Ragnar I'm gonna-” she was cut off as he suddenly thrusted up into her as she paused to speak, ending her sentence in another unintelligible moan as her passage started to spasm again. She rode out another orgasm around his cock, hearing him grunting as waves of intense pleasure shook through her body and made her twitch. As it ended she caught herself on her paws before she could slump down again, trying to catch her breath as Ragnar breathed deeply beneath her.
“Are you ever going to cum?” She asked in a heavy voice.
Instead of answering with words Ragnar instead flipped her over, switching positions with her before she could protest. Now he loomed over her, his cock still pressed deep inside. She cried out in pleasure as he slid out and violently thrusted back in, shaking her whole body with the force of it. He did it again, and again, and again, rocking her back and forth like a boat caught in a storm. Zeranni's mind was swimming around in a post orgasmic high at this point, heightening everything she felt. Opening her mouth in a silent moan she reached up to fondle her breasts as Ragnar fucked her wildly. He was caught in his own primal instincts at this point, knowing that he had this beautiful creature beneath him fully submitting.
Beautiful.
He had never truly thought of Zeranni that way before, but now, as he repeatedly pumped his cock in and out of her, that was all he saw. Unique beauty that he had the privilege of knowing. Igniting an even deeper fire inside he slammed himself into her even harder now, causing her to scream his name in lust and pleasure. He loved it, feeling how she squeezed and clenched around him as he thrusted into her repeatedly, how she looked at him with her ears folded back at her mouth hanging open. He had never in his life enjoyed sex this much, not even during his first time. He continued thrusting in and out, forcing his cock deep into that silken embrace over and over. In that moment he would have given anything to spend an eternity like this, locked in a frantic sexual embrace with Zeranni. Now though, as time wore on, he felt a distinctive tightening in his groin as the pleasure increased.
“Z-Zeranni, I'm getting close.” He stammered.
“M-Me too, don't stop.” She barely managed to get out.
He grunted in pleasure as he neared the edge, the feeling of even more blood rushing to his engorged member letting him know that the inevitable was about to happen.
“W-When you cum, don't pull out!” Zeranni stuttered, “I need to feel you inside me.”
Ragnar nodded, too far gone now for words. He pumped in and out some more, both of them nearing the peak. That was when Zeranni once more cried out in a climactic voice as blinding pleasure overtook her senses. Her pussy clenched and milked his cock, bathing it in her juices as her body writhed beneath him. The sensation of her orgasming around him was all it took to tip Ragnar over the edge, and he pulled back before thrusting in one more time. The head of his cock pressed tightly against Zeranni's cervix as he exploded. Zeranni screamed in pleasure and sat up, biting into Ragnar's shoulder lovingly as he came, causing him to grunt with a mixture of pain and euphoria. His cock pulsed and twitched as it jetted thick ropes of cum straight into her womb, bathing her insides with his seed as they both cried out in unison. His cock short forth once, twice, three times, even more as he emptied his balls inside of her spasming vent. The contracting motions her passage made milked him of everything he had, extending his powerful orgasm far longer than it usually lasted.
The two stayed like that for a time, with Zeranni lapping at Ragnar's shoulder through her mouth as his cock spilled, at last, his final drops of cum inside of her. Slowly he pulled his softening organ out of her, making her whine as it plopped out. She detached her teeth from him, and nuzzled his neck lovingly, both of them unable to speak as they panted heavily. Ragnar rolled them both over on their sides, laying against the floor as the rain continued to pelt the tent. They were both swimming in a sea of dopamine, and hugged each other tight in the afterglow of such an event.
“Did *huff* you really *huff* have *huff* to bite me?” Ragnar asked as they laid against each other.
“Sorry.” She breathed, “I think it's instinctual.”
“Don't tell me I'm going to have to start wearing armor when we do this.” He said jokingly.
“I'm just glad we did do this.” She sighed dreamily, “This is all I ever wanted for a long time now. To be with you.”
He paused upon hearing her confession, taking it to heart as she pressed against his naked body.
“I'm glad we did it too.” He admitted.
They both went quiet again, just enjoying each other's presence as their breathing returned to normal.
“Ragnar?”
“Yes?”
“I think I'm in love with you.”
Ragnar chuckled, hugging her tighter.
“Yeah, I think I’m in love with you too.”
“Mmmm. We're an odd pair aren't we?”
“I guess so.” He yawned, stretching out. “Do you want to come to bed with me?”
She smiled at him, one filled with genuine happiness.
“You know I do.”
***
***
***
Outside the tent the storm raged on, violently throwing itself on the landscape, but inside the tent two lovers slept peacefully through the night, huddled close together.
-End