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Rael erupted from the foliage that obscured his escape, arms burning from the unaccustomed burden that bore down on them. Wrapped tight in his arms was a glinting suit of silver armour engraved with intricate writings in a language that he had been drilled in throughout his life. They seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, meaning still completely unknown to him. It was a decision made with no forethought, hastily stolen on the spur of the moment when Rael caught sight of it on his way out. From the craftsmanship, he deduced his parents had made it for an extraordinarily wealthy or politically powerful client, or most likely both. He almost regretted stealing it on account of its weight and perhaps even for the disappointment of its intended owner - who was most likely corrupt anyway - but anything to spite his parents was worth it.

By now, he was well away from the confining white walls of his hometown and most critically, his parents.

"Unf," Rael dropped down, the pristine armour thudding heavily into the dusty dirt. A wind kicked up some dirt and he shivered, tucking up his knees and wrapping his skinny arms around them. His cotton shirt was steeped with sweat and dirt, its proper white marred by greys and browns. His hair, which had been grown long in preparation for the conventional single ponytail that one his age would get now hung in a spiky mess, sheared at the back by his own hand in defiance.

He let out a scoff, smirking at how appalled his parents would be of him if they saw his appearance now, subconsciously flinching at the crippling punishment that would follow. His thoughts lingered on their soulless guises.

All at once tears welled up in his eyes, and he began sobbing in intermittent shudders. The hug around his knees tightened, as desolation settled on him. There was nowhere for him to go. Haunting words echoed in his mind, and pain sparked across his body at every recalled word. He was impure, unholy and pathetic. Not even God took notice over someone so disgraceful. His existence was a sacrilege.

He succeeded in running away, but there was no place to run to. He was the worse kind of nobody; everyone knew his parents, and by extension, him, the supposed ruin of a son. The kind of reward posted for his return would be undoubtedly lucrative and his ensuing punishment would carry no mercy, only terrifying him more. There seemed to be no freedom to be found.

A moment passed before Rael clenched his teeth, balled his fists and sniffed away the remaining tears. Already, he had gotten out, fleeing during the midday prayers - that had to count for something. There was no going back in any case. Everything rested upon this escape, whatever was left of his life, as scarred and cracked as it was. Once again wrapping his feeble arms around the armour, he heaved it up, resolute on continuing. In just a few labored steps, Rael found himself at the perpendicular junction between the road leading back to his home town and the main road that stretched through the dry plains. It wound off into opposing directions, with not much of an indication as to where. Having never been outside before, the sparse trees that dotted the landscape helped little in determining a direction to go in.

"You!"

Rael nearly toppled over from alarm, crying out and holding up the armour in defense. A man a bit older than himself, clothing of fur and feathers over his darker skin had emerged from a small thicket near the road junction, a typical, primitive casting staff of gnarled wood in hand. Rael immediately recognized the ethnicity of a dark mage, who glared at him, then pointed the wooden staff threateningly, face twisted with malice.

The first thought that ran through Rael's head was a memory of rebellion. The time he covertly attempted dark magic, curiosity his excuse when he received his punishment. It was the first time his parents used magic for discipline, and the scar still stung faintly as a reminder.

As quickly as it came, the memory faded, and Rael's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. A terror bringer. Notorious for the terror attacks they had committed at the capital and various other locations, Rael had a dreadful inkling of what one here meant for him.

The two seemed frozen, staring at one another: the dark mage glowering, while Rael remained suspended in shock.

"I hate you!" the dark mage cried, and his gnarled staff began to flare an emerald green, filling the air with a sizzling reverberation. All at once, spells that Rael never got right swarmed out of his mouth on instinct, the regurgitated incantations, however, useless without a holy cross.

A blast of verdant light soared from the staff straight into Rael, knocking him to his knees. The exquisite armour once again collided into the earth, intricate engravings glimmering for a second.

"Please! I'm sorry! Please!" Rael begged, screaming as he cowered on the ground, not yet noticing the fact that he was not dead.

"That's right, who's the scum now?" the dark mage snapped. "Probably stopped an important delivery," he added, more so to himself, as he approached, warily eyeing the suit of armour that lay on the ground. "So who are you? What is this and where were you headed?"

At first, Rael didn't respond, only shaking fearfully and violently on the ground. Already he had lapsed back into the familiar fetal position that was his only refuge during his near daily punishments.

"Pl-please don't hurt me," Rael whispered.

"Tell me who you are!" the terror bringer demanded, eliciting a flinch from Rael.

"I'm Rael Smith," Rael immediately replied, before hesitating. "You don't know me?"

"No, but I'll get to know you soon enough."

"What do you mean?" Finally sensing that he wasn't dying or experiencing physical pain, Rael lessened his tensing slightly. "Why did you strike me back? Please, take the armour, I don't have anything else."

His harasser laughed.

"I didn't just knock you back, and I didn't come here for the armour."

"I still don't understand," Rael mumbled, trembling.

Leaning in closer, the dark mage sneered at Rael. "You gave me the perfect opportunity to carry out my 'terror attack'."

Rael stared, eyes wide at the confession. In seconds, he was on his feet running for his life, but he hadn't gone ten steps before he collapsed to his knees, breathing fast and heavy. Maybe it was the horrifying scenarios that played out in his mind, or the exhaustion and stress, or maybe something else, but his heart was racing frighteningly quick.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you 'light mages' down on the ground like the dogs you are."

Rael didn't seem to notice, instead clutching at his chest. His vision was blurring and his entire body ached. The pain was almost akin to his parents' cruelty and it terrified him.

"I'm sorry, I'll repent, I'll give you anything, I... I'll even go back home, I'll do any- Ah!" Tears once again came streaking down Rael's cheeks as his body seized up, muscles tensing. The dark mage laughed again.

"If only you could see the fear in your eyes at the slightest hint of terror. Know that it's exactly like those of my people who get ravaged by your 'holy cleansing'." The dark mage spat the words out in a livid disgust. "This is the perfect revenge, far better those that use death spells: this way, I can watch you suffer," he said, before adding in a quiet, remorseful whisper, "just as I did."

Had Rael been able to comprehend the man's words past the sound of rushing blood in his ears, he would have retorted, would have agreed if nothing else. However, his attention was focused solely on not ripping his ears out of his head, on the account of what they already felt like. As if a phantom hand had latched itself onto them, persistently yanking and stretching to a painfully loud ringing.

"Hmph. Soon everyone will know my name, know me. Siksikt Wolffoot," the dark mage muttered. Grip tightening on his casting staff, he puffed his chest up, watching as two large, floppy appendages replaced Rael's previously human ears. As they migrated up Rael's head, much to his agony, Siksikt lashed out, grabbing the velvety ear and lifting it up, revealing the soft fur sprouting on the inside to conceal the sensitive new organ. "You hear me? I'm Siksikt Wolffoot, and soon, you will be mine," he shouted, tossing his staff aside.

"I'm yours, please anything, just stop it!" Rael begged before a reprieve in his pain allowed him a moment to comprehend the way Siksikt was holding his ears. "M-my ears-" Rael cried out as his face followed the agonizing changes, jaw stretching out amongst the facial realignments. It took everything he had not to pass out. Rael opened and closed his mouth in vain attempts to relieve the mounting pain that wracked his face. The invisible hands clawed at his cheeks, pulling them back while his mouth and nose seemed to follow his labored exhales, pushing out with every breath. His teeth abruptly clacked together as the pain escalated, nearly biting his tongue off as they sharpened, rearranging into a menacing maw. It seemed like hours when Rael realized the clawing was his own hands, grasping tightly at his progressively furrier face. His nose twitched, and the edges of his mouth curled up into an agonized snarl.

Abruptly, his hands were yanked away from his face, and blinking open his tear stricken eyes, Rael was forced to stare wide-eyed into the oaken eyes of Siksikt.

"Pitch black fur. How ironic." The cruel eyes glittered with amusement.

Rael's whole body shook, not even a modicum of strength remaining to resist. The earthy scent of the mage filled his senses at the close proximity, as the tip of his growing snout darkened, and the organ's sensitivity increased forty times.

Rael groaned at the sensory overload, blinking helplessly at Siksikt, who smiled menacingly at his canine-faced victim. The sneer widened as speckles of bronze emerged within Rael's light blue eyes.

Scared as he was, Rael couldn't find it in him to look away from his captors eyes, instead remaining locked on his gaze until finally, he was released, flopping to the ground like an empty sack. It seemed the agonizing changes had paused.

Rael frantically swept his hands over his visage, gaping with his foreign muzzle and unnerved at the fur that covered it all. His nose twitched, and his eyelids dropped, unable to handle it all. All around him, the scent of dirt, sweat, musty wood, and tangy iron painted a picture more vivid than his eyes. His heartbeat thundered out a rhythm of a hammer crashing into his head. Suddenly he was jerked up, nose nearly brushing the dead animal skins that clothed his assaulter. At such proximity, Siksikt's distinctly primal smell permeated through the faded scent of long deceased animals. A spinning headache swirled around Rael's head, and his eyes unfocused as his nose drew in more scent.

Through it all he slowly became aware of a feeling, but it was inexplicable, because it came not from him, but outside, external. A tinge of quickened heart that he heard above his own, the salty sweat scent that was seeping out from the man in front of him and, altogether, something else: fear. Siksikt was scared.

Before Rael could comprehend, the external emotion flipped. Why was Siksikt scared? If he was in control, why should he be the one frightened? Siksikt, somehow noticing this, hardened his gaze and as simple as that, the thoughts faded from Rael's mind. Replacing them was a sense of superiority.

The peculiar mental whirlwind that swept emotions to and fro Rael's mind was instantly shattered when he felt his throat constrict. His hands flew to his neck as it began to fill with prickles that his fingers discovered to be the spreading of dense fur. It puffed out, despite the constricting upon his throat. Rael attempted to gasp, resulting in a raspy choking sound. Crying in alarm, he coughed, and hacked, trying to clear the vice around his throat, until his perked ears managed to get through to his brain that the whining sounds were coming from him.

Dumbfound and still wriggling in Siksikt's grip, he looked up and spoke. It didn't work. He tried again, but the air didn't seem to come out right. His misshapen face seemed to only exacerbate the issue. Staring desperately into those contemptful eyes, Rael panicked. It didn't seem to matter that his head was distorted to that of a beast's, or that he would likely die a horrid death at the hands of a dark mage after a life of suffering. Right at that moment, he could not speak - he was silenced. He might as well have not existed for all his pain.

The budding well of anger surged through him and it rumbled from his shaking chest skyward. Up through his useless throat, bubbling and grumbling. Rael pulled back his charcoal lips, glinting fangs bared as the anger flowed to his head. He could feel it with perfect clarify now, no longer intangible, but a physical vibration that wasn't from his pitiful shivering; instead, it was a growl that nearly clattered his canine teeth, until at last the rage erupted from his visceral maw in an ear splitting bark. Through this, the dam had broken, and Rael barked furiously, relentlessly furious at the world, the universe, God.

Siksikt, taken by surprise, let go of Rael, who dropped to his hands, clenched into fists, barking at the ground, the sky, at himself. He was so weak, so helpless but now... His livid cacophony paused, and he let the growling broil in his chest and throat like cauldron of lava. With his fangs bared once more, for the first time in his life, he felt powerful. This was what he was missing. With power, he could set himself free.

Blink.

Rael's growling subsided and his muzzle parted as his breathing slowed. The prickling had, in his fervor, advanced unnoticed down to his armpits, as any discomfort in the growing coat of ebony fur had warped into a warmth that reminding him of the scant occasions when he actually ate a full meal.

Rael swallowed, quite uncomfortably. His tongue was burning in his mouth. Unsure what to do, and staring blankly at the ground, his jaw dropped open a bit more and the lengthy pink appendage dangled out, dripping saliva. A little shiver danced down his back as it cooled, and he quickly gulped in more air. Though the warmth was comforting, it was beginning to get to the point where he was too hot. With the coat of fur down to his chest, Rael found himself breathing quicker and deeper than he thought possible, each breath pushing his chest farther out. Strangely, instead of getting increasingly light headed, the cloudy turmoil that had obscured Rael's mind dissipated somewhat.

An awkward pause hung in the air before Rael looked back up to Siksikt, who had also calmed down after Rael's outburst. Rael then became awkwardly aware of how ridiculous he must've looked. His sullied shirt was beginning to droop down past his fuzzy shoulders. Rael brought his hand up to his shoulder, scratching at the fur. He was becoming a dog, and dog's were small, even by his standards, which meant he wouldn't fit in his clothes anymore. The odd realization elicited a whine and Rael quickly yanked the shirt back up.

Siksikt, staring at the beast before him, couldn't contain his pleasure. His spell was working flawlessly, and even though the pitiful boy had acted like a ravenous wolf for a moment, he still failed to harm him. "Pathetic," he murmured, and frowned as Rael tried to pull the shirt back on. In seconds, he closed the distance between them and snatched at the fabric.

"Come on you prudish whelp," he snapped, proceeding to tug. Rael let out a surprised whimper and shook his head, mouth and eyes clamped shut again. This time, Siksikt tugged harder and Rael fell back, hands behind him and muzzle pressing down to hold the shirt. Siksikt almost laughed at the resistance. "Scared of being nude, are you?" he mocked, pulling again. Rael shook his head, which caused the shirt to slip out from under his jaw. "You will be completely naked, just like the filthy dog you're going to be!" Siksikt yanked hard, and in a last ditch effort, Rael grabbed onto the shirt with his mouth, shaking his head again, but the abused shirt couldn't withstand the two and tore right down, exposing Rael's torso and progressively furry chest. Siksikt's expression of triumph rapidly changed to one of suppressed shock.

Rael's skinny body was covered in scars.

Even beneath the fur on his chest, Siksikt could spot the lines from whips and the bruises from what one could only imagine. Some looked like they had been there since he was born. Others looked fresh, practically an open wound. One nasty one right below his rib cage appeared almost luminescent in the sun, the hint of magic present. Rael looked akin to some seasoned warrior, save his lithe and frail frame.

Rael stuffed his head into his hands in embarrassment, trying to look away from Siksikt. The dark mage sucked in a breath, erasing the expression from his face. Silently, he watched as the fur sprouted out, obscuring the scars. Tentatively, he knelt down, not that Rael seemed to notice, and brought his hand toward the cowering boy's abdomen. At the slightest touch, Rael flinched, shrinking away, but Siksikt just brushed the tufts of fur that floofed up between his fingers without a word. Watching and feeling as the fur came down. Even over the nasty scar, the fur seemed thinner. Siksikt continued to trail after the coat as it spread down, closer toward Rael's pants...

Siksikt jumped back and up, shaking his head. Rael had removed his hands from his face, and was watching as the fur wrapped around his wrists and his palms darkened, callous thickening into paw pads. Rael clenched his fingers, as the bones in them snapped and shortened, keratin in the nails reshaping to a clawed point. Rael began to pant again, trying to maneuver his decreasingly dexterous paws. When his shoulders arched back, reforming to a different position, he jumped in alarm, trying to stand up as the back of his spine shifted out. At the sudden upward motion, his slimmer hips, which were covered in fur, failed to uphold his pants which proceeded to drop downward, caught at his ankles, causing Rael to tripp. Tipped forward, he caught himself with his fully formed forelegs in a bit of shock. Desperately trying to get back up, Rael kicked his legs while simultaneously grabbing at his pants with his thumbless paws. The whole thing managed to send Rael into a tumbling somersault, sending his pants flying off instead exposing his crotch completely. However, the growing coat of fur was already creeping down his naval to the base of his cock, making it twitch.

Rael's flopped ears jumped up for a second at the sudden and inexplicable exhilaration from his freed nethers. He cocked his head, sat up and watched, intirgued, as his foreskin puffed up with fur. Why was his heart hammering again? A pinching sensation snatched his attention to his fur sheathed genital, and a rose blush seeped through the night black cheeks.

He was utterly prone before this man. A barrage of blasphemies came to mind and the realization that he had arrived at the epitome of sacrilegious acts. And yet, Rael almost giggled at the fact that he was - at that moment - the freest he had ever been. How unholy he was, exposed like this before another man, but wasn't this what freedom was? No idea existed in his mind of any way that he could be any more distanced from his parents' ideals, and it gave Rael a moment of perverted anticipation that seized in his barreled chest.

Dogs, the boy reasoned, were free. He licked his incisors. They bounded and frolicked. Maybe this wasn't so bad. This was the liberty he wanted, not just physically but also morally freed from his parents. The idea seemed progressively appealing. Dogs could go anywhere they pleased. Dogs had - Rael's thoughts shattered.

His furry sheath had parted slightly, revealing a blood red point. Wide-eyed, Rael - prominently a black dog down to the waist at this point - jolted from his sitting position, back hitting the ground with his soft tummy facing up. Rael's horified expression was quickly followed by scratchy whimpers. All the while, Siksikt had been watching with a morbid fascination at the work of his magic, bemused.

Rael had seen dogs before when occasionally one came with a merchant, but he had never imagined what could have been between a male's legs. Once more his breathing sped, but the buzz of increased air caused another jump in the foreign organ and it crept out a bit more. Rael huffed, unable to comprehend what he was seeing and feeling. The advancing fur had covered his scrotum, plumping up the frightened boys' testes, starting to cover his thighs. What was that?! Rael thought, was this normal? It didn't hurt, and actually... Rael's nose sniffed a bit to accompany his rapid inhaling, and it latched onto something that smelled comforting. The red tip poked out farther. Rael grinned a bit and sniffed a bit more, curiosity overcoming anxiety. That smelled right, he surmised. It was natural. Rael relaxed and sighed as it slid free of the tight furry sheath. Unsure what to do, but eager to grasp more pleasure from this forbidden tool, Rael stretched his eagerly sniffing nose closer, letting the delicious smell spark his feral mind, filling in the gaps. As Rael sniffed at it he found it becoming rigid and soon it ached, shifting slightly with every heartbeat. If he could just touch it, maybe he could relieve some of the tension. A trepid paw extended forward.

Siksikt abruptly let out a cry. "A-are you turned on by this?!" Rael gasped free from his reverie, looking at the astonished dark mage. No, he wasn't - that wasn't what he meant, but the paw continued to its target. Rael shuddered blissfully at contact, letting the rough pads yank gently at the pulsing flesh. A spurt of pre accompanied the action.

No. What was he doing? If Siksikt was mortified at what he was doing, he had to stop. He didn't want to become a horny beast - this wasn't what he wanted.

Fearful eyes looked up to the grimacing Siksikt. In those pleading eyes, the perturbed mage could almost make out Rael's voice between the whining pants.

Despite his frantically opposing mind, Rael continued pawing at the erection as his legs tingled, painlessly reforming to a quadruped stance, muscles strengthening under the fluffy black fur.

"Mmf," Rael grunted. His paw wasn't enough any more. Agitated, he leaned up a bit, reaching in with his other paw, pressing and rubbing at the sheath, unaware that he was also rubbing at his slowly inflating knot. A jerk in his legs brought his attention to the thick muscle, and images of sprinting free sprang to mind. He would be so free, unchained from any link that bound him to his wretched past. That was what he wanted. Rael grinned dumbly, sniffing some more. The bounding dog that filled his mind's landscape soon found itself sniffing at the rear of another canine, sheath giving way to an eager erection. Thoughts Rael moments prior would have been unable to grasp soon profaned his mind, flaring and spreading like fire.

Panting tongue out, Rael felt a sensual tug beneath his sack that glided down to his anus, shifting it along until it reached the base of his spine. From there, something tickled, pressing into the dusty ground. Rael's wriggling back and forth to slide down, freeing the sensitive pressure. His nearly completely fur covered legs spread wider, increasing access to his nethers. The wriggling motion set his ruby rod swinging back and forth, dripping an arc of glistening pre all over his smooth stomach fur. Finally, the ebony dog retracted his tired arms, holding them up at his chest, mouth sucking in the cooler air, overexerted. He whimpered, canine cocky still throbbing needily, knot already bulging achingly. What once were human toes shrunk, large nails twisting to a point, fur bursting out from between the toes as the heel pulled back, leaving the top of the soles to darken and thicken into pads. Rael wiggled the paws playfully as he settled. His fully grown tail now sweeping freely beneath his slightly upraised anus.

Siksikt watched the whole thing, unable to look away. Perhaps even unwilling. There was no trace of the human that he had cast the spell on anymore, just a whimpering and lusty black dog. But no, his eyes, Siksikt realized, were still mostly the light blue of the sky. He gulped. It was fascinating watching the victim change. Strangly, he couldn't take his eyes off the dog's prone sex. Rivulets of clear pre dripped down as it raised up and down from it's owner's rapid breathing. This was his prize, Siksikt thought. The dog, not specifically his reproductive organ, he quickly clarified to himself. Though, it was still a part of the package...

Siksikt, almost in a trance, stepped towards the dog, who pricked his ears up eagerly, but remained panting tiredly. The dark mage slipped his left moccasin off his foot, and almost in disbelief, brought it above the veiny cock, which was about the same size, feeling the heat on his soles. Rael whined. Siksikt brought his foot down, pressing the crimson cock into the black fur. Rael whimpered, pelvis thrusting back at the planted foot. Gingerly, Siksikt slid his foot up along the pulsing length and brought it back down until the toes were poised at the tapered tip, feeling the hot flesh beneath. His toes curled over the tip, the biggest toes squelching into the depression. Rael peddled his paws in the air blissfully. Siksikt, on the other hand, shivered, blushed, but did not stop, toes pleasantly warm with canine pre. After a moment, he proceeded to bring his big toe back around so the tip was nestled between his toes. Squeezing gently, he slid his foot back down, letting the pre lubricate his path back down until the girth forced his toes together. Siksikt lifted his foot up slightly and spread the toes apart, watching the pre strands that connected them slide down, tickling his foot. His eyes were drawn next to the bulging knot at the base, and soon his foot followed. With no thought, the toes were soon patting over the knot, pre sticking and dripping messily.

A new idea came to Siksikt's unthinking mind, something he had to see. Stretching his foot farther forward, he brought it right up to Rael's neck. Rael stopped panting, tilting his head at the pre slicken foot. The dog's nose twitched and he brought his muzzle close, closer, until it bumped into Siksikt's foot.

Rael's eyes lit up. It was the yummy smell - and it was so close to his face! Instinctively, his lengthy tongue began to explore the foot, lapping at the sole and prodding between the toes. But soon the smell was almost all licked up and was pulling away. Rael faithfully followed it, until he found himself nose to tip with his throbbing cock. His nose went into overdrive, pulling in as much of the heavenly scent as possible. Without hesitation Rael began lapping at his cock, dragging the length of his tongue from the bulging base to the dripping tip, revelling in the tugging sensation of his leathery tongue. But he wanted more. Rael flopped over to his side, one leg pointing sky high as he stuffed his penis into his muzzle, nose bumping into his fuzzy sack. It was so hot in his mouth, with his sexy scent was trapped in it. His tail beat the ground relentlessly as his eyes lolled up to his head at the pleasure. Rael slathered every last inch of his delicious cock with his tongue, tasting himself and greedily rubbing the corners of his mouth with the cock in jerking self humps, letting the pre mix into his slobber. Rael increased the speed of his humps and soon began to bob his head along the length, mind noticing a burgeoning pressure that welled up from his balls to the base of cock. Rael growled and whimpered, sounds muffled by the cock in his mouth and warbled by the fluids that dripped sloppily through his jowls. The pressure was rapidly expanding, seizing his whole abdomen in anticipation.

Rael wanted it to be free. Wanted himself to be free. This was what freedom tasted like.

Rael clenched, head diving down and hips thrusting his cock up as far as it would go. He could have nearly swallow his own testes. His tongue dug into his knot, dragging up to the tapered tip until a numbness shot through the engorged dick, delivering globs of semen down his own throat and a mind blanking explosion of euphoria. Immediately, Rael began slurping up as much of his cum as he could, savouring the hot liquid.

After the initial blasts of cum, had subsided, Rael pulled back from his cock, allowing some remaining spurts to fire onto his head. The sexual goop sloshed out of Rael's open maw, despite his tongue licking around his face to pull it back in. Satisfied, the black dog turned to face Siksikt, eyes closed as some cum slid down over his eyelids. Once he had managed to lap it up, Rael opened his eyes and gazed at Siksikt, eyes like bronze plates.

The dark mage returned the look, watching as the former light mage panted contentedly, black, furred body painted white with cock juices. He won. But why did he feel like he had failed?

Siksikt frowned again, and Rael stopped panting, curious as to why Siksikt wasn't happy. It was no sooner than the flush that overcame his face that Siksikt realized what had happened.

"My spell - it backfired," he admitted to Rael, no longer able to deny the strange attraction to his creation. This was not pride; pride wasn't primal. It couldn't be justice; justice wasn't consuming. The shortness of breath and the stirring in his loins spoke clearly to his predicament.

Rael suddenly pricked his ears and looked back before hunching his shoulders with a growl.

Siksikt screwed up his face, watching the distant town.

"Oh no. I -" Siksikt glanced at Rael and blushed again as his glance stuck. "We need to leave." Siksikt's eyes broke away to scan for the bane of his existence.

On the ground, where it had dropped, was the suit of armour. In seconds, Siksikt scooped up the armour. Rael, who had been licking up stray cum strands from the ground, looked up. Without a word, Siksikt sprinted off, and Rael bounded after.

***

"Father," called a man in a spotless white robe. A stern faced man, eyes like ice, approached. "It was worse than we feared."

He gestured to the staff of gnarled wood lying forgotten on the ground.