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Your Friend, The Bard Part 1

The large war keep rested easily against the side of a mountain, the towering rocks that rose above it being a perfect shield from any rear attacks as it stood its grown diligently in preparation for any that might come by looking for trouble. Within these thick stone walls were the forges, the weapon smiths, the armory, and training grounds, but above all the local pub for those that were off duty to spend their time. Not many were allowed within these walls, the paranoid bunch that kept this keep simply not allowing any others to pass through the massive sized gate that towered overhead, but Borna had friends, he knew people, and they knew him. The bright smiles that looked on at this strong and well sized bear showed the husky who followed him that his well traveled ursine "friend" had a lot of small connections that he could pull when needed.

The hammer that he carried over his shoulder remained in place where his hand gripped it. The well polished wooden shaft was mounted with what could only be described as a block of iron designed for nothing more than crushing those that might try and come up against him, this same block that would click against the mason stone floor while the two rested at the center table of this pub while his close friend sat on the other side with a bright smile. Their small talk was for that of a ride, trying to broker a deal to acquire travel through the dangerous mountain path that rested before them. Friends or not the prices that were being proposed still felt a bit high and out of the reach of either this barbarian trained bear or the more magical focused canine companion who released a very gentle sigh and turned his head to look around.

"What's his problem?" Graham asked his long standing ursine friend.

Borna knew of this husky's troubles, knew that he'd lose his lover to a raiding group of humans, but that was why they were traveling, that was why they were trying to get across the mountain. What this bear did notice, though, was that canine hand still rubbing at his stomach and forced a light smirk from this ursine who gave his friend a light motion to gain his attention, "Oh don't worry about him. Just before we got here we came across a thief who took hold of Atilus's backpack and tried to get away with it. When my husky friend here tried to snatch it back the rat gave him a good elbow right in the gut which forced his eyes and tongue to bulge out so much that I thought they were going to fall out of his face... and I was several yards away!"

Graham's thunderous laugh called out from this table, his fist slamming down on the wooden surface as he worked to contain himself while Atilus shrunk more against it in shame and embarrassment.

"He caught me off guard," the husky tried to explain, turning his eyes away from both of them once again while his cheeks burned hot from this topic, "by the time I saw the attack coming it was too late for me to tighten my abs."

"When I caught up to him this pup was already on his knees and holding his stomach like a little cub trying to take his first breaths." Borna continued, even gripping his own stomach with his arms tucked tightly around it so that he could mockingly gasp for air to show his old friend just what the canine looked like out there in the road.

It was a display that got Graham bursting out once again in a loud call of joy and jovial display. It was a look that made this ursine smile brightly because if he could get his friend in a good mood then maybe he could lower that price and get them moving from this place before the night started to shine through the vale of day. A bargainer in a good mood was one willing to make some deals, willing to lower their prices, and that was something that both Borna and Atilus needed if they were going to continue their quest to rescuing the husky's lover. Sure the dog would feel bad about it, usually being uptight and unwilling to admit when he's failed at any task, but if it got them on the road quicker than an upset husky was the least of Borna's concerns.

By the time Graham finished his outrageous laughter the soft spots of water in his eyes would be wiped away with a single hand as he worked to catch his breath for his own safety, "Oh my goodness. Sounds like you two have had quite the adventure. Borna, you must tell me more of your tales like that last one. What else has this young pup been up to?"

It was a question that brought a very bright smile to those always grinning lips, the bear so willing to tell stories, so eager to brag about his adventures and travels to other places. They'd been through a bit together, and while most of the stories were nothing like the last one he told there were a few unsung adventures under their belts that he could slide across this table in the form of a potential discount for their continued journey. Atilus was made to rest there, made to sit tight while these tales were announced and told across the width of this table, but then again it didn't take a great deal of prodding from the old bear to get him going and once he started it was even more difficult to get him to stop leaving the husky with the memory of the woeful mistakes he'd made and having to indulge as they were sold as stories to this overly eager friend of his adventuring companion.

"Well... I do have a few stories that I can tell you..."

* * *

The open path on the ground had given way at the edge of the forest, the vast field left to match the beautiful blue sky while the light from the sun washed over their figures. The handsome, rather muscled canine mage hiding his grey and white fur color under an open chest and brown pants, the only thing covering his body being a grey cloak. His pack carried easily on his back while his booted feet clicked hurriedly across the ground. The look of anger and rage on his face as he darted across this path after what looked to be a rival mage that had failed at ambushing them at the edge of that forest he'd been chased out of. Borna followed along with his large hammer in hand, able to keep up thanks to his full foot and a half in height that he had over his smaller companion. When this lupine made a quick turn towards the entrance of a cave the husky wizard stopped short, knowing better than to rush in to such a narrow space against a magic user that could be casting any kind of spell.

The fact that this bunny ran told Atilus that this lupine wasn't confident in his skills, that he didn't feel he could take the two of them in a spell against spell fight which left the husky smirking widely. If it was going to be a match up between him and weaker spell caster then this mage had everything that he needed to take this rival on all by himself without even having to step into that cave at all. It didn't take Borna long to catch up to them, the massive bear even started to make his way towards the cave, but with a lift of his hand Atilus quickly stopped him.

"Hold on," he told his friend with an all too confident smile, "I've got this."

It was the very words that made Borna lift his brow. His canine companion wasn't a bad fighter by any means, and he certainly had his uses before, but ever since he'd known this husky there wasn't a single time that Atilus had ever taken on an opponent all by himself. It was an order that Borna could ignore, he could easily charge in anyway, but clearly this dog wanted to show his strength after hearing so much from the always boastful lips of that large ursine and his massive hammer. Atilus moved his right hand down, gripping his own wrist with the other so that with a bit of focus a soft gust of rushing air would flow down against the ground and start to lift his cloak just enough to whip about while the formation of a small blue ball started to form and churn within his hand. That focused gaze showed he was putting energy into this orb as more and more pumped freely into it and it started to grow in size. It was an attack that Atilus was willing to bet would one shot this small bunny mage, but just to make sure he'd force more of his own spiritual essence into it, wanting to make ensure that it had that tiny bit of extra kick to it in order to get the job done.

What this husky wasn't expecting was the heavy gush of wind to course past him, blasting him with what could only be described as a hammer made of nothing but air which hit his body and lifted his cloak fully behind him. Borna could see that stomach entirely caved in, crushed into the front of his spine in a way that the husky's ribs could be seen just from outline alone. It was a hit that left those grey cheeks puffed out, swollen as those wide eyes bulged wildly in his skull while that blue glowing ball started to sparkle, fade, and then vanish entirely against the now destroyed concentration. His legs locked him in place, kept him standing there with this expression as the soft squeak of agonizing pain rolled from him in such a way that even Borna couldn't accurately duplicate it to the man sitting across the table from him who was cracking up at these stories rolling from the lips of the ursine that did everything he could to animate his travels for his old friend.

"Oh come on.." Atilus tried to interject, wanting to explain himself over the sound of that seemingly never-ending laughter, "How was I supposed to know that the rabbit was an arch mage? He didn't look like.. What was he doing robbing people to being with.. I mean seriously... I mean, you get hit in the stomach with a wind spell like that and see how you handle it..."

Even Borna had to laugh at this one as his hardy hand lifted quickly to gently pat his canine traveling partner on his shoulder. "Honestly, my friend, you should be prepared for anything at that point. It wasn't like you could see him in that cave."

The husky opened his mouth to try and retort, but found nothing coming to mind about what kind of excuse he could make for his actions. His friend might not be the smartest of all adventurers but he certainly did have a point here and a valid enough one that left Atilus speechless.

"There may be another answer to this, pup." Graham spoke up as his laughs started to calm down enough for him to respond to their conversation, "I'm willing to believe that maybe you just happen to have soft belly."

The response left this dog blushing, his hand moving to grip at his own stomach as he felt through his clothes, "What are you talking about? I have abs... kind of..." he tried to argue, once again allowing himself to flow into a pile of grump and struggling.

"You must have more tales to tell me, Borna. I haven't had a good laugh like this in years. You simply need to hear more of the misadventures you and your companion have shared in."

* * *

"Soft belly?!" The husky was outraged by such a claim, he couldn't believe the words that he was hearing and with a quick rise to his feet from this table the two others that were here only lifted a brow but never lost the open smiles that they still carried on their lips, "Does this look like a soft belly to you, Graham?!"

The movement of his hand pushed past the lining of his grey cloak, throwing it open to show off the rather well built body that rested underneath. Strong, well toned arms rose to keep that cloth at bay, his fur covered chest on full display for both to be able to see, and what looked to be a well placed lining of abs flexing easily against the center of his body. It was clear that this dog had been well trained, had a good touch of strength to him, looked like he was able to defend himself just fine and for a moment their gracious host even looked impressed by what he was seeing. This was all ruined in an instant when the accompanying ursine sent out a quick and playful jab at the body of this mage. It was a light hit, one that wasn't designed to do any kind of real damage, but was still far more than enough to power through those so-called abs and crush the canine back down into his seat as he folded in half with his arms holding his center and his head grinding against the surface of the table. The whines that flowed from his breath was something hidden behind the call of thunderous laughter that once again lifted from the full lungs of these two hardy men. There was nothing funnier to them than the sight of a bolstering pup getting taken down by what basically amounted to the same force that one of their kind would use to bounce their knuckles off of the shoulder of the other.

Borna's goal wasn't to hurt Atilus, but simply to make a point, to show him what such bravado could cost him. While the two continued to laugh at the clearly failed display of falsely toned muscles the bear's large hand pat this canine on the back to help gain the husky's attention so that he could explain something to him.

"It's really nothing personal Atilus, but you do have a soft belly. I know that you have your big strong muscles, but they're all just for show. There's not a single muscle on your body that can harden well enough to defend an attack, but that's ok. You're a mage, right? You're not supposed to be on the receiving end all that much." This ursine stood then, giving his own round belly a nice hard slap, but instead of a ripple or any kind of jiggle the solid gut stood firm, "See this? I've got some weight, but my body is tight and solid. No random punch in getting past this bad boy."

There were many mean things that Atilus wanted to say to this, his narrowed eyes showing that he didn't care for such a strike against his already well beaten abs, but before he could even regain his breath the bear would start into another story towards his friend, another tale of how this husky had managed to get himself taken out yet again. It seemed that this was going to be a long time reoccurring theme to these long winded chronicles.

"You know, Graham, that actually reminds me of another story," Borna started up, witnessing the very bright smile wrapping around the still chuckling lips of his long time friend, "Turns out that our little pup here has a bit of a fancy for guys over gals, nothing too big, nothing too important, but you know me and I just have to make light jabs about it now and then just to see how riled I can get the dog. When he gets too mad his face actually starts to go from grey and white to just full on red, by anyway..."

The very comment about it forced Atilus to jerk his head towards Borna, full on glaring at him with what could only be described as a snarl, but to a bear it was as non-threatening a tone as a baby's coo.

"... We were set up in a tavern in a little village some ways from here and I was joking around with him about it, but what I didn't notice was a leopard fellow sitting with his back to us and when I mentioned it those pointed cat ears just perked right on up." The soft tone of laughter already flowed from Graham as Borna animated his story with his fingers sticking up on either side of his face, "He asked Atilus if he fancied him! I thought it was a real question, but while the pup was turning around to answer him that cat swung his wine bottle straight into Atilus's gut. I've been in my share of bar fights and I've seen just about everything used as a weapon... hell, my hammer is just a lump of iron fastened into a wooden rod, but I've never seen someone jam a bottle bottom first into someone else's gut so hard that it crushed their stomach all the way into their back!" Again the loud call of laughter was shared between the two at the expense of this husky who was left blushing at the memory of the pain he's felt, "I mean, the bottle came in and that pup belly was just gone. Interesting thing is that when the cat pulled that bottle back that belly sure as hell didn't return. Just this circle indention folded inside of that stomach and the leopard telling him to keep his hands off of him while Atilus was left staring into space with his mouth hanging open." The story was made to take a break as he continued his laugh, "I could even see the pup flexing his abs like he had here, but it was way too late for it to do any good."

* * *

The glaring rage that filled the husky's eyes locked on Borna for the longest time while he laughed to the sound of his own voice, the canine knowing that if he fights him then he's just going to be suffering another hard gut shot. There was nothing that he wanted more than to just have his bear friend stop using his embarrassment as a kind of currency to make deals with, but if it was the kind of story that Graham liked to hear then there wasn't much that could be done about it. Atilus didn't hide his sexuality, he didn't tuck it away a something to be ashamed of, but he certainly didn't like it being brought up everywhere he went either, that's how he ended up getting hit with that bottle to begin with.

"How am I supposed to prepare myself for an attack like that? He was asking a question and then instantly hit me before I could even answer it. The guy was a jerk!" He tried to cut in, even snarling a bit under his breath, "Yeah, I like men and I don't care what others think about that. The entire reason we're on this quest is to get back my lover who was kidnapped by a raiding group of humans. That's why we're even in this place trying to get a ride through the pass. If I knew we were going to waste time with stories then I would have kept walking."

It was only then that the bear realized his hardy nature had gotten the better of him again. He was once again using his canine friend as a joke to lighten the mood around him and had really upset him. It was only right that he try to make it up to Atilus by standing up for him a bit, "Well... Graham, you can even see that toned body, so even though my friend here is a little 'fancy' he knows how to take care of himself. For a gay guy he's one of the most masculine people I know."

It didn't take long for this bear to remember another of their tales and without even thinking instantly burst into it, "Oh, I just remembered these few times that I managed to coax Atilus into a spar. It's so funny because he'll jump at with everything he's got and then crumple down to the ground like a balled up bit of paper when you punch him in the gut mid jump!"

"Shut the hell UP, Borna!!!" The husky screamed at him, standing once again in full rage. The nice moment that this bear had given him failed as it seemed to be cast aside for yet another embarrassing story.

Those canine eyes turn towards Graham, his hands clinched as he was looking for any kind of compassion, any kind of understanding from the brute at all who only gave an easy nod to this dog, "I think your friend is getting a little too upset, Borna, but I like how brave he is for standing up for himself even though there's no way he can beat either of us. It's hard to find someone these days that's as open about his sexuality as your friend here is either. I'll tell you what. I'll get you two through the pass, but only under one condition." The bright smirk rolled across Graham's lips as their interest peaked, curious what their side of the deal would involve.

* * *

For Borna continuing the journey meant that he could get that much closer to completing his friend's quest, to helping him out and getting his lover back, and for Atilus it meant no longer having to suffer the embarrassment of the bear's stories anymore. It was easy to believe that this husky was open to just about any suggestion that might be allowed, but what he didn't like was that whatever idea this happens to be had come to Graham just after learning that their dog companion was gay. The world wasn't the safest of placed to begin with as raiders and bandits wandered about as they pleased on most roads so anyone doing, or being, anything that was out of the ordinary was something to either hide or avoid entirely. Atilus was happy to have impressed Graham, but he didn't like the timing that came along with this final request.

"We've been honoring a very special guest here for the last couple weeks, a royal guest from a distant Kingdom to the South of us." The man explained, "Turns out that he likes men too. You go up to his room and get friendly with him and let him know that I sent you then I'll give you two all you need and a free ride through the passage."

"Get friendly?" The question for him to clarify that came in quickly.

"He wants you to sex up the prince a bit and let him know that Graham sent you."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Atilus raged, his feet hitting the floor instantly as he stood from his seat once again and leaned over the table a bit in order to get in this man's face, "I'm dedicated to my lover and I'm not going to betray him just so that way YOU can look better to some prince! My god.. would you ask this of a straight..."

Atilus was in the middle of making a very fair and decently placed point when his words were stopped, his gesture locked up, his very body trapped in place, and from his stomach grew what looked to be the wooden shaft of Borna's hammer from where the iron block had been buried inside of his stomach in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. The husky's body shook and quaked with the feeling of that hit, having never taken a blow like that ever before. The very sensation of it left his legs locked up, keeping him standing there while his top half fell limp over that table. The shattered pride of this dog had been left with his cheeks puffed out and his eyes widened to a point that kept him from closing them at all. The soft tones of his lungs rolling out in the slowest and softest tone while Borna just smirked from the impact of the hit.

"And that face is what I like to call 'The Blow-fish'." The bear said seeing his friend burst into laughter once again while a fist continued to slam down on the table.

"WHAT A FACE!!!" He'd scream out loudly through his own laughter while Borna worked to twist his hammer just enough that he could pop the iron free from that gut that it seemed to be lodged into.

Despite the loud laughter barreling from across the table this bear would try and pat his companion on his shoulder so that he could explain to him that the husky simply shouldn't be rude to their host while he's trying to help them out. Borna wasn't suggesting that he takes the offer of course, but while that main driven reaction continued to face the light pat that Borna had given him started the dog on his way to lean the other way due to rebalancing alone and even slowly caused him to grunt out while he felt his body slip off of the table, off of his chair, and tumble down onto the floor blow only causing yet another loud burst of laughter from Graham. It seemed that there was truly nothing that Atilus could do that their host failed to find simply hilarious. The husky couldn't even move after a hit like that, he could barely breath, and while his body shook and his arms gripped his own belly once again, the rolling around he did on the floor provided no benefit at all to try and help recover his body.

"Aw.. come on, Atilus," Borna tried to reason with the pup that was attempt to pull himself back to his seat with shaking hands and uncontrolled stumbling legs kicking at the floor in an attempt to lift himself up, "I didn't hit you all that hard. Get up, we really need to make this deal work."

Continuing his travels was absolutely a thought on his mind, but even now he was starting to believe that maybe he was just better off by himself, but before Atilus could complete his story Graham finally spoke up through his bellowing calls, "Alright, so we'll help you out I've got a caravan leaving here in just a few hours. Make yourself at home until then and I'll sign you two on as guards." Even the husky couldn't deny how good that sounded, how well formed that plan really was, and it left him wanting to take the deal even if just for the sake of getting the hell out of this place, "I mean, really. You two have such a great act together. I haven't laughed this hard in years. You've more than paid your way just in entertainment alone."

* * *

The passage had been behind them for weeks, the strike that Borna landed against Atilus in that keep was something that had vanished from his mind with the countless memories of combat, spells, and gut shots to replace it and now they stood outside of the human raider territory. These people hadn't been easy to track at all, but that was why Borna was here. Very few people could claim to have the skills that he did when wandering the paths, and even fewer could follow trails that were days if not weeks old. Their time watching this camp had given them the knowledge that they needed to know where Atilus's lover was being kept and this left the husky to already make his way towards it from the rear. This dog had become known as the guy that rushed forward into a fight without thinking, but when it came to the resolution of this long-standing quest he didn't want to take anything at risk. The plan was to have the canine go in, to try and find his lover and get out, Borna was simply too large to sneak, but if things went wrong then he knew he could trust on the brute's strength to rescue them both.

Everything seemed to be going well, something that surprised even this husky as he pulled the flap to the tent to the side, opening it slowly and slipping inside. The sight of rugs, gold, and treasures of all kind littered this tent, seemed to be laying about randomly in different areas, but the only treasure that Atilus cared about was the man tied against the center post holding this tent up. The weight of it alone kept him in place, but if he did manage to break free it wouldn't be without bringing the entire tent down on himself. That didn't stop this husky from rushing over to him, though, it didn't keep him away from his lover for even a moment while he rushed forward and cupped his hand around that face, pulling his gaze up to look right back at him.

"Jace.. It's me." He whispered, trying to keep his voice down if he could, "I've come to rescue you."

This lover only shook his head, though, wide eyed at who he was seeing, "No.. you shouldn't have come here. They'll catch you."

It was a clear warning, but one that seemed to come far too late as a hand gripped down on the back of Atilus's shoulder. The canine turned his head back to see a human male standing there, the show of strength from his open shirt allowed this dog to see that very well defined body, but unlike Atilus the muscles being shown were fairly real and effective. There were no words shared, none were needed as the husky tried to get up onto his feet to face this threat only to feel the tight grip of fingers move to wrap around the throat of the dog that had come to save what was dearest to him. Atilus would be the first to swing his arm, throwing the first punch in what was clearly going to be a harsh fight, but as his fists crashed against the side of this man's head all it managed to do was turn the human's face away before it slowly returned.

"You.. you're the chieftain here. You're Muz-grob." Atilus almost squeaked at his realization, only now actually knowing just how foolish he was in his attacks.

When that free hand reached out to the side Muz would grip hold of a set of brass knuckles, wrapping his fingers between the holes so that as he clinched his hand down on the metal bar the fast blur of a punch would quickly knock the husky silly on the very first blow. The other knuckle duster also joined in with the other hand to bring his fist against that puffed out chest and forced Atilus to stumble a bit, but it wasn't until the next attack landed against the husky's shirtless stomach that his fist would sink fully into those abs, crushing his body back against his spine with a huge amount of force that left the dog's mouth hanging open and his eyes bulging out like a fish, the very force leaving them as though they were going to pop free from his skull as that opened mouth soon found a tongue rolling free from it. It was a sight that made Muz chuckle before a soft whisper into his own knuckles forced those dusters to glow.

The next hit that followed would be amplified by his spell to launch Atilus from this tent, to send him off of his feet and gripping his heavily impacted gut while he was left to slide across the ground in no less than three bounces. The shaking of his body allowed him to move just enough to see other gathered humans and one very upset bear on his knees, bound, restrained, and captured all before this husky's vision went dark.

* * *

The high pitched tone that filled his canine ears rang loudly, but slowly started to give way to his own thick grunts. The more he moved the more those tones vanished and the more he would start to feel the grass of the ground against his face. Slow movements from his figure would allow him to slide against it while the sound of people around him spoke out. The last thing he remembered was receiving a hard, magic induced, punch and the sight of his long-standing partner being detained. If what he saw was real then that meant that their mission had failed, that their quest to save his lover, his mate, his one and only, had failed. Those husky eyes opened slowly, the feeling of his figure straining against the struggle just to move as his body continued to try fight off those sore abs that had been so deeply abused since the very start of this story. Everything that he did seemed to end with him taking some kind of horrible suffering, but he could power through it, bring himself up onto his knees while the sight of human faces looked on at him.

Atilus could see them now, having no idea how many there had been before and now noticing that their numbers were in the hundreds. It was a sight, a realization of just how overpowered him and Borna really were in this quest, but also knowing that now that they were captured there was no way for them to be able to escape. His head turned to look to the side, darting at the movement of the large bear that noticed his small canine friend finally awake. His usual overly joyous self seemed to be toned down a bit, hidden away so that it wouldn't be exposed so easily as they both waited to see what would happen them. When this husky turned his head to his other side, though, he instantly looked on at the sight of the very vulpine that he'd come to love, the very creature that he'd given his heart to. His being looked unharmed, unabused, and with a soft gasping call of his voice Atilus spoke to his fox mate for the first time in what had to be over a months now.

"Jace... are you ok?" Atilus asked him, but the fox didn't respond at first, his silence filling the area between them.

"I.." He finally spoke up, "I didn't want you to come, Atilus. I didn't want you to get hurt."

It was an admission that dropped the husky's heart, made him feel the sorrow that Jace must have felt all this time, but now they were together again and as Atilus reached his hand out towards his lover he could feel the leather boot instantly kick against his wrist to slap it to the side. This dog didn't get hurt, but it was clear that they weren't going to be allowed to touch one another, not while this chieftain was around.

"I didn't think it was true, but I guess that proves it." Muz said to the husky as he looked between him and the fox, "Two men in love with one another. At first I thought it was kind of gross, but after hearing Jace talk about you the way he did all this time I think I can kind of understand where he's coming from. Your love and his are pure and noble... noble enough to try and rescue him anyway, but that's where you're story ends, I'm afraid."

Husky eyes turned up towards the human that was speaking to the party mage, even leaning down a bit so that he could be more specific. "Atilus... you have a reputation. A lifetime of magical use, fully trained in the arts to a point of mastery, but what the only thing that anyone seems to be able to talk about are the stories that your friend there spread all over the land. I don't believe any of it though. I try to tell people that there's just no way that your gut can really be THAT weak if you have a build like this."

Atilus turned his gaze instantly towards Borna, glaring at him while the bear tried to hold back a wave of laughter from his lungs, scoffing and muffling his chuckles with deep calls before Muz pulled that face back to look at him, "Here's the deal. We're barbarians so we honor force and directness, but we also honor the rite of challenges. You might like to be with another guy, but somewhere in you is a real male trying to claw his way out so here's what we're going to do. Gut Punching Contest. You want to flaunt your masculinity all around then let's see it right here. Accept and your friends can both walk, they'll be free, if you win then you can even join them, but if you lose then you personally have to stay here with us and take over Jace's place of teaching us Northern Magics."

It was a challenge that this dog couldn't really refuse, his entire purpose for coming out here was to save Jace and now they were offering to let his lover go no matter how the challenge was completed, but there was a very clear question that came from it all, "Jace was teaching you guys magic?"

"Yes, we needed a teacher and he's been doing his best, but the fox is still a student himself. You ARE a teacher already, so you can teach us."

"Then maybe I can just teach you in exchange..."

NO!" Muz roared with an angered gaze, "We will not learn from the weak. Only the strong are permitted to teach this clan, so you have a lot to prove with your reputation as it is."

This made Atilus nod, it was clear that Borna's stories had once again gotten the better of him, or maybe it was those stories gave him the chance that they were offering at all. Without even hesitation the husky would gave a quick and instantly nod, "Alright, I accept. Let them go and we'll do this contest."

* * *

Whoops and hollers called out around them while Atilus was helped up. His friends were released, free to go, able to take off anytime that they wanted, but this was a challenge that Borna wanted to see and Jace wanted to make sure that his lover was still ok after it was over. Even the fox knew what kind of soft belly Atilus had, he'd never brought it up because the husky worked so hard on his body, and he didn't want him to be made to suffer too much. In a way, Jace kind of knew how the results would be, he believed that his close canine mate would be made to lose, but no matter how things turned out this vulpine when would be here to make sure that he could tend to Atilus, to comfort him, congratulate him, whatever needed to be done.

"Good luck, Atilus. I believe in you!" Jace called out, wanting to give as much support as he could from the sidelines.

"Shut up, fag-fox..." One of the stronger barbarians ordered, lifting a hand in order to land the back of it against the side of Jace's face.

The sound of skin hitting flesh, the soft call of the vulpine taking the hit that was hard enough to jerk his head to the side and the stomping motion of Muz walked over towards this barbarian with a glowing glare in his eyes before his strong and powerful fist sunk instantly into the well toned abs of the his own clan-mate. The barbarian's hands wrapped around his stomach, forcing him down to his knees in a gasping tone of his own breath while those around him laughed and chuckled to his expense.

"Nobody touches my guests." He spoke clearly so that even the pain riddled mess on the floor could hear him, "Nobody."

If nothing else the order was clear, no harm was to come to these furries at the hands of Muz's clan which left this chieftain to make his way back towards the husky who had agreed to his little challenge of strength and endurance. There wasn't much to say about a fight where they could only punch one another in the gut, but it was getting more and more clear that Atilus was getting more nervous about it after seeing what Muz had done to one of his own trained fighters this husky knew that he'd have to bring his best if he was going to be able to walk away with the others. Any normal time that brain would be working overtime, thinking about what kind of spell he could use, what kind of deals he could make, but this was something that he knew he'd have to deal with, he knew that he'd have to handle fairly. There would be no cheating in this, no secret tactics, not if he wanted Jace to be let free, and that meant that it was his well built body against the toned, towering physique of a being who used his iron-like fists to make a living and lead an entire clan.

"Pay attention pup, I'm only going to tell you this once." Muz spoke up quickly, "The way this works is we take turns landing punches into our abs. If you're taken off your feet then you lose. I don't care if it's passed out, or just in pain. Go down to your knees and you're out."

This entire challenge was kind of insane, the very agreement that he had to keep on his feet while this one barbarian chieftain hit him in the stomach over and over again left the husky with a huge amount of doubt. The reality at this point, though, was that Atilus didn't have a choice in the matter. It was either surrender the entire reason that they came here and likely all end up in some kind of slave pit, or allow his lover and his friend to go free while he took the beating needed for them to go. In the worst case he'd be teaching them the delicate procedure of Northern magic, but even that sounded almost as impossible as beating Muz in a fight. It became quickly clear who between them was going first when this chieftain lifted his hands into balled fists. The only response that Atilus had was to lift his furred arms up behind his head and work on tightening his abs the best that he could.

"Not bad looking, bitch boy. I haven't gotten to punch of fag in a long while, so winning you as a teacher is just going to be double the fun for me." Muz announced, smirking at the dog as he'd launch his fist forward in a quick motion.

The feeling of those knuckles, connected at the end of a very strong human arm, would crush those well toned abs inward, the strike alone forcing the dog's eyes to widen, to bulge, his cheeks to sink in and his lips to make a full on "oh" while his body seemed to be locked in a folded position. The crowd laughed openly at the look on his face, the very shake of his body seemingly frozen in place from such a hard hit, but the fact that he stayed on his feet showed that this little game of theirs could continue, that they could keep going with this long test. Of course, what this also meant was that it was now the husky's turn to make his his. Muz lifted his arms behind his head, his thick, powerful, muscular figure showing itself well as he bounced his pecs just to play with the dog's eyes a bit.

"Don't go and fall in love with me or anything. I know I look good, but if you try and sneak into my tent I'll tear your tiny gay pecker right out from between your legs." Muz teased some more, smirking a bit while the husky worked to regather himself.

Those eyes locked on at the strong build of this body and while his own was sore beyond any reason at all Atilus would curl his own fingers up to form fists. Normally this was the part where he'd let a spell do the work, but there was no way he was getting away with cheating, not when Jace's freedom was on the line. As he looked on to this strong body the canine would throw in his punch, trying to put as much of his force into it as possible only for it to be stopped by those abs like punching a brick wall. The feeling of it hurting his hand while Muz just stood there smirking and remaining seemingly unaffected.

"Is that it? You hit like the girl you clearly wish you were born as, dick licker." Again everyone burst out laughing which only left Atilus narrowing his eyes in anger while his lifted his hands up to once again prepare himself for that next punch.

It was a hit that came in quickly, flowing in like a crashing wave to beat against those furred abs. The very force of this hit lifted this husky from his feet, rose him into the air, and forced his knees to shake right there on the spot. His steps quickly shifted and turned, adjusting so that he could keep his balance just enough to not crumble to the floor like his entire body wanted to. A hand gripping his abs, his mouth hanging open in a shuttered quiver as if looking like he's trying to speak. Those eyes stared blankly, glazed over while his entire body shook just to try and stand up straight once again. Smirks rose all around, not because of how he looked, but instead of the fact that his feet were still on the ground after landing. He didn't crumble like everyone thought, then again they thought he would on the first hit as well. Even Borna was starting to look impressed.

"Give him hell, Atilus!" Jace called out, followed quickly by a cheer from their ursine friend who clapped a bit. They might be on the out-numbered side of things, but they wanted to cheer for their friend.

When Atilus was ready his hands would ball once again, his fists coming up and even though his body was still shaking a bit that strong, toned muscle finally came into effect as he stepped against the ground to try and slam his first in as hard as he could against that human belly, finding it hitting the same exact place as last time and even forcing Muz to take a step back as a grunt flowed from his lips. It was a sound that caused everyone to gasp for a second before the chieftain started to play it off.

"Not bad, but you're still leagues behind me, fag-pup. Just don't grab anything while you're back there."

This human leader was trying to play things off, but it was clear that he was actually quite angry about this, that he didn't like to show any weakness and yet that punch actually effected him even if for a second. It was time to end this, time to make this fight stop, and he was going to wipe that growing confidence right off of Atilus's face. The sight of that canine belly showed it bruised, showed it tired, and while he looked on at it he'd notice that the husky was clearly holding his breath in preparation for that next strike. It was a tactic, not entirely a good one, but was one, and so Muz simply waited, watched, and soon those lungs started to burn, started to ache, started to beg for that used up air to be released. When finally the mage would allow the air out of his lungs he was going to ask what the hold up was only to feel those knuckles hitting him clearly in the center of his stomach, the softness that they were leaving his eyes bulging all over again, his mouth puckering while his cheeks fluffed out. The canine's torso rested over the arm connected to the hand that had vanished into his stomach all the way to the wrist. Knees shook, his feet lifted and when that wrist pulled back everyone was expecting him to collapse only to find him still standing by his force of will alone.

"Ah, did the little doggy get hit in his soft bell... UGHM" Muz was in the middle of his taunt when Atilus threw in a hard hit, punching the chieftain’s stomach in a well placed strike so that he could return that pain right back to him. The force of the hit was a bit higher than normal, and thanks to that forced this human to release the thick wave of his breath out across the area to leave him gasping and clinching his middle in absolute pain.

* * *

This man had taken quite the hit. It was a blow that he could normally just shrug off, one that would never effect him in any other way, but the husky had hit him when he was distracted by his own showmanship. Displaying his clear victory had been a very daring move and now it was one that the chieftain was being made to pay for as his arms continued to hold his stomach. Atilus already had his grey arms folded up behind his head, the display of that soft belly showing itself well along with the clearly pink texture across his abs much like Muz's own at this point. What the husky missed, though, was the sight of the darkened glare focusing on the canine that had managed to catch him off guard.

Muz knew that this one hit had forged the fires of doubt in his tribe, had made them start guessing and questioning his capability if such a weak spell caster could hurt him in such a way. It meant that challenges would be coming, people looking to claim the title of chief for themselves. He would have to fight to keep them at bay, to make sure that they didn't take the authority that he'd lead with for so long. There was a few weeks ahead of him where he was going to be in pain, struggling, fighting nearly every day, and it was all this husky's fault. What bothered Muz the most wasn't that he was going to have to compete to keep his title, but the fact that Atilus was swaying his bruised abs back and forth like he'd just won the fight by getting a single cheap hit in when this human wasn't prepared. The display of humiliating, the showing of it making his grind his teeth while he stepped in to retaliate against it with his follow up attack.

"What's the matter? Can't handle a hit from a defenseless puppy?" Atilus was simply happy, he'd landed a good hit against the raider's leader. Was he showing off just a bit too much? Of course, but his celebration wasn't undeserved. So far the husky had been taking a beating, but now he managed to get a single good hit in on him after quite a few less effective hits. It was a hit that this human leader was determined to make sure would never happen again.

The time that he'd had this husky's vulpine lover here they weren't just keeping him prisoner. The two often had talks, but it was what Jace told him over the course of this long time that gave this man the advantage he needed to put an end to this fight once and for all. This wasn't something that Muz was originally planning to do, but if the little snot was going to act like a big man just because he planted one successful punch then this leader would make an example out of this dog. Jace had told Muz about the spell that Atilus was hit with some time go, and that the effects of it had caused the dog's stomach to be far too sensitive. It was knowledge that could have broken this fight from the start, but this match was far less about brute force and far more about breaking someone's spirit. Now the peak of joy was over and Muz was looking for a fast end to it, and with it he'd pull his hand back towards his hip, hiding it from view as his fingers slowly shifted through the air to churn and weave the special magical energies that were around them.

"Boasting over one punch? Let me show you what a real hit looks like." He said with a narrowed gaze.

It was a response that left Atilus's ears folding back, his break sliding into his lungs, and then with a hard thrust it showed that he didn't curl all of his fingers and instead kept his index finger extended just so that as it impacted that belly the feeling of the tight, sweaty, and swollen shut belly button would be made to open wide, stretching around that digit and forcing those eyes to nearly pop out of the husky's head as his jaw quivered and shook in place. Any breath that was in his lungs were locked in place. No new air coming in and no old air coming out. That shivering and shuddering motion took no time in starting to roll down his throat, then his chest, then his abs that were sunken in with a finger buried inside of the naval all the way up to the second knuckle. When Muz pulled his finger back the belly button tried to go with it, sucking back on that digit until finally it couldn't stretch any more and would snap back with a loud suction-sounding "POP" that forced the shivers to roll right past the stomach and into those hips.

At first Muz smiled and turned to joke with his people, but as he turned to them and the look of shock was left on their faces his gaze turned a bit more concerned. He'd used magic, yes, but he didn't consider it to be that big of a deal to cover his finger secretly in dark metal. It didn't take much longer for him to realize that they weren't looking at him at all, but instead looking on at the husky that was standing there with his hips slowly shifting back and forth across the air, and more importantly the sight of his pants stretching forward around the thick and meaty doggy dick that was being exposed. What had started off as surprise had turned into laughter as his quickly growing rock hard dick burst free from the fabric to show itself to everyone. Throbbing, pulsating, beating in the middle of the air as Atilus was left panting wildly from the odd pain and amazing sensation he'd just been given.

"Uh oh.. looks like the little mutt's about to pop!" Muz warned, moving to step to the side while he watched this display, "Give it up, fag dog. You know you want to release."

More and more that beating dick shook, lifted, and fell in place, until finally it remained up like a tent post. The husky's panting slid to a complete stop right there and with a loud bark he'd lean his head back instantly to feel that coursing dick burst with the thick wave of his canine cum rushing freely from his body. One wave after another shot out of him, pouring freely as even his legs shook and quivered, turning to jelly in an instant to leave his knees buckling so that when they hit the ground it would be that less distance that his seed would have to travel to splash across the grass he was already staining white. Those eyes never relaxed, throughout the entire sudden climax his eyes bulged out, his mouth hung open, and without any non-strained muscle to keep him up the entire ordeal would calm down with the feeling of the ground rising up to hit Atilus right in his snout. The dog had simply collapsed onto the ground, his face in the dirt, his handsome butt now on full display thanks to the recent loss of the front of his pants which left them around his ankles so that even his limp tail could hang to the side in it's dual tone display. Atilus couldn't move, couldn't breath, couldn't even think, but as he felt the darkness of his subconscious slowly fill the front of his mind he realized that he wouldn't need to do any of those things.

The dog had passed out and with it this human accepted the cheers, claps, and laughter from his peers who all called out to him just in time for Atilus's mind to drift away.

* * *

The last thing that this husky remembered was the laughing sounds of human voices barking out towards him. Inaudible words being spoken in taunting tones as his mind simply worked at shutting down. Now it was the feeling of a bouncing and jostling motion that forced those eyes to open once again. The feeling of a strong and powerfully muscled shoulder pressed against his cheek left him moaning gently before the scent of the ursine that it belonged to filled his lungs. Those eyes instantly opened, their gaze turning towards Borna who immediately looked back at him over his powerful shoulder and brought his strides to stop quickly.

"Oh, look who's finally awake. I was starting to think I'd have to carry you all the way back to town." This bear smirked to him, joking about having to carry the small creature who didn't even weight that much to begin with.

"Ugh.. I.. I remember..." He started to say, catching himself as all of the memories of what just happened in that fight flooded back into his mind all at once. With a jerk of his body he'd immediately look around, "Where's Jace?!"

While the panicked canine turned his head from side to side a hand came up to lightly touch the small of his back, a touch that forced Atilus to look at the source of it, "I'm right here, lover. They let us all go after your fight. You've been passed out for most of the day now."

"They let us go?" The question came across quickly before he could even stop himself. It wasn't that the dog wanted to complain about such a thing, but he didn't feel that it made any sense with how they seemed so attached to Jace when they arrived at the camp.

Borna laughed openly followed by a very clear nod, "Oh yeah. Turns out that when Muz gave you that last finger jab that put you under he'd cast some kind of spell on his hand. You didn't agree to using magic before the match so when his people called him on it they demanded that you were the winner by default. He finally gave in." Again the bear gave a hearty laugh before letting the husky down off of him and gave him a firm and sturdy pat on the back. "Congratulations, you actually won a fight for once."

"Hey! That's!" Atilus started to protest the idea that he always loses his fights, but when he heard the soft giggling of his vulpine mate the dog had no choice but to laugh along with them and then nod in acceptance. "Yeah, no need to go around bragging about it, though."

They'd continue on their way, the dog picking up the pace along with them. He felt a bit embarrassed by being carried all this way. Atilus still wasn't used to receiving help from anyone, but if this journey had taught him anything it was that there was nothing wrong with allowing himself to be helped once in a while. As he ventured with this party his eyes turned down to the fact that his lover had no shoes on, and likely hadn't gotten a chance of clothing in some time thanks to the bandits that he'd been staying with.

"Jace, you're feet. Do you want me to carry you?" this dog asked quickly, already moving to his lover to coddle him only to have a hand pressed to his shoulder.

"We're just walking. I'll be fine." It was a refusal of help, but one that Atilus didn't mind hearing as they'd continue walking.

"You should coddle less and worry more about your abs, my friend. If you tighten them then you might not get winded so easily." Borna interjected quickly, "With word out that you're abs are so tender you're likely going to get a lot of challengers. Walking around with them tensed should help build muscle to protect you."

This was the kind of advice that Atilus didn't want to hear, the idea that he was going to get in more fights like that one just forced his ears to fall back against his head while he walked along with them all. Still it wasn't the worst of ideas, and his bear friend seemed to know what he was talking about.

"Alright... hey, Borna. Do you think that you can help train my muscles up a bit, being that we're going to be traveling together and all."

The ursine didn't answer, not for a while, and simply continued walking along with them. It was clear that he was thinking about it, considering it, and with a swing of his hand that large hammer swung hard to impact the center of the husky's gut, forcing his legs to quiver and his balance to lose as the movement of his body was to curl up on his own stomach while his legs kicked around to try and game any standing at all only so that he could fall to his side. Jace quickly rushed over to his lover, kneeling down with him to check that he was alright, the sight of that open hanging jaw shaking, trying to bring in any air at all, forced him to quickly look back at their friend.

"What was that for?" Jace demanded loudly.

Borna chuckled and lightly pats the fox on the head with his hand, "When he comes to let him know that I'm accepting the job."