FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 15

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Gwen

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The metal door at the end of the hallway slammed shut, waking me, and, after seeing nothing but blackness through the bars of my tiny cell window, I realized that it was hours before morning.

"Fuck," I mumbled as I rubbed my heavy eyelids. So much for sleeping.

_ _ I sat up and propped myself against the back of my cell, watching the two guards stand up from their table as the new ones sounded like they were moving closer. Hopefully these ones won't talk about boobs.

_ _ "Finally," the guard on the right side of the table said. "I was starting to fall asleep,"

The new guards must have not heard him because their only responses were the sounds of nearing pawsteps.

Soon, the guards that had been sitting at the table walked left, out of my sight, and the two new guards took their seats. A few moments later, the door at the end of the hall opened and slammed closed.

With a tired sigh, the guard on the left side of the table, who was the closest to the door at the end of the hall, removed his helmet, revealing that he was a cheetah.

"Are we allowed to remove our helmets?" the other guard asked in a polite and soothing voice.

"Yeah," the cheetah said with a chuckle. "As long as we stay here and don't mess with her, nobody cares what we do. And we can talk as loudly as we want. The door is solid steel, so it doesn't let much sound out,"

"Good to know," the other guard said, removing his helmet and revealing that he was a wolf.

Wait. He's the wolf I saw with the ripped tunic. That's Aaron! I had to admit, now that I could see him more closely, I was able to see why Orin had been so interested in Aaron. His brown and blue eyes were very bright, and his face seemed like it would have been soft to touch. He also began to seem more appealing to me when I recalled the muscular body that hid beneath his suit of armor. Great. Even I'm falling for him a little.

"So," the cheetah spoke, "how was your first day?"

Aaron shrugged. "Not too bad. I still can't get used to the armor, though,"

The cheetah laughed.

"What?" Aaron asked, grinning as his one ear rose.

"I've been a knight for years and I'm still saying the same thing,"

Aaron laughed and leaned back in his chair, looking a little despaired. "Shit,"

Suddenly, Aaron's ear perked up and he rose from his chair, slowly sliding his sword out of its sheath. "Did you hear that?"

The cheetah's ears twitched and he turned the upper half of his body so that he could look down the hall. "I didn't hear anything,"

Aaron walked around the table, now standing at the border of my view. He had his unusually lean sword completely drawn now and tightly held the handle. "Is there anybody else in these cells?"

"No. The girl's the only prisoner we have. You probably just heard a rat or something,"

"Maybe," Aaron said, reluctantly.

The cheetah turned back around and faced the table again, not paying any attention to Aaron.

Aaron turned and began to walk back. But he didn't go around the table and sit back in his seat. Instead, he stopped behind the cheetah and rammed the his sword through the back of the knight's throat, spraying blood down the cheetah's armored chest and onto the wooden table in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Aaron said, regretfully, as his ear folded back. "I wish it didn't have to be this way,"

The wolf tore his bloody sword from the wide-eyed cheetah's throat, splattering crimson drops all along the ground beneath the knight's chair. The cheetah pitifully covered the front of his neck with both hands to try and stop the bleeding, but that was just as hopeless as trying to catch fog. Far too much blood had already poured out of his throat and plenty still managed to seep between his fingers like worms in wet dirt. And, even if he had been able to stop the front of his throat from bleeding, the back of his neck still leaked out a stream of red.

The cheetah died a moment later, slumped over the table after his head loudly thumped against the wood. Yet blood persisted to crawl out of his body and along the tabletop, as though it were desperately trying to escape the warm prison that it had been confined in for so long.

I didn't know what to think. My surprise seemed to keep me from being able to think anything, honestly. But then, as Aaron sadly gazed at the cheetah's still-bleeding body, a terrifying thought occurred to me. He's going to kill me, too.

_ _ Aaron looked up from the mess below him and gazed at me. He then snatched the keys from the center of the table and walked over to my cell door, fresh blood droplets falling off the tip of his sword.

"Don't think I won't go without a fight," I said, trying not to let my fear show as I stood up.

The wolf stopped just a step away from my door. His one ear twitched and his eyes narrowed with confusion. "What?"

"You're going to kill me. I don't know why, though. Maybe it's because I killed that asshole the other day, or you think it'll impress Orin somehow. But you're going to go back to Orin with less fur and fewer eyes when I'm done with you,"

Aaron's one ear fell back with surprise at my answer. His lips also slightly hung open and he tried to find whatever words were evading him. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to rescue you,"

My ears twitched and I felt uneasiness writhe in my belly. No. This has to be some kind of trick. "How can I be sure you're not going to kill me?"

Aaron's eyes shifted and he stared at the floor, as if he was trying to remember something important. Then, he looked back up at me, his gaze now focused once again. "Peaches taste like piss,"

I felt my legs grow numb and my heart stop for a moment. It was true. He was there to rescue me and bring me back to... Tess. I'm going to see Tess again.

A smile forced its way over my face. "Tess sent you?" I asked, the choked words barley able to leave my throat.

"Yes!" he said, smiling at my disbelief.

"Well open the door, Aaron, and let's get out of this shithole!" I said, barely able to hold in my excitement anymore.

"Yes, ma'am," Aaron laughed, as he stuck the key into the lock of my cell. "And it's Dante,"

"Dante?" I said, as the door swung open.

"Yes," the wolf replied, taking a step back from the open cell doorway so that I could have enough room to step outside. "My name's Dante. I used a fake name when I enlisted in the City's knights,"

"Why?" I asked, stepping out of my cell for the second time in the past two days, which caused a delightful warm feeling of freedom to wash over me.

"There are people looking for me," Dante explained.

"You have a past?" I said, smiling.

"Don't we all?"

"True. I'd like to know your story, or how my sister found you and what she offered to do if you saved me, but I think we should get out of here first,"

"Agreed," Dante said, setting his bloody sword down on the table as he began to remove his armor.

"Um," I said, barely able to hold back a laugh as the wolf continued to undress. "Not to be rude or anything, but I don't think humping will get us very far,"

The wolf's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no! I'm... I don't want to do that! I'm going to give you the clothes I'm wearing underneath my armor. You won't stand out as much when we walk through the City if you're wearing clothes,"

"Oh," I said, my face becoming warm with embarrassment from assuming that Dante wanted to do me against the bars of my cell. "Sorry,"

"No worries," Dante said, as he unbuckled his belt and placed it on the floor. After removing all of his armor, which took a few minutes, the wolf only wore a tunic, a cloak and a pair of trousers.

"Now," he explained, "there are guards in front of the barracks,"

"All right," I said, recalling the memory of the other day when I burst through the front door and was carried back through it a moment later. Hopefully I'll have better luck this time.

"We need to deal with them. And the guards at the northern gate, too. Hopefully, we'll get there without running into one of the patrols,"

"How are we going to deal with them?" I asked.

Dante sighed. "That's what I'm still trying to figure out,"

"Well," I said, trying my best to be helpful, "when we get outside of the City, I can use my magic. But the guards in front of the barracks..."

"There's only two," Dante revealed. "And there's two of us. Can you use a sword?"

"Not well,"

Dante sighed a second time and began to stroke his ear. "I can take one out easily enough. It's the second one that troubles me. He can scream or draw his sword before the first one even hits the ground,"

Not seeing any other way around the problem, I said, "I'll try to take him out,"

Dante blinked, probably sensing the uncertainty in my voice. "Good,"

He then bumped his head towards the cheetah's corpse. "You can use his sword,"

I looked down at the cheetah's sword, noticing that it was almost as tall as me. It's probably just as heavy, too. Quickly, I tried to push away my fears. This was my only hope of escaping and I would have rather died by following Dante than by the noose of Queen Talis' executioner.

Dante removed his tunic, just before setting it down on the seat of his chair. Then, when his fingers gripped the sides of his trousers, he froze.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Could you look away?"

I couldn't help but smile at the wolf's request. "Don't tell me you're shy,"

"I'm not," Dante said. "It's just... Tess probably wouldn't like it if I showed you my cock,"

"Why should Tess care?"

"She..." Dante said, his ear falling back, fearfully. "She warned me not to try anything,"

Oh, Tess. Always looking out for me, even when I don't need you to. "Is the big bad wolf afraid of the teeny tiny bat?" I mocked him, playfully.

"When the teeny tiny bat's sister is going to help me save my friend, you bet you're ass I'm afraid,"

"Oh?" I said, grinning. "I didn't know my ass was something you thought about,"

Dante's eyes widened and he seemed to nearly stop breathing, like I had just walked in on him playing with himself. "Umm..."

A laugh burst out of my throat. "Dante, I'm kidding. I know you're gay,"

"I'm bi, actually," he said, turning around to face the wall.

He goes both ways? Huh... That's kind of hot.

_ _ Even more arousing than the idea of Dante fucking a woman as another man fucked him from behind, however, was the sight of the wolf stripping. He bent over as he pulled his trousers down his legs, revealing his loincloth and two ample cheeks that could barely be contained by the back string. He then bowed forward as he pulled his loincloth down, allowing me to see his balls hanging between his legs for just a moment.

I began to grow warm as I watched Dante take off his clothes and couldn't help but gaze over his entire body, staring at his plump ass, his muscular thighs, the scars on his back and even his broad shoulders. And, as I continued to stare at his naked figure, the air around me seemed to become even hotter.

_ _ Dante turned around, holding his trousers and loincloth out towards me. "Here,"

Yet, instead of looking at the pile of clothes and taking them, I found myself staring at the soft sheath between Dante's legs and the balls that dangled behind it.

"I can't believe I have to say this," Dante said, "but could you stop staring at my penis?"

I glanced up a Dante's face, giving him a shrug as I quickly thought of a witty response that hid how embarrassed I was for being caught staring. "What? You've seen my vagina. It's only fair that I see your dick,"

The wolf sighed and held the clothes further out to me. "Just put these on,"

"I don't know, Dante," I said, taking the garments and tossing the trousers onto the ground as I began pulling the loincloth over my legs. "What'll my sister think when I come home wearing your clothes?"

As I slid the loincloth over my thighs, I saw Dante's ear fold back in terror as his eyes widened.

To keep myself from laughing too loudly, I covered my mouth. Honestly, it barely helped, since I was cackling so hard that it bounced off the walls and my entire body shook. "You..." I said, trying to speak between laughs. "You should see your face!"

The wolf, once he realized that I was joking, narrowed his eyes. I thought he was going to scold me, but, instead, he grinned. "You're one to talk,"

That killed my laughter. "What do you mean?"

Dante's eyes traveled down my body and he bumped his head in the direction of my legs.

As I glanced down, I tried to figure out what I was looking for. It was then when I realized that the string, which had separated Dante's butt cheeks a moment ago, was now draped in front of my vagina, hardly even covering it. How did I put the loincloth on backwards?

_ _ I looked back up at Dante and, after a moment, we both laughed together.

"Goddamn it," I said, still laughing as I pulled the loincloth down my legs. "This is what happens you don't wear clothes for sixty years!"

"Do you need help?" Dante jokingly asked.

As much as my body enjoyed the idea of Dante's hands caressing my fur as he helped me dress, I said, "No. You just put your armor back on while I-"

The door at the end of the hall swung open and I turned my head to see Orin step through the open doorway.

I froze there, standing with Dante's loincloth on backwards. In that moment, I forgot to breathe and stood still, not a hair on my body daring to rise or bristle. Dante also remained still, as if moving would allow Orin to see him.

As Orin stopped just after entering the hallway, his eyes became as big as fists when he looked at Dante and I, naked like a pair of lovers. The door then slammed itself behind him as Orin's lips curled to reveal his sharp fangs. "Blue eyes," he said, ominously, as if he had reached some kind of revelation. "The poem... It was about her?"

Poem?

_ _ The wolf was silent.

"Of course," Orin said. "How could I have ever believed that the son of a smith knew words like 'sacrosanct'?"

_ _ "Orin," Dante said. "It's not like that,"

"Oh?" Orin asked, his voice as cold as a winter breeze. "So you weren't just about to fuck her?"

"No!"

"Then why the hell are you both naked?"

Dante became quiet.

Slowly, Orin's eyes shifted over and saw the body of the cheetah, which was still staining the edge of the table with the occasional fresh drop of blood. "Dillon..." Orin whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear him.

"Orin, please," Dante begged. "I need her to help me save someone. Just let us go,"

Orin silently stared at the cheetah's body, seeming to almost forget that Dante and I were still there with him.

My stomach began to churn. I didn't know which was worse, Orin accusing Dante of trying to sleep with me or watching the coyote silently look at the body of his friend, who Dante had killed just a moment ago. This isn't going to end well.

"I came here to check up on my boyfriend," Orin said, finally breaking his silence as his eyes began to water. "And what do I find? Him and some girl naked together, and one of my knights dead. How can you expect me to just let you go?"

Dante's ear flicked and his tail twitched nervously behind him. "Orin, I-"

"Did you even like me?" Orin barked, twisting his teary and furious eyes away from Dillon's body so that he could glare at Dante. "Or did you just say what I wanted to hear?"

Dante was quiet as he chose his next words carefully. Finally, after a long period of silence, he said, "Orin... You're a good man. And I never enjoyed deceiving you. But my friend is in danger and I need Gwen to save him,"

_ _ Orin's response was the metallic ring of his sword being drawn. His eyes were now completely red and tears began to crawl down his cheeks. "As Captain of Queen Talis' knights of the City, I herby arrest you on the charges of insubordination and treason. Gather your things and go into a cell. Resist..." The words seemed to be suddenly caught in Orin's throat for a moment and he took a labored breath before he continued. "Resist...and I'll have no choice but to kill you,"

Dante released a heavy sigh. "You don't have to do this, Orin. Just walk away. Go up to your room and fall asleep. Nobody will know you were ever here,"

Orin raised his sword, which shook uncontrollably in his hand. "No,"

"Orin," I begged, drawing the captain's moist eyes to me. "Listen to him. Don't throw your life away,"

Orin stared at me for a moment and then looked back at Dante. "What life? Before him, I wasn't living. I'd rather die than go back to that,"

Dante turned and picked his sword up off of the table. "Last chance, Orin. I don't want to hurt you, but you're not listening to reason. Just leave and pretend like you don't know what happened here,"

"No," Orin said. "Unlike you, I'm not a liar,"

Before I could ask Orin to try to change his mind again, the coyote ran forward and Dante charged to meet him, their swords smashing against one another as Dante blocked Orin's first attack.

As Orin pulled his sword back to try for another swing, Dante's left hand let go of his sword, leaving the right one to grip the handle alone, and punched Orin in the mouth, sending the captain stumbling backwards.

Orin managed to keep himself from falling down and ran his armored hand across his mouth, which began to trickle out a line of blood.

"I've caused you enough pain," Dante spoke. "I don't want to kill you, too,"

"The feeling isn't mutual," Orin snarled and lunged forward again, his sword closing in on Dante's exposed right side.

Dante managed to block the attack and swerved around Orin, his back now towards a closed cell. His sword was still pressed against Orin's and he threw all of his weight against the captain, pinning him to the stone wall.

"Stop being an idiot, Orin," Dante growled. "You're a good captain. But that doesn't mean you have to die,"

Orin's left hand released his sword and punched Dante in the cheek, making the wolf yip and take a few awkward steps back. Now, the captain raised his sword over his head and swung down, aiming to crack Dante's head into two pieces.

Barely in time, Dante stepped to the side, away from me, and the sword barely scratched his right thigh, sending a small stream of blood pouring down his leg.

"I hate you, you fucking son of a bitch!" Orin screamed, swinging his sword again, only to have it deflected by Dante, who I couldn't see because the back of Orin's giant suit of armor was in the way.

"This is stupid, Orin," Dante said, blocking a series of Orin's attacks. "I'm sorry! I feel horrible for lying to you, but I did it to save my friend,"

"Shut up!" Orin said, taking another swing at Dante. "I don't want to here your excuses anymore,"

"Orin, I'm sorry!" Dante yelled, his sword ringing as I assumed he blocked another attack. "I know you can't forgive me, but don't be so eager to die,"

"I said shut up!" Orin screamed.

At the rate Dante and Orin were going, one or both of them were going to be dead. I needed to do something besides just stand there and watch them as they fought with each other. But what could I have said? Dante had already apologized and told Orin that he was only rescuing me to save his friend. What hope did I have of making any difference?

Then, my eyes slowly drifted from the sight of Orin and Dante fighting to the handle of the sword that was still sheathed at the cheetah's side.

It's the only way.

I looked back up at Orin, whose back was still towards me as he continued to fight Dante. He had completely forgotten that I was there.

With fear making my heart race and my lungs burn like I was drowning, I slid Dante's loincloth off and sneaked over to the cheetah's body. My fingers wrapped around the cold handle as I watched Orin continue to fight Dante, slowly forcing the wolf back towards the door at the end of the hall.

Finally, after the dead cheetah's sword was unsheathed, I let it dangle as I crept up behind Orin, keeping my eyes on the back of his exposed head, which was too tall for me to hit. I need to climb up on his back.

_ _ As much as I dreaded the thought, I remembered Tess and began to think of just how worried she must have been about me, not knowing whether or not I was okay. That made everything easier.

I broke into a sprint and hopped onto Orin's back, wrapping my left wing around the front of his neck while my right hand barely held the heavy sword handle in its fingers. My weight surprised Orin and threw him off balance, causing him to fall face forward onto the floor.

I raised the dead cheetah's weapon into the air and brought it down onto the back of Orin's head.

The coyote lay still on the ground. He didn't try to stand up, but his hand was still wrapped around the handle of the sword at his side, as if he still had a fighting chance.

I stood up with the cheetah's sword still in my hand and examined Orin's unconscious body. Then, I looked down at my sword, noticing that the ball part at the end of the handle was now dented.

"You should have killed him," Dante said, breathing heavily.

I looked up at the wolf, whose leg still bled a little, but not nearly enough to cause much concern. "He's been through enough,"

"Some things are worse than death," Dante told me. "Think of how he'll need to explain this to Queen Talis. How will he look, knocked unconscious after losing a fight to a knight and a prisoner?"

I blinked and stared back down at Orin. I admit, I hadn't thought much about his reputation or pride.

I shook my head, assuring myself that I made the right choice. "He'll probably just get a small punishment. Like you said, he's a good man. There are too few of those in the world,"

Dante was quiet.

"Come on," I said, setting my new sword down to the side before I picked up Orin's legs. "Let's get him into the cell,"

Dante didn't move for a moment and I thought he was going to suggest for a second time that we should have killed Orin. He didn't. Instead, he put his sword on the ground, picked up Orin's arms and helped me drag the unconscious coyote back into the cell that I had been locked inside of for the past couple of days.

We set the captain face-up on the floor of the cell with his sword still in hand and locked the door shut with the keys that Dante picked back up from the table.

"I should probably hide these somewhere," Dante said, turning to hold the keys up for me to see. "It might buy us some time if he wakes up soon,"

I thought for a moment and said, "Toss them in one of the locked cells,"

"Good idea," Dante said, before walking over to the next cell and flinging them inside.

As Dante began buckling his armor back on, I picked up his loincloth and slid it over my legs, making sure to put it on the right way this time. After that, I put on the rest of Dante's clothes without very much worry. But, one thing that did concern me was the size of the clothes. The tunic, trousers, and cloak all hung off me like bed sheets. And, even though I wasn't wearing it, Dante's belt wouldn't have even been enough to make them tighter.

"Are you sure this'll work?" I asked Dante, while turning to face him. "Your clothes are huge on me!"

"I'm sure," Dante said with a tiny laugh as he finished buckling his belt over his armor. The wolf hadn't put on his helmet, which still sat on the table. "My friend, the one your sister is going to help me save, wore my clothes once. We pretended he was a weasel and almost fooled everybody. And that was during the daytime,"

"Almost?"

Dante blinked. "Yeah. A knight saw his webbed fingers and realized he was an otter,"

"What's so bad about being an otter?"

"We were traveling through Tynas," Dante explained. "King Capres rules that City and he doesn't like otters because King Gannish, an otter, came up with the idea of taxing the North after the Yurl War,"

"Really?"

"Yeah. He made it legal to kill on otters on sight, too. Most people take bets on how long it takes an otter to bleed out,"

"That's awful," I said, feeling glad that I had never been to Tynas. "How did you get away?"

"Well, we..." Dante said with a smile, which swiftly faded. "We should probably get going. I'll tell you later when we're not surrounded by people that'll hang us,"

"Oh. That's probably for the best,"

"Here," Dante said, his armor squeaking as he walked over to me. He then got down on one knee, which brought my eyes to the tip of his ear, and pulled the hood of his cloak over me. His hands pulled the fabric over my ears and my forehead, as his blue and brown eyes carefully watched what he was doing. I couldn't help but find myself becoming lost in his gaze, even though it was focused on the hood covering my head. His eyes were so attentive and sharp. And gentle.

I began to believe that Dante probably did despise lying to Orin, especially since his fingers were extremely careful as they pulled the hood of the cloak over my head, never pressing too hard against my skull or rubbing my fur too roughly.

Soon, Dante stood and picked his sword up from the ground. It was then that I realized I was only a little taller than his legs, something that I had somehow not noticed before and left me feeling in awe. Was he always that tall?

_ _ "All right," the wolf said. "Tie Dillon's belt on and sheath the sword,"

I blinked and had to remind myself that I was still in danger, rather than some kind of romantic dream where a hot guy came to my rescue. "Yeah. Sure,"

Carefully, I walked over to the cheetah's body and undid his belt, unlatching the hook and sliding the leather off from the knight's armor.

Then, I walked over to my new sword and heaved it up into the air, only to drop it into the sheath. When that was done, I tied the belt around my waist and poked a new hole in the leather to keep it from falling off me. Even though Dante's trousers fit much more snugly now that I had a belt on, my bare paws began to ache from the extra weight of the sword.

_ _ "Ready?" Dante asked.

"Yep,"

"Good," he said, his sword still in hand. "Let's get out of here,"

We turned and walked down the hall together.

Dante opened the door at the end of the hall and held it ajar for me as I passed by, only to let the door go and slam itself shut behind him.

"You should draw your sword," Dante whispered to me as we crept towards the front door. "The guards are right outside. One will be on the left and one will be on the right,"

Slowly, I drew my sword, using both hands as I lightly dangled it beside my leg.

"Once we kill them, we can drag their bodies back in here so no patrol sees them,"

"Got it," I said. "So, what's the plan? Are you gonna get the guy on the left while I get the one on the right?"

Dante shrugged. "Works for me,"

Dante and I pressed ourselves against the door, the wolf standing closer to the doorknob than me. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I heard the door click, so I guessed that he turned the knob.

Then, Dante dashed out of the open doorway and I quickly followed, trying not to overthink the plan or consider what could have possibly gone wrong.

Dante seemed to almost fly towards the knight on the left, who didn't know that the wolf was there until he stuck his sword through the man's throat, spilling red down the back of his armor.

As the knight on the right turned to watch his friend crumble to the ground, I jumped up and landed on his back. He barely had enough time to grunt before I stuck my sword through the right side of his helmet, probably cutting through the top of his skull.

After the knight fell forward with me still holding onto his back, I stood up with my sword and turned to Dante.

"Come on," he told me, as he set down his weapon. "Let's get the bodies inside before a patrol comes along,"

I set my sword down and helped Dante carry the two bodies back through the front door, setting them in the hallway, which began to fill with a pond of blood.

Once both bodies were inside, Dante and I went outside again, picking up our red swords.

"We should clean these," I said, giving my sword a half-hearted raise. "Two people walking around with bloody swords will probably draw some attention,"

Dante's ear flicked. "Good idea,"

Both of us ran back into the building and wiped our swords off on a part of a rug that lay to the side, which quickly absorbed the blood and became drenched in dark red.

Finally, after sheathing our swords and heading outside again, Dante and I turned left.

Before we turned around a corner, I looked back at the barracks, remembering how many days I had spent trapped inside of it and wondering whether I would die or see Tess again. And, just as we turned the corner and the building vanished from my sight, I smiled.

Dante and I walked for a while, both of us silent, except for the metallic clanging of his every pawstep. I then began to wonder how his leg, which Orin had nicked during their fight, was doing.

"Hey," I said. "How's your leg?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, his ear twitching.

"You got cut, remember?"

"Oh," he said, realizing what I was talking about. "I'm fine. I barely even felt it,"

"Still, we'll have to look at it when we get into the woods,"

He didn't respond.

Soon, after a couple of turns and more loud bangs from Dante's paws, we came upon the northern gate. However, before stepping out into the open, Dante and I stopped at the corner of a house and peaked around it, looking at the gate in silence. The gate itself was still raised, so nobody was aware that I had escaped, or, at least, the guards on the duty hadn't been told yet. Beneath the gate, there were four knights, all wearing armor that entirely covered their bodies. I was surprised that none of them had seen us, but, after a moment, I realized they all faced the opposite direction. My ears also picked up the faint sounds of talking, which also explained how they hadn't heard Dante's paws banging earlier.

"So, come up with a plan yet?" I asked Dante, who stared ahead at the gate.

"No," he said, regretfully. "You?"

I glanced over at the guards for a moment, thinking, and then looked back at Dante. "Well, yeah, but it's not exactly good,"

"I probably don't have anything better. Let me hear it,"

"I could hop on your shoulders and you could run between them," I began to explain. "They'll chase us, but, once we're out of the City, I can use my magic to kill them,"

Dante stared at me for a moment.

"So?" I asked. "Thoughts?"

"You're right," Dante said. "It's not a good plan,"

My ears twitched and I shrugged. "Told you,"

"But it'll have to do,"

Without giving me a heads up, Dante turned and picked me up by my arms, putting me on his back like I was a satchel. Then, with my arms wrapped around his neck, he turned and sprinted towards the gate.

I was barely able to get a good grip at first and desperately tried to wrap my wings around Dante's neck as tightly as I could without choking him. And, right after he took his first step, I almost fell off and landed on my ass. Luckily, my arms held tightly enough around the wolf as he continued to run forward.

Dante rammed through a small space between two knights in the middle of the group, sending them both falling towards the other two. The wolf's armor rang like a bell as he smashed through the guards, nearly causing me to loose my grip, since my ears began to ring.

"After them!" a knight behind us screamed as Dante passed under the gate and emerged under the cloudy sky that night.

Upon hearing the metal cry of swords being drawn, I looked over my shoulder to see two knights running after us while the other two tried to stand back up. Better stay down if you know what's good for you.

_ _ I lifted my left hand off Dante's neck and held it out towards the knights. Already I could feel the sea of tethers around me and I began to wonder how I ever lived without being able to feel them as my fingers happily ran along their lengths.

Eventually, when all four guards ran after us and were out of the City's boundaries, I found four tethers, each of which was connected to one of the knights' heads. Perfect.

_ _ My hand turned and my fingers plucked the tethers like they were strings on a lyre, sending vibrations all through their bodies.

Immediately, the four knights dropped their swords and began to scream in agony as smoke leaked out of their helmets, from which orange fires raged. Then, all at once, they fell down onto the ground and helplessly tried to take off their helmets, only to have their curling and twitching fingers betray them. In a few heartbeats, their screams died, their arms fell and the smell of burned flesh stung my nostrils.

Soon, the dead men were out of sight and I was surrounded by trees again, the scent of their sweet dew replacing the bitter smell of the burned knights. I couldn't help but smile at the familiar fragrance, which, for the longest time, I had dearly missed.

"Dante," I said, coming to a realization.

"Yeah?" he yelled back, breathing heavily.

"There's a river to the west," I said. "We can go up it. Nobody will be able to track us,"

"All right," the wolf said, as he turned left and ran deeper into the forest.

It didn't take Dante very long to find the river and, before slowly wadding into it, the wolf lifted me onto his shoulders, placing the back of his head in between my legs as he moved through the water, which came halfway up his chest.

"How are you doing?" Dante asked, still out of breath.

"All right," I said, assuming that the armor had really taken a toll on Dante's stamina. "You sound exhausted. Do you need a break?"

"In a...," he said, just before gasping for air. "Minute,"

I didn't protest as Dante continued to tread on through the water, which I knew had to be absolutely freezing. I hope he doesn't drown

But, despite my fears, Dante didn't drown and kept strolling down the river, which splashed around him every time he took an extremely slow and drawn-out step.

"Okay," I said, my guilt finally getting the better of me after a while. "You need to rest for a bit,"

The wolf didn't object and turned right, exiting with drops of water streaming down his armor as though he had been caught in a storm.

Gently, Dante lifted me up, his hands holding me by my sides, and set me down next to him. He then continued to pant for breath as he sat down on a nearby log and faced the river.

I looked south, my eyes and ears searching for any sign of us being followed. It was very unlikely that anybody managed to chase us that far, but I was desperate to get home and didn't want to take any chances.

Dante must have noticed that I was worried because he said, "They won't catch us,"

His words comforted me. Nobody probably even knew what had happened yet. Sure, a patrol may have found the bodies of the four knights in front of the City, but that didn't necessarily mean they knew I had escaped. The knights, if anything, were probably busy trying to figure out how the guards died or were searching for Orin, who was possibly still unconscious and locked in a cell.

"Yeah," I said. "I know. But better safe than sorry,"

Slowly, I turned and sat down next to the wheezing wolf on the log, placing myself at his right side.

"How's it feel to be free?" Dante asked between breaths.

I sighed and looked up at the sky, which was filled with dark clouds that blocked the stars. "It's... It's like I can finally breathe again. The trees and leaves smell even stronger now that I've been away,"

"Makes sense," Dante said. "You've been in that tiny cell for a couple of days,"

"Yeah. Hey, how's your leg doing?"

Dante thought for a moment and shrugged. "I'm not dead, so it can't be that bad,"

"Come on," I said, knocking on the wolf's chest armor. "Let me have a look,"

"What?" Dante gasped, his ear falling back. "No,"

I grinned and started to tease him. "What? You weren't scared of getting naked back at the barracks,"

"That was different!" he protested, his breath becoming more stable. "You had to wear my clothes so we could sneak out,"

"Dante," I said, acting more serious and forcing my smile to disappear. "You could be really hurt. What if your cut gets infected? Saving your friend will be a lot harder with only one leg,"

Dante stared at me, thinking over what I had said. Then, he groaned, unhappily. "Fine. Just don't tell your sister about seeing me naked twice,"

As Dante began to unbuckle his armor, I giggled. "Don't worry. It'll be our little secret,"

I watched Dante strip himself of his armor and found myself enjoying the sight of his muscles even more than I did earlier. Maybe I was able to appreciate them more because I was much nearer, or because my body still felt a powerful rush from escaping Sleeping Sun. Either way, I found Dante's hard chest, which heaved with every breath, and his brawny legs all the more alluring than I had earlier when we were in the cells.

Dante removed his final piece of armor and glanced over at me. "How does it look?"

For a moment, I thought he was talking about how strong his thigh looked with its bulging muscles, but then I saw the cut Orin had given him and remembered that I was supposed to be examining it.

"Let me see," I said, scooting closer towards to the wolf.

I moved my head near his thigh and reached out two fingers to stretch the tiny flaps of broken fur apart. Hardly any blood stained his Dante's leg and none was coming out of the cut anymore, which was a good sign.

"It's not deep enough to get infected," I said, "and the river must have washed away most of the blood, so that's good,"

"Thanks," Dante said, still clearly unhappy about having to be naked in front of me for a second time.

My eyes then drifted over to Dante's cock, which, I realized, was peaking out of its sheath. Is this making him horny?

_ _ Realizing that I had been quiet for a moment, I pulled away from Dante's thigh, actually kind of amused that he liked my hand on his leg so much. "You're fine,"

"Great," Dante said, standing up and bending over to pick up his leg armor, which gave me a nice view of his shapely butt, since his tail was now raised. I need to touch it.

_ _ "Wait," I blurted out, my body growing warm with excitement from all of my naughty thoughts about round wolf ass.

Dante stood up and turned just enough for me to see his sheath. "What?"

"Don't you want your clothes back?" I asked, grinning as I found myself wanting to tease the wolf before trying to touch his enticing hindquarters. Let's see what gets you going, Dante.

_ _ "Oh," Dante said, his ear twitching with surprise. "No. You can wear them until we get back to your cave,"

"Come on," I said. "Sit down. It'll only be a moment before I slip them off,"

"Really, I don't-"

"Dante," I said, standing as I placed my hands on my hips and smiled. "A girl just offered to get naked for you and you're saying no?"

The wolf blinked and tried to think of what to say. "I..."

"Sit down, Dante,"

The wolf stood still, making me think he was going to keep telling me not to strip for him, but, much to my delight, he turned and sat down on the log as his sheath bounced with every movement.

As I took a step towards the river, I found myself actually becoming even more excited by the idea of driving Dante mad with lust. My pussy began to pulse with heat as I imagined the wolf squirming while he watched my naked body, which only made my desire to tease Dante grow even more powerful.

I turned around to face Dante, whose gaze was now firmly placed on me as I pulled off his cloak and tossed it on the ground behind me. Then, I slid off his tunic, exposing my breasts and causing my nipples to harden at the touch of the chilly night air. Dante's eyes, very noticeably, now moved from my face to my chest. I even saw his cock beginning to slide out of its sheath. This is too easy.

_ _ I had to suppress a smile as I undid the belt around my waist, which immediately allowed Dante's trousers to fall down to my paws. Quickly, I pulled off the trousers while leaning forward, giving Dante a nice view of my cleavage. Then, after kicking away the trousers and belt, I dipped my fingers into the loincloth and pulled it down, exposing my vagina, which now felt like a blazing fire between my legs. How long has it been since I slept with guy? Sixty-something years? Jesus.

_ _ After the loincloth was off, I turned around and bent over to pick up Dante's clothes. As I gathered the garments up into a pile, I slightly spread my legs apart, giving Dante a nice view of my ass. The fur on my lower back prickled and my pussy became even hotter, since I knew Dante was intently watching me from behind.

With all of Dante's clothes in my arms, I rose and walked over to the wolf, holding his possessions in front of my belly so he could still have a nice view of my boobs. It was then that I noticed he was completely hard.

"Here you go," I said, pretending not to notice Dante's hardness as I stood before him and held out his clothes.

Dante didn't seemed to hear me and only stared at my breasts, which were only inches away from his muzzle.

I imagined myself dropping the clothes and pulling Dante's head closer so that I could have buried it in my cleavage, which I found myself strongly considering. But I decided to tease him for just a little bit longer. "See something you like?"

The wolf blinked and looked up at me, his excitement turning to fear. "What? No. I-"

Casually, while not taking my eyes off the wolf, I threw his clothes behind me and smiled. "If you want to fuck, just say so,"

He flinched at the word "fuck" and his mouth hung open for a moment as he tried to come up with something to say. "I don't want to fuck. I just..."

"Oh?" I said, crossing my wings beneath my breasts and slightly pushing them upward. "Then why were you staring at my boobs?"

He wasn't able to answer and hungrily watched as I lifted my hands to gently twist my nipples, making them stiffer than they already were.

"See?" I said, laughing. "You're still staring,"

Dante looked up at me, his eyes aflame with panic. "I... It's not that I don't want to. But...your sister... If she found out, she wouldn't help me save Peter,"

"Dante," I said, lowering my hands to my sides. "I promise, she won't find out,"

"You... You won't tell her?"

"No. It's none of her business who I sleep with anyways,"

Dante grew silent.

"So," I said, feeling myself on the verge of being driven insane by desire. "Do you want to fuck?"

The wolf's ear fell back and he nodded.

"Good,"

I leaned forward and pushed Dante, causing him to land in the grass on his back while his legs draped over the log.

Hastily, I stepped over the log and stood over the wolf's muscular chest, feeling giddy as he looked up at me with surprise.

"Now," I began, "let me get one thing straight before we start. You have to do everything I say. No questions. I like being in control during sex and being rough, meaning I'm going to fuck you, not the other way around. Got it?"

Dante nodded, his eyes eagerly gazing up at my body. I could have asked him to bark for me and he probably would have done it. He's at my complete mercy.

I walked forward until Dante's face was directly below me. Then, I lowered my body, kneeling in the grass and keeping Dante's head between my knees. "Lick me,"

Without further orders, Dante's hands clasped my thighs as he obediently lifted his head to lap his warm tongue over my pussy. A moan escaped me and I closed my eyes, allowing myself to only focus on Dante's hot tongue as it glided over my vagina, making it even wetter as his saliva dripped over me.

"Stick a finger in," I ordered, "and lick my clit,"

Without a pause, Dante ceased his licks and let go of my left thigh. Then, I felt his finger slide in me, pressing up against my moist walls. As I moaned, Dante moved his muzzle up and began licking my clit, while he simultaneously moved his finger in and out of me. His tongue, while smoother than a cat's and not quite as titillating, moved with grace as it rubbed around the bulb at the top of my pussy. He's got experience.

_ _ Soon, after a few moments, my body began to tremble as I came, which felt as though a warm surge of joy washed over me as I cried out in happiness and closed my eyes from the intensity of the pleasure. Yet, even after my orgasm died and I opened my eyes, Dante still continued to prod me with his finger and lick my clit. I noticed that his eyes were closed, which led me to believe that he was really enjoying himself. He wasn't lying about being bi.

"You like eating me out?" I asked, reaching my arm down to rub his singular ear.

He continued to lick me and moaned in affirmation.

I chuckled and stood up. "You deserve a reward for making me cum so quickly. Turn over and get on all fours,"

Not asking any questions, Dante did as he was told and rolled over, just before propping himself up on his arms and knees. His tail was raised with excitement.

Smiling at how easy it was to thrill Dante, I sat myself next to his bent knees, getting a nice eyeful of his ass, which was well within my reach.

Slowly, I slid a finger into my mouth, wrapping my tongue around it and coating it with cool saliva. Then, I pulled my finger out between my lips and eased it between Dante's cheeks, the warm tightness of his insides barely making enough room for me to fit.

"For someone who sleeps with men," I said, pulling my finger back and sliding it in again, "you're really tight. Tell me, are you usually on top?"

"Yes," Dante moaned as I began to slide in and out of him with greater speed.

"I can tell," I teased the wolf. "You're ass is practically griping onto me. And I'm only using one finger. Do you like being filled, Dante?"

The wolf moaned even louder and reached a hand down to start fondling himself. "God, yes,"

"Did I say you could touch yourself?" I asked in my most brooding voice, as I retracted my finger from inside Dante.

The wolf stopped stroking his cock and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. "No,"

"No," I said. "I didn't. Now I need to punish you,"

I raised my hand into the air and gave Dante's right ass cheek a nice hard slap, making the wolf yip in surprise and twitch just hard enough to make his balls shake.

Hearing Dante squeak so powerlessly made my pussy grow hot again, filling my body with an intoxicating hunger to keep going. I wanted to see just how easily I could break him.

I smacked the wolf's left cheek, which made him squeal even louder. "Who gives the orders here?"

"Y-You," Dante whimpered.

I struck him on the right cheek again. "And what do you do?"

Dante was silent.

Unhappy with how long it was taking him to answer, I slapped both of Dante's cheeks with twice as much force as before and asked my question again. "And what do you do?"

"Obey," Dante moaned, his body quivering as his tail raised itself high into the air.

"Do you like being spanked?" I demanded, giving his left cheek a swift swat.

"Yes," he answered, his tail rising even higher.

After spanking his right cheek again, I said, "Beg me to keep spanking you,"

Dante was now breathing heavily again, like he did when he walked out of the river a few minutes before. "Please...keep spanking me,"

Being the merciful person that I was, I decided to grant his wish and delivered another slap onto his left cheek. "Keep begging,"

"Spank me again,"

His right cheek bounced as my flat hand smacked it and flew away.

"Don't stop,"

As my hand slapped against Dante's left cheek again, I felt my pussy beginning to practically drip with exhilaration.

Before Dante could beg me to continue spanking him again, I said, "Turn around,"

The wolf's limbs were shaking with delight as Dante lifted himself before turning around to sit and face me, wincing as his rear sank into the grass.

"Now," I said, "who do you belong to?"

"You," the wolf said without hesitation.

I smiled at his enthusiasm. "Good,"

I then stood up and sat down on the log, looking down at Dante like I was some queen sitting on a throne. "Now jerk off for me,"

At first, Dante's eyes grew wide with surprise, but he soon spat inside his right hand, which he then lowered and began using to fondle his balls. Next, he began running his hand up and down his cock, making himself moan as his chiseled chest tightened from him holding his breath.

My entire body became warm as I watched Dante pleasure himself. Here was this tall muscular wolf in front of me, a tiny bat, who had brought him down to his knees. Excited by the realization, I placed my hand between my legs and began running a finger along the lips of my pussy, all while watching Dante fuck his own hand with delight as I imagined his cock entering me.

As a large knot began forming around the base of Dante's cock, I realized he was close to finishing. "Stop,"

Dante pulled his hand away from his cock and looked up, awaiting my next command.

I stood up and turned, lying myself over the log and sticking my butt into the air. "Eat my ass like you ate my pussy,"

Behind me, I heard the grass being crushed as Dante crawled over to my backside. His cold nose then pressed its way between my ass cheeks and that familiar wet tongue of his began to swirl around the outer limits of my hole.

A moment later, Dante pulled his mouth away and spread my cheeks apart with his hands. I was about to ask what he was doing, but then I felt a gob of warm spit land against my asshole and start to slide between my cheeks just before Dante dived muzzle-first back into my ass.

Before I realized what I was doing, my hand instinctively slid down between my stomach and the log, arriving amidst my legs, where it began to finger my pussy, which made me moan as Dante continued to lick me from behind. The intensity of receiving attention from both sides made my eyes flutter closed as my toes curled against the damp grass.

Wait. Why do I have to play with myself when I have someone who can do it for me?

_ _ I pulled my hand up and set it on top of the log. "Stop,"

Obediently, Dante pulled away.

Using both of my hands, I pushed myself up from the log, only to turn and sit down on it, my legs now spread open so Dante could see the gaping wet hole between them. "Make me cum again,"

Happily and with his tail raised, Dante crawled forward and began licking my clit, which made my legs begin to shake.

As I felt my body slowly begin to fill with the ecstasy of an incoming orgasm, I placed both of my hands behind Dante's head and pushed his muzzle firmly against my clit, which now felt like it was going to erupt as he continued to give it soft licks.

Then, as my paws dug deep into the grass, my eyes closed and I leaned my head back to moan with satisfaction at the sky, feeling like my body had ascended to some new kind of pleasurable place of existence.

Dante, despite my loud and obvious orgasm, continued to dutifully lick me, even when my hands lifelessly fell from is head.

"Stop," I said.

As instructed, Dante withdrew his tongue and pulled his head away so that he could stare up at me, awaiting my next words.

"Get on your back,"

Dante lowered himself onto the ground, flattening his hard chest and strapping legs out for me to use as I saw fit.

I rose from the log and walked over him, stopping when I stood directly above his cock, which seemed to have been trying to desperately touch me. Then, I lowered myself, kneeling down and placing my legs at Dante's sides. As I moved into position, the pointed tip of Dante's cock streaked across the lips of my vagina for a brief moment, causing shivers to dance across my back. My first canine.

_ _ As I lowered myself, I let out a moan as Dante's cock eased inside of me, my pussy still tight from my last orgasm and giving me a slight feeling of discomfort. Yet, a part of me enjoyed the pain, turning it into pleasure, and I found myself fucking Dante at a fast pace. I was also still very wet from when he had licked me moments ago, so, every time I went down Dante's cock, a nice wet slapping noise was mixed together with both of our moans.

"Say my name," I ordered, pulling myself up and pushing back down the wolf's cock.

"Gwen," Dante gasped, his head arched back and his eyes tightly closed.

Seeing the wolf in such a submissive state was incredible and I became so excited that I ran both of my hands along his chest, feeling every muscle quiver at my touch.

I then noticed how Dante's hands, which were curled into fists, had been shaking at his sides. I think I'm actually fucking him to death.

_ _ "Do you want to cum?" I asked the wolf.

"Yes," he moaned, as I slammed down his length, his balls slapping against my ass as I did so.

"Then cum for me,"

Not more than a few racing heartbeats later, Dante's entire body shook and he released a howl that rang throughout the woods. His knot expanded inside of me, making me feel like I was being snapped in half, and proceeded to fill my body with hot cum.

As Dante tried to catch his breath, I lowered myself down, stretching across his strong stomach as his muscles pushed against me with every rapid breath. "You don't let many girls on top, do you?"

Dante cleared his throat and continued to gasp for air. "No, I... I let girls on top. Just... I've never...had some be that...assertive before,"

"Even a man?"

Dante shook his head, still taking in deep breaths like he had almost drowned.

"Huh," I said, running my fingers along his perfectly framed chest. "Fun, isn't it?"

"God, yes," Dante sighed, his chest still heaving against me. "It was like... It was like my first time all over again,"

The compliment brought a smile to my face. "Nice to see I can still give a good fuck after sixty years,"

Dante laughed. "You sure now how to make a guy go crazy,"

"Good," I said, pressing my head against the wolf's chest and listening to his rapid heartbeat. "How long do knots last?"

Dante looked down at me, his warm breath grazing the top of my head and making my ears feel like candlewicks. "You've never been with a canine?"

"No. I've only been with a snow leopard,"

"Well," Dante said, resting his head back so that I couldn't feel his breath on me anymore, "I'm glad to have been your first,"

"And I'm glad to be the first girl to take charge of you,"

Almost lovingly, Dante's arms crept up from his sides and wrapped round me, warming my back with their touch. "Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd like to see more of you,"

"More?" I giggled. "You've already seen me naked. There isn't any more,"

"Okay," he said. "I'd like to see you again, after I get Peter home,"

Again, I couldn't resist the urge to laugh as I pressed my face against Dante's fur, which still reeked of our sex.

"What?" he asked.

It took all of my willpower to stop laughing for a moment, just so I could answer him. "I never would have guessed you were a hopeless romantic,"

"I'm serious," he told me. "I'd like to visit you again,"

"You mean fuck again?"

"No! Well, yeah, I wouldn't mind having sex, but...I'd like to spend more time with you and talk,"

Slowly, with a grin on my muzzle, I looked up at Dante, resting the bottom of my head on one of his muscles. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Dante?"

"Not... I mean... We don't have to put a label on it,"

"Bullshit," I laughed, running my fingers over a scar just beneath Dante's collarbone. "Talking and fucking are what people that date do. Just admit it, Dante. You want us to be together,"

"Yeah," Dante said, trying to sound assertive, despite still being somewhat out of breath. "I'd like to date you, Gwen. You're funny, interesting and sexy. What else could someone want in a girlfriend?"

I thought it over and, honestly, a part of me did enjoy the idea. Dante was handsome and fun to joke around with, not to mention great at eating pussy. I would have liked to see the wolf in the future and learn more about him, as well as make him my bitch again.

But I'm a witch.

_ _ I sighed. "I'd like to see you again, Dante, but I'm a witch, remember? I don't age as quickly as you do. So, in sixty years, I'll have the body of someone in their thirties and you'll either be decrepit or dead,"

Dante's eyes shifted as they gazed up at the sky, searching for some excuse to give a relationship between the two of us a chance. Yet, he said nothing.

"I'm sorry," I said, regretfully, "but a relationship between us just can't work,"

The wolf's chest was rising much slower, his breath now at a steady pace again. "You're right,"

I lowered my head and snuggled against his muscles. "You're a great guy, Dante. It's just... My situation won't let me have a boyfriend,"

"I understand," he said, softly, as his arms wrapped even more tightly around my body.

As much as I pitied Dante and actually wanted to see him again, I just couldn't see a relationship between us ending in anything other than heartbreak or loneliness. Sure, Tess may have opposed to Dante and I being together, but I was sure that I could have won her over eventually. That wasn't the issue, though. The issue was the fact that Dante would have ultimately grown old and died, leaving me alone in a young body that would probably take a few centuries before it broke down, resulting in me becoming hollow and hurt by the loss of a loved one.

After what felt like an eternity of silence between us, Dante's knot deflated and his cock shrunk, eventually popping out of me all by itself.

"Come on," I said, rising and patting the wolf on the shoulder, as I felt lukewarm cum stream down my thigh. "Let's go wash ourselves,"

Dante stood up once I gave him room and the two of us slowly walked towards the river.

Once both of us were in the water, I began scrubbing my vagina, trying to get out every last drop of Dante's cum so Tess couldn't smell what we had done. After all, I promised Dante that she wouldn't find out and I intended to keep my word.

I glanced over at the wolf, who was reaching both hands beneath the water to wash off his sheath. He then began cupping his hands together and poured water over his chest, no doubt attempting to get my scent off of him.

"You should probably do your muzzle, too," I said.

He turned his head to look at me, his chest fur now clumped together by cold water that dripped off of his stomach. "Huh?"

My lips parted to reveal a naughty smile. "You had your mouth on my ass and clit, remember?"

Dante's eyes lit up as he realized what I had been talking about. "Oh. Right," He then bent forward and splashed water against his face, rubbing his muzzle so hard that it looked like he was trying to take it off.

When the fur on both of our bodies had been thoroughly scrubbed and we were close to freezing to death, Dante and I exited the water, strolling towards the pile of his armor.

"Don't need this crap anymore," Dante said, lifting one of the armored legs and tossing into the river.

"Need any help?" I asked, while putting my new belt and sword back on.

"No," Dante said, throwing the other leg, which landed in the middle of the water and immediately sank. "I got it,"

When all of Dante's armor was safely resting at the bottom of the river, the wolf dressed himself in his loincloth, trousers, belt, tunic and cloak, which all tightly clung to his wet body.

"Ready?" Dante asked, turning to face me with a hand resting on the handle of his sword.

"Whenever you are,"

The wolf grinned. "Let's get you back to your sister,"

We turned and proceeded to walk down alongside the river in silence.

About two miles down the river, I guided Dante right and into the woods. A couple of moments later, we came upon a hillside and found a rock formation attached to its side, which opened to form the cave that Tess and I had lived in for the past couple of decades.

"Welcome home, Gwen," Dante said next to me, as we approached the entrance.

"Thanks," I said, gazing in awe as we moved closer to the cave. "I just... I can't believe I'm actually back,"

Dante stopped and so did I. He then turned to bow for me, extending an arm towards the cave as he grinned. "After you,"

I smiled at the gesture and walked into the cave, running my fingers against the rough wall as I slowly walked forward, hoping this wasn't some hopeful dream I was having.

My eyes adjusted to the blackness and I could see the table where Tess and I had shared countless meals together. In the corner, I saw that my sister's desk was cluttered with an assortment of books and had a bowl carefully placed on its corner. The opaque air around me even held her gentle scent, teasing me with how close I was to seeing my sister again. It was almost like I had never even left.

But where's Tess?

_ _ I walked deeper into the cave, nearing the back where both of our beds were and saw a sheet wrapped around a still figure that lay in Tess' bed. Tess.

_ _ I walked around the bed and reached my hand out to touch my sister's shoulder. "Tess, wake up!"

My sister's eyelids blinked open and she immediately sat upright, her eyes wide with shock and, a moment later, happiness. "Gwen?" she asked, her voice soft like a feather.

"Yes," I said, my throat tightening. "It's me,"

Both of us flung our wings around each other and the sides of our faces pressed together as I felt my eyes start to water.

"I..." Tess tried to speak. "I can't believe you're here,"

"Me either," I said with a laugh, tears blurring my vision.

"Did they...?" Tess said, her voice breaking. "Did they hurt you?"

"No. I killed a few of them, though,"

Tess managed to chuckle at that. "Good,"

A moment later, we let each other go and began wiping our red eyes free of fresh tears with the backs of our hands.

Tess' ears twitched and she looked over my shoulder.

I followed her gaze and turned my head, noticing Dante standing at the end of the bed.

After looking back at Tess, who now stared at Dante with confusion, my belly began to twist in fear. She knows we had sex.

_ _ I opened my mouth to defend Dante, only to be beaten Tess, who spoke before I could even utter a word. "What happened to your boots?"

Oh, thank Christ.

_ _ "I wore my suit of armor when I went to save her," Dante explained, glancing down at his bare paws, which I had somehow not noticed until now, "and it was impossible to wear them underneath it,"

Tess looked down at my belt, which still held the sword I had been carrying. "And you have a sword because...?"

I shrugged, the last remnants of fear leaving me. "Like I said. I killed a few people while I was away,"

With a sigh, Tess looked back over at Dante. "Thank you, Dante,"

"You're welcome," the wolf replied, politely.

"And now it's time to complete my part of the bargain," Tess said, standing up from her bed and brushing past the wolf.

Dante and I both followed Tess, until we all eventually reached her desk.

"I found a recipe for an elixir that I think will be very helpful," Tess explained, turning to talk with Dante and I.

"Wait," I said, feeling my ears twitch. "You aren't going with him to save his friend?"

Tess narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased by the idea. "No,"

"That's kind of unfair," I said, trying my best not to let my frustration show, even though my fur was burning with irritation. "He went into Sleeping Sun to save me! You should go with him,"

"Are you kidding?" my sister said, clearly shocked by my proposal, since her voice was now louder than it had been a moment ago. "Gwen, I almost lost you forever. I'm not going to risk losing you again,"

"But it's not fair to let Dante go alone after what he went through to save me," I protested. "It'd be fine if both of us went with him,"

"Gwen," Dante said, interrupting the argument.

I looked up at the wolf, who stood at my right side and gave me a reassuring smile.

"It's fine," he said. "I probably wouldn't want to risk losing a loved one right after saving them, either. You're sister's right,"

What? He's fine with this? "Dante, you risked your life to reunite me and Tess. It's only fair that we go get your friend back,"

"No," the wolf said. "I understand where Tess is coming from. You're the only person she has. You shouldn't have to risk your life for my friend. Trust me. Nothing is worse than losing one of the few people you care about in the world,"

"See?" Tess said, who now crossed her arms and had a smug look in her eyes. "He agrees with me,"

I sighed, feeling like Dante was just being foolish, but I didn't want to complain anymore or hear Tess continue to speak so arrogantly. "Fine," I said, focusing on my sister now. "What does this elixir do, Tess?"

Tess turned around and faced her desk. "Whoever drinks it will be able to use magic,"

I felt my whole face drop, especially my mouth, which hung open and was unable to produce any words. How could such an elixir have existed? And the repercussions of drinking it... Whoever drank the elixir would have been giving up their friends and family, becoming a social outcast and living for nearly...

Slowly, I turned my head to look at Dante, who had also twisted his head to stare at me. His wide eyes told me that we had reached the same conclusion. We can be together.

_ _ If Dante drank the elixir and it worked, he would have become a warlock. Not only that, but he would have aged much more slowly, giving him and I a chance at trying to have a relationship. But, obviously, we couldn't have discussed that, since Tess was there with us.

_ _ "Is that even possible?" I asked, turning to watch Tess pick up the small wooden bowl from her desk before facing me. "How do you know it works?"

"I don't," Tess admitted, "but it's worth trying,"

Slowly, I looked over at Dante, who stared at the bowl in my sister's hands with disbelief. "Dante,"

The wolf's one ear twitched and he turned his head to gaze at me.

I opened my mouth to say he shouldn't drink the elixir just so he could be with me, but I remembered that Tess was present, so I chose my words carefully. "Don't be hasty. You'd be an outcast, just like us. You'll also live much longer. Do you know what that's like, outliving all your family and friends? Are you willing to deal with all that?"

Dante was quiet at first, his soft eyes shifting as he thought. Then, he said, "I don't have a choice. It's the only way I can save Peter,"

"I just..." I said, catching myself before I could ask if there was another reason that was clouding his judgment. "I just don't want you to make a huge mistake,"

A painfully forced smile spread over Dante's muzzle, making me pity the tall wolf even more than I already did. "I don't see my family anyways. And a lot of my friends are already dead,"

"Then I suggest you chug this like ale," Tess butted in, stepping forward to hold the bowl out for Dante.

A part of me wanted to smack the bowl out of Tess' hands and keep Dante from becoming a warlock. I just couldn't imagine putting him through the emotional hell that Tess and I had been through during the past few decades, alone and hated by the world. I wanted to save him from that pain, remembering the few occasions when I wished that Tess and I had never developed the power to use magic in the first place. Yet I remained still, my hands curled into fists at my side. It was Dante's choice to make, not mine.

_ _ Dante's hands carefully wrapped around the sides of the bowl and took it from my sister. He held it just below his face for a moment, staring down into the elixir. Then, he raised it up to his mouth and drank.

I hope you made the right choice.

_ _ The wolf pulled the empty bowl away from his lips a moment later, brushing his mouth with the side of his right hand. "That tasted awful,"

"Let's go outside," Tess suggested. "The elixir should start working soon. Gwen and I can teach you how to do some basic magic. Then you can go rescue Peter,"

"All right," Dante said, walking over to set the bowl down on Tess' desk. "I just hope it works,"

"When you rescue Peter," I said, as Dante turned back around, "come back here. You can spend the night and we'll give you guys some food,"

Tess gave me stern look, showing that she wasn't too happy about my offer, but remained silent. It's the least we can do for ruining Dante's life.

_ _ "Oh," Dante said, his ear twitching at my proposal. "Okay. That sounds great. I don't know how well Peter's been fed, but I'm sure he'd rather sleep here than in the woods. I also think I'll bring my gun when I go get him, but I'll leave the rest of my stuff with you. Is that all right?"

"Yes," I quickly answered, fearing that Tess would have objected. "It is,"

The three of us walked out into the blackness of the cloudy night, leaving the cave behind us. And, in the distance, thunder roared like a proud lion.