The value of a life

Janus was not a brilliant male, nor was he stupid either, he was set right in the middle of the intellectual ladder, maybe leaning on the upper side. His most defining characteristic were his combat skills in the Hammer Arena, which had made him somewhat popular, though again, not getting him to the top, no… that required friends, money and luck, all things he had but nowhere near enough to wrench him out of the layer of mediocrity he had found himself covered with.

Physically speaking he was well built, for what the humans called a Snakeman: roughly two metres tall, powerful legs, a thick and muscular tail, a crest on his head that was supposed to be used for mating purposes, a nice set of arms but not much more, all topped by rust coloured scales. For a human, he was exceptionally built, for a Snakeman, he was, once again, average.

When he first arrived at the Arena, searching for a sponsor and fame, he was more than happy with average, but now that he had spent five years working and risking his life, that was not enough anymore. Of the hundreds of matches he found himself into, he had won most of them, be it against animals, humans or other less… human beings that, like him, could not fit into the animal category. He wanted more from his life but fate seemed to have taken a break from looking over him and went for a four year long nap.

He watched as some of his friends, the few he made, either died, mostly outside the Arena itself, gave up or rose in the ranks and got themselves a good sponsor and a few women to bed. Han in particular, that shifty cat, he managed to get close to a wealthy human a while back and, as he flaunted later, got him to sponsor his person in a new Arena on the other side of the city. The others praised him but they didn’t know that he had to open his legs and spread for another male to get that far, and he still had to, once a week. Janus knew because that was what Han said to him after he came back to see him, one last time before he left for bigger Arenas on the other side of the continent, or maybe even in another continent, depending on what his sponsor wanted. Apparently, some of the most wealthy fighters have to bend over and raise tails and whatnot for sponsors or other wealthy humans and Janus was more than happy to not be one of those poor sods, even though the extra coin was nice and the fame that went with it was also nice, not to mention the sex.

The last time the Snakeman had mated with a female, was a year ago, when to celebrate a near impossible victory on his part, his sponsor threw him a few extra coins and pointed his buzzed head towards a brothel. As soon as he got in, he went straight for the first female that was vaguely like him, a mixed breed of human and his race, gave her the coins and fucked her till he passed out. He still remembered her supple thighs, that fragrant scent, soft and smooth scales mixed with human skin in a weird but arousing tapestry. Her crotch had been particularly interesting and beautiful: it had the form of a human female, from what she told him, but the scales and scent of a Snakefolk, not to mention the capacity of her passage or the wonderful texture of her walls. For a prostitute, she either was very high class, and thus he had gotten a damn good deal, or he was so drunk he saw much more than she was. With his luck, it was the second one. At least she was paid to not shame him or complain and he got his rocks off for once.

A year later, his sex life was as dry as a desert and sure as hell he wasn’t going to try his luck with the other fighters, not for a good while and not until he was sober. Thus, a year long dry-spell had taken hold of his life, just as his luck had gone, maybe the goddess of Love was screwing the god of Luck and both decided to ignore him.

“Janus, you’re up!” The somewhat older human peeked inside the room and called him to get in the arena for his first debut of the week. The man was past his prime and his wallet was decent, not great but he could afford to get something that was not rusty.

“Yes, sir.”

He got up from the wooden bench, shifting the leather pants he had and making his slit calm down after the few minutes he spent recalling that prostitute and her skill. Janus grabbed the round shield he had hung in the wall and strapped it to his left arm with a couple of straps, waving the five kilos piece of wood with iron and leather around, pleased that it was good, better than the last one. Liam had been really nice to give him one with an iron bulge in the middle, a treat after he had gotten a good deal for his latest victory last week. With the shield came a longsword, bronze, a little old but very trustworthy, sharp enough for it to be useful.

As all Snakefolk went, he was forbidden to have armour, scales being sufficient for him to survive any encounter as long as he was not a complete idiot. Death matches were rare nowadays, especially after the last king had passed a law that stated that the Arena could be used as a means to resolve personal disputes or business transactions, if the parties could afford a fighter or wanted to leave it to chance and hire two freelancers or even four. This had turned a place where people died and suffered to a more… professional environment: fighters got trained, learned how to be good at what was essentially a job, a little less appreciated than soldiers when you were at the bottom but without the need to go to war or patrol the city.

Janus checked his equipment one last time before taking a deep breath, sword held tight in his grip and walked out of his room, well, closet. Liam was out waiting for him.

“What am I against today? Dogs? Humans? Some Catfolk maybe?”

“No idea…” the old man shrugged in his clothes and gave him a weird look. Janus needed a second to register the words.

“What?” Janus stopped in the middle of the hallway. “You put me up against someone or something that we do not know what it is? Do you want me to die?”

“Calm down…” the human sighed and scratched a balding head. “They assured me it wouldn’t be anything you cannot handle, based on your record. The woman that contacted me requested you, of all fighters, personally.” The human was just as confused by this as the Snakeman he was speaking to but since he was the sponsor, he had been the one to accept.

“Me? Who is she?”

“From her looks, one of those that live in the desert up north. She had this… ebony skin, smelled of dates and had short and curly hair, not to mention, she looked rich, more than me anyway.” Not that it took a lot to be richer than you, thought Janus. “So, we talked and she promised me that as long as I put you up against her fighter and you won, I’d receive a hundred Tael.” A sum not to laugh at, given their condition.

“What if I lose?”

“Well… she didn’t say.” He was shocked: his sponsor had accepted a blind match with no losing condition? It sounded more than just fishy and his guts told him there was something very weird, and the one good explanation that could put everything in place was that the woman was filthy rich and losing one match and a hundred Tael was not much for her. The prospect of getting the thirty percent he was entitled with from his contract was sweet, almost the equivalent of ten average matches or a couple of decent ones. “If we win this, we have struck it rich, Janus, so please… give it more than your best.”

“I never give less, Liam, you know that.”

“Yes, that’s true, but now, this is even more important. May the goddess watch upon you.” He also hoped that, but she had not yet showed him much of her powers lately. Still he had a job and he was going to get there, win and get a decent prostitute for once.

He stretched and walked through the gate that separated the arena from the hall behind it, squinting his eyes as the sun shone in his eyes. Mentally thanking whatever god had designed his body and his second set of eyelids, he stepped officially in the compacted soil field. Of course he would not get the good field, that one was for public matches and rich competitors or when someone famous came, this one was more than enough for him.

To the left side stood a female human that fit the description that Liam gave him and he had to concede that the woman was attractive and had this… exotic air on her. She bowed when he entered and that surprised him, sponsors didn’t bow to the fighters hat belonged to the opponent, it’s would be like wishing them good luck in battle, which was counterproductive to say the least. Nevertheless, he bowed back, pleasing the woman. But, where was his opponent?

Liam arrived a few moments later and sat opposite the woman, on the other side of the small arena, waiting. The referee wasn’t far from him and chatted a little with his sponsor and then returned to his position. Liam sat on a bench to the opposite side and closed his eyes, letting the sun shine on his wrinkling skin.

“Hello, I take you are the one who’ll fight against my champion?” Champion? Who even used that word anymore? He nodded.

“Did the sword and shield gave it away?” She smiled and revealed a set of pearl white teeth. Impressive. “I’m Janus.”

“Narina.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but… where is my opponent?”

“Don’t worry, it will be just a moment longer. We have had a… slight problem on our way and the timetable was messed up a bit. We had to arrive here yesterday but we entered town only a couple hours ago, just in time to get in the office and request for someone like you. You’ll see what I mean soon.” The smile she had seemed to be normal, warm, but there was something that bothered him a lot. On her waist he saw a whip, leather with iron bits and fresh blood on the end. He hissed silently and his opinion of her plummeted sharply. An abusive sponsor or worse… a slave trader.

One thing was hated among the fighters and that was an abusive sponsor, it made things look like back in the day when everyone was on the brink of death and just one of many poor souls at the mercy of someone else. No one wanted their boss to treat them badly, it was a job just like any other and the rules were clear: you treat your employees well and they fight for you, simple as that.

About a minute later, the door opposite him opened and the opponent that came out, was not someone he expected to see. In five years he had fought against, dogs, large dogs, groups of dogs, humans, groups of humans, Snakefolk, Catfolk, groups of both, Canids, lots of them, feral lizards, snakes and any combination of those but women? Never.

The female that arrived in the field was about as tall as him, thin but not too thin, fine scales of a sand colour covering her body, a long and slender tail, perfectly toned legs with rough and worn out pants on them, some nice muscles on her arms and a flat stomach. By all standards of his race, she was magnificent, perfect, balanced, graceful and elegant. He’d have fallen in love had it not been because she had a collar on her sinuous neck and a lot of wounds on the most vulnerable scales,. No, those were scars, old and new alike littered her body some still fresh and with a little bit of blood on them. Janus had his own, receiving more than a few in the Arena, one on his chest, cutting though his pectorals diagonally, the borders a little jagged, a couple on his back, one on his left arm, still under the average human. A slave. He had been put up to fight against a female slave that had been beaten recently! Never had he been put under such shame…

“Is this a joke? A female? A slave? What the hell is wrong with you?” No wonder the pay was so good. Any person with a modicum of intelligence would have refused. The woman was clever and idiotic at the same time. “And unarmed?”

“You do not have to concern yourself with the moral questions, Janus. She’s not as weak as you think and the fact that she doesn’t have weapons… that’s a handicap for her, maybe you’ll win that way.” The woman smiled. Was she serious? “Now, begin. Mana, do your thing.”

The female stepped forward and bowed to him, Janus responding in kind with a few seconds of lag, conflicted. Mana took a deep breath and then assumed a combat stance, perfect, flawless, no gaps in her defence. Was the woman really serious?

He was not sure and didn’t want to fight in the least but he had a job and sure as hell he was not going to fuck it up now. Mana’s talons dug in the compacted dirt and shot forward, Janus barely managing to evade her charge and block her. Claws hit the wooden shield and left deep marks. By the gods she was not kidding.

Janus steeled himself and used the shield to push her back, succeeding in the intent. Mana fell on her back and he went for another hit with it but the female was faster and more agile, rolling to the side and lashing back at him immediately, kicking him and his right arm. The sword fell and he was almost glad for that. She didn’t pick it up either and that was better for the both of them, less danger for her. For a few second she stared at him, examining his movements and posture, Janus doing the same on his end: she was good and he started to think that the scars on her scales were not abuse, but battle scars. Mana smiled, going on all fours and Janus prepared himself.

Her legs bulged with as the muscle gathered energy before a mad dash, he dodged to the side and kicked her in her stomach when she shot past him, rolling on the floor for a few metres before getting up again and making another dash for him. She was fast, very fast and knew what she was doing. Janus put the shield in front of her and felt the increased weight as the female literally latched onto his arm and began clawing at him. Janus yelled in pain as her unnaturally sharp claws cut through his scales and drew blood. With a roar he slammed the shield on the floor and the female with it, repeating the process a few times, muscles aching under the strain.

He was about to slam her one more time when he felt a tail on his legs and then lost his footing a moment later and instinctively put his shield in front of his face. Mana seized the change and punched him in the stomach. She did not hit like a female and did not move like one. Weird as it may seem, he was having fun with her.

Mana managed to get a couple hits in before Janus bashed her face with the shield. She yelped in pain, blood running from a crack on her scales, almost making him feel bad but he had no time to feel bad and got up, leveraging his weight on his knees, tackling the female so that he’d restrict her movements. His tail coiled on her legs as she tried to kick him out of the grapple or discourage him into giving up but he just squeezed more on her limbs, arms locking hers in place. She hissed and bit him in the forearm, drawing more blood. He roared and bit her back on her neck, rolling on the floor so that he was on top and crushing her with his weight, thinking that he had won, but he had not accounted for her tail, which latched on his neck and began squeezing, turning a fight into a rolling mess of bodies on a dirt floor as the two opponents tried to strangle the other.

“Ok, that’s enough…” The woman clapped her hands and drew their attention. The referee, who was standing quiet by the side jogged in and gave his verdict on our fight. “I think we have a tie.” The woman seemed most impressed. The two untangled and Mana stopped trying to kill him, both panting and wounded, blood mixing with soil as it fell on the ground.

“Interesting, we had not prepared for such an event. Mister Liam would you please come here?” The older human calmly got up and stood by Janus’ side, patting his back. “I propose a change of our deal, since he performed so well.”

“Well? I got my tail handed to me by a female! How is that good?” Janus scoffed, tired and embarrassed, Mana smiled and puffed her chest, a glint of an emotion he could not describe passing in her eyes. Her tail swayed and he swore she tried to take a pose that would highlight all her muscles and build, finding it rather interesting but confusing him further. “You put me against a slave, a female and she hurt me, a lot. Who is she?”

“Since it concerns you directly… she’s a member of the Sand Tribes, a warrior of the Sand Tribes at that and the fact that you managed to tie with her, shows that you are better, or luckier, than the previous thirty candidates we examined.” The two males were even more confused now: Sand Tribe? “Never heard of these tribes if I have to be honest, miss.”

“And you couldn’t have in fact, they are a weird bunch of Snakefolk that hides in the desert where I was born, hence the sand coloured scales. They live like we did a few hundred years ago, hiding in caves, hunting for wild animals, the usual tribal stuff.”

“Woah, calm down. Hunting? In the northern desert? The desert where water and food is so scarce and where the few animals that live there are spitting images of demons? That one?”

“Precisely.” Narina spoke of that hellish place as if it was nothing more than a slightly dangerous area of a normal town, given her relationship with the place itself and the history of her clan in that area.

“What in the fuck is she doing here?”

“Janus, language. Forgive him, he’s a little bit rough around the edges.”

“Oh, not an issue, on the contrary, it’s better this way.” Janus stared at her and Mana, eyes shifting from the human to the female who was now busy flaunting her crest. As we said, Janus was not the brightest but the subliminal signals she was sending somehow got across, just a moment before the woman actually explain what was happening. “You are the first male that has won or well, lasted long enough against her as long as I have had her under me, which makes you eligible to mate with her.” His jaw dropped. “You see, her tribe is composed of mostly females, so they send them out every now and then, search for a good mate, take him back and use them as communal husbands. She was caught before she could get hers back since the one she chose was a rich guy son of a richer guy which is why she’s here and my property.” The woman tugged on the collar on her neck, reminding the female and the other two that little but enormous detail.

“So what… Am I supposed to go back with her in some hole in the sand and make babies for the rest of my life? No thank you.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not up to you to choose, Janus but that’s not the issue here. Had you won, I would have given you a hundred coins, get you a room and some time in to mate with and impregnate her, nothing more than that. Had you lost… well, she would have probably broken a few bones and left you half dead on the floor.” Suddenly, Janus felt relieved that he had been given a shield and later on, he’d praise the gods for that. Mana seemed… happy, or rather, excited for something and by the way, not so subtle anymore, that she fanned her crest, she was definitely in the mood. He gulped and pretended not to notice her.

“And since the two of them tied? What now?” Liam chimed in, confused but clearly interested in the prospect of getting more coins to spend.

“I was thinking… how about, I let you keep her, until she’s pregnant and then we’ll leave? I’ll still pay for her meals and housing of course, I know you’re not as wealthy as I am.” The woman moved her curly hair, revealing a pair of diamond earrings dangling from her ears.

Normally he’d have though ‘fake’ but he knew she was that rich already. The proposition she made to his sponsor, mating with a female for money, seemed enticing at first but… it was just plain wrong, it was like putting a price on a life, a hundred Tael for a baby. It was slavery and the act had not even been committed, but if Liam accepted, the fate of the life that would be born, was already decided. Janus hoped that Liam would refuse, the man was not greedy at all, but coin is coin after all and no matter how much he liked his protégé, the Snakeman was still only an employee and had no executive power in any level. Mana seemed to be a little confused as well and stopped fanning her crest, looking at her owner, not sponsor, owner and that thought, made him angry. Slavery had been abolished for decades now and yet, here she was.

“Fine, I’ll take her in.” Janus cringed inside. “Does she speak out language?”

“She doesn’t really speak per se, something to do with her throat, the best doctors have no idea how to heal her, but she can understand. I’ll give you the hundred Tael now as a prize for doing well.”

“But… he didn’t win.”

“I never expected him to even get this far. She fought tougher looking guys and put them down in less than a minute, a tie is already worth it.”

“Provided that I do indeed mate with her, provided I want to, what then?”

“You put as many eggs in her and she gets to keep a few while the rest will be mine.” She smiled like what she said was nothing much. Janus gripped the shield and planned to use it to cave in her teeth but Liam put a hand on his shoulder, taking him back on the planet. The woman grabbed a purse, heavy with coins and tossed it to the man. “Here’s the full payment, consider it an advance for her expenses. Inside I also put a cheque that entitles you to take up to double the amount in there if you need it.” The older man’s jaw dropped at the sum of coins she was offering.

“Th-three hundred Tael? It’s… it’s a lot of coins, miss.”

“I make that much in a couple of weeks in spices and metals, this might be a lot for you, but I trust that it won’t end all up in whores or gambling.”

“I do not gamble and I have two wives, going to a brothel is rather pointless and gambling is not interesting.” Liam was quick to defend himself and very honest in his words.

“Just making sure, wouldn’t want the girl to get too thin and weak to lay.” Each time this woman spoke, it made Janus want to rip her heart out, this was no way to treat a female of his race, hell, of any race! She was basically whoring her out to sell her kids since she was not common around here. The female in question didn’t seem to be all that bothered by it though and that scared him and made him feel pity for the poor creature at the same time. “Well, she’s yours now and she’ll be until I come back in a few months, hopefully she’ll be nice and round by then. If, she’s not here when I come back, if she’s not ready to lay, I will make sure your lives become hell on this world, you’ll get in jail at the very least. That said… have a nice day.”

The woman bowed and turned on her heels, leaving through the same door they came in. Janus was way beyond shocked and really wanted to bash her face with a bigger shield at this point.

Liam knew that he was pissed off and did his best to keep him calm whereas Mana, the one who had just been sold to the human, was much calmer and frankly, a bit too calm. Immediately, she walked in front of the Snakeman and latched onto him, hissing and flaring her crest, tail coiling on his legs. The startled male fell on his back and Mana let her hands roam on his chest, caressing his scales. Janus didn’t stop her though he was not that fond of public effusions.

Liam intervened and yanked her up, she hissed, remembering only a moment later that this man owned her now. Janus got up and stared at her.

“Normally I’d like an eager female but this is a bit too much for me.” He sighed. “What now?”

“Now, we get you patched up, then home and in two days you’ll come back for the next match.” The Snakeman stared at the human with a baffled expression and a good measure of incredulity and despair. “Sorry Janus, but this is just another day at work, be happy that she did not end up in the hands of someone who might not be as kind as you.”

“Like the woman who just sold her to you?”

“Listen here, Janus… I know you feel bad for her but this is work, well paid work and you will act just like always and take it. I need the coin, you need the coin, she gave it to us and the one thing you have to do is get inside her and get your rocks off. It’s a win-win scenario.” The man wasn’t usually like this, no, he was, but only when something bad happened, otherwise he wouldn’t have accepted a blind match. Janus had spent enough time with him to know something bothered the human and he needed money, but gambling and spirits were not something he did, as he had pointed out before, so it was something related to his family. Janus sighed and nodded. “Good.”

A few minutes later, the doctor of the Arena, the public one, not those private healers that wanted to be paid like kings, patched the two Snakefolk up with some ointments and bandages, the usual stuff. The cat doctor was rather surprised to see Mana, be it because of her collar or her scars or, well, everything she was but kept his curious side to himself and did a fairly good job for a reasonable pay.

Once done with that part, Liam bade his farewells and took half of the coins with him, leaving Janus with essentially a month worth of silver in his hands. The two non-humans stood at the centre of the exit for a few moments until Janus decided to step out and into the streets of the city.

Chaos assaulted their ears and dozens of people of all races ran past them, minding their business and going their way, chatting, yelling, peddling and trying to get a better price on a fresh batch of cabbages and carrots. Mana got on the defensive and hissed at a nearby merchant that had approached her, scaring the poor goat and making her run for her life.

“Calm down and follow me. Do not touch or take anything and no hissing or attacking people, I don’t want to be visited by soldiers anytime soon.” She nodded, still confused by the loud noises.

Janus sighed yet again and held her hand as he began to head to his home. He walked through small alleys of the non-human sector of the city, passing through the Catfolk area and the Amphibian gardens. Jalamia was a big place, bustling with activity, thousands of souls living close to each other and trying to get to the next day alive. Human were the most widespread race in this continent and even in the others they had a strong presence by the mere fertility of their women and their lust. Human children were also the noisiest but he didn’t really mind as long as they kept some distance from him and his business. The rest of the city was a mash of the other races, Catfolk and Canids being the second and third most present and then all the others. The Snakefolk stood somewhere near the bottom and had formed a strong community that kept close attention to each other and worked to make their lives a little less hard.

The butcher that lived across his street, opposite the run-down building his home was in, waved at him holding a large knife dripping with blood and Janus waved back. He opened the door of the house and entered, the cold air making Mana shiver a little when she entered.

“It’s a bit cold but I got used to it, you’ll do too if you have to live with me. Hungry?” She nodded and got up, heading out. Janus held her before she could go out. “What are you doing?” She opened the door and pointed at the meat that was hanging from the hooks on the butcher shop and then at his pouch with the coins. “Did you want to buy some?” She nodded. “And then what? Cook?” She thought for a moment and mimicked the act of eating something big. “Raw?” She nodded again, smiling. “Yeah, no thanks. I’ll cook something up.”

Janus locked the door and took the key, putting it into his pockets and headed for the kitchen. The place was small but cosy, with a table, a bed, some chairs and a stove, in the back a small garden where he grew some veggies with little success outside the realm of the most sturdy of radishes and corn. The stove was a bit on the old side, but it worked just fine. With a flick of the switch on the side, the array inside lit up and the firestone began to work its magic, literally, and heated up the metal where he had put a pot. Inside the small cupboard he took some meat he had bought and stored in an ice cube, gently putting half of it in the pan before realizing he was going to cook for two and put the rest in. The meat sizzled and he turned it until it was evenly cooked, brown and nice smelling, a touch of salt and voilà.

Mana had been sitting on a chair, the one with a slightly shorter leg and played with it like it was a rocking chair but her attention was stolen by the incoming meat.

“Here’s your share, enjoy.” He grabbed a fork and used his claws to cut the meat. Mana, on the other end of the table, grabbed the whole portion and stuffed it down her gullet, jaw unhinging to allow the piece in and then swallowed. That one portion he used was worth two Tael and would have lasted him at least one more week if he rationed it or a couple of days of meals and now it was gone, but Mana seemed still hungry. Janus rolled his eyes and handed her half of his and she repeated the feral swallowing, belching afterwards. The last piece left, a small portion barely enough to sate him, he ate, he had to eat too after all. “You should learn how to eat properly.” She tilted her head sideways. “Yes, we don’t swallow our meal whole around here and you should get that in your mind soon. I had to use fuel and salt for it, the least you can do is taste it and savour it a little, it’s a damn good steak.” She nodded, still confused.

After lunch he sat in the good chair and relaxed, stretching his legs and arms, planning on a good hour of sleep but it seemed that his new guest had other ideas. Mana hissed and got his attention as she removed her pants and tossed them on the floor, getting on her knees with her ass facing him, tail raised. The view let him see her vent, lips parted slightly and spreading a sweet scent that began to permeate the room. She flared her crest and invited the male to take her right then and there, on the floor.

Janus stared at her and felt himself grow aroused despite the fact that he wanted to rest, unbuttoning his pants so that his member could grow out of his slit without problem. Mana picked up his scent almost immediately and inched back, urging, if not silently forcing him to take her for a good rut.

The male took off his pants and tossed them on the table, kneeling in front of his new mate and took a whiff of her sex: the sweet scent of a fertile female, not yet ripe for the taking but healthy and young, spread in his nostrils and his member surged forward, now fully grown to its thirty centimetres, slick with his fluids. Mana pushed her hips back in another silent plea for him to mate her but ended up slamming her vent on his muzzle, lips parting on his snout just enough to have him overwhelmed with her scent. It had been a long, long while since he had done something like that and hope that he’d still have the skill: slowly he opened his mouth and plunged it in her passage, tasting her fluids directly, so much more sweet than he thought.

Mana yelped in surprise, shocked that a male would actually lick her and not mate her outright but didn’t stop her partner and let him tend to her. Janus kept lapping at her folds, collecting her fluids on his tongue before swallowing them, pleasing her as best as he could, teasing her vent with one free hand and massaging her buttocks with the other, kneading at the taut flesh that didn’t have an ounce of fat on it. Slowly, Mana started panting, feeling hotter than she had ever felt, the stimulation completely new to her, but she wanted more and used her tail to press his snout closer to her.

Janus, feeling the pressure against the back of his head, doubled his efforts, feeling her passage contract rhythmically in the clear signs of an impending climax. She moaned louder and louder until she grew silent, spasming against his snout and covering it with her juices, tail lashing against his back. Satisfied, he looked at her, seeing that she was also searching for his gaze, her eyes full of awe and pleasure, clearly new to this kind of stimulation. The fact that he had brought her to climax with his tongue alone was a major turn on for him and his member dripped with pre, more than ready to take her.

With a little push, she raised her hips again and put them in line whit his, tail raised high once more, inviting him to get in while her gaze ordered him to do it, now, and not waste any more time. He smiled and speared her, stopping for a moment to feel her folds clamp on him with more strength than before. She flared her crest again as he began to move, her tail coiling on his waist for support.

“Damn, you’re a tight one… mmhh, so good.” He thrusted in and out a few times getting a good feel of her before gripping her ass with both hands. “Ready?” She hissed. “Alright.”

He slammed himself to the hilt in one go, pushing her chest on the floor. Mana hissed in pleasure as the male finally decided to stop messing with her and acted like he should have. Her walls parted with ease, slickened with her arousal and a good dose of fluids from his careful tongue, caressing his member like silk.

With a grunt, he picked up his pace, scales smacking on scales, each getting progressively slicker and wetter as the fluids of her vent splattered against his slit, further lubing his way in. She was a damn good fuck for him, a proper female, not a half breed or a boring human, welcoming him and taking his sizeable member with ease but he wanted more, he wanted her to scream, yell and come all over his cock. He spanked her and she snapped her head back at him, hissing but another slap shut her up.

“You like that?” She nodded. “Do you want more? Hmm?” Another slap and another nod. “Beg for it, make me know that you really do.” She stared at him, confused, trying to figure out how. She started squeezing on him, contracting her walls around his length, doing her best to milk him and please him. Satisfied, he slammed his hips against her backside so strongly she moaned.

With a smile, he pulled back and slammed back in again, making her moan once more. Now that he knew how, he stopped being gentle with her and started railing her properly, loud and wet sounds of scale on scale echoing along with moans and grunts. Janus leaned with his chest on her back, pectorals pressing on her shoulder blades, his head locked on her shoulder, still ramming against her with all his strength. Now, this was a good fuck. Mana moaned louder and louder, drooling slightly from her mouth, tongue lolling out. Janus grinned and turned her muzzle so that it’d face his and kissed her, forcing his tongue inside her mouth.

Her eyes widened, the first kiss of her life gone to the male giving her the best mating so far, one of many that would come in the next months for sure. The sensation of the foreign organ was beyond her imagination: it was strong, wet, lashed against hers and carried her taste on it.

Janus kept kissing her, feeling as her walls clamped more and more around his cock, her juices puddling at their feet from a small rivulet on their legs. He picked up the pace yet again, still slamming his crotch against her vent with force, feeling her come all over his length, but he wasn’t done, not yet at least.

He rolled on his back and used it as a lever, raising her in the air, still pounding. With her legs spread wide open, she felt even tighter and Mana moaned louder than before, panting as he licked her neck and snout, leaving a trail of saliva in his wake. The puddle of fluids spread even more below him, coating his crotch and belly scales in a sheen of sweet juices.

With one last grunt, he bit her neck, making her feel but a prick as his member began to throb harder and harder, still pounding her swollen vent. She hissed and came one more time, taking him over the edge. She could feel each of his spurts splash against her walls, the tip breaching her chamber with the last thrust. Still high on her climax, she came once more, milking Janus for all his worth, months of seed unloaded in her chamber with enough force to make her feel each one of them.

Her stomach bulged as more and more of his essence was pumped in her passage. He grunted and gave one more thrust, pressing himself even deeper, rolling on the floor and pressing her chest on the stone tiles, still pumping. It felt so good, finale releasing his seed after months of abstinence and saving up, it almost hurt with each massive load that coursed through his cock.

For ten minutes, the thick seed filled her up, both of them losing track of how many times they came around each other, their bodies pressed close together in a tangle of limbs and tails, kissing and sharing their breath.

Finally out of seed, Janus slumped on the cold floor, delivering one last spurt. Mana hissed and kissed her mate, hooked up on this new thing he had shown her, trying to get up, but a pair of strong arms locked her in place. He was not going to let her leave anytime soon.

“My cock is going to stay inside you until I say so, got it? You’re mine now, mine…” He licked her neck, a possessive lick that made her shiver. She knew he was going to mate her, breed her till she was egg heavy, but never she would have thought he’d claim her for himself, only the chief of the tribe could do that. “I am going to fuck you and fill you up until you can’t walk anymore, I’m going to make sure your vent is always full and dripping.” She shivered at the idea, how would that feel? Not to be the one in charge, but the one to serve… back home she saw males used and pampered all the time, as they were precious resources and yet this one was forcing himself on him, making her his. No wonder he didn’t obey her, he was the one to command in this house… “Unless you have something to say about it.” She shook her head as hard as she could. Never would she have gone against the authority of the chief or her mate and now that she was the mate of the boss, she was ecstatic. “Good. God, you’re still so tight… Mmmh, I might just fall in love with you just for this.” Her heart tighten and skipped a beat. Love… what a weird concept, but she guessed it wouldn’t be all that bad. “I promise I won’t treat you badly as long as you are here, no matter what but, you need to follow my orders, got it?” She nodded and he stroked her crest, gently making sure she’s feel it as much as possible, feeling as the thin membrane stretched and flared under his touch. “Good girl.”

The two remained locked together for a few more minutes until Janus had to leave the place, finally remembering that he had to get something for her to wear that was not old pants and sure as hell he couldn’t let her go around naked. He made sure that she’d not step out of the house, not even open a door for that matter and stay inside. She could go anywhere inside the house, not that there was much to it except the upper floor he used as a stash for his stuff.

After he left, Mana didn’t move and laid on the floor, leaking seed for a few long minutes, taking time to catch her breath. Her muscles ached in a way that was completely different from fighting or hunting and her vent and ass were sore and flushed with blood, each touch or even brushing against the floor a stimulation for her. Having rested enough, she finally got herself up and stretched, walking around the small house and leaving behind a slimy trail of seed, marking the entire place with her mate’s scent and essence.

Mana went through all his stuff several times and then crashed on his bed, head buried in the old mattress and taking in his scent. Everything in this place had his scent and she found it extremely interesting and arousing, it was completely his, not shared like the huts and tents she lived in up until that point, just as she was his now.

After about half an hour, she felt a familiar need building up in her bladder but held it inside for the moment. Her need only grew stronger with time and after another half an hour, she was squirming on the floor, thighs rubbing together as she tried her best not to spill anything. She wanted to go outside and relieve herself on the street but she had been forbidden to open any door that was not in the house and so she remained inside. Eventually she could not hold it anymore and scuttled into a corner, squatting on the floor and aiming for the wall. She moaned in relief as she felt the overwhelming pressure escape her body and splash onto the wall, leaving a yellow trail on it and a warm puddle on the floor. Wet splashes confirmed the successful release of her bowels just in time for Janus to open the door and get in.

The fresh smell of urine assaulted his nostrils and he stared in anger at the sand coloured female currently squatting in his house. He snarled, angry, not furious at the desecration of his home, but more at the smell and the fact that he’d have to clean it after than the act itself. He had already realized that she had done so according to his order not to leave the place for any reason. Mana blushed in shame and sat in the opposite corner as he dumped a bucket of clean water on her waste and washed it with tools he borrowed from the butcher shop across the road.

“Now, you may get out of the house to relieve yourself but only for that and either you go in the back and use the hole that is connected to the piping system or go to the public bath but no. more. in. the house. Am I being clear?” She nodded, refusing to look in his eyes, ashamed that he had to clean after her. “Look, I should have told you to get in the back and that’s my fault, I know that. So, let’s not repeat this again.” Mana nodded again and Janus patted her head. “Do you know how to write and read?” She made a ‘so and so’ expression and her mate took a black rectangle from the bag he had, tossing a pair of new leather pants to her in the meantime with his tail. With the black rectangle came a few white thingies. “This is a blackboard, it can be filled with words and erased with a rag. This will be how you can talk to me since you cannot speak. Come, I’ll teach you the basics.”

Mana eagerly sat on his lap as he rested on the old bed, writing letters and simple names over and over until she knew at least the most important words: food, water, bath, pain… just in case she needed something. For the first time in the history of her tribe, someone had learned how to read and write, that in and of itself was an amazing feat for her and the fact that it was her mate and the future father of her children to do so only made it more important. He even taught her how to write her name and as she slept, she held her blackboard close to her chest, looking at the letter of her name and Janus’ like they were something precious.

Janus slept naked and with but a small blanket on him and Mana had followed his habit so the two of them were as free as they could get and she felt his muscles on her back, his scales on hers and she loved it. He was so different from her and yet so much similar.

In the morning, something stirred between her legs and she awoke as she sun rose, staring at his member jutting proudly from his slit, drooling pre slightly, a small wet spot formed on the mattress right next to the tapered tip. His ridges were rubbing against her vent that had been stimulated for a few hours now and was as swollen and flushed as it could get. With a skip of her heart, she forced him on his back and looked as his member stood straight in front of her.

One quick movement later, she was rubbing her vent against it, tail raised, watching him as he still slept, somehow. She took a deep breath and got down on him, hitting the base of his member and moaning, spasming as hours of stimulation came crashing on her, forcing her to clench her jaw shut. Janus groaned and mumbled something as she started moving up and down on him, bouncing on his cock with a gleeful expression, sure that he’d like the surprise. Still, he slept. Mana took the chance and kissed him several times, still bouncing on him and massaging his cock with her inner walls. In his sleep, he lacked the same stamina he had when awake and flooded her chamber far too soon for her taste but still delivered her another orgasm.

“What…? Oh… hello.” He groaned and woke up, feeling himself coming inside her as first thing in the morning and her passage clamping on him like a vine. “Hmmm… already in the mood, are we?” He kissed her and she blushed. With a yawn he gripped her waist and slammed his hips upward, making her squeal in surprise and blush again under her scales.

Soon, wet sounds of scale on scale echoed in the room and fluids soaked the bed and the wooden frame creaked and bent slightly under Janus’ thrusts. Mana kept moaning and kissing her mate on his chest as he pounded her and scratched that itch she had in every way she could think of. Grunting and panting, he slammed one last time and further filled her chamber with seed, letting her come as much as she could before pulling out and feeling the seed flow down his member and on his crotch.

“Thanks for the treat. Do you want something to eat?” She nodded and Janus got up, taking a couple of fresh fruits and some beef jerky, returning to bed soon after with the food. She took half of the dried meat and a fruit for herself but her eyes were locked onto his still hard member, shocked at that incredible virility and he knew that she was looking. “I’m a fighter, of course I have a lot of stamina, both in battle and in bed, also, I have been saving up for a year.” She blinked a few times. “Yeah, sad right? Such a big and virile cock and no one to take it. I could have asked any of the half breeds at the brothel but they are damn expensive. Luckily for me, you came here and I know that I wont stay more than a few hours without being buried in you.” She blushed again. “Want to try something fun?” Another nod. “Try and lick it, it’ll be fun, I promise.” Mana wasn’t entirely sure that it’d be fun but she followed his orders and gave his slick tool a quick lick: the taste was something she couldn’t quite describe, strong and with a salty aftertaste coupled with something fruity and completely different. She realized she wasn’t only tasting him and his seed, but also her very depths as he had taken her before, a weird and erotic mix of fluids. “See, not so bad, is it?” She thought for a few moments and then licked it again, taking more time with her tasting, running her tongue from the root to the still dripping tip.

The more she licked, the more she liked the taste and the more she needed it. Wrapping her tongue on it, she pressed her snout against it, taking in taste and scent. Being so close to the source, the musk was overwhelming and made her feel lightheaded, almost like being mated but without actually having it inside.

“Now… take it in your mouth, slowly. Mind the teeth.” She stared at him, shocked, the thought of taking his precious egg maker in her teeth filled mouth was the farthest thing she imagined one could do when mating and still, she obeyed. Slowly, following his words, she opened her mouth and welcomed his sizeable member in it, lips covering her teeth at least partially. Janus groaned in pleasure and patter her head, showing her she was doing good. “Alright, now, move, slow if you want.” Mana bobbed up and down, still scared of hurting him and thus threatening the purpose of her stay but with each time she bobbed, more cock entered her mouth and more pleasure wracked her mind.

Janus smiled at the quickly improving female and relaxed on the bed, leaning on the wall behind him as she picked up pace. Mana began to get more aggressive, taking more and more of his length in her muzzle until she was pressing her snout against his slit, taking in his scent, and his cock bulged her throat in a very pleasant way what made her vent quiver. It was almost as if he was mating with her mouth and not with her proper sex, but felt just as good, the taste and size scratching a different kind of itch. Her head was swimming in his musk and she could barely move now, so Janus took the initiative and got on his knees, taking her muzzle in his hands and thrusting in and out himself. Mana barely registered it and merely used her tongue, wrapping on it a few times and squeezing his member as best as she could, each thrust a spurt of tasty pre and a mix of seed and her own saliva.

Spit began to form thin lines that connected his slit scales to her snout, dribbling down her chin and onto the bed, joining the rest of her wasted fluids and the spilled seed.

Soon Janus was grunting again and pounding in quicker and stronger strokes, slamming his slit against her snout so hard she began to feel the insides of it, hot and burning her nostrils with a musk so thick it would never go away from her mind. Then, his member throbbed and unleashed a stream of seed in her mouth, depositing load after load of thick stuff on her tongue, she tasted it, she tasted it all, strong, salty, deep and perfect. A waste of essence but she didn’t care and sucked on it with strength, creating a small vacuum with her lips, coaxing more and more from it. He pulled out and spurted a few last drops on her snout, coating a few scales in pearly white product.

“Don’t swallow, taste it, roll it on your tongue.” Janus realized soon that she’d do whatever he asked her and did so with an eagerness unlike any female he had seen, starved for contact and needy. She was inexperienced, her culture limiting mating to a mere act of procreation and not a pleasuring act and that was a much bigger waste than a few loads in her mouth or on her scales. Mana felt the seed slosh in her mouth, bulging her cheeks and making her tongue thrum with its taste. “Now you can swallow.” One loud gulp later, his seed joined the contents of her stomach and she slumped on the bed. “Did you like it?” She moaned and hissed and Janus smiled. “Told you.” He leaned in, his mouth close to her ears. “This is but the beginning of your new life and what I showed to you just now… it’s just the tip. There are so many more things waiting for you, so much more pleasure.” She whimpered, almost scared by his words and extremely aroused at the same time. He had made her quiver in pleasure, squeal, moan and writhe with such ease and yet… he had barely begun? How could someone know so much about pleasure? Had she been given to a god of mating? A divine being turned man? There was no other explanation.

Janus knew he could act that way only because she was inexperienced. Had she met one of the male prostitutes of the Cloud district, she’d have dumped him for a lifetime of greater heights and pleasure. He was fine with her for now, and he would make sure she’d be happy, forget about the horrible fate awaiting their offspring and herself.

Days passed fast, time but a concept to the new mates, hours passed exploring their bodies and swimming in pleasure. Janus had to go and fight in the arena two days later, returning home with a sore back and cuts on his arms, smelling like the Catfolk that had been his opponent that day. Mana was quick to tend to him, cleaning the shallow wounds with water and then bandaging them and as he rested, he taught her more words and more things about life in the city.

One day, he decided to take her to the market, so that she could learn even more, get used to being near people and the non-humans alike. She was jumpy and nervous for the entire time, barely containing the urge to defend herself and attack those that touched her by mistake. Janus was there to help her, reassuring her with sweet words and a couple of snacks.

Then, Liam came waving a proposal in their faces.

“A match with two opponents? Really? That’s unfair…”

“Not if Mana gets in there with you.” Janus hissed at the idea. “What?”

“You’re going to make her fight? What’s gotten into you? What about honour?” The man scoffed and dropped a sheet of paper on the table of his small house. Janus picked it up and read the terms: Liam’s competitor in a minor series of trade deals in the city had challenged him in the Arena to choose who was going to take the bigger slice of the pie. The sum put on the table was hefty and would almost reach the amount that Narina had offered them, about a hundred and fifty Tael in prospect. “It’s a good deal.” Most of the time Liam’s contracts were around the fifty Tael, maybe going as far as eighty on a good month, and now, he had almost doubled that.

“Sure is. Look, I know that you are against this whole matter of letting Mana fight, but she’s damn good and we know it. I’ll make an investment and give her a sword and a shield and you’ll fight together for a few matches and in case she, ehm, gets pregnant, I’ll have her stop and give you a paid vacation when the time comes, but… only if you help me make enough coins before.” Janus gave his mate a look, asking for her opinion and, of course, she agreed, happy to be able to help in some way, although she was more interested in fighting someone. She loved resting and mating but she had been raised to fight and defend her home after all, this was a bit different but had the same meaning behind it. “See? She’s also interested.”

“By the gods… fine, we’ll fight.” Not that he had a choice anyway.

And so, a day later, after a quick purchase of the necessary weapons for Mana, the two Snakefolk found themselves in the same field in which they had bet but a few days before and yet, it felt so long already. Opposite them stood a human with a two handed sword, shiny steel glistening in the morning sun, and a Canid wearing padded armour and holding two short swords as his weapons Mana had received a shield like the one Janus used and an identical sword, making them look like twins with different colour of scales. The match began after the referee gave the usual signal, the human charged for Janus and the Canid decided to pile on him as well, both ignoring the female in front of them and that was the worst possible mistake. Pissed off for the lack of consideration, Mana dashed for the Canid, hissing in anger and slammed with her lithe body against his, both tumbling and rolling on the floor. Mana got up immediately and delivered a kick to the face to the rude non-human, knocking two teeth off. The human stared in disbelief and granted Janus a chance to punch him in the face and then get on top of him, sword held to the throat, Mana mimicking his actions immediately.

The match was over in about twenty seconds. Liam screamed in joy and treated the two to a good meal but the fun had yet to begin. Suddenly, the old human began to take on more challenges, riskier, with enemies that were better equipped than them. Janus and Mana still managed to win, her using speed and brute force where he preferred technique and caution. It was a weird combination, completely unbalanced, full of holes and yet it worked, somehow.

Their fights began to attract attention, mostly within Liam’s circle of friends and suddenly they had some audience, though just a few people at the time. Still, Janus had stopped dreaming of having spectators looking at him since he realized that his sponsor was not going to get him in public matches or shows in the main Arena. The fire he had at the beginning, when his first sponsor threw him in dangerous matches to build his fame as an upcoming rookie was rekindled. He started exercising at home with some old weights and Mana was always beside him, helping or motivating him with silent praise and the occasional muzzle-job.

One day Liam came with a public match proposal in hand, against some transfers from the south, sponsored by a somewhat famous noble who was in town. He accepted of course and the next day he was in a decent arena for once, stone tiles instead of compacted dirt, a few dozen people who bothered to come that early in the morning and kept coming in small groups, soon becoming a hundred.

Their opponents that day were two humans, armed with tower shields and longswords, clearly experienced. Janus was extremely nervous but with her at his side he knew he could do it. The match was by far the hardest he fought yet, with the humans standing tight together and using their shields good enough to be a real hassle but the two won over them with a clever trick: both him and Mana ran towards the two, pretending to charge in a desperate attempt, making the humans brace themselves. But they didn’t slam against the shields: Mana slowed down and Janus lowered his back, letting her use it as a ramp and jumping behind the tower shields. She leaped in the air and landed perfectly, pushing the humans from their backs. They fell flat on their faces and found themselves with swords on their necks.

The crowd cheered and praised them, Liam gone straight to heaven with that action. Even their opponents had to concede that it had been a well fought victory. From there, their fame shot up like a reverse falling star: more public matches, more coin and more fame than he had ever had before.

With the prizes from some of the more recent matches he rented a bigger house in a better area, one that had a plumbing and a proper bedroom with a new mattress, immediately tested by a night of furious mating to celebrate. The food on his table became better and tastier, his clothes new and he started to be recognised in the streets, especially when Mana was with him. Life was getting good for once and when Mana began to show signs of her pregnancy, his happiness shot through the roof.

Liam threw a small feast with some of his friends, nothing too big, but still more than he thought and the two had fun, drank and made out, but something bugged Janus’ mind and he could not shake that feeling, ominous and horrible. Mana stopped fighting at the third week as she was feeling tired and heavy, her stomach growing by the day and he returned to single matches for a while. They were still public and managed to win most of the time, be it easily or by a hair’s breadth, taking home the coin he needed to get food on the table.

His mate always welcomed him with something warm and a hug or a kiss when he returned, tended to his wounds, now far more numerous and diverse, their relationship turned from one of convenience and business to a proper one. Janus loved her and she repaid the favour with devotion and care. He had long forgotten exactly when he started thinking of her as a real mate and even Mana forgot how in the beginning she was only interested in his member and not at the male attached to it, though she was still in love with the way he made her feel. Their mating turned to lovemaking and the rough and passionate abated to slow and full of meaning, each caress, touch and well placed kiss a story in and on itself. But between all of this fuzzy cover, he was still trying to remember something he knew was going to happen soon.

Five months after Mana entered his life, one day like any other recently, Janus was at home with her. He woke up with a familiar feeling between his legs, tossing the cotton blanked and saw his mate busy taking his member in her muzzle, licking his ridges, tongue wrapped around his root, squeezing his flesh. She smiled as he woke up, doubling her efforts. Janus groaned and patted her head in appreciation. With a familiar throbbing building in his loins, Mana began to bob harder, each time pushing her snout against his slit, inhaling his musk as she still loved to do and waited for him to spill inside her. He roared and mashed her face on his crotch, slit parting around her snout and started pumping his thick seed directly in her throat, making her eyes roll back in her own throes of extasy and pleasure, receiving her breakfast eagerly.

Five minutes later Janus stopped filling her and pulled out. She took a deep breath and threw herself on him to give her mate the usual sloppy good morning kiss, spreading his taste on his tongue and sharing some of his seed. Janus was against this at the beginning but after a few kisses with a little ‘surprise’ he stopped caring and just enjoyed this weird kink of hers. His hands ran on her head, caressing her crest and then towards her neck, where the collar had been removed by Liam’s trusted blacksmith a few weeks back, as it was useless in the Arena and very much unsightly for the audience.

“Hello, my beautiful desert flower. How are we feeling today?” A happy hiss and another kiss later, he knew that she was feeling very good and was eager to start the day with a boom. “Turn around.” Still unable to resist his orders, Mana dropped on her back, her belly sticking out from the otherwise slender frame that had put just a little bit of fat on her tail and hips, already assuming the charm of a mother. “Do you think we can try your vent today?” She shook her head and spread her legs, revealing a swollen and puffed vent that was unfortunately off limits and had been for a week since she was too scared for the fate of her eggs.

Thus, Janus had to resort to a secret dream of most men and introduced his mate to the wonders of tailhole sex. There was much confusion at first and a little pain but after a couple of tries, she discovered a passion for it, probably because she could not get any action down there other than his tongue or fingers otherwise.

Still dripping seed, he pressed his tip against her hole and pushed, slowly. Mana let out a hiss and gripped the blankets, steeling herself for the incoming thrust which nearly knocker her senseless. She was much more sensitive there and Janus loved to get rough for that, sparing no effort to make her squeal in happiness. Her vent quivered and dripped with her fluids, running down and coating her mate’s tool, lubing his way in and easing the distress that came with the first few thrusts. Janus gripped her legs and raised her, belly wobbling just a bit and picked up his pace.

His hips slammed against hers with the same force he used when he took her for the first time and Mana contracted her muscles with practiced ease, squeezing with a constant rhythm all around him member, making him work hard in order not to spill too soon and build up their pleasure. Janus leaned and bent over her belly, kissing her and moving down with each kiss, stopping to caress her bulge and feel the eggs inside, all four of them, each bigger than a fist, pushing his fingers inside her vent until his whole fist was surrounded by warm and wet flesh. Mana loved when he did that, the incredible stimulation made her head spin and churn but he was not done so soon and pumped his fist in and out along with his member. She moaned and clamped down on both his hand and cock, squeezing hard enough to make her pant and hurt him a bit, gritting her teeth. Janus roared and spilled again his seed, painting her walls white over and over again.

The excessive pleasure wracking her body made her lose control of her basic functions and groaned, embarrassed and turned on as her bladder emptied on him, her urine splashing against his stomach scales and puddling on the fresh sheets. Janus rolled his eyes and then smiled devilishly, responding in kind and relieving himself inside her, washing his seed away. She blushed and let the pressure fade and the golden stream fade into a trickle.

“Damn, we just had these cleaned.” Mana giggled and took the blackboard by the side of the bed and some chalk. Sorry, should have gone before waking you up. “It’s fine, we have some spare ones anyway. I’ll take these to the women at the lavatory later. Shall we go and eat?” An eager nod was more than sufficient for him.

Janus helped her get down from the bed and balance herself, an increasingly hard feat every passing day. Her stomach had distended quite a bit and the eggs, as healthy as they could be, were growing heavy and strong, the time for laying not too far from now, maybe a week or two at most.

Slowly they got downstairs and into the kitchen, a proper one at last: cupboards filled with the necessary things and more than just a stove and a table crowded the room, which made it feel nice and cosy. Mana sat on the cushion he prepared for her and waited for her mate to get some tea and fruits, maybe some meat to go with those too. A standard morning if you will but that was where things got weird.

Someone knocked on the door and Janus, like the proper mate he was, first gave her food and then went to see who was bothering them. Had he been a human, he would have paled, turning as white as a sheet, but being who he was, he just thinned his pupils to the point one could barely see them and his tail twitched.

“Narina…”

“Janus, it’s been a while.” She smiled weakly, leaning on the door frame, hair moving to the side and revealing a new and shinier set of diamond earrings.

“I didn’t think you’d ever come back” She chuckled and made her way in without so much as having some respect for the owner of the place. “Sure, come in.” Mana craned her neck and saw her, her reaction much the same as Janus.

“Nice place you got here. Liam told me how you got this and I was quite surprised to hear that. Imagine: I leave her to you for mating and when I come back to see her, I find out that she was fighting with you and helped that old coot get rich. Shrewd... I like it.”

“Not my idea, but Liam’s. I would have preferred to have her stay at home but the outcome was more satisfying than expected. She was a great help once we got into it.” He stroked her head and Mana smiled sweetly, holding his hand. Narina on the other end, seemed completely uninterested by the display of affection and more by her stomach.

“Now, now, this is what I wanted to see… you’ve grown quite big, Mana. How many eggs?” She held four fingers in the air. “Good… five hundred per egg and we have two thousand Tael, minus yours of course and the fees for transportation.” Janus finally realized what he had overlooked: his children were going to be sold… the entire world came crashing down and his heart ached and Mana slapped the woman’s hand away from her. Narina frowned and slapped her back, hitting her face. Janus hissed at the human. “Don’t you try and touch me, we had a contract and you will honour it. I’ll let this pass as hormonal imbalance and anxiety but the next one will be met with punishment as it should be. Hurry up and lay so I can get you back to your tribe, he can come if he wants or something.” Narina stole a fruit from the basket and left their home, door slamming behind her. Janus was tempted to go after her and beat some sense into the woman but a soft cry made him go back to a more pressing situation: tears fell on Mana’s lap, a hand reaching for the offended cheek, sobbing. Janus immediately kneeled in front of her and held her arms.

“It’s going to be alright…” Lies, he knew he could not manage to protect her. “I-I’ll take our savings and pay her out of the deal, maybe we have enough.” Two thousand Tael for four eggs, minus five hundred for the one she’d leave her.

His saving reached at most five hundred Tael, maybe selling his stuff could help him get to six or seven and the house to a thousand, not nearly enough to get her free from that fucking woman. Mana cried silently, unable to say anything to her mate, unable to defend her children. Just like him she had forgotten about the deal and now it all came down on her: she’d lose three eggs, lose him and forced to return to a life in caves and huts in the desert. She missed her family sure, but what could that life offer her anymore?

“I’ll ask Liam to lend me something, give me the coin and then I’ll… I’ll take on any match he wants, fight against ten men at a time, anything…” He felt powerless, utterly useless, he should have saved coins, should have worked harder, eaten less… Mana took is head in her hands and caressed him, trying to ease his worry so that at least one would not fall in despair. Janus sighed, holding back his tears and rubbed her stomach, feeling the hard eggs inside her. “Wait for me, I want to try asking him first.” She hesitated and then kissed him like it could have been the last time she did so, her very being aching at the idea.

Janus rushed out of his house, running like a devil, headed for Liam’s shop. Many waved at him on the road, some cheering and trying to get his attention, shake his hands, asking about Mana and how she was doing, all useless obstacles. He didn’t stop, pushing people aside and ran faster. When he arrived at his sponsor’s shop his lungs were burning and his muscles hurt like hell. The man was inside, busy selling something to a rich female Catfolk.

“Janus! What brings you here?” He looked puzzled at the sudden arrival of his champion but still heard him and his request.

“Narina came to our home, and I need as much coin as you can give me to buy Mana off of her.” The whitening eyebrows furrowed and the human stared at him for a few long moments, then, he finished his transaction and closed the shop. “Please.”

“How much?” There was confusion and hesitation in his words, something that made Janus worry even more.

“I have around five hundred saved up so I’d need… a thousand Tael, upfront.” Liam gasped. “She wants to sell the eggs for five hundred a piece and without counting Mana’s share, there is still fifteen hundred left.” The human sat on a chair, pulling out a thick book that he used for accounting and checked the numbers. “Please…”

“Sorry Janus, I can’t give you that much. I have just started a second shop on the other side of the city and that has just drained my reserves. At most I can give you a couple hundred but the rest of my personal savings need to be used for any emergency that come up.” Janus made a couple of calculations: still not enough… He slammed his fists against the counter.

“This is an emergency!”

“Your own emergency, not mine, Janus.” Liam’s voice was grave, carrying all the authority that he could muster in the heat of the discussion.

“So what, you’re going to let her be taken? After all she did for you?? After all I did for you?”

“I am very grateful for her help, she was a great fighter but I will remind you what brought her here and why she is currently carrying your eggs: she’s a contract, we were paid to keep her and we will be true to Narina and give her what she asked of us.” In that moment, the human’s strict conduct and steel moral character was being a huge hindrance in Janus’ path.

“She’s the mother of my children!”

“She’s a savage from the desert! She’s a slave!” Liam slammed his own fist on the counter and got up, starting at the taller Snakeman from the low point of his 1.67 metres of height. Janus was shocked: where did the man that threw a feast for her pregnancy go? Where was the kind human that took him in when he needed a roof to sleep under? “And you are my second source of income and the reason we got this far! I need you more than I need her so that’s that!”

“Then fuck you, Liam! Fuck you! I quit!” The human paled. “Yes, I quit!”

“You can’t leave! We have a contract!”

“I know that and I remember clearly that I have the freedom of breaking it whenever I want. I have enough coin to live off of them for a while. Good luck in finding a new guy to bleed dry.” Janus spat in front of the man and left, slamming the door with enough strength to break the hinges.

He ran and ran, roaming through the streets, trying to hide from the crowd and the rest of the world, finding a dark alley that reeked of urine and sat there, holding his head between his hands. He cried in the dark, refusing to go home to his mate like that and with such horrible news.

Someone walked in on him, four men, somewhat drunk even if it was still early and one sneered, chuckling as he pulled down his pants and aimed at Janus with less than pretty intentions. He narrowly avoided the human’s piss but the acrid smell still reached his nostrils. Pissed and angry, he punched the man in the face, sending the drunk ass on the stone floor, nose bleeding bad.

His friends seemed to be pretty pissed too and charged at him, a mob of idiots fuelled by alcohol and Janus had little trouble dealing with them, in the end he stood above four groaning men, fists slightly bloody. He sighed and headed back home.

Mana stood by the door the entire time, waiting for him and when he came back, looking hurt and with hatred in his eyes, she knew something had gone terribly wrong. The strong male that she had relied on for months dropped on his knees and cried again, sobbing and wheezing. She threw herself on him and hugged the poor soul.

“I’m… I’m sorry… I got angry and quit… he, he refused to hel-help us.” He found hard to speak between the hiccups and sobs. “He said… oh gods, he said he wanted me more than you… he called you a savage. L-like all you did for him d-doesn’t, doesn’t matter at all.” She held him tighter, pressing her stomach against him so that it hurt just a little bit, caressing his crest and head. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do…”

She watched as him cried so hard his eyes began to hurt and ran out of tears and her heart ached like never before, all because of her. She was the cause of his pain, the reason he had just thrown a career that would have led him to fame, the reason he woke up in the morning and the reason he was going to be a father. She saw him cry himself to sleep, tired and exhausted. She was just as hurt as him but she was not going to give up like that. She was a daughter of the Sands, strong and full of resources and she was going to fix this mess herself.

With great effort, she put him on a chair and stood in complete silence for a while, hatching a plan and then rushed upstairs with as much speed as her weak body could afford this late in her pregnancy. Upstairs she gathered her belongings and his, tossing spare clothing and towels in a bag and throwing it downstairs, where it landed with a silent thump.

Under a floorboard she took a large bag full of coins, all his savings he accumulated in these few months and then something she had made herself as well, totalling to three hundred Tael, separate in another secret stash, unknown to him. She had been tempted to give her mate them, letting him buy her out from that horrible woman, but she had not been able to as he had run away before her idea had even come to her mind. Almost falling downstairs, she took another large bag and filled it with food that could last a long time, all of it. Before she forgot, she took some Fire stones and some blankets that they could use to sleep in, just to be sure.

With a kick she woke him up and put the blackboard in his face.

We’re leaving NOW!

Was what the letters said. Janus needed a few long moments to process it, nodding weakly afterwards. She grabbed his hands and got him on his feet, delivering one slap for his messy breakdown a couple hour earlier and then dragged her mate out of the door.

The two walked fast and Mana did her best to not be a hindrance but she was sore all over from their morning fun and her ankles were swollen and hurt a bit, still, she didn’t stop. Janus was extremely nervous and he felt his heart pounding in his chest, every person that seemed slightly suspicious a threat to him and her. Soon they found themselves in the middle of the temporary market set up the day before and their speed plummeted sharply. The crowd didn’t seem to recognise them and the two mentally thanked every god and goddess they knew for this little present they gave them but their happiness was short lived: Narina suddenly appeared with Liam and several guards in tow. Janus pushed her into an alley and watched as the group headed for their home.

“The bastard… he thought we might escape. No matter, we are leaving. Let’s move through the alleys.” She nodded.

There was no main road that led to the exit, only a series of large roads connected in a very messy way, and the alleys they took were even messier but had some shortcuts and had very few people around, only a couple of beggars and angry humans who barely noticed the two Snakefolk running. Mana had to take a rest after a while, her ankles visibly swollen and Janus decided to ‘borrow’ a cart from a distracted peddler and dropped her on it, pushing through the narrow alleys which were barely wide enough to let them pass.

After ten horrible minutes, Janus pushed the cart through the exit of the last alley and out in the larger road that led to the gate of the city. The twenty metre tall walls loomed over them and dozens of guards patrolled the area and made sure nothing weird was going on. With their hearts thumping in their chests, the two made their way to the nearest stable and paid for a small horse to attach to the cart. The animal was expensive, fifty whole Tael but they didn’t care.

Done with the last emergency purchase, they lined in front of the gate and waited their turn.

“Sir Janus! What a surprise! Are you two leaving town?” Another stroke of luck handed them one of their fans, a young Snakeman like him, though much less muscular and somewhat lanky. The young man’s eyes sparkled as he shook his hand.

“Well, yes, we are. Mana was feeling awfully depressed in our home and we decided to have a quick trip outside, maybe for a couple of days.”

“Oh, I understand perfectly sir, it must be very hard on her. Do you plan on going somewhere interesting?” Come on, let us go… He smiled.

“Not really, we’ll go to the next town heading south.” They were going to go west though. “Spend a few days somewhere fun and rest, maybe go to a thermal bath or one of those famous mud pools that people say do wonders for clouded scales.” The young male rummaged through their stuff and checked for illegal products, nodding distractedly at his small talk out of habit. A couple minutes later he put the goods back on the cart and moved out of the way, leaving the road free for them.

“Everything seems to be in order. Have fun!”

“Thank you very much and have a nice day.”

They didn’t wait any more and he whipped the horse, making him break into a full gallop a moment later, dust rising. Virtually everyone near them was blasted with pebbles and dirt, cursing and cussing at the fleeing couple.

Janus pushed the horse to his limits and didn’t stop until it was getting late and the sun began to set over the hills in the distance. Mana begged him to let the poor beast rest a little and pulled the cart over a rock formation far from the main road and hid it with branches and leaves, tying the horse to a tree not too far from it. She was dead tired as the animal, the adrenaline rush had long since disappeared and left her exhausted, shivering and scared but finally free.

He set the blankets as a makeshift bed and let her sit on them, tossing a half filled waterskin and fruits and only then he sat next to her, muscles aching and with the biggest headache he ever had to date.

“We made it…” he held her hand and kissed her. “Thank you. Who knows what would have happened if we had not escaped in time. I am so proud of you.” She blushed and cooed, resting her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. “Now, we just have to figure out what to do next.”

The night they passed was cold and windy, the sky threatening to pour rain on their heads but held back in pity of their situation. Mana somehow slept through the night but Janus had trouble calming down even a little bit: every noise and animal passing by was enough to make him wake up and the cycle repeated until morning. The two found out someone had passed on the road, several horses at least and headed all where they were planning to go. Narina must have figured out that they had lied to the guard and sent people everywhere to catch them, which made thing so much harder for them. They didn’t want to run and be on guard all the time and have to avoid large towns and cities in fear of finding her men searching for a couple.

With caution, they pushed the cart off the main road and onto a series of smaller paths, stretching through the hills and the mountain, making a journey already difficult so much worse than they wanted it to be. The roads were old and empty, nothing but moss and cobblestone, the occasional animal and a whole lot of holes that made Mana cuss inwardly and groan in pain.

Three days passed and they were now so deep in the forest that the road had disappeared and they ditched the cart completely, strapping their belongings to the horse and Janus had his mate ride it in the hope to make moving easier for her. It didn’t help at all: she had to balance herself all the time and the contact with the horse’s bare back, save for the folded blanket, rubbed against her vent and the already sensitive and puffed organ made every moment on that horse a torture. The alternative was walking and, if possible, that was even worse than riding.

Frustrated and aroused, Mana was sent into a weird mental state where she wanted to mate so badly but her condition prevented her to, where she wanted release and relax, but the whole situation stopped her from getting the rest she sorely deserved. She pushed her needs back for a couple more hellish days and then she gave up and threw herself on Janus after they ate through some of their last food reserves.

Janus could smell her arousal, thick and sweet but so different than the days before her pregnancy, deeper and with a strong aftertaste to it. She hissed and thrashed around, reaching her climax with uncommon ease but her eyes wanted more, much more and urged him to take her. As per usual, he lubed her tailhole, feeling a hand redirect his member towards her vent. Shocked but aroused beyond reason, Janus speared her and had to stop for a moment, feeling her impossibly hot passage squeeze the soul out of him or trying to at least. Mana came yet again just from that, two weeks of complete and utter abstinence in her vent had made her so much more sensitive: she could feel every ridge, pulse and even the tip as it was dragged back and forth, eventually breaking into her chamber. Janus grunted in surprise as he felt the eggs bump against his tip, hard and hot but didn’t stop thrusting inside her. Soon he dumped several days’ worth of his seed against his eggs in a perverse show of love, loving every second of it and making her stomach swell even further with the extra fluids. They fell asleep, still connected, waking up to a cold wind and the threat of rain that the sky had been putting over their heads for close to a week by now, a threat that finally became reality.

Rain poured down with rare violence after a month that had been scarce and dry all over the country, forcing the two to enter a cave and try to stay as dry as possible. With the Fire stones he had, Janus started a fire just in time before the wood he stacked up got wet beyond repair, turning a cold and windy cave into a somewhat less cold and windy cave. Mana scuttled close to the warm fire and refused to move even though her buttocks hurt quite a lot.

The rain went on for a whole day and when they managed to get out, still dry, mostly, they had no more food left except a couple of dried pieces of meat and dried assorted fruits. He’d have to go and hunt later if there was no way to get out of the damn forest.

Resuming their journey over the muddy hills, the horse slipped on the ground and tumbled over the hill and crashed onto a tree while Mana fell immediately on her back and avoided the fall. With the spine broken, their valiant steed had to be put down and his meat was harvested for their next couple of meals and wrapped in a piece of the blanket, blood put in the waterskins for later, giving them a couple extra days of food at best. The already hard journey turned to an impossible one as their speed dropped like brick in the water, rests long and numerous, a third of the day spent sitting and making sure she’d not overexert herself.

When they found a road, a dirt road but one nonetheless, they felt some hint of relief for the first time in a while, the question now was: where to go? Head right or left? With the toss on the many useless coins in their possession, currently sitting in Janus’ belt’s pouches. Tail meant left and heads meant right. Fate chose right and they slowly walked in that direction and it seemed that they had been in luck: half a day of travel later, they saw an old cabin, wood and stone walls, isolated but with a column of smoke coming out of the chimney and even better, a somewhat buff looking Wolfman. Their scent arrived to him much faster than their legs could and he was already looking for them before they even stepped inside his territory.

“What the hell is a pregnant woman doing in the woods? Have you two gone crazy?”

“Please sir, we’re tired and hungry and we can pay you for your trouble. May we come in and rest?” Mana looked at the wolf and pleaded silently. “We’ll explain as soon as she gets somewhere warm and dry.” He scoffed and scratched his head, ruffling the brown fur.

“Fine… come on, I’ll give you some food as well.”

“Thanks.”

The inside of the cabin was warm and a bit tight but packed with the necessary things to make the wolf last throughout a war or an impossibly long winter. The door in the back lead to a bedroom with a simple bed and a wardrobe, a small rocking chair placed in front of the lit fireplace on which Mana threw herself a moment after noticing its existence. A couple of minutes later, the wolf came holding a warm mug filled with herbal tea and gave it to her, sitting on the spare chair he had near the table in the rustic kitchen.

“So, what’s going on here? Who are you running from?” Janus sighed and held his mug tight in his grip, doing his best to find the words to explain the whole matter to a stranger without giving away too much.

“It’s complicated: we were happily living down in the city, waiting for her to lay, I fought in the Arena and she was teaming with me for a while until she got too big to fight. Then, someone that we had forgotten retuned in our lives and messed everything up. We ran and ended up in the forest, our horse died a couple days ago after the rain, slipped on a rock and broke his spine.”

“Sounds like a big and sweaty mess you have gotten your head stuck in.” He lit a pipe and the air of the room filled with the smell of tobacco. “A fighter who’s a woman? The city must have fallen even further into depravity if they allow females to fight now.”

“It’s not that simple.” He looked at his mate and she nodded, giving the all clear. “She was a slave before I met her, following this horrible human woman that wanted to whore her out to whoever managed to win against her.”

“And you won I take it… Not that great of a feat, towering against a female.” He had been of the same opinion too, until he had met her. Janus smiled wryly at the memory.

“She was born and raised in the northern desert, among the Sand tribes. She’s much stronger than the average female, gave me one hell of a hard time at the beginning too.” Janus smiled, remembering the first days of their relationship.

“You got attached to her… to a female slave sold to you… isn’t that a rare thing.” The Wolfman raised an eyebrow, surprised at the unusual character and actions of the Snakeman.

“She was sold to my sponsor and I had to… get a few eggs in her, then the woman that owned her would sell them to some rich buyer since her scales are of an extremely rare colour and she’s damn strong.” The wolf frowned at his words, gripping his pipe and snarling quietly.

“What a fucking shitty person would sell children for profit in this day and age? Fucking piece of shit humans… this is why I left the city and holed up in here.” He sighed and took a deep breath, puffing smoke from his nostrils. “I’ll help you as long as I can, you deserve it. When is she due?”

“It should have been a week or two at most but that was already a week ago and we are quite worried about the state of the eggs.”

“Don’t worry, if she’s as sturdy as you claim, she’ll be fine. I’ll leave her the bed in the back and some extra blankets if she wants them.”

“Thank you, thank you so much.” Janus took the purse on his belt and took out a fistful of coins, tossing them on the table. Close to seventy Tael sat on the wooden board, far more than he ever thought of giving to someone for assistance but the wolf just pushed them back to him.

“I’m doing this for her and the eggs she carries, not for money, which I do not need it up here. I live alone and I make my own food, hunt my meals and exchange pelts and wood with the peddlers that pass through the village down the mountain. As a matter of fact, she can stay here until she can walk and then I’ll take you there. It’s a nice place, quiet and remote enough, decent folk live there and I know that there is always a place for a hardworking man and his mate.”

Janus looked back to her and saw that she had fallen asleep, holding tight to the blanket they had carried for the past week, chair rocking back and forth slightly as her tail waved around. Jonah, as he learned the wolf called himself, gave them everything they needed to be comfortable and only asked that he worked hard and cut some wood for the fireplace.

Two days later, as he was coming back to the cabin, he was met with pants and grunts coming from the bedroom and rushed in to see what was happening: Mana laid on the mattress and gripped the wooden frame tightly, claws digging in the supports. One look and he knew it was time.

He rushed to get blankets and pillows from the closet, water and a fresh towel. Mana screamed as the contractions began and the first egg began to shift inside her, aligning with her passage and making her clench her teeth. He kneeled beside and held his hand for her to hold onto and regretting that action when she gripped it hard enough to make him scream but he didn’t say anything, she was getting through so… he manned up and shut his mouth.

Jonah returned a few minutes later with fresh meat that he put in his icebox and ran to help her in her delivery. Mana screamed as the egg was pushed further down her passage, big enough to be visible as it moved within her while the other three challenged each other for the right to be next in line. With one last push, the egg began to poke out and she grunted, knuckles cracking under the strain, making Janus wince and whine, eyes tearing up, and then, it came out, a smooth oval with sand coloured spots amidst a sea of rust red colour. One word passed through her mind before the next contractions stole her attention: perfect. It was a perfect and beautiful thing, a perfect mix of their colours.

She yelled again and pushed the second egg down her passage, muscles aching and burning. She held on, pushing for two hours straight as Janus cleaned her from sweat and placed the shiny eggs on an old cushion that Jonah lent them. When the fourth and last egg was pushed out, she sighed in relief and silently demanded to hold all of them in her hands and he obliged immediately. Her heart was overflowing with joy as she caressed the smooth surface and cradled those impossibly beautiful eggs, big and sturdy, the same colour as their father, waiting to hatch and fill their lives with the wails of newborn babies, but that would take at least one more month, and she needed to rest. Janus saw her fall asleep with her arms still holding onto her children, exhausted beyond the limit of what he could have imagined.

“She’s done good, you should be proud.”

“I am, but this is just the beginning: we have much to do now: names to think of, clothes to make, think of a place to live in…” The wolf chuckled and patted his back with a large paw and exited the room, leaving the two together as Janus got on the bed and held her against him, drifting off to sleep with her.