FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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CHAPTER 21

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It was a couple of hours after sunrise. It was time for us to depart the village and head for the Capital. We gathered at the edge of the village, nearly every single Masrur had gathered to bid us farewell. Reema and the other elders were paying their respects to Callen and Jan'Zar before turning to the others and myself. I had said my goodbyes to everyone already and many of them had given me keep-sakes to remember my time in the village.

"I wish you all the best in your journey Malakye." Reema smiled.

"Thank you for everything." I smiled back.

"I have gift for you."

She motioned behind her and a young Masrur, I knew to be her Grandson, walked forwards with a small wooden case. Her Grandson held the case as she opened it to reveal the contents of the case. It was a viol. Not just any viol but her own personal viol! I immediately recognised it due to the intricate flower design that had been carved into the wood. It was a beautiful piece, and you didn't need to be an expert to know that an artisan of incredible skill crafted the instrument.

"I-I couldn't take this!" I exclaimed. "This is your viol!"

"And now it is yours." She smiled warmly. "I hope it serves you well, and that it will act as a reminder of your time here." Not wanting to refuse the gift and offend her in some way, I bowed my head gratefully to her. She closed the case and handed it to me. As I took the case, she embraced me.

"Thank you. I will cherish it. I only wish I had something to give you in return."

It was not uncommon to offer a gift in return in the Masrur culture when you received a gift as fine as this one. But I did not have many possessions to call my own. A few items of clothing and a few keep sakes given to me by the other; none of which would have been appropriate to give her in return. Remembering Masrur culture, the most valuable gifts you could offer was something personal to you.

I realised that I did have two things to offer her. One of which was my mothers necklace, something that I could never part with, since it was the last thing I had that belonged to her. I reached down and quickly unbuckled the strap of the knife on my thigh. This was the one thing I still had from back home that I could offer her in return.

It was a fine knife, made from the finest steel the Zangarian smiths could forge. It was simple in design; the only embellishment was the Anaris family symbol that had been carved into the hilt. I presented the knife to her in return. It had been admired by many Masrur over my time here. She bowed her head as she accepted my gift.

"I hope to hear tales of your exploits." She smirked. "You have the strength to achieve many victories. And I wish you the best in your future."

I smiled and nodded. As a warrior race it was natural for stories of heroes to be spread. And of course, anyone closely related to those individuals could take pride and even rise in social standing as a result of that relationship. While I may not be related to anyone here in the village by blood, they had put their full support behind me; which was signified to all those who came to witness the Hakar when I had born the warpaint and ceremonial outfit of the Masrur as I fought. My actions could be a reflection upon them in the future. A responsibility I would not take lightly.

She smiled and moved away to allow the other Elders to say their goodbyes to me. After the elders Harlock approached me. I looked him in the eyes and he didn't say anything. He simply pressed his fist to his chest and bowed his head. I returned the gesture, a silent exchange between warriors. I glanced over the crowd and saw Shasmar. She was visibly upset, but she forced a smile and waved when our eyes met. Harlock looked in the direction of his sister and then back to me.

"She loves you you know." He said suddenly, taking me by surprise.

"I know." I admitted. "But I can't offer her stability. Or cubs. She deserves someone that can give her those things. She deserves that much."

"I wish you all the best Malakye. I do hope that our paths will cross again in the future."

"I hope so too." I nodded.

I turned and saw that the others were ready to depart. I headed over to the wagon and placed my viol safely in the wagon. We began heading South. The journey would apparently take nearly two weeks to complete. We would pass through several other villages before arriving at our destination; Kartaan. The Capital city of Aaru, also known as The Holy City. At the heart of Kartaan was the largest temple in Aaru, and where Aaru's strongest army resided and trained.

During our journey, Khaine and I were still expected to train in various ways. We would do physical exercise training first thing in the morning and we would spar after we made camp for the night before dinner. Not forgetting my own spiritual training at night before we turned in for the night. But in addition to this we were also expected to train as we travelled. Master Jun'lao would have me practise my flying as we travelled. We would often fly ahead to the campsite where we would engage in further nen training while we waited for the wagon to catch up.

Khaine and I competed against each other in friendly rivalry; be it simple exercises like push-ups, or sparring with one another. We always sought to beat the other in whatever we did.

After one of our first spars we quickly learned to pull back on our eagerness to outdo the other when we nearly injured each other out of stubborn pride. We got our tails chewed out by both Callen and Jan'Zar for that. We were punished like little cubs by not being allowed dinner that night. Not the worst thing to be fair, but after a long day of travelling and training in the intense heat of the sun, not to mention the exertion from our fight we were both pretty hungry.

As a result of this we both agreed not to intentionally injure one another during a sparring match. We both agreed that injuring the other resorted in an automatic loss; something which neither of us wanted. Neither of us liked losing after all, so it was the perfect deterrent for us. It also helped us develop a level of discipline and control in a fight.

The first leg of our journey was a long one. It was nearly a full week before we reached the next settlement. It was another Masrur village, similar in many ways to the one I had spent so many moons at. The village was poor, but the residents were healthy and happy. As expected Callen and Jan'Zar were treated like royalty. Garr was treated as a hero, almost on par with Callen and Jan'Zar. Master Jun'lao and Master Kami were treated with great respect being Champions as well.

Khaine and I were treated with great respect as well, not as much as the others, but that was to be expected. Unsurprisingly word of our Hakar had already spread to this village from the spectators that had travelled back ahead of us. Many of the Masrur warriors were keen to see if our skills in battle were as how the stories described. Many warriors were eager to step forward to respectfully challenge. Khaine and I obliged them, and fought a number of the warriors who had volunteered to challenge us. This of course, turned into a private challenge between us as well. But we were careful not to serious injure anyone in the process.

Neither of us had really gotten serious in the fights; at least we were aware of as much. It brought the reality of how much stronger we had become since our training began. Our skills made us vastly superior to the average Masrur warrior, who were physically larger than us; and the average warrior back home.

Even if they could match our speed and strength when using our nen, our experience fighting against stronger opponents made us difficult to defeat. We were constantly fighting opponents stronger or equal to us in strength. To say that the realisation didn't boost my confidence would be a lie. Suddenly I appreciated Khaine as a rival. As much fun as it was to win a fight easily, there was much more satisfaction in defeating an opponent who you could consider an equal.

We left the next morning and resumed our journey. It was another four days of travel before we reached the next village. Master Jun'lao, Jun'bak, Kao'lar and Hen'zi arrived a couple of hours ahead of the others shortly after midday as we had flown ahead. Seeing the settlement from above was an amazing sight to behold. Below us the residents went about their business, unaware of us.

The difference between this settlement and the other villages were readily apparent. There were far less wooden huts than in the villages. There were a number of larger wooden buildings and the majority of the buildings were made entirely of stone! This settlement was far larger than the other villages we had visited. The size was on par for how I remembered New Zangar being.

This was more of a town than a village! It was that much larger and heavily populated than the others as well. The clothing furs wore were also notably different. Cleaner, more colourful and all round more expensive. Not only that, but there was a wider variety in the species of fur, other than Masrur, living in this settlement. We were just a few days from the Capital now. We would be staying at one more settlement before reaching it.

I asked Master Jun'lao about the significant difference between the villages we had been in. His answer more or less amounted to the explanation that more furs meant more work, and as a result more coin and more cultural richness. And while he himself preferred a simpler life he could appreciate the cultural differences between the two.

He also explained that the settlements were larger and more diverse the closer you got to the Capital. Given the differences between this town and the last village we had visited just a few days prior, I could barely comprehend what the Capital must be like.

The only real point of reference I had from personal experience was when I had visited New Zangar. But this place rivalled if not outright beat that in sheer size. Zangar, which was built into the mountains themselves was likely much larger. While I had been there much of the place had been uninhabited due to the amount of population they had lost after the previous war. But because it was built into the mountains it was difficult to compare the two in size alone.

We landed in the center of town. Our sudden appearance from above shocked many of the furs around us. As they took in our appearance there was silence until a ginger furred feline in a suit approached us warily.

"Greetings." The feline smiled warmly as he approached. He seemed a little wary like the rest of the crowd but it didn't come through in his tone.

"Good day to you." Master Jun'lao bowed. "I apologise if we caused any shock with our arrival."

"I must admit we are not used to visitors arriving from the sky as you just did." The feline Chuckled nervously.

"The rest of our party will be arriving by wagon later on today. They do not have the ability to fly." Master Jun'lao explained, although he said it in way that came across as mildly humorous.

The humorous tone seemed to put the feline at ease. He then got rather excited as he must have realised something.

"Are you by any chance travelling with Lady Jan'Zar and Lord Callen? We received word that they were to be arriving any day now!"

"That is correct." Master Jun'lao nodded. "I am Jun'lao, Champion of Hesh'na. I am travelling with Lord Callen and Lady Jan'Zar to train Malakye here." He gestured to me and I bowed my head.

"Champion Jun'lao!" He bowed formally. "It is an honour to meet you! I am Geralt Kav'na. I work at the inn where your party has made arrangements to be staying with us!"

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Geralt. This is most fortunate! Could you lead us to the inn? I must admit that this is my first time visiting this town."

"Of course! It would be my honour! My employer shall be most pleased to know you have arrived safely!"

We followed the well dressed, ginger feline through the streets to our residence. After we had rounded the corner from where we had arrived no one really paid us any attention. It was fascinating watching so many furs go about their lives. It was refreshing being treated as if I was no one special, just another fur to pass by on the street. Even back in the Masrur village I was treated as someone of importance because I was being trained by Jan'Zar.

"My employers inn is on the edge of town. It is a fair walk I'm afraid." Geralt said apologetically.

"Then I must thank you for going out of your way to take us there." Master Jun'lao thanked him.

"It is no problem. It is my honour to be of service to you Champion Jun'lao!"

"You are most kind. But please call me Jun'lao. You need not stand on formalities with me."

"I am honoured to be allowed to refer to you as such." Geralt smiled. "But given my position I shall be unable to so while working. I hope you understand."

"I understand completely. I do not wish to cause you any problems at work. I shall appreciate it when you are able."

We walked for a good twenty minutes before finally arriving at the inn. As Geralt had said it was on the edge of town, built near a cliff which gave it spectacular views. It was a very large, two storey stone building. But the large garden surrounding it made it seem to be more of a manor of some noble than a simple inn. Suddenly the fine clothes that Geralt wore made some sort of sense. This was an inn for the wealthy!

We followed Geralt in through the front door, where an elderly and finely dressed avian opened for us as we approached. It seemed like that was his specific job. He didn't follow us in, he closed the door behind us and remained in his position. The inside of the inn was what I would have expected from a noble's abode. Rich plush carpets under paw and expensive furniture and artwork were everywhere. There was a light floral scent in the air which was very pleasant and relaxing.

Geralt led us to a desk where a well-dressed mongoose was standing regarding some paper work. The mongoose looked up and took notice of our approach.

"Good day to you." He seemed to notice Geralt at this moment. "Geralt? I thought you went home hours ago?"

"I was sir, but I met Champion Jun'lao and his companions in town and..."

"Champion Jun'lao!" The mongoose exclaimed and quickly bowed. "It is an honour."

"The honour is all mine." Master Jun'lao smiled. "I did not realise you were off duty Geralt. I did not intend on taking up your valuable free time. I had assumed you were heading here when you offered to escort us."

"Think nothing of it!" Geralt assured him. "Sir! Master Jun'lao is travelling with Lord Callen and Lady Jan'Zar! They will arrive in a couple of hours!"

The mongooses eyes widened for a moment at the news of Callen and Jan'Zar's imminent arrival.

"Thank you for informing me Geralt. You did well. Now please, go home to your family. I shall tend to Champion Jun'lao and his companions."

"Thank you, Sir!" Geralt bowed to the mongoose and then to Master Jun'lao before leaving once more.

"Once again allow me to welcome you Champion Jun'lao. We have everything prepared for Lady Jan'Zar and Lord Callen's arrival! We have six rooms set aside for your party. Only the very best!"

"I'm sure the rooms will be most satisfactory." Master Jun'lao smiled. "However there are ten in our party."

"My sincerest apologies! We were not informed of how many would be staying! We had assumed that six rooms would have been enough! Unfortunately the rest of our rooms are already taken!"

"Worry not. Six rooms shall be just fine. We shall require some extra blankets and pillows however."

"I shall make sure that is arranged promptly Champion Jun'lao! I appreciate your understanding of the situation."

Six rooms. That meant some of us were sharing. Not that I minded. But just looking at this place I could only imagine just how luxurious the beds must be. I was looking forward to sleeping in one of them if I got the chance.

"We shall decide the sleeping arrangements later. In the meantime, would it be appropriate for us to train in the gardens surrounding the inn while we await our companions?" Master Jun'lao asked.

"But of course! The inn and its grounds are at your complete disposal!" The Mongoose nodded. "If we can be of service in any way you need but ask."

"Thank you." Master Jun'lao bowed his head in appreciation. "I appreciate your hospitality."

We all followed Master Jun'lao into the gardens. By this time word of his identity seemed to have started to spread among the other guests and staff at the inn. They all watched us intently, but no one seemed to try and interact with us. Master Jun'lao led us a fair distance away from the inn. Their gardens were extremely large. This was like no other inn I had ever seen. Even the Garden of Eden, the inn I had stayed at in Rengilar which was famous for its beautiful gardens, was only a fraction of the size of this place.

We ran through some basic exercises to pass some time, even did a spot of light sparring. A few furs wandered close to us, but no one attempted to talk or interact with us. They just watched. Despite an audience we didn't allow their presence to distract us. None of us tried attempted to show off, we just carried on as normal. By this point I was used to being watched as I trained. I couldn't say the same for the others, but they did well to not let it affect them.

"Well done." Master Jun'lao clapped as he signalled us to stop. "The others should be arriving shortly. You are free until dinner. But do not leave the grounds of the inn."

"Yes Master." We all responded in unison, bowing to him as we did.

We did not head back to the inn and instead walked over to the cliffs edge. The four of us sat down and talked amongst ourselves for a while. Most of the conversation was at the wonderment of the town and how everyone dressed. Some of it was speculation as to what the Capital was like. Jun'bak was the only one of us who had been there, but he just said that we would find out when we got there. He wasn't being mean by not telling us. He had implied that it was a sight that you needed to see for yourself to understand.

"How is your jaw Hen'zi?" I asked. "I got a fairly solid hit on you earlier."

"It'll be fine. Still a little sore but I've had worse. Next time I'll get you back!" He smirked.

"I look forward to seeing you try!" I chuckled.

"So how do you think we are going to be split up when it comes to sleeping tonight?" Hen'zi asked.

"How would I know?!" Jun'bak snapped.

"I hope I get to sleep in the same room as Master Kami!" Kao'lar sighed, giving an exaggerated swoon.

"What!?" Jun'bak choked.

We all laughed. I remembered back to a conversation we had had the first time we had all gone parkouring through the forest together. When the fact that Jun'bak was still a virgin came to light. And how openly Hen'zi and Kao'lar were about wanting to sleep with Master Kami. Despite all the time they had spent together that had never happened. I don't know if either of them ever approached the salamander about the topic.

But the thought of sleeping arrangements were an interesting thought. Eight of us could easily bunk up together. That could lead to all sorts of situations. Maybe I'd be bunked with Callen? It had been so long since we had been alone together. We had been travelling together for nearly two weeks now, but not once had he had approached me. Had his feelings for me faded during our separation. I knew he had had feelings for me, Jan'Zar had admitted as such when explaining why our group had split into two. But now I was freely able to have a relationship with him, I wondered if he would try and rekindle our past relationship?

Thinking about Callen inevitably brought my thoughts back to Shasmar. She had been devastated when I had turned her down. So much so that she had run away from me. I hadn't seen her again that night. It wasn't until the next morning, as I was preparing to leave that she spoke to me again. I was glad that she did. I would have felt even more guilty than I did now if I hadn't at least had the chance to say our goodbyes. I didn't like the fact that we parted ways on such a sour note, but at least she didn't seem to hold it against me.

"Well then maybe I'll get pair with Garr!" Hen'zi grinned. "I'd love to find out just how big he truly is!"

"Do you have no pride!?"

"Whatever!" Hen'zi waved away his last comment. "You might want to save yourself, but I enjoy a good hard fuck! The couple of Masrur I slept with certainly didn't disappoint! I can only imagine how Garr compares to them! He's huge!"

I just thought back to the times I had slept with Garr. He was certainly well endowed. He'd nearly ripped me in two when he had taken me. I honestly wasn't sure if Hen'zi, who was much smaller than myself, could handle his girth. But knowing him he'd enjoy the challenge of trying. But would Garr fuck him? Given how openly and bluntly Garr had approached me, I didn't see him turning down Hen'zi if he did ask. But I honestly didn't know what Garr preferred in a bed-mate.

"He is pretty big..." I said absent mindedly.

"Wait... you've seen it!?" Hen'zi gawked.

"Of course, he has!" Kao'lar jumped in. "He trained with Garr before us. It's understandable that they bathed together at some point!"

"I guess that makes sense." Hen'zi mused. "But was it more than that?" He stared at me expectantly.

I had never told them that I'd slept with Garr or Callen to avoid some awkward questions. But I would never lie to them if they asked. I respected them too much to do that. Even still it was a little embarrassing to admit that I'd been fucked by Garr. I laughed nervously before nodding.

"Yeah... we kinda..."

"No way!" Kao'lar laughed. "You actually did it with Garr?!"

"Yeah." I smirked. My muzzle was a little flushed but I was as proud of the fact as I was embarrassed at admitting it.

"So how big is he?" Hen'zi asked excitedly.

"He's... bigger than me." Hen'zi went wide eyed and almost started drooling as his eyes glazed over and he seemed to drift off into his head somewhere.

"You still manage to surprise me." Jun'bak scoffed. "If it's not your skill in combat, you manage to do so in some unexpected way."

"Thank you Jun'bak. That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" I joked.

"Sarcastic ass!" He huffed.

"Hey what's going on over there?" Hen'zi asked.

I hadn't noticed myself, but as I turned towards the inn, I could hear a commotion of some sort. There was a lot of noise. I stood up to try and get a better view. I could see a number of furs moving about in front of the inn but I couldn't make out what they were doing.

"We should go and check it out." I said.

The others seemed to agree. We made the short flight to the inn and landed on the sloped roof to get a better view on what was going on. There were a large number of well-dressed furs, about a dozen of them, all of them dressed similarly to how Geralt had been, so I assumed them to be staff of the inn. A half dozen heavily armed warriors, all of them clad in polished, gold coloured armour were standing at attention along the path that led to the main road. And perhaps a dozen more were patrolling the grounds around the inn.

Many of the warriors were Masrur, but there were a variety of species mixed up in their ranks. The gold armour aside, the way these warriors carried themselves told me that they were not only highly trained, but took their duty seriously. One Masrur in particular stood near the entrance of the inn. His pelt was so dark it was almost like he was a shadow clad in golden armour. He also wore a red cape, and the way he barked orders out to the other warriors suggested that he was one of the officers in charge of these warriors.

The Masrur I knew would never wear armour like that. Most serious warriors would never wear armour like that. It just stood out too much. Wearing armour like that was done to make a statement.

"The honour guard." Kao'lar said aloud.

"Indeed." Jun'bak nodded. "It seems that the others will be arriving soon if they are here."

"What's the honour guard?" I asked.

"They are chosen from the ranks of the Rukan'dokra." Kao'lar explained. "The honour guard is assembled to protect and escort important members of the Temple or in this case, to escort us safely to the capital."

"They are here for us?!"

"Not for us specifically. But to safe guard Lord Callen and Lady Jan'Zar as we travel."

"I get that they are important and everything. But they are more than capable of looking after themselves. Why would they need an honour guard of this size?" I asked curiously.

"You are right in a sense." Jun'bak nodded. "The honour guard is not so much here to protect Lord Callen, Lady Jan'Zar and consequently us from harm. However, they are here to protect us from the crowds."

"Crowds?" I asked.

"Looks like others have arrived!" Kao'lar said pointing towards the road.

Almost as if to answer my last question the scene before me answered my question. On the road heading leading to the inn the wagon was slowly making its way up the hill. The wagon was surrounded by another dozen or so warriors clad in golden armour, and behind them there was a procession of furs following behind the wagon. There were hundreds of them! The Masrur in charge in front of the inn barked a command and most of the armoured Masrur moved towards the gate. They were here to keep the crowd from swarming the inn.

We watched the whole scene unfold before us. It was quite the sight to see so many furs follow the wagon up the street. After a few minutes I noticed Master Jun'lao walk out of the inn below us. I motioned to him to the others and we all glided down to join him. Four of the Masrur warriors that were still stationed at the front of the inn drew their weapons in response to our sudden appearance, but a single gesture from Master Jun'lao and they sheathed their weapons and returned to standing at attention.

We stood behind him and waited for the wagon to arrive. Half a dozen of the Masrur warriors stood guard and held the crowd back at the gate. The cheers from the crowd were almost headache inducing after a few minutes. We walked over and greeted everyone as they got off the wagon. The mongoose we had been speaking to earlier approach.

"My Lords, My Lady." He said as he bowed gracefully to our group. "Please allow me to welcome you to The Willow's Abode Inn. Anything that you want or need, please just ask, and our staff shall do our upmost to see them fulfilled. My name is Francois."

"Good day to you Francois." Callen smiled. "We shall look forward to your hospitality."

The mongoose smiled happily and with a snap of his fingers, half a dozen, well dressed, inn workers stepped forwards to handle any luggage from the wagon. After following Francois into the inn our room arrangements were decided. Callen and Jan'Zar would have a room each. Master Jun'lao and Jun'bak would share a room. Master Kami and Garr would share a room. I was to share a room with Khaine, while Hen'zi and Kao'lar were to stay in a room together. Once our sleeping arrangements were decided we all decided to bath before dinner.

We were led into the basement, where there was large pool filled with flower petals. The room was very aromatic. Behind the pool were four metal bathtubs, and a large roaring fireplace where the attendants were warming the water for the bathtubs. The four attendants had filled the bathtubs ahead of our arrival. Callen and Jan'Zar were given private rooms for their bathing. Garr opted for a cool bath in the pool, as did Khaine. I think their curiosity of Garr's endowment and physical build made Hen'zi and Kao'lar also choose to join him in the pool. Master Jun'lao, Master Kami, Jun'bak and myself got into tubs.

The hot water was immediately theraputic. I let out a long, satisfied sigh as I submerged my body into the water. The heat penetrated my scales and down into my bones. The long weeks of travelling and training had had a greater effect on me than I had expected. I felt knots in my body slowly beginning to come undone.

"How is the water for you sir?" The bath attendant, a lioness, asked.

I looked up at her. Her outfit was seductive, but classy. Revealing just enough of her figure to draw your eye, but nothing that could be seen as lewd or slutty. As expected of such an up-class establishment as this.

"It's perfect." I said.

"I'm glad. If you desire anything, please don't hesitate to ask." Her tone had a purr to it. "We also offer massages." She said as she began to gently rub my shoulders.

"A massage sounds nice." I smiled.

I could still feel a couple of knots in my neck that simple hot water wouldn't be enough to get rid of. I still remember how therapeutic Aceh's massages were. If she were half as good as he was then I would feel better for it.

"I shall go and warm the oils for you. We have some excellent oils for scales." She purred. As she walked away she moved with a sway to her hips that made it difficult to look elsewhere.

"It's good to enjoy yourself from time to time." Master Kami smirked across from me in his own tub. I felt mildly embarrassed that he'd caught me staring at her ass, but he wasn't chastising me for it. "Make the most of it. I might have a massage myself."

"Shall I prepare the oils for you after your bath?" His attendant asked.

He was a leopard. His fur had a beautiful shine to it. His muscles were clearly visible, I suspected that he trimmed his fur. He wore nothing more than a black loincloth. He walked around with his tail raised which drew my gaze to his perfectly rounded ass. He knew what he was doing, and he was doing it so subtly, and effortlessly as well.

Master Jun'lao and Jun'bak were being seen to by their own attendants, and four more attendants wearing similar outfits had entered the room and were now seeing to the others in the pool. This place certainly knew how to make you feel special. Hen'zi in particular was enjoying himself. He was openly flirting with the attendants, who were not shy in flirting back. I took a deep breath and slipped beneath the surface of the water, submerging myself entirely. This was just heavenly.

After more than a week of travelling and training, this was an amazing experience. The massage as well was perhaps even better than the bath. The lioness had me groaning in pleasure as she worked over my body with her skilful paws. I was putty in her paws. By the end of the massage all I could do was lay there for a while as I recovered. But afterwards I felt more refreshed than I could remember being since I came to Aaru.

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After we were bathed and pampered, we returned to our rooms where some fine attire had been laid out for us. Khaine was sceptical and stared at the outfit with distain. I, having worn similar things back in Zangar, slipped into the outfits. A beautiful blue pale red shirt with a black coat to go with it. Khaine's was of similar design, but was green instead. He grudgingly got dressed. I suspect he viewed the fact I was putting it on as a challenge.

Once we were dressed we arrived in the dining room. Everyone else was seated and waiting for us. Everyone was now wearing similar attire, except for Jan'Zar and Garr who continued to wear their armour. We were treated to an exquisite feast of the finest foods I honestly had ever seen and tasted. Whoever the cook was could have taught Harold a thing or two about cooking. Not only did it taste fantastic, but each dish was beautifully presented, making it a feast for the eyes as much as our bellies. By the time we were done I was almost immobilised with the amount I had eaten. I hadn't wanted to waste a single bite.

I wasn't the only one who had over indulged in food. Hen'zi, Kao'lar and Khaine were also showing signs of over eating. After our meal we all retired to our rooms. I was pleasantly groggy with my full belly and the fatigue of the day. It wouldn't take much for me to doze off.

There was a large four poster bed sitting in the middle of the room. Everything about the décor screamed luxury and wealth. Even the floor was covered in a thick, plush carpet which felt absolutely heavenly under-paw. Even if the bed hadn't been big enough for all of us to sleep in it, I would have happily curled up on the rug for the night. But I wasn't just going to give up the bed to Khaine.

"So I guess we are sharing the bed." I said.

"I ain't sharing a bed with you!" He grumbled.

"Then you can have the floor." I countered. "This rug seems comfy."

"Why do I get the floor?!" He huffed.

"Because you're not wanting to sleep in the same bed as me. And I don't remember anyone saying you got first choice on the bed!" I smirked. "I'm willing to share the bed. If you don't want to share then you can find somewhere else to sleep."

"I'm not letting you have the bed!" He snapped.

"You need to get over your hang-ups!" I countered. "We are both male, yes, but I have no desire to have sex with you. Besides, the bed is big enough for four furs to sleep in!"

"Fine!" He huffed. "But if you so much as touch me, I might be telling Callen that he will be needing a new fuck toy!"

I glared at him. I didn't retort though. Callen and I hadn't been together since I had left to train with the Masrur. I hadn't approached him and he hadn't approached me. After the Hakar I had been busy training with Shasmar and Reema. Away from Callen, so the temptation of sex with him was out of my mind.

Thoughts of Shasmar still niggled at me. I couldn't help but worry that I had somehow ruined her future. Thoughts like that were dangerous to someone like me with an untamed spirit possessing them. But I had fallen back on my spiritual training to negate the emotions I felt in regards to those thoughts. As a result, the spirit had not even attempted to use Shasmar against me.

"Which side of the bed to you want?" I asked. Hoping to move the conversation along before he decided to talk about Callen some more.

He didn't say anything in response. He simply moved and sat down on the left side of the bed. AS I was about to sit down on my side of the bed there was a knock at the door. It was a delicate knock. Loud enough to garner our attention, but easily ignored if we decided to do so. Not the knock I would have expected from anyone in our party.

Khaine watched as I went to answer the door. I opened the door and was met by Francois, the mongoose who ran the inn. Behind him were a number of scantily clad furs, one of which I recognised from the baths earlier; the leopard who had attended Master Kami.

"Good evening." The mongoose bowed.

"Uh... good evening." I said as I backed away from the door.

The mongoose, the leopard and three other furs stepped in behind them. All of them wore similar outfits to the leopard, namely nothing much at all. Just enough to maintain their modesty. In addition to the leopard there was another male, a fennex fox, and two females, one a tigress and the other was a falcon. They were all impeccably groomed, and extremely attractive. Even the way they stood in a relaxed stance, was seductive. The fox and the tigress both stood with trays with crystal decanters full of what I could only assume were spirits.

"I do apologise for the cramped sleeping arrangements. As a way of apology, we have arranged some entertainment for you this evening." The mongoose explained. "The four furs behind me have been instructed to serve your needs in any way they can."

The four furs took that as their cue to move into the room. The tigress and the fox sauntered across the room and placed their trays on the table while the leopard and falcon moved towards the bed. The tigress came over to me and gently lay her paws on my chest and licked her lips seductively.

"This is very kind, but we are leaving tomorrow. We should get some rest." I said.

"I have spoken to Lady Jan'Zar and Lord Callen. They have assured me that offering you their services will not be a problem." The mongoose added.

"If that's the case then the females can stay. I have no interest in males." Khaine smiled as he stood up and approached the female falcon. She moved towards him and hung off of him, like some damsel who had just met her savior. Khaine seemed to enjoy the way she swooned over him.

I wasn't really in the mood for sex. But it was obvious that Khaine had every intent on indulging. My only other option would be to leave the room and try and find somewhere else to sleep, or to wait for Khaine to finish. But... that drink sounded pretty good right now.

"They can all stay." I said, casting a challenging stare over at Khaine. "Unlike my roommate, I do enjoy the company of males."

Khaine looked immediately pissed off. I had as much right to say they could stay here as he did to tell them to leave. We locked eyes. He knew immediately that the only way they left was if all of them left; both the males and the females. He didn't argue the point and returned his attention to the female falcon hanging off of him.

"Very good." The mongoose smiled. "If you need anything at all, you simply need to ask and they will do their best to serve you. They are at yours for the night." He backed up out of the room and closed the door behind him.

The tigresses warm body felt good pressed up against me the way she was, and her ample breasts were pushed up against my arm. The others seemed to have already moved to the bed already. I would join them shortly.

"Can you get me a drink?" I asked.

"Of course, Master. What would you like?" She purred.

"Something strong."

"At once." She turned to pour me a drink while I watched the others on the bed.

"Why don't you go get me a drink as well!" Khaine ordered the fox.

As the fox moved across the room to fetch Khaine his drink the leopard approached me. His fingertips brushed against my chest as he moved around behind me, up around my neck and then as he came back around to face me our eyes met. The sultry look he gave me was enough that I felt myself starting to get hard. The tigress returned with my drink and as I took it from her the leopard sank down to his knees, and I felt my loincloth come undone and fall around my ankles. I downed the drink in one gulp. The spirit flooded my maw with a smoky flavour, before stinging the back of my throat the only way a potent drink could.

The tigress took the glass back from me and went to get me another, while I resisted the urge to moan out loud to the teasing strokes of the leopard paws. As I looked down, he took my semi-erect cock into his muzzle, gazing up at me with a look that made me want to fall in love with him. The need and adoration in that gaze was nothing I'd ever seen before. The way he stared up at me while I watched him take my cock was incredibly sexy. I groaned pleasure at the delightful roughness of his tongue. He was hitting all the all the right spots. I was fully hard in seconds. His paws had a firm hold on each of my buttocks, as if he was worried, I would step away and deny him his reward. But he never showed any sign of discomfort as he took my full length, even when it slipped down his throat.

It was going to be a long night...