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The fox let the soft silk of the sash run between his paws, admiring the way the candlelight danced over the exquisite material. He wondered how much it had cost - probably more than he earned in a month, a year even. Only the best for royalty, he supposed... though he had to admit she'd looked breathtaking in it.

'Tem, come back to bed', said Siala, young Queen of the Proman empire, peering at him through the drapes of her royal bed.

Silk above the bed, silk on the floor, silk over the windows and silk between his paws. Out in the residential district you'd be lucky to see even a single square of the incredibly expensive material; here it was practically drowning the place. Not that it was Siala's fault--despite her royal blood, he knew she had little say in her appearance. That was managed by Bato and the other advisors, who knew how important a strong image was to the public.

'As you bid, my queen.' Temu ran a paw through his sweaty fur, trying to shake out the post-orgasm blues. They'd gone three times already, but Siala was insatiable. Sure, so was he, but there were only so many times a fox could go before needing a break. Tonight was particularly special, because it marked the first time they'd lain together without fear of being found out. Now that the kingdom was aware of the queen's relationship with a lowly travelling merchant--or a 'common thief' as the cityfolk knew him--a certain pressure had been lifted off both their shoulders. Sure, much would need to be discussed going forward, but right now, in the days after the festival, they were content to spend the evening wrapped in each other's arms.

Temu slid next to Siala and gently cupped her cheek, looking deep into her golden irises. The ocelot regarded him questioningly, brow furrowed slightly as she touched his hip.

'You're quiet... what's wrong?'

The fox sighed. He knew he wasn't meant to bring it up, but the thought just wouldn't leave him alone. 'Even if we make it through this week, what happens then? Atriach is going to hear of this before long, and then he's going to march down here, slice me open and leave me hanging for the vultures. Worst of all, he'll probably force you to marry one of his snivelling children.'

'Worst of all?' Siala raised an eyebrow and began gently rubbing his naked hip. 'Tem, I won't let them touch you, you know that.'

'I know you'll try.'

She stopped, fixing him with an icy look. 'You doubt my capabilities?'

He shook his head. 'No, but I doubt Sturdan's loyalty, especially now. You broke tradition and publicly turned down your own general... you think he'll still support you after that? Against Atriach?'

Siala removed her paw, sitting up and crossing her legs on the bed. Temu consciously ignored how pretty she looked, sitting naked on the covers with the glow of candlelight behind her. The first rays of sunlight were beginning to peer through the windows, caressing her soft, youthful muzzle and wide eyes.

'I know you and Sturdan don't get along, but he's a fine captain and I wouldn't for a minute question his loyalty. I would ask you do the same.'

'You think he wouldn't jump at the opportunity to turn me in?'

'His family has served mine for generations. And one thing he hates even more than you is breaking tradition."

'Which you just did!' Temu urged, sitting up to face her. 'The law states that if the queen has no king, she shall take the general for herself during the festival. But you took me.'

'You wish I hadn't?' Siala jumped up, paws clenched as she glared at him. 'You'd rather I'd obeyed the rules, left you watching in the crowd while I fucked a lion twice my age? Just because some old bastard wrote it in a scroll a hundred years ago without any thought to how I might feel?' She drew in a shaky breath, grinding her teeth together. 'It's all bullshit, Temu. If I didn't think so I wouldn't be with you. Or is that what you want?'

A veneer of silence hung between them, marked only by Siala's heavy breathing. Temu bit his tongue and looked down at the floor. Then, slowly, he made his way around the bed and took her paws in his own. The ocelot let him, but refused to meet his eye. 'Siala, I... I was wrong to criticise you for doing what I thought I could only dream you would. The joy I felt when you called me up there, when you defended me against those people and chose me to begin the festival...' He gently brought a paw to her chin and turned it up to look at him. 'I love you, Siala. But I don't want to see you hurt because of me.'

Siala closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his, holding his shoulders. 'I wish you wouldn't try to be so protective, Temu. If anything, it's my job to protect you.' She breathed in his scent, savouring the concoction of sweat, sex and the warm aroma of desert spice. 'I'm your queen, after all. Even if I sometimes don't feel like I am. Now come, return to bed, we must sleep soon.'

'Soon?'

She gave him a small smile. 'Soon. But not yet.' She perched on the edge of the bed and pulled him towards her, biting her lip. Temu grinned, tenderly spreading her legs and pressing his muzzle into her lithe, toned belly. Her fur was soft, well-groomed and short, the very image of a desert princess.

Stretching out a digit, Temu ran it lightly down the length of her sex, massaging her thigh with his other paw and gently licking her fur. Siala closed her eyes as he fingered her slowly, focusing first on her clit and then easing her lips apart and gently pushing in. She was still wet from before and he glided easily into her, adding a second digit after a moment and listening to her soft, pleasured sigh.

Temu lowered his head further, lapping the mound just above her sex. Siala purred, reaching for the longer fur on his head and trying to push him into her but he resisted. Instead, he began to speed up his actions, moving his thumb so that the crook of it nudged at her lips. He twisted his fingers, changing his rhythm and direction enough to keep her guessing, but never lessening the pleasure. Still he licked around her, wetting the inside of her thighs and pubis but never straying too close.

'Mmn- Tem, that... that's nice.' She lay back on the bed, arm over her eyes and chest lowering and rising in time with his ministrations. Temu pulled his fingers out, slowly, and left her feeling empty for a few moments before inching his way up the length of her slit. Once at her clit, he pulled gently on it a few times, then drew it between his thumb pad and index finger, rolling it lightly between the two and eliciting another sigh of pleasure. She was beginning to moan now, a low purr articulating each spike of pleasure.

Finally, he pulled his paw away and dipped in with his tongue, running it firmly over her sex and drawing a moan of bliss from his lover. He pulled her lips apart with his paws and slid his tongue into her, twirling it around before moving out and up to her clit, flicking it firmly. He moved between the two points, each providing Siala with a different pleasurable feeling, and she let a quiet whine escape. He knew just how she liked it, having had ample practice this past year, and she well intended to have him practice more.

Without warning, Temu began a delightful assault, lapping harder at her clit and sliding his fingers back into her hole. He massaged her lower stomach with her other paw, placing just enough pressure to intensify the sparks of pleasure darting through her pussy. He was artfully dextrous, and as he began teething her clitoris ever so gently, Siala grunted and grabbed the fur on his head tighter, her claws scratching at the skin beneath. She tried to adjust to this sudden explosion of pleasure, tried to dampen its effect on her so he'd keep doing it, but before long it became too much and she moaned louder, curling into a ball with her legs over his shoulders.

'Tem... I-I'm going to...' She let out a whine, one paw tight on his head and the other gripping the bedsheets, pricking holes in the material. Temu licked her harder, two fingers pumping in and out of her, curled up to rub along the roof of her tunnel. Siala squeezed her eyes shut, pleasure arcing up down her spine, crackling in her loins and rising to a peak until finally it came to a break and she moaned even louder, an orgasm blossoming through her. The fifth today--Temu had made sure her evening had been full of them--and the tantalising buzz that had dissipated somewhat during their argument quickly returned. She rode it through until it mellowed out and she could open her eyes again without feeling like she was going to pass out. Then she touched his cheek, guiding him up to her so she could kiss him.

'You're amazing', she giggled between kisses, rubbing his back.

Temu grinned. 'I know.'

"Hmn. Well, don't let it go to your head. Now, I think you deserve a reward, hm?" She let out a little breath, sliding her paw down his lean, soft chest and down towards his sheath. Temu growled quietly, a point of red already appearing.

'You don't have to, Siala.'

'I want to.' She kissed his neck gently, then his shoulder, and then further still, kissing her way down his body until she reached his hardening cock. She loved it as much as she loved his tongue and his paws, and with adoring love she licked it slowly from balls to----

The bedroom door burst open. Bato stood in the doorway, eyes already averted to the ceiling. He spoke quickly and lowly. 'Your majesty, a rather pressing situation has arisen. I would strongly advise putting some practical clothing on and meeting me outside in short time.' And then he closed the door again, leaving the two staring wide-eyed at the spot he'd been, Siala's tongue still halfway up Temu's cock. She felt it twitch against her and turned her attention back to it, wondering how much Bato had seen. He'd never burst in like that before, always knocking and waiting dutifully for her to allow his entrance. She shrugged, giving Temu's length another good lick. Surely it could wait a few minutes.

But the fox pulled away, grabbing his thin-fibre pants from the ground. 'Come on, let's go.'

'But you haven't...' Siala pouted at him, looking up from her position kneeling on the floor. 'I wanted you to cum in my mouth. You haven't done it for ages.' She batted her eyelashes up at him, her eyes wide and hopeful, but Temu steeled himself and pulled on his pants, adjusted himself so they'd fit without showing too much off. 'That can wait, he looked serious.'

'I am, your majesty', said Bato through the door. Siala coughed in surprised and jumped up. She hadn't realised how thin the door was. Guiltily, she went over to her wardrobe and picked out her duelling uniform. Bato had said to wear something practical, and her black leather training outfit was the only thing she owned that didn't have flowing skirts, impractical attachments or show more skin than a transparent loincloth. It was tight on her, and she looked like she was about to break into martial arts, and Temu decided he quite liked the style as he admired her from behind.

Siala opened the door and Bato walked them quickly down the long hall outside, making so many turns Temu quickly became lost. He hadn't been anywhere except the kitchens and Siala's bedroom, and he'd never realised how big the palace was. Apparently, neither did Siala, who asked 'where are you taking us? We passed the main hall three stairwells ago'.

'We're not taking the front entrance. Wait here a moment.' Bato stopped them next to an inconspicuous storeroom and slipped inside. The other two remained awkwardly outside, an air of unsurety between them. Siala's paw went to her neck; a habit of fiddling with her amber pendant that she'd never grown out of. Then she cursed.

Temu raised an eyebrow at her, and she bit her lip. 'I left my necklace in my room.'

'You can get it later', Bato grunted as he returned, a bundle of cloth in his arms. When it unfurled it in front them, Temu gasped in surprise. Inside was a shimmering, glacier-white scimitar, slender and delicate from blade to tip. It was beautiful enough to seem merely a decorative piece, but Temu wasn't fooled. He'd heard tales of it slicing a foe in half with a single swipe--the Ivory Blade.

Siala frowned. 'What's that doing here? Isn't it in the guardhouse? I saw it just a few days ago.'

Bato dismissed her with a paw. 'Painted iron and no more. Do you have any idea how many animals have tried to steal it?' He shook his head. 'I hope you remember how to use it, your Majesty. I can't risk dispatching more than a few guards to take you to Iselia. Any more would draw attention and leave the city helpless.'

Siala looked at him and said, 'You still haven't told me what's going on'.

Bato sighed. 'The raids on the outer temples were more than just isolated. The reports aren't much to go on, I don't know a whole lot more than you, but the Xaviir are coming and they're marching in force. We need to get you somewhere safe until we can figure this out.'

Siala frowned. 'We've taken them on before, I don't see why we can't stay and fight.'

Bato pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and closed his eyes. Vyridian leads them, with the Flamegard.'

Vyridian? Temu had heard that name before. The Xaviir high general, supposedly an honourable fighter of renowned skill. What would he be doing leading such a vicious attack? Especially with the army's feared draconic elites.

Siala sighed and took the blade from Bato's outstretched hands, attaching the sheath to her belt. "I must ask that you respect my decision to remain and fight, advisor. I will not abandon my people like this."

'I admire your courage, my queen, but you will be of no use to your people dead. I will remain by your throne, in the hope they're willing to talk, but you must go.' Bato stepped closer to her, his tone softer. 'I have served you your entire life, Siala. But I have served this kingdom longer. I do not wish to give you orders, but if there is a solution to keep both you and the city safe, you must take it.'

Siala looked at him for a long moment, until, 'Alright, fine. I trust your judgement. Tem, come, let's get out of here.'

Temu tried to follow but Bato kept him back with a surprisingly strong paw. "Not for this, I'm afraid. We cannot risk another animal in your party. Take my word, I will see to it that he joins you soon."

Siala's eyes widened. 'What? I won't leave without him, he----' The ground rumbled and the walls shook as a muffled blast sounded far above them. Bato pushed Siala through the hall, not stopping until they reached a group of four soldiers at the far end of the hall. They each wore robes like that of the city's citizens, but underneath Temu caught a glimpse of reinforced leather and glinting swords. They all bowed their heads at their queen's approach, then opened an inconspicuous door behind them. Bato motioned her through, and Siala was too bewildered to refuse.

'The fox will follow with myself and another dispatch in due time. For now, stay low and listen to your guards. Oraphreus be with you.'

And then the door slid shut and Siala was gone.

Temu followed Bato back through the winding halls, trailing behind like a lost puppy. When the silence became too much, he sped up to walk beside the old lion. 'How long until the Xaviir arrive?'

'Twenty minutes ago.' Bato replied shortly. Temu blanched.

'What? You said----'

'I told Siala what she needed to hear.' He stopped short and turned sharply into the storeroom they'd been at earlier, leaving Temu to stumble forward a few metres. When Bato returned he handed the worried fox a dagger and shook out a folded item of crimson-red cloth. He wrapped it around Temu, talking as he fixed it at the fox's shoulder. 'I would strongly recommend vacating the castle as soon as you can. Then, find somewhere to hunker down in and lay low until it's over.

Temu stared at the dagger in his paw. 'What am I supposed to do with this? I don't know how to fight.'

'Hold it tight and thrust it forward a few times. It's mostly so you have something to surrender if you're caught. Better to earn their pity as a coward than their respect dying in a fight.'

'And what's this for?' He flicked the length of cloth that now hung down over his right arm. He had a vague memory of seeing such an item before, but couldn't quite place it.

'It's not important, but--well, no, actually it is', Bato glared at him, 'Don't even think about taking it off. But you can worry about it later'.

Bato strode off down the hall again, and Temu had to run to keep up with him. For an old lion he was ridiculously quick. "I thought you were taking me to Siala."

"That entirely depends on the next few minutes. Go down there." He pointed idly to a hall on their left. Temu frowned and was about to ask why when a someone shouted from the junction ahead and two swords clashed. He ducked away, expecting to see Bato follow but the lion was nowhere to be seen.

Alone now, Temu ran down the hall, wondering how the hell he was supposed to get out of here when he didn't even know what floor he was on. He came to a crossroads and skidded to a stop when two palace soldiers, a lion and an ibex, sprinted past. He peeked around the corner and saw them charging at a single metal-plated warrior wielding a black iron sword. The two guards looked puny against the green-scaled dragon, who roared and stomped forward, putting his weight behind a vicious strike. The two guards split with practiced finesse, darting behind the enemy and slashing at his back with their own curved scimitars, but the dragon's armour was too thick and their blows merely clanged uselessly away. The dragon growled, reversing his grip on the sword and stabbing it backward. The blade went directly into the lion's side and the soldier roared in pain, scrambling away as the blade slid out, dark red blood splattering on the ground. The dragon laughed and turned to the other guard who was now backing away uncertainly, scimitar held loosely in his paw. When the dragon lunged forward he leapt to the side, realising too late that the move was a feint, and a second later the ocelot lay dead on the floor, blood gushing from a deep gash in his chest.

Temu watched in horror as the dragon returned to the injured lion and held a blade against his neck.

"Your city will fall, lion." He laughed. Temu turned away, unable to watch as the sickening sound of the animal's death filled the hall. Desperately, he searched for another way past, and a storeroom door caught his eye and he dived into it just as the dragon turned around. Breathlessly, he waited as the beast lumbered past. Each of its steps was a loud, grating thud as the creature's heavy iron greaves hit the sandstone floor. When the sounds had finally faded, he ducked out and ran back the way the creature had come, figuring if there was any way out, that would be it. As he passed the two dead guards, he mumbled a silent prayer for them.

By a stroke of brilliant luck, he met no one else in the winding palace corridors. The sounds of fighting above had grown louder, and the walls shook around him as he made his way up stairwell after stairwell. After what seemed like an eternity, by which time the crashing of steel and shouts of soldiers were a constant ruckus above him, Temu reached a corridor he recognised--he was right outside Siala's room. Which meant that all he had to take was a left, a short flight of stairs and then----

Temu's ears perked up. From down the hall, the sound of approaching soldiers echoed toward him. They were moving quickly, seven or eight of them, and the clanking of heavy metal proved they were armed. Proman soldiers wore leather and light steel, and certainly no chains, so these had to be Xaviir. In a panic, Temu turned back the way he'd come but the featureless hall stretched a good thirty metres, and there was no way he could make it back to the stairs in time.

With nowhere else to turn, he slipped into the Siala's bedroom and quietly closed the door behind him, wishing more than ever that there had been a lock. With the soldiers now close enough to hear each plate of metal scraping against the other, Temu ran into the side room and flattened his back against the wall, slowing his breathing. He heard the group come closer, closer... and then they stopped. There was a muffled murmur, the sound of blades unsheathing, and then the bedroom door was kicked viciously open. Soldiers rushed in, filling the room, but none ventured toward him.

There was a moment of silence, and then a final figure came inside, walking slowly, steps heavier than the rest. When he spoke, his voice was deep and quiet, yet commanded more power than the loudest captain. The heavy tones sent a cold shiver down Temu's back.

'Disappointing. But expected. Only recently abandoned...' The voice rose slightly in amusement, accompanied by a two light sniffs. 'The smell of sex still hangs in air. It seems we arrived at an inopportune time.' Temu heard him walk further through the room, the clang of metal chains like the march of twenty prisoners. He paused, then hrmphed with a hiss of hot steam and addressed one of the soldiers. 'You, check the side room.'

Temu jolted and stared around the room for something he could hide in, but he was surrounded by four walls of nothing but ornate decoration and useless trinkets and panic began to fill his chest. He went to grab his dagger--maybe he could throw it at whoever came in and make a run for it--but before he could even move his paw a wolf wrapped from head to toe in sheet iron lumbered, a shortsword in each paw. Temu stared at him, eyes wide and frozen in place, and for a moment the soldier seemed just as surprised. But then he relaxed, sliding his swords back into their sheathes. 'Look what I found!' he called out, head tilted out into the main room with a casual grin.

Oh god. This is where I die, isn't it? Temu thought, closing his eyes. He heard two others come in, practically cramming them all into the small room.

'Assassin? I wasn't told of any accompanying us', growled the low-voiced dragon. 'I've never seen him in my life.'

'Neither did I, but look at the emblem', said the first soldier. Temu opened his eyes slowly. In front of him stood a dragon, heavy black armour stained with blood and covered with cracks and dents. The beast was huge, bent about the waist simply to fit in the room, and from beneath its thick, shielded visor bright crimson eyes glowed. The dragon peered at Temu, a rumble in his chest accompanied by the smell of singed cloth. Then it tilted its head. 'I don't believe we've met, assassin.' He brought a huge black gauntlet to his chest. 'Saraphime, though I'm sure you know that already. You're... a child of Corvan, then?'

Eyes wide, Temu nodded.

'I'll admit, you don't... look like much. But then neither did Corvan, and look how that turned out', the dragon laughed as he smacked the side of his breastplate, where a badly filled-in hole had once been. Then he turned on his heel and exited the room where he was able to stand up to his full height. He towered over the rest of them, even the other dragons. Addressing the room, he waved his talons in Temu's direction. 'It seems we were beat here. One of Corvan's own, so I'm sure he already has plenty of information to give us, isn't that right?' He turned to Temu, who gulped again. Everyone was looking at him.

He had to consciously stop his voice from trembling. 'Uh... there were... two of them in here. For a whole night. They only left about... half an hour ago.' He looked cautiously up at Saraphime, who didn't look impressed, so he continued. 'They... were interrupted in the middle of the, uh, act by someone else. A... an ibex, old, who took them... that way.' He pointed in a random direction, hoping it was anywhere but where they'd actually gone. Now Saraphime was nodding slowly, and Temu swallowed. 'One was the Queen, the other a fox, about my age. But they parted ways further on.'

Saraphime grinned widely, a terrifying sight. 'Impressive. How can you tell their ages?'

Temu paused. '...smell.'

To his surprise the others began murmuring to each other, convinced. 'We must reach them before they make it to the wider deserts, or we won't be able to follow until nightfall. Assassin, you seem to have already followed their trail... which way did they go?'

Temu tensed, unsure what to say. There was no way he was going to tell them where Siala had really gone, but stuck inside this building he had no idea himself. He decided to take a risk. 'I... would rather report directly to Vyridian myself.'

Saraphime was quiet, and for a moment Temu thought he'd blown it. But then the dragon shrugged. 'Suit yourself. Come..'

The nervous fox was whisked out the room and down the hall, but not before he had reached out and grabbed the small amber pendant from Siala's bedside table.

These warriors had been in the castle's corridors even less than he had, but they made no wrong turns or climbs and Temu quickly found himself in the palace's central hall. It bristled with activity, filled with what seemed like the entire Xaviir invading force. The troops paid them little attention, busy checking their weapons, murmuring amongst each other or crowding around the throne room door. They'd obviously not had much trouble getting inside, but it seemed the city's guards had retreated into the throne room and closed the two heavy stone doors. Two teams of Xaviir soldiers were attacking the doors with thick, hefty battering rams, but against solid stone they were practically useless.

Temu's band of warriors pushed through the ground, bringing him to the centre of the hall. There was a clearing of sorts there, where a wooden table with several documents and plans had been set up. Ornately outfitted soldiers, like those of Saraphime's company, surrounded it and were arguing amongst themselves, pointing at maps and unsheathing their claws in disagreement. But before Temu's group could join in the discussion a hush fell over the room. From the far hallway another group was entering the room, and the crowed parted like grains of sand on a knife's edge to let them through. Temu could see five of them towering above the other soldier, all dragons, all outfitted in the same black armour as Saraphime, all strong and huge and terrifying. Temu realised with dread that these were the Flamegard--he was, right now, surrounded on all sides by the greatest, most vicious warriors the Xaviir had to offer. And all he had was a dagger.

Saraphime moved over to speak with them, and though Temu couldn't hear what was being said, after a moment they all turned to look at him. He gulped. Then a few more murmurs were exchanged, and then they all looked at the floor. Temu leaned a little to the side, trying to see what was going on, but then they were all coming back and he decided he preferred not to know. The group walked strangely, forming a loose, open-fronted circle as if they were carrying something very precious between them. Temu soon found out why.

A fox, matching Temu's own tawny fur and garbed in a simple green tunic with a lightweight belt, led the party forward. Though she was dwarfed by the dragons that surrounded her, the very air around the fox seemed to crackle with a commanding presence, a force even strong than Saraphime's gravelly voice. Unfortunately for Temu, she did not seem impressed upon seeing him, and she fixed Saraphime with an icy glare.

'This is your child of Corvan?' Her voice could almost have been sweet and melodious, if it didn't carry such a frigid edge that promised a bad end to anyone that crossed it.

The dragon was hesitant to reply. 'Indeed, ma'am. He carries Corvan's insignia, and he's already scouted out the escape of the Proman Queen.'

'Has it occurred to you, Saraphime, that this is a fox?'

'I... had noticed, yes. Is that not----?'

'I understand you have not met Blackpaw Corvan in person, Seraphim, but I expect you have at least heard the tales. Recall, if you will, his campaign against the slave drivers.'

The dragon looked uncomfortable, especially considering everyone was now looking at him, but acquiesced, speaking like a scolded child. 'He led the charge on the northern hounds and freed an entire village of our captured people without losing a single soldier.'

The fox looked up at him with her arms folded, a foot tapping impatiently on the ground. 'And what was his company called?'

'The roar of----' Saraphime stopped. He turned to Temu, a trail of smoke drifting from his nostril. 'They were lions. Corvan is a lion. You... you are a fox.'

'Ever the astute observer, Saraphime', the vulpine next to him drawled. She walked slowly toward Temu, and with each step a quiet clink echoed around the silent hall. She wore a light steel pauldron on one shoulder and a matching knee-guard on the opposite leg, and they moved slightly side to side as she walked. Temu realised they were loose, just a little, a problem that could be solved with a simple bit of leather. But then the clinking stopped and she was right in front of him and he forgot all about tailoring. This close, he could see the vixen's sharp green irises, narrowed to stare directly at him over her short, tapered muzzle. Her breath was hot against him, imbued with a heady aroma of pepper and pine needles, and when she spoke it was in a tone so quiet it felt like she was inside his head.

'Who are you really, whelp?'

Temu let out a shaky breath. If he thought Saraphime had stood as the shadow of his death, this vixen was the reaper herself. There was little point lying--he had the strange impression she was looking directly into his soul, just waiting for him to give her an excuse to pounce. He opened his muzzle, about to confess everything and hoping she'd take pity and maybe just cut off an arm or something when a voice sounded from across the hall.

'Vyridian! It's been far too long! Say, why are you holding Temu at scythe-point?'

The high-general of the Xaviir army cocked her head. Temu realised that she was indeed holding a wickedly long and sharp blade against his neck, which curved around behind him and attached to a long metal pole held casually enough in her paws that she could've been harvesting rice with it. Where the hell had she got that from?

He let out a sigh of relief when she stepped away from him, her expression almost disappointed, but then Bato was shouldering his way into the circle and she relaxed. She thrust her scythe into Saraphime's grip and moved to Bato, where the two grabbed paws in warm greeting. Temu, for his own part, was very confused. Not just because he had assumed Vyridian would be a huge male dragon, or at least a greatwolf, but also because Bato was completely relaxed and acting like he'd known the vixen for years.

'Corvan. This whelp is yours?'

Bato glanced at Temu and shrugged. 'Adopted. He's a good lad, so be nice to him. And he's not much younger than you, so watch who you're calling a whelp.'

She looked Temu up and down. 'He doesn't look like he could beat a pup in a wrestling match.'

'He probably couldn't, but he's a very fine tracker. And I think you're going to need one.'

'She's already escaped? Then what's behind those doors?' She nodded to the two heavy throne room barricades, which the teams of Xaviir soldiers had begun battering again.

'Oh, mostly just terrified townspeople and the remaining soldiers. They're not worth your time.' Bato... or Corvan--Temu didn't know what to believe anymore--casually examined his claws as he said it, yet something about his posture seemed... off.

'You're certain?'

'You think I would lie?'

Vyridian sighed. 'Then this entire exhibition was a waste of time.'

'And a waste of life. You need to start considering that violence isn't the only answer.'

'Whatever. It's generally the quickest one', she growled. Turning to the rest of the troops, she general spoke loudly and clearly. 'Head back to your camps but remain on alert. Be ready to return to battle at any moment. And if you see a troupe of guards and a badly disguised ocelot, do not let them leave. And keep her alive.' Temu saw Bato's jaw tighten, but the lion remained quiet as Vyridian kept talking, pointing a thumb back to the stone doors. 'And if this sorry lot tries to mount a counterattack, you're free to do whatever you want with them. But Remain. At. Your. Camps.' She dismissed them with a wave, and barely a minute later the hall was empty, save for Temu, Bato, Vyridian and the Flamegard. 'So, whelp. You're a tracker... where did they go?'

Bato tried to cut in, anxious to head the conversation, but Vyridian stopped him and looked back at Temu.

Temu gulped. 'They... headed to the east...' He saw Bato move his head out of the corner or his eye, and the fox corrected himself. 'A-at first, anyway. But then they turned west, at the oasis. They must have been trying to cover their tracks.' Vyridian nodded slowly, and behind her, so did Bato. Temu breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

'West, then. Saraphime, take the Flamegard to the north, keep to the roads. If they're going to deviate anywhere again, it'll probably be there. I'll have more soldiers go south, but I doubt they'll be heading for the Badlands. Such a delicate flower would surely wilt there.' She grinned, then patted Temu on the shoulder. He tried not to wince away. 'You, whelp, are with me and Corvan. We move in two.' And with that she strode out of the hall, the light clinking of her armour following her exit.

Bato grabbed Temu's arm and pulled him into a side hall. When they were out of sight he turned into a storeroom and firmly shut the door. He was already starting to shake, fury coursing through him, and he slammed his paw against the wall. 'I CANNOT believe she would do that', he growled. 'Why would she be so reckless? So... destructive?'

Temu watched from the side, frowning. 'Could you... tell me what exactly is going on? Who's Corvan? And how do you know these people? Are you... like, a traitor or something?'

Bato let out a short laugh. 'Hardly. Though... now I'm not so sure.' He turned fully to the fox, and he suddenly looked so tired and old that Temu was worried he'd crumple to the floor then and there. 'I understand you're probably very confused right now, and you have every right to be. I didn't foresee any of this...' He pointed to the paludament still draped over Temu's shoulder. 'That was meant to get you out of trouble, not into it.'

'But what's going on?'

'I'm not sure. Yet. I intend to find out, when I can get Vyridian alone. As for you, we need to get you out of here.'

Temu squared his shoulders. 'If she's going after Siala, I'm staying with her. I have to make sure she doesn't succeed.'

'An honourable gesture. But you're in over your head, Temu. I will accompany Vyridian, you just make sure Siala has something to come back to when this is all over.' He narrowed his eyes when Temu opened his mouth to protest. 'No arguing. Follow me out, you can leave the same way your Queen did.' He pushed the fox out the door and down the hall, walking as quickly as he had been before, but now there was even more of an added urgency. He kept glancing over his shoulder as if waiting for black-clad Flamegard to sprint after him at any moment.

'They called me 'assassin' when they found me', Temu whispered as they turned a corner and descended a narrow set of stairs. 'Said that I had 'Corvan's' insignia. That's what they called you, right?'

'Royal politics are a twisted and difficult thing', Bato replied. 'You have to have many names to achieve many ends. I would highly discourage you from considering becoming an advisor.'

Temu hadn't--politics didn't interest him in the slightest. But whatever was going on with Bato did, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. 'The Xaviir general said it'd 'been a long time.' That means you've known each other for a while, right? Did you... used to work for her?' His eyes widened, 'Are you Xaviic?'

'I'm Proman, and that is where my loyalty lies', the lion replied firmly. 'But you need to understand is that things are often more nuanced than they seem. Enemies are not always enemies. Friends are not always friends. Now stop pushing the subject.' His voice became sharp at the end, and Temu knew not to push any further. Instead, he changed the subject.

'You said Siala is going to Iselia, ri----'

Bato jerked to a halt and grabbed his arm tight enough to make him yelp. 'Never divulge sensitive information when you don't know who's listening, do you understand?' He shook the poor fox in his grip, his expression serious. 'Do you understand?'

'Yes! Sorry, yes, I...' Bato let him go and he jumped away, rubbing his arm. 'I just wanted to know where she was going. I don't even know where Ise--uh,it is.'

'Let's keep it that way, if you're going to have such a loose tongue. You don't know who could...' He trailed off, ears perking up. Temu heard it too--approaching soldiers, moving slowly. He brought a paw to his dagger, but Bato touched his arm and shook his head. 'Listen... they're too soft to be Xaviir. Not enough metal.'

He was right, of course. Temu had grown used to hearing the pad of soft leather sandals every time the city soldiers marched by. A moment later a large group of them turned the corner, and he saw they had their weapons drawn. Sturdan, the army's captain, headed the pack, and when he saw the two of them he quickened his pace. Bato moved forward to meet him, looking relieved. 'Sturdan, I'm so glad to see you're----'

The captain thrust his blade forward, stabbing the old lion right through the gut. Bato let out a gasp and crumpling onto him and Temu let out a yell and ran forward but another soldier threw him to the side and he crunched into the wall. Sturdan snarled as he withdrew the blade, blood spattering to the floor. 'The Queen's own advisor, a traitor. You disgust me.' He stood over the gasping Bato and sneered. 'Siala will be disappointed.'

Head spinning and dark spots in front of his eyes, Temu hauled himself up and shoved past the soldier, diving into Sturdan and sending them both rolling to the ground. The other soldiers tried to pull Temu off but they were moving too fast; him ducking to avoid Studran's vicious swipes and the captain trying to shove him away. Sturdan's sword had fallen from his grip and lay not a metre away, but when Temu tried to reach for it Sturdan punched him in the gut and the fox doubled over, unable to breath. He was thrown off the captain and he scrambled back to avoid a swipe from Sturdan's claws. Then a soldier handed Sturdan his sword, and the captain advanced with a victorious grin.

Temu's heart was pounding and he could barely see and he still couldn't breathe, but all he could focus on was the swish of the sword as it arced closer and closer, cutting snippets of his fur as he threw himself away from the onslaught. Then Sturdan leapt forward and stomped a boot onto Temu's ankle, and there was a crunch and a burst of pain and then he was lying flat on the floor and Sturdan was grinning down at him with his sword raised.

'I never liked you, fox. Oh, but thanks for letting me in on where Siala is... she'll definitely need someone to comfort her after I tell her those Xaviir fuckers ran a sword through you and her precious advis----'

And then there was a knife in Sturdan's shoulder and he was yelling out and stumbling backward and staring incredulously behind him. Temu weakly looked back and saw Vyridian, scythe held tightly in her left paw and two small throwing knives in the other, striding toward them with a face like thunder. Sturdan gasped as he pulled the knife out, throwing it to the floor and gripping his sword. A line of blood trailed down his bare stomach and he snarled.

'You're going to have to do more than that if you want to take us down, little fox', he shouted. Vyridian ignored him, slowly swinging her scythe from side to side. Sturdan let out a snarl of frustration, then nodded to two of his soldiers who rushed forward, swords drawn. But before Temu could move his head to watch them run there were screams and the sounds of a blade cutting deep into flesh, and then they were on the floor next to him. Vyridian's eyes widened and he let out a surprised 'huh?' and then she was swinging at him at it took everything in his power to deflect her strikes. Compared to Sturdan's strong, lumbering technique, Vyridian's strikes were closer to a dance, her scythe seeming to take control of itself as it twirled and spun around her, countering every one of her opponent's attempts to turn the fight around. She kept pressure on him, keeping him moving backward by varying her strikes and interlacing jabs and blunt strikes with the shaft.

Another soldier rushed in from the side, longsword thrusting forward in an attempt to get her in the side, but with barely a shrug of effort Vyridian's arm struck out and two knives embedded themselves in the soldier's chest. No others tried to join in then, instead grabbing their injured brother and hastily retreating. Sturdan was sweating now, grunting with exertion as Vryidian continued her endless onslaught. Sensing her opponent's weakness, the general ducked under a clumsy swing and reversed her grip on her scythe, sweeping the shaft into the back of Sturdan's leg and sending him crashing to the ground. Without even pausing she switched back her grip and raised the blade, ready to slice it deep into the captain's neck, but a choked grunt halted her in her tracks. Bato, having pulled himself up with obvious effort, was now leaning against the wall. He held out a paw.

'Let him go. If you kill their captain they're going to send everything they have back at you.'

Vyridian snarled, her blade cutting lightly against Sturdan's throat. 'Then we'll kill them. It's easy enough, they aren't well trained.'

'You had the element of surprise. Three hundred soldiers are in that throne room right now, just waiting for an excuse to attack', Bato said, then coughed and held his stomach tighter. Blood pooled thickly out between his fingers, and his voice was growing hoarser by the second. 'Their primary concern is keeping their citizens safe, but if you give them reason they will come. Sure, you'll be victorious, but it won't be quick. And you can say goodbye to any chance of finding Siala.'

Vyridian was quiet for a moment, glaring down at Sturdan who was glaring back just as hard. Temu knew Bato had been lying--the city barely had a hundred soldiers as it was, being one of the smaller settlements in Proma--but he also knew enough by now to let the lion carry out his own plans. For a moment Vyridian looked like she was about to disregard him and slice the captain's head off anyway, but then she let out a growl and lifted up her scythe. She gave Sturdan a vicious kick, then slid his sword over to Temu. Sturdan scrambled up, face thunderous and lips bared in a snarl, but he knew he was beat. Giving Bato a final tempestuous glare, he turned on his heel and staggered after his fleeing men.

Vyridian ran over and knelt by Bato, moving his paw away so she could look at his wound. She clicked her tongue and beckoned Temu over, who complied with a stagger. She pushed him down to kneel beside her. 'It's a bad cut, but it won't kill him. Lucky for us that idiot doesn't seem to know where to stab. Take off your shirt.'

Temu blinked, unsure he'd heard her right. His vision was really swimming now, and his head felt light. Also, his ear hadn't stopped ringing since he'd hit that wall.

'Your shirt... give me your--oh for crying out loud', she growled, and grabbed the hem of his top herself. He let her pull it off and didn't even object when she held the tip of her scythe against it and cut the whole thing in half. She bunched up one part of it and applied it to the wound, then wrapped the rest around Bato's side, pinning it with the clip from her own belt. She hefted him up and slung his arm around her shoulder. 'Whelp, grab the other arm.'

Temu let out a long, slow breath, leaning against the wall where Bato had been moments before. His vision was dark and fuzzy, he felt hot, and Viridian's voice was muffled. 'In a moment. I might... just... lie down for a second...'

The last thing he heard was Viridian growling in annoyance, and the last thing he felt was her hauling his arm up and around her other shoulder, and then everything was black and quiet and nothing.

He was in Siala's bedroom, undressed and lying on top of the covers. Airy silk drapes floating gently through the air around him, held aloft by the fresh breeze that curled in through the open windows. He stared idly upward at the painted ceiling, where richly hued reds and yellows spun together a fantastical desert paradise, complete with prancing ibex and lurking alligators, proud lions and timid rabbits. Sandstone palaces rose as distant brushstrokes beyond, oasis trees paled blue against the horizon, and farther away, a knowing sun watched over it all. He'd seen the painting a hundred times by now, but had never really bothered to look at it--to him, it was just a painting made long ago to calm a rowdy cub to sleep.

Beside him, someone let out a soft, slow breath. He turned to see Siala looking at him, head propped up with a soft paw, her expression concerned. Her tan, black-spotted fur was as bare as his, save for an elegant gold necklace that waterfalled down her collarbones. He reached over and gently took the thing in his paw, admiring it. 'I haven't seen this one before.' His voice was slightly fuzzy--if such a thing were possible.

'It's new. A gift... from one of the other princes', she murmured. She often received gifts from hopeful royals of the other Proman cities, some for diplomatic reason and others sent in the hopes of securing a pretty wife to show off to his subjects. Lone queens were a rare occurrence, especially one as young as Siala, and whenever she went off to attend events in other cities Temu half expected her to come back engaged. Sure, he and her were an item--officially, now--but he had no political power, no vast treasuries of wealth, no title or following of loyal soldiers. It seemed an inevitability that Siala would one day marry, as was her duty in the minds of others.

Her eyes were averted now, looking down at nothing. He noticed how long her eyelashes looked when she had her head tilted like that--they curled upward in a gentle tide that accentuated her golden eyes. She gently brushed his paw away from her neck and rolled onto her back, arching it in a stretch that curved her tight stomach upward and pushed her chest out. Confused, Temu turned onto his back as well.

'I've never liked it', she said quietly, looking up at the painting. She clasped over paws together over her belly, fidgeting. 'My father did it when I was still a child. He used to tell me I could watch over my people even as I went to sleep.'

'That sounds nice', Temu said.

'But they aren't my people. They're nothing like them. My people don't all get along. They aren't all happy. They don't even like me.'

He reached for her paw but she pulled away, so instead he sat up, cross-legged and looking down at her. 'Your people adore you, Siala.'

'Not as a Queen. They like me as a... a symbol. As my father's daughter. They like me when I'm parading around the streets giving out coins, or attending fancy events, or when I'm on the throne and listening to their problems. But they're not talking to me when they do it. They're talking to Bato.' She closed her eyes and draw her bottom lip between her teeth. Not in that adorable, seductive way she did when she wanted him--in a sorrowful, bitter manner that he'd never seen before. 'They don't want me making decisions or telling them what to do, because they think I'm just a child. And... they're right.' She glared up at the ceiling, as if it was her father's fault she was in this mess. In a way, she was right. 'I'm seventeen, Tem. What the hell kind of system puts me in charge? I didn't ask for this.'

He was quiet for a moment. Siala's hair was splayed around her head like a halo now, a beam of morning sunlight making it glow like she was an angel from the Outerlands, but the expression on her face was rather darker and more resentful. 'I've got your pendant', he whispered, and held out the amber relic. It glittered prettily in the sun, casting reddish-brown fragments of light around the room.

Siala looked at it blankly. 'Keep it. Weren't you listening to what I said?'

'I don't know what you want to me to say. Your people hate me.'

She let out a short, sharp laugh. 'Seems like neither of us belong here.'

'Siala...' Temu reached out to touch her arm but suddenly there was a paw around his wrist, a strong, wiry grip with sharpened claws and tawny orange fur. Temu yelped and tried to jerk away but he couldn't. Vyridian flashed white teeth at him, eyes bright and wide, like a predator after it had caught its prey.

She'd replaced Siala on the bed, and was just as naked. Her frame was much stronger than the Proman Queen's, though not due to hulking muscle nor voluptuous curves. Hers was of a lean, toned shape, the kind made for daring leaps and feats of incredible agility. It was a dancer's body, strong legs and an elegant top, bigger hips with a small chest, though her breasts were still bigger than Siala's. Her fur was short but not silky, and it was crisscrossed with small nicks and marks and patches of fur that were more wiry in places. He noticed a long, thin scar running diagonally across her stomach, the mark of some past conflict. She was by no means ugly--on the contrary, she was beautiful, but in a powerful, confident way, different than Siala's pretty innocence.

Vyridian didn't try to hide herself, and he wondered if she was even aware she was undressed, but she was staring at him in a way that made him both excited and worried. Her eyes were drifting slowly over his body too, starting at his head and moving downward, over his chest and his stomach, down his legs and to his feet, then back up again to settle over his groin. She grinned again, dragging a tongue over her teeth as she took in his sheathe, a section of red already pointing out.

'Maybe not such a whelp after all', she purred, watching as his sizeable cock started to slide out of hiding, pointed tip already oozing clear liquid. Temu, for his own part, didn't know how to reply. The whole situation was already so bizarre that he figured there was little else to do but go along with it.

Vyridian crawled slowly toward him, eyes moving back up to meet his gaze and keeping it. Her paw came to his side, claws pricking between his fur and sending tingles all the way up his body. There was something so lethal, so hot, so electric about her touch, and his breath caught in his throat as she moved slowly downward, scratching along his hip. She was still looking at him, her head moving closer and closer until their noses were practically touching. His eyes were wide, hers half-lidded and confident, and their breath exchanged as her paw reached his inner thigh, just inches from his tool. His balls hung full and low in the warm room, and when Vyridian's wrist brushed against them he gasped. She ducked forward and kissed him, her lips hot against his own. She didn't break away as she pushed him down onto the bed, kissing him hard and messily, tongue pushing into his mouth and curling around his own. She drew his tongue out and sucked on it, throat rumbling with lust as she grabbed his erect dick and stroking it from sheath to tip. Already his knot had started to slide out and every time Vyridian reached the bottom of his length her paw rubbed against it, making him moan into her mouth and drawing out more precum to lubricate his cock further.

Her other paw was at his bare chest, claws grating against his fur hard just hard enough to draw hot, stinging lines along it but soft enough not to draw any blood. Temu could barely think, the sensations of her jerking him off, groping his torso and wetly kissing him without break blanking his mind. Realising his own paws were lying uselessly at his sides, he reached out for her but she grabbed his wrists again and shoved them above his head, leaning over him with a grin. She licked his cheek slowly, her saliva wet and warm, the sounds of her tongue against his fur louder and more erotic than he expected. She licked him again, working around the side of his face and then up to where his ears flicked in desire. She fluttered a kiss on the tip, then nibbled down the edge to where the fluff of thicker fur gathered at the base. She moved inside, the sound of her kisses and tonguing louder, and tingles ran down his back. Then she began licking and sucking, making him moan again and his cock to twitch. He squirmed under her grip but she held strong, keeping him under control as she moved to the other ear. She laughed softly between each lick, her voice low and husky. 'You're all mine, foxy.'

His mind cleared briefly and an image of Siala popped into his head. Immediately he felt guilty, his chest tight, and he turned his head away from Vyridian's licks. 'Stop, we--we shouldn't be doing this.'

The fox raised her eyebrow, an amused expression on her face. 'What are you talking about? Why not?' She poked his cheek and winked about him, her head bobbing side to side teasingly. 'Got someone else back home? Better than me?' He was about to say yes, to throw her off and call out for Siala, but then he stopped. If Vyridian found out about his relationship with the Queen, she'd quickly figure out the rest.

He gulped, then shook his head. 'No.'

'Well, good', she said, and pivoted on top of him so that her head was directly above his still-erect cock. She licked her lips, wrapping her paws around it again. 'Then get to work.'

She was wet, that much was clear. A drop of her nectar fell on his cheek, and the subtle, almost sweet musk of her nethers was more enticing than he wanted to admit. Her pussy was soft and smooth, two round lips opening up to a warm, inviting darkness. At its tip, toward his chin, the hard, pink button of her clit peeked out from under its hood, demanding attention, and before he could tell himself to stop his tongue was out and lapping at her, drinking in her flavour. She let out an appreciative hum and descended upon him, lapping at his tapered head. Her tongue was wonderful, wet and warm, quickly sending him into shocks of pleasure. He could barely concentrate as he dragged his tongue over her lips, gliding it over the tops of each mound and then sliding between, gathering her juices into his mouth.

Vyridian used a free paw to kneed his balls slowly, working them in her pads as she continued licking his cock. Then she kissed his top and slid his length into her maw. She started sucking, gently at first but quickly harder as his own ministrations grew more forceful. He grabbed her hips, pulling her down onto his face as he focused on her clitoris, pulling the hard bud into his mouth and sucking on it eagerly. She let out a gasp around his cock, her warm breath pleasuring him further, before returning the favour and fully enveloping him. She kept her lips wrapped over her teeth, letting him slide far enough into her mouth that she could feel his head near the back of her throat. She let it slide out and bounce away, two thick strings of saliva and precum still connecting her, and she licked it up happily. She closed her eyes, delighting in the feeling of his tongue now pushing into her hole, rubbing the sides of her canal and thrusting slowly in and out. He was a natural, tender and soft but experienced enough to know when to push harder. It was like she was riding waves, each coming harder than the last but never enough to tip her over. He'd obviously done this many times before.

Not wanting to leave him to do all the work, Vyridian returned to his cock, sliding her paw up and down the delicious length. Unlike him she had far less experience making love, but she was determined not to let it show. Engulfing his dick again, she pushed forward until she could go no further without gagging and remained there for a few moments to swallow down the copious gush of precum and her own saliva. Then, needing the breathe, she pulled off again and set about licking the outside, teasing his pointed head and massaging his churning balls in his paws.

Temu pulled away from her dripping cunt, licking his lips dry and gently squeezing her ass, which of course his paws had wondered to by now. She immediately felt the absence of his tongue, wiggled her hips impatiently, and with a grin Temu dived back in, lapping harder. His thumb slid around her cheek, feeling over the soft, velvety fur of her thigh, before finally reaching her pussy. He stroked her labia slowly, following the curve which bulged slightly around his lapping muzzle, and made it to her clit. She gasped when he started making little circles with it, more shocks of pleasure racing through her and making her back arch. But not wanting to let her pleasure show too much--as late as it was for that--she concentrated even more on his cock, sucking it back into her muzzle and pushing further down. When she started to gag she determinedly pushed just a little more, and her eyes went wide when she felt, actually felt, his cock head hit the back of her throat and then slide downward, even further into her. She was frozen there for a moment, the sensation unlike anything she could describe, and then she chocked around him and pulled off, gasping for air.

Temu chuckled, teasingly flicking her clit with his tongue, and she gasped. She tried to take another big gulp of air but released it with a loud moan as Temu pushed his thumb into her, angling his digit so as not to catch her with his claw. She let out another moan, raising her head up and closing her eyes again. She felt around for his dick, found it, and began stroking harder with both paws. He grunted and doubled his efforts, working her clit with his tongue while pumping her with his paw, letting his knuckle rub against her sensitive tunnel with every thrust. When her moans pitched higher and became punctuated with hard breaths, he knew he'd won. With a final assault he used both paws to pull open her lips, revealing flashes of pink within the shadows of her hole, and shoved his tongue inside, curling it around inside her and rubbing every nerve and ridge. She squealed in pleasure, tilting her head as high as she could, back curved upward and paws leaving his cock to hold herself up against the bedposts. Her whole body shook and she gritted her teeth, riding through the mind-numbing sensations for nearly a whole minute as they crashed over her body.

When they finally began to die down, she let herself fall gently back down on the bed, arms unable to hold herself up any longer. Temu had pulled back from her cunt, now just licking her fur gently and squeezing her soft flesh. He wasn't done yet, of course, but knew she needed a second to calm down. In that second, she moved her head over his cock and opened her maw wide, hungry for his taste. As he moved back in to lick her, she bent down and sucked him deep, relishing the feeling of his thick, pulsing tool sliding back down her throat. When he hit the back of it again it came easier to her this time, and she let it slide down further before pulling back, breathing through her nose so that she didn't have to leave him entirely. She could feel him sucking her clit again, a finger exploring her depths, and though it sent her body into more jolts of pleasure she was able to dull them by focusing on his cock.

Temu was getting close now. Whatever she'd started doing, it was really working. Siala was an expert at blowjobs, but she usually focused on utilising her tongue to get him off, rarely pushing him further than the back of her mouth. Vyridian, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to get the entire thing down in a single go. Once she even managed to get down far enough that her reaching tongue just managed to kiss his thick, pulsing knot. She'd felt it too, opening her eyes to see the huge bulge just begging to be thrust in somewhere deep, and so she grabbed it around with both paws and experimentally squeezed.

Temu let out a yelp of surprise and then his mind was numb and his ears were ringing as he came, harder than he had for a long time. Vyridian, still neck-deep on his cock, choked in surprise as a torrent of hot, thick cum gushed straight down her throat. She instinctively swallowed the first blast to avoid drowning in it, but couldn't get off fast enough to miss the second, which filled her mouth enough that when she finally got his tool out of her mouth, a fountain splashed down from between her lips to soak her stroking paws and Temu's own fur. She watched in amazement as he continued to come, spurts jetting high enough that they splashed onto her nose and cheek, and she kept jacking him off, encouraging the rest of his seed out. When his sixth spurt came slower, trickling down his length, she lowered her head again and sucked the last vestiges, swallowing it down and decided she quite liked the texture.

After a while she pulled off with a wet pop, a line of his seed trickling from the corner of her mouth. She breathed in deeply, an excited grin on her face. 'You're not bad at all, foxy', she said, and moved his cock to the side, watching it bob back upright when she let it go. She'd loved seeing him come, especially after he'd done the same for her. But despite how good he'd felt, she still wasn't quite fully satisfied.

But she didn't mind. It had been amazing enough as it was. 'Glad I could make it even.'

Temu opened his eyes, head light and eyes bleary. He looked at the wet cunt that still hovered above him, a line of juice trickling down his thumb which was still pushed firmly into her. He grinned tiredly. 'Not quite, runt.' And then he turned his thumb and bent it, pressing right onto the spot he'd been looking for. Vyridian yelped, collapsing onto him and grasping the bedsheets tight enough that she tore strips off them. Her whole body convulsed and her mind was shocked into a white fury of pleasure, almost to the point that it was painful but at the same time mind-bendingly glorious.

She writhed there for far longer than before, eyes rolled back and mouth hanging open with her tongue lolling out. She ever experienced anything so powerful so wonderful before, and it showed.

Giving her cunt one last kiss--eliciting another yelp of delight from the vixen--Temu crawled out from under her and moved to lay beside her, watching her expression slowly return to normal as she rode out the rest of the orgasm. Finally, when her mind had cleared enough to allow her to focus on the animal in front of her, she glared at him and slapped his shoulder. '_What was _that?'

He looked at her, an eyebrow raised. 'What was what?'

'It was like... like...' She trailed off, a slightly misty look in her eye, then shook her head and hit him again. As soft as it was meant to be, it still hurt. 'You use some kind of spell or something.'

He laughed, and even though she growled at him he knew Vyridian was hiding her own smile. A terrifying, predator-like grin of either love or severe hatred, but a smile none the less. He held up his thumb, admiring how it glistened in the light. 'Guess I just hit the right spot.'

'Right spot...' Vyridian repeated quietly. She moved her paw downward and slid it between her lips, then hissed and yanked it away, clenching her fists as if she'd been stung. Temu looked at her in concern and she let out a shaky breath. 'S-still sensitive...'

She rolled onto her back, glowing from their impassioned foray. Temu joined her, and together they shared a moment of calm. Both were still panting, but as time passed their breaths became slower and quieter, until finally Vyridian moved her arms above her head, arced her back and stretched, and let out a sigh of contentment. Temu frowned, watching as she settled back into her resting position and stared lazily up. She'd looked just like Siala in that moment...

'What's with the mural?' Vyridian said, nodding up to the painting. Temu looked at it too. An alligator sinking its teeth into an ibex. A lion wielding a viciously sharp spear, deflecting a strike from a nimble rabbit's dagger. The sun burned viciously above them, a deep solstice red, and in the background smoke rose from the ruins of a desert town. He frowned, wondering if the sun had always been that shade.

'Just a painting. Si--Sigaur, my father, made it.'

'Kind of depressing, isn't it?'

'A little bit', he mused. 'I thought you liked war and stuff.'

'I like fighting, and I like winning. But I don't like war', she said. She rose her head, looking around. 'So this is your room, then?'

Temu wasn't sure how to reply, so he just awkwardly shrugged. Vyridian let it go, turning to face him. A paw came to his side, stroking it slowly.

'You know, when I first saw you... I thought you were lying. Even when Corvan told me he was your adopted father. I didn't believe him.'

Temu replied carefully, keeping his gaze fixed to the ceiling. 'It's a complicated matter.'

'I've never seen you back at home. You must've been here a long time.' Her voice had taken on a rather more serious tone, though it wasn't obviously interrogatory. But as she continued to stroke his fur, he could tell that she was looking at him. Into him.

'Not that long, no. But I make regular visits here. To see my father.' He knew he would have to remember everything he was saying, so he kept it simple. 'I'm from Taim.'

'Taim?' Vyridian's eyebrows raised. 'The city that was destroyed by the quakes?'

Temu nodded. That part was true--he'd been out with his flock when it had happened. He'd come back to nothing but a smouldering crater... life had been hard for a long time afterward.

'That's when Corvan took you in.'

'Pretty much.'

'Right.' There was another moment of quiet. Then she spoke again, as if trying to push something. 'Your city is lovely. I can see why it's important to the empire.'

'It's not my city', he said. Vyridian nodded, and out of the corner of his eye he caught the flicker of a smile.

'Of course not, my apologies. But you must hold... some amount of loyalty to them? Even just a little?'

'They don't like me. I don't much like them either.'

Vyridian let out a sigh of what Temu could only describe as relief. 'Good. I'm glad.' Her paw came up to his cheek and they shared a look of... something. He wasn't sure what, but it made him terribly confused. The feelings of guilt rose inside him again. Here they were, sharing their bodies in _Siala's_bed. He'd just been with his Queen mere hours ago, and already he was betraying her like this... in... her bed? He wondered why they'd brought him in here. Hadn't they wanted to leave the palace? How long had it been since he passed out? And what about Bato?

Temu stared at her, feeling strange. 'What happened to Corvan? Is he okay?'

Vyridian looked at him strangely. 'Your father? He's fine, he... we're taking care of him. Why are you asking?' The last part seemed more of an accusation than a question. His head was feeling light again, not from dizziness or lust but from something else. He rolled onto his back again, and above them the mural of the dead lions and rotting ibex and burned-out village glowed, the very paint seeming to swim in front of his eyes. Vyridian grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back to face her. She looked concerned, but a second later a seductive grin appeared on her features and she was reaching down to grab his sheath and squeeze it. 'Come on, let's go for another round.'

'I... don't think...' He trailed off, mind ticking over. It was like he was in some kind of dream. He looked back at Vyridian, wondering why she was naked in bed with him.

Then he saw her head tilt. 'What's that?'

He glanced down, saw the pendant around his neck. Vyridian was frowning at it, as if trying to recall something on the edge of her mind. And then the rest of his mind cleared, and--

Temu sat up with a gasp, throat tight and heart racing. He was lying on a mattress, hessian sheet rumpled around his waist, and he was in a tent, dark and musty. He felt his neck but there was no necklace there, and he let out a long breath.

'Welcome back, whelp. Sleep well? You certainly took your sweet time, even with all the salts I had them give you.'

Vyridian was sitting in a chair beside his mattress, looking down at him with amusement. She was fully clothed, of course, but he still had to blink away the image of her naked and growling with desire as she swallowed down his----

'Well?'

He coughed and nodded weakly. He had a raging headache, but he could deal with it.

'Good. Or whatever. Go to Seraphime's tent, he'll get you kitted out. You're going to need something more substantial than a pair of pants.'

Talking of pants, Temu's eye twitched when he realised his dream had been rather more vivid than he'd expected. The smallest movement made him realise the front of them were... sticky. He gulped. Vyridian for her own part seemed to be delighting in his discomfort. Her eyes glittered as she snorted.

'What, don't want to get up while I'm still here?'

'N-no, I... uh... don't want to go out there without a shirt', he said. It was a lame excuse, but it was the best he could come up with. He stood up, keeping the sheet wrapped around him, then yelped when he put weight on his foot. He looked down, past the sheet, and saw his ankle wrapped tightly in a bandage. Vyridian was looking at him expectantly, so slowly and carefully, he limped out of the tent.

Vyridian raised an eyebrow in amusement, watching as he stumbled in the opposite direction to Seraphime's tent.

She let him go. He'd figure it out. When the tent flaps stopped moving, she let out a sigh and stood, stretching. Then she moved her paws down and grasped the hem of her pants, pulling them up the rest of the way and doing up her belt. Then she headed out too.

At least she knew she could trust him. Now all they had to do was find Siala. And how hard could finding one measly Queen be?