Loona and the Stolen Sense-Feather - Chapter 4: The Duel Begins
#4 of Loona and the Stolen Sense-Feather
Summary: Loona is tasked to retrieve an important magic item belonging to Stolas from Reynard the Trickster. She finds him in the misty woods of Limbo, where she is taught how agility and trickery can beat out brute force. However, this isn't the only lesson she learns...
I've been a writer for quite a few years, but this is the first story I've felt like I truly got right. If you enjoyed what you've read, it would mean the world to me if you would take the time to share it with one other person, and then ask them to do the same.
Chapter Notes: A note about the vocalizations in my writing. An emphasized syllable is one with an increased pitch. A strong syllable is one with increased volume. I hope those reading will take the time to craft the sounds in their minds, especially in later chapters.
In this chapter we see some of the powers the Sense-Feather holds. It causes tickling, screeching noise, sharp pain, etc. There's also one other ability that was subtly used in the last chapter, but more on that later in the story! What else do you think it can do? The possibilities are vast.
As a note, while there are fetish moments in this story, it is not intended to be a fetish story. One goal with my writing is to ensure that even with unusual content, the story can be approached by as many people as possible. I love exploring different concepts and delving into these various ideas, though!
Chapter 4 - The Duel Begins
The pair pace lightly in a circle, mist swirling around them, daylight peeking through the treetops in a slowly increasing volume. Learning from her past mistake, she waits for him to make the first move. After a few more steps, he acknowledges her cautiousness and makes a lunge with the feather. Strange choice of weapon, Loona thinks, but she moves to dodge it and make her own lunge.
He pulls back, the first lunge a feint, and he ducks past her outreached hand. The feather comes into contact with her stomach and suddenly she's on her knees and elbows. Her abdominal muscles clench and shudder, as an extreme wave of tingling tickliness passes through her. "Ah hahaha-hawwooo, hah hah-hah hawrooo!" She finds herself laughing so strongly that it turns halfway into a howl. Her voice echoes through the trees with an almost spooky quality.
She barely even has time to process what happened, and where Reynard went, when the same sensation overcomes her again. This time, she finds her leg held, with an extra weight present atop it. Her toes feel the feather's light brushy touch and the same sort of tickle radiates up her leg and into her butt. Her toes clench and squirm as another wave of uncontrolled laughter erupts from her muzzle. "Hah hah haha-haawooo-hoo hoo- hahh!"
Her face contorts in a wide grin, bearing her shiny teeth in a far less threatening manner than would normally be seen. "Ah hah! Hahawwooo- hoooo hahaha-hah!! St... Stah-hahaaa. Hah awoo hoo ho_ooo_. Stop thaaa-haht!" She tries to dislodge the pesky fox with a few kicks as she thrashes under the sensation, but only manages to miss. Her reward is to have the feather brush across the toes of her other paw as well.
She falls to her chest on the wet ground and focuses hard to regain her aim. "Ha_hah_... I sai... hahahah, said _ stop !" A short lull in the sensation, and she lines up her leg again for where she thinks he is. This time, it connects, and an _oof is heard as he is launched away from her body. Reynard's cane is dislodged from its holder with a clatter, but with a flip and a flourish, he's on his feet immediately and fades once again into the mist.
"Haaaah... haaaah..." Loona pants deeply, trying to catch her breath, her head spinning from the lightheadedness. She puts one hand to the rope, and with a slight dizzy stumble, she uses the other to raiser herself up from the ground. "What the hell was that?!" She shouts to the emptiness around her.
"Ka ha-ha ha-haha_hah! Did he really send you here _so unprepared?" The fox's chittering laugh spreads out around her. "Oh, this will be fun! Ka ha-hah ka-hah!"
Damnit, what the hell does that mean? She curses herself some for not asking more about the feather. What did Stolas call it, again? The Scent-Feather? That doesn't even make sense. Wait, sense. Sense-Feather. That's what he said. "What the fuck's so great about a beefed-up tickle toy, you stupid fox?" She tries to goad him, push him to give away his location.
"It's Reynard, dear Loona, do try to get it right." His tone barely shifts. He knows his advantage and he's not going to waste it. "And to answer your question, you'll just have to see, now won't you? Kaha-hah!"
There has to be another way to pull him out of hiding. Taking careful steps, she considers the terrain. The mist should be lighter if she can get to higher ground. He's certain to follow after throwing down that challenge. She checks her compass before returning it to her pocket, and begins to strafe towards the direction she came from, further up the hill. Above her, she can hear rustling through the branches as Reynard gives chase, with leaves falling to the ground in her peripheral vision.
She ducks down to clear the underside of some thick, low-hanging branches, and a moment later, her left ear is filled with an intense ringing. She raises her hand to cover it, flattening it tight against her head and pressing her hair down against it. She can just make out a nearby rustle with her right ear, and in the next moment, she feels herself being unburdened of the coil of rope. Reynard has plucked it clean off of her, and away it vanishes into the treetops.
"Shit! You little bastard, what the hell did you do this time?!" No response comes, and her hearing slowly begins to rebalance itself. Whatever it is, it has to do with that feather, I'm sure of it. She continues to hold her ear against her head, a phantom sensation lingering behind. "Are you just going to hide and run this whole time, Reynard?"
With a rustle and a thud, the fox drops down suddenly from the tree with a grin across his pointed muzzle. "Oh, thank you so much for finally using my name, dear lady. It means ever so much to me." The rope he just pilfered is nowhere to be seen. The large feather is held out before him, its black tip blending in to his outfit as he sways it slightly, back and forth. The hellhound keeps her guard up, and watches its movements closely.
It must have a weakness, she thinks. Her eyes track it closely, making sure to account for the invisible tip. "Hmph, you've earned it. You're proving to be quite the pain in my tail." As he brings it closer to her, she makes a move to try to snatch the feather. As her hand stretches out, she has a flash of Stolas' stern words: Do not fucking damage it. Shit! She locks her shoulder, bringing a halt to the motion, and her open hand lingers in front of her for just a moment.
Reynard takes this chance to slide the feather across her palm and fingers. " Gyrrraaaiipe!!" Loona squeals and recoils in pain, with the sensation that her fingers have just been cut completely off. The tips feel numb, and just below that is a stabbing pain. Her eyes tear up, and she sinks halfway to her knees, tail dragging on the ground. Looking closely at her fingers, there's no blood, no cut, no damage at all. "How the _ fuck _ can a feather hurt like that?! Damnit!"
Reassuring herself that there's no injury, she quickly stands back up and takes a low-angled leap backwards, putting distance between her and the trickster. She squeezes her hand with her other, massaging it, ruffling the thin layer of fur on her fingers and trying to will her nerves to reacknowledge the entirety of her digits. Curiously, her palm was unaffected. From the beginning, there was no pain in the middle of her hand. A thought begins to form, but she catches sight of a puddle of black advancing on her. The white tufts of his inner ears barely visible against the ground, she pivots on her left paw to try to dodge.
She sees the white tuft of tail tip zip past, and lets out another yowl of pain. "Graahhiee!! Fuck!" This time, it's her knee. A feeling like she jammed it against the corner of her bed, numbness and tingles radiating up her thigh and causing her to drop to her other knee. Immediately after, a jab to her exposed right flank, rippling her with the tickling sensation. " Eee -ahh, haha_ha_ha hawrooo-ooof fuck!"
She falls to the right, losing her balance completely and ending up on the ground yet again. "Ah-haha, hooo oooh, oogh..." Her knee slowly regains its ability to support her weight, and she stumbles to her feet, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes from the barrage of sharp sensations. She tries again to finish her earlier thought. The attacks so far have only hit her where I'm exposed. It didn't work on my palm. She glances down, and stares at her glove. That could work...
With a toothy grin, the hellhound stands up straight and tall, finding herself in one of the larger gaps of the surrounding foliage. "Ready for another round, pretty Loona?" The fox attempts to mock her from just inside the mists. She checks her compass, and adjusts her facing.
"I've figured out your little trick, Reynard." She speaks loudly, with confidence and pride. She's impressed at his tactics; with quick strikes and good use of the environment, this simple hunt is turning into quite the thrill. Her heart is racing as she gets her blood pumping for her next maneuver.
The fox returns the quip, "Oh? Have you now? And what makes you think there's only one trick?" The voice shifts, his sounds and scent coming mostly from behind her. She's getting better at knowing which direction he is hiding in. With him at her back, she crouches as close to the ground as she can, before bolting off towards her target. "Now look who is running and hiding. Such shame, dear Loona."
Her retort is loud and clear, "Like heaven I'm running away, you thieving bastard. You just sit tight and play with your little feather!" While she had anticipated a chance of pursuit, his chittering laugh instead fades into the distance. It was still his game, but she would be back with her own set of tricks.