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Planting Roots in the New World

Chapter 01

With his satchel flung over his shoulder, Ezra departed the ship to arrive at the docks of Port Sanri, his canine mate Afearnia arm in arm next to him and his stallion mate Vvilfred towering behind the pair of them. The three of them paused to bask in the moment as the salty sea breeze ruffled their hair and mane. This marked the beginning of the next chapter of their lives. At least that was before being ushered away from the ramp to wait for the rest of their luggage by the ship's assistants.

This was a huge step for Ezra, who had been contracted by the Hardstone Mining Company to help with some logistical problems they were facing regarding the construction of an ademane steam engine rail system. He didn't know the full extent of the situation but was informed that he was to seek further instruction in Rhybute Pass, the valley town dead center of the StoneMetal Mountain range and a key trading outpost between the eastern and western halves of Itanobel. The new world.

He was, among multiple other talents, an engineer, specializing in the mechanical and magical function of trains and other ademane-fuelled vehicles. While he wasn't particularly strong in the ways of magic himself he had been studying the craft for much of his life and as such had become one of the world's leading experts in the field, especially for anything that used crystalline ademane as fuel. That meant he was in high demand and could fetch a high price wherever he went. He knew how to troubleshoot an ademane engine better than anyone and others knew that as well.

The Hardstone Mining Company - more commonly known as the HMC - had actively sought him out when they came across an issue in Rhybute Pass while constructing the rails needed to transport the ademane gemstones from the StoneMetal Mountains. They didn't explain what had happened, though, or what issues had arisen. Just that there were problems he was specifically qualified to deal with. He named his price and they doubled it, so he and his two partners decided to pack up and travel from Saff'Rald to Itanobel to take advantage of this lucrative offer.

This was quite suspicious, as anyone willing to pay more than asking price has ulterior motives or secrets. Ezra knew and understood this, but took the risk regardless. It wasn't good business to put his life at risk, so he was confident he was not the subject of some nefarious plans.

Afearnia and Vvilfred could have stayed back at their home in Cottonwood Crescent, but neither were held down by work and both wanted to experience the joy of travel into the new world. Afearnia was a cook in a local restaurant that served all manner of folks from across all races, so she was skilled and valuable wherever she went. Vvilfred was a physical labourer, picking up odd jobs that required strength and stamina. Construction. Farming. Ranching. Mining. Anything that needed muscles, he was happy to help and get paid for it. Neither had any anchor to Cottonwood Crescent beyond the typical comfort that comes from familiarity.

Both of them were eager not only to have this opportunity to travel abroad and plant some roots in the new world, but also to explore what it was like to make their mark on an unblemished frontier. As a high class cook, Afearnia knew that these settlers needed full bellies and were likely not ones to have access to the best food, while Vvilfred knew that there were virtually limitless amounts of houses to be built, fields to be tilled, and rocks to smash. All three of them were well qualified to make a life for themselves in Itanobel among the many other settlers who would need what they had to offer.

Well, not all that new. In reality, the entire continent was previously inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the land. Various tribes and settlements of natives lived here for generations, virtually untouched by the outside world. They collectively kept settlers from going far beyond the western and northern shores, using their unified magic abilities to ensure their world never overlapped with outsiders. That was, until the ademane plague.

For generations, the native populations had used their magic power to draw upon the land itself and use a combination of spells and strength to effectively scare off any potentially unwanted settlers. How this was achieved, they wouldn't say, not even after the ademane plague.

About a decade prior, a sickness that swept the land decimated their population by three quarters, affecting those who strongly used magic more than others. Without the numbers or their mages to ward off settlers, they cautiously allowed outsiders onto their land while choosing to remain on the eastern half of the continent, past the StoneMetal Mountains. This would leave open the western half to the settlers, who were expected to treat the land with respect or be expelled once their numbers and magical power returned.

There was always a worry that the settlers would overstep their bounds or disrespect the land, but so far that hadn't happened. Port Sanri was a rather large settlement on the northern shores of the continent while there were a few along the western shores as well, all of which were tied into the platinum age of piracy from mere decades prior to the plague. Beyond that, these settlements, as well as Rhybute Pass, were connected via the rail system erected by the HMC. Bringing the entire region together closer than ever before while ensuring the land remained in tact and untarnished by outsiders.

Since Ademane was part of the local ecology, and activating it simply returned the steam and gas parts of it back to the soil, the train system was deemed to not be environmentally unfriendly. And therefore blessed by the locals, as long as the settlers stuck to ademane-fuelled transport instead of migrating to coal or other dirty, damaging sources.

So all three of them were primed for a new, prolific life on the Itanobel frontier. But first they needed to get their bearings and figure out how to make their way to Rhybute Pass. Up to this point, Ezra's communications had been done via oairian messengers - avian couriers - and his instructions had been vague. A date and a location with a dollar amount and a single page of disclaimers and contract information with promises of more information upon arrival. Fair enough. Anyone willing to pay that much had secrets to keep and Ezra's discretion was one of his most reliable features.

They even dumped a small satchel of coins on him just for the courtesy of listening to their proposal. That's how he knew they were serious. The hundred gold coins donated to him was enough to feed and house a family for a month. And the salary offered was a hundred times that per year.

Historically, invaders were not welcomed to foreign lands so there were always worries bubbling at the back of Ezra's mind. Caution for danger. But all he read and all he heard so far was quite positive and optimistic, with this being a decidedly different instance of settlers landing and not wiping out the native populations or there being any wars. So he was likewise cautiously optimistic.

Once the crane with their luggage dropped its haul on the docks, they waited their turn in line to sift through it and find their bags. They didn't bring too much, just enough for them to carry. With the coin granted to them and saved up, they were planning on taking care of lodging and food upon arrival.

"Alright, okay, that one's yours. And that one's yours. Where's mine?" Ezra spoke, mostly to himself. "Oh, there it is. I guess that one's yours, Vvilfred. And so is that one. How many bags did you bring?" He shot a sidelong glance at his stallion mate, who puffed out his chest.

"As many as I could carry. Not my fault you're scrawny." He joked, then grabbed four bags total, two per massive hand, and walked away.

Afearnia, the white-furred canine, grabbed two much smaller suitcases and waited patiently for Ezra to fish his out of the pile. "Not all of us can carry light, you know."

It took a moment for Ezra to collect his stuff and join the others. He only had one bag, and it was half filled with clothes and half filled with work equipment like potion vials and papers. "I know, I know. You don't travel as much as I do so I guess you'd be less used to this."

She leaned in, carefully keeping herself from getting unbalanced while pressing her nose to his. "Yeah, that's why I was so happy to come. For now, though, I'm pretty hungry. Let's go get a room and a meal before we figure out what's next," When she turned to walk down the docks towards the main strip of Port Sanri, Vvilfred's tail swished to the side and slapped Ezra all down his chest.

The pair of them stared at Afearnia's cute little stub tail and shapely thighs as she padded away. "Years later, still don't get bored of that view." Vvilfred said with a nicker.

"You're not wrong." Ezra grabbed his bag, held it up against his thigh, and quickly caught up to Afearnia. Of the three of them, she was the shortest and Vvilfred was the tallest, with Ezra being right in the middle. A head taller than her, and Vvilfred was a head and shoulders above him, even though all three were well above average. Even Afearnia's gaze could look down upon most crowds.

And a crowd was exactly what they were greeted with upon leaving the docks. Port Sanri was quite the busy intersection of trade, both nautical and terrestrial. Hundreds - nay, maybe even thousands - of people were walking up and down the dusty path, with dozens upon dozens of market vendors down the middle and storefronts lining it on either side. It was a very familiar sight. Most towns and settlements had one or two major stretches where most of the trade happened. Marketplaces were common regardless of culture.

In his history of travel, Ezra had learned that the most successful merchants were the one who got the best spots down that strip, but they were never the best ones to do business with. So he guided both Afearnia and Vvilfred away from the crowd and off to the side roads. They were looking for an inn and tavern, where they could quickly offload their luggage and get a bite to eat before setting off.

It didn't take long for Ezra to find an establishment that suited his needs. Large but not crowded. Well kept but not flashy. Ideally with some delicious smells wafting out from its front doors. It was called the Flash and Bullet. Two stories, simple brown and white front, swinging doors, and a meaty aroma billowing out from its front windows. On top of that, there was a jaunty tune dancing its way from inside, one that heavily featured bassy drums and magical woodwinds. There were also a series of hitching posts out front, some with horses connected to them, a couple of ulokar on another, and even a reptilian laurossin at the other end. All fine mounts for very different purposes.

Horses were the typical long-distance mounts. Potential high speed and endurance. Ulokar had potential to be faster and could be used to fight off bandits with their sharp teeth and claws, but they had to stop to eat and rest more often. They were also very intelligent, as they were predators in the wild, which made them great for bonding with riders. Laurossins were even smarter, and some could even fly, but they had the least amount of endurance compared to horses and Ulokar. They were also very hard to fit a saddle on, making them specialized mounts. Which worked because they, like ulokar, were good in a fight and could even breath teal flame, pure ademane napalm.

"That's the one. Trust me." He said, pointing his free hand towards its front door. Afearnia and Vvilfred trusted him enough to not ask further questions. They just happily veered towards The Flash and Bullet and slipped inside through the swinging front doors.

There were only about a dozen other folks inside, at least on the main floor. It was an open tavern, with a balcony overlooking most of it and the band nestled in the crook of the two stairwells that led to the second floor. Most of the base level hosted various tables with folks eating and dames serving them. Right next to the entrance was the concierge, who had a wall of slotted boxes with numbers on them. Ezra happily sauntered over while basking in the scents of the tavern, ears perked up to enjoy the un-obtrusive music.

"We're looking for a week-long stay in a mid-sized room with options to extend that stay for up to a month if need be. Any vacancies? And if so, what are your rates?" He had his professional voice equipped. Far more formal than his usual, casual tone he shared with Afearnia and Vvilfred.

The concierge, a dapper-looking shelled saurossin with a red-felt suit and black tie, smiled and nodded. "We got a medium sized room, but the large ones are cheaper if you stay longer and will have three beds. Ten gold will get ya for a week. Thirty for a month if you wanna go that route. If you wanted a medium room with one or two beds, it'd be eight for a week, but no monthly deal, so it'd be thirty-two for a month."

"I guess we'll take the large but we only need one large bed. Here." He counted out thirty-five coins and arranged them in seven equal stacks of five. "That should do us for the month, and keep the extra as a bit of insurance we won't be bothered."

"Can do, sir," The concierge said with a deep guffaw. He turned to grab a key with the number 12 on it. He slid it across the desk and pointed towards the second floor beyond the balcony. "Down to the right, second last room. The view ain't great but it's roomy. Hope you enjoy your stay at The Flash and Bullet." He clearly was unfazed by Ezra's desire for privacy. Probably not the first time he'd been paid to keep things discrete. Not that Ezra had any real reason to stay in the shadows.

With that, Ezra happily took the key and the three of them headed up the stairs, with Vvilfred's hooves making an extra loud clopping sound on every wooden step. Despite him carrying four bags - two per hand - he seemed to be having the least problems with the weight.

Fortunately the room was as easy to find as it sounded. They unlocked the door and slipped on in to see a rather basic but well-organized room with two big beds on one side of the room and two small beds on the other side. Probably often used for families coming through the port city. They only needed one of the large beds, as they stated. Maybe two if one of them wanted to read while the others were busy. That was a very possible outcome.

There were dressers lining the walls and a grand mirror to dress themselves, as well as a coat rack and a boot mat and various other amenities. No place to cook or store food, though. Which made sense, they were expected to buy food at the tavern. Which was fair enough. For the price of thirty gold they were saving a tonne; back home at Cottonwood Crescent a place like this would cost nearly twice that much and it wouldn't be as big. Plenty to be said for limitless opportunities of the new world.

Rather than waste all day mucking about, they quickly dropped off their luggage next to the large beds and adjusted their clothes before heading back out. Vvilfred wore a kilt but nothing on his upper half while Afearnia and Ezra both wore loose-fitting pressed suits. They wanted to look professional, but the more they looked around the other patrons at the tavern the clearer it was that they needed something more casual. Something that was more about comfort than appearance. That would have to be a priority before he set out to Rhybute Pass.

The first step of their journey was complete. As discussed on the ship enroute to Port Sanri, their goal was to set up shop here, establish themselves by finding work, and getting to know the locals while Ezra headed southeast along the foothills of the mountain to meet with the HMC to get more details of this job. As estimated, it was a two day trek by horse or three by laurossin or Ulokar from Port Sanri to Rhybute Pass, and in that time and the time it took him to return they would be diligently settling in. This did mean they'd be parting ways, but this was common when Ezra travelled.

But first they decided to get a meal in the tavern. Ezra and Afearnia often enjoyed the same meals given that they were both canine and their diets often lined up, but Vvilfred had to get something else. Being equine, he was an herbivore while they were omnivores. They could eat meat, while it wasn't really great for him in large quantities. They all just got some stew and he plucked out the meat chunks and gave them to his canine companions.

It was even cute when he did so, as he fed it to them directly instead of plopping it into their bowls. He'd take a spoon and scoop out a meat chunk any time he found one, and offered it to whoever took it first. Sometimes Afearnia snapped it up but when she didn't do that, Ezra gently took it from the spoon. Occasionally they'd both go for it and playfully growl at each other before cutely saying the other could have it. All three of them made for a cute set of mates, and they had a lovely time eating and joking and flirting with each other despite being together for years. Afearnia joked the food wasn't as good as hers, but as it was stew it wasn't really expected to be high class. It was meant to fill bellies.

Once they were done, they paid and chose to get right to work. They'd been discussing things for days and had spent a lengthy ship ride across the strait to get here, they were comfortable parting ways for the evening. All of them knew where to be and when to be there. Back at the tavern at sundown. Easy enough. It was a fairly large port city but they were all capable of handling themselves.

Chapter 02

Afearnia and Vvilfred went one direction after their meal while Ezra headed south. He knew exactly what it was he was looking for first. Transportation. He needed a horse, an ulokar, or a laurossin to make his way south. Hiring a carriage would be too expensive and take too long, and he had plenty of experience riding quadback - horseback for any quadruped ferals - so that would be the most efficient.

He considered asking around for a local ranch to see what would best suit his needs but realized quickly that he was enjoying his time taking in the architecture and casually chatting with people enough that he didn't want to go right to where he needed to be. While he mostly kept to himself - being slightly introverted and preferring his own company over that of others - he was sociable enough to talk to people, to engage in casual conversation, and be personable.

If he was gonna be here for months to a year working with the HMC, he'd need to make at least a few friends. Still, he found that talking to people he didn't know - or even people he did know - for too long often drained his mental acuity quickly. So he was quite surprised when this cute little doe-bunny caught his eye and happily waved to him. She was about two thirds his height, if that. Shorter than average while he was taller than average, ensuring there was quite the discrepancy.

She happened to be walking the same way he was, so while the pair of them were weaving through the crowd, they gradually got closer and closer before finally meeting amidst the masses. She was wearing a pair of satchels, one over each thigh over top a rancher's outfit.

Being polite but not eager to engage, Ezra smiled and tipped an invisible hat to her. "M'lady."

"Me? A lady? Oh please." She chortled, then offered a hand to shake. "The name's Fidget!"

He cautiously took her hand and shook it. "Ezra. But what brings you to me?" He was naturally cautious of anyone who would approach him unprompted. Many years of travel taught him that.

She could tell. "Oh, sorry about that. Yeah, I forgot that it ain't evident." She pointed to her ears, which she allowed to flop down on either side of her head. "I didn't mean to overhear but I got some big, receptive ears and caught wind that you were lookin' for a horse. I also happen to be heading to a ranch with a feller I know, and I can help hook ya up, if that works for you."

Normally he'd politely decline, but she had a cute blend of rustic and chipper in her voice and seemed to be sincere. She wasn't trying to trick him or mug him or anything, so he cautiously accepted. "Sure. But I'm sure you know how weird it is to-"

"Nawh, hush up. I was heading there on business and what sorta courier would I be if I didn't bring more business to my friends? Ilorek is a fine hippogryph and he'll getcha set up with whatcha need. Promise." She winked and raised both her ears back up, which showed a tribal-looking tattoo of a tree inside the lobe, with its roots around a golden hoop piercing. Clever. She had a chipper attitude, a bit more bubbly than Afearnia but equally brazen. He liked it and it reminded him of his mate so he allowed himself to trust her. At least for now.

"Alright, yeah. Let's go. Lead the way."

She seemed especially happy to hear this, her cute little spade-shaped tuft of tail started wagging happily, further reminding him of Afearnia. "Great! Ilorek has been servicing these lands ever since Port Sanri was founded a few years ago. Actually, that's sorta what I do for work. Well, not really. I do potions." she grabbed one of her satchels and lifted the flap to reveal two dozen finger-sized vials of teal potion. "I deliver mostly potions, shipping ademane place to place. Ilorek - the hippogryph feller that I'm delivering these pure, un-enchanted vials to - is gonna enchant some potions and I'll be taking them back to Ceylon for the crops."

"You're certainly chatty." He pitched in. He found it cute. "Do you always share that much with strangers?" He was curious but didn't want to get too attached so he was being mildly closed off.

"Only strangers that might be interested in my services. I have a pretty good gauge for a person's quality and I think I can trust you. Wouldn't be guiding you to Ilorek's ranch otherwise."

He nodded as they continued to trek down the pathway. They were getting close to the edge of town, which made sense if they were going to a ranch. Hard to have vast pastures of livestock in the middle of town. "So do you just work for this Ilorek guy? Or are you-"

"I work for whoever pays me, but like I said earlier I specialize in ademane transport. Most of that's potions, but it can be crystal shards or extra volatile, quick to activate gasses." She cut him off, but was happy to explain. "There's a LOT of ademane 'round here. It's why the natives were able to keep the place untainted by settlers for so long."

This actually intrigued him, as he had been reading about the magical capabilities of the natives on the ship ride in. "Oh? I mean, I guess that makes sense what with the plague and all, but I hadn't really thought of it. Where'd you read that?"

She shook her head, two-step galloping to keep up with Ezra's longer strides. Despite her being shorter she was just as nimble as him, given her thick thighs and wiry legs; the blend of bunny and deer elements meant she was quite strong on her feet. Hooves. "I didn't read it. I was one of the few who were welcome prior to the plague. Ceylon and Ilorek, too. I mean, it's history now but not a lot of people know, and yet still it feels like givin' away secrets. Eeh, But yeah, before all that happened, the locals could sorta tap into the vast stores of ademane left by their ancestors to create illusions to scare people away. It's how they kept the place free of outsiders without ever going to war. Very spiritual to them but ever since the plague I'm hearing they sorta lost their connection with the ancestors."

All of this intrigued Ezra. "I've not heard about this. Is there any way I can confirm any of this? Any writing I can read to find out more? I'm sure you'd understand why I'd be so hesitant to believe a random stranger who makes such claims." This filled in some gaps in his understanding, if true.

"Oh, for sure. Yep, I wish I could prove it. I am mostly just hearing it secondhand from Ilorek and Ceylon and their mates. I don't know exactly what's going on, I just know that the settlement of Port Sanri and the ademane plague are directly related and it has something to do with the native tribes losing a magical connection. I wish I knew more, but you'd have to go east beyond the mountains to confer with the elders of the various tribes if you wanna hear more. But since you're just a settler and all that, I doubt they'd share. Heck, I probably shouldn't have said nothin'." Her drawl had started to slip so she was sure to better accentuate it near the end. "Anyway, we're here."

Ezra could see that they'd travelled beyond the edge of town while talking and were now at the edge of the settlement where the fields spread between the city and the frontier. These fields were all filled with livestock. Mostly horses, but some others as well. Cows, sheep, ulokar, laurossins, and even a few wing-clipped gryphons and hippogryphs. Right off the road was an archway with wooden-carved letters spelling out 'Ranch Rovairre' over a dirt path that led between two pastures to a three-story black and red barn. Out in one of the fields was a black and orange striped tiger that was shovelling refuse into a wheelbarrow.

"That'd be Rexie. He's a cutie." Fidget said.

"Boyfriend?"

"Naw, coworker. But he's fun to play with." She winked and continued to lead the way down the ranch's path towards the barn. "That is if he ain't busy with the mares."

Ezra was about to make his way to the front door, which looked like the business end of the barn, only to have it open when he reached for the handle. The one opening the door from the other side was a massive hippogryph stallion, one even taller than Vvilfred. He had a deep black feather and fur base, a rustic reddish brown coat, and gold tips with more black highlights all over. The bushy, black feathering around his ankles and wrists glistened in the mid-afternoon sun.

"Oh, Hey Fidgey!" He said, his voice sounding academic despite being a rancher. Like he was a scholar or mage, not a farmer.

"Illie!" She deftly slipped past Ezra to offer this massive hippogryph a hug, her face and chest just at crotch height for him. He was wearing a kilt and khaki shirt, but that didn't stop her from casually nuzzling his groin and making a cute purr-like moan. It was clear she was being lewd, because she shuddered as she lightly kicked the ground with her broad hooves.

"I wasn't expecting you to be late. That's not like you." He said while stroking her tattooed ear. "And who's this dapper fellow?" He motioned to Ezra, who's suit made him look quite dapper indeed.

Ezra still had his hand out from when he reached to open the door. "Uh, Ezra, sir." It was hard to not call a stud of that size and posture 'sir'. It was something he liked to call Vvilfred. Normally it was a matter of submission and respect, but with Ilorek it just seemed appropriate.

They clasped hands and shook, the long feathering tickling his wrist. "Pleasure to meet you. I take it you're looking for a mount?"

He couldn't help but gulp, turning the innocent phrase into an innuendo. Fidget was still nuzzling his crotch and Ezra could see there was a bulge forming, it was hard to not imagine something lewd. Still, he composed himself enough to be professional. "Indeed. Heading to Rhybute Pass for some work. Need a reliable, um, mount to get me there and back quickly and safely." He wasn't sure if the relationship between Fidget and Ilorek was particularly lewd or if this casual affection was more common here but he liked it. Any time he met someone unshy about their intentions he naturally gravitated towards them. He'd known Fidget for less than an hour and Ilorek for mere minutes but already liked them. First impressions and all.

Fidget finally pulled away from Ilorek's groin, releasing the hug and putting equal distance between the three of them, "Yeah, you think he'd like to meet Ocerre?"

Ilorek shut the door behind him and took point between the three of them. "Maybe? I don't know if that's really necessary but Ocerre is my most reliable mount. If a bit volatile."

"Volatile? Not sure if that's what I'm looking for. I'd rather-"

"Sorry, Volatile is the wrong word. They're not aggressive or untrustworthy, but they're - versatile; yes, versatile." He took a moment to step back and measure up Ezra before continuing. "I think you'll like them. If I ever need Fidgey here to take a load larger than she can carry, I get her to use Ocerre. Trust me, it's good. Oceras is the best."

"Oceras? I thought you said his name is Ocerre?"

"Nickname. Sorry. I call her Oceras this time of year." Ilorek explained without really explaining anything. He wasted no time guiding Ezra through the ranch with Fidget in tow.

Ezra didn't really understand why Fidget was still there, but he didn't question it. She brought him to the ranch and she seemed to have a very close relationship with Ilorek so he assumed it was better this way. While he was mostly self-reliant and not the most social, he learned how to better observe others and when to maximize what social connections he could find. This was a prime example. Let them figure things out and he'd reap the benefits. Assuming they weren't planning to double-cross him, which he didn't feel they were.

Which was exactly why he had to keep his defences up. If they were shifty, they were good.

Eventually they came to a pasture filled with a whole herd of horses huddled around a small pond and hay dispensary. A single horse was off to the side, not eating but rubbing her flank against one of the fence posts. She had a feather mane, and two lengthy pinions alongside her flowing tail hair, with a similar pattern and style to Ilorek, only she was more brown than red and rather than black and gold stripes on her feathers, she had spots and speckling like a barn owl. Ezra could see why this one was Ilorek's favourite, at least aesthetically.

"So what makes her so special?" Ezra asked. "Aside from the feathers and pinions?"

Fidget hopped up onto the fence while Ilorek leaned over it next to her. He just shrugged his shoulders. "That mare has got what appears to be infinite luck. In spite of being here with me for years, and being in danger plenty, she's never so much as gotten a single injury. No stray arrows or bullets hit her, she seems mostly impervious to magic, and she's got this uncanny ability to know what you want. You barely need to guide her, you just know where you want to go and she goes there. Smarter than your average horse, closer in intelligence to a gryphon, and she has unlimited stamina."

"And what did you mean when you said volatile but then corrected yourself to say versatile?" That was a very important point to clarify. Plus she sounded literally too good to be true.

"It's hard to say, really. Just that it doesn't matter what you want or need, she'll be there for you. And as I mentioned, she is a beacon of good luck."

"If she's so important to your operation here, why are you pushing so hard to rent her to me?"

Ilorek tapped the side of his head. "A very fair question. You've not met her but my mate, Valencia, met you before you arrived. Psychic, you see. I don't entirely follow her process, because she tried to explain it once and I couldn't keep up with her mental faculties, but the moment you came within her range she told me you were coming and that you needed Oceras. I don't question her."

This was a little off-putting, but Ezra had a pretty open mind. "Okay. Can I meet her?"

"Sadly she's already retired for the afternoon. Full disclosure, she felt your presence within moments of you getting off the boat, and told me about it this morning. Tell ya what, I know how weird this sounds, but she is a seer and she's never wrong, so I'll let you have Oceras for your trip, free of up front charge. And if you're not satisfied with her when you get back, no charge at all. I was just told to make sure you got on her, and good fortune would befall you. And you're not going to give up a free ride, are you?"

"Honestly, I'd rather pay and feel comforted in my decision."

"Yeah. That's fair. I know how this all sounds. If you wanna look at some other horses, I have plenty to chose from. Rent or buy, it's up to you."

Just then, Oceras came over from rubbing her flank on the fence post and came to visit the three of them, exposing her side to Ezra and leaning into him when he reached out to caress her thick neck and the silky feathers draped over her shoulders. She seemed to really like his attention.

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "Tell you what, If you're so insistent to rent out this gorgeous gal, I'll meet you half way. I'm not leaving for the Pass until morning, so I'll take her tonight, see how we get along, and I'll let you know in the morning if I'll be taking her with me to Rhybute. Deal?"

The edge of Ilorek's beak curled a bit in a satisfied grin. "Deal. You won't regret it." This seemed sinister but felt sincere so Ezra allowed it.

It helped that magic was fairly common. Psychics, illusionists, and magical luck were all real things, if rare. Their claims may sound like nonsense to uncultured fellows but Ezra had seen and heard most of it so nothing sounded too out of the ordinary. Perhaps a bit too good to be true, but the mare seemed affectionate and Ilorek seemed insistent. Could be shifty salesmanship or it could just be genuine helpfulness. Either way, he felt good about it.

"We'll see, but I've got no other leads for now. If this is what fate and your seer wills it to be, then I guess we'll give it a shot. Things have been working out for me the last few months, so here's hoping this is also the case." He continued patting and stroking her, starting at her neck and making his way down her flank. While it was subtle, he also noticed her tail hike up a bit when he got near her haunches, something he chose to not respond to, hoping the others didn't see the ever so subtle swell in his pants. That wasn't the professional thing to do.

"Perfect! And like I said, Oceras here always comes back to me, hence why she's not for sale. So you are in safe hooves with her. Come on, let's get some papers signed and I'll have Rex get her prepped for departure." He snapped his fingers at the tiger in the field and guided Ezra back inside with Fidget in tow.

With that all said and done, Ezra and Ilorek signed a few papers, Rex equipped Oceras with a saddle, and Ilorek helped guide Ezra onto Oceras so he could ride back to the Flash and Bullet on horseback. Much to his delight, the very short trip between the ranch and the inn calmed his nerves. All of them. Mere minutes on the mare's back and he felt comfortable, secure, and at peace. She rode well and was not only gentle but also very affectionate with passerby. A perfect mount to end a perfect day.

The sun was setting and it was time to reconvene with the others. So he rode Oceras back to the hitching posts out front of the inn and didn't even need to tie her up, she just shifted her head and tossed the rope over the post without his help. Smart.

He gave her one final pat down her flank, ending with his hands on her haunches before going inside. He noticed that her tail flagged and her lower back hiked up, like she was asking for more, but he didn't have it in him to explore her further. Not in public like that. He knew better. Instead, he sniffed the air to sample the scents billowing up around her and dashed inside, where he immediately headed upstairs to meet his partners.

Chapter 03

The others hadn't made it back yet, so Ezra dropped off some of Oceras's tack and paperwork in the room before heading down to get some more food. The first time they were in a hurry and fresh off the boat so they took the quickest and easiest thing offered, the stew. It was fine but nothing like what Afearnia could do. So he opted for something a bit more classy off the menu. The menu of a half dozen meals and two desserts. Okay.

This time he got some tomahawk steaks and roasted potatoes with grilled sprouts. To his delight, it was actually really high quality compared to the stew. This was more what he expected when he chose the Flash and Bullet over the other inns just off the strip.

He took this meal time to reflect upon what brought him here. Not the summons from the HMC, but all the stuff with Fidget and Ilorek. Ezra was not a follower, so in retrospect it made no sense he'd just casually follow and do as he was told. Fidget approaching him and Ilorek practically desperate to rent out the mare to him, both things just seemed a bit too much like a scheme. Yet despite his naturally cautious demeanour, he accepted their offers without much hesitation. That wasn't like him.

The mention of Ilorek's psychic partner was what was getting to him. There was a lot of overlap between psychics and empaths, which means that if this gal was able to read his mind there was a reasonable chance she could also influence his moods and make him more amenable. Make him more compliant. If there was a scheme of some sort, she was at the center of it.

But the more he ate the clearer it was that there was no reason to pinpoint him in any sort of devious plot. Why him? He had coin but wasn't rich or anything. And he'd be leaving most of what he brought with him with Afearnia and Vvilfred in Port Sanri, as he'd only need a small bit for himself while travelling. If she was able to influence people, then why not go for someone with more money and power?

Ezra was not fond of conspiracy theories. The sheer amount of skill, effort, and time needed to ensnare him in some ambush or scheme just wasn't worth it. So, all other variables equal, maybe they just liked him and wanted to help. He did notice he had quite a lot of luck throughout his life, meeting various people with more power than they seemed. Maybe this was another case like that.

The name Ceylon did sound familiar, too. The name of the companion Fidget spoke of at her homestead south of Sanri. Ezra couldn't place it, but the more he thought back to their interaction the clearer it was that he opened up to her right around the time she brought up that name.

He didn't have too much time to dwell on it too long, as just as he was finishing up his meal, Vvilfred and Afearnia slipped in through the front gates of the Flash and Bullet, clearly buzzed up on something. Probably some strong local moonshine or edibles. They saw Ezra and pointed right at him, gingerly making their way through the many tables to reach him. They were mildly inebriated. Not buzzed enough to be a sloppy mess. Almost entirely cognitive.

With Afearnia cuddling up under Vvilfred's arm, she reached out to Ezra once they made it to the table. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and slipped out from Vvilfred to sit on Ezra's lap. "I like it here." She said, voice as clear as could be. She had no smell of alcohol on her, she was just having a good time.

The same couldn't be said for Vvilfred, who did have that distinct stench upon his breath. He tended to drink more than Afearnia but never enough to render him drunk. He sat down opposite Ezra. "This town has a lot of fun things to do. It's a shame you gotta leave in the morning."

"Yeah, I like it too. People here seem to be friendly." He cut another bite of his bone-in chops and used the meat to collect some sauce. Just as he was about to bring it to his mouth, Afearnia's eyes went wide and she bit it off his fork.

She sucked the meat off the prongs to really savour it before chewing and swallowing. A moment later, her eyes relaxed and her ears drooped. "Oh, yeah. That's more like it. I knew you'd find some good food here. There was a lot of delicious stuff." She let a deep rumbling growl of delight course through her as she snuggled Ezra from his lap. "So how did your day go? We found a nice clothes shop to get some local garb and made friends with this lovely kirin fellow. Therris, I think he said his name was."

"Yeah, that's him. He dances for a local brothel. Gave me a bit of a lap dance." Vvilfred joked while leaning back in his chair and spreading his legs, the bulge in his kilt clearly visible. "Dances."

Ezra half-smirked and chuckled. "Sounds like you two had a great afternoon! I meandered a bit, ended up at a ranch at the south end of town. Got myself a horse for the trip to The Pass." He wrapped his arms around Afearnia to get another bite of his meat, carefully keeping the fork away from her hungry maw to keep the bite to himself. However, once he was chewing it, she leaned in for a kiss and pressed her tongue against his through his teeth, getting a taste of him and the meat in equal measure. She seemed to enjoy it so he didn't stop her, but did quickly gulp it down so she didn't scoop it out and steal it from him. Once it was gone, she used her tongue to pluck his lip before pulling away.

Afearnia's little stub tail started wagging, the motion stroking him through his pants. "Oh, was it that pretty one with the feathers and golden tips?"

"Yeah that's the one. How'd you know?"

"It's the only new one that wasn't there before." Vvilfred pitched in. "Hard to not notice. Plus the horny mare lifted her tail at me the second I got close. You sure it's a good idea to take a mare in heat down the trails by yourself? She'll be set upon by every wild stallion within eyeshot."

Ezra blinked and gulped. "Oh, so that's what that scent was." He said, mostly to himself.

"Yeah, pretty distinct but I guess you ain't a hoss. She's pretty needy. I'd recommend taking her back to the ranch to get her satisfied before you leave or she could become a problem."

"Or I could take care of it myself. No point in wasting time, you know." Ezra suggested. He said it quietly, to ensure the ambient noise of the pub area of the Flash and Bullet would mask what he said. The light music and gentle roar of the dozens of others in the establishment ensured that nobody outside their group of three could hear their chat.

While hanging off Ezra's neck by her hands, Afearnia swooped around to lock eyes with him. "You gonna be sneaking out tonight? Do I get to watch?"

He huffed and pecked her on the snout in a cute kiss. "Nothing's happening tonight. I just met her and that would be horrendously unprofessional." He leaned in close so that he was whispering in her ear. "But if you wanna be my mare tonight, I'm sure we can figure something out."

A shiver went down her spine and all the fur down her back stood on end. She didn't need to say anything, she just snapped her fingers at Vvilfred, rolled off Ezra's lap, got to her feet, and daintily made her way to the stairs that led to the second floor. She was deliberate in swaying her hips and flagging her tail up to ensure her tight pants left a distinct imprint of her rump cheeks and even the faintest hint of the edge of her clearly moist spade.

One sniff at the air told Ezra she was as horny as the mare in heat outside. He glanced over to Vvilfred, they both shrugged their shoulders in agreement, he tossed a few coins onto the table, and they deftly followed her back to their room.

Ezra chased Afearnia down the hall, with the taller Vvilfred keeping pace behind. When Ezra got close, he grabbed her rump cheek and gave it a squeeze, deliberately grinding his thumb against the base of her tail. She shivered in response and leaned back, then realized that despite being first in line it was one of the others that had the key to their room.

"Well, I guess we're locked out, better take me right here and now." She reached back and undid the clasp over top of her tail on her pants, exposing her rump halfway down the cheeks. "It would be a shame to-"

Ezra flashed the key and opened the door. "Inside, dear. Let's not scare everyone off on our first night here." He slipped in and the other two followed.

Vvilfred didn't even bother taking off his kilt, he just made his way over to the bed and flopped onto it, legs spread and the fabric on his belly to fully expose his bulging sheath and twin orbs the size of Ezra's head. He casually started rubbing himself between his thighs and the base of his member, its girth slowly unfolding and drooling a slimy trail of mess onto his kilt. He liked to start by watching the other two; as a stallion he had a pretty sensitive trigger and liked to wait for the right time to get involved. In the mean time he'd be taking care of himself while the others had their fun.

Ezra unbuttoned his shirts to expose his chest while Afearnia wiggled her hips out of her pants, stepping out of them to press her chest to his. He let his shirt fall to the ground around him while she started grinding against him, deliberately pressing the front of her thigh to his crotch with enough pressure to tease without squeezing anything sensitive.

She wasted no time removing his belt and whipping it away, loosening up his pants enough for her to yank them down and expose his sheath, balls, and his own plump spade nestled against his taint. Both of them had spades, while both he and Vvilfred had cocks. It was a lovely arrangement, leading to many different opportunities for them to explore one another. Today, it was Afearnia ravenously tearing off his pants to get at him while he let her push him up against the wall near Vvilfred's bed.

It was fortunate they got the room with multiple beds.

The stallion was already at half mast, the entire girth of his member exposed and swelling fast as he squeezed his spongy equine tip and stroked his length using a mixture of the slimy pre slipping out the end and the soft, loose flesh around his girth. By hoisting himself up on his one arm, he was able to watch as Afearnia and Ezra fawned over one another.

The moment the pair of them were both nude from the waist down, Afearnia jumped onto the other bed with her legs spread and tail up. She was still wearing her shirt, which pressed her breasts to her chest with little definition. To some this would be an obstacle but both she and Ezra loved how naughty she looked when she was business up top and pleasure down below.

He happily followed her to the bed and started grinding his palm up and down his sheath, exposing the tip of his deep mauve cock in the process. There was a visible bead of precum dribbling down the underside and moistening the rim of the opening, a bit of juice he couldn't help but collect and sniff on his digits.

As he brought his hand to his muzzle, Afearnia reached back and grabbed it from him, forcing his palm around her snout and taking in a deep breath of her own. She had to struggle to not lick and suck his fingers clean, instead guiding him back to the underside of her tail where she practically forced his fingers into her spade. Those three plump lips of hers parted with no resistance, as she was just as soaked as he was.

Snug, too. Very snug. Almost too snug. She must have either been in heat herself or intensely horny. It really could go either way.

Ezra knew when to play it slow and when to not waste time. This was the latter. While he loved foreplay and oral and all sorts of fun leading up to the main event, sometimes he knew she wanted the knot and the flare and that was that. He was needy, she was needy, he had what she needed, and Vvilfred would join in soon enough. A quickie before bed, through and through.

He pressed his free palm to his belly and forced his sheath down, slowly exposing every inch of his shaft and unformed knot, the girth of it all sliding out and seeping fluids down over his balls. As he did this, he wrapped his lengthy fingers around his sack and used the tips to pluck at his own lips, exposing the similarly purple hues of his insides. His cock and pussy internals were the same colour, a deep purple instead of red, a lovely contrast compared to Afearnia's bright pink and white.

She saw this and reached back to meet his hand near the base of his cock, guiding it towards her folds. She tensed up her loins, tugging the spade right up to the underside of her tail, squeezing her rump in between. His finger was still in her, and this needy little tension urged him to go deeper.

Ezra forced a single finger into her as deep as it would go, curling downward to press her buttons while tugging on her from inside. Canine pussies had a roomier bit just inside and beyond the muscles that controlled her vulva, a perfect spot for a knot to swell and lock in place. He affectionately called it the knot locker, because it was equally silly and accurate.

While deep inside her he was keen to tense up his hand and tug on her flesh from inside, stimulating what it was like to have a knot in her as best he could with his digits. He had been knotted before and regularly did the same to himself so he knew exactly what she was feeling. But this left him with a bit of a dilemma. To use two fingers in order to really tug on her and make her whimper, or just go for it and mount her like the bitch she was?

His gentlemanly instincts took over and he pulled his finger out, rubbing it against his others with the slick slime left on him from her depths in order to lube a second and maybe even third up. But just as he was about to part her lips and slip past her opening, she growled at him. A firm snarl with her teeth exposed.

"Alright, alright! Sorry! I was trying to-" Ezra apologized, only to be cut off by another growl, this one a bit more amicable and ending in a bit of a needy whimper. Normally she could take all the fingers he could offer and even manage his fists if there was enough time to build up. She did have a stallion boyfriend and Vvilfred's cock was easily as thick and as long as Ezra's entire forearm. Taking a stud like that required time, but today she just wanted a knot.

So Ezra gave it to her. He kept his fingers against her lips, parting the white exterior flesh to expose the bright, cherry pink of her inner walls; he used this as guidance, his other hand guiding his tip into the crux between his digits and her lips.

Without warning, she pushed back on him, her cookie folds easily swallowing him up all the way to the top of his knot. The pressure and silken friction of her flesh stroking his member coaxed a stiffness out of him he wasn't prepared to deal with. His knot began to swell, his shaft's veins throbbed, and his plump cookie twitched in excitement as he pulled his fingers out of her and left enough room for the rest of him.

Her cute little tail stub was wagging excitedly as her loins pulsated and squeezed around him. She bit a pillow, grasped at the blanket of the bed, and glanced back over her shoulder at Ezra with her ears flat to the back of her head. She was growling pleasantly and curling her toes, every muscle in her midsection tensing up in anticipation.

Ezra grabbed that stubby tail of hers, using it for leverage as he leaned into her and began gyrating, his knot grinding against her folds as his shaft stirred her walls and the secreted fluids she was leaking all over. He tried to thrust a bit, but the slurping sounds of his knot slapping against her flesh just made her growl and push back more, eager to feel that part of him swell inside her.

He was about to really push and slam his hips to hers when he heard the sound of creaking behind him. When he turned to look, still buried nearly knot deep in Afearnia, he saw Vvilfred getting up from the other bed and walking towards them. Cock in one hand and kilt draped over his sheath. His flare wasn't formed yet but his entire head and shaft was glistening with a thick, equine precum that would have been dripping off the tip had he not been periodically collecting it and using it to further lubricate his length.

This could go one of a few ways, so Ezra tried to guide the stallion by raising one foot to the edge of the bed and leaning over Afearnia with a decent amount of his weight. He angled his hips so that his spade could be seen poking out between his thighs between his tail hole and ball sack, perfectly placed along his taint.

In much the same manner Ezra had grabbed Afearnia's tail, Vvilfred grabbed his and used his other hand to smear equine fluids all up Ezra's spade, mixing in with his own canine blend. Fortunately for both studs, Ezra had done a lot of practice and was well equipped to handle the larger stallion. They were part of a three-way relationship and it'd be a shame if they exclusively had to share what Afearnia had to offer or Ezra couldn't handle being on the bottom. He was, by definition, a switch. Top to Afearnia, bottom to Vvilfred. It didn't matter the pairing, there was some fun to be had.

So while the angle meant it was hard for Vvilfred to bend his knees enough to get the right angle, it didn't take too much effort for that throbbing equine cock tip of his to find its way into Ezra's depths, its spongy mass squeezing through his lips and expanding where a knot should go.

For Ezra, this was doubly pleasant. Not only did he have the female-equivalent G-spot, where the knot would tug on his insides and pleasure him properly like it would a bitch, but he also had a prostate at the other end of that part of his canal, so when Vvilfred's stallion cock flared up to full girth inside, it was hitting both pleasure buttons of his at once.

This pressure mixed with the weight of Vvilfred leaning into him forced Ezra's cock into Afearnia with a satisfying pop. Ezra collapsed onto her as his knot swelled inside her, his collapse tugging Vvilfred down with them, resulting in a pile where Afearnia was on the bottom and Vvilfred was on top. Ezra's knot locked itself into place and tugged on her spade from within, as the stallion cock in his pussy milked him in both ways, tugging on his lips in a similar manner while also applying pressure to his prostate.

His member erupted inside her, filling her with jet after jet of his canine cum while his lips drooled down Vvilfred's shaft. The added pressure of the stallion's load inflating his womb further milked his prostate, coaxing more and more out of him and into her.

Instinct took over and Ezra bit down on Afearnia's shoulder, holding her in place as his knot throbbed inside her. The grip wasn't right so he let go and tried again, this time closer to her neck. She was mostly pinned beneath the pair of them but was able to reach back and give him a scratch behind the ear even as her womb filled with his seed.

Naturally, Vvilfred was first to descend after hitting his plateau. The voluminous mess he left inside Ezra started to seep out as his cock, now mostly satisfied, was shrinking and softening.

Rather than let any of it go to waste, he tugged out his still engorged flare with an audible pop and squelch followed by a gasp of relief as the pressure in Ezra receded. Before the canine's pussy lips could close up, Vvilfred got to one knee beside the bed and buried his snout up under Ezra's tail, thick tongue lapping at the torrent of mess that flowed out of him.

Ezra wasn't blessed with such luxury. He was knotted, tied tight to Afearnia. His cock was locked in place and he'd be twitching and filling her for the better part of the next hour. The fact that her loins were pulsating and squeezing the whole while didn't help. Or maybe it did, depending on one's perspective.

Either way, he and Afearnia carefully crawled across the bed with Vvilfred still doing his best to capture any and all mess that came out of either of them. They ended up curled up with legs entwined as Ezra's knot remained tied deep within her and their stallion third found himself wrapped around Ezra, spooning the pair of knotting canines. His half-mast member was draped over Ezra's hip, allowing him to give it a gentle, occasional rub and squeeze.

The three of them ended up falling asleep in that position, knotted together and belly to belly with Vvilfred spooning them, cock draped over them. Afearnia took her turn giving it a rub, a squeeze, and a lick any time Ezra wasn't. Before long, all three were ready to nod off into dreamland. It had been a long day.

Soon after falling into slumber, Ezra's knot deflated and returned to his sheath, allowing all three of them to shift and find a more comforting set of positions.

Morning was going to be a hell of a journey for him, and it'd be a few days before he'd see them again even in the best case scenario. This realization had him waking up in the middle of the night, Afearnia cradling him from one side and Vvilfred the other. It was quite the comforting position to be in, even if it would be the last time he got to enjoy it for a while.

That was the good part about being in a three-way relationship. Even when he was off travelling or working he knew they would be taking care of each other. It worked. It wasn't the most common relationship paradigm, but with trust and respect it worked for those willing to put in the effort.

He trusted and respected them both. And they all worked for each other. They fit perfectly.