{"sf1_id":2219642,"sf2_id":"B1Qa3qE1","title":"Light O' The Lamps","author":"Corran Orreaux","words":7662,"posted_at":"2025-01-26T15:39:56.000Z","tags":["CBT","Cock And Balls Torture","Dubcon","Fantasy","Fox","Gay","Orgasm Denial","Wolf","edging"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2219642-light-o-the-lamps","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/B1Qa3qE1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/9f/b9/9fb91927-f2c7-4f3f-99b1-ec9b45975664","description":"Vicente, a squire in service to the church, nears the end of his training. Skilled in all things martial, he’s confounded by a recent string of failures that place his ascension to knighthood in jeopardy. His superiors, believing the issue to be spiritual rather than physical, offer a trial to strengthen his faith. Failure risks expulsion from the only life he's ever known.","content":"Commandant Alvaro's office was a wretched thing. Smaller than his station demanded but more  \nthan his person deserved. An extra large closet sequestered at the furthest edges of the temple  \ncomplex and a long walk from anyone and anything important.\n\n  \nVicente seethed. There was a fundamental unfairness at work if he had to be judged by him of  \nall people. The wolf hunched over in his seat and tapped a foot, clicking and clacking a song  \nagainst the bare wood with his boot.\n\n  \nAs he played out his tune, Vicente glanced around the room as if there were anything worth  \nlooking at--gray walls, a lone window, a simple desk, and an empty shelf. The wolf sighed. Out  \nthe window, He spotted a dry patch of soil in the field--A scab over healthy skin. Dead and dying  \nflowers stuck out of the upturned earth. Browning red and pink carnations, their heads curved  \ntowards the dirt as if begging for sustenance. Vicente frowned. He had none to offer.\n\n  \nIt was more interesting than Alvaro's desk, at least. A stack of paper sat neatly atop its surface,  \nperfectly aligned and orderly. A quill rested in an inkpot and a book beneath that. Vicente  \nthought about giving it a look, but he knew if he were caught picking through a Commandant's  \npersonal effects it would be all the worse for him.\n\n  \n_Bastard always keeps me waiting._\n\n  \nThe wolf's ears twitched. Footsteps! He stood up, turned around, and preemptively thumped a  \nfist against his chest, straightening his back. For all of the Commandant's criticisms, he couldn't  \nclaim Vicente didn't get the salute down.\n\n  \nThe door opened slowly with an audible creak that made him grimace. He set his face quickly,  \nthough. Maw neutral, blue eyes straight ahead, headfur--Fuck! It was a ruffled mess! Should he  \nleave it and get a lecture about that, or break posture and get one on respecting his superiors?  \nDeciding to risk it, Vicente ran his paws through his silvery headfur, patting and smoothing it  \nover to make it as close to regulation as possible. Satisfied, he slammed a fist against his chest  \nhard enough to make himself wince.\n\n  \n“Greetings Commandan—\"\n\n  \nA tall, middle-aged vixen stood in the doorway. A habit hung over her head, boxing her face in  \nbetween red and white cloth. A few grey hairs stuck out from underneath her covering, but what  \nlittle of her fur Vicente could see was a vibrant orange. A white tunic covered most of her body,  \ntopped by a red scapular. She wore no shoes or boots. Her bare paws rested on the cold floor.  \nShe looked at him with a scowl.\n\n  \nThey stared at each other a moment, Vicente froze in abject horror while the lady looked on  \nexpectantly.\n\n  \n“Y-your Eminence!\"\n\n  \nHe dropped to a knee, knocking his chair over in the process. He knelt with his head lowered,  \ngenuflecting at the woman's feet.\n\n  \n“This is your problem student?\"\n\n  \nVicente looked up, she wasn't talking to him. Behind the fox, a respectful distance away, was  \nCommandant Alvaro. The grizzled old bear nodded.\n\n  \n“Hmph.\" She stepped inside and Alvaro followed behind.\n\n  \n“He knows how to grovel, at least.\" The woman said coldly. She paused a few feet away from  \nVicente and offered her paw. He took it into his own, careful to bring his lips to it rather than pull  \nher paw down, and kissed a silver band wrapped around her ring finger.\n\n  \n“Rise, young man,\" she ordered.\n\n  \n“T-thank you, Eminence!\" Vicente stood up hesitantly, eyes trained on the floor.\n\n  \n“I…I'm not worthy of your presence!\"\n\n  \nThe woman scoffed. “Save your feigned humility for confession.\"\n\n  \nShe walked around him, claws clicking against the floor with every step. She paused at the  \ndesk.\n\n  \n“Allow me, Maria!\" Commandant Alvaro rushed past Vicente and reached the chair before she  \ndid. He was shockingly fast for an old man.\n\n  \n“Thank you,\" Maria sat down as the Commandant pulled out the seat. Her green eyes refocused  \non the wolf.\n\n  \n“We serve that which is great and graceful, and It is by what is great and graceful that we  \nsucceed.\"\n\n  \n_How did I fuck up this badly!? How did I get the attention of a fucking Tanager!?_\n\n  \n“If you fail, fail, and fail, it's clear there's a problem. One of two: your skill or your faith. I doubt  \nit's your skill as Commandant Alvaro speaks highly of your abilities.\"\n\n  \nVicente glanced over at Alvaro, shocked.\n\n  \n“So it is your faith,\" Maria crossed a leg over the other. Her chair creaked as she leaned back.  \nHer voice was a hammer, and she was driving nails into him; every admonishment, every  \ndisappointed glare, another tap.\n\n  \n“Unfortunately, a faithless knight with great skill is a sharp knife without a handle.\n\n\"  \nVicente bit his lip and choked down a sob. He rubbed his eyes, he was going to lose everything.  \nEveryone he knew. He dropped to the floor and all but kowtowed.\n\n  \n“This order is my life! It's all I've ever known, please!\"\n\n  \nMaria held up a paw.\n\n  \n“As iron strengthens iron, difficulty shapes the soul. The Commandant has convinced me you  \nare worth offering another chance.\"\n\n  \nShe stood up and walked around the mess of a wolf on the floor.\n\n  \n“You will have a trial tomorrow—don't be late.\"\n\n  \nShe shut the door behind her.\n\n  \nVicente didn't dare get up, not yet. His chest heaved, and his stomach hurt. He wanted to vomit.  \nHe had never even talked to a Tanager before, let alone been admonished by one. He was  \ndoomed.\n\n  \n“Lad,\" Vicente felt a paw touch his back.\n\n  \n“It is unbecoming of a man to conduct himself in such a manner—get up.\"  \nAlvaro's words were stern, but his tone wasn't. He helped Vicente to his feet and gave the wolf's  \narm a squeeze.\n\n  \n“The trial is tomorrow at dawn, I'll retrieve you before then. Get some rest.\"\n\n  \nVicente wiped his face on his shirt, took a deep breath, and nodded. He thanked his  \ncommandant and headed for the door.\n\n  \n_Maker help me_\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nVicente stood at his open window in nothing but his trousers and stared off into the inky sky.  \nDawn wasn't there yet, not quite. He had at least an hour before the night retreated, the sun  \nrose, and his trial began. The sky was empty, a blanket of cold nothing. A few stars did peek out  \nthrough it, but they were faint.\n\n  \nHe didn't have much of a chance, did he?\n\n  \nFaith never came naturally to him. He prayed, read the words, and sang the songs, but it was  \nnever anything more than another subject to study. Something he had to do in the same way he  \nhad to practice combat forms or maintain equipment.\n\n  \nHe shut his eyes.  \n_Breathe in me, holy Maker  \nSpeak in me, mover unmoved  \nYou who made all souls as sacre  \nYou to whom all blest must prove_\n\n  \nVicente mouthed the words as he ran the prayer through his head. A basic mantra used in  \nmeditation. Perhaps not the best fit for his current situation, but it was the only thing that came  \nto him at the moment.\n\n  \nAnd it remained the only thing. No inspiration, no comfort, just silence.\n\n  \n_Knock, knock knock_\n\n  \nHe turned from the window; It must have been Alvaro. Vicente picked up his sword from his bed.  \nPlain, but reliable steel inside a leather scabbard. He had yet to put his armor on, but he wasn't  \nsure if it mattered.\n\n  \nHe opened the door.\n\n  \n“Lad,\" Alvaro stood alone in the dark hallway. A lit candle in a clay holder in one paw while a tray  \nfull of dishes sat prepared in the other.\n\n  \n“You won't be needing that.\" Alvaro motioned toward Vicente's sword.\n\n  \n“May I come in?\"\n\n  \n“Of course, Commandant.\" Vicente said as he moved out of the way, propping his sword up  \nagainst the nearby wall.\n\n  \nAlvaro shuffled in, white robe dragging across the clean floor. He shuffled over to a small table  \nresting against the wall opposite the bed. His room being small, Vicente had to awkwardly push  \nhimself into the corner as the bear placed the tray down.\n\n  \n“Thank you, Commandant.\"\n\n  \nAlvaro smiled. He began walking out through the door, then paused when he caught sight of the  \nbed.\n\n  \n“You won't need your armor either,\" Alvaro said, looking at the assortment of studded leather.  \n“It isn't that kind of trial.\" He left and shut the door behind him.\n\n  \n_What is it, then?_\n\n  \nThe wolf sat down at his table. He was so focused on the Commandant that he barely paid  \nattention to the food.\n\n  \nVicente's eyes lit up at the sight. The tray was a full spread! At least for a monastic squire.  \nThree large slices of ham took up most of the tray, flanked by a bowl of hard-boiled eggs and a  \nfresh loaf of bread. The wolf's tail swished back and forth as he tore off a piece of ham and bit  \ninto it.\n\n  \nAt least he got to go out with a decent breakfast.\n\n  \n----\n\n  \n“What clothes does a man need but honor? What armor but faith?\"\n\n  \nA lone knight stood guard in front of an open staircase. He was a golden retriever clad in steel  \nplate, its edges trimmed in silver. He held a needlessly large pike, and whenever Vicente made  \nto enter through the opening, he used it to block the way.\n\n  \n“I don't know what you want!\" Vicente growled. He supposed he shouldn't be so upset about  \ndelaying this trial, but the knight's stonewalling made the wolf's blood boil.\n\n  \n“What clothes does a man need but honor? What armor but faith?\"\n\n  \nVicente threw up his paws and stormed over to the door to leave. He needed a moment away  \nfrom this—\n\n  \nVicente paused.\n\n  \n“You,\" He turned back around to face the knight. “You don't mean…\"\n\n  \nThe knight said nothing but motioned his head over to the side wall. A large mural covered its  \nsurface. A muscular lion raised his arms above his head in triumph. To his sides were   \nwalls of fire, and above him the sun.\n\n  \nVicente's eyes drifted downward.\n\n  \nThe lion was naked.\n\n  \nVicente sighed, defeated.\n\n  \nHe stripped off his vest and tunic easily enough. While a bit leaner than many of his peers,  \nVicente was muscular nonetheless. His trousers were a bit harder to part with, but he dropped  \nthose as well. Stripped down to his skivvies, he walked up to the knight again, who glared at  \nhim.\n\n  \n“You're kidding.\" Vicente blanched.\n\n  \n“What clothes does a man need but—\"\n\n  \n“Okay, okay! Could you look away for a moment, uh, sir?\"\n\n  \nThe knight didn't respond.\n\n  \nVicente sighed and turned around. He wondered if this was some kind of prank. He glanced  \nback at the dog briefly, who stared back at him unblinkingly. He didn't look like the prankish type.  \nWhatever it was, he had no choice. The wolf undid the laces on the front of his undergarments,  \ncounted to three, and dropped them to the floor. He turned around with his paws cupped over  \nhis crotch. He could spare himself that dignity at least.\n\n  \nThe knight retracted his weapon and stepped out of his way.\n\n  \n“Hold thy faith, brother.\"\n\n  \nVicente nodded in thanks as he awkwardly shuffled past.\n\n  \nHold my knot, asshole.\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nThe staircase spiraled downward in a descent that only grew more miserable as it went on. The  \nstone underneath Vicente's bare paws went from cold to frigid. Light from dim to dark. Halfway  \ndown, he groped at the walls and felt for the steps before he took them. More than a few times,  \nhe imagined himself tripping and breaking his neck. Worse, he'd fall forever, never dying. Bones  \nsnapping, skin bruising, voice screaming in an eternal descent to hell. He didn't fall, though he  \ncouldn't be sure about descending to hell. It went on long enough that maybe he was heading to  \nthe underworld. Regardless, he continued walking.\n\n  \nA massive set of double doors stood in a small antechamber. Twin rows of torches dimly  \nilluminated on either side in a dim orange glow. Excited by the prospect of a little warmth,  \nVicente ran up to one of the torches and wrestled it out of its sconce. Standing on one leg, he  \nraised the other and held the flame close to his footpaw. It wasn't enough and would only last as  \nlong as he kept his foot off the ground, but it was something; It was warm.\n\n  \nHe set his paw back down reluctantly, wincing at the cold as it leeched back into his pads, and  \nbegan to raise his left leg to warm it when he started wobbling.\n\n  \nVicente fell backward.\n\n  \n“Fuck!\"\n\n  \nThe wolf slammed hard into the door and grunted. Pain blossomed near his shoulder as several  \nhard, cold nubs jammed into his back. He spasmed, but leaned against the door when he felt  \nhimself slipping. He grasped at it and the wall to keep his balance while his legs scrambled to  \nfind sure footing again.\n\n  \nEventually, they did. Vicente slowly stood up, hissing at the pain near his shoulder. He reached  \nhis paw over and trailed his fingers over the injury to see if it was serious. He hissed. No blood,  \nthough, as far as he could tell. Maybe a little bruised, but no worse than a sparring match.  \nRetrieving the fallen torch, Vicente held it up to the door. It was old wood--possibly ancient.  \nMarks and notches marred its surface. Scratches, deep and light, some from weapons while  \nothers were likely claws. The strangest decoration, though, was the nails. Hundreds, maybe  \nthousands, of large iron nails, jammed into the surface. Some were placed randomly, but most  \nconcentrated into a few large clusters, forming a nearly solid patch of metal.\n\n  \n\n  \n_BANG_\n\n  \nThe doors jostled as if something had slammed into them. The wolf retreated, instinctively falling  \ninto a defensive stance. Legs wide, knees bent, the torch held out in front of him as if he were  \nbrandishing a sword.\n\n  \n_BANG_\n\n  \nThe doors flew open and hot air rushed into the antechamber. Vicente snarled, raising the torch  \nto bludgeon whatever monster or demon came screaming out of the darkness.  \nNone did.\n\n  \nThe wolf stood there a while longer, his weapon still raised. He couldn't be sure if whatever that  \nwas was standing there, watching him, invisible to his sight, and waiting for a chance to strike.  \nAfter another minute or so, Vicente reluctantly lowered his guard. He peered through the open  \ndoor, anxiety welling up in his stomach. He was naked and alone with nothing but a stick and his  \nclaws to keep him safe.\n\n  \n_This is just a trial._\n\n  \nHe took a deep breath. This was a trial of faith, not arms. The Commandant would have allowed  \nhim his sword otherwise, or his clothes at least.  \nVicente exhaled. He had to be careful.\n\n  \nVicente walked back up to the open door. He saw a dark, narrow hallway. Torchlight leaked  \nthrough the door's hinges, softly illuminating the threshold. At the farthest end of the hallway  \nwas a faint blue glow. Vicente squinted; the light waxed and waned like a faraway candle hit by  \na draft. Magic? He supposed the Trialmasters and Tanagers indulged in that from time to time.  \nHe stepped through the threshold and entered into the narrow corridor.\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nHe walked through a stone windpipe. Warm air from deep inside the hall blew in a soft  \ncontinuous stream. A constant exhale. Vicente glanced over his shoulder, eying the doors. If  \nthey opened on their own, they could shut as well. At any moment, they might snap like jaws,  \ntrapping him\n\n  \nHe faced forward; dark thoughts would get him nowhere. Vicente growled, then took a step.  \nWhenever he felt the urge to turn around, he'd growl, bark, or make any manner of wolfish  \nsound that would do his feral ancestors proud. Fear was a rival encroaching on his territory, and  \nhe wouldn't suffer it. Not here.\n\n  \nVicente neared the strange light in the distance—much less in the distance now. The light  \nPulsed. It rose, peaked, and dimmed, following a pattern Vicente began to time. He squinted as  \nthe light hit another peak. Almost through the hall and nearing a turn, the glow went from a  \ndistant beacon to a flash.\n\n  \n“Agh!\"\n\n  \nA rush of heat slammed into Vicente. Not just heat, desperation. An overwhelming mix of hatred,  \nrage, and need scrambled the wolf's senses. He felt it all at once. His skin felt on fire. He  \nwanted to tear out his fur, to scream! To…jerk off?\n\n  \nIt all left him as soon as it hit him. The intense range of emotions evaporated and whatever was  \nleft rushed past him in a breeze of hot air. That… wasn't him.\n\n  \n“AAGH!\"\n\n  \nAnother flash. Vicente spasmed, the torch slipped from his fingers, and his entire body seized  \nas more foreign emotions set his senses on fire. As soon as it ended he turned and ran. The  \nlight pulsed behind him, but he was already a safe distance away. All he felt was more warm air  \nat his back. Vicente stopped running eventually, pushed his back against the wall, and lowered  \nhimself to the floor--now invisible after losing his torch.\n\n  \n“What the fuck?\"\n\n  \nThings flashed in his mind. Vague smudges that slowly morphed into blurry figures. A tiger with  \nwhite fur walking down this very hall, a maroon deer writhing on the floor in the wake of the light,  \na brown bear who barely fit through the narrow passageway. Every blink a different image. A  \ndifferent person.\n\n  \nDid they undergo the trial too?\n\n  \nVicente shut his eyes and focused.\n\n  \n_Flash_\n\n  \nA fox.\n\n  \n_Flash_\n\n  \nA golden retriever.\n\n  \nAll were naked, like him. One he saw standing in front of a massive rectangle, orange blobs  \nflanking its sides. Another stood in front of a blue dot, a smudged line he assumed was an arm  \nreached out for it.\n\n  \nGradually, the images subsided.\n\n  \nVicente sat for a while in the dark. Eyes closed or open, he saw nothing there. He didn't think  \nmuch--couldn't. He was tired. Whatever that light did, it drained him. Was that the trial? Were  \nthere more after it? Something worse? The wolf shuddered. This was cruel, he didn't deserve  \nthis! He shot up to his feet, fists clenched.\n\n  \n_Did you expect it to be easy?_\n\n  \nA voice, his own, punched through his seething. The wolf deflated. Was he arguing with himself  \nnow? Had he gone mad?\n\n  \n_You've been through so many trials already, what's another one?_\n\n  \nVicente growled in frustration.\n\n  \n“This is different!\"\n\n  \n_You said something similar about your last trial, as I recall. That one was different; unbeatable.  \nSo was the trial before that, and the trial before that._\n\n  \nI…\n\n  \n_He took a deep breath, held it, then exhaled.  \nBreathe in me, holy Maker  \nSpeak in me, mover unmoved  \nYou who made all souls as sacre  \nYou to whom all blest must prove_\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nVicente stood just out of what he surmised to be the light's range. He could look at it just fine,  \neven as it pulsed, meaning the light wasn't what caused his mental fits. Its effects seemed  \nbased on proximity. An artifact, maybe? A magical trap couldn't last this long without something  \nanchoring it, or else the magic would dissipate. Vicente crossed his arms, thinking back on the  \nfew lectures he'd received on the arcane by Alvaro.\n\n  \n_“Magic primarily affects the senses--Few can toss fire, but many can trick a man's mind into  \nbelieving he's burning. If trapped in an illusion, the quickest anchor to reality is pain--real pain.\"_\n\n  \nVicente set his footpaws and waited.\n\n  \n_Flash_\n\n  \nHe bolted. Hot air rushed past him as he rounded the corner. Out of the corner of his eye, he  \nsaw something attached to the wall. It was vaguely round and seemed to be the source of the  \nblue light. Vicente couldn't focus on it; he didn't have the time. He soared past, paws smacking  \nagainst the stone. Another flash, but it didn't affect him. He was right, the range was limited!\n\n  \n_Flash_\n\n  \n“AAAAAAAGH!\" Vicente's legs seized with the worst cramp he'd ever felt in his life. He  \nstumbled, then fell, barely managing to twist himself around and land on his back. He shook,  \nracked with sudden convulsions. He saw glass walls and a massive fist banging against them.  \nOverwhelming rage screamed in one ear while vicious lust demanded satisfaction in the other.  \nHe stood at a precipice the wind blew, pushing with the might of a hurricane. He wanted to  \njump--needed-- yet he couldn't tip over. A bowl filled to the brim but unable to spill.  \nPain shot through his left arm, and warmth trickled down his side. He turned his head, the  \nvisions gone in a flash. He gripped his right arm. Tiny droplets of blood leaked out from  \nunderneath his nails.\n\n  \nHe shut his eyes. By God and the Maker, he wanted to sleep. His body felt heavy, and his chest  \nheaved. The only thing that felt normal--even okay--was his crotch. It stirred in his sheath.  \nVicente reached a paw over--he could use a break.\n\n  \n_You're in a trial_\n\n  \nOh.\n\n  \nLooking up, Vicente spotted an orb above him. He pulled himself to his footpaws with a groan. It  \nwas small, glowing a dim blue light, slotted in a sconce attached to the wall.  \nIt takes longer to peak, but its pluses are much stronger.\n\n  \nVicente's eyes widened. The orb shimmered. He jumped away, glancing back and forth between  \nboth ends of the hall. If he ran back where he came from, he'd get hit by the weaker orb again,  \npreferable in comparison, but getting slapped was better than getting punched. It was better to  \navoid both.\n\n  \nHe turned on his heel and raced down the hall. Ahead were more orbs—hundreds! All in rows  \nattached to both walls. He was fucked! This trial would fucking kill him!  \nKeep running!\n\n  \nVicente ran faster than he ever had in his life. A prey animal half a hair away from a predator's  \nclaws. The air behind him rippled, and He felt a sudden sweltering at his back like he was being  \nchased by a campfire.\n\n  \n_You're almost there, just a bit more!_\n\n  \nHis heart slammed in his chest, and his limbs ached like he'd been through a dozen sparring  \nsessions. He was slowing down, but he had to keep moving. He didn't know what would happen  \notherwise and didn't want to.\n\n  \n_You're there!_\n\n  \nVicente landed face-first into what he hoped was safety. He landed hard, arms just barely raised  \nto break his fall. He didn't feel the impact, or his knee scrape, or his head thump against his  \npaws. All he could feel, he was capable of feeling, was tired. Everything else--including  \npain--was a stranger outside the window, A cry off in the distance that someone else could deal  \nwith. The wolf whined softly like a pup getting put down to bed by his mother.\n\n  \nHe just needed a little sleep.  \n…  \nHe got up anyway. Slowly, he groaned as he lifted his head. His knee stung, his head hurt, and  \nthe smell of copper overtook his nose. The distant figure outside the window wasn't so distant  \nanymore. He opened the window and waved it over. He made the cry off in the distance his  \nproblem. He stood up.  \nHe had to.\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nVicente stood inside a massive chamber bathed in ethereal blue. Instead of an orb, a crystal sat  \nin the center of the room. It was as tall as a tree, with just as many branches. Jagged shards  \nstuck out in all directions, sharp enough to draw blood. His throat tightened at the sight. He  \nstared at it for a while, refusing to go forward. It could be something worse than the Hall of Orbs.  \nThis light seemed different, though. Stable? It didn't pulse like the orbs. It didn't react to him at  \nall. It was calming. Vicente stared at it unblinkingly. The ache in his limbs and the fear in his  \nbreast dissipated in the crystal's wake. No, not dissipated, pulled. The crystal swallowed him,  \nreplacing all with a deep, suffocating calm.\n\n  \n_Walk_\n\n  \nIt was a simple word but a highly attractive one. Vicente liked walking! Walking was fun and  \nexciting! He walked, shambled, then picked up speed the more he thought about how great  \nrunning was. The wolf let out a joyous bark as he approached the crystal. His tail swished back  \nand forth. A dog eager to see his master.\n\n  \nHe passed a series of large racks and shelves, massive ones that reached high toward the  \nvaulted ceiling. Every shelf stacked with an incalculable amount of glass spheres. They didn't  \nmatter, though, as much as the dog loved balls. He had to get to his master! He loved his—  \nVicente froze in his tracks.\n\n  \nMere feet away from the crystal, he couldn't move. He trembled in place. Fingers twitched at his  \nsides. One leg froze in the air mid-step.\n\n  \n“Wha—?\" The wolf snapped back to reality. Something seized his throat. He tried to growl,  \nwhimper, anything, but all failed him. His body tingled as if every part of him fell asleep at once.  \nAll he could do was breathe, but barely. His eyes locked onto the crystal. He couldn't move them  \neither, couldn't blink. They burned in the open air and the intense light.\n\n  \n_Am I going to die here?_\n\n  \nThe blue light shimmered and distorted. A red glow pierced the crystal from within. It almost  \nlooked physical, a worm wiggling out of a hole. More worms followed, dotting the crystal's  \nsurface--a pox infecting the skin.\n\n  \nThe pox grew, devouring everything in its wake. The light in the room shifted alongside it. The  \nentire world became an oppressive red. It burned hot, sweltering, unbearable. Vincente tried to  \nscream but only managed a wheeze. He tried to move, but his limbs merely twitched. Everything  \nfailed him. The air rippled. The air felt bruised and hurt like something was attacking it.\n\n  \n_FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP!_\n\n  \nIt did.\n\n  \nThe heat dissipated instantaneously like a switch flipped. He felt instant relief. He breathed a  \nfull, proper breath. No longer restricted. Vicente shut his eyes. They stung like hell. He still  \ncouldn't move, but by the Maker, he'd enjoy this mercy. The air was warm, not hot, pleasantly  \nso, a perfect summer day. There were scents on it that weren't there a moment ago: citrus,  \nlavender, and soil. It made him think of the garden courtyards scattered around the temple  \ncomplex. He wasn't supposed to be there, of course. He was a squire of the martial wing--such  \ncomforts weren't for him. But he'd sneak in any way; no one seemed to mind.\n\n  \nHe thought of lazing on a marble bench under the shade of rustling apple trees. A priest  \nplucked a lyre amongst beds of roses while others lazed, enjoying a rare pardon from their  \nduties. Vicente breathed in sweet summer air and stared up at a blue sky. He should have been  \na priest.\n\n  \n“Hi!\"\n\n  \nVicente looked down. A fox roughly his age stood before him. He was in a squire's  \nuniform--black trousers, boots, and tunic--same as Vicente.\n\n  \n“Could you help me out?\" The fox pointed above towards one of the apple trees.\n\n  \n“I can't reach.\"\n\n  \n“Sure!\" Vicente said, full of more confidence than he ever felt in his life. He stood up, towering  \nover the fox by a good two feet. Their eyes met. Vicente's blue to his emerald green. The wolf  \nsmiled.\n\n  \nVicente looked up. The tree was mostly bare--he supposed the apples had been picked already.  \nA few small, unripe fruits hung on different limbs, but one stuck out. It was large, as big as his  \npaw, hanging solitary on the limb closest to him. Vicente reached for it.\n\n  \n“I can help out, at least!\" The fox reached up and took hold of a low-hanging twig attached to the  \nlimb, moving slowly so it didn't snap. He pulled it down, bending the limb slightly their way.\n\n  \nVicente plucked the apple along with a few leaves still attached by the stem.\n\n  \n“Here you go.\" He offered it to the fox.\n\n  \n“Hmm…you mind sharing with me?\" The fox took it and reached for a tiny leather sheath  \nattached to his belt. He retrieved a plain steel dagger and immediately cut into the apple.  \nVicente stared at it. Red juices oozed out between the blade and trickled down the side of the  \nfruit, leaving stains on the fox's orange fur.\n\n  \n“Sure!\"\n\n  \n“I'm Cisco,\" The fox sat down and motioned for Vicente to do the small. When he did, Cisco  \noffered him half of the apple. The wolf took it gingerly, careful not to get any of the juice on his  \nclothes. The fox didn't seem to mind. Red stained the white sleeves of his tunic, leaving pinkish  \nsmudges across the surface.\n\n  \n“Vicente.\" The wolf winked, eliciting a giggle from his newfound companion.\n\n  \n“I haven't seen you around here before.\"\n\n  \nThe fox bit into his half of the apple. Juice ran down his chin and he ran his tongue around the  \nedges of his maw, licking some off.\n\n  \n“I'm easy to miss, I guess,\" Cisco said.\n\n  \n“Someone like you? I doubt it.\"\n\n  \nThe fox giggled again.\n\n  \n“How do you know what I'm like, you just met me?\"\n\n  \n“A feeling,\" Vicente bit into his apple half, taking a small bite.\n\n  \n“You're easy to talk to--that alone makes you stand out here.\"\n\n  \nA warm breeze shook the tree above them, knocking a few leaves loose. One landed in the  \nfox's headfur.\n\n  \n“Could you get that for me?\" Cisco bit into the apple again, easily eating a third of his half in one  \nbite.\n\n  \nVicente reached over. As soon as his paw was over Cisco's head, the fox softly butted into it like  \na feral cat preempting a pet from its master.\n\n  \nVicente pulled back a bit, about to apologize, but then he noticed the Fox was still smiling. His  \ngorgeous eyes encouraged him to go ahead. It wasn't an accident. Vicente brought his paw  \nback down and stroked Cisco's headfur.\n\n  \n“Ah, that's nice,\" Cisco said, leaning into Vicente's strokes.\n\n  \n“You're gooood!\"\n\n  \nHe was, wasn't he?\n\n  \n“You want to…\" Cisco trailed off and looked away, suddenly nervous.\n\n  \n“What?\" Vicente gave the fox a warm grin. He was cute, beyond freaking cute. The kind of boy  \nVicente liked to read about in poems. Gentle, shy, excitable. It was as if a man had been pulled  \nout of his dreams and dropped in front of him.\n\n  \n“Want to uh…kiss?\" Cisco blushed underneath his fur.\n\n  \n“Might want to do more than kiss,\" Vicente said.\n\n  \nThat sweet giggle again, now tinted by the fox's shyness.\n\n  \nVicente leaned in slowly, thinking of poetry as much as he was the fox.\n\n  \nLet love move as it does, to rush or run is folly; dawn comes by degrees, and the sun rises jolly.  \n“Wait,\" Vicente paused. “Shouldn't we, uh, go somewhere else?\"\n\n  \nThe fox met his eyes again, his shyness gone in a flash.\n\n  \n“Why, there's no one here?\"\n\n  \n“Huh?\" The wolf looked around. The entire courtyard was empty. Strange, there were just  \npeople there— a lot of them.\n\n  \n“I, uh--\"\n\n  \n“Kiss me,\" Cisco cut Vicente off and grabbed his paw, letting his mostly eaten apple drop to the  \nground.\n\n  \n“Don't think about it!\"\n\n  \nVicente did though. He couldn't help it. Insecurity and doubt gripped him. He knew there were  \npeople here. How did they all leave without him noticing?  \nCisco's smile dipped a bit but immediately corrected.\n\n  \n“Please,\" The fox squeezed the wolf's paw, gaining his attention again.\n\n  \n_Those eyes_\n\n  \nHe leaned in, wrapping his arms around Cisco in a hug that was immediately reciprocated.  \nTheir muzzles met. Cisco's lips were soft. They tasted like vanilla, like honey. Vicente's  \ncompunctions melted away in the embrace. All that mattered was Cisco.\n\n  \nThe world flickered. In a brief instant, a particle of a second, Vicente was in the red chamber  \nagain. The crystal hummed with a terrible, frightful power. He was scared, he was in pain, he  \nwas—\n\n  \n“Vicente,\" The fox broke the kiss, much to the wolf's disappointment.\n\n  \n“I have an idea!\" That grin again, wider this time. A mischievous gleam in his beautiful eyes.  \nHe leaned in close, his warm breath tickling the wolf's ear.\n\n  \n“What if I sucked your dick?\"\n\n  \n“W-what?\"\n\n  \nThe fox shot back, letting out a throaty laugh.\n\n  \n“No one's here--they all went to mass.\"\n\n  \n“Mass?\" Vicente stood up, glancing around the courtroom in a sudden panic.  \n“We should be there!\"\n\n  \n“Should we?\" Cisco, still holding Vicente's paw, led him back down to the bench.\n\n  \n“Surely…Maker…won't be angry if you miss just one.\" Cisco spoke God's name hesitantly, with  \na wince as if it hurt to say it.\n\n  \n“No…but the Commandant—\"\n\n  \n“Forget him,\" Cisco kissed him again.\n\n  \n“Just us, okay?\" The fox said as they parted.\n\n  \nVicente nodded. “Just us.\"\n\n  \nCisco seemed pleased by that. He got off the bench and knelt before the wolf. Vicente blushed,  \nglancing around the courtyard yet again to be sure no one was around. Just us  \nHe felt the fox tug at his trousers. Vicente briefly lifted his rear off of his seat to make it easier.  \nCisco slipped his trousers down to his knees, leaving loose undergarments to protect his  \nmodesty.\n\n  \n“You ready?\"\n\n  \nCisco rested his paws on Vicente's legs and rubbed circles into his fur, inching closer to his  \nthighs.\n\n  \nThe wolf nodded.\n\n  \nCisco tugged the garment in one big yank. Vicente's paws instinctually went to cover his sheath,  \nbut Cisco blocked them.\n\n  \n“Relax,\" The fox purred.\n\n  \nHe reluctantly let his arms drop, giving his companion full access to his sheath.  \n“Oh my-\" Cisco licked his lips and whistled.\n\n  \n“Heavyset, huh?\"\n\n  \nCisco hefted the wolf's fuzzy balls in his paws. They were bigger than the average, or so he'd  \nbeen told. The fox fondled them-- played with them. It felt a little strange at first, a little scary, but  \nexciting! His cock stirred within his sheath.\n\n  \nCisco leaned into them and took a deep breath of his musk before giving his sack a gentle lick.  \n“Oooh…\" Vicente let out a soft moan.\n\n  \nThe fox, emboldened, licked again. He dragged his tongue across Vicente's sack while a paw  \nplayed with his balls. It was…warm. Hot, so fucking Hot. Vicente reached for his sheath, cock  \nalready beginning to peak out, but Cisco stopped him once again.\n\n  \n“Allow me.\" The fox slid a paw up Vicente's thigh. A few fingers trailed around the tip, lightly  \nbrushing, teasing, coaxing. It didn't need much, to Vicente's embarrassment. His cock slipped  \nout most of the way in barely any time. only his knot remained partially under his sheath.  \n“That's the fucking stuff.\" Cisco suddenly gripped his cock. Vicente let out a small yelp. From  \ngentle teasing to grasping was certainly a shift.\n\n  \nCisco chuckled.\n\n  \nThe world flickered again, but it lasted a bit longer this time. Stone arches melted into black  \nobsidian walls. Rows of flowers into shelves full of orbs. The crystal hummed louder than it did  \nbefore. Vicente's ears twitched, he wanted to fold them against his head.  \n“W-what the f—\"\n\n  \nThe fox shoved his cock into his maw.\n\n  \n“Oooh!\" Vicente moaned. Warmth encased his tip. His knot was out, and Cisco took advantage.  \nThe fox gently squeezed it, eliciting another moan. Pre welled at the tip which was immediately  \nlapped up.\n\n  \n“Maker, you're so goo—\"\n\n  \nCisco winced and the world melted away again. Vicente forced his eyes down. He was rock  \nhard, pre-cum welled up at his tip, and flowed off the side, collecting in a small puddle by his  \nfeet.\n\n  \n“This isn't real?\"\n\n  \nCisco giggled. “Flatterer!\"\n\n  \n“N-no, I-\"\n\n  \nThe fox took in his entire cock. Eight inches down his maw without any trouble whatsoever. This  \nguy was a fucking champ. Vicente pumped into him reflexively. The fox didn't complain, though.  \nHe dragged his warm, broad tongue over and around his cock, shoved more in, pulled back,  \nthen swallowed it again. He bobbed up down Vicente's length. Vicente wanted to grab him, to  \nfuck him. He imagined himself picking the fox up and holding him against the tree. He'd growl,  \nassert dominance, and stare into Cisco's eyes while he plowed the fox's ass like he owned a  \nfarm.\n\n  \nHe was about to do just that. Pull Cisco off his cock and slam him onto it. It was probably lubed  \nwell enough with his good work.\n\n  \nOnly he couldn't\n\n  \nHis legs didn't move. Nor did his arms. He was suddenly frozen, almost completely.  \nVicente's eyes widened in panic, even as he moaned in pleasure.\n\n  \n“T-there's--ohhh fuck--something wrong!\"\n\n  \n“No there isn't.\" Cisco pulled the wolf cock out of his maw and smiled up at him, now using his  \npaw to slowly jerk him off.\n\n  \n“We're having a good time.\"\n\n  \n“N-no I can't--ahhhhfuck!\"\n\n  \n“Can't just enjoy yourself? Don't worry, you'll lose those nerves soon enough.\"\n\n  \nPre-cum was a constant leak now instead of a trickle. It felt good, so fucking good! He was  \nclose, he knew it. That's all that mattered now. Fuck the paralysis, maybe it was just his body  \ntelling him to take a good thing and enjoy it. He'd cum soon, any moment now. He tried to thrust  \ninto Cisco's paw but only managed to twitch his hips. Vicente bit his lip, stood at the edge of—  \nCisco let go of his cock.\n\n  \n“What?\" Vicente panted and gasped. He was there, he was fucking there! “W-why did you  \nstop?\"\n\n  \nThe wolf petered off, his cock softening as he stepped off from the edge of climax.  \nThe fox just smirked, then grabbed his member again.\n\n  \n“Oooooh!\"  \nHe worked it back up to speed quickly. furiously and quicker than he was a moment ago.  \nVicente quickly devolved into a series of huffs and barks. He was there. Close. So fucking close.  \nCisco stopped. Again.\n\n  \n“What the fuck, man!\" Vicente growled in frustration. The fox was fucking with him. That  \nmischievous grin now looked more annoying than cute.  \n“Lemme cum!\"\n\n  \n“No.\" Cisco pulled close and licked his cock, making the wolf shudder in pleasure.  \n“What do you mean-\"  \n“Buddy, you aren't cumming again—this is your eternity now.\"  \nVicente grits his teeth, repressing another moan.  \n“My,\" he spoke evenly, focusing as much as he could manage.  \n“What?\"  \n“You lost the trial.\"  \n“Tri-aaaah!\"  \n“Yea dumbass, you're still in the chamber.\"\n\n  \nVicente blinked. He was closer to the crystal than before. Dangerously close. A jagged shard  \npoked his chest. Did he… move?\n\n  \nHe blinked again.\n\n  \n“It'll hurt for a decent while--sorry. But hey, once you're dead you'll have till judgment to enjoy  \nthis,\" Cisco let go of his dick.\n\n  \n“I'll even try to keep you focused on this for as long as I can. Might be disorienting-- you'll shift  \nbetween here and there like crazy, but I wouldn't want to just be in pain the whole time.\" Cisco  \nslapped the wolf's meat against his nose.\n\n  \n“You could have done worse than me.\"\n\n  \nVicente shot back to reality with an awful stabbing pain in his chest. He screamed. The tip of the  \nshard jammed into him, drawing blood.\n\n  \n_Blink_\n\n  \nCisco had his cock in his maw.\n\n  \n_Blick_\n\n  \nThe shard dug a few centimeters deeper.\n\n  \n_Blink_\n\n  \nCisco pulled back just as he was going to cum.\n\n  \n“AGHH!\" Vicente screamed. The pain was just as overwhelming as the pleasure. Both in equal  \nmeasure, working together to tear his fucking mind in two.\n\n  \n“STOP FOR THE LOVE OF THE MAKER, FUCKING STOP!\"\n\n  \nJust as he reached for his dick again, the fox grimaced as if he'd been struck and the shard  \npaused.\n\n  \n“Maker?\"\n\n  \nVicente repeated. The fox grits his teeth and growls.\n\n  \n“MAKER! MAKER MAK—FUCK!\"\n\n  \n“STOP FUCKING SAYING THAT!\"\n\n  \nCisco squeezed his knot and deepthroated his wolfhood.  \nVicente fought against the pleasure, and grit his teeth against the pain. Focus. He had to focus.  \n“Br-grr-breath in me, holy Maker!\"\n\n  \nCisco hissed.\n\n  \n“S-speak in me, mover unmoved!\"\n\n  \nVicente gained more ground. More time. The fox had to stop working him over again. It was his  \nturn to repress a scream.\n\n  \n“You who made all souls as sacre! You to whom all blest must—FUCK!\"\n\n  \nVicente squealed. Cisco crushed his balls in his palm while the other gripped his head. Now  \nthey were both in unrelenting pain.\n\n  \n“S-sstop.\" tears fell out of Vicente's eyes. The pain was unimaginable. His vision darkened, it  \nwas too fucking much!\n\n  \nCisco loosened his grip but didn't let go entirely. He panted, exhausted, while Vicente's chest  \nheaved.\n\n  \n“What I get for trying to be nice!\" Cisco said. He grabbed Vicente with his free hand while the  \nother kept a steady amount of strain on his sack. His cock had gone half soft in the torrent of  \nabuse, but wouldn't be hard to get up again.\n\n  \n“Ungrateful fuck,\" Cisco jerked him. All of the previous charm and excitement was gone now.  \nCisco was a machine--a whore who hated their job, working their client over to get them out of  \nthe door as soon as possible.\n\n  \n“You try to be a nice guy…some of us would have just shoved you down and pumped your ass  \nraw while you squealed. You don't need to enjoy it for your body to get into it, you know?\"  \nCisco continued his ranting while he pumped Vicente.\n\n  \n“But I have a soft heart. I wanted to give you a nice little fantasy before you realized you were in  \nhell. Fuck me, am I right?\"\n\n  \nThe fox chuckled. “Well, I guess you won't-- I know you thought about it, though. By the way,  \nthat poem earlier sucked.\"\n\n  \nVicente was hard again. Rock hard and rapidly approaching orgasm. An orgasm he knew he'd  \nnever get. The pain in his chest flared up. He grits his teeth in one place while repressing a  \nmoan in the other.\n\n  \n“Mak—AAAAAAAAAAGH!\"\n\n  \nCisco crushed his balls again. “Yeah, none of that. We gotta do this the hard way, then fine.\"  \nVicente's head swam, and his vision blurred. He felt weak like he'd pass out. He almost hoped  \nhe did.\n\n  \n“Y…you have no power.\"  \nVicente thought he saw Cisco roll his eyes.  \n“You say to the guy who literally has you by the balls.\"  \n“...Over faith.\"\n\n  \nCisco screamed. He let go of Vicente and staggered backward, landing flat on his back in the  \nnonexistent grass. Cracks formed over his body as if he were an old statue. Red light shone  \nthrough them. The fox screamed, cursed, and flailed in every direction. Vicente watched with  \nexhausted disinterest.\n\n  \n“You to whom all bleast must prove,\" Vicente said, finishing the mantra.\n\n  \nCisco exploded into a ball of blue light. The courtyard dispersed in one great flash. Vicente shut  \nhis eyes.\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nThe wolf's eyes opened to see the crystal. It hummed softly, an ethereal blue instead of a raging  \nred. He looked down and slowly backed off, groaning as he pulled himself away from the shard.  \nThankfully, it wasn't that deep.\n\n  \nVicente slowly lowered himself to the floor. He just needed to rest a bit…just a bit.  \nHe also really needed to jerk off.\n\n  \nHis paw found his cock. Painfully hard and slick with pre, he didn't need to put in much effort,  \nthe demon did more than enough. He lazily stroked himself, squeezed his own damn knot, and  \nsplattered cum over his chest.\n\n  \nVicente sighed. He was tired--beyond fucking tired. Jerking off didn't help with that, but he  \nneeded it. He lay there for a while.\n\n  \n“Huh?\" Vicente felt something bump into his side. He turned his head. A blue orb lay next to  \nhim.\n\n  \nThe wolf jerked away, suddenly awake, heart beating like mad. The orb just sat there, however.  \nIt glowed a soft blue light but very faintly. Working up his courage, Vicente crawled over to the  \norb and peered at it. He saw a faint wisp in the glass, a glowing spec of dust.\n\n  \n_Blink_\n\n  \nHe saw Cisco. His fist banged against a glass wall. He screamed curses and threats. It seemed  \nlike he could see Vicente through the glass. He was naked, his dick at full mast. Need emanated  \nfrom him in waves. They were weak now but would grow strong over time. Unbearably strong.  \nThis, Vincente supposed, was his eternity. Till judgment, maybe not even then. Cisco jerked  \nhimself off furiously. Eventually, he forgot Vicente, now fallen into his lust. He was close. He bit  \nhis lip, whined in pleasure, but didn't cum.\n\n  \nCisco screamed and smashed both paws against the wall.\n\n  \n_Blink_\n\n  \nVicente pushed himself to his feet, orb in paw, and made for the hall.\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nThe second time through the hall was far less exciting than the first. The lamps on the walls all  \nglowed softly; none pulsed or threatened to. Vicente dragged his feet, shambling. Just as he  \nreached the turn that led to the first hall, he spotted an empty sconce. He held up Cisco's orb  \nand slotted it into the wall without a second glance.\n\n  \n----\n\n  \nThe doors shut behind Vicente as he walked back into the antechamber.\n\n  \n“You've done well.\"\n\n  \nVicente's head snapped over to the stairwell. A bear stood in a white robe, grasping something  \nin his paws, while a golden retriever in armor held a torch behind him.\n\n  \n“Commandant!?\" Vicente covered his sheath with a whimper. He could hide that, but he couldn't  \nhide the splatter of dried cum across his chest.\n\n  \nAlvaro chuckled.\n\n  \n“You're far from the first, lad.\" Alvaro walked up to the wolf, and the knight followed closely  \nbehind. The bear offered Vicente his clothes and boots, which he took gratefully.\n\n  \n“One more thing,\" Alvaro reached into a long pocket and fished around for a moment. He  \nretrieved a small hammer and a long iron nail. Vicente took them and stared at the  \nCommandant, confused. The bear motioned toward the door.\n\n  \nVicente turned. Nails littered the door's surface, some in clusters, most haphazard.  \nThe wolf walked up to the door, placed the nail against an open space near the largest cluster,  \nand hammered it down."}