The Other Faith
Here's a story I've had lying around for a while and decided to finish up somewhat and post today. :P
A thief decides to change his place of residence, but ends up having a run in with a shady group of people in the new city.
Neseref the slender, grey rat sighed with relief as he crossed the outer city gates. He swept his hand over his slightly damp brow and through his neck-long, black hair. The long journey from his town of birth had come to an end. Here, in the city of Kenegar, he would forge his fortune anew. He had always wanted to move to a bigger settlement, his line of work favouring bigger and richer crowds, but he hadn't expected the "opportunity" to come so quick and sudden. A scrape with the authorities of his town had forced his hand, making him have to either flee or face imprisonment, either option leaving him bereft of most of his belongings.
The city of Kenegar was divided into four huge sections, each divided by a ring of walls and each nearer the centre elevated above the rest. He now stood within the broadest and lowest among them - the worker dwellings. Run-down grey brick houses as well as old wooden ones littered its streets, the only establishments of note being taverns and shady-looking brothels. Higher up was the commoners' section, areas where most commerce took place and where most craftsmen settled. Still higher up was the section meant for nobility, scholars and priesthoods of various approved of faiths. The final section was a relatively small bastion housing the baron of the region within a heavily fortified keep.
The bottom most ring would have to do for now, as he had neither the funds nor even the possibility to get to the upper districts at this hour. While the outer most gate wasn't particularly well guarded and remained open for all but an apparent invading force, the deeper gatehouses closed down for the night. He decided he would begin his "work" the next day, and that for now he would find an inn to stay the night at.
He wandered the dark, moonlit streets for a while, not wanting to go into an inn near the gate, as that would most likely mean inflated prices. He was wary of any potential mugging spots, but the streets turned out strangely empty. Eventually, in an area that seemed more occupied with abandoned or rickety houses than usual, he located an inn, faint light illuminating the streets outside, but giving no sound of banter from within.
Without much hesitation, he ducked inside, looking around as he did. It was a drearily dim looking place, only a candle and a torch on the wall that seemed like it would burn out at any moment to illuminate the main chamber of the inn. Several seated tables stood scattered around the room. A counter could be found at the far end, next to the stairs up. A visibly older, greying brown mouse sat up straight at the counter, having noticed a customer walk in. Slowly, a nervous looking smile plastered itself over the other rodent's face. It made Neser feel uneasy, but he decided he preferred not to return into the chilly night.
"Hello.", he said as he walked up to the counter.
"Welcome!", the mouse said with an unsettling cheer in his voice. "Would you like a room?", he asked eagerly.
"Uh. Yes. How much?", Neseref asked, somewhat taken aback.
"2 grans a night.", he announced. That was very cheap, perhaps too cheap, Neser thought. He couldn't help but expect the room accommodations to be a dirty mattress on the floor.
"Alright.", he said hesitantly, pulling out and dumping two copper coins on the counter. Maintaining his smile, the mouse swiped the coin and pulled out a key just as fast. He had agile hands. There would be no tricking him.
"Would you like something to eat?", he asked as Neser took the key.
"Sure.", he decided. He hadn't eaten since the early afternoon and could use some nourishment.
"I'll be right back. I'll fix something up.", he said and turned to leave out the door behind him, sounding almost gleeful. The rat shrugged and sat down at a nearby table, idly twiddling a gran between his fingers as he waited. The innkeep made him nervous for some reason. He looked at the rat as if he had come offering untold riches and precious jewels. But the prices certainly tempted him to stay. At least for the night. And unless he found something to dissuade him considerably, he would probably stay for at least a few nights longer despite his worries.
The older rodent eventually returned, carrying a plate of some cooked meat and cheese melted over some bread. "How much for that?", the rat asked as the mouse set it down in front of him. His smile widened into a grin at the question.
"Oh, this one's on the house. Normally it costs 2 gran. But consider this a welcoming gift.", he said. With prices this cheap, he wondered how the inn remained afloat. It seemed a bit off, but his growling stomach made him forego any caution for now, and he began to fork the cutlet apart while nibbling at the cheese-covered bread using his free hand. "So, you from elsewhere?", the mouse asked, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table.
"Uh. Yeah. From Vesenrad.", he said as he gulped down a chunk of meat.
"I see. And what brings you here? Family?", he asked again, eyeing the rat with what looked like bemusement.
"Work. Had difficulties finding a job back home, so I decided to seek elsewhere.", he answered.
"And what profession do you represent?", he pried.
"Trade. You're kind of nosy.", he said as he gulped down the rest of the meat and neared the end of his bread.
"Sorry. Just like to get to know my customers.", he said. "Here, let me take that.", he added as he took the empty plate back behind the door.
"Uh, thanks. I'll be going to bed now. Good night.", Neseref said and made his way towards the stairs.
"Certainly. Good night.", the mouse answered as he vanished past the door, his smile never seeming to fade.
***
The room certainly wasn't the wreck he was expecting. It was actually relatively well furnished, if a bit small. A pair of windows peeked out into the dark streets. The room was illuminated by a single candle he had found and lit on a table next to the door. In a corner, by the window, stood a rather soft looking double bed. At the opposite end stood a chamber pot. Beyond that there was only a chair by the door table and a bedside table to place the candle on.
Feeling exhausted, he decided to drop to sleep immediately, following a tinkle in the chamber pot. He began to undress, pulling off his boots, vest, shirt, pants and finally loincloth. He liked to sleep in the nude, and even in his new surroundings, he decided not to make exceptions. Having slipped under the covers, he blew the candle out and fell into a deep sleep within minutes, somewhat in disbelief at his good fortune.
***
He woke to the feeling of pressure on his lower abdomen. Blood was rushing to his head, and his legs dangled against something. He opened his eyes to try and find out what was happening, but found himself engulfed in darkness. With how stuffy his face felt compared to the chill over the rest of his body, he realized he had a bag over his head. Before the thought to try and pull it off even came across his mind, he realized his arms were bound behind his back. The pressure he was feeling he realized to be someone's shoulder he was slung over. He could hear several sets of speedy footsteps besides those of the one carrying him.
"Help!", he shouted, only to be muffled by the bag over his head.
"Shut it, rat!", he heard a gruff voice bark back at him followed by a hard strike to his naked gonads. He gasped and instantly regretted his cry as raw pain stabbed from his crotch through his abdomen, making him instinctively close his legs shut. He could only groan in agony as their journey continued.
Eventually he could hear them enter a building, the soft breeze of wind having ceased and the sound of a creaky door closing shortly after. He suddenly hit the ground quite hard, now realizing he was lying on a hard but carpeted floor. Just as suddenly, the bag was yanked off of his head, and he strained his eyes to see where he was. It was dim, the room large and lit only by half a dozen candles set upon tall stands, but what dominated his sight at the time was a large group of robed and hooded, albeit bare-pawed, figures of various species and sizes. He looked on in fear as the people around seemed to surround him, just standing there silently and looking right back at his naked, bound form.
"W-what do you want?", he asked, his voice now trembling, but none answered. He sat up and looked around the room some more. Behind him he noticed a simple stone slab, perhaps an altar. No decorations adorned the room save for the candles and the carpet. Eventually he heard the door open and close once more, and from beyond the crowd, a single, slightly more decorated robed figure moved to the front.
"We apologize for dragging you into this unannounced. But we require an offering. For Zirus.", he punctuated, making Neseref immediately realize what they wanted. Zirus was an undergod, known as the god of suffering and lust. Worship of him was forbidden in most civilized settlements, but apparently he had found a small group of faithful in this shady region of the city none the less. "Don't worry. This'll only hurt. A lot.", the ferret added with a toothy grin.
Not content with the thought, Neser began to frantically look around for a way out. As the ferret took a step towards him, on impulse, the rat thrust his paw upwards, nailing the cult leader right in the pup-makers. The mustelid yelped and fell back as Neseref leapt up and began his sprint towards the exit, knocking over a candle stand in the process. Two among the other cultists attempted to grab hold of him, but the rodent floored them both with hard knees to their crotches, and although only one of them felt male to his quick assessment, they both fell in pain all the same. Not giving it much thought, he ran on and slammed his full weight into the exit door, knocking it off its hinges. He scrambled to his feet again and ran off into the night, completely nude and his hands bound, angry shouts trailing behind him.
***
Once he'd made sure he had lost the cultists for the most part, he ducked down into an abandoned house and began to look around for something to break his binds. He found a shattered jug and decided to use one of the pieces. It proved an easy task for one of his profession.
Careful not to step on any of the broken shards with his bare paws, he then began to peek through the boarded up windows, trying to get his bearings. This was his first time in the city, so he found himself completely lost. He couldn't stay naked indefinitely, though. He had to find the inn from which he was taken and get his clothes back. It would be risky, as the innkeep was no doubt in on it, and there were probably other cultists there at the moment, but he had no alternative. Hopefully his skills would help him through it.
Following a few deep breaths to regain his composure, he slipped out of the building once more. He crept down the thin alleyways, ducking behind wooden trash containers and peering out into the main streets. Eventually he began to recognize his surroundings, parts of it the way he'd come seeking the inn in the first place, and sure enough, he finally caught sight of the warm glow of the inn.
As he'd predicted, the cultists were already at the ready, two standing at the door. He took a moment to remember the layout of the inn and where his room was. At the side of the building. He began to make his approach, careful to avoid stumbling into sight of the sentries. Once at the building, he looked around to make sure no one was watching before starting his climb. The walls were made primarily of brick, so thankfully his climb invoked little noise.
He peeked through the window of his room. It was utterly dark, only some token amount of moonlight projecting his shadow onto the floor within. He could just make out his clothing piled up at the foot of the bed. He tugged at the window, pulling it open. He deftly climbed inside, but grimaced as his step made the floor planks squeak gently. The thought that he might've been heard sent shivers up his spine, as many times as he'd taken such risks in his line of work. He shuffled quickly over to his clothes, wanting to grab them and leave.
But just as he leaned in to pick them, he heard a much heavier creaking from where he came from. With his clothes bunched in his hands, he looked around towards the source of the noise. His heart lodged itself in his throat as he discovered the heavy looking frame of a robed figure blocking his way of entry, having stepped out of the darkness besides the window. It stomped its paw on the floor twice, and soon after, two others came in the room, carrying torches. Neser could now see that the figure blocking his exit was a lion, his mane peeking out from under the hood. The two at the door were an equally imposing wolf and badger by the looks of them.
After a brief moment of consideration, the rat leapt for the other window. But before he could manage to pull it open, the lion had leapt onto him, pinning him to the floor, the other two cultists already making their way towards them. He struggled for a while with the big feline, but found himself at a strength disadvantage. He managed to plant a knee in the lion's soft spot, but beyond a growl of displeasure, the only thing he got in return was a knee to his own goods. But whereas his own feeble attempt had little effect, the feline's muscular thigh sent Neser reeling in agony underneath the lion. He felt as though his balls had been rammed right up into his lungs, but his grip confirmed they were still where they were supposed to be.
The lion eventually got up and rubbed his crotch while the other two now restrained the rat, rebinding his arms behind his back. With the pain still rushing through his nethers, he did little to protest. Once they'd slung a bag back over his head, he felt himself being slung over someone's shoulder like a bag of potatoes again. The agony in his gut made him want to cry out, but the pressure on his diaphragm left him near breathless.
***
Once more he found himself lying on the floor within the dim, ritualistic looking chamber, surrounded by cultists. The door had been rudimentarily placed up against the door way, just barely serving as any sort of obstacle. The ferret approached him once more, looking considerably angrier.
"Oh, we're going to enjoy your sacrifice.", he said maliciously and then took hold of the rat's legs by the ankles. Before Neser could even try to squirm out of this position, the ferret stomped down hard, right between his legs. The rat yelped and began to thrash, trying to free his legs and protect his soft spot, but the cultist leader stomped down once more, then again, before finally letting go. Neseref couldn't help but whimper out loud in pain and roll around with his knees pressed against his chest, pure agony gripping his insides.
His pitiful hurting was cut short as two pairs of hands took hold of him and placed him over the altar, carefully adjusting his genitals so that his dick was on top while his balls hung just over the edge. The purpose of this arrangement was soon made clear as the mustelid thrust his paw into the rat's jewels once more, crushing them against the unyielding hard stone altar. Neser screamed once more, then collapsed onto the altar, panting in exertion. He then heard a flutter of cloth, after which he felt a clearly naked body press and lean over him. "I see you're enjoying this. I know I'm going to enjoy this.", he heard the ferret whisper from behind.
He shivered as he felt something warm and slippery grease up against his rear, followed by a hardness slipping and pressing between his butt cheeks. Evoking a whimper, the ferret's manhood invaded his rectum, stretching his sphincter and rubbing his insides. He began to give out soft gasps with each thrust, his entire body rocking back and forth over the altar as the cultist edged his way in deeper and deeper. But just as he began to feel he might start enjoying it, he felt a hand grab hold of his nuggets and clamp down hard, nearly making him lose his lunch over the stone slab. He could now only squirm and squeal in agony as his nether region was ravaged from both sides, beads of sweat forming and rolling down his body all over while pre involuntarily leaked out the tip of his cock.
Despite being heavily pre-occupied with his own pains, through the corner of his eye, Neser noticed the other cultists had disrobed, their hoods apparently detachable as they remained on their heads even as the rest of them was completely revealed. An orgy broke out among them, males and females alike fondling and licking one another. It quickly turned to violence, however, as he could hear yelps and slaps, punctuated by outright screams of pain. He could only guess that this was part of their efforts to appease their god.
His awareness turned back towards his own situation as the ferret began to quicken his efforts, obviously nearing orgasm. The mustelid suddenly paused and stiffened, his cock beginning to pulse heavily and spurt semen inside the rat in rhythm with his heartbeat. Just as abruptly, however, Neser felt the ferret jerk up with a squeal and pull out abruptly. He looked back to see the mustelid down on the floor, clutching his grapes even as his dick continued to spill seed all over his belly and the carpet. Above him now stood a lion, the very same one who had recaptured the rat not long ago. While his stature was already bulky enough to leave no doubt about his superior physique, without the robe he looked even more formidable.
The other cultists seemed too preoccupied to even give the rat any heed, and Neser preferred to keep it that way. He noticed two among them were now particularly being abused. A female wolf and a male cat, both now bereft of hoods as well as clothes. He realized they must've been the two he had floored earlier in his escape and he could only guess this was a direct consequence of that. The other cultists took turns beating their genitals and violating them, ploughing them in their rear orifices. Chief among those handling them were the big wolf and badger he'd encountered earlier. It seemed as though he was bearing witness to a change of management in the cult.
"No failure goes unpunished.", the big feline announced and took hold of the fallen ferret, dragging him to his paws before yanking off his hood and shoving him towards the altar. The mustelid stumbled and slumped over the stone block right next to Neser. The cult leader no longer looked confident nor malicious, and instead there was now simply pure terror in his eyes. As the lion briskly closed the distance between them once more, the rat slowly moved away, trying to remain unnoticed.
The ferret tried to flee to the side, but the lion easily managed to grab hold of him and pin him to the altar, similarly to how the mustelid had done with the rodent moments ago. The muscular feline then angled his manhood over the ferret's rump and began to rub it over his pucker, getting it to full erection before driving it inside, inciting a loud gasp from the smaller male. At the same time, the lion reached down and grabbed hold of the mustelid's testicles, one in each hand, beginning to knead them hard with each thrust. Despite the ferret's protests and struggles, his masculinity seemed more than happy with his present situation, throbbing at full length and dripping pre onto the altar despite his recent release. The carnage among the cultists continued for a while, cries of lust and pain filling the chamber.
As the room slowly grew silent, the attentions to the two distinguished cultists dying down, the lion began to hasten his efforts, clamping down harder and harder on the mustelid's gonads, making the cult leader claw at the altar in agony, leaving long trails in the hard stone. Eventually, the lion suddenly tensed up, signifying his climax. Overcome with pleasure, he growled ecstatically and pressed his thumbs down hard into the ferret's testicles. The mustelid screamed out in agony as his balls gave out two muffled pops, signifying their destruction, while the feline continued to pump his man milk inside the abused former cultist leader. The mustelid's penis, however, seemed to throb harder than ever, and suddenly began to spurt fresh cum for the last time ever, coating the altar underneath.
With his own orgasm past, the lion pushed the ferret off himself, sending him chest-first onto the semen-covered altar, smearing his torso in the last of his seed. The mustelid immediately fell off, beginning to roll around on the floor, clutching his ruined manhood and continuing to gasp and whimper in sheer gut-wrenching pain. While also quite clearly pained, the other two targeted cultists were still intact, if somewhat covered in love juices, as far as Neseref could tell.
The chamber now reeked of sweat and sex. Seemingly ignoring the rat, all but the three fallen cultists began to gather up their clothes, apparently preparing to leave. But a sudden hiss, initially silent but quickly growing in intensity, gave them pause and drew their attention towards the altar. The air above it seemed to distort as if great heat was flowing through it, then became unnaturally blurry, making Neseref's eyes strain as they tried to focus on the strange sight. From the centre of the distortion, a greyish-brown shape began to grow, slowly assuming a vaguely humanoid shape.
The distortion steadily cleared up, revealing the slender figure of a winged, rat-like being, sitting atop the altar, one leg crossed over the other. While its primary features seemed to indicate a rat, it was additionally endowed with a set of bat-like wings protruding out of its back as well as straight horns reminiscent of a goat's and a pair of hooves instead of paws. Its flat, toned chest and generously sized pair hanging between its legs made its gender quite clear. Neser could hardly believe what he was seeing. It was a real daemon. He remained glued to his corner of the room, as if hoping the strange hybrid being wouldn't notice him.
The daemon scanned the room with his eyes, a subtle smile over his face that seemed to widen at the sight of the fallen cultists, particularly the ferret. His sight hovered over the rat for a while, peering into Neser's eyes with curiosity and amusement. The rodent could now see that the colours of his eyes were inverted, his pupils white and the rest sheer black. He then turned back towards the awaiting cultists.
"I am Bertarion. Herald of Zirus.", he pronounced, his voice soft but his tone firm. "Who's in charge here?", he asked, sweeping across the room with his eyes for a response.
"I am. My name is Ertus.", the lion responded with some pride, taking a step forward from the crowd. He seemed much less phased than the others, and now stood but a few steps in front the daemon, almost defiantly.
Bertarion said nothing in response, and instead climbed off the altar and strolled over to the big lion. Despite being the daemonic entity, the feline seemed like the far more intimidating male among them. The rat-daemon was nearly a head shorter and was so slim he looked almost emaciated, making him seem frail compared to the muscular lion. But then, keeping his gaze locked with that of the lion, the daemon's hand suddenly darted down and grabbed hold of the feline's eggs. Before Ertus could even protest verbally, Bertarion closed his hand into a fist without effort, as if there was nothing there. The lion gave out a high-pitched roar that immediately turned into a mewl as his manhood was crushed into paste, unimaginable pain suddenly surging through his entire being. The rat-daemon then let go, letting the much larger yet former male collapse to the floor, continuing to wail in agony, joining the ferret he'd neutered himself moments earlier.
"Now. Who's in charge?", Bertarion asked once more, sitting back down on the altar, his hooves dangling off the side and clacking against the stone in bemusement. The cultists looked on in shock and horror at how easily and brutally the daemon had dispatched their recently appointed leader. Most were now shielding their own groins, not so much in sympathy as much as as an instinctive precaution.
"Y-you are...", a rabbit among them finally muttered out uncertainly. The daemon simply nodded with satisfaction in response. He then turned his sights on Neseref, making his blood freeze.
"You. Approach.", he said, gesturing towards the rat. Not particularly confident in his chances of escape following the daemon's demonstration, Neser decided to obey and approached slowly, as if in a daze. "Kneel before me.", he instructed and spread his legs, giving the rat a good look at his set. It was fairly normal looking, although his testicles were obscenely large, even for a rat. His pecker was somewhat underwhelming compared to that, but Neser wasn't about to bring that up with a daemon that could snap him in half. "Now lick. Do a good job and maybe I'll spare your manhood.", he said, putting a hand over the back of Neser's head and pressing it towards his crotch.
The smell of the rat-daemon's musk hit him hard at first, and he struggled to move away, but the daemon's inhuman strength kept him in place. Eventually he gave in and hung his tongue out, nearing it uncertainly. He gave the male's saggy scrotum a reserved lick, nudging its contents around. Feeling confident, the daemon released his head. "There will have to be some changes in this little group.", he began. "Tonight was a good start, but we-!", was as far as he got before Neser bit down hard, freezing Bertarion with his jaw dropped and utter shock in his eyes.
Neseref quickly let go and leapt away before the daemon could manage to reach for him, making Bertarion trip and fall to the floor, clutching the masculinity he'd over-confidently put at risk with dire results. The remaining cultists were too stunned to effectively stop the rat as he ran between them and shouldered the rickety doors to the floor, fleeing into the night once more. High-pitched screams trailed after him, the rat-daemon shouting at his subordinates to capture the fleeing offender.
***
This time, knowing his bearings better, Neser immediately ran for the inn without stopping. As much as he now wanted nothing more than to run away as soon as possible, he didn't want to continue bereft of clothes.
He reached the inn panting and sweating. He decided to take a moment to catch his breath. Noticing a broken bottle next to the building, he ducked down and grabbed a shard, using it to saw his bonds off. He couldn't hear the cultists nearby yet, but he decided to try the stealthy approach again anyway. He retraced his steps and went in through the window of his room. His things were still there, although a quick rummage revealed they were lighter in coin. He dipped his hand underneath the mattress, revealing that his lockpick was where he left it.
Just as he was about to leave, the door swung open and a lone figure walked in at a brisk pace. It was the innkeep, grin and all.
"Leaving already?", he asked, approaching the rat swiftly without awaiting an answer. Fearful at the sudden discovery, Neser backed away, stumbling towards the window frame. Before he had time to react, the ferret lunged at him, recklessly trying to grab him. In one moment, the two flipped over the edge and fell one storey down to the hard, cobblestone pavement. The next thing the rat knew, he was lying on top of the inn keep. No longer smiling, the mustelid's features were now locked in shock with his mouth agape in a silent scream. With a dull ache now spreading across the rat's leg from his knee, he looked down to realize it had softened his fall at the cost of the ferret's groin.
Dazed, Neser stumbled to his paws, the inn keep letting out a pathetic mewl as he rolled into a ball. He was uncertain whether he'd actually caused permanent damage or just a world of pain, but he could hardly care now. Returning to his senses, the rat quickly looked around and gathered the clothes that had fallen out of his hands on the way down. He hastily put on enough to cover his modesty and began to limp away as quick as he could through the dark alleys, only occasionally pausing to look back for signs of pursuit. The sudden echoes of the cultists' angry yells turned his limp into full flight, sheer terror dulling the pain in his leg through adrenaline.
He reached the gate ahead of his pursuers. He saw guards up ahead, carrying lanterns. His first instinct was to try and seek help from them, but he paused as he considered they may be in agreement with the cultists, if not downright part of them. The way the lower city had been utterly empty during his escape made it pretty clear to him that at least this district was quite aware of their activities. Or at least such activities in general.
As if by sheer fate, the guards walked apart from the gatehouse just far enough to make escape likely. Neser quickly slid in deftly up until the very gate before going into a full run. The guards seemed quite surprised by the sight and just stood their ground in confusion, apparently not all that interested in someone actually running away from the city.
***
Panting heavily with his muscles aching from the forced exertion, Neseref reached the tree line a good kilometre away from the city. He looked back in disdain, wondering what he'd do now. He had no desire to ever return to that place again. He considered what other cities he could seek his fortune in. Perhaps one of the bigger canine cities would be more welcoming. Either way, the trip would be draining, as he had no supplies to speak of. He would have to count on meeting a travelling merchant along the way or scrounging up something himself.
Just then, he heard a loud, ungodly roar echo throughout the clearing, no doubt of the daemon, making his heart skip a beat. Even though he was a long ways away, he turned tail and ran into the forest for as long as his legs would carry, never looking back again.