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XXVIII

No Voice

It was better if he stayed on the ground. Soon enough, everybeast would get bored of kicking him. The chubby rat coughed up blood before he let out a shaky breath, still whimpering. It worked all those times before. Surely enough, it'd work right now. Just lie still. Be quiet. They'll leave me alone soon, he told himself. One of the mice kicked the rat in the stomach, causing him to grunt and wince. The same mouse crouched down and grinned as he got in the rat's face.

"Get up," the young mouse said.

The rat took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. The mouse responded by kicking him in the nose.

"I said get up ya fat fuck! We ain't standin' 'ere jus' to watch some twat cower down in the grass!"

But the rat didn't move. He couldn't. Not with all these mice constantly breathing down his neck, ready to tear him to shreds. It was six against one--the rat knew he couldn't possibly do anything about his situation. So he laid still and took it, knowing it'd be over soon. The leader of the gang of mice scoffed as he shook his head and kicked the rat one last time.

"Let's go. We got better shit t'do anyways."

"Have fun eatin' that dirt fer dinner! S'all yer gonna get tonight!"

The rat listened as the mice started to walk away, all of them laughing and calling the fat rodent spiteful names. The plump beasts stopped shaking and began to sniffle as tears ran down his face.

---

Razzik was sitting down by the campfire and sharpening his cutlass with the smooth stone. He looked over at Turvin and Slipfoot, watching the two beasts as they gazed at the holt.

"How many?" the rat asked.

"Hard t'say. Looks like fifteen, maybe a score," responded Turvin.

Slipfoot didn't answer. He kept looking at the holt, wiggling his nose and smacking his lips. Razzik looked at his sharpened cutlass before he slid it into its sheath and walked over to the trackers. He crouched down beside them, looking at all the otters in the distance. He couldn't see where the lizards were, but he was certain that the two captives were nearby, probably being tortured for information. The rodent scratched his head before he looked at the stoat counting all her pebbles.

"So wot's the captain wa-wanting you t'do?"

"It's none of yer concern," said Slipfoot.

"Why not? Don't, um, don't you two need some help?"

"Three's a crowd, Razzik."

The rat blinked. "You had four beasts in yore group before. Now yer sayin' that three is too much?"

Turvin exhaled. "We still need time, Razzik. We're not sure who else t'replace Longfang an' Dead-Eye."

"I'm not askin' to replace 'em. Nobeast can do that. B-but y'know...trackin' would be easier with another set of eyes."

Razzik looked at Slipfoot and smirked before he nudged him with his shoulder. "'Sides, it's like Blowhorn said, the rats that stick together, stink together!"

Slipfoot glared at Razzik with a long scowl. Razzik frowned and meekly scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, err...never mind then."

Razzik stood up and began to walk away. He was about to return to the campfire when he heard the stoat call out his name.

"Hold up, hold up! Get back o'er here!"

The rat's ears perked as he turned around and saw Turvin waving him towards her. He jogged along the grass and crouched down beside her again.

"Wot?"

Turvin sniffed. "How good are ya up close?"

"Up close?"

"D'you prefer a bow an' arrow or gettin' behind somebeast an' snappin' their neck?"

"Err...the second one. I'm not the, um, best when it comes to archery."

"Wot about usin' knives t'throw?" asked Slipfoot.

"No."

"Wot about slings?"

"Trust me; you do not want t'put a sling in my paws."

Turvin sighed heavily. "Fine. You wanna 'elp us? Then make sure you do wot we say. There's some otters down o'er there, by the tree near one of the huts. You get behind one of 'em an' kill 'em--do not make a single sound."

"B-but wot about the other otters?"

"We'll take care of 'em," Slipfoot chimed in. "We'll make sure to kill 'em before they alert anybeast. But if you cock it up, that'll make this whole situation much harder fer us."

"Couldn't we just rush 'em, slay all the otters? It-it's only a score of 'em, right?"

"Of course we can," Turvin started. "But then the otters might kill the lizards before we get to 'em. Can't have that, now can we?"

Razzik's whiskers moved slightly, moments before he started to reach for his knife. "No, I s'pose not."

"Good! Now get down there. We'll cover you from the trees."

The two vermin quickly scrambled up into the tall trees. One moment they were there, the next both of them were out of Razzik's line of sight. He gazed at the huts, trying to guess how many otters he'd have to slay on his own. Razzik exhaled softly and headed straight for one of the trees at the bottom of the hill. He crept towards it, crouching down, trying to conceal himself. The sky was still gray and pale from yesterday; Razzik doubt it would clear up anytime soon. The rat heard a twig snap and immediately hit the ground. He let out a few loud breaths before shutting his mouth and breathing quietly through his nose. He watched as a worm began to edge its way near his muzzle. He felt the moist soil against his toes, the soft earth pressing against his stomach and dirty clothes. Razzik, curious, lifted his head and looked up. He saw Turvin and Slipfoot now, standing on high branches in the trees just ahead of him. Turvin looked down at the rat and held up three fingers.

She nodded and gestured him to move forward with a thumb. The rat nodded, and he got up and slid down the hill. Razzik panted and immediately pressed his back near one of the trees down below, shutting his eyes and swearing after hearing brief chatter. He moved his head around, peeking past the corner of the tree. There they were, the otters all dressed in tribal clothing, only wearing loincloths or plaid blue kilts. Their fur was blue or black, and all the otters looked massive, some nearly the size of Ishlin. Razzik swallowed hard when he noticed the broad otter with tribal markings all over his back holding a lengthy javelin. He looked down at the small dagger in his waistsash and swore, knowing it wouldn't be enough to kill him. The rodent was about to remove his cutlass, but the moment he started to pull it out the sheath, the blade made its trademark scraping sound. Razzik shut his eyes and let go. All he had were his paws and the dagger. He crouched down and lied flat on the soil, grunting as he dragged his body along the dirt towards the three otters. He lifted his head slightly, staring at the three beasts with their backs turned.

Razzik thought about rushing them, until two of the beasts turned around and began to spread out. The big one was blinking and moving around the first hut, while one of the skinnier beasts grunted as he sniffed the air and snorted. The rat held his dagger firmly and lay still, waiting for the beasts to stop moving. The big otter spat on the ground while the skinnier one loosened his grip on his javelin. He twirled it around a few times before he walked back over to the third otter. Razzik gradually lifted his head, his muzzle barely sticking out of some bushes and leaves. He grabbed a pebble and threw it, swearing once he missed one of the otters. The rat picked up a second one and chucked it against the back of one otter's head. The otter shouted and jerked around, gripping his javelin and wiggling his nose.

"Stay there. Prob'ly jus' some--"

"No. We ain't takin' chances. Could be 'nutha one o' them lizards lookin' fer their mates."

Razzik swore. Both otters were coming towards him now. He crouched down again. His heart began to beat faster as he panted softly. He could hear them all now, their footpaws crushing all the leaves and kicking up some of the soil. Razzik looked up, waiting, hoping Turvin and Slipfoot would follow through with their plan. The otters were so close Razzik thought they were about to step on him. He couldn't wait. Razzik sprang and attacked. He lifted his left paw and used it to cover the otter's maw. Then he used his right paw to plunge his dagger into the beast's midriff. The rat and otter toppled over, with the former lying on top of the latter. Razzik panted as he removed his dagger and stabbed the beast again and again, his blade squelching as it punctured the flesh and fat. The otter let out a few muffled grunts and whimpers, but then he lied still. Razzik heard a meaty thunk, followed by an object smacking against something hard. Then he heard two thuds, and the rat saw the other otters' bodies on the ground. Razzik opened his mouth and started to breathe heavily, still shaking after the ordeal. He stood up, taking note of the burly otter with an arrow in his throat and the third otter with a reddish dent on the left side of his skull.

The rat looked up into the trees again and saw Turvin and Slipfoot looking down at him. Turvin nodded and gestured for him to move forward again. Razzik shook some of the blood from his dagger before he blinked and resumed heading towards the holt.

---

"Who did it?"

The rat looked down. The dirt was more interesting and less hostile than his step-father. The tall mouse glared down at him, scowling, waiting for the rat to confess. The older mouse flicked his eyes between the two beasts and sniffed.

"I'm not gonna ask again. Who did it? Who stole from Ms. Carlyle?"

"Razzik! He-he's always stealin' sh--stuff from everybeast! Can't even put down a sandwich without his fat ass takin' it!"

Razzik's step-father stared at him while the rodent continued to look at the ground. Then he turned back over and looked at the young mouse standing beside the rat.

"Yes, of course. He's always stealing from other beasts. He's vermin--that's what they do, right?"

"That's exactly right, Father!"

"Then why was your medal seen inside her hut? You didn't, uh, lose it by any chance trying to climb out her window, did you, Bucklee?"

Bucklee's eyes grew wide. "I--um--I-I didn't...R-Razzik stole that too!"

Bucklee shouted when his father grabbed him by the ear and snorted noisily. The larger mouse walked up to his son and started to speak in a guttural tone.

"You know what they do in certain parts of this world when you steal, son? They chop off your paw."

Bucklee started to whimper when his father tightened his grip. "You want me to chop off your paw?"

"No! No, no--I-I'm sorry, Father! But she was just--"

"I'm sure you won't mind having a few new scars added to your back, right?"

And just like that, the older mouse started to drag Bucklee away as the mouse started kicking and screaming. Razzik finally raised his head, blinking as he watched the older mouse shove Bucklee against one of the poles and began to tie his paws around it. Razzik didn't grin or stare at the two mice with glee. He just watched it happen, not feeling much of anything.

"Do I even need to ask?"

Razzik glanced to his right and saw the other older mouse looking down at him. He blinked and looked away, knowing it'd be better if he didn't answer.

"Should we tie you up to that pole next to your brother?"

"He's not--" Razzik winced when he heard Bucklee scream. The mouse's shirt had been ripped off and his father was holding a large whip in his paws. "He's not my brother."

"Why? 'Cause you're not the same species?"

Razzik winced again; he could hear Bucklee sobbing now. "That's not..."

"You're not the same species as Losan and I. Yet the two of us raised you like we raised our own son. We could have left you there, you know. Losan wanted to leave you. I'm sure you don't remember, right?"

"M...'member wot?"

"We found you in the middle of the swamps. This fat li'l...clump of fur, naked, moving around rippin' up shrooms an' liverworts to eat. You were covered in so much muck we couldn't even tell what colour your fur was. Losan looked at you like you were some...thing, like some germ he didn't want to touch. He told me to leave you, let the bog swallow you up. But all I saw was another poor beast whose parents abandoned him. Or maybe your parents died, and you were left to wander around on your own."

Razzik looked down at the ground again, wincing once he heard two loud thwacks and saw Bucklee flinching. Razzik's step-mother put a paw on his shoulder and blinked.

"I know it must be hard. I know beasts like us always stare at beasts like you, talk behind your back. But we did not rescue you from that swamp so you could constantly get into fights with us."

"B-but he started it! He always--"

"I don't care. The two of you need to figure out how to get along. One day Bucklee is going to need your help. One day you'll need his. So stop holding grudges against other beasts and start making friends. You never know when you'll need 'em."

The mouse moved her paw up and patted Razzik's head a few times before she walked away. The plump black rat observed his step-mother walking before he flicked his eyes at Losan and Bucklee. The young mouse was still crying and sniffling, his back raw and bloody from all the lashes he received. Razzik grimaced, knowing full well that he easily could've been the one tied to that post instead.

---

Razzik was at the hut now, crouched down and listening to the otters' conversations. He pressed his left ear against the back of the straw hut, hoping he'd hear something important. But most of their voices were soft and hushed--he could only make out a few names and the otters mentioning the disgusting lizards. The black rat blinked and started to step towards his right. He could make out the center of the small holt; the rat spotted the pile of logs resting in the middle of the community. He could hear the water from Northfork Stream babbling several yards away, containing enough fish and shrimp to feed the holt for several seasons. Razzik gazed at the tall hill up ahead, only a few yards from the river. A large hole had been dug at the base of it--big enough for somebeast like Jenrik to walk inside. Razzik swore quietly when he saw more otters walking outside, the playful creatures heading over to bathe themselves in the river or catch more shrimp. The rat moved away from the hut and looked up into the trees, gesturing for Turvin and Slipfoot to regroup with him. Razzik ran a safe distance away from the huts and crouched down near a few bushes and several roots. Turvin and Slipfoot reached the ground and looked at Razzik with confusion.

"I didn't see 'em," Razzik announced.

"Did you look?" Slipfoot snapped.

Razzik ignored him. "They're not near the huts; I would've heard 'em by now. Hell, I can't even detect their scent. It's too faint."

Turvin scoffed. "So that fox lied to us."

"Well, no. I, err, I did--I found this cave...it's a few yards west, near the stream. Spotted some otters comin' outta there."

Turvin raised an eyebrow. "So wot's all this then? A display, just some huts messily thrown together fer show?"

Slipfoot stared at the huts for a moment before he frowned. "It's a decoy. If somebeast tried to attack the holt, they'd just think it's a tiny li'l village with a few otters roamin' 'round. But the second the assailants think they just wiped out the village--"

"--the otters hidin' inside the cave will come out and slaughter everybeast in sight," Razzik finished.

Turvin slammed her fist against the tree. "So there could be three times as many otters in there. Shit!"

Razzik stared at the two trackers, flicking his eyes between them as they began to ponder.

"Wot do we do? Should we get Kurwin, have 'im lead an as-assault on the holt?"

"As I said before, we need to find the lizards before we do anythin' drastic. We rush 'em now, they'll kill the lizards. An' if there's upwards of two, maybe threescore otters 'round here, it'd be best if we avoid a fight. We lost enough beasts fightin' the MSB--we can't lose more o'er the sake of two lizards."

"Th-then we'll find another way inside. I'm sure we can sneak--"

"No, there's too many. Plus we don't know how dark it is in there."

"So-so, let's, um, let's draw 'em away? Maybe a distraction?"

Turvin rubbed her chin and blinked. "That's actually not a bad idea. An' I know just who to use."

The trio returned to their campsite further uphill. They walked over to a group of ferrets and rats talking together and spotted Blowhorn sitting on the ground chugging a large bottle of cold milk. Turvin walked over to the noisome rat and kicked him in the legs to get his attention. Blowhorn lowered the bottle and wiped his mouth clean.

"Wot?"

"We need yer help with a li'l somethin'."

Blowhorn chuckled as he slowly stood up, grinning as he looked at Razzik and the trackers. "Really now? An' wot is it yew all need my help with?"

Turvin folded her arms. "How fast can ya run?"

Blowhorn looked at Slipfoot and Turvin's malicious grins. The rat slowly began to frown, his tail becoming limp.

"Shit."

---

He wasn't little anymore. Neither was Bucklee. It was time for them to set their differences aside. It was time for them to start being friends. And it was time for them to get drunk. The mouse and rat both hooted with laughter as they walked towards their village, clutching their bottles of grog in their paws. The heavyset rat put his arm around Bucklee's shoulders, trying to balance him as they walked further and further. Bucklee shook his head and told the rodent to stop walking, at which point he hiccupped and sniffed.

"I'm s...ssssslackee...hehe, fuckin' grog."

"Buckeee, s-shush...we gotta-HIC!-we gotta head back 'fore...'fore we're caught."

The mouse and rat slowly waddled their way towards the village, with the former dropping his bottle and the latter desperately trying to keep his bile down. Razzik panted a few times as he dragged his footpaws along the ground. By the time the two beasts reached the village, Bucklee was on the ground mumbling, thinking the soil was a dirty pillow. Razzik stumbled into the village, laughing again as he raised his bottle and started to scream.

"YORE DIRTY RAT IS BACK HOOOOOOME!!"

All the mice still awake looked at the tumultuous rat as he laughed and tried to drag his footpaws through the soil. Then he stopped and dropped his bottle, breathing heavily and snickering. He opened his mouth to say something else. But what came out was a large torrent of vomit, the fluids and chunks of food splattering onto the ground in several directions. Razzik coughed and spat on the ground a few times, the vomit and saliva still hanging off his mandible. As the rodent began to look up, he laughed softly as two beasts walked in front of him.

"Oh...h-hello, Losan, Yelty."

Razzik slowly crouched down and picked up his fallen bottle, giggling as he held it in front of his step-parents' faces.

"Grog?"

Losan shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Deal with him. I'll get Bucklee."

Yelty nodded. "Okay."

The mouse stood behind Razzik and started to guide him towards their hut, holding the rat gently as she tried to make sure he didn't fall over again.

"We told you two to have fun, not to drown yourselves with this trash."

"B-but we...we diiiid, Yelty! Had lotsa-lotsa fun! Such...yummy fluids!"

"Where'd you get that grog anyway?"

Razzik grinned and held a finger up to his lips before he made a soft shushing noise. "S'a secret!"

Yelty and Razzik arrived at the hut. The mouse continued to drag Razzik through the building, heading over towards the hut's bedroom. She stood the inebriated rat beside the mattress before slowly setting his body down on the piece of furniture.

"Y...Yel...we-we ain't--"

"Just be quiet, Razzik. Get some sleep. Losan and I will talk to you two in the mornin'."

Razzik could already feel his vision becoming blurry. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but he could just make out his step-mother's rosy face and half-smile.

"Y...not mad? N-not mad at me?"

Yelty smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. You two were celebrating a week after your birthdays. Losan and I have had our share of drunken mishaps as well. It's nothin' a simple conversation can't fix."

Razzik mumbled something, but Yelty couldn't make it out. The mouse chuckled before she rubbed Razzik's scalp.

"Get some sleep, Razzik."

"Nnnnn...eh, nighty-night..."

The mouse moved away from Razzik's bed and began to walk outside, while the drunken rat mumbled and gradually closed his eyes.

---

The tweeting birds were the first thing he heard. Although to Razzik, he thought it was glass scraping inside his skull. The black rat shivered and moaned, still tasting the creamy vomit in the back of his throat. The rat wiggled his nose, scrunching up his face once he smelled urine. Razzik moved his legs slightly and swore once he noticed how damp they were. The rat opened his eyes, the watery orbs red and filled with sleep. He rubbed some of the crumbs from his eyes before whining, his head throbbing. Razzik slowly turned on the mattress and faced forward, blinking once he saw Yelty near the doorway.

"Feeling better?"

Razzik mumbled. "My head hurts..."

The slender mouse smiled as she walked inside the rat's room. "That's natural. Perhaps you shouldn't have consumed so much of that grog last night."

Razzik rubbed his head as he tried to sit up, only for Yelty to raise a paw, signaling him to stop.

"Just lie down, Razzik. Relax. I'm sure you must be tired after last night...or perhaps you're still excited?"

Razzik wasn't sure what Yelty meant at first. The rodent started to look around the hut before he felt something twitching in his damp trousers. Razzik looked down at the bulge in-between his legs and started to pant. He muttered and swore as he reached forward and tried to hide it, hoping Yelty didn't see anything. But she was already giggling and wagging her tail slowly.

"It's okay honey. That's perfectly natural. Just means you...hmm. When was the last time you stroked yourself?"

"I-I...c-can I talk to Losan 'bout that? Um...you--"

"I understand. You're not comfortable yet."

Razzik couldn't comprehend what was happening. Yelty wasn't angry or disappointed at him. She was acting as casual as ever. The black rat watched as the mouse started to undo her dress. And then his eyes grew wide as the clothing fell, revealing the white mouse's smooth, slender body. Razzik's heart began to beat fast. He couldn't stop staring at her, looking at the tiny nipples, the neatly washed and combed fur. She seemed skinnier without the dress on--her stomach was flat, although her thighs were wider than Razzik thought. He stammered when he flicked his eyes down at the area in-between her legs. He'd seen it before, only when he accidentally came across other females bathing. But he had never seen his own step-mother like this. But here she was, naked, smiling down at the rat nonchalantly. Razzik's bulge twitched twice, and the rodent moaned and tried to grab his erection, thinking forcing it down would make it go away. Yelty giggled as she walked in front of the rat's bed.

"That won't work, darling. There's only one way to get rid of your excitement."

Razzik began to pant when Yelty crawled on top of the bed, towering over the rat.

"W-wot...wot are you doin'?"

Yelty blinked. "Y'know, my father...he made me a full-grown female when I was only thirteen seasons. I've seen other beasts get married at that age. I've seen other beasts have children at your age, Razzik. And you're only eighteen. Neither you nor Bucklee have ever mated with a female, have you?"

Razzik whimpered. "N-no..."

Yelty's smile was suddenly turning into a lustful, almost smug smirk. "Then perhaps it's time...you're eighteen now. And my gift to you is another woman's soft, sensual touch...the warmth of her moist assets...you'll be a full-grown male after today, Razzik. It'll be glorious."

"Get out."

Razzik started to pant and whimper. He tried to crawl backwards, but the mouse pressed down on his stomach very hard. His headache and last night's drunken episode rendered the rat disoriented, confused. He still felt weak, even as he tried to slide off the mattress. Yelty used her free paw to grab Razzik's damp shorts. She pulled them down slowly, watching as his throbbing shaft flopped out. Yelty giggled as she looked at the tip, watching a small amount of pre-ejaculate dribble out.

"Look at you, Razzik! You've grown so much, haven't you?"

"Please stop," Razzik whimpered, his eyes tearing up.

The rat watched as Yelty lowered her head, opening her mouth so she could take in the beast's penis. Razzik's spine shivered as she started to suck on it, making little noise as she moistened the shaft with her slick saliva. She only sucked for a few seconds before she raised her head and stared at Razzik with the same smile again.

"Stop it. Get off!" Razzik shouted.

"It will only last a few minutes, honey. Then you'll see. You'll understand how wonderful--"

Razzik reached up and slapped Yelty across the face. He tried to get off the bed, but Yelty slammed him back down, pinning him to the mattress with her paws. The rat tried to thrash his legs around, but the mouse was already on top of him. He was about to call for help, but Yelty was ahead of him. She reached down and covered his muzzle with a paw, listening to the rat mumble and swear. Then Yelty shouted as Razzik bit one of her fingers, drawing blood. She retaliated by punching him in the nose, worsening his headache. Razzik moaned, his vision blurred, his heart still beating fast as Yelty lowered herself.

"Stop fighting it! Ignore what your brain is telling you! Your body is aroused--you want this to happen!"

"NO!"

"Just hold still! Just...five minutes. Then after that, it'll be over."

Razzik was still trying to fight back. But his headache and the presence of grog and other fluids in his body made him feel weak, helpless. He lied there, shaking his head, whining and trying to raise his paws. But Yelty continued to smack them away, her vulva hovering just above his thick shaft. Yelty kept lowering herself. And then the shouting stopped. Razzik heard a faint squish. He felt his shaft sliding inside his step-mother's vulva. Yelty opened her mouth and shivered, moments before she moaned. She squatted down all the way, taking in the beast's penis without batting an eye. She waited, and Razzik whimpered, not sure what to do now. He grasped his bed, staring at the mouse's waist and groin. Suddenly, she began to move herself up and down slowly. Yelty moaned twice, closing her eyes. Razzik felt more fluids around her vulva. He could feel it swelling; he could feel all the moistness of the mouse. So much liquid... It didn't seem natural. None of this did. He knew what sex was. He stumbled across other beasts doing it before. He stroked himself as he spied on them, wondering what it would feel like one day.

This wasn't what he imagined. The rat was still whimpering, his eyes watering as the mouse continued to move up and down along his length, sighing and moaning as his penis found its way into her vagina. Razzik told himself to move, told himself to shove the creature off of him. But his body wouldn't let him. He couldn't understand it. The rat reached up and tried to grab Yelty again, hoping she'd stop and go away. But she slapped his paws and started to go faster. Razzik opened his mouth and started to scream, shutting his eyes, not wanting to look. But he could still hear her moan as the vulva rubbed against his meaty member. Razzik screamed again, hoping somebeast would come inside and get this mouse off of him. Yelty stopped, but only so she could snatch a piece of cloth off the bed and shove it inside Razzik's mouth. The black creature gurgled and moaned with his mouth full, still waiting for help. Yelty's moans became more vocal; the mouse was so vociferous that nobeast could've heard Razzik's sobs over her.

Razzik jerked his head around and tried to get the mouse off. Yelty let out a few shrill pants before she opened her mouth wide and released a tiny squeak. She slammed herself down, her labia grinding against Razzik's crotch. He couldn't hold it. Razzik shut his eyes, his legs shaking as his groin started to tingle. The rat whimpered as he felt fluids coming out in strong bursts. His seed flowed into the mouse, the milky substance spreading around her vaginal region. Yelty shouted and panted, reaching her orgasm as well. And then all Razzik could feel were the fluids. Her creamy liquids mixed with his thick seed, the substance squishing and oozing around his wet shaft. The two beasts stayed still for a while, letting their bodies relax, waiting until all the fluids were gone. And then silence. Yelty stared at Razzik, gazing at his pitiful face, before she slowly got up. Razzik saw more fluids dripping from her vulva and watched as his shaft started to become flaccid. The mouse sighed as she got off the bed, standing beside Razzik and reaching down to remove the cloth.

"There...that wasn't so bad. See? Don't you feel better now?"

Razzik couldn't even look at the mouse. He stared up at the ceiling, breathing heavily and whimpering with a tiny voice. Yelty giggled as she bent down and proceeded to put her dress back on.

"It's okay, Razzik. I was surprised my first time too. Everybeast is. But soon...soon you'll enjoy it. Soon you'll have your own experiences. And I'm sure that, one day, you'll remember what happened here and thank me."

Fuck you, you ungrateful cunt. Razzik wanted to say that out loud, but he still felt paralyzed. Yelty calmly exited the rat's room, leaving him still exposed and confused. The rat managed to find the strength to lift his arms and press his paws against his face. And then his body shook as he started crying.

---

Their plan was flawless, so long as Blowhorn didn't mess it up. The two rats waited in the distance, watching as Turvin and Blowhorn crept towards the village. Razzik clutched the hilt of his cutlass, ready to attack is necessary.

"He give the signal yet?" the rat asked.

Slipfoot shook his head. "Just wait a li'l longer."

Razzik blinked as he kept staring at the huts. The rat watched as Blowhorn suddenly stood up and proceeded to throw something at one of the otters. Razzik and Slipfoot heard him shout an insult, moments before he taunted them by turning around and slapping his behind. Slipfoot chuckled when he saw a stone fly through the air, narrowly missing Blowhorn's ear. Then Blowhorn turned tail and began to run, sprinting away as the otters gave chase. The two rodents stared at the cave, listening as one of the otters called for more help. Several otters began to sprint out the dark cave and chased after Blowhorn. Razzik scratched his head.

"That worked? How the hell--"

"Who gives a shit? All them riverdogs are thick-headed lugs--may as well 'ave stones fer brains. Let's go!"

Razzik still felt like he was walking into a trap. But he saw that the way to the cave was clear now, and Slipfoot was sprinting towards it with no hesitation. The rat blinked and ignored his apprehensions before he ran beside the tracker towards the entrance inside the hill. The moment they got inside, Razzik began to slow down. A familiar, noisome odor started to fill his lungs, making his spine shiver. Slipfoot noticed that Razzik stopped running and turned around.

"C'mon, let's go! Ain't no tellin' when they'll be back!"

"Huh? ...Y-yeah, let's keep goin'."

He knew something was wrong. The whole situation didn't feel right. He knew nothing about these lizards; his crew knew very little about Darktail. Yet they chose to trust him, hoping he was another ally and not some conniving beast trying to tear the crew apart. The two rats stepped in a puddle, traversing through the murky cave as they heard strange hissing and the smell grew stronger. Razzik and Slipfoot saw an orange glow in the distance and took a path to their right. Then Razzik froze. He wasn't frightened by the three otters standing beside the campfire. It was the two burly lizards they had tied to the wooden stakes. Monitors. Razzik started to breathe heavily as he looked at Slipfoot.

"Go back," he whispered.

"Wot? They're right there; we can't leave now."

"Those are monitors, Slipfoot! We can't--"

One of the otters turned around and saw part of the rats' shadows in the distance. She blinked and immediately took out her sword, stomping towards the corner the beasts were hiding behind. The rats didn't have time to think or hide. Slipfoot took out one of his throwing knives and tossed it at the otter, hitting her in the throat. Razzik swore as he rushed towards the other two otters, sword in paw. One of them took out his weapon and started to slash at the rat's body, only to gurgle as Razzik ducked and ran him through. The last otter was about to stab Razzik in the back, only to yelp as a throwing knife found its way into the back of his neck. Slipfoot shoved the body away, panting as he looked at the two monitors. One of them was light green while the other was black with blue spots. Both of their bodies were bloody and cut up from being tortured for so long, with the light green monitor's left eye nearly swollen shut.

"Cut 'em loose. Sooner we get outta here, the better," said Slipfoot.

Razzik stared at the blue-spotted monitor with a scowl on his face, the vile beast hissing at him and grinning. The rat held his tongue, walking behind the stake and cutting through the rope that bound the lizard's paws together. The monitor sighed as he was freed and rubbed his wrists, shortly before Razzik shoved him forward. Razzik turned around and saw Slipfoot releasing the other lizard as well. The four beasts started to run through the cave.

"Let's go! Ain't no tellin' when those otters will be back!"

They started to head for the entrance, moving through the watery, dank cave until they could see the light outside. But the rats' victory was short lived, as they arrived in the open to find Turvin and Blowhorn on their knees, with the rest of the otters crowding around them wielding their weapons. Razzik and Slipfoot frowned and flicked their eyes at each other, while the lizards started to grin.

"We're gonna make this simple," said the otter holding a knife near Blowhorn's throat. "You give them monitors back t'us, we'll let yer mates go. Savvy?"

Slipfoot flicked his eyes in the distance and smirked. He shook his head. "Sorry mate! That ain't gonna work fer us!"

The otter spoke again. "Yer outnumbered. My otters'll cut you down before you c'n lift them swords. D'you really think you can get outta this alive?"

"Of course I do!"

"How's that?"

Slipfoot folded his arms. "With my friends."

The otter was about to say something else when he heard footsteps in the distance. Some of the otters started to flare their nostrils while the others flicked their ears and began to turn around. Two arrows suddenly found their way through two otters, and the sleek beasts' eyes dilated as dozens of corsairs surrounded them. The otter holding Blowhorn hostage turned his head around and started to pant. All the pirates walked close to the otters and the trackers, ready to slay them all if need be.

"You beasts take another step an' we'll kill 'em! That's a promise!" the otter shouted.

"I s'pose I'll just have t'find more trackers then, won't I?"

Razzik looked into the crowd of vermin and saw Kurwin walk out into the open. He grinned as he looked at all the otters and removed his cutlass slowly.

"I'll make this simple fer you riverdogs: you're surrounded. We're all gonna slaughter you in mere seconds if you try t'fight us. Those of you we don't kill, we'll rape an' abuse an' use as our slaves, an' so on an' so forth. I've been in this position too many times to count. Jus' save me the trouble an' give me wot I want."

The otter blinked. "Wot is it that you want?"

Kurwin grinned as he pointed at the two lizards. "Those beasts up there. An' I want my trackers back, unharmed, an' very much alive. It's that simple. You really wanna stand there an' die all 'cos of two lizards?"

"No. But I don't wanna stand 'ere an' die after I comply with yer demands either."

Kurwin shook his head. "You won't. If I wanted to slay all ye beasts, I woulda done it when I was sneaking up on ya. You don't wanna lose more otters. I don't wanna lose more corsairs. So give me wot I want, an' then yer free t'leave."

Razzik knew the otters would let them go. They had to. The otters wouldn't martyr themselves for the sake of two prisoners. The rat flicked his eyes between Kurwin and the otters, waiting for the inevitable to happen. A few more words were exchanged, and then the otter removed his knife and kicked Blowhorn forward. The other beast holding Turvin hostage let her go as well, and the trackers returned to the crowd of pirates. The otter muttered something at Kurwin and spat at his footpaws before he gestured for the rest of the otters to retreat. Razzik and Slipfoot waited until they were out of their line of sight before they walked up to the crew with the lizards beside them. Razzik continued to scowl at the lizard beside him just as Darktail showed himself, shoving his ways past a few corsairs so he could greet the monitors.

"There, see? Now was this so hard, Kurwin?" the fox asked.

Darktail smirked at the captain before he walked up to the two reptilian beasts. "I believe a thank you is in order?"

"Get the fuck out my way," the green monitor snarled, shoving Darktail down in a pile of mud.

The monitors walked over to the corsairs and started to grin and hiss noisily, flaring their nostrils around the vermin.

"Ooooh, zo many beaztz, Izzlak!" shouted the green monitor.

Isslak walked up towards Kronno and growled, wagging his thick tail as he sniffed her. "Many foxez too! Hmph...I like foxez..."

Kronno scrunched up her face before she shoved Isslak away. "Back the fuck up."

The blue-spotted monitor chuckled. "Plenty of meat here, Dazz!"

Dass nodded. "Yez. Krazzak will be pleazed!"

Razzik swore silently while a few other pirates started to look at the lizards questionably. The black rat started to step towards Dass, his dagger drawn.

"Wot was that? S-say that name again."

Dass turned around and licked his choppers. "Krazzak Ralfur!"

"The Almighty Monitor an' ruler of all lizardz!" Isslak added.

Razzik blinked. "Son of a bitch."

"Wait a tick--ain't he the one who slew all our pirates a while ago?" asked Stinkfoot.

Everybeast started clamoring. Razzik looked left and right as some pirates scratched their heads or talked softly about the beast that slaughtered all his friends that day. Razzik started to grip his dagger tighter, breathing deeply as he kept scowling at the green lizard. Neither of the reptiles seemed to care about what the corsairs were saying. Even after their memories were refreshed and some of them stepped dangerously close to the lizards, they didn't cower. Dass stared at Razzik for a few seconds before he walked over to him. He looked down at the short rodent before he hissed in his face.

"Well, aren't you a fat one? ...Alwayz did wonder what ye ratz tazted like."

Dass crouched down and opened his mouth, licking Razzik's muzzle very slowly. The rat shut his eyes and gritted his teeth as the lizard chuckled. And then he gasped and gurgled as Razzik stabbed him in the throat. The lizard backed away, coughing and gasping, clutching his throat. And then he fell on his back, still gurgling as blood flowed from his wound.

"What the fuck are ya doin'?!" shouted Darktail.

"I...I-I told you...I fuckin' told all of you," Razzik growled.

The rat turned as he faced all the pirates. "Don't you get it now?! I told alla ya we-we should be worried 'bout this lizard! Now he...he's got a fuckin' army with him an' he's wreaking havoc across these woods!"

"Uh, isn't that what you're doing?" Darktail pointed out.

"It's not the same. We're not--"

"HOW?! How the fuck is it any different from what these cold-blooded bastards are doin'?!"

"'Cos we're not goin' 'round eating beasts," Kurwin growled. "Krassak Ralfur an' his lizards slew fourteen of my pirates. Ripped their bodies apart an' ate 'em in front of Razzik here, made him watch!"

"Yeah, 'cos I'm s'posed to automatically know what beasts you've had bad run-ins with," remarked Darktail snidely."

Razzik was about to join in on the argument when he turned and looked at Isslak. The black lizard with blue spots couldn't stop pacing back and forth, drooling as he looked at the pirates. All of them were starting to draw their weapons, staying on guard as the monitor approached them.

"Lookit all you morzelz. Mighty Krazzak will have fun with you! Ohhhhh, zo many tazty vermin!"

Kurwin spotted Isslak licking his choppers and snarled as he stomped towards him. "Back the fuck up! Stop starin' at my crew like they're nothin' but fresh meat!"

Isslak jerked around as he stepped towards Kurwin. "Or wot? Hmm? The fuck you gonna do, pirate?"

The monitor grinned as he slowly walked away from the pirate and looked at the rest of the vermin. "Wot are any of you beaztz gonna do?! You...you think you're gonna rule thiz forezt? You think you're better'n uz lizardz? Hehehe, you're not...Mighty Krazzak haz hundredz of warriorz in hiz army now! Dozenz an' dozenz of lizardz like me--lizardz who look at you an' zee nothin' but flesh! Thiz forezt exizt zo we can burn it to the ground! You beaztz exizt zo we can eat you alive, roazt yer flesh over a fire! Zooner or later, Krazzak will find you all--he'll kill thoze who'll zatizfy hiz hunger, then keep otherz alive az hiz li'l petz fer him to fuck!"

Isslak chuckled. "Thiz pathetic, wretched bundle of fur an' flesh can't ztop a beazt like Krazzak! There'z nothin' any a' you can do! Nowhere to run or hide! Az zoon az my Mighty Leader findz you--"

Isslak grunted as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw the bloody end of the cutlass driven through his chest. The lizard let out another soft grunt before Kurwin removed his blade, and Isslak fell to the ground. The pirate panted and rubbed his forehead, while Darktail shut his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"You fuckin' twat," he muttered.

Kurwin looked at Darktail and scoffed. "I'm sorry, y'got somethin' to say, Darktail?!"

"I just gave you the perfect deal, the perfect opportunity. And you just shat all over it! This lizard's leader has hundreds of warriors in his army, and your response is to stab him in the back?!"

"No. That's not wot happened. You told me this army only had a small group of monitors. You didn't tell me they were all cannibalistic! I told you we're not workin' alongside beasts who have the intention of eatin' us! You didn't give me a perfect deal; you lured me o'er to a pile of shit an' lied when you said it didn't stink!"

Darktail blinked. "Guess that says somethin' about your logic if you were foolish enough to head towards a pile of shit in the first place, doesn't it?"

Darktail gagged as Kurwin grabbed him by the throat and brought him close to his face. "You lissen t'me, you li'l shit. Yer gonna go back to this Ralfur beast an' tell 'im that he c'n go fuck himself. I do not work with cannibals. I do not work with beasts who are willin' to kill me an' overthrow my crew! An' if I see you or any of these lizards again, I'll peel all the skin from yer face an' remove yer eyeballs. Are we clear?"

Kurwin shoved Darktail away. The fox yelped as he tripped over Isslak's cooling body. He panted heavily as he looked up at the corsairs and began to rise.

"You...y-you fools. You've no idea...you've no fuckin' idea who this beast is..."

Darktail stared at all the vermin, backing away slowly as one of them raised their bow and arrow at him. He turned and began to run, sprinting until he was out of the beasts' line of sight. After the fox left, Kurwin leaned against one of the trees beside the huts and huffed, placing his cutlass back inside his waistsash. He looked around at the pirates, only hearing a few murmurs and noticing some strange glaring.

"Wot?" the captain barked.

Stinkfoot and Kronno were the only beasts who stepped forward, with the former scratching his head awkwardly.

"Cap'n, erm...w-we--"

"Speak up, Stinkfoot."

"With all due respect, Cap'n...we did warn you 'bout these lizards a while ago. So did Razzik. But you told us they were irrelevant."

"'Cos they are."

Kronno scoffed. "That didn't stop ye from lissening to wot that fox had t'say. Yore face lit up the second he mentioned that army o' lizards to ya."

"That was before I realized they were the same lizards who slew an' devoured fourteen of us!"

"Regardless, Cap'n," started Stinkfoot, "we mentioned that these lizards could be trouble. An' from wot it sounds like, they've made quite a few friends since we last heard of 'em. I think it's time we go after 'em now, stop 'em before it's too late."

"An' like I told all of you before, we're not wastin' time chasin' after some scaly beasts who will kill each other before winter! We stay the course! We find more recruits, we strengthen this army, an' we take this forest for all it's worth!"

Kronno blinked. "Cap'n, this 'ole lizard affair could bite us in the arse if we avoid it. Are you--"

"We'll be fine, Kronno. 'Sides, if wot they said is true about the size of Krassak's army, then we should prob'ly get more numbers on our side in case we do run into 'em, dont'cha think?"

"Yeah, but--"

"Then there's nothin' left to discuss. We build this army. We find more recruits. That's it."

Kronno and Stinkfoot stared at the captain's stern glare before they flicked their eyes at each other.

"Fine," said Kronno sharply.

"You're the captain," Stinkfoot remarked.

Kronno and Stinkfoot retreated to the group, leaving Kurwin to stand and ponder his next decision. Razzik was still standing out in the open, scowling as he looked down at the lizards' corpses. His captain made the right choice. He knew he did. And if anybeast else couldn't understand that, then that was their fault. The only thing Razzik wished was that he would've listened to Kronno and Stinkfoot. They needed to stop this lizard. They needed to go after him as soon as possible, put an end to the reptilian menace before it got out of control. But Razzik knew his captain well; he knew how stubborn the ferret could be. There was nothing he could do or say to change the way Kurwin felt. So he told himself not to bother trying.

All he could do was follow his captain's orders, no matter how asinine they may or may not seem to the others.