FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"I tell you, Eyttir, it's gonna be easy and quick cash!"

"I don't know, Ricip... you said that about the last contract, and now, we have to hide from the guards... and the Circle isn't too happy, either."

"Bah!"

The rat-kin frowned and grimaced at that, taking his mug in one long fingered hand and giving a nasty look at his companion. The scrawny-looking grey rodent took a sip and put the bad ale back on the table, still eyeing the nervous tiger-kin sitting across the table from him. He wondered again how such a massively built guy could be such a scaredy-cat. Sure, the tiger-kin's muscles came in handy when it was time to move furniture or when people needed some 'encouragement' coughing up their coins and valuables, but besides that...

Ricip shook his head, thinking how lucky he was that he found the feline first. He would have ended up in jail, or worse - and that made his lack of trust quite annoying.

"Listen... it's simple. The client wants some bits and pieces of a crazy monster. We find the beast, hack it down, and deliver it to the Magus. It'll be just like capturing that huge bird, remember?"

Eyttir's eyes widened in recollection.

"Ricip, that 'huge bird' seared my best armor! My chest fur took a whole month to grow back!"

The rat-kin waves a hand in the air dismissively.

"Details. Remember how well we were paid?"

"Well, yes, but-"

Ricip interrupted the feline before he could think up a reason to launch yet another protest.

"Eyttir... we need the cash and to leave Valestra long enough for things to calm down. The trip in itself will take care of that."

"Huh, I can agree on that at least," the tiger-kin groaned, his tail swishing behind him. "I really don't like the idea that the Circle's goons are after us."

"Exactly!" Ricip continued, hiding the smile he felt curving his lips as he sensed that his companion was starting to cave in. "You know - like I know - what the Circle of Infamy does to fuck-ups?"

"Don't remind me!" answered Eyttir, shivering in a way that had nothing to do with being cold. "But don't you think it's weird that a Magus would send a Hunting request through the Circle? That's work for the Guild."

Ricip groaned. His companion was even more frustrating when he got those stroke of misplaced genius.

"Look, there are some contracts even an adventurer won't take. That's the whole -point- of the Circle! Don't tell me some outlaw work scares you, Eyttir. We've done far worse already."

The tiger winced, but couldn't deny the truth of the rat-kin's words.

"Huh... well, that's true, I guess... but..."

Ricip suppressed the urge to curse at the feline's repeated 'buts'.

"Damnit, Eyttir!" He pounded the table with one hand, nearly upsetting his ale mug. "The longer we stay here talking about this, the worse our chances are of evading the Circle's Executioners! We should already be packing our gear!"

The tiger put his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Whoa, calm down, calm down!" He glanced around the room, as if checking to see if those Executioners were already there. "Keep it down. We don't want to draw attention."

Ricip leaned back in his chair and blew a sigh skyward.

"Yeah, right. So, what about the contract, then? You in?"

Eyttir frowned. He knew that the rat-kin was right. He wasn't the nicest of guys, but he had a flair for good opportunities - even when those opportunities were risky as hell. He finally sighed and took a sip of his own mug, grimacing at the taste of the foul beverage. He had a bad feeling about this, but an even worse feeling toward the idea that some guys might soon come for them, to claim the jewels they were supposed to steal and bring back... jewels that had ended up lost in the sewers.

Reluctantly, he signaled assent - or perhaps surrender to the rat's argument.

"Alright... alright." He forced a smile." After all, it can't be worse than the bird thing, right?"

Several days later, the two thieves were walking with some difficulty through the vegetation around the Shimmering Lakes, Valestra now far behind them. The trip had been uneventful, but since they had arrived near the lakes, Ricip hasn't stopped cursing. In contrast, Eyttir found the place charming. The fresh air was delightful after the rather stale atmosphere of the Valestran caves. It also reminded him of his own native village, Innis, nestled in the trees of a lush forest. But the rat-kin disliked it with a passion. All the bugs, all the thorny plants...

At the moment, the rodent was carving a way through the vegetation with a nasty-looking machete that had grabbed his interest in a market at the last town.

"Damn plants and trees! All of them!" Ricip said through clenched teeth. "I hate this!"

"Well," said Eyttir with forced cheer, "at least the Circle's Executioners won't find us here."

Ricip gave his companion a really nasty look that completely failed to wipe the small smile off Eyttir's face, but said nothing and resumed hacking his way through the jungle, muttering under his breath.

Suddenly, Eyttir grabbed Ricip's arm just as the rat-kin slashed through a vine that ran across a chasm. The scrawny thief squealed, seeing the support under him giving way, ready to drop him into the seething waters of a river beneath him. He dropped his machete, grabbing his companion's arm with both hands. As he was pulled back from the brink, he saw the blade tumble into the flow with a splash, quickly lost to sight in the dark waters.

"Shit!" Ricip shouted, furious. "My machete! The damn thing cost five hundred crowns!"

"But you didn't pay for it..." Eyttir replied with a confused expression on his face.

"That's not the problem!" the rat-kin harshly spat back, while jerking his arm free from the tiger-kin's hold. "It's mine!"

Eyttir didn't quite understood what the rat-kin meant, but the thought was quickly replaced with worry as Ricip began climbing down the rocky face of the chasm.

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

"What does it look like? I'm gonna get my damn machete back!" Ricip snarled. "Get down here and gimme a hand."

Unwilling to let his companion go after his blade alone and equally unwilling to be left alone, the tiger-kin quickly followed, helping Ricip along the way. When they reached the stream and waded in, the smaller rodent ended up wading in water up to his waist, while the muscled feline was but knee-deep in the river. Muttering under his breath, the rat-kin began searching for his weapon while Eyttir kept watch, wary for any monster that might take the opportunity to attack while they were out in the open. Ricip paid little attention, still cursing and ranting as he fished under the surface of the water. Eyttir - native of a far more rural area - remained silent in order to avoid attracting undue attention. He rather wished his companion had the presence of mind to do the same.

The two of them kept moving with the current, and the tiger-kin had to grab his companion a couple of times, in order to prevent him from falling and getting dragged away by the flow. After a brief search, they managed to spot the weapon; luckily, it had gotten caught on a rim of rocks just before the river cascaded in a rather large, glimmering pond.

"Aha!" The rat-kin squeaked happily, moving toward the machete. "Come see daddy..."

"Huh, Ricip... be careful."

"Tch." The rat waved a hand dismissively over his shoulder. "I won't fall, if that's what worrying you."

"No, I'm really more worried about the verrens in the pond."

Ricip froze, blinking a few times, his paws almost on the hilt of the weapon. He glanced back toward the tiger-kin and followed his gaze to the middle of the pond.

In the center of the pool were several small monsters. From their scaled arms and bellies, it was clear that they were definitely dragonbloods. They were also covered in a rich brown fur, with darker fur masks over their face. Their ringed tails flicked lazily, spreading ripples across the water's surface. Some of the verrens looked at the two beast-kins with more curiosity than alarm.

Ricip simply shrugged and took his weapon. "Nothing to worry about. Those are minor dragonbloods, they're no danger to us."

"Yeah..." Eyttir said with a frown, not convinced by the rat-kin's dismissal. "But where there is a pack of verrens, there is always a Verrensseiron. Now, those can be nasty!"

"Forgot that you were raised in a barn..." Ricip groaned. "Besides, it's a kind of Verrensseiron we're after."

"Yes, I know, you read the contract to me. At least, the first part..."

Again, Ricip waved his hand dismissively. "Not my fault you can't read. Enough chit-chat, let's get going."

Eyttir had long since become accustomed to Ricip's bad-mouthing him and remained unruffled at this latest dig. After all, he had saved the rat-kin's hide often enough to be sure that Ricip knew his value. Dropping the matter, the tiger-kin followed the scrawny thief as they walked away under the curious gaze of the smaller verrens.

"So, we're after a Verrensseiron, right?" Eyttir mused, thoughtful. "I should have grabbed some honey. They like it."

"Nah, the Magus said it was a... soobspeshies, or something like that... a distant cousin of a sort that he called Yanusseiron. It's pink."

"Pink?" The tiger-kin raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

His companion nodded. "Yeah, that's what he said. Should stand out like a sore thumb..."

Eyttir didn't say a thing. He was more than a little surprised by the idea of a pink Verrensseiron. He wondered how a dragonblood like that could change from the regular brown and golden varieties. However, that thought was quickly replaced by another question as he saw Ricip looking left and right. "So, how are we supposed to find it?"

"Ah!" The rat-kin grinned over his shoulder at his companion. "Well, at first, I wanted to use a Psychic stone. You know, the kind those Hunters carry with them?"

"Oh." Eyttir said with a perplexed frown. "But don't you need an Awakened Ka to..."

"Yes, yes, you do." Ricip interrupted, groaning in annoyance. "The one I bought wasn't worth the money, after all."

"You bought one?!" Eyttir said, eyes widening with incredulity that was only partially feigned.

"Yes, I did!" The rat-kin snarled back with a glare of indignation, discouraging this train of thought. "After that, I exchanged it with a Seer, who told me where to look."

"A Seer?"

"Tch, are you going to repeat everything I say?!" Realizing the strength of his verbal explosion, Ricip took a different tack and focused on practicalities. "Anyway, we should cross that pond, continue on our way a bit, and we'll be there. If not, I'll go back and gouge the eyes out of that Seer's head. We'll see if he'd seen that coming." He smirked at the vicious mental imagery and nodded towards the pond. "Now, let's move!"

The rat-kin jerked his way roughly to the east before stopping and slightly altering his course. Eyttir said nothing, simply pointing toward the right direction. Ricip groaned in frustration before changing yet again his path, not saying a thing. His orientation skills might be unmatched in a city, but they were close to non-existent in this wilderness.

"Hmpf. I'll be glad when the Cities cover the world once again." Ricip growled, swatting a vine away.

"Oh, I don't know..." the tiger-kin mused thoughtfully. "I liked my village. Besides, isn't it because of the Cities that the Dragons went mad?"

"Details." The scrawny thief answered with a wave of his hand. "I'm sure we can deal with those pesky lizards now. Come on."

Eyttir shrugged and followed his companion as they got out of the water, exiting the small clearing via a ridge above the Lakes. Eyttir paused momentarily to appreciate the view from the crest of the ridge; the cascades, the rainbows and the soothing blueish light coming from the water were breathtaking. Even Ricip's normally bitter tongue was silenced by the lush beauty of the landscape though he simply snorted at the view before pressing on. It took them a short while longer before reaching yet another ridge, this one covering their view of another wooded area in front of them.

"Aaaand... here... we... go." Ricip panted with enthusiasm as he climbed the last few rocks. "The Seer said our target would be right th..."

The rat-kin's words died in his throat as he contemplated the view sprawling before him. Curious, Eyttir quickly joined him, and his eyes widened in awe as well.

Right in front of them was a small copse composed of trees with brightly rose-colored leaves, their roots diving into shallow ponds tinted pink by the falling foliage. The view was beautiful, and Ricip audibly gulped at the sight. Eyttir couldn't prevent himself from chuckling.

"'Should stand out like a sore thumb', right?"

"Shut up." The scrawny thief replied in a low voice before moving on.

The tiger-kin shook his head, still bemused, although his amusement soon faltered, replaced with increasing worry as his doubts about this mission came back with force. The fresh air and splendid landscape had soothed him so far, but the challenge proved to be more serious than anticipated, and as they approached the strangely colored grove, he felt anxious again. Was this such a good idea after all?

Still occupied with his concerns, Eyttir followed the rat-kin nonetheless, unwilling to let him stray too far. He couldn't consider him a friend precisely, but Ricip had helped him getting out of the gutter in the past, and he was infinitely grateful for that. Still, he wondered...

The two thieves entered the pink woods, jumping at the slightest noise. The tension of the beast-kins was palpable; Eyttir's tail swished back and forth and Ricip's nose twitched from time to time, hand unconsciously reasserting its grip on the machete. The pink-leaved woods were silent save for the soft sound of the wind in the trees, the occasional splash of a drop of water from the branches above and into one of the ponds below, and the beast-kins' footsteps in the glimmering water.

Then, distant yet distinct, a soft snore broke the silence.

Ricip immediately raised a hand, an order to Eyttir to stay silent. The tiger-kin complied, unsheathing his sword - an old and sturdy blade - and getting ready for a possible fight. The two thieves crept forward, stealthily approaching the source of the noise.

The snoring led them to a small glade, with a single large tree in the middle of a roughly circular pond. The tree had white mottled bark, and huge branches that covered the clearing with rose-colored foliage. In the nooks of those branches, a huge and long creature was taking a nap, snoring softly.

Much as he had earlier, Eyttir recognized the common traits of dragonbloods - the long, serpentine body covered in fur except for the belly; the throat and the arms covered in draconic scales; the pair of horns sprouting at the top of its head, right above its delicate ears; the large tufts of fur on its shoulders and elbows; the darker mask over its face; and the spade of fur at the end of its ringed tail, currently hanging nonchalantly and lightly brushing against the surface of the pond. In all ways, he did indeed look like a typical Verrensseiron, except one; he was in all hues of pink. Deep pink on his back and head, his scales a lighter shade like champagne, and his claws the same rosy tint as the foliage around him.

Eyttir found the Yanusseiron weird but strangely beautiful. Ricip, however, wasn't sharing his awe.

"Easy prey..." he muttered with a nasty grin, slowly moving forward and raising his machete.

The Yanusseiron gave a small snort, one of its bisected ears standing up. Ricip and Eyttir froze immediately, each holding their breath as they waited to find out if they had woken their prey. A moment later, the pink monster calmed down, its ear lying back against its horn, and returned to its quiet snoring.

The rat-kin gulped and silently exhaled, relieved that they hadn't woken up their quarry. He took another step forward, but Eyttir hung back, still nervous. The closer the tiger-kin got to the Yanusseiron, the more his anxiety grew.

As the scrawny thief drew close and raised his machete to strike, Eyttir was suddenly sure this wasn't the right way to approach the beast at all.

"Ricip!" he whispered, trying to express his worries without being loud enough to wake the creature. "We should not..."

"Shh!" The rat-kin spat back, looking angrily over his shoulder at the muscled thief. "You want to wake him up?!"

Eyttir didn't answer, his face quickly draining of all color. Ricip looked appalled and hastily turned around, coming face-to-snout with the upside-down head of the Yanusseiron.

Ricip stared at it, motionless in shock. Then, the pink dragonblood seemed to smile. Its long agile tongue snaked out, licking the rat-kin's face and smearing its greyish fur with a sticky amber fluid. Ricip coughed from the cloying, sweet scent of the gunk and leaped backward away from the creature, as the Yanusseiron - now fully awake - gracefully stood up on its branch, gazing down at the two beast-kins and churring happily.

"Ack! What is that crap?!" The rat-kin yowled as he tried to remove the fluid with his hands, more smearing it into his already dirty fur than anything else.

Eyttir fought to suppress his amusement at the rodent's antics. "Calm down, Ricip, that's just caramelized honey."

"What?!"

"That's what Verrensseirons do. Stop, you'll get your fur all clumped up."

They heard something sounding like a cross between a hiss and a groan. Looking up, the two thieves saw the Yanusseiron peering down at them, its mouth wide in a wicked grin. The monster was chuckling.

With an angry shout, Ricip threw his machete at the dragonblood, who dodged it gracefully before quickly disappearing in the leaves. It leaped from one branch to another, leaving the place within seconds.

"Bastard!!!" Ricip shouted at its retreating tail, furious.

Though the rodent wasn't looking at him, Eyttir carefully hid his smile behind his hand. "You know, we really should remove that caramel before it stiffens."

Ricip turned his attention and fury back towards his companion. "Get lost, Eyttir! I'll get back my machete and we're going to ram it down his throat! That son-of-a-diseased-bitch will pay for that!"

"Huh, sure..." Eyttir's smile vanished; he didn't say anything else, somewhat intimidated by the rat-kin's fury.

Ricip, still fuming, hopped on a branch, managing to keep his balance just long enough to grab his machete and pull it out with some effort. Falling back, he landed on his tail with a loud splash and an angry groan.

"Let's go..." he said darkly. With a murderous glint in his eyes, he began stomping through the shallow waters as he followed the Yanusseiron's apparent path.

Seeing murder in his companion's eyes, the tiger-kin gulped and followed Ricip. The rodent had spotted where the Yanusseiron disappeared, although the branches were now still. Eyttir had always admired this trait about the rat-kin: Once he had spotted his target, it was near impossible to escape him. The tiger-kin had always thought it was some kind of latent Ka power, but when he'd mentioned it, the rodent had simply laughed at the idea.

Right now, Ricip's uncanny ability was quite helpful, and they made their way swiftly in the pink wood. The rat-kin sniffed the air, scanning each area and paying special attention to the bark of the nearby trees before swiftly moving on. Eyttir had trouble following him, but did his best in order to not get left alone behind.

All of a sudden, the scrawny thief raised a hand and stood perfectly still.

"Ricip?" Eyttir queried, his voice low.

"Hush. It's close. I can feel it..." Ricip moved forward one step at a time, trying to remain as silent as possible despite the water at his feet.

He stopped once again and quickly raised his head to scan the trees above him. He only saw the spade of pink fur at the creature's tail tip vanishing into the foliage before a large, rotten fruit exploded and covered his face and upper body with noxious juice and slimy chunks, permeating the air with a bittersweet stench. Stunned, the rat-kin fell on his rump as the unmistakable susurrus of the Yanusseiron's chuckling whispered through the branches.

Eyttir couldn't help but laugh at the scene, though he tried to stifle it as he knew Ricip would be infuriated. Ricip recovered soon after, clambering to his feet as the pink dragonblood chuckle faded away. He maintained a grim silence, and directed such a deadly glare towards his companion that Eyttir thought it wisest to follow the rodent's example. The rat-kin took some water in his paws and quickly washed himself off before resuming his track, keeping a tight grip on his machete. The tiger-kin joined him and kept watch, hoping to spot the Yanusseiron before he could spot them again.

Taking note of the clenched teeth and twitching eye of his companion, Eyttir shuddered. The last time the rat-kin was that angry, it was because their ex-associate Kaylen had stolen from them. When the rat-kin had tracked down the culprit, he had broken both of the would-be thief's arms and both of his legs, then asked Eyttir to leave them alone for a moment. The tiger-kin had listened to Kaylen's screams for another half-hour before Ricip had emerged, wiping his bloody dagger clean with a dirty piece of cloth and waving wordlessly for his companion to follow. They retrieved their money from their victim's stash, and left the ruined man to live or die on his own.

Concentrating, the rat-kin searched for more clues about his quarry's whereabouts. His wandering gaze caught a tuft of pink fur over a root, and he dashed to it, sniffing the air with an anticipatory grin. The grin lasted only moments before several large bugs fell on his head and shoulders. Lured by the aroma the rodent was covered with, the bugs crawled all over him, trying to sample some of the flavors of the rotten fruit.

Surprised and terrified, the rat-kin flailed around, squeaking and squealing as he tried to get rid of the insects before they wormed their way under his shirt. Eyttir had to bite his lips to prevent himself from laughing at the rodent's frantic thrashing.

The rat-kin himself, however, was far from laughing. When he got rid of the last of the bugs, he glared up at the canopy, fuming.

"Ooooh, you want to play that game, right? Right? Well, we can do some nasty things too! Come on, come on, come on... get out of the branches and I'll show how we fight in the gutters of Valestra..."

Ricip keeps muttering threats, his eyes locked on the foliage and branches as he slowly walked backwards. As a result, he didn't see the long, serpentine tail that suddenly tensed up right behind his ankles. Eyttir had no time to warn his companion before the rat-kin fell into the water as a pinkish shadow rustled through the roots and disappeared with a hiss-like chuckle.

It was too much for Eyttir; unable to hold it back any longer, he exploded with laughter, holding his ribs as he doubled over, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. His thunderous, joyful laughter contrasted heavily with the absolutely furious expression painted on the rat-kin's face as he slowly pushed himself to his feet and shook the last stubbornly remaining bug from his fur. He started to speak, only to freeze when he saw a long, serpentine shadow behind Eyttir.

The large feline was still laughing his heart out when he suddenly felt something cold licking his rump and naked back. His hackles rose as he jumped, whirling in mid-air. The Yanusseiron was now right in front of him, eyes half lidded, his long snake-like tongue writhing out from his toothy grin. Strangely enough, the tiger-kin had the distinct feeling the pink dragonblood was appreciating what he was seeing - an impression reinforced by the gentle caress of the Yanusseiron's furred tail over his back, a contact so soft and intimate it made Eyttir shudder.

Seeing an opportunity in the momentary fixation of the dragon-blood on his companion, the rat-kin carefully aimed and threw his machete at the creature. It flew true, slicing a tuft of fur from the creature's tail tip and cutting the flesh as well. A few droplets of thick scarlet blood flew in the air, landing in the pure water. The dragonblood yelped and jumped away, quickly lifting its tail in front of its eyes to inspect the damage before fixing its gaze - no longer so amused - on Ricip. It hissed menacingly, mane and back fur puffing out in its rage, making it resemble a huge pink flame. Then the Yanusseiron swiftly turned and scurried off between the trees.

Eyttir remained rooted to the spot where he stood. He had seen the machete fly by mere inches from his face. He lifted a clawed hand to his whiskers, surprised that they hadn't been shortened by the blade's passage. Ricip didn't seem to notice as he ran toward his weapon, retrieving it once again from the water.

"Let's go, Eyttir. This time it's personal."

"You threw your machete at me." The tiger's voice quavered with the shock of the near miss.

"What? No, of course not!" Ricip turned to look at his companion. "I was aiming at the tail of that bastard, not at you. Now come on, let's go!"

"You almost hit me, Ricip!" With a growl, the tiger-kin turned toward the scrawny thief, who shrank back from the snarl on his companion's face.

"W-well..." Ricip stammered. "I almost hit you, which means I didn't actually -"

"That's enough!" Eyttir roared, infuriated. "I'm fed up with you, Ricip! You don't care about anyone but yourself! You want your money that much, well, fine! You can finish this contract yourself! I'm going back to Innis!" With that, the tiger-kin turned around and angrily stomped off, leaving a baffled Ricip behind.

For a moment, the rat-kin was stunned by his companion's sudden outburst. However, rage soon prevailed, and the smaller guy started shouting at the feline's retreating back.

"Fine! Fine! Go get lost in that backwater village of yours! You'll be back in days, crawling at my feet and sobbing! Because you're one whiny little bitch! Hear that, Eyttir? Without me, you'd be dead by now! Valestra isn't for pussies!"

The words sting, but Eyttir refused to slow down. He kept walking, making sure to not turn around or look back. He heard Ricip continue cursing for a while longer before shouting a final "Fine!" and storming off in the opposite direction, resuming his pursuit of the dragon-blood.

Ricip was furious - At the Yanusseiron, at Eyttir, and at himself. Now that he was alone in the Shimmering Lakes, he noticed how alien the region really was to him. He kept repeating to himself that he'd track down the pink dragonblood, slay it, and then chase after that tiger-kin and...

And after that, his mind went blank. He simply didn't know what he'd do past that point. Threats and insults wouldn't work, considering how the tiger-kin departed. The idea of apologizing barely entered his mind before running away at full speed. Ricip had never humbled himself in front of the tiger-kin before, and he saw little reason to start doing so now.

The rat-kin felt alone, and worse, lonely. It had been years since he had been left alone in such a strange place, and he hated the feeling.

Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, Ricip focused on the task at hand - namely, finding the Yanusseiron whose presence had sparked his conflict with Eyttir and making it pay. Still fuming, the rat-kin passed through thickets, clambering over entwined roots and fallen branches before finally exiting the pink woods into a large, open area.

He found himself at the border of a shallow lake that fed into a series of waterfalls, cascading through breaks in the small ridges between more lakes until the waters finally fell into a river far below. The cascades produced clouds of glimmering vapor, refracting light in an entrancing myriad of colors that gave the Rainbow Cascades their name. Had Ricip not been in such a foul mood, even he would have conceded the kaleidoscopic landscape was breathtaking.

At the moment, though, all that mattered to him was the fact the Yanusseiron was in the middle of the first lake. His fur was still puffed out defensively, and he directed an angry glare and menacing hiss at the rat-kin, his long pink claws clicking against the rocky bottom.

"It's time..." the rat-kin said between clenched teeth as he closed on the beast, his machete raised for a strike.

He leaped forward with a battle-scream, slashing wildly at the creature. The Yanusseiron glided away, avoiding Ricip's first clumsy charge before coiling up and leaping at the rat-kin, slashing the air in turn with his long claws.

Even blinded by anger as he was, Ricip managed to dodge this attack, taking the opportunity to pass under the Yanusseiron's guard and slash upwards at his exposed under-side. His machete bounced from the sturdy pink scales, destabilizing the rat-kin just enough for the dragonblood to evade him and counter with a swipe of its long ringed tail. Ricip, unable to dodge in such close quarters, took the tail-strike full in his chest, falling back and landing in the ankle-deep water with a splash and a groan.

He barely had time to think as the Yanusseiron ran toward him at full speed. Cursing, the rat-kin jumped out of the way, scrambling back to his feet quickly as the dragonblood passed at full speed near him. The beast skidded to a halt, the lean serpentine body coiling again for another leap. Ricip readied his machete, keeping it low and to one side, intent on an upward strike to the Yanusseiron's sensitive snout on its next charge.

Instead of another charge, however, the monster opened its snake-like maw. Its tongue darted out, striking the rat-kin's hand with incredible force and knocking the machete from the rodent's numb-fingered grasp.

Ricip, stunned by the devastatingly swift disarm, could do naught but stare at his now empty hand as the pain from the strike radiated up his arm. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Yanusseiron coiling again, the spade of fur he had notched with his now lost blade raised and ready to strike.

"Oh, shit..." Ricip tried to dodge, but he was too late.

The monster's tail struck him at full force, and he was once again sent flying backwards, landing painfully on his tail at the very edge of the lake. He shook his head rapidly to clear it from the shock of his rough landing, recovering just in time to roll out of the way as his quarry's tail crashed right where he had just been, the massive impact throwing water in all directions and soaking the rat-kin to the skin.

The thief sputtered and got to his feet. From the corner of his eye, he saw a metallic glint in the water and leaped forward, the Yanusseiron's next strike missing him by scant inches. He landed on his feet and dashed as fast as he could toward the glint, not looking back to see the dragonblood he knew was right on his heels. Throwing himself to the ground, he slid the last few feet, seizing the machete with one hand before flipping back to his feet in a single dextrous maneuver that left him facing the galloping beast once again.

Thinking quickly, Ricip thrust his arm forward, straight into the creature's face. Unable to turn aside in time, the monster yelped as the blade sliced the side of its snout nearly to the eye, skidding in the shallow water and then dancing backwards away from the panting rat-kin.

Adrenaline coursing through him, Ricip's hand shook, scattering crimson drops of the Yanusseiron's blood from the tip of the blade into the lake. He forced his lips into a wicked, intimidating rictus.

The two opponents circled one another in the shallows, the panting rat-kin keeping his bloody blade pointed at the injured Yanusseiron, the dragonblood eyeing the rat-kin warily with one clawed paw pressed to the wound on its snout. Ricip watched the monster and its thin, undulating body carefully, taking the time to recover a bit from his exertions. His mind whirled as he weighed his options, uncertain how to defeat the monster that he had at sword's length. The only thing he was sure of was that having already taken such pains to subdue the creature, he refused to give up now.

Sensing the rat-kin's determination, the Yanusseiron hissed as it lifted its head high above the ground. Its throat bulged, filling like a frog's crop, and between the scales, Ricip could see pink gas swirling just under the skin. His eyes widened as he tried to dodge, but there was no time.

The dragonblood opened its maw and spit a huge wad of pink slime at him as he dove to one side. As the glob struck him mid-air, however, it exploded in a huge cloud of pink smoke. Landing hard on his side, Ricip coughed reflexively, drawing the thick fog into his lungs even as he scrambled to his knees. The scent was cloyingly sweet and seemed to block the air from entering his lungs. For a brief panicked moment, the rat-kin was certain he was going to die of asphyxiation.

His panic passed quickly as the smoke faded away, but the rodent was left panting, breathing ragged as his thoughts became erratic and a wave of warm tingles passed over his body. Actually, he felt more than warm - he felt hot, as if the mild spring had suddenly turned to the height of summer. His thoughts scattered in his mind, slipping from his control as deceptively pleasant feelings and sensations filled him, clouding his judgement. His grip on the handle of the machete loosened, and the weapon fell into the water, forgotten.

Ricip felt a shadow overcoming him, and he raised his head to see the Yanusseiron looming above him, mane and fur back to their normal state, save for the thin bloody line of the cut he had made to the creature's snout. The thief sensed a stern disapproval in the dragonblood's unwavering gaze, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The heat pouring into him had increased until his body felt on fire with it, but his mind was too clouded to even register panic. He then felt something almost unbearably pleasant - the warm, sticky tongue of the Yanusseiron rubbing along his neck and cheek, smearing his fur with a pinkish goo.

The thief moaned loudly, his eyes fluttering. The sensation was exquisite, almost too much for him to bear. Lost in a daze of pleasure that completely overwhelmed his sense of danger, he suddenly wanted to feel more of that tongue over his body, to rub it against him, to hug it and never let go. Frantically, he started shedding his clothes, his breath quickening in anticipation, encouraged by the Yanusseiron that kept licking each new part of his body as it emerged. The dragonblood was making a pleasant churring sound that vibrated through his tongue and into the rat-kin's body, soon nude before the creature.

Even with the cold air now blowing unhindered against his drenched fur, Ricip felt the liquid heat of the dragonblood's drug running all through him. The Yanusseiron walked in a slow circle around him, sliding that thick, slimy tongue over his naked, quivering form, drawing a long, low moan from the would-be hunter - a moan that turned in a sudden gasp as the tongue flickered over his now painfully erect length. Unable to utter a single coherent word, Ricip succumbed to his animal instincts, grasping the tongue and beginning to thrust himself against the firm, supple appendage that teased him.

The rat-kin was now completely overwhelmed by his desire, and so when the Yanusseiron stepped back, Ricip whined pitifully, now needing the dragonblood's lascivious attentions. Still churring, the beast used one clawed paw to push Ricip to the ground with an unexpected gentleness, and then flipped him over onto his back. The rat-kin laid passively in the pool of water, the cool fluid warring against the heat that had built within him, the contrasting sensations leaving him shuddering with need and desire.

The Yanusseiron grinned widely as it approached, its tongue writhing and droplets of pink caramel dripping from his slightly opened maw. Churring, he lowered his muzzle to Ricip's groin, tongue slathering the stiff rathood with goo before it closed its jaws around the rodent's dick and gently beginning to suckle.

It was too much for the rat-kin. Ricip cried out at the sensation of the warm, velvet-like flesh encasing him fully, and he almost immediately came, his seed firing in volley after volley in the most intense climax of his life. The dragonblood seemed pleased, drinking all the rat-kin had to offer.

Ricip sighed contentedly as the peak of his orgasm passed and he began to slip into the pleasant afterglow... but somehow, he was still incredibly aroused, and his erection didn't falter at all. Worse, the fire running from his head to his groin was still there, and even stronger now than it had been before.

Shivering and arching his back, the rat-kin moaned yet again, a sound composed of equal parts undeniable pleasure and relentless need. The rat-kin heard the Yanusseiron's half-hiss half-groan of a chuckle, and looked along the length of his body to meet the creature's mischievous gaze. Was this to be his punishment for attacking the dragonblood? To be left here, utterly spent and yet still eternally horny? The rat-kin tried to plead, to beg for release from the torment of these unremitting desires, but his words turned into incoherent moans and groans, gasps and sighs as he writhes in the shallow waters.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Yanusseiron approached him once more, tongue gently lapping at the sole of the rat-kin's foot with its long tongue. The mere sensation of this innocuous caress sent jolts of intense pleasure through Ricip's body. The rodent closed his eyes and smiled in sheer ecstasy. He felt as if the creature had forgiven him his trespass, and granted him his dearest wish: to be licked, touched, and pleasured. Even the odd feeling engulfing his foot didn't bother him; on the contrary, it was a new sensation that shot sparks of joy through him, making him shudder and spurt a few drops of precum.

He was curious, however, and opened his eyes to see that the Yanusseiron had closed its jaws around his paw, and was now suckling on it, much as he had a few moments earlier on the rat-kin's length. A momentary pang of worry crossed Ricip's mind, but it was soon dulled and then chased away entirely by the constant euphoria and desire that permeated his mind. As a result, the rat-kin shuddered and whined as he felt the Yanusseiron working on his toes, the tongue coiling between them before sliding up the foot and caressing the ankle before it too was engulfed in the creature's maw.

Ricip moaned again, closing his eyes, completely lost in bliss. He didn't struggle when the dragonblood used its claws to drag the rat-kin's other foot closer to its maw, nor when it entered and slid against that incredible, lovable tongue. Ricip writhed as he felt the creature's warmth now engulfing both his feet and slowly beginning to climb higher along his body. With an audible gulp, the Yanusseiron's hungry muzzle pulled more of the rat-kin inside, and Ricip felt nothing but pleasure, reveling in the sensations of the maw suckling him in, of the strong muscles now pressing against his feet and pulling them deeper, of the slight pinpoints of the creature's fangs brushing against his flesh.

Ricip groaned as another orgasm gripped him, his rathood twitching as he coated his belly with his seed. The Yanusseiron swallowed again, taking his legs fully in, the snout soon bumping against the rat-kin's depleted balls. The thief felt his lower body covered and pressed by those firm, wet and warm muscles, and despite his previous climaxes, it made him all the more aroused. He saw the Yanusseiron's mouth open wide, and he marveled at the sight. When the dragonblood closed his jaws again just above his erect length, thin needle sensation of the fangs just over his belly, it drew a loud gasp from the rat-kin's own muzzle.

The rat-kin felt himself being lifted up as the Yanusseiron raised his head. Ricip didn't understand why at first, but soon realized what was happening when he felt gravity starting to pull him deeper into the gullet of his sweet devourer. The dragonblood began swallowing rhythmically, inch after inch of the rat-kin's body disappearing into that slick tube of muscles at a much faster rate now. Ricip moaned once again, this time in regret that it was now going so quickly, and that it would be over so soon.

Down into the slimy darkness his waist and chest went. With his arms now pulled up above his head and the Yanusseiron's snout rising in front of his eyes, a single wandering thought pierced the thick veil of drug-induced arousal in the rat-kin's mind. Soft as a whisper, eyes closing down, the rat-kin muttered his final words.

"Eyttir... I'm sorry."

With that, the Yanusseiron gulped once more and the rat-kin's head slid into the cavernous maw, leaving nothing but the hands outside. One last gulp and down went the tiny paws as well. Ricip was now nothing but a bulge in the long throat of the dragonblood, sliding slowly down towards its belly.

The creature licked its chops and churred again, satisfied with its meal. However, its snout - still slightly slender from where its meal had wounded it - twitched as he picked up a scent that made his lips curve in a predatory grin.

Following its nose, the Yanusseiron gracefully turned around and began retracing its path back into the forest.

Eyttir was still fuming as he briskly walked through the pink woods, unable to calm his raging emotions. The machete that had flown so close to his face was the last straw in a long series of events that soured his relationship with the rat-kin. He wanted nothing more to do with his former companion, and wished for nothing so much as to simply go back to his native village.

The idle wish brought a painful memory rushing back to the surface: He hadn't left the village, he had been chased away in exile. That was the reason he had endured the rat-kin's bad mouth and foul temper for so long, and why he had learned to survive in the streets and caves that made up Valestra's most infamous slums.

The tiger-kin looked at his hand, the one that had committed so many crimes. Was it all worth it, after all? His musings were soon interrupted, however, as his neck fur started to stand on end and a cold shiver ran up his spine. He was being observed, he knew it.

Eyttir slid his sword from his sheath, scanning his surroundings. He shivered as he heard the hissing chuckle of the Yanusseiron, seeming to come from all directions. What happened? Could the dragonblood have fought Ricip and won? The stray pang of guilt and worry that crossed his mind surprised him, but he set the thought aside for later. For now, he was in the territory of a dragonblood and he knew well what that meant - he was fair game for the monster.

Eyttir moved in cautious circles, never staying long in the same spot as he scanned the surrounding trees from root to upper branches, keeping close watch for the hint of swift-moving pinkness that would warn him before an attack. The well-built tiger kept both his paws on the hilt of the sword, ready to defend himself.

He spotted movement from the corner of his eye and reacted on instinct, lunging forward and barely avoiding the pink tail that lashed at the place where he'd stood, cracking like a whip. Eyttir rolled forward and landed on his knees, his sword in one hand, the other on the ground to keep his balance. The tiger-kin registered another swift move in the canopy, but this time he couldn't react fast enough as the Yanusseiron's tongue darted toward him, knocking his sword from his hand. Eyttir yelped, scrambling away and holding his hurt paw. The tiger-kin spotted where his weapon had landed, but another tail swipe coming from above knocked the weapon further away, out of his sight. The muscled thief heard the metallic clink as the sword landed.

He groaned and crouched, baring his fangs and claws. Even without a sword and with one paw injured, the tiger-kin wouldn't go down without a fight. Eyttir growled and snarled in defiance, trying to coax the Yanusseiron out of its hiding place in the branches and leaves of the dense canopy. The beast responded with another whip-like lash of its tail, missing the tiger-kin by scant inches as the muscled thief side-stepped, slashing at the limber appendage with his uninjured paw. His aim was true, but the strike had little effect, Eyttir was no more able to cut through the solid draconic scales than through a stone wall, ending up with another sore paw.

With a wince, the tiger-kin staggered backward, his ears flat against his skull. Realizing there was no way he could win this fight, Eyttir quickly turned tail and fled among the trees at full speed. The tiger-kin could hear the rustles of leaves in the canopy, but didn't stop to check where the Yanusseiron was, opting instead to run as quickly as possible out of the dragonblood's territory.

Panting heavily, the tiger-kin thought he saw the edge of the pink woods ahead of him, and he smiled, full of hope... until the Yanusseiron leaped from the branches onto his back, sending him to the ground with a thud that emptied his lungs. Shocked and stunned, Eyttir had no time to recover before the dragonblood's next blow lifted him from the ground and launched him into the trunk of a nearby tree. The impact knocked the wind from the thief again and left him reeling.

The Yanusseiron followed up on the advantage it had gained, swiftly coiling around the tree and the tiger-kin, rendering his prey immobile. Eyttir gasped, breathing in with difficulty. He struggled with a renewed vigor born of panic, trying to wiggle free from the scaly embrace.

The dragonblood's smiling head came into Eyttir's view, its pink eyes dark with hunger. Terrified, the tiger-kin redoubled his efforts, but the only result was a tightening of the Yanusseiron's grip over its prey. Eyttir gasped for air like a fish out of water as the creature's grip over his chest made it more and more difficult to breathe. Combined with his frantic efforts to break free, the tiger-kin soon exhausted himself. As his vision began to fade into the grey tunnel of oxygen deprivation, the Yanusseiron's face filled his remaining view, grinning down at him with terrible intent as it chased him into unconsciousness.

Eyttir woke with a gasp, filling his lungs with air. He gasped heavily for a few moments, relishing the sensation of being able to take a full, unrestricted breath. He even nervously laughed at noticing he was still alive, although a bit chilly.

The tiger-kin looked at himself, and blushed deeply in embarrassment when he saw he was completely naked. Even worse, his arms were trapped, held straight out to his sides in a crystallized amber substance. His legs were similarly trapped to a point just above his knees, preventing him from bending the joint. His head, chest and groin were bare, and he had been positioned with his legs spread, offering a full view of his big balls and plump sheath, something that made the tiger-kin feel all the more vulnerable. He tried to pull his arms out of the crystal-like substance, flexing his muscles and groaning with the effort, but to no avail.

The tiger-kin slouched down on the tightly fit crystal, panting from the exertions of his failed attempt at freeing himself. A strange noise off to one side caught his attention; turning his head, the tiger-kin tried to understand what he was now seeing.

He was inside some kind of cave, well-lit by the shimmering waters of the region. There was a huge mass of roots in the middle of the cave with pink points here and there. In the middle of the plant mass was a huge hive-like structure, opened in two and dripping honey. The sweet liquid fell into a small pool where it mixed with the pink roots. Stuck to one side of the hive, the Yanusseiron gorged itself on honey, gobbling down huge globs of the viscous golden fluid as insects the size of Eyttir's closed fist flew nonchalantly here and there, not at all bothered by the dragonblood's presence.

Realizing his captor was occupied with its meal, Eyttir tried again to break free. He focused on his task - trying to extend his claws, to wiggle his paws, to move a toe, anything that would indicate the crystal was giving way - but with no more success than his initial attempt. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the familiar hiss-chuckle of the Yannusseiron.

Panicked, the tiger-kin glanced back toward the hive and saw the dragonblood was now watching him with a bemused smile. Honey still dripped from its maw, and the monster's tongue hanged down languidly, covered in the sweet goo.

Eyttir audibly gulped, suddenly feeling a renewed sense of being vulnerable and exposed under that intense stare. The Yanusseiron started to churr while his gaze ran all over the naked form of the trapped tiger-kin, seeming to appreciate the view. The buff thief flushed nervously, the dragonblood's sensual gaze bringing a wealth of mixed feelings. The monster still churring, stepped closer to its captive, tongue extending to run along the curves of the tiger-kin's muscles, leaving a trail of honey in its wake.

"Aaah! Stop that!" Eyttir snapped, the inside of his ears burning beet-red with his embarrassment.

Then he closed his eyes, biting his lips to keep himself from saying more. He had little room to argue. The Yanusseiron either did not understand or did not care about its toy's predicament, and kept on licking and smearing honey over the tiger-kin's fur, outlining the well-defined muscles.

Eyttir groaned, trying to fight against the instinctive reactions of his body before they could betray him. This elicited another chuckle from the big beast. With a satisfied grin, it wrapped its long, thin body around the crystal entrapping the tiger-kin.

Now, the trapped thief noticed how warm the Yanusseiron's body actually was, how soft its fur felt, and how smooth and cool the scales were against his own striped fur. Eyttir shivered at the contact, half expecting to be squeezed into unconsciousness again. However, the dragonblood was strangely gentle, this time. Instead of the crushing, binding force from before, the coils felt much more like a giant hug. Confused, the tiger-kin looked up toward his captor's enigmatic grin.

Carefully, the Yanusseiron placed a clawed paw behind the tiger-kin's head, leaning in until their noses were almost touching. Then the creature's tongue suddenly darted out, slipping inside its toy's muzzle. The monster's mouth closed and their lips met in a semblance of a kiss. Eyttir reeled in shock at the unexpectedly intimate gesture, so taken aback that he couldn't summon a single coherent thought in response..

The Yanusseiron then started to make a strange gurgling sound and pumped something into the tiger-kin's muzzle. Eyttir had no time to react as the creature forced him to swallow mouthful after mouthful of thick, extremely sweet goop. The flow was too much for Eyttir to handle, a small stream of pink slime overflowing his lips and dripping down his chin.

The tiger-kin tried to break free from the beast's lip-lock, but he was firmly held in place by the creature's paw. Soon, the buff thief felt his body start to tingle and grow incredibly warm as his mind became clouded with overwhelming arousal. His muffled cries turned to moans as his sheath gave way to his hardening length.

Finally, the Yanusseiron broke the kiss, leaving just a strand of pink caramel hanging between their muzzles. With no remaining thought of restraint, Eyttir strained his neck to lick at the gooey trail, panting needfully with half-closed eyes. The dragonblood was all too happy to give him the tip of its tongue, still coated in that pink honey-like substance. The needy tiger-kin quickly wrapped his lips around the thick muscle, suckling on it happily.

After a few moments of indulgence, the dragonblood retrieved its tongue from the thief's kiss and shifted its coils around, positioning its head near the tiger-kin's groin. The Yanusseiron churred pleased at the sight of the hard length throbbing in front of him. Delicately, it licked the dripping member, sending waves of pleasure through the body and mind of the captured feline. Eyttir arched his body as best he could in his crystal prison, trying to meet more of that warm, velvet tongue. He gave an inarticulate cry of need and pleasure, unable to form words anymore.

The dragonblood continued licking the tiger-kin length as if it were some kind of delicacy, the long, slippery tongue roaming over it before pausing momentarily to caress the tiger-kin's balls, and then return again to the thick maleness throbbing and oozing on the thief's stomach.

Eyttir moaned, lost in the pleasure, using what little free movement was left to him to lightly hump against that tongue. His groin bumped against the lips of the beast, and he quivered under the maelstrom of sensations, heightened by the pink honey he was so generously given earlier. His body burned with desire - no, not desire, a deep need to get more, and he found he was more than happy to give himself fully to the Yanusseiron.

It was with whimpers and pleading moans that the tiger-kin bumped more and more insistently on the dragonblood's lips, locking gaze with the beast that had captured him as he panted and writhed under the sweet, sweet torture. His tormentor smiled widely and churred happily before opening its maw wide, strands of pink goo linking the two jaws. The tiger-kin felt an incredible rush of pleasure as the monstrous mouth closed back around his sensitive length, encasing it in warm, supple flesh. The Yanusseiron's tongue wrapped around the tiger-kin's trapped maleness, occasionally sneaking out to stroke the feline balls dangling heavy underneath.

The tiger-kin cried out raggedly, eyes closed again as his mind drowned in the pleasure that coursed through his groin, up his spine and exploded in his brain. The Yanusseiron started to suck on his prize with consummate skill, squeezing the thick member, occasionally brushing it with the tip of his fangs - though never hard enough to truly hurt - and using his marvelous tongue in ways the tiger-kin would never have imagined possible.

Unable to resist any longer, the tiger-kin clenched his teeth, bucking hard against the crystalline restraints. He roared, the sound of his climax reverberating through the cave. The Yanusseiron stopped his ministrations in order to drink everything the tiger-kin had to offer with loud, gluttonous gulps. It took some time, before the big feline went dry, his breath coming in great pants as he slumped against his crystal encasement, eyes closed and smiling with exhausted pleasure.

However, his length was still rock hard and throbbing, and the dragonblood kept on licking and nursing it, apparently not satisfied with a single serving. Eyttir moaned, feeling the answering need growing again within him. Despite himself, he realized he enjoyed his predicament and was actually impatient to feel the Yanusseiron's talented muzzle working on him again... and with that realization, the last of his resistance ceased, and he gave himself fully to his new master.

"So, how did it go?" The words floated from an indistinct figure in the corner of the small room as the other man entered.

"As expected..." The nondescript iguana-kin replied while removing his Magus attire. "That rat-kin was so riled up about going on an 'easy monster hunt' that he gobbled up everything I told him. How easy it was, how quick he'll make tons of crowns..." He paused, shaking his head with a chuckle that was wryly disappointed. "It was way too easy." Freed of his cumbersome garments, the tall and lean iguana-kin shook himself, before putting other, more discreet clothes. "I feel kinda bad, though. That tiger-kin wasn't such a bad guy that he deserved that sort of end."

"Maybe." The figure replied, disregard for the matter evident in its tone as it exhaled blue smoke from the comfortable obscurity of the shadows it lurked in. "But the Circle can't afford to let its reputation be tarnished so." A brief gesture, less seen than sensed. "Now, get back to work."

"Yes, Master." The iguana-kin calmly replied, pulling on the boots of his Executioner uniform.