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The Elemental Portals

Book I – Terra

Chapter X – Preparations

More than a month had passed since the portal had been destroyed by Jimmy's reckoning. He suddenly realized one day that he had no idea whether they used weeks or months to measure the passage of time on Terra or how long the year was. He had heard someone refer to the passing of the seasons so he supposed they must have those here. He decided to ask Aurora.

“Our year is four hundred and twenty of our days." She informed him. “We don't have a moon like earth does so we have never divided the year up by its phases like you do. It's a shame though, your moon is beautiful when it is full."

“You've seen it?"

“Oh yes. Your father took me to Earth any times when we were courting and needed to get away from our families here. We would lay on the roof of the old wooden warehouse they had then and watch the moon and ... and that's all you need to know about that. He told me though that the concept of months was taken from the lunar calendar and that the seven-day weeks were merely the four phases of the moon's twenty-eight day cycle."

“But you have seasons?"

Yes, we divide the year up into four seasons, like they do on earth, but they are not caused by a tilt in Terra's axis; our poles are straight up and down, so the days and nights are always the same length and it's summer everywhere at the same time and likewise for winter."

“How does that work?"

“Like Earth, Terra's orbit is elliptical, only more so. When we are closest to the sun it is summer for everyone and when we are farthest it is winter. The seasons between when pants are sprouting or dying we call Autumn and Spring, terms we borrowed from Earth. Before the first contact between our worlds we just called them Near-Winter and Pre-Summer, in our own language, of course."

“I've been learning Terran between training sessions. Paul thinks that it will come in handy on the trip."

“Paul is a very wise and experienced dog." Aurora looked away and then down before speaking again. “When do you think that Annie will be well enough to travel?"

“Another week ..." Jimmy caught himself and continued in Terran. “Seven days. She is well and mobile but needs time to regain her strength."

Aurora was impressed with how much Terran he had learned in such a short time, even though his speech was stilted. He would gain fluidity with time, she was sure ... if he lived long enough. She pushed the thought out of her head.

“Have Annie come visit me. I would enjoy asking with her about you."

Jimmy grinned. “Now I'll never let her near you."

But Annie did come the next day, and every day thereafter. Jimmy had learned enough to let them alone for a hour or two before showing up himself to pretend to be embarrassed by his mother's feigned shock at his boyhood exploits.

Aurora caught the notes of longing that the human female had felt for her son but could tell that Annie had put it behind her. Not that she would have objected to a union between them. Annie was big and strong and looked like she would be a fine breeder. With Jimmy bulking up through constant training and Aurora's plentiful larder they would have made a fine match. But she also knew through her late husband that humans did not judge beauty the same way that Terrans did and understood that Annie's bulky frame and square features might count against her chances of finding a mate.

Maybe she should stay, Aurora mused while Annie described the latest sparing sessions between Jimmy and the Blacksmith, Gael Tholkes. Annie did not realize it, but she was spending more time describing Gael's physique and how he moved than she did on Jimmy's improved technique. Aurora knew that the human would miss Gael once she was back on earth and wondered if they had any men there that could compare.

But if they did, would they be interested in Annie, she wondered? Annie had lost all her hair in the explosion but half of it would never grow back cause of the scar tissue on the left side of her head. Her face, which Annie described as plain, but Aurora found handsome, was criss-crossed with lesser scars, as were her hands, arms and part of her legs. Still, her womanly parts were intact, having been protected by the excess layers of clothing humans preferred, and she had full use of all her limbs. On Terra she would be considered 'tough', with the scars to prove it.

“... tomorrow or the next day."

Aurora shook her head to clear the cobwebs. “I'm sorry, dear. What did you say?"

Annie sat forward looking slightly anxious. “I said that Paul is satisfied with Jimmy's progress and that he thinks we can leave tomorrow or the next day. The Mayor has given us permission to take the assassin with us but won't release him until we are on our way. All that there is left to do is pack and decide exactly where we are going. Paul and Gael are coming by tonight to strategize and I was hoping that you would sit in."

“Me? What could I add to the plan?"

“You knew Arthur's brother better than most, I think."

Aurora frowned. “What makes you say that?"

“From what I've heard of Rory Douglas, anything his brother had he wanted. Besides, he's a fox, you're a fox. I'm betting that he tried to take you away from Arthur."

The vixen blushed under her fur. “You pay more attention than the males give you credit for, is what I'll bet." Then she sighed and sat back. “Yes, Rory did want me, but it was the other way around. He thought that a union of our families would bolster his chances of taking over the business from Jimmy's Grandfather. He came to my village several times to make social calls on me and my sisters, eventually settling on me."

“Rory invited me to Dougs-ur-Mark to meet his family, but the moment Arthur set eyes on me he was smitten. I could tell, and I was amused at first. I had never contemplated mating with a human and there were enough local girls of various species after him already, but he was persistent. A trait he shares with his brother."

“Rory caught on and it became a competition for him, but not for dear, sweet Arthur. Rory would have a bouquet of roses imported from earth, Arthur would hand pick wildflowers and sneak into my room to decorate my chamber pot. Rory sent agents out to search out the rarest gems for me, Arthur found a common stone with olivine specks just the same shade as my eyes and painted a likeness of my face around them. On the evening that Rory reserved the tavern and hired the best band in the region to play us though a supper cooked by the finest chefs Arthur showed up at my window with something called a ukulele and serenaded me off key until I agreed to come out and share a bucket of something he claimed was fried chicken. That was the first time he brought me to Earth and showed me the full moon."

Aurora lapsed into silence, a sad smile of remembrance on her lips.

Annie let her reminisce for a few moments before interrupting. “I'm guessing That was the end of the competition."

“Yes. Rory was very upset, but he tried to hide it. From that day forward, however, their 'friendly' competition took on a hard edge. Rory did everything he could to discredit and ruin Arthur's chances of inheriting the business, and by doing so exposed his true nature to Jimmy's Grandfather, ensuring Arthur's succession. Then Jimmy was born and the last time we saw Rory was when he dropped off a black pearl to celebrate the birth. I think that he had originally intended to give that pearl to me as a betrothal gift."

“Like I said, we need your insight."

Aurora agreed to join the others when they conferred that evening.

Paul and Jimmy showed up at supper time and Aurora fed them all before sending the twins off to bed. While she was tucking them in Gael arrived, carrying a canvas bundle that clinked when he set it down. Before he could turn and close the door Junafir appeared in the opening, and she was also carrying a bundle, but hers resembled a traveling pack.

“Junafir!" Jimmy said, surprised by her sudden appearance. They had said their goodbyes at the pond the day before after a bittersweet love-making session under the willows. There had been a lot of tears, but she seemed to have accepted the inevitable, at the time.

“I'm going with you." The young tigress blurted out, clutching her pack protectively as if they might try to take it from her and throw her out.

“You can't come with us." Paul Colima's said wearily. “It's too dangerous."

Junafir reached down and produced her mother's cleaver. It had been cleaned and sharpened so much that the edge caught the light of the lantern and glowed. “I know how to use this." She said. “My mother taught me. She said that a girl needs to know how to defend herself and protect her family."

Looking at the way her claws extended when she gripped the handle made Annie wonder if the cleaver was not redundant, but she held her tongue.

“I've seen her mother weird that thing." Gael observed. “If she's half as good she'll be a formidable asset if we're attacked."

Paul had already tossed his arms and head back in consternation when he caught something in what the horse had said.

“If WE are attacked?"

“Sure." Gael shrugged. “I thought that you could use a strong back and another sword on the road."

Annie beamed at the prospect.

“This is rapidly becoming unmanageable." Paul growled. “An assassin who's got to be watched constantly, an unproven boy, a girl still recovering from almost fatal injuries, another girl who's likely to chop her own hand off and ... and ..."

“And two former soldiers who have faced death more times than either would care to count." Gael injected. “Two soldiers that can continue their training on the road to ... where are we going anyway?"

“Well, we can't head directly to other Douglas clan portal at New Lanark."

“No." Aurora agreed. “Nor can you try to get there by a circuitous route. Rory will be watching all the roads, and not with assassins either. Having failed with them he will use a less subtle means; thugs and mercenaries most likely."

“Thugs we can handle." Gael said.

“Probably, as they tend to be bullies, but if he hires trained mercenaries they are likely to set up an ambush."

“I could scout ahead." Paul mused, chewing on his thumb claw as he thought. “Gael could act as read guard."

“And leave the assassin lone with these three?" Gael countered.

“Damn it, you're right."

Jimmy, Annie and Junafir all frowned at the others' low estimate of them.

“You had best all stay together." Aurora advised. “One of Rory's favourite tactics is to split an enemy up and take them out piece by piece. You also need to go somewhere where he won't expect you to go."

Paul's brows furrowed deeper. “Where?"

“Well, there must be other portals connecting Terra to Earth that neither he nor the Douglas clan controls."

“I'm sure there is, but I don't know where they are, or which are safe to approach."

Aurora sighed. “Neither do I. Arthur talked of them but not in any detail." She looked to the blacksmith. “Gael, how about you?"

The big horse owed his mane and cocked one brow as he thought about the problem. “I don't know of any myself ... but I do know someone who might."

“Really? Who?"

Gael cast a sidelong glance at Annie and ducked his head in embarrassment. “There was this coyote I met on my travels ..."

Annie read his body language easily. “Just a coyote?" She teased.

“A female coyote." He admitted. “Named Constance. I learned a lot from her." He saw Jimmy and Junafir exchange smirks. “It's not what you think." He said, holding his hands out defensively. “Well, maybe a little like what you're thinking, but she is really smart. She runs a museum in Cognitionis. They have a lot of stuff to do with portals and Wanderers there ... maps and artifacts and such. If anyone knows how to get you back to Earth, Annie, she does."

“I'm dying to meet her."

“Now, don't be like that."

“Like what?"

“Quiet you two. I'm trying to think."

Paul sat with his muzzle on his fist for a good few minutes as his tail twitched irritatingly behind him. Finally, his eyes cleared and he learned forward across the table.

“What Gael says makes sense. We need help and Cognitionis is the best place to find it. It's in the opposite direction of New Lanark, so Rory won't likely be looking for us on that road. It's also the largest city on Terra and filled with off-worlders due to the number of portals in the volcano; it will be easy to blend in once we're there."

“It's decided then." Jimmy injected. “We'll need a day or two to provision and to find some weapons."

“This is all I need." Junafir said, brandishing the cleaver.

“That's fine, but I have to return my father's sword to Paul and Annie has nothing but her fists."

Gael stood up with his bundle and lay it on the table. “I have taken the liberty of addressing that issue."

He unwrapped the bundle to revel several weapons.

The first that he held up was a double-edged dagger with a thick straight blade and a round handle wrapped in sharkskin for a better grip. He also took out three short steel poles with similar handgrips.

“This is for you, Annie." He said, passing it over. “As is it is only useful for personal defence but watch when I assemble these poles." He inserted the poles into each other and locked them together with a twist. Then he took back the dagger and inserted one end of the poles into the hilt after turning the pommel around on a hidden swivel. With a few turns it was solidly attached. The whole assembly was now a long spear.

“You said that you were an expert with a javelin, and while I don't recommend throwing away a good weapon this one is balanced well enough to do so. I can drill you on the finer points of spear fighting on the road ... if you like."

Annie took the assembled spear with a huge smile. “Gael! That is so sweet. Thank you."

“Sweet?" Jimmy asked. “It's a spear!"

“It's thoughtful, not that your gifts were not, Jimmy, but his is more useful than coloured pencils in our current circumstances."

“I suppose." Jimmy mumbled as Junafir put a comforting, and possessive, hand on his shoulder. “What's the big one there Gael?"

The Blacksmith raised a long sword with a double-handed hilt that was encased in a black sheath. There was a babble of interest that fell into silence when he drew it forth.

The blade was as long as Gael's arm, longer even. It had two edges that came to an almost flat point, but it was not exactly a single blade.

“It looks like two of Arthur's swords, back to back." Aurora observed.

“It is, in a way." Gael admitted. “I used the techniques from the books he brought me and the steel sand from the land of Japan to make blades like his. After my sword was broken in the fight with the assassin I wanted to make myself another broad sword, but the Japanese tempering technique makes the blade curve away from the edge, so I made two and welded them together at the ends. When I tempered them in the clay they drew apart, leaving a gap between, but still firmly attached at the tip and base."

Paul picked it up and turned it to and fro, examining the wavy pattern made by the change in the tempering. “Is it strong enough?"

“More than enough. Each blade is as sharp as Arthur's, and they give each other strength in their bond. Yet they are flexible enough that they won't break when twisted or struck, like mine did. And it's light." He added, taking the sword from Paul and waving it over his head.

“I've never seen a sword with a flat tip." Paul said, frowning.

Gael pointed the sword at Aurora and slowly advanced it toward her scarlet ruff. As it moved forward the ends of her red fur fell away without the slightest resistance. Aurora caught them as they drifted down.

“It's sharp enough," she commented, “but you'll have to even up the cut before you leave."

“Impressive." Paul admitted. “I see you have a regular katana there too."

“Yes." Gael took the last item boom the bundle, a standard-length katana with a hilt and sheath covered in silver snakeskin. “I made it for Jimmy since you took ... well .... his father's ..."

“I understand." Paul said, taking the silver sword from Gael's hands and turning to Jimmy. “Jimmy, when I took your father's sword I as angry, and I did not believe that you were capable of becoming half the man he was. But lately I see strength and determination in your walk and newfound assurance. It has always been my intention to return your father's sword to you when you have earned it. Let me take this opportunity to express my confidence in your progress by taking this sword and bequeathing you back the blade of your father."

Paul slipped the new sword into the sash at his waist while Aurora passed him Arthur's sword from where Jimmy had left it leaning against the hearth.

“James Douglas, son of Arthur, take your father's sword."

Jimmy took the sword on his outstretched hands but did not tuck it into his belt. “Paul, are you sure? You were my Father's best friend and deserve this more then I do. I can take the new one; I'm sure its just as good."

Gael snorted through his long nose. “Just as good my ..."

“I'm sure it is too." Paul interrupted. “And the snakeskin sheath is cool, as Arthur would have referred to it. Too cool for an inexperienced warrior such as yourself. So, subject closed."

“Alright," Jimmy conceded as he fingered the large ruby on the hilt of his father's sword, “but I have a gift for you, for all of you."

He put the sword down and pulled the pouch of jewels out from inside his shirt. He poured them out onto the table and was pleased when their eyes went wide, including the Terrans, proving that on this world rich in gemstones these were truly unique.

“I've seen a few of these come through the shop." Paul said as poked at the stones. “I wondered where they had gotten to."

“I've seen ones as large, but not as clear or nearly so flawless." Gael admitted as he picked up the diamond and squinted through it.

“Butchers don't get paid in gems," Junafir shrugged, “so I have nothing to compare them with, but they sure are big and sparkly."

Annie had heard about his father's jewels but had not seen them, and she seemed to have forgotten to breathe for a minute at the magnificence of them. “Holy shit!" She exclaimed when she caught her breath. “These are bigger than the ones in the Royal Ontario Museum ... bigger than the Crown Jewels! Jimmy, these are worth a king's ransom ... you're rich! But ... you're not thinking of giving us your inheritance, are you?"

“Not directly, but Aurora thinks that these stones might have some magic abilities. I don't know if that is true, or whether they would have passive or active abilities, or even which worlds they would work on, but I want to follow my father's example."

He saw their puzzled looks and Jimmy rubbed his head as he struggled to explain. “He said that a lot of our fiction, especially our fantasy novels, might be based on the authors' experiences on the other worlds. In a lot of those novels having a powerful gemstone on your weapon is a distinct advantage. They became the swords of hero's, the weapons of legend, because of them. I think that is why he put the ruby on his sword. I don't know if it will make any difference, but I want each of you to put one of these stones on your weapon, for luck, if nothing else."

He pushed the gems across the table.

“Sometimes, Aurora commented, tilting her chin toward the black pearl, “a weapon can become cursed by what's put on it."

“True enough," Jimmy said, putting the pearl back in the bag, “but there are enough left for everyone to have one even without it. What do you say? You can always return it when we make it safely back to Earth, but you won't have to."

Paul picked up the blue sapphire. It was almost the same shade as his eyes. “Sapphires are said to hold power over water and anything that lives in it. Maybe it will bring me luck fishing for our supper on the road."

Gael measured the diamond. “This would fit nicely between the two blades of my sword." He turned to Paul. “What do diamonds control?"

“The weather. Clouds and storms and such."

“Then I'll name the sword Lightning."

Junafir and Annie exchanged looks over the remaining two gems. Junafir took the smaller star sapphire and pushed the larger, more valuable emerald toward Annie. “Even though it doesn't match my eyes, Paul, this little white stone will fit perfectly on the end of Mother's cleaver. And let me guess, the star sapphire is connected to the power of the stars, right?"

“I believe that is correct, but I'm really no expert."

Annie shrugged and reached for the emerald. “Plants and animals, Right?"

Paul nodded. “So I've heard."

“Me too, from those sword and sorcery fantasy books Jimmy talked about. The elves always seem to wear green gems, and I've always wanted to be an elf." Then she frowned as she caught her reflection in the stone. “Though I look more like an ogre now."

Gael and Jimmy hastened to comfort her.

“You look great, Annie."

“Yes, like a warrior princess."

“Lay off, you lug heads, I know what I look like and its fine. I'll just dye what hair I have left purple and get a bunch of piercings."

“Annie, no! You're ..."

Paul interrupted. “Gael, how long will it take you to mount these on the weapons, and ..." he glanced at Junafir's cleaver, “... other cutlery?"

“I can do it tomorrow."

“Alright then. The rest of us will acquire provisions. Let's meet back here tomorrow night to pack so that we can make an early start the day after. I'll arrange to have the prisoner handed over as we leave. Agreed?"

The rest mumbled acquiesce.

Junafir stood up and stretched, making the fact that her light dress was very tight and very short evident. “I feel dirty. I think I'll stop by the pond on my way home."

Jimmy stood up quickly. “I should walk you there. It's late and you don't know who might be lurking about."

“Better stop by your room for one of those rubber things." Aurora said dryly.

Jimmy's face glowed red as the others laughed into their fists, but he made a detour to his room all the same.

“I should get going too." Gael said, gathering up the weapons. “I'll need to get up early tomorrow to get the charcoal hot enough to work this steel."

Annie picked up the gems and stood beside him. “I'll go with you. You might need another strong pair of arms."

“It gets awfully hot in the forge, Annie."

She ran her hand over the smooth scar issue on her head. “Not as hot as some places. Come on. Let's go."

Paul and Aurora sat in silence for a few minutes after the others had left.

“I told Jimmy about you and Ruth." Aurora said when the silence became unbearable. “He needed to know why you were suddenly so cold toward him."

“How did you know about me and her?"

“Junafir told me a few weeks ago, after her mother's funeral. She was feeling guilty for what she said to Ruth when she found you two and wasn't brave enough to approach you to apologize."

“Why? She must know that I would never hold it against her. It was just something she blurted out in surprise. Poor thing, she could have come to see me anytime."

“Not the way you were acting. You almost scared Jimmy off from training with you."

“Humph. I suppose that you are right. I was beginning to love Ruth, and the shock of losing another loved one after finally coming to peace with what happened to my family ... I really have no excuse, though. I'm supposed to be the mature, experienced one, not James or Junafir."

“That's the second time that you've called him James tonight."

“Yes. He's a man now. Aurora, or close enough to it. He needs the respect a man's name brings if he is going to bring honour to his family name."

“Yes." Aurora sighed. “I've only known him a short while, but I'm going to miss him. Make sure he's safe, please Paul?"

“I promise, Aurora, on Arthur's name."

* * * * * * * *

While the companions were making plans Sevade was examining his handiwork.

The Assassin's guild did indeed hold secret knowledge of rapid healing procedures and Sevade had learned most of them in his quest to be named a master. But as Mister Ross had guessed, while their techniques closed wounds incredibly fast, they did nothing to lessen the scarring. This was evident once the last of Nahal's bandages were removed.

“Ugh," Sevade said, turning his head away, “it's horrible."

The young woman looked concerned. “What's wrong? Is it infected? You said that your stinky creams would clean the wounds."

“Oh, they have. But they stand out quite a bit against your dark skin."

“So? I thought you assassins liked scars?"

“Normally we do, it's just that … well … yours looks like a spider web."

It was true. Rory's claws had slashed deep twice, the cuts leaving white lines of scar tissue each time. The first set started in the middle of her face when his fingers were spread but they came together above her ear as he closed his fist during the strike. The second set was perpendicular to them with a slight curve with the lines an even distance apart. It looked very much like someone had deliberately cut a web pattern into her flesh, narrowly missing her right eye.

That blue-grey orb glared out at him between the thin white lines of scar tissue. “You have a thing about spiders, don't you?"

“What? Me? What makes you say something like that?"

“Every time you see one you scream and throw your plate at it."

“They could be poisonous."

“They look like common wolf spiders. A bit bigger than the ones back home but essentially harmless. They like cold, damp places like cellars …. and dungeons, I suppose."

“They could still be poisonous … and we seem to be getting more of them lately."

Nahal shrugged as she donned a black cloak she had been given for her visits to Rory Douglas. Mister Ross was due to collect her any minute. “I doubt it. They crawl on us at night but never bite."

Sevade shuddered and tried to change the subject. “With that cloak and those scars, you look like an assassin already."

He had meant it as a compliment, but she squinted suspiciously as the door opened and Mister Ross beckoned her to follow him.

Sevade had begun training her as an assassin as soon as she had agreed to his plan. Her hate for Douglas was intense, he could tell, and unlikely to abate now that the red fox had decided to keep her as a sex slave. She had described how Douglas, unrestrained by no longer having to hide his species, used her in more ways and positions than she had ever been put in while forced to work as a child prostitute. Hearing about it made him queasy.

It was not that Sevade was a prude. He supposed that he was as adventurous as the next fox, but he had not had much opportunity to find out. Growing up on the streets of Dainis meant that one spent a good deal of time avoiding becoming a victim of sexual predators, and hearing about what Rory Douglas was doing to the human made him think of what might have happened to him if he had been any slower or weaker.

Then there was the fact that she was human, and almost hairless. Just the thought of mating with something so freakishly bald was enough to turn his stomach. It was bad enough that she paraded around naked half the time. Even her pussy was hairless, although that was because Mister Ross shaved her there every day.

He had been picking up more human words as he tried to teach her Terran, but he found their languages confusing. Why did the humans call a female's sex parts a pussy anyway? It looked more like a bun to him, fresh from the oven with a little fold down the middle to break it apart for buttering. Yet they called their backsides buns when they resembled squash more than anything else. At least hers were firm and round and …

He shook his head to clear it. Living with her was affecting him in strange ways. Training her required him to put his hands all over her in order to guide her in her exercises and demonstrate the techniques that did not require weapons. Then he had to massage the kinks out of her muscles after a hard day's training, so his hands and eyes had become very familiar with her body. He had expected that that familiarity would breed contempt, but apparently that was not the case.

He had gone without sex for over a season even before taking the contract on Douglas's nephew. He had been too busy and prudent to visit the brothels, saving up to buy his master's ticket as he was, and had not met anyone with whom there was enough mutual desire for casual sex, so there was a lot of pent up desire in him and no one but her to relieve it on.

But he couldn't ... could he? She had none of the attributes he preferred in a partner. No luxurious fur to run his claws through, no long muzzle to seal his lips on, no fluffy tail to caress as he lifted it up to reveal …. what?

Sevade had to admit that he was not sure. Sometimes, most times, maybe, when he fantasized at night after Nahal had fallen asleep he saw a furry bum punctured by a round pink hole and a gaping vagina. But other times he only saw the pink puckered hole, and furry balls squeezed between strong thighs.

It had been like that on the journey to Dougs-ur-Mark. Each night he would sit across the fire from Chris Cinereo, pretending to hate his fellow assassin while he admired Chris's handsome scars and ashen fur. Had Chris looked back at him the same way? Sevade thought that he might have.

Sevade, who normally slept with enough clothes to hang several knives from, stripped bare before retiring each night, and did it in full view of the others, even though he had to bear Wart's crude jokes because of it. After they were wrapped in their blankets he would wonder if that night would be the night that the grey fox would slip under his blanket and slide his naked body up against his.

Alone in the cell now, he slid one hand under his cloak as he imagined the warmth of the grey fox's fur against his. He pretended that the hand on his groin was Chris's as he closed his eyes and began to stoke his flaccid cock.

Wart would be snoring loudly and farting in his sleep, as always, but Chris would whisper “Shush" in his ear just the same as he explored Sevade's body under the blanket. In the cell, the red fox lifted his other hand to his chest and gently tweaked one of his nipples the way he would have liked Chris to do it.

Chris would nibble on his ear, lick the insides and poke his tongue down deep to tickle him there. He would push Sevade's tail aside so that the red fox could feel the growing erection against his buttocks as he rubbed it up and down between them.

But he would not put it in Sevade's tail hole. No, in his fantasy Sevade was the dominant one. In his mind he felt Chris turn around under the blanket and put his lips on Sevade's cock. Felt him suck it in and stroke it with his mouth.

Under his cloak his cock was hard and the knot was forming as pre-cum dribbled out to lubricate his fist. Forming his thumb and index finger into a ring he imagined that it was Chris's pursed lips on him.

When he was as hard as he would ever be, he would pull the grey fox's head off of his aching cock and guide him onto his knees. Then, being careful to keep under the dark blanket in case Wart woke up as glanced their way, he would shuffle in behind Chris and lift his luxurious tail up and lay it along his back. He would find the fox ready, his ring positively eager to suck in his finger in as he probed it. It would still be a little dry, so he would spit into his hand to wet it a bit, rubbing the excess on his cock for good measure.

Throwing the cloak back Sevade did spit in his hand, smearing the slippery saliva along his shaft so that his hand, squeezed tight like the anus he imagined, would not chafe.

Twisting his wrist as he forced his cock into his tight fist while Sevade imagined himself twisting his hips as he probed Chris's tail hole. He could almost feel the hard muscles of the grey fox's buttocks under his hand, buttocks covered in soft fur that was damp from sweat now. He could hear the other fox's panting breath interrupted with moans of pleasure as Sevade's pace increased and his knot threatened to invade that tight ring of flesh.

His fist was flying on his cock as he leaned back against the stone wall. He was getting close, and in his mind Chris would be too. Would he reach down and take Chris's cock in his hand to help him along, or just ride him like a bitch until he came spontaneously from the pounding of Sevade's cock in his ass? Maybe next time; for this fantasy Sevade saw himself grabbing a double fist full of butt as he swung his hips back and forthwith wild abandon.

When he could not hold his orgasm back anymore, he squeezed hard, simulating Chris's ass clenching his cock as the grey fox came underneath him. The spooge had to force its way out in a series of painful bursts that were each pure ecstasy. Most flew across the room, some landed on his thighs, and the last lazy spurts pooled in the crevices of his fist.

He held on to his cock until the last tremors had passed and the last few drops had dribbled out of the tip. Then he raised his right hand up in front of his face and watched the spooge drip down across his palm for a moment.

“Was it good for you too?" But his hand didn't answer.

Maybe I should give the human a try, he thought. At least I'll have someone to talk to while I … his concentration was broken by the appearance of a hairy, black spider on the floor. It must have crawled in under the door while he was …. busy.

“Gahhh!" he cried as he pulled his feet up and searched for something to throw at it. His belt, bare of sheaths and knives, was the closest thing to hand so he grabbed it and flailed at the arachnid from the safety of the bench. It took several tries before he managed to squash it.

“Disgusting creatures." He said aloud as he tiptoed around it to get a towel to wipe it, and the spooge, up from the floor. “That's the third one today. Where the hell are these things coming from?"

* * * * * * * *

In a nearby reclamation pit a cat with one ear, one eye and several less fingers than he was born with was digging through the trash with a small canine who was not in much better shape.

“Claw." the canine asked him, “Why're we huntin' spiders?

“Don't know, just that Mister Douglas pays well for the fattest and hairiest."

“Oh. Look, there goes a beaut!"

“Into the jar with him Maxie. We'll dine on real meat tonight while Mister bloody Douglas does whatever he does with the creepy buggers."

“You think he eats 'em?"

“Maybe. I et a few when I broke my wrist last year and couldn't work."

Not working in the pits meant no pay and no pay meant starvation unless you had other services to sell. Claw was too ugly and smelly to sell his ass and too snaggle-toothed to make money sucking cocks so he had had to make due with whatever he could find.

“How were they?"

“Not bad, once you got over the initial burst when you bite into 'em."

“Oh."

Paul Collieman © Collifan

Gael Tholkes © MarcusXLight

Junafir Pawstone © Frostlupus

Ruth Pawstone © Bunners

Chris Cinereo © Kyroo Echos

Sevade © Frostlupus